By Avi Tyagi
Tier 1: HIM
Tier 2: Intriguing, Expected High-Level Contributors
- Dylan Harper https://notradeclause.com/dylan-harper-scouting-report/
- V.J. Edgecombe https://notradeclause.com/v-j-edgecombe-scouting-report/
Tier 3: The Faint Outlines of Something Special
Tier 4: Intriguing but flawed
Tier 5: Developing High-Upside/Lower-Floor Talents
- Jase Richardson https://notradeclause.com/jase-richardson-scouting-report/
- Noa Essengue https://notradeclause.com/noa-essengue-scouting-report/
- Ace Bailey https://notradeclause.com/ace-bailey-scouting-report/
Tier 6: Immediate Members of a Rotation
- Carter Bryant https://notradeclause.com/carter-bryant-scouting-report/
- Walter Clayton Jr. https://notradeclause.com/walter-clayton-scouting-report/
11. Egor Demin [Comp: Amalgam of Lonzo Ball, Dylan Harper, and Reggie Jackson, but not quite the shot creator any of them are, similar to Josh Giddey. Common Trend unfurling with the rest of this board. Barrier to entry for lead ball handlers in the NBA is very high. Egor is one of the best passers in class, and decent defensively. How far can that get you if you’re not a plus athlete or driver and are miles away from any pull-up game development]
12. Kasparas Jakucionis [Comp: Garrison Mathews defensively, young Quentin Grimes on offense. Not a good defender, excellent passer with either hand. Struggles vs ball pressure to generate accurate shots. Closer to pull-up shot creation than Egor. Shot 20-71(C+S 3s), 34-91(Otd 3s). Not a reliable pull-up shot creator. Subpar defense for the position.]
13. Jeremiah Fears [Comp: Collin Sexton and Scotty Pippen Jr. amalgam, more like Scotty on defense and Collin on offense. Very poor shooting performance at NBA combine, generally inefficient player at this point. Not a great passer either. Primary skill is advantage creation. Can sustain high usages due to first step burst and ability to carve through defenses for shots. Rookie guards just normally can’t generate 180+ rim attempts in their freshman collegiate seasons. Fears did. Defensively, offers good swiping skills and defensive playmaking, even if I wouldn’t characterize him as a plus at the position.]
Tier 7: Good role players
14. Cedric Coward [Comp: Kris Murray defensively, more-athletic-Vince Williams/Dylan Windler on offense. Hurt for most of the season, but flashes signals of truly breaking out. Would have transferred to Duke if not for his extraordinary combine performance. Excellent 3-point jumper. Movement potential. Off the catch, wonderful. Strong indicators as a 3-point shooter from his free throw percentage as well. Used to be a somewhat poor passer for his position but displayed more in his 6 games this season. Samples are small, and it’s possible the shot creation is too limited for him to have a starting NBA role. However, if you bring the profile of an uber-athletic small forward who might be a top-10 catch and shoot option in this class, while being a solid 3&D defender, that’s already a great starting point for teams to work with.]
15. Nique Clifford [Comp: Johnny Davis defensively, bigger Ryan Rollins on offense. Loves step backs and pull-ups from the left wing. Not a frequent pull-up or stepback shot creator though. Solid jump shooter, but doesn’t generate a lot of separation. Hustles for boards, despite being built like a smaller wing. Acceptable defender, if not great. Can create shots at rim and in mid-range, just might not be able to translate to the league. Smooth player, but not silky smooth enough to always find clean angles and routes to the rim. Some of the contact finishes will be much harder at the next level. Positive 3 and D role player (not as exceptional on defense but can attack a defense with his handle).]
Tier 8: Potentially good role players
16. Collin Murray-Boyles [Comp: Al-Farouq Aminu on defense, Kyle Filipowski on offense with Thomas Sorber’s athleticism and jumper. Can’t shoot, does everything else well. Grabs boards well for position, Reads floor well on both sides of the ball, lefty with a right hand who only loves finishing with his left. Uses strength and spins, moves that will become less effective for him in the league against NBA bigs. Offense becomes a problem at next level if that’s your game as a forward]
17. Thomas Sorber [Comp: Jarace Walker on defense, Jalen Slawson/Greg Monroe on offense. Switch potential. Size and wingspan of a small-ball center. Good shot blocking numbers for the position. Offensively limited to simply being a finisher. Even with the size, it is tough to exist as a small-ball finisher with almost no self-creation experience unless you’re a true center. Decent rebounder and gets to line, but is a developmental small-ball 5 at the moment. ]
18. Khaman Malauch [Comp: Similar tier as Edey’s projection to the league but better profile as slinkier lob threat, less mobile Mark Williams without passing range. Good defender, not great. Can get moved on glass. Sets Gortat screens well. Lacks the hands and ball skills to be a true top-10 pick at a high-floor position like center.]
Tier 9: Wild Cards
19. Derik Queen [Comp: Big Bob Portis on defense, Julius Randle on offense with Karl’s drive game. A man without a position. He’s missing the offensive upside creation of a true 4 and had a dispiritingly poor combine performance on top of it. Good distributor for a center, but that’s not enough. Hard to see such a within-the-arc scorer who can’t play center find a role very easily as a starter. Good shot creating center, but not particularly efficient due to some of the limitations. Harder for Queen to slalom through defenders with ease and then elevate. Natural ball handler for the position though. Not an exceptional passer, but good enough for the position. Will probably have to be a 4 in the league because he can’t provide shot blocking at center level.]
20. Rasheer Fleming [Comp: Hard to find a really comparable, but mix of Keegan Murray and David Roddy potential finishing profile, but with Joel Ajayi shot creation. Right hand dominant as a dribbler. Keeps plays moving as a passer, capable 3-point shooter. Good finisher at rim but not particularly notable as a vertical lob option for the NBA level. Defends like a center without the high-level shot blocking potential, built like a power forward. Stoops over often defensively. Makes him easier to drive by]
21. Asa Newell [Comp: Naz Reid on defense, Marquese Chriss on offense. Man without a position. Good touch around the rim, brings a vertical element as a finisher. Excellent touch as a finisher with his left hand. Very dependent with his left hand as a finisher. Loves spinning off the right shoulder for a left hand hook shot. Free throw indicators, combine shooting, and general touch heralds potential for future shooting capability. Not a massive rebounder, might be man out of position defensively. A big at heart, might have to be a full-time 4. Great movement skills too. Displays potential touch and vision for distributing to cutters too. Asa has potential, he might just have to adapt to a new role over time in the league. ]
22. Noah Penda [Big Wing, good team defender, hitch in the shot, no real shot creation, keeps offense humming, not the athletic so rim finishing ability limited, combine agility not great either]
23. John Tonje [Very Physical Athlete, built like a DB. Accentuates contact to draw fouls. Full speed movement shooter, going left or right. Loves a nasty right to left BTB snatch-back for a step back. Will bash through smaller players and search for a solution after contact is initiated. Excellent trailer shooter but is often the first to run and loves adding some vertical oomph in transition. Wants to attack with his right hand.
Half Court: Comfortable pull-up 3 point shooter in . Physical once he gets positioning in the post or a runway to the paint. Even as a freshman, Tonje had a 40% free throw rate. Last two seasons, he’s at 58%.
Defense: Footwork needs improvement, not really a defensive playmaker despite being a 6th year senior. Choppy feet and very reactive, not a threat to a ball handler’s pocket either. Makes him easier to break down for paint touches with a little bit of space. Not much of a force on the glass either. Profiles long term as a quality bench spacer, who might be able to contribute immediately because the shot is so pro-ready. Will require a somewhat patient coach to help him adjust. There’s a big difference between being able to use physicality when you’re one of the best athletes on the court and several years older than most of your fresh-faced competition versus playing in the NBA. His physical style might not translate immediately and the movement shooting is the factor by which he’ll earn his keep.
24. Adou Thiero [Dunks and defense. Defensive chao machine. Roams more than he should defensively and ball watches to a degree. Makes him liable to gamble defensively and get caught. Cutters can get by him and screen navigation mistakes can generate open shots. That being said, as a wing, Thiero should not be tested in isolation. Always ready to swipe for steals, plays with a strong frame, can absorb contact without folding or giving up too much ground. Offensively limited but jumper isn’t hapless. Solid starting point to work with. Could become an average 3-point shooter at some point down the line. Clearly a wing player,the hope would be he becomes an offensively playable defensive wing who can pick and choose moments to roam and consistently knock down corner 3s.]
25. Maxime Raynaud [Comp: Quinten Post, better athletically on boards and at rim. Flashes good moments as a distribution hub (even if not often used as one). At same time, not the same spacing profile, questions about defensive value as a shot blocker]
