2018 NBA Draft: Post-withdrawal deadline big board

New appearances on the Big Board

Kevin Huerter, SG/SF — Maryland (No. 23) 

Huerter jumps from the 2019 to 2018 Big Board after deciding to stay in the draft. There are so many things offensively to love about Huerter. He has great positional size on the wing at 6’7″ and shoots off of movement better than anyone in the class. He is a savant setting his feet quickly on the move and shooting off momentum. He makes high quality decisions with incredible quickness in low-usage settings as well.

Defensively, Huerter does not appear to be a plus, but will not be a minus either. His size and continuous body development will help him handle quicker wings with his size and he does slide his feet well on the perimeter. By electing to stay in the draft, it likely means Huerter has a first round promise from an NBA team, and with good reason. Huerter has all the traits you want a modern offensive role player to have in the NBA.

Donte DiVincenzo, SG/PG — Villanova (No. 31) 

The Villanova combo guard held his strong momentum from his impressive NCAA Tournament run throughout the pre-draft process. DiVincenzo is a fearless volume scorer at 6’4″. He has tremendous leaping ability and is a solid defender. DiVincenzo’s future NBA archetype should be a volume scorer off the bench that can attack closeouts and thrive in the open court and transition game.

Omari Spellman, C — Villanova (No. 38) 

Much like DiVincenzo, Spellman elected to capitalize on Villanova’s national championship. While I wish Spellman would have stayed in school for another year, he’s still a quality prospect. He does not have the traditional height for a big at 6’9″, but should be able to hold his own with his impressive length and has worked tirelessly to improve his body and strength since high school from his former girth.

He’s a very modern big man that should be able to shoot the ball well, and will not be a liability defending in space with active feet, but is not entirely switchable either. Spellman’s going to have to maximize his shooting and decision-making when passing in order to reach his full potential.

Jarred Vanderbilt, C — Kentucky (No. 48) 

Vanderbilt elected to forgo his eligibility at Kentucky to enter the draft in a very interesting decision. There’s no doubt the value of grabbing a player like Vanderbilt in the second round would be amazing. However, after an injury-riddled season at Kentucky, I wanted to see him produce in a much larger sample size.

The second round is probably a pretty safe bet for Vanderbilt. He put up some monstrous rebound numbers in a very short time at Kentucky. He also has a rare combination of athletic ability at his size and ball-handling. Vanderbilt actually ran point guard during his debut game with Kentucky coming off injury for about 15 minutes. The talent oozes out, but his offensive game needs to develop, especially his jump shot.

George King, SG/SF — Colorado (No. 53)

King really made a believer out of me during his performance at the combine. The 6’6″ wing measured in with tremendous length and he impressed in scrimmages as well. King is very impressive laterally with quick twitch fibers, being able to open his hips up quickly and with ease when defending on ball.

He also showcased some positional versatility, being able to battle with bigs down low on switches. King’s sole value as a prospect comes from his defense. He has a decent handle and jump shot, but neither should be considered strengths. He will have to develop his offensive skills if he wants a long-term NBA role.

Kenrich Williams, PF/SF — TCU (No. 54) 

Kenrich Williams has had a long journey to get into this position to become an NBA Draft pick. Hopefully, he will be selected because of all the hard work he has put into his game. As a prospect I have started to come around to the idea of Williams as a 4-man.

However, I am not sure how well he translates from a high-usage, on-ball role, to such a low-usage, off-ball role. While I do feel better about his shooting after seeing him in person, I still do not think he will be a knockdown shooter. Williams’ future NBA role will likely be a small-ball 4 with a high basketball IQ, who takes care of the ball, knocks down open shots and plays quality defense.

D.J. Hogg, PF — Texas A&M (No. 55) 

Hogg has always been a player that has just been hovering outside of my top 60. After watching him shoot the ball better than anyone at Impact Basketball Pro Day, I was sold on his offensive ability. He appeared to be a slightly more explosive leaper and will have no problem playing the role of a 4, as he is every bit of 6’9″ if not more. Hogg still has defensive concerns, but was played out of position on the wing at Texas A&M.