His versatility and basketball I.Q., even if it isnt paired with imminent star potential, should keep Black in the lottery conversation. A year ago, most pundits deemed the 2019 NBA draft as particularly shallow, going as far to label it a "two-player class" in that Zion Williamson and Ja Morant appeared to be the only truly . But between his deep threat and the volume scoring, hes a very useful weapon for an otherwise anemic second unit. Coming to the league from the low-major Patriot League, hes already made considerable progress. Hes a nutty pull-up shooter with deep range and unquenchable confidence. Marooned at the end of the Charlotte bench with three second-round picks playing ahead of him, Jones offensive limitations seem too severe to play him much at the four, but, at 218 pounds, its tough to slot him in at center. Hes 15 months younger than Myles Turner, who is about to end his second NBA contract and become an unrestricted free agent. That said, he shot over 40 percent from long range and theres reason to believe that a healthier Whitehead could unearth some of that pre-Duke magic. Check out our full scouting report on Taylor Hendricks here. He will be a big prospect to watch in 2024 if he decides to return to school. Too often he gets moved away from the cup or bumped off the ball, like this: Meanwhile, its not like he has so much wiggle that he can blow by defenders off the bounce. 7, 26, and 29) all heavily involved in trade rumors. The reality has been that he is hugely vulnerable in one-on-one matchups; that was a bit of an issue in his rookie season but has mushroomed into a bigger problem. Already at age 24, this might be pretty close to what we end up getting with Mitchell: a bulldog backup point guard whose own offensive limitations are too severe for any larger role. Remember, Wagner is the same age as the one-and-ones from the 2021 draft even though he spent two years at Michigan. Hyland was inactive for Denvers Nov. 28 and Nov. 30 games, but the trend is the more minutes he receives, the better he performs. Alperen Sengun is making strides as the Rockets center so far in his two-year career. He doesnt create much separation off the dribble, but Lundy flashed the ability to attack closeouts and hit contested jumpers. Evan Mobley was widely considered one of the best bigs in the 2021 NBA Draft class, and after a third overall selection by the Cleveland Cavaliers and a strong rookie season that saw him selected to the 2021-22 All-Rookie first-team, Mobley is living up to those expectations, with some competition, of course. But this season, while there are still many All-Star caliber players at the top, the class has dropped a notch overall. He's. A new year calls for a new edition of the NBA sophomore watch, highlighting the best players from the 2021 NBA Draft. The Rockets usually keep him in a conservative drop, to the extent they operate with a plan at all; engn has good catch-up speed trailing dribblers for blocks but fouls far too often (6.1 personals per 100 possessions). He defends smart and hard, with enough 3-point shooting and off-ball scoring upside to complement teammates on that side of the ball too. He doesnt explode off the screen and he needs to get his 3-point numbers back on track, but hes a gritty two-way player with scoring craft, a real eye for playmaking, and all the intangibles youd expect with an accomplished four-year player. Point guard: Top 22 list. Portland Trail Blazers Wins above replacement: 10.7 Best under-25 player: CJ Elleby (4.2) Previous rankings: 22nd, 27th As Portland's previous rankings demonstrate, the team hasn't really. Hes a good touch shooter who looks good dribbling into short and midrange shots, and hes a good passer for a big man. Mann shoots 3s often but not yet accurately (31.2 percent this season, 34.3 percent career) and never draws fouls because he always pulls up short for the floater, resulting in a ghastly 48.7 percent true shooting mark. After missing 13 games due to a lingering shin injury that may require surgery, the former first-overall pick of the 2021 NBA Draft had to be left off the list in fairness to other players who are playing. Just watch Collin Sexton here, one play in about a three-minute stretch of humiliation inflicted by Mitchell when Sexton inexplicably kept trying to go at him last week: The bad news is that Mitchell plays offense like hes being guarded by Mitchell. The twitchy 6-foot-2 guard was thrust right into a starring role for the G-League Ignite. Theres still hope; Duarte has a good basketball IQ, and there doesnt seem to be a huge tangible reason why he cant make a shot. However, six players have been notable enough to warrant further discussion: Herb Jones, Pelicans: A steal with the 35th pick, Jones quickly established himself as one of the leagues best perimeter defenders. NBA Sophomore Watch By: Michael Quinn by Michael Quinn As we near the All-Star break, we'd like to introduce a new issue of sophomore watch. Brandon Miller is an electric and efficient three-level scorer at 6-foot-9, possessing a blend of size and shot-making prowess that immediately jumps off the screen. He will catch lobs, inhale rebounds, and put his 230-pound frame to good use on the block. His 3-point shooting still comes and goes, but hes up to 33.1 percent this season, and, despite standing just 6-0, has knocked down more than half of his career 2s. Kispert may not get there often, but hes big and a clinical finisher when he gets to the cup mostly in transition. He has to get more efficient and choose his spots more wisely, but he has the foundation of a gifted multi-faceted contributor. That said, fluid 6-foot-10 athletes who can grab-and-go in transition, navigate traffic off the bounce, and shoot the 3 arent easy to find. As a result, Im not spending a ton of time on the rest of the class of 2021; surely a few players from this class will emerge at some point, and several are at least getting scraps of minutes this season. Ten players from the first round averaged double figures as rookies, with four of them eclipsing 15 points a game the latter mark being tied for the leagues most by a rookie class since 1992-93 (eight). The NBA values versatility above all else, and Jarace Walker provides a lot of it. Hes 5-foot-6 thats just hard to overcome, especially with the length and athleticism on display in todays league. All picks and predictions are suggestions only. Only a handful of prospects every year play genuine minutes against high-level professional competition. On offense, hes a crafty and dynamic shot-maker who makes an effort to move the ball and get teammates involved at least, he is in theory. This slate of games wasnt the best for Hyland, who averaged 8.0 points in limited minutes. Based on his post-All-Star break play, where he's averaging 21.3 points, 6.7 assists and 6.5 rebounds, it hints that we may be in store for a big sophomore season from the No. Green also doesnt process the game particularly well yet, and on a Rockets team that often looks like they just met a few minutes before tip-off, he often ends up dribbling into tough pull-ups or missing open teammates. doubled his 3-point attempts compared to last season and he hit them at a prodigious rate. Hylands game breaks down inside the arc, where he struggles to finish and gets caught making poor decisions and, as a result, is at just 40.5 percent this season. Let's take a look. Positional rankings for 2022-23 season. 2023 NBA Draft Big Board: Ranking the top 60 prospects. NBA Sophomore Rankings + All Star Votes. Listed at 6-foot-7 and 240 pounds, Kobe Brown is one of the more unique prospects on the board. A 19-year-old wing with positional size and a 7-foot-3 wingspan, it feels like the broader NBA Draft world is sleeping on Jordan Walsh. The reigning Kia MVP has averaged just 18.9 points on an effective field goal percentage of 48.3% against the Warriors over that stretch and, while Draymond Green and Kevon Looney split the . Meanwhile, the Portland Trail Blazers sit in the No. But he still has to develop his skill set at the offensive end, especially as a shooter and finisher, and he has to become more engaged defensively. He just hasnt clicked at all as a floor general or a shooter. He has room to grow as a decision-maker, but Hendersons dynamic athleticism, three-level scoring, and flashes of on-ball defense cement his standing near the top of the draft board. An explosive 7-footer who should be able to play NBA defense due to his nimble movement in space. Dosunmu has good size and quickness and was able to crack the Bulls rotation almost immediately last season. Were conditioned to the idea of the sophomore breakout, the phenom who shows flashes in his rookie year but doesnt truly blast off until Year 2. Austin Reaves, Lakers: Undrafted from Oklahoma, theres a real chance Reaves leads the Lakers in minutes this season despite only starting 11 games (LeBron James is only 37 ahead of him). Kai Jones, Hornets: Charlotte traded a future first to the Knicks to grab Jones with the 19th pick in 2021; that looks like a mistake. Today, I wanted to get into the weeds a little bit and break down where the key players from this draft stand and whats stood out about their second seasons thus far. Hes the most hyped prospect since LeBron James and probably the most unique prospect in modern NBA history. Andrew, Jay and Michele discuss the Sophomore rankings on the Athletic, All Star Voting and more Strong and bursty, hes a handful driving the lane complete with high-flying athleticism and the ability to contort his body in midair to evade the rim protector. With Brandon Miller soaking up the spotlight in Alabama, you wouldnt be blamed for overlooking Noah Clowney. It could get messy. Scottie Barnes is having a similar season to his rookie campaign last year, which isnt bad at all given he won Rookie of the Year over the rest of the guys on this list. But as with Barnes above, it comes across as a bit underwhelming because his rate stats have hardly budged at all from his rookie season. Bones Hyland, Nuggets: The Nuggets rail-thin guard was selected 26thbut is already among the leagues best reserves, pumping in 31.1 points per 100 possessions and hitting 41.0 percent of his 3-pointers. Hes also a point guard, by the way, which could further complicate the Scoot Henderson matter. He refuses to be screened, gets into dribblers starting at half court and is totally relentless. Power forward: Top 22 list. His explosiveness shines on timely cuts to the rim, put-back jams, and tantalizing defensive highlights. Dariq Whitehead just checks a lot of boxes. Kuminga is still just 20 years old and wont turn 21 until October, and if he can pair his elite athleticism for his size with more skill development, hes going to be a problem. Right now, hes a really good secondary player on an elite team, and thats nothing to sneeze at. Mobley is shooting 22.0 percent from 3 and 70.8 percent from the line; the hopes of him stretching defenses from the 3-point line arent coming to fruition. He can also bully smaller defenders in the post. James Bouknight, Hornets: The 11th pick in 2021 can hardly get on the floor, even with multiple injuries in Charlottes backcourt. Coming from Giresun, Turkey, Sengun is a future double-double candidate like the player above him in the rankings. Please enter your email address. While hes developed a reasonable stepback game, hes only at 34.4 percent from 3 this season. Hes only 21, and you can argue hes capable of shooting a lot better than his numbers show. 4 pick also on the trade block? 1. . Austin Reaves slips into the top 10 after a solid week of games that saw him, and his Los Angeles Lakers teammates go 3-1 in games. Kuminga still really struggles from the perimeter (25.8 percent from 3, 67.2 percent from the line), which limits his offensive capability in the half court. His length and touch make up for his lack of strength finishing inside. The goal is to build a winner sooner than later around new head coach Ime Udoka. Hes not a freak athlete, but Wallace plays with spirit and contributes in myriad ways offensively, from a bankable 3-point shot to nifty floaters and proficient passing. We havent seen such a well-rounded, hyper-athletic point guard enter the league in years. 10. A season and a half into their respective careers, there isnt one player from this draft whom youd call a lock to play in a future All-Star Game. Murphy punctuates that value with his work as a finisher inside the arc. One wonders if next year would go better if the Pistons would stop using him like hes Luka Doni and instead try to mix in more opportunities in the flow of the game, especially catch-and-shoot 3s. This happens on the NBA ride, as teams bring in new players as well as new coaches. With that in mind, here are 16 NBA sophomores ready to shine this season (listed in alphabetical order): Scottie Barnes, Toronto Raptors Rookie season stats Barnes wasn't just the ROY he. David Thorpe breaks down the 20 best sophomores in the league. Which player is dominating the 2022-2023 season? Wednesday was Decision Day in college basketball. Three days later, the Melbourne, Australia, native put up 21 points, 12 rebounds, seven assists, two blocks and two steals. Hes the youngest player on the board and thus should be afforded some extra leniency by decision-makers who see the obvious upside in a physical, fluid 6-foot-9 forward who can space the floor, create off the dribble, and defend multiple positions. Ricky Council IV is flat-out elite as a finisher. Jones explosive hops offer a glimmer of promise if he can develop in other areas, but we havent seen much progress. Over the last week of games, Murphy III has stepped up his game significantly with 18.8 points per game on 47.2% shooting and 2 steals a game. Slower defenders are vulnerable to straight-line drives. A shaky shooter in college and a rookie, Aldama has hit 37.9 percent of his 3s this season. He flashed enough 3-point shooting to buy the jumper long term and his ability to attack the rim on straight-line drives popped in Combine scrimmages. Grimes isnt much of a threat off the bounce and averages just 17.5 points per 100 possessions, but hes a volume catch-and-shoot 3-point weapon who has made 37.5 percent of his triples as a pro. What really makes Brown pop, however, is his quick processing speed and impressive passing acumen in the frontcourt. Banchero's calling card has been the rut he's wearing out with endless trips to the line - 8.4 nightly, which ranks seventh in the league and ahead of veteran scorers such as Jayson Tatum, Zion. Offensively, hes quick to impress with playmaking flare and signs of shot-making potential. Hes strong enough to battle bigs inside, quick enough to contain guards at the point of attack, and he ties it all together with tremendous instincts off the ball. He averaged almost twice as many 3-point attempts as 2-point attempts, which could appeal to NBA teams looking for a confident bomber to space the floor from the wing. Bones Hyland tops the list for the best nickname in the class, maybe even the entire league. Sometimes, all it takes to carve out an NBA role is one elite, translatable skill. Full sprint sell-out for a maaaaaybe shot block? Whose stock is up, whose stock is down, and what can we say about where these players are headed? Aaron Rodgers gets great news about one of his new Jets weapons, Mets pitcher Max Scherzer shows frustration with MLBs strict pitch clock enforcement, Re-grading every NBA Draft night trade from 2022, Charles Barkley Takes a Shot at Skip Bayless, Portland Trail Blazers: 3 perfect combinations for their pair of 1st-round picks, 2023 NBA Draft scouting report: Keyonte George, NBA Draft rumors: Miller sliding to No. Check out our full scouting report on Gradey Dick here. He can sling every pass in the book out of pick-and-rolls, hes great at kickstarting transition offense, and he does the little things to keep the ship sailing smoothly. He crashes the glass, makes plays around the rim, and even flashes touch out to the 3-point line. Hes also a very mistake-prone player, with high rates of turnovers (17.4 percent of possessions this season) and fouls (5.9 per 100 possessions). 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