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NBA Mock Draft: Edition 3

1. Cleveland Cavaliers Joel Embiid, C
Despite having just a 1.7% chance of winning the lottery, the Cavs landed the top spot for the third time in four years. They could go anywhere here, but they really need a big man and Embiid is by far the best big man in this talented draft.
2. Milwaukee Bucks Andrew Wiggins, G/F
The Bucks may have missed out on the top spot, but they could get quite the consolation prize in Wiggins. His scoring potential and crazy athleticism should be fun to watch playing alongside Greek forward Giannis Adentokounmpo.
3. Philadelphia Sixers Jabari Parker, F
Marcus Smart
No player in this draft presents the matchup problems Parker can give opponents. He is long and athletic with shooting touch from everywhere on the court. Philly would be making a huge mistake if they don't draft him here.
4. Orlando Magic Dante Exum, PG
The need for the Magic coming into this draft is clear: a point guard. Exum, a gifted Australian, with a 6'6" body and elite playmaking ability, should be the smart move.
5. Utah Jazz Noah Vonleh, F/C
Other than Derrick Favors, no big man on this Utah roster has proven that they deserve to be starters on an NBA roster. Vonleh's size and fit with the Jazz make him the selection over Julius Randle here.
6. Boston Celtics Marcus Smart, PG
The Celtics are reportedly shopping Rajon Rondo around which doesn't surprise anyone. They will need a point guard for the future if they do indeed deal away Rondo and with his scoring ability and NBA size, Smart is the best available point guard here.
7. Los Angeles Lakers Julius Randle, PF
Inconsistency plagued Randle throughout his time with Kentucky but when he is on his game, he looks absolutely fantastic. His athleticism and versatility will definitely help an aging and not very deep Lakers' frontcourt.
8. Sacramento Kings Aaron Gordon, F
It is very likely the Kings might want to deal this pick away but if they keep it, Gordon should be top on their boards. The crazy athlete from Arizona really helped his stock with an impressive combine and the Kings could really use him to play both forward positions.
9. Charlotte Hornets Doug McDermott, F
Although Cody Zeller, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Al Jefferson are talented, the Hornets frontcourt is pretty limited, they don't have very much floor-spacers or versatility. McDermott won't wow anyone with his psychical gifts but he is a gifted shooter who can hurt you in a lot of different ways.
10. Philadelphia Sixers Zach LaVine, G
After already landing Jabari, the Sixers should look for another backcourt piece with their second lottery pick. LaVine, who is blowing away scouts with his tremendous athleticism, still has a long way to go, but the raw tools are there.
11. Denver Nuggets Gary Harris, SG
Even with their up-tempo, high-octane offensive attack, the Nuggets still need shooters to win games. They will need to address that here with the No. 11 pick, and Harris is a fantastic shooter with experience and toughness.
12. Orlando Magic Dario Saric, F
A major issue for the Magic these past two seasons has been the lack of depth in the frontcourt. Saric is a talented Croatian forward with the ability to do a number of good things. He is a gifted rebounder with great size and is improved as a defender. Give him some time, and he could be a steal here for Orlando.
13. Minnesota Timberwolves Nik Stauskas, G/F
Much like a lot of other teams in the late lottery, the T-Wolves are looking for depth and shooting. Stauskas can provide both along with versatility as he can play both guard and an undersized small forward.
14. Phoenix Suns Kyle Anderson, G/F
Anderson reminds you of Magic Johnson in a way: the 6'9" guard has fantastic ball handling skills and is great on dribble penetration. He may be a slight stretch here but the Suns would love his size and they can afford to stretch on a prospect or two, considering how many picks they have in this draft.
15. Atlanta Hawks James Young, SG
The Hawks are a pretty good three-point shooting team but that doesn't mean they wouldn't like to add another player who is dangerous from downtown. Young is a dangerous three-point bomber who can attack defenses in a variety of ways, he will inject some youth to this backcourt.
16. Chicago Bulls Tyler Ennis, PG
Unlike a lot of prospects in this draft, Ennis isn't crazy athletic or a deadly three-point shooter or very versatile. What he does offer is smarts, solid scoring punch and a player that be basically a second coach from the get go. Tom Thibodeau would love to have this hard-worker coming off the bench.
17. Boston Celtics Rodney Hood, G/F
With their second first-round pick, the Celtics should look to snatch up a wing scorer in Hood, who can do so many different things well. Hood is a gifted slasher who can work wonders as a rebounder and at the very least will give you a lot of solid minutes.
18. Phoenix Suns Jerami Grant, F
It is likely Grant could drop further than here but even if they do bring in Anderson, the Suns will need another forward in this draft. There are a number of options here, but Grant has tremendous upside even though he is very raw at the moment.
19. Chicago Bulls T.J. Warren, F
The Bulls are a great defensive team but they really need the scoring punch Warren would provide. He is an athletic forward with major upside and it isn't like he is a bad defender, he can make big plays on both ends of the court.
20. Toronto Raptors Elfrid Payton, PG
Throughout much of the season, the Raptors looked like they were going to deal away Kyle Lowry. They kept him, but he could easily ditch this summer in free agency along with Greivis Vasquez. Even if both stay the Raptors could still use a point guard and Payton is the best available here.
21. Oklahoma City Thunder P.J. Hairston, SG
The shooting guard position could be up for grabs this next year if Thabo Sefolosha decides to leave the Thunder in free agency. Hairston would be an upgrade as he has the potential to be a very dangerous scorer who can give OKC what they lacked since they dealt away James Harden.
22. Memphis Grizzlies Clint Capela, F/C
The Grizzlies' frontcourt is pretty solid at the moment but gaining some depth and a future replacement for the aging Zach Randolph wouldn't be a bad idea. Capela, a Swiss forward/center, is a crazy athlete with NBA size (6'11") and the potential to really grow on the offensive end.
23. Utah Jazz K.J. McDaniels, G/F
This past season, the Jazz were so weak on the wing they started Richard Jefferson, who is somehow still in the league. They need a young wing scorer and Clemson star K.J. McDaniels is the answer, he can attack in a variety of ways.
24. Charlotte Hornets Shabazz Napier, PG
Outside of Kemba Walker, Charlotte's backcourt is pretty weak and it will need some new young pieces added to it this offseason. Napier is undersized to play shooting guard but he could be a very serviceable backup to Kemba and has the potential to really grow into a feared shooter.
25. Houston Rockets Glenn Robinson, F
If Robinson does drop all the way down here, it will be very tough for Houston to not select the Michigan star. They could use some more scorers in their frontcourt and Robinson is a versatile player who could easily grow into a second or third offensive option on this team.
26. Miami Heat Jordan Clarkson, G
Ray Allen has hit some big shots in his short time with the Heat, but his time in the NBA may come to an end this summer. Even if it doesn't the Heat still need a long-term scorer added on to their roster and Clarkson is an ideal fit. He is slightly raw and more decisions are pretty common for him but the psychical gifts are there for him to grow into an impact player.
27. Phoenix Suns Adreian Payne, F/C
Payne is easily one of the best big men in this draft but how he fits into rosters may drop him down here. If he is available, the Suns should leap on him to provide another frontcourt piece for the future. He still needs to get stronger and injuries are a slight concern but he could be a steal here.
28. Los Angeles Clippers Semaj Christon, PG
The Clippers just need depth, whether it be in the frontcourt or backcourt. Christon is an ideal selection here, an Xavier star with a high ceiling but still developing as a point guard. Learning behind Chris Paul will certainly help.
29. Oklahoma City Thunder Jusuf Nurkic, C
As of right now, the Thunder frontcourt and roster is pretty congested and attempting to develop a first-round pick on it might be difficult. Nurkic, a Bosnian center, will likely spend a couple more years overseas before he makes the jump to the NBA. He will be able to grow as a player and at the worst, Oklahoma City can get a big man that can block shots.
30. San Antonio Spurs Cleanthony Early, F
San Antonio does an incredible job of developing late draft picks and Early could be next. The Wichita State forward would actually fit pretty well for these team. He will rebound, play hard and is a tough player and the Spurs have to think about life after Tim Duncan. Early could be the start.


 


2 comments:

Unknown said...

Great job Tmac. I like a lot of these picks

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
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