15
Matthew Hurt Sophomore, Forward, Duke (NCAA)
19.6 points, 8.3 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 1.0 steals, 0.9 blocks, 53% fg, 44% 3pt, 33 mpg
Cleveland got off to a very impressive start, but has had some tough luck that has moved them closer to the lottery. The Cavs probably aren’t a playoff team, but so far this season they have shown that this core could work. They probably won’t be in a rush to send off Kevin Love, at this rate, but finding a power forward of the future is a viable option here.
Matthew Hurt has a similar skill set as Kevin Love: both are strong, floor-spacing fours who rebound the basketball well. Hurt’s ceiling is nowhere near what Kevin Love was, but he should be a serviceable four in the NBA. Hurt could have declared for the Draft last year and probably been taken in the second round, but his gamble looks to have paid off.
16
Daishen Nix 2002, Guard, G-League
no stats available yet
Atlanta has looked to be as good as advertised, if not better, when the roster is healthy. This group should be good to go long-term, so taking a positional need is the play here. Finding a playmaker to come off of the bench would be beneficial for their plethora of young shooters. Nix is one of the four big names this year to bypass college and play professionally with the G-League Development team.
It will be interesting how this plays with draft stocks, but with the high-profile move to join the first Ignite team and his talent level, Nix should end up being a first rounder. He is not a gifted scorer, but what he lacks in point production he makes up for with playmaking. For Atlanta, though, they already have plenty of scorers and floor spacers, so finding a secondary playmaker is key.
17
Sharife Cooper Freshman, Guard, Auburn (NCAA)
21.7 points, 4.0 rebounds, 9.7 assists, 2.0 steals, 0.0 blocks, 37% fg, 6% 3pt, 33 mpg
I rarely advocate for the use of two picks on the same position in a draft, especially if that team is currently making a playoff push. I don’t think the Knicks are for real this year, but drafting a second point guard in two picks may seem a bit overboard for a ‘contending’ team. However, New York has no long-term answer at the one and could use two picks to find the right player.
Sharife Cooper is a smaller, flashier, more perimeter and passing-centric than Jaden Springer, who is a physical, gritty, defensive guard. Going to different directions on high-ceiling players could be a significantly beneficial investment. Cooper will be the more exciting pick, but both grade out as similar prospects at the moment. Cooper could end up going higher than 17, but he will need to clean up his atrocious shot selection in order to do so.