UNC Basketball: Assessing the enigma that is Nassir Little’s NBA Draft stock

Mock Drafts & Draft Boards

ESPN, Mock Draft (Jonathan Givony, Feb. 12)
Pick: 7, Washington Wizards
Rationale: N/A

ESPN, Top 100 Big Board (ESPN Staff, Mike Schmitz)
Rank: 11
Rationale: Elite physical profile, elite two-foot leaper, powerful combo-forward with switchable defensive upside. Potential to shoot. Questionable feel for the game, loose handle.

SBNation, Mock Draft (Ricky O’Donnell, March 6)
Pick: 9, Miami Heat
Rationale: “Little remains strong and long with a non-stop motor. His free-throw stroke (75 percent) could be an indicator that he has potential as a shooter. The physical tools are there, but the production isn’t … His feel for the game will continue to be a big question.”

NBAdraft.net, Mock Draft (March 5)
Pick: 8, Atlanta Hawks
Rationale: N/A

NBA Draft Room, Mock Draft (Leader Johnson)
Pick: 14, Boston Celtics
Rationale: “Little is a gamer who plays with an edge and is a truly dynamic athlete with great length.”

CBS Sports, Mock Draft (Kyle Boone, Feb. 22)
Pick: 7, Washington Wizards
Rationale: “Little’s draft stock has taken a small hit overall this season, but he remains a bona fide top-10 prospect because of his physical profile, versatility and prospects in the long-term … If he’s able to improve his perimeter game and shot even marginally, he has All-Star potential. He will flourish if he’s able to put it all together.”

Tankathon, Mock Draft (March 1)
Pick: 11, Orlando Magic
Rationale: N/A

Bleacher Report, Mock Draft (Jonathan Wasserman, March 5)
Pick: 26, Indiana Pacers
Rationale: “Little’s selling point stems from his 6’6″, 220-pound size and length plus the room he has to improve skillwise … But he’s running out of time to build back his stock. His skill level and feel for the game are mediocre.”

FanSided’s Busting Brackets, Mock Draft (Brian Rauf, March 2)
Pick: 7, Washington Wizards
Rationale: “Little . . . is still learning the game but has all the obvious physical gifts he needs to become a star. With proper coaching, that will happen sooner rather than later.”

FanSided’s The Step Back, Mock Draft (Brendon Kleen, March 14)
Pick: 9, Charlotte Hornets
Rationale: “He is at his best as a finisher in the open court, and certainly, that will be a skill set that translates and becomes easier at the NBA level. Synergy puts him in the top third of the country as a cutter and transition scorer . . .”

The Athletic, Big Board (Sam Vecenie, March 1)
Rank: 9
Rationale: “In a draft where few players have established themselves outside of the top-three, it’s reasonable to project that Little will still be taken in the lottery because of that potential and need. But teams selecting him will need to go into this with the expectation that while he does have a lot of potential, it’s going to take time for him to reach it.”

SI.com, Big Board (Jeremy Woo, Feb. 12)
Rank: 5
Rationale: Cites Little’s physical tools and potential as a three-point shooting wing with defensive upside. Notes that he’s a late-bloomer and his feel isn’t great, with risk being involved for whichever team selects him on draft night.

Forbes, Mock Draft (Tommy Beer, March 4)
Pick: 10, Miami Heat
Rationale: Praises his physical tools while also pointing out the lack of progression throughout the season. Says that some team in the lottery may convince themselves that they can polish his game.

SportingNews, Big Board (Chris Stone, March 4)
Rank: 5
Rationale: N/A

Draft Site, Mock Draft (Stone Hansen)
Pick: 13, Minnesota Timberwolves
Rationale: N/A

Basketball Insiders, Mock Draft (Steve Kyler, March 12)
Pick: 6, Atlanta Hawks
Rationale: N/A

Bleacher Report, Mock Draft (Zach Buckley, March 14)
Pick: 15, Miami Heat
Rationale: N/A

CBB Today, Draft Board (Ben Pfeifer, March 15)
Rank: 21
Rationale: “At this moment in time, Nassir Little sucks at basketball. His tape is littered with awful contested mid-range pull-ups and defensive gaffes. Holding up his stock is his pedigree and legitimate athleticism, something a player like Cam Reddish cannot claim. The hope is Little develops his skill game and feel quite a bit (ok, quite a bit is way underselling it) and learns to make use of his top-tier athleticism. Right now, Little is nothing more than a long-term project.”