NBA Draft 2021: Cunningham, Dosunmu, and Kispert featured in mailbag

With the eyes of the nation shifting towards our great sport, I decided to answer some reader questions on a wide range of topics concerning this year’s NBA Draft.

Is Cade Cunningham really “the guy”? That game against Texas was rough. – Bryce M.

Cunningham certainly doesn’t have the best stats of any freshman this season. Texas is probably just a really bad matchup for him as their size has limited him to 14-41 shooting on the season. But I still feel confident he is the clear No. 1 pick. The Cowboys are one of the worst shooting teams in a power five conference which has lowered his assist total.

I wrote a ton here about why Cunningham will always be the guy in this class and a month later I still buy it. I’ve seen him compared to Luka Doncic a bit and while their play styles are similar, it’s hard to be as good as Doncic was from the jump.

That being said, it’s hard not to envision Cunningham being one of the better passers as soon as he steps into the league and a multi-time All-Star. Does he have the scoring and athleticism to be the best player on a serious contender? Probably not, but those guys are rare. Cunningham has shown enough improvement as a shooter and passing flashes, to make me still believe in him as the top prospect.

Who will be the better pro: Jared Butler, Ayo Dosunmu, or McKinley Wright? – Tristan F.

These are three of my favorite college guards in the country, who all succeed in different ways. I think Butler and Dosunmu are bonafide pros who will probably both be first-round picks. Wright’s lack of size (6-feet tall) and lack of elite shooting ability (31% from three) have him third for me.

I’ll go with Butler over Dosunmu but it’s close. Both guys have returned to school and elevated their stocks on elite teams. Butler has an insane handle and is a better perimeter shooter who appears more suited for both an on and off-ball role. He’s also been a tenacious defender, posting 2.4 steals per game on a very impressive +5.2 BPM. Dosunmu has shown clear growth as a playmaker and I’ll bank on him making it, but I’d go Butler long-term.

What do you think Jared Butler and Davion Mitchell’s ceilings are when it comes to when they could get picked? – Drew T.

While this draft is strong on wing depth, it’s pretty average on lead and secondary guards, especially after the lottery. I don’t think either warrant a lottery selection given their age and the upside of some of the top prospects, but you could talk me into Butler right after the lottery.

While Mitchell is a similar mold to Butler (probably best as an off-guard but some equity on the ball) they are a bit different. Mitchell is a better natural athlete with impressive length and burst and a better shooter but lacks the handle of Butler and the ability to finish through contact. He’ll also be 23 by the time he plays an NBA game, which is noteworthy. I think he’s certainly worthy of a first-round selection, but doubt his range starts any higher than 20.