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The NBA Draft is oh so close now, and it appears Bam Adebayo is still climbing up big boards.
ESPN’s Chad Ford just released his final big board, and it has Adebayo climbing all the way up to the No. 18 spot. Ford even goes as far as to project Bam’s draft range between picks 15-22, meaning he’s securely in the first round.
It’s great to see all of Bam’s hard work is paying off and getting teams to fall in love with him. It wasn’t that long ago that it appeared he could slip into Round 2, but it looks like he’ll hear his name called in Round 1 now.
Here’s what Ford offered up on Bam:
18. Edrice Adebayo
Previous rank: No. 23
Big Board history: Adebayo started at No. 12 in Big Board 1.0, slid to No. 18 in 2.0, dropped to No. 27 in 3.0, moved back up to No. 25 in 4.0, back up to No. 20 in 5.0, slid to No. 23 in 6.0 and jumps back up to No. 18 in our final Big Board
Ceiling: He's a freaky athlete for his size, explosive vertically and laterally. He's built like Dwight Howard. Has the ability to guard in the paint and on the perimeter. Finishes above the rim. Can be a good rebounder when he's motivated to be. Hard worker in practice. Didn't flash it at Kentucky, but scouts say he has shown a nice perimeter game in workouts.
Floor: He was unimpressive early on for Kentucky. For a player with his size, athleticism and strength he was just an average rebounder and shot blocker. There are questions about his overall feel for the game.
Draft range: Nos. 15-22
As for De’Aaron Fox, he took a small dip in Ford’s latest ranking:
6. De'Aaron Fox
Previous rank: No. 5
Big Board history: Fox was initially ranked No. 9 on Big Board 1.0, moved up to No. 5 in Big Board 5.0 and slides to No. 6 in our final Big Board.
Ceiling: The fastest player in the draft. Super quick with the ball. Explosive athlete. Excellent ball handler. Good court vision. A tough leader. Smart, high-character player. A leader on the floor. Fearless. Reminds a lot of scouts of a young John Wall.
Floor: He really struggled as a shooter, shooting just 25 percent from 3. He has a slight frame and needs to add strength. He's left-hand dominant and needs to learn how to create more with his right hand.
Draft range: Nos. 4-5
Also taking a slight dip was Malik Monk down to the No. 8 spot.
8. Malik Monk
Previous rank: No. 7
Big Board history: Monk was ranked No. 15 in Big Board 1.0, made a huge jump up to No. 4 in Big Board 2.0, slipped to No. 6 in Big Board 3.0, slid to No. 7 in Big Board 5.0 and drops one spot to No. 8 in our final Big Board.
Ceiling: The most explosive scorer in the draft. Excellent shooter with deep range. Elite athlete with quickness and explosive leaping ability. Excellent finisher above the rim. When he gets hot, he can drop 30 points on anyone. He draws a lot of comps to a young Lou Williams.
Floor: He's undersized for his position. He lacks strength and a mid-range game. He's a bit one dimensional. His defense was inconsistent all year. He's streaky as a shooter.
Draft range: Nos. 6-12
Potential destinations: Magic, Wolves, Knicks, Hornets, Pistons
Both Monk and Fox should hear their names called in the top 10, and Fox could go as high as No. 4 to the Suns with all their UK guards. Monk could go as high as No. 2 to the Timberwolves and team up with Karl-Anthony Towns. I seriously doubt Monk falls all the way to No. 12 as Ford thinks could happen.
In all, expect to see three Kentucky Wildcats go off the board in Round 1, and all three may go within the first 15 picks.
Here’s what the entire big board looks like now:
1. Markelle Fultz
2. Lonzo Ball
3. Josh Jackson
4. Jayson Tatum
5. Jonathan Isaac
6. De'Aaron Fox
7. Dennis Smith
8. Malik Monk
9. Zach Collins
10. Lauri Markkanen
11. Frank Ntilikina
12. Harry Giles
13. OG Anunoby
14. Donovan Mitchell
15. Luke Kennard
16. John Collins
17. Ike Anigbogu
18. Edrice Adebayo
19. Justin Patton
20. Jarrett Allen
21. Tony Bradley
22. T.J. Leaf
23. Terrance Ferguson
24. Anzejs Pasecniks
25. Jonah Bolden
26. Justin Jackson
27. Frank Jackson
28. D.J. Wilson
29. Tyler Lydon
30. Josh Hart