Below you’ll find my 2019 NBA draft board. Like I normally say, the tier is more important than the actual ranking itself.
Here’s a quick breakdown of each tier:
Super star tiers- Guys who project as top 10, 12-plus WAR producers during their primes. They come around ever 7 years or so.
All-star tier- Guys who project as 9-win, top 25 WAR guys. There is normally 2 or 3 in each class.
Above average starters- 7 or 8 win guys who probably have at least one year where they are viewed as top 50 players in the league. This is what you’re hoping for until about picks 5 or 6 in an average draft.
Average starters- This is what you’re hoping for until about pick 10. Guys who will be in the neighborhood of 50-100 best players in the NBA during their peaks.
Second rate starters- Guys who you probably don’t want starting if your a championship level team, but are content with if you’re not. These are guys who project to be somewhere between 20th-35th best players at their respective positions. This is what you’re looking for until around pick 20 in the draft.
Bench pieces- A list of the guys who I think can stick in the league for at least 5 years and produce at a level somewhat comfortably above replacement level. This would be picks ~21-35 in a normal draft.
Super star tier:
- Zion Williamson
All-star tier:
(space intentionally left blank)
Above average Starters
- Ja Morant.
Average Starters
- RJ Barrett
- Sekou Doumbouya***
- Jarrett Culver
- Bol Bol
- Brandon Clarke
Second Rate Starters
- Deandre Hunter
- Darius Garland
- Cam Reddish
- Romeo Langford
- Nickeil Alexander-Walker
- Coby White ***
- Jackson Hayes
- Talen Horton-Tucker
- Keldon Johnson
- Goga Bitadze
- Matisse Thybulle
- Chuma Okeke
Bench Pieces
- Nassir Little
- Jontay Porter
- Grant Williamson
- KZ Okapala
- Darius Bazley
- Darius Washington
- Dyland Windler
- Bruno Fernando
- Tyler Hero
- Kevin Porter
- Rui Hachimura
- Cameron Johnson
- Ty Jerome
- Dedric Lawson
- Nic Claxton
**** I wrote about a lot of these guys in my Bulls off-season preview, but there are 2 guys that I didn’t go into any detail at all that I have ranked considerably higher or lower than most and wanted to take a second on them.
Sekou Doumbouya- He’s the youngest player in this draft and has clear plus tools. The combo of time being on his side with such raw talent means he’s more exciting than a lot of the more heard college names. If he puts on some muscle and fine tunes his shooting stroke, he should be that super versatile forward who can switch across all positions make open shots, kill it in transition and even occasionally go and get his own bucket.
Coby White- Please be gone before the Bulls pick. He’s fast and he can score, but he’s shown very little point guard skills and the jump shot has a low release with just an average % in college. This guy very much looks like a more of a strong guy off the bench than a long term answer at the PG position.
Let me know who you think I’ve got too high or low, either here or on twitter!
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