As the NBA draft kicks off Wednesday, the names of several fringe prospects will begin percolating by the end of the night and fully simmer to the surface before the final selection is made Thursday.
Here are five players well below the radar we’d classify as “sleepers” to keep your eye on.
Bogoljub Markovic, Mega Basket (Serbia)
A Serbian big man who donned the same bright pink jersey as a young Nikola Jokic once did, Markovic is flirting with late first-round consideration. Déjà vu aside, the 6-11, 190-pound featherweight power forward posted 13.9 points and 6.9 rebounds per game on 38.8 percent 3-point shooting in Serbia’s Liga ABA. Bogoljub exhibits great post footwork, connects dots as a passer in the halfcourt, and is comfortable putting the ball on the deck to ignite fast breaks. Defensively, he is spatially astute and slides his feet nimbly for his size. Nevertheless, bulking up and filling out his frame will be priority number one.
Rocco Zikarsky, Brisbane Bullets (Australia)
Zikarsky’s measurables turned heads at the NBA Draft Combine, clocking in at 7-foot-3 barefoot with a nearly 10-foot standing reach. Both marks topped all other participants. Rocco has spent the past two seasons off the bench for the NBL’s Brisbane Bullets. He was a mountain in the middle in a league littered with both blisteringly quick guards and physically inclined bigs. Despite his wiry frame, Zikarsky is an all-purpose pick and roll defender with immense defensive upside as a colossus who can execute coverages and guard in space. With little shooting or playmaking glimpses to speak of, Rocco has the makings of a defensive anchor who can relieve pressure in the halfcourt offensively with vertical spacing.
Yanic Konan Niederhauser, Penn State
The Draft Combine worked wonders for Swiss-born Konan Niederhauser, who ultimately forewent his Senior year at Penn State. He dominated on the interior to the tune of 12.9 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.3 blocks as a junior. Yanic is an explosive leaper with soft hands and a well-proportioned frame. He typecasts as a reliable rim reader and play finisher in the painted area who leverages an array of touch finishes or rim-rattling dunks. Defensively, Konan Niederhauser is a swat machine who is able to close in on drivers with timely rotations. He projects as a mainstay in the mid to late second round.
Hunter Sallis, Wake Forest
A 6-5 combo-guard with a 6-foot-10 wingspan, Sallis’ tools are undeniable. There are few in the class as crafty with the ball in their hands. Hunter is a herky-jerky dribble driver who can get by his man with either hand. A plethora of counters, from hesitations to crab dribbles, allow him to get to his spots inside the arc with aplomb. A slithery finisher and lethal pull-up shooter, the long ball remains his biggest question. Sallis’ 3-point percentage dropped from 40.5 percent as a junior to 27.7 percent as a senior, the former of which appears to be the aberration. Hunter’s on-ball poise and point of attack defense measure up, but the iffy jump shot may relegate his draft stock to the second round.
Micah Peavy, Georgetown
Peavy vaulted himself into NBA Draft discourse by way of a breakout fifth year in college. He parlayed his newfound primacy at Georgetown into career bests in every major statistical category. A 6-foot-7, two-way wing who is a weapon in transition and isolation, Peavy can be a scoring threat from all three levels.
Much of Peavy’s allure stems from his defense, equipped with the base strength, quick feet, and rapturous energy to magnetize and shut down opposing wings. Micah displayed shooting upside for the first time as a super senior, drilling 40.8 percent of his 4.1 3-point attempts per game. His robotic shooting form begs the question of whether that mark was a flash in the pan.
–Ethan Ward, Field Level Media
