https://nbadraft.theringer.com/KOC's top 31
Jeremy Sochan
Wing Baylor
Shades Of
Ben Simmons, Draymond Green, Aaron Gordon
Height 6'9" Weight 230
Age 19.1 Year Freshman
Points
PTS 8.7 .550 TS%
3-point percentage
3P% 29.9 67 3PA
Rebounds
REB 6.1 14.4 REB%
Steals
STL 1.3 0.7 BLK
Capable of excelling as an athletic two-way player who can defend all five positions, and if he develops a jump shot he has limitless potential.
Playmaking
PLUSES
Elite defensive prospect who can defend across all positions. He’s super active, a total pest for offenses. NBA switching schemes are perfect for his skill set. He has the toughness and strength to handle bigger players inside, plus the length and mobility to handle quicker players on the perimeter. He hustles hard, communicates, and displays excellent awareness all over the court. He can serve as a rim protector in pick-and-roll or defend at the point of attack. There is nothing he can’t do.
Active on the boards and consistently boxes out. Following a defensive board, he’s a talented open-floor passer who rewards running teammates.
He’s a playmaker with a fluid handle that features misdirection and sudden movements to generate space. At 6-foot-9 and 230 pounds, he’s too big for smaller players to contain. And even though he’s a limited shooter, defending him with a big means he’ll just drive right by them. He’s a potential mismatch nightmare with his combination of size and speed.
Skilled interior player. He can score with either hand around the rim or take off from the dunker spot when he’s hit with a dump-off pass. When he attacks, he leans on a spin move. With a deep bag, he’s able to draw a ton of fouls. If paired with a knockdown shooter, he could feast on the short roll due to his combo of passing, handling, and finishing.
Unproven shooter but his potential is intoxicating when he’s making turnaround jumpers from the elbow area. He has a high, unblockable release and the coordination to unleash tough shots. But his efficiency is an issue.
He’s the son of two athletes; both his mom and dad played college ball at Oklahoma.
MINUSES
Lacks a reliable shot. He’s made just 31.7 percent of catch-and-shoot 3s and only 57.5 percent of his free throws. He has a slow, methodical release off the catch that doesn’t look nearly as fluid as his pull-up. He’s shooting 35.7 percent on pull-up 2s and floaters, but hasn’t taken many pull-up 3s. Without a proven jumper, defenses will dare him to shoot.
He hasn’t displayed the ability to successfully post up, which would be a valuable tool considering his size. Being able to post up a smaller player or draw double-teams would also mitigate the need for him to improve as a shooter, which is a much tougher task.
Takes some occasional risks on defense, including mistakenly jumping passing lanes. And he’s not always on point with his fundamentals, such as closing out without proper technique. Then again, his risk-taking is also what makes him so disruptive.
Dyson Daniels
Shades Of
Derrick White, Kyle Anderson, Evan Turner
Height 6'6" Weight 199
Age 19.2 Year
Points
PTS 11.3 54.0 TS%
3-point percentage
3PT% 25.5 51 3PA
Free-throw percentage
FT% 73.7 19 FTA
Assists
AST 4.4 2.4 TOV
Australian playmaker taking advantage of the G League route by showcasing his trustworthy facilitating and lockdown defense.
PLUSES
Doesn’t need plays run for him to make an impact. He’s an aware cutter and offensive rebounder. He’s good at reading mismatches and makes smart improvisational plays. He can score and facilitate from inside with the size to back down or shoot a turnaround jumper over smaller players. If he starts hitting spot-up 3s, he’ll have all the skills he needs to thrive.
Much like fellow Australian Josh Giddey, Daniels’s passing is his real appeal. He’s such an advanced pick-and-roll artist that he’s already able to draw in defenders with the threat of his floater and pull-up, only to throw a jump pass to his rolling big man. He just executes at a high level. When a shooter comes off a screen, he puts the ball right in their pocket. If a play is called for a lob, he makes it easy for the guy leaping to the basket. There’s no pass that he can’t make.
Coordinated ball handler who plays at his own pace. He has clean footwork on spins and he can glide into runners. Though he isn’t especially explosive, he knows how to use his skills to his advantage with angles and touch.
Excellent defender with the versatility to defend guards and wings. His intelligence translates on this end with the way he positions himself and sticks to his man. But he’s not just a basketball nerd who studies hard—he plays his ass off and sets the tone for his teammates. Fans will love this guy immediately.
MINUSES
Subpar shooter who made only 29.9 percent of his 3s and 53.3 percent of his free throws. He has touch on floaters and layups but it hasn’t translated to the perimeter. When he shoots, he looks like a chair unfolding. Improving his shot, whether that requires changing his form or not, should be his first priority. With a more reliable jumper, his play would evoke shades of Tyrese Haliburton.
He’s a slower-footed shot creator who needs to tighten his handle to have the same type of success generating space at the next level. Kyle Anderson went through the same adjustment as a rookie in the NBA and now he's in his eighth season.
Since he isn’t explosive, he tends to attempt a lot of difficult layups. It works for him in the G League, but scoring against NBA length will be a whole different challenge.
