Over the past 20 years, only one draft class has produced four All-Stars in the top five picks.
But less than two weeks away from the NBA draft lottery, which will determine the final pick order, teams are waiting anxiously in hopes of landing inside the coveted top five, and for good reason.
At somewhere between 6-7 and 6-8 with long arms and a strong frame, Cunningham shifted all over the floor for Oklahoma State, bringing the ball up the court, finishing possessions out of isolation and pick-and-roll , spacing the floor as a shooter, operating as a screener and even creating from the post.
With the Texas Titans on the Nike EYBL Circuit, he shouldered the load, averaging 24-7-6 while shooting 64% from 2 and 35% from 3, ranking fourth in the league in scoring and first in total win shares for the 18 games in our database .
Thanks to his ability to play on or off the ball , his floor is a Khris Middleton type, while on the high end, Cunningham has shades of Tatum and Luka Doncic, thanks to his stellar court vision.
“It’s going to be hard to find somebody else that’s versatile and can affect the game in this many ways.
He’ll have nights when he scores 30-plus points, become a SportsCenter top-10 mainstay and infuse a level of excitement into his new fan base, while likely battling some inefficiency and defensive growing pains in Year 1.
Green has a Zach Lavine type of effortless bounce with Bradley Beal-like shotmaking ability and scoring instincts, which is clearly an intriguing combination for a franchise in search of star power.
“Me, I’m the best prospect in this draft, in my opinion,” Green said.
Mobley is the draft’s best big man, but that doesn’t mean he’ll be anchored inside the paint.
“10, 15 years ago it was mostly, if you’re a big you stay inside the paint,” Mobley told ESPN’s Jonathan Givony at a USA Basketball Minicamp in October of 2018.
He’s an intelligent passer with the shooting mechanics to eventually space the floor from 3 despite converting just 30% as a freshman, which will allow him to play both 4 and 5.
While I’ve compared him to a young Davis, there’s also a lot of Bosh in his game with his body type, all-around game and skill level.
Even if it’s not in his nature to take over games as a scorer, he’s going to impact winning wherever he goes, and his combination of floor and ceiling has scouts excited about his future in the NBA.
Suggs is a culture-changer who will instantly bring toughness and a winning mentality wherever he goes.
His handle, shooting and finishing finesse still need work, so it’s natural to wonder what his season would have looked like if he was asked to create the majority of his team’s offense like Cunningham at Oklahoma State.
Holiday is a former NBA All-Star, annual Defensive Player of the Year candidate, Teammate of the Year who is averaging 16-4-6 over the course of his career while defending the other team’s best player — not a bad outcome for Suggs.
Kuminga is the most physically ready of the top five, with ideal tools for a two-way wing in today’s NBA.
1 pick after he averaged 22 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal and 1 block per game over his first three G League bubble contests , and G League Ignite staffers with NBA experience regularly touted him as a potential top pick.
Given some of the ups and downs in Orlando, Florida, teams have seemed to feel more comfortable with names like Cunningham, Green, Mobley and Suggs over Kuminga.
If a team can iron out Kuminga’s jumper, stabilize his defensive motor and get him to play a more free-flowing, ball-moving style, it could end up with one of the best players to come out of this 2021 draft, just like he was billed less than five months ago.
I’ve still got a lot of things to show, a lot of things to work on, a lot of things to prove.
There have been only six drafts with three or more All-Stars selected in the top five since 2000. The 2018 class could make it seven; Doncic and Trae Young have already been All-Stars, and Ayton and Jackson have All-Star potential.
Still, it’s hard to find a draft with up to four All-Stars selected in the top five.
In recent drafts, for every Ben Simmons or Brandon Ingram, there has been a Dragan Bender or Kris Dunn.
Some teams see a tier within the top five, with Cunningham, Green and Mobley as All-Star-caliber players with Suggs and Kuminga as clear-cut starters with the potential to become All-Stars in the future.
Cunningham is still the name you hear most at the top, and he’s who I would personally select No.
Altogether, this 2021 top five is well-balanced and versatile, giving executives a plethora of options.
Having recently watched Barnes work out in Santa Barbara, California, he has an outstanding 6-foot-9 frame, a 7-foot-3 wingspan, a 9-foot-1 standing reach and impressive all-around metrics according to sports science company P3.
The 19-year-old averaged 16.6 PTS, 6.4 REBS, 6.5 AST, and 2.3 STL per 40 basically playing PG for FSU.
He can bring the ball up and facilitate like a point guard and defend almost all five positions, and he’s making strides as a standstill 3-point shooter.
“I feel like I can do it all,” Barnes said during a film session.
Mitchell is one of the most accomplished prospects in the draft and arguably more NBA ready than anyone else in this class.
While not nearly as NBA-ready as some of the aforementioned prospects, few players in this draft can rival Johnson’s physical skills.