So for ****s and giggles, here's my first attempt at an NBA mock draft. Have fun ripping it to shreds.
1.Cleveland Cavaliers- Narlens Noel C, Kentucky Noel quite possibly could miss all of next season, but funny enough the Cavs can probably afford to wait on him. Kyrie Irving is an all-star, and the team has other young pieces it really likes in Tyler Zeller, Dion Waiters, and Tristan Thompson. If the players continue the trajectory they're currently set towards, this could be a scary team once Noel is healthy. Dark horse is Alex Lens
2.Orlando Magic-Trey Burke PG, Michigan Reports tend to indicate that the pick is between Burke and Ben McLemore. Sounds like the split is right down the middle for a lot of people. For now I'm giving Burke the nod because in my opinion PG is a bigger need for the Magic right now.
3.Washington Wizards- Otto Porter SF, Georgetown Washington needs help all along the front court. Doubt Porter gets passed him if he falls here in the first place.
4.Charlotte Hornets/Bobcats-Ben McLemore SG, Kansas Ideal situation for the Bobcats. McLemore could go as high as 1, more than likely at 2, but based off of what I'm hearing, it seems like paring him with MKG is pretty likely.
5.Phoenix Suns-Victor Oladipo, SG, Indiana Good lord is this roster ugly right now. If players get healthy, their big men could be serviceable but they need wing players.
6.New Orleans Pelicans-Alex Lens C, Maryland Robin Lopez was not a poor signing, but they need another true center. Lens and Trey Burke are the 2 names most linked with the Pelicans, but since Burke is gone, they go Lens
7.Sacramento Kings-Cody Zeller PF/C, Indiana Zeller is another player that could go higher in the draft. Have him going over a few other players as I think he compliments some of Sac-Towns players better than alternatives.
8.Detroit Pistons-Shabazz Muhammad SG/SF, UCLA Pistons need a swing man, Muhammad is arguably the top one available.
9.Minnesota Timberwolves- Kelly Olynyk, PF/C, Gonzaga In my opinion had the T'Wolves not gotten hit so hard with injuries, they would've made the playoffs. A healthy Kevin Love is a dominant player, and Nikola Perkovic has developed into a decent center. However, Perkovic is a free agent and will get a decent contract. Even if he is resigned, the big man depth behing Love and Perk is nothing to write home about.
10.Portland Trailblazers- Michael Bennett F, UNLV I've seen Bennett mocked a lot higher than this, but IMO he'll fall due to him not having a true position yet. His best position right now is as an undersized power forward. I just think his size will keep him from going higher. Portland is a team however, that could use his grit.
11.Philadelphia 76ers-CJ McCullum G, Lehigh Everything that could go wrong for the 6ers did. Not only did Bynum never play for them (and probably won't resign) but Nick Vucevic ended up having a decent year in Orlando. Big man will certainly be looked at, but getting better shooting is also a necessity for the 6ers.
12.Oklahoma City Thunder-Steve Adams C, Pittsburgh I think the Thunder bench will be a bit better last year with an imporved Jeremy Lamb and Perry Jones, so addressing the wing players (while an option) I think they'll pass on. I don't think OKC will pass on a big man however. Kendrick Perkins has become fairly useless, and Darren Collison isn't getting any younger.
13.Dallas Mavericks- Dennis Schroeder PG, Germany Darren Collison always kinds of proves himself to be a better backup point than starter while Roddy Boubouis always seems hurt. That Cunningham kid they got from Oregon State could develop into something, but at the current spot in the draft PG, is the best way to go
14.Utah Jazz- Michael Carter-Williams-PG, Syracuse Utah has some good young talent, but their top 3 PGs are Mo Williams (31), Jamal Tinsley (35), and Earl Watson (33). Time to get a little younger at the position.
15.Milwaukee Bucks- Kentavious Caldwell-Pope SG, Georgia Brandon Jennings, JJ Reddick, and Monta Ellis are all free agents (well Ellis has an option). It sounds like one of the PGs will be gone, and many are doubtful JJ Reddick will stick around. I expect one of Jennings/Ellis to stay and the Bucks to get a true off guard like KCP.
16.Boston Celtics- Dario Saric F, Croatia Big man with some playmaking skills. Bit of a project, but could be worth it down the line.
17.Atlanta Hawks-Mason Plumlee C, Duke The Hawks want to move Al Horford to PF and are planning on making a run at Dwight Howard as well. Even if they get the Dwightmare, the team needs to develop another young big.
18.Atlanta Hawks-Jamaal Franklin SG, San Diego State Jack of all trades player that new coach Mike Budenholzer will love. More of a defensive player right now than offensive. Which is fine, as the Hawks have plenty of offensive options.
19.Cleveland Cavaliers-Allen Crabbe SG, California Cleveland lacks consistent spot up shooters. Crabbe is a good compliment to Waiters and Irving.
20.Chicago Bulls-Tim Hardaway Jr SG/SF, Michigan With a healthy team the Bulls are going to contend in the East again. They do however, lack a good consistent shooter.
21.Utah Jazz-Gorgui Dieng, C, Louisville It's sounding like the Jazz are getting ready to hand the front court over to Derrick Favors and Enes Kanter as both Paul Millsap and Al Jefferson hit free agency. If that's the case, an insurance policy would be nice.
22.Brooklyn Nets- Rudy Gobert C, France Gobert needs to bulk up, but he has a 7-9 wingspan, is athletic, and is not a bad defensive player. Bit raw, but worth taking a flyer on.
23.Indiana Pacers-Sergey Karasev, SF, Russia From what I've seen of the Pacers, they are lacking a consistent outside shot. Karasev is supposed to be a lights out shooter AND NBA ready. So... yeah seems like a fit.
24.New York Knicks-Shane Larkin PG, Miami Raymond Felton had a solid year, but it's now apparent that Jason Kidd just doesn't have it anymore. Larkin is a bit undersized, but he projects into a decent backup PG.
25. Los Angeles Clippers- Tony Mitchell, PF, North Texas While the potential of losing one of (if not both) Chris Paul or Eric Bledsoe is concerning, the Clippers will keep at least one (probably Paul). While PF isn't a need, Mitchell's athleticism and inside-outside game make him a gamble worthy selection late.
26.Minnesota Timberwolves- Giannis Antetokounmpo, SF, Greece Compares favorably to Nick Batum (who the T'Wolves went hard after last summer). Very raw player who will probably be stashed in Europe for a year or 2, but is probably worth the wait.
27.Denver Nuggets- Tony Snell SG/SF, New Mexico After Gallinari went down with an injury, Denver's lack of 3 point shooting became very noticeable. Snell adds a good outside game and can develop into a decent defender.
28.San Antonio Spurs-Jeff Withey C, Kansas Spurs will probably take a player they can stash overseas, but with Duncan and Diaw on the wrong side of 30, and Thiago Splitter being linked with moves back to Spain, getting another big man may not be a bad idea.
29.Oklahoma City Thunder-Nate Wolters PG, South Dakota State Even when Westbrook comes back, back-up PG has been a bit of an issue for OKC for a couple years.
30.Phoenix Suns-Glenn Rice JR SG/SF, NBDL At this point the Suns need to add talent. They are okay at PG, have a nice Center in Gortat when he's healthy, but are stuck with a bunch of tweeners otherwise. Rice adds some athleticism and some good shooting ability.
1.Cleveland Cavaliers- Narlens Noel C, Kentucky Noel quite possibly could miss all of next season, but funny enough the Cavs can probably afford to wait on him. Kyrie Irving is an all-star, and the team has other young pieces it really likes in Tyler Zeller, Dion Waiters, and Tristan Thompson. If the players continue the trajectory they're currently set towards, this could be a scary team once Noel is healthy. Dark horse is Alex Lens
2.Orlando Magic-Trey Burke PG, Michigan Reports tend to indicate that the pick is between Burke and Ben McLemore. Sounds like the split is right down the middle for a lot of people. For now I'm giving Burke the nod because in my opinion PG is a bigger need for the Magic right now.
3.Washington Wizards- Otto Porter SF, Georgetown Washington needs help all along the front court. Doubt Porter gets passed him if he falls here in the first place.
4.Charlotte Hornets/Bobcats-Ben McLemore SG, Kansas Ideal situation for the Bobcats. McLemore could go as high as 1, more than likely at 2, but based off of what I'm hearing, it seems like paring him with MKG is pretty likely.
5.Phoenix Suns-Victor Oladipo, SG, Indiana Good lord is this roster ugly right now. If players get healthy, their big men could be serviceable but they need wing players.
6.New Orleans Pelicans-Alex Lens C, Maryland Robin Lopez was not a poor signing, but they need another true center. Lens and Trey Burke are the 2 names most linked with the Pelicans, but since Burke is gone, they go Lens
7.Sacramento Kings-Cody Zeller PF/C, Indiana Zeller is another player that could go higher in the draft. Have him going over a few other players as I think he compliments some of Sac-Towns players better than alternatives.
8.Detroit Pistons-Shabazz Muhammad SG/SF, UCLA Pistons need a swing man, Muhammad is arguably the top one available.
9.Minnesota Timberwolves- Kelly Olynyk, PF/C, Gonzaga In my opinion had the T'Wolves not gotten hit so hard with injuries, they would've made the playoffs. A healthy Kevin Love is a dominant player, and Nikola Perkovic has developed into a decent center. However, Perkovic is a free agent and will get a decent contract. Even if he is resigned, the big man depth behing Love and Perk is nothing to write home about.
10.Portland Trailblazers- Michael Bennett F, UNLV I've seen Bennett mocked a lot higher than this, but IMO he'll fall due to him not having a true position yet. His best position right now is as an undersized power forward. I just think his size will keep him from going higher. Portland is a team however, that could use his grit.
11.Philadelphia 76ers-CJ McCullum G, Lehigh Everything that could go wrong for the 6ers did. Not only did Bynum never play for them (and probably won't resign) but Nick Vucevic ended up having a decent year in Orlando. Big man will certainly be looked at, but getting better shooting is also a necessity for the 6ers.
12.Oklahoma City Thunder-Steve Adams C, Pittsburgh I think the Thunder bench will be a bit better last year with an imporved Jeremy Lamb and Perry Jones, so addressing the wing players (while an option) I think they'll pass on. I don't think OKC will pass on a big man however. Kendrick Perkins has become fairly useless, and Darren Collison isn't getting any younger.
13.Dallas Mavericks- Dennis Schroeder PG, Germany Darren Collison always kinds of proves himself to be a better backup point than starter while Roddy Boubouis always seems hurt. That Cunningham kid they got from Oregon State could develop into something, but at the current spot in the draft PG, is the best way to go
14.Utah Jazz- Michael Carter-Williams-PG, Syracuse Utah has some good young talent, but their top 3 PGs are Mo Williams (31), Jamal Tinsley (35), and Earl Watson (33). Time to get a little younger at the position.
15.Milwaukee Bucks- Kentavious Caldwell-Pope SG, Georgia Brandon Jennings, JJ Reddick, and Monta Ellis are all free agents (well Ellis has an option). It sounds like one of the PGs will be gone, and many are doubtful JJ Reddick will stick around. I expect one of Jennings/Ellis to stay and the Bucks to get a true off guard like KCP.
16.Boston Celtics- Dario Saric F, Croatia Big man with some playmaking skills. Bit of a project, but could be worth it down the line.
17.Atlanta Hawks-Mason Plumlee C, Duke The Hawks want to move Al Horford to PF and are planning on making a run at Dwight Howard as well. Even if they get the Dwightmare, the team needs to develop another young big.
18.Atlanta Hawks-Jamaal Franklin SG, San Diego State Jack of all trades player that new coach Mike Budenholzer will love. More of a defensive player right now than offensive. Which is fine, as the Hawks have plenty of offensive options.
19.Cleveland Cavaliers-Allen Crabbe SG, California Cleveland lacks consistent spot up shooters. Crabbe is a good compliment to Waiters and Irving.
20.Chicago Bulls-Tim Hardaway Jr SG/SF, Michigan With a healthy team the Bulls are going to contend in the East again. They do however, lack a good consistent shooter.
21.Utah Jazz-Gorgui Dieng, C, Louisville It's sounding like the Jazz are getting ready to hand the front court over to Derrick Favors and Enes Kanter as both Paul Millsap and Al Jefferson hit free agency. If that's the case, an insurance policy would be nice.
22.Brooklyn Nets- Rudy Gobert C, France Gobert needs to bulk up, but he has a 7-9 wingspan, is athletic, and is not a bad defensive player. Bit raw, but worth taking a flyer on.
23.Indiana Pacers-Sergey Karasev, SF, Russia From what I've seen of the Pacers, they are lacking a consistent outside shot. Karasev is supposed to be a lights out shooter AND NBA ready. So... yeah seems like a fit.
24.New York Knicks-Shane Larkin PG, Miami Raymond Felton had a solid year, but it's now apparent that Jason Kidd just doesn't have it anymore. Larkin is a bit undersized, but he projects into a decent backup PG.
25. Los Angeles Clippers- Tony Mitchell, PF, North Texas While the potential of losing one of (if not both) Chris Paul or Eric Bledsoe is concerning, the Clippers will keep at least one (probably Paul). While PF isn't a need, Mitchell's athleticism and inside-outside game make him a gamble worthy selection late.
26.Minnesota Timberwolves- Giannis Antetokounmpo, SF, Greece Compares favorably to Nick Batum (who the T'Wolves went hard after last summer). Very raw player who will probably be stashed in Europe for a year or 2, but is probably worth the wait.
27.Denver Nuggets- Tony Snell SG/SF, New Mexico After Gallinari went down with an injury, Denver's lack of 3 point shooting became very noticeable. Snell adds a good outside game and can develop into a decent defender.
28.San Antonio Spurs-Jeff Withey C, Kansas Spurs will probably take a player they can stash overseas, but with Duncan and Diaw on the wrong side of 30, and Thiago Splitter being linked with moves back to Spain, getting another big man may not be a bad idea.
29.Oklahoma City Thunder-Nate Wolters PG, South Dakota State Even when Westbrook comes back, back-up PG has been a bit of an issue for OKC for a couple years.
30.Phoenix Suns-Glenn Rice JR SG/SF, NBDL At this point the Suns need to add talent. They are okay at PG, have a nice Center in Gortat when he's healthy, but are stuck with a bunch of tweeners otherwise. Rice adds some athleticism and some good shooting ability.
