Kansas shooting guard Darryn Peterson and BYU forward AJ Dybantsa loom as the projected top two picks in the upcoming NBA draft. They are the precocious cream of what projects to be one of the best NBA drafts — particularly in the top 10 — in the past generation.
Who will be No. 1? ESPN polled 20 NBA scouts and executives to get an early vibe, and the poll results indicate that they’ll be a rigorous debate right up to June’s craft.
Peterson received 12 votes and Dybantsa 8 for the top spot. With No. 13 BYU visiting No. 14 Kansas on Saturday (4:30 p.m., ESPN), it will mark the first collegiate match-up between the two stars.
«It’s Darryn Peterson for me,» a veteran scout told ESPN. «He makes things look so effortless, it’s unbelievable. His shot making is unmatched. He’s the closest thing to Kobe Bryant I’ve seen since Kobe in terms of shot-making and ability to create his own shot. He’s not the same athlete as Kobe, but no one is. He’s really special.»
Few of the scouts and executives polled indicated the choice was easy.
«It’s so close,» a veteran NBA executive told ESPN. «I’m saying 51% to 49%, just barely. I just feel like there’s a little bit more potential with AJ Dybantsa as a player who makes others better. But if you call me on March 1, I could tell you that I changed my mind.»
The NBA is descending on Lawrence, Kan., this weekend for some additional empirical evidence to find an answer.
There are at least 32 NBA front office personnel from 17 different teams attending the game, with seven general managers/decision makers expected to be among them. (Also slated to attend is Atlanta Hawks owner Tony Ressler.)
Some teams are sending multiple scouts/executives, including a majority of the front office staffs of both the Hawks (5 attendees) and Indiana Pacers (6 attendees). Both the Brooklyn Nets and Washington Wizards are sending three reps.
Multiple NBA sources told ESPN that they are eager to see how Peterson looks after missing a game against Kansas State last Saturday with an ankle sprain. (Kansas coach Bill Self has said he anticipates Peterson to play, and the injury has not been considered long term.)
Peterson missed nine games over two separate stretches earlier in the season with a hamstring issue. With the ankle injury costing him a game, it means that he’s missed half of Kansas’ games this season. He has also been managing a cramping issue.
«I don’t like the drama of playing and not playing,» said one scout, who picked Peterson as his No. 1 pick. «But he’s a scoring menace. He’s just a killer offensively.»
Dybantsa is listed at 6-foot-9 and 210 pounds. Peterson is 6-foot-6 and 205 pounds. It’s uncertain if they’ll often match-up directly with each other on the floor on Saturday, but they’ll certainly be compared and debated in the upcoming months.
The core of the debate between the two players comes to Peterson’s rare offensive upside against Dybantsa having more athleticism and two-way upside. Multiple scouts and executives mentioned having both Duke‘s Cam Boozer and North Carolina‘s Caleb Wilson in the conversation about the top pick, but none picked those players as their preference for No. 1.
One scout summed up his Dybantsa pick this way: «He’s the only one who has a chance to be elite on both ends.»
Another summed up his Peterson pick this way: «I think he can be a championship-level shot creator in the NBA.»
Peterson is averaging 21.6 points per game in just 27.2 minutes. He’s also averaging 4.6 rebounds and 1.9 assists. He’s shooting an impressive 42% from 3-point range.
Dybantsa is scoring 23.6 points per game, snags 6.7 rebounds and dishes 3.6 assists. He’s played in all 20 of BYU’s games and is shooting 31.8% from 3-point range.
No one is debating the talent at the top of this draft, as college basketball is having a freshman renaissance this year. This draft is both elite at the top and deep, with freshman stars like Houston‘s Kingston Flemings, Louisville‘s Mikel Brown Jr., Tennessee‘s Nate Ament, Arkansas‘ Darius Acuff Jr., Arizona‘s Koa Peat, UConn‘s Braylon Mullins, Houston’s Chris Cenac Jr. and Illinois‘ Keaton Wagler giving the sport an adrenaline shot of young talent.
«It is extra deep with high-end talent,» said a veteran scout. «This draft will hold up historically as one of the better ones in the last 20 years.»
