NBA Draft 2019: Player comparisons for all projected first round picks

3. RJ Barrett, F/G, Duke (6-7, 6-9, 210lbs) 

Player Comparison: DeMar DeRozan with less explosion, stronger Evan Turner

A consensus top-3 prospect drawing comps to DeMar DeRozan and Evan Turner is uninspiring, yes, and not very nice, yes, but they’re rooted in reality, as gloomy as that reality may seem. RJ Barrett was a high-usage, low-efficiency player at Duke with shaky shooting touch (30.8 3P%, 66.5 FT%), tunnel vision and shot selection issues, and undisciplined lackadaisical defense, and projects to be the same player in the NBA if given a huge workload from the jump.

Similarly, both DeRozan and Turner are mid-range and in offensive players who sport good vision that can often be ignored, with both players falling into fits of tunnel vision that result in suboptimal mid-range shots or sloppy floaters. Defensively, both players are significant negatives, and Barrett’s similar physical profile (DeRozan measures at 6-6, 6-9, 210 pounds; Tuner at 6-7, 6-8, 215 pounds) and mindset doesn’t bode well for his potential on that end, either.

It should also be noted that Turner’s first year as a high-usage star for Ohio State (his sophomore season) is quite comparable to Barrett’s freshman season:

• Turner (2008-09): 17.3 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 4.0 APG, 1.8 SPG, 0.8 BPG on .517 eFG%
• Barrett (2018-19): 22.6 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 4.3 APG, 0.9 SPG, 0.4 BPG on .506 eFG%

Barrett is undeniably talented as a big wing with the ability to create for others, but he’ll need to land in the right destination with the right coach and teammates that will force him into a playmaking role to start his career, with the hopes that he’ll polish his efficiency and skill set in time.

2. Ja Morant, G, Murray State (6-3, 6-7, 180lbs) 

Player Comparison: Jeff Teague with Rajon Rondo’s floor vision and top-tier athleticism

Although fans want to compare Ja Morant to Russell Westbrook because of their open-court dynamism and top-tier passing vision/touch, it’d be wise to lower expectations to something far more realistic and something actually rooted in reality. Morant’s physical profile is far more comparable to that of Minnesota Timberwolf Jeff Teague (6-2, 6-8, 180 pounds), who is similarly narrow-shouldered without significant strength. Morant doesn’t have the one-foot explosiveness nor the uncanny strength to absorb hits from bigs like Westbrook possesses, as he struggles mightily to finish in the trees unless he’s given ample space and time to load up. Hence the Jeff Teague comparison. To his credit, though, Morant is a far superior athlete than the ground-bound Teague, sporting better bounce and down-hill speed. And, despite sporting great vision himself, Teague isn’t close to Morant as a passer, as he’s able to make every pass in the book, no matter the angle or positioning of the defense. His vision is more Rondo-esque than Teague-esque, generally.

1. Zion Williamson, F/C, Duke (6-7, 6-10, 285lbs) 

Player Comparison: Baby Antetokounmpo, the midpoint of Shaq and Westbrook, God?

Listen — the world has never seen a prospect such as Zion Williamson and likely never will again. He’s one in a million, a generational prospect unlike any the NBA has ever seen. There have been plenty of physically imposing brutes to enter the League previously, but none with the combination of grace, IQ and skill like Williamson. He’s the type of player an average person makes when playing 2K. There’s no real comp for someone like him. The most accurate comparison that could be made, or at least attempted to be made, is comparing Williamson to another physically imposing two-way force such as Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Both have the physicality, motor, athleticism, rim-crushing-finishing, passing acumen, and defensive versatility that make them such incredible players. Williamson is much shorter, of course, but he could (and likely will) be utilized in a similar fashion — and dominate in a similar way, too.