Within the NBA Draft, followers usually obsess over which groups have the highest few picks yearly. However the very best gamers not often all come from the highest of the draft. Actually, superstars might be discovered at any level — even within the second spherical.
Here is the place every of this season’s first-team All-NBA players acquired drafted: Oklahoma Metropolis’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (11th), Denver’s Nikola Jokic (41st), Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo (15th), Cleveland’s Donovan Mitchell (13th) and Boston’s Jayson Tatum (third).
So, whereas Duke’s guard-forward Cooper Flagg appears to be a stud and high prize on this draft, there’s an honest probability stars will probably be discovered close to the underside of the primary spherical, too. Like Jokic, maybe a star additionally will probably be discovered within the second spherical this yr.
Listed below are 5 gamers not named Flagg to watch within the run-up to this season’s draft (June 25, Barclays Middle in Brooklyn):
Rutgers guard Dylan Harper
Heading into the faculty season, Harper and his teammate, Ace Bailey, had been thought of Flagg’s largest risk as the highest prospect. Each displayed flashes of brilliance, however finally every underwhelmed. Bailey doesn’t move, so he wasn’t within the ballpark for this record, however Harper intrigues.
In his lone school season, Harper, who averaged 19.4 factors, battled accidents and poor spacing — an issue he shouldn’t run into a lot within the NBA. He’s a 6-foot-5 energy level guard who will probably be an important downhill attacker and playmaker. (He is just like Pistons All-NBA third-team guard Cade Cunningham.)
Harper, who is sort of assured to go second total, will probably be a stud if he develops a soar shot. He would possibly flourish if the Spurs, who’ve the second total choose, commerce it to a rebuilding group (Bucks or Jazz) that may hand him the ball from Day 1, giving him an opportunity to study from his errors.
