5 NBA Rookie Draft Class of 2019 Superlatives

Now that the NBA offseason has officially begun, it’s time to focus on another mini-season of hoops as the NBA Summer League will be heating up. Teams will be getting first looks at their latest draft picks, as well as those who went undrafted but could potentially receive an invite to training camp. Just like the draft classes of 1996, 2003 and 2009, this year’s rookies are talented enough to have breakout careers that may land them in the Hall of Fame. Potential superstars such as Zion Williamson, Ja Morant and RJ Barrett to sleepers like Rui Hachimura, Dylan Windler and Ty Jerome can change the way the sport of basketball is being played years from now. 

With a rubric consisting of superstar potential, on-court ability, intangibles and off-court swagger, we decided to dish out early, bold predictions for the 2019-2020 NBA regular season. So without further ado, here are the early frontrunners for our ONE37pm NBA Rookie Superlatives special.

A projected lottery pick that dropped all the way to the second round, Bol Bol has something to prove to the NBA world. 

This kid has the potential to revolutionize the way bigs his size play the game as he possesses the rare ability for a player who is 7-foot-2 with a 7-foot-8 wingspan. With NBA bloodlines in his DNA (father Manute Bol played ten seasons in the NBA) to go with his insane length, Bol can create shots off the dribble with an array of ball-handling moves, has unlimited range and the tendency to take over the game. The only thing that may stop him from reaching his potential is…himself. Some scouts and critics believe that his attitude is what caused him to drop so low as well as missing almost his entire freshman year at the University of Oregon due to a broken foot injury.

But when he is healthy, this kid is unstoppable. He averaged 21.0 points, 9.6 rebounds while shooting 52% from beyond the arc in his first nine games of the regular season. 

To the 29 teams that overlooked him—including the Miami Heat, which had the original draft selection at No. 44 but traded it to Denver—good luck. You are in for a rude awakening.

Yes, even you Zion.

Knick fans were crushed when they realized they came just two picks short of receiving the number one overall pick. Although they had their eyes set on Zion, they managed to get a serious hooper in RJ Barrett. 

The Canadian sensation has been a superstar since his National High School Player of the Year campaign at Montverde Academy in Florida. A great size for the shooting guard position (6-foot-7) who can rebound and has excellent body control when finishing at the rim with contact, this 19-year-old rookie is what the mecca of basketball needs—a fresh face who represents blue-collar, hard-nosed hoops at its best. Once he gets a consistent jump shot, it’s going to be hell for defenders to stop this talented phenom.

With the Knicks adding solid weapons like Julius Randle, Elfrid Payton and hometown native Taj Gibson to go with an already talented young core, Barrett is in position to give fans a reason to spend a “pretty penny” for a ticket at Madison Square Garden.

After all, his godfather is two-time NBA MVP and Canadian hoops legend, Steve Nash. With that kind of support system behind him, combined with the already strong-willed and desire to be the best, New York will be quick to welcome Barrett with open arms.

If anyone pays attention to hoops, everyone in the basketball community knows that Houston Rockets forward PJ Tucker has endless on-court swagger, thanks to the forgotten rare kicks he plays in. From Jordan sneakers to rare Nike LeBrons, PJ makes everyone tune into Rockets’ game not only to see how much James Harden scores but to witness what heat he wears to help make hustle plays en route toward securing a win. Need proof? Check out his Instagram page.

If anyone pays attention to hoops, everyone in the basketball community knows that Houston Rockets forward PJ Tucker has endless on-court swagger, thanks to the forgotten rare kicks he plays in. From Jordan sneakers to rare Nike LeBrons, PJ makes everyone tune into Rockets’ game not only to see how much James Harden scores but to witness what heat he wears to help make hustle plays en route toward securing a win. Need proof? Check out his Instagram page.

But this season, it looks like he might have some competition from none other than Zion Williamson. This once-in-a-generation player will be getting the same treatment by the sneaker world, as big names such as Nike, Jordan, Adidas, and Puma are planning to “throw the bag” at him. But this is not only the reason why he’s our selection to knock off Tucker as the in-game sneaker king. 

A player his size maneuvering with that kind of mass is a huge reason alone for these corporations to send him a slew of stylish kicks to hoop in. After all, plenty of classic on-court sneakers provide a stylish colorway with comfortability and support. There’s the adidas Crazy 8, Kobe Bryant’s first signature shoe; Puma’s Clyde Court shoe, an upgrade to the classic hoop company that was originally worn by Hall of Famer Walt Clyde Frazier, as well as a plethora of classic Jordan sneakers such as the Air Jordan XI’s, the Air Jordan III’s and the Air Jordan XVII. 

But the good folks over in Beaverton, Oregon, believe that Williamson would be the perfect player to test out their shoes look super fresh while he drops 30 points on a random night. Shoes like the Nike Air Zoom Generation, the Nike Zoom LeBron IV’s and the Nike Air Flightposite III are the perfect shoes for a player of his caliber.

These three legendary kicks alone would make any hooper sign with Nike, but you never know what direction Williamson will go. 

Let’s just hope that whatever sneakers he rocks make him look good and keep his feet covered.

Darius Garland, another freshman standout in this young draft class, Darius Garland impressed scouts with his ball-handling skills and outstanding shooting ability. But little did anyone know that this Tennessee native has some serious off-the-court swagger too. A great example is his NBA Draft fit. Dressed in a smooth, custom-made off-white/cream Fear of God robe suit, Garland potentially placed himself in the running for best NBA Draft day fit of all time. 

If he continues to carry this kind of swagger to go with his on-court ability, the hoops world should start paying close attention to a fashion icon superstar in the making.

Two years ago, Sheck Wes debuted his song titled “Mo Bamba.” Wes, a Harlem native, saw his song go viral by mid-2018. This led to him being signed by Travis Scott’s label, Cactus Jack Records, as the song pays homage to his friend he grew with, Orlando Magic center Mohamed Bamba. This moment can be repeated again in this year’s draft class, as one player who has been making friends in the music industry already is Darius Bazley.

If you haven’t heard of this kid, it’s because Bazley skipped college to join the NBA G League while his agent Rich Paul groomed him to properly prepare for the next stage, both physically and mentally. Paul is known to represent some of NBA’s most talented players such as LeBron James, John Wall, Anthony Davis, and Draymond Green. Under Paul’s guidance, Bazley was introduced to the hoops world as “the Intern.” He became an intern at New Balance, getting paid $1 million to learn about the business side of hoops while preparing for the league. During his internship, Bazley met hip-hop stars like J. Cole and Jaden Smith. There’s no word as to how serious the relationships are, but best believe that if Bazley contributes to the Thunder’s success, there’s a strong possibility that Cole World may shoutout the young 6-foot-9, 200-pound stud. Cole did it for Markelle Fultz and Dennis Smith Jr. on his feature on 21 Savage’s hit track “a lot.” The chances are looking very high for Bazley to be a part of an exclusive unofficial Dreamville NBA Name-Drop Club. 

You never know, we might see Jaden Smith remix his dad’s classic theme song in efforts to pay homage to a young star in the making, thanks to this IG post.

Related: The 2019 NBA Draft Class and Their Hip-Hop Counterparts

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