![]() Interior bigs aren't valued as they once were, but a rim-running, glass-cleaning, shot-blocking center can still be an impact player. His handle and creation will ultimately set his ceiling, but there's a non-zero chance he takes a Paul George-type path to stardom. Since LaMelo Ball is out of the running as a past All-Star selection, the 6'9" Miller is the obvious choice. If they don't, he's probably a three-and-D role player who's more three than D.Ĭharlotte's decision to draft Miller over Scoot Henderson could be debated for years to come, but Miller's prominent placement here won't be. If the explosiveness and shot-creation from his high school days ever returns, he could be a great asset. Whitehead's one-and-done run at Duke was book-ended by foot surgeries, which makes it tricky to gauge his potential. He noticeably lacks offensive polish, but throw on some optimistic frames, and you can see the outline of a stretch big who protects the paint and switches onto perimeter players. It's tough to say what he brings beyond volume scoring, but that single skill is special enough to slot him here.Ĭlowney might be on the longer end of the league's long-term projects, but that's fine for someone who was still 18 at the time of the draft. While a career can't be made in a span of three outings, his trio of consecutive 40-plus-point performances rank high up the list of last season's most eye-popping accomplishments. The 21-year-old Thomas boasts knockout power in his scoring punch. He's a fun watch in the open floor, but when things slow down, his limitations as a shooter and scorer are hard to hide. But it just isn't clear he has enough offensive juice to cut it. He has been a good shooter to date (career 40 percent from deep), but he might need to demonstrate another strong skill to guarantee himself regular minutes.īanton theoretically intrigues as a 6'9" point guard with significant versatility on defense. Pritchard's minutes have trended down each of the past two seasons, and while Boston's backcourt congestion is mostly to blame, he's also easy to target on defense given his lack of size. His offensive outlook is incredible murky-and will stay that way as long as he remains without a jumper-but his defense could be special. He is a rookie second-rounder, so the chances of his becoming more than a rotational reserve aren't great, but his motor is elite, and his athleticism is electric. Walsh's placement here is due partly to his potential and more to Boston's lack of long-term prospects. He is a knockdown shooter from distance-he shot 39 percent from range as a rookie-and he can zip around close-outs then finish in myriad ways off the bounce. Kobe Bufkin and Saddiq Bey have arguments for this spot, but Griffin arguably offers the best blend of floor and ceiling. Johnson is an explosive athlete with intriguing off-the-dribble abilities for a 6'9", 220-pounder. Johnson needs to accelerate his development to justify this ranking, but I'm comfortable betting on his tools and talent, especially with power forward minutes readily available after the John Collins deal. This past season, he tallied the 10th-most blocks (107) and sixth-best field-goal percentage (63.8). He is immensely switchable on defense and reliable around the rim. ![]() Save for an outside jumper, Okongwu has just about everything you'd want in a modern big. Opportunity seems to be the only thing standing in the way of a full-fledged breakout for Okongwu, and it might be knocking soon with Clint Capela on the trade block. Having an elevated floor can be helpful, but not if it leaves limited room for future growth.Īll good on the particulars? Great, let's get to the rankings, then. Having a sky-high ceiling doesn't help much if a player has almost zero chance to ever approach it. To be considered for this exercise, players must be 25 or under, have no more than three seasons of NBA experience and can't have made an All-Star roster yet (since that effectively graduates them from prospect status to full-fledged stardom).Īlso, these rankings attempt to account for both potential and the possibility of it actually being realized. Some have legitimate building blocks, others have only long-shot contributors, but youth exists on every roster.Īnd it's all going under the spotlight here in this ranking of each team's top three prospects. What's even better is that every team in the Association has young talent-at least to a certain extent. But basketball's future stars might be the most exciting of any, since their potential is unrealized and, in theory at least, could expand any number of directions going forward. The present ones provide us with entertainment on a nightly basis. Those past hoopers give us the warmth and comfort of nostalgia. The NBA galaxy is illuminated with stars of the past, present and future. ![]()
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