Our picks are currently at 9, 25, 32, and 39 with the Wizards pick (sitting at 49) not transferring due to it's top 49 protection.
If the draft falls as his rankings go, doubtful I know, we would be in position to grab Stanley Johnson, Dakari Johnson, and then take a shot at the talented, but troubled Robert Upshaw at 32.
1. Okafor
2. Towns
3. Mudiay
4. Russell
5. Porzingis
6. Looney
7. Cauley-Stein
8. Hezonja
9. Turner
10. Johnson
11. Oubre
12. Winslow
13. Booker
14. Portis
15. Kaminsky
16. Pope
17. Hunter
18. Harrell
19. Lyles
20. Poeltl
21. Grant
22. Dekker
23. Wright
24. Hollis-Jefferson
25. Jones
26. Woods
27. Rozier
28. Sabonis
29. D. Johnson
30. LeVert
His mock draft top 10, not how he ranks players, with comments on each player.
1. New York Knicks - Jahlil Okafor
The Knicks are in bad shape. Very bad shape. They don't have one player on their roster right now, other than Carmelo Anthony, who appears to be a future building block. They need another star, and they need him now. The Knicks also haven't had an All-Star-caliber center since Patrick Ewing. Currently, they don't even have a legit starter at the position. Okafor would be perfect for them. His ability to draw a double-team in the paint and potentially average 20 and 10 every night would give them a viable scoring option besides Anthony jacking up jumpers. If they can use the rest of their roughly $25 million in cap space this summer to add a wing and a young point guard, the Knicks' future will start getting brighter immediately.
2. Minnesota T'Wolves - Karl-Anthony Towns
Andrew Wiggins wins MVP of the Rising Stars Challenge. Zach LaVine wins the Slam Dunk Contest. Ricky Rubio, Shabazz Muhammad and Gorgui Dieng all have bright futures. The Wolves have several other interesting young players such as Anthony Bennett, Adreian Payne and Glenn Robinson III. And don't forget that vets such as Nikola Pekovic and Kevin Martin should have terrific trade value before the trade deadline, and into the summer. Of the teams at the top of the draft, only the Jazz have an equal stockpile of young talent and assets. I can make a case that Flip Saunders should be in the running for Executive of the Year.
The Wolves are going to be a very dangerous team in a couple of years, and adding Towns to the mix would make them even richer in talent. While D'Angelo Russell or Emmanuel Mudiay could also be great options for them, Towns' ability to protect the rim and stretch the floor would make him a valuable weapon in Saunders' arsenal, and would give the Wolves elite size at every position on the floor. The fact that Towns has been playing great of late only adds to the appeal of him going No. 2.
3. Philadelphia 76ers - D'Angelo Russell
The Sixers stink at tanking. For the second straight season, they've fielded the worst roster, on paper, in the NBA. And for a second straight season, they aren't the worst team in the NBA. Once again, teams that went into the season trying to win, like the Knicks and Wolves, have "bested" them. In this case, I don't think it's such a bad outcome for Philadelphia. The Sixers have a wealth of riches on their front line with Nerlens Noel, Joel Embiid and Dario Saric (when he comes over from Europe). What the team needs is someone in the backcourt who can really shoot. Russell is that guy, and he would be a perfect fit next to Michael Carter-Williams in Philly.
Of the guys at the top of the draft, Russell is far and away the best fit for the Sixers. If Embiid can get healthy and live up to his potential, Noel and MCW continue to develop, Saric comes over and continues his strong play from Europe, and Russell comes in as a dominant backcourt scorer in the mold of James Harden, suddenly the Sixers' future starts to look much brighter.
4. Los Angeles Lakers - Emmanuel Mudiay
With Kobe Bryant out for the rest of the season, it's looking more and more likely that the Lakers will be keeping their lottery pick this year (they must send it to the Suns if it lands from 6-30). Yes, there's still a chance the lottery balls could bounce the wrong way and the Lakers have to give up the pick (17 percent to be exact) but the odds are now clearly in L.A.'s favor. The other good news for Lakers fans is that there are now four (possibly five, depending on how you feel about Kristaps Porzingis) legit talents at the top of the draft. Landing Mudiay would be an especially strong get for the Lakers, who have a major need at point guard. While Mudiay's season in China was cut short by an ankle injury, his combination of size, elite athleticism and raw power is reminiscent of a young Derrick Rose. He may take a little longer to adjust to the NBA after nearly a yearlong hiatus, but the combo of Mudiay and Julius Randle at least would give the Lakers a strong foundation to start to build around in the post-Kobe era.
5. Orlando Magic - Kristaps Porzingis
The Magic were disappointed in their poor start this season, and Jacque Vaughn was the first casualty in the Magic's rebuilding process. The team has young talent at every position -- Elfrid Payton at the point, Victor Oladipo at the 2, Aaron Gordon at the 3/4, Tobias Harris at the 3/4, and Nikola Vucevic at the 5. Adding Porzingis to the mix would give them an athletic big man who can protect the rim and stretch the floor with his jumper. Think of a more athletic version of Bulls rookie Nikola Mirotic. Porzingis would be a very good fit in Orlando, and some scouts believe his upside could make him an All-Star someday.
6. Sacramento Kings - Willie Cauley-Stein
The Kings continue to be a major mess. With the exception of DeMarcus Cousins, who has played at an All-Star level all season, the team doesn't have another powerful bright spot on the roster at the moment. There is talent -- Ben McLemore still has lots of potential, and some are still high on Nik Stauskas, though his fit in Sacramento is a bit questionable and he's therefore on the trade block. The rest of the roster is solid -- Rudy Gay, Darren Collison, Jason Thompson -- but none of those players will lead the Kings to the playoffs anytime soon.
New coach George Karl is a positive addition and will make a major impact on the culture of the team right away. What the team needs now is some defensive talent to balance out a roster filled with players who can score. The Kings especially need rim protection, and Cauley-Stein projects as one of the top, if not the top, big-man defender in the draft. He not only blocks shots but also is so athletic that he can guard three other positions on the floor. He's an unusual dude, but the talent is undeniable. The lack of offensive polish will scare some teams off, but in the case of the Kings, it's probably a good thing. He'll know his role and stick to it.
7. Utah Jazz - Kevon Looney
The Jazz, like the Timberwolves, are loaded with young talent right now. Gordon Hayward and Derrick Favors have played well enough this season to get All-Star consideration. Dante Exum and Rudy Gobert both have very bright futures. And the Jazz have several other young players, including Alec Burks, Trey Burke and (if they don't trade him) Enes Kanter. So the Jazz don't have any major needs that have to be addressed, freeing them up to draft the best player still on the board. Right now that's Looney, a long, versatile forward who can play the 3 and 4. He's the only freshman in the country averaging a double-double this season. I've been using Lamar Odom as a comp for him, but my colleague Kevin Pelton says Looney's statistical profile is more reminiscent of Kawhi Leonard.
8. Denver Nuggets - Myles Turner
The Nuggets have very average talent in a very competitive Western Conference, which leaves them on the outside looking in when it comes to the playoffs. Ty Lawson and Kenneth Faried remain keepers -- though not untouchable, according to Grantland's Zach Lowe -- and the Nuggets are high on the future of rookies Jusuf Nurkic and Gary Harris. But everyone else on the team is pretty expendable at this point. Turner, a long, athletic stretch 4 who also can protect the rim, has had a very uneven season. At times he has looked like a top-five pick, at other times he's disappeared. The Nuggets can afford to swing for the fences with Turner and hope he turns into a LaMarcus Aldridge-type in the NBA.
9. Detroit Pistons - Stanley Johnson
The Pistons have the building blocks of a nice young team. Andre Drummond could be a superstar. Greg Monroe is having a strong season. Brandon Jennings was too before an injury sidelined him for the season. And the team is still hopeful Kentavious Caldwell-Pope will turn into something. Their biggest hole is at the small forward position, and Johnson looks like a good fit there. Stan Van Gundy will want a player who can contribute right away, and Johnson is blessed with a NBA body, toughness and a motor that won't stop. The Pistons need some winners on their roster, and Johnson has won at every level. Mario Hezonja and Kelly Oubre both might have more upside, but for a team that wants to make a move for the playoffs next season, Johnson is the guy.
10. Indiana Pacers - Mario Hezonja
The loss of Paul George torpedoes the Pacers' chances of making a run at the playoffs this year (unless, that is, he comes back in time for the Pacers to make a late run for the 8th seed), but it does position them to add a nice young player to the mix for next season. The team really needs an athletic, sweet-shooting wing to pair with Paul George. Hezonja is both. He is an explosive leaper, an aggressive scorer and has been shooting the ball well this year in Euroleague play.
Topic: Chad Ford's top 30 prospects (Read 10744 times)