[KingslayerParticipant]

A year ago, the most undervalued prospect by most internet scouts & the media was – IMO – Thon Maker. His draft stock appeared to be in the late 1st to early 2nd range. DX was particularly down on Maker, never wavering on his ranking as a 2nd rounder. Their scouting videos of Thon primarily used footage from 2015 Hoop Summit practices (SMH) and seemed to downplay his elite physical profile & intriguing 2-way skillset. Maker was out of sight, out of mind – having played an extra year of high school with Toronto’s Athlete Institute. 

Maker ranked 9th overall on my 2016 big board, and he’d be borderline top 5 upon re-evaluation of the class today. He became Milwaukee’s starting center after Jabari Parker was injured, albeit in limited minutes. The Bucks went 20-11 after the injury, earning a playoff berth. Maker played a more meaningful roll in the playoffs (19.4 mpg) where he shut down the Raptors’ guards in the PnR, and made life hell for the Raps at the rim. Maker scored 14.5 points per 36 min as a rookie (56% TS), almost exclusively from hustle plays and spot-up shooting. Even if Thon never develops into a more versatile offensive threat, he’ll have a productive career terrorizing opponents on defense with his one-of-a-kind combo of size & mobility.

 

Jonah Bolden is 2017’s Thon Maker. Not necessarily by game/athletic profile (his best prospect comp is Jonathan Isaac), instead because he’s criminally undervalued. He’s been similarly out of sight, out of mind – having played in the Adriatic League (ABA) this season after an inconsistent season with UCLA. The media and internet scouts haven’t woke yet, but he’s improved by leaps and bounds since his time with the Bruins. Don’t be surprised if a smart NBA team selects Bolden in the lottery, just like Milwaukee did with Maker a year ago. 

 

 

[KingslayerParticipant]

Physical Profile – Bolden’s upside starts with his tremendous physical tools for either forward spot. He was listed at 6’10 as a 19-year-old at UCLA, which makes sense based on photos with officially-measured UCLA bigs (Kevon Looney, Thomas Welsh, Tony Parker). My best guess is Bolden is between 6’10 and 6’11 in shoes now. His current listed weight is 227 lbs, with a 7’4 wingspan. He’s a great all-around athlete. He’s fast in the open floor and moves exceptionally well laterally. He’s fluid in his movements and has very quick feet for his size. He also shows nice explosion in space, often finishing above the rim with ease. His conditioning & motor is excellent (26.9 mpg). Bolden needs to get stronger to handle interior physicality in the NBA, without sacrificing the tremendous mobility that makes him valuable on the perimeter. He has plenty of room left on his large frame.

Defensive Impact – Bolden already has a significant impact on defense, and possesses great potential on that end of the floor. He primarily guards 3’s and 4’s in Europe, both at a high level. He’s athletically superior in virtually all his defensive matchups, which will be the case in the NBA with added strength. He’s at his best guarding on the perimeter, where his height, length, agility and footwork make him a remarkably rangy defender. He switches on to guards with ease, and constantly causes deflections (2.1 STL per 40). Off the ball, Bolden shows solid (but not spectacular) awareness & feel for team defensive concepts. He’s well-positioned & active vs. the PnR, and typically makes the right defensive rotations. He can still improve his discipline with more experience, but already makes plays others cannot with his range. Bolden mixes emphatic weak-side rejections with impressive on-ball blocks (1.5 BLK per 40). The potential is there to be a strong rim protector in more of a PF/C role than his current combo forward position. Bolden is sometimes knocked for inconsistent effort on defense, but those reports are off-base. He plays with a great motor, hustling back on D and flying around to make plays. Perhaps the criticism stems from his lack of physicality, which is Bolden’s most apparent weakness. Not only does he need to add strength, but he lacks a degree of toughness in the paint as well. He can be moved on the block by stronger opponents, which will be more noticeable as an NBA rookie. He also gets pushed around on the defensive glass (6.7 D-Reb per 40), though his perimeter responsibilities don’t leave him in the best position to pull down defensive boards.

Offensive Skillset – Despite a fairly low usage rate for FMP Beograd, Bolden still managed to be a productive scorer in the ABA (18.4 PTS per 40, 56.8 TS%). His most translatable skill is his shooting ability. His jumper is much more consistent than what UCLA fans might remember (40%, 2.4 3PM per 40). He’s got an effortless stroke with a high & quick release, and natural sway. He’s already a consistent threat out to deep NBA range. Better yet, Bolden has shown to be equally adept off the dribble as he is when spotting up. He rises up over the D with his high release off the dribble, whether from deep or in mid-range spots. He gets separation with a smooth handle and nifty footwork for a 6’10+ prospect. Bolden’s flashy handle shows up most often in transition, with plenty of space to operate. He’s not afraid to push the ball down floor, and has surprising vision on the break (2.4 AST per 40). He also runs the floor hard in transition without the ball, finishing explosively in space. Bolden’s high motor is apparent off the ball in the half court. He has a decent feel for how to get open, works hard to get there, and possesses great hands to catch & finish. He could have scored many more easy buckets this year if FMP’s guards were more willing & able to get him the ball. He also crashes the offensive boards effectively with his motor & physical gifts (4.0 O-Reb per 40). The above skills + experience in Europe should allow Bolden to play a complementary role on offense early on in his NBA career. His offensive upside depends on his development as a creator & playmaker, along with added strength. He’s an unselfish player, and shows flashes of creating off the dribble with a quick first step. However, he forces in tight spaces (2.8 TO per 40) or settles to avoid them altogether. While he could use more polish on his handle and improved decision-making in the half court, the main culprit is his lack of strength & physicality. Bolden rarely posts up, and struggles to explode through contact & finish in traffic. Bolden has struggled to get to the line this season, and hit his FT’s when he gets there (61.1 % on 3.9 FTA per 40). He’s shot in the mid-70’s during college and other events, and should put this year’s aberration behind him with more reps of his picturesque shooting stroke.

 

Bolden is a comparable prospect to Jonathan Isaac, with similar athletic abilities and skillsets on both ends of the court. Isaac is a little quicker & twitchier, and plays with more toughness. Bolden is a little stronger & longer, and has a better outside shot. Both fit the profile of a modern-day PF, with the potential to play SF (and eventually small-ball C) as well. Isaac will pretty much have to start out at SF in the NBA since he’s so skinny, while Bolden’s extra size should allow him to play a role at PF right away. Bolden is a year & a half older than Isaac, but arguably has as much upside. His outside shot and initial versatility advantage probably makes him more NBA-ready than Isaac. Both players are worth a top 10 pick in this draft.

Fun Fact: Jonah Bolden won the ABA Top Prospect Award this year. The previous 3 winners of the award were Dario Saric, Nikola Jokic, & Ante Zizic.

 

 

[nill650Participant]

 He is not Thon Maker like late riser material.

I would feel more confident that he is a late first sleeper than a lottery option.He does have a decent offensive arsenal for a big.

Now the negatives; he was not invited to the combine which by all account usually means he isn’t valued much at all this year… But it only takes one team to be interested so we shall see. Hence your point I guess, but it’s one thing to be invited and not come, it’s another to not get an invite.

I would liked to have seen his name along with Mushidi, De Paula , Burton & Blackeny at minimum combine reserves. they were not.

3 of those I listed all have a shot at the 2nd round just like Bolden.

I don’t see any of them including Bolden despite having a breakout yr in a adriatic , having enough upside to go early. 

If anyone is being slept on it’s Dozier. I have 40 as his floor to N.O. but wouldn’t be shocked if he went in the 15- 22 range

[HobbyOGParticipant]

 OG..they have him as a 2nd round pick. Once he comes back from that ACL injury he’s going to ball out. 

[bdiddy5115Participant]

OG is going to be an elite role-player. I’d take him in the late-lottery.

I’ll still go with Dennis Smith here. He had an up-and-down season, but much of that was due to circumstance, and his "red flags" are getting overblown and his elite upside isn’t getting enough attention (only Fultz ranks definitively above him for me ). 

More space, more stability and a better supporting cast are going to do wonders for him. 

 

 

 

 

[RUDEBOY_Participant]

 there are about 10 guys you can name as sleepers..

isaac humphies…is getting alot of buzz after his workouts….

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[clunie.sportsParticipant]

 I agree with PP that OG Anunoby is going to be a stud in the sense of Draymond Green but to be different and because I am a huge fan of this kid from last year’s circuit I will go with Terrance Ferguson.

He is a Top 3 shooter, Top 3 athlete and when its all said and done I believe a Top 5 player in this class.  He is versatile in his game on the offensive side and has always been a guy in high school that would stick his nose in there defensively as well. I loved his competitive nature during all the All-Star HS games last season as well…

 

[royk927Participant]

 Mitchell though if his shot is consistent could be really good. That wingspan is nice.

[Dog_ShammdogParticipant]

 short list: DSJ, Hartenstein, Pasecniks, Jeanne, Ojeleye, Iwundu.

I’ll say Ojeleye might be the most underrated for a number of reasons.  He has a bonafide NBA skill with his shooting and has an NBA ready physique to go with a very impressive showing of athleticism at the combine.  I’ve seen him listed as a sg, sf, sf/pf, and pf, and I don’t think any of those projections are necessarily wrong as he has the size and athleticism to play them all on both ends.  I think it will take some time before anybody will be comfortable playing him at the 2 though.  If he can develop his ball handling and shot creating ability, he could be a big time player.  I think he could contribute right away as a spot up shooter and stretch 4.

I’m really hoping that my beloved Lakers either take him at 28 or find a way to move back into the early second to swoop him or Iwundu up as Nick Youngs eventual replacement.

Other than Ojeleye and Iwundu, I think all the other guys i listed will be gone no later than the teens.  I wont be suprised if DSJ goes top 5 either

 

 

 

 

[hawkmanParticipant]

Dwayne Bacon. Big SG with a lot of offensive skills and an NBA body. He gets dinged for his age(22) and his decision making. He’s also not much of a passer. But I think his offensive skills will translate well to the NBA. He reminds me of prime Joe Johnson without the court vision. I hope the Atlanta Hawks pick him up because he’s on my ‘sleepers’ list with Jonathan Motley as prospects who can contribute immediately. I think both of these guys are really underrated.

[iguapops420Participant]

 I could see Bolden sneaking into the late first, but I could just as easily see him falling all the way to the late second or worse. All a matter of perception. Personally he’s been a fast riser on my draft board and actually would love to see him go LAL at 28 but with the depth this draft has you never know. 

[Evan_MilbergParticipant]

Perhaps I’m still drinking the Koolaid from the NCAA tournament, but I still think Sindarius Thornwell is severely underrated. I figured his stock would shoot up into the late first round, but it seems he’s firmly in the early-mid second range. I think his game is as NBA ready as any pure 2-guard in this draft (not counting Monk). I particularly like his mid-range game, toughness and how cool he seems under pressure. 

[hawkmanParticipant]

I like Thornwell. His athleticism results from the combine really hurt him though.

[holefillers1Participant]

 Peter Jok- He can score, will probably go second round.  Defense is an area of concern as well as age and even some knee trouble in H.S.  but he is a big SG with a scorers mentality so if his defense comes around he will get a second contract.

 

 

[DolanCareParticipant]

 Semi Ojeleye. Strong enough to guard most fives, mobile enough to guard most fours. He has range too. I think he’s a steal in the mid second round. 

[Dog_ShammdogParticipant]

 He’s projected anywhere from late teens to late 2nd and has also been labeled as a sg, sf, and pf.  I think somebody will fall in love with him and take him in the first.  If not, I could see a team trading up to snatch him in the early second. His athletic performance at the combine should solidify his stock, he was very impressive all around.  I think Wesley Iwundu is his main competition in the late first/early second.  I have both of them ahead of Dwayne Bacon, Tyler Dorsey, Dillon Brooks etc.  I think the Lakers should take a long and hard look at the both of them at 28.  I’m hoping to see them wind up in a workout together, I think they’ll both be in NBA rotations by the end of next season….

[kobyzParticipant]

 he doesn’t known as a defender, just a scorer who score in college base only on his athleticism and it will not gonna translet to very effective player in the nba, more an empty state guy, a smaller jeff green…

[Dog_ShammdogParticipant]

Did you even watch him play? He got by in college on being able to score without dominating the ball and forcing defenses to guard him with a big 20+ feet from the hoop.  He needs to work on his handle but the dude has unlimited range, great strength, great athelticism and solid measurables for a sf that can play at the 4.

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