James Young has a big motor and possesses good energy and enthusiasm for the contest. I suppose that’s why you would mention someone like Corey Brewer or a Lance Stephenson as another NBA comparison.
He hasn’t had a great shooting season, but has self-belief and hard-nosed swagger to overcome the slump. Playing alongside Randle, Cauley-Stein and the Harrison twins have meant that Young’s stock across the league may have been downplayed somewhat. I think he still has huge diamond in the rough potential and is the player I personally like the most on this list.
5. Montrezl Harrell
- Age: 20
- Position: Forward
- College: Louisville
- Key Stats: 12.6ppg, 8.3rpg, 60% from field.
- NBA Comparison: JJ Hickson.
Harrell is a physical, active and energetic player who is a beast on the offensive glass. His intensity and energy is infectious, and there is definite a place in the NBA for such a character.
He get’s out, runs the floor and collects easy dunks in transition. He, like Cauley-Stein, is quiet raw and needs to develop a few go-to post moves and a 15-foot jump shot to round himself out as an NBA prospect.
That being said, the 7-4 wingspan teamed with the energy, strength and hustle is a pretty tantalizing combo for a team selecting just after the lottery. A team such as Memphis, who might be looking to select a replacement for an aging Z-Bo.
Teams such as Minnesota, Chicago, Orlando, Memphis, Boston, Phoenix and Atlanta all figure to have selections somewhere around the 14-24 mark in the 2014 draft.
Who they select with these picks will have a profound impact on the prosperity of the franchise going forward. Because for every ‘diamond in the rough’ in the draft, there is at least one ‘rock in the pond’.
(RELATED: OUR EARLY MOCK LOTTERY: THE TOP 14 NBA DRAFT PROSPECTS)
Jake Henson is an NBA writer from Australia who has recently joined the team at Sheridan Hoops. You can follow him on twitter here: @jwhenson_