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the nba draft is coming soon, and im always a big nut when it comes to evaluating prospects and trying to guess the draft. Here is my current lotto mock.
1-cavs: Joel Embiid (c, kansas fr)
the first overall pick is up in the air, but i have been on the embiid bandwagon for months assuming his back checks out. And recent reports are that is back is looking good. He is a 7 footer with huge potential on both sides the court. A great athlete, he has actual skills and a solid frame to go with it all. Nice shooting touch out to 18 feet. Good soft hands down low. Plus since the cavs drafted an undersized defensively challenged pf last year, they really need an athletic defensive center to balance the post game.
2-bucks: Andrew Wiggins (sf, kansas fr)
Wiggins is an elite level athlete with major potential on both ends the court. A nice jumper and decent handle. He did not show the level of consistency attacking offensively as most would have hoped, but the upside is there and many think he will actually go number one as he was considered the consensus top pick a year ago coming out of highschool. Size, athleticism, defense and jump shot are all there. Just needs to mentally develop an edge and show improved one on one skills.
3-sixers: Jabari Parker (sf, duke fr)
Parker is the most offensively ready of anyone in this draft. He is a big 6-9 sf who some think could even play pf. He gets a lot of carmelo anthony comparisons and for good reason. He loves physical contact and attacks the rim hard. He also a very solid handle and a nice step back jumper off the dribble. The safest of these top 3 picks because he should be able to contribute immediately at the offensive end. But what puts him behind embiid and wiggins is the defensive end where he was a sub par defender even by college standards and gets beat off the dribble far too easily if he does indeed play sf.
4-Magic: Dante Exum (pg/sg, Australia)
Exum is a bit of an unknown because he played vs weak highschool level comp in Australia this past year and is really just riding the wave of a break out performance in a highschool all-star game where he led the world squad over a US squad led by the top us highschool players a year ago. But he has good size at 6-6 and an explosive first step that he uses to blow by defenders to get into the lane at will. Questionable jumpshot but should do enough off the dribble and in transition and defensively to allow him time to improve the jumper similar to tony parker.
5-Jazz: Noah Vonleh (pf/c, Indiana fr)
This is where the draft starts to really get tricky and it's up to each individual team to decide whats best as the talent is very close from here on out. Vonleh is a 6-9 big man with a freakish long wingspan and the largest handsize of anyone in this draft. He palms the ball like its a tennis ball. He also has a very nice dribble and an excellent jump shot for a big man. He shot close to 50% from three in his one college season and vids of his workouts seem to suggest he can be a legit deep threat. But its his rebounding that really stands out. He grabbed over 9 boards per game as a freshman at indiana and really seemed to enjoy the physical game down low. Not an explosive athlete and very basic with his post moves though.
6-Celtics: Aaron Gordon (pf/sf, Arizona fr)
This pick is made slightly based on rumors circulating that the celtics are leaning heavily towards Gordon. He is a an elite level athlete who really gets after it defensively. He can guard both front court positions. He will run the court as well as any pf there is in the NBA. Lots of bounce in his step and he has a decent skill set with above average ball handling and passing. Offensively he is a work in progress though. Not a post up threat and struggles finishing in traffic as he is skinny for a big. His jumper was down right broken during his one year of college, but recent videos have surfaced of workouts where his jumper looks much improved and more fluid with him draining numerous nba range threes in a row and looking fluid while doing it as he has said it is his number 1 priority this summer. He is also by far the youngest player in this draft a good 6-7 months younger then fellow freshman who are coming out.
7-Lakers: Julius Randle (pf, Kentucky fr)
Randle is a very skilled big who has a nice offensive touch both in the paint and facing the basket. He enjoys contact and will be physical down low when challenged. Nice ball handling skills for a pf. Not considered a major defensive force. Plus there are some concerns about his mental approach. Most scouts prefer to see him focus on staying in the paint where he can be a zach randolph type. However he occasionally gets caught up playing around the perimeter trying to look more like a lamar odom type who becomes passive. Either way, the lakers need a big and randle has an outside chance of proving to be the best player from this draft which is hard to get at 7.
8-Kings: Marcus Smart (pg/sg, oklahoma st so)
Smart is a very big and powerful pg who stands about 6-4 and weighs 220 and loves to bully his way to the rim and attacks hard. He is a supreme competitor who leaves all on the court and could be an all-nba caliber defender. The concerns lie with his sub par jump shot and questionable decision making where he will occasionally take terrible shots. Kings need toughness and defense though and smart brings both. His ability to gaurd and play either back position brings extra intrigue for anyone drafting him as they can use him in different lineups.
9-Hornets: Zach Lavine (sg, ucla fr)
Lavine did'nt stand out his one year of college where he came off the bench and only scored 9 per game. But his skills have scouts drooling and wondering if he could be the next russel westbrook from ucla that comes in under the radar and takes the league by storm. He measured with a 46" vertical jump during a workout for the lakers which is one of the best ever recorded for an nba hopeful. He makes dunking look effortless. He also has a nice pull up jumper with nba range and good handle. Uses speed well to stay in front of guys defensively. Still super weak physically and has trouble playing through contact. Struggles finishing in traffic. Settles for too many jumpers when he tries to go one on one although he keeps getting better by the day so the inconsistencies he showed at ucla could be long forgotten by teams once they work him out.
10-sixers: Dario Saric (pf/sf, croatia)
Saric played some high level ball in europe this past year and excelled averagin over 16 points and 8 rebounds and 3 assists per game playing against men. He is a tweener forward who is will struggle staying in front of sf'd defensively but will do most his damage facing up and pushing the ball and attacking off the dribble. Likes initiating offensive and will constantly move around and cut. Very solid passer with a high bball iq. Can shoot from distance and finish down low but not elite in anyone area offensively. Gets pushed around by stronger bigs. Some concerns that he might not come over right away.
11-nuggets: Jusuf Nurkic (c bosnia)
Nukic is a big 7foot 280 lb center who likes to bang down low. He's not a very good athlete, but he does move his feet well and constantly moves aroud battling for rebounds not just standing and watching. Good touch down low with big offensive potential. He played pro overseas where he averaged 11 points and 5 rebounds in just 14 minutes of action per game. He also shot over 60% from the floor and over 80% from the ft line. The guy has lots of tools and looks like big country from his college days back in the 90's from what i've seen.
12-Magic: Doug Mcdermott (sf creighton sr)
Mcdermott is an elite level shooter who has gotten tons of run with nba players in various international circuits in recent years and has held his own. He has good size at 6-8 and likes to use his body to carve out space in the mid range. Is working really hard on his lateral quickness and holding his own in one o one workouts with guys perceived to be faster then him which is his big question mark. Should come in and score immediately. Will need to find ways to free himself off the ball to score buckets because its doubtful he will take nba level guys one on one too well.
13-Wolves: Adrien Payne (pf michigan st sr)
With love on his way out of town sooner or later, Payne would answer a need at the pf position. He could slide a bit due to age as he is an older senior. But the guy has great size and strength with a mature game that should allow him to contribute immediately. He also has a very nice outside shot that could easily be extended to nba range. Some sites have payne falling to the 20's, but i just think he is too solid and safe to fall too far.
14-Suns: James Young (sg, Kentucky fr)
Young is a very smooth playing 6-7 sg with a nice stroke. He settles for too many outside shots, but considering his age and the depth of talent he was surrounded with at kentucky, there is optimism he can obtain an aggressive attacking style of offense off the dribble to compliment his already nice shooting touch. Size is a major plus as it should allow him to compete defensively and make up ground vs quicker opponents. He really picked up his level of play as the tournament went on and helped lead the wildcats to the title game. The suns already have nice wing scorers. But with 3 first round picks, they can afford to just draft best available here.
1-cavs: Joel Embiid (c, kansas fr)
the first overall pick is up in the air, but i have been on the embiid bandwagon for months assuming his back checks out. And recent reports are that is back is looking good. He is a 7 footer with huge potential on both sides the court. A great athlete, he has actual skills and a solid frame to go with it all. Nice shooting touch out to 18 feet. Good soft hands down low. Plus since the cavs drafted an undersized defensively challenged pf last year, they really need an athletic defensive center to balance the post game.
2-bucks: Andrew Wiggins (sf, kansas fr)
Wiggins is an elite level athlete with major potential on both ends the court. A nice jumper and decent handle. He did not show the level of consistency attacking offensively as most would have hoped, but the upside is there and many think he will actually go number one as he was considered the consensus top pick a year ago coming out of highschool. Size, athleticism, defense and jump shot are all there. Just needs to mentally develop an edge and show improved one on one skills.
3-sixers: Jabari Parker (sf, duke fr)
Parker is the most offensively ready of anyone in this draft. He is a big 6-9 sf who some think could even play pf. He gets a lot of carmelo anthony comparisons and for good reason. He loves physical contact and attacks the rim hard. He also a very solid handle and a nice step back jumper off the dribble. The safest of these top 3 picks because he should be able to contribute immediately at the offensive end. But what puts him behind embiid and wiggins is the defensive end where he was a sub par defender even by college standards and gets beat off the dribble far too easily if he does indeed play sf.
4-Magic: Dante Exum (pg/sg, Australia)
Exum is a bit of an unknown because he played vs weak highschool level comp in Australia this past year and is really just riding the wave of a break out performance in a highschool all-star game where he led the world squad over a US squad led by the top us highschool players a year ago. But he has good size at 6-6 and an explosive first step that he uses to blow by defenders to get into the lane at will. Questionable jumpshot but should do enough off the dribble and in transition and defensively to allow him time to improve the jumper similar to tony parker.
5-Jazz: Noah Vonleh (pf/c, Indiana fr)
This is where the draft starts to really get tricky and it's up to each individual team to decide whats best as the talent is very close from here on out. Vonleh is a 6-9 big man with a freakish long wingspan and the largest handsize of anyone in this draft. He palms the ball like its a tennis ball. He also has a very nice dribble and an excellent jump shot for a big man. He shot close to 50% from three in his one college season and vids of his workouts seem to suggest he can be a legit deep threat. But its his rebounding that really stands out. He grabbed over 9 boards per game as a freshman at indiana and really seemed to enjoy the physical game down low. Not an explosive athlete and very basic with his post moves though.
6-Celtics: Aaron Gordon (pf/sf, Arizona fr)
This pick is made slightly based on rumors circulating that the celtics are leaning heavily towards Gordon. He is a an elite level athlete who really gets after it defensively. He can guard both front court positions. He will run the court as well as any pf there is in the NBA. Lots of bounce in his step and he has a decent skill set with above average ball handling and passing. Offensively he is a work in progress though. Not a post up threat and struggles finishing in traffic as he is skinny for a big. His jumper was down right broken during his one year of college, but recent videos have surfaced of workouts where his jumper looks much improved and more fluid with him draining numerous nba range threes in a row and looking fluid while doing it as he has said it is his number 1 priority this summer. He is also by far the youngest player in this draft a good 6-7 months younger then fellow freshman who are coming out.
7-Lakers: Julius Randle (pf, Kentucky fr)
Randle is a very skilled big who has a nice offensive touch both in the paint and facing the basket. He enjoys contact and will be physical down low when challenged. Nice ball handling skills for a pf. Not considered a major defensive force. Plus there are some concerns about his mental approach. Most scouts prefer to see him focus on staying in the paint where he can be a zach randolph type. However he occasionally gets caught up playing around the perimeter trying to look more like a lamar odom type who becomes passive. Either way, the lakers need a big and randle has an outside chance of proving to be the best player from this draft which is hard to get at 7.
8-Kings: Marcus Smart (pg/sg, oklahoma st so)
Smart is a very big and powerful pg who stands about 6-4 and weighs 220 and loves to bully his way to the rim and attacks hard. He is a supreme competitor who leaves all on the court and could be an all-nba caliber defender. The concerns lie with his sub par jump shot and questionable decision making where he will occasionally take terrible shots. Kings need toughness and defense though and smart brings both. His ability to gaurd and play either back position brings extra intrigue for anyone drafting him as they can use him in different lineups.
9-Hornets: Zach Lavine (sg, ucla fr)
Lavine did'nt stand out his one year of college where he came off the bench and only scored 9 per game. But his skills have scouts drooling and wondering if he could be the next russel westbrook from ucla that comes in under the radar and takes the league by storm. He measured with a 46" vertical jump during a workout for the lakers which is one of the best ever recorded for an nba hopeful. He makes dunking look effortless. He also has a nice pull up jumper with nba range and good handle. Uses speed well to stay in front of guys defensively. Still super weak physically and has trouble playing through contact. Struggles finishing in traffic. Settles for too many jumpers when he tries to go one on one although he keeps getting better by the day so the inconsistencies he showed at ucla could be long forgotten by teams once they work him out.
10-sixers: Dario Saric (pf/sf, croatia)
Saric played some high level ball in europe this past year and excelled averagin over 16 points and 8 rebounds and 3 assists per game playing against men. He is a tweener forward who is will struggle staying in front of sf'd defensively but will do most his damage facing up and pushing the ball and attacking off the dribble. Likes initiating offensive and will constantly move around and cut. Very solid passer with a high bball iq. Can shoot from distance and finish down low but not elite in anyone area offensively. Gets pushed around by stronger bigs. Some concerns that he might not come over right away.
11-nuggets: Jusuf Nurkic (c bosnia)
Nukic is a big 7foot 280 lb center who likes to bang down low. He's not a very good athlete, but he does move his feet well and constantly moves aroud battling for rebounds not just standing and watching. Good touch down low with big offensive potential. He played pro overseas where he averaged 11 points and 5 rebounds in just 14 minutes of action per game. He also shot over 60% from the floor and over 80% from the ft line. The guy has lots of tools and looks like big country from his college days back in the 90's from what i've seen.
12-Magic: Doug Mcdermott (sf creighton sr)
Mcdermott is an elite level shooter who has gotten tons of run with nba players in various international circuits in recent years and has held his own. He has good size at 6-8 and likes to use his body to carve out space in the mid range. Is working really hard on his lateral quickness and holding his own in one o one workouts with guys perceived to be faster then him which is his big question mark. Should come in and score immediately. Will need to find ways to free himself off the ball to score buckets because its doubtful he will take nba level guys one on one too well.
13-Wolves: Adrien Payne (pf michigan st sr)
With love on his way out of town sooner or later, Payne would answer a need at the pf position. He could slide a bit due to age as he is an older senior. But the guy has great size and strength with a mature game that should allow him to contribute immediately. He also has a very nice outside shot that could easily be extended to nba range. Some sites have payne falling to the 20's, but i just think he is too solid and safe to fall too far.
14-Suns: James Young (sg, Kentucky fr)
Young is a very smooth playing 6-7 sg with a nice stroke. He settles for too many outside shots, but considering his age and the depth of talent he was surrounded with at kentucky, there is optimism he can obtain an aggressive attacking style of offense off the dribble to compliment his already nice shooting touch. Size is a major plus as it should allow him to compete defensively and make up ground vs quicker opponents. He really picked up his level of play as the tournament went on and helped lead the wildcats to the title game. The suns already have nice wing scorers. But with 3 first round picks, they can afford to just draft best available here.
