Another week, another piece on my prospect who is a lock to be a lottery pick, a prospect who’s on the bubble to be a lottery pick, and a prospect who has his stock on the rise to become a lottery pick. With that being said here are this week’s lock, bubble, and on the rise prospect for the week of 1/14/19.
Lock: Ja Morant (G) Murray State
Ja Morant is a sophomore guard out of Murray State University that has seen his draft stock go through the roof his entire sophomore season, and he is my lock of the week to be a lottery pick going into the 2019 NBA Draft. Morant is averaging 23.1 PPG to go along with 6.3 RPG and 10.7 APG as well. The 6’3 guard has shown flashes of one of the best mid-major guards that we have seen since Damian Lillard.
He can help a franchise that needs a talented point guard, and can be a lightning rod for any NBA team due to his intensity. Morant doesn’t play in a great conference, but they played against two SEC schools earlier in the year and Morant averaged 31.5 PPG to go along with 8.5 RPG and 6 APG against that good competition. Watch this talented all-around point guard get more and more praise as the season progresses, and listen to his name in March when will most likely play in the NCAA tournament.
Bubble: Jontay Porter (C) Missouri
Jontay Porter is a sophomore center from the University of Missouri and his brother Michael Porter Jr. went 14th overall to the Denver Nuggets last season in the 2018 NBA Draft. Jontay Porter is missing the entire 2018-2019 season due to a torn ACL and MCL. It is tough to think that he will enter the NBA Draft with little tape on him going into the combine etc, but Porter has potential to join his brother has a lottery pick when healthy.
Porter is 6’11 and weighs 240 pounds and has the ability to stretch the floor. In his freshman season Porter shot around 36 percent from beyond the arc, and showed some flashes as a potential lottery pick last season. Unforunately, he pressed his luck and ended up tearing both his ACL and MCL which officially makes him a bubble lottery prospect.
On The Rise: Naz Reid (C) LSU
Naz Reid is a 6″10 240 pound center out of LSU, and the freshman center has shown flashes of why he was a top twenty recruit in the 2018 class. In his fifteen games so far in his collegiate career Reid is averaging 13.2 PPG, to go along with 5.5 RPG. Reid had a great game on Saturday against Arkansas as he scored 27 points to go along with 7 rebounds on 10 of 12 shooting.
Reid can also space the floor as the freshman center is hitting forty percent from beyond the arc. He has the talent to be able to be a lottery pick, and after falling off a little bit Naz Reid currently has his stock on the rise.
Chris Jones (@cjoneswho1212 on twitter)
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