(03-04-2021, 11:23 AM)DC 86 Wrote:(03-04-2021, 05:27 AM)winflop Wrote: I think it will be very telling what Williams does after the season. I can't see him going pro and being a first-round pick. He might transfer, which would be a terrible indication that Haase has really lost the team.
Sam Vecenie (The Athletic) has been the most plugged in NBA draft prognosticator in recent years and he ranked Ziaire #6 on his personal board three days ago and wrote that (referring to teams/coaches agents) "some have him as high as #6 while others have him as low as the end of the lottery."
Others in the last two weeks:
NBC Sports (two days ago) has him going #6 overall.
ESPN (one day ago): #8 overall.
CBSSports.com: #11 overall.
NBADraft.net #6 overall.
USA Today: #10 overall.
NBADraftroom.com: #11 overall.
These aren't cherry picked; I couldn't find anyone that has him going later than #11 overall.
NBA teams draft on potential, not college production. Patrick Williams was drafted #4 overall last year after averaging 9/4 as a 6-8 forward. Williams is averaging 11/5, although that's irrelevant. Wiseman and Ball (#2 and #3) played a total of three college games.
Do any of those sites really have true current knowledge and opinions of NBA scouts? Last year at this time Nico Mannion was a projected lottery pick. I can't imagine a NBA general manager who runs a team that didn't make the playoffs using their most precious asset (lottery pick) on Williams. He seems like a better fit with a team drafting later in Round 1 with a full roster that can stash him as a two way player in the G league to get more experience. https://www.nbcsports.com/washington/wiz...-nba-draft