This year’s NBA draft class is expected to be the best in recent memory, and it could end up being one of the best ever. AJ Dybantsa, the dynamic 6-foot-9 wing from Brigham Young University, is expected by many to be the first player chosen, and most feel Duke University’s Cameron Boozer and Darryn Peterson from the University of Kansas also have superstar potential.
Outside of those three, the best player in this year’s draft is likely Caleb Wilson of the University of North Carolina. An athletic and fleet-footed 6-foot-10 forward, he may not possess a lot of strength or a reliable outside jumper, but he’s considered someone who can attack the basket, finish strong and also become a great defender and rebounder.
During an appearance on SiriusXM NBA Radio, Wilson said that one player he likes to study and watch video of is the late great Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant, and he also said that Bryant is his favorite player (h/t Lakers Nation).
“Probably a lot of Kobe, a whole bunch of Kobe. That was my dad’s favorite player and mine too,” Wilson said on SiriusXM NBA Radio. “Rasheed Wallace, Ben Wallace too, the Bad Boy [Detroit] Pistons. I mean, I watch a lot of Mike (Michael Jordan) too. I mean, lately I’ve been watching Giannis [Antetokounmpo] a lot. I feel like closer and closer I get to the NBA, my athleticism and my size translates me to his skillset. So, I watch a lot of him, but that’s pretty much it.”
Perhaps one of Wilson’s weaknesses at this point in his development is his ability to create off the dribble and score in a halfcourt setting, especially from the mid-range area and the perimeter. Bryant is perhaps the best player to study when it comes to improving those skill sets, as he was one of the greatest one-on-one players and mid-range shooters basketball has ever seen.
A lot of mock drafts have Wilson going to the Chicago Bulls with the No. 4 pick. The Lakers, meanwhile, will have the No. 25 selection.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: NBA draft prospect Caleb Wilson says Kobe Bryant is someone he studies
Reporting by Robert Marvi, LeBron Wire / LeBron Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
