Tag: Neemias Queta

2021 NBA Draft Big Board 4.0: Top 100 prospects pre-combine and lottery

Now that the early entry list is officially out and combine invitations have been sent out, the 2021 NBA draft class is starting to finalize.

Now that the early entry deadline has passed and combine invitations have been sent out, the 2021 NBA draft class is starting to finalize.

Last year, the NCAA tournament and the combine were both canceled due to the pandemic. That made evaluations much tougher for scouts and front offices around the league. This year, the pre-draft process feels somewhat normal again for top basketball prospects who are set to join the pros.

As a new class of players prepares to turn professional, here is how we would currently rank this class based on what we have seen from them so far, with some of my picks that are higher than other experts have them ranked.

2021 NBA Mock Draft 4.0: Player comparisons and predicting all 60 picks

Who should the Houston Rockets select if they get the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NBA draft?

While fans are now enjoying the NBA postseason, there are several teams that didn’t make the playoffs with full attention on the draft.

Now that the regular season and play-in tournament are both complete, the order is set for picks No. 15 to No. 60. However, we will have to wait until the lottery on June 22.

For more details on odds for when each team in the lottery will be on the clock, you can read this post by our own Charles Curtis.

Meanwhile, we also have a pretty clear idea of which prospects have opted to declare for the 2021 NBA draft. But any stragglers still have until May 30 to make their decision in order to be eligible for draft consideration.

Scouts and executives around the league will have an even better feel for this class come June 21, when the combine begins in Chicago.

After that, all those who hired either NCAA-certified agents or do not already have any representation have until July 19 to decide if they wish to remain in the class and forego their collegiate eligibility or return to school.

Until then, however, this is how we predict the two rounds of the 2021 NBA draft will shake out:

2021 NBA Draft Big Board 3.0: Top 100 prospects pre-early entry deadline

As the NBA’s 2020-21 regular season nears its close, the league’s next wave of talent is preparing to take the great leap to become pros.

As the NBA’s 2020-21 regular season nears its close, the league’s next wave of talent is preparing to take the great leap to become pros.

Players have until the end of this month, May 30, to apply for entry into the 2021 NBA draft. They will then have until July 19 to determine whether or not they plan to stay in this class or (unless they hired an agent who does not have NCAA certification) return to school.

This is obviously an incredibly difficult decision and as the majority of early entry candidates have made their intentions public, those who are testing the waters are already weighing their options.

Fortunately, the NBA’s Undergraduate Advisory Committee (UAC) exists to help answer some of those questions.

The advisory committee, which began in 1997, offers feedback to prospects on their potential draft stock. As many prospects are facing pivotal decisions about their future, this kind of intel is incredibly important.

Players like Gonzaga’s Corey Kispert and Baylor’s Jared Butler both went through this process last season, likely were not satisfied with the results and opted to return. Now, after tremendous efforts last season, both are projected first-rounders.

These decisions have tremendous financial implications for these individuals as well. For example, even if Kispert or Butler went with the last pick in the first round in 2020, they would have likely earned a contract worth around $5 million over three years. This year, even if they went outside of the lottery at at No. 15 overall, that would be around $8.5 million.

With that in mind, for the latest version of For The Win’s 2021 NBA draft big board, I’ve provided my evaluation for the top prospects expected to be in the pre-draft process. Players excluded from this exercise were likely because the reporting suggests that they are going back to school.

Note that these decisions were fully based on where I would have each player ranked, not a projection, although various conversations with scouts as well as other talent evaluators around the league have factored into my evaluation.

2021 aggregate NBA mock draft 4.0: Checking in after March Madness

Which future NBA players played the best during March Madness? Who has made the most significant improvements to their draft stock since our last update?

Which future NBA players played the best during March Madness? Which prospects made the most significant improvements to their draft stock?

In order to get a better sense of where all of the prospects stand right now, we compiled mock drafts from ESPN, NBADraft.net, CBS Sports, Bleacher Report, Sports Illustrated, Yahoo, The Athletic, SB Nation and USA TODAY Sports Media Group’s For The Win to see where the prospects rank at the moment.

Since our previous update last month, these are the players who have improved their stock and are trending up on mock drafts: Davion Mitchell (Baylor), Josh Giddey (Adelaide), Chris Duarte (Oregon), Miles McBride (West Virginia), Aaron Henry (Michigan State), Bennedict Mathurin (Arizona), Kessler Edwards (Pepperdine), Trey Murphy (Virginia) and Neemias Queta (Utah State).

Some of the names that did not make the list last time but now appear among the Top 60 include Isaiah Todd (G League Ignite), Johnny Juzang (UCLA), Max Abmas (Oral Roberts), RaiQuan Gray (Florida State), Santi Aldama (Loyola Maryland and Austin Reaves (Oklahoma).

Below are the full rankings based on the latest mock drafts from top analysts and experts.

HoopsHype’s Alberto de Roa contributed research to this report

2021 NBA Mock Draft 3.0: Latest updates after March Madness

Front offices have seen what some of the best prospects in the 2021 NBA Draft have done on the biggest stage.

Now that the NCAA tournament is in the rearview mirror, front offices have seen what the best prospects in the 2021 NBA Draft have done on the biggest stage.

With a new champion crowned, fans have seen the first wave of prospects declare early entry for the draft and forego the remainder of their collegiate eligibility. Others, meanwhile, are testing the waters to gain feedback from teams around the league as they decide whether or not to return to college.

Based on the general consensus learned thus far, now is a great time to offer an update since we last published a mock draft back in February.

The main difference from the big board that I published last month is that my mock also factors intel, team fit, front office evaluation philosophy and roster construction. For example, there are more international players included here because I’m projecting teams with surplus picks will select draft-and-stash players rather than roster four or five rookies next season.

This should act as a barometer for a player’s stock before pre-draft workouts, interviews and the 2021 NBA Draft Combine. As those factors come into the light over the next few months, expect some potentially significant changes.

This draft order, which factors in trades and pick protections, was pulled from the latest Tankathon update following the games on April 12.

March Madness: 2021 NBA draft prospects who improved stock in tournament

There is no stage as important for NBA draft evaluation quite like March Madness, which means we have a better idea about tons of prospects.

There is no stage as important for NBA draft evaluation quite like March Madness, which means we have a better idea about tons of prospects.

Now that the NCAA Men’s Basketball tournament is all said and done, we have a better idea of whose draft stock is in a better place now than it was before the games began in mid-March.

Upperclassmen like Baylor’s Jared Butler and Davion Mitchell were already on draft boards as projected first-rounders before the postseason began. Similarly, top prospects like Gonzaga’s Jalen Suggs or USC’s Evan Mobley had big moments but that was expected for projected lottery picks.

Several others were able to make their case for why they should be picked earlier in the draft than many had previously expected.

Below are some of those prospects who shined the brightest under the big lights during the exciting stretch of March Madness that we just enjoyed.

We have also included a rough estimate of draft stock as it stands right now before the combine and interview process. Note that because all seniors are allowed to return to school for another year due to the pandemic, it is harder to predict who will be in this class than in a typical year.

14 prospects who improved their NBA stock during the first weekend of March Madness

March Madness is always an incredibly fun time for fans but it is also crucial for scouts who are focused on NBA draft prospect evaluation.

March Madness is always an incredibly fun time for fans but it is also crucial for scouts who are focused on NBA draft prospect evaluation.

After the opening weekend of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, we wanted to show love to the players who have already used their time under the national spotlight to increase their chances of playing in the pros.

Note that for this exercise, we are specifically discussing players who have done enough to increase their profile for NBA teams.

This means someone like LSU freshman Cam Thomas, who scored 27 points and 30 points during his two tournament appearances, was excluded. That is because front offices already knew that Thomas was a remarkable scorer. But he recorded just three assists total and did very little new to answer any other questions executives may have had about his game.

The same goes for someone like Villanova big Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, who has been one of the tournament’s best players. But he has also been one of the most consistent prospects in college basketball in 2020-21. So very little has been learned about how he projects to the pros.

Below, however, are the players who scouts may be moving up on their draft boards after the first two rounds of the tournament thus far:

The Athletic: Another mock draft has Thunder taking James Bouknight

OKC Thunder fans should start paying attention to James Bouknight. The Athletic is the second recent mock draft that connects the two.

It might interest Oklahoma City Thunder fans to know that Connecticut men’s basketball is scheduled to play at 6:10 p.m. on Saturday. They may want to start paying attention to UConn, and in particular, wing James Bouknight.

The Athletic’s mock draft has the Thunder selecting the 6-foot-5 Bouknight at No. 9, and this is the second recent mock draft that has OKC taking him. Earlier this month, Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman had the team do the same.

Sam Vecenie wrote for The Athletic that Bouknight’s balance and body control, hesitation move and defense are promising.

“He can hit opponents with a wicked crossover and get by, even when his first step doesn’t get the job done. I also think he’s pretty underrated on defense. When he’s locked in, he’s really tough.”

Bouknight is averaging 19 points and 5.7 rebounds while shooting 53% from 2. His 3-point shooting is down from last year, though, as he’s shooting only a touch above 30% from deep.

“(He) generally has been the kind of athletic guard who has NBA scouts believing he can be a starting off-guard at some point in his career.”

The Thunder would probably prefer an off-ball guard to play next to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, so the fit may be there.

With the No. 17 pick in Vecenie’s mock draft, Oklahoma City took center Isaiah Jackson out of Kentucky.

Jackson has been a blocking machine all year long, averaging 2.6 per game, but he really broke out in February.

“It took him some time to get his feet wet, as he missed a lot of rotations on defense early and struggled to make an impact in a Kentucky offense that struggled with spacing. But by the time February rolled around, Jackson was terrific. In his final six games, he averaged 14 points and eight rebounds with 2.2 blocks in 22 minutes per night.”

Oklahoma City has bigs they like, but at 6-foot-10, Jackson has better height than Isaiah Roby or Darius Bazley.

He also provides a roll threat on offense that aren’t particularly strong parts of the games of those two bigs or Aleksej Pokusevski.

“He’s an impact guy out there because of his quickness and length. He can switch out on the perimeter defensively, he’s a terrific shot blocker and he’s a great downhill threat as a rolling lob catcher. This is just a really easy role to fit into with the modern NBA.”

His versatility could fit into OKC as well — though because this pick comes from the Miami Heat, who are rolling as of late, the Thunder might not be choosing this high come end of season.

In the second round, Vecenie slotted the Thunder to pick Baylor guard Jared Butler (17 points, 5 assists, 41.3% 3P) at No. 31, Arizona State forward Marcus Bagley (11 points, 6 rebounds, 35% 3P) at pick 38 and Utah State center Neemias Queta (15 points, 10 rebounds, 3.3 blocks) with the 53rd selection of the 2021 draft.

This post originally appeared on OKCThunderWire. Follow us on Facebook!

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2021 NBA Draft Big Board 2.0: Top prospects playing in March Madness

This includes some names to watch in the men’s tourney.

March Madness is set to begin, which means for college basketball fans, it’s the most wonderful time of the year. But it’s also one of the busiest times for scouts and executives around the NBA.

Last season, the men’s NCAA Tournament was canceled due to COVID-19, which makes the stakes even higher for those involved in this year’s event. It will be a fascinating few weeks of basketball, all unfolding in Indiana, and the games are sure to further illuminate who may be most worth targeting in the 2021 NBA Draft.

But in addition to the spotlight of college basketball fully underway, we have now also seen the entirety of the 2021 G League season. That included the inaugural campaign for the Ignite, a pathway to the NBA for top talents who sought an alternative to the NCAA. Their exciting playoff run taught us more about prospects including Jalen Green and Jonathan Kuminga.

So with those results in mind, and with the college basketball postseason on the horizon, we have ranked the Top 100 prospects most likely set to make the jump to the NBA next season.

Our methodology for the rankings includes conversations with folks around the league, learning the general consensus surrounding a player, as well as a deep dive into stats and game film.

To put everything in perspective, we have also included everyone’s previous ranks from our last update, published on Jan. 22. This helps show whether a player is trending up or trending down and also helps illuminate how much can change in just two months of action.

As the madness begins during the men’s NCAA Tournament, follow along to see how these players are performing, as many will make a case to move up or down once the nets are cut on Apr. 5, 2021.

2021 aggregate NBA mock draft 3.0: Checking in before March Madness

Which future NBA players will be playing during March Madness? Who have been the best players on the inaugural G League Ignite squad?

Which future NBA players will be playing during March Madness? Who have been the best players on the inaugural G League Ignite squad?

These are the kind of questions that many basketball fans are asking right now, especially if their favorite team is projected to have a lottery pick in the 2021 NBA draft.

Now that the NCAA tournament is on the horizon, and as the G League Ignite’s first year nears the end of the regular season, players have started separating themselves as potential top picks.

So in order to get a better sense of where all of the prospects stand right now, we compiled mock drafts from ESPN, NBADraft.net, CBS Sports, Bleacher Report, Sports Illustrated, Yahoo, The Athletic and USA TODAY Sports Media Group’s For The Win to see where the prospects rank at the moment.

Since our last update back in December, these are the players who have improved the most: Kai Jones (Texas), Sharife Cooper (Auburn), Taevion Kinsey (Marshall), Moses Moody (Arkansas), Jalen Suggs (Gonzaga), Davion Mitchell (Baylor), Nah’shon Hyland (VCU) and Corey Kispert (Gonzaga).

Below are the full rankings based on the latest mock drafts from top analysts and experts.

HoopsHype’s Alberto de Roa contributed research to this report