Hey Guys,
I am excited about the upcoming rookies! Take a look at the forecasted rankings at this time!
Top 3 are looking pretty good! Who are your forecated top 3?
Until someone knocks him off his perch, Real Madrid’s Luka Doncic resides in the No. 1 spot. Where else would it make sense to slot an 18-year-old averaging 16.7 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.8 assists in 25.9 minutes per game across all European competitions this season?
Unlike his collegiate contemporaries, Doncic is producing at a high level against grown men in the toughest competitions outside of the NBA. At 6-7, he has equity as potential lead ball-handler because of his court vision and ability to shoot off the dribble.
There are knocks, of course. In particular, Doncic is not an elite athlete, which has many people concerned about his potential upside, but he’s already producing against better athletes in the Liga ACB and EuroLeague, and he’s young enough that some additional body development could improve his own athleticism.
Duke’s Marvin Bagley has arguably the most compelling case for challenging Luka Doncic for the No. 1 spot. At 6-11, Bagley is destined to slot in at one of the frontcourt positions, although which one remains a bit unclear.
Right now, Bagley is more of a center who can provide some intriguing mismatches on the offensive end because of his ability to handle and shoot the ball. The problem? Bagley isn’t elite at either of those things yet. He’s more theoretical than actual.
Bagley is a very good athlete without great measurements, but he should be able to protect the rim defensively and switch out on the perimeter in time. Because of his size and athleticism, Bagley may have the most upside in the class. It’s just a question of if he can put it all together.
Missouri’s Michael Porter Jr. also has the potential to challenge for the No. 1 pick, and he’ll have plenty of offensive highlights for teams to peruse over in the lead-up to the draft. Not only is the 6-10 forward a great scorer, but he’s playing on a team that’s going to need him to be one.
The Missouri roster isn’t filled with NBA caliber players, especially at the guard positions, so head coach Cuonzo Martin is going to rely on Porter to create his own offense. Whether it’s facing up to beat defenders off the dribble or backing them down in the mid-post, Porter should ultimately be capable of giving buckets to just about anyone. The questions surrounding Porter will largely relate to whether he can do anything else well.
