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The 2019 NBA Draft finally took place at Barclays Center this past Thursday in Brooklyn. There were a total of 2 rounds, with 30 players being drafted in each round. The picks were decided in the NBA Draft Lottery in Chicago in May, with the New Orleans Pelicans getting the #1 pick.
The 2019 NBA Draft was one of the more exciting drafts in recent memory as there were a huge number of trades that took place between various teams. With the draft now in the rearview mirror, there will be players that will be classified as busts and then there will be players who will go on and become headliners of this 2019 draft class.
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 steals of the draft based off just their mock draft positions and where they actually ended up going in the draft.
#5 Sekou Doumbouya (Limoges CSP, France) - Detroit Pistons, 15th overall
Sekou Doumbouya, at 18, is the youngest player in the 2019 NBA Draft and was projected to be a top 10 pick. He played for Limoges CSP in LNB Pro A in France and is primarily a small forward, but his size and length (6 foot 9 inches with a 6 foot 11 inches wingspan) allows him to slide down to the power forward spot as well.
His fluid athleticism and potential to develop into a really solid player is the reason why the Detroit Pistons drafted him at #15. His theoretical defensive versatility and raw offensive potential can make him a nightmare for any opposition.
Age is also on Doumbouya's side and he will manage to create mismatches all the time at the NBA level. He has some great shooting mechanics and has been compared to Draymond Green. In his 29 appearances for Limoges, Doumbouya averaged 6.7 points, 3 rebounds and shot 32.2% from the 3.
While his potential is really high, his inexperience works against him too as he is prone to silly mistakes and poor decision making. He takes a lot of mid-range shots even when he has the tools to force his way to the rim.
While he has a great shooting mechanism, he is very inconsistent with his shot and has proven to make poor shot selection. The positives still outweigh the negatives as these can always be improved upon but the Pistons have potentially gotten a steal with the #15 pick of Sekou Doumbouya and will hope he grows into the mismatch nightmare he has the potential to become.
#4 Mfiondu Kabengele (Florida State) - Los Angeles Clippers, 27th overall
Mfiondu Kabengele is a 6 foot 10 inch big man with a huge 7 foot 3 wingspan and the nephew of the great Dikembe Mutombo was touted as a player that was going to be drafted somewhere in the late teens or early twenties.
Kabengele redshirted his first year at Florida State and carved out a solid role in his second year. He was a regular contributor off the bench in his third season before declaring for the NBA Draft.
One of Kabengele's biggest positives in his shot blocking ability. He also has a game that is built for the modern NBA, averaging 13.2 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game in 37 games for Florida State.
While Kabengele was a well rounded offensive weapon and rim protector, he was not a good defensive player overall, with below par screening, boxing out and was not particularly good at set plays. He also had a lot of foul trouble, falling for pump fakes easily. His rebound numbers are low for a big man and relies more on his athleticism than his ability to box his man out.
At #27, the Clippers have managed to snag another big man, who is ready to be a contributor on this squad of rough and tough players. They will be hoping that they can develop him into a role player at the least as soon as possible.
#3 Keldon Johnson (Kentucky) - San Antonio Spurs, 29th overall
Keldon Johnson was considered to be a really solid guard coming into the 2019 NBA Draft and the 6'6 guard was projected to be a top 15 pick in this year's draft. His effort on the defensive end and his huge frame with a 6'9 wingspan had made him an ideal candidate to go high in this year's draft.
Johnson was a solid player at Kentucky, averaging 13.5 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.6 assists and just under a steal per game in 30.7 minutes played in 37 matches. He even shot a good 38% from beyond the arc and was improving with each game.
His effort on the defensive end in college, going in for loose balls and taking charges was much appreciated and he could theoretically defend multiple positions in the NBA with that long frame of his.
Yet, he was accused of not paying enough attention to defense at times, allowing opposition players to cut past him. He was not considered to be a great passer, as he lacked vision to make good reads. His inability to finish at the rim also made teams reconsider, which led to his fall all the way to #29, where the Spurs drafted him.
The Spurs have a history of making great late first round picks and will be hoping they made the right decision in grabbing a player who can become a solid contributor in the coming years.
#2 Nassir Little (North Carolina) - Portland Trail Blazers, 25th overall pick
Nassir Little was considered one of the best prospects coming into the college season this year, as he was a 5-star recruit coming out of high school. The 6'6 forward played for North Carolina and did not enjoy a great season in his junior year.
Little played just 18 minutes a game, averaging just 9.8 points, 4.6 rebounds and shot just 27% from beyond the 3, absolutely cratering the 5-star reputation he had coming into college. Yet, he was one of the most explosive players in the draft.
His 3 and D potential and an ideal body would bode well in the modern NBA. A potential lockdown defender, he brings his solid athleticism to the table as well. The thing that worked most in his favor is that he was a late bloomer in high school and most teams considered him to do the same even at the NBA level, which is why he fell to the latter half of the lottery picks.
But in the 2019 draft, Little was chosen at #25 by the Portland Trail Blazers, a far cry from the 9-14 spot everyone had expected him to go. Blazers have potentially gotten a really good player late in the draft and will be hoping that they can develop him into the star he was touted to become.
#1 Bol Bol (Oregon) - Denver Nuggets, 44th overall pick
Bol Bol was a projected top #5 pick before the start of the 2018-19 college season and had become one of the best players in the college circuit. Standing at 7 feet 2 inches with a 7'7 wingspan, Bol Bol, the son of legendary player Manute Bol was a physical specimen.
He averaged 21 points per game, along with 9.6 rebounds and a huge 2.7 blocks per game. His absurd 52% shooting from the beyond the arc seemed like no fluke in the 9 games he played before a left foot injury kept him out for the whole season.
His stock dropped as doubts started to emerge about his health and conditioning, as he had a frail frame and a foot injury is one of the worst that could happen to a center (cue Joel Embiid). His frame also brought up questions about his value in the more physical NBA and just how he would be able to screen someone like Andre Drummond.
His upside was too high to ignore and he was still considered a first round top 25 pick, to be safe. Bol Bol ended up dropping all the way down to #44 when the Denver Nuggets traded their future second-round pick and cash considerations for him after Miami had initially selected him.
The Denver Nuggets, after drafting another injured top 5 pick in Michael Porter Jr, have taken on the challenge of bringing Bol Bol back to his college glory days and if the Nuggets manage it, they would have pulled off one of the biggest steals in the past few decades.
Also read: 5 Biggest winners from NBA Draft 2019
Guess the Lakers players!
