Forwards set to be in focus at NBA Draft

Forwards are expected to dominate Thursday’s NBA Draft, starting with the trio of Gonzaga’s Chet Holmgren, Auburn’s Jabari Smith and Duke’s Paolo Banchero. They are the headliners at the position and have been widely ranked as the top prospects overall with their size and open-floor potential.

Here’s a look at the draft’s top forwards:

HOLMGREN

The nation’s No. 1 recruit lived up to expectations for the Zags as a second-team Associated Press All-American.

STRENGTHS: The 7-foot, 195-pound Holmgren has an unusual mix of fluid perimeter skills with a roughly 7-5 wingspan. He averaged 14.1 points, 9.9 rebounds and 1.9 assists while shooting 60.7% alongside a returning AP All-American in Drew Timme.

He made 39% of his three-point tries and had 14 games with at least two made three-pointers, showing the kind of consistency sure to pull less-mobile bigs from the basket. And he has the ball-handling skills to take advantage — just look at his length-of-court, behind-theback drive for a dunk against UCLA for proof — for unique shot-creating potential in such a long frame.

CONCERNS: He needs to get stronger. He struggled at times with physical play and could use the added bulk for finishing through contact.

SMITH

The 6-10, 220-pound freshman was a second-team AP All-American who helped the Tigers claim their first-ever No. 1 ranking.

STRENGTHS: The 19-year-old Smith is a rangy forward with potential to impact both ends of the floor. He averaged 16.9 points, 7.4 rebounds and 2.0 assists with ability to play in the post or step outside, where he shot 42% from three-point range with a quality jumper. He also made 79.9% of his free throws to convert when drawing fouls.

CONCERNS: Smith shot just 42% overall with heavy reliance on his jump shot, so he could use a bit more development with creating off the drive and improving his ball handling (1.9 turnovers per game) for easier looks.

BANCHERO

The 6-10, 250-pound freshman was the Blue Devils’ focal point in a Final Four run under now-retired Hall of Fame coach Mike Krzyzewski.

STRENGTHS: The 19-year-old Banchero averaged 17.2 points and 7.8 rebounds with the strength to tussle inside and mobility to roam the perimeter. Ranked as ESPN’s No. 3 draft prospect, the AP third-team All-American was comfortable snatching down a rebound and leading the break. And his skillset proved particularly effective in being able to overpower smaller defenders, move around less-mobile bigs and score in the midrange with polish.

Banchero said Friday he feels he is “the best player in the draft, I feel like I showed that throughout the year.”

CONCERNS: Banchero shot just 33.8% on three-pointers, though he was better in the NCAA Tournament. He also had stretches when he could assert himself and impose his will even more, including going the final 71/2 minutes of the Final Four loss to rival North Carolina with no baskets and only two shot attempts. Banchero also needs to improve defensive consistency.