Mock Draft 1.0
May 21, 2017 15:27:10 GMT -5
Yacob (freelance idiot), Toronto Raptors (Perk), and 5 more like this
Post by Draft Express on May 21, 2017 15:27:10 GMT -5
With the lottery done and the picks locked in let's take a look at our first official mock draft. A ton can and will change but for now this is how we see it shaking out, let's get into it. (This is how i see the teams drafting, not necessarily who i think should go where.)
1. Cleveland Cavaliers: Markelle Fultz | PG |Washington
The Cavs are in an interesting position. This draft is loaded with guard talent at the top, but the Cavs have arguably their four most valuable players all at guard positions. Granted, i can't say i know much about who the Cavs like as they've kept a lot of these thoughts internal, but at the end of the day i still see them going with Markelle Fultz. Fultz has one of the biggest upsides, if not the biggest upside in the draft as well as pretty high floor. Yes, Kyrie but at this point i think you just gotta go with best available and build from there. Fultz can be a building block for this Cavs franchise.
2. New Orleans Pelicans: Lonzo Ball | PG | UCLA
Lonzo looks like the home run pick for the Pelicans who are looking for their franchise point guard. I still have my reservations about Ball. Yes, he has unreal vision, great passing ability, awesome size, and the ability to hit the three-ball. BUT i just don't know if he will ever develop the ability to score at a high enough level to become an elite point guard. I could very well be wrong but that's just what i saw from watching him this year. Either way, the pick makes sense for Pelicans who are loaded with three lotto picks.
3. Charlotte Hornets: De'Aaron Fox | PG | Kentucky
Another pick that looks to be a slam dunk. The Hornets were big winners on lotto night jumping from the seventh projected spot up to three. With a new regime taking over it's hard to say who they have their eyes on but Fox looks to be a match made in heaven for new GM Kennan. The Hornets already have a lot of young talent at other spots on the roster but don't have one point guard under contract. No matter where Fox goes i think he gets minutes. He's a close second to Fultz in my eyes and puts the Hornets right on the track of contention pretty soon.
4. LA Clippers: Jason Tatum | SF/PF | Duke
Ah good ol Trey. I still believe in the guy but he had a dismal first season. The good thing is he has the 4th pick in the draft, Ben Simmons and IT. If available, i think Trey takes whoever the 6ers draft. That very well could be Tatum, but even if not if he's here at four i think it's who Trey goes with. Yes, he already has Simmons but i guys at Tatum's size who are this polished offensivelyare just very hard to come by. Tatum should be a building block along with Simmons and the midget man. Hopefully he helps to start turn this mess around in LA .
5. New Orleans Pelicans: Josh Jackson | SF | Kansas
I'm a lot higher on Jackson than most people. I think a lot of people see his stupid hair, his weird looking shot and automatically rule him out, because he doesn't exactly look like a star. But trust boy is this guy good. He is the best two way player in this draft. He has a very good handle for his size and age. He boosts elite athleticism, can get to the hole and finish in a variety of ways and can knock down the three when open. Like a lot of guys coming out he still has to work on his consistency and his shot but both are very fixable and improvable things. If it shakes out like this the Pelicans will have been huge winners of this draft with both Lonzo and Jackson, both of which can be franchise changers.
6. Brooklyn Nets: Dennis Smith | PG | NC State
Now if you ask me this is where the draft gets interesting both in real life and in here. Who the Nets take here is basically impossible to predict but if i had to guess i'm gonna go with Dennis Smith. Obviously it's super early but i see Smith going to New York who take a chance on his flashy play and athleticism. That makes the pick easy for Nets who i think just go with whoever has the best situation. The Nets have young players at every position and Smith will join a fun group in Mudiay and Dejounte Murray. I loved Smith in high school. He's one of the more exciting guys to watch but he doesn't come without some issues. For one he's pretty undersized. He doesn't have a great jumper yet, but he also isn't always there mentally. If he can work on his consistency he can a force in this league, but his athleticism is Russell esque, and it probably a smart move for the Nets to take a risk on that type of talent/athleticism.
7. Minnesota Timberwolves: Jonathon Isaac | SF/PF | Florida State
Again hard to read what happens here. The T-wolves are also under new management. But my guess is they take the guy with the highest upside and take Isaac. Like Jackson i hear a lot of doubts about him from my friends and guys on Twitter. It's understandable there are times he checks out and looks soft. There are also times where he looks absolutely unguardable. I think Durant has made teams desperate to find the next KD which pushes guys like Isaac's and Ingram's value up, when what KD does is just absolutely amazing and i think going to be so hard to duplicate. With that being said, a guy at that size with that ability is scary. I know i'm being a pussy but i can honestly see it going both ways with Isaac. He could capitalize on his rare skill set or he could never really put it all together, it really just depends on his mental toughness and willingness to work, which is pretty impossible to know. Still i think the Twolves are happy to land a guy like Isaac at 7, and add to an already scary core.
8. Phoenix Suns: Malik Monk | SG | Kentucky
I think the Suns were praying Isaac falls to them as they still don't have a small forward under contract. I think they settle with Monk here. Monk is going to be one of the more interesting situations to monitor both in here and in real life. He has absolutely explosive athleticism and is a great shooter for his age, but he's undersized, and generally shooting guards no matter how good in real life are capped in here. That being said that makes finding a good one even more valuable. Monk has as much talent as anyone but his development is going to come down to the situation he's put in and his ability to make up for his lack of size. The Suns take Monk here as he's just too much talent to pass up, but he is definitely another one of those boom or bust prospects.
9. LA Lakers: Lauri Markkanen |PF | Arizona
Big Euro bigs generally fall in our draft, but with Porzingis it'll be interesting to see where Markkanen goes this year. I can't remember a draft that had this many boom or bust prospects. At his best Markkanen becomes an elite stretch big with a beautiful stroke who can score inside, outside, and in the mid range. He also has the tools to be a contributor defensively. At worst he's a guy who can only sit in the corner and hit threes while being a big body inside who can grab some boards. I think his development really just depends on the situation he lands in at his best this guy can be special. I know new LAkers GM Griffin is a PAC-12 guy and if he's there at 9 he'll most likely grab him.
10. Miami Heat: Jarett Allen | C | Texas
We've got little intel at the moment at who Bryan likes or who he watched this year. I doubt he watched a lot of Texas ball this year because of how bad they were, but he has to have heard of Jarrett Allen. And with center being one of the hardest positions in the league to have depth at I think the Heat take him here at 10. Allen's just another guy with huge upside. He is unbelievably long and at worse will be a very good rim-protecting big man. He doesn't look super athletic but don't sleep on him, Allen has sneaky athleticism. His role as a pro will come down to how well he develops offensively. He has a soft touch, and length you can't teach, the Heat I think would be very happy with the Texas project at 10.
11. Orlando Magic: Frank Ntilikina | PG | France
I'm not gonna pretend like i know a lot about Frank. But what i do know is that he seems like a very good prospect. He's got good length and size for the position and is a good on ball and perimeter defender. I don't think he's very NBA ready, but the Magic are in desperate need of some point guard help after swinging and missing on Cam Payne with an early pick. I could see the Magic even moving up from #11 to snag one of the earlier point guard, but if not Frank's a good consolation prize. Euro players tend to slip in the draft because of a lot of the unknowns, but if the Magic can groom Frank and be patient it could be a big dividends in the future.
12. Portland Trailblazers: Zach Collins | C | Gonzaga
Like i said earlier, white big men generally slip in the draft. If Collins falls into the Blazers lap at 12 i think they should be thrilled, and without giving too much away i might have to trade up to #12 if Collins is still available. I LOVE Zach Collins. He has great size, he's an extremely smart player, has wonderful touch and is just a natural scorer. On top of that he's proven to be a good defender. I don't think he comes in an contributes right away, but Collins has all the tools to be a two way star in the league. The Blazers have Kamisnky and Diallo down low, so i think they welcome Collins with open arms.
13. Houston Rockets: OG Anunoby | SF/PF | Indiana
It's really crazy i don't think we've seen draft with this big a gap in which players could go. It makes it real tough to predict and i might look like an idiot for this one but i've got the Rockets who need really everything taking, Anunoby. It'll be interesting to see where the Rockets go. They have three players under contract, but all three players are in or heading towards the end of their primes. Do they try to add now and win? Or are they going to start to try and rebuild? I think Anunoby offers the best mix of upside and high floor here at 13. He's an athletic long wing who can defend. He is a little bit of a tweener, but if he can work on his ball skills it shouldn't be much of an issue. I don't think he has what it takes to be a star, but i do think he has what it takes to stick in this league, and the Rockets roll with that.
14. New Orleans Pelicans: TJ Leaf | PF | UCLA
The Pelicans pair up college teammates and take TJ Leaf. I'll tell you right off the bat i'm not the biggest TJ Leaf fan, but the pick here makes sense. Leaf has a pretty high floor in my eyes, and while i don't think he'll ever come close to a star i think he becomes a solid role player in this league which is all you can ask for with pick 14. The Pelicans have only Portis at PF, and so Leaf helps in bringing some depth down low. He needs to get stronger and quicker, but as he gets older he'll get there and learn. His jumper is going to help him acclimate well, and i can see him as a better version of Jason Smith down the line.
15. New York Knicks (now Hornets): Donovan Mitchell | SG | Louisville
We forget Knicks finished the regular season under .500 before going on a monster run to win it all. I think the Knicks go with Mitchell here. Mitchell is a guy i really like, he's got good athleticism, a great wingspan, and a good skillset. Will he ever become a star? Probably not, but i think he has everything he needs to be an everyday player. He needs to work on his shooting consistency but very few don't at this level. With only Evan Turner and Goodwin on the roster, there is a very good chance Mitchell steps in with a role from day 1. If he were a little bit taller he would probably be going a lot higher. He makes up for his lack of height in other ways though and is really a good get for this Knicks franchise.
16. Toronto Raptors: Ike Anigbogu | C | UCLA
The Raptors get the Mavericks pick from the Bogut/Rozier trade. The Raptors don't really have many weaknesses around the roster, outside of maybe point guard. However i don't think there is anybody worth reaching for at this point, so they settle with a high upside guy in Anigbogu. Anigbogu didn't play a ton at UCLA and was overshadowed by Lonzo and Leaf, but what he does can 100% help an NBA team. Anibogu has great athleticism and good size with a 7'6 wingspan. He's solid and smooth in transition and crashes the offensive glass very hard. He has zero literal offensive game whether it be post up or shooting, but the thing is he really doesn't need it. He's a good defender with elite length, crashes the board strong and is smooth in transition. If he can improve in certain areas, he's a starter in this league, and if he doesn't he should still carve out a role as a solid rim protector and offensive rebounder.
17. Oklahoma City Thunder: Justin Patton | C | Creighton
The Thunder have one of the worst roster balance in the league, with no center or small forwards under contract. I think with this in mind they go with Justin Patton a talented seven footer out of Creighton. I'm not the biggest Patton fan but the pick here makes sense. You can't teach that size and mobility. Patton can really get out in transition. He's smooth and doesn't like clunky like some other guys in the league. He does have a post game, but i'm not as sold on it as others. I think he'll struggle inside again bigger/stronger guys and im not sure he's quite as skilled down there as we think. Obviously he has tools as a shot blocker because of his size but it's going to be a lot tougher in the NBA. If Patton lands in the situation he can be a very solid big man, but i could also see him flopping. Only time will tell but i do think that for the Thunder he is a good pick right here.
18. Philadelphia 76ers: Justin Jackson | SF | UNC
I think Jackson probably goes higher in real life, but 18 is the perfect spot for him in here. Jackson has a pretty low ceiling, but also a pretty high floor. With no small forwards on the roster, Jackson makes a lot of sense. Jackson won't ever be a star, he's limited in his frame, isn't a great facilitator, and is an average re-bounder. But what he can do is shoot the damn basketball. He isn't an elite shooter, but is solid and will make the the open shot whether it's a three a pull up a mid range, a floater, you name is he can make it. I still don't think he has what it takes to be an elite scorer, but he definitely has what it takes to be an energy scorer off the bench. The fit makes sense here in Philly, who i think are happy to let him fall to 18.
19. Denver Nuggets: John Collins | PF | Wake Forest
I honestly didn't know much about Collins coming into this draft, so it was fun to get to know him for this pick. After checking him out I'm pretty high on him. His game is unique his scoring is mostly from post ups something that is a lost art in this NBA. Despite being undersized he has good length that should help him match up well with 4's in the league. Collins is strong and explosive attacking the rim. While he isn't a great shooter yet his stroke is very nice and looks like it should translate to a nice stroke down the line. I really could see Collins working out in his own unique way in the NBA. A guy who is high energy on the glass but also boxes out well and is good in transition. The key really will come down to his ability to play NBA level defense. He has tools, but mentally he isn't there. If he can get this to a manageable point, he could be playing meaningful minutes in the NBA soon.
20. Boston Celtics: Jordan Bell | PF | Oregon
Pretty ballsy production but i can see it. Yes, the Celtics have a lot of front court players but i think Yacob goes with a guy he really, really likes. I got to watch a ton of Jordan Bell this year (i go to Oregon). He is an explosive athlete, has unbelievable timing when blocking shots, and is smooth when in transition. Bell is a weird guy to describe. He has a wing's body without the ball handling or offensive skills. He was able to protect the rim at a very high level despite his size. Really it's hard to call how good he'll be? Will he make up for his size with his timing and lack of skills or will he make up for it with his timing and athleticism.
21. Washington Wizards: Luke Kennard | SG | Duke
Obviously this deep in the draft a lot of these picks depend on situation but Kennard can absolutely fill it up. He may not have been the same pure shooter JJ was in college, but he can score in so many more ways. He is very polished, and even though his upside is limited, i could really see Kennard being a big contributor on a team in the future.
1. Cleveland Cavaliers: Markelle Fultz | PG |Washington
The Cavs are in an interesting position. This draft is loaded with guard talent at the top, but the Cavs have arguably their four most valuable players all at guard positions. Granted, i can't say i know much about who the Cavs like as they've kept a lot of these thoughts internal, but at the end of the day i still see them going with Markelle Fultz. Fultz has one of the biggest upsides, if not the biggest upside in the draft as well as pretty high floor. Yes, Kyrie but at this point i think you just gotta go with best available and build from there. Fultz can be a building block for this Cavs franchise.
2. New Orleans Pelicans: Lonzo Ball | PG | UCLA
Lonzo looks like the home run pick for the Pelicans who are looking for their franchise point guard. I still have my reservations about Ball. Yes, he has unreal vision, great passing ability, awesome size, and the ability to hit the three-ball. BUT i just don't know if he will ever develop the ability to score at a high enough level to become an elite point guard. I could very well be wrong but that's just what i saw from watching him this year. Either way, the pick makes sense for Pelicans who are loaded with three lotto picks.
3. Charlotte Hornets: De'Aaron Fox | PG | Kentucky
Another pick that looks to be a slam dunk. The Hornets were big winners on lotto night jumping from the seventh projected spot up to three. With a new regime taking over it's hard to say who they have their eyes on but Fox looks to be a match made in heaven for new GM Kennan. The Hornets already have a lot of young talent at other spots on the roster but don't have one point guard under contract. No matter where Fox goes i think he gets minutes. He's a close second to Fultz in my eyes and puts the Hornets right on the track of contention pretty soon.
4. LA Clippers: Jason Tatum | SF/PF | Duke
Ah good ol Trey. I still believe in the guy but he had a dismal first season. The good thing is he has the 4th pick in the draft, Ben Simmons and IT. If available, i think Trey takes whoever the 6ers draft. That very well could be Tatum, but even if not if he's here at four i think it's who Trey goes with. Yes, he already has Simmons but i guys at Tatum's size who are this polished offensivelyare just very hard to come by. Tatum should be a building block along with Simmons and the midget man. Hopefully he helps to start turn this mess around in LA .
5. New Orleans Pelicans: Josh Jackson | SF | Kansas
I'm a lot higher on Jackson than most people. I think a lot of people see his stupid hair, his weird looking shot and automatically rule him out, because he doesn't exactly look like a star. But trust boy is this guy good. He is the best two way player in this draft. He has a very good handle for his size and age. He boosts elite athleticism, can get to the hole and finish in a variety of ways and can knock down the three when open. Like a lot of guys coming out he still has to work on his consistency and his shot but both are very fixable and improvable things. If it shakes out like this the Pelicans will have been huge winners of this draft with both Lonzo and Jackson, both of which can be franchise changers.
6. Brooklyn Nets: Dennis Smith | PG | NC State
Now if you ask me this is where the draft gets interesting both in real life and in here. Who the Nets take here is basically impossible to predict but if i had to guess i'm gonna go with Dennis Smith. Obviously it's super early but i see Smith going to New York who take a chance on his flashy play and athleticism. That makes the pick easy for Nets who i think just go with whoever has the best situation. The Nets have young players at every position and Smith will join a fun group in Mudiay and Dejounte Murray. I loved Smith in high school. He's one of the more exciting guys to watch but he doesn't come without some issues. For one he's pretty undersized. He doesn't have a great jumper yet, but he also isn't always there mentally. If he can work on his consistency he can a force in this league, but his athleticism is Russell esque, and it probably a smart move for the Nets to take a risk on that type of talent/athleticism.
7. Minnesota Timberwolves: Jonathon Isaac | SF/PF | Florida State
Again hard to read what happens here. The T-wolves are also under new management. But my guess is they take the guy with the highest upside and take Isaac. Like Jackson i hear a lot of doubts about him from my friends and guys on Twitter. It's understandable there are times he checks out and looks soft. There are also times where he looks absolutely unguardable. I think Durant has made teams desperate to find the next KD which pushes guys like Isaac's and Ingram's value up, when what KD does is just absolutely amazing and i think going to be so hard to duplicate. With that being said, a guy at that size with that ability is scary. I know i'm being a pussy but i can honestly see it going both ways with Isaac. He could capitalize on his rare skill set or he could never really put it all together, it really just depends on his mental toughness and willingness to work, which is pretty impossible to know. Still i think the Twolves are happy to land a guy like Isaac at 7, and add to an already scary core.
8. Phoenix Suns: Malik Monk | SG | Kentucky
I think the Suns were praying Isaac falls to them as they still don't have a small forward under contract. I think they settle with Monk here. Monk is going to be one of the more interesting situations to monitor both in here and in real life. He has absolutely explosive athleticism and is a great shooter for his age, but he's undersized, and generally shooting guards no matter how good in real life are capped in here. That being said that makes finding a good one even more valuable. Monk has as much talent as anyone but his development is going to come down to the situation he's put in and his ability to make up for his lack of size. The Suns take Monk here as he's just too much talent to pass up, but he is definitely another one of those boom or bust prospects.
9. LA Lakers: Lauri Markkanen |PF | Arizona
Big Euro bigs generally fall in our draft, but with Porzingis it'll be interesting to see where Markkanen goes this year. I can't remember a draft that had this many boom or bust prospects. At his best Markkanen becomes an elite stretch big with a beautiful stroke who can score inside, outside, and in the mid range. He also has the tools to be a contributor defensively. At worst he's a guy who can only sit in the corner and hit threes while being a big body inside who can grab some boards. I think his development really just depends on the situation he lands in at his best this guy can be special. I know new LAkers GM Griffin is a PAC-12 guy and if he's there at 9 he'll most likely grab him.
10. Miami Heat: Jarett Allen | C | Texas
We've got little intel at the moment at who Bryan likes or who he watched this year. I doubt he watched a lot of Texas ball this year because of how bad they were, but he has to have heard of Jarrett Allen. And with center being one of the hardest positions in the league to have depth at I think the Heat take him here at 10. Allen's just another guy with huge upside. He is unbelievably long and at worse will be a very good rim-protecting big man. He doesn't look super athletic but don't sleep on him, Allen has sneaky athleticism. His role as a pro will come down to how well he develops offensively. He has a soft touch, and length you can't teach, the Heat I think would be very happy with the Texas project at 10.
11. Orlando Magic: Frank Ntilikina | PG | France
I'm not gonna pretend like i know a lot about Frank. But what i do know is that he seems like a very good prospect. He's got good length and size for the position and is a good on ball and perimeter defender. I don't think he's very NBA ready, but the Magic are in desperate need of some point guard help after swinging and missing on Cam Payne with an early pick. I could see the Magic even moving up from #11 to snag one of the earlier point guard, but if not Frank's a good consolation prize. Euro players tend to slip in the draft because of a lot of the unknowns, but if the Magic can groom Frank and be patient it could be a big dividends in the future.
12. Portland Trailblazers: Zach Collins | C | Gonzaga
Like i said earlier, white big men generally slip in the draft. If Collins falls into the Blazers lap at 12 i think they should be thrilled, and without giving too much away i might have to trade up to #12 if Collins is still available. I LOVE Zach Collins. He has great size, he's an extremely smart player, has wonderful touch and is just a natural scorer. On top of that he's proven to be a good defender. I don't think he comes in an contributes right away, but Collins has all the tools to be a two way star in the league. The Blazers have Kamisnky and Diallo down low, so i think they welcome Collins with open arms.
13. Houston Rockets: OG Anunoby | SF/PF | Indiana
It's really crazy i don't think we've seen draft with this big a gap in which players could go. It makes it real tough to predict and i might look like an idiot for this one but i've got the Rockets who need really everything taking, Anunoby. It'll be interesting to see where the Rockets go. They have three players under contract, but all three players are in or heading towards the end of their primes. Do they try to add now and win? Or are they going to start to try and rebuild? I think Anunoby offers the best mix of upside and high floor here at 13. He's an athletic long wing who can defend. He is a little bit of a tweener, but if he can work on his ball skills it shouldn't be much of an issue. I don't think he has what it takes to be a star, but i do think he has what it takes to stick in this league, and the Rockets roll with that.
14. New Orleans Pelicans: TJ Leaf | PF | UCLA
The Pelicans pair up college teammates and take TJ Leaf. I'll tell you right off the bat i'm not the biggest TJ Leaf fan, but the pick here makes sense. Leaf has a pretty high floor in my eyes, and while i don't think he'll ever come close to a star i think he becomes a solid role player in this league which is all you can ask for with pick 14. The Pelicans have only Portis at PF, and so Leaf helps in bringing some depth down low. He needs to get stronger and quicker, but as he gets older he'll get there and learn. His jumper is going to help him acclimate well, and i can see him as a better version of Jason Smith down the line.
15. New York Knicks (now Hornets): Donovan Mitchell | SG | Louisville
We forget Knicks finished the regular season under .500 before going on a monster run to win it all. I think the Knicks go with Mitchell here. Mitchell is a guy i really like, he's got good athleticism, a great wingspan, and a good skillset. Will he ever become a star? Probably not, but i think he has everything he needs to be an everyday player. He needs to work on his shooting consistency but very few don't at this level. With only Evan Turner and Goodwin on the roster, there is a very good chance Mitchell steps in with a role from day 1. If he were a little bit taller he would probably be going a lot higher. He makes up for his lack of height in other ways though and is really a good get for this Knicks franchise.
16. Toronto Raptors: Ike Anigbogu | C | UCLA
The Raptors get the Mavericks pick from the Bogut/Rozier trade. The Raptors don't really have many weaknesses around the roster, outside of maybe point guard. However i don't think there is anybody worth reaching for at this point, so they settle with a high upside guy in Anigbogu. Anigbogu didn't play a ton at UCLA and was overshadowed by Lonzo and Leaf, but what he does can 100% help an NBA team. Anibogu has great athleticism and good size with a 7'6 wingspan. He's solid and smooth in transition and crashes the offensive glass very hard. He has zero literal offensive game whether it be post up or shooting, but the thing is he really doesn't need it. He's a good defender with elite length, crashes the board strong and is smooth in transition. If he can improve in certain areas, he's a starter in this league, and if he doesn't he should still carve out a role as a solid rim protector and offensive rebounder.
17. Oklahoma City Thunder: Justin Patton | C | Creighton
The Thunder have one of the worst roster balance in the league, with no center or small forwards under contract. I think with this in mind they go with Justin Patton a talented seven footer out of Creighton. I'm not the biggest Patton fan but the pick here makes sense. You can't teach that size and mobility. Patton can really get out in transition. He's smooth and doesn't like clunky like some other guys in the league. He does have a post game, but i'm not as sold on it as others. I think he'll struggle inside again bigger/stronger guys and im not sure he's quite as skilled down there as we think. Obviously he has tools as a shot blocker because of his size but it's going to be a lot tougher in the NBA. If Patton lands in the situation he can be a very solid big man, but i could also see him flopping. Only time will tell but i do think that for the Thunder he is a good pick right here.
18. Philadelphia 76ers: Justin Jackson | SF | UNC
I think Jackson probably goes higher in real life, but 18 is the perfect spot for him in here. Jackson has a pretty low ceiling, but also a pretty high floor. With no small forwards on the roster, Jackson makes a lot of sense. Jackson won't ever be a star, he's limited in his frame, isn't a great facilitator, and is an average re-bounder. But what he can do is shoot the damn basketball. He isn't an elite shooter, but is solid and will make the the open shot whether it's a three a pull up a mid range, a floater, you name is he can make it. I still don't think he has what it takes to be an elite scorer, but he definitely has what it takes to be an energy scorer off the bench. The fit makes sense here in Philly, who i think are happy to let him fall to 18.
19. Denver Nuggets: John Collins | PF | Wake Forest
I honestly didn't know much about Collins coming into this draft, so it was fun to get to know him for this pick. After checking him out I'm pretty high on him. His game is unique his scoring is mostly from post ups something that is a lost art in this NBA. Despite being undersized he has good length that should help him match up well with 4's in the league. Collins is strong and explosive attacking the rim. While he isn't a great shooter yet his stroke is very nice and looks like it should translate to a nice stroke down the line. I really could see Collins working out in his own unique way in the NBA. A guy who is high energy on the glass but also boxes out well and is good in transition. The key really will come down to his ability to play NBA level defense. He has tools, but mentally he isn't there. If he can get this to a manageable point, he could be playing meaningful minutes in the NBA soon.
20. Boston Celtics: Jordan Bell | PF | Oregon
Pretty ballsy production but i can see it. Yes, the Celtics have a lot of front court players but i think Yacob goes with a guy he really, really likes. I got to watch a ton of Jordan Bell this year (i go to Oregon). He is an explosive athlete, has unbelievable timing when blocking shots, and is smooth when in transition. Bell is a weird guy to describe. He has a wing's body without the ball handling or offensive skills. He was able to protect the rim at a very high level despite his size. Really it's hard to call how good he'll be? Will he make up for his size with his timing and lack of skills or will he make up for it with his timing and athleticism.
21. Washington Wizards: Luke Kennard | SG | Duke
Obviously this deep in the draft a lot of these picks depend on situation but Kennard can absolutely fill it up. He may not have been the same pure shooter JJ was in college, but he can score in so many more ways. He is very polished, and even though his upside is limited, i could really see Kennard being a big contributor on a team in the future.
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