Tag: michael foster

Aggregate NBA mock draft 4.0: Duke’s AJ Griffin is soaring back into the top tier

The best prospects in the world are all competing for the top spot in the 2022 NBA draft and it is hard to sort how everyone is stacking up.

In order to help us get a better sense of where all of the projected top prospects in the class stand as of right now, we compiled mock drafts from Draft Express (ESPN), Aran Smith (NBADraft.net), Sam Vecenie (The Athletic), Jonathan Wasserman (Bleacher Report), Chad Ford (NBA Big Board), Krysten Peek (Yahoo), Matt Babcock (Basketball News) as well as USA TODAY Sports Media Group’s For The Win.

Please note that these rankings reflect the composite score in order to get a feel for consensus, not our own opinion. Predictions for a first overall pick earned a player 58 points while the second overall pick earned 57 points, the third overall earned 56 points, and so on.

AJ Griffin (Duke), Alondes Williams (Wake Forrest), Iverson Molinar (Mississippi State), Orlando Robinson (Fresno State), Walker Kessler (Fresno State), Justin Lewis (Marquette), Christian Braun (Kansas), and Tari Eason (LSU) have improved their draft stock the most since our most recent update last month.\

The most notable prospects who made their debut on our rankings were Shaedon Sharpe (Kentucky), David Roddy (Colorado State), and Jaylin Williams (Arkansas).

Meanwhile, the top prospects who were not included in any of these recent mock drafts are Daimion Collins (Kentucky), Alex Fudge (LSU), Justin Moore (Villanova), Darius Days (LSU), Jared Rhoden (Seton Hall), Tre Mitchell (Texas), Dawson Garcia (North Carolina), and more.

Otherwise, you can learn the latest updates on every single prospect who has been included in recent mock drafts by scrolling below.

HoopsHype’s Alberto de Roa contributed research to this report

Celtics add pair of G League Ignite prospects in new Rookie Wire mock draft

While most of us are focused on the trade deadline, our sister site gears up to gauge the 2022 NBA draft for Boston.

Now, with the whole of NBA fandom and analysis with their attention focused on improving teams via trade, there is not a whole lot of attention being paid to the other primary means of team building — the coming 2022 NBA draft.

But a few intrepid analysts are already firing up their mock draft engines, and editor of our sister site Cody Taylor has done exactly that, with a pair of projected picks in store for the Boston Celtics so long as they retain their picks in the 2022 draft. And while that certainly is far from a certainty given the expectations of Boston staying busy on the trade front before the Feb. 10 deadline, it would be criminal mismanagement to ignore their due diligence in the draft.

So with that said, let’s take a look at Taylor’s picks for Boston based on where they stand in terms of estimated draft order at present.

Aggregate NBA mock draft 3.0: Jabari Smith leaps ahead of Paolo Banchero, Chet Holmgren for No. 1

The best prospects in the world are all competing for the top spot in the 2022 NBA draft and it is hard to sort how everyone is stacking up.

The best prospects in the world are all competing for the top spot in the 2022 NBA draft and it is hard to sort how everyone is stacking up.

In order to help us get a better sense of where all of the projected top prospects in the class stand as of right now, we compiled mock drafts from Draft Express (ESPN), Aran Smith (NBADraft.net), Sam Vecenie (The Athletic), Jonathan Wasserman (Bleacher Report), Jeremy Woo (Sports Illustrated), Krysten Peek (Yahoo), Matt Babcock (Basketball News) as well as USA TODAY Sports Media Group’s For The Win.

Please note that these rankings reflect the composite score in order to get a feel for consensus, not our own opinion. Predictions for a first overall pick earned a player 58 points while the second overall pick earned 57 points, the third overall earned 56 points, and so on.

Johnny Davis (Wisconsin), Jeremy Sochan (Baylor), Harrison Ingram (Stanford), EJ Liddell (Ohio State), Wendell Moore (Duke), Blake Wesley (Notre Dame), and Walker Kessler (Auburn) have improved their draft stock the most since our most recent update last month.

The most notable prospects making their debut on our rankings are Tari Eason (LSU), Aminu Mohammed (Georgetown), Dereon Seabron (NC State), Christian Braun (Kansas), Trevion Williams (Purdue) and Orlando Robinson (Fresno State).

Some of the top prospects who were not included in any of these most recent mock drafts include Matthew Cleveland (Florida State), Azuolas Tubelis (Arizona), Max Abmas (Oral Roberts), Kofi Cockburn (Illinois), Alex Fudge (LSU), Buddy Boeheim (Syracuse), Josh Minott (Memphis) and Kadary Richmond (Seton Hall).

Otherwise, you can learn the latest updates on every single prospect who has been included in recent mock drafts by scrolling below.

HoopsHype’s Alberto de Roa contributed research to this report

Aggregate NBA mock draft 3.0: Jabari Smith leaps ahead of Paolo Banchero, Chet Holmgren for No. 1

The best prospects in the world are all competing for the top spot in the 2022 NBA draft and it is hard to sort how everyone is stacking up.

In order to help us get a better sense of where all of the projected top prospects in the class stand as of right now, we compiled mock drafts from Draft Express (ESPN), Aran Smith (NBADraft.net), Sam Vecenie (The Athletic), Jonathan Wasserman (Bleacher Report), Jeremy Woo (Sports Illustrated), Krysten Peek (Yahoo), Matt Babcock (Basketball News) as well as USA TODAY Sports Media Group’s For The Win.

Please note that these rankings reflect the composite score in order to get a feel for consensus, not our own opinion. Predictions for a first overall pick earned a player 58 points while the second overall pick earned 57 points, the third overall earned 56 points, and so on.

Johnny Davis (Wisconsin), Jeremy Sochan (Baylor), Harrison Ingram (Stanford), EJ Liddell (Ohio State), Wendell Moore (Duke), Blake Wesley (Notre Dame), and Walker Kessler (Auburn) have improved their draft stock the most since our most recent update last month.

The most notable prospects making their debut on our rankings are Tari Eason (LSU), Aminu Mohammed (Georgetown), Dereon Seabron (NC State), Christian Braun (Kansas), Trevion Williams (Purdue) and Orlando Robinson (Fresno State).

Some of the top prospects who were not included in any of these most recent mock drafts include Matthew Cleveland (Florida State), Azuolas Tubelis (Arizona), Max Abmas (Oral Roberts), Kofi Cockburn (Illinois), Alex Fudge (LSU), Buddy Boeheim (Syracuse), Josh Minott (Memphis) and Kadary Richmond (Seton Hall).

Otherwise, you can learn the latest updates on every single prospect who has been included in recent mock drafts by scrolling below.

HoopsHype’s Alberto de Roa contributed research to this report

2022 NBA Draft Big Board 1.0: Debut rankings of the top 101 prospects

Let’s be honest. Ranking the best NBA draft prospects is a fool’s errand. But evaluating this class is an especially challenging assignment.

Let’s be honest. Ranking the best NBA draft prospects is a fool’s errand. But evaluating this class is an especially challenging assignment.

One of the top pre-season prospects (Patrick Baldwin Jr.) is playing for a mid-major program that has just two wins so far this season. Other top prospects (AJ Griffin and Peyton Watson) are not getting much playing time for their high-major programs. Meanwhile, guard Jean Montero is playing in the inaugural Overtime Elite league. How do we compare his productivity to other prospects? I’m frankly not sure.

But nevertheless, my big board exists. Rather than going small, I decided to blow it up and do the opposite. Why did I go ahead and rank 101 prospects if this class has been so challenging to evaluate? There are two distinct reasons.

One is that I’m absolutely crazy and get a very fulfilling satisfaction with the completion of a mock draft and big board because it feels complete. It looks awesome seeing as many names as I can fit on one article, even if the science behind the rankings is a bit inconclusive.

The other reason is that as I make more big boards throughout the year, it’s interesting to track the progress (and regression) of certain prospects. I am inevitably wrong about most of these placements! But this article serves as a barometer for where I feel certain players are at in their development right now.

Note that several notable prospects (e.g. freshmen Max Christie, Matthew Cleveland, Nolan Hickman, Hunter Sallis, Brandon Huntley-Hatfield, Jeremy Sochan, Kobe Bufkin) were excluded because I expect them to go back to school to improve their draft stock.

More likely than not, some of those players will declare for the 2022 NBA draft. When that happens, I obviously will not have them outside of my top 101.

Until then, as we prepare to turn the calendar into a new year, here are the debut rankings for 101 of my favorite prospects.

All stats are accurate as of Dec. 14 and are from Sports-Reference unless noted otherwise.

Aggregate NBA mock draft 2.0: Paolo Banchero, Chet Holmgren, Jabari Smith battle for No. 1

In order to help us get a better sense of where all of the projected top prospects in the class stand as of right now, we compiled mock drafts from ESPN, NBADraft.net, CBS Sports, The Athletic, Bleacher Report, Sports Illustrated, Yahoo, Basketball News and USA TODAY Sports Media Group’s For The Win.

Please note that these rankings reflect the composite score to get a feel for consensus, not our own opinion.

Since our last update, the players who have improved the most spots are Ismael Kamagate (Paris), Moussa Diabate (Michigan), Azuolas Tubelis (Arizona), Hugo Besson (New Zealand), Efe Abogidi (Washington State),  Iverson Molinar (Mississippi State), Justin Lewis (Marquette), Max Christie (Michigan State), EJ Liddell (Ohio State), and Ochai Agbaji (Kansas).

The most notable prospects making their debut on our rankings are Trevor Keels (Duke), Bryce McGowens (Nebraska), MarJon Beauchamp (G League Ignite), Keon Ellis (Alabama), Christian Koloko (Arizona), Wendell Moore (Duke), Blake Wesley (Notre Dame),  Josh Minott (Memphis), Zach Edey (Purdue), and Johnny Davis (Wisconsin).

Some of the top prospects who did not make the cut this time included Hunter Sallis (Gonzaga), Brandon Huntley-Hatfield (Tennesse), Kobe Bufkin (Michigan), Mouhamed Gueye (Washington State), Jahvon Quinerly (Albama), Adam Flagler (Baylor), Jaylin Williams (Auburn), Matthieu Gauzin (Le Mans), Isaiah Wong (Miami), Marcus Williams (Texas A&M), and Tyson Etienne (Wichita State).

Otherwise, you can learn the latest updates on every single prospect who has been included in recent mock drafts by scrolling below.

HoopsHype’s Alberto de Roa contributed research to this report

New SI mock has Boston Celtics going for a wing and a big in 2022 NBA draft

The first mock drafts of the 2021-22 NCAA season are already starting to circulate.

The start of the 2021-22 college season being fully underway means the start of the 2022 NBA mock draft season has begun in earnest as well, with our sister site For The Win having already leaped into the fray of the annual series of predictive publications, now joined by the first mock draft of the year from the folks over at Sports Illustrated.

In a new prognosticatory article detailing picks for all 30 NBA teams for both rounds of the still-distant 2022 draft, SI’s Jeremy Woo has two prospects in mind for the Boston Celtics — a wing and a big man, two positions of need in the team’s current depth chart.

Let’s get a look at the players Woo sees in green and white come the 2022-23 NBA season.

2022 NBA Mock Draft 2.0: Predicting all 59 picks, starting with Paolo Banchero

After a few games, we have a much better idea of how prospects like Paolo Banchero and Chet Holmgren will be used until the 2022 NBA draft.

After a few games, we have a much better idea of how prospects like Paolo Banchero and Chet Holmgren will be used until the 2022 NBA draft.

Preseason mock drafts, like the one we published back on Aug. 11, are especially challenging. Predictions are mostly guesswork based on uninformed priors until we’ve seen the usage of how each coach will implement the prospects we are evaluating.

Additionally, several players used the offseason to work on certain skill sets (e.g. Kansas’ Ochai Agbaji is now a much better shooter) in ways we couldn’t have projected.

As such, even though it’s only been a few games, it’s a lot easier to discuss the 2022 NBA draft now than it was even just last month. The season is underway for college basketball — and the G League Ignite, Overtime Elite, and several international leagues —  which means draft boards are shaping up.

After a ton of movement, as of right now, here is how we see the 2022 NBA draft unfolding.

Draft order is pulled from Tankathon. All stats are accurate as of 11/22/21.

NBA G League: Foster, Hardy near double-doubles in loss with Ignite

Foster and Hardy each neared double-doubles on Thursday to lead the Ignite in a loss to the Agua Caliente Clippers.

Michael Foster Jr. and Jaden Hardy each neared double-doubles on Thursday to lead the NBA G League Ignite in a loss to the Agua Caliente Clippers from Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas.

Foster produced 16 points, eight rebounds, three steals, two assists and two blocked shots in 32 minutes of work during the 101-93 loss. Hardy also recorded 16 points, while adding nine rebounds, one assist and one steal in 33 minutes.

The two players led the Ignite during their first nationally-televised appearance of the season on ESPN2. They each showed why they are projected first-round picks next year and continued their strong starts to the season.

Foster had the unique assignment of guarding veteran Serge Ibaka, who is playing with Agua Caliente to knock off some rust following a back injury. Meanwhile, Hardy continued to his ability as a scorer one night after dropping 24 points on the Clippers.

The stated goal of the Ignite is to provide development opportunities for those prospects looking to play professionally. The team focuses more on the development of the players, and not necessarily on the outcome of games as they do not play a full schedule like other teams.

The opportunity to play against other teams in the G League will offer a great avenue to develop their overall games and prepare for the next level. The players also have the chance to compete against each other in practice, something that has been beneficial.

The Ignite return to action on Wednesday vs. the South Bay Lakers. The contest can be streamed on ESPN+ starting at 10 p.m. EST.

This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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MarJon Beauchamp reacts to playing first game with G League Ignite

The Ignite tipped off their second season on Friday after a successful inaugural campaign that saw several players get drafted.

On Friday, the G League Ignite tipped off their second season after a successful inaugural campaign that saw three players get drafted into the NBA.

Gone are players like Jalen Green, Jonathan Kuminga and Isaiah Todd as the next wave of prospects joined the team over the offseason. The Ignite this season are headlined by Jaden Hardy, Dyson Daniels, Michael Foster Jr., Fanbo Zeng and MarJon Beauchamp among others.

Beauchamp, a former four-star recruit from Yakima Valley College, produced a team-high 18 points, eight rebounds and two steals to lead the Ignite during the 98-87 loss to the Iowa Wolves. He finished by converting on 7-of-14 shot attempts from the field in 27 minutes of work.

Afterward, Beauchamp said his first game was a lot faster than in college.

It was a lot more quicker just coming from college. The dudes are stronger. It’s a lot of up and down. The court is longer so it was a big impression (coming) into a new environment.

The Ignite trailed 65-34 at halftime, and appeared to be headed toward a lopsided loss. However, they outscored the Wolves by 20 points in the second to close the gap but were unable to get closer than six points in the fourth quarter.

Hardy finished with 12 points, while Foster had eight points and 13 rebounds and Daniels added three points and two assists.

The stated goal of the Ignite is to provide development opportunities for those prospects looking to play professionally. The team focuses more on the development of the players, and not necessarily on the outcome of games as they do not play a full schedule like other teams.

The opportunity to play against some of the other top prospects will give each player a great chance to develop and further learn the game. Beauchamp believes the group is getting better each day.

Every day, we’re battling. I’m battling with great players and just try to guard the best player like Jaden Hardy to get me better. We’re getting better each day. The second half of today just shows we can be good this year.

After debuting on Friday, the Ignite return to action on Sunday against the Sioux Falls Skyforce.

This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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