Every year there’s one or two guys from the second round of the NBA draft who come out of nowhere to become key contributors. Here is a list of some projected second round picks that could be that guy this year.
Christian Wood, PF, Sophomore, UNLV
Wood has a unique combination of size and coordination. He’s just shy of seven feet tall but he is very comfortable playing out on the wing. He still needs to add weight to his slender frame and he will take a couple of years to develop but he could become a dominant player if he learns how to take his game inside.
Olivier Hanlan, PG, Junior, Boston College
Hanlan was the best point guard in the ACC but was stuck on one of the worst teams in the conference. Even with defenses focused on locking him down the Canadian had the most points per game in the conference (19.5) while maintaining a 45.5 FG%.
Larry Nance Jr, PF, Senior, Wyoming
Nance is only 6’9” but has a 7’2” wingspan to make up for his lack of height. The son of an NBA all-star missed 4 games this season due to mononucleosis and was not really the same for around a month after his diagnosis, which hurt his draft stock. He was a big time scorer in college but in the NBA he will be a valuable asset on the defensive end of the floor because he can guard almost any position.
Joseph Young, SG, Senior, Oregon
He is way undersized for a shooting guard at 6’2” but the Pac-12 player of the year can flat out score. He averaged 20.7 points per game this year as a senior and that’s nothing new for him. In his junior and sophomore years he scored 18.9 and 18 respectively. He has similar game to Kemba Walker and could be a spark for teams to plug in off the bench like the Clippers’ Jamal Crawford.
Vince Huner, PF, Sophomore, UTEP
He maybe coming into the draft a year too soon but the Miner should be able to find a way to make an impact on the defensive end of the floor. His offensive game will take a while to form but his ability to rebound and guard SFs and PFs will come in handy.
