(Note to readers: This is an excerpt of Big Board 5.0 provided to free subscribers. To get picks 36-80 you need to be a paid subscriber. Click the button below to subscribe and get the full version w/ a special $34 off a yearly sub.)
Last week we debuted our Big Board 5.0, ranking the top 30 prospects for the 2021 NBA Draft.
This week we dive even deeper, ranking prospects 31-80. As always, I spoke with a number of NBA execs and scouts to get a feel for which players they liked as potential late first-to-second-round picks.
The second round remains very unsettled. As many as 10 of these players could end up being first-rounders, and many others will go undrafted.
Nevertheless, this is our best intel regarding the kind of information that the players who have declared for the draft are getting from the NBA draft advisory committee.
31 MAX ABMAS
PG, ORAL ROBERTS, SOPHOMORE
Primary Attributes: shooting
Age 20.2 | 6'1" | 165
Abmas is benefiting from both his strong play in the NCAA Tournament and Trae Young’s sensational performance in the NBA playoffs. Abmas’ dynamic ballhandling, his ability to create for himself and others and his talent for shooting efficiently with a high volume of 3s are going to get him serious looks in the first round.
Draft range: 25-40
32 CHRIS SMITH
W, UCLA, SENIOR
Primary Attributes: Playmaking, Defense
Age 21.4 | 6'9" | 220
Smith has all the tools NBA teams are looking for in a 3-and-D wing. He has length, athleticism and a smooth jump shot and he can defend three positions on the floor. He’s still recovering from a torn ACL in late December and most likely won’t be ready to play until 2022. Combine that with a worry about how hard he plays and his lack of strength and he’s far from a sure thing. But on sheer upside, he’s one of the best prospects in the second half of the first round.
Draft range: 25-40
33 JOSH CHRISTOPHER
SG, ARIZONA STATE, FRESHMAN
Primary Attributes: Scoring
Age 19.5 | 6'5" | 215
Christopher is another polarizing prospect who is all over draft boards. Some teams have projected him to go late in the lottery. For many others he’s planted firmly in the second round. He is one of the best pure scorers in the draft, can score from anywhere and is aggressive looking for his shot. The question is whether he will do anything when the ball isn’t in his hands to help teams win.
Draft range: 25-40
34 DAY'RON SHARPE
C, NORTH CAROLINA, FRESHMAN
Primary Attributes: Motor, Size
Age 19.4 | 6'11" | 265
In terms of draft stock, Sharpe has been hovering as a mid-first-round to late first-round pick all year. His old-school game of strength, hustle and grittiness on the defensive end won’t be for everyone. But there’s real potential here because of his fluid athleticism, his switchability on defense and a solid feel for the game that makes him a passing threat out of the post.
Draft range: 25-40
35 MARCUS BAGLEY
F, ARIZONA STATE, FRESHMAN
Primary Attributes: Scoring, Versatility, Athleticism
Age 19.5 | 6'8" | 215
Bagley has some similarities to his older brother, Marvin Bagley III of the Sacramento Kings, particularly in his scoring abilities at his size. The younger Bagley is an athletic forward who can guard both 3s and 4s, scores in a variety of ways and projects as a potential 3-and-D prospect at the next level. The limited sample from his 12 games of college play and his lack of statistical strong suits create concern. He’s more of a project than anything else right now, but the combination of size, athleticism and scoring ability make him an intriguing late first-round or early second-round prospect.
Draft range: 25-40
36 Want to read the FULL Big Board 5.0 Picks 31-80?
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