With the NBA Draft around the corner, let’s take a look at the most intriguing players!
Dalton Knecht
For most seniors in college, getting picked high in the NBA Draft is extremely difficult due age concerns and rather developing younger players into an NBA playstyle. For Knecht, he has proven to compete and excel at an extremely high level in college, and sees himself as a potential high first round pick. The 6’6 wing out of Tennessee will be a great asset to whatever team he gets drafted by bringing his high level three point shooting and his athletic finishing abilities.
Knecht is also extremely matured in his game which should be a big factor in many scouting reports. He doesn’t turn over the ball much, played against all levels of competition and has proven to dominate on whatever team he has been on. It will for sure be an adjustment to the NBA for him as there are players his age already playing with lots more experience but can Knecht live up to his expectations of becoming one of the better players in this draft class?
Stephon Castle
The freshmen guard from UConn was truly a standout in the role that he played. He has great size at 6’6 and athleticism for a player that can run the one or two, great defensive instincts and a true slasher that attacks the rim in a fierce way.
In recent mocks, Castle is a top 10 pick with great upside, the only concern that may occur is his three point shooting. Castle shot 26.7% from three point land which may be a problem for some teams as the modern NBA requires a high shooting level from players especially a guard.
Nonetheless, Castle is a great player who can contribute to the team with his skills and athletic ability but will the three point shooting be a factor for him in the league? We will see this fall, but he is a real talent and could see himself as a game one starter.
Robert Dillingham
Rob has become one of the most flashy and exciting freshmen this past college basketball season. His ability to score at such a high level and adapt to the college game that fast was truly fascinating, especially going into tough competition. Dillingham has always received a lot of hype and for good reason throughout his basketball career as he played on many different teams and managed to sustain success.
As he came off the bench for the Wildcats being the six man, he averaged 15.2 points and displayed his maturity on the court as well skills. The only concern many be a short height and how previous 6’0 guards have maneuvered around the league, but Rob has displayed a lot of skills which has built confidence in many people that he could be starting in the first game.
As Rob is projected to be a potential top five pick, he will provide great offensive production, will be a great facilitator and will bring his confident jump shot to provide more success for the team the drafts him.
Reed Sheppard
The emerge of the Kentucky freshmen was a thing to watch last season, but the two that really stuck out was Robert Dillingham and Reed Sheppard. Sheppard was one of the best three point shooters in the entire country, was great on the defensive end and helped Kentucky win big time games. Reed is projected to be a top 10 pick in this years draft, but may need to prove a couple more things in order to become a star in the NBA.
His quickness and acceleration may need to improve to keep up with the pace and blow by defenders, as well learning to finish around bigger and more skilled defenders. Besides that, Reed is an extremely polished player who works really hard on both ends of the ball at a high effort which has benefit his draft stock. Reed is also built for the NBA right now and has proven to be one of the best freshmen in the Nation and has potential to be one of the most efficient shooters in the NBA.
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