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Top 5 sleepers in the 2018 NBA Draft

Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images Sport / Getty

What do Marc Gasol, Draymond Green, Paul Millsap, and DeAndre Jordan have in common?

The easy answer is that all four players have been NBA All-Stars, but a little further research reveals they were all second-round draft picks, too.

While the teams with a lottery pick will face a huge decision this week, those without one will still have an opportunity to grab a future impact player who's flying under the radar, just like the four men mentioned above.

Here are five such players who teams should target later in the draft:

*For a player to garner consideration as a sleeper, he must currently be projected outside the top 20 in theScore's latest 2018 NBA Mock Draft

Hamidou Diallo, 19, Kentucky (SG)

It's impossible to watch Hamidou Diallo for five minutes and not be absolutely gobsmacked by his freakish athleticism. The former Kentucky star stands 6-foot-6 with a 7-foot wingspan and possesses a ridiculous 44.5-inch vertical leap. If that number doesn't blow you away, just watch this absurd putback dunk from the NCAA tournament:

That athleticism also makes Diallo a nasty defender, and when the redshirt freshman was fully engaged last season, he was borderline impossible to score on. However, the main red flag is his offense, as he'll have to improve his ball-handling, passing, and shooting following a single college season that saw him hit just 62 percent of his foul shots and record 1.2 assists to 1.4 turnovers per game. Still, he's only 19 years old, and the team that grabs Diallo will get a player with major upside.

Shake Milton, 21, SMU (Wing)

Critics can pick apart Shake Milton's game all they want, but there's no doubt that he's a lights-out shooter from deep. Milton connected on at least 42 percent of his triples in each of his three years at SMU, including a career-best 43.4 percent last season. Given that he was the focal point of the Mustangs' offense and attempted almost six 3-pointers per game, that percentage is very impressive.

While he certainly isn't the most athletic player in the draft, at 6-foot-5 and 207 pounds with a 7-foot wingspan, Milton is able to shoot over smaller opponents and is lethal in spot-up situations. He's unlikely to ever be a major threat off the dribble, but his shooting prowess will make him an asset at the professional level. When factoring in his more-than-adequate defense, Milton has the potential to be a very solid player who will likely be available in the second round.

Chandler Hutchison, 22, Boise State (F)

Boise State may not be the first school that comes to mind when thinking of an NBA factory, but that shouldn't keep anybody from properly rating Chandler Hutchison. The former Broncos star is fresh off a senior season that saw him named Mountain West Player of the Year while finding a spot on the All-Defensive Team. Hutchison's offensive game is among the most refined in the draft, as the California native drives to the basket with ease and connects on 36 percent of his shots from deep.

While the first number that pops out is Hutchison's 20 points per game last season, he's more than just a scorer. The 6-foot-7 wing also averaged almost eight rebounds per game and kept defenses honest with 3.5 assists per contest. That well-rounded skill set will have teams looking at Hutchison in the late first round or early in the second.

Justin Jackson, 21, Maryland (SF/PF)

If you're looking for a two-way combo forward, Justin Jackson is the kind of man for you. The Maryland standout is 6-foot-7 and 229 pounds with a massive 7-foot-3 wingspan. If those numbers sound familiar, it's because they're almost identical to Kawhi Leonard's. Jackson entered last season with the Terrapins as a potential lottery pick, but a torn labrum suffered in camp wrecked his shooting numbers through the first 11 games. Then, after a second opinion recommended surgery, he was shut down for the rest of the year.

Considering Jackson's injury directly affected his shooting, it's important to look at his freshman statistics and not his sophomore numbers. In that first season at Maryland, he averaged 10.5 points and six rebounds on 44 percent shooting from deep - numbers that could translate very well at the pro level as a 3-and-D standout.

Grayson Allen, 22, Duke (G)

Many people know him as college hoops' biggest villain, but don't sleep on the fact that Grayson Allen is a damn good basketball player. The former Duke guard burst onto the national scene as a freshman and made the rare choice to play all four years of college ball. His best season was as a sophomore when he averaged 21.6 points while connecting on 42 percent of his triples. While most of his work at the next level will probably be from distance, Allen's 40.5-inch vertical shows he's no slouch athletically, either.

On defense, he's very adept at playing passing lanes, as he averaged almost two steals per game as a senior. Plus, he proved numerous times throughout his collegiate career that he's an expert agitator who can get under the skin of opponents and knock them off their game. It's unlikely that Allen will ever be a standout starter in the NBA, but he could easily be a viable scoring threat off the bench who can lock in defensively. That type of player would be a steal in the second round.

(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)

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