The Nuggets and Heat facing off in the NBA Finals illustrates perfectly the impact of shrewd drafting. Denver landing Nikola Jokić with the 41st pick in 2014 was franchise-changing and arguably one of the best draft picks in the sport’s history, but each team found multiple gems later in the lottery, or even further down the draft board, to help get them to this point.
This year’s draft has plenty of star power at the top, headlined by a transcendent talent in Victor Wembanyama widely expected to go No. 1. For teams further down the draft, there are some players with high ceilings that could pay off in a major way … if they live up to their potential. Here’s a look at some of the biggest boom-or-bust candidates in the draft.
