NBA Draft 2022: 5 potential sleepers to watch
1. Jake LaRavia
NBA teams that need to find versatile wings who can initiate offense should be salivating at the idea of adding the former Wake Forest star to their roster. He showcased high-level passing ability in college that should immediately translate as a quality skill for the right NBA system.
The knock against LaRavia is that he lacks the ideal size to be a wing defender at the next level. He measured in just under 6-foot-7 at the combine which means he’s going to give up height in most matchups he encounters. The plus side to LaRavia as a defender is that he possesses surprising athleticism that allows him to shuffle his feet and stay in front of elite offensive players.
The make-or-break skill for LaRavia at the next level will be his perimeter shooting. He’s already a quality spot-up player but he needs to add diversity to his jump shot if he’s going to become an above-average starter. The work he did off the dribble in college bodes well for his ability to do just that.
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LaRavia is a swiss-army knife wing that is all the range in the modern game. A smart team is going to snap him up towards the end of Round 1, but if he falls to Round 2 every team in the league should be working the phones to move up and grab him. He may never become a superstar but he’s a great bet to be a solid starter for the better part of the next decade.