It’s the best time of year for basketball fans, with March Madness almost upon us. As 68 teams compete for the national championship, all 30 NBA scouting departments will be scouring the country in hopes of locating their next NBA Draft gem.
This is a loaded class, with increasing uncertainty at the top amid Darryn Peterson’s injury concerns at Kansas and the flat-out bonkers productivity of both Duke’s Cameron Boozer and BYU’s AJ Dybantsa. The talent does not end there, however, with several prominent prospects expected to occupy the spotlight this month. Here’s how the draft landscape shapes up in the calm before the storm:
1. Oklahoma City Thunder (via LAC): AJ Dybantsa, F, Brigham Young
Height: 6’9
Weight: 210
Class: Freshman
Draft Age: 19
AJ Dybantsa continues to gain steam as a potential No. 1 pick as questions swirl around Darryn Peterson’s health. Dybantsa represents arguably the highest ceiling in the draft and he continues to produce at gaudy levels for BYU, leading the nation in scoring on excellent efficiency. For OKC, this is a dream outcome (and a nightmare for 29 other teams). It’s also hard to imagine a better situation for Dybantsa to walk into, unless he’s just looking for maximum usage out of the gate.
The fit here is seamless. Dybantsa is an uber-talented slasher, with dexterous limbs and a unique ability to get low, change direction and explode through gaps in the defense. He will need to refine his shot selection, but the 3-point volume has come on strong in conference play and Dybantsa exhibits feathery touch from all over the court. The mid-range pull-ups are effortless. He’s a better playmaker than he gets credit for. The defense is hit or miss, but given Dybantsa’s tools and upside, there’s no reason OKC can’t help him transform into a proper two-way superstar.
2. Sacramento Kings: Darryn Peterson, G, Kansas
Height: 6’5
Weight: 195
Class: Freshman
Draft Age: 19
It’s hard to feel great about Sacramento of all teams landing the top-ranked prospect with health and mindset-related questions, but most of the Darryn Peterson discourse has been blown out of proportion. He is clearly operating below full strength, which makes it hard to evaluate these new perceived weaknesses. In high school, Peterson was an elite rim-pressure guard who could manipulate a defense and consistently generate advantages. He’s having a harder time doing that for Kansas, but even so, he’s producing at an elite level.
Peterson checks so many boxes for a modern guard prospect, from positional size to scalability on- and off-ball. The sketchy playmaking numbers should self-correct once he feels more like himself. Peterson has become a singularly dominant scorer for the Jayhawks, comfortable running off screens, firing deep catch-and-shoot 3s, beating closeouts with a few slick dribble moves, and scoring with touch and a high release point (rather than pure burst) inside the arc. If he can match this prodigous perimeter scoring with his pre-college athleticism and driving ability, you’re looking at one of the most complete guard scorers in recent memory. Peterson competes on defense and anyone truly questioning his desire to compete or win games is being willfully ignorant of a long track record, dating back years before he arrived at Kansas.
>> Read our Darryn Peterson scouting report
3. Memphis Grizzlies: Cameron Boozer, F, Duke
Height: 6’9
Weight: 235
Class: Freshman
Draft Age: 18
Memphis lucks out and takes FanSided’s No. 1 prospect at No. 3. The Grizzlies frontcourt puts major stock in analytics and just cleared out the power forward spot with the Jaren Jackson Jr. trade. Boozer and Zach Edey immediately form one of the most physically imposing frontcourts in the NBA. Both will absolutely pummel mismatches on the block. Edey has begun to space out to the 3-point line, however, and Boozer is incredibly dynamic and efficient across the board. So there should be no concerns about their ability to coexist offensively.
It cannot be understated how versatile AND effective of a scorer Cameron Boozer is.
Boozer is scoring MORE than a point per possession AND ranks in the 80th percentile or higher on 8 of his most used play types. Truly unprecedented production on display.
— Mohamed
The main knock on Boozer is his limited defensive potential. He puts in the effort and displays impressive anticipation skills as a free safety, but Boozer isn’t laterally quick enough to defend full-time on the perimeter and he’s not vertically explosive enough to consistently protect the rim. Edey helps with the latter, at least. Boozer is the youngest player in the draft and he just put together the most thoroughly dominant college season since Zion Williamson. He has done nothing but win throughout high school and college. That should happen sooner than later in the pros.
>> Read our Cameron Boozer scouting report
4. Utah Jazz: Kingston Flemings, G, Houston
Height: 6’3
Weight: 190
Class: Freshman
Draft Age: 19
With Jaren Jackson Jr., Lauri Markkanen and presumably Walker Kessler are locked up for a while, Utah goes against the grain and selects Kingston Flemings. The Ainges historically value guards who can apply consistent pressure on a defense. Flemings is an absolute blur, blessed with a devastating first step and incredible decision-making poise at full speed. His efficiency has regressed to the mean after a bonkers start to the year, but Flemings is still finishing with equal craft and explosiveness in the paint. The 3-point shooting has also held up on solid volume.
Flemings with presumably join Keyonte George in the starting backcourt sooner than later, giving the Jazz a couple generative engines to complement to supersized, superskilled frontcourt trio. Flemings will deliver clean setups out of the pick-and-roll while giving the Jazz a real kickstarter in transition. Flemings has spent time off-ball this season too, so there’s scalability as Utah tries to figure out its new offensive hierarchy.
5. Los Angeles Clippers (via IND): Caleb Wilson, F, North Carolina
Height: 6’10
Weight: 215
Class: Freshman
Draft Age: 19
The Clippers will need to decide on Kawhi Leonard’s future this offseason, but the Ivica Zubac trade opens the door, potentially, to a new era. Caleb Wilson is locked at No. 4 on most boards, but a favorable draw could put the Clippers in position to strike on a foundational talent. Wilson has completely obliterated opponents on both ends for UNC. He’s a voracious above-rim finisher, with mid-range touch to build on. Defensively, he’s a menace.
Wilson’s motor runs extremely hot. He still needs to clean up the occasional mental error, but Wilson’s athleticism and instincts point to future All-Defense upside in the frontcourt. He will need to answer more questions on the offensive end, but Wilson attacks the lane with a fervor. He dunks everything, it feels like. The touch indicators are solid, so there’s reason to believe he can incorporate a steady diet of 3s eventually.
6. Brooklyn Nets: Mikel Brown Jr., G, Louisville
Height: 6’4
Weight: 172
Class: Freshman
Draft Age: 20
Mikel Brown Jr. skeptics will point to overly ambitious shot selection and a high turnover rate as points of concern, but in terms of pure talent, he stands out even among the deepest guard class in recent memory. Brown has been on a heater of late for Louisville, bombing deep 3s out of myriad setups. He’s a highly creative playmaker, sometimes to a fault, but Brown’s jitterbug handles, diverse shot profile and unmatched dynamism all point to potential stardom in the backcourt.
Despite their deluge of guards, the Nets could use a real scoring engine. Brown is a pick-and-roll natural, with endless pull-up range and the ability to deliver every pass in the book (and several off-book). He should be able to scale down, too, running off screens, attacking off the catch, and thriving in mulit-guard lineups. Brown gets downhill to draw fouls, finishes efficiently at the rim (65.3 percent) and imbues an offense with a boundless energy. If he can rein in some of the unforced errors without compromising his creativity, Brown could be the foundation of Brooklyn’s future.
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