2021 NBA Draft Big Board — 12. Josh Giddey, Adelaide 36ers
Josh Giddey spurned the NCAA in favor of the NBL, and appears to have reaped the benefits. He is widely considered a lottery talent, and could go as high as the top 10. He won Rookie of the Year in Australia, and has spent the last few weeks with the national team. He will enter the league with valuable experience under his belt, most of which has come against adult professionals.
A fascinating talent, Giddey is 6-foot-8 with the passing acumen and skill set of a point guard. He can run the show with ease, making zippy cross-court passes with either hand, or delivering pinpoint dump-offs to the rolling big. He moves well, despite a lack of elite-level explosiveness, and his basketball I.Q. should result in a quick learning curve at the next level. His 3-point shot is the big question mark (shocker!) but his touch and mechanics are workable.
2021 NBA Draft Big Board — 11. Franz Wagner, Michigan
It is hard to imagine Franz Wagner not making a positive impact in the NBA. He’s too well rounded to flame out. That’s always a foolish statement — just about any prospect can flame out — but Wagner plays phenomenal, multi-positional defense, and is one of the better offensive glue guys in the draft.
At 6-foot-8, Wagner can guard all over the floor. He’s one of the most aware and active defenders on the board, racking up deflections, steals, and weak-side blocks. On offense, he can hit spot-up 3s, make advanced passing reads, and score with finesse on straight-line drives. He may never be a go-to scorer, but he’s one of the surest bets in the late lottery.