The 10 most irresponsible 2017 NBA Draft prospect comparisons

2. There’s no Malcolm Brogdon this year

Some of these comparisons are constants — there’s always going to be a white player compared to Kyle Korver or Larry Bird, and there’s the Dirk thing — but there may be a new subset from last year’s draft: The Next Malcolm Brogdon. Brogdon rightfully might win Rookie of the Year in a bad draft class thanks to his earning a rotation spot on a playoff team. So, naturally, fans are looking for a senior player who can handle the ball and has a high IQ that will instantly translate to a rotation spot.

Of course, that’s probably a ridiculous expectation. Brogdon isn’t a norm — he’s an absolute outlier, a 24-year old rookie who played in a pro-style defense at Virginia and fit seamlessly into a specific role on a good team. It’s every few years that we even get a Chandler Parsons that shows up as a starter for someone — much less a guy in the second round that can insert into the Rookie of the Year conversation.

This year, plenty of guys have gotten that billing — Josh Hart of Villanova is the most prominent, but Monte Morris of Iowa State could be a candidate, and don’t be surprised to see guys like Dillon Brooks of Oregon or Dwayne Bacon of Florida State get that call closer to the draft. Of course, these players are much closer to your typical second-rounder that will be fighting for a roster spot rather than a rotation spot this October. But in a way, this is a better comparison than most — at least Brogdon doesn’t appear to have an All-Star future to try to live up to.