2025 NBA Draft Thread

VARNELL HILL said:
Not a top 100 prospect as a HS senior. 12 months later he's about to be a first round pick. This is becoming a trend.

Again...with the NIL in place I'm struggling to figure out how long that Overtime Elite thing is going to last.
Click to expand...

I think this is more to do with the gap in scouting due to the pandemic.
 


2022 NBA Mock Draft, Final Four edition: Jabari Smith at No. 1; Bennedict Mathurin, Jeremy Sochan among big movers

The Final Four is here, which means NBA executives have gotten a chance to evaluate nearly all of the games of the college basketball season. We’re moving quickly into the pre-draft process, as players are declaring for the draft as you read this story.

Boom! In the time you read that sentence, another player probably just announced their intentions to turn pro and are 100 percent committed to the process, but remain open to returning to college.

Given that we’re coming up to the end of the college basketball season, it’s time to update the mock draft as we head into college basketball Armageddon this weekend with Duke-North Carolina in New Orleans. Within, you’ll find a good amount of intel, movement and updates from the previous iteration of the mock, which had Chet Holmgren at No. 1 and didn’t include players such as Ohio State’s Malaki Branham, who really has broken out over the last month.

Of course, I’ve laid out some ground rules:

• We’re in the middle of the pre-draft declaration process, which means we have some answers on what the pool looks like, but not all of them. If you don’t see a player here, it means I either think it’s unlikely he ends up in the final pool, he hasn’t yet declared, or he’s not quite there, talent-wise. This is an extremely difficult thing to gauge as we’re in the middle of the process, so it’s a bit of a moving target. It is possible I do some type of an update next week if someone unexpected declares. Additionally, to get ahead of a question that inevitably comes in the comments every single time: Emoni Bates is not eligible for the 2022 NBA Draft by virtue of being born in 2004. He does not meet the age requirement.

• The Shaedon Sharpe question: For now, I’m continuing to keep Sharpe off this mock, mostly out of respect for what continues to be his and Kentucky’s public comments. Sharpe’s mother told The Athletic the current plan is for him to go to Kentucky next year. I’m cognizant of the fact that most guys projected as top-10 picks ultimately enter the draft, and that is what Sharpe assuredly would be. I have him at No. 5 on my board for reasons I broke down in the story I wrote with our Kyle Tucker earlier this year. His entrance would significantly help a lottery in desperate need of more upside. If and when information on Sharpe changes, he’ll jump onto the board, and I will immediately update the mock. Until then, I will pass on including him.

• The draft order is based on league-wide rankings as of March 29. Team needs are not yet accounted for.

1. Houston Rockets
Jabari Smith Jr. | 6-10 forward | 18 years old | Auburn
Right now, I think my bet is that the widest swath of teams have the highest grade on Smith. That’s not to say he’s the locked-in No. 1 player. This is absolutely a situation where the lottery will play the biggest role in who goes No. 1. There is no Cade Cunningham in this class, no Zion Williamson, no players locked in from the day the season ended to go No. 1 overall in the draft. It’s an eye-of-the-beholder situation at the top, and it will be wholly dependent on who holds the pick.

So, why Smith? I think he checks the most boxes for teams right now and has the fewest holes in his game. There are few better 6-foot-10 shooters to have entered the NBA over the last decade. His percentages going back to high school are terrific, his marks at Auburn are great, and his mechanics are pristine. He averaged 17 points and seven rebounds while hitting 42 percent from 3. He’s a good, modern NBA defender who can really slide his feet on the perimeter and knows where to be rotationally. He’s the youngest of the top grouping, not turning 19 until May. There are no real frame questions and no physical limitations as you look into developing him. On top of that, he got drastically better throughout the course of the season. If you remove his final disaster against Miami, when Auburn was knocked out of the NCAA Tournament, Smith averaged 23.3 points, eight rebounds and nearly three assists while making almost four 3s in his final eight games. The only real question for Smith was how he went about creating his own shot, and he did that late in the year at a higher level than we’d seen. His development has a chance to be really quick, and I think teams are more likely to bet on the kind of player they’ve seen have developmental success.

2. Orlando Magic
Chet Holmgren | 7-1 center | 19 years old | Gonzaga
Holmgren slides to No. 2 after finally cracking No. 1 in the last iteration. Why? There are teams out there who are just not quite as in on the idea of taking Holmgren in the top two. He’s more polarizing for teams than Smith. There are high-level evaluators who have him higher than Smith, and other evaluators just can’t quite wrap their heads around the frame being one that achieves success at the next level. It’s very possible he goes No. 1 depending on who gets the pick. I think he could also pretty easily slide down to No. 3 if a team is a bit uncomfortable with his long-term projectability.

His final two games were a microcosm of these concerns. The evaluators who like him noticed how terrific he was on defense in his minutes, shutting down the interior and holding the gates for a flawed Gonzaga team that lacked lateral foot speed to contain dribble penetration. The evaluators who don’t like him will note that he consistently was in foul trouble because teams attacked his body (and got rewarded with crummy foul calls). The ones who like him will point to the fact that he had 11 points, 14 rebounds and two blocks in 23 minutes before fouling out in a game in which he didn’t play particularly well — which, in the grand scheme, is a pretty solid night. Detractors will point to the fact that he still struggles a bit to create his own shot despite being able to handle in transition and shoot. The Holmgren conversation is going to be this year’s annoying dialogue that people who haven’t watched him play all year take up. It’s already annoying. Be ready for the takes!

3. Detroit Pistons
Paolo Banchero | 6-10 forward | 19 years old | Duke
Banchero is the last man standing among the elite prospects in the 2022 class, as he has led Duke to the Final Four. A big pair of games in New Orleans could very easily catapult him back into the conversation for the No. 1 overall pick. For his part, Banchero has been very good in the tournament, averaging 18.5 points, eight rebounds and four assists. The passing game we’ve mentioned many times in these parts has shined through, with Banchero carrying the half-court offense with his multifaceted game as a live-dribble creator both on kickouts and in high-low actions with Mark Williams.

There has been some discussion regarding Banchero’s scalability to winning situations, but hopefully, this run has put those to bed. His feel for the game and passing ability is terrific, and he’s a smart defender even if he does have some limitations athletically. I think he’s a pretty easy bet to be a highly effective NBA player, with All-Star upside if everything comes together for him as a mismatch nightmare.

4. Oklahoma City Thunder
Jaden Ivey | 6-4 guard | 20 years old | Purdue
Ivey had an up-and-down NCAA Tournament. He had a couple of terrific moments in both of Purdue’s first weekend games, with a particular crossover into a stepback 3 to seal the Boilermakers’ game against Texas showcasing just how much athletic potential he has if his game comes together. I thought his game against Saint Peter’s in the Sweet 16, when Purdue was upset and knocked out of the tournament, was one of the worst games I’ve seen from him. It showcased a lot of his feel concerns as a passer, as he could never quite crack the defense the Peacocks were running. That’s the critical difference between Ivey and the player some people like to compare him with, Ja Morant. Ivey is a below-average passer as a lead guard right now despite making some awesome flash passes from time to time. There also were some bad body-language moments from him in that game — and throughout his tape — that he’ll need to explain. And yet, any time he had a bit of runway and space — something he’ll get more of in the NBA — he showed up much better. I expect Ivey will go in the No. 3 to No. 5 range on draft night and have about as many highlight moments as you’ll see from an NBA rookie next year.

5. Indiana Pacers
Keegan Murray | 6-8 forward | 21 years old | Iowa
This remains the place where the draft opens up. I’ve gone with Murray at No. 5 because I think he’s the safest of the next group and the guy most teams I’ve talked to have a good feeling about. It’s hard to find an evaluator who doesn’t think Murray will at least be a useful player. His production at the collegiate level this season was pretty staggering. He averaged 23.5 points and 8.7 rebounds while shooting 55 percent from the field and 39 percent from 3. He makes action plays on defense, averaging better than a steal and nearly two blocks. He rebounds. He doesn’t make poor decisions and turn the ball over. I thought Richmond exposed his lateral agility a bit in Iowa’s NCAA Tournament loss, but it’s not a disaster, and overall, it’s just hard to poke holes in the game of a guy who put up this kind of production. Murray looks like a great bet to end up in the top 10.

6. Sacramento Kings
Bennedict Mathurin | 6-6 wing | 19 years old | Arizona
Mathurin slides up the board a bit after a strong close to the season, even though his final game was poor. He averaged 18 points and six rebounds while shooting 45 percent from the field and 37 percent from 3 over the full season, but over his final 14 games, he averaged 20 points and five rebounds, and he added three assists to boot. His ability to make reads after driving was a critical improvement and bodes well for the next level. Mathurin’s real concern comes on defense, where he can drift in and out in terms of focus. Even in the NCAA Tournament, Mathurin had a few moments — particularly against Houston — that will give teams pause when they dive back into the tape. He needs to be a bit better at staying engaged when he’s off the ball, because he did show some real switchable flashes at time, unsurprising given his size and strength level. Still, I bet teams look back through the TCU tape and think of the tournament overall as a success for him. His game against the Horned Frogs was arguably the best any single player has played so far in the event.

7. Portland Trail Blazers
A.J. Griffin | 6-6 forward | 18 years old | Duke
Griffin sticks in the top 10 and remains a bit polarizing for teams who are trying to get a handle on who he is and what his role will be at the next level. There are moments where he looks like a future shot creator at the NBA level because of his incredible touch and ability to play balanced off two feet. He had 18 points in Duke’s Elite Eight game and looked completely translatable regarding how he attacked off the catch, hit players who closed out too heavily on his shot and made shots from all three levels. What NBA evaluators are trying to figure out is Griffin’s athleticism level. Early in his development, prior to missing time due to injury in high school, he looked to have more athletic pop. Is that a matter of getting back from his preseason knee injury? Does he not get the most out of his athleticism in the half court functionally? Or is this who he is? If it’s the latter, he’s more of a late lottery guy. If there is more there, the further he gets from injury, he’s a potential top-five pick. Teams will be looking toward the pre-draft process to find out more.

8. San Antonio Spurs
Jalen Duren | 6-11 center | 18 years old | Memphis
Duren is your typical rim-running, shot-blocking center at 6-foot-11 with a 7-foot-5 wingspan. He physically looks like an NBA player right now — despite being the youngest player currently slotted in this mock draft — with a chiseled 245-pound frame. He ended up averaging 12 points, eight rebounds and two blocks per game this year, while shooting 60 percent from the field, with most of his finishes being of the dunk shot or layup variety — and this despite the fact that he didn’t have much in the way of help from the point guard position until late in the year. The question NBA teams didn’t get a chance to learn this season is, what else he can do? There was an occasional passing flash. Is it worth taking a limited center like Duren mid-lottery? Maybe not, but if he can prove he can add more to his game — a jumper, making those passing flashes more consistent — he could be a steal.

9. Washington Wizards
Jeremy Sochan | 6-9 forward | 18 years old | Baylor
Sochan has seen the biggest spike up the board over the last month of the season. He proved himself to be among the most versatile chess pieces in college basketball, capable of handling the ball for stretches and creating offense, as well as playing as Baylor’s anchor at the center position with the Bears’ big depth compromised because Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua missed the latter portion of the year. The idea here is he’s a “positionless” 6-foot-9 wing who can attack bigs off the bounce with some hesitation, a guy who can be the screener or the ballhandler out of ball screens. Over his last eight games of the season, he averaged 12.3 points, seven rebounds, two assists and a steal per game while filling gaps and playing every role. NBA teams are very interested in his versatility, and I’d slot his draft range right now anywhere from around here down to No. 18.

10. New Orleans Pelicans (via LAL)
Johnny Davis | 6-5 wing | 20 years old | Wisconsin
Davis suffered an ankle injury late in the season but played through it, and as he did, his numbers fell off a bit. After a start to the season that saw him as the favorite to win the National Player of the Year award, Davis tailed off — and, without him at his highest level, so did Wisconsin. Davis averaged 17 points per game over his final 12 games, but he shot just 42 percent from the field and 22 percent from 3 in that time. His elevation, in general, looked sapped, as did his ability to stop and start. But when he was at his best, Davis was a good three-level scorer this season who also played hard on defense. His ceiling on his draft status has dropped a bit in recent months, but I’d still anticipate him going in the No. 7 to No. 17 range.

11. Portland Trail Blazers (via NOP)
Dyson Daniels | 6-6 wing | 19 years old | G League Ignite
Daniels, the Australian point guard who came to G League Ignite this past season, has maintained his position as the top Ignite prospect throughout the back half of the season. He processes the game really well and makes high-level passing reads. He’s completely unselfish, almost to a fault at times as the chaos around him in the G League unfolds. On top of that, he has a case as the best defensive guard in the draft class, a 6-foot-6 player who can guard one through three across the perimeter, get through screens with ease and fly around in rotation to blow up actions. He’s going to have to prove he can shoot to reach his ceiling, but Daniels has the high level of basketball IQ that has translated well in recent years in the NBA. Australia has done an interesting job developing and empowering big guards to succeed at the highest levels in recent years. Daniels will be next.

12. New York Knicks
Mark Williams | 7-0 center | 20 years old | Duke
Williams already was high on this mock draft prior to his breakout NCAA Tournament, so it’s hard to call this a spike into the lottery. I had him No. 15 previously. But for many, Williams has been the revelation of the Big Dance. He’s protected the rim during Duke’s Final Four run with impunity. He finishes everything around the rim. He creates extra possessions on the offensive glass. Williams averaged 15 points, nine rebounds and four blocks in the four NCAA Tournament games heading into the Final Four, showcasing how his length and leaping ability are going to make him a tailor-made fit for the NBA. He just needs to work on his positioning and footwork in drop coverage; he can get the corner turned on him too often, as Jaylin Williams from Arkansas showed. But even when that happens, Williams has the length to recover.

13. Atlanta Hawks
Ochai Agbaji | 6-5 wing | 21 years old | Kansas
Agbaji still sits in the lottery because his game is so translatable to the NBA. He’s 6-foot-5 and is an elite catch-and-shoot player, having hit 39.7 percent from 3 on nearly seven attempts per game this season. He’s also an extremely efficient scorer in transition and has gotten much more comfortable putting the ball on the deck and handling the ball when he has to. Defensively, he’s tough, strong and physical for a wing; he just doesn’t have elite-level measurements that profile toward him being a genuine plus defender in the NBA. He’ll hold his own and won’t make mistakes. He’s just struggled over his last eight games, having made just 26.3 percent of his 3s while averaging 14 points. Even if his career hasn’t gotten off to the best ending, Agbaji still has a chance to turn it toward the right direction in the Final Four.

14. Charlotte Hornets
Tari Eason | 6-8 forward | 20 years old | LSU
Eason has a wide range, still, but he stays at No. 14. He could end up here or move all the way down to the end of the first round. He’s one of the better defensive players in college basketball, a switchable, athletic four at 6-foot-8 with the strength to slide with perimeter players and hold his own against bigs. He transitions defense to offense on the break at a really high level and, because of that, is productive in large part. He averaged 17 points and seven rebounds while shooting better than 50 percent from the field and 35 percent from 3 this season. If you believe in the jumper, he’s a top-20 guy. If you don’t, you probably see him more in the late first.

15. Oklahoma City Thunder (via LAC)
TyTy Washington Jr.| 6-3 guard | 20 years old | Kentucky
Washington is going to be a fairly polarizing prospect in the draft. There is a real feeling among evaluators that Kentucky tends to hold back its guards and we don’t see the best of them until the NBA (think Tyler Herro, Tyrese Maxey, Keldon Johnson and others in recent years). Additionally, Washington’s start to the year was outstanding. He was arguably the best freshman guard in the country over the course of the first half of the season. But he suffered a couple of ankle injuries in games and suffered to come back from them. From Game 1 to Game 17, Washington averaged 14.5 points, 4.2 rebounds and 4.8 assists while shooting 51.5 percent from the field, 42 percent from 3 and 82 percent from the line. Over his final 14 games during those two injuries, he averaged 10 points, 2.6 rebounds and 2.8 assists and shot just 36.2 percent from the field and 27.7 percent from 3. Which one is the real TyTy? Teams will need to get him in for workouts and figure it out.

16. Houston Rockets (via BKN)
Malaki Branham | 6-5 wing | 18 years old | Ohio State
Branham closed the season on a tear, deservedly winning the Big Ten’s Freshman of the Year award and playing well in Ohio State’s two NCAA Tournament games. He went 5-for-7 against a tough Loyola-Chicago defensive team, then scored 23 points against a Final Four Villanova team. Overall, in Branham’s final 22 games, he averaged 17 points per game while shooting 52.8 percent from the field and 43.2 percent from 3. He was outstanding as a shot creator over his final portion of the season. While Branham isn’t some elite athlete, he does a great job of attacking and getting downhill by getting defenders off balance. He has great length and really covers a lot of ground on his strides, then uses those arms to finish over big guys with great touch. He can break down guys in isolation, get separation with a series of hesitations and crossovers and rise up to knock down a shot. He’s very sharp at finding creases and cracks in the lane and driving through them quickly in a straight line to finish. There is some work here defensively that has to be done, but I’d anticipate Branham will be a first-round pick if he enters the draft.

17. Indiana Pacers (via CLE)
MarJon Beauchamp | 6-6 wing | 21 years old | G League Ignite
Nothing really new here on Beauchamp. He is another one of those guys whom scouts will say something along the lines of, “We’d love to take him near the end of the first round.” Beauchamp has legit wing size, length and athleticism and plays with a professional demeanor that has impressed scouts. His attitude is strong, and he plays defense consistently. His effort level on the offensive glass and as a cutter is terrific. There’s rarely a moment where he doesn’t seem totally engaged, and scouts love his story of continued improvement. He’s put in a lot of work over the last year since he was at Yakima Valley College in Washington. But he also has made just 27 percent of his 3-point shots and doesn’t have a ton of ballhandling ability. Teams wonder to an extent what they’ll be able to do with him offensively. But he’s averaged 15.4 points per game largely doing dirty-work type stuff in the G League, so the hope is he can translate that and hard-working defense to the NBA while he works through his skill level.

18. San Antonio Spurs (via TOR)
Kennedy Chandler | 6-0 guard | 19 years old | Tennessee
Chandler is another substantial riser up the board. By the end of the season, he was one of the best point guards in college basketball, dictating the pace of play, using his speed not just to blow by the opposition but also to change gears more effectively. He also pressured hard at the point of attack, along with fellow guard Zakai Zeigler, forcing teams into difficult situations. Chandler won the MVP of the SEC tournament, and over his final 15 games, he averaged 15 points, five rebounds and two steals while shooting better than 50 percent from the field and 46 percent from 3. I don’t totally trust the jumper, but there is enough of a chance that he can fix it given his improvement over the last portion of the season, and his defensive aggression gives him a shot despite being small.

19. Minnesota Timberwolves
Jaden Hardy | 6-4 guard | 19 years old | G League Ignite
Hardy was better in the second half of the Ignite season than he was in the first, hitting 35 percent of his 3-point attempts per game and generally not taking as many disastrous shots. But his overall season certainly did not help his standing. He takes a ton of terrible-looking shots per game and has a negative assist-to-turnover ratio as a smaller combo guard. He also didn’t play defense at a consistent level. All of the warning signs here are bad — but yet, there is real talent as a creator. He just needs to make better, more consistent decisions as a passer and become a more conscientious defender.

20. Chicago Bulls
Bryce McGowens | 6-7 wing | 19 years old | Nebraska
McGowens closed the year extremely well. He averaged 19 points and shot 43 percent from the field over his last 13 games, a real spike in his numbers. He also just looked more comfortable doing it. The shot didn’t fall at a high level from 3, largely because he needs to strengthen his lower half and has a tendency to fall away on his jumper. He needs to prove that he can stay upright in terms of shot balance. But he’s a fearless player who has excellent scoring instincts and got better as the season went on. He’s skinny, but he embraces contact. Teams are intrigued with McGowens and his creation at 6-foot-7; they’re just going to have to work through some of his maddening skill-set worries and strength issues early in his career.

21. Denver Nuggets
Kendall Brown | 6-8 wing | 18 years old | Baylor
With some prospects rising up the board, others have to fall. Brown has fallen. With the way Brown started the year, having an impact on winning and on Baylor’s defense at a high level, it looked like he was on his way to being a lottery pick. But it was hard to ignore that Baylor didn’t have him on the court in the moments that mattered most this season, particularly during the Bears’ second-round comeback against North Carolina that almost resulted in an overtime win. Simply put, Brown never developed enough offensively this season (and, at times, looked to even regress in terms of confidence). He’s not comfortable shooting and isn’t really there yet handling the ball. He’s a project player, but if the offensive skill level is improvable, Brown has every tool you’re looking for from a big wing. He defends multiple positions with lateral speed on the perimeter and is an explosive leaper. His defensive ability and athleticism gives him a real floor if he proves to be able to do anything on offense whatsoever.

22. Memphis Grizzlies (via UTA)
Ousmane Dieng | 6-9 forward | 18 years old | New Zealand Breakers
Dieng has been much better over the back half of the season for the Breakers. Over his last 10 games, he’s averaged 12 points while shooting 43 percent from the field and 26 percent from 3, playing 25 minutes per game. Indeed, at 6-foot-9, maybe 6-foot-10, he has an incredible amount of skill and talent as a ballhandler. But he’s not polished yet. His defense isn’t all that good, and his feel is still developing. The Breakers are a pretty poor team when he ends up playing a lot of minutes, but this is a teenager playing professional basketball, a teenager with some pretty real tools. I’m back to the point that I think someone definitely takes a shot on him in the first round. It’s a bit of a risk, but he’s a worthwhile investment.

23. Dallas Mavericks
E.J. Liddell | 6-7 forward | 21 years old | Ohio State
Liddell was one of the best players in the country this season and, certainly, among the most productive across the board. He averaged 19 points, nearly eight rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.6 blocks per game. He also did it on real efficiency while shooting 49 percent from the field and 37 percent from 3. NBA scouts have similar worries with Liddell that they did last year in terms of his lateral quickness and positioning on defense. Some scouts think he could play some five because of his shot-blocking ability, a la an undersized guy like Grant Williams, but others are less convinced due to his lack of size. On top of that, despite the jump in 3-point percentage, teams are a bit worried about how much his shot is taken on a flat trajectory. That’s why his draft stock is a bit muted around the league. But if a lot of freshmen choose to return to school, Liddell has a very good shot to hear his name called in the first round at this point.

24. San Antonio Spurs (via BOS)
Nikola Jović | 6-10 forward | 18 years old | Mega
Most scouts see Jović more as an interesting late-first-round pick because his skill level at 6-foot-10 is pretty real. His shooting has continued to be a bit of a roller coaster from 3, but the mechanics aren’t bad and profile toward him making them long-term. He’s also a really smart, sharp passer as a point forward. Scouts’ questions come on defense. Where is Jović’s home on that end? Can he slide on the perimeter defensively with his feet? Can he be a smart team defender consistently to make up for the lack of foot speed? It remains to be seen. He has averaged 11 points, four rebounds and three assists in his first full pro season in the Adriatic League, strong production for an 18-year-old in that league.

25. Milwaukee Bucks
Blake Wesley | 6-5 guard | 19 years old | Notre Dame
Wesley is an extremely talented shot creator, a dynamic guard who can legitimately take on lead responsibilities and make things happen out of isolation and ball screens. The act of getting past the first level of defenders and collapsing the defense is something he has no issue with. The only problem for Wesley right now is the final product. After college coaches got eyes on Wesley and were able to devise schemes to slow him down, he struggled immensely. Over his final 17 games of the season, Wesley shot just 36 percent from the field and 26 percent from 3. His NCAA Tournament appearances were a good encapsulation, as he shot 15-for-45 over his three games and looked a bit overwhelmed at times. Having said that, his ceiling is immense. You can’t really find guys who can break down defenders like Wesley every day. Sometimes, they go the way of Kevin Porter Jr., and it takes more than three years (at least) to improve that. Sometimes, they improve rapidly. Wesley just turned 19, and while I think there still is something to be gained from him returning to school and shooting up the board next year, that doesn’t always happen.

26. Brooklyn Nets (via PHI)
Walker Kessler | 7-1 center | 20 years old | Auburn
Kessler was my pick for college basketball’s National Defensive Player of the Year, a monster interior rim protector who swats shots with impunity and plays well in drop-coverage situations. He averaged a whopping five blocks per game in SEC play this season, along with 12 points and nine rebounds. Some scouts think he can shoot a bit away from the rim. The last taste that scouts got was bad, as Kessler played his worst game of the season against Miami. Against an athletic, uptempo team that will push the pace, Kessler didn’t look up to speed and struggled to keep up. Given that he’ll face high-level athletes every night, NBA teams will have to decide if that is something to come or something that was an aberration based on his success in the SEC this season. Still, Kessler is one of the best rim protectors in this class and should stick off that skill alone at 7-foot-1.

27. Miami Heat
Patrick Baldwin Jr. | 6-9 forward | 19 years old | Milwaukee
The intel from the previous mock draft remains a good encapsulation of where this is now. Baldwin is all over the map when you talk to scouts. Some are willing to entirely overlook an unmitigated disaster of a freshman season at Milwaukee. Others are not. Baldwin averaged 12 points and six rebounds while shooting 34 percent from the field and 26 percent from 3 in the Horizon League. That is bad. But a lot of it can be chalked up to circumstance, if you want to make that case. He’s a non-shot creator who ended up having to do too much on offense far too regularly. He’d be much better off where he could have had shots created for him and use those pristine shooting mechanics to hit open looks. Indeed, he didn’t get many clean opportunities this season. Per Synergy, Baldwin took just seven uncontested 3-pointers this season in 11 games, a low number that exemplifies how much the team’s guards struggled. The team had a bottom-20 offense in the country, a number that is bad for a mid-major team with a five-star, McDonald’s All-American forward who should theoretically be able to shoot the lights out. Scouts also have been unimpressed with his overall effort level. It’s not an exaggeration to say Baldwin would have one of the worst profiles in terms of production for competition level of any player selected in the first round in the last decade. But there are plenty of scouts who are still interested and see the same guy who was a consensus top-five recruit in the country. I’ll be completely honest: I have no idea what direction this will go. I think everything from first round to second round to Baldwin ending up back in college is on the table.

28. Golden State Warriors
Wendell Moore Jr. | 6-5 wing | 20 years old | Duke
Moore is the fourth Duke first-rounder here. Teams have liked Moore a bit more than I have throughout the season. I worry about what he looks like athletically in the NBA in half-court creation situations, but fans have noted that he excels at pushing the ball in transition and getting into space, believing that to be a translatable situation showcasing that his game will look better in the wider open spaces of the NBA. Moore has averaged 14 points, five rebounds and four assists as the elder leader of this Final Four Duke team, shooting better than 50 percent from the field and 41 percent from 3. I think the jumper will be the swing skill. Can he consistently hit from NBA 3? He’s renowned as a hard worker, so it is very possible he ends up sticking as a role-playing wing.

29. Memphis Grizzlies
Christian Koloko | 7-1 center | 21 years old | Arizona
Another big-time defensive center comes off the board here. The Defensive Player of the Year in the Pac-12, Koloko was one of the best defenders throughout college basketball this season. Just ask the Big Ten how much they enjoyed dealing with Koloko’s length, as Illinois’ Kofi Cockburn was held to a season-worst 5-for-15 mark from the field against Koloko, and Michigan’s Hunter Dickinson went 4-for-10. The Wildcats play in a significant drop, where Koloko rarely leaves the paint out of ball screens. But when he does, he’s shown good enough recovery speed and mobility to make it work at the next level. The big issues here are twofold. First, offensively, Koloko has some possessions in terms of footwork and touch that are very concerning. He’s fine when asked to keep it simple but can’t do anything more than that. Second, Koloko’s lower half is very weak right now. He’s done a good job of putting on weight over the last two years, but he still will struggle against stronger NBA centers with skill levels to rebound and anchor the position. But as a low-usage, high-defense center, those players are still valuable as borderline starters/backups at this point in the draft.

30. Oklahoma City Thunder (via PHX)
Jean Montero | 6-2 guard | 18 years old | Overtime Elite
Montero falls a bit here, just because the scouts who have been down to see him with the OTE program have come away a bit confused on what’s his ultimate role. Montero is an offensive creator who has improved as a distributor this season, finding teammates consistently and making interesting reads. But his own scoring ability hasn’t been awesome, as he’s struggled to consistently knock down 3s. He’s hit just 28 percent in the tracked games that OTE played, a concern given that he made only 26 percent from 3 last season with Gran Canaria’s second team last year in Spain. He has a lot of craft off the bounce that makes you believe he can score, but he also doesn’t profile as much of a great defender despite how he shoots passing lanes and gets steals. Montero is a questionable defender who isn’t an elite distributor, and those guys are a bit tough to fit into the NBA right now. Enough teams I’ve talked to are interested in his creativity off the bounce, though, where he has a case as the best ballhandler in the draft.

Second round
31. Indiana Pacers (via HOU): Trevor Keels | 6-5 guard | 18 years old | Duke

32. Orlando Magic: Christian Braun | 6-7 wing | 20 years old | Kansas

33. Toronto Raptors (via DET): Harrison Ingram | 6-7 wing | 19 years old | Stanford

34. Oklahoma City Thunder: JD Davison | 6-3 guard | 19 years old | Alabama

35. Orlando Magic (via IND): Jaylin Williams | 6-10 center | 19 years old | Arkansas

36. Sacramento Kings: Justin Lewis | 6-7 wing | 19 years old | Marquette

37. Portland Trail Blazers: Keon Ellis | 6-6 wing | 22 years old | Alabama

38. Cleveland Cavaliers (via SAS): Ismaël Kamagate | 6-11 center | 21 years old | Paris Basketball

39. Minnesota Timberwolves (via WAS): Khalifa Diop | 6-11 center | 20 years old | Gran Canaria

40. San Antonio Spurs (via LAL): Jaime Jaquez Jr. | 6-7 wing | 21 years old | UCLA

41. Charlotte Hornets (via NOP): Josh Minott | 6-8 forward | 20 years old | Memphis

42. New York Knicks: Jalen Williams | 6-6 wing |20 years old | Santa Clara

43. Atlanta Hawks: Jabari Walker | 6-9 forward | 19 years old | Colorado

44. Charlotte Hornets: Peyton Watson | 6-8 wing | 19 years old | UCLA

45. LA Clippers: Ariel Hukporti | 7-0 center | 19 years old | Melbourne United

46. Detroit Pistons (via BKN): Alondes Williams | 6-5 guard | 22 years old | Wake Forest

47. New Orleans Pelicans (via CLE): Gabriele Procida | 6-7 wing | 19 years old | Fortitudo Bologna

48. Golden State Warriors (via TOR): Jordan Hall | 6-7 guard | 20 years old | St. Joseph’s

49. Minnesota Timberwolves: Julian Champagnie | 6-8 forward | 20 years old | St. John’s

50. Sacramento Kings (via CHI): Hugo Besson | 6-3 guard | 20 years old | New Zealand Breakers

51. Minnesota Timberwolves (via DEN): David Roddy | 6-6 forward | 21 years old | Colorado State

52. Dallas Mavericks: Matteo Spagnolo | 6-4 guard | 19 years old | Vanoli Cremona

53. New Orleans Pelicans (via UTA): Michael Foster | 6-8 forward | 19 years old | G League Ignite

54. Boston Celtics: Isaiah Mobley | 6-10 forward | 22 years old | USC

55. Cleveland Cavaliers (via MIA): Ron Harper Jr. | 6-6 wing | 21 years old | Rutgers

56. Golden State Warriors: Orlando Robinson | 7-0 center | 21 years old | Fresno State

57. Portland Trail Blazers (via MEM): Jake LaRavia | 6-8 forward | 22 years old | Wake Forest

58: Phoenix Suns: Trevion Williams | 6-10 forward | 21 years old | Purdue
 
Seen Keyonte George and Jarace Walker highlights over the past few games... pretty solid.. also when they played against Whitehead

George reminds me of Fultz post ACL. Wish he was just a bit more explosive but he has a knack for getting buckets in different ways. Have no clue how his shooting numbers were over the year but he seems like more of a bucket getter for now

Walker is all over the court on both ends, not sure what to make of him but he certainly had a ton of highlight plays with his athleticism and length. Dude is bouncy and fast twitch

Whitehead seems like he'll be in the talks for #1. He can create for himself at all levels, not sure how good he is at creating for others. He's definitely a shot maker. If he keeps leveling up his handle he could be on his way to great things

idk if anyone can displace Victor but so far I feel like Whitehead and Scoot have the best chance
 
Wonder how much Bane and to a lesser extent Grimes will help Agbaji's case of being drafted high as a senior 3 and D guard.
 
Oh, and Jordan Walsh is smooth, hopefully nobody will make a cancer joke with him like KG and Charlie V

He looks taller than listed 6'7 too, wonder what his wingspan is edit: I just seen it's 7'3, welp that explains it

2023 class is damn good
 
I like Walker Kessler,

low key think he kinda has quicker feet than Chet and more natural rim protection instincts.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

therealest1
Adidas Crazy 2 (Kobe 2) - Returning in 2025
Replies
5
Views
947
da hen
da hen
Hijo Del Promo
  • Locked
Official 2024-25 NBA Season Thread
2
Replies
38
Views
2K
Methodical Management
Methodical Management
therealest1
Converse Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Thread
Replies
0
Views
644
therealest1
therealest1
HIM
|| DFS Player Props Thread || Prize Picks - Underdog - etc. ||
5 6 7
Replies
165
Views
7K
Cashflow
Cashflow
therealest1
Skechers Thread
Replies
19
Views
4K
therealest1
therealest1

Thread Gallery

View Full Gallery

The ultimate sneaker enthusiast community.

NikeTalk was created as a way of giving back to both the sneaker enthusiast community and to the greater global community of which we are all a part.

NikeTalk is NOT affiliated with Nike Inc. in any way, shape, or form. All opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of Nike, Inc.

© 1999-2024 NikeTalk.com

Share this page

Back
Top Bottom