Here are some guys projected to go in the lottery that I've been scouting all year, but mostly just in the last 24 hours. This list includes 2 guys I would take over Paolo and one guy I think should be about 20 spots lower than his projection.
Jaden Ivey - After losing to a 15 seed in the sweet 16 this year, I was ready to write off Mr. Ivey. But damn, that first step is lethal! SHADES of D Wade in the Marquette days. Got a lot better from his freshman to soph year. Oozing upside here and I think we are scratching the surface. I think it’s going to take him 3-4 years before we see how good he is going to be. If he does end up in Sacramento, I hope he forces his way out, because that is the absolute worst situation for him. He’s an elite athlete that needs to learn good habits from a good organization. His rating has a range man. We gotta get this guy out of Sac town. Has All-star potench. I like him to figure things out anyway. That shot form isn’t the prettiest, but not unsalvageable. Would def take him over Paolo. Rating 86
Keegan Murray - Almost fell asleep watching his scouting report. Eh, he’s fine. Doesn’t have top-5 upside, but could be a solid rotation piece. If I were picking 5, I would be swinging for a prospect with more potential. I’m not really sure why he’s slotted in at 5 to be honest. The guy is old enough to buy beer, of course he looks good. Give me one of those young boyyyyys with some sizzle over the next Otto Porter. Rating 76.
Benedict Mathurin - I had not heard of this guy until last week. The first thing I notice about him is how freaking high he jumps, even on his 3 point shot! Reminds me a bit of JR Smith, not quite as explosive. He’s a fun offensive guy to plug into a rotation, but a total cone on D. At this point of the draft, I don’t mind taking a guy like this in the top 10. Has a pretty good ceiling, great arms, clearly keeping his bod pretty tight, and enough potential that he could be your 4th or 5th guy on a contender if his defense gets up to a passable level. I think he’s going to have a sideways S-shaped trajectory, fast starter, then hit a wall and maybe make it out the other side better and more reliable in year 3 or 4. Rating 75
Dyson Daniels - Love the kangaroos. His father was a former Aussie pro and his cousin Skyler is a 2k legend so obviously I’m a BIG fan of this kid. Players that get after it on the defensive end are exciting because a big part of being a great defender is having passion and fire. I usually try to pick different comps than the ones being thrown around, but the Lonzo comp is a pretty good one. Both have dynamic court vision and size for the PG position and can defend, but maybe not shoot the best. Dyson is far from a finished product. HIs athleticism isn’t the best, but he’s a crafty player who I think can be a very solid 6th or 7th man. If he gets that 3 going to 37%, he can be a 3rd man on a contender. 78
Shaedon Sharpe - I’m going into this not liking this guy at all. In a recent interview, he said “I see myself being one of the greatest players to ever play the game of basketball.” And yet he was too much of a coward to actually play against college kids. Now, the buzz is he is doing terribly in interviews. Sure, he has a lot of upside and can jump real high, but these high level athlete, low character guys are a dime a dozen. BUST
AJ Griffin - AWFUL name, but I’ll give him a pass since he is Adrian Griffin’s kid. There is a lot to like with this kid. Has an NBA ready body, might be the best shooter in the draft, and a high basketball IQ. Apparently had some injuries in high school that he was still coming back from during his Freshie season. Watching some old clips of him dunking and his head gets to the rim! I think he is flying under the radar, like Tom Cruise in Top Gun 2, due to the injury. Looks like a top-5 pick to me and a guy that can elevate as high as 3rd best player on a contender. Rating 84
