It seemed unlikely, as recently as a year ago, that the youngest Ball brother (LaMelo) would be selected higher in this draft than the oldest Ball brother (Lonzo) was selected three drafts ago — but here we are. The 6-6 point guard, who is still only 18 years-old, has developed into an incredible playmaker and passer who faired well playing professionally in Australia this past season. Some will choose to focus on his perceived negatives and low shooting percentages. But when you focus on what he can do, and how rare it is for somebody his age to do the things he can do, Ball becomes a legitimate option to be the first player picked in this draft.
Round 1 – Pick 2
Obi Toppin PF
Dayton • Soph • 6’9″ / 220 lbs
Projected Team
Cleveland
PROSPECT RNK
8th
POSITION RNK
1st
PPG
20.0
RPG
7.5
APG
2.2
3P%
39%
Nobody helped himself more this season than Toppin. The former zero-star recruit turned CBS Sports National Player of the Year averaged 20.0 points and 7.5 rebounds while shooting 63.3% from the field and 39.0% from 3-point range. He’s a super-athletic forward who dunks everything and reliably makes jumpers in pick-and-pop situations. That he’s already 22 years old is something that must be considered. But it shouldn’t matter as much as the idea that Toppin has a chance to be the most impactful player selected in this draft.
Round 1 – Pick 3
Anthony Edwards SG
Georgia • Fr • 6’5″ / 225 lbs
Projected Team
Detroit
PROSPECT RNK
2nd
POSITION RNK
1st
PPG
19.1
RPG
5.2
APG
2.8
3P%
29.4%
Edwards is a big, strong and athletic guard who is one of at least four players who could reasonably be selected first overall. The 6-5 freshman averaged 19.1 points and 5.2 rebounds in his one season at Georgia — but only shot 40.2% from the field and 29.4% from 3-point range. So he was really good but hardly great. And though I clearly see the same potential for stardom that everybody else sees with Edwards, I simply think Ball and Toppin will have better NBA careers.
Round 1 – Pick 4
James Wiseman C
Memphis • Fr • 7’1″ / 240 lbs
Projected Team
Minnesota
PROSPECT RNK
6th
POSITION RNK
2nd
PPG
19.7
RPG
10.7
APG
0.3
3P%
0%
Wiseman’s decision to quit on Memphis midseason raised eyebrows with some NBA executives — but his natural ability is so overwhelming that he can’t possibly slip too far in a draft this devoid of high-end talent. Obviously, this is the worst time in the history of professional basketball to be a center and only a center because the position has never been less valued. But it’s still hard to imagine a physical specimen like Wiseman going any lower, or at least much lower, than fourth or fifth in this draft.
Round 1 – Pick 5
Deni Avdija SF
Israel • 6’9″ / 215 lbs
Projected Team
Atlanta
PROSPECT RNK
7th
POSITION RNK
2nd
Avdija should be the first non-American international prospect to come off the board. He’s a former Most Valuable Player of the FIBA Under-20 European Championships who is now a rotation player for Maccabi Tel Aviv. The 19 year-old Israeli performed well in games leading up to the season being suspended. At 6-9, he’s tall enough to play power forward and skilled enough to play on the wing. His shooting has improved. So, according to most evaluators, Avdija now projects as a likely top-five pick.
Round 1 – Pick 6
Cole Anthony G
North Carolina • Fr • 6’3″ / 190 lbs
Projected Team
New York
PROSPECT RNK
9th
POSITION RNK
3rd
PPG
18.5
RPG
5.7
APG
4.0
3P%
34.8%
Anthony’s in-season knee surgery that limited him to just 22 games is the biggest reason — not the only reason, but definitely the biggest reason — the Tar Heels’ season spiraled. Remember, they were 6-3 with a win over the eventual Pac-12 champion (Oregon) before Anthony got hurt — but were never the same afterward. The 6-3 point guard’s shooting numbers as a freshman leave something to be desired, but he took so many tough shots, sometimes out of necessity, that it’s hard to know exactly what to make of them. Either way, Anthony probably isn’t a real option at No. 1 like he was once believed to be. But a spot in the top half of the lottery is still attainable.
Round 1 – Pick 7
Onyeka Okongwu F
Southern California • Fr • 6’9″ / 245 lbs
Projected Team
Chicago
PROSPECT RNK
5th
POSITION RNK
1st
PPG
16.2
RPG
8.6
APG
1.1
3P%
25%
Okongwu mostly operated off of the national radar this season because he played for an unranked team on the West Coast. But he was fantastic — averaging 16.2 points and 8.6 rebounds while shooting 61.6% from the field. He’s the main reason USC won 16 of its first 20 games and would’ve been in the NCAA Tournament. Is he an undersized big? Yes, probably. But the NBA is now littered with undersized bigs. So even though he wasn’t thought of this way coming out of high school, it’s now reasonable to call Okongwu the second best big prospect in the draft.
Round 1 – Pick 8
Tyrese Haliburton PG
Iowa State • Soph • 6’5″ / 175 lbs
Projected Team
Washington
PROSPECT RNK
11th
POSITION RNK
4th
PPG
15.2
RPG
5.9
APG
6.5
3P%
41.9%
Halburton, like Toppin, is an example of a mostly unheralded high school prospect who became a statistical monster in college. The 6-5 sophomore averaged 15.2 points, 6.5 assists and 5.9 rebounds while shooting 50.4% from the field and 41.9% from 3-point range before suffering a season-ending injury in early February. So he’s a lead guard with size who consistently makes shots. And there’s not a team in the NBA that couldn’t use a player who fits that description.
Round 1 – Pick 9
Killian Hayes PG
France • 6’5″ / 192 lbs
Projected Team
Charlotte
PROSPECT RNK
3rd
POSITION RNK
2nd
Hayes is an American-born lead guard who was raised in France and spent this season playing professionally in Germany. The 18 year-old shared Most Valuable Player honors in the 2017 Jordan Brand Classic international game and was averaging 12.0 points and 5.6 assists for a German team before the season was suspended. Hayes is better inside of the arc than he is outside of the arc, which is one way to say his 3-point shot must improve. But he already does enough things well enough to make him worthy of a lottery pick.
Round 1 – Pick 10
Isaac Okoro SF
Auburn • Fr • 6’6″ / 225 lbs
Projected Team
Phoenix
PROSPECT RNK
4th
POSITION RNK
1st
PPG
12.8
RPG
4.4
APG
2.0
3P%
28.6%
Okoro was merely a borderline top-40 prospect coming out of high school but quickly emerged as one of college basketball’s best freshmen. He averaged 12.9 points and 4.4 rebounds for an Auburn team that started 15-0 and finished 24-4 with Okoro in the lineup. His athleticism and ability to shutdown opposing wings thanks to unusually great defensive instincts for an 18 year-old are his best attributes. A franchise looking for a high-upside player who impacts winning should make him a top-10 pick.
