Ranking and projecting the top 24 NBA Draft prospects with a 5-tier system
By Ryan McCrary
21. Trayce Jackson-Davis, Big, Indiana
Trayce Jackson-Davis is a short, stocky center with great athleticism who can score at will inside the arc and provides a ton of value as a passer, rebounder, and shot blocker. His scoring numbers were insane at Indiana, and he developed into an elite passer during his senior season. This gives him sneaky upside as a creator at the next level. He’s also an elite rebounder and shot blocker despite being just 6-foot-8.
Jackson-Davis has a few major weaknesses. First, he is a short center who wasn’t a great rim finisher in college. He wasn’t terrible in this department, but he was average for a center. To make matters worse, he doesn’t shoot at all from the perimeter. These two problems make him a weird mold for a big man in the modern NBA. However, he has a lot of valuable physical tools and skills which could make him a valuable player at the next level.
22. Kris Murray, Wing/Big, Iowa
Kris Murray is an athletic forward with a strong all-around offensive profile. Last season, he was a great scorer who was very effective inside and outside the arc. He was also a solid passer who did a great job limiting turnovers.
He was really good as a rebounder two, crashing the glass hard on both ends of the floor. This will be a valuable skill if he plays more power forward in the NBA.
His defense wasn’t as great as his offense, though. While he generated a ton of steals and blocks, the impact just wasn’t there. Maybe there were issues with his awareness, but something caused his defensive impact to slip, which needs to change in the NBA if he wants to become a long-term starter.