Like any draft, the 2019 NBA Draft has a plethora of raw, high-upside players who could theoretically morph into All-Stars. Who are the most talented boom-or-bust guys available?
The 2019 NBA Draft is littered with uncertainty, with every team likely having a drastically different big board. After the Anthony Davis blockbuster trade, this year’s draft could be one of the most unpredictable in recent memory.
Largely perceived as a three-player draft, the 2019 tiers are all over the place. Beyond Zion Williamson, there doesn’t seem to be a no-doubt future All-Star, but the majority of teams in the lottery seem fit to take intriguing prospects who could develop into solid role players.
For teams more risk-inclined, there are handfuls of nearly unknown guys who figure to get drafted Thursday night. Between previously ineligible NCAA athletes, guys who got hurt and underachieving top high school recruits, there is a litany of reasons why some of these players pose such a risk.
Taking a second round flier on a guy like Brian Bowen isn’t going to get anybody fired, but going out on a limb in the first round, no matter how sweet the upside, could spell doom for the wrong team or front office. Here are the five most enticing boom-or-bust players in the 2019 NBA Draft, ranked in terms of their total untapped potential weighed against their risk.