I lost some of my damn content due to the RealGM form validation issue
I created a full big board. I still think this is the deepest class in awhile but as we all know, a lot of guys return to school which weakens the class. But here it is right now:
Update: 3/26/2019
Tier 1: Superstar potential1. Zion - Great NCAA tourney thus far. Just superior at this level. - NC
Tier 2: All Star potential2t. R.J. has taken a hit with his Q card but nothing has changed much for me. I watched all 36 of his games. I have a great feel on what he is at this point.
2t. Ja had probably the best game of the tourney v. Marquette while having one of his head scratchers v. FSU and their high end NBA size. I am always a believer in him but he will need some development and won't be an easy fit in the NBA.
Tier 3.5: Decent Role player potential with All Star possibilities down the road. I do see these guys as Day 1 contributors. 4. Reddish - Cam is a great talent, average College Basketball player and is very inconsistent. The weight room, skill training and the NBA spacing is NEEDED for Cam.
5. Brandon Clarke - Having a tremendous tourney. I strongly think he can be the next DeMarre Carroll with Shawn Marion athleticism.
6. Coby White - Big mover. Proved to me he is a 1st rounder. I am hard on PG prospects. You either have All Star potential or you aren't a 1st rounder for me. The NBA PG position is just too hard. If you aren't an All Star talent at that position, you might as well be a backup. Comparison- Ty Lawson (less PG skills/far less polished decision making skills with a high aptitude to learn and the same speed and quickness and both are used by Coach Roy in similar ways), Michael Carter-Williams frame and defensive potential, stronger than MCW, and Gilbert Arenas (Walking bucket like Gil, just very skilled, great shooter and an excellent feel of the game).
7. Darius Garland - He has all of the potential you want as an off the ball scorer and a smart PG. Not the passer of yet but just plays a good game. I compared him to Mike Conley. Moved ahead of Hunter just based off of potential for me.
8. Bol - Bol simply got dropped to 8th for no other reason other than Clarke, Garland, and White got added up a tier. I strongly felt those prospects along with Bol could be All Stars down the road and also Day 1 contributors.
Tier 4: Decent Role player potential or raw with AS possibilities. Deep Tier 4 class. One of the best in years. Of course, some of these guys could return. 9. Jaxson Hayes - His floor is really low. I doubt he is better than Miles Plumlee but his ceiling is sky high. He has all star potential and at the least, top 10 center potential. Top 10 lock.
10. DeAndre Hunter - Moved down again. Potential is Hunter's issue. Still one of my favorite prospects and one of the 5 best college basketball players right now with Zion, Clarke, Culver, and R.J.
11. Rui - Efficiency, consistency, high floor, hasn't been playing long so he has the potential. I see him like a Kenyon Martin type which is a great fit in today's position-less NBA. He is a lottery lock for me.
12. Mfiondu Kabengele - Formerly on my 2020 list, he has moved into the 2019 draft class. While he is not without issues, man D, awareness issues on defense, polish. He has tremendous talent, skill, shooting, athletic ability for his position and size. A clear talent that could challenge Jaxson Hayes for the top NBA prospect at 5.
13. Charles Bassey - Bassey is another big mover for me. Some scouts have underrated him and want to label him a traditional old school big but he can really shoot. What if he is a more athletic Nurk? I think people are overthinking it with him. I am moving him up again.
14. Goga Bitadze - Impressive play of late. He really has taken the leap. His feel for the game has always been there but his movement defensively has improved a lot. I wouldn't be surprised if he was drafted in the top 10 over Hayes, Kabengele and Bassey.
15. Jarrett Culver - He didn't do anything negatively to move back. If anything, he solidified his position as the 3rd best player in College Basketball. Had a great 1st round game but his 2nd round game which I watched in it's entirety just simply confirmed what all season I already knew. He is a high end backup who is an army swiss knife. He is not a top 10 pick.
16. Sekou - NC.
17. Bruno Fernando - NC.
18. Nickeil Alexander-Walker - NAW is going to be a good NBA player. Any team in the 15-20 range should jump at the chance to add him into the rotation. I would watch for teams who have salary cap assets (J.R. Smith - Cavs) to show serious interest in this range but it's unlikely those teams will want to trade that pick. I don't see any of them as major players for FAs or like Boston, just don't have any reasonable bad contracts with just a year on them. Too rich for those teams blood.
19. Romeo Langford - Low floor/High ceiling, low end All Star potential but he has a lot of work to do.
20. Nassir Little - Semi low floor/Semi high ceiling. He translates extremely well physically and talent wise but his low feel for the game, lack of ball handling and inconsistent shooting. Who knows, his types have translated better than average into the NBA so he is not a risk in this range. I could see him being pushed up the draft board due to the need for wings in today's NBA and the lack of them in FA in 2019 could push him into the top 10 like it might for Romeo Langford.
21. Keldon Johnson - NC.
22. Kevin Porter Jr. - I still liken him to Lonnie Walker in terms of development, lacks the character that Lonnie had, risky player to bank on in the 1st round. Then again, so was Mitchell Robinson and that turned out well.
23. Chuma Okeke - Semi high floor with a solid ceiling. Formally a 2020 prospect who is looking more and more like a 2019 prospect due to his size, versatility, BBIQ, and feel for the game. Comparison: Horford type of game, doesn't have Al's athletic ability and it shows on both ends but can pass it like Al out of UF with similar length. David West, moves off the ball like David and athletically is similar but doesn't have the 7'4 wingspan which shows during rebounds. Okeke is a tweener who is clearly more of a 4 but has shown he is a 2019 prospect for me.
24. KZ Okpala - Big drop from #6. The issue is simple. He lacks too much polish and his numbers have failed. Still passes the eye test but he is moving closer to 2020 where he is a top 5 prospect for me. I would like to see him with Team USA this summer.
25. Grant Williams - High floor/Low ceiling. Likely to see a drop after MM. NC.
26. Naz Reid - NC
27. Jalen McDaniels- Teams have been high on his ceiling and role playing potential off the bench for awhile. He is a Swiss army knife and teams could see him as the big man's version of Terrance Ferguson. I can see him going in this range and his floor is higher than people think.
28. Gafford - More of a 2nd round floor. He does play the PnR well, move well and space and flash potential in space on defense. He is more inconsistent but his potential to be a two way player who can defend in space on defense and play in space on offense makes his NBA ceiling higher than most in this range. Teams will be higher on him after workouts. His ability to play in space on both ends will appeal to a lot of teams looking for a big who can protect others, especially on D in the switching parts of the game.
29. Matisse Thybulle - Lower mid floor/Semi High ceiling. Has starting role player potential.
30. Cameron Johnson - Big mover, lower mid floor/semi high ceiling. More NBA ready than Final Four hero Justin Jackson. He is a clearly better NBA prospect to me.
31. Nic Claxton - 2020 prospect (top 10 for me) but he is raw on offense with potential to be solid and has elite defensive potential long term. His ability to cover ground, deflection and impact the game on the defensive end is top notch. His potential will get him drafted in the 1st round regardless when he comes out. No one is like him. Rare talent for a 5.
32. Talen Horton-Tucker - 2020 prospect (top 10 for me) Talent is MUCH Better than he is as a player. He is barely above average as a college player. He should come back and be a top 5-10 college player and with his talent, we could be looking at a rare prospect who has five tier potential. (points, assists, steals, blocks, and 3pt%). He needs to work on his body and polish but was a good freshman for the most part.
33. Admiral Schofield - low floor/semi high ceiling - I see a lot of P.J. Tucker long term is Scho in flashes. I need to see more of Scho, Tennessee just hasn't been a team I've watched a lot of. This is could change the time the draft is here.
34. Tyler Herro - I am not sold on his floor but I have finally gotten around on his potential. He is a more talented Luke Kennard who is not as polished or as NBA ready. Still not a 1st rounder and should come back to college but he will get looks. Better defensively as a prospect than Kennard by a large margin. low floor/semi high ceiling.
35. P.J. Washington - I have watched some early UK games and P.J. showed flashes. He is physically most like David West but his inconsistency and BBIQ says otherwise. I think he will need a great playmaker to help him at the next level or the NBA can be a short blip for Washington. low floor/semi high ceiling. He has moved up my list. I didn't think he was going to be a potential starter for the longest time.
Last player in Tier 4.
36. Ty Jerome - Not quite the shooter Shamet was but a better PG and a much better defender. But he doesn't have the positional versatility that Shamet had. Jerome really is a PG. Potential to be a low end starter in the NBA which is pretty good for a 2nd round grade. high floor/semi low ceiling.
Tier 5: Low floors with Decent Role player potential or career backups with limited potential - I don't have any Euros in the range, just haven't watch much at this stage. I usually watch them during pre-draft season.
37. Tre Jones - Semi Mid floor/Low ceiling. Great defense mixed with excellent game management skill but like Melton, do you pass on him because his shooting just doesn't translate?
38. Zach Norvell - Must be role specific and right fit, Must be role specific and right fit, Must be role specific and right fit, - Bart Simpson on the board... mid floor/low ceiling. Specialist.
Ashton Hagans
40. Tacko Fall - Why? Simple. 7'6, 310, strong hands and body, 8'5 wingspan and 10'5 standing reach with decent lateral quickness for his size. His defense has been transformational at the college level:
https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/tacko-fall-is-7-foot-6-and-hes-breaking-basketball/ You do have to take into account he has almost no vertical, terrible stamina and an extremely poor FT shooter. You have to look at this play with Tre Jones. This isn't the block but he blocked Jones who dribbled in one step within the 3pt line and blocked it within the FT line. That was more insane than the Zion-Hunter block. That's go-go gadget type of block. That told me that even in a switch, he has the length (8'5) and reach (10'5) to cover twice as much space as any NBA player. For 15-18 mins in a rotation like Philly uses Boban depending on the matchup, that could be a major coup. He has moved up from unranked to top 40 for me. His rotational impact potential is as high as anyone in this range.
41. Dylan Windler - Big Dylan Windler fan. Love his potential to be a decent role player. Maybe even starter potential but he does have a low floor. His defense is bad and his athleticism isn't much. But his ability to shoot and rebound will translate. Clearly a G-Leaguer till he improves his D. More of an undersized 4 at this point and that's not going to work in the NBA. He is a great investment for teams who really value having shooters and they have a defensive minded team. A low end PDS guy. (Pass, dribble, shoot).
42. Killian Tillie - His advanced stats are high but that might be a product of his competition and his team being superior more than anything else. He can shoot and has great size but doesn't really fit well. Better shooting and passing but less defense and and post game Mike Muscala.
43. Shamorie Ponds - IT0 is a realistic comparison for Ponds. Not the movement player or slasher that IT0 was out of Washington but better at PG play, shooter, and PnR Basketball. If you are looking for a PnR player who can score and create at a high level, provide next to nothing on defense. Ponds is your man. Ponds is a high end steals guy so it isn't a complete farce on D. High Floor/low ceiling
44. Jalen Lecque - I haven't watched him play but his highlights look real good. Not sure how he translates. G-League instantly.
45. Haliburton - 2020 prospect but low floor/mid ceiling. Can boost his ceiling in 2020. Has the ability.
46. Ochai Agbaji - 2020 prospect but low floor/mid ceiling. Can boost his ceiling in 2020. Has the ability.
47. Miye Oni - Low floor - high mid potential - I think he could be the Josh Richardson of this class in the right situation. Not sold he will come out as a 2nd rounder. His potential is his calling card.
48. Markus Howard - More of a high European prospect. He is an elite scorer and shooter but not much else and his defense can be labeled as a better Jimmer. Mid floor/low ceiling. His shooting, ability to create his own shot and BBIQ will appeal to teams looking for a 2/way. His 2/way appeal helps his NBA profile.
49. Terrance Mann - I actually like his potential. Clearly 2/way contract. Not NBA ready whatsoever but he does show enough to play in the G-League and see if he can have a NBA career. Low floor/low mid ceiling.
50. Lawson - He is a really good college player. One of the best but he doesn't really have a position or a legit skill. Growth will be critical but should be a 2/way prospect with potential to be a low end rotation player. Low floor/low mid ceiling.
51. Nwora - 2020 prospect but low floor/mid ceiling. Can boost his ceiling in 2020. Has the ability.
52. Jalen Smith - 2020 prospect but low floor/mid ceiling. Can boost his ceiling in 2020. Has the ability.
53. Queta - Obvious 2020 prospect but low floor/mid ceiling. Can boost his ceiling in 2020. Has the ability. The 1st round hype he was getting was misguided.
54. Jordan Bone - 2020 prospect but low floor/mid ceiling. Can boost his ceiling in 2020. He is unique. He is one of those rare seniors who can take a major leap. Don't be surprised if him and Yves Pons takes a major leap in 2020. Both have the athletic ability and their development has been ample. Rick Barnes is working his magic in Knoxville.
55. Charles Matthews - Injuries could lower his status but he is a clear NBA player to me. Mid high floor/low ceiling.
56. Jordan Poole - Sam Veceine is sold on him. I just haven't watched Michigan much and when I did, they played bad and lost or they just played bad this year. Like Maryland last year, when I get a chance to watch their games, I will probably bump these guys up.
57. Iggy Brazdeikis - See Poole. I am pretty much putting the UM guys in this range till I can really rate them.
58. Konate - His potential is much higher than his floor. He has talent and ability but the G-League should be an option for him. low floor/semi-mid ceiling.
59. Paschall - Been watching Paschall for a while. Not sold on his standing reach. 2/way guy. He can play in the NBA right now but I am not sure he can stick. mid high floor/low ceiling.
60. Isaiah Roby - 3/D potential ceiling. 6'8, has the size, can get blocks and steals. His shooting needs work. Doesn't quite have the athletic ability. Clearly a 2/way guy. Some will say he has RoCo potential but he really going to have to improve his shooting. Guys like Ennis and Covington shot it better but than again, they played for small schools, not in the Big 12. For positions where they have taller better bigger players, we should take it more seriously as well seen with guys like Taurean Prince.
61. Luguentz Dort - 2020 prospect. 2020 prospect but low floor/mid ceiling. Can boost his ceiling in 2020. Has to really work to improve. His drop was bad.
62. Aric Holman - projectable player. Obviously has to put on more size. 3/D PF. A clear low floor semi mid ceiling who is a 2/way option. Could move up into the 2nd round with ease.
63. Caleb Martin - semi mid floor with a low ceiling who has potential to develop into a rotation player.
64. Juwan Morgan - semi mid floor with a low ceiling who has potential to develop into a rotation player.
65. Josh Reaves - semi mid floor with a low ceiling who has potential to develop into a rotation player. His defensive potential will warrant some looks in the 2nd.
66. Fletcher Magee - semi mid floor with a low ceiling who has potential to develop into a rotation player. I like his 2/way potential.
67. Anfernee McLemore - 2020 prospect but low floor/semi-mid ceiling.
68t. Tremont Waters - 2020 prospect but low floor/semi-mid ceiling.
68t. Cody Martin - semi mid floor with a low ceiling who has potential to develop into a rotation player. Great passer for position and you hope he can develop into a secondary playmaker who is a 3/D player long term. Has long term
70. Darius Bazley - low floor/mid ceiling, workouts will be critical for him.
71. Robert Franks - semi mid floor with a low ceiling who has potential to develop into a rotation player.
72. Bennie Boatwright - 2020 prospect but low floor/semi-mid ceiling.
73. Udoka Azubuike - 2020 prospect but low floor/semi-mid ceiling.
74. Brian Bowen - low floor/mid ceiling, workouts will be critical for him.
Tier 6: G-Leaguer who have the potential to be career backups with limited potential or non NBA prospects who will practice their trade overseas. 75. Carsen Edwards - Tremendously skilled player who can score and shoot. Not a NBA prospect at all.
76. Ethan Happ - Tremendously skilled big with no range whatsoever.
77. Cassius Winston - Euro
78. CJ Massinburg - Euro
79. Kerwin Roach - Euro
80. Ky Bowman - G-League
81. Tyler Cook - Euro
82. Chris Clemons - China
83. Matt Morgan - G-League
84. Makai Mason - G-League
85. Tyus Battle - 2020 prospect but not getting drafted in 2020 either.
86. Dean Wade- Has a lot of potential in countries that value big men passes in Europe but no NBA Potential.
As I stated on top, this is an extremely DEEP class but not so top heavy or mid heavy. If this was mixed last year class. Zion would be 1. R.J. and Ja would be ahead of Mikal/WCJ/Trae/JJJ at #7/#8. While Cam/Clarke/White/Garland/Bol in the same tier with Sexton/SGA/Miles B./Knox and to be honest, they would be behind all of them but Knox's as well. Trae was in that tier for the longest till I bumped him up a few weeks before the draft ahead of JJJ. It took me the longest to be convinced Trae was good enough to be an All Star potential type and not just way down the road.
Basically, this draft isn't nowhere near as top heavy as 2018. You got basically the #4 prospect in this class, would be #16th in last year's draft combined. That's said, after the first 13th prospects, last year class doesn't hold water to this year's class in terms of rotation potential and I haven't included the 2nd round internationals yet. Just a lot of rotation pieces in this draft with some upside. That's the strength of this class. Clearly not the top.
