2021 NBA Draft: Positional Breakdown: Forwards and Slashing Wings

This year’s class of forwards is not that deep but there are several guys that can contribute at the next level. If you are not an elite scorer or shooter, you better be able to defend, have toughness and have some length. These prospects have a nice combination of those traits.

FIRST ROUND LOCKS: 


Franz Wagner-CF-Michigan
6'9''/220/6'8''
So./19.9 yrs
12.5 PTS      6.5 REB        3.0 AST        1.0 BLK        1.3 STL
Hometown: Berlin, Germany
NBA Comparison: Chanler Parsons/Mike Dunleavy Jr.
ROLE: Starting Combo Forward
BEST TOOLS: Defensive Versatility/Rebounding/Basketball IQ
Wagner does a little bit of everything as a player. His college scoring numbers don’t jump off the page, but they were solid considering he was the third option on a good team. He is a good free throw shooter as he shot 84% there. He is one of the safer picks in the draft and would fit nice on pretty much any team.


Jalen Johnson-CF-Duke
6'9.25''/210/7'0.25''
Fr.19.6 yrs
11.2 PTS      6.1 REB        2.2 AST        1.2 BLK        1.2 STL
Hometown: Milwaukee
NBA Comparison: Jerami Grant/Tim Thomas 
ROLE: Starting Combo Forward
BEST TOOLS: Defense/Athletic Ability/Versatility
Johnson’s size, numbers and skill set are very similar to Wagner. What separates Johnson is his length and ability to defend full court. He has some question marks after quitting the team at Duke and he is still pretty raw on offense. His shooting numbers were a little weird as he shot well from 3 (44%) but shot horribly from the free throw line (63%). Given his defense he is still a very good pick in the 11-15 range. 

Ziaire Williams-SF-Stanford
6'9.75"/188/ 6'10.25''
Fr.19.8
10.7 PTS      4.6 REB        2.2 AST       
Hometown: Lancaster, CA
NBA Comparison: Austin Daye/Trevor Ariza
ROLE: Starting Small Forward/Solid 6th or 7th Man
BEST TOOLS: Length/Slashing Skills
Williams has a similar skill set to both Wagner and Johnson, but his body is no where near NBA ready at only 188 pounds. He was rated the #6 prospect according to RSCI and he failed to meet the high expectations in his one year at Stanford. He has all the skills one looks for in a prospect but will need time to bulk up and gain confidence at the next level.

FIRST ROUND BORDERLINE:


Herbert Jones-CF-Alabama      
6'7.25''/206/7'0.25'' 
Sr./22.8
11.2 PTS      6.6 REB        3.3 AST        1.1 BLK        1.7 STL
Hometown: Greensboro, AL
NBA Comparison: Matt Barnes
BEST TOOLS: Elite Defender/Length/Leadership
Jones was the SEC player of the year and was also a two-time SEC All Defensive team selection. He will stick in the league if he can use his defensive prowess to guard multiple positions on the court. We often see proven college players like Jones fall (Barnes, Jared Dudley, Draymond Green) due to lack of upside or shooting. But these are always the types of guys you need on your bench to be a contender.

 

Jeremiah Robinson Earl-PF-Villanova
6'9''/242/6'9.75''                
So./20.8
15.7 PTS      8.5 REB
Hometown: Kansas City
NBA Comparison: Markieff Morris
BEST TOOLS: Rebounding/Hustle/Basketball IQ
Given his lack of length, Robinson-Earl projects as a forward only in the league. He has a nice skill set but will need the right fit. Villanova is known for producing NBA ready contributors. He can be a steal in the second round. 


JT Thor-PF-Auburn
6'9.25''/203/7'3.25''
Fr./18.9
9.4 PTS        5.0 REB        1.4 BLK       
Hometown: Anchorage, AK born in Sudan
NBA Comparison: Anthony Randolph
BEST TOOLS: Length/Defense/Versatility
Thor had a nice combine and is now shooting up draft boards. He may not move up to a lottery like Randolph did in 2008, but he now has a shot at going in the first round. His per 36 min numbers of 14.6 PTS, 7.9 REB and 2.1 BLK look a lot better than his per game stats and show how he would probably be used better in a limited role.


Isaiah Todd-CF-G League Ignite         
6'10''/219/7'1.25''    
GL/19.8
12.3 PTS      4.9 REB       
Hometown: Richmond, VA
NBA Comparison: Jonathan Bender
BEST TOOLS: Length/Defense/Shooting
Todd is another long and slender forward that can play inside and out. One would like to see him attack the rim more. Like Bender he is more of a finesse outside player that settles for shots and doesn’t attack the glass like a near seven-footer should.


Greg Brown-CF-Texas    
6'8.5''/206.4/7'0.25''
Fr./19.9
9.3 PTS        6.2 REB        1.0 BLK
Hometown: Austin
NBA Comparison: Jeremy Evans
BEST TOOLS: Elite Jumping Skills/Length

Brown is more athlete than refined basketball player right now. He is too slender to play inside and has little perimeter game on the outside. If he is to make his mark in the league it will be as an athlete and high energy defender

GETTING DRAFTED BORDERLINE:

Aaron Henry-SF-Michigan St.   
6'6.''/210/6'10.75''   
Jr./21.9
15.4 PTS      5.6 REB        3.6 AST        1.3 BLK        1.3 STL
Hometown: Indianapolis
NBA Comparison: Rodney Carney
BEST TOOLS: Versatility/Playmaking/Defense
Henry is simply a good player. He really doesn’t do anything special. But he does a little bit of everything and has good size as a wing.


Vrenz Bleijenbergh-SF-Antwerp/Belgium
6'9''/190/7'0''                     
INT/20.8
9.5 PTS        4.8 REB        3.5 AST       
Hometown: Brasschaat
NBA Comparison: Dario Saric
BEST TOOLS: Playmaking/Basketball IQ
He has played as a point forward and has shown he can score when needed. He looks like a guy that could use a few more years overseas. He is the type of prospect that could easily sneak into the back end of the first round or could go completely undrafted.

RaiQuan Gray-PF-FSU    
6'7.75''/269/6'10.75''
Jr./22.0
11.9 PTS      6.4 REB        1.2 STL
Hometown: Fort Lauderdale, FL
NBA Comparison: Jason Maxiell 
BEST TOOLS: Power/Hustle
Gray is a throwback power forward that can contribute 15-20 quality minutes to a team’s second unit. He loves to play physical and has played the same role that he will play in the NBA.


Trendon Watford-CF-LSU         
6'8.75''/237/7'2.25'' 
So./20.7
16.3 PTS      7.4 REB        2.9 AST
Hometown: Birmingham, AL
NBA Comparison: Jordan Mickey (also from LSU)
BEST TOOLS: Length/Scoring/Power
Physically NBA ready forward that can do a bit of everything. If he were a better athlete or played at a higher profile college, he would be a lock to be drafted.


Justin Champagnie-CF-Pittsburgh     
6'6.75''/206/6'9.5''   
So./20.1
18.0 PTS      11.1 REB
Hometown: Brooklyn, NY
NBA Comparison: DeMarre Carroll 
BEST TOOLS: Hustle/Rebounding/Slashing
Productive but smaller forward that will need to add more strength to make a roster


Dalano Banton-SF-Nebraska   
6'9''/194/6'10.25''       
So./21.8
9.6 PTS        5.9 REB        3.9 AST
Hometown: Toronto, Canada
NBA Comparison: Tony Wroton 
BEST TOOLS: Passing/Defense/Playmaking
Very tall point forward that lacks power or shooting








Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Image
  2025 NBA MOCK DRAFT   FIRST ROUND 1. DALLAS MAVERICKS Cooper Flagg-CF-Duke        6'9'' / 221 / 7'0'' 19.2 PTS         7.5 REB           4.2 AST           38 .5% 3PT      84.0%-FT     Fr./18.5 Hometown : Newport, Maine Current NBA Comparison : Kawhi Leonard/Jalen Williams Old School NBA Comparison:  Kevin Garnett/Tom Chambers ROLE : Superstar  BEST TOOLS : Versatility/Playmaking/Defense/Team Player Flagg is a generational prospect. Magic Johnson is probably the only player in history to be as versatile and skilled as an 18 year old. Flagg does everything well on a basketball court. More importantly, has the mentality, toughness and maturity to be the face of a franchise and potentially the entire league. He was the best player in college basketball and led a stacked Duke roster in every category. His playm...
Read more

5 Trades That Make At Least Some Sense

Going off of my "On the block: The 10 players most likely to be traded" I decided to take it to the next step and try some trades via the ESPN NBA Trade Machine. So based on some of the players I had listed I have my 5 trades that make at least some sense. Since they all make since, none of them will happen. At least not exactly the same way. NOTE: I added the draft say trades and all contract information is based on the 2009-2010 season. TRADE #1 http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=267ztkz There have been some rumors that the TWolves are interested in Anthony Randolph. Some rumors say could trade one of their 3 1st round picks and someone else to get him. I think if their is a trade both teams might just go all out and make it a blockbuster deal, here's how it would benefit both teams. MIN: Monta Ellis and Anthony Randolph They get a great scorer in Ellis and the length they want at the small forward spot with Randolph. They also keep their pick and...
Read more

NBA Off-season Winners and Losers

So the NBA off-season is pretty much over. The draft, the major trades, and of course Free Agency have all came and went. Some Free Agents such as David Lee, Ray Felton, Allen Iverson, Ramon Sessions, Nate Robinson, Linas Kleiza, and Big Baby Davis are still unsigned. Pretty much all of these players have been rumored to go overseas mainly to Olympiakos, and it looks like Kleiza is really close to signing with the Greek club. Also, two of those players, Lee and Robinson are on the Knicks. The Knicks are said to be interested in Sessions and Felton but both are still Free Agents as of today. So with all of this, I present my 2009 NBA off-season Winners and Losers WINNERS: Los Angeles Lakers -The defending champs were able to re-sign Lamar Odom and get Ron Artest for the Mid-Level Exception. The are clearly my favorites to win the title next year and become the first team to repeat since they won 3 straight titles in 00, 01, 02. the rich get richer and the strong get stronger. Bos...
Read more