Scouts work tirelessly to break down the best available talent at each position heading in to the NBA Draft on an annual basis. That is why it is so intriguing to see so many sleeper picks emerge around the association. There is no shortage of examples of sleeper picks that have emerged to play at a higher level than some of the players taken ahead of them at the same position over the years and there is bound to be many more moving forward. Here is a look at the biggest sleepers to keep an eye out for at each position looking ahead to the 2017 NBA Draft.
C: Chimezie Metu, USC
Sophmore
Metu won’t be considered in the same category as elite center prospects like Duke’s Marques Bolden or Jarrett Allen from Texas, but he could turn out to be a force in the NBA. Metu projects to have enough upside to challenge Indiana’s Thomas Bryant and N.C. State’s Omer Yurtseven on draft boards and it will be very interesting to see how things play out. The 6’11’’, 215-pound Metu needs to add to his skinny frame, but he does an excellent job finishing off lobs and his 7’2’’ wingspan should translate to strong defensive upside. Metu is somewhat flying under the radar right now and that could lead to him emerging as a sleeper pick in next year’s NBA Draft. Big men are always a hot commodity and after seeing the Minnesota Timberwolves strike gold with their big man Karl-Anthony Towns, it’s likely that many other teams will try that strategy in the 2017 NBA Draft with Metu.
PF: Isaiah Hartenstein, Germany
Hartenstein packs some intriguing upside and considering the run of European players selected in the first round of the 2016 NBA Draft it won’t be a surprise if he is eventually selected in the top-20 of the 2017 NBA Draft. Hartenstein has drawn comparisons to his fellow countrymen Dirk Nowitzki with his 6’11’’ size and pure shooting ability, with a skill set that could help him thrive as a stretch-four. Hartenstein will only draw more attention throughout the year and it will be interesting to see where he ends up going in the first round in 2017.
SF: Jaron Blossomgame, Clemson
Senior
Blossomgame is widely regarded as a fringe lottery pick but he could be poised to take a major step forward playing out of Clemson this season. The 6’7’’, 220-pound wing has excellent size and athleticism with the potential to be a star wing at the NBA level one day. Blossomgame will need to improve his ability as a pure shooter by improving his range and if that happens this season he could shoot up draft boards around the NBA.
SG: Terrance Ferguson, Adelaide 36ers
Ferguson decided to pass on the opportunity to play college basketball at Arizona in order to play pro ball in Australia, so we likely won’t hear much about him until the combine rolls around. Ferguson offers an intriguing blend of size and athleticism as a 6’7’’ guard that has a pretty long-range stroke that gives him the coveted three-and-D potential. Ferguson’s lateral quickness and pure scoring ability makes him an intriguing shooting guard prospect that has the potential to be a sneaky sleeper pick in next year’s NBA Draft.
PG: Devonte’ Graham, Kansas
Junior
Graham is considered a potential mid-tier first round pick looking ahead to next year’s NBA Draft and if he sticks in that range he could turn out to be a strong sleeper pick. The 6’2’’ point guard doesn’t have elite size, but he is extremely quick and confident with the basketball and he does an excellent job creating for his teammates. His quickness and change-of-speed ability gives him an extra element of flash and he has shown a commitment to improving at the defensive end of the floor as well. He might not jump over Washington’s Markelle Fultz and N.C. State’s Dennis Smith on draft boards but consider Graham an intriguing sleeper pick for the 2017 NBA Draft. There are a number of teams that could use a quality point guard.
