NBA Draft 2019: 5 potential sleepers to watch

HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT - MARCH 23: Mfiondu Kabengele #25 of the Florida State Seminoles dunks the ball against the Murray State Racers in the second half during the second round of the 2019 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at XL Center on March 23, 2019 in Hartford, Connecticut. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /

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KANSAS CITY, MO – MARCH 14: Baylor Bears guard Mario Kegler (4) tries to go up for a shot amongst Iowa State Cyclones guards Nick Weiler-Babb (1) and Talen Horton-Tucker (11) in the first half of a quarterfinal Big 12 tournament game between the Iowa State Cyclones and Baylor Bears on March 14, 2019 at Sprint Center in Kansas City, MO. (Photo by Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

2. Talen Horton-Tucker, Iowa State

While positions have become outdated in today’s quest for positionless basketball, oftentimes players are grouped into one of three roles (big, guard, wing) in the NBA. Talen Horton-Tucker is here to say that he can’t be put in a box. The best description of what Horton-Tucker will be in the league is that he’ll be a basketball player. Horton-Tucker is 6-foot-4, but possess an unbelievable 7-foot-1 wingspan. He also has a stocky build as he weighs 233 pounds. Basically, he’s the height of a guard, with the length of a big and the strength of a wing all in one.

At Iowa State, the Cyclones took full advantage of Horton-Tucker’s diversity on the court as he played nearly every position on the floor for Steve Prohm’s team. However, his numbers — 11.8 points per game, 4.9 rebounds per game, 2.3 assists per game, 1.3 steals per game, 0.7 blocks per game, 40.6 field goal percentage, and 30.8 3-point shooting percentage — aren’t exactly popping off the page. But, it’s his propensity to do a bit of everything that makes him someone to watch in this draft class.

NBA teams are looking for ways to play faster and smaller, while not sacrificing their defense and scoring. We saw the Toronto Raptors take down the Golden State Warriors dynasty because they had a more impactful assortment of two-way players at their disposal. Horton-Tucker will likely never become an All-Star, but he could be a star in his role and be a true difference maker for a team in the NBA.

With the top teams sitting at the back end of the 2019 NBA Draft there’s a shot that Horton-Tucker finds his way into a prime position on Thursday night. Placing Horton-Tucker on a team like the Milwaukee Bucks could be the addition that takes them to the NBA Finals next year.

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