NBA Draft Season Starts Today! Scouting Guide for Top NCAA Prospects; Plus, Can Rookies Help Teams Win?
NBA Draft Stock Watch: Our Rookie, Sophomore and Draft Prospect of the Week
During the NBA, college and international seasons, my Tuesday newsletter will focus on NBA rookies and sophomores as well as prospects for the 2022 NBA Draft, especially those who have helped or hurt their stock in the past week.
My reports will be based on my own observations as well as information I receive from NBA scouts, executives and agents.
NBA draft season starts today
The NCAA college basketball season gets underway today (Tuesday), which means NBA draft season has officially begun.
On my latest Big Board 1.0, I had 18 NCAA freshmen, four sophomores and one junior in my top 30. As usual, this draft is especially heavy at the top with college freshmen: Nine of the top 14 prospects projected as lottery picks are NCAA freshmen.
Just as I will, NBA scouts will be watching these newcomers closely during the first month of the season to see how they are adjusting from high school to college basketball as well as to see what roles they are playing.
I’m sure many readers of NBA Big Board will want to do likewise, so I’ve put together a list of games I’ll be watching in November to get in some baseline scouting for NBA draft prospects.
Tuesday, Nov. 9
Kansas vs. Michigan State, 7 pm ET, ESPN
Kentucky vs. Duke, 9:30 pm ET, ESPN
The Duke-Kentucky game will have four potential lottery picks:
Paolo Banchero (ranked No. 2 on my Big Board)
Adrian Griffin Jr. (No. 11)
TyTy Washington (No. 15)
Daimion Collins (No. 17)
And Duke has two other potential first rounders — sophomore Mark Williams and freshmen Trevor Keels — and one potential second rounder in Wendell Moore Jr.
Banchero will face an immediate test given that Kentucky has transfer players with experience in the frontcourt.
The earlier Kansas-Michigan State game has one potential lottery pick, freshman Max Christie of Michigan State, as well as several potential late first-round and second-round picks from Kansas, led by Ochai Agbaji, Christian Braun and Remy Martin. (Jalen Wilson is another potential draftee, but he’s currently suspended for a DUI.)
Wednesday, Nov. 10