While there are a few intriguing prospects in our range like Zhaire Smith, Robert Williams, Lonnie Walker, Kevin Knox, Dzanan Musa and Khyri Thomas, I'm still inclined to target Mikal Bridges and Anfernee Simons with our draft picks.
Smith has athletic ability and basketball IQ to go along with length and defensive instincts, but I want him to grow further beyond his 6'5" height as he's currently listed as a 2 guard lacking in a perimeter game. If he can eventually get to 6'7'" or 6'8", he'd be a nice-looking small forward prospect.
One online scouting report compares him to K.J. McDaniels with more offensive upside and a more athletic John Starks. Right now, he's a fallback option for me.
Williams has tremendous athletic ability but question marks about his competitive drive.
NBAdraft.net compares him to Stromile Swift and, after the Brice Johnson failure, I'm inclined to pass on him.
Walker sounds similar to Eric Gordon as an undersized shooting guard prospect with a perimeter shot and good body control driving to the basket, however, he seems to be lacking in intensity, especially on the defensive side, as well as an acumen or inclination to play off the ball. He has high-end potential as a scorer, but I'm not really excited about him as of yet despite the EJ comparison.
Knox is a versatile forward with good athleticism and skill to go along with great length, but he also possesses an inconsistent motor.
NBAdraft.net compares him to Paul George and Tobias Harris, which sounds great, but I have doubts that he's actually as athletic as either of those two and he sounds more likely to be the bad version of Jeff Green. More information is needed, but I guess that really applies to all of these prospects.
MartinToVaught mentioned that he liked Musa and I'm certainly intrigued by his scoring ability and playmaking instincts, but he seems more like a potent scorer off the bench much like Lou Williams but in a different fashion. Plus, there are concerns about his inconsistent motor and emotions getting the better of him on the court. I'm more inclined to draft prospects with a better chance to eventually be starters, especially with lottery picks even if they are late-lotto selections.
Thomas has been a late bloomer who's been getting consideration recently around our draft slot, but he's a combo guard lacking in true point-guard ability. While he's undersized for a shooting guard at 6'3", he has a 6'10" wingspan. However, he's a junior for Creighton and will be 22 years-old in May, so his upside is limited as a competitive player who plays with composure but lacking in elite athletic ability. I'm afraid I'm leaning towards writing him off for consideration at this point.
TucsonClip has mentioned Chandler Hutchison as a good fit for our system as a solid, all-around swingman prospect, but he currently projects to be a late first-round selection or early second-rounder. He also seems like more of a fit for us off the bench.
Quake Griffin has also brought up Gary Trent, Jr. for consideration and I really haven't given him much thought other than knowing that his dad and namesake played in the NBA previously. Based on a scouting report, Trent, Jr.--unlike Doc's son Austin--is a fundamentally sound player who plays with toughness and physicality to go along with his sweet shooting touch. However, he is lacking in explosive athleticism and considered an average run/jump athlete. He's also an inefficient scorer from inside the arc while also not being inclined to pass as a shoot-first player. Sounds like a one-trick pony who doesn't provide much else, which does not suit my taste.
I've also introduced Hamidou Diallo for consideration as a late first-round pick if we happen to trade that far down given his profile as an athletic wonder with incredible tools but lacking in refined skills. He seems to be trending up given the showcase he put on display during the NCAA tournament, but he's still not a legitimate consideration for a lottery selection at this point.
Another player I want to discuss is Miles (not Mikal) Bridges, who has been projected to be drafted in the lottery shortly after Mikal. He's a powerful combo forward with tweener size at
6'7" 6'6" and decent but not great length with a 6'9"-ish wingspan. He plays with high energy as a true competitor possessing explosive athleticism. However, his perimeter skills are still a work in progress as he needs to further develop his ball-handling and shot. He could be a modern-day Jerome Kersey for us or even develop into a Caron-Butler-type player eventually. While he's not a bad prospect at all, I have him as sort of a last resort with one of our lottery picks.
Ah, what might have been.
Is that you, Skip Bayless?
