NBA Draft 2022: Final Big Board of top 60 overall prospects

53. Dereon Seabron – NC State – Wing – 6’6, 182 lbs – May 2000 – Sophomore

It’s rare this far down the list you’d find anyone who’s one of the best at any skill, but Seabron is legitimately one of the best slashers in the class. Using his foot-speed, stride length, and creative handle, Seabron got to the rim at will last season. Per Bart Torvik, he led the country in rim attempts at 319 (which is wild for a wing). Does that mean anything? Eh, it’s not a direct correlation to NBA success. Other players who took over 300 shots at the rim, did not make the NBA, sans Zion Williamson.

But what it does mean is Seabron has a unique and bankable skill. He’s a poor shooter, and at 22 years old I’m not sure he ever becomes passable in that regard. But he is a good defender who should be able to slide across wing spots and maybe into the backcourt. It’ll take some creativity from an NBA team to hide Seabron’s weaknesses, but there’s a pathway to an NBA rotational player with his skill set and tools.

54. Ismael Kamagate – Paris Basketball – Center – 6’11, 230 lbs – January 2001

A classic rim-running five, Kamagate is explosive around the rim both as a finisher and shot-blocker. He is a complete non-shooter and showed some, but not a ton, of signs of short-roll playmaking. Kamagate isn’t a post-scorer either, but he won’t be asked to be one in the NBA. It’s not my favorite archetype, and Kamagate would be way more appealing if he was two years younger, but it’s an archetype that has played in the NBA before. He’s like a worse version of Jaxson Hayes right now (which probably isn’t an NBA player right now) but he’s a prime stash candidate who could grow over time and eventually find his way into a rotation.

55. Trevion Williams – Purdue – Center – 6’8.75, 264 lbs – August 2000 – Senior

For my money, Williams is the best passing big and in the conversation for best passer overall. His understanding of where cutters are going to be, how defenders are going to react, and the timing and placement needed of passes is wildly entertaining and made him one of my favorite watches this year,

The passing is enticing and useful in a lot of different ways, but the rest of the offensive package simply isn’t there. Williams is not really a three-point shooter, going 5-14 from deep on the season, but struggling from the free-throw line and at the Combine. His lack of vertical pop will make finishing around the rim difficult.

He’s undersized for a center, but has a 7’2 wingspan and works hard on defense. He’s slimmed his body down a bit to help with his lateral movement, but I’m not sure how well he can anchor an NBA defense.

Williams will be an interesting case study. He’s got a coveted skill for a big that can be used in a variety of ways. But teams will shade the pass with him and dare him to beat them as a scorer. There’s a pathway for this to work, but it also wouldn’t shock me if Williams was carving up the Euroleague in five years (I mean this in a complimentary way).

56. Jean Montero – Overtime Elite – Guard – 6’2, 171 lbs – July 2003

A FIBA star in his younger years, Montero was initially the main attraction for NBA Scouts to the brand new Overtime Elite league. Even without a reliable jumper, Montero was productive and routinely looked like the best player there (sans moments of greatness from Dominick Barlow or the 2023-eligible Thompson twins). He’s got good speed with the ball and is a capable passer.

But, the margin for error as an undersized guard is slim, especially without an elite jumper and I’m not sold on Montero’s mechanics. His effort came and went in the OTE games, and while that may be a product of the league, it’s still a bit of a concern. The good news is he doesn’t turn 19 until after the draft, making him an interesting two-way bet given his pedigree and athleticism. I just am typically not a believer in undersized guards.