24
Vernon Carey Jr. Center, Duke
17.8 points, 8.8 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 0.7 steals, 1.5 blocks, 58% fg, 25 mpg
Seeing Vernon Carey drop all the way to the late first round is a true shame, as the big man was one of the top prospects in his high school class and has had a great season at Duke to this point. The problem for Carey is that his game is no longer favorable in the NBA. Given, there are many players who are drafted with a similar skill set, such as Isaiah Stewart and Onyeka Okongwu, but Carey does not have the motor that these to have.
What Carey does provide, however, is a phenomenal paint presence and some of the best inside scoring in all of college basketball. In limited minutes, Carey has displayed that his game will translate from high school to college, and will hope next season that it once again transfers to the NBA. Miami has shown that they do not mind old-school centers, as evident in Bam Adebayo, and could look to roll the dice on Carey to become an elite backup.
Draft Stock Trend: -10
25
Amar Sylla Forward, Belgium
6.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, 0.8 assists, 0.3 steals, 0.3 blocks, 36% fg, 19% 3pt, 21 mpg
Pick Via Denver Nuggets
With the Thunder on the clock for their second pick in the first round, the team will opt for a project player in Amar Sylla. Sylla has been often compared to Toronto’s Pascal Siakam: an athletic freak who has shown flashes of greatness and has a very high ceiling. Sylla is still very much learning the game of basketball, but Oklahoma City can afford to wait on his development as Toronto did with Siakam.
Fortunately for the Thunder, Sylla is only 18 years of age, while Siakam was 22 when he entered the league. This means that the Thunder will have more time to develop Sylla into the player that they want him to become than Dwane Casey did with Spicy P. With the rebuild pretty much underway in OKC, the focus will be on swinging for the fences with prospects, and Sylla could be a huge payout for the gambling Thunder.
Draft Stock Trend: +2
26
Zeke Nnaji Center, Arizona
16.2 points, 8.9 rebounds, 0.7 assists, 0.6 steals, 1.0 blocks, 60% fg, 33% 3pt, 30 mpg
Zeke Nnaji has continued to play very solid offensive basketball at Arizona, despite playing alongside two five-star recruits who will likely also be first round selections in this year’s draft. Nnaji has proved that he can be the odd man out with his touches and still thrive, which many teams may see as a great attribute for a role player.
If Boston does not move this pick, the team will likely be looking for a long-term option at the center position, either as a reserve or as a starter. Daniel Theis and Enes Kanter have been solid players at the five for the Celtics, but Nnaji provides the Celtics with a longer-term option at the five, as Nnaji is only 19 years old and would be under team control for the next 4 seasons. Boston does not need much, but help at center is something that could be addressed.