2019 NBA Draft Prep

[Jamaaliver]

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[DRKB21]

Culver is going to find himself in the top 5. I might even take him over Reddish at this point.

Reddish is going to be a hard evaluation because his overall game is being suppressed at Duke this year. He's also a guy that will take 2-3 years to get his feet under him in the NBA.

[Jamaaliver]

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If Little ends up in SAS, he likely does become the next Kawhi in a matter of years.

[Jamaaliver]

5 Prospects with Legit Star Potential

Bol Bol (Oregon, C, Freshman)



NBA teams may label Bol Bol with a boom-or-bust tag, but the potential boom could change a franchise.

The 7'2" center is averaging 21 points per game on 56.1 percent shooting from the field, and he's consistently executing skill plays away from the basket, converting them with convincing fluidity and precision.

Few NBA teams will have a player fully equipped to match and defend Bol's size, shooting release point and ability to use the dribble.

He's making 1.4 threes per game at a 52.0 percent clip. Though that's an unsustainable rate, Bol demonstrates an obvious comfort level with his jump shot.

And he's making more than just simple catch-and-shoots. Bol has hit pull-ups and fallaways, maintaining unusual body control and coordination while getting into those speciality shots.

His defense has drawn mixed reviews early, but there will be NBA coaches salivating at the chance to unlock his potential in rim protection, which stems from a spectacular 7'8" wingspan.

Only Kristaps Porzingis stands out as having similar measurements and skills. One team early in the lottery will gamble on Bol in hopes of landing another unicorn big man.

Bleacher Report

Kevin Porter Jr. (USC, SG, Freshman)



Kevin Porter Jr. won't need volume production to convince a top-10 team he's worthy.

Consistent flashes should be enough to illuminate his star potential, which pops when evaluating his 6'6" size, smooth athleticism, advanced shot creation and shotmaking under the NBA's scouting lens.

He's been limited recently with a strained quad, but Porter imitates NBA stars by executing their signature moves with nifty footwork, ball-handling maneuvers and specialty jumpers.

The freshman guard is comfortably executing behind-the-back dribble step-backs and crossovers into pull-ups and showing confidence rising into his shots. And his quickness and bounce are guiding him to easy baskets at the rim, while his coordination comes to life on mid-air adjustments through tougher finishes.

Still on the raw side, he may be further away from reaching his ceiling than others who'll be drafted around him. But when Porter gets there, tying everything together and converting talent into consistent impact scoring, he could be making All-Star appearances.

Spoiler:

RJ Barrett (Duke, SG/SF, Freshman)



RJ Barrett's knack for scoring has translated in every setting, from high school, FIBA tournaments and showcase events to Duke, where he's averaging 24.2 points through his first 10 games.

Signs indicate his scoring will soon be carrying over to the NBA, given his 6'7" profile, plus athleticism and the wide array of moves, counters and shots in his bag.

While Barrett will have to fine-tune specific skills, like his pull-up game, his unteachable ability to invent and improvise can't be measured or capped in terms of how high it can elevate his game.

He's a shotmaking wiz, capable of adjusting in crowds and converting tough-angled layups and runners. And since high school, Barrett has shown gradual improvement to his perimeter shooting. He's now knocking down 2.2 threes per game.

A threat out of every situation from each level, he's made 55 field goals at the rim, 46 two-pointers away from it and 22 threes, per Hoop-Math.com.

Barrett looks like a top-three lock because of his potential to be a go-to player and premier NBA scorer.




Zion Williamson (Duke, PF/C, Freshman)



Even with holes in Zion Williamson's game, general managers won't be able to resist his potential star power.

It's been recognizable since midway through high school. Only now it appears to be real and reachable after his start at Duke. Leading the nation in player efficiency rating (41.9) and box plus-minus (20.2), Williamson hasn't let up since debuting with 28 points in a win over the Kentucky Wildcats.

He's been dominant, registering averages of 31.0 points, 13.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 3.2 steals and 3.0 blocks per 40 minutes. The 6'7", 285-pound Williamson is shooting 72.7 percent inside the arc, thanks to a mix of strength, quickness and explosion that creates one of the most unique, often answerless advantages college basketball has seen.

It consistently leads to easy-basket chances around and above the rim off transitions, post-ups, cuts and missed shots. But he's also demonstrated enough handles to beat defenders off the dribble and create his own offense against a set defense.

Limited perimeter-scoring ability shouldn't hold back Williamson. Unmatchable athleticism and budding offensive skill could carry him into the NBA's elite tier of stardom. He'll be the first pick in the draft and a likely leader in NBA jersey sales for years.

[Jamaaliver]

Something called 24/7 Sports (a collegiate sports and recruiting site) ranks RJ Barrett as #1 prospect in next year's draft.

No. 1 | RJ Barrett, F | Duke



24.2 ppg, 11.6 rpg, 4.2 apg | 6-foot-7, 202 | No. 1 in 247Sports Composite

Picking No. 1 or No. 2 was tough. You could go either way between Barrett and teammate Williamson. For now we’ll stick with the Canadian situation. He’s been Duke’s most productive freshman, averaging 24.2 points, 7.2 rebounds and 4.2 assists a game, while connecting on 22 of his 59 three-point attempts. Barrett has good size (6-7) and athletic ability for a NBA shooting guard, and the jump shot is developing nicely. Barrett has an alpha dog, winning mentality and never seems to let off the glass.


No. 2 | Zion Williamson, F | Duke



20.4 ppg, 9 rpg | 6-foot-7, 285 | No. 5 in 247Sports Composite

Zion is the most exciting player in college basketball. An explosive athlete, Williamson is one of the most unique prospects we’ve ever scouted. A strong, burly forward, Williamson is in the best shape of his career and is impacting the game with his rebounding, energy and versatility. A gifted passer, Williamson is tough to slow down in transition and a very good finisher around the basket. He’s also developed an effective post game, where he’s connected on 9 of 13 field goals from the block. The next step in his development is his jumper, as he’s just 3-for-15 on jump shots this season.


No. 3 | Cameron Reddish, F | Duke



14.5 ppg, 36.5 3-PT % | 6-foot-8, 218 | No. 2 in 247Sports Composite

The third member of Duke’s Big 3 may even be the most talented. All the physical tools are there and his combination of size, length, athleticism is tantalizing. Reddish has good instincts, is quick off his feet, moves well laterally and has potential as a defender. Offensively, Reddish brings his most value from the perimeter. He’s shot it well this season, connecting on three or more three-pointers in five of the last 10 games.

[Jamaaliver]

SGs and SFs to consider. (via 24/7 Sports)

Compare their production/efficiency here.

No. 4 | Nassir Little, F | North Carolina



11.5 ppg, 4.6 rpg | 6-foot-6, 220 | No. 3 in 247Sports Composite

Much has been made of Little coming off the bench for North Carolina and while his freshman season hasn’t been as productive on paper as some of his peers, Little has still shown why many scouts are excited about his upside. He has the size, length and athleticism to play the three and four on both sides of the ball, plays hard and is a tough kid whose improvement has been constant. He’ll need to keep adding to his handle and shooting efficiency, but he does enough well to make up for it while he’s improving his skill set.


No. 6 | Romeo Langford, G | Indiana



17.7 ppg, 2.5 apg | 6-foot-6, 215 | No. 7 in 247Sports Composite

Langford has good size and length for a wing and impacts the game in a number of ways. His physical tools and body control make him a tough cover as a slasher, while he’s an improving shooter who also rebounds and passes well for the position. Langford’s combination of size, length, athleticism and instincts give him significant upside as a versatile defender at the next level. There is plenty of strength to be gained on Langford’s frame, which should only take his game to the next level.


No. 14 | Keldon Johnson, G | Kentucky



16.3 ppg, 5.6 rpg | 6-foot-6, 211 | No. 13 in 247Sports Composite

Johnson has been a bright spot for the Wildcats and is tracking from late lottery to just outside at this stage. An athletic wing prospect, Johnson has solid length at 6-foot-6 and brings energy on both sides of the ball. He’s at best attacking the basket and scoring at the rim and in transition. While his shot mechanics are fine, he lacks consistency as a jump shooter at this stage (32 percent from 3). Defensively there’s a lot of potential, as he’s tracking as a multi-positional defender in the NBA. There’s upside here and the potential to move up this list.


No. 18 | Jarrett Culver, G | Texas Tech



19.1 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 4.4 apg | 6-foot-5, 190 | No. 312 in 247Sports Composite

A late bloomer, Culver has been on an upward climb as a prospect over the past three years. He’s made another step this year and his improvement on the court this season is notable. A long, rangy wing, Culver has the potential to defend multiple positions, is a good athlete and continues to improve as a shooter (43-percent from 3). On the season he’s averaging 17.9 points, 6.5 rebounds and 4.6 assists a game.

[observer1995]

RJ Barrett rubs me the wrong way. I said so on the other board before it died, but he seems to rub me like he's another possible Melo with how he does things.

[King Ken]

For me, this is simple. We must hit on two more players. One top pick and another who isn't. We must get that Giannis or Jokic player. The player who you don't see coming and they become superstars.

[personanongrata]

For me, this is simple. We must hit on two more players. One top pick and another who isn't. We must get that Giannis or Jokic player. The player who you don't see coming and they become superstars.

Good luck with that.

[Jamaaliver]

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[Jamaaliver]

RJ attacks the paint with reckless abandon.

This dude seems to have some Westbrook in him...for better or worse. Relentless, over-confident, extremely productive.

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[Jamaaliver]

A nice breakdown of strengths and flaws.

NBA Draft Prospects: Jarrett Culver

Culver, a 6-foot-5 sophomore, decided to stay in his hometown to play college ball for Chris Beard and the Texas Tech Red Raiders. Despite losing several pieces after making it to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament, Culver was one of the key returners for Texas Tech and he’s put himself on the radar of plenty of teams and scouts with the huge jump he’s made from his freshman to sophomore year.

Just 10 games into his sophomore campaign Culver is averaging 19.1 points, 5.7 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game while shooting 58.1 percent from the field. Culver has increased his scoring production by just over six points (12.9 to 19.1) from his first to second year.

What’s more impressive is his shooting stroke – Culver is currently connecting on 45.2 percent of his three-point attempts after shooting 38.2 percent as a freshman. While I don’t expect Culver to continue at such a proficient rate, he’s shown that he’s a capable shooter and a three-point percentage hovering in the upper 30s or lower 40s by the end of the season will be very enticing to a lot of scouts.

One attribute that stands out about Culver is his court awareness. Despite his youth, Culver is skilled at reading the field of play and placing himself in the proper area to intercept a pass or force a deflection. Further, Culver is a skilled operator in the pick-and-roll. He’s a crafty ball-handler who’s able to split defenders to get to the rim but is also poised enough to find open teammates when confronted with a double-team.

Although he does not possess explosive speed, Culver has a quick first step which makes him a tough guard off the dribble-drive and he’s very good at getting in the lane and drawing contact. Culver has increased his amount of trips to the charity stripe this season, averaging 5.9 free throws per game, and that appears to be one of Culver’s few glaring blemishes as he’s currently shooting just 69.5 percent from the line.

In addition, while Culver is averaging 4.4 assists on the season, he’s still not a natural distributor. Culver has shown glimpses of solid vision and playmaking but they are also coupled with bouts of careless passes and youthful mistakes. Despite connecting on 58.1 percent of his field goal attempts, better shot selection is also an area of his game where Culver can stand to improve.

While Culver’s elite play has caused his draft stock to rise significantly since the start of the season, scouts and front offices will not be the only ones taking notice of the Red Raider’s elevated play. Texas Tech has not yet begun the meat of their schedule, namely Big 12 Conference play. It will be interesting to see how Culver fares as being the number one option on the team and having teams game-planning specifically to minimize his impact on the court.

Spurs -- Fansided

[Jamaaliver]

My only concern on Barrett is whether or not he can be productive and contribute to winning.

I have both Zion and Reddish over Barrett right now. I worry about Barrett wanting to be Carmelo 2.0.

don't overthink IT PEOPLE.

RJ IS THE MOST PRODUCTIVE, MOST POLISHED, MOST efficient swingman in this draft.

Look at his production and shooting numbers since the 'debacle' against Gonzaga. He's been unbelievably good. He will produce on a level unlike anyone in a Hawks uniform since JJ left.

He's got some bad habits to coach out of him, but he's the alpha dawg this franchise needs.

Nash's college teammate.
Nash's successor.
and Nash's God son all on one team.

Let's make this happen.

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[DRKB21]

RJ Barrett is a high volume shooter who doesn't do much of anything else on the court at this time. He's closer to Andrew Wiggins as a prospect than he is to Kobe Bryant.

There is a significant gap between Zion Williamson and RJ Barrett, and I don't see Barrett fitting alongside Trae Young at all.

[kg01]

My only concern on Barrett is whether or not he can be productive and contribute to winning.

I have both Zion and Reddish over Barrett right now. I worry about Barrett wanting to be Carmelo 2.0.

don't overthink IT PEOPLE.

RJ IS THE MOST PRODUCTIVE, MOST POLISHED, MOST efficient swingman in this draft.

Look at his production and shooting numbers since the 'debacle' against Gonzaga. He's been unbelievably good. He will produce on a level unlike anyone in a Hawks uniform since JJ left.

He's got some bad habits to coach out of him, but he's the alpha dawg this franchise needs.

Nash's college teammate.
Nash's successor.
and Nash's God son all on one team.

Let's make this happen.

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He's a somewhat better version of Wiggins. His actual impact on winning is still up in the air.

And you never have to worry about me over-thinking anything.

[Duke4life831]

My only concern on Barrett is whether or not he can be productive and contribute to winning.

I have both Zion and Reddish over Barrett right now. I worry about Barrett wanting to be Carmelo 2.0.

don't overthink IT PEOPLE.

RJ IS THE MOST PRODUCTIVE, MOST POLISHED, MOST efficient swingman in this draft.

Look at his production and shooting numbers since the 'debacle' against Gonzaga. He's been unbelievably good. He will produce on a level unlike anyone in a Hawks uniform since JJ left.

He's got some bad habits to coach out of him, but he's the alpha dawg this franchise needs.

Nash's college teammate.
Nash's successor.
and Nash's God son all on one team.

Let's make this happen.

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When you look at his production since the Gonzaga game, look at the quality of competition as well. He played good against Indiana, but look at the other 4 teams Duke has played Stetson, Hartford, Yale and Princeton. You have to take his production with a huge grain of salt from those 4 games.

My biggest thing with RJ is two things. He gets tunnel vision way too easily. RJ has taken 211 shots this year, Zion has taken 132 and Cam has taken 131. That is an 80 shot difference in just 11 games. Its even more glaring that Zion has a TS% of 68 and RJ has a TS% of 55. The dude is a black hole offensively.

The second thing is look at the quality of shots he is getting, not just where the shots are coming from, but the quality of the actual shots. I think I can count on one hand the amount of times RJ has driven past his defender in the half court. He really struggles to create space against Ivy league and lower end quality of players. I give it to him, he has been able to make a lot of contested shots over the last 5 games. But we saw against San Diego, Auburn and Gonzaga that he doesnt make those contested shots at a high clip when guarded against guys similar to his size and athleticism. Not sure how well he is going to be able to get clean shots off against NBA quality wing players.

[Jamaaliver]

When you look at his production since the Gonzaga game, look at the quality of competition as well.

My biggest thing with RJ is two things.

He gets tunnel vision way too easily...The dude is a black hole offensively.




The second thing is look at the quality of shots he is getting, not just where the shots are coming from, but the quality of the actual shots.

He really struggles to create space against Ivy league and lower end quality of players...Not sure how well he is going to be able to get clean shots off against NBA quality wing players.

Noted.

[CP War Hawks]

Culver scares me. His shooting form is ugly, can't see how shooting across your body will cut it at the next level. Wouldn't mind him if it's with the current Mavs pick.

Barrett I liken to a rich man's Baze. He does alot of things better, the main difference being the alpha mindset. I just question how high his ceiling truly is.

I'm going with good vibes to start the new year. "With the number 1 pick of the 2019 NBA draft, the Atlanta Hawks select..."

[CP War Hawks]

Want to touch on the latter two picks for a smidge. I'm just going to assume the Dallas pick falls at 10 once everything is settled. I want another two guard. NAW is putting up some wild numbers. His highlights show he likes contact finishing and loves to use that off hand. Reportedly 6-9 wingspan. The measurements are what's going to sway me, no homo.

I'd take any of these with the let's say pick 33 over Dorsey. Good dude and all but ready to move on. Massinburg gets buckets and rebounds for a 6-3 guy. Still like my guy Magee. Having a bad season, but he is an elite shooter in this class. Showed me something driving to the bucket.

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[Funcrusher]

You’d take Barrett over Zion?? Yeaaa no.

To build around for the next decade?

100%

Zion has a higher ceiling, admittedly.

But he's an undersized, overweight F who can't shoot and will have trouble defending on the perimeter.

He's also massively overweight. Massively.

RJ is a known quantity who will fill up a stat sheet on offense and defense, finish in transition, shut down his opponent, attack the rim off the dribble, take the big shots in crunch time, create for others...

and is a physical specimen. All at a position of need.



NOTE: Zion's half court offense against strong competition is fairly mediocre.

Spoiler:

2. RJ Barrett | Duke | Fr | SG | 6-7

RJ Barrett was the No. 1 player on my board entering the season, and his one spot drop says more about Zion's rise than Barrett's fall. He's a versatile wing prospect who is competitive, physical, and unafraid of the moment. He tends to have tunnel vision from time to time and puts his head down to make a play for himself instead of sometimes making the correct basketball play, as we saw in the final moments of Duke's loss to Gonzaga, but his toughness and pure will as a player is something I like about him as a prospect. He's a skilled hooper who can get his own shot and make plays off the wing;

I don't want to offend but this is as far from the truth as possible. The dude is shredded, and he already slimmed down from 280+ to 270+ before the season started. Ideally I think you want him at around 260, but he's not massively overweight playing 10 pounds above that. LeBron played at like 265 when he was in Miami, Zion will be fine. He's also a really good lateral athlete, so I don't see him struggling to defend on the perimeter in the NBA. The only obstacle to Zion becoming a good defender is effort and learning fundamentals.

And his half court offensive game against teams like Indiana, Gonzaga and Kentucky has been impressive, if anything. The only game he really struggled was against Auburn. Besides that, he's been better than RJ at everything you listed outside of jump shooting. And RJ really isn't a physical specimen, he's a good, but not great athlete. Zion is the physical specimen. There's really no reason any GM at this point should want to build around RJ rather than Zion.