This year’s NBA draft class is full of potential All-Stars, but drafting any of the following five prospects could be a major mistake.
Victor Wembanyama is the best NBA Draft prospect in this year’s class by a wide margin. He’s a lock to be an impact player sooner than later for the San Antonio Spurs. The same can’t be said for a lot of other prospects slated to go off the board in Round 1 of this year’s draft.
The NBA still values potential over production in a big way. That allows players who struggled to really be stars at the collegiate level to establish themselves as lottery picks. It’s easy to understand why teams take big swings for the fences in Round 1 but it’s a strategy that can blow up in General Manager’s faces.
The following five prospects all have a chance to become quality players, but they’ll all be overdrafted where they are currently slated to be taken in Round 1. Buyers beware for prospects on this list.
Most overrated NBA Draft prospects: 5. Jordan Hawkins
Hawkins is riding high after a brilliant streak of play for UConn in the NCAA Tournament. Combine that with his status as one of this year’s best shooters and it’s easy to understand why NBA scouts are enamored with his potential.
The downside to Hawkins is that he’s only capable of playing the off-guard spot at 6-foot-4. It’s also possible his shooting ability is being overstated based on his high-profile run in his final collegiate season. He needs to be an elite shooter if he’s going to be anything more than an average starter.
That makes taking him in the late Lottery a questionable choice by the team that pulls the trigger on Hawkins in Round 1. He has a high floor as a prospect but lacks the sort of star potential teams should be hunting for at that spot in the draft.