The fact that the Villanova Wildcats could have two one-and-done guys this year is a bit strange, considering the schools is used to having four year players.
Bryan Antoine is a very good transition player and a stout defender. He is a walking highlight reel who can jump out of the gym, which could be an attractive attribute for teams picking in the latter part of the first round.
At 6-foot-5, Antoine has the ability to be a combo guard, but in order to excel at doing so he must improve his ball handling skills. In addition, his jumpsuit could use some work, but he certainly has shown flashes of being able to do so. As a five-star recruit in last year’s high school graduating class, the upside is too great to pass on.
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With their second selection in the first round, compliments of the Philadelphia 76ers, the Brooklyn Nets will take Gonzaga senior Killian Tillie to round out the power forward position. Currently, the team does not have any true power forwards and would more than certainly like to add one.
Standing at 6-foot-10, Tillie is a prototypical stretch four who can give you points when needed. He has been labeled as a bit soft, as he is not a good rebounder or inside scorer. However, his floater and three-point abilities are undeniable. He will be a good fit inside with De’Andre Jordan and will hopefully give Kyrie Irving and Caris LeVert more room to work with inside.
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Miami has looked phenomenal to this point, and although there is no chance that they will finish this well, picking outside of the lottery looks very likely for the South Beach crew. Now that the Heat have gotten their footing a bit in the Eastern Conference, taking a player who can help them compete now is probably a good approach.
Xavier Tillman is a stout defender and rebounder who has been a part of multiple successful Michigan State squads. He is exactly the type of player that Jimmy Butler meshes well with: a gritty type of player who can help lead a team. In addition, the Heat are quite shallow on bigs behind Bam Adebayo.
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With the final two picks of the first round, back-to-back Michigan State Spartans are selected. Cassius Winston more than likely would have been a late first round pick or early second round if he did not decide to remain in East Lansing for his senior season. Although a bit undersized at 6ft 1, Winston is a phenomenal offensive player whose skills are certainly transferable at the NBA level.
Adding an experienced and skilled player to a Los Angels squad that is contending for an NBA Championship would be an excellent move. Floor spacing is something that LeBron James has always sought after, and Winston brings to the table a good one. In addition, his distribution skills can help spark more scoring out of the second unit.