The NBA Draft is ten days away, and which prospects the Washington Wizards are leaning toward with their no.8 pick remains a mystery. In a loaded draft class, the Wizards will likely have an opportunity to select a player with a high upside and the potential to be a franchise cornerstone for a long time. The 8th overall pick is the highest the Wizards will have drafted since they drafted Otto Porter with the 3rd pick in 2013. They have an opportunity to change the fate of the franchise by nailing their pick.
Drafting obviously is a risky proposition. Every pick is a gamble unless you are picking at the very top of the draft. Landing surefire stars outside the top 2-3 picks is very difficult. Regardless of how much draft film you watch or how well you do your scouting research, the chances of absolutely nailing the pick are slim.
However, there are still certain strategies to follow and mistakes to avoid. For a team in the Wizards’ situation, the priority needs to be finding a prospect with superstar potential. To escape mediocrity, the Wizards need to swing for the fences and try to land a franchise building block. Sometimes, you will strike out when you are swinging for the fences. Sometimes, you just end up with a rotation player instead of a superstar. And that is fine.
What you don’t want to do if you are the Wizards is go for a low-ceiling player. Going for more ready-to-contribute, low-upside players might make sense for teams that are in championship contention. That’s not the case for the Washington Wizards.
Obviously, there is no way of knowing exactly how each draft prospect is going to turn out. Yet, seeing the path to stardom is easier to see in some prospects than others. The Wizards need to focus on players with clearer paths to stardom rather than ones with role-player upside.
These are a few names that the Wizards should try to avoid for that reason.