Feb 25, 2022; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers guard Bryce McGowens (5) shoots over Iowa Hawkeyes forward Filip Rebraca (0) in the first half at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports
Mining underrated talent is a great way for an NBA team to improve its fortunes. Here are five players who can really pay off for enterprising GMs.
It’s relatively easy for good NBA front offices to find quality players with high draft picks. The real trick is to secure meaningful contributors with non-premium draft assets.
That’s why mining the Draft for sleepers is so important for any team looking to improve its fortunes. Sometimes those prospects aren’t ready to play meaningful minutes right away, but they do have the long-term ability to become high-level players for title contenders.
Fans looking for sleepers who can turn into impact players need look no further than this list. The following five guys have a chance to drastically outperform their draft position.
5. Bryce McGowens
McGowens had a bit of a tumultuous collegiate career, but one thing the big Nebraska guard can do is put the ball in the basket efficiently. He’s never going to turn into a great creator, but teams looking for added scoring punch on the perimeter should really take a long look at landing him late in Round 1 or early in Round 2.
The three-ball didn’t go down for McGowens in college but his stroke looks comfortable. Combine that with his pro-ready body and it’s easy to understand how he can really trouble defenders at the next level.
The bottom line on McGowens is that there just aren’t many guards with his size who are ready to come in and score right away as rookies. He’s got some obvious weaknesses as a distributor which are artificially depressing his draft stock. Focusing on what he can do rather than what he can’t will pay off for a shrewd front office.