2021 NBA Draft Big Board: Top 60 prospects

2021 NBA Draft Big Board — 32. Isaiah Jackson, Kentucky

Isaiah Jackson’s freshman season at Kentucky was no smooth ride, but in the end, he did what was necessary to earn a first-round projection from most plugged-in sources. Teams in the market for a center don’t have too many options outside the lottery, so Jackson will naturally have suitors. At 6-foot-10, he’s a springy athlete with clear two-way potential.

Already, Jackson should find ways to contribute offensively, either as a pick-and-roll big, or out in transition. He can explode for finishes at the rim, and he gets plenty of easy second-chance points as a result of his hustle. At 6-foot-10 with a 7-foot-2 wingspan, Jackson also carries a great deal of upside defensively. The next step is polishing the fundamentals and adding weight to his slender 206-pound frame.

2021 NBA Draft Big Board — 31. Joshua Primo, Alabama

The 18-year-old Joshua Primo is the youngest player on the board. He performed well at the Combine, and despite a fairly limited role at Alabama, should have immediate utility in the NBA. A lot of the upside talk around him is projection — he was less than a tertiary option for much of the season at Alabama — but, at his core, he’s an elite shooter and active defender. There’s clearly a market for him.

Primo plays the game with a high I.Q., and there’s reason to believe he can grow over time given how young he is. He will likely get drafted to a contender, meaning he won’t need to adjust to a bigger role right away, and his 6-foot-6 frame makes for some positional versatility. He’s a name to watch in the first round.