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The Athletic’s 2019 NBA Mock Draft, Version 3.0 is here. For reference, we’re post-early entry deadline, pre-NBA Draft Lottery, and pre-NBA Draft Combine. This will be the last mock draft before those two events. Consider it something of a table-setter entering the madness of the pre-draft process. NBA teams have general thoughts on players entering the proceedings, but that will assuredly change as they start to meet with players and have them in for workouts. This year particularly, I would expect the pre-draft process to play an outsized role in the proceedings. Why? Well, I’ll start with a story.
Earlier this month, I was in a car with three NBA executives who work for the same team. I mentioned that, on the whole, I didn’t think this draft class stacked up to the recent ones that have infused the NBA with such an interesting, diverse array of NBA talents. The highest ranking executive in the car relayed something to me that he said he learned a long time ago: there’s no such thing as a “bad” draft for people who work on the NBA scouting side. Simply put, they don’t look at this event in the big-picture way people on the outside do. For them, they realistically only need to identify one player who exceeds the value of where their draft slot is. The best front offices have confidence that they can come to some sort of consensus on one guy that they believe in.
Sure, some drafts make that process harder. This would certainly qualify as one of those. The 2019 draft is a lot more clumped together than recent ones. The marginal talent difference just isn’t quite as vast as what we typically see. That’s going to create a situation where the beauty is truly in the eye of the beholder.
It’s not that good players won’t emerge from this draft. Just like the aforementioned executive said, they will. Rather, because few high-level upperclassmen ended up truly establishing themselves this season, and two-dozen interesting freshmen declared, we have a situation where some of the most interesting long-term prospects are a bit less developed and productive than normal entering the draft. That means teams are in position where they have to figure out which guys are going to pop, and which ones won’t. That means diving deep into their background, figuring out what drives them, and figuring out all of the nuances and eccentricities of their games. Additionally, it means that development is going to be an even more essential part of this process than it is most years. The teams who put their players in the best positions for success will likely be the ones to come away with value.
But from the point of view of putting together a mock draft two months out from draft night, this thing is still wide open. Teams are still sorting through many of the 233 early entrants who decided to put their name in for the draft — in part to learn more about their professional futures, but also in part due to the lack of clarity surrounding some of the later picks in this class. Still, it’s worthwhile to see where things stand as we head into the process. Remember, this is not necessarily my ranking. Rather, it’s based on conversations I’ve had with NBA executives, agents, and more over the course of the last month at various scouting events.
So without further ado, here’s the mock draft, with some level of detailed breakdown on each pick and why it makes sense.
1. New York Knicks — Zion Williamson
6-7 forward, freshman, Duke
No changes at the top. Williamson will be the No. 1 overall pick regardless of who wins the lottery, barring extremely poor medical evaluations. Simply put, the South Carolina native is the best option not only from a front office standpoint, but also from an ownership standpoint. He put up 22.6 points, 8.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 2.1 steals and 1.8 blocks per game while shooting an insane 68 percent from the field. It kind of goes without saying, but no one in the last 25 years of college basketball has achieved those benchmarks. His 40.8 PER doesn’t just set the record for highest mark of the last decade; it shatters it. Then, throw into the mix that Williamson is improving as a shooter and ended up hitting 34 percent from 3. Oh, and he’s a legitimate potential NBA Defensive Player of the Year threat at some point.
In my opinion, this is the best on-court prospect to enter the NBA since Anthony Davis entered the league from Kentucky in 2012. Off the court, Williamson is the most ready-made marketing tool to enter the league since LeBron James. And yes, that stuff matters for the No. 1 overall pick. Bidding for his shoe deal is expected to be near-record setting for a rookie. Within organizations, Williamson will be among the top-selling jerseys in his first year, and is expected to help attendance figures. He is a home run on all levels for whoever gets the chance to pick him.
2. Phoenix Suns — Ja Morant
6-3 lead guard, sophomore, Murray State
Morant is the perfect consolation prize for the Suns. As mentioned recently, teams around the league believe the Suns are big fans of the Murray State guard. It’s easy to see why. While the midseason acquisition of Tyler Johnson brought some much-needed stability to the point guard position, the Suns desperately need a long-term solution. Morant is a high-level prospect worthy of being taken in the top-five. He’s an elite player off of a live dribble, due largely to his tight handle, terrific of change of pace, and ability to change direction without slowing down. It’s my opinion that Morant will enter the NBA immediately as one of the top 10 passers in the league. His vision is sublime, and his ability to pass one-handed directly off of the dribble allows him to make a pass immediately upon identifying it. As a scorer, Morant’s skinny frame gives some evaluators pause as a finisher. His jump shot also needs some work, as he’s not the most adept pull-up shooter yet. If a defender goes under a screen and he has time to set his feet, Morant has the ability to knock down a 3. But he’s not as dynamic getting into his shot at full speed yet, which is a critical piece of being a lead guard in today’s NBA.
3. Cleveland Cavaliers — R.J. Barrett
6-7 wing, freshman, Duke
The Cavaliers need help all over the floor. The one position that seems to have a long-term answer is point guard with Collin Sexton, although I’m not 100 percent convinced that the Cavs would pass on Morant. A Morant vs. Sexton decision would, at the very least, be a discussion within the front office if the team got the No. 2 overall pick. No matter here, though. Barrett would represent the highest upside player on the board, which is where the Cavs need to look. He’s the first high-major player to average 22 points, seven rebounds and four assists — and he did it as an 18-year-old freshman who re-classified into the 2018 recruiting class. There are some concerns here in regard to sharing the load. At times, Barrett played selfishly this season. It would help him to change his mentality just slightly. The team that picks him still wants him to be the confident player he is; they just also want him to make the confident passing reads that he made more of throughout the latter quarter of the season. Additionally, Barrett needs to work slightly on his jump shot, although I believe he’s a better shooter than what the numbers indicate largely due to shot selection.
4. Chicago Bulls — Darius Garland
6-2 lead guard, freshman, Vanderbilt
The Bulls need an answer at the point guard position. Kris Dunn is definitely a useful piece for an NBA team due to his defensive ability, but it seems unlikely that he can carry the load offensively at the most important position on that end of the floor. Garland has a chance to be that guy. He’s an elite level shooter as a guard, with range out to about 30 feet, putting pressure on the defense essentially as soon as he crosses half-court. He’s also terrific in ball-screens, knowing exactly how to snake around defenders. The critical swing skill for Garland long-term will be his ability to see the floor and make plays for others. Having grown up playing more off-guard than lead, Garland isn’t necessarily the most adept as a facilitator. Defensively, he’s also not particularly useful at this stage. But if he can become just slightly better as a playmaker, there’s legitimate starter upside here. His range is definitely pretty wide for a potential top-five pick, as teams will need to get a look at his knee before investing this kind of capital in him.
5. Atlanta Hawks — Jarrett Culver
6-6 wing, sophomore, Texas Tech
One of the breakout stars of the college basketball season, Culver has developed into a high level shot creator who also plays well within a team construct. He’s a terrific ball-handler and playmaker, with the ability to get to his pull-up jumper with ease. He’s also improved dramatically as a jump shooter, going from a left-eye dominant sling shooter to a shooter who brings the ball up from the middle of his body and can knock down shots. He still needs to iron out a few things at the top of the jumper, including a small hitch. Overall though, it’s easy to imagine him as the 2-guard, secondary ball-handler next to Trae Young, given his size at 6-foot-6 and creativity. Defensively, he still has some room to grow, but he has good feel on that end from playing in Texas Tech’s defense-first scheme. Particularly, his hands are disruptive and he gets a lot of steals when offensive players bring the ball low or when he gets out into passing lanes. The fit here is too strong to pass up, but I will note that there continues to be some ambivalence to Culver among NBA executives, who question his athleticism and ability to become a true difference maker. I don’t think he falls out of the top-10 or anything, but his range right now is a bit wider than people would think.
Earlier this month, I was in a car with three NBA executives who work for the same team. I mentioned that, on the whole, I didn’t think this draft class stacked up to the recent ones that have infused the NBA with such an interesting, diverse array of NBA talents. The highest ranking executive in the car relayed something to me that he said he learned a long time ago: there’s no such thing as a “bad” draft for people who work on the NBA scouting side. Simply put, they don’t look at this event in the big-picture way people on the outside do. For them, they realistically only need to identify one player who exceeds the value of where their draft slot is. The best front offices have confidence that they can come to some sort of consensus on one guy that they believe in.
Sure, some drafts make that process harder. This would certainly qualify as one of those. The 2019 draft is a lot more clumped together than recent ones. The marginal talent difference just isn’t quite as vast as what we typically see. That’s going to create a situation where the beauty is truly in the eye of the beholder.
It’s not that good players won’t emerge from this draft. Just like the aforementioned executive said, they will. Rather, because few high-level upperclassmen ended up truly establishing themselves this season, and two-dozen interesting freshmen declared, we have a situation where some of the most interesting long-term prospects are a bit less developed and productive than normal entering the draft. That means teams are in position where they have to figure out which guys are going to pop, and which ones won’t. That means diving deep into their background, figuring out what drives them, and figuring out all of the nuances and eccentricities of their games. Additionally, it means that development is going to be an even more essential part of this process than it is most years. The teams who put their players in the best positions for success will likely be the ones to come away with value.
But from the point of view of putting together a mock draft two months out from draft night, this thing is still wide open. Teams are still sorting through many of the 233 early entrants who decided to put their name in for the draft — in part to learn more about their professional futures, but also in part due to the lack of clarity surrounding some of the later picks in this class. Still, it’s worthwhile to see where things stand as we head into the process. Remember, this is not necessarily my ranking. Rather, it’s based on conversations I’ve had with NBA executives, agents, and more over the course of the last month at various scouting events.
So without further ado, here’s the mock draft, with some level of detailed breakdown on each pick and why it makes sense.
1. New York Knicks — Zion Williamson
6-7 forward, freshman, Duke
No changes at the top. Williamson will be the No. 1 overall pick regardless of who wins the lottery, barring extremely poor medical evaluations. Simply put, the South Carolina native is the best option not only from a front office standpoint, but also from an ownership standpoint. He put up 22.6 points, 8.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 2.1 steals and 1.8 blocks per game while shooting an insane 68 percent from the field. It kind of goes without saying, but no one in the last 25 years of college basketball has achieved those benchmarks. His 40.8 PER doesn’t just set the record for highest mark of the last decade; it shatters it. Then, throw into the mix that Williamson is improving as a shooter and ended up hitting 34 percent from 3. Oh, and he’s a legitimate potential NBA Defensive Player of the Year threat at some point.
In my opinion, this is the best on-court prospect to enter the NBA since Anthony Davis entered the league from Kentucky in 2012. Off the court, Williamson is the most ready-made marketing tool to enter the league since LeBron James. And yes, that stuff matters for the No. 1 overall pick. Bidding for his shoe deal is expected to be near-record setting for a rookie. Within organizations, Williamson will be among the top-selling jerseys in his first year, and is expected to help attendance figures. He is a home run on all levels for whoever gets the chance to pick him.
2. Phoenix Suns — Ja Morant
6-3 lead guard, sophomore, Murray State
Morant is the perfect consolation prize for the Suns. As mentioned recently, teams around the league believe the Suns are big fans of the Murray State guard. It’s easy to see why. While the midseason acquisition of Tyler Johnson brought some much-needed stability to the point guard position, the Suns desperately need a long-term solution. Morant is a high-level prospect worthy of being taken in the top-five. He’s an elite player off of a live dribble, due largely to his tight handle, terrific of change of pace, and ability to change direction without slowing down. It’s my opinion that Morant will enter the NBA immediately as one of the top 10 passers in the league. His vision is sublime, and his ability to pass one-handed directly off of the dribble allows him to make a pass immediately upon identifying it. As a scorer, Morant’s skinny frame gives some evaluators pause as a finisher. His jump shot also needs some work, as he’s not the most adept pull-up shooter yet. If a defender goes under a screen and he has time to set his feet, Morant has the ability to knock down a 3. But he’s not as dynamic getting into his shot at full speed yet, which is a critical piece of being a lead guard in today’s NBA.
3. Cleveland Cavaliers — R.J. Barrett
6-7 wing, freshman, Duke
The Cavaliers need help all over the floor. The one position that seems to have a long-term answer is point guard with Collin Sexton, although I’m not 100 percent convinced that the Cavs would pass on Morant. A Morant vs. Sexton decision would, at the very least, be a discussion within the front office if the team got the No. 2 overall pick. No matter here, though. Barrett would represent the highest upside player on the board, which is where the Cavs need to look. He’s the first high-major player to average 22 points, seven rebounds and four assists — and he did it as an 18-year-old freshman who re-classified into the 2018 recruiting class. There are some concerns here in regard to sharing the load. At times, Barrett played selfishly this season. It would help him to change his mentality just slightly. The team that picks him still wants him to be the confident player he is; they just also want him to make the confident passing reads that he made more of throughout the latter quarter of the season. Additionally, Barrett needs to work slightly on his jump shot, although I believe he’s a better shooter than what the numbers indicate largely due to shot selection.
4. Chicago Bulls — Darius Garland
6-2 lead guard, freshman, Vanderbilt
The Bulls need an answer at the point guard position. Kris Dunn is definitely a useful piece for an NBA team due to his defensive ability, but it seems unlikely that he can carry the load offensively at the most important position on that end of the floor. Garland has a chance to be that guy. He’s an elite level shooter as a guard, with range out to about 30 feet, putting pressure on the defense essentially as soon as he crosses half-court. He’s also terrific in ball-screens, knowing exactly how to snake around defenders. The critical swing skill for Garland long-term will be his ability to see the floor and make plays for others. Having grown up playing more off-guard than lead, Garland isn’t necessarily the most adept as a facilitator. Defensively, he’s also not particularly useful at this stage. But if he can become just slightly better as a playmaker, there’s legitimate starter upside here. His range is definitely pretty wide for a potential top-five pick, as teams will need to get a look at his knee before investing this kind of capital in him.
5. Atlanta Hawks — Jarrett Culver
6-6 wing, sophomore, Texas Tech
One of the breakout stars of the college basketball season, Culver has developed into a high level shot creator who also plays well within a team construct. He’s a terrific ball-handler and playmaker, with the ability to get to his pull-up jumper with ease. He’s also improved dramatically as a jump shooter, going from a left-eye dominant sling shooter to a shooter who brings the ball up from the middle of his body and can knock down shots. He still needs to iron out a few things at the top of the jumper, including a small hitch. Overall though, it’s easy to imagine him as the 2-guard, secondary ball-handler next to Trae Young, given his size at 6-foot-6 and creativity. Defensively, he still has some room to grow, but he has good feel on that end from playing in Texas Tech’s defense-first scheme. Particularly, his hands are disruptive and he gets a lot of steals when offensive players bring the ball low or when he gets out into passing lanes. The fit here is too strong to pass up, but I will note that there continues to be some ambivalence to Culver among NBA executives, who question his athleticism and ability to become a true difference maker. I don’t think he falls out of the top-10 or anything, but his range right now is a bit wider than people would think.
pt 2
6. Washington Wizards — De’Andre Hunter
6-8 forward, redshirt sophomore, Virginia
The Wizards bizarrely made a decision to trade away Otto Porter at the trade deadline for the opportunity to pay Bobby Portis. Additionally, they dealt away Kelly Oubre for Trevor Ariza, who is a free agent this summer. That means they have a massive hole in their front court of the future. Hunter is a perfect player to draft to make up for those mistakes. He’s a monster defender who can legitimately guard four positions. But the offensive upside is equally as interesting, given his continued strides as a shooter. The downside is that he’s still a bit stiff with the ball, and may end up becoming more of a secondary starter than a primary playmaker. But in this draft, that’s well worth it for the Wizards at No. 6, especially given that he should be something of a plug-and-play guy from Day One. Traditionally, the Wizards have not been fans of looking at a full-scale rebuild, so Hunter could be attractive as a guy who gets on the floor from Day One.
7. New Orleans Pelicans — Cameron Reddish
6-8 forward, freshman, Duke
This season didn’t exactly go to plan for Reddish. Despite being an athletic 6-foot-8 forward who can handle the ball and shoot from distance, he shot 35.6 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from 3. Traditionally, sub-40 percent from 2-point range is a major red flag for guards and their long-term success as a scorer inside. I’m honestly not sure that I can remember a player of Reddish’s height struggling this mightily inside. Of course, part of it is contextual. When he drove, teams collapsed in on him because there was little threat otherwise from the surrounding Tre Jones, Barrett, Williamson, and one of Javin DeLaurier, Jack White, or Marques Bolden. In the NBA, he’s going to get better driving lanes, and fewer bodies collapsing in on him. But he also needs to improve, as well. He needs to work on tightening up his handle, which can be ripped a bit too easily at times. His lower body mechanics on his jump shot also could stand to tighten up, as he sometimes loads off-balance into shots.
At the end of the day, though, NBA teams should probably bet on his talent. It’s rare for players to have this type of ball skill at his size. Reddish would represent an upside play for the Pelicans, who need more front court/wing creators around Jrue Holiday as they begin their rebuild. Anywhere from the top-five to No. 11 or so is his range, depending on if he can really impress in the pre-draft process.
8. Memphis Grizzlies — Coby White
6-5 lead guard, freshman, North Carolina
With the Grizzlies moving into a new era after drafting Jaren Jackson last year and trading Marc Gasol at the deadline, it would seem that Mike Conley’s departure from the only organization that he’s known throughout his career is imminent this summer. That means the Grizz will need a new point guard. Delon Wright had a solid finish to the season, but is more of a secondary playmaker than the guy you want running the entire show. White has potential to grow into that player. He’s lightning quick at 6-foot-5, with the ability to play uptempo and get into transition. He’s also a high-level pull-up shooter, which puts pressure on the defense and opens up lanes for his teammates. The reason, though, he’s not quite what Morant is as a prospect at this stage is the natural feel for making plays for his teammates. He’s still working on that aspect of his game in half-court settings. If that comes along as he continues learning how to play with good players around him — something he didn’t really do much of at the high school level — White could be really strong starting point guard. Even if he doesn’t, I’d expect him to get buckets for a long time at this level.
9. Atlanta Hawks (from DAL) — Sekou Doumbouya
6-9 forward, 18 years old, Limoges (France)
Out of the international class, the multi-dimensional 6-foot-9 18-year-old originally from Guinea certainly looks to hold the most long-term value. Doumbouya had a tough start to the season, struggling to adjust to high-level pro basketball in France in the first three months of his season. He posted an extremely poor 0.57 assist to turnover ratio, while hitting just 25 percent in limited attempts from 3. Defensively, he was fouling over six times per 40 minutes. Basically, he looked like a 17-year-old playing professional basketball for the first time. But then, in a trio of games around Christmas, it looked like the French international had turned a corner, scoring 12 points in each and looking much more comfortable. Unfortunately, Doumbouya suffered a thumb injury in a league game against Boulazac and required surgery to repair a ligament and missed just over a month of action. And after a few games of action to get himself back into game shape, Doumbouya has been much better over the last month and a half. In his last eight games, Doumbouya has seen his points per minute increase, his 3-point shooting volume and efficiency has increased, and generally he just looks much more comfortable with the speed of the game.
Overall, I’m encouraged that Doumbouya has figured things out quickly, but still question how ready for the NBA he is simply due to his inexperience at high levels to this stage. There’s a real chance that he might need an extra year of seasoning, or else the team that picks him may be wasting one or two valuable seasons of his entry-level contract. Much like someone like Al-Farouq Aminu, the team that gets the best value out of Doumbouya may not necessarily be the team that selects him unless they can delay his process for coming over. But NBA teams generally are relatively high on Doumbouya and consider him a likely lottery pick. Atlanta, possessing two likely lottery picks and five picks overall, are well-positioned to take a shot on him figuring things out.
10. Minnesota Timberwolves — Brandon Clarke
6-8 forward/center, redshirt junior, Gonzaga
This remains my favorite fit in the entire NBA Draft. In my opinion, Clarke was one of the three best players in college basketball this season, a dominant two-way force who was efficient on offense and a terror defense. Because of that, he complements Karl-Anthony Towns perfectly. He’s a monster coming over from the weak side as a shot-blocker, something Towns has struggled with in his career. His intelligence coming over in help would be of significant value when a team pulls Towns away from the basket. Clarke can legit play away from the basket at the 4 defensively at the NBA level, in addition to potentially the 5 in smaller lineups. On offense, Towns’ elite level shooting ability would complement Clarke’s current development on that side of the floor. Still, there are questions about how his entire skill set on that end of the floor translates. He can create a bit off the dribble, elevate over the top of taller defenders, and finish at the basket. But the jump shot continues to be a source of concern. While he has made tremendous strides as a shooter over the course of the last 18 months, going from a total non-shooter to someone with at least some potential, it’s still not there yet. For the most part, it’s hard to see how his current offensive role would translate to an NBA role outside of rolls to the basket and short-corner dump-offs as a garbage man. Given that he’s only 6-8 or so with what looks to be relatively short arms, it’s a question as to how effective he’ll be in those roles compared to some of the biggest NBA players. For that reason, I think he’s something of a situational player who needs the right fit to succeed. Luckily for him, Minnesota represents that fit. But Clarke could certainly fall out of the lottery.
6-8 forward, redshirt sophomore, Virginia
The Wizards bizarrely made a decision to trade away Otto Porter at the trade deadline for the opportunity to pay Bobby Portis. Additionally, they dealt away Kelly Oubre for Trevor Ariza, who is a free agent this summer. That means they have a massive hole in their front court of the future. Hunter is a perfect player to draft to make up for those mistakes. He’s a monster defender who can legitimately guard four positions. But the offensive upside is equally as interesting, given his continued strides as a shooter. The downside is that he’s still a bit stiff with the ball, and may end up becoming more of a secondary starter than a primary playmaker. But in this draft, that’s well worth it for the Wizards at No. 6, especially given that he should be something of a plug-and-play guy from Day One. Traditionally, the Wizards have not been fans of looking at a full-scale rebuild, so Hunter could be attractive as a guy who gets on the floor from Day One.
7. New Orleans Pelicans — Cameron Reddish
6-8 forward, freshman, Duke
This season didn’t exactly go to plan for Reddish. Despite being an athletic 6-foot-8 forward who can handle the ball and shoot from distance, he shot 35.6 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from 3. Traditionally, sub-40 percent from 2-point range is a major red flag for guards and their long-term success as a scorer inside. I’m honestly not sure that I can remember a player of Reddish’s height struggling this mightily inside. Of course, part of it is contextual. When he drove, teams collapsed in on him because there was little threat otherwise from the surrounding Tre Jones, Barrett, Williamson, and one of Javin DeLaurier, Jack White, or Marques Bolden. In the NBA, he’s going to get better driving lanes, and fewer bodies collapsing in on him. But he also needs to improve, as well. He needs to work on tightening up his handle, which can be ripped a bit too easily at times. His lower body mechanics on his jump shot also could stand to tighten up, as he sometimes loads off-balance into shots.
At the end of the day, though, NBA teams should probably bet on his talent. It’s rare for players to have this type of ball skill at his size. Reddish would represent an upside play for the Pelicans, who need more front court/wing creators around Jrue Holiday as they begin their rebuild. Anywhere from the top-five to No. 11 or so is his range, depending on if he can really impress in the pre-draft process.
8. Memphis Grizzlies — Coby White
6-5 lead guard, freshman, North Carolina
With the Grizzlies moving into a new era after drafting Jaren Jackson last year and trading Marc Gasol at the deadline, it would seem that Mike Conley’s departure from the only organization that he’s known throughout his career is imminent this summer. That means the Grizz will need a new point guard. Delon Wright had a solid finish to the season, but is more of a secondary playmaker than the guy you want running the entire show. White has potential to grow into that player. He’s lightning quick at 6-foot-5, with the ability to play uptempo and get into transition. He’s also a high-level pull-up shooter, which puts pressure on the defense and opens up lanes for his teammates. The reason, though, he’s not quite what Morant is as a prospect at this stage is the natural feel for making plays for his teammates. He’s still working on that aspect of his game in half-court settings. If that comes along as he continues learning how to play with good players around him — something he didn’t really do much of at the high school level — White could be really strong starting point guard. Even if he doesn’t, I’d expect him to get buckets for a long time at this level.
9. Atlanta Hawks (from DAL) — Sekou Doumbouya
6-9 forward, 18 years old, Limoges (France)
Out of the international class, the multi-dimensional 6-foot-9 18-year-old originally from Guinea certainly looks to hold the most long-term value. Doumbouya had a tough start to the season, struggling to adjust to high-level pro basketball in France in the first three months of his season. He posted an extremely poor 0.57 assist to turnover ratio, while hitting just 25 percent in limited attempts from 3. Defensively, he was fouling over six times per 40 minutes. Basically, he looked like a 17-year-old playing professional basketball for the first time. But then, in a trio of games around Christmas, it looked like the French international had turned a corner, scoring 12 points in each and looking much more comfortable. Unfortunately, Doumbouya suffered a thumb injury in a league game against Boulazac and required surgery to repair a ligament and missed just over a month of action. And after a few games of action to get himself back into game shape, Doumbouya has been much better over the last month and a half. In his last eight games, Doumbouya has seen his points per minute increase, his 3-point shooting volume and efficiency has increased, and generally he just looks much more comfortable with the speed of the game.
Overall, I’m encouraged that Doumbouya has figured things out quickly, but still question how ready for the NBA he is simply due to his inexperience at high levels to this stage. There’s a real chance that he might need an extra year of seasoning, or else the team that picks him may be wasting one or two valuable seasons of his entry-level contract. Much like someone like Al-Farouq Aminu, the team that gets the best value out of Doumbouya may not necessarily be the team that selects him unless they can delay his process for coming over. But NBA teams generally are relatively high on Doumbouya and consider him a likely lottery pick. Atlanta, possessing two likely lottery picks and five picks overall, are well-positioned to take a shot on him figuring things out.
10. Minnesota Timberwolves — Brandon Clarke
6-8 forward/center, redshirt junior, Gonzaga
This remains my favorite fit in the entire NBA Draft. In my opinion, Clarke was one of the three best players in college basketball this season, a dominant two-way force who was efficient on offense and a terror defense. Because of that, he complements Karl-Anthony Towns perfectly. He’s a monster coming over from the weak side as a shot-blocker, something Towns has struggled with in his career. His intelligence coming over in help would be of significant value when a team pulls Towns away from the basket. Clarke can legit play away from the basket at the 4 defensively at the NBA level, in addition to potentially the 5 in smaller lineups. On offense, Towns’ elite level shooting ability would complement Clarke’s current development on that side of the floor. Still, there are questions about how his entire skill set on that end of the floor translates. He can create a bit off the dribble, elevate over the top of taller defenders, and finish at the basket. But the jump shot continues to be a source of concern. While he has made tremendous strides as a shooter over the course of the last 18 months, going from a total non-shooter to someone with at least some potential, it’s still not there yet. For the most part, it’s hard to see how his current offensive role would translate to an NBA role outside of rolls to the basket and short-corner dump-offs as a garbage man. Given that he’s only 6-8 or so with what looks to be relatively short arms, it’s a question as to how effective he’ll be in those roles compared to some of the biggest NBA players. For that reason, I think he’s something of a situational player who needs the right fit to succeed. Luckily for him, Minnesota represents that fit. But Clarke could certainly fall out of the lottery.
pt 3
11. Los Angeles Lakers — Nassir Little
6-7 wing, freshman, North Carolina
The Lakers are in an interesting position. My bet is that they would rather use this pick as part of a trade to acquire more NBA-ready talent. Think Anthony Davis, Bradley Beal, guys like that who may or may not be on the trade market this offseason. But if they end up keeping the pick, they’ll have to make a call on whether or not they think any of these players can help their team sooner rather than later. At least athletically, Little has a chance to compete on an NBA floor relatively quickly. The concerns about his feel for the game are real. He struggled and was often out of position at North Carolina this season. Offensively, he produced but didn’t quite shoot it at the level that many (including myself) thought he had potential to. But at the end of the day, Little is a 6-foot-7 wing with a 7-foot-1 wingspan. He’s an elite level athlete. This kind of guy tends to rise throughout the draft process, especially in today’s NBA where his potential skill set could far exceed where he’s selected due to his potential versatility.
12. Charlotte Hornets — Jaxson Hayes
6-11 center, freshman, Texas
A 6-foot-11 center with a 7-foot-4 wingspan, many evaluators around the NBA believe that Hayes has potential to be the type of low-usage, rim-running, shot-blocking center that every NBA team is looking for right now. He also possesses the footwork and lateral mobility to potentially defend a bit out on the perimeter, and some short-roll ball-handling ability. Basically, Hayes is like a combination of a Steven Adams and Clint Capela starter kit, both of whom have morphed into above-average starting NBA centers who can create an impact on both ends. The Hornets have a lot of money currently tied up in centers, but don’t actually have a long-term answer at the position that can be counted on. Cody Zeller deals with injuries too often, Frank Kaminsky seems to be on his way out, and Willy Hernangomez is a backup. Hayes would give them an athletic long-term option at the position to develop. He’d either be a perfect fit with Kemba Walker, or he’d be the kind of long-term asset that could grow around a rebuilding organization if Walker was to leave this summer.
13. Miami Heat — Rui Hachimura
6-8 forward, junior, Gonzaga
I’ll probably be slightly lower than this on Hachimura come draft day, but NBA teams are high on Hachimura’s tools. He’s 6-8 with a 7-foot-2 wingspan at 240 pounds, but also maintains high-level athleticism. His first step is terrific for a man his size, and it allows him to get to the basket. As a shooter, there’s a hitch at the top of his release to fix, but his touch is pretty good and at least portends some potential — but he needs to get more confidence from beyond the arc. Defensively, he possesses potential due to his strength and length, although sometimes his feet get a bit stuck in the mud at times and his feel on that end isn’t particularly strong after his prep years of being the primary offensive option with little defensive accountability until he reached Gonzaga. This year, things started to click a bit more on that end, but it remains an open question as to whether or not Hachimura will defend. For Miami, they’re about as good as any team in the league at getting guys into optimal shape and putting guys into position for success. No question, Hachimura possesses a lot of upside. He’s just not quite as far along as the typical 21-year-old, and needs strong coaching to continue to bring him along in the same way that he got it from Gonzaga.
14. Boston Celtics (from SAC) — PJ Washington
6-7 forward/center, sophomore, Kentucky
The first of three Celtics picks, I’d expect the team to either move around the board a bit, or to stash players. The Anthony Davis rumors are obviously omnipresent with these picks. But here, we’re not projecting trades. With the way the board sets up here, the Celtics are in kind of a weird spot. They could go with more of an upside play, or could try to find role players to put around their stars. Here, they go with the latter. Marcus Morris has become an important piece for the team due to his shot-making and size, but will be a free agent this summer that the team likely won’t want to pay a substantial sum. Washington is more of a Patrick Patterson type who is more of a catch-and-shoot, post-up threat versus Morris who can create his own looks. But the size, length (he has a 7-foot-3 wingspan), and shooting ability could help make up for some of Morris’s production. Washington strikes me as a decade-long role player, and that is worthy of a lottery pick in this draft.
15. Detroit Pistons — Tyler Herro
6-5 off-guard, freshman, Kentucky
Under Dwane Casey, the Pistons took a lot of 3s but didn’t make them at a clip commensurate with that volume. They shot just under 35 percent, which saw them finish 23rd in the league. Additionally, the Pistons need help in the backcourt, both at lead guard and on the wing. Herro certainly is more of an off-guard than a lead. He’s elite at running around screens, and terrific at shooting off of movement. He can also put the ball on the deck and create a little bit. If you’re asking “what’s the difference between Herro and Luke Kennard?” the answer would be defense. Herro works hard defensively. There are still some concerns about his lateral quickness going up against the quickest players at the next level, but he battles and has a legitimate confidence and swagger about the way he plays. Herro might not be quite this high on my board, but he’s certainly in this large tier of players and would make sense for the Pistons.
16. Orlando Magic — Romeo Langford
6-6 wing, freshman, Indiana
This is a bit of a drop for Langford, but NBA teams have have spoken with The Athletic continue to note that Langford is far from a surefire lottery pick after his season at Indiana. Largely, the questions about his explosiveness athletically and his jump shot continue to cause concern around the league. Some teams do buy the excuse that his thumb injury could have been part of the cause of his disastrous 27.2 mark from distance this season, but mostly teams believe his mechanics will need a full overhaul to get him anywhere near a high-level jump shooter. Throw in on top of it that Langford’s ability to gain separation has also come into question, and teams look at him as a potential role player who can’t shoot right now — something of a non-starter around the league. Still, there is potential that Langford can learn to shoot. He has good touch, and he might be the best wing in this class at finishing around the basket. But after he recovers from thumb surgery, he’s going to need to work really hard to prove himself. In this spot, the Magic make sense. They tend to buy into players with elite physical traits — Langford has a near-7-foot wingspan that helps him finish inside and defend at a solid level — and like guys with strong character. They also need scoring help on the wing, where Langford represents a potentially useful tool.
17. Brooklyn Nets — Goga Bitadze
6-11 center, 19 years old, Budocnost (Montenegro)
The Nets need more help at the center spot, even though they seem to have their guy for the future in Jarrett Allen. In their playoff series, the 76ers bullied them around a bit. And with a bevy of interesting, young backcourt options in D’Angelo Russell, Spencer Dinwiddie, Joe Harris and Caris LeVert, the team looks to have a solid backcourt going forward. Here, the team selects Bitadze, a 6-foot-11 center of Georgia (the country, not the state) who has developed into one of the more productive big men in all of Europe as just a teenager. He’s averaging 12.1 points and 6.4 rebounds in Euroleague competition, placing him in the top-20 in scoring and top-five in rebounding. That pales in comparison to his shot-blocking numbers, though, where Bitadze leads the competition with 2.3 blocks per game. That’s nearly double the amount of third-place Jeremy Evans at 1.2. Throw in that he can also occasionally step out and make a 3-pointer, and he’s a remarkably interesting prospect.
I’ll have more on Bitadze’s ascent soon, but he’s considered around the league now to be a likely top-20 pick even despite playing the most talent-heavy position in the league.
6-7 wing, freshman, North Carolina
The Lakers are in an interesting position. My bet is that they would rather use this pick as part of a trade to acquire more NBA-ready talent. Think Anthony Davis, Bradley Beal, guys like that who may or may not be on the trade market this offseason. But if they end up keeping the pick, they’ll have to make a call on whether or not they think any of these players can help their team sooner rather than later. At least athletically, Little has a chance to compete on an NBA floor relatively quickly. The concerns about his feel for the game are real. He struggled and was often out of position at North Carolina this season. Offensively, he produced but didn’t quite shoot it at the level that many (including myself) thought he had potential to. But at the end of the day, Little is a 6-foot-7 wing with a 7-foot-1 wingspan. He’s an elite level athlete. This kind of guy tends to rise throughout the draft process, especially in today’s NBA where his potential skill set could far exceed where he’s selected due to his potential versatility.
12. Charlotte Hornets — Jaxson Hayes
6-11 center, freshman, Texas
A 6-foot-11 center with a 7-foot-4 wingspan, many evaluators around the NBA believe that Hayes has potential to be the type of low-usage, rim-running, shot-blocking center that every NBA team is looking for right now. He also possesses the footwork and lateral mobility to potentially defend a bit out on the perimeter, and some short-roll ball-handling ability. Basically, Hayes is like a combination of a Steven Adams and Clint Capela starter kit, both of whom have morphed into above-average starting NBA centers who can create an impact on both ends. The Hornets have a lot of money currently tied up in centers, but don’t actually have a long-term answer at the position that can be counted on. Cody Zeller deals with injuries too often, Frank Kaminsky seems to be on his way out, and Willy Hernangomez is a backup. Hayes would give them an athletic long-term option at the position to develop. He’d either be a perfect fit with Kemba Walker, or he’d be the kind of long-term asset that could grow around a rebuilding organization if Walker was to leave this summer.
13. Miami Heat — Rui Hachimura
6-8 forward, junior, Gonzaga
I’ll probably be slightly lower than this on Hachimura come draft day, but NBA teams are high on Hachimura’s tools. He’s 6-8 with a 7-foot-2 wingspan at 240 pounds, but also maintains high-level athleticism. His first step is terrific for a man his size, and it allows him to get to the basket. As a shooter, there’s a hitch at the top of his release to fix, but his touch is pretty good and at least portends some potential — but he needs to get more confidence from beyond the arc. Defensively, he possesses potential due to his strength and length, although sometimes his feet get a bit stuck in the mud at times and his feel on that end isn’t particularly strong after his prep years of being the primary offensive option with little defensive accountability until he reached Gonzaga. This year, things started to click a bit more on that end, but it remains an open question as to whether or not Hachimura will defend. For Miami, they’re about as good as any team in the league at getting guys into optimal shape and putting guys into position for success. No question, Hachimura possesses a lot of upside. He’s just not quite as far along as the typical 21-year-old, and needs strong coaching to continue to bring him along in the same way that he got it from Gonzaga.
14. Boston Celtics (from SAC) — PJ Washington
6-7 forward/center, sophomore, Kentucky
The first of three Celtics picks, I’d expect the team to either move around the board a bit, or to stash players. The Anthony Davis rumors are obviously omnipresent with these picks. But here, we’re not projecting trades. With the way the board sets up here, the Celtics are in kind of a weird spot. They could go with more of an upside play, or could try to find role players to put around their stars. Here, they go with the latter. Marcus Morris has become an important piece for the team due to his shot-making and size, but will be a free agent this summer that the team likely won’t want to pay a substantial sum. Washington is more of a Patrick Patterson type who is more of a catch-and-shoot, post-up threat versus Morris who can create his own looks. But the size, length (he has a 7-foot-3 wingspan), and shooting ability could help make up for some of Morris’s production. Washington strikes me as a decade-long role player, and that is worthy of a lottery pick in this draft.
15. Detroit Pistons — Tyler Herro
6-5 off-guard, freshman, Kentucky
Under Dwane Casey, the Pistons took a lot of 3s but didn’t make them at a clip commensurate with that volume. They shot just under 35 percent, which saw them finish 23rd in the league. Additionally, the Pistons need help in the backcourt, both at lead guard and on the wing. Herro certainly is more of an off-guard than a lead. He’s elite at running around screens, and terrific at shooting off of movement. He can also put the ball on the deck and create a little bit. If you’re asking “what’s the difference between Herro and Luke Kennard?” the answer would be defense. Herro works hard defensively. There are still some concerns about his lateral quickness going up against the quickest players at the next level, but he battles and has a legitimate confidence and swagger about the way he plays. Herro might not be quite this high on my board, but he’s certainly in this large tier of players and would make sense for the Pistons.
16. Orlando Magic — Romeo Langford
6-6 wing, freshman, Indiana
This is a bit of a drop for Langford, but NBA teams have have spoken with The Athletic continue to note that Langford is far from a surefire lottery pick after his season at Indiana. Largely, the questions about his explosiveness athletically and his jump shot continue to cause concern around the league. Some teams do buy the excuse that his thumb injury could have been part of the cause of his disastrous 27.2 mark from distance this season, but mostly teams believe his mechanics will need a full overhaul to get him anywhere near a high-level jump shooter. Throw in on top of it that Langford’s ability to gain separation has also come into question, and teams look at him as a potential role player who can’t shoot right now — something of a non-starter around the league. Still, there is potential that Langford can learn to shoot. He has good touch, and he might be the best wing in this class at finishing around the basket. But after he recovers from thumb surgery, he’s going to need to work really hard to prove himself. In this spot, the Magic make sense. They tend to buy into players with elite physical traits — Langford has a near-7-foot wingspan that helps him finish inside and defend at a solid level — and like guys with strong character. They also need scoring help on the wing, where Langford represents a potentially useful tool.
17. Brooklyn Nets — Goga Bitadze
6-11 center, 19 years old, Budocnost (Montenegro)
The Nets need more help at the center spot, even though they seem to have their guy for the future in Jarrett Allen. In their playoff series, the 76ers bullied them around a bit. And with a bevy of interesting, young backcourt options in D’Angelo Russell, Spencer Dinwiddie, Joe Harris and Caris LeVert, the team looks to have a solid backcourt going forward. Here, the team selects Bitadze, a 6-foot-11 center of Georgia (the country, not the state) who has developed into one of the more productive big men in all of Europe as just a teenager. He’s averaging 12.1 points and 6.4 rebounds in Euroleague competition, placing him in the top-20 in scoring and top-five in rebounding. That pales in comparison to his shot-blocking numbers, though, where Bitadze leads the competition with 2.3 blocks per game. That’s nearly double the amount of third-place Jeremy Evans at 1.2. Throw in that he can also occasionally step out and make a 3-pointer, and he’s a remarkably interesting prospect.
I’ll have more on Bitadze’s ascent soon, but he’s considered around the league now to be a likely top-20 pick even despite playing the most talent-heavy position in the league.
pt 5
I gotta run..ill do the second round later unless someone else gets to it before i get back
I gotta run..ill do the second round later unless someone else gets to it before i get back
26. Cleveland Cavaliers (from HOU) —Nic Claxton
6-11 forward/center, sophomore, Georgia
Mostly, this is me betting on a player having a huge pre-draft process and playing himself out of testing the waters. Right now, I’d say consensus is more that Claxton is an interesting early second round flier — with executives acknowledging that he has potential to rise as they get a chance to see him up close in workouts. I’m guessing that, at the end of the day, Claxton’s combination of skills is too fascinating from a modern NBA perspective to pass up at the end of the first round. He’s 6-10, but moves like a player much smaller than that in the way that he can guard away from the basket. As an interior rim protector, his 2.5 blocks per game led the SEC. He’s a good rebounder on both ends of the floor. Offensively, he has more skills with ball in hand than you’d think, as first-year Georgia coach Tom Crean occasionally let him bring the ball up the court and initiate sets. Really, the big question here is the jump shot. The South Carolina native has showcased some ability to step away and take shots, but he’s only made them at a 30.2 percent clip over 86 shots in his two years at Georgia. If he goes into workouts and shoots the lights out for a couple of teams, my bet is that he ends up going in Round One. Here, I’ve got him going to Cleveland, who can afford to take a developmental chance on a high-upside player, given that they’re at an early stage in their rebuild.
27. Brooklyn Nets (from DEN) — Grant Williams
6-6 forward, junior, Tennessee
Look, I’m personally going to have Williams much higher than this on my board. He’ll be a top-20 guy for me if he stays in the draft — something he’s still unsure he will do. On some level, I think NBA evaluators are overlooking Williams’ skill fit in the NBA because of his role at Tennessee and his unique body type. With the way the NBA is going, getting a guy who is 6-foot-6 with long arms and the ability to play smart help defense as well as avoid defensive mismatches by guarding bigger than his height is super valuable. And offensively, Williams is an improving shooter with good touch from within 15 feet, although one that lacks confidence shooting it from distance. But what intrigues me most is the ability to use Williams as a screen setter, then popping him or short-rolling him into the 17-foot range and allowing him to make plays with his terrific vision when the defense collapses. If the shot comes along, he’s a Swiss-Army knife that plugs a ton of holes and complements star players perfectly. The Nets could use another guy in their front court with this type of versatility. Right now though, NBA teams see Williams as more of a late first, early second round pick because they’re unsure if his athleticism will translate after he was able to overpower defenders at the college level, mostly posting up. I’d urge evaluators to look at the way the skills he showed on the block should translate to other parts of his game, given that his IQ is off the charts.
28. Golden State Warriors — Dylan Windler
6-7 wing, senior, Belmont
There are a lot of players that make sense from this point onward, especially in a situation as well-set for success as the Warriors. So why Windler here? The wing out of Belmont is an elite level shooter for his size, something that the Warriors could actually use more of off the bench. He’s also a smart defender who moves his feet reasonably well for his size, and knows where to be on the defensive end. He rebounds well for his position, and creates odd-man breaks with his instincts for getting into passing lanes. On offense, Windler always makes the right read and pass, something that didn’t always lead to him having massive nights in college (even though he averaged 21 points and 11 rebounds while going 54.0/42.9/84.1), but it does bode well for his transition into becoming an NBA role player. The skill set just works perfectly at this level. As long as he can adjust to the speed of the game, he should be a useful player in the NBA.
29. San Antonio Spurs (from TOR) — Bruno Fernando
6-10 center, sophomore, Maryland
The Spurs are one of the few teams in the NBA that utilizes the center position to a significant extent. But behind LaMarcus Aldridge and Jakob Poeltl, the team doesn’t have a ton of depth. Fernando would be a good fit here. Few players took as big of a leap from Year One to Year Two as Fernando. He has ball skills to be able to run dribble hand-offs and short rolls offensively, can make the right reads as a passer, and has the potential to add a mid-range jumper. Defensively, he’s a big body with length inside, but needs to add more instinctual awareness as a weak-side help defender. Hopefully, there’s still time for him to learn those skills. He’s considered a likely first round pick right now by executives, but my bet is that come closer to draft time he starts to fall as few teams in this area of the draft should be drafting big over wing help.
30. Milwaukee Bucks — Eric Paschall, Villanova
Mostly, the Bucks have a lot of their positions locked up long-term. So they can afford to mostly go with a best player available look here that can help them win games sooner rather than later. For me, that’s Paschall, and he also fits something of a small need that I think they have. In Game 1 against Boston, Sterling Brown and Pat Connaughton tried to play on the wing as bigger, stronger defenders who could hurt teams from distance as a shooter. It didn’t quite work. Paschall is bigger, stronger, and more athletic than those guys are, and has grown up in a Villanova system that has taught him how to switch and defend multiple positions. As either a 3 or a 4 role player next to Khris Middleton, Giannis Antetokounmpo and others, Paschall could add a measure of power and skill to a team that might be able to use some of it off the bench.
6-11 forward/center, sophomore, Georgia
Mostly, this is me betting on a player having a huge pre-draft process and playing himself out of testing the waters. Right now, I’d say consensus is more that Claxton is an interesting early second round flier — with executives acknowledging that he has potential to rise as they get a chance to see him up close in workouts. I’m guessing that, at the end of the day, Claxton’s combination of skills is too fascinating from a modern NBA perspective to pass up at the end of the first round. He’s 6-10, but moves like a player much smaller than that in the way that he can guard away from the basket. As an interior rim protector, his 2.5 blocks per game led the SEC. He’s a good rebounder on both ends of the floor. Offensively, he has more skills with ball in hand than you’d think, as first-year Georgia coach Tom Crean occasionally let him bring the ball up the court and initiate sets. Really, the big question here is the jump shot. The South Carolina native has showcased some ability to step away and take shots, but he’s only made them at a 30.2 percent clip over 86 shots in his two years at Georgia. If he goes into workouts and shoots the lights out for a couple of teams, my bet is that he ends up going in Round One. Here, I’ve got him going to Cleveland, who can afford to take a developmental chance on a high-upside player, given that they’re at an early stage in their rebuild.
27. Brooklyn Nets (from DEN) — Grant Williams
6-6 forward, junior, Tennessee
Look, I’m personally going to have Williams much higher than this on my board. He’ll be a top-20 guy for me if he stays in the draft — something he’s still unsure he will do. On some level, I think NBA evaluators are overlooking Williams’ skill fit in the NBA because of his role at Tennessee and his unique body type. With the way the NBA is going, getting a guy who is 6-foot-6 with long arms and the ability to play smart help defense as well as avoid defensive mismatches by guarding bigger than his height is super valuable. And offensively, Williams is an improving shooter with good touch from within 15 feet, although one that lacks confidence shooting it from distance. But what intrigues me most is the ability to use Williams as a screen setter, then popping him or short-rolling him into the 17-foot range and allowing him to make plays with his terrific vision when the defense collapses. If the shot comes along, he’s a Swiss-Army knife that plugs a ton of holes and complements star players perfectly. The Nets could use another guy in their front court with this type of versatility. Right now though, NBA teams see Williams as more of a late first, early second round pick because they’re unsure if his athleticism will translate after he was able to overpower defenders at the college level, mostly posting up. I’d urge evaluators to look at the way the skills he showed on the block should translate to other parts of his game, given that his IQ is off the charts.
28. Golden State Warriors — Dylan Windler
6-7 wing, senior, Belmont
There are a lot of players that make sense from this point onward, especially in a situation as well-set for success as the Warriors. So why Windler here? The wing out of Belmont is an elite level shooter for his size, something that the Warriors could actually use more of off the bench. He’s also a smart defender who moves his feet reasonably well for his size, and knows where to be on the defensive end. He rebounds well for his position, and creates odd-man breaks with his instincts for getting into passing lanes. On offense, Windler always makes the right read and pass, something that didn’t always lead to him having massive nights in college (even though he averaged 21 points and 11 rebounds while going 54.0/42.9/84.1), but it does bode well for his transition into becoming an NBA role player. The skill set just works perfectly at this level. As long as he can adjust to the speed of the game, he should be a useful player in the NBA.
29. San Antonio Spurs (from TOR) — Bruno Fernando
6-10 center, sophomore, Maryland
The Spurs are one of the few teams in the NBA that utilizes the center position to a significant extent. But behind LaMarcus Aldridge and Jakob Poeltl, the team doesn’t have a ton of depth. Fernando would be a good fit here. Few players took as big of a leap from Year One to Year Two as Fernando. He has ball skills to be able to run dribble hand-offs and short rolls offensively, can make the right reads as a passer, and has the potential to add a mid-range jumper. Defensively, he’s a big body with length inside, but needs to add more instinctual awareness as a weak-side help defender. Hopefully, there’s still time for him to learn those skills. He’s considered a likely first round pick right now by executives, but my bet is that come closer to draft time he starts to fall as few teams in this area of the draft should be drafting big over wing help.
30. Milwaukee Bucks — Eric Paschall, Villanova
Mostly, the Bucks have a lot of their positions locked up long-term. So they can afford to mostly go with a best player available look here that can help them win games sooner rather than later. For me, that’s Paschall, and he also fits something of a small need that I think they have. In Game 1 against Boston, Sterling Brown and Pat Connaughton tried to play on the wing as bigger, stronger defenders who could hurt teams from distance as a shooter. It didn’t quite work. Paschall is bigger, stronger, and more athletic than those guys are, and has grown up in a Villanova system that has taught him how to switch and defend multiple positions. As either a 3 or a 4 role player next to Khris Middleton, Giannis Antetokounmpo and others, Paschall could add a measure of power and skill to a team that might be able to use some of it off the bench.
MustafaSTL
Achievement In Every Field of Human Endeavor
I know that we’re still two months out from the 2019 NBA Draft, a proceeding that is already uncertain in and of itself due to a lack of clarity outside of the top-three players from NBA scouts. But just because teams are starting the decision making process for that event doesn’t mean that the scouting process stops for future events.
Over the last month, prospects in the 2019 recruiting class have made the rounds on the All-Star exhibition circuit, starting at McDonald’s All-American week, followed by Hoop Summit, then the Jordan Brand Classic. And while there are a few more of these events that will pop up over the next few weeks, such as the Iverson Classic and Ballislife All-American Game, it’s worth taking stock of the 2020 class now that NBA evaluators have gotten a chance to see them in what are considered to be the three most prestigious settings in high school basketball — as well as the three settings where the most evaluation takes place from the scouting community at large.
For the most part, these events are useful to attend for the practices more than the games. The games can often turn into something of a transition-fest, where no defense is played and most of the offense isn’t really translatable. The kids play hard and want to succeed at these events, but it’s just a different vibe. However, the practices tend to be pretty competitive, with players battling for minutes and role on the team. That’s what makes this such a great opportunity, and why scouts show out in droves of hundreds to see kids they won’t have the opportunity to draft for 14 months.
So let’s give a quick little thought on where this class stands as a whole, before diving deep on the top-30 guys on my board currently. Afterward, I will additionally list 15 others that I’m watching closely.
First and foremost, this class is considered a bit weaker at the top than previous drafts. Largely that has to do with two factors. First, the 2019 recruiting class is considered by evaluators to be among the weakest that have come through over the last decade. That could change with some reclassifications from the 2020 class, which is considered unusually strong. Particularly, lead guard R.J. Hampton out of Dallas is considering reclassifying depending on how collegiate rosters shake out after the 2019 draft. If he was to do so, he would immediately vault into the top-five of this board. If he and others jump in, that would be a boon to this class.
The second factor that comes into play is simply that more players than ever are declaring for the 2019 NBA Draft. Reasons for that are multifaceted. For one, the wide-open nature of the 2019 draft creates incentives for borderline prospects to try their luck in workouts.
An example of that is Nic Claxton. I was excited to have Claxton in the lottery of this board, but he declared for the draft this past weekend, and my bet is that a team falls in love with him and takes him at the end of the first round. Second, the NCAA changing its rules and allowing players to retain the counsel of agents has given them incentive to learn more about the process than they previously might have been able to before.
Finally, the tide is turning on amateurism, and more players seem to be understanding their worth as players. There is actual money to be made if they decide to declare, even if it’s outside the NBA. Kids can make $85,000 in the G League if they get an Exhibit 10 NBA contract for training camp. Or, they have more potential for a two-way contract, which can pay up to about $300,000. Finally, Europe remains an option for older, more experienced players, with the knowledge that NBA scouting is more global than ever. Players will be found if they excel within whatever league they play in.
Still, there are places where the 2020 draft is considered strong. Particularly, I would point to the lead/combo guard position. A lot of the guards included here are more of the score-first variety, but I’ve got 11 players that I would classify as lead or combo guards listed within my top-30. That also doesn’t even include the five that are included within my next 15, or even guards coming in this recruiting class like Boogie Ellis, D.J. Carton, Jahmius Ramsey, Rocket Watts, Jalen Lecque, and De’Vion Harmon that I do not have listed, but am generally believe have long-term NBA potential. This is a loaded class that should produce many lead guards that turn into pros.
Second, the international class should help buoy the weaker recruiting class. While the 2019 draft only has two internationals who should feel comfortable hearing their name called in the first round in Sekou Doumbouya and Goga Bitadze, the 2020 draft projection below features six in the top-32 players, including two in the top-six. Expect the internationals to swing back in a big way in 2020, which is a great sign for the basketball community as a whole.
So without further ado, here is my first look at a 2020 mock draft.
1. James Wiseman
7-1 center, East High School (Memphis, TN). Committed to Memphis
To take you behind the curtain of how I value players, I tend to think that it’s not a particularly sound strategy to take a center in the top-five unless you truly believe that person can be either an All-NBA level player, or an NBA Defensive Player of the Year type. Simply put, with how the game is expanding out beyond the perimeter, centers hold less value than they have in the past come playoff time. It’s a bit too easy to space them out and make them less valuable when you’re game-planning for a specific opponent every single night. NBA teams and coaches are just so, so skilled now.
Having said that, Wiseman fits the latter of those two previously mentioned requirements to take a center in the top-five. Few prospects I’ve scouted possess the immense defensive upside that Wiseman does. He’s already a monster on the interior, using his 7-1 height and 7-6 wingspan to lethal effect when protecting the basket. High school players basically can’t finish over the top of him, especially now that he’s put on about 15 pounds this year and is up to a solid 240. On the perimeter, he can use his length and footwork to slide with guards, as he’s extraordinarily coordinated for a man of his size. I don’t know that I’d necessarily feel comfortable playing full switch coverage with him and leaving him on an island, but he can certainly cut off angles from guards and then recover back to the paint.
Offensively, Wiseman is a work in progress, but possesses intriguing tools. He has good touch and the potential to step away and hit shots behind the arc, but it’s a slow release that takes a lot of time to get off. The high release point does help in regard to players attempting to contest his jumper, though. Around the basket, Wiseman is terrific on the offensive glass and does a good job of finishing above the rim when he rolls to the basket. But he doesn’t have much of a post game right now. Everything is an attempt to get back to his left-handed hook shot, and it all ends up being taken from an inefficient six-to-10 foot range. Creating for himself, basically everything is still away from the basket.
Still, Wiseman is a very, very high upside center, who has worked diligently over the last year to assuage the concerns some had about his work ethic and motor. He’s not anywhere near a consensus No. 1, but he’s the guy I feel best about right now.
2. Cole Anthony
6-3 lead guard, Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, VA). Committed to North Carolina
Anthony has won an awful lot of hardware this exhibition season. He won the MVP of both the McDonald’s All-American game and Jordan Brand Classic, and if there was an MVP handed out at Nike Hoop Summit, he would have won that, too. His performances in the practices of the first two events weren’t quite at that lofty level, but Anthony has a history of consistently rising to the occasion at the biggest moments. The son of former NBA guard Greg Anthony, Cole is an explosive athlete who can get into the paint at will and create separation. His handle is polished, with set-ups and counter moves that allow him to break down defenders off the dribble. He has good touch around the basket, and the ability to knock down shots from deep — although he needs to work on his consistency, particularly in regard to finishing his follow through with extension as opposed to short-arming it.
His mindset is more in the score-first mold, but it’s clear over the exhibition circuit that he’s worked hard to improve upon his playmaking ability for others and making the right reads. It’s not his first inclination, and there’s still work to be done. He has a tendency to over-dribble on occasion. Defensively, he’s hit or miss. He seemed to relish taking on a matchup against Jaden McDaniels in a Hoop Summit scrimmage on April 11, but then will sometimes turn it off a bit mentally. But at the end of the day, I have significant belief that Anthony will figure it out. He’s a confident, emotionally mature player who should be able to learn from his mistakes, and figure out what it is exactly that makes him effective. Anthony committed to North Carolina on Tuesday, and it’s hard to imagine a better fit for Roy Williams’ offense. Anthony will run, put up elite-level production next season, and should solidify himself as a top-five pick as long as his efficiency continues to improve.
Over the last month, prospects in the 2019 recruiting class have made the rounds on the All-Star exhibition circuit, starting at McDonald’s All-American week, followed by Hoop Summit, then the Jordan Brand Classic. And while there are a few more of these events that will pop up over the next few weeks, such as the Iverson Classic and Ballislife All-American Game, it’s worth taking stock of the 2020 class now that NBA evaluators have gotten a chance to see them in what are considered to be the three most prestigious settings in high school basketball — as well as the three settings where the most evaluation takes place from the scouting community at large.
For the most part, these events are useful to attend for the practices more than the games. The games can often turn into something of a transition-fest, where no defense is played and most of the offense isn’t really translatable. The kids play hard and want to succeed at these events, but it’s just a different vibe. However, the practices tend to be pretty competitive, with players battling for minutes and role on the team. That’s what makes this such a great opportunity, and why scouts show out in droves of hundreds to see kids they won’t have the opportunity to draft for 14 months.
So let’s give a quick little thought on where this class stands as a whole, before diving deep on the top-30 guys on my board currently. Afterward, I will additionally list 15 others that I’m watching closely.
First and foremost, this class is considered a bit weaker at the top than previous drafts. Largely that has to do with two factors. First, the 2019 recruiting class is considered by evaluators to be among the weakest that have come through over the last decade. That could change with some reclassifications from the 2020 class, which is considered unusually strong. Particularly, lead guard R.J. Hampton out of Dallas is considering reclassifying depending on how collegiate rosters shake out after the 2019 draft. If he was to do so, he would immediately vault into the top-five of this board. If he and others jump in, that would be a boon to this class.
The second factor that comes into play is simply that more players than ever are declaring for the 2019 NBA Draft. Reasons for that are multifaceted. For one, the wide-open nature of the 2019 draft creates incentives for borderline prospects to try their luck in workouts.
An example of that is Nic Claxton. I was excited to have Claxton in the lottery of this board, but he declared for the draft this past weekend, and my bet is that a team falls in love with him and takes him at the end of the first round. Second, the NCAA changing its rules and allowing players to retain the counsel of agents has given them incentive to learn more about the process than they previously might have been able to before.
Finally, the tide is turning on amateurism, and more players seem to be understanding their worth as players. There is actual money to be made if they decide to declare, even if it’s outside the NBA. Kids can make $85,000 in the G League if they get an Exhibit 10 NBA contract for training camp. Or, they have more potential for a two-way contract, which can pay up to about $300,000. Finally, Europe remains an option for older, more experienced players, with the knowledge that NBA scouting is more global than ever. Players will be found if they excel within whatever league they play in.
Still, there are places where the 2020 draft is considered strong. Particularly, I would point to the lead/combo guard position. A lot of the guards included here are more of the score-first variety, but I’ve got 11 players that I would classify as lead or combo guards listed within my top-30. That also doesn’t even include the five that are included within my next 15, or even guards coming in this recruiting class like Boogie Ellis, D.J. Carton, Jahmius Ramsey, Rocket Watts, Jalen Lecque, and De’Vion Harmon that I do not have listed, but am generally believe have long-term NBA potential. This is a loaded class that should produce many lead guards that turn into pros.
Second, the international class should help buoy the weaker recruiting class. While the 2019 draft only has two internationals who should feel comfortable hearing their name called in the first round in Sekou Doumbouya and Goga Bitadze, the 2020 draft projection below features six in the top-32 players, including two in the top-six. Expect the internationals to swing back in a big way in 2020, which is a great sign for the basketball community as a whole.
So without further ado, here is my first look at a 2020 mock draft.
1. James Wiseman
7-1 center, East High School (Memphis, TN). Committed to Memphis
To take you behind the curtain of how I value players, I tend to think that it’s not a particularly sound strategy to take a center in the top-five unless you truly believe that person can be either an All-NBA level player, or an NBA Defensive Player of the Year type. Simply put, with how the game is expanding out beyond the perimeter, centers hold less value than they have in the past come playoff time. It’s a bit too easy to space them out and make them less valuable when you’re game-planning for a specific opponent every single night. NBA teams and coaches are just so, so skilled now.
Having said that, Wiseman fits the latter of those two previously mentioned requirements to take a center in the top-five. Few prospects I’ve scouted possess the immense defensive upside that Wiseman does. He’s already a monster on the interior, using his 7-1 height and 7-6 wingspan to lethal effect when protecting the basket. High school players basically can’t finish over the top of him, especially now that he’s put on about 15 pounds this year and is up to a solid 240. On the perimeter, he can use his length and footwork to slide with guards, as he’s extraordinarily coordinated for a man of his size. I don’t know that I’d necessarily feel comfortable playing full switch coverage with him and leaving him on an island, but he can certainly cut off angles from guards and then recover back to the paint.
Offensively, Wiseman is a work in progress, but possesses intriguing tools. He has good touch and the potential to step away and hit shots behind the arc, but it’s a slow release that takes a lot of time to get off. The high release point does help in regard to players attempting to contest his jumper, though. Around the basket, Wiseman is terrific on the offensive glass and does a good job of finishing above the rim when he rolls to the basket. But he doesn’t have much of a post game right now. Everything is an attempt to get back to his left-handed hook shot, and it all ends up being taken from an inefficient six-to-10 foot range. Creating for himself, basically everything is still away from the basket.
Still, Wiseman is a very, very high upside center, who has worked diligently over the last year to assuage the concerns some had about his work ethic and motor. He’s not anywhere near a consensus No. 1, but he’s the guy I feel best about right now.
2. Cole Anthony
6-3 lead guard, Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, VA). Committed to North Carolina
Anthony has won an awful lot of hardware this exhibition season. He won the MVP of both the McDonald’s All-American game and Jordan Brand Classic, and if there was an MVP handed out at Nike Hoop Summit, he would have won that, too. His performances in the practices of the first two events weren’t quite at that lofty level, but Anthony has a history of consistently rising to the occasion at the biggest moments. The son of former NBA guard Greg Anthony, Cole is an explosive athlete who can get into the paint at will and create separation. His handle is polished, with set-ups and counter moves that allow him to break down defenders off the dribble. He has good touch around the basket, and the ability to knock down shots from deep — although he needs to work on his consistency, particularly in regard to finishing his follow through with extension as opposed to short-arming it.
His mindset is more in the score-first mold, but it’s clear over the exhibition circuit that he’s worked hard to improve upon his playmaking ability for others and making the right reads. It’s not his first inclination, and there’s still work to be done. He has a tendency to over-dribble on occasion. Defensively, he’s hit or miss. He seemed to relish taking on a matchup against Jaden McDaniels in a Hoop Summit scrimmage on April 11, but then will sometimes turn it off a bit mentally. But at the end of the day, I have significant belief that Anthony will figure it out. He’s a confident, emotionally mature player who should be able to learn from his mistakes, and figure out what it is exactly that makes him effective. Anthony committed to North Carolina on Tuesday, and it’s hard to imagine a better fit for Roy Williams’ offense. Anthony will run, put up elite-level production next season, and should solidify himself as a top-five pick as long as his efficiency continues to improve.
MustafaSTL
Achievement In Every Field of Human Endeavor
3. Anthony Edwards
6-5 guard, Holy Spirit Prep (Atlanta, GA). Committed to Georgia
Edwards has long been considered a high-level recruit, but over the last year he made the leap into becoming one of the absolute best high school players in all of the country. At 6-5, the Atlanta native is a power athlete with strength and elite level explosiveness. He’s guaranteed to throw down some of the most impressive, jaw-dropping dunks in all of college basketball next season. Just ask five-star 2020 recruit Johnny Juzang what Edwards is capable of.
Edwards has that killer in him, where he wants to finish everything and take the soul from his opponents. But he’s more than just a dunker. Ant-Man has the ability to knock down shots from distance, both direct off the catch and off the dribble. He’s certainly more of an off-guard, but he can operate in ball-screen situations, snake his way through a defense, and get all the way to the basket or dish it off to a teammate. It would behoove him to continue to work on an in-between game, given the way NBA teams have begun playing soft coverage more often due to the math involved in slowing down elite offenses at that level. At Georgia, he should get strong development from Tom Crean, who has a terrific development history with these types of guards — having coached both Victor Oladipo and Dwyane Wade, in addition to other multi-year perimeter players like Wes Matthews and Yogi Ferrell. Crean will only have Edwards for one year, but he’ll know how to optimize him and put him in position to succeed.
I would call Wiseman, Anthony, and Edwards the three most realistic candidates to go No. 1 overall at this juncture, with a couple of wild cards potentially possessing the ability to rise up.
4. R.J. Hampton
6-5 guard, Little Elm High School (Little Elm, TX), Uncommitted
As mentioned in the introduction above, Hampton has been considered a potential addition to this class for a while. On April 30, he officially announced that he’ll enter the 2019 recruiting class. Born in February 2001, Hampton will now be eligible for the 2020 NBA Draft by nature of turning 19 in the calendar year of the draft, and being one year removed from high school. Much like the previous reclassification of Anthony Edwards, Hampton’s move significantly helps what has potential to be a lagging class at the top.
A 6-foot-5 combo guard out of the Dallas area, Hampton is all smooth polish as one of the best scorers in the class. Possessing great length and terrific footwork, he gets to his spots with ease when operating with a ball screen. His feel there is terrific. He’s slippery all around the offensive area, possessing great change of pace and direction instincts. His balance is superb, and it allows him to be a strong shooter off the dribble and direct off of the catch. In the lane, he has a lot of different little finishes from six feet and in, including a nice array of floaters and good body control around bigger players.
The big question revolves around how his body fills out. Hampton is still pretty skinny, and is definitely more on the skilled side of the skill/athletic spectrum. His first step is solid, not great. He’s not going to put dunks on a 7-footer’s head right now. As he continues to get bigger and stronger, can he had a bit more explosiveness? His frame looks tailor-made for adding some bounce as he gets older, but that remains up in the air. Overall, I’m a big fan of Hampton’s translation to the next level. He’s considering Memphis, Kansas, Kentucky and Texas Tech, and would be a great fit for any of them. I’d consider Hampton just outside of the Wiseman, Anthony, Edwards tier right now, but at the top of the next group of freshman.
5. Theo Maledon
6-4 guard, ASVEL (France)
Maledon is a lead guard starting for ASVEL in the top French league right now, tossing up impressive numbers — albeit in a limited role. He’s averaging seven points, two assists and two rebounds at 17 years old, doing so on a ridiculous 62.0 true-shooting percentage. The big key to his game is the quickness he plays with, combined with the ability to slow it down, string out defenders, and then blow by. His is a type of electric athleticism, with a terrific first step and superb body control. He excels in the open floor right now, and in the halfcourt he can get all the way to the basket with ease.
In terms of skillset, Maledon is more of a terrific open-floor passer as opposed to an elite half-court one. He doesn’t necessarily make elite level reads yet, but plays unselfishly. He needs to keep ironing out his distribution skills over the next year, as he’ll occasionally struggle with turnover issues from moving a bit too quickly. As a shooter, Maledon is adept off the catch, but needs to keep working on his pull-up game. I have faith in this part of his game developing in the future, as his touch is absolutely terrific from all three levels and from the foul line. Overall, it’s easy to buy into Maledon and believe his long-term ability.
6. Jaden McDaniels
6-11 forward, Federal Way High School (Seattle, WA). Uncommitted
Without doubt, McDaniels is the biggest wild card in this draft. It would be fair to say that no one possesses the upside of McDaniels if everything goes right in his development. He’s a 6-11 forward who moves like a 6-6 wing, and can legitimately create a shot for himself in the halfcourt. His handle for his size is impressive and can get him separation when combined with his size to shoot over defenders, but is still loose by college ball-handler standards. He shoots it well for a player his size, but is still a pretty inconsistent in the grand scheme. His frame is extremely skinny, and allows defenders to push him off the ball easily. Basically, everything is graded on a curve right now for McDaniels. He hasn’t actualized his game into the level of production you would expect, something that showed up when he was faced with elite players at McDonald’s All-America, and in a scrimmage against the Nike Hoop Summit USA team on April 11. In that latter scrimmage, the USA team felt comfortable deploying Cole Anthony on him despite nearly a foot of height difference because McDaniels is all finesse right now.
But here’s the thing: if the shooting comes along, the handle tightens, and a long-term strength program can get him up to around 225 pounds, he’s going to be an absolute nightmare. This is the Kevin Durant starter kit. We’ve seen this before, though. The same type of statements were made about Brandon Ingram, Austin Daye, Michael Porter Jr., Paul George, and more. Obviously, those players have had varying levels of success. Where McDaniels falls is all going to be based on development over not just his one-and-done year in college, but also in his first few pro years. Right now, McDaniels is raw. In a few years, it’s easy to consider that he might not be. Based on production, I have him at a level below the top tier of guys. If you told me he struggled to adjust to the physicality of the college game and dropped substantially from this ranking, I wouldn’t be shocked. But if you also told me he took this summer, tightened things up, and became a collegiate monster, and went No. 1 overall, I can’t say that would stun me, either. The range of potential outcomes for McDaniels is as wide as it gets.
7. Deni Avdija
6-9 forward, Maccabi Tel Aviv (Israel)
It’s all about feel for the game with Avdija, a 6-9 wing/forward out of Israel. The 18-year-old possesses terrific passing instincts, with the ability to play with a ball-screen on the perimeter in addition to slashing to the basket. He plays more of an off-ball role in his minutes for Maccabi Tel Aviv, but at youth levels he’s been more of a big, primary ball-handler. Unlike many young ball-handlers of any size, Avdija already has developed the ability to hit advanced cross-corner passes, as well as small little pocket-passes to rollers. Unsurprisingly, he’s not an elite athlete, but he has a sneaky first step that allows him to get past slow defenders and take advantage of his high-level change of pace and a tight handle for his size.
Still, I see him as more of an off-ball, secondary creator type who runs side ball-screens next to a true lead guard. After all, NBA teams need multiple players on the floor who can initiate with the ball in their hands. But the key to actualizing this skill set is the ability to can a deep jump shot. That’s a skill Avdija is still working on. He does tend to take most of his 3s off the bounce, but his 29.8 percent mark on 84 attempts at all pro levels this year just isn’t quite good enough for what the skill set is. It’s a slow shot that he brings a little bit too far back toward his head, which can create a bit of a variant release point. His lower body mechanics and balance can also be a bit inconsistent, with his legs tending to flail and fly everywhere. That’s the swing skill for Avdija. I’m willing to bet on him figuring it out, but the fact that he’s this high currently showcases that this draft is fairly open beyond the top-three without much of a consensus.
8. Scottie Lewis
6-6 wing, Ranney School (Tinton Falls, NJ). Committed to Florida
Lewis is a special athlete and human being. No one in this class matches this level of competitiveness. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a player in high school communicate all over the floor in the way that Lewis does. Defensively, Lewis is about as elite as it gets on the wing. He takes pride in shutting down his opponent, and consistently makes action plays happen because of his 7-foot wingspan. Then to top that off, he’s all sorts of quick-twitch. He excels in the open floor, where he plays passing lanes at a high level and is an above-the-rim finisher.
Offensively, there are some hurdles. His jumper is improving, but is still inconsistent. Currently, it seems like he’s working on getting air under the basketball. As a driver, he’s all straight line drives right now. The good news is that his first step is quick enough to blow by defenders, but he’ll need more than that at the next level. Overall, it leads to Lewis being a bit lesser in the halfcourt than he is in the full-court at this stage. But that’s fine. I’m a big believer in Lewis’ work ethic. Basically, I think he won’t stop working at it until he develops what he needs to be great. Currently, I’d project him as a starter on the wing in the NBA at some point down the road.
9. Precious Achiuwa
6-9 forward, Montverde Academy (Montverde, FL). Uncommitted
Achiuwa helped himself an awful lot on the exhibition circuit. He performed extremely well at all of McDonald’s All-American, Hoop Summit, and Jordan Brand. At 6-9 with a 7-2 wingspan and a 9-foot standing reach, Achiuwa’s combination of size and perimeter skill is impressive. He can handle the ball in a straight line, and his jumper has made substantial gains over the last year. Beyond that, he’s an impressive athlete who plays with a consistent motor and nose for the ball. There are still some questions about his level of production in games that are played largely in the halfcourt, but if you get him out in the open floor, expect him to put up numbers. As he continues to get stronger, it’s easy to imagine him playing as a 4-man who can impose himself athletically due to his quick leaping, large hands, and ability to space the floor.
There’s legitimate upside here, but there are still questions surrounding his feel for the game. He’s not the world’s most instinctive player at this stage, which might make him more of a high-level backup as opposed to a starter. He’s still undecided, with quite a few different schools still believing they have a chance to secure his services for next season. Where he lands will be fascinating. My favorite two potential fits among the schools thought to have chances are either North Carolina or Memphis. Both play the kind of uptempo schemes that would get the most out of him.
10. Tyrese Maxey
6-3 guard, South Garland High School (Garland, TX). Committed to Kentucky
I’m just a big-time believer in Maxey’s scoring ability and instincts. He’s a terrific shot-creator because of his handle. He sets guys up, then can change direction to get by. He possesses a bevy of counter moves if you try to take something away from him. Technically, he’s very sound. Then as a finisher, Maxey has really developed a high-level floater package in addition to a variety of different flourishes he can use to finish directly at the basket. But for me, the big key is his jumper. I think, in time, Maxey is going to be an absolutely elite level shooter. It has a bit of a low release point, but he has terrific range on it and gets excellent natural extension on his jumper.
It’s worth noting that Maxey is more of a combo guard than a true lead guard. He’s not an amazing distributor. Playing him next to Ashton Hagans next year is going to really help him, as he’ll be allowed free rein to be able to just go get buckets. For Kentucky fans looking for a comparison, he’s something of a cross between Malik Monk and Jamal Murray. He’s not the natural, powerful athlete Monk was, but he has more skill and tricks up his sleeve in the way that Murray did. However, unlike Murray, he’s not necessarily a guy you want running your offense for more than small spurts. In all of his stops on the exhibition circuit, he played more at the 2 than the 1. Still, I expect him to be Kentucky’s leading scorer next year on a team that I think has a chance to win an awful lot of games.
6-5 guard, Holy Spirit Prep (Atlanta, GA). Committed to Georgia
Edwards has long been considered a high-level recruit, but over the last year he made the leap into becoming one of the absolute best high school players in all of the country. At 6-5, the Atlanta native is a power athlete with strength and elite level explosiveness. He’s guaranteed to throw down some of the most impressive, jaw-dropping dunks in all of college basketball next season. Just ask five-star 2020 recruit Johnny Juzang what Edwards is capable of.
Edwards has that killer in him, where he wants to finish everything and take the soul from his opponents. But he’s more than just a dunker. Ant-Man has the ability to knock down shots from distance, both direct off the catch and off the dribble. He’s certainly more of an off-guard, but he can operate in ball-screen situations, snake his way through a defense, and get all the way to the basket or dish it off to a teammate. It would behoove him to continue to work on an in-between game, given the way NBA teams have begun playing soft coverage more often due to the math involved in slowing down elite offenses at that level. At Georgia, he should get strong development from Tom Crean, who has a terrific development history with these types of guards — having coached both Victor Oladipo and Dwyane Wade, in addition to other multi-year perimeter players like Wes Matthews and Yogi Ferrell. Crean will only have Edwards for one year, but he’ll know how to optimize him and put him in position to succeed.
I would call Wiseman, Anthony, and Edwards the three most realistic candidates to go No. 1 overall at this juncture, with a couple of wild cards potentially possessing the ability to rise up.
4. R.J. Hampton
6-5 guard, Little Elm High School (Little Elm, TX), Uncommitted
As mentioned in the introduction above, Hampton has been considered a potential addition to this class for a while. On April 30, he officially announced that he’ll enter the 2019 recruiting class. Born in February 2001, Hampton will now be eligible for the 2020 NBA Draft by nature of turning 19 in the calendar year of the draft, and being one year removed from high school. Much like the previous reclassification of Anthony Edwards, Hampton’s move significantly helps what has potential to be a lagging class at the top.
A 6-foot-5 combo guard out of the Dallas area, Hampton is all smooth polish as one of the best scorers in the class. Possessing great length and terrific footwork, he gets to his spots with ease when operating with a ball screen. His feel there is terrific. He’s slippery all around the offensive area, possessing great change of pace and direction instincts. His balance is superb, and it allows him to be a strong shooter off the dribble and direct off of the catch. In the lane, he has a lot of different little finishes from six feet and in, including a nice array of floaters and good body control around bigger players.
The big question revolves around how his body fills out. Hampton is still pretty skinny, and is definitely more on the skilled side of the skill/athletic spectrum. His first step is solid, not great. He’s not going to put dunks on a 7-footer’s head right now. As he continues to get bigger and stronger, can he had a bit more explosiveness? His frame looks tailor-made for adding some bounce as he gets older, but that remains up in the air. Overall, I’m a big fan of Hampton’s translation to the next level. He’s considering Memphis, Kansas, Kentucky and Texas Tech, and would be a great fit for any of them. I’d consider Hampton just outside of the Wiseman, Anthony, Edwards tier right now, but at the top of the next group of freshman.
5. Theo Maledon
6-4 guard, ASVEL (France)
Maledon is a lead guard starting for ASVEL in the top French league right now, tossing up impressive numbers — albeit in a limited role. He’s averaging seven points, two assists and two rebounds at 17 years old, doing so on a ridiculous 62.0 true-shooting percentage. The big key to his game is the quickness he plays with, combined with the ability to slow it down, string out defenders, and then blow by. His is a type of electric athleticism, with a terrific first step and superb body control. He excels in the open floor right now, and in the halfcourt he can get all the way to the basket with ease.
In terms of skillset, Maledon is more of a terrific open-floor passer as opposed to an elite half-court one. He doesn’t necessarily make elite level reads yet, but plays unselfishly. He needs to keep ironing out his distribution skills over the next year, as he’ll occasionally struggle with turnover issues from moving a bit too quickly. As a shooter, Maledon is adept off the catch, but needs to keep working on his pull-up game. I have faith in this part of his game developing in the future, as his touch is absolutely terrific from all three levels and from the foul line. Overall, it’s easy to buy into Maledon and believe his long-term ability.
6. Jaden McDaniels
6-11 forward, Federal Way High School (Seattle, WA). Uncommitted
Without doubt, McDaniels is the biggest wild card in this draft. It would be fair to say that no one possesses the upside of McDaniels if everything goes right in his development. He’s a 6-11 forward who moves like a 6-6 wing, and can legitimately create a shot for himself in the halfcourt. His handle for his size is impressive and can get him separation when combined with his size to shoot over defenders, but is still loose by college ball-handler standards. He shoots it well for a player his size, but is still a pretty inconsistent in the grand scheme. His frame is extremely skinny, and allows defenders to push him off the ball easily. Basically, everything is graded on a curve right now for McDaniels. He hasn’t actualized his game into the level of production you would expect, something that showed up when he was faced with elite players at McDonald’s All-America, and in a scrimmage against the Nike Hoop Summit USA team on April 11. In that latter scrimmage, the USA team felt comfortable deploying Cole Anthony on him despite nearly a foot of height difference because McDaniels is all finesse right now.
But here’s the thing: if the shooting comes along, the handle tightens, and a long-term strength program can get him up to around 225 pounds, he’s going to be an absolute nightmare. This is the Kevin Durant starter kit. We’ve seen this before, though. The same type of statements were made about Brandon Ingram, Austin Daye, Michael Porter Jr., Paul George, and more. Obviously, those players have had varying levels of success. Where McDaniels falls is all going to be based on development over not just his one-and-done year in college, but also in his first few pro years. Right now, McDaniels is raw. In a few years, it’s easy to consider that he might not be. Based on production, I have him at a level below the top tier of guys. If you told me he struggled to adjust to the physicality of the college game and dropped substantially from this ranking, I wouldn’t be shocked. But if you also told me he took this summer, tightened things up, and became a collegiate monster, and went No. 1 overall, I can’t say that would stun me, either. The range of potential outcomes for McDaniels is as wide as it gets.
7. Deni Avdija
6-9 forward, Maccabi Tel Aviv (Israel)
It’s all about feel for the game with Avdija, a 6-9 wing/forward out of Israel. The 18-year-old possesses terrific passing instincts, with the ability to play with a ball-screen on the perimeter in addition to slashing to the basket. He plays more of an off-ball role in his minutes for Maccabi Tel Aviv, but at youth levels he’s been more of a big, primary ball-handler. Unlike many young ball-handlers of any size, Avdija already has developed the ability to hit advanced cross-corner passes, as well as small little pocket-passes to rollers. Unsurprisingly, he’s not an elite athlete, but he has a sneaky first step that allows him to get past slow defenders and take advantage of his high-level change of pace and a tight handle for his size.
Still, I see him as more of an off-ball, secondary creator type who runs side ball-screens next to a true lead guard. After all, NBA teams need multiple players on the floor who can initiate with the ball in their hands. But the key to actualizing this skill set is the ability to can a deep jump shot. That’s a skill Avdija is still working on. He does tend to take most of his 3s off the bounce, but his 29.8 percent mark on 84 attempts at all pro levels this year just isn’t quite good enough for what the skill set is. It’s a slow shot that he brings a little bit too far back toward his head, which can create a bit of a variant release point. His lower body mechanics and balance can also be a bit inconsistent, with his legs tending to flail and fly everywhere. That’s the swing skill for Avdija. I’m willing to bet on him figuring it out, but the fact that he’s this high currently showcases that this draft is fairly open beyond the top-three without much of a consensus.
8. Scottie Lewis
6-6 wing, Ranney School (Tinton Falls, NJ). Committed to Florida
Lewis is a special athlete and human being. No one in this class matches this level of competitiveness. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a player in high school communicate all over the floor in the way that Lewis does. Defensively, Lewis is about as elite as it gets on the wing. He takes pride in shutting down his opponent, and consistently makes action plays happen because of his 7-foot wingspan. Then to top that off, he’s all sorts of quick-twitch. He excels in the open floor, where he plays passing lanes at a high level and is an above-the-rim finisher.
Offensively, there are some hurdles. His jumper is improving, but is still inconsistent. Currently, it seems like he’s working on getting air under the basketball. As a driver, he’s all straight line drives right now. The good news is that his first step is quick enough to blow by defenders, but he’ll need more than that at the next level. Overall, it leads to Lewis being a bit lesser in the halfcourt than he is in the full-court at this stage. But that’s fine. I’m a big believer in Lewis’ work ethic. Basically, I think he won’t stop working at it until he develops what he needs to be great. Currently, I’d project him as a starter on the wing in the NBA at some point down the road.
9. Precious Achiuwa
6-9 forward, Montverde Academy (Montverde, FL). Uncommitted
Achiuwa helped himself an awful lot on the exhibition circuit. He performed extremely well at all of McDonald’s All-American, Hoop Summit, and Jordan Brand. At 6-9 with a 7-2 wingspan and a 9-foot standing reach, Achiuwa’s combination of size and perimeter skill is impressive. He can handle the ball in a straight line, and his jumper has made substantial gains over the last year. Beyond that, he’s an impressive athlete who plays with a consistent motor and nose for the ball. There are still some questions about his level of production in games that are played largely in the halfcourt, but if you get him out in the open floor, expect him to put up numbers. As he continues to get stronger, it’s easy to imagine him playing as a 4-man who can impose himself athletically due to his quick leaping, large hands, and ability to space the floor.
There’s legitimate upside here, but there are still questions surrounding his feel for the game. He’s not the world’s most instinctive player at this stage, which might make him more of a high-level backup as opposed to a starter. He’s still undecided, with quite a few different schools still believing they have a chance to secure his services for next season. Where he lands will be fascinating. My favorite two potential fits among the schools thought to have chances are either North Carolina or Memphis. Both play the kind of uptempo schemes that would get the most out of him.
10. Tyrese Maxey
6-3 guard, South Garland High School (Garland, TX). Committed to Kentucky
I’m just a big-time believer in Maxey’s scoring ability and instincts. He’s a terrific shot-creator because of his handle. He sets guys up, then can change direction to get by. He possesses a bevy of counter moves if you try to take something away from him. Technically, he’s very sound. Then as a finisher, Maxey has really developed a high-level floater package in addition to a variety of different flourishes he can use to finish directly at the basket. But for me, the big key is his jumper. I think, in time, Maxey is going to be an absolutely elite level shooter. It has a bit of a low release point, but he has terrific range on it and gets excellent natural extension on his jumper.
It’s worth noting that Maxey is more of a combo guard than a true lead guard. He’s not an amazing distributor. Playing him next to Ashton Hagans next year is going to really help him, as he’ll be allowed free rein to be able to just go get buckets. For Kentucky fans looking for a comparison, he’s something of a cross between Malik Monk and Jamal Murray. He’s not the natural, powerful athlete Monk was, but he has more skill and tricks up his sleeve in the way that Murray did. However, unlike Murray, he’s not necessarily a guy you want running your offense for more than small spurts. In all of his stops on the exhibition circuit, he played more at the 2 than the 1. Still, I expect him to be Kentucky’s leading scorer next year on a team that I think has a chance to win an awful lot of games.
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Achievement In Every Field of Human Endeavor
11. Isaiah Stewart
6-9 center, La Lumiere School (La Porte, IN). Committed to Washington
Stewart was probably the most consistent performer throughout practices and games during the all-star exhibition circuit. That shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone. Stewart is about as workman-like a player as you’ll find. He works his ass off to establish position on offense, and has the strength to power through just about anyone on the high school level. Honestly, I expect that to continue in college. He’s a well-built 245 pounds, his conditioning level is strong, and his 7-foot-4 wingspan should allow him to finish over the opposition. His touch around the basket is terrific, and his motor on the glass is insatiable. He can also finish on the move out of the pick-and-roll because he has solid coordination and great hands.
But from the NBA’s perspective, he’s still more of an undersized center than anything. Luckily, it seems Stewart has figured that out on his own. He’s working on extending his shooting range out beyond 18 feet so as to be even more of a threat offensively. Defensively, he’s becoming better at using his ridiculous length to contest shots inside without fouling. It’s also worth noting that he’s an engaging personality that fans and teammates should really gravitate toward. He’s unselfish, and wants what’s best for everyone around him while still working to improve what he can within his own game. Look for him to be a dominant presence at Washington, where the big man is tasked with protecting the rim in the middle of the 2-3 zone, and dominating inside on offense. He’ll average 15 points and 10 rebounds next year with ease.
12. Nico Mannion
6-3 guard, Pinnacle High School (Phoenix, AZ). Committed to Arizona
I’ll be honest: I wasn’t the biggest believer in Mannion prior to this month. It’s not that I thought he was a bad player or anything, I just wasn’t sure I saw the one-and-done potential that some did. And at McDonald’s, I thought it took him some time to figure out how to attack against length and elite athletes. But here’s the thing: Mannion is an incredibly smart player. So once he showed up to Hoop Summit about two weeks later, it was clear he had figured some things out. What followed in the practices and games was Mannion morphing into the week’s top performer, consistently playing with terrific pace and poise.
Unsurprisingly, Mannion’s skill level is incredibly high. He can hit shots from all three levels, and has a terrific in-between game. I worry about finishing at the basket for a player who isn’t quite as explosive as some other lead guards, but it’s possible that his floater game can help him make up for it. The real place where he excels is running the show as a point guard, though. He is a terrific passer who can drop dimes all over the floor to teammates for efficient shots. Arizona fans are going to love having him next season after the team’s offense plummeted toward the bottom of the Pac-12 this past season in large part due to a lack of cerebral point guard play. I now expect that Mannion will be a one-and-done.
13. Ayo Dosunmu
6-4 guard, freshman, Illinois. Averaged 13.8 points, 3.3 assists
Our first returnee to college basketball! Dosunmu passed up a chance to be selected in the top-40 of this draft to return to school to try and improve his stock. I get why he did so. Dosunmu is a lot more interesting if he can transition into becoming a true lead guard after spending more of this season off the ball in the halfcourt. Right now, he’s a lot better in the open floor, where his ability to create plays translates a lot more. His vision is a bit better there, and his quickness plays up. The key for him in Year Two will be adding just a small level of polish to his ball-handling ability, as well as adding more advanced reads in crowded defenses to his repertoire. Even if that doesn’t come, though, Dosunmu is interesting as an athlete secondary ball-handler who can knock down shots off the catch and defend multiple positions due to his length and quickness.
14. Jalen Smith
6-10 forward/center, freshman, Maryland. Averaged 11.7 points, 6.8 rebounds
Smith is our next returnee, and he really has a chance to blossom next year for reasons as much to do with opportunity as with development. This year, he was productive, but didn’t quite get to operate in all of the places he’s comfortable with due to the presence of Bruno Fernando. That often left Smith with a bit of a limited role on offense that sometimes resulted in him floating outside of the 3-point line, or trying to work in random spots inside the 3-point line. But next year, if he plays the 5 while surrounded by skilled wings such as Aaron Wiggins, Eric Ayala, and Darryl Morsell, it could afford him all sorts of space to operate in short rolls, in pick-and-pops, and even in full rolls toward the basket. Defensively, Smith also has good feet, and solid timing when going up to block shots. This year was a great learning opportunity for a still-raw, developing big man. Next year, I’d expect him to dominate.
15. Josh Green
6-5 wing, IMG Academy (Bradenton, FL). Committed to Arizona
The key word with Green is athleticism. Standing 6-5 with a plus-six wingspan, Green is all sorts of springy. He uses it to tremendous effect in the open floor, where he can beat everyone down the floor and finishes far above the rim. In the halfcourt, Green is definitely still just a slasher. He has a great first step and the ability to blow by defenders in a straight line, but doesn’t have much in the way of wiggle. But he plays hard and has great feel, allowing him to be productive despite not necessarily being the most skilled guy at this stage of his development. Defensively, he uses his frame and quickness well, and consistently creates action plays to get out on the break in transition.
The key with Green long-term is going to be the jump shot. Can he consistently knock down the 3-point ball? With his current mechanics, I’m pretty skeptical. His right elbow comes out to a pretty significant level, and he almost shoots it from right in front of his face. It’s also a pretty slow release. His touch isn’t bad, and the jumper has improved a lot from when he was younger; it’s just not to a place where he’s going to be a difference maker yet. If he can overhaul his mechanics a bit and get the jumper to a sound place, he has the potential to rise into the top-10. I feel more comfortable with him around here for now, though.
16. Kahlil Whitney
6-7 wing, Roselle Catholic (Roselle, NJ). Committed to Kentucky
Not many guys in this class can boast the terrific frame that Whitney has, with wiry strong length mixed with maintained athleticism and coordination for his 6-7 size. He’s also a terrific athlete with good explosiveness who plays with a motor. But while he does consistently play hard, and that shows up on the defensive end, the big question with Whitney is when the light bulb comes on in terms of the proper type of aggressiveness. Sure, he does need to improve his handle a bit, and I think that sometimes slows him down. And the jump shot, while workable, is still inconsistent. But more than that, I’d like to see Whitney take the game on his shoulders more often at Kentucky next year. With a summer of player development, he has the type of ability to average 15 points and six rebounds as a freshman.
17. Tre Jones
6-2 guard, freshman, Duke. Averaged 9.4 points, 5.3 assists, 1.5 turnovers
A bit of a surprise returnee, Jones will now lead what is shaping up to be a monster Duke freshman class as a battle-tested sophomore. Few players were as dominant defensively this season as Jones was, destroying opposing point guards at the point of attack and completely throwing off the other team’s rhythm on offense. Offensively, his ability to make the right read and correct decision is critical. He’s a great distributor, and did a terrific job of making sure everyone got fed at Duke this season. But the No. 1 thing he needs to fix going forward is the jump shot. Teams simply stopped covering Jones out behind the 3-point line, which had a rough effect on Duke’s offense as a whole. If he can become more of an offensive focal point in an offense that, overall, should have better floor spacing around him, Jones could end up in the lottery in what is a fairly loaded point guard class.
18. Bryan Antoine
6-5 wing, Ranney School (Tinton Falls, NJ). Committed to Villanova
Whereas Antoine’s high school teammate Scottie Lewis is more of a springy athlete with an insatiable motor, Antoine is more of the polished scorer on the wing. He can shoot it from distance, while also retaining athleticism to finish above the rim inside. He’s also comfortable playing off the ball, something that should help his translation early to a Villanova scheme that can be tough for freshmen to pick up. The big key is working on his decision-making and play-making for others. Sometimes, he gets a bit less assertive and can get lost in the shuffle, like what happened at McDonald’s All-American week. Overall though, I’d bet on Antoine carving out a long pro career, given the way teams need wings. His athleticism, shooting, and defensive potential fit with where the league is going.
19. Wendell Moore
6-5 wing, Cox Mill High School (Concord, NC). Committed to Duke
Moore is a terrific two-way wing who plays on both ends of the floor. At 6-5 with a 6-11 wingspan, he has the exact dimension NBA teams are looking for from its off-ball players and secondary ball-handlers. Offensively, the North Carolina native plays with terrific pace. He can operate in ball-screens or slash in from the wing, possessing the ability to change speeds to get past defenders. Defensively, he’ll use his length and relatively quick feet to cause issues for opposing offensive players. His frame should also allow him to become switchable in time, maybe as soon as next year. The big key here, and why he’s more of a top-20 guy as opposed to a lottery guy, is the jump shot. He’s still working his way into becoming a consistent shooter. If that comes along, he’ll rise up the board.
20. Tyrese Haliburton
6-5 guard, freshman, Iowa State. Averaged 6.9 points, 3.5 assists, 0.8 turnovers, 1.5 steals
Haliburton is a very interesting prospect in large part because of the limited role he had this season. Analytics people around the NBA are very interested, as Haliburton knocked down 3s at a 43.4 percent clip and dished out a near 5-to-1 assist-to-turnover rate as a freshman. He’s also terrific defensively, posting both a 2.7 steal rate and a 2.8 block rate that each finished in the top-10 in the Big 12. Traditional NBA scouts are a bit more worried, as Haliburton’s shot takes a while to get off, and he doesn’t necessarily seem to have the elite level burst you need to break down a defense. His frame also leaves some concerned, as he’s quite skinny. Currently, he seems most like a secondary ball-handler point guard, in the mold of a Lonzo Ball or Fred VanVleet — a guy who keeps your offense humming along with terrific ball-movement and who defends at an extremely high level. That’s a worthwhile first round pick, in my view. It’ll be interesting, though, to see how Haliburton’s role develops next season with Nick Weiler-Babb and Marial Shayok certainly departing, in addition to Lindell Wigginton and Talen Horton-Tucker potentially departing.
6-9 center, La Lumiere School (La Porte, IN). Committed to Washington
Stewart was probably the most consistent performer throughout practices and games during the all-star exhibition circuit. That shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone. Stewart is about as workman-like a player as you’ll find. He works his ass off to establish position on offense, and has the strength to power through just about anyone on the high school level. Honestly, I expect that to continue in college. He’s a well-built 245 pounds, his conditioning level is strong, and his 7-foot-4 wingspan should allow him to finish over the opposition. His touch around the basket is terrific, and his motor on the glass is insatiable. He can also finish on the move out of the pick-and-roll because he has solid coordination and great hands.
But from the NBA’s perspective, he’s still more of an undersized center than anything. Luckily, it seems Stewart has figured that out on his own. He’s working on extending his shooting range out beyond 18 feet so as to be even more of a threat offensively. Defensively, he’s becoming better at using his ridiculous length to contest shots inside without fouling. It’s also worth noting that he’s an engaging personality that fans and teammates should really gravitate toward. He’s unselfish, and wants what’s best for everyone around him while still working to improve what he can within his own game. Look for him to be a dominant presence at Washington, where the big man is tasked with protecting the rim in the middle of the 2-3 zone, and dominating inside on offense. He’ll average 15 points and 10 rebounds next year with ease.
12. Nico Mannion
6-3 guard, Pinnacle High School (Phoenix, AZ). Committed to Arizona
I’ll be honest: I wasn’t the biggest believer in Mannion prior to this month. It’s not that I thought he was a bad player or anything, I just wasn’t sure I saw the one-and-done potential that some did. And at McDonald’s, I thought it took him some time to figure out how to attack against length and elite athletes. But here’s the thing: Mannion is an incredibly smart player. So once he showed up to Hoop Summit about two weeks later, it was clear he had figured some things out. What followed in the practices and games was Mannion morphing into the week’s top performer, consistently playing with terrific pace and poise.
Unsurprisingly, Mannion’s skill level is incredibly high. He can hit shots from all three levels, and has a terrific in-between game. I worry about finishing at the basket for a player who isn’t quite as explosive as some other lead guards, but it’s possible that his floater game can help him make up for it. The real place where he excels is running the show as a point guard, though. He is a terrific passer who can drop dimes all over the floor to teammates for efficient shots. Arizona fans are going to love having him next season after the team’s offense plummeted toward the bottom of the Pac-12 this past season in large part due to a lack of cerebral point guard play. I now expect that Mannion will be a one-and-done.
13. Ayo Dosunmu
6-4 guard, freshman, Illinois. Averaged 13.8 points, 3.3 assists
Our first returnee to college basketball! Dosunmu passed up a chance to be selected in the top-40 of this draft to return to school to try and improve his stock. I get why he did so. Dosunmu is a lot more interesting if he can transition into becoming a true lead guard after spending more of this season off the ball in the halfcourt. Right now, he’s a lot better in the open floor, where his ability to create plays translates a lot more. His vision is a bit better there, and his quickness plays up. The key for him in Year Two will be adding just a small level of polish to his ball-handling ability, as well as adding more advanced reads in crowded defenses to his repertoire. Even if that doesn’t come, though, Dosunmu is interesting as an athlete secondary ball-handler who can knock down shots off the catch and defend multiple positions due to his length and quickness.
14. Jalen Smith
6-10 forward/center, freshman, Maryland. Averaged 11.7 points, 6.8 rebounds
Smith is our next returnee, and he really has a chance to blossom next year for reasons as much to do with opportunity as with development. This year, he was productive, but didn’t quite get to operate in all of the places he’s comfortable with due to the presence of Bruno Fernando. That often left Smith with a bit of a limited role on offense that sometimes resulted in him floating outside of the 3-point line, or trying to work in random spots inside the 3-point line. But next year, if he plays the 5 while surrounded by skilled wings such as Aaron Wiggins, Eric Ayala, and Darryl Morsell, it could afford him all sorts of space to operate in short rolls, in pick-and-pops, and even in full rolls toward the basket. Defensively, Smith also has good feet, and solid timing when going up to block shots. This year was a great learning opportunity for a still-raw, developing big man. Next year, I’d expect him to dominate.
15. Josh Green
6-5 wing, IMG Academy (Bradenton, FL). Committed to Arizona
The key word with Green is athleticism. Standing 6-5 with a plus-six wingspan, Green is all sorts of springy. He uses it to tremendous effect in the open floor, where he can beat everyone down the floor and finishes far above the rim. In the halfcourt, Green is definitely still just a slasher. He has a great first step and the ability to blow by defenders in a straight line, but doesn’t have much in the way of wiggle. But he plays hard and has great feel, allowing him to be productive despite not necessarily being the most skilled guy at this stage of his development. Defensively, he uses his frame and quickness well, and consistently creates action plays to get out on the break in transition.
The key with Green long-term is going to be the jump shot. Can he consistently knock down the 3-point ball? With his current mechanics, I’m pretty skeptical. His right elbow comes out to a pretty significant level, and he almost shoots it from right in front of his face. It’s also a pretty slow release. His touch isn’t bad, and the jumper has improved a lot from when he was younger; it’s just not to a place where he’s going to be a difference maker yet. If he can overhaul his mechanics a bit and get the jumper to a sound place, he has the potential to rise into the top-10. I feel more comfortable with him around here for now, though.
16. Kahlil Whitney
6-7 wing, Roselle Catholic (Roselle, NJ). Committed to Kentucky
Not many guys in this class can boast the terrific frame that Whitney has, with wiry strong length mixed with maintained athleticism and coordination for his 6-7 size. He’s also a terrific athlete with good explosiveness who plays with a motor. But while he does consistently play hard, and that shows up on the defensive end, the big question with Whitney is when the light bulb comes on in terms of the proper type of aggressiveness. Sure, he does need to improve his handle a bit, and I think that sometimes slows him down. And the jump shot, while workable, is still inconsistent. But more than that, I’d like to see Whitney take the game on his shoulders more often at Kentucky next year. With a summer of player development, he has the type of ability to average 15 points and six rebounds as a freshman.
17. Tre Jones
6-2 guard, freshman, Duke. Averaged 9.4 points, 5.3 assists, 1.5 turnovers
A bit of a surprise returnee, Jones will now lead what is shaping up to be a monster Duke freshman class as a battle-tested sophomore. Few players were as dominant defensively this season as Jones was, destroying opposing point guards at the point of attack and completely throwing off the other team’s rhythm on offense. Offensively, his ability to make the right read and correct decision is critical. He’s a great distributor, and did a terrific job of making sure everyone got fed at Duke this season. But the No. 1 thing he needs to fix going forward is the jump shot. Teams simply stopped covering Jones out behind the 3-point line, which had a rough effect on Duke’s offense as a whole. If he can become more of an offensive focal point in an offense that, overall, should have better floor spacing around him, Jones could end up in the lottery in what is a fairly loaded point guard class.
18. Bryan Antoine
6-5 wing, Ranney School (Tinton Falls, NJ). Committed to Villanova
Whereas Antoine’s high school teammate Scottie Lewis is more of a springy athlete with an insatiable motor, Antoine is more of the polished scorer on the wing. He can shoot it from distance, while also retaining athleticism to finish above the rim inside. He’s also comfortable playing off the ball, something that should help his translation early to a Villanova scheme that can be tough for freshmen to pick up. The big key is working on his decision-making and play-making for others. Sometimes, he gets a bit less assertive and can get lost in the shuffle, like what happened at McDonald’s All-American week. Overall though, I’d bet on Antoine carving out a long pro career, given the way teams need wings. His athleticism, shooting, and defensive potential fit with where the league is going.
19. Wendell Moore
6-5 wing, Cox Mill High School (Concord, NC). Committed to Duke
Moore is a terrific two-way wing who plays on both ends of the floor. At 6-5 with a 6-11 wingspan, he has the exact dimension NBA teams are looking for from its off-ball players and secondary ball-handlers. Offensively, the North Carolina native plays with terrific pace. He can operate in ball-screens or slash in from the wing, possessing the ability to change speeds to get past defenders. Defensively, he’ll use his length and relatively quick feet to cause issues for opposing offensive players. His frame should also allow him to become switchable in time, maybe as soon as next year. The big key here, and why he’s more of a top-20 guy as opposed to a lottery guy, is the jump shot. He’s still working his way into becoming a consistent shooter. If that comes along, he’ll rise up the board.
20. Tyrese Haliburton
6-5 guard, freshman, Iowa State. Averaged 6.9 points, 3.5 assists, 0.8 turnovers, 1.5 steals
Haliburton is a very interesting prospect in large part because of the limited role he had this season. Analytics people around the NBA are very interested, as Haliburton knocked down 3s at a 43.4 percent clip and dished out a near 5-to-1 assist-to-turnover rate as a freshman. He’s also terrific defensively, posting both a 2.7 steal rate and a 2.8 block rate that each finished in the top-10 in the Big 12. Traditional NBA scouts are a bit more worried, as Haliburton’s shot takes a while to get off, and he doesn’t necessarily seem to have the elite level burst you need to break down a defense. His frame also leaves some concerned, as he’s quite skinny. Currently, he seems most like a secondary ball-handler point guard, in the mold of a Lonzo Ball or Fred VanVleet — a guy who keeps your offense humming along with terrific ball-movement and who defends at an extremely high level. That’s a worthwhile first round pick, in my view. It’ll be interesting, though, to see how Haliburton’s role develops next season with Nick Weiler-Babb and Marial Shayok certainly departing, in addition to Lindell Wigginton and Talen Horton-Tucker potentially departing.
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Achievement In Every Field of Human Endeavor
21. Jordan Nwora
6-7 wing/forward, sophomore, Louisville. Averaged 17.0 points, 7.6 rebounds
Nwora is declared for the 2019 draft currently, and has a pretty realistic chance of being selected if he decides to go through with the process. The 6-7 forward had a breakout year in the ACC this year under Chris Mack, with terrific shooting mechanics and improved driving ability. His frame also developed dramatically over the course of the last year, with him dropping 15 pounds and adding some explosiveness to his leaping ability. Still, NBA executives have questions about his athleticism — particularly laterally — and about his defense. Nwora is a bit of a weak link on that end for Louisville currently. He can get blown by, and his effort level sometimes wasn’t up to par this season. If something holds him back in college this year, it’ll be that. But if he returns, I’d expect he’s right in the mix for ACC Player of the Year, and turns himself into a top-20 guy.
22. Matthew Hurt
6-9 forward, John Marshall High School (Rochester, MN). Committed to Duke
Hurt is interesting. His feel for the game is off the charts. He just has a natural understanding of how the ball is going to bounce off the rim when rebounding, and an innate feel for how to space the floor. His jumper mechanics are beautiful in their simplicity. He doesn’t get much elevation, and it’s a lightning quick flick of the wrist before he gives you buckets from beyond the arc. So why is Hurt so low? It’s tough to be a relatively low-level athlete by NBA standards in addition to being rail-thin and without much length. Hurt’s frame also gives long-term worries about adding strength. Still, his skill level and feel should give him a chance. A big addition to his game would be increased ball-handling abilities, potentially allowing him to play as a big 3 as opposed to a 4.
23. Aaron Nesmith
6-6 wing, freshman, Vanderbilt. Averaged 11 points, 5.5 rebounds
Nesmith was one of my favorite under-the-radar prospects in all of college basketball this season. A 6-6 wing with a good length and a great frame, Nesmith immediately made an impact beyond where he was ranked as a recruit due to his feel for the game on defense and ability to play within an offense. By the end of the season, though, the malaise of Vanderbilt’s offense came through and affected Nesmith. With no creators around him beyond Saben Lee, Nesmith probably had a bit more on his shoulders than a freshman should have had. No matter, though, after a summer of improvement, I expect the 6-6 wing to return and be an absolute monster under new coach Jerry Stackhouse, who knows a thing or two about developing wing players following his coaching career in the G-League and his decade-plus NBA career.
24. Devon Dotson
6-2 guard, freshman, Kansas. Averaged 12.3 points, 3.5 assists
Dotson had an absolutely terrific year for Kansas, running their offense well while being surrounded by much more youth than Bill Self anticipated coming into the season. He’s an efficient finisher around the basket despite his size, he can knock down shots from distance, and he even has a burgeoning in-between game that could help him when he is forced to go up against bigger players in the NBA. It would be fair to call him more of a score-first guy right now, but I think some upside exists with him as a decision-maker for others as he grows into making the right reads on offense. Defensively, Dotson does a good job pestering his opponent, but his size does give him a bit of a disadvantage. Overall, it’s hard to imagine a more perfect point guard for Self’s scheme. I expect Dotson to be a potential All-American if he returns next year. I’m that high on him.
25. Malcolm Cazalon
6-6 guard/wing, JL Bourg-en-Bresse
Unlike some of the other international prospects here, Cazalon has not quite yet established himself as a rotation player yet in an international pro league. He struggled with an ankle injury earlier this year, which forced him out of action for a while and thus stunted his potential to grow into such a role. At 6-6 with a near 7-foot wingspan, Cazalon has perfect dimensions for an NBA wing with solid athleticism to match. He’s not quite the electric athlete that Maledon is, but he’s a good one who can create his own shot. He scores well at youth levels due to his ability to handle the ball, both on slashes toward the rim and out of some rudimentary ball-screen action. The key, unsurprisingly, will be the jump shot. He’s right around a 30 percent shooter so far throughout his career. The mechanics look workable though, and as the 17-year-old grows into his frame, adds strength, and becomes more consistent, the shot is expected to come along.
26. Kira Lewis
6-3 guard, freshman, Alabama. Averaged 13.5 points, 2.9 assists
Lewis had a very interesting year as an underage starting point guard in the SEC. Not even eligible to be a one-and-done due to his age after reclassifying, Lewis threw up just about the national average in terms of efficiency and did a solid job of mostly limiting turnovers. His quickness is superb, which allows him to create a high level of separation from defenders. His 3-point jumper also converted at a 36 percent clip, which helps keep defenders off-balance, Alabama played a somewhat up-tempo scheme under Avery Johnson, but with Nate Oats coming to town, look for the Tide to really push the pace behind their elite-level lead guard. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him average 17 points and five assists per game next season, as the spread-out offense will allow his natural gifts to play up. If he does that, it’s going to be hard to ignore someone putting up that terrific production on reasonable efficiency at just 18 years old.
27. Killian Tillie
6-10 forward/center, junior, Gonzaga. 12.9 points, 5.9 rebounds as a sophomore
Tillie suffered through an injury-riddled year where he never actually got a chance to establish his role on the team. But when he’s at his best, it’s hard to find a better modern big man in the entire country. Tillie is a career 47 percent 3-point shooter who can also pass on the move and create plays for his teammates by keeping the ball moving within the flow of the offense. Defensively, he has good feet to stay in front of opposing guards, and has mastered the dark art of verticality despite being 6-10 without elite length. Basically, Tillie profiles as a perfect role-playing big man in today’s NBA who can play next to or without a true center. It’ll be interesting to see if he decides to simply turn pro, as he’ll have plenty of options in his native France even if he doesn’t get the NBA feedback he wants.
28. Vernon Carey
6-10 center, University School (Fort Lauderdale, FL). Committed to Duke
Carey is universally considered a top-five recruit, and I get that for college basketball. He’s a powerful player who can establish position at will inside, has good touch, and can be a legitimate offensive hub in the post. But his game is the opposite of the way the NBA is going. He’s a big-bodied big man who seems to be a bit out of condition. He can’t defend on the perimeter against the quickest guards. On the interior, he’s not as effective a rim protector as guys like Stewart and Wiseman. Offensively, his jump shot needs a lot of work despite the fact that he’s willing to take them. At Duke next year, as a 5 man next to Hurt, Moore, Boogie Ellis, and Tre Jones, Carey will have a ton of space to operate inside and likely will succeed. If he put up 14 points and 11 rebounds a game, I wouldn’t be totally surprised. But I’m just not sure how translatable any of it is to the way NBA basketball is played now.
29. Neemias Queta
6-11 center, freshman, Utah State. Averaged 11.8 points, 8.9 rebounds, 2.4 blocks
Unlike Carey, what makes Queta interesting as a prospect is precisely his fit at the next level. He is an elite level rim protector who shuts down the paint. In large part because of the presence of the Portuguese big man, Utah State finished in the top-five nationally in both 2-point percentage against and defensive rebounding rate. Offensively, he’s a monster rim-runner who can catch and finish above the hoop efficiently. His 7-foot-4 wingspan plays up around the hoop, and he knows how to use it to startling success with verticality. He struggles with fouls at times, and I don’t think his footwork or movement skills are quite as good as they will be in a few years. For that reason, I think there is real reason for him to return to school. I’m not convinced that a team would take him in the first round in the 2019 draft and need to develop him, especially given that he’s a bit old for his class. But if he can return and improve his overall game, he has a real chance to be a first-round pick.
30. Killian Hayes
6-4 guard, Cholet (France)
Hayes is a high feel guard who already has a role for Cholet in the top French league. Once seen as the top player in what could come to be considered a golden generation for France (he’s the third first-year eligible French guard included in this mock draft), Hayes has seen some of his luster dulled over the last year as he has stagnated a bit as a player. He makes all the right reads and consistently puts his teammates in terrific places to succeed. He makes reads that very few 17-year-olds do. But his age group has caught up to him a bit athletically. The best way to make up for that is to develop a jump shot, If anything, that has regressed over the last few years, with him hitting only 16 percent this year, after shooting 25 percent from 3 each of the last two summers during U17 competition. Hayes made the All-Tournament team in the U17 World Cup in 2018 and won MVP of the U17 Euro Championships, displaying just how effective he can actually be in spite of the lack of jumper. But for success at the next level, that’s the next thing that needs to come along. Until it does, I feel more comfortable with him here, thus ending the run of 11 pure lead or combo guards in this top-30.
15 more:
6-7 wing/forward, sophomore, Louisville. Averaged 17.0 points, 7.6 rebounds
Nwora is declared for the 2019 draft currently, and has a pretty realistic chance of being selected if he decides to go through with the process. The 6-7 forward had a breakout year in the ACC this year under Chris Mack, with terrific shooting mechanics and improved driving ability. His frame also developed dramatically over the course of the last year, with him dropping 15 pounds and adding some explosiveness to his leaping ability. Still, NBA executives have questions about his athleticism — particularly laterally — and about his defense. Nwora is a bit of a weak link on that end for Louisville currently. He can get blown by, and his effort level sometimes wasn’t up to par this season. If something holds him back in college this year, it’ll be that. But if he returns, I’d expect he’s right in the mix for ACC Player of the Year, and turns himself into a top-20 guy.
22. Matthew Hurt
6-9 forward, John Marshall High School (Rochester, MN). Committed to Duke
Hurt is interesting. His feel for the game is off the charts. He just has a natural understanding of how the ball is going to bounce off the rim when rebounding, and an innate feel for how to space the floor. His jumper mechanics are beautiful in their simplicity. He doesn’t get much elevation, and it’s a lightning quick flick of the wrist before he gives you buckets from beyond the arc. So why is Hurt so low? It’s tough to be a relatively low-level athlete by NBA standards in addition to being rail-thin and without much length. Hurt’s frame also gives long-term worries about adding strength. Still, his skill level and feel should give him a chance. A big addition to his game would be increased ball-handling abilities, potentially allowing him to play as a big 3 as opposed to a 4.
23. Aaron Nesmith
6-6 wing, freshman, Vanderbilt. Averaged 11 points, 5.5 rebounds
Nesmith was one of my favorite under-the-radar prospects in all of college basketball this season. A 6-6 wing with a good length and a great frame, Nesmith immediately made an impact beyond where he was ranked as a recruit due to his feel for the game on defense and ability to play within an offense. By the end of the season, though, the malaise of Vanderbilt’s offense came through and affected Nesmith. With no creators around him beyond Saben Lee, Nesmith probably had a bit more on his shoulders than a freshman should have had. No matter, though, after a summer of improvement, I expect the 6-6 wing to return and be an absolute monster under new coach Jerry Stackhouse, who knows a thing or two about developing wing players following his coaching career in the G-League and his decade-plus NBA career.
24. Devon Dotson
6-2 guard, freshman, Kansas. Averaged 12.3 points, 3.5 assists
Dotson had an absolutely terrific year for Kansas, running their offense well while being surrounded by much more youth than Bill Self anticipated coming into the season. He’s an efficient finisher around the basket despite his size, he can knock down shots from distance, and he even has a burgeoning in-between game that could help him when he is forced to go up against bigger players in the NBA. It would be fair to call him more of a score-first guy right now, but I think some upside exists with him as a decision-maker for others as he grows into making the right reads on offense. Defensively, Dotson does a good job pestering his opponent, but his size does give him a bit of a disadvantage. Overall, it’s hard to imagine a more perfect point guard for Self’s scheme. I expect Dotson to be a potential All-American if he returns next year. I’m that high on him.
25. Malcolm Cazalon
6-6 guard/wing, JL Bourg-en-Bresse
Unlike some of the other international prospects here, Cazalon has not quite yet established himself as a rotation player yet in an international pro league. He struggled with an ankle injury earlier this year, which forced him out of action for a while and thus stunted his potential to grow into such a role. At 6-6 with a near 7-foot wingspan, Cazalon has perfect dimensions for an NBA wing with solid athleticism to match. He’s not quite the electric athlete that Maledon is, but he’s a good one who can create his own shot. He scores well at youth levels due to his ability to handle the ball, both on slashes toward the rim and out of some rudimentary ball-screen action. The key, unsurprisingly, will be the jump shot. He’s right around a 30 percent shooter so far throughout his career. The mechanics look workable though, and as the 17-year-old grows into his frame, adds strength, and becomes more consistent, the shot is expected to come along.
26. Kira Lewis
6-3 guard, freshman, Alabama. Averaged 13.5 points, 2.9 assists
Lewis had a very interesting year as an underage starting point guard in the SEC. Not even eligible to be a one-and-done due to his age after reclassifying, Lewis threw up just about the national average in terms of efficiency and did a solid job of mostly limiting turnovers. His quickness is superb, which allows him to create a high level of separation from defenders. His 3-point jumper also converted at a 36 percent clip, which helps keep defenders off-balance, Alabama played a somewhat up-tempo scheme under Avery Johnson, but with Nate Oats coming to town, look for the Tide to really push the pace behind their elite-level lead guard. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him average 17 points and five assists per game next season, as the spread-out offense will allow his natural gifts to play up. If he does that, it’s going to be hard to ignore someone putting up that terrific production on reasonable efficiency at just 18 years old.
27. Killian Tillie
6-10 forward/center, junior, Gonzaga. 12.9 points, 5.9 rebounds as a sophomore
Tillie suffered through an injury-riddled year where he never actually got a chance to establish his role on the team. But when he’s at his best, it’s hard to find a better modern big man in the entire country. Tillie is a career 47 percent 3-point shooter who can also pass on the move and create plays for his teammates by keeping the ball moving within the flow of the offense. Defensively, he has good feet to stay in front of opposing guards, and has mastered the dark art of verticality despite being 6-10 without elite length. Basically, Tillie profiles as a perfect role-playing big man in today’s NBA who can play next to or without a true center. It’ll be interesting to see if he decides to simply turn pro, as he’ll have plenty of options in his native France even if he doesn’t get the NBA feedback he wants.
28. Vernon Carey
6-10 center, University School (Fort Lauderdale, FL). Committed to Duke
Carey is universally considered a top-five recruit, and I get that for college basketball. He’s a powerful player who can establish position at will inside, has good touch, and can be a legitimate offensive hub in the post. But his game is the opposite of the way the NBA is going. He’s a big-bodied big man who seems to be a bit out of condition. He can’t defend on the perimeter against the quickest guards. On the interior, he’s not as effective a rim protector as guys like Stewart and Wiseman. Offensively, his jump shot needs a lot of work despite the fact that he’s willing to take them. At Duke next year, as a 5 man next to Hurt, Moore, Boogie Ellis, and Tre Jones, Carey will have a ton of space to operate inside and likely will succeed. If he put up 14 points and 11 rebounds a game, I wouldn’t be totally surprised. But I’m just not sure how translatable any of it is to the way NBA basketball is played now.
29. Neemias Queta
6-11 center, freshman, Utah State. Averaged 11.8 points, 8.9 rebounds, 2.4 blocks
Unlike Carey, what makes Queta interesting as a prospect is precisely his fit at the next level. He is an elite level rim protector who shuts down the paint. In large part because of the presence of the Portuguese big man, Utah State finished in the top-five nationally in both 2-point percentage against and defensive rebounding rate. Offensively, he’s a monster rim-runner who can catch and finish above the hoop efficiently. His 7-foot-4 wingspan plays up around the hoop, and he knows how to use it to startling success with verticality. He struggles with fouls at times, and I don’t think his footwork or movement skills are quite as good as they will be in a few years. For that reason, I think there is real reason for him to return to school. I’m not convinced that a team would take him in the first round in the 2019 draft and need to develop him, especially given that he’s a bit old for his class. But if he can return and improve his overall game, he has a real chance to be a first-round pick.
30. Killian Hayes
6-4 guard, Cholet (France)
Hayes is a high feel guard who already has a role for Cholet in the top French league. Once seen as the top player in what could come to be considered a golden generation for France (he’s the third first-year eligible French guard included in this mock draft), Hayes has seen some of his luster dulled over the last year as he has stagnated a bit as a player. He makes all the right reads and consistently puts his teammates in terrific places to succeed. He makes reads that very few 17-year-olds do. But his age group has caught up to him a bit athletically. The best way to make up for that is to develop a jump shot, If anything, that has regressed over the last few years, with him hitting only 16 percent this year, after shooting 25 percent from 3 each of the last two summers during U17 competition. Hayes made the All-Tournament team in the U17 World Cup in 2018 and won MVP of the U17 Euro Championships, displaying just how effective he can actually be in spite of the lack of jumper. But for success at the next level, that’s the next thing that needs to come along. Until it does, I feel more comfortable with him here, thus ending the run of 11 pure lead or combo guards in this top-30.
15 more:
- Trendon Watford, Undecided
- Amar Sylla, Real Madrid
- Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, committed to Villanova
- A.J. Lawson, South Carolina
- Isaiah Joe, Arkansas
- Isaiah Roby, Nebraska
- Ignas Brazdeikis, Michigan
- LaMelo Ball, USA
- Xavier Johnson, Pittsburgh
- Cassius Winston, Michigan State
- Ashton Hagans, Kentucky
- Paul Reed, DePaul
- Arturs Zagars, Latvia
- Grant Riller, Charleston
- Xavier Tillman, Michigan State
AlainLocke
Banned
Part 1
This is the real s***, maybe: How Chris Douglas-Roberts, basketball player, became Supreme Bey, something else
VENICE BEACH, Calif. — It is easy to make fun, especially here, where the art of the hustle and the aroma of weed and the weird converge. Along the Venice Beach boardwalk, everyone falls under the same umbrella: delightfully, categorically, intentionally bizarre. There is the septuagenarian on a scooter smoking a blunt as he rolls by, and the woman wearing a short skirt, boots and some sort of dead critter coat/boa combination in 70-degree weather, speaking with purpose but to whom it is not clear. There are the guys proselytizing in a crowd, surrounded by an audience one-fifth enraptured and fourth-fifths indulgent, about the pratfalls of drugs while the air carries a cough-inducing whiff of the stuff they say is criminal but the State of California says is legal. And there is the man who, as the sun sets on the Pacific, rolls by a police car on some sort of wheeled stilts, dressed as a tree and declaring he needs room to grow.
This is the square footage, among the disconnected and the disenfranchised and those being odd for effect mixed with those who are effectually odd, this is where Supreme Bey chooses to meet. “I love it here because everyone is so fukking weird,’’ says the man more commonly known as Chris Douglas-Roberts. “It’s the only place that no one stares at me.’’
As he sits down on a white sectional inside the relatively simplistic Cadillac Hotel, he is 11 years and a lifetime of self-discovery removed from the player who helped Memphis reach the Final Four in 2008. Now 32, he has bobbed-length dreads with gold tips and a full-mouthed diamond grill, and he wears both a black warmup jacket and black loafers with his DCTG (Don’t Cheat The Grind). A pair of bright socks peek out of his pants, Michael Jackson-Billie Jean video style, and black sunglasses shade his eyes, even as nightfall sets in.
Despite all of this presentation, or maybe because of it, you can’t help but give him the once over and think of one of his favorite words — bullshyt. Bullshyt on the wardrobe. So he splashed a few letters on a plain jacket or across a pair of otherwise ordinary shoes. Who says he designed them? Bullshyt on the self-discovery, on the insistence that we are all of Moorish descent and should carry, as he does, a Moorish-American ID instead of the one issued by our government. Bullshyt on his purported entrepreneurship, on his insistence that he aspires to earn $1 billion through his fashion line and client representation, which consists of a supermodel who few have heard of and athletes who have yet to find him.
No. No, he is not some evolved human. He is as much a fraud as the folks steps away from the hotel lobby, the ones promising $100 to the winner who scores on a game of chance. As he talks of his personal discovery, his name change, his anti-establishment roots and his blatant admission that he will begin tomorrow with the puff of a joint on the beach, your brain stops cold. Chris Douglas-Roberts is not Supreme Bey. He’s just a guy who couldn’t cut it in the NBA and has merely reinvented himself as some earthy-crunchy weirdo and clinging to the last ray of the spotlight.
This notion is presented to Supreme, that people will read his story and see little more than a washed-up hooper turned hustler. He responds with an eight-carat grin. “That’s fine. A lot of people can say things, but I’m superior in action and I’m ready for any conversation about what I’m doing because this is the realest shyt. The realest shyt ever,’’ he says. “Be normal? Yo, I hear that shyt all the time. But what’s normal?”
The question, though rhetorical, makes you stare in search of an answer. What is normal? What is happiness? And who gets to define it all? In front of you sits a man who could have held on for financial security, but opted instead for personal fulfillment. He is content now, but that doesn’t mean he’s satisfied. He has grand plans and big dreams and readily admits he is nowhere near achieving any of them. There are months, he says, that bills go unpaid. Yet he’s not afraid. He sees not all that could go wrong but the endless list of what could go right. Beneath the tattoos and behind the grill, he insists, is a budding entrepreneur who someday will achieve generational wealth but in the meantime is living his life the way he wants.
So this could, in fact, be the realest shyt ever. Or maybe it’s all just bullshyt.
To be clear, he did not chuck basketball. The two had a mutual, even amicable, parting after a lifetime together. Before he was Bey, back when he was Chris Douglas-Roberts, basketball was his ticket out of Detroit, and he rode it to Memphis, to the height of John Calipari-mania. He and his teammates, a collection of tough but rough around the edges talents, made for entertaining copy, big wins and constant news, not all of it good. But the merry band of misfits rolled to a 38-2 record in 2008 and the national championship game, before clanked free throws and a Mario Chalmers 3-pointer led to the Tigers’ demise. The whole thing was wiped off the record books thanks to a fraudulent Derrick Rose SAT score, an asterisk to a season that wouldn’t be so easily forgotten.
CDR, as he was called, twice was named an All-American, and he declared for the NBA after his junior year. But the NBA scouts didn’t trust what the college game saw. The New Jersey Nets drafted him in the second round, and while the slight fueled him early, the scouts’ take seemed accurate. Douglas-Roberts could never quite stick. He was traded after two years, averaging 9.8 points per game at the time, the first leg of the proverbial NBA journeyman’s career. He’d play for or sign with nine franchises, take a few tours in the D-League and spend the lockout year in Bologna, Italy. He did well when he had opportunities — averaging 7.3 points in 44 games with the Bucks, and 6.9 in 49 games with the Bobcats — but as the years wore on, he saw more and more behind the curtain.
VENICE BEACH, Calif. — It is easy to make fun, especially here, where the art of the hustle and the aroma of weed and the weird converge. Along the Venice Beach boardwalk, everyone falls under the same umbrella: delightfully, categorically, intentionally bizarre. There is the septuagenarian on a scooter smoking a blunt as he rolls by, and the woman wearing a short skirt, boots and some sort of dead critter coat/boa combination in 70-degree weather, speaking with purpose but to whom it is not clear. There are the guys proselytizing in a crowd, surrounded by an audience one-fifth enraptured and fourth-fifths indulgent, about the pratfalls of drugs while the air carries a cough-inducing whiff of the stuff they say is criminal but the State of California says is legal. And there is the man who, as the sun sets on the Pacific, rolls by a police car on some sort of wheeled stilts, dressed as a tree and declaring he needs room to grow.
This is the square footage, among the disconnected and the disenfranchised and those being odd for effect mixed with those who are effectually odd, this is where Supreme Bey chooses to meet. “I love it here because everyone is so fukking weird,’’ says the man more commonly known as Chris Douglas-Roberts. “It’s the only place that no one stares at me.’’
As he sits down on a white sectional inside the relatively simplistic Cadillac Hotel, he is 11 years and a lifetime of self-discovery removed from the player who helped Memphis reach the Final Four in 2008. Now 32, he has bobbed-length dreads with gold tips and a full-mouthed diamond grill, and he wears both a black warmup jacket and black loafers with his DCTG (Don’t Cheat The Grind). A pair of bright socks peek out of his pants, Michael Jackson-Billie Jean video style, and black sunglasses shade his eyes, even as nightfall sets in.
Despite all of this presentation, or maybe because of it, you can’t help but give him the once over and think of one of his favorite words — bullshyt. Bullshyt on the wardrobe. So he splashed a few letters on a plain jacket or across a pair of otherwise ordinary shoes. Who says he designed them? Bullshyt on the self-discovery, on the insistence that we are all of Moorish descent and should carry, as he does, a Moorish-American ID instead of the one issued by our government. Bullshyt on his purported entrepreneurship, on his insistence that he aspires to earn $1 billion through his fashion line and client representation, which consists of a supermodel who few have heard of and athletes who have yet to find him.
No. No, he is not some evolved human. He is as much a fraud as the folks steps away from the hotel lobby, the ones promising $100 to the winner who scores on a game of chance. As he talks of his personal discovery, his name change, his anti-establishment roots and his blatant admission that he will begin tomorrow with the puff of a joint on the beach, your brain stops cold. Chris Douglas-Roberts is not Supreme Bey. He’s just a guy who couldn’t cut it in the NBA and has merely reinvented himself as some earthy-crunchy weirdo and clinging to the last ray of the spotlight.
This notion is presented to Supreme, that people will read his story and see little more than a washed-up hooper turned hustler. He responds with an eight-carat grin. “That’s fine. A lot of people can say things, but I’m superior in action and I’m ready for any conversation about what I’m doing because this is the realest shyt. The realest shyt ever,’’ he says. “Be normal? Yo, I hear that shyt all the time. But what’s normal?”
The question, though rhetorical, makes you stare in search of an answer. What is normal? What is happiness? And who gets to define it all? In front of you sits a man who could have held on for financial security, but opted instead for personal fulfillment. He is content now, but that doesn’t mean he’s satisfied. He has grand plans and big dreams and readily admits he is nowhere near achieving any of them. There are months, he says, that bills go unpaid. Yet he’s not afraid. He sees not all that could go wrong but the endless list of what could go right. Beneath the tattoos and behind the grill, he insists, is a budding entrepreneur who someday will achieve generational wealth but in the meantime is living his life the way he wants.
So this could, in fact, be the realest shyt ever. Or maybe it’s all just bullshyt.
To be clear, he did not chuck basketball. The two had a mutual, even amicable, parting after a lifetime together. Before he was Bey, back when he was Chris Douglas-Roberts, basketball was his ticket out of Detroit, and he rode it to Memphis, to the height of John Calipari-mania. He and his teammates, a collection of tough but rough around the edges talents, made for entertaining copy, big wins and constant news, not all of it good. But the merry band of misfits rolled to a 38-2 record in 2008 and the national championship game, before clanked free throws and a Mario Chalmers 3-pointer led to the Tigers’ demise. The whole thing was wiped off the record books thanks to a fraudulent Derrick Rose SAT score, an asterisk to a season that wouldn’t be so easily forgotten.
CDR, as he was called, twice was named an All-American, and he declared for the NBA after his junior year. But the NBA scouts didn’t trust what the college game saw. The New Jersey Nets drafted him in the second round, and while the slight fueled him early, the scouts’ take seemed accurate. Douglas-Roberts could never quite stick. He was traded after two years, averaging 9.8 points per game at the time, the first leg of the proverbial NBA journeyman’s career. He’d play for or sign with nine franchises, take a few tours in the D-League and spend the lockout year in Bologna, Italy. He did well when he had opportunities — averaging 7.3 points in 44 games with the Bucks, and 6.9 in 49 games with the Bobcats — but as the years wore on, he saw more and more behind the curtain.
Part 2
Douglas-Roberts grew up in awe of the NBA game, dreaming of one day playing among the world’s best and gobbling up the lifestyle. He long had harbored champagne tastes on a beer budget and used to trade his clothes as a kid, always trying to upgrade his wardrobe in the swaps. The NBA afforded him the money to buy what he wanted — his first purchase was a Mercedes G500 — but once he got in the door, he saw the price. In exchange for his paycheck, he was meant to be a company man. He was not a company man. He flouted his personality and embraced his weirdness, hiking up his shorts when everyone else went baggy, growing out his hair while everyone else shaved their heads. Long before social activism became the norm, he spoke his mind. Following the death of Osama bin Laden, he questioned on Twitter if the cost of the military lives lost had been worth it. He got called into the office for that one, told he was to listen and not speak. He knows he wasn’t blameless. He was young and raw, a little too real for his own good, but it foretold an unease that simmered beneath the surface throughout his career.
By the time the Pelicans released him in 2015, Douglas-Roberts had a more honest view of the NBA. .He realized that the power lay on the other side of the table and that the money he made — he would pocket $3 million over the course of his career — wasn’t freedom; for him, at least, it was a gilded cage. To keep the money coming, he had to dance when they said to dance and leave when they said it was time to leave.
The NBA dream, at least the life-sustaining one he craved, is only achievable for a handful, he’d discovered — LeBron, KD, Steph, the one-name players who achieved a status he’d never attain. Everyone else? Everyone else, including him, was expendable. “As a man, I could not go on that way,’’ he says. “I could not look myself in the mirror anymore knowing someone could tell me I had to go somewhere and I’d have to go. I’m a grown-ass man. How can somebody tell me I need to uproot my family and go to another state, just to maybe play a few days? What if my daughter had a banquet? I can’t parent my kids? It became ridiculous to me.’’
The flip side, of course, is that he had maxed his abilities and was at the point in his career where he’d have to string together one-year deals in the hopes of latching on to a place that suited him. Friends and family suggested that he play out the string or pursue a career overseas. He says he had offers for $250,000 contracts. It was safer. Instead, when the calls came in, he steeled himself against answering them. At just 29, Chris Douglas-Roberts decided his basketball career was over. He also decided Chris Douglas-Roberts was dead.
It started with a nickname during his playing days — Supreme, they called him; Premer for short. He liked it, liked it so much he started referring to himself as Supreme, feeling the name spoke more to his soul than the outside being that CDR carted around. As he pulled away from basketball, the notion of an entirely different person made sense to him. It was more than just shedding CDR; it was about realizing a new identity. Since childhood, he’d been a basketball player. Now that he had decided he no longer was one, who did he want to be?
Supreme knows this is the part of his tale where he will start to lose people, that the conversation will make others uncomfortable and they’ll want to call BS. He even refers to the journey as a rabbit hole. “I don’t give a fukk,’’ he says, his tone casual, not defiant.
So the name and the identity and the persona, if you will, it all started with simple curiosity. During his NBA career, he frequently wondered why he wasn’t identified the same way others were. Dirk Nowitzki, for example, was German. Carlos Delfino was Argentinean. He was an African-American but rather than accept the distinction at face value, he picked it apart. What’s an African-American?
“Those are two continents,’’ he says, adding that Africans identify themselves as Egyptians or Kenyans and so forth. He didn’t get it. The rabbit hole led him across the world and back in history, to a group, the Moorish American Science Temple, that believes all African-Americans are descendants of Moabites, and thereby Moors. The founder, Noble Drew Ali, founded his religion as a way to give black people a sense of true identity and decreed his followers declare their Moorish nationality. It made sense to Supreme, at least more than anything else he discovered. He tagged the name Bey, which many male believers adopt, to complete his nom de guerre. “Once you correct your nationality as a black person, which doesn’t mean anything, you’re dead in the eyes of the law,’’ he says. He now carries a Moorish-American ID card in lieu of a driver’s license, home-schools his children, refuses vaccinations and calls himself a “fruitarian,’’ packing a blender when he travels to make smoothies.
This, he knows, makes him strange, and strange tends to make people uncomfortable. More than a few folks have rolled their eyes at his self-discovery, convinced he’s trying to create something to make himself sound interesting. Keeping in character, he doesn’t care. “We’re taught subtly, ‘Don’t be too outside the fukking box,’’’ he says. “In school especially. You get yourself outside that box and you’re going to get yourself fukking repudiated, not just by the teachers, by the students. I want freedom. I want to be free.’’
That quest for freedom, from the establishment, from the man, from whatever a person might be confined by, made him look harder at not just his beliefs, but who he could be. He discovered he lacked the contentment that many of his peers had. Other ex-athletes were perfectly fine being defined by their sports — what they did (play basketball) equated to who they were (ex-basketball player). They happily cashed in on their athletic prowess, making post-playing careers essentially by being themselves: athlete turned analyst, athlete turned pitchman, athlete turned speaker to give you a talk on what he learned from being an athlete.
By the time the Pelicans released him in 2015, Douglas-Roberts had a more honest view of the NBA. .He realized that the power lay on the other side of the table and that the money he made — he would pocket $3 million over the course of his career — wasn’t freedom; for him, at least, it was a gilded cage. To keep the money coming, he had to dance when they said to dance and leave when they said it was time to leave.
The NBA dream, at least the life-sustaining one he craved, is only achievable for a handful, he’d discovered — LeBron, KD, Steph, the one-name players who achieved a status he’d never attain. Everyone else? Everyone else, including him, was expendable. “As a man, I could not go on that way,’’ he says. “I could not look myself in the mirror anymore knowing someone could tell me I had to go somewhere and I’d have to go. I’m a grown-ass man. How can somebody tell me I need to uproot my family and go to another state, just to maybe play a few days? What if my daughter had a banquet? I can’t parent my kids? It became ridiculous to me.’’
The flip side, of course, is that he had maxed his abilities and was at the point in his career where he’d have to string together one-year deals in the hopes of latching on to a place that suited him. Friends and family suggested that he play out the string or pursue a career overseas. He says he had offers for $250,000 contracts. It was safer. Instead, when the calls came in, he steeled himself against answering them. At just 29, Chris Douglas-Roberts decided his basketball career was over. He also decided Chris Douglas-Roberts was dead.
It started with a nickname during his playing days — Supreme, they called him; Premer for short. He liked it, liked it so much he started referring to himself as Supreme, feeling the name spoke more to his soul than the outside being that CDR carted around. As he pulled away from basketball, the notion of an entirely different person made sense to him. It was more than just shedding CDR; it was about realizing a new identity. Since childhood, he’d been a basketball player. Now that he had decided he no longer was one, who did he want to be?
Supreme knows this is the part of his tale where he will start to lose people, that the conversation will make others uncomfortable and they’ll want to call BS. He even refers to the journey as a rabbit hole. “I don’t give a fukk,’’ he says, his tone casual, not defiant.
So the name and the identity and the persona, if you will, it all started with simple curiosity. During his NBA career, he frequently wondered why he wasn’t identified the same way others were. Dirk Nowitzki, for example, was German. Carlos Delfino was Argentinean. He was an African-American but rather than accept the distinction at face value, he picked it apart. What’s an African-American?
“Those are two continents,’’ he says, adding that Africans identify themselves as Egyptians or Kenyans and so forth. He didn’t get it. The rabbit hole led him across the world and back in history, to a group, the Moorish American Science Temple, that believes all African-Americans are descendants of Moabites, and thereby Moors. The founder, Noble Drew Ali, founded his religion as a way to give black people a sense of true identity and decreed his followers declare their Moorish nationality. It made sense to Supreme, at least more than anything else he discovered. He tagged the name Bey, which many male believers adopt, to complete his nom de guerre. “Once you correct your nationality as a black person, which doesn’t mean anything, you’re dead in the eyes of the law,’’ he says. He now carries a Moorish-American ID card in lieu of a driver’s license, home-schools his children, refuses vaccinations and calls himself a “fruitarian,’’ packing a blender when he travels to make smoothies.
This, he knows, makes him strange, and strange tends to make people uncomfortable. More than a few folks have rolled their eyes at his self-discovery, convinced he’s trying to create something to make himself sound interesting. Keeping in character, he doesn’t care. “We’re taught subtly, ‘Don’t be too outside the fukking box,’’’ he says. “In school especially. You get yourself outside that box and you’re going to get yourself fukking repudiated, not just by the teachers, by the students. I want freedom. I want to be free.’’
That quest for freedom, from the establishment, from the man, from whatever a person might be confined by, made him look harder at not just his beliefs, but who he could be. He discovered he lacked the contentment that many of his peers had. Other ex-athletes were perfectly fine being defined by their sports — what they did (play basketball) equated to who they were (ex-basketball player). They happily cashed in on their athletic prowess, making post-playing careers essentially by being themselves: athlete turned analyst, athlete turned pitchman, athlete turned speaker to give you a talk on what he learned from being an athlete.
Part 3
But here he sat, Supreme Bey. CDR was dead. He’d buried him, hung up the sneakers and tucked the basketball in the garage, only to be touched if his son asked for a game. He didn’t want to be a basketball player anymore, or even a former one. The whole ex-athlete thing? It smelled to him like some washed-up high school dude riding the glory days at the reunion. The whole point of walking away was to let go, not hang on. Plus, he was pretty sure just being the athlete once known as Chris Douglas-Roberts wasn’t going to support him in the lifestyle to which he aspired. “I’m striving for $1 billion,’’ he says, adding that he’s a Capricorn. And Capricorns, according to the great source, Cosmopolitan magazine, are ambitious, persistent and like their money. “I”m here to acquire wealth.’’
This is where it gets tricky, where the BS bubbles a bit as you try to wrap your arms around exactly what it is Supreme is doing to acquire the wealth — “generational wealth.” Asked what he would say his title is, he rolls up on the sofa and laughs. “I’m like a special agent,’’ he says. “I don’t have a title. I don’t know what the fukk I am.’’ Eventually, he settles on entrepreneur, explaining that he has his own streetwear company, DCTG Sportswear, and serves as president of the Raven Collection, the eponymous clothing line belonging to his wife. He notes how he helped a model secure her first agency deal through his DCTG management company, that he has launched a foundation, CDRSupremeDream.org, and that he hopes next to delve into athlete representation.
Now here are the particulars. DCTG Sportswear is a trademarked brand, and you can buy the clothes online. Supreme says he has factories in Pakistan and China to mass-produce the apparel. He likes to keep supply low in order to ratchet up demand, but he also is the first to say that this is mostly a hobby. Raven, who played at Memphis, sketches her designs but is also just getting her line off the ground. The model, Mason, did sign a deal with APM, a boutique agency in New York, and Supreme did negotiate the contract. But Mason is not, technically, a supermodel. His foundation will focus on families in need in Memphis, but he’s only just returned there to get that started. As for the sports agency, he has eyes on a few players he’d love to represent. They just don’t know it yet.
Just how Supreme gets by on a day-to-day basis is a bit unclear. He admits he is not awash in cash, that he has used his savvy communication skills to talk his way out of due dates on bills and has encountered months where he’s wondered exactly where the money will come from. Yet he is entirely unconcerned about any of this. In fact, he is invigorated by it all. “Ain’t nothing to be ashamed of if you can’t pay your bills,’’ he says. “You’re the bravest person in the world still because you made the decision to chase your fukking dream. I don’t care what anybody says. They fake comfortable. I’m doing something I love. You’re doing something just to get by.’’ He has studied self-made businesspeople — everyone from Jay-Z to Ralph Lauren to Warren Buffett — and is a regular reader of Business Insider. He believes that failure is part of the path to success. Besides, he’s in no hurry. He doesn’t need to make a million tomorrow or the next day. His is a long-term play.
He is most jazzed up about the possibility of being a sports agent. Admittedly, he relishes the idea of sitting across from the same people who moved the chess pieces of his life and grinning a diamond-encrusted “How do you like me now?” He also believes he can help. Which, believe it or not, brings us back to the real shyt, because he may not be wrong. For starters, he is a former player who has both the ability and the clout to assess on-court play. Discussing a player he’d like to sign (he declines to divulge the name), he talks about his work on the pick-and-roll, his need to rebound better, how he hedges out too often and how his body language can be all wrong, small points that could affect his bottom line. Would a traditional agent see that? Maybe, but most likely not.
But it is the after-basketball life, maybe, where his unconventionality and his refusal to trust the status quo might be most beneficial. The NBA will produce more Chris Douglas-Robertses than LeBron Jameses, guys who think their futures are set on draft day but realize too late they’re decades shy. He remembers his own circumstance. Assigned a financial team to manage his money, he quickly learned that meant they paid his bills, invested his money and gave him a monthly stipend. Others might be grateful for the assist. He was appalled. “You’re an adult and you’re getting an allowance,’’ he says. “It’s meant to keep you outside the room. Then when all is said and done and you can’t pay the financial adviser anymore, now you’re alone and you have no idea what’s been happening with your finances. Blind trust, that’s the athlete way.’’ Instead, Supreme set up text alerts to his phone, notified on transactions down to the last $10. He eventually fired everyone — his agent, his financial team, all of them.
And although he didn’t know what his post-playing plan would be, he always intended to have one. He had read where Magic Johnson contemplated his life after basketball. The notion that one of the greatest players of all time wasn’t going to get by on just being Magic startled him into action. He started reading about Buffett and Lauren then, recognizing quickly that no matter how long his career lasted, he’d still be a relatively young man when it was over. He would need something else. He also knows not many people think like him, looking around the league at not just the cautionary tales of players gone bankrupt but the ones who simply have lost their way. “My peers, they look so old. Bellies poking out, hair gone,’’ he says. “Yo, it’s a real thing. Damn. You used to have a Nike commercial and now nobody cares where you at. Basketball is something we’re comfortable doing. We can do that in our sleep. That’s why we fail after, and not only that financial failure but your whole life. You’re not sexy no more. You just lose it. You lose that zest for life. We gotta really look at sports and what we’re doing to people’s lives.’’
There is, of course, no guarantee that this will work out — any of it. Odds are, in fact, it won’t. Plenty of people dream of being Jay-Z. It would have been easier to ride the wave, to play out a string of contracts overseas, invest the money and then stretch it as far as it could go. Supreme knows this. But if you believe him, if you believe he made a choice, the risk makes sense. This is clearly a man who needs to color outside the lines. Yet for his entire life, he’s been stuck inside a 94-x-50 box.
Is he bullshyt? There are enough details missing to color anyone skeptical. But as the sun sets and Supreme is asked what he’ll do tomorrow, he exhales. He plans to wake up and make himself a smoothie, smoke a joint and take a stroll on the beach. Somewhere else in Los Angeles a basketball team will gather for a shootaround and later, a game. There will be guys who will sit on the bench panicking about their futures. Supreme will look out across the Pacific at the vacant possibility of his own. “All I know is tomorrow is my fukking day,’’ he says. “And no one else’s.’’
And that’s some real shyt.
This is where it gets tricky, where the BS bubbles a bit as you try to wrap your arms around exactly what it is Supreme is doing to acquire the wealth — “generational wealth.” Asked what he would say his title is, he rolls up on the sofa and laughs. “I’m like a special agent,’’ he says. “I don’t have a title. I don’t know what the fukk I am.’’ Eventually, he settles on entrepreneur, explaining that he has his own streetwear company, DCTG Sportswear, and serves as president of the Raven Collection, the eponymous clothing line belonging to his wife. He notes how he helped a model secure her first agency deal through his DCTG management company, that he has launched a foundation, CDRSupremeDream.org, and that he hopes next to delve into athlete representation.
Now here are the particulars. DCTG Sportswear is a trademarked brand, and you can buy the clothes online. Supreme says he has factories in Pakistan and China to mass-produce the apparel. He likes to keep supply low in order to ratchet up demand, but he also is the first to say that this is mostly a hobby. Raven, who played at Memphis, sketches her designs but is also just getting her line off the ground. The model, Mason, did sign a deal with APM, a boutique agency in New York, and Supreme did negotiate the contract. But Mason is not, technically, a supermodel. His foundation will focus on families in need in Memphis, but he’s only just returned there to get that started. As for the sports agency, he has eyes on a few players he’d love to represent. They just don’t know it yet.
Just how Supreme gets by on a day-to-day basis is a bit unclear. He admits he is not awash in cash, that he has used his savvy communication skills to talk his way out of due dates on bills and has encountered months where he’s wondered exactly where the money will come from. Yet he is entirely unconcerned about any of this. In fact, he is invigorated by it all. “Ain’t nothing to be ashamed of if you can’t pay your bills,’’ he says. “You’re the bravest person in the world still because you made the decision to chase your fukking dream. I don’t care what anybody says. They fake comfortable. I’m doing something I love. You’re doing something just to get by.’’ He has studied self-made businesspeople — everyone from Jay-Z to Ralph Lauren to Warren Buffett — and is a regular reader of Business Insider. He believes that failure is part of the path to success. Besides, he’s in no hurry. He doesn’t need to make a million tomorrow or the next day. His is a long-term play.
He is most jazzed up about the possibility of being a sports agent. Admittedly, he relishes the idea of sitting across from the same people who moved the chess pieces of his life and grinning a diamond-encrusted “How do you like me now?” He also believes he can help. Which, believe it or not, brings us back to the real shyt, because he may not be wrong. For starters, he is a former player who has both the ability and the clout to assess on-court play. Discussing a player he’d like to sign (he declines to divulge the name), he talks about his work on the pick-and-roll, his need to rebound better, how he hedges out too often and how his body language can be all wrong, small points that could affect his bottom line. Would a traditional agent see that? Maybe, but most likely not.
But it is the after-basketball life, maybe, where his unconventionality and his refusal to trust the status quo might be most beneficial. The NBA will produce more Chris Douglas-Robertses than LeBron Jameses, guys who think their futures are set on draft day but realize too late they’re decades shy. He remembers his own circumstance. Assigned a financial team to manage his money, he quickly learned that meant they paid his bills, invested his money and gave him a monthly stipend. Others might be grateful for the assist. He was appalled. “You’re an adult and you’re getting an allowance,’’ he says. “It’s meant to keep you outside the room. Then when all is said and done and you can’t pay the financial adviser anymore, now you’re alone and you have no idea what’s been happening with your finances. Blind trust, that’s the athlete way.’’ Instead, Supreme set up text alerts to his phone, notified on transactions down to the last $10. He eventually fired everyone — his agent, his financial team, all of them.
And although he didn’t know what his post-playing plan would be, he always intended to have one. He had read where Magic Johnson contemplated his life after basketball. The notion that one of the greatest players of all time wasn’t going to get by on just being Magic startled him into action. He started reading about Buffett and Lauren then, recognizing quickly that no matter how long his career lasted, he’d still be a relatively young man when it was over. He would need something else. He also knows not many people think like him, looking around the league at not just the cautionary tales of players gone bankrupt but the ones who simply have lost their way. “My peers, they look so old. Bellies poking out, hair gone,’’ he says. “Yo, it’s a real thing. Damn. You used to have a Nike commercial and now nobody cares where you at. Basketball is something we’re comfortable doing. We can do that in our sleep. That’s why we fail after, and not only that financial failure but your whole life. You’re not sexy no more. You just lose it. You lose that zest for life. We gotta really look at sports and what we’re doing to people’s lives.’’
There is, of course, no guarantee that this will work out — any of it. Odds are, in fact, it won’t. Plenty of people dream of being Jay-Z. It would have been easier to ride the wave, to play out a string of contracts overseas, invest the money and then stretch it as far as it could go. Supreme knows this. But if you believe him, if you believe he made a choice, the risk makes sense. This is clearly a man who needs to color outside the lines. Yet for his entire life, he’s been stuck inside a 94-x-50 box.
Is he bullshyt? There are enough details missing to color anyone skeptical. But as the sun sets and Supreme is asked what he’ll do tomorrow, he exhales. He plans to wake up and make himself a smoothie, smoke a joint and take a stroll on the beach. Somewhere else in Los Angeles a basketball team will gather for a shootaround and later, a game. There will be guys who will sit on the bench panicking about their futures. Supreme will look out across the Pacific at the vacant possibility of his own. “All I know is tomorrow is my fukking day,’’ he says. “And no one else’s.’’
And that’s some real shyt.