It’s finally here. The 2021 NBA Draft. This is one of the deepest classes I’ve scouted in my opinion. There are arguably two legitimate prospects that are worthy of the #1 overall pick in Cade Cunningham and Jalen Green. Additionally, I truly think that there will be plenty of players drafted in the late first round and even second round that end up having really good NBA careers. I know these rankings will be wrong in a few years but I tried to rank the prospects in terms of who I would bet on based on upside and how safe of a prospect they were. Let me know what you think, tweet at us, and tell me why I’m wrong.
- Cade Cunningham
- smooth movements remind me of Jayson Tatum
- has always carried the burden of being #1 prospect
- graceful player to watch, very rarely makes the wrong play
- doesn’t have Jalen Green’s level of athleticism
2. Jalen Green
- will be one of the best athletes in the NBA from day 1
- not the prettiest jumper but has shown he can shoot
- should develop into an elite two way player at NBA’s most important position
3. Evan Mobley
- looks like the next great big man
- 7 footer with multiple scoring moves, old school jump hook, midrange shot, has to work on greater range from 3
- game comes easy to him, gets KG comps but see a lot of similarity to Jaren Jackson
4. Jalen Suggs
- the most NBA ready point guard of the class
- has ability to blow by guards and he looks like a better three point shooter than #s say
- smaller sized guard who is less of a shot creator and more of a clutch player
5. Davion Mitchell
- national champion, older prospect but has natural burst for a point guard, one of the best defenders in the class, safest player in the draft? winner
- shown to be an efficient shooter, can beat you off dribble on ISO possessions
- sometimes has tunnel vision, forces shots, concerns about older age?
6. Moses Moody
- smooth shot, sneaky hops shown in workouts, seems like a leader
- long arms and wingspan, tall wiry frame, efficient rebounder
7. Scottie Barnes
- possibly the best defender in the class, tree trunk legs
- terrific switch defender, high energy player, versatile defender
- limited offensively, reminds me a tad of Ben Simmons/OG Anunoby
8. Keon Johnson
- really fun tape to watch, best vertical in the draft
- has natural bounce, can glide in air, and bully way in paint, dog on defense
- hasn’t shown a consistent jumper yet
9. James Bouknight
- has a vintage NYC playing style, all about flare
- good handle, bounce, and 3 pt shot% is more due to shot selection than shot form, looks like a natural 3 level scorer
- inconsistent shooter, should diversify skillset
10. Alperen Sengun
- look up his incredible #s for a 19 yr old in turkey
- advanced post game and has fluid shooting mechanics, great vision for a big, questions on defense
- reminds me of a young Pau Gasol
11. Sharife Cooper
- small guard but with extraordinary vision and passing ability, reminds me a lot of Rajon Rondo
- plays at his own pace and has some elusiveness near basket, not afraid of contact even at smaller size
- questions about the shot, not a fan of the lean back/hitch in his shot, needs to be fixed
- liability defensively, but can draw charges
12. Tre Mann
- looks for teammates, good size, in position for rebounds, not afraid to shoot it, not overly quick or strong to the basket, a la D’Lo, pro day showed bounce
- is he a true point guard? needs to clean up passes, work on explosiveness
13. Josh Giddey
- has intrigue as a guard, not a great shooter but can find open shooters
- has to improve ball handling
- joe ingles, intelligent player, young age makes him intriguing at 6’8”
- has to use his size more to be a starter
14. Jared Butler
- national champion, looks like a 2 guard who can be capable with spurts at the point
- excellent open 3 pt shooter, very tough nosed defender
- cerebral player, makes the right reads and passes
- can’t create his own shot, medical cardiac concerns
15. Trey Murphy III
- one of the safest players in class, more than prototypical 3 and D wing, bouncy, wingspan
- easy comp here is Mikal Bridges
16. Kai Jones
- Tools, tools, tools, track star
- Runs the floor extremely well and wants to be more than just a lob threat
- hasn’t shown in games but has lottery level talent
17. Jalen Johnson
- unique power forward who is uber athletic, can ball handle in the transition, looks like a good post defender
- questions about his jump shot, has a very specific skillset
18. Jonathan Kuminga
- has prototypical athletic body of a 4 who looks like he can play some at the 3 if he can shoot consistently
- physical young player with post potential but his #s in g league weren’t good, hard to say what his calling card will be
19. Jaden Springer
- pretty jumper, young guard who impresses with his ability to be a tough man to man defender
- think he has unseen passing ability, can score in midrange if needed, terrific shooting %
- explosiveness near basket missing, needs to be more aggressive, rebounding #s can be better
20. Miles McBride
- tough nosed defender (WVU ofc), not afraid to hoist up contested shots if need be
- plays with hair on fire, should be great in transition
- i.e. Marcus Smart, excellent 3 pt shooter stat wise
21. Chris Duarte
- one of the best shooters in the class, strong frame for a 2/3, can move/cut w/o the ball, not strictly a shooter, has some hops, active hands, confidence
- age, not the fastest guy, limited ceiling? dillon brooks
- should be a plug and play guy from day 1
22. Corey Kispert
- aka Kye Korver, tall shooter, can catch and shoot, shoot off the dribble, good stats
- not a terrific athlete so limited ceiling?
23. Ziaire Williams
- intelligent young PF who had a disappointing freshman season, can score from midrange, has potential to score ISO, can ball handle a bit
- needs to work on jumper, tweener (3 vs 4?)
24. Quentin Grimes
- contests jump shots, active wing defender, great 3 pt shooting %s, will rarely find a shot he dislikes
- seems like a winner, one of the few knocks is age and efficiency on him and ball handling
25. Brandon “BJ” Boston
- Great size for a guard, potential as a good defender on switches, not hard to see why he was top recruit
- inconsistent jump shot, hasn’t shown ability to get others involved and needs to use size as advantage, will require development
26. Na’Shon “Bones” Hyland
- seems like a great kid, will be charismatic
- not afraid to shoot 30 foot 3 pt shots
- easy comp is IQ/Lou Will
- ball sticks to hands, can he take contact with his frame?
27. Jeremiah Robinson-Earl
- your typical Villanova solid NBA player who is underrated
- still only 20 yrs old, looks like a versatile defender who’s not afraid to use his size and looks like a better shooter than numbers suggest
28. Cameron Thomas
- walking bucket, interesting big frame for a guard
- seemingly has a hitch in his shot but that doesn’t stop him from shooting (any other skill?)
- can be physical on defense, shoots deep 3s, solid bench piece ala clarkson?
29. Franz Wagner
- nice shooting mechanics, good height, should be able to defend wings
- may be limited to role player role, shooting #s could be better
30. Usman Garuba
- 19 but plays like a grizzled vet, probably the best all around defender in the draft, strong base with active hands
- the catch: expect no offense except for transition layups/dunks
The Draftnik 