Biggest Winners of the Pre-Draft Process So Far!
With all the events to get in front of decision-makers from across the league, many players have taken advantage, bolstering their stock as a result.
With the Pre-Draft process nearing an end, as we move closer to the June 26th Draft, several players have taken advantage of the opportunities in front of them. Starting with the Portsmouth Invitational, to the G League Elite Camp and NBA Combine, before finally culminating in a slew of workouts for teams. Due to the nature of this year’s “weak” draft, many upperclassmen have taken advantage of the opportunities before them.
Notable Pre-Draft risers in previous years have gone on to become sizable contributors at the NBA level. Most recently, Jalen Williams’ ascension to a lottery pick from being a projected second-rounder when he declared comes to mind, primarily due to all the success he’s experienced in his two short years professionally.
Particularly for this year, lots of the risers in this draft class will provide value in filling the gaps towards the end of rotations at the next level rather than turn out to be the next Jalen Williams. There’s lots of value to be found in 2nd-rounders, as proven over the years. These guys will be impacting playoff rotations sooner rather than later, and with these risers, an underrated trait to follow is a prospect’s development curve and the trajectory they’re on.
That being said, let’s dive into the biggest winners of the Pre-Draft process so far!
Baylor Scheierman - Guard, Creighton
The further along we get in the Pre-Draft process, the more teams seem to realize the importance of a sweet-shooting, big guard who’s a playmaker and holds his own offensively within the flow of the offense. Baylor Scheierman completely fits the mold of what a seasoned upperclassman can bring to an NBA rotation from Day 1. Additionally, Scheierman possesses a plus frame at 6’6”, 205 lbs, which will ideally help ease his transition defensively and allow him to contribute on the glass.
This year, Scheierman averaged 18.5/9.0/3.9 on 44.8/38.1/87.6 shooting splits. Scheierman is up there for most NBA-ready in terms of contributing to winning out of all of the upperclassmen, leading me to expect a Day 1 NBA role out of him on a playoff-pushing team.
Pacome Dadiet - Wing, Ratiopharm Ulm
Despite not being in the States for most of the Pre-Draft process, Pacome Dadiet has found a way to rise up boards due to a unique combination of desirable qualities. Firstly, Dadiet is still 18 (he turns 19 in August), and when you pair that with the production and frame (6’9”) that he possesses, you reach a player with a pretty high ceiling. There’s an argument to be made that Dadiet has the highest ceiling in the class due to his one year as a pro in the BBL with Ratiopharm Ulm.
Dadiet averaged 9.1 points this year with 3.6 rebounds on 64% FG and 36% 3FG across all competitions. Dadiet simply found a way to affect the game through his shooting, connective nature, and effort, all of which lead to success early on in an NBA career.
AJ Johnson
Following a rather underwhelming 23-24 campaign in the NBL Next Stars Program, AJ Johnson has taken full advantage of his return stateside, captivating GMs league-wide with his decision-making and assertiveness, impacting the game positively. At 6’4”, 167 lbs, it’s no secret that Johnson is a few years away physically, but the raw ability is there, and in a year lacking some higher upside swings, Johnson provides that.
This year, Johnson averaged 2.8 points on 35% FG and 27.8% 3FG in just over 8 minutes a game. Johnson’s sporadic playing time in Illawarra’s rotation this year perfectly exemplifies Johnson’s physical trajectory at this stage. The NBL is a man’s league, and Johnson wasn’t ready. With the NBA valuing Johnson’s skill set, though, look for Johnson to be selected in the early to mid-second round mainly due to a stellar showing at the combine.