2016 NBA Draft: Second round expected to be filled with prized talent
By Jack Pilgrim
Who from the 2016 NBA Draft’s second round can be future studs?
As June 23rd’s NBA Draft inches closer and closer, basketball analysts from across the nation are scrambling to update their mock drafts for perfection.
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Many are quick to discuss the obvious top two selections of Ben Simmons and Brandon Ingram, and most are getting a good feel as to who will be selected in the first round.
Despite a great pool of first round prospects filled with sure-fire talents and those with potential through the roof, there are numerous players expected to be selected in the second round with the talent to surprise folks.
Stephen Zimmerman Jr. out of UNLV is a guy expected to fall in the 35-40 range with a ton of upside.
At 7’0, 235 pounds., Zimmerman has the size to defend on the block and alter shots, a fantastic ability to run the floor, and a developing jump shot that should only improve in his time in the NBA.
Rated as a five-star prospect out of high school, Zimmerman’s production at UNLV was slightly underwhelming, but in a few years he could flourish as a role player, and possibly even a quality starter as a pick-and-pop stretch forward.
Cheick Diallo managed to consistently find his name in the headlines this past year at Kansas for all the wrong reasons. He had eligibility issues to begin the year, and when he was finally cleared by the NCAA, he rode the pine for the majority of the season.
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Going into the year, Diallo was a clear-cut top ten prospect, as scouts raved about his high motor and ability to alter shots at the rim. But his stock dropped drastically at Kansas, with many expecting him to fall into the second round.
At the NBA Combine, Diallo managed to put forth impressive showings during scrimmages, giving scouts a reminder of why they fell in love with his potential to begin with.
Was one set of workouts enough to erase an entire year of sitting the bench at Kansas? Will it cause a general manager to select him in the first round? It’s possible, but if he falls into the early part of the second round, someone will be snagging a gem at the perfect position.
Malik Beasley out of Florida State put on an unexpected show in his freshman year, leading him to keeping his name in the draft.
Throughout the year, he remained one of the top freshman scorers, showing off an impressive stroke behind the three-point-line and athleticism to finish at the rim.
Had he been listed as a top-ten recruit out of high school and attended a basketball blue blood with a larger spotlight, he would’ve likely been a lottery selection.
At just 19 years old, Beasley has a lot of time to fine tune his game at the next level, and could very well develop into a stud with better creativity on the offensive end.
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Brice Johnson had a ridiculous PER of 33.7 in his senior year at North Carolina, where he averaged 17 points per game and 10.5 rebounds per game in 40 games played. Though dominant as a college player, he has a very small frame and is undersized as a power forward in the NBA.
At 6’11, Johnson has great length to block shots, but he’ll have to add weight to become a major threat on the low post. At the least, he possesses fantastic athleticism and offensive rebounding ability, two characteristics that should translate extremely well at the next level.
Any team that snags him in the early second round will be getting a solid contributor in the coming years.
Outside of the major prospects in the early second round, guys like Anthony ‘Cat’ Barber, Gary Payton II, Wayne Selden Jr., Isaiah Whitehead, and Chinanu Onuaku are guys to keep a close eye on later in the second round.
This draft may not be filled with extravagant superstars, but the level of significant role players and quality starters this class possesses is quite impressive.