NBA Draft 2019: 5 Biggest reaches of the draft

The 2019 NBA draft was held in at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. There are a total of 60 players that the teams can choose The picks were decided on 14th May 2019 in the Draft Lottery at Chicago during the post season, with the New Orleans Pelicans landing the top draft pick.

The 2019 NBA draft was one of the best drafts in recent memory. After initially being labelled as a weak draft, which was top heavy, a lot of players were touted to be great and NBA ready role players, looking to take the next step to stardom. There are a huge number of trades that took place as teams looked to draft exactly the player they wanted.

Without waiting for the season to decide for us, let's take a look at the 5 biggest players that can be considered as the ones who went up the most compared to their mock draft positions and how they ended up going higher than expected.

#5 Jordan Poole (Michigan): drafted #28 by the Golden State Warriors:

Another unexpected player drafted in the 1st round

Jordan Poole was projected to be a late 2nd round pick or to go undrafted in the 2019 NBA draft but was a surprise pick at #28 for the Golden State Warriors. The Warriors seem to have made a shrewd selection as he is a NBA ready guard according to his pre-draft reports.

Standing in at 6 feet 4 in with a wingspan of 6 foot 7 inches, Poole has the potential to become one of the premier defenders in the league. He is an impressive ball handler, who can take down almost any defenders with his handles. He is a good shooter from the deep and a smooth shooting stroke.

He averaged 12.8 points, 3 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.1 steals a game for Michigan this season and shot 37% from the 3. While he is solid passer, he dribbles a lot before passing which is not something good in a point guard.

He is not able to play great defense, misses rotations and cannot navigate his way through screens. His poor fundamentals on defense need to be worked on if the Warriors want to develop him into one of the premier guards in the NBA.

#4 Kevin Porter Jr (USC): drafted #30 by Milwaukee Bucks (traded to Cleveland Cavaliers via Detroit Pistons):

Kevin Porter Jr. was considered to be one of the purest scorers in the pool of players for the 2019 NBA draft. Yet, he ended up falling to #30 and going to the Cleveland Cavaliers after a bunch of trades for the #30 pick.

Porter is really good scorer and has all the tools to become a future star in the NBA. Standing in at 6 feet 5 inches, with a 6 foot 9 inch wingspan, he has the perfect physical attributes for a player in the modern NBA.

At just 19 years old, Porter is still a very young player and can be developed into a better ballhandler and off the ball player. He is a strong shooter and has the passing instincts that can be translated into the next level.

Porter averaged 9.5 points, 4 rebounds, 1.4 assists, shooting 41.2% from the 3 point line, which shows the shot creation ability is already present. Still, he has his downsides. He is not a good defender even though his frame is perfect for the NBA.

His temperament and maturity has been brought into question, after he was indefinitely suspended midseason at USC for an undisclosed reason for an off the court issue. The Cavaliers will be hoping to integrate him into their team and make him into a legitimate star.

#3 Darius Bazley (Princeton High School): drafted #23 by the Utah Jazz (traded to Oklahoma City Thunder via Memphis Grizzlies):

Darius Bazley skipped college and prepared on his own for the draft

Darius Bazley was one of the most intriguing prospects coming into the 2019 NBA draft. He skipped college, something players rarely do and trained with New Balance and on his own for the NBA draft.

Standing at 6 foot 9 inches, Bazley is a small forward who has a lot of unknowns to his game. He was projected to be a late first round or early second round pick but was drafted at #23 and traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Bazley is a raw talent, someone who was not evaluated properly since he did not play in college. Thought to be a supremely versatile player, Bazley is a solid offensive player.

He has the handles to dribble past the opposition, great finisher at the rim, solid rebounder and his long body allows him to defend multiple positions in the modern NBA.

While his upside is high, Bazley took a lot of contested shots and his consistency was not great. His shot selection was poor and was an on and off player in the NBA draft combine.

His jumper is not the best and given that he skipped college basketball, he lacks feel and the competitive spirit that you end up earning through playing basketball on a higher level. The Thunder have taken a gamble on a player who they would look to develop into a solid player for them, who certainly has the upside.

#2 Cameron Johnson (North Carolina): drafted #11 by Phoenix Suns:

Cameron Johnson was a huge surprise at #11

Cameron Johnson was touted to be a 2nd round pick in the 2019 NBA draft, but was surprisingly drafted at #11 by the Phoenix Suns. One of senior prospects in this year's draft, he is arguably considered to be the best shooter in this draft.

Standing in at 6 foot 9, Johnson's size projects him as a prospective solid defender something he has improved on throughout his college career. A fluid athelete, his off the ball movement and shooting from screens is already at an NBA and his ability to not need a lot of touches on the ball will allow Johnson to flourish next to Devin Booker.

Johnson averaged 16.9 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists and shot at a superb 45.7% from beyond the arc on 210 attempts, which is some really solid shooting. He averaged 1.2 steals per game as well, showing his hustle on the defensive end.

Johnson underwent arthroscopic hip surgery on his left hip and that has raised questions about him being an injury prone player. But anyhow, he seems to be great fit for this Phoenix Suns team if he reaches his potential.

#1 Chuma Okeke (Auburn): drafted #16 by the Orlando Magic:

Chuma Okeke was a bright young prospect playing for Auburn in his sophomore year. He is a 6 foot 8 power forward who can stretch the floor. He was a supposed lottery pick but an ACL injury in the NCAA tournament dropped his value.

Yet, the Orlando Magic took him at #16, instead of his pre-draft ranking of a mid 2nd round pick. Even though Okeke might miss his whole rookie season, he is a really intriguing prospect. His size makes him perfect for the modern NBA, he hustles on defense and can shoot the 3 well.

He has flashed his potential athleticism as well as being one of highest basketball IQ players in this year's draft. Okeke averaged 12 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.8 steals and 1.2 blocks shooting 38.7% from the 3, which are some really solid numbers.

The Orlando Magic have taken a calculated risk on an injured player that projects to be a future star in the league. Once Okeke is back from his ACL injury, we will know just how much of his potential he can reach.