As somebody I once considered a potential top 20 prospect, Sumner’s torn ACL has tanked his stock a fairly large amount. His long, lanky frame already boasts some clear injury concerns, and the semi-reckless nature of his play is something that will put him in harms way more than your typical point guard. That alone gives me some pause in slotting him back up towards the first round.
Sumner does have some very real promise should he return to full health — and retain it. His size gives him the advantage off of drives, and his ability to weave his way through traffic and get to the rim made him one of college basketball’s more dynamic threats off the bounce. His outside shot (27.3 percent from three) is still a massive work in progress, and a likely hindrance early on, but the tools remain in place. He’s got a solid athletic ceiling if he can get himself back to 100 percent.
Jackson has been thrust into the midst of a strong Duke rotation, but has emerged as their best true point guard — despite coming off the bench. The ultra-athletic freshman has diminished concerns about his ability to transition to more of a playmaking role coming in, and his ability to set up the offense and create for others at a high clip is an extremely promising development.
His offensive repertoire lacks an in-between game at this point, as most of his success comes from spot-up threes off the ball or direct cuts to the basket. That, however, still holds very real usefulness in today’s league. He has the size and defensive versatility needed to play off the ball when needed, and provides the type of low-risk backup point guard that a lot of teams could be looking for come the later stages of the draft.
Robinson’s strong season has catapulted him to the forefront of the second round discussion, as his long wingspan and solid outside shooting give him ample upside as a 3-and-D prospect moving forward. He’s hitting on 38.6 percent of his shots from deep this year, while shooting 3 per contest in a far more expansive offensive role than he has held in the past. With great responsibility bestowed upon him in the Gators’ offense, Robinson has also shown improvements as a slasher and — in brief forays — as an off-the-dribble creator. Spotting up will still be his most consistent form of offense, but the upside to extend it further remains.
Defense is what will get Robinson drafted, though. At 6-8 with a near-7-foot wingspan (if not beyond that at this point), he has the ability to cover multiple positions at a high level on the perimeter. There’s ample potential for Robinson to slide into a small ball four role as his frame fills out, and his ability to switch at will defensively is a massive boost in today’s league.
Swanigan’s NBA fit is a bit muddy, but his play has been too good to overlook this season. He’s still a bit short for the center spot and doesn’t have the physique you’d like heading into a pace-and-space driven league, but his improvement frame-wise and well-rounded skill set are enough to project in an NBA role. His outside shooting gives him the ability to space the floor offensively (hitting at a 45.5 percent), while his post arsenal has been among the more steady in the league.
He’s also averaging 12.5 rebounds per game, using his thick build to gain positioning and simply overpowering the vast majority of his competitiors in that regard. And while it will undoubtedly be tougher to do so at this next level, his strength isn’t a concern. A solid rebounder who can space the floor and operate as a small ball five is a very real commodity.