The Best NBA Prospects in College Basketball This Year
We finally get some regular season basketball on the TV tonight with the NBA season getting underway. So with LeBron getting ready to defend his title against a SuperTeam like the Knicks, I figure we should take a look ahead with the 2017 NBA Draft and who the best prospects in college basketball are.
This class should be much deeper and more talented than last year’s and that includes a knee injury to a guy who was once considered a lock for the No. 1 picks. So Celtics fans can start paying attention because the Nets are going to be brutal and you’ll have a chance to lock in another franchise player through the draft. Anyways, here are the 10 best NBA prospects in college basketball this season.
1) Markelle Fultz – Washington, Freshman, 6’4” 185lbs
NBA Comparison: D’Angelo Russell
Perhaps no one has had a better two years of basketball than Markelle Fultz. The freshman is in the conversation for the No. 1 overall pick just two years after playing JV basketball at DeMatha High School in the Washington D.C. area. Fultz is a 6’4” combo guard that is incredibly athletic. While he’s absolutely wired to score he does a good job of getting his teammates involved. He has strong court vision and should see a ton of time at the point guard spot this year at Washington, which should only help with that. He’s a streaky shooter but at the same time has the ability to make tough shots because of his ability to elevate on jumpers and confidence that he can make any shot. He’s in the conversation for National Player of the Year and should put up monster numbers on a Washington team that is lacking a ton of talent. There won’t be as much pressure on him as Ben Simmons, but it wouldn’t shock anyone if he misses the NCAA Tournament and still goes No. 1 overall.
2) Josh Jackson – Kansas, Freshman, 6’8” 203 lbs
NBA Comparison: Andrew Wiggins
The comparison here is one everyone is starting to get on the bandwagon with and it doesn’t have a ton to do with them both going to Kansas. He’s a complete freak of an athlete on both sides of the court, which means you can expect to see him on Hightlights Without Rights for a monster dunk or pinning some poor guard from SE Louisiana State no the backboard. What he does struggle with though is consistency with his jumper. According to DraftExpress, Jackson shot 28.6% from three on 42 attempts at the Steph Curry Select Camp earlier this year and just 55% from the free throw line. That has to improve as the ball will be in his hands quite a bit and his athleticism should draw fouls at the collegiate level. During this year, watch him without the ball on the offensive side. He knows how to read the floor and more importantly where to make cuts – which is something he can use to his advantage at getting to the basket.
3) Dennis Smith Jr. – NC State, Freshman, 6’2”, 195lbs
NBA Comparison: John Wall
There’s a ton to love about this kids game. He’s super athletic, sees the floor incredibly well and is a walking highlight. On top of that he’s going to be bouncing back from a torn ACL and all reports from Raleigh says he’s better than ever. The one thing that you can really nitpick about his game is the inconsistent shooting. He has the ability to step out and hit threes, but there’s not a ton of confidence when doing so. At the Adidas Gauntlet he shot just 22% from three, but did lead the competition with about 7 assists per game. Look for Smith to try and get in transition whenever he can as that’s the best part of his game.
4) Jayson Tatum – Duke, Freshman, 6’8” 205lbs
NBA Comparison: Paul Pierce
There likely isn’t a better midrange game player in the Draft than Tatum. He’s not going to do anything super flashy, but he’ll consistently get to 12 feet and hit that pull up jumper. He’s similar to Pierce when he was younger with his athleticism. Tatum is more athletic than a younger Pierce, but he’s not blowing anyone away with it. At 6’8” he should provide a mismatch with his ability to shoot but also his ability to handle the ball. Watching him in high school often times he’d have the ball in his hands bringing it up the court, which means college teams will have to put a quicker guard on him.
5) Harry Giles – Duke, Freshman, 6’10”, 240lbs
NBA Comparison: Chris Webber
Giles is the toughest to compare to someone right now because of his injuries. He’s suffered his third knee injury and will miss the first couple weeks of the season. Before that and truly before he blew his knee out last year he was easily regarded as the best prospect in the world – that includes better than Ben Simmons. He’s someone who is extremely gifted on the offensive side of the ball and probably an even better rebounder. He uses his wingspan, 7’3”, combined with his leaping ability to win most jump balls. He’s going to be one of the more intriguing prospects because of the injury concerns to go with the talent. If it wasn’t for that recent knee injury, he’d be No. 1 or 2 right now.
6) Lonzo Ball – UCLA, Freshman, 6’6”, 190lbs
NBA Comparison: Shaun Livingston
With the rise of small ball in the NBA, a tall point guard can go a long way. Especially one like Lonzo Ball, who has no problem passing up shots to get his teammates involved. That’s where he reminds me of Shaun Livingston – especially being at 6’6”. The one downside to his game though? Shooting. Watch his videos on DraftExpress, he shoots from nearly the side of his face. However, it’s starting to become a point guard league in the NBA and he’s a helluva point guard. He should fit in well at UCLA with Bryce Alford being able to move off the ball as the better shooter, which should be a good indicator on how Ball can translate to the NBA.
7) Jonathan Isaac – Florida State, Freshman, 6’10”, 210lbs
NBA Comparison: Brandon Ingram
I know it’s tough to compare him to a guy who is about to play his first NBA game, but Isaac is a 6’10” stretch combo forward. Not every single one of those guys are Kevin Durant. Isaac does need to add strength and is not a great defender, but he’s 6’10” and has the ability to stretch the floor. Again, see the small ball movement in the NBA – this is important. He does want to stay on his right hand as much as possible, but he is an excellent ball handler for his size. He has range to the college 3-point line, so look for Florida State to incorporate that in their gameplan this year.
8) De’Aaron Fox – Kentucky, Freshman, 6’3” 175lbs
NBA Comparison: Jrue Holiday
There’s not a better two-way player in the Draft than De’Aaron Fox. He’s a complete menace on the defensive side of the ball and uses that to get quick and easy points. While it’s easy to think of Jrue Holiday of recent times, remember him when he was in Philly. He was an All-Star, considered one of the better defensive points in the game and needed to develop outside shooting. That’s exactly how Fox is currently. We’ve seen him already in the Blue/White scrimmage and highlights of his freak athleticism and passing ability, but he needs to be consistent with his shooting to rise up the boards.
9) Ivan Rabb – Cal, Sophomore, 6’10” 215lbs
NBA Comparison: Marcin Gortat
Rabb decided to skip the NBA Draft last year when he was expected to be a mid 1st round pick to come back and try to move up to a lock in the lottery. He’s starting to develop more of a balanced game as heading into last year he was dominant on his left hand baby hook shots and playing in the post. He started to step out and showed a nice touch from the free throw line. He still hasn’t stepped out to the 3-point line, which could hurt his stock a little bit. He is quick though, especially with lateral movement. He should be the star at Cal this year and will be interested to see how he changed his game.
10) Bam Adebayo – Kentucky, Freshman, 6’10” 250lbs
NBA Comparison: Kenneth Faried
He’ll draw a lot of comparisons to Dwight Howard because of his wide shoulders and the fact he looks like he can start in the NBA right now, but that’s simply unfair. Faried is a guy who got double-doubles by being athletic and just incredibly strong. That’s where Bam is right now. He’s not going to kill you with shooting, but he’ll kill you by running the floor, offensive rebounds and dunks. He’s on the shorter side, measuring between 6’9” and 6’10” but can play both positions in college due to his strength.