{"id":310368,"date":"2021-07-28T20:19:36","date_gmt":"2021-07-28T17:19:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/2021-nba-draft-prospects-under-the-radar-names-to-watch\/"},"modified":"2021-07-28T20:19:36","modified_gmt":"2021-07-28T17:19:36","slug":"2021-nba-draft-prospects-under-the-radar-names-to-watch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/2021-nba-draft-prospects-under-the-radar-names-to-watch\/","title":{"rendered":"#2021 NBA Draft prospects: Under-the-radar names to watch"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_84 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a28a847662e3\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a28a847662e3\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/2021-nba-draft-prospects-under-the-radar-names-to-watch\/#Jalen_Johnson_Forward_Duke\" >Jalen Johnson, Forward, Duke<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/2021-nba-draft-prospects-under-the-radar-names-to-watch\/#Ayo_Dosunmu_Guard_Illinois\" >Ayo Dosunmu, Guard, Illinois<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/2021-nba-draft-prospects-under-the-radar-names-to-watch\/#Jared_Butler_Baylor\" >Jared Butler, Baylor<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/2021-nba-draft-prospects-under-the-radar-names-to-watch\/#Ziaire_Williams_Stanford\" >Ziaire Williams, Stanford<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/2021-nba-draft-prospects-under-the-radar-names-to-watch\/#Isaiah_Livers_Michigan\" >Isaiah Livers, Michigan<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<p>&#8220;<strong>#2021 NBA Draft prospects: Under-the-radar names to watch<\/strong>&#8221;<\/p>\n<div>\n<p>Each year, the upper-echelon of NBA Draft prospects \u2014 so-called lottery picks who are touted as potential franchise saviors and generational talents \u2014 dominate the headlines. <\/p>\n<p>But if this past season has taught us anything, it\u2019s that the rest of the draft warrants greater consideration. <\/p>\n<p>The newly crowned NBA champion Milwaukee Bucks were not built from lottery picks but rather hidden gems. <\/p>\n<p>Two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo went 15th overall to the Bucks in 2013. His sidekick, Khris Middleton, didn\u2019t hear his name called until the Pistons selected him with the 39th pick in 2012. <\/p>\n<p>Jrue Holiday, the final piece to Milwaukee\u2019s superstar trio, went 17th overall to the 76ers in 2009. It\u2019s through these non-lottery picks that franchises have a prime opportunity to separate themselves from other teams. <\/p>\n<p>With that in mind, here are five sleeper and under-the-radar prospects to look out for in the 2021 NBA Draft. <\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Jalen_Johnson_Forward_Duke\"><\/span>Jalen Johnson, Forward, Duke <span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" alt=\"Jalen Johnson\" class=\"wp-image-18947157 lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/07\/Jalen-Johnson.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=300 300w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/07\/Jalen-Johnson.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=640 640w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/07\/Jalen-Johnson.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1280 1280w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/07\/Jalen-Johnson.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1024 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/07\/Jalen-Johnson.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=2000 2000w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>Jalen Johnson<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">NBAE via Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Perhaps the biggest wildcard in the 2021 NBA Draft, Johnson may very well hear his name called in the lottery come Thursday. <\/p>\n<p>A consensus 5-star prospect out of high school, Johnson once seemed destined to become the next great Duke forward in a long lineage of Mike Krzyewski disciples. <\/p>\n<p>But that never h<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>ened. <\/p>\n<p>Johnson played only 13 <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/game\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"7\" title=\"Game\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">game<\/a>s at Duke, putting up modest numbers \u2014 11.2 points and 6.1 rebounds. His season ended prematurely when he opted to leave the program in January, citing health reasons amid the pandemic. <\/p>\n<p>The 19-year-old certainly possesses plenty of upside. <\/p>\n<p>At 6-foot-9, he is already a deft passer and ball handler, skills that young forwards tend to struggle with. Though he needs to become a more well-rounded scoring threat, he didn\u2019t have a true college season to sharpen his arsenal.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Ayo_Dosunmu_Guard_Illinois\"><\/span>Ayo Dosunmu, Guard, Illinois<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Season Highlights: Ayo Dosunmu Named All-Big Ten First Teamer | B1G Basketball\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ZBlmvpzBkNE?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/span>\n<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p>Dosunmu nearly made the leap to the pros last year, but opted to return to Champaign for his junior season. <\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s safe to say the decision paid off, as Dosunmu cemented himself as one of the best players in the country, averaging 20.1 points, 6.3 rebounds and 5.2 assists while leading the Illini to a 24-7 record, the program\u2019s best season in 14 years.<\/p>\n<p>Dosunmu, who is 6-foot-5, has the ability to play both guard positions in the NBA. He proved himself to be a big-time shot-maker in college and should have little trouble functioning as a facilitator in the pros, especially given his wealth of pick-and-roll experience. <\/p>\n<p>His jump shot remains a work in progress, though he improved drastically this past season, shooting a career-best 39 percent from distance. If Dosunmu continues to progress, he could provide supreme value for a late first-round pick. <\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Jared_Butler_Baylor\"><\/span>Jared Butler, Baylor<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"764\" alt=\"Jared Butler\" class=\"wp-image-18947190 lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/07\/Jared-Butler.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=300 300w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/07\/Jared-Butler.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=640 640w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/07\/Jared-Butler.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1280 1280w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/07\/Jared-Butler.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1024 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/07\/Jared-Butler.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=2048 2048w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>Jared Butler<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">AP<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Although Butler\u2019s backcourt mate at Baylor, Davion Mitchell, is the more touted NBA prospect, Butler is no slouch. The first-team All-American averaged 16.7 points, 4.8 assists and 2.0 steals while leading the Bears to their first NCAA tournament championship in 2020-21. <\/p>\n<p>There may be concerns over Butler\u2019s health, as he had to be cleared by the NBA\u2019s Fitness-to-Play panel, for an undisclosed reason, in June.  <\/p>\n<p>\u201cI am fully healthy and cleared to play in the NBA!\u201d Butler tweeted earlier this month. <\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s unclear whether his health concerns will lead to a slide come draft night. Whichever team selects Butler will reap the benefits of a bona fide first-round talent. <\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Ziaire_Williams_Stanford\"><\/span>Ziaire Williams, Stanford<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Like Johnson, Williams is a former 5-star prospect who underwhelmed during his lone season at the college ranks. <\/p>\n<p>He proved to be an inconsistent scoring threat at Stanford, averaging 10.7 points while shooting 37.4 percent from the field and 29.1 percent from distance last season. At 6-foot-8, Williams oozes athleticism, but he\u2019s far from a finished product and not the type of prospect who can contribute im<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">media<\/a>tely to a winning team. Yet his upside as a formidable two-way player will make it difficult for teams to pass over him on draft night. <\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Isaiah_Livers_Michigan\"><\/span>Isaiah Livers, Michigan<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" alt=\"Isaiah Livers\" class=\"wp-image-18947099 lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/07\/Isaiah-Livers.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=300 300w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/07\/Isaiah-Livers.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=640 640w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/07\/Isaiah-Livers.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1280 1280w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/07\/Isaiah-Livers.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1024 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/07\/Isaiah-Livers.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=2000 2000w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>Isaiah Livers<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">AP<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Livers would have been a candidate to go in the first round had he not suffered a stress fracture in his foot in March. <\/p>\n<p>Now he is projected to be a late second-round selection, if picked at all, after injuries shortened Livers\u2019 last two college seasons. <\/p>\n<p>While healthy, Livers established himself as one of the best pure shooters in the country last season He shot 43.1 percent from beyond the arc at a high volume, taking five 3-pointers per game. <\/p>\n<p>At 6-foot-7, he possesses the versatility to guard multiple positions and prides himself on defense. Teams may view Livers\u2019 age \u2014 he\u2019s 23-years-old, older than most other prospects \u2014 as a downside. On the other hand, with four years of college experience under his belt, he could find his niche rather quickly, so long as he is healthy. It wouldn\u2019t be surprising to see Livers contribute to an NBA team next season.\n            <\/p><\/div>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News<\/a> articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/news\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2021\/07\/28\/2021-nba-draft-prospects-under-the-radar-names-to-watch\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;#2021 NBA Draft prospects: Under-the-radar names to watch&#8221; Each year, the upper-echelon of NBA Draft prospects \u2014 so-called lottery picks who are touted as potential franchise saviors and generational talents \u2014 dominate the headlines. But if this past season has taught us anything, it\u2019s that the rest of the draft warrants greater consideration. The newly&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":310369,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/07\/Isaiah-Livers.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=1200","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[70897],"tags":[112952,3674,81896],"class_list":["post-310368","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-7-28-21","tag-nba","tag-nba-draft-2021"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/310368","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=310368"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/310368\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/310369"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=310368"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=310368"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=310368"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}