Good NBA Prospects Getting No Attention

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Every NBA Draft has late round steals teams regret on passing. Players like Isaiah Thomas, Draymond Green and Marc Gasol were drafted in the second round. There are late round prospects in this draft who may not become NBA stars, but have the talent to play solid NBA basketball. This isn’t the deepest draft class, but the best NBA general managers are the ones who find the diamonds in the rough. These are the prospects I would pick if I had a late-first or second-round selection. 

G DeAndre Bembry, St. Joseph’s

DeAndry Bembry took over the Atlantic 10 in 2015-2016. He finished his junior season as the Atlantic 10 player of the year and earned a spot on the A-10 All-Conference First Team and All-Championship Team. Bembry excelled in the NCAA tournament with 23 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists against #9 Cincinnati and 16 points and 12 rebounds against #1 Oregon. Once the conference and NBAA tournament season began, Bembry played 39 minutes or more in all five games. The only reason he doesn’t have a higher draft stock is because he played in the A-10. 

Potential Destinations: Boston Celtics, Philadelphia 76ers, Los Angeles Clippers

F Taurean Prince, Baylor

Taurean Prince is a versatile winger with great defensive potential. He has the speed to cover shooting guards and the strength to cover an undersized power forward. Since he only weighs 220 pounds at the age of 20, so he can add muscle to his already massive frame. Prince plays with passion. For months at a time, Prince and his father were homeless. His father spent time in jail but Prince stayed strong. He worked to get a college scholarship for his mom and is now going to the NBA. Prince has the mindset that anything is possible. 

Potential Destinations: Boston Celtics, Golden State Warriors, Philadelphia 76ers

F Ben Bentil, Providence

I originally thought Ben Bentil was crazy for leaving Providence after his sophomore season. After looking at his game, Bentil is ready for the NBA. He led the Big East with 21.1 points per game. His game is physical and he uses his NBA ready strength to his advantage to score and rebound. Bentil needs to play positionless basketball in the NBA. He wants to play the three but will play the four. In college he even played the five. Bentil plays his best basketball when he can play versatile.

Potential Destinations: Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Clippers, Phoenix Suns

G Isaiah Whitehead, Seton Hall

Isaiah Whitehead placed second in the Big East with 18.4 points per game. He placed third in the conference with 5 assists per game. His college tape shows he can play both guard positions, but his NBA future may be as a two guard because of his physical presence on defense. Whitehead does the dirty work and can stuff a stat sheet with strong defensive numbers. His game makes his team better. Those are the types of players teams look for in the second round. 

Potential Destinations: Milwaukee Bucks, Orlando Magic, Utah Jazz

G Malcolm Brogdon, Virginia

Malcolm Brogdon is a team player who developed great leadership skills in four years at Virginia. Brogdon will do everything in his power to win. He plays smart, team-first basketball and does the little things that don’t always show up on the stat sheet.  At the NBA Combine, he posted the fastest shuttle run and makes opposing guards work to get around him. Even though he excels on defense, his offensive numbers improved every season. A defensive-minded team needs to snag Brogdon in the second round.

Potential Destinations: Boston Celtics, Utah Jazz, Phoenix Suns

G Khalil Felder, Oakland

Kahlil Felder is a 5’9″ point guard who was quietly one of the best players in college basketball last season. He averaged 24.4 points per game last season. That ranks fourth in the nation and better than potential top-3 picks Ben Simmons, Brandon Ingram and Kris Dunn. His 9.3 assists per game also led the nation. Felder has elite quickness and great in one-on-one situations. The only problem is he weighs 175 pounds. All Felder does is prove others wrong. Everyone told Felder he was too small to play in the NBA, just like Isaiah Thomas. 

Potential Destinations: Boston Celtics, Indiana Pacers, Utah Jazz

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