Here it is, the board you’ve all been waiting for. You can stop your countdown alarms, its here. My way too early top 25 big board for the NBA Draft. My previous big board had some major whiffs no doubt, but I think I can fix my mistakes this year to gain back your trust.
Team situation is without a doubt critical in the development of these 19 year old kids, but I’ll do my best once again. As a disclaimer, this board was completed with no extra video scouting, this is simply based on every college game I’ve watched this year (too many to count).
Right off the bat, I noticed that this class has nowhere near the depth of 2020. I struggled to fill out my tier 3 guys to be honest. That being said, the top 5ish prospects are potential franchise changers.
Jalen Suggs is noticeably lower on my board than most would expect. I admire his defense and hustle, but his shot creating and playmaking abilities concern me. I am not sold on giving him the keys to an offense, and there will need to be a ton of development effort for Suggs to be a game changing lead guard and day 1 starter. (Which is what most people project him to be)
Franz Wagner is another potentially surprising name on my tier 1 list. I love the way this kid plays basketball. Michigan is a great team to watch so I’ve caught most of his games this year. With Isiah Livers out for the season, Wagner has seen an increase in workload from head coach Juwan Howard. His playmaking ability alone is enough to make him a coveted prospect. He shoots at a high clip from the free throw line and has excellent mechanics. The potential to be an elite, high usage forward is there for the 19 year old German product. Probably my favorite player in this year’s draft.
Cade Cunningham is the big name everyone is talking about. For me, I have him 2 on my board strictly because of his high IQ and offensive potential. He is already a solid defender in my eyes, and he is physically dominant at the college level. His jump shot is a thing of beauty. What worries me is his position at the pro level. His AST/TO ratio is pretty terrible (3.5/2.5) and I believe Oklahoma St is playing him out of his natural position. I would like to see him play at the 2 in the NBA, hopefully as the secondary playmaker. Cade is not as sure of a thing as most believe, but I cannot deny his shot making ability nor his “it” factor.
Keep an eye on Sandro Mamukelashvili. A 6’11” point forward from the country of Georgia just completed his senior year at Seton Hall. I’ll acknowledge my bias here, but at the same time there is no doubt “Mamu” is an NBA talent. I haven’t seen him on many boards, but I project him to get selected in the early-mid second round. He is the ideal 4 man in the NBA coming off the bench.
Keep an eye out for more draft boards and scouting reports on the way. Once the college season ends I’ll ramp back up the content. Give me some feedback in the comments if there’s any specific player you want scouted.