Scouting Report: Chris McCullough, PF, Syracuse

Tap here to get an in-depth look at the top prospects in this year's draft class leading up to the NBA draft, which takes place on June 25 in Brooklyn.

Every draft has tiers, groupings of players of similar overall value. At some point after the established tiers are picked over, teams start thinking upside.

Chris McCullough is an upside play. A lottery ticket. Once a near-certain first-round pick, McCullough tore his ACL in January, ending his freshman season and pushing his name to 2016 draft lists. But then he reversed course, opted to enter the draft, and will spend the pre-draft process convincing teams he's mostly healthy and hasn't lost any of what made him a potential top-10 pick in December.

Relevant Background

Scouting Report

Strengths: What McCullough showed in 16 games was impressive, even if he still looked like a project: He ranked in the top 100 (minimum 450 minutes) for block and steal percentage, showing great defensive instincts and phenomenal athleticism. What he didn't quite get to show is what makes him so intriguing: Many think he can eventually help stretch the floor, even though he was a poor free-throw shooter and took just a single 3-pointer this year. Given the defensive potential and his overall physical gifts, he was going to be a project worth waiting on - the rare floor-spacing rim protector - with or without the injury.

Weaknesses: What the injury may have done is limit the degree to which teams have gotten a look at McCullough. The tools are obvious, but he wasn't able to put them to good use on the offensive end, hitting 6-of-17 on jump shots and proving far too thin to do much inside. There may also be concerns after he bounced around high schools and was dismissed from prep school as a senior, but any lingering knee issue won't prevent him from allaying those concerns in interviews.

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What to Expect on Draft Day

There are two schools of thought for a good team picking at the end of the first round: Draft a safe player who can contribute right away, or swing for the fences since immediate help isn't a necessity. McCullough is firmly a play for the latter, and a team will need to preach patience with his body, jump shot, and basketball IQ. The San Antonio Spurs probably open up the discussion at No. 26, and while it's very possible he slides to the second round, McCullough would be a great upside pick for the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics with their second first-round picks, and for a Brooklyn Nets team served little by a low-upside play at No. 29.