Tuck offers his takes of top prospects Obi Toppin, Anthony Edwards, Deni Avjida and Cole Anthony
Friday 1 May 2020 13:31, UK
Despite being suspended by the NCAA for a financial infraction, James Wiseman is the best center in the NBA Draft and will be a great addition for any lottery team, says Mike Tuck.
Age: 22
College: Dayton
Position: Forward
Standing at 6ft 9in with a 7ft 2in wingspan, power forward Obi Toppin is a scary dude when he walks through the doors of a gym!
Toppin has an intimidating frame. He looks super-strong. He is a run-and-jump kind of guy. He is extremely athletic and he plays above the rim on a lot of plays. He led the NCAA in dunks and a lot of them were put-backs which shows he has the power to get up high from a standing start.
Toppin is a versatile player who can play anywhere on the floor. He shot 39 per cent from three-point range this season at Dayton and I think he could play at the three, four or five positions. He would be a great floor spacer and able to attack missed shots at the rim.
There are some similarities between Toppin and someone like Amare Stoudemire but I think Toppin is a little bit more versatile. I think he will go high in the draft and a team like the Cleveland Cavaliers, who will have a lottery pick, could be good fit for him. They need some help in the power forward position. Kevin Love is not going to give them that athleticism so the Cavs need a guy like Toppin.
Age: 19
College: Memphis
Position: Center
In situations like Wiseman's where we have not had the chance to see him play, there are pros and cons.
Wiseman was banned for 12 games after the NCAA discovered his mother accepted $11,500 from Memphis coach Penny Hardaway to help the family relocate from Nashville in 2017 - he has not played since November 2019.
Given he is a top draft prospect, you know he is in the gym right now, putting in that work that nobody sees. When you are not playing, you can do skill work that players involved in a season will not have time to do. I think he will have developed his fundamental skills - ball-handling, passing, shooting - during his suspension.
The downside is that we have not seen him play for a long time. He played in three games at the very start of the college season before his suspension was upheld. When you are that young and you are not playing within a system, you are not learning as much. His basketball IQ might not be up to par as a consequence once he gets to the NBA.
However, Wiseman has so many other attributes that teams will overlook that possible negative. He is the best center in the draft. He is 7ft 1in with a 7ft 6in wingspan and has the potential to be a really good shot blocker.
Wiseman is also great in pick-and-roll situations, similar to guys like DeAndre Jordan and Amare Stoudemire who, when you are in the pick-and-roll, you know you can throw the ball up to the hoop and he is going to get up there and get it. He is a southpaw and lefty bigs are always tricky to guard.
Wiseman can do a little bit of everything. He has got a really nice turnaround fallaway jumpshot in the post and he can also shoot the three-ball. He has the foot speed to defend inside and outside. He is very much in the mould of the modern NBA center. If he has done the work in the gym and his handles are up to par, he could also be a floor spacer able to play multiple positions.
With which team would Wiseman fit best with? I think he would fit well with the Cavaliers too, probably more so than Toppin. The Cavs have Andre Drummond right now who, if he opts out of his current contract, only has one more year on his current deal. That would give Wiseman a good rookie year to learn from Drummond and then he would become their frontcourt go-to guy after that.
But it is totally dependent on which teams end up drafting where. I think any lottery team would consider themselves lucky to get Wiseman.
Age: 18
College: Georgia
Position: Guard
A lot of mock drafts have Anthony Edwards projected as the No 1 pick. Obviously, we do not know who will be picking first yet but there have been stories that the Golden State Warriors will take him if they have the first pick. I find that surprising because they are overloaded with talent at the guard position.
Edwards is a 6ft 4in shooting guard who has elite athleticism, good body control and a quick first step. He is a streaky shooter but he has shown he has NBA range.
He is a tough and physical guard who I think would complement any backcourt. He would fit with Stephen Curry or, if the Atlanta Hawks were able to get the first pick, Trae Young, or next to any point guard with good passing skills.
Edwards should be also able to help a team defensively. I don't think he is the quickest guard in terms of foot speed but he is physical which will enable him to add a lot. He is extremely athletic which is a must-have these days in the NBA.
In terms of his weaknesses, Edwards is a terrible free-throw shooter and can be a bit flat-footed at times. But other than that, he will be the perfect complement to any backcourt.
Age: 19
Team: Maccabi Tel Aviv
Position: Wing
The 6ft 9in Avdija is listed as a 6ft 9in small forward but he is extremely versatile. He can play anywhere from shooting guard to power forward. He has been playing professional ball in Israel for Maccabi Tel Aviv.
Avdija is very talented and I could see an NBA team putting him in a point forward role down the road because he has the court vision, he can handle the ball and he can shoot it. He can create his own shot and is also effective in the open floor.
His game reminds me of guys like Danilo Gallinari and Hedo Turkoglu.
Will Avjida's professional experience help him have a smooth transition into the NBA? In terms of basketball development the rest of the world is catching up with the United States. A guy like Luka Doncic is the perfect example. Going to a big-name European team at 16, playing three years against experienced professionals, those years are way better than, say, one year playing college ball at Duke. Your development is fast-tracked when you are up against bigger, faster, better, more experienced talent.
Age: 19 (turns 20 on May 15)
College: North Carolina
Position: Guard
Cole Anthony is coming in from a great program in North Carolina. When I watched his highlights, I was really impressed by how explosive he can be. At 6ft 2in, he is a bit undersized, but playing at point guard he can get away with it.
Anthony is a quick guy who can finish in traffic - and dunk - with both hands. He has a very nice stop-and-pop jump shot and he has really good range as well. He has a really natural ability to create offense. He is a really good shooter.
I think he could be a really useful sixth man. He has the potential to make a name for himself but he does have some way to go. At that size, he has got to hit the weight room.
He is less ready to contribute than the other players mentioned here but I think his explosiveness and athleticism will ultimately get him there. I can see him getting picked in the lottery.
