17. Kahlil Whitney, Small Forward
Current Team: Kentucky
The volatile draft stock of so many prospects out of the Kentucky basketball program could come to a head with the former five-star recruit and true freshman small forward Kahlil Whitney. Through a very limited sample size at Kentucky, Whitney showed flashes but nothing consistent to this point.
There could be similar movement in the draft stocks of Whitney and Okoro. Both are rather unrefined 6-foot-6 wings that could bring similar appeal to the table at the next level. That three-and-D wing is so sought after in the NBA, and this tends to be a shallower class of small forwards than there was in the 2019 draft class.
But where Whitney could separate himself from the rest of the field could be as a standout shot creator and secondary or third scorer in a first unit in the NBA. There are games where Whitney is just on and nailing all his looks from the field. Better shot selection could result in him shooting well above 35 percent from downtown through his freshman season.
Moreover, Whitney is super athletic and has a very quick and strong first step. He could be a good slash that gets to the rim in the blink of an eye. If his shooting improves, he could also be a threat to get to the free-throw line often at the next level. The 44.5 percent shooting from the charity stripe has to change, though.