My Big Board (i promise better than gottliebs)

After unfortunately being forced to look at the ridiculous big board made by Doug Gottlieb (who had chris singleton 4th) I’ve decided to make my own big board and i want you guys to do the same!! (top 20)

1) Kyrie Irving – Potential to be an all-star, we barely got a taste of him but from what I took in, he is the real deal and potential to be a significant NBA point guard

2) Enes Kanter– When I saw him drop 34 at the Portland hoop summit last summer, I knew this guy had the potential to be dynamic. The Al Horford/Andrew Bogut comparisons are right on. He has range, size, and passion.

3) Derrick Williams– A lot of people are down on Williams saying he doesn’t have any star potential but I think with his skill set, and hard-working mentality, he could be an 18 and 8 type guy

4) Jan Vesely– Has been a monster in the Euroleague and is a freak athlete which is rare for the European perimeter players…Vesely has the best potential of all the international prospects

5) Alec Burks– I’m huge on Burks. He’s the only shooting guard in this draft that should go in the lottery. He is multi-dimensional, and the comparisons to Brandon Roy are shockingly close. I think hes a natural 2 and hope he doesnt get forced into playing the 1 at the next level (like stuckey)

6) Brandon Knight– Knight is only going to get a lot better, hes just a young guy and he went through his challenges at UK but the guy is long, athletic, and is ridiculously clutch

7) Kemba Walker– Can’t go wrong with Kemba. He almost single-handedly carried the huskies to the national championship. You know what your getting with him, explosive ball-handler, willing to take it to the rim, clutch scoring

8) Jonas Valenciunas– Has a similar body to Cole Aldrich but hopefully he will be a little bit more gifted on the offensive end. Like his american style of play around the rim (tough rebounder, willing shot-blocker, charge-taker)

9) Marcus Morris– This may be a shocker, but I think Morris is sick. I’m a big fan, and he reminds me a lot of Josh Smith. He can be a SF or PF and has the range and shot-blocking abilities to be successful at either spot

10) Tristan Thompson– Can’t argue with results, he had a very nice freshman year in Austin, but I worry about his size (hes 6’8” 225) and has the skill set of a power forward. I do like his craftiness around the hoop and his tremendous wingspan

11) Donatas Motiejunas– He has fallen a lot on my big board. I think his passion towards the game of basketball is questionable and he didn’t really accomplish much as a professional. His height and range is intriguing but thats about it.

12) Markieff Morris– A little bit less gifted offensively than his bro, but hes a pure enforcer on defense with his shot blocking and weakside defensive skill set. He reminds me of a Kurt Thomas in his prime.

13) Jordan Hamilton– Think he’s not getting enough recognition. Averaged 19 and 7 this past year and has the size to be a terrific defender at the 2 spot. Also, his outside shooting greatly increased. I have him as my #2 shooting guard ahead of Klay Thompson.

14) Trey Thompkins– Thompkins wasn’t overly impressive to me until I saw him play against the Huskies in the tourney. He has a nice touch, pretty form, and seemed very reliable when it was clutch time getting his team a bucket in the paint.

15) Jimmer Fredette– I like Fredette because of his scoring abilities, but his defense is horrendous, and hes a score-first PG who is best suited to come off the bench to provide his team with a lift. I think he has the potential to average 12-15 off the bench

16) Nolan Smith– One of those 4 year guys who people will claim has a low ceiling but hes an outstanding basketball player and nobody can argue that. Best player on one of the best teams in the nation for 2 straight years. Expect him to play the 1 at the next level.

17) Tobias Harris– I’m not freakishly high on Harris but I think his potential is pretty great. Hes a legit small forward who can take his man to the block and get to the rim because of his NBA body

18) Kawhi Leonard– Leonard is a man when it comes to offensive rebounding and putbacks but he’s a 6’7” 220 lb. power forward. He shot under 30% from 3 this year and could find himself in a tough spot trying to bang with big NBA 4’s and unable to keep teams honest with his mediocre perimeter game

19) Bismack Biyombo– Haven’t bought into the hype. Dont think he has the offensive game of Serge Ibaka, and his age is obviously a question. He could be 24 years old. Anyways, I see a Kevin Seraphin comparison right here.

20) Klay Thompson– Klay can absolutely reign from downtown and his shot is picture-perfect, but he can get really streaky, isn’t very athletic, and doesnt play too much defense.