Note that this entire article is theoretical, and is only to play devil’s advocate. I don’t necessarily agree with all of these ideas.
Lamelo Ball
While yes I do love Lamelo, his shot selection and low shot IQ make me just hate him sometimes. He is an inconsistent shooter from deep and that can’t translate well into the NBA. I’m sorry Ball family fans, but that stuff will not pass in the league. He needs to work on his shot IQ, or it won’t be long before he goes down as one of the biggest busts in NBA history
Deni Avdija
Deni may be able to pass as a solid 3 and D player in the NBA but that is with a bit of work. In Israel Deni looked great but Israeli basketball is much faster paced and has very little dribbling. Why does this matter? The NBA relies on isolation ball. However, Deni showed overseas that he has a weak dribble, and that won’t get you anywhere as an NBA player.
James Wiseman
Wiseman seemed to be like a perfect all around prospect for any NBA team. He is dominant on both sides of the post and has a well rounded three point shot. The issue? We can’t consider any of those a fact. Wiseman has only played 3 games outside of high school, and he hasn’t played the most minuets in any of those games. So Wiseman could look good on a scouting report, but it won’t tell the full story. Is a team willing to risk that with a high pick?
Anthony Edwards
In his single season at Georgia, Edwards put together a highlight real of plays. Threes, dunks and steals are all in the package of Anthony’s game. But what the reel wouldn’t show, is his laziness. Edwards shot bad shots and was slow in transition time and time again. I like his well rounded game but I question if he will be able to keep up with NBA players on both sides of the ball.
Cole Anthony
Cole showed us lots of promise at UNC, but he was unable to translate his personal success into team success. If a team needs a PG but he is the best available, will they pass on him due to his inability to win games? They should. Cold should slip to the late lottery and beyond, because he cannot be the number one scoring option on a championship team.
Killian Hayes
The Frenchman did show some promise while playing overseas, but there is one thing that will remain an issue through his entire career. His height. Hayes was only listed at 6”3. As a player who’s skill set makes him primarily a SG, his bad defense will make it a big issue for him to succeed in the NBA.
Obi Toppin
Toppin proved that he could be an offensive threat at the 4 in college, at a small school like Dayton, this means very little. Scoring 20 points per game is good and all, but in a tier 3 college, these performances should mean nothing at all towards his draft stock.