Non Lottery 2016 Draft Player watch

[CFAN38]

With so much hope riding on the Nets picks the top half of the lottery has been getting a ton of attention. I wanted to make a thread that highlights some of the players who will likely go after the lottery who could have long successful careers.

Going by DraftExpress I assumed the following was the top 20

1     Ben Simmons 
 2   Brandon Ingram
 3   Skal Labissiere 
 4   Dragan Bender 
 5   Kris Dunn  PG
 6   Jaylen Brown  SG/SF
 7   Jamal Murray  PG/SG
 8   Henry Ellenson  PF
 9   Jakob Poeltl  C
 10   Cheick Diallo  PF/C
 11   Furkan Korkmaz  SG
 12   Demetrius Jackson  PG
 13   Damian Jones  PF/C
 14   Stephen Zimmerman  C
 15   Timothe Luwawu  SG/SF
 16   Denzel Valentine  SG
 17   Diamond Stone  PF/C
 18   Wade Baldwin  PG
 19   Caris LeVert  PG/SG
 20   Zhou Qi  C



Players I like outside of that group. (in no particular order)

1. Nigel Hayes PF/SF, he looks to be a perfect modern NBA utility player. Where a generation ago he would be a tweener now he has a great profile for a small ball 4. His length and mobility should allow him to be an excellent switch everything D Green style defender.

2. Gary Payton 2 PG, he has taken an unconventional route to Div 1 bball and because of this is already 23. His age hurts him but any PG who can average 9rb, 2.9stl, and .9blks seems like a guy who should stick in the league. In a guard dominated league his defense should help him carve out a role on a teams bench.

3. John Egbunu C, he is super raw but the center from Florida has a very impressive physical profile. From what I have seen of him he isn't fare off from the D Jordan/D Howard level of athleticism. He has a lot of weaknesses including being very foul prone and a limited offensive game but his strengths are the parts of the game that cant be taught. (size, length, explosiveness)

4. Caleb Swanigan PF, he plays in a front court full of big bodys and I think this is the limiting factor to his offense. While standing in shoes just under 6'9 he has a huge 7'4.75 wingspan and a great feel for the game. He is only averaging 10ppg but his 9rb and 2.7 ast are impressive. He has also shown potential from the college 3 and is a 73% FT shooter. If he as on a team where he was the main post player I have little doubt he would be a 15pt 10rb a game guy.   

5. Jarrod Uthoff SF/PF, he is currently on a shooting tear hit 51% from 3 on 5 attempts. At almost 6'10 with decent length this should at least give him a shot at a Steve Novak type NBA role. In college he is a better rebounder (7rb) and ligh years ahead as a shot blocker (2.7). If he can add some bulk his thin frame he looks like a great candidate coming off the bench playing off of a teams star.

 

   

[Evantime34]

Could not agree more on Hayes. I think he is a perfect fit for the current NBA.

I also like Briscoe, Trimble, LaVert, and Diamond Stone.

[Eddie20]

I love Hayes and Egbunu (loaded with potential)

[Yoki_IsTheName]

Denzel Valentine.

He has that ability in which he can do a lot of things on the court. Versatile players are hard to come by.

[The One]

3. John Egbunu C, he is super raw but the center from Florida has a very impressive physical profile. From what I have seen of him he isn't fare off from the D Jordan/D Howard level of athleticism. He has a lot of weaknesses including being very foul prone and a limited offensive game but his strengths are the parts of the game that cant be taught. (size, length, explosiveness)

You had me at D Jordan/D Howard level of athleticism.

Why can't the Celtics get players like that?

[Celtics18]

I wouldn't bet against Gary Payton II.  His dad was a late bloomer as well, and look how he turned out. 

[esel1000]

Denzel Valentine.

He has that ability in which he can do a lot of things on the court. Versatile players are hard to come by.

Yep Valentine is going to be a player in this league. Really should be a lotto pick. Why is he falling out on projections? Age?

[cm43sports]

Personally, I like Ivan Rabb, teammate of Jaylen Brown at Cal. He's listed at 6'10 and has been putting on weight since he arrived at campus so there is hope that he may fill out. He's rather athletic and a good rim protector. He could use more development in his post game but he's a willing passer. I think he'd be a great target if he falls into the lower end of the lottery or out of the lottery completely.

[CFAN38]

Denzel Valentine.

He has that ability in which he can do a lot of things on the court. Versatile players are hard to come by.

Yep Valentine is going to be a player in this league. Really should be a lotto pick. Why is he falling out on projections? Age?

DX has him projected #16 which is really good for a player who is already 22. I excluded him from my list because he is ranked that high. I personally think he will be a solid starter in the league he just may struggle against quick SGs and big athletic 3s.

[Quetzalcoatl]

I don't think he's worth picking before 18 or so, but someone who is kind of surprising me in how much I like them is Zhou Qi.  He actually kind of reminds me of KO.  He puts up good numbers in China and can guard fast big men.  He has a real outside game that should translate and he blocks a lot of shots.  He gets abused by bigger dudes, but those are going the way of the buffalo in the league, anyway.  I think if he put on a lot of strength/weight, he could be a very serviceable bench big.

He is getting big minutes on the best team in China, plus he had the second most blocks in the FIBA All Asia championship tournament.  Granted, Yi Jianlian was the MVP of that tournament, but he was on the same team as Zhou, so at least Zhou didn't get burned by him.

[The One]

I don't think he's worth picking before 18 or so, but someone who is kind of surprising me in how much I like them is Zhou Qi.  He actually kind of reminds me of KO.  He puts up good numbers in China and can guard fast big men.  He has a real outside game that should translate and he blocks a lot of shots.  He gets abused by bigger dudes, but those are going the way of the buffalo in the league, anyway.  I think if he put on a lot of strength/weight, he could be a very serviceable bench big.

He is getting big minutes on the best team in China, plus he had the second most blocks in the FIBA All Asia championship tournament.  Granted, Yi Jianlian was the MVP of that tournament, but he was on the same team as Zhou, so at least Zhou didn't get burned by him.

Thank you for this!

[LatterDayCelticsfan]

What about Tom Wamukota. Lots of length. Has a good work ethic and comes from a sporting background. Would be a good flyer.

 http://www.kansas.com/sports/college/wichita-state/article15237137.html

[The One]

Malik Pope...horrible.

[Future Celtics Owner]

Thomas Bryant, Jonothan Jeanne could be good projects.