Every season we see countless NBA prospects from across the college basketball world get off to hot starts only to fade as the year progresses and the schedule gets tougher. There is every reason to expect the same thing to happen this year with a number of prospects off to hot starts that we don’t think will continue throughout the season. Here is a look at the top NBA prospects off to hot starts that we aren’t buying.
Buddy Hield, Oklahoma Sooners
Senior
It took some time for Hield to announce he would return for another year rather than declare for the NBA Draft, and the early indications so far this season is that he made the right decision. He has started this season absolutely on fire, averaging 22.1 points on 21-of-42 from three-point range. Those scoring numbers have a lot of people talking about his rising NBA Draft stock. However, it’s important to remember that Hield is still slightly undersized for a two-guard at 6’4’’’, and that he has never been much of a playmaker throughout his college career. Hield still has a chance to become a quality pure scorer at the next level, but he will need to improve his overall game including his passing in order to have a shot at becoming a stud at the next level.
Dwayne Bacon, Florida State Seminoles
Freshman
Bacon is another undersized two-guard that is off to a hot start, as he has averaged 16.2 points per game including four separate games where he scored at least 20 points. However, it’s important to note how heavily Bacon has leaned on his athleticism, as more than half of his baskets have come on field goals in transition and he has struggled as a pure shooter from the outside. Bacon isn’t considered an elite playmaker either. That makes him another smaller shooting guard who won’t have it nearly as good at the NBA level where his deficiencies will be exposed if he doesn’t improve his overall game.
Melo Trimble, Maryland Terrapins
Sophomore
Trimble has showcased his offensive skills early on for Maryland with 15.0 points, 5.7 assists and 2.3 rebounds per game through the first 11 games of his sophomore season but there is understandable reason to be concerned about his lack of size at just 6’2’’’ and he struggled in this past summer’s Pan American Games tournament against international competition. The fact that Shabazz Napier, Tyler Ennis, Trey Burke and Shane Larkin have all struggled in the NBA with similar skillsets and physical attributes will create some doubt about Trimble’s NBA stock. We aren’t buying that we will become a superstar at the next level despite his strong start to the season to this point. He looks like he’ll be one of those solid college players that will struggle to find a role at the professional level.
Thomas Bryant, Indiana Hoosiers
Freshman
Unlike the other players on this list, Bryant actually has the physical tools to excel at 6’10’’ and 245 pounds with a massive 7’5’’ wingspan. He has also been very efficient in terms of shooting early on this season. However, the overwhelming majority of Bryant’s shots have been scored directly under the basket and he has struggled as a pure athlete when it comes to moving up and down the floor while showing poor awareness at times. Bryant is still a freshman and has the potential to become a quality NBA player if he continues to improve his athleticism and technique, but we sell his hot start right now and wait for a bigger body of work with which to judge his freshman season.
