Latest news with #TimConnelly
Irish Independent
16 hours ago
- Sport
- Irish Independent
Ireland star CJ Fulton to play for Minnesota Timberwolves in NBA Summer League
The Belfast man may have missed out in the NBA draft on Wednesday, but he gets a chance to showcase his skills at the preseason tournament that brings together all 30 franchises for 11 days in Las Vegas. Teams typically use the annual competition as an opportunity to try out new players and youngsters who were not selected in the draft. Though the 22-year-old wasn't selected by the Timberwolves with their 17th or 45th picks, Fulton evidently made an impression on the side after being invited to their pre-draft camp earlier this month. Timberwolves president of basketball operations Tim Connelly had referred to Fulton in an interview earlier this week, saying they had intended 'to get the Irish kid' for the Summer League. The point guard's place in the tournament was confirmed by a social media post from the College of Charleston, where Fulton has just completed his senior year of third-level basketball in South Carolina. The Timberwolves, who lost out in the western conference finals this past season, begin their Summer League against New Orleans Pelicans on July 10. Fulton hopes to follow in the footsteps of Pat Burke and Susan Moran who were the first Irish-born players to play at the highest level in the United States.
New York Times
a day ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Timberwolves add big man Rocco Zikarsky, turn their attention toward NBA free agency
MINNEAPOLIS — The Minnesota Timberwolves began the second night of the NBA Draft in an advantageous position. They held the 31st overall pick, the first one of the second round, meaning that any teams that really wanted a certain player were flooding president of basketball operations Tim Connelly's phone with texts and calls to try to move up to get their guy. Advertisement Connelly, meanwhile, had multiple angles to consider. There were some players that the Wolves liked up there, but they already had a team stocked with young players who were having trouble getting playing time. He also had to give a long look to the team's finances, with the Wolves determined to stay under the second-apron spending threshold for next season so that they could retrieve some of the roster-building mechanisms, including being able to aggregate salaries in trades, that they were unable to do in 2024-25 as a second-apron team. The Wolves started at No. 31 but made two trades to drop down to No. 45, where they picked Australian big man Rocco Zikarsky, a 7-foot-3, 18-year-old who played in Brisbane for the last two seasons. 'I think you just want to be as flexible and nimble as possible,' Connelly said. 'And we were lucky. We walked away with a couple of future assets. We walked away with roster flexibility. We walked away with a guy in Zikarsky that we had more highly ranked in the 45th pick and a guy that has a real puncher's chance.' Connelly has been one of the most active front-office leaders in the league in his three seasons in Minnesota. After a quiet night in Round 1 that ended with the Wolves taking French center Joan Beringer at No. 17, Connelly got to his wheeling and dealing early. Before the night began, he swung a deal with Phoenix, sending the 31st pick to the Suns for No. 36 and two future second-round picks — the lesser of Golden State's or Denver's in 2026 and the better of Phoenix's or Houston's in 2032. It was great value to move down just five spots, taking advantage of a bidding war for St. Joseph's forward Rasheer Fleming, who slid out of the first round. With a plethora of bigs on the roster, including youngsters Josh Minott and Leonard Miller, there likely wasn't room for a player who fit Fleming's profile. It could also be further indication of the Wolves' optimism that both Julius Randle and Naz Reid, who have player options for their contracts next season, will be back in 2025-26. Advertisement Connelly then flipped No. 36 to the Los Angeles Lakers for No. 45 and cash considerations. The Lakers took Arkansas forward Adou Thiero. The Wolves had their eyes on Zikarsky for most of the evening, believing that his size and mobility could, eventually, help him become an NBA player. He averaged 4.6 points and 3.5 rebounds for the Brisbane Bullets last season. Connelly said the Wolves are still deciding on where he will play next season. He could remain in Australia or come to the United States and play in Iowa in the G League. With Beringer already committed to playing with the Wolves, it seems unlikely that Zikarsky will play in Minnesota in the NBA next season. Among Zikarsky's strengths, according to The Athletic's Sam Vecenie: Areas for improvement, per Vecenie: 'He's a really unique project, prospect, and a really good kid,' Connelly said. Drafting two 18-year-old centers also sends a message, oddly enough, about their point guard situation. The Wolves only have Mike Conley and Rob Dillingham as true point guards on the roster. If Nickeil Alexander-Walker leaves in free agency, that takes another ballhandler out of the mix. The choice to take Beringer and Zikarsky is, essentially, a vote of confidence in Dillingham, who played sparingly as a rookie. 'I think Rob looks fantastic,' Connelly said. 'He had moments last year when he played that were not just impactful for himself, but they were impactful for team success, which is really the ultimate mark for a point guard.' With the draft concluded, the Timberwolves can now turn their attention to free agency, which begins next week. Connelly said he felt like the Wolves were in a really good place with Randle, Reid and Alexander-Walker. 'What's exciting is when you have a good team, and the guys want to be back here. So we'll see,' Connelly said. If the Timberwolves do want to stay under the second apron, it is hard to envision a scenario where all three of their veterans stay. Given their depth behind Alexander-Walker, including Terrence Shannon Jr. and Jaylen Clark, he may be the odd man out. Randle and Reid are so important to their frontcourt scoring that they may need to be the priorities. Advertisement 'We are in a unique situation; our free agency is going to be primarily focused on our own guys,' Connelly said. 'We have a little more flexibility and freedom than we would if we're looking elsewhere.' If Randle and Reid stay and Alexander-Walker does depart, the Wolves would have 14 rostered players, including Beringer and not including their two-way guys from last season. Connelly said the Wolves did not have any trades in the works at the moment but did not rule out revisiting that market if opportunities reveal themselves after teams reassess their post-draft rosters. 'Until we win it all, we've got to challenge ourselves, right?' Connelly said. 'We're happy with the team, but we're certainly not content with the outcome last year.'
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
2025 NBA Draft second-round winners and losers: The Rasheer Fleming Sweepstakes, silliness and cash
Our own Dan Devine flawlessly analyzed the winners and losers of the first round of the NBA draft on Wednesday, and I am here to clean up the rest, presenting the inarguable winners and losers of the draft's second round ... WINNER: Rasheer Fleming, St. Joseph's Fleming waited all night to hear his name in the first round and did not. Yet, by having to wait, he became the primary focus of the draft's second night. According to ESPN's Shams Charania, the Boston Celtics — slated to select second on Thursday and No. 32 overall — intended to take Fleming, but the Phoenix Suns had other plans, trading three second-round picks for the right to draft the St. Joseph's junior. Advertisement In other words, the opening moments of Night 2 of the draft became The Rasheer Fleming Sweepstakes: Fleming is a long and athletic forward known for his spot-up shooting ability and defensive energy. Sounds like a 3-and-D wing to me. He was the only player in the country last season to convert at least 40 dunks and 50 made 3-pointers, according to ESPN's Jay Bilas. He also does not lack for confidence. When asked what he planned to bring to the Suns, Fleming told ESPN's Monica McNutt, "Regardless if anything goes wrong, if I'm not making shots, which I don't, you're going to get a lot of effort out of me." Advertisement Which I don't. Tell 'em, Rasheer. LOSER: The Minnesota Timberwolves Sounds like Wolves executive Tim Connelly was not pleased with how those sweepstakes shook out: LOSER: 'On the clock' Nobody knows who is on the clock, unless you are a certified genius. As the NBA's deputy commissioner, Mark Tatum, proclaimed the Minnesota Timberwolves were taking Fleming with the first pick of the draft's second night, the ESPN hosts had to repeatedly remind us that the Wolves were not actually taking Fleming. It was the Suns, who had just traded up to select him. And then ESPN had to conduct its interview with Fleming in a Timberwolves hat. It makes no sense. And this was the case all night. It seemed everybody but the viewer knew ahead of time one team was selecting in place of another, so why can't Tatum just tell us the actual team taking a player? Advertisement And why can't they wear the right hat? Do they even need a hat? It only makes it more confusing. WINNER: Cash Over the course of a couple of hours, the Los Angeles Lakers traded the No. 55 pick and cash to the Chicago Bulls for the No. 45 pick, and then the Lakers traded the No. 45 pick and cash to the Timberwolves for No. 36. In other words, all it took was a little cash to move up from the bottom of the second round to the top. (And, of course, Tatum told us that it was the Brooklyn Nets who were taking the pick when in actuality it had changed hands twice — from the Nets to the Timberwolves to the Lakers — before he announced it.) Advertisement The Lakers selected Arkansas junior Adou Thiero, who our own Kevin O'Connor described as "a slasher with a jacked frame and an explosive first step," and an A pick, which is a pretty good haul for some cash. LOSER: Ryan Kalkbrenner's assessment of himself After Creighton big man Ryan Kalkbrenner described himself as a much-improved shooter in a draft-day media package about his potential impact on the NBA, the 34th overall pick by the Hornets informed us, "My favorite player growing up was Dirk [Nowitzki], and I couldn't be more different than him. That fadeaway jumper in the post is just iconic. He was so good at that, and I think I hit that shot twice over five years in my college career." Do not set limits on yourself, Ryan. WINNER: Alijah Martin's jeweler Florida senior wing Alijah Martin arrived to the draft in a smooth-looking all-white suit and a chain the size of his head, which is a pretty good sign the NIL checks from Gators boosters probably cleared. "Just something that me and my jeweler put together," Martin told ESPN. Advertisement That's right: Second-round draft picks have their own jewelers, apparently. Unfortunately, Martin's chain was of the No. 15, and he was selected 39th by the Toronto Raptors, who recently retired Vince Carter's No. 15, so I guess Martin will have to commission another chain. WINNER: Rocco Zikarsky, Brisbane Bullets What a name. Do not fight this man, just based on the name alone. Also: Do not fight this man, because he is a mulleted 7-foot-4 Australian "who can practically dunk without jumping," according to ESPN's Jonathan Givony. Good on ya, Timberwolves, for taking him 45th. [SHRUG]: Milwaukee Bucks GM Jon Horst Prior to the Bucks' selection of Bogoljub Marković (not a "Star Wars" character) with the No. 47 pick, Charania informed us two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo is "closely monitoring" Milwaukee's process on Thursday, as he is still deciding his future with the team. Talk about pressure for Horst. Advertisement Antetokounmpo wants to see how the Bucks improve their team for next season, according to Charania. It probably is not the best sign that, soon after the Bucks selected Marković, Givony revealed, "I expect him to be stashed in Belgrade next year," as Bogoljub is likely planning to arrive in Milwaukee in 2026. For his part, Marković all but said his international experience has made him the draft's best player: "Certainly from a physical side and a mental side I think it has prepared me the most out of anyone here." LOSER: The Denver Nuggets If ESPN's Brian Windhorst is suggesting what I think ESPN's Brian Windhorst is suggesting here, hoo boy: That, combined with Nuggets owner Josh Kroenke's recent comments — in which he randomly brought up "a scenario ... I never want to have to contemplate, and that's trading No. 15," Nikola Jokić — is cause for serious concern in Denver. What happens if he does not sign his impending contract extension offer? LOSER: Lachlan Olbrich's mustache What happened to Lachlan Olbrich's mustache? Bring it back, Lachlan. WINNER: Tyrese Proctor, Duke University Because the Cleveland Cavaliers will spend into the second apron next season (and possibly beyond), they are all but guaranteed to retain their affordable second-round draft pick with an actual roster spot. Advertisement As Givony said, "This is a spot that every agent was fighting for, because it's going to be a roster spot." They scored Tyrese Proctor, the fifth Duke player taken in the draft, with the No. 49 pick. He could serve as a roster replacement for either Ty Jerome or Sam Merrill, both of whom are unrestricted free agents. Afterward, Givony told us "every other pick here is either going to be a two-way or a stash," which is a good way to inform the viewing audience the rest of the draft is not much worth monitoring. LOSER: Night 2 Why is there a second night of the NBA Draft again? I think we managed with two rounds in one night.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
2025 NBA Draft winners and losers: The Rasheer Fleming Sweepstakes, second-round silliness and cash
Our own Dan Devine flawlessly analyzed the winners and losers of the first round of the NBA draft on Wednesday, and I am here to clean up the rest, presenting the inarguable winners and losers of the draft's second round ... WINNER: Rasheer Fleming, St. Joseph's Fleming waited all night to hear his name in the first round and did not. Yet, by having to wait, he became the primary focus of the draft's second night. According to ESPN's Shams Charania, the Boston Celtics — slated to select second on Thursday and No. 32 overall — intended to take Fleming, but the Phoenix Suns had other plans, trading three second-round picks for the right to draft the St. Joseph's junior. Advertisement In other words, the opening moments of Night 2 of the draft became The Rasheer Fleming Sweepstakes: Fleming is a long and athletic forward known for his spot-up shooting ability and defensive energy. Sounds like a 3-and-D wing to me. He was the only player in the country last season to convert at least 40 dunks and 50 made 3-pointers, according to ESPN's Jay Bilas. He also does not lack for confidence. When asked what he planned to bring to the Suns, Fleming told ESPN's Monica McNutt, "Regardless if anything goes wrong, if I'm not making shots, which I don't, you're going to get a lot of effort out of me." Advertisement Which I don't. Tell 'em, Rasheer. LOSER: The Minnesota Timberwolves Sounds like Wolves executive Tim Connelly was not pleased with how those sweepstakes shook out: LOSER: 'On the clock' Nobody knows who is on the clock, unless you are a certified genius. As the NBA's deputy commissioner, Mark Tatum, proclaimed that the Minnesota Timberwolves were taking Fleming with the first pick of the draft's second night, the ESPN hosts had to repeatedly remind us that the Wolves were not actually taking Fleming. It was the Suns, who had just traded up to select him. And then ESPN had to conduct its interview with Fleming in a Timberwolves hat. It makes no sense. And this was the case all night. It seemed everybody but the viewer knew ahead of time that one team was selecting in place of another, so why can't Tatum just tell us the actual team that is taking a player? Advertisement And why can't they wear the right hat? Do they even need a hat? It only makes it more confusing. WINNER: Cash Over the course of a couple hours, the Los Angeles Lakers traded the No. 55 pick and cash to the Chicago Bulls for the No. 45 pick, and then the Lakers traded the No. 45 pick and cash to the Timberwolves for No. 36. In other words, all it took was a little cash to move up from the bottom of the second round to the top. (And, of course, Tatum told us that it was the Brooklyn Nets who were taking the pick when in actuality it had changed hands twice — from the Nets to the Timberwolves to the Lakers — before he announced it.) Advertisement The Lakers selected Arkansas junior Adou Thiero, who our own Kevin O'Connor described as "a slasher with a jacked frame and an explosive first step," and an A pick, which is a pretty good haul for some cash. LOSER: Ryan Kalkbrenner's assessment of himself After Creighton big man Ryan Kalkbrenner described himself as a much-improved shooter in a draft-day media package about his potential impact on the NBA, the 34th overall pick by the Hornets informed us, "My favorite player growing up was Dirk [Nowitzki], and I couldn't be more different than him. That fadeaway jumper in the post is just iconic. He was so good at that, and I think I hit that shot twice over five years in my college career." Do not set limits on yourself, Ryan. WINNER: Alijah Martin's jeweler Florida senior wing Alijah Martin arrived to the draft in a smooth-looking all-white suit and a chain the size of his head, which is a pretty good sign that the NIL checks from Gators boosters probably cleared. "Just something that me and my jeweler put together," Martin told ESPN. Advertisement That's right: Second-round draft picks have their own jewelers, apparently. Unfortunately, Martin's chain was of the number 15, and he was selected 39th by the Toronto Raptors, who recently retired Vince Carter's No. 15, so I guess Martin will have to commission another chain. WINNER: Rocco Zikarsky, Brisbane Bullets What a name. Do not fight this man, just based on the name alone. Also: Do not fight this man, because he is a mulleted 7-foot-4 Australian "who can practically dunk without jumping," according to ESPN's Jonathan Givony. Good on ya, Timberwolves, for taking him 45th. [SHRUG]: Milwaukee Bucks GM Jon Horst Prior to the Bucks' selection of Bogoljub Marković (not a "Star Wars" character) with the No. 47 pick, Charania informed us that two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo is "closely monitoring" Milwaukee's process on Thursday, as he is still deciding his future with the team. Talk about pressure for Horst. Advertisement Antetokounmpo wants to see how the Bucks improve their team for next season, according to Charania. It probably is not the best sign that, soon after the Bucks selected Marković, Givony revealed, "I expect him to be stashed in Belgrade next year," as Bogoljub is likely planning to arrive in Milwaukee in 2026. For his part, Marković all but said his international experience has made him the draft's best player: "Certainly from a physical side and a mental side I think it has prepared me the most out of anyone here." LOSER: The Denver Nuggets If ESPN's Brian Windhorst is suggesting what I think ESPN's Brian Windhorst is suggesting here, hoo boy: That, combined with Nuggets owner Josh Kroenke's recent comments — in which he randomly brought up "a scenario ... I never want to have to contemplate, and that's trading No. 15," Nikola Jokić — is cause for serious concern in Denver. What happens if he does not sign his impending contract extension offer? LOSER: Lachlan Olbrich's mustache What happened to Lachlan Olbrich's mustache? Bring it back, Lachlan. WINNER: Tyrese Proctor, Duke University Because the Cleveland Cavaliers will spend into the second apron next season (and possibly beyond), they are all but guaranteed to retain their affordable second-round draft pick with an actual roster spot. Advertisement As Givony said, "This is a spot that every agent was fighting for, because it's going to be a roster spot." They scored Tyrese Proctor, the fifth Duke player taken in the draft, with the No. 49 pick. He could serve as a roster replacement for either Ty Jerome or Sam Merrill, both of whom are unrestricted free agents. Afterwards, Givony told us that "every other pick here is either going to be a two-way or a stash," which is a good way to inform the viewing audience that the rest of the draft is not much worth monitoring. LOSER: Night 2 Why is there a second night of the NBA draft again? I think we managed with two rounds in one night.
New York Times
2 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
NBA Draft 2025: Kam Jones? Tyrese Proctor? Who will be selected in Round 2?
The first round of the 2025 NBA Draft is in the books, and it brought its fair share of surprises, including a wild New Orleans Pelicans trade, a Yang Hansen selection in the first round and the Brooklyn Nets actually choosing to make five first-round picks. And yet, it also went somewhat by the numbers. Of the 30 players I projected to go in the first round, 27 got picked. I have zero top-20 players remaining on my personal board, and only one top-25 player (Noah Penda). Advertisement Additionally, with how the name, image and likeness marketplace has impacted the pool of potential players, teams have certainly been negotiating with players throughout the week to try to come up with advantageous deals that make sense for everyone involved before the draft. Don't be surprised to see two-way contracted players get taken in the 30s, and don't be surprised to see some surprising stashes later in the draft. Here's a quick projection of the second round Thursday night. Fleming fits the Tim Connelly archetype that he's previously drafted in the second round, as a toolsy, athletic big at 6-foot-8 with a 7-5 wingspan (see: Josh Minott and Leonard Miller). I think he's a bit more of a big than a wing and might be position locked at power forward, but Fleming improved as a shooter this year and has some real athleticism that allows him to make a big impact. He needs to improve his overall feel for the game and continue to grow as a passer and decision-maker. Raynaud has the kind of game that has to appeal to the Celtics. He's a big man who can dribble, pass and shoot the basketball after averaging 20 points and 10 rebounds last season at Stanford. He's not the best passer in the world, and he's a bit slow. But he's also highly intelligent and has been on a rapidly positive ascent over the last six years of his basketball career. It's easy to buy into him continuing to work to figure it out. James is one of the draft's best bets to become a serious defender, as the big, physical guard can take on assignments across the positional spectrum with serious switchability and make disruptive plays with how strong his hands are. Offensively, it's a bit more of an adventure, but he makes good decisions and has shown some improvement as a shooter over the last two years. The NBA playoffs showed that players such as this are in high demand. Advertisement The Hornets traded starting center Mark Williams on Wednesday and have a real need on the interior, even with Moussa Diabate and Jusuf Nurkić in the fold. Kalkbrenner is also quite different from those players as a drop-coverage guy who can also step away and shoot and is quite efficient around the rim offensively. This would be a fantastic get for the Hornets, who seem to be prioritizing a positive culture in their draft picks in the first round with Kon Knueppel and Liam McNeeley. Proctor has been very impressive in pre-draft workouts with his ability to knock down shots and potentially play minutes both on and off the ball. He's a monster shooter, having hit 40.5 percent from 3 this past season at Duke while playing next to an awesome team around him. He also processes the game at a strong level and makes quick decisions with the ball. Proctor is also a willing defender, but he needs to put on a bit of weight over the next few years to deal with the physicality of the NBA. Penda is my top player remaining on my board, a terrific 6-7 Swiss Army knife of a wing who can dribble, pass and defend at a high level who also comes in at 245 pounds. He processes the game extremely well and is very switchable. There are worries about his frame holding up long-term and his shooting ability, but I think Penda is a good bet to be a rotation player at some point if the shot comes around. Lanier is one of the draft's premier shooters, having taken more shots off screens this year than any player in college basketball and converting them at a solid clip. Overall, Lanier averaged 18 points per game while drilling 40 percent of his 3s last season at Tennessee and is seen as a very real potential floor spacer at the NBA level. He has a real shot at being a guaranteed deal. This would be a nice way to get some further backcourt depth after the Pacers got this pick from the Spurs before the first round. Jones is a terrific player in a pace-and-space scheme after having played at Marquette over the last two years, and he fits the successful model the Pacers employed a few years ago when drafting Andrew Nembhard. Jones is a very skilled driver and scorer who can also shoot and pass. Martin is a monster on the court, an athletic freak who plays with serious power and explosiveness while also letting his motor run at 100 percent all the time. He's one of the best perimeter defenders in the class and is tough and physical at the point of attack while also providing a weakside rim-protection presence. Offensively, Martin is a bit small for someone who isn't a lead guard, but he's hit 36 percent of his 3s over his college career, and teams are interested in him as a defensive stopper. Advertisement I don't know what the Pelicans are doing, but if the Troy Weaver experience has taught us one thing, it's that shooting is optional. Thiero is a monster athlete and a tremendous defender who creates serious force on the rim in transition. But he's a non-shooter, and teams are worried about him being able to consistently provide value on offense. Thiero is in my top-five remaining players, though, so I would approve of this. Brea is this class' best shooter off the catch, having drilled 45 percent of his nearly six 3-point attempts per game over the last two years. He is a historically relevant shooter. Having said that, Brea is also not quite at the level of most other NBA skills at this point. He'll need to work on his defensive ability to stick in the NBA. Small turned heads during the pre-draft process with his ability to knock down shots. He's quite small at the lead guard spot, but he's a tremendous pick-and-roll playmaker because of that ability to pull up from any spot on the floor. He averaged nearly 19 points and six rebounds in the Big 12 this past season and has a proven ability to get to paint touches at his size. Markovic is one of the most productive European players in the class, averaging 14 points and seven rebounds for Mega this year. He also came over to Hoop Summit this year in Portland to perform in front of scouts, but they were relatively unimpressed due to his lack of physicality and size. Still, if you're looking for a big who can step away and shoot as well as make quick passing reads, Markovic is a good bet. Few organizations scout Australia better than the Thunder, and Toohey would be a player who ticks a lot of the boxes they look for. He's a wing who has the potential to dribble, pass and shoot while also being versatile and flexible on the defensive end. He guards up and down the lineup and has a real chance to be valuable at some point in a couple of years if the jumper works out its kinks. Sanders impressed during the pre-draft process with his ability to make quick decisions and dribble, pass and shoot. He was among the best players at the Portsmouth Invitational and lifted his stock among evaluators. Having said that, he's not all that impressive of an athlete, which makes for some concern about how he'll translate to the NBA. Goldin is a massive big man who started his career at Texas Tech before coming into his own at Florida Atlantic on Dusty May's Final Four team. He followed May to Michigan, where he had a terrific season as Danny Wolf's running partner in the frontcourt. He's elite at establishing position due to his wrestling background and has great hands and touch on the interior. He's seen as a potential third center. Advertisement Zikarsky had a bit of a tough season in Brisbane this year, dealing with a couple of minor injuries as the second-youngest player in the NBL. Having said that, the tools leap off the page. He's a legitimate 7-3 and has long arms. He has good hands and is a fluid athlete, even if he also has high hips and can get out-leveraged on the interior. Still, he's worth a flier as a project big because it's hard to find real size in the draft. Tonje had a breakout season with Wisconsin after transferring there following a lost season at Missouri. He was an All-American, playing a rugged style of power basketball that saw him regularly parade to the foul line. The real skill that is interesting from an NBA perspective, though, is the jumper. He made 39 percent of his 3s and 90 percent of his foul shots on his way to nearly 20 points per game and has a strong physical frame that holds up on defense if he can stay in front of his man. Few players look the part physically in the second round more than Watkins, a 6-5 wing with a 6-11 wingspan and a powerful build to match. He is best on defense right now, where he covers ground at a high level and is a physical on-ball defender. Offensively, his game will need to shift into more of an off-ball role, but he has some potential to do that as he started to make catch-and-shoot 3s at a higher clip in his last two years. Broome is coming off a terrific fifth season where he was the runner-up for national player of the year because of his physicality and ability to establish position on the interior. He also has the potential to shoot it and is sharp positionally on defense. However, he's a bit slow and is undersized in a way that concerns teams. Hepburn was one of the surprise elite transfers this past season, going from Wisconsin to Louisville and turning into one of the best players in the ACC. He's a demon defensively who makes life miserable for the opposition at the point of attack with his disruptive hands and lateral quickness. He also averaged 16.4 points and 5.8 assists per game and hit 35 percent of his career 3s, so there is a chance he can stick as a 3-and-D guard with further on-ball development. Bates was one of the big risers of the pre-draft process this cycle, going from a strong Portsmouth Invitational to earning his way into the NBA Draft Combine from the G League Elite Camp. He's a 3-and-D guard who is a real shooter but who needs to increase his volume from 3 and continue to get stronger to match up defensively. Barnhizer could end up being a surprise pick on Thursday after missing a large portion of his final season because of injury. The 6-5 wing defends multiple positions at an extremely high level and is built like a tank, giving him the ability to load up on drives against elite players. Offensively, he's not that skilled, but he's an extremely sharp passer and is a fearless driver, even if his jumper will need to improve. Advertisement Peavy had long been a terrific defender through his career at Texas Tech and TCU, but he took a massive step forward on offense this season at Georgetown, where he started to knock down 3s and become an effective driver of the basketball. Teams still don't totally buy into the shot translating back to the NBA line, so he's seen as more of a second-rounder. But the defense has teams very intrigued. Williams is a large human with an incredibly long wingspan at 7-6. Offensively, Williams is one of the best big man passers in the draft, with the ability to run dribble handoffs and play at the top of the key before making reads to cutters and kickouts to his teammates. Defensively, Williams is quite slow, but he uses his length on the interior well and is seen as an intriguing third center option for NBA teams with potential to develop into more. Diawara is an athletic 6-7 wing/forward type with long arms playing in France, currently for Cholet. Diawara's game is predicated upon his ability on the defensive end, where he has a chance to develop into something of a stopper because of his massive wingspan and powerful frame. There's a lot of work to do offensively, though, and he must improve as a shooter. He stayed in the draft as an early entrant, and team sources have speculated that there could be an assurance that he gets picked. Olbrich had a great combine week, where he was one of the top performers in the five-on-five portion of the G League Elite Camp and NBA Draft Combine itself. The 6-9 big man has great hands and a soft touch around the rim, as well as a terrific perimeter game for a big man due to his ability to handle the ball. However, he's seen as a potential liability on defense because he's somewhat between positions at the four and five. Niang is a 6-7 athletic wing currently playing for Trento in the Italian league and decided to stay in the draft as an early entrant. He has intriguing defensive tools and is a willing cutter off the ball while averaging 7.9 points and 5.2 rebounds. He needs to work on his jumper. He'll be a draft-and-stash who gets left overseas to see how his development goes for the next few years. Nembhard's stock will be helped by the performance of his brother Andrew during Indiana's run to the NBA Finals. Ryan is similarly a high-IQ point guard with sharp passing skills and a terrific ability to run an offense. The issue is that he's undersized, but he has enough potential as a shooter and distributor to where I think someone takes a bet on him being their third guard. (Top photo of Tyrese Proctor: Jared C. Tilton / Getty Images)
