NBA Draft: Underrated Prospects

Doug McDermott, SF Creighton Jr. (6-8, 210)

When it comes to Doug McDermott, you'll hear all the classic knocks: he's just a great college player, he isn't athletic enough, his game won't translate, it's against lower level teams. But instead of trying to look at what McDermott can't do, look at what he can do: he's big, a legit 6-8, an outstanding shooter, an incredibly efficient scorer (60% from the field as a Sophomore), a good rebounder who plays really hard and a coaches son with a high basketball IQ. McDermott compares favorably to another great Creighton player, 9 year NBA vet Kyle Korver. Both have similar size and length, and though Korver is known as one of the best shooters in the league, McDermott has shot the ball better from 3 at the same point in their careers. McDermott is also a much more well rounded offensive player who can score in the post, from mid-range and on the drive. Both McDermott and Korver are average athletes, but Korver has made himself into a good team defender due to his effort and smarts, McDermott could easily do the same at the next level. Will he be close to the scorer he is in College, most likely not, but he could be a great shooter, high effort player who can also post up small players. Any team picking late in the first should absolutely consider McDermott, he'll make any second unit better.

Anthony Bennett, PF UNLV Fr. (6-8, 240)
If Anthony Bennett were 2 inches taller, he'd probably be the favorite to be the top overall pick. However, because he is undersized, height-wise, Bennett will be a controversial prospect who likely ends up in the lottery but lower than his talent dictates. Why is Bennett's height not really a big deal? Because height doesn't matter that much in the NBA; length and athleticism do and Bennett has those in spades. He's has a confirmed 7-1 wingspan, which is more than good enough for the NBA and is longer than Blake Griffin, Kevin Love, David Lee, Marcus Morris, and Dante Cunningham, all of whom have average or better PERs for power forwards. As for athleticism, you only need to watch Bennett to see that he's a very explosive player with NBA strength to overpower opponents  In addition to that physical ability, Bennett is also a good shooter who should develop NBA 3 point range. His game compares well to Paul Millsap, though Bennett is a more explosive athlete and a better shooter at this point in their careers


Isaiah Canaan, PG Murrey State Sr. (6-0, 195)

Much like Doug McDermott, Isaiah Canaan will suffer in the eyes of talent evaluaters because he plays at a smaller school and doesn't have elite tangible tools. Canaan makes up for it with a great skillset. First and foremost, Canaan is a tremendous shooter; he's never shot below 40% from deep in 4 seasons at Murrey State and he's a career 44% three point shooter. He's also show he ability to score from other places on the floor, but his bread and butter in the NBA will be three point shooting. Canaan is also a good ball handler and defender who plays very hard. Truth be told, Canaan is 2 guard in the body of a small point guard, but his ability to shoot could find him a spot in the NBA as a back up point in the mold of C.J. Watson, who will fit well next to a big point guard like Ricky Rubio or a ball handling 2 like James Harden. Canaan is a likely a second round pick, but given how many teams are terrible at shooting the ball in the NBA, (14 teams shoot less than 35%) Canaan could easily earn a spot on a team.