Next, the guys give their winners and losers of the 2021 NBA Draft. Who got better? Which team's draft approach made the least sense? Which teams used their selections to add viable assets or immediate contributors? Finally, Ron and Dev break down all the big moves in NBA Free Agency. Who made signings and trades to put themselves in championship contention? Find out on the latest episode of the In The Paint Show.

You can also watch a video episode of Ep. 103 of the In The Paint Show on the Ballislife Podcast Network!

The post In The Paint Show: NBA Draft Winners and Losers, NBA Free Agency, Olympic Hoops appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

This year's NBA Draft is supposed to field one of the deepest crop of impact players in recent memory. Which teams will make the right decisions in the lottery? Make sure to check out our special NBA Draft "In The Paint" podcast , Devin Ugland's NBA Draft Board watch our second annual Ballislife NBA Draft Party on July 29 at 6:15 pm ET/3:15 PT to get our insight before the draft and as the top picks unfold.

RELATED: NBA Draft podcast | Ballislife NBA Draft Board | Ballislife Podcast Network

Devin Ugland's NBA Draft Day Steals

Jared Butler, Baylor (Junior), 6-3 PG (Age 20)
Projected Pick: No. 30
Butler proved that not only could he improve individually over the course of his college career, but that he also impacts winning in high level games as he led the Bears to the 2021 NCAA Tournament title. Butler is a heady and smart lead guard who can play both on or off the ball. In his final season at Baylor, Butler shot 41.6 percent from three-point range and just over 47 percent from the field overall. Guys like Butler. who are drafted to a good team late in the first round, usually end up in a good situation where they can ease into the NBA game in a back-up style role.  I'm confident Butler has the intangibles, leadership and shot making ability to be a long-term NBA guard.

Quentin Grimes, Houston (Junior), 6-5 CG (Age 21)
Projected Pick: No. 32
Though we have Grimes slotted as an early second round pick, I can see a few teams picking in the late first round who could use his services. Grimes got off to a bit of a rocky start to his college career at Kansas before transferring to Houston where he put up numbers consistent with his Top 10 ranking coming out of high school. I like Grimes to be a draft steal because he has an NBA body, showed poise in big game situations and shooting and playmaking at his size should translate well to the pro game. Something else that stands out about Grimes is the success he had after leaving Kansas with some labeling his a "bust."

Kessler Edwards, Pepperdine (Junior), 6-8 SF (Age 21)
Projected Pick: No. 44
Edwards is one of the more unheralded prospects in this draft - both when he was coming out of high school and now coming out of college. The 6-foot-8 swingman has a ton of versatility to his game due to his combination of length, fluid athleticism and lateral mobility on the defensive end of the floor. Edwards averaged 17.2 points per game as a junior on 55.3 percent from the field, 37.8 percent from three and hit 87.6 percent of his free throws. Those are solid percentages for an inside-out type of scorer who prefers to operate in the mid-range area of the floor. NBA teams might have to be patient with his three-point shooting stroke as he gets used to the deeper line.

Ronnie Flores' NBA Draft Day Steals

Cam Thomas, LSU (Freshman), 6-4 SG (Age 19)
Projected Pick: No. 16 
This former Oak Hill Academy (VA) standout is one of the most accomplished scorers in the draft at any pick.  Any questions about being a shoot-first, volume player at his draft position will quickly be quelled by his talent level and ability to adjust and find the right role that will maximize his potential. LSU had bouts of selfishness across the board and I think he’ll excel down the line because of his innate ability to score and draw fouls.

Miles McBride, West Virginia (Sophomore), 6-2 PG (Age 20)
Projected Pick: No. 29
I like winners and tough guards and "Deuce" foots the bill. He was way better in HS than the recruiting evaluators gave him credit for coming out of Moeller (Cincinnati, Ohio), where he was a key cog on a FAB 50 ranked team. He led teams that won back-to-back D1 states titles, had a 49-game winning streak and went 29-0 his senior year. That type of production (not to mention defense) from a team standpoint translates. In two college seasons, McBride became a viable NBA prospect by improving his shooting (shot .414 from 3-point range in 2020-21) and increasing his play-making while his turnover count remained low. Obviously size will come into play for some teams with regards to where he lands, but whom ever needs a quality back up better take a long, hard look because he makes up for his lack of size with terrific on-ball defense, athleticism, instincts and a winner's mentality.

John Petty Jr., Alabama (Senior), 6-5 SF (Age 22)
Projected Pick: No. 58
If Petty can display solid enough ball-handling, I think he can stick in the NBA. He’s always been a good shooter (.370 3-point) and can get the ball up against good defenders. He has the ability to get hot and played with other talented scorers on a balanced Alabama team and should have no trouble being productive in what would be limited minutes if he makes a roster down the line. If Petty improves on the nuances of the game, he can be a complete steal late in this draft. I like reliability in the range he's may get drafted at instead of taking a big gamble on a project.

Devin's Draft Day Enigmas

Corey Kispert, Gonzaga (Senior), 6-7 G/F (Age 22)
Projected Pick: No. 11
It's always risky when you take a specialist-type prospect with a lottery pick and Kispert is absolutely one of the best shooters in the draft. The questions with Kispert are: what else does he do well that translates to the NBA? Can he guard and rebound his position well enough to see extended minutes? At age 22 with four years of college under his belt, what type of upside is there for him? I think Kispert is valued so highly because NBA teams are putting an emphasis on players who can spread the floor with limited dribbles, and while I think Kispert would be a safe pick in the mid to late first round range, taking him in the middle to the end of the lottery could be a risky decision.

Sharife Cooper, Auburn (Freshman), 6-0 PG (Age 20)
Projected Pick: No. 19
Cooper is an enigma in two different ways: I think there's a chance he could out-play his draft position (if selected around this projected range) or a guy who doesn't quite live up to the expectations of a first round selection. Cooper is an extremely talented ball handler who has great feel for the game and possesses the passing instincts necessary to play the PG spot in the NBA. There are, however, questions about his size, burst in transition and with his first step, and his lackluster three-point shooting percentage from the college line (22.8 percent) in 12 games. I don't see Cooper slipping out of the first round, but there are some shortcomings that could make NBA front offices second guess picking him.

Ziaire Williams, Stanford (Freshman), 6-8 SF (Age 19)
Projected Pick: No. 20
Williams has shown flashes of having all the tools to become a solid NBA wing, but his up-and-down season at Stanford cooled his draft stock after many believed he was a surefire lottery pick heading into the 2020-21 college basketball season. The 6-foot-8 wing averaged just 10.7 points per game in 20 games for the Cardinal and shot 37.4 percent from the field and 29.1 percent from 3-point range. In addition to those poor shooting numbers, Williams had a streak to close the season where he scored in single digits in five of his last seven games, a stretch where Stanford went 2-5.

Ronnie's Draft Day Enigmas

Jonathan Kuminga, G League Ignite (1st Year Pro), 6-8 SF (Age 18)
Projected Pick: No. 6
Evaluating some of the G League Ignite games, Kuminga's skill and production level simply didn’t indicate a top 4-5 pick to me. Does he have loads of potential? Absolutely, plus he's a bit younger than a majority of the other prospects at the top of this draft. He also has the frame and explosiveness many NBA GMs cost. However, he shoots a low percentage (38.7 FG, 24.6 3-point, 62.5 FT), needs tons of work on what to do without the ball and his decision making left alot to be desired in those G League games. He does have plenty of potential, but not much experience even dominating at the high school level. Will that potential blossom? There’s would be a lot less pressure for him going at No. 6 through 8 than No. 3 or No. 4. The lower he goes, the more I like his chances for long-term success.

Scottie Barnes, Florida St. (Freshman), 6-9 SF (Age 19)
Projected Pick: No. 5
How do you pass on a guy who does so much well? And how do you NOT pass on a guy that simply can’t shoot it well enough for his on court and draft position (27.5 3-point, 62.1 FT)? You do because he can improve his shooting and the other things he excels at (leading, defense, play-making) most of the other draftees simply are not as capable and likely won’t ever be, no mater how much they work on it. I feel Barnes will be a good pro, but if he doesn't pan out at the production level of the pick where he's expected to go (No. 4-5), a GM will be kicking himself in the foot for overlooking the obvious.

Jalen Johnson, Duke (Freshman), 6-9 PF (Age 19)
Projected Pick: No. 14
Will he buy in and be committed to the team that drafts him, or will he excel only in a situation for a team that covets his talents and will be patient with his development? We ask that because he Johnson has one of the biggest draft ranges of any eligible prospect. To me, he has lottery type talent and the make-up of a starting caliber NBA forward, but I also wouldn't be surprised to see him drop to the slot Dev currently has him listed at. There is alot of talent to work with, but not a big body of work. He didn’t have a complete senior high school season (he abruptly left IMG Academy early in the 2019-20 season) nor a complete college season (as he exited the program in a highly-publicized manner). Why is that? What will NBA teams find out when they dig deep on those incidents? Players have to be more talented than their perceived problems and it only takes one team with the right fit to unlock the best version of a talented prospect.

The post NBA Draft: Sleepers & Enigmas appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

We've seen a number of top-ranked teams and highly-regarded prospects miss out on game action due to postponements, cancellations, and precautionary sit-outs. But even with those ups-and-downs, the NCAA season has pushed through, and we've watched enough game film to put together a solid list of who we think are the top 60 prospects in the 2021 NBA Draft.

In this piece we will break down and analyze prospects ranked No. 60-51 with in-depth details on each player's skill-set based on the games and film we have viewed. This list is based on United States prospects only. We'll update once we get some more looks at the international players.

All stats and player vitals courtesy of College Basketball on Sports-Reference.com.

60. Ochai Agbaji | SG/WF | 6-5 | 210 | Kansas | Junior

The two most transferrable traits that standout to me immediately with Agbaji are his shooting ability and his size for the two or three position. The 6-foot-5, 210-pounder has improved his three-point shooting dramatically in each of his three seasons at Kansas, culminating in a 43.2 percent clip from deep to this point in his junior campaign. Agbaji is a capable transition scorer who can get downhill and finish through contact. He moves well without the ball and can attack open lanes with straight-line drives for paint finishes. Agbaji's size, strength, physicality and athleticism lends to his potential as a multi-positional defender at the NBA level. As far as improvements go or areas of his game in need of attention, Agbaji needs to become a more fluid creator and ball handler in isolation situations. He projects as a "Three and D" guy at this point.

59. John Petty | SG | 6-5 | 185 | Alabama | Senior

Petty's game at his size looks like it will be a good fit in the current state of the NBA. The 6-foot-5 swingman is a knockdown three-point shooter with deep range, but also hits on better than 58 percent of his field goals inside the arc which are of the isolation drive and score or slashing without the ball variety of buckets. Petty doesn't need much time or space to get his shot off and has improved his isolation ball handling to be able to create offensive opportunities for himself off the bounce. With added strength to his wiry frame and the floor spacing at the NBA level, Petty could be a viable floor stretching shooter. Where we think Petty can improve upon his draft stock is by showing he's capable of reading defenses off the dribble and creating for teammates.

58. Oscar Da Silva | F | 6-9 | 225 | Stanford | Senior

While Da Silva might not be the best long-term prospect in the Pac-12 Conference this season - and we'll talk about who is once we approach our lottery predictions - he's in the conversation for Pac-12 Player of the Year. The 6-foot-9 forward is the definition of a "skilled" big man with his versatility to do just about anything offensively. He has soft touch around the basket with either hand, can step out and knock down pick-and-pop and catch-and-shoot perimeter shots and possesses the vision and IQ to find open shooters out of the low post, hit cutters out of the high post and execute dribble-hand off action. The question marks on Da Silva's game are from an athletic standpoint from vertical explosiveness on offense to a lack of rim protection and rebounding for his size.

57. Moussa Cisse | C | 6-10 | 220 | Memphis | Freshman

Cisse is a beast of a rim protector and shot blocker with an NBA-ready frame. The 6-foot-10 freshman plays with great energy and effort on both sides of the floor and brings a gritty, workers mentality with his minutes. Cisse's best qualities right now are his shot blocking, defensive rebounding, and rim-running and finishing in transition. While his game is more traditional big than modern big, especially on the offensive end, Cisse is effective in ball screen action where he rolls hard to the rim and can finish lob passes with authority.

56. Justin Moore | CG | 6-4 | 210 | Sophomore | Villanova

When watching Villanova play at the collegiate level, it's comes as no surprise why the program produces solid pro players both in the NBA and overseas. Moore should be the next in line behind guys like Kyle Lowry, Jalen Brunson, Eric Paschall, Mikal Bridges, Saddiq Bey and many more. So why such high praise for Moore who doesn't appear on other 2021 Draft boards? We think his all-around skill-set at the guard spot as a playmaker for himself and teammates, to go along with his nice size for the position, put him in a spot to be on the radar of teams picking in the second round. Moore lets the game come to him, operates with a smooth and deliberate pace, and can play both on or off the ball as needed. The one area for concern with Moore is his three-point shooting as he's only hitting at a 29.3 percent clip on the season.

Kofi Cockburn

6'10"   -   C   -   2019

55. Kofi Cockburn | C | 7-0 | 285 | Illinois | Sophomore

If you took Cockburn and inserted him circa any NBA Draft in the mid-90's, it's very likely he would have been a first round pick based on how center-dominant the league was back then outside of Michael Jordan. The 7-footer is a throwback big man in every sense of the term, relying on physicality, bully-ball and power dunks and finishes in the paint on the offensive end. Where Cockburn will make his biggest immediate impact is on the defensive end. Despite his muscular 285-pound frame, the Illinois sophomore is surprisingly quick off of his feet and agile when providing help or coming over for a weak-side contest. Cockburn is averaging 1.5 blocks per game through 15 games this season and we have seen many cases where a physical, rim protecting center is a commodity at the NBA level.

54. Marcus Carr | CG | 6-2 | 195 | Minnesota | Junior

Carr, who ranks among the top 20 scorers in Division I college basketball this season (20.9 points per game) brings a dynamic scoring and playmaking ability in both the transition and half-court settings. Carr (featured picture) is super creative off the bounce in isolation situations where he uses a variety of hesitations, dribble moves and step-backs to create space from his primary defender for rhythm jumpers. Carr's strong build allows him to absorb bumps and stay on balance into a strong finish around the basket. One of the aspects of Carr's game that makes him so intriguing to us is his ability to play both guard positions. The biggest concern with Carr's game from what we've seen on film is his quick twitch explosiveness and the effectiveness of his burst and blow-by speed in half court situations.

53. Taevion Kinsey | WF | 6-5 | 185 | Marshall | Junior

Kinsey is probably the best highlight-reel player you don't know about. A quick Google or YouTube search will bring up countless videos of him flying down the court in transition and skying over a poor defender who is bound to end up on a poster. The 6-foot-5 wing has elite speed, vertical explosiveness and body control which allow him to finish in a variety of ways around the basket. When taking a closer look at Kinsey's numbers, it's difficult to see how effective of a three-point shooter he is at the college level. As a sophomore, Kinsey shot 26.4 on 2.3 attempts per game and this season is up to 41 percent on 2.2 attempts per game. We think NBA teams will take a long look at this prospect because of his dynamic athleticism and defensive potential.

52. Jalen Wilson | F | 6-8 | 215 | Kansas | Freshman

Wilson has all the look of the modern NBA swingman and the skill-set to play the three or four at the next level. The rangy 6-foot-8 wing has shown a ton of upside during his redshirt freshman season, especially on the offensive end where he's shown the ability to hit the catch-and-shoot three but also attack the top foot of a defender and get into the teeth of the defense and finish through or over contact. The key for Wilson to get into the league and develop a role to stick is if he cant consistently hit the NBA three-point shot and if he's able to effectively guard his position at that level.

Trendon Watford

6'9"   -   PF   -   2019

51. Trendon Watford | F | 6-9 | 240 | LSU | Sophomore

Watford is one of those skilled "jack of all trades" type of players who can operate just about anywhere on the court from the low and high post to a point-forward type of role. Watford's stat line tells the story of his impact on the floor - 18.7 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game - all of which are indicative of his versatility. Watford is most effective with his back to the basket offensively. His soft touch with his left and right hands and ability to use his body to create space and seal in deep post position gives him an advantage at the college level. While Watford's skill-set and IQ definitely translate, the question is will his lack of athleticism and explosiveness hurt him? The NBA is full of dynamic athletes but we've seen that some skills can pay the bills.

The post Ballislife's 2021 NBA Draft Big Board Countdown: 60-51 appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.