Alabama Guard Josh Primo Moving Up Sports Illustrated's 2021 NBA Draft Board
The 2021 NBA draft is just weeks away and multiple former Alabama standouts could hear their name called on July 29 inside the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.
One-and-done prospect Josh Primo officially announced his intentions to stay in the draft last week and is drawing rave reviews from scouts and analysts that could land him inside the first round.
Meanwhile, former teammates Herbert Jones and John Petty Jr. are slated to be mid-to-late second-round picks or un-drafted free-agent signings.
Check out where Primo and Jones rank in Sports Illustrated's latest update:
21. Joshua Primo, G, Alabama | Freshman
Height: 6' 5" | Weight: 190 | Age: 18 | Previous rank: 50
Primo has likely played his way into the first round after a strong showing at the combine, bolstered by the fact he’s the youngest prospect in the draft. He was a person of interest for the NBA all season and showed fairly well for a true 18-year-old after moving into Alabama’s starting five in late December. Primo played a smaller, shooting-centric role for the Crimson Tide, but in other contexts over the past couple of years, he’s shown the capacity to create shots for himself and others in a secondary playmaking role. That coupled with size and capable defense make him a pretty intriguing development project, and someone teams will be eager to take a chance on despite pedestrian college numbers.
46. Herbert Jones, F, Alabama | Senior
Height: 6' 8" | Weight: 210 | Age: 22 | Previous rank: 57
Jones is one of the most versatile defenders in the draft, capable of guarding all over the court and impacting games with his length and ability to pick up ballhandlers. His progression at Alabama was admirable, and he’s fashioned himself into a versatile, tough player who supplies energy on both ends of the floor. While Jones is unlikely to be more than a fifth option on offense, he can push the ball in transition and make plays in a pinch. The major issue here is his jump shot, which has always been a question mark and is the key to a surefire fit in an NBA rotation. Scoring has never been Jones’s calling card, which is fine, but he’ll need to at least be a consistent threat to find a niche.
