26. SF Dwayne Bacon, Florida State
Bacon was a considered by many to be a potential top 20 pick in last year’s draft prior to taking his name out of consideration, and could very well revive his stock heading into 2017 with a strong sophomore campaign for the Seminoles.
Standing at 6-5, Bacon played the three for the most part alongside Malik Beasley last season, but projects much better as a shooting guard size-wise in the NBA, and will likely be forced to play that position considerably more often with Jonathan Isaac joining the squad this season.
Bacon’s athleticism is his most impressive attribute as an NBA prospect. He’s explosive en route to the basket and an elite cutter when attacking the rim off the ball. He’s able to finish strong in space, and has the physical tools needed to transition to either wing spot without getting outmatched from a quickness standpoint. He showed a lot of upside as a shot creator as well, showing some improved craftiness with the ball in his hands and the ability to create space off the bounce, but needs to improve his shooting stroke significantly to maximize that potential.
Bacon shot a mere 28% from deep last season, and struggled to find the consistency some teams would have liked in terms of scoring the basketball– which was likely a reason for him staying in school another year. He does project well as an exterior defender, even if he’s somewhat of a tweener position-wise, and has the offensive upside and athletic package to carve out a strong niche at the next level if he continues his improvements.
Next: 25. Jackson