Bouknight will have to work on his deep shooting to reach his full potential. Here is a look at the five players who . UConn fans will be tuned in to see where standout James Bouknight ends up. Odds and lines subject to change. Bouknight's elbow injury and end-of-season struggles never truly suppressed his draft stock, as he's had plenty of believers around the NBA all season, and has affirmed that confidence over. UConn coach Dan Hurley has said Bouknight, who spent two years in Storrs, Conn., is a hard prospect to pass up. Try a week on us. View fantasy basketball projections for James Bouknight (Charlotte Hornets). . Using the threat of his first step to keep defenders off balance, he scored in bunches when he found his range on the perimeter but ran hot and cold from the perimeter for extended stretches as a sophomore. This is where Vecenie has Bouknight ending up in his latest mock draft, and heres what the expert had to say on Bouknights game: Anything youre looking for in a guys bag from a craft perspective, Bouknight has it, and its a fun game to watch. Scottie Barnes is Florida State's highest-profile prospect, but NBA teams like Gray and the idea that drafting Seminoles has recently worked out. But its not demolition time. Physically present in AZ/CO/CT/IL/IN/IA/KS/LA (select parishes)/MA/MD/MI/NH/NJ/NY/OH/OR/PA/TN/VA/WV/WY only. Ranked 1st in the Big East in isolation scoring (1.9 points per game), Ranked 2nd in the Big East in hand off scoring (1.7 points per game), Ranked 5th in the Big East in transition scoring (3.7 points per game), Ranked 5th in the Big East in off screen scoring (1.5 points per game). Fighting through injuries as a sophomore, Bouknight nonethelesshad a breakout yearaveraging 18.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game to earn All-Big East 1st Team honors and lift the Huskies to their firstpostseasonappearancesince2016. But he's an. Bouknight impressed at the combine with a video of his shooting from the pro day workout, garnering thousands of views. I feel like my play-making ability is underrated and just getting to a team where I can showcase that part of my game, I feel like thats essential, and I feel like I can do that on the Knicks.. Off-ball players NEED to be good shooters or drivers in order to impact the game at a high level. Here is a look at the five players who have improved their stock the most during this year'spredraft process with analysis from NBC Sports Washington'sChase Hughes,Tyler Byrum and Mike DePrisco. James Bouknight brings an ideal combination of athletic ability and basketball talent to the table. Henrys passion for sports dates all the way back to childhood and has ultimately led to a full-fledged career as an analyst and content creator. He earned All-Big East honors after tallying seven 20-plus point games, including a 40-point effort against Creighton. Averaging 0.62 points per catch and shoot jump shot in the half court [11th percentile], Bouknight has room to grow as a floor spacer as he found very mixed results in limited attempts operating off the ball. Click here for updated CBS Sports Top 100 NBA Draft prospect rankings. For starters, he has an obvious NBA role early because of his scoring ability. James Bouknight of the Connecticut Huskies reacts during a semifinal game against the Creighton Bluejays during the Big East Tournament at Madison Square Garden on March 12, 2021 in New York City. He also needs to build up his skinny frame, as opposing twos will likely try to take him on the block. Trey Murphy III, F, VirginiaAge:21Height:6-9Weight:206Wingspan:7-0, 2020/21stats: 25G,11.3 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 1.2apg, 0.8 spg, 0.4 bpg, 50.3FG% (3.8/7.6), 43.3 3PT% (2.1/4.8), 92.7 FT%, Player comparison:Jae Crowder, Danny Green, Projections:NBC Sports Washington 25th,Sports Illustrated 31st, Ringer N/A, NBADraft.net 16th, Bleacher Report 35th, Analysis:Much of Murphy's rise into a potential first-round prospect comes from his use of the transfer portal. . His offensive game is strong enough for him to be a contributor in the league from day one while improving the other facets of his game. NBA Draft Combine 2021: Connecticut James Bouknight 6 . Expect the UConn guard to follow a similar career path as Clarkson. The Hornets traded a future first-round pick to the New York Knicks to acquire the No. In a draft class projected a little all over the place with its later lottery picks, Bouknight offers an exciting opportunity because of his upside. Minnesota Timberwolves. Recent first-rounders: C James Wiseman (2020), G Jordan Poole (2019), G Jacob Evans (2018) The first two years of his career, Murphy played for Rice as a notable contributor. He measured well and posted an impressive performance in his pro day in #Chicago See where the 6-5 + 20-year-old lands in @DraftExpress' latest mock 2021 #nbadraft on ESPN >> https://t.co/p4ss4GZqYn pic.twitter.com/muqcuJfUHP. 50 draft prospect in ESPN's rankings, Ayayi may not hear his name called until late on draft night, potentially even into the second round if he starts to fall. Standings. Bouknight's jump shot is another high impact development aspect of his game. Hand-in-hand with his creative scoring is Bouknights athleticism which could be a big plus for the Pacers, who dont have many of those types. He'll be a sparkplug offensive weapon in the NBA and a really, really good one for a long time. James Bouknight is currently projected to be drafted by the Indiana Pacers at No. NAME POS AGE SCHOOL/CLUB HEIGHT WEIGHT . Henry graduated from SUNY Buffalo in 2021 with a Communication Studies degree and a Psychology minor. NBA 2021 Draft Prospects | James Bouknight | NBA.com 2021 NBA Draft Draft Board Teams Trade Tracker News Video Full Draft Board 1 Round 1 DET Cade Cunningham G 2 Round 1 HOU. 11. Among the highly-touted prospects in this years NBA Draft is shooting guard James Bouknight out of UConn. Just get another guard that you could give him the ball and ask him to go get a basket. A quick first step and attacking mentality makes the versatile combo guard a menace on the court. With Bouknight being a score-first guard, he can be streaky and also force shots. T. Jalen Green - 6-5 - G League Ingite; Moses Moody - 6-6 - Arkansas; James Bouknight - 6-5 . All Rights Reserved. STORRS, Conn. (AP) UConn sophomore James Bouknight has announced his intention to enter the NBA draft. The best comparison for Bouknight is Jordan Clarkson, who just won Sixth Man of the Year. Draft Info. Please enter your email address. Why it makes sense: Were starting at the very top with Bouknight going early in the lottery. 19? 21+ (18+ NH/WY). There's also the context to his own situation worth considering; he was UConn's leading scorer and the way in which he scored -- taking tough shots, serving as Chief of Late-Shot-Clock Bail Outs -- was a huge reason why, statistically, his shooting stats aren't quite what you'd want to see from a top-five prospect. Duarte is one of the more polished offensive prospects in this class. 5 and No. He has excellent ball-handling skills and projects as a player who is firmly capable of creating his own shot at the NBA level. There is no question he's among the best athletes in the draft, and his tenacity as a defender suggests he could in time grow into a two-way terror. Bowman Draft Picks and Prospects Baseball . James Bouknight's rookie season was underwhelming to say the least. San Antonio Spurs: James Bouknight, Shooting Guard, Connecticut. Those numbers made a big jump from the year before, as he was previously not much of a threat from beyond the arc. Bouknight was asked about the prospect of going home. The NBA for guards is guys that can create their own shot, guards that can score at all three levels potentially with the athleticism and guards that can make difficult shots.. That included a massive 40-point game against Creighton. He projects as a plus defender with solid court vision and playmaking skills. We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from. There are also three players we project to go from the G League Select Team. Leaf (2017) For months there has been a near consensus that there are five players in the top tier of this draft -- rounded out by Kuminga -- who are locks to go top five in some order. Please check the opt-in box to acknowledge that you would like to subscribe. The big man averaged 9.5 points and 6.9 rebounds off the bench during his freshman season. Heres Vecenie on the fit: The Warriors will be looking for immediate help, either in the form of a draft pick who can help now or a trade. 11 pick and Texas center Kai Jones with the No. Draft Projection. 19 pick to select Jones. The two are similar in several ways with Bouknight's leaping ability jumping off the page similar toGreen's. He lived up to his expectations, averaging 18.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game. Under the watch of Warriors Wire, the Golden State Warriors landed UConn's James Bouknight with the No. As the No. Teams. One of the highlights of his year was dropping 40 points versus a tough Creighton team in December. Hart rolled his ankle in the fourth quarter of Game 1 and was limited in Monday's practice before the Knicks later listed him as doubtful. Set. Johnson is a unique talent with great strength and athleticism and lots of upside potential. 4 to No. Although he averaged nearly three turnovers a game, he also averaged a steal per game. If you are having difficulty accessing any content on this website, please visit our Accessibility page. 2 overall. . Photo by Porter Binks/Getty Images The 2021 NBA draft will take place Thursday, July 29 with the Detroit Pistons holding the No. Bouknight looks to be a hybrid mix of Derrick White and Alec Burks. His assist numbers werent great at UConn, but thats primarily because he was asked to score. The Houston Rockets, Cleveland Cavaliers, Toronto Raptors and Orlando Magic round out the top five selections. At 6-foot-5, hes a finisher and crafty scorer who can create his own shot. Most likely not, but whos to say there wont be trades? In his first post-lottery mock draft, The Athletics Sam Vecenie has Bouknight going No. Strengths: Athletic slasher who is one of the best pure scorers in the upcoming draft Can score at all three levels but he is significantly more efficient pulling up in the mid-range and going all the way to the basket High-rising guard who uses his vertical to attack the rim and finish with contact in the lane, but also elevates as a great rebounder who averaged nearly six rebounds per game as a 65 guard Advanced floor game, with excellent ISO ability and pull up scoring acumen Uses great ball handling and a lot of fakes to create space for his shot Crafty playmaker Thrives in isolation due to elite athleticism and high level ball-handling. he Washington Wizards are picking squarely in the middle of the first round of the 2021 NBA Draft. You can put me in many different situations, and I can thrive in all of them.. Anthony had an up-and-down rookie season. One encouraging sign: He does rebound, with 10.2 boards per 100 in Big East play.. Hes a strong finisher at the basket. NBA.com is part of Warner Media, LLCs Turner Sports & Entertainment Digital Network, *Translations are limited to select pages. 15, here is the latest in our series on draft prospects who the Wizards could consider selecting. 2023 ABG-SI LLC. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED is a registered trademark of ABG-SI LLC. 6 as he narrowly edges out fast-rising forward Scottie Barnes as well as Davion Mitchell, Josh Giddey and Franz Wagner. Shooting is the premium skill in the NBA and Duarte should be able to provide plenty of itto his next team. The Oregon wing isn't just a shooter, however. To learn more or opt-out, read our Cookie Policy. UConn guard James Bouknight announced his decision to enter the 2021 NBA draft on Wednesday. He averaged 17.9 points on 46.1% field-goal shooting and 36.5% from 3 playing for the G League Ignite. at For Bouknight, that means coming to a spot he can potentially offer immediate assistance. Charlotte Carroll covers the New York Giants for The Athletic. . Tennessee scoring leader announces decision in social media post thanking Vol Nation. The OKC Thunder own the sixth pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. No. Not a speed burner Regressed as a three-point shooter from his freshman year to his sophomore year from 35% to 29%, albeit with double the amount of attempts per game At times over-confidence gets the better of him, whether it be shot selection or passing Shooting from distance suffered as he seemed to force shots too often and settle for low percentage looks Good slasher but lacks great playmaking ability for others and is an average passer at best He only averaged 1.8 assists per game compared to nearly 3 turnovers Despite a reported 7 wingspan, Bouknight rarely made much of an impact defensively and has plenty of room for improvement Bulking up would allow Bouknight to potentially defend guards and wings Shot selection will need improvement, which should not be too difficult as his role shifts to an spark-plug scorer off the bench If he cannot improve as a passer, it will be difficult to allow him to run the offense as a primary ball-handler and his impact will mostly have to come from off the ball Plays at his best as a primary ball-handler who can attack the basket, but turnovers were a major issue in his college career. 2. 9 and Jeremy Lamb No. #2021NBADraft #JamesBouknightVideo breakdown of 2021 draft prospect and Connecticut Huskies CG James BouknightMake sure you follow us on Twitter @TheBoxAndOn. Age: 20 College: Connecticut Huskies James Bouknight 2020-21 Stats Games Played: 15 Points: 18.7 Rebounds: 5.7 Assists: 1.8 Field Goal Percentage: 44.7% 3-Point Field Goal Percentage: 29.3% Free Throw Percentage: 77.8% The 2021 NBA draft is Thursday (8 p.m. One of the bigger Pelicans needs is someone who can play both sides of the floor as the team struggled defensively this season. Bouknight looks to be a hybrid mix ofDerrick WhiteandAlec Burks. UCONN's James Bouknight averaged 18.7 points per game as a sophomore. Bouknight, who left UConn after his sophomore year, is projected in the top 15, the late-lottery stage, by most draft analysts. Being high on Jalen Green means, by default, I am high on James Bouknight. There is one question I hearken back to when evaluating top prospects that serves as a guiding philosophy for me and can help differentiate between preference in talents like at the top of this year's draft: Which player has the highest long-term ceiling? But he shot 80 percent from the free-throw line during his two years. He could be the highest-drafted Husky since 2009, when Hasheem Thabeet was picked No. James Bouknight had a great showing at the @NBA combine. (NBA) Autographed. Despite that, he did his best work around the rim averaging 1.37 points per shot around the rim in the half court [86th percentile]. The Warriors really lacked offensive creation last season in the backcourt any time that Stephen Curry left the floor. Card Condition. His sophomore year he led the Owls with 13.7 points before making the jump to Virginia. Ultimately though, he needs to prove that he can knock down shots at a bit of a better clip, given that it needs to be a genuine plus skill with what his game will be.. But New York could still use another addition to its backcourt, particularly in the point guard department. 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