6. Keon Johnson, Wing, Tennessee
Measurements: 6-5, 185 lbs
Keon Johnson is an extremely athletic, high-effort wing player that is fundamentally raw in some areas. Johnson was a downright bad shooter at Tennessee, but does carry some upside in that regard.
A lot of what you’re selecting when you bring in Keon Johnson rests on the hope that he becomes a high-level perimeter defense – which, in fairness – should happen given his lateral quickness and frame as a 2-guard.
Johnson is purely upside, and doesn’t have much of a floor outside of the flashy dunks he’s going to bring. But if the defense hits, and the shooting gets better, his inside scoring and athleticism should be enough to catapult him into stardom.
Ceiling: Top-25 player
Floor: Out of league, 5-6 years
Median outcome: Defensive specialist, good dunker
Pro Comparison: Gerald Wallace
2021 NBA Draft Big Board: Cade Cunningham headlines draft class
5. Jonathan Kuminga, Forward, G-League Ignite
Measurements: 6-8, 210 lbs
People are beginning to overthink Jonathan Kuminga as a prospect. The shooting (and scoring in general) is undoubtedly a concern – yes. That said, Kuminga is going to be a high-level defender out of the gate, and went against much tougher competition than players in the NCAA.
Additionally, Kuminga is a great athlete with a steady frame, which makes him good enough to be a top-5 selection in any draft.
Kuminga averaged 16 points against grown men. It may not have looked pretty, but he did it. He’s very raw, yes, but the upside is there, particularly if he becomes better offensively. Out of the gate he should be a transition threat.
Ceiling: Top-25 player
Floor: Defense-first forward, 6-8th man in rotation
Median outcome: High-level role player (4-5th man in rotation)
Pro comparison: Jaylen Brown defensively, offense TBD