5: Atlanta Hawks- Cameron Reddish, F, Duke
Reddish has been easily the most disappointing prospect in this year’s class, with Quentin Grimes not too far behind. Heralded by some as the next Paul George, Reddish has very much underwhelmed in Durham, averaging 13.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 1.6 steals per contest on 35.4 percent shooting from the field and 32.7 percent from three.
However, Reddish is simply too talented of a prospect to pass on for Atlanta. The fact that he had such an off season and still projects top five proves how high his ceiling is. Standing at 6-foot-8, his three-and-D potential is unreal, despite the three point numbers that he posted in his freshman season. His lack of consistency this season is a huge concern.
However, Reddish may have one of the higher ceilings in this draft. A three-point shooting lineup of Trae Young, Kevin Huerter, and Cameron Reddish would be unbelievable.
6: Memphis Grizziles- DeAndre Hunter, F, Virginia
At this point, Memphis has to take the best player available, and in this case, it’s Virginia’s DeAndre Hunter. As the clear leader of one of the best teams in the country, Hunter is a winner. Memphis has been an awful story this season.
They started out looking like a playoff contender, hit the wall, and traded a franchise player for 30-year-old role players. Hunter likely won’t be a franchise-changing player, but he has a very high floor. A very consistent outside shooter, Hunter posted 15.1 points per game on 45.7 percent shooting from three this season.
He will be a player who can come in and immediately contribute to a team. For as long as Mike Conley is in Memphis, he will be a nice catch-and-shoot player to work with. Concerns for the Cavaliers’ wing include his lack of defensive skill and his age, as he was not a highly-recruited high school prospect and is in his sophomore season. Although Memphis could go multiple directions at this spot, Hunter is a safe bet.