The start of the college basketball season is must-see television for NBA draft fans thanks to the Champions Classic. The Michigan State-Kansas and Kentucky-Duke matchups feature five of my projected top 10 players. NBA draft nerds will be tuning into many more Duke games this season with R.J. Barrett and Zion Williamson teaming up in Durham.
There are questions about the cream of the crop of the 2019 draft class. Some feel the top players may not possess the top-level abilities typically associated with top NBA picks. ESPN's Jonathan Givony believes the race for the No. 1 pick is down to four players.
"NBA executives we've spoken with mostly call the race for No. 1 a four-player contest, with the drop-off to the next tier of prospects being relatively substantial," Givony explains. "In addition to Barrett, Duke's Zion Williamson and Cam Reddish are also firmly in the mix, as well as North Carolina's Nassir Little, who only emerged this past spring during the high school all-star game circuit as a serious contender. NBA teams don't appear to be convinced or enamored with the star power of this group, saying privately that it remains to be seen whether any of these prospects project to be the best player on a NBA playoff-caliber team down the line."
Zion Williamson's NBA Position Is Unclear
Williamson leads all players in the amount of highlight-reel dunks, but his NBA fit is more difficult to predict. Williamson would be an undersized power forward but does not have the quickness of a typical small forward. ESPN's Mike Schmitz wants to see the big man display more shooting.
"All three [Reddish, Barrett and Williamson] are high-upside prospects, but given Williamson's lack of shooting he's most deserving of the lowest-ceiling distinction [of Duke freshman] at this point," Schmitz told ESPN. "I do think he's able to space the floor with his passing and handle, which are maybe the most underappreciated parts of his game. Thanks to his motor and physical gifts, he has proven he can be extremely productive even without much of a jump shot, and I think that will continue all season at Duke. But nonshooters generally get eaten up in today's NBA, and until he proves he can knock down standstill 3-pointers at a decent clip, his ceiling will be somewhat limited."
I have had the opportunity to see the majority of the top 10 players in-person. You will see me reference the McDonald's All-American Game that took place earlier this year in Atlanta. Bigger than the game itself were the practices where you could get a better look at the players' skill set than the exhibition style game. It is hard to tell how many legit stars are in this class, but the college competition will help provide more clarity than the high school circuit does.
The following draft order is based on the Tankathon standings as of Tuesday, November 6. Click the next arrow to see my latest NBA mock draft for 2019.
No. 1 Cleveland Cavaliers: SG R.J. Barrett, Duke
No. 2 Dallas Mavericks: SF Nassir Little, North Carolina
R.J. Barrett enters the college basketball season as one of the favorites to be the top pick in the 2019 NBA draft. I had the opportunity to see Barrett both play and practice multiple times during his time at Montverde as well as the McDonald's All-American week. Barrett is an exciting playmaker who relies on his slashing ability to score most of his points.
What NBA scouts want to see from Barrett at Duke is an improved long-range shooting ability. It is something Barrett has prioritized since his junior year of high school. Barrett will check all the boxes when it comes to intangibles. Barrett's father, Rowan Barrett, played professionally in Canada, and his godfather is NBA legend Steve Nash.
Barrett will have the difficult task of showing off his skill set while also sharing the spotlight with several other Duke teammates who are likely to also be future NBA players. Some of the concerns coming out of McDonald's week this past spring was the ceiling for Barrett and other players.
My sense is the class may surprise NBA front offices by the time we get to next year's draft. Be sure to check out our in-depth profile of Barrett.
The Cavs are heading in a new direction without LeBron James. Cleveland's pick is top-10 protected so they have a bit of incentive to be down in the standings. Barrett and Collin Sexton could help form the Cavs backcourt of the future.
R.J. Barrett & Nassir Little Will Make UNC-Duke Matchups Must-Watch Games for NBA Scouts
Nassir Little had no problem going right at Barrett in the McDonald's All-American Game. Little feels like he is flying under the radar, but his MVP performance during the McDonald's game has helped put him in the No. 1 pick discussion.
“I always tell people, ‘Be so good nobody can ignore you," Little said after winning the McDonald's MVP. "After the game, some girl called me R.J. Barrett because she expected him to win. I told her to remember my name.”
There is no question about Little's athletic ability as the North Carolina forward had the most bounce of any player not named Zion Williamson during the McDonald's week. Like Barrett, NBA teams want to know if he can shoot, or if his scoring will be limited to near the basket.
Little has the size and length to be a two-way player. He will assuredly get a chance to showcase his defensive ability in what should be epic North Carolina and Duke rivalry matchups this season.
The Mavericks season has not gone exactly as planned, but right now they would hang onto their draft pick since it is inside the top five. Luka Doncic has lived up to the hype so far this season and will benefit from the NBA's strength and conditioning program.
No. 3 Phoenix Suns: PF Zion Williamson, Duke
No. 4 Washington Wizards: SF Keldon Johnson, Kentucky
Everyone knows Zion Williamson from the viral dunk videos, but that has no impact on his NBA status. For all of his notoriety, Williamson has a wide range in next year's draft. His size makes it easy to wonder what his position will be at the next level. This has become less and less important in the current NBA, but it will still be something worth keeping an eye on.
Williamson fits most naturally as a power forward, but he will be undersized in the NBA. The right NBA team will be hoping this can be overcome by his freakish athletic ability. Williamson and Barrett make Duke must-see TV for draft nerds this season.
Williamson showed off a solid jumper in McDonald's practices here in Atlanta, and it will be interesting to see if he shows off this range during Duke games. Williamson paired with DeAndre Ayton would make the Suns a League Pass favorite for 2019. Sports Illustrated's Jeremy Woo makes the case for why teams should not be worried about Williamson's size.
"Today’s NBA is dominated by unorthodox players who can take over on the ball and generate shots for themselves and others,"Woo writes. "To consider him the top prospect is to believe in his immense athletic gifts transcending the question of positionality. What’s for certain is that Williamson is something we’ve never seen before, and while some teams may be afraid to take the chance, others will see enormous potential."
Kentucky's Keldon Johnson Is Being Overlooked
Keldon Johnson is one of the players I left McDonald's week most impressed by. The first thing that sticks out about Johnson is his motor. While his game is much different, his energy reminded me of Russell Westbrook. Johnson has plenty of offensive ability but has no problem getting his hands dirty on defense.
Johnson has already surpassed Kentucky head coach John Calipari's expectation. This summer, Calipari noted he envisions Johnson playing a bit of point forward for the Wildcats.
"Keldon has been, wow," Calipari said per 247 Sports. "I knew he'd be good but I didn't realize he has a chance of being this good...Right now, if you ask me the most consistent shooter we've had it's been Keldon. He's been the most consistent. His size, I had to put him against Reid yesterday because we're down a big guy and he did not back down. They were physically going at each other. And you know what else? I'm playing him at point guard some because he can really get in the lane and he sees people. He's pretty special."
The Wizards have clearly regressed since being considered one of the Eastern Conference contenders in prior years. Washington would be wise to explore trade scenarios for John Wall, but his massive contract makes it difficult for the Wizards to get fair value in return.
No. 5 New York Knicks: SF Cam Reddish, Duke
No. 6 Chicago Bulls: SF/SG Romeo Langford, Indiana
Cam Reddish underwhelmed in Atlanta during McDonald's All-American week, but he has plenty of time to up his draft stock. Duke always has NBA eyes on the team, but it is especially true this year with so many top pro prospects. Reddish admits he is eying the NBA, which is not a shocking statement given his talent level.
"College is an important time for me," Reddish told Bleacher Report . "I'll probably only be there for one year, so I need to make the most of it. I need to improve. I need to get better. I need to be challenged...I'll have really good numbers, and we'll win, but people will criticize me because I'm not out there screaming. Or they'll say I don't look interested. That's just my face. I can't help that. A lot of players are super-duper hyped and screaming, but that's not who I am. I'm just going to keep playing my game."
The challenge for Coach K is utilizing all the talent he brought in, while also having them work together for the team's common good. How the players are able to balance their own personal aspirations for the good of the team will be worth watching. If Reddish and the other top players are able to do that, it will be noticed by NBA teams more than just posting good stats.
Romeo Langford Is Looking to Put Indiana Back on the Map
After stretching out his recruitment to the last possible minute, Romeo Langford has a chance to be the face of Indiana basketball. Indiana head coach Archie Miller is hoping Langford has patience with himself as he finds his footing.
“He's a guy that I think is so used to really being perfect in many ways, or at least trying to approach being perfect in many ways,” Miller told the Indy Star. "That making mistakes and some things like that here, as he's been with us and out of his comfort zone, it bothered him, whether he missed a couple shots in a row on a drill or whether he's been in practice and he struggled defensively early. You could see almost a pressure or almost a, ‘Wow, this isn't as easy as I maybe once thought,’ to a guy that has learned week by week that it's okay to make a mistake. It's okay to understand that you're not going to be perfect and make every shot. But the rapidness that he can grow will only really stay within his framework of concentrating on just getting better and being one of the guys.”
Langford could spend time at both the two and three at the next level. Unlike some of the other top prospects on this list, Langford will have the team to himself to shine for NBA scouts. However, he will not benefit from having some of the help that the other players will have on their team.
No. 7 Atlanta Hawks: SG Quentin Grimes, Kansas
No. 8 Minnesota Timberwolves: PF De'Andre Hunter, Virginia
The Hawks would love to land another top-five pick and made it clear this offseason that they hope to be major players in the 2019 draft. Some of that depends on the Cavs and Mavericks' seasons as there are protections on the picks the Hawks are owed.
I was critical of the Hawks trading away Luka Doncic, but Trae Young has flashed his potential early this season. As for draft philosophy, the Hawks just need more talent, and Grimes would be a bigger guard that pairs nicely with Young.
Jayhawks head coach Bill Self sees Grimes potential but admits his shooting ability has to improve.
"I would say he's probably as complete a guard as we've ever had," Self explained to 247 Sports. "You know, he can shoot, he can pass, he can dribble, he can score at all three levels. He is a really good player right now, but what I think impressed me as much as anything is that he's bright, and as good as he is, he's competitive enough that I think he could really be special...He's still streaky, he doesn't shoot it great all the time, there's a lot of things I could tell him. I've told him this, that as good as he's been, I mean he was the most valuable player in the event, and he'd be the first to tell you if it had gone one more day, maybe it's somebody else that could've won. We were really balanced, really balanced. But for the most valuable player, to me, still hasn't scratched what he can potentially do is [really] exciting."
De'Andre Hunter's Stock Is High Despite Being a Redshirt Sophomore
De'Andre Hunter is one of the rare upperclassmen that has a chance to be a top 10 pick. Hunter's draft stock was on the rise prior to suffering a season-ending injury last season. After Hunter went down, the unthinkable happened as Virginia was knocked out of the NCAA tournament in the first round.
Unfortunately, upperclassmen are often dinged in the draft process because of their age, but I think Hunter has a chance to climb up draft boards with a strong season at Virginia. Virginia associate head coach Jason Williford spoke to The Ringer about what the team saw in Hunter coming out of high school.
“I was the lead recruiter on [Hunter],” Williford told The Ringer. “The first time that Tony [Bennett] saw him was the summer before his senior season [of high school]. He texts me: ‘We have our guy. He’s a big wing. He’s a pro.’ The game [Bennett] saw in Las Vegas, he was going up against Miles Bridges [the no. 12 overall pick in this year’s draft]. And the game after that it was against Josh Jackson [the 2017 no. 4 overall pick]. He had a really good game against both of them.”
No. 9 New Orleans Pelicans: PF Rui Hachimura, Gonzaga
No. 10 Utah Jazz: PG Darius Garland, Vanderbilt
Hachimura is another underclassman that started college as a project and has worked his way into a top NBA prospect. NBA scouts would love to see Hachimura be more consistent, but he flashes enough to make him a high-level pro prospect heading into the season. Here's how ESPN's Mike Schmitz breaks down his game.
"Strengths: Intriguing physical profile for a modern power forward. Light on his feet," Schmitz explains. "Can play above the rim in space. Plays with exceptional strength. Finishes through contact. Potential as a versatile defender given his feet, strength and length. Excellent touch 15 feet and in. Comfortable pulling up off the bounce in midrange spots. Shows promise as a standstill 3-point shooter. Can straight-line drive. Still only 20 years old. Improvement areas: Feel for the game still a work in progress on both ends of the floor. (Didn't start playing basketball until he was 14.) Not a natural facilitator. Career 62 assists to 121 turnovers. A step slow reacting on defense at times. Much more comfortable in midrange spots than 3. Ball comes off the side of his hand on occasion. Career 28.7 percent from 3 on 122 attempts. Confidence and assertiveness fluctuate."
The Gonzaga forward is an interesting prospect given he is not a freshman like many of the top projected player. However, Hachimura possesses some of the same upside of the younger players since he did not grow up playing basketball until later on.
Hachiumura provides the Pelicans with an interesting big man to eventually pair with Anthony Davis. He has a much different skill set than DeMarcus Cousins gave the team during his brief stint in New Orleans, but that is not necessarily a bad thing.
The 2019 Draft Class Could Be Weak at Point Guard
This does not look to be a particularly strong year for point guards. Darius Garland is likely to be fighting Ja Morant and others to be the top point guard selected in the 2019 draft. Garland had an up and down McDonald's week but is part of the reason there is excitement around the Vanderbilt program for the first time in years. The local product combined with Simi Shittu makes Nashville a must-stop place for NBA talent evaluators this college basketball season.
Garland's 6'0.5" height will be cause for concern for some NBA front offices. Garland will look to prove his play outweighs any concern about his size. Here's how The Stepien's Ignacio Rissotto broke down Garland's game.
"One of the best passers at the top of this class," Rissotto explains. "Darius Garland has the exact package of skills you would want in an NBA lead ball-handler. On offense, Garland knows how to read the floor and he can see the play before it happens, hitting teammates with great timing and accuracy as they’re on the move, whether cutting to the basket or running in transition.
The Vanderbilt commit can also create shots for himself thanks to his advanced ball-handling ability. Garland is shifty with the ball in his hands, having an arsenal of moves and a lightning quick change of pace. This allows him to shake his man off and get to the rim or create space on the perimeter to get to his pull-up."
NBA Mock Draft 2019: Zion Williamson & R.J. Barrett Are Names to Watch