(I assume pasting one excerpt from a long article about 6 different players is OK)
ESPN Top 100 ranking: No. 8
What makes him polarizing?
Bouknight is an NBA-caliber scorer with the type of off-the-dribble game you see from NBA All-Stars. He's one of the draft's most effortless bucket-getters who fits the NBA game with his pull-up shooting and fluidity with the ball. With that said, his skeptics wonder what he'll be able to do at an NBA level other than score the ball.
We know he'll put up raw scoring numbers at the next level, but will he improve enough as a passer and defender to impact winning at a high level, at least enough to live up to his buzz as a potential top-10 pick? That's where the right situation comes in, as where he's drafted will likely play a big role in the type of passer and defender he becomes.
Intriguing fit: Golden State (7th or 14th overall)
Landing in a situation like Golden State would be huge for Bouknight's long-term development in the aforementioned key areas. One of the draft's most talented shot-creators, Bouknight could play a
Jordan Clarkson-like role as a bench bucket-getter in year one, while learning how to add value in a more ball-moving style predicated on 0.5-second decision-making alongside stars
Stephen Curry,
Klay Thompson and
Draymond Green.
Should he land in the wrong situation, there's a chance Bouknight gets labeled (rightfully or not) an inefficient "bad team scorer," which was largely Clarkson's reputation before he arrived in Utah. Not always given ample space to operate at UConn, Bouknight's efficiency numbers took a hit as he posted a sub-50% effective field goal percentage, a 0.64 to 1 assist-to-turnover ratio and a -5.3 pure point rating. Often having to turn touches into dribble-heavy isolation possessions, Bouknight's critics wonder how his style will fit within an NBA offense.
Going to Golden State, which desperately needs another perimeter scorer, would expedite Bouknight's growth as a more efficient quick-action scorer in the
Bradley Beal mold, while also allowing him to be himself, given the need he fills for Steve Kerr and Co. Bouknight's combination of leaping ability, body control, shooting potential and shot creation gives him one of the highest upsides in the draft, which could come to light if he lands in a situation like Golden State, where he'll also be held accountable defensively.
