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The Step Back Composite NBA Draft Big Board: The best 30 draft prospects of the 2010s

By Trevor Magnotti

WASHINGTON, DC - DECEMBER 19: Anthony Davis #23 of the New Orleans Pelicans and John Wall #2 of the Washington Wizards talk following the Wizards 116-106 win at Capital One Arena on December 19, 2017 in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - DECEMBER 19: Anthony Davis #23 of the New Orleans Pelicans and John Wall #2 of the Washington Wizards talk following the Wizards 116-106 win at Capital One Arena on December 19, 2017 in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /
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Photo credit should read OZAN KOSE/AFP via Getty Images
Photo credit should read OZAN KOSE/AFP via Getty Images /

PF. 11. Scouting Report. Latvia. Kristaps Porzingis. player. 27. Pick Analysis

No. 4 overall pick, New York Knicks, 2015

Kristaps Porzingis‘ argument for drafting him was easy: He was a starter-level player on a decent ACB league team, playing at a tougher level than the college game; he was 7-foot-3, and could move like a wing player; he was an excellent off-ball shooting prospect, with the potential to add a spot-up 3; and as a kicker, he was an exceptional weakside shot-blocker for his age and strength level. It wasn’t hard to see how that type of player might be a star as the tide turned to the wide open modern NBA, as long as his frame filled out.

While he certainly wasn’t Dirk Nowitzki — no big man prospect has ever come into the league with the shooting profile of Nowitzki — much of the detraction from Porzingis stemmed from common misconceptions of the European game. There was the idea that he wasn’t tough enough, and that he had put up his numbers against complete scrubs. But that simply wasn’t the case. Porzingis had established a strong enough track record of success at the European level, and he was unique enough as a prospect to have incredible value, even if he wasn’t going to be a primary scorer on offense.

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