Best Draft Prospects: Small Forwards

Author:
SI Staff
Publish date:
Jun 28, 2012

Best Draft Prospects: Small Forwards

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist

(Note: Heights and weights for college players are from the combine, with fractions rounded up. For the complete list of official measurements, click here .) Kidd-Gilchrist showed tremendous versatility and leadership during the Wildcats' championship run. He has been compared to New Jersey's Gerald Wallace in terms of his athleticism and attacking mentality. He might have the best motor in the draft, and he's a tenacious defender with a 6-10 wingspan. His inconsistent perimeter game is a concern, and it's unclear whether he can evolve into playing a lead role on an NBA team (he ranked fourth on UK with 11.9 points), but his work ethic and commitment to playing both ends of the floor have scouts and executives excited about the potential top five pick.

Harrison Barnes

No one is predicting the next coming of Kevin Durant, but Barnes is seen by most as a high-level scorer whose skills should translate at the next level. He averaged 17.1 points last season, but left Tar Heels fans wanting more at the end as he shot just 32.8 percent in four NCAA tournament games. Still, executives are confident that the likely top 10 pick will be a productive pro even though he's not a great athlete and his dribble-drive game needs work.

Moe Harkless

The uber-athletic Harkless could stand to be more efficient on offense, where he averaged 15.3 points but shot just 44.5 percent overall and 20.2 percent from three-point range in his Big East Rookie of the Year season. But his impact elsewhere entices front-office types who watched him average 8.6 rebounds, 1.4 blocks and 1.6 steals.

Royce White

The 21-year-old has an anxiety disorder and fear of flying that could wind up hurting his stock. If he can find a way to be comfortable with the NBA lifestyle and the charter planes that come with it, the reward might be great for whichever team takes him. White is a playmaking big man (he could easily be listed in the power forward category) with first-round skills, as he led the Cyclones in scoring (13.4 points), rebounds (9.3), assists (5.0), steals (1.2) and blocks (0.9). He flourished on the biggest stage, averaging 19 points (on 71.4 percent shooting) and 10.5 rebounds in two NCAA tournament games.

Quincy Miller

The athleticism, offensive versatility and strong two-way play could have him gone by the middle of the first round, but Miller is likely to be a project wherever he goes. He averaged just 10.6 points, 4.9 rebounds and 24.4 minutes in his one season at Baylor, playing in Perry Jones' shadow while offering only glimpses of what he might become.

Jeff Taylor

Taylor qualifies as one of the few lockdown perimeter defenders in the draft, boosting his first-round hopes. He is more than quick enough to handle guarding multiple positions, and he becomes an even more intriguing pick because of his improving offense. Most of his scoring came from attacking the rim in his first three college seasons, but he started developing three-point range as a junior and made it a weapon as a senior when he shot 42.3 percent from beyond the arc while averaging 16.1 points.

Kostas Papanikolaou

Papanikolaou gained notice with a strong performance at the Euroleague Final Four in May, including a game-high 18 points in Olympiakos' victory over CSKA Moscow in the final.

Darius Miller

It was easy for Miller to get lost in the shuffle amid his more celebrated teammates, but he proved to be a valuable role player over four years with the Wildcats. Miller has good size for a swingman and he developed his three-point stroke to the point that he made 44.3 percent as a junior and 37.6 percent as a senior. Depending on his predraft workouts, he could be a fringe first-round pick.

Kevin Murphy

The slender swingman can score, and his task during predraft camps and workouts is to prove that he can fill it up against players from major conferences. Murphy led the Ohio Valley's Tennessee Tech with 20.6 points a game, including a school-record 50-point performance againstSouthern Illinois-Edwardsville. He's expected to be a second-round pick.

Jae Crowder

The Big East Player of the Year can fill up the box score in a variety of ways -- he averaged 17.5 points, 8.4 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 2.5 steals -- in addition to sparking a team with his high-energy play and defensive tenacity. His height (6-4 3/4 without shoes), could complicate his ability to thrive in the frontcourt.