27. PG Devonte’ Graham, Kansas
Height/Weight: 6-2, 175 lbs
While Graham has emerged as a clear second fiddle to Frank Mason III in the Kansas backcourt, he still projects much better as an NBA talent. With excellent athleticism for the point guard spot at the next level, Graham has showcased nice prowess both with and without the ball in his hands this season, although his ceiling may not be overly exciting in the long run.
Graham’s production at the next level will come mostly from the outside, as he finds his greatest success dribbling off of screens or popping out to the perimeter as an off-ball scorer. He could certainly benefit from some more consistency from 3-point range, but has a nice compact stroke and is still managing to shoot over 32 percent from deep in relatively high volume thus far. Graham also finishes well around the rim given his strength, and is an apt slasher when he wants to be.
In terms of how he’ll pan out at the next level, Graham seems almost tailor-made to find success as a quality backup point guard. He can bring excellent energy off the bench when needed, and is the type of inside-out scorer that could work nicely as a reserve at the next level. Will he start? No, but that’s hardly the case when you’re in the lower 20’s of any draft class — even ones this deep. Graham is a solid, solid NBA prospect, and somebody to keep an eye on being that he’s on a highly competitive Kansas Jayhawks team.
26. SG Diego Flaccadori, Trento
Height/Weight: 6-5, 172 lbs
Flaccadori is a fresh face to any NBA draft conversation, but he brings a lot of intriguing attributes to the table. At 6-5, he’s a smooth perimeter shooter with nice athleticism on the outside and a perimeter stroke that should bode well in an NBA transition. His most pressing concern as of now is his lack of strength on the wing, but given his confidence and the time he still has to fill out, there’s a lot to like about the 20-year-old Italian.
There’s quite a bit Flaccadori has shown himself capable of on the offensive end, and that type of versatility is always a bonus come draft night. He has spent legitimate time as the primary playmaker for some of the teams he has been a part of, and combines a nice touch passing the ball with his innate scoring ability. He’s a smooth athlete, and although he won’t explode the rim often, he gets into the teeth of the defense and excels at finding his spots on the floor.
He’s a confident, albeit streaky, shooter from deep, but also finds extensive success off the dribble from midrange. When he does find his way to the basket, Flaccadori has also shown some flashes of highly finesse finishes around the rim, and his ability to pass the ball in stride further ups his stock. If there’s anyway Flaccadori could project as a full-time point guard at the next level, I expect to see his stock soar firmly into the top 30 across the spectrum of NBA Draft coverage come draft night.
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25. C Jonathan Jeanne, Le Mans
Height/Weight: 7-2, 195 lbs
I’ve called him the French Thon Maker a handful of times, and the comparison is still eerily fitting. Jeanne is a freaking athlete at 7-2, but remains painfully thin in build. He’s easily to bully around in the paint, and is several years away from being a consistently productive NBA player — but the tremendous upside still resides.
There aren’t many players with Jeanne’s height and length that can move around the court as fluidly as he’s capable of, making him a highly unique matchup for opposing defenses. He can handle the ball on the perimeter from time to time, and has the very beginning stages of what could develop into a very impressive scoring game off the dribble. In the post, he has nice touch — it’s just a matter of him finding ways to get solid positioning, something he won’t be able to much until he fills out. He also has a legitimate 3-point shot in the works, another boost to the stock of one of the most intriguing draft prospects you’ll come accross.
His defensive upside as a shot blocker is obvious, as his 7-2 frame is complimented by an equally-as-freaky 7-7 wingspan. He can eat up a lot of space around the rim and get his hands on shots at a noticeably high clip, something that could translate to the next level in a big way if he finds a way to fill out that ultra-thin frame. He moves his feet well and is one heckuva athlete, he just needs time — and a lot of it. Consider him the Maker-esque gamble of the 2017 NBA Draft class.