Well, the NBA season has come to a close. The NBA Draft is on Thursday, coming very soon. While this Mock Draft won’t be as detailed as last year’s, I will still provide detail on each draftee that I believe will go in the lottery. Let’s begin.
1, San Antonio Spurs: Victor Wembanyama
Height: 7’5”
Team: Metropolitan 92
Position: C
Highest in Mock Drafts: 1 (All of them)
Lowest in Mock Drafts: 1 (All of them)
Current skill: B+
Ceiling: A+
Floor: C
Archetype: Demigod
Victor Wembanyama is a far from rudimentary talent. He might be the most hyped up talent of all time. The Spurs have a no-brainer at this spot, and they might just be able to make Wembanyama work with the team.
2, Charlotte Hornets: Scoot Henderson
Height: 6’2”
Team: G-League Ignite
Position: PG
Highest in Mock Drafts: 2 (Many)
Lowest in Mock Drafts: 3 (Many)
Current Skill: B
Ceiling: A+
Floor: C+
Archetype: Quick and Athletic Scorer
Many people are suggesting Brandon Miller above Scoot for the Hornets because Miller fits in better with the Hornets. However, it’s a well-known fact that at this point in the draft you draft for quality, not fit. I would be very surprised if Miller ends up going over Scoot in the draft. In another draft, Scoot would probably be the #1 pick in any other draft, but needs to work on his shooting from long distance, which could be the thing that kills his NBA chances.
3, Portland Trail Blazers: Brandon Miller
Height: 6’9”
Team: Alabama
Position: SF
Highest in Mock Drafts: 2 (Many)
Lowest in Mock Drafts: 4 (SB Nation)
Current Skill: B
Ceiling: A
Floor: C-
Archetype: Jack of all Trades
My esteemed colleague had to be himself and said that he would pick Brandon Miller over Scoot and Wembanyama in this draft. However, Brandon Miller is still a solid player and does well in most if not all aspects of his game, with the most improvement needed in long range shooting, something lacking in most of this class oddly, and ball handling. The Blazers, or whoever ends up with this pick, shouldn’t feel hard done by with this.
4, Houston Rockets: Amen Thompson
Height: 6’7”
Team: Overtime Elite
Position: Combo Guard
Highest in Mock Drafts: 3 (SB Nation)
Lowest in Mock Drafts: 6 (nbadraftroom)
Current Skill: B-
Ceiling: A
Floor: D
Archetype: 2-Way Menace
Amen Thompson is an odd prospect. Being in the Overtime Elite league, an option which has only been explored for 2 years, and the Thompson twins being the first lottery picks to come from the league, we don’t know how the numbers he put up would translate to college or G-League. However, he looks like quite a good player, even though his strengths are big strengths and his flaws are big flaws.
5, Detroit Pistons: Ausar Thompson
Height: 6’7”
Team: Overtime Elite
Position: Combo Guard
Highest in Mock Drafts: 5 (Multiple)
Lowest in Mock Drafts: 10 (Nbadraftroom)
Current Skill: B-
Ceiling: A
Floor: D
Archetype: 2-Way Menace
Ausar Thompson is basically his brother, but his numbers are even crazier. This may be an unpopular opinion, but Ausar goes higher on my big board than Amen, but Amen will no doubt go higher on draft night. We’ll see how they can do in a supporting role.
6, Orlando Magic: Cam Whitmore
Height: 6’7”
Team: Villanova
Position: SF
Highest in Mock Drafts: 4 (Nbadraftroom)
Lowest in Mock Drafts: 6 (Multiple)
Current Skill: B-
Ceiling: A
Floor: D-
Archetype: Athletic Scorer
Orlando could be beaming that Cam Whitmore falls to them at 6. At only 18, he’s one of the youngest players in the lottery, although he’ll be 19 before Summer League starts. However, Whitmore isn’t a very efficient player, nor does he have the moves required to get a shot in the league effectively. However, he’s a Kawhi Leonard type, a good defender.
7, Indiana Pacers: Taylor Hendricks
Height: 6’9”
Team: Central Florida
Position: PF
Highest in Mock Drafts: 7 (Multiple)
Lowest in Mock Drafts: 10 (Multiple)
Current Skill: C
Ceiling: A
Floor: D-
Archetype: High Upside Defender
I picked Hendricks for the Pacers over the probably better Jarace Walker as the Pacers are in need of size and athleticism in the frontcourt, which Hendricks is better than Walker as. This is what I’ll think they’ll do, but do I think it’ll be the right decision? No. Hendricks is a project, not well suited to an Indiana team that wants to get back in contention fairly quickly.
8, Washington Wizards: Jarace Walker
Height: 6’7”
Team: Houston
Position: PF
Highest in Mock Drafts: 5 (Nbadraftroom)
Lowest in Mock Drafts: 9 (clutchpoints)
Current Skill: C+
Ceiling: A-
Floor: D-
Archetype: Physical Freak
I think Jarace Walker will be much better than Taylor Hendricks, and if you’re Washington, having traded Bradley Beal and no longer needing someone to compliment him, they should just take the best player available. That would be Walker, great athletically, but needs some work on his technical game.
9, Utah Jazz: Kobe Bufkin
Height: 6’5”
Team: Michigan
Position: SG
Highest in Mock Drafts: 9 (Sir Charles in Charge)
Lowest in Mock Drafts: Outside Lotto (SB Nation)
Current Skill: C
Ceiling: B+
Floor: F
Archetype: All Round Offensive Threat
At 6’5” and 185 lbs, Kobe Bufkin is a stick insect in NBA terms and will need to bulk up to make the jump in physicality from college to the NBA. He’ll likely be a 7th or 8th man for Utah, but if Collin Sexton leaves the team this offseason, he could make the unlikely jump to starter.
10, Dallas Mavericks: Bilal Coulibaly
Height: 6’8”
Team: Metropolitans 92
Position: SF
Highest in Mock Drafts: 9 (Multiple)
Lowest in Mock Drafts: Out of Lotto (Many)
Current Skill: C-
Ceiling: A
Floor: F
Archetype: High Upside Defender
The youngest guy in this lottery, Bilal Coulibaly is the guy on Metropolitans 92 you hadn’t heard of. Coulibaly is a project, so admittedly, the Mavs aren’t the best fit for him, but his defense, if he can be allowed to reach his potential, could lead him to be on an All-NBA Defensive team if not be a contender for the DPOY.
11, Orlando Magic: Gradey Dick
Height: 6’7”
Team: Kansas
Position: SG/SF
Highest in Mock Drafts: 10 (Yardbarker)
Lowest in Mock Drafts: Out of Lotto (Many)
Current Skill: C
Ceiling: B+
Floor: D-
Archetype: Sharpshooter
Sorry, no immature jokes about Gradey Dick’s unfortunate name. The Jayhawks Guard is potentially the best shooter in the lottery if not the draft, and it would never hurt to have another sharpshooter on the team. He isn’t high upside, but he can become a good starter or a 3 and D extraordinaire. He just needs to work on the D part.
12, OKC Thunder: Dereck Lively
Height: 7’1”
Team: Duke
Position: C
Highest in Mock Drafts: 10 (Multiple)
Lowest in Mock Drafts: Out of Lotto (Many)
Current Skill: C-
Ceiling: B+
Floor: F
Archetype: Post Defending Monster
Derek Lively is a good old-fashioned big man. He is one of the best post defenders in this draft, and he could go on to become an absolute monster. However, he is the prospect in this lottery that I think will go on to have the worst career. He doesn’t even have post skill on the offence, and only averaged 5 PPG in college. Who knows how low that number will be in the league. Prove me wrong, though, Lively. I’d love to see the 7-footer succeed.
13, Toronto Raptors: Anthony Black
Height: 6’7”
Team: Arkansas
Position: PG
Highest in Mock Drafts: 6 (Sir Charles in Charge)
Lowest in Mock Drafts: 10 (SB Nation)
Current Skill: C
Ceiling: B+
Floor: D-
Archetype: High Upside Defender
“Hmm, how convenient. Anthony Black falls all this way to be picked by Toronto”, you’re probably thinking. But I think that the Wizards trading Bradley Beal is bad news for Anthony Black. It deprives him of his guaranteed #8 spot and I think he’ll fall. With Fred VanVleet potentially out this offseason, Anthony Black provides some reassurance for Toronto if they can’t resign VanVleet in free agency.
14, New Orleans Pelicans: Cason Wallace
Height: 6’3”
Team: Kentucky
Position: PG
Highest in Mock Drafts: 9 (SB Nation)
Lowest in Mock Drafts: Out of Lotto (Multiple)
Current Skill: C-
Ceiling: B+
Floor: F
Archetype: Well Rounded Project
Cason Wallace isn’t the best guy for 14, but New Orleans need a Guard and Wallace is the best available for that. Even though he turns 20 this year, he’s a project and needs time to develop. He’s a classic Jack-of-all-trades-but-master-of-none player, and could be developed into a solid defense-unlocking key.
That’s all, ladies and gentlemen. This is the lottery I believe will happen. However, the NBA Draft is always crazy, and the supposed structure and common themes among mock drafts is thrown to the wind on draft night. I can’t wait to see it. Until next time.