Sacramento receives two stunners here: Not landing at No. 1 and passing on the Kansas star.
Darryn Peterson to the Sacramento Kings no longer comes off as a sure bet.
Except now, a past injured college basketball star catapults him and lands with the franchise: Caleb Wilson of North Carolina.
Kevin O'Connor of Yahoo! Sports now predicts the Tar Heels impact freshman will land higher than the Kansas star. O'Connor outlined his reasons Thursday through his latest NBA Mock Draft.
"Wilson is arguably the most gifted athlete in the draft class. He's 6-10 with springs for legs, and when he's flying above the rim, finishing through contact and chasing down everything in his area code, he looks like a future cornerstone," O'Connor began. "That is why by the time the draft rolls around, some teams might favor him over Peterson."
O'Connor continued to dive into why the 6-foot-10 Wilson is emerging as a safer bet over the Jayhawks talent.
"But the case against Wilson is pretty clear too. Despite all his positives, he hasn’t shown consistency as a shooter at any level. Then a broken left hand in February and a fractured right thumb in March ended his season before he could prove himself on the biggest stage," O'Connor said.
Are the Kings taking a big risk if they roll with the UNC star?
"If the Kings were to draft him, it’s a gamble that he’s a higher upside player because of his size," O'Connor said. "But he’s raw and it might take a while to find out what he’ll become."
Meanwhile, why is the KU star suddenly no longer looking like the top pick in this draft class?
"Peterson is the most tantalizing puzzle in this draft class," O'Connor began. "The shot-making is real. He can pull up from anywhere and get to his spots. Plus he’s 6-6 and plays with a fluidity that just screams superstar. Not to mention he’s a defensive playmaker with the tools to guard multiple positions and the approach to impact the game even if he’s not scoring. There’s a strong possibility that teams are making a mistake letting him fall out of the top-3."
Yet O'Connor is overhearing chatter that'll impact Peterson's placement in the draft.
"But league sources have said since midseason that there’s a chance Peterson could slip depending on how his medical report looks after injury issues derailed his freshman year," he wrote.
Wilson and Peterson come off as risky prospects per league rumblings. Except the former lost some playing time toward the end of the regular season with his ailment. But he still presents an impressive ceiling and game-breaking potential.
Wilson also is likely leaving Chapel Hill anyway with UNC searching for a new head coach.
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