Roundtable: Draft Prospects We’re High On

We asked our writers which draft prospect they are high on leading up to this year’s draft.

Gabe Allen: Timothe Luwawu. Cole Zwicker has Luwawu fourth on his big board thanks to the wing’s versatility, athleticism, and upside, and I think there’s a very good chance Luwawu winds up being the steal of the draft. I haven’t seen many mocks including him inside the top 5-10 selections, which isn’t all that surprising since he is coming across the world from Mega Leks. Still, the pool of international star players continues to grow exponentially, and that’s unlikely to change going forward as basketball continues to become more and more popular globally. Furkan Korkmaz and Domantas Sabonis probably also deserve to be ranked ahead of some of the higher-rated college players at shooting guard and center. Luwawu’s skill-set offers plenty to salivate over for NBA GMs, and I’m betting that someday soon at least one of them comes to regret passing on him.

Josh Cornelisson: Taurean Prince of Baylor. The emotional and on-court leader of a successful Baylor Bears team the past few years, Prince profiles as a “3-and-D” player without the “3”. But defensive versatility is all the rage in the league right now, and similar players that have come out of college without a jumper have made huge impacts – immediately on the defensive end, and within a year or two on offense. Jae Crowder may have been the best player on the Celtics last season, and Kawhi Leonard was the MVP runner-up. Prince probably ends up closer to Crowder than Leonard, but the athleticism and work ethic are there to improve each and every season. A playoff team in the mid-first round could find a player who can fill a rotation spot immediately, similar to Justice Winslow’s part in the Miami Heat’s run this postseason. Prince may not have the mystique or hidden ceiling of a player such as Dejounte Murray or Thon Maker, but he’s going to be a solid NBA player. There’s something to be said for that, and some team is going to come out of the draft with a steal.