Every year in the NBA Draft, teams are always looking to find the next “diamond in the rough” and a player who may not have the potential and qualities of being the #1 pick in the draft, but could very well turn into a key, reliable NBA talent for many years to come.
Over the years, we have seen plenty of players get picked near the end of the lottery or near the end of the first-round and go on to have amazing NBA careers. We have even seen some guys get drafted in the second-round and go on to have All-Star type careers!
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Some notable players over the years that may not have had the most talent coming out of college, but possessed some of the most “boom-like” potential were Kawhi Leonard (15th overall, 2011), Donovan Mitchell (13th overall, 2017) and Nikola Jokic (41st overall, 2014).
This year, the NBA Draft is very “top heavy” with talent, but there are still some high-level talents with first-round grades who could very well end up being some of the steals of the draft.
With that said, let’s take a look at three highly underrated NBA Draft prospects who have the potential to grow into key NBA talents and possibly, NBA stars.
Josh Giddey – PG/SG/SF – Australia/18 – 6’8”, 205 lbs
Is he a point guard, is he a shooting guard or is he going to play on the wing at the NBA-level? Nobody really knows what position Giddey will play at the NBA-level, but one thing we do know about the Australian prospect is that he has a chance to be the best international player in the 2021 NBA Draft class.
In 21 games this season with the Adelaide 36ers of the NBL in Australia, Giddey averaged 10.9 points, 6.9 rebounds, 7.1 assists, 1.2 steals and shot 41.1% from the floor, 30.8% from three-point range. While the numbers may not show it, Josh Giddey is a really skilled perimeter player and his jump shot from deep is very strong.
He is considered to be one of the better outside shooters in the 2021 NBA Draft class and given his size, he has all the making of being a great NBA wing. But, Josh Giddey also has the ability to be a primary ball-handler and be an even better facilitator on the court.
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Shooting wise, he has had a down year in the NBL, but Josh Giddey is one of the best well-rounded basketball prospects in this entire 2021 NBA Draft class. He has lottery-potential and whether it is driving to the rim, pulling up for a jump shot or creating space for his teammates, Giddey can literally do it all.
While he may not join the NBA and immediately become a star, Josh Giddey could definitely become a key starter for many teams in the league in a matter of a year or so. Given his perimeter play and ability to facilitate, it will be hard to take him off the court once he is given an opportunity to prove himself.
Scottie Lewis – SG/SF – Florida – Sophomore/21 – 6’5”, 190 lbs
Coming into college, Scottie Lewis was one of the nation’s most sought after recruits and while he is not viewed as one of the top guys in the 2021 NBA Draft class, he has just as much potential as they do given his athletic abilities and basketball IQ.
Given his length, his athletic abilities and his understanding for the game, Scottie Lewis may take some time to get used to the NBA, but could blossom into a star given the opportunity to do so. His potential definitely screams “lottery-pick,” but it is expected that Lewis will fall somewhere near the end of the first-round and could potentially slip into the second-round, but he has a ton of potential to blossom into a special player.
Standing about 6’5”, Scottie Lewis will likely be a shooting guard in the NBA with the potential to be a small-forward. Regardless of what position he plays, his athletic abilities will give him an advantage over slower defenders and while he may not be the best perimeter player, his first step is as good as anybody else’s in the 2021 NBA Draft.
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Improving his jump shot and knocking down shots with consistency will definitely be the areas Lewis will need to work on at the NBA level and it will take time before he is able to consistently play solidified minutes, but All-Star potential definitely exists with Scottie Lewis.
Finding the right team and fit is going to be critical for Barnes on draft night and if a team is willing to take a chance and invest in him, they could very well end up with one of the steals of the draft looking back on the 2021 NBA Draft a few years down the road.
Chris Duarte – SG – Oregon – Senior/23 – 6’6”, 190 lbs
Chris Duarte is expected to be a late first-round pick this year, but if he was a couple years younger, he would be talked about as a potential lottery pick. Because Duarte is 23-years-old and turning 24-years-old in June, a lot of teams that are looking for younger talents to build with will pass up on the opportunity to draft him, giving some of the better teams in the league near the end of the first-round the possibility of getting an NBA-ready guard.
Coming out of Oregon, Chris Duarte is very NBA-ready and is definitely one of the better perimeter players on the wing in the 2021 NBA Draft. He shot 42.4% from three-point land this past year with the Ducks and his perimeter game should translate nicely to the NBA.
Quite honestly, Chris Duarte does not really have any weaknesses to his game, which is why he has a ton of potential to be a great, underrated NBA player. Defensively, Duarte is very solid and can guard numerous positions given his toughness.
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Duarte has made a name for himself with the Oregon Ducks over the years because of his ability to be a high-level, impact defender. Standing about 6’6”, he has the size and length to be a great defender at the NBA level and given that three-point shooting is a strength of his game, he will fit the “3-and-D” philosophy that NBA teams search for perfectly.
Given that Chris Duarte is soon to be 24-years-old and is pretty much fully developed in terms of the kind of player he will be, some of the teams drafting earlier will overlook the type of impact he will bring to the NBA, which is why he will likely fall in the laps of some playoff caliber teams, where he could immediately make an impact off-the-bench in his first year.
