Zion Williamson, Ja Morant and RJ Barrett will draw all the headlines but these college stars will be NBA Draft steals.
There has been a lot talk about the NBA Draft being a three player draft, and the experts aren’t entirely wrong. In terms of pure star potential, the projected top three picks of Zion Williamson, Ja Morant and RJ Barrett are clearly a cut above the rest of the field.
What the experts often miss, however, are the guys outside the lottery who can develop into stars. NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard was taken 15th overall by the Indiana Pacers (who traded him to the San Antonio Spurs for George Hill) while presumptive NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo was also selected at 15 by the Milwaukee Bucks.
The steals can also be found later in the draft, as Draymond Green was a second round choice out of Michigan State by the Golden State Warriors. There is plenty of value to be found if you look hard enough, and we have done some of the hard work for you by spotlighting eight college stars who haven’t gotten a ton of love from draft experts but are poised to be solid pros.
Let’s start with a few honorable mentions:
Naz Reid, LSU: The LSU big man flashed as a freshman, showcasing an ability to space the floor and knock down three-pointers, making him a potential stretch four off the bench of an NBA roster.
Shamorie Ponds, St. John’s: Ponds may be a bit undersized at 6’1″, but he has the potential to create instant offense off the bench as both a scorer and facilitator.
Zach Norvell, Gonzaga: One skill that will always translate from the college ranks to the NBA is shooting, and Zach Norvell was one of the best marksmen in the NCAA a year ago, knocking down 37 percent of his triples for Gonzaga.