22. Charlotte Hornets: Diamond Stone (C-Maryland)
- Freshman
- 19 yrs.
- 7’0″, 255 lbs.
Diamond Stone fell short of the expectations that come with being No. 6 on the ESPN Top 100 H.S. recruits, as he was predicted to be a top-10 pick before the season began. Stone’s immaturity and inconsistencies prevented us from ever seeing the dominant offensive player we were all promised.
Stone needs time to develop but he’s worth a shot this late in the draft.
23. Philadelphia 76ers (via Heat) : Dejounte Murray (PG/SG-Wash.)
- Freshman
- 19 yrs.
- 6’5″, 170 lbs.
Dejounte Murray has no jump shot and struggles at the rim. He’s a serious project with blinding speed who turned the ball over 3.9 times per 40 minutes in his lone season at Washington. If Sam Hinkie were still running the Sixers this would be the quickest pick in NBA Draft history.
Murray likely could have benefited from another year in school, and would’ve ended up being drafted higher but he declared and now he’s D-League bound. Regardless of the way the new regime thinks in Philadelphia, Murray will have to be a serious contender for them.
24. Atlanta Hawks: Ante Zizic (C-Croatia)
- 19 yrs.
- 6’11”, 240 lbs.
Ante Zizic isn’t like most European prospects. You know how when Kristaps Porzingis came into the league and had only averaged 11 points per game the season before?
Well, that has actually been a common trend with international prospects. Not Zizic though. He’s absolutely dominating his league statistically, and picking up easy baskets on offensive rebounds and hustle plays in transition.
https://youtu.be/3OV5JGP5feU
Zizic will be a huge asset for the Hawks to run alongside Dennis Schroder, Jeff Teague, and an offense that ranked 8th in Pace factor.
