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Deseret News
Who are the best players left in NBA draft?
By Trent Wood,
2 days ago
Kyle Filipowski walks the red carpet before the NBA basketball draft, Wednesday, June 26, 2024, in New York. | Julia Nikhinson
The Utah Jazz aren’t done with the 2024 NBA draft just yet.
After making two selections during the first round Wednesday night — small/power forward Cody Williams at No. 10 and guard Isaiah Collier at No. 29 — Utah has one more pick to make, No. 32 in Thursday’s second round.
Several notable players went undrafted Day 1 of the draft, meaning they are still available to be selected today.
A 19-year-old shooting guard listed at 6-foot-8, 189 pounds, Furphy has real potential as a wing, though he has a long ways to go in terms of strength and consistent shooting.
2. Kyle Filipowski — Duke
A power forward listed at 6-11, 230 pounds, Filipowski was a projected first-round draft pick that slid dramatically on Wednesday. He doesn’t have ideal length — wingspan, specifically — but is a skilled big who can pass, handle the ball and shoot.
3. Tyler Kolek — Marquette
A point guard listed at 6-foot-1, 197 pounds, Kolek is a proven scorer and facilitator after two years at the NCAA level. He lacks ideal size and athleticism, however.
4. Bobi Klintman — Sweden
A power forward listed at 6-foot-9, 212 pounds; at his best, Klintman is an ideal NBA wing with shooting, defensive versatility and physicality to go with it. Klintman is a fairly raw product, though, after a year at Wake Forest followed by a season with Cairns Taipans in Australia.
5. Cameron Christie — Minnesota
A shooting guard listed at 6-foot-5, 190 pounds, Christie is a scorer and shotmaker, with a fluidity and ease to the offensive side of the game. Defense is another story, though, and Christie hasn’t proven to be an excellent slasher/driver on offense, relying largely on his outside shooting ability.
6. Adem Bona — UCLA
Perhaps best described as an energizer bunny — maybe Tasmanian devil is more appropriate — Boma is listed at 6-foot-8, 243 pounds. He has a massive wingspan and is one of the more athletic prospects in the draft. He is not a polished player in terms of skill, though, and struggled to control the boards with the Bruins, while also dealing with turnovers and foul trouble.
7. Tyler Smith — G League Ignite
A wing listed at 6-foot-9, 224 pounds, Smith is still young at 19 and displayed a real ability to score the ball, as a shooter and a slasher. His defense needs considerable work, but Smith has real potential given his size and athleticism.
8. Juan Núñez — Spain
A point guard listed at 6-foot-4, 206 pounds — and a personal favorite of ESPN’s Jonathan Givony — Núñez is an excellent offensive creator, with desirable on-court vision. He lacks some athleticism and needs to improve his shooting, however.
9. Kevin McCullar Jr. — Kansas
A wing listed at 6-foot-6, 206 pounds, McCullar Jr. missed a large portion of the latest NCAA season and is one of the older prospects after playing five years of college basketball, the last two at Kansas. He was arguably the best player in college basketball last winter though, and a proven defender. Continued growth on the offensive side of the ball will be essential for a successful professional career.
10. Justin Edwards — Kentucky
A shooting guard listed at 6-foot-6, 209 pounds, is one in a long line of one-and-done Kentucky prospects. A highly touted recruit coming out of high school, it took Edwards awhile to adjust to the college game, but he displayed strong shooting potential and enough size and athleticism to make him an intriguing prospect on the wing.
What kind of prospects are the Utah Jazz looking for?
Over the last two years, the Jazz have shown a predilection for taking young, high-ceiling (maybe low floor) prospects in the draft, including Keyonte George, Taylor Hendricks, Brice Sensabaugh and now Williams and Collier. That doesn’t preclude Utah from taking a more seasoned player, such as a McCullar Jr., but given the Jazz remain in a rebuild and need as much talent as possible — with the hope that someone will pop into a star — it is reasonable to project a second-round selection along the lines of Furphy, Klintman or Smith, though both Filipowski and Bona would fill holes on the roster.
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