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We are just over three weeks away from July 29th’s NBA Draft and even though we are still months away from draft day in the fantasy world, it is never too early to start getting a look at some potential prospects who could be making an immediate impact on your rosters next season. Over the next few weeks, I’ll be doing in-depth analysis on the strengths and weaknesses of some of the best players in this year’s draft class. This week I will be starting with the guards. Who are the 10 best guards in the draft this year and what are their strengths? What are some areas that need improvement?
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1. Cade Cunningham- Oklahoma State
Strengths: Cade is undoubtedly the best player in this draft, and is the consensus choice to be the first pick by the Detroit Pistons. Standing at 6-foot-8, he has great size, allowing him to see over his smaller matchups and make reads and passes which other players simply can’t make. He plays with great pace and feel, especially in the pick-and-roll, which he will surely be playing a ton of at the next level. He is also a better passer than his numbers will suggest, the main reason for that being his underwhelming supporting cast at Oklahoma State. Wherever Cunningham lands, his usage rate will be high, meaning that you can count on him to stuff the stat sheet in multiple different areas offensively. He also has sneaky good instincts off the ball, as he averaged a team-high 1.6 steals per game in his freshman season, so he should provide some defensive value as well.
Weaknesses: Cunningham has to do a better job taking care of the ball. He averaged 4.0 turnovers a game last season, and even for a freshman who had the ball in his hands more than most, that is simply too much. As much as Cade can wow you with many of the plays that he makes for his teammates, some make you scratch your head, and if he doesn’t find a way to cut down on those, it could turn off some managers who play in 9-cat leagues.
2. Jalen Green- G League Ignite
Strengths: Green is a freak athlete and the most explosive player in the draft. He has a knack for scoring the ball, and should he land in a spot such as Houston alongside Kevin Porter Jr., the Rockets could have one of the most exciting young backcourts in the league. Green is great in transition and is a great finisher around the rim. He also is great at creating offense for himself and can make tough shots at a high clip. Similar to Anthony Edwards, Green could be a rookie that averages north of 20 points per game his first season. A big reason for this is his ability and willingness to shoot the three. He shot 36.5% on 5.7 3-point attempts per game this season in the G League bubble, and that number will likely increase next season. If you are in the market for a microwave scorer who can shoot the triple, Green could be your guy.
Weaknesses: In the same way that Green’s ability to create offense for himself is a strength, at times it can be a weakness, as Green’s decision-making can be poor in spurts. He gets tunnel vision at times and can force bad shots or just try to make plays that simply aren’t there. These tendencies could result in high turnover numbers early on, so similar to Cunningham, in 9-cat leagues, this could hurt.
3. Jalen Suggs- Gonzaga
Strengths: Suggs’ best quality is that he is a winner. He possesses all the intangibles of a player that you would love to have in your locker room and your organization. His best assets are things that you simply can’t teach such as his instincts, his motor, and ability to seemingly always be in the right place at the right time. Although instincts won’t show up on the stat sheet, one thing that should excite fantasy managers about Suggs is his defensive upside, as he averaged a team-leading 1.9 steals per game this season.
Weaknesses: Suggs has to become a more consistent shooter. He shot just 33.7% from three in his lone season in college, and even though he had games where he shot extremely well, such as a December 19th contest against Iowa where he shot a blistering 7-of-10 from three, he also had instances such as one in late February where he shot 1-of-9 from three over five games to conclude the regular season for the Zags. Suggs also has to tighten up his handle as at times he tends to get a bit loose with the ball.
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4. Davion Mitchell- Baylor
Strengths: Mitchell is the best defensive guard in the draft, and that is undoubtedly his most transferable skill and the one that has many NBA scouts drooling over the 6-foot-2 guard. His quick feet and athleticism allow him to be a pest on the ball, and his strength and frame at 205 pounds allow him to play a lot bigger than his height would suggest. He also has great instincts and quick hands, which allowed him to average 1.9 steals per game this past season. Mitchell is also an elite shooter, especially off the bounce, as he shot 44.7% from distance this season on nearly five attempts per game. He will be able to get you great value defensively and from the three-point line from day one in the NBA.
Weaknesses: The biggest knock on Mitchell is his lack of size and length, which people feel could hinder his ability to make plays in traffic amongst bigger players at the next level. He also is just a career 65.7% free throw shooter, which is a bit alarming for a guard. He will surely have to improve in that area going forward, but given his improvement over his college career as a three-point shooter, there is optimism that his free throw percentage will improve as well.
5. James Bouknight- UConn
Strengths: Bouknight is an extremely crafty offensive player. He is an exceptional finisher around the basket and has a knack for making tough layups that he honestly has no business finishing. He has great body control and is amazing in isolation situations getting either to the rim and finishing or getting to a mid-range pull-up or a step-back three. Bouknight also has great quickness off the bounce, and at 6-foot-5 is an underrated athlete. At the next level, he can certainly be a guy that can score in bursts, likely off the bench to start his career, and depending on how he develops could potentially be an All-Star caliber player down the line.
Weaknesses: Bouknight will have to improve as a shooter, specifically off the catch, as he shot just 22% on catch-and-shoot three-pointers this season. That’s an issue since he also struggled at times as a playmaker for others, averaging just 1.8 assists with 2.8 turnovers per game as a sophomore. If he struggles to play make for others, he will likely have to spend more time off the ball, meaning he will have to develop that part of his game. If you are looking for someone to get you a lot of made three’s each game, Bouknight might not be your guy early on in his career.
6. Josh Giddey- Australia
Strengths: Giddey is an exceptional passer and is certainly the best passer in the class. Similar to Cunningham, Giddey has outstanding size at 6-foot-8 and his size and vision allow him to see things and make plays that not many other players at his position can make. The word “feel” can become cliche around this time of year, but Giddey truly has an IQ that not many others in this class have and he is truly a savant in the pick-and-roll. Giddey is not the athlete that Cunningham is, nor is he the shooter that he is, but Cade is not the passer that Giddey is, and should he be able to speed up the release on his jump shot, he could be a very dangerous offensive player at the next level. Giddey will not be an electric scorer right away, but similar to LaMelo Ball, who also made the jump from the NBL in Australia to the NBA, he can fill multiple columns on a stat sheet. Giddey led the NBL in assists with 7.5 per game and was also top five in the league in rebounding.
Weaknesses: Giddey shot just 29% from distance last season, and his mechanics on his jump shot are not the prettiest or the quickest. He will surely have to spend a lot of time in the gym to iron both of those out to be the best version of himself, and to become the three-point threat that has become so valuable in fantasyland. He also will have to put on some weight and muscle as his frame is slight, which has caused him to be a liability on the defensive end of the floor. He also is not the quickest and will need to improve his foot speed to keep up with a lot of the faster, more athletic guards he will surely be matched up with.
7. Sharife Cooper- Auburn
Strengths: Cooper is one of the most exciting players to watch in this draft as he is an electric scorer even at just 6-foot-1. Cooper averaged 20.2 points and 8.1 assists with 4.3 rebounds as a freshman at Auburn, playing just 12 games due to issues with his eligibility to start the season. Cooper is one of the best isolation scorers in this draft class as he has an array of dribble moves to get by defenders at will and is also an elite passer when he gets in the paint, being able to throw pinpoint lobs and thread the needle through traffic when needed. Cooper is also elite at drawing fouls as he attempted 8.6 free throws per game and knocked them down at an 82.5% clip. He has drawn comparisons to Trae Young because of his ability to pick apart defenses in ball screens, make pinpoint passes, and draw fouls at a high rate, and both are of course small guards.
Weaknesses: The biggest knock on Cooper of course is his size. Teams have doubts that he will be able to guard at a high enough level, and some question his willingness to want to defend. He also shot just 22.8% from three as a freshman and struggled to make shots when teams went under ball screens. Given the volume that he plays in screening action, he will certainly have to add that to his arsenal in the NBA, so don’t be surprised if he struggles to adjust to the deeper three-point line early on.
8. Jared Butler- Baylor
Strengths: Butler, similar to Jalen Suggs, is simply a winner. He, along with Davion Mitchell, led Baylor to their first national championship in school history this season, and if it hadn’t been for a covid-pause that completely wrecked the Bears’ rhythm midway through the season, they could have had an undefeated season. Butler is a great shooter, having shot 41.6% from three this season and is a career 38.4% percent shooter from long range, this will certainly be his most transferable skill. Butler can play both on the ball and off the ball and can make shots off the bounce and the catch at a high clip. This, combined with his age, experience, and physical build will allow him to make an impact from day one. Given his stock though, he will likely end up on a playoff team, meaning he could be playing with some pretty talented guards from day one. Still, though, Butler should be able to make an impact offensively as soon as he steps foot on an NBA court.
Weaknesses: Butler is a bit small at 6-foot-3 195 pounds, and he is not the most athletic person in the world. He is most effective on the perimeter and does not draw very many fouls. For his career, Butler averaged just 2.6 free throw attempts per game which is extremely low for a guard. So if you are looking for a boost in that area, Butler is not your guy. I don’t know if this is something he will ever be great at, just because of the nature of his skillset.
9. Tre Mann- Florida
Strengths: Mann is as talented as any player in the draft when it comes to scoring the ball. Mann is great at scoring in isolation and can score at all three levels at a high clip. Mann shot 40.2% from three as a sophomore, up from 27.5% as a freshman, and also jumped from a 65.5% foul shooter to 83.1% in year two. Mann also has pretty good size at 6-foot-5 and he has great touch around the rim. Similar to Jared Butler, given Mann’s stock he likely will end up on a playoff team, meaning that he might not have the ball in his hands very much from day one, but as a microwave scorer off the bench, he can certainly be effective.
Weaknesses: Mann has a negative wingspan at just 6-foot-4 inches, and he is not the most physical person, which draws concern on his ability to impact the game defensively. Also, he will have to put on some muscle and play with more toughness around the rim, as he struggled at times finishing through contact in a very athletic conference that is the SEC. His decision-making also could improve as he averaged just 3.5 assists with 2.8 turnovers as a sophomore and has a 1:1 assist to turnover ratio for his career.
10. Nah’Shon “Bones” Hyland- VCU
Strengths: Some people do not have Hyland this high, but if they don’t, they will soon, as he has one of the highest ceilings of the guards in this class. Hyland is a surgeon in ball screens and though he is only 6-foot-3 and 173 pounds, he is very long and plays bigger than his size. Though Hyland is shorter, I would compare his game to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, as they have a similar build and knack for scoring the basketball going downhill. Hyland also is a career 39.9% three-point shooter and is great at shooting off the bounce.
Weaknesses: Coming from VCU, Hyland was asked to do a lot offensively and played with the ball in his hands as much as anyone in the country. Still, though, he only averaged 2.1 assists per game as a sophomore, and even though he didn’t have elite shooting and athleticism around him at VCU, you still would have liked to see him create more for others on that end of the floor. Also, he didn’t draw as many fouls as you would like for someone who was asked to create as much as he was, as he only attempted 4.5 free throws per game. He did make them at an 86.2% clip, so if he can become better at drawing fouls he could get you some value in that department. As of now though, that remains to be seen.
