2021 NBA Draft: Seven gamers who had been underutilized in faculty however could possibly be picked within the first spherical

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Gone are the times when your faculty manufacturing is commensurate along with your professional prospects. Nationwide participant of the 12 months Luka Garza, as an example, is not amongst our top-60 prospects coming into this month’s draft. Or take the nationwide scoring chief from final season, Oral Roberts’ Max Abmas — he introduced final week that he is withdrawing from the draft and returning to high school after his inventory settled effectively exterior first-round vary. Scouting for the professionals now’s as a lot about projection, athleticism and physique kind than what a participant has confirmed in faculty.

This 12 months is pretty much as good an instance as any. Take Texas’ Kai Jones for instance: He was the Longhorns’ sixth-leading scorer final season however could possibly be drafted inside the highest 10 later this month. Or take Michigan’s Franz Wagner: he wasn’t the most efficient participant on his workforce — he was the third-leading scorer for the Wolverines — however is monitoring in the direction of turning into a possible lottery decide. The identical is true of Tennessee’s Keon Johnson, who put some athletic flashes on tape however lacked consistency. Johnson could possibly be a lottery decide after setting a vertical leap report eventually month’s NBA Draft Mix.

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In some circumstances, manufacturing and professional prospects align. Luka Doncic was a famous person in Europe earlier than turning into a top-five decide. Zion Williamson was nationwide participant of the 12 months at Duke earlier than turning into the No. 1 total decide in 2019. However more and more, placing up massive numbers isn’t solely now not a prerequisite to lottery consideration — it’s in lots of circumstances the exception.

Listed below are those that match that profile on this 12 months’s draft. All of them save for one — Texas’ Kai Jones — are of the one-and-done selection.

Florida State coach Leonard Hamilton is making a behavior of manufacturing lottery expertise who as a rule come off the bench as freshmen. Final 12 months it was Patrick Williams, who went No. 4 total to the Chicago Bulls after making zero (zero!) begins. This 12 months it is fast-rising ahead Scottie Barnes, who made simply seven begins in 24 appearances final season. Barnes’ counting stats do not bounce at you — he got here off the bench for a loaded FSU workforce — however the position was there all season. He led the Seminoles in assists and completed the season with the next help charge than presumptive No. 1 decide Cade Cunningham and sure top-five decide Jalen Suggs, illustrating simply how dynamic Barnes is on offense — to say nothing of his versatile defensive instruments.

In 10 of Keon Johnson’s first 15 video games final season he failed to achieve double figures in scoring — however he closed on a tear down the stretch. The development coincided with Vols coach Rick Barnes trusting him with extra taking part in time and in a bigger position. It additionally got here as his draft inventory soared into first-round territory. And whereas he is a uncooked offensive participant nonetheless — he shot 27.1% from 3-point vary and lacks polish with the handles, which is able to unlock his sport if he can discover some seasoning — his athletic profile and flashes of talent proven in faculty shall be sufficient to get him probably drafted on this 12 months’s lottery. One of many true boom-or-bust abilities of the draft. 

Kai Jones performed simply over 22 minutes per sport as a sophomore for Texas final season. He completed the season sixth on the workforce in scoring, third in rebounding and third in blocks — regardless of being the Longhorns’ tallest participant at 6-foot-11. However at that top, the physique management, taking pictures and talent off the bounce are the stuff of unicorn-caliber prospects. Gamers his dimension doing stuff like this do not often final too far in drafts.

There isn’t any doubt some ironing out in his sport that should happen — he must get stronger, turn into a greater rebounder, study the sport and develop on offense — however he has all of the constructing blocks to be one of many draft’s greatest stars if he hits. And when you think about that he solely started taking part in basketball at 15 years previous, it is laborious to not discuss your self into this child’s vibrant future regardless of lackluster manufacturing at Texas. 

The uncommon high-usage, small-sample prospect, Jalen Johnson was a key cog for Duke in 13 video games, averaging 11.2 factors, 6.1 rebounds and sometimes initiating offense on fastbreaks. However Johnson left Duke earlier than the season ended to prep for the draft after plenty of his weaknesses as a prospect got here to gentle. Johnson’s inventory within the aftermath of that call fluctuated a bit — and definitely was effectively beneath preseason expectations as a top-10 expertise — and it has but to essentially settle. His draft vary is huge. He might go inside the highest 10 or drop to the 20s. Huge image, it is extra prone to be nearer to the previous — 6-9 forwards with big-guard abilities are prospects groups will bounce on the likelihood to put money into. Even when what we noticed from him at Duke left us with plenty of questions on a few of his offensive limitations within the halfcourt and on protection.

A robust exhibiting on the NBA draft mix left Joshua Primo, the youngest prospect on this 12 months’s class, with no alternative however to remain within the draft. He, greater than arguably anybody else, boosted his inventory most whereas in Chicago. Guards who’re 6-5 and are knockdown shooters like him are undoubtedly price first-round appears however he confirmed some pizazz on the ball on the mix in addition. That baseline talent set mixed with the youth and long-term role-playing potential might get him to lottery vary simply months after ending because the fifth-leading scorer for SEC-winning Alabama. 


JT Thor

AUBURN •

PF •

10

6-9, 203

PPG9.4

RPG5.0

BPG1.4

Utilization charge20.4%

Draft vary: 20-30


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Auburn flew underneath the radar final season greater than it deserved contemplating its expertise degree — due largely to its self-imposed postseason ban — and JT Thor was the hidden gem of the Tigers’ roster. He was sixth on the workforce in scoring and seventh in minutes performed, but he’s now monitoring in the direction of comparable first-round vary as teammate Sharife Cooper. He has a 7-3 wingspan, a clean, left-handed jumper that appears prefer it’ll observe and the all-around sport that would in time make him a harmful floor-spacing massive within the NBA.

Stanford had a troublesome season residing out of resorts for a lot of the 12 months to fight COVID. And within the meantime, accidents and attrition to key gamers had been a mainstay. The roster was hardly ever constant. Ziaire Williams’ manufacturing was fittingly unreliable. He had massive moments — even a couple of massive video games — however he by no means hit a groove such as you usually see from a one-and-done prospect his caliber, as he had flashes however simply as usually fizzled. His position was kind of regular all year long because the workforce’s No. 3 possibility however he stays one of many more difficult evaluations due to how he floated out and in of video games and by no means asserted himself forcefully into the lottery dialogue. Nonetheless, measuring almost 6-10 on the mix with an 8-11 standing attain helped his case, and there is going to be believers in his talent within the early-to-mid-teens. 

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