With the 2021 NBA Draft just
days away, BasketballNews.com's Lead NBA Draft Analyst Matt Babcock
has put together a list of the top available prospects by position.
He recently listed the draft's top point guards, shooting guards, power forwards and centers.
Here are the best small forwards
in this year's class:
While he will need to polish his
overall game to maximize his potential, Jonathan Kuminga’s
impressive physique, athleticism, and offensive potential are
undeniable. Kuminga’s performance this past season for the G League
Ignite have given promise that he could become a versatile and
effective scoring forward in the NBA. (Check out our behind-the-scenes look at Kuminga's pre-draft
training).
At 6-foot-9, Scottie Barnes is
an effective defender, facilitator, and finisher at the rim, giving
him extremely unique versatility on both ends of the court.
Although his footwork and outside shooting are certainly swing
skills at this point, Barnes has a ton of upside nonetheless. Don’t
expect him to remain on the board very long come draft
night.
An intelligent player who has
been playing high-level basketball for years, Franz Wagner, a
6-foot-9 wing, was one of the best defenders in all of college
basketball this season while also doing a little bit of everything.
That includes initiating Michigan’s offense. If he is able to
become a more reliable shooter from outside, he could become one of
the more valuable role players in all of the NBA.
Perhaps the best shooter in the
country this past season, Corey Kispert is a more than viable
plug-and-play option for NBA teams in this year’s draft. Possessing
a high IQ, Kispert understands how to space the floor properly
while being able to make shots off the move or standstill at a high
clip. He should provide good value as a floor spacer and be a
seamless fit for just about any team right off the bat.
Having struggled with his
consistency at Stanford, Ziaire Williams has become a somewhat
polarizing prospect. Overall, his freshman season was
underwhelming. Although his slim build and ability to finish at the
rim have drawn concerns, his upside is worth noting. A 6-foot-8
wing who is capable of creating space and hitting tough, contested
shots, Williams has the potential to be a versatile scoring wing at
the next level.
Despite missing the bulk of the
2020-21 season due to injury, Chris Smith's body of work at UCLA
should prove to be enough to allow him to be selected somewhere in
the second round. In eight games this past season, Smith, a
6-foot-9 forward, averaged 12.6 points and 6.4 rebounds per game
while shooting 50% from three-point range.
At 6-foot-6, Joe Wieskamp is one
of the best shooters in this draft class. This season, he shot
46.2% from three-point range on 5.1 attempts per game. With
shooting at a premium in today's game, Wieskamp is a viable
second-round option for teams in need of a scoring punch off the
bench.
In his third year for the
Spartans, Aaron Henry averaged career-highs in points (15.4),
rebounds (5.6), assists (3.6), steals (1.3) and blocks (1.3). With
good size and athleticism, he's been largely known for his on-ball
defense, but he improved as a scorer this year. He is an
inconsistent shooter from deep, but his value on defense may
outweigh the lack of scoring punch in the NBA. He is a viable
option for a team that's looking for a wing defender this
July.
Coming into his own in 2021,
Vrenz Bleijenbergh has really improved as both a playmaker and
passer. At 6-foot-10, he's comfortable handling the pick-and-roll
and has shown tremendous vision as a facilitator. In his 10 Eurocup
games, he averaged 9.4 points and hit 37.5% from three. His 52.6%
from the free throw line is a concern, but there is a lot to like
about his game.
A 6-foot-8 wing with a 7-foot
wingspan, Herb Jones did a little bit of everything during his
senior year with the Alabama Crimson Tide, averaging 11.2 points,
6.6 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.1 blocks per game. A
versatile player, who has even played some point guard, Jones has a
good opportunity to get selected in the 2021 NBA Draft.
To see BasketballNews.com's
latest 2021 NBA Mock Draft,click
here.