NBA Draft 2015: Underrated Players Being Disrespected in Expert's Mock Drafts
Many American hoops fans haven't yet heard of Mario Hezonja. In about four months, his name will become very familiar to those who follow the NBA draft.
Hezonja is a 20-year-old Croatian wing prospect with true star potential. At 6'8", Hezonja has the requisite length to play the small forward or shooting guard positions in the NBA. Hezonja has a beautiful and quick release on his jump shot, and he has top-level confidence.
In 16 Eurobasket games during the 2014-15 season, Hezonja has knocked down 37 percent of his threes. He's decently skilled at going to the basket to score but doesn't have elite shake-and-bake moves off the dribble.
Where he surprisingly shines is as a versatile perimeter defender. He can guard at least two positions—three depending on the opposing team's point guard—and he looks to be willing on that end of the floor.
While both NBADraft.net and DraftExpress have Herzonja as a lottery pick, I believe he's a top-five talent in this soft crop of prospects. Depending on the need of the team, I'd take him ahead of the Kentucky Wildcats' Willie Cauley-Stein and the Duke Blue Devils' Justise Winslow.
Here are two other prospects who are also being disrespected by expert's mock drafts.
Jerian Grant
He's not flashy, but the Notre Dame Fighting Irish's Jerian Grant is as steady as any point guard prospect in this year's NBA draft.
He's 6'5", and he takes great care of the ball. Grant averages 6.6 assists per game, and his assist-to-turnover ratio is 3-to-1. That's usually the rate coaches covet with a point guard. The senior's steadiness is part of the reason Notre Dame's offense has been so efficient this season.
The team is shooting just under 51 percent from the field. Grant also has the game in his blood, as his father, Harvey Grant, and uncle, Horace, played in the NBA. His brother, Jerami, is currently a rookie with the Philadelphia 76ers.
Despite Grant's skills and hoops lineage, neither DraftExpress nor NBADraft.net have him going higher than 13th. Aside from Emmanuel Mudiay, Grant stands out as the premier pure point guard prospect. If there's a team with a need at point guard in the top 10, Grant should be on its radar.
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson
There may not be a better perimeter defender in college basketball than Rondae Hollis-Jefferson. He can lock down shooting guards, small forwards and some point guards. He's an excellent run-and-jump athlete who works hard. What's even better, he embraces his role. Per Steve Rivera of Fox Sports Arizona, RHJ said this of his approach to the game:
"I'm doing a really good job of doing the things I'm good at. I'm still working on a lot of things. Everybody knows my role and that's guarding the best player and bringing that energy ... Just do everything basically. I think I'm ... one of the best in the country in doing it.
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He will easily find himself in an NBA coach's rotation because of his work ethic. He isn't a great shooter. That's primarily the reason why DraftExpress has him as a late first-round pick and NBADraft.net pegs him as a second-rounder.
Teams might want to look at the development of players like the Charlotte Hornets' Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and, even more, the growth of the Chicago Bulls' Jimmy Butler. Both of those players are similar to RHJ athletically, and each of them lacked a shooting touch in college and early in their NBA careers.
While neither MKG nor Butler can be considered deadeye shooters from the outside, both have improved considerably since coming into the league. Butler was an NBA All-Star this season and is averaging 20 points per game.
A similar path is practical for RHJ.
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