Draft Preview: Nader's NBA Mock Draft 2.0
It’s only been a few weeks since my first mock draft, but you’ll notice that there has been a ton of movement in the lottery. The speculation about where these players will end up should really start to heat up after the conclusion of Game 7 of the Finals on Sunday, but I’ll take my best shot at another mock. Keep in mind that a lot could change over the next five days and I’m basing a lot of these picks off team needs. If you have questions about the NBA or the draft, click here to follow me on Twitter!
No. 1) 76ers- Ben Simmons, SF, LSU
He finally met with the 76ers this week and ESPN’s Marc Stein reported that Philly is “strongly expected” to take him with the top pick. Simmons has reportedly put on about 20 pounds of muscle since the end of the college season, but it’s worth noting that he still hasn’t worked out for the franchise and may not have to. His shooting could hold him back at the NBA level and he was heavily criticized for not being able to lead his LSU team to the NCAA tournament, but there are not many guys with his size who can run the floor and pass like Simmons can. Philly will be able to push the pace with Simmons next season, but surrounding him with shooters should be their next priority.
No. 2) Lakers- Brandon Ingram, SF, Duke
As a Lakers fan and a Duke fan, I absolutely love this pick. Ingram is 14 months younger than Simmons and has loads of potential, and he’s already an impressive shooter and a tremendous athlete. He obviously needs to put on a lot of muscle, but he has plenty of time to work on his body. This pick will require a little bit of patience and this doesn’t make the Lakers a playoff team, but a core of D’Angelo Russell, Jordan Clarkson, Julius Randle and Ingram gives me hope for the future.
No. 3) Celtics- Jaylen Brown, SF, California
With eight picks in this year’s draft, the Celtics will likely entertain offers for this pick in order to get an All-Star caliber player in return. If they do keep the pick, an incredible athlete like Brown would be an ideal fit on the wings. I’m higher on Brown than most despite his slightly underwhelming freshman campaign at California, but he has all the tools to become a stud. His perimeter shooting is arguably his biggest weakness, but Chad Ford of ESPN reported that he has been “stellar” at several workouts and that the Celtics are “seriously considering” him at No. 3. I’d imagine that Evan Turner will be a little too expensive to bring back, so Brown could be looking at minutes right away in Boston.
No. 4) Suns- Marquese Chriss, PF, Washington
This guy is so much fun to watch and it’s easy to see why he’s rising on draft boards. He’s an elite athlete with great size, and his ability to stretch the floor is perfect for today’s NBA. The Suns don’t have any power forwards under contract for next season, so selecting Chriss or Dragan Bender would make the most sense. I think he has a lot of potential, but his basketball IQ has a long way to go.
No. 5) Wolves- Kris Dunn, PG, Providence
I’ve seen him go as high as No. 3 in some mock drafts, but I like this pick for the Wolves. I originally had Buddy Hield at No. 5 in my previous mock, but they’re pretty set on the wings with Zach LaVine at the two and Andrew Wiggins at the three. It remains to be seen if Ricky Rubio will find success under coach Tom Thibodeau and the Wolves have shopped him in the past, so Dunn could be the long-term answer for them at the point. With his potential on the defensive end, Dunn would be an exciting fit in Thibodeau’s system.
No. 6) Pelicans- Jamal Murray, PG/SG, Kentucky
New Orleans isn’t close to competing for a championship, so taking a young guy like Murray rather than an established player like Buddy Hield wouldn’t be a bad idea. Eric Gordon is a free agent and Jrue Holiday and Tyreke Evans have major durability issues, so Murray could give them depth at both guard spots. The Kentucky product was an elite scorer during his freshman season, averaging 20.0 points, 5.2 boards, 2.2 assists, 1.0 steals and 3.1 treys.
No. 7) Nuggets- Dragan Bender, PF, Croatia
This would be an ideal situation for Denver because this pick would finally give them an excuse to move on from Kenneth Faried. The Nuggets already have two solid bigs in Nikola Jokic and Jusuf Nurkic, but they could certainly use a guy like Bender for his ability to spread the floor. Denver is on the verge of becoming a playoff team, and this pick would bolster what is arguably their weakest position.
No. 8) Kings- Buddy Hield, SG, Oklahoma
Kings fans would probably love if Hield fell to No. 8. While point guard may be Sacramento’s biggest need with Rajon Rondo hitting free agency and Darren Collison facing domestic violence charges, they certainly could use an upgrade at the two because Ben McLemore didn’t exactly light it up last season. Hield is a proven scorer and is the best shooter in the draft, so this is a safe pick for a team that is desperate to get into the playoffs.
No. 9) Raptors- Henry Ellenson, PF, Marquette
If the Raptors are serious about returning to the Eastern Conference Finals next season, they desperately need an upgrade at the power forward spot. Patrick Patterson was way too inconsistent and Luis Scola is a free agent, so a stretch four such as Ellenson would make a lot of sense. Unlike a lot of prospects we’ll see in the first round, Ellenson’s ready to contribute right now due to his ability to rebound and score from the perimeter.
No. 10) Bucks- Jakob Poeltl, C, Utah
He’s widely considered to be the best true center in the draft and I had him going to the Bucks in my previous mock as well. Greg Monroe simply didn’t fit in with the Bucks last season and I don’t think Jason Kidd is a big fan of John Henson, so Poeltl could be the center of the future in Milwaukee. There are not many safe picks in this draft, but you know what are you getting from a two-way big such as Poeltl.
No. 11) Magic- Skal Labissiere, PF/C, Kentucky
Labissiere would be an excellent complement to Aaron Gordon and Nikola Vucevic in the frontcourt because of his rim protection. The Magic will have some pressure to make the postseason, but they should still be able to develop the Kentucky product at their own pace. He’s basically a lottery pick due to his upside but he’s far from a finished product.
No. 12) Jazz- Wade Baldwin, PG, Vanderbilt
I could definitely see the Jazz trading this pick because they don’t really have any pressing needs. If they do keep the pick, Baldwin would be a nice player to develop behind Dante Exum and Shelvin Mack, assuming they exercise Mack’s player option. An athletic point guard with a 6-10 wingspan, Baldwin has range out to the 3-point line and could develop into a really nice defender down the line.
No. 13) Suns- Domantas Sabonis, PF, Gonzaga
With their second pick of the first round, the Suns add some additional depth at the four with Sabonis. Unlike Marquese Chriss, Sabonis is probably ready to contribute right away and will bring some toughness to the Phoenix frontcourt. Sabonis isn’t the greatest athlete, but he makes up for it with an incredible motor and tons of energy.
No. 14) Bulls- Deyonta Davis, PF/C, Michigan State
The Bulls will be one of the most interesting teams to keep an eye on this summer. Rumors have already started heating up about the futures of Derrick Rose and Jimmy Butler, while many believe that both Pau Gasol and Joakim Noah will leave in free agency. Unless the Bulls move up and take a guy like Kris Dunn, they could address their frontcourt by adding Davis. The Michigan State product will provide some rim protection and could be a nice long-term fit next to Bobby Portis.
No. 15) Nuggets- Furkan Korkmaz, SG, Turkey
The Nuggets have some pretty solid depth at most positions, but with their second pick of the first round they could add another shooter to develop behind Gary Harris. Still just 18 years old, Korkmaz might stay overseas for another season or two, but Denver can afford to be patient.
