The last Big Board before the NBA Draft, this board is just who I believe is the best available players 1 through 70. This is not a mock draft or an order of where I believe these players should be picked. It features a lot of brief player breakdowns, and player comparisons. Enjoy it!

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THE BIG BOARD

Zion Williamson (Duke) – Forward: We all know Zion, so I won’t dive into the breakdown. Player Comparison: Dominique Wilkins RJ Barrett (Duke) – Wing: The highest touted recruit last year, number one over Zion. The beginning of the college basketball season, many pundits had RJ number one over Zion. RJ is the most prolific scorer in this draft. He can shoot, he can drive, he has size, and he possesses tremendous finishing ability. At points at Duke, he slacked off on defense. He can be a very good defender with his great size, and his quickness for his size. He’s the best scorer in the draft. News is being reported that the Pelicans may be looking to draft him alongside good friend Zion Williamson. Pelicans have explored trading for Memphis’ 2nd pick. Player Comparison: James Harden, Carmelo Anthony Ja Morant (Murray State) – Guard: The most explosive guard in the draft. Morant was lowly touted recruit coming out of high school, with little exposure coming into this season. Morant exploded onto the scene, with highlight jams, outstanding playmaking, and deep range. Morant is a franchise player, the only question is how will he fare against tougher competition, but I believe he proved he rises to the level of his competition. player comparison: Allen Iverson (yeah i know, but they are similar stature and playing ability), John Wall, Zach Lavine DeAndre Hunter (Virginia) – Forward: DeAndre Hunter has improved every year, since high school to his National Championship days at UVA. I believe Hunter had confidence issues, and did not understand how good he really was. Hunter gained confidence and Lockdown defender, tremendous shooting ability from the mid-range to 3 point range (44% from 3 and 52% from the field this past season). All-pro potential, and great character player. Player Comparison: Kawhi Leonard, Khris Middleton Jarrett Culver (Texas Tech) – Wing: Great defender, great athlete, ability to get to the basket, great finisher, decent 3 point shooter, good passer. I love Culver’s game, the thing that stands out to me is his defense, great hands forcing lots of steals, leading to easy points due to his great transition game. Player Comparison: Philidelphia 76ers Andre Iguodola Darius Garland (Vanderbilt) – Guard: The first thing that stands out to me when I watch Garland play is ability to score the basketball. He has deep 3 point range, he has very smooth shot and easily repeatable shot. In his 5 games at Vanderbilt Garland shot the three ball at a .478 clip, I know that is an incredibly low sample size, but it is enticing. He is crafty, and has the ability to get to the hole and finish. His ball-handling and finishing at the rim reminds me of Kyrie Irving. It is not very fair of me to compare Darius to Kyrie, because Kyrie’s ability is at such an elite level, it is easy to see the similarities. I am high on Darius Garland, others are concerned with his high turnover to assist clip (2.6 assists/game to 3.0 turnovers/game) and the ACL injury is worrisome. As long as Garland continues on his road to recovery, I see him being drafted from the 4th to 7th pick. Player Comparison: Damion Lillard, with a splash of Kyrie Irving Cam Reddish (Duke) – Forward: Mircowave player, can get hot, and when he gets hot he can score in bunches. Reminds me of Klay Thompson’s ability to get hot. Great defender with lots of length. Consistency is the problem, not always involved in the game, 3 point shot percantage was less than desired (33.3%). Possibly due to playing with Zion and RJ. He is a primary ball handler, and he hand limited touches, so his best aspect of his game was rarely seen last season. Player Comparison: Klay Thompson Coby White (North Carolina) – Guard: Coby White can be the best point guard in this class. He’s fast, explosive, effective taking the ball to the hoop, and can be a very good drive and kick player in the league. Many people will talk about his resemblance to De’Aaron Fox, mostly because of the speed, downhill play style, and the hair is kinda similar. Sometimes Coby looks out of control, and you can question his decisions with the ball, but his true skill and leadership outweighs those attributes that can be corrected fairly easily. Player Comparison: De’Aaron Fox Sekou Doumbouya (Limoges CSP) – Forward: Strong finisher, okay 3 point shooter. Not as athletic as Pascal Siakam, but more creative, scores easier. Player Comparison: Pascal Siakam (the spicy P version) PJ Washington (Kentucky) – Forward: Great post player, great scorer using his size well. Player Comparison: Pau Gasol maybe, sorta Nassir Little (North Carolina) – Forward: An up and down year at North Carolina, gave scouts headaches about the touted prospect. At one point he was a clear top 5 pick, then he fell out of the top 20, now Nassir is back on the rise up draft boards. Big Body, great hops, athletic. Questions about if he can create his own shot at the next level. Good offensive rebounder, leading to many put back points. He can be a true mismatch. Player Comparison: Stanley Johnson Rui Hachimura (Gonzaga) – Forward: The Japanese born forward is a tremendous offensive talent. A 41.7% 3 point shooter this season, possesses a great first step that leaves big men chasing. Good pump fake, that leads to drives to the basket similar to Al Horford. Defense will be the question at the next level. His offensive game will carry teams, and teams should love him with his quickness for his size. Player Comparison: Al Horford Brandon Clarke (Gonzaga) – Forward/Center: An all around player with tremendous leaping ability. He’s a great shot blocker (3.2 blocks per game), he uses great timing and his 3rd best vertical at this years combine to contest shots. Good rebounder, good post game. Bol Bol (Oregon) – Forward/Center: Bol Bol is the biggest example of high ceiling, low floor prospect. His skinny frame, questions if he can matchup defensively in the NBA, and durability issues plague Bol Bol. He lost 30 pounds since his injury at Oregon that kept him out the entire season (235 from the start of the season to 205 at the NBA Combine) However, still a lot of upside because the young man can stretch the court, great shooter, and uses his 7’2 frame excellently to create his own shot. Player Comparison: Thon Maker Kevin Porter Jr (USC) – Wing: An up and down season plagued Kevin Porter Jr. He suffered from a suspension and injuries this year that limited his minutes at Southern Cal. Porter is the prototypical NBA player 6’6″, a great athlete, 41% 3 point shooter. He has the tools to be a talented NBA player, but can he stay on the court. Is he mature enough to be successful in this league? Player Comparison: Justice Winslow Jaxson Hayes (Texas) – Center: Jaxson Hayes has a high ceiling, his athleticism, big frame and potential as a defensive stopper makes him a high end prospect. He played as a guard in high school before growing like 6 inches, the guard tendencies you can see in his game. However, Hayes has flaws in his game, and will be a project player. Most likely it will take Hayes a year or 2 to develop into a player that contributes in the NBA at a higher level. Hayes at moments looks lost on the defensive end, his offensive game is very raw with an undefined post game, possibly due to the limited time playing as a big due to his late growth spurt. NBA teams looking at Hayes will love his athleticism, his potential as a lob target, and his ability to block and alter shots. He will need the right system and patience to reach his potential, which he has a lot of. Player Comparison: Willie Cauley-Stein Nickeil Alexander-Walker (Virginia Tech) – Guard: The cousin of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, had an excellent year with the Hokies. He’s long, very long for a guard (6’9 wingspan) which lead to a lot of steals and defeflections. Great defender, an excellent passer as 2 guard, good 3 point shooting (38% in 2 years at Va Tech), and crafty finishing at the hole. A smooth player, not necessarily explosive. Scouts have talked about his mediocre leaping ability. His defense, passing, and 3 point shooting will get him looks as a potential lottery pick. Player Comparison: it’s a cop out but Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Romeo Langford (Indiana) – Wing: One of the best finishers in the draft. Poor 3 point shooting (27.2%), some say it was due to wrist injury he played with all season, some say his mechanics just are not good. Player Comparison: Evan Turner Goga Bitadze (Mega Bemax) – Center: Stretch big, good shot blocker. In a draft with many bigs with question marks. I think Goga is the surest bet. Player comparison: Jusef Nurkic/Brook Lopez Grant Williams (Tennessee) – Forward: Two time SEC player of the year. Grant Williams has many tools at the offensive side. He’s great at drawing fouls and getting to the line. Great basketball IQ that benefits his less than ideal athleticism. He is savvy with the ball, and uses great post moves to score. Good shooter and strong. Uses his strong body well to create space for himself. His athleticism is below average for an NBA player, his feet are slow on the defensive end and can be blown by. A very talented player and always has answered his doubters. Player Comparison: PJ Tucker, Paul Milsap Tyler Herro (Kentucky) – Wing: The tremendous shooting is what immediately stands out, but after watching many Kentuchy games this season his ability to get the hole is tremendously undervalued. Herro reminds me of Devin Booker out of Kentucky, surrounded by a ton of great talent, recognized for his great shooting, and other parts of his game are ignored. Player Comparison: Ray Allen, Mike Dunleavy Keldon Johnson (Kentucky) – Wing: A big wing, strong and a great finisher. Good 3 point shooter just a tad below 40%. Issues surround Keldon if he can create his shot enough. Player comparison: Robert Covington Talen Horton-Tucker (Iowa State) – Wing: Incredible Finisher, very, very strong. Uses his body so well to score the basketball. Inconsistency to score at a strong level, sometimes goes quiet for stretches. Not a great 3 point shooter. Player Comparison: less athletic Blake Griffin Chuma Okeke (Auburn) – Forward: A 2 year player at Auburn he is a Great defensive player, versatile offensive player. Great switch defender, great hands and timing leading to good amount of blocks and steals. Slightly undersized for a 4, not the best athlete but has shown flashes of explosiveness. Offensively, he is a good 3 point shooter (sitting around 39% for his career), great off the dribble, and has plenty of moves to finish at the hole. Good rebounder for his size. Tore his ACL in march so, he will most likely be out for the season. He was driving his way up draft boards before the injury. Player Comparison: Paul Milsap, more offensively gifted Taj Gibson Mfiondu Kabengele (Florida State) – Center: LONG, shot blocker and can stretch the court. Player Comparison: Serge Ibaka Cameron Johnson (North Carolina) – Forward: Spot up shooter (46% 3 point shooter last season), can score in bunches, with good size. Great transition player. Player Comparison: Justin Jackson Nicolas Claxton (Georgia) – Forward: Claxton is intriguing prospect. One of the biggest risers in many mock drafts/big boards. He’s 6’11, incredibly athletic for his size, he has tremendous ball-handling for his size, great bounce, Claxton even ran the Georgia offense at points in the season. Claxton’s build and body is nearly identical to Kevin Durant/Brandon Ingram same height and weight, their ability to move at their size is also very similar. When, Claxton remains engaged looking for offensive boards is when he’s at his best. Great at finshing around the basket. Possesses a good looking shot, but shot the 3 point ball below 30%. Defense needs a little work, at points get caught watching the ball. On ball defense is better, gets beat at points, but it shouldn’t be an issue at the next level. People will fall in love with the size, but he will be a project, with the right player development he can be a very good player in this league. Player comparison: Bradon Ingram Luka Samanic (Olimpija Ljubljana) – Forward: The 6’11 Croatian, was one of the only foreign players to compete at the NBA Draft Combine. Samanic probably benefitted most from the combine from any player. He’s a skilled big man, who loves to play on the block. He’s physical, a good rebounder. Needs work on the defensive side, we did not get to see Samanic take on NBA quality bigs, so the defense is still a question mark. Samanic is tremendous get in the late first round. Player Comparison: David Lee Matisse Thybulle (Washington) – Wing: Thybulle was the best on ball defender in college basketball this past year. The offense still needs work, but his defense will make him a very valuable NBA player. Player Comparison: Andre Roberson Ty Jerome (Virginia) – Guard: a valuable guard that can give help right away to a title contender. He’s a great 3 point shooter, good mid range game, great passer. Athleticism may hold him back as a defender. Player Comparison: Jose Calderon KZ Okpala (Stanford) – Wing Carsen Edwards (Purdue) – Guard: A true shooter, can get hot at any time. Edwards averaged 24.3 points per game this season at Purdue. The field goal percentage is a bit worrisome. He takes a lot of shots and is a streaky shooter, but like I said he can get hot. Undersized, but tremendous shot making ability. Clutch, Carson made a ton of big shots in his career at Purdue. Possesses the skill set you look for in a modern day 6th man. Player Comparison: Ben Gordon Darius Bazley (USA) – Forward Bruno Fernando (Maryland) – Center: Highlight Reel, some of the strongest dunks and blocks I’ve ever seen. Crazy athletic. Sometimes uninvolved on offense and defense, it looks somewhat lazy. Needs work on his post game. Player Comparison: Dwight Howard lite Daniel Gafford (Arkansas) – Forward/Center: Good lob target, quality finisher around the basket Isaiah Roby (Nebraska) – Forward: Runs the floor well for a big Naz Reid (LSU) – Forward Strong, big body, can stretch the court. Good handles for a big. Player Comparison: Blake Griffin with less defense Admiral Schofield (Tennessee) – Forward: Grinder, good shooter, draws fouls. Jontay Porter (Missouri) – Forward/Center: Injury history, stretch big. Shamorie Ponds (St. Johns) – Guard: can light up a stat sheet, good scorer, undersized. Luguentz Dort (Arizona State) – Wing – strong defender Dylan Windler (Belmont) – Wing: Great scorer, can create his own shot, strong 3 point shooter, good off ball movement. Questionable athleticism. Jaylen Hoard (Wake Forest) – Wing/Forward Kris Wilkes (UCLA) -Wing: Did not perform as expected in college. Lacked spacing in college, looked great at the NBA Combine and really benefitted from the extra spacing. Miye Oni (Yale) – Forward: Competive big man plays for every ball, grinder. Jordan Poole (Michigan) – Forward: “Swaggy” Poole, plays with swagger. Long, athletic player. DaQuan Jeffries (Tulsa) – Guard: EXPLOSIVE, highlight show. Player Comparison: Josh Smith Terrance Mann (Florida State) Forward/Wing: Explosive, big wing span. Good transition player. Louis King (Oregon) – Forward/Wing: Long, good 3 point shooter, good defender. Ignas Brazdeikis (Michigan) – Forward/Wing: Great 3 point shooter, really good at putting the ball on the deck and getting to the basket. Not the best athlete. Good friends with Nik Stauskus if anyone cares. Ky Bowman (Boston College) – Guard: A terrific scorer, was part of a fierce duo with Jerome Robinson, who was drafted last year from Boston College. Ky is a solid point guard, with strong ability to drive the basketball. Outside of Jerome Robinson, Ky was not surrounded by a ton of talent at Boston College. The passing numbers should increase with more talent surrounding him. Charles Matthews (Michigan) – Guard/Wing: One of the best on-ball defenders in this draft. A true competitor, that embraces guarding the oppositions’ best player. Unfortunately, he tore his ACL during a draft workout for the Boston Celtics a few weeks ago. Matthews was rising up draft boards, until the injury. A great player, but will need to be patient with until he’s fully healthy. Kyle Guy (Virginia) – Guard: Best 3 point shooter in the class, sneaky athletic. Undersized. Moves off the ball well, great shooting off screens. Defense not fantastic. Jordan Bone (Tennessee) – Guard: Big point guard, good 3 point shooter, likes to pull up. Good passer, runs the offense well. Good Speed. Aric Holman (Mississippi State) – Forward Eric Paschall (Villanova) – Forward Brian Bowen (Sydney Kings) – Wing Kenny Wooten (Oregon) – Forward: Kenny will not be on many big boards, however I am very high on him. He is one of the best defensive players available if he choose to remain in the Draft. He blocks shots (2.4 Blocks/Game) and forces turnovers at a high rate. He has freak athleticism, as seen with his highlight reel dunks and blocks. Wooten is limited on offense, his biggest attribute on offense is currently a lob target and offensive rebounding. Outstanding vertical leaping ability, measuring a max vertical at 12 feet 6 and 1/2 inches at the NBA Combine (a half inch more than Dwight Howard’s max vert). Player Comparison: Ben Wallace Jared Harper (Auburn) – Guard- Tremendous range, great handles, fast, good passer. Undersized, needs to work on defense. Zach Norvell (Gonzaga) – Guard Dedrick Lawson (Kansas) – Forward Caleb Martin (Nevada) – Guard/Forward Justin Robinson (Virginia Tech) – Guard Justin Wright-Foreman (Hofstra) – Guard Quinndary Weatherspoon (Mississippi State) – Guard CJ Massinburg (Buffalo) – Guard Tre Waters (LSU) – Guard Ethan Happ (Wisconsin) – Forward Aubrey Dawkins (Central Florida) – Wing Bryce Brown (Auburn) – Guard