With college basketball and the NBA both starting back soon I figure there is no better time to release my way too early mock draft!
For this mock I ran a Tankathon sim for the lottery and then went off of the project order for the rest of the picks. Keep in mind that I take fit into account pretty heavily. Just because a player is drafted higher does not mean I have them ranked above a player drafted after them.
Since this mock is so early in the draft process expect for the ranges I have guys being picked in to change majorly over the next weeks and months. Please comment with your thoughts and opinions! All feedback is appreciated!
## 1. New York Knicks: Victor Wembanyama
Victor is still my #2 prospect, but with the Knicks not needing a PG he is the obvious pick. Guys with his potential skill set just don’t grow on trees. He can do a little of everything at 7’4. I’m concerned with him potentially being frequently injured as well as with his consistency, but you’ve gotta put that aside for a guy with this much potential.
## 2. Houston Rockets: Scoot Henderson
Houston gets my #1 prospect and fills their biggest positional need. While guys like KPJ, TyTy, and even Nix are great players none of them are close to Scoots level. He’s a great athlete, finisher, and passer. The biggest negative for him right now is his 3 point shot. I believe this is a skill he will develop as his mid range shot looks good. He has shot well from three so far this year as well and looked really good in the game against Victor. He could put up an all star type season as a rookie due to the great fit here in Houston as well as having two pro seasons under his belt.
## 3. Sacramento Kings: Cam Whitmore
Whitmore is the definition of a 3&D combo forward. He’s a super athletic forward with an NBA ready body. He uses those physical tools very well on the defensive end. He’s a knock down shooter who can finish aggressively through contact if you run him off the line. With Harrison Barnes contract expiring this off season he could slide right into that role. Would be a great long term fit in SAC.
## 4. Oklahoma City Thunder: Dariq Whitehead
Whitehead is a super athletic wing who excels at scoring the basketball. He can do it at all three levels. A true go to scorer is something I believe the Thunder are desperately in need of. Whitehead should be a seem less fit in OKC.
## 5. San Antonio Spurs: Amen Thompson
The Spurs really need a little bit of everything. They already have a good amount of talent in the backcourt, so here they go with a high upside wing in Amen Thompson. Amen is the more offensively inclined of the Thompson twins. He’s an elite athlete. He has good handle and is a great finisher. He has the potential to be a good defender due to his athleticism. His jump shot will need to be improved on if he wants to be a great player. He has some potential as a playmaker as well. Can really play any position 1-3.
## 6. Indiana Pacers: Nick Smith
The Pacers have a great start on their rebuild and are only lacking in a few positions. I believe Nick Smith would be a great fit with them and would fill a need for them at SG. While his height and weight are a little concerning for me, but his 6’9 wingspan makes him really intriguing defensively. Right now he’s mostly an offensive player who can shoot the lights out from anywhere. He has no issue creating his own shot either. Reminds me a lot of Jamal Murray.
## 7. Utah Jazz: Anthony Black
The Utah Jazz are super early in the rebuilding process, so they really need young talent at every position. While Black may not be as flashy as some of the names still on the board, I do believe he is the best long term fit. He’s a 6’7 PG who is a skilled defender and distributor. He isn’t much of a scorer and will probably never develop into one as he’s more of a pass first player. He will need to work on his jump shot. He would be a great start to a rebuild as more score first young guys would benefit from playing along side him.
## 8. Orlando Magic: Ausar Thompson
The Magic have talent at almost every position. They could benefit from a high level wing though. Ausar Thompson is the more defensively inclined of the Thompson twins. He really relies on his athleticism defensively at the moment, but he could be an elite defender with proper coaching. While he isn’t as talented offensively as Amen he is no slouch on that end of the floor. He is a crafty finisher and at this point a better shooter than his brother. He will still need to work on his jump shot if he wants to succeed at the next level.
## 9. Detroit Pistons: Dillon Mitchell
The Pistons absolutely killed the draft last year and are pretty loaded with young talent because of it. They still could use another forward so I have them going with Mitchell here. Mitchell is super athletic and can play both forward positions. He should be a very versatile defensive player. He is electrifying in transition, but could struggle in the half court some. He needs to work on his handle, jump shot, and ability to use his right hand. He reminds me some of Kendall Brown which could be a little concerning in the future.
## 10. Washington Wizards: Cason Wallace
The Wizards are in desperate need of a long term answer at PG. I believe Cason Wallace could be that guy. He has the potential to be an elite perimeter defender and a very good playmaker as well. He has shown to be a good shooter off of the catch, but self shot creation is a question mark for him. He did show some promise as a shot creator in the Bahamas this summer. He has a lot of Marcus Smart or Jrue Holliday in his game, but he is much further along as a playmaker than those two. He would be a great fit next to Beal, and could lead the team into a potential future without Beal.
## 11. Charlotte Hornets: Keyonte George
The Hornets could really use some scoring punch next to Lamelo Ball. While they have drafted some other scoring guards in past years none of them have seemed to pan out quite yet. George is a little undersized at 6’4, but he makes up for it with his strong build and athleticism. He isn’t the quickest, but it hasn’t proved to be an issue for him yet. He’s a microwave scorer who can light it up from all over the floor. He’s very crafty with the ball, and he might be the best shooter in the class.
## 12. Portland Trailblazers: Jarace Walker
Walker is arguably the most physically gifted player in the draft. He’s only 6’8, but he is an incredible athlete with a 7’2 wingspan and an NBA ready body. He uses his physical tools very well on the defensive end. He’s still pretty raw on the offensive end, but he does have some potential. His jump shot is a little slow and not the most accurate, but I believe an NBA shooting coach could help his shot a ton. He could be an immediate impact player for the Blazers.
## 13. Orlando Magic (via CHI): Terq Smith
While the Magic do have a lot of depth in their backcourt already, I’m not sure if any of them are going to be the long term answers. I do believe that Terq Smith could be. His combination of athleticism, quickness, and shooting ability make him a very intriguing combo guard. If he shows any improvement as a finisher, passer, or defender you can expect him to be drafted much higher than this.
## 14. New Orleans Pelicans: Derrick Lively
The Pelicans could really use a young center to pair with Zion for the future. Lively would be a terrific fit. He’s a great rim protector and lob threat along with having the potential to stretch the floor. There isn’t much to his game besides that though which is why he fell to 14. He reminds me of a more athletic Myles Turner.
## 15. Toronto Raptors: Leonard Miller
Miller comes back home to Canada here as the Raptors. This is one of the most Raptors picks ever if I’m being honest. Long, fluid, and athletic guy with a ton of potential. Miller was a borderline consensus lottery player before withdrawing his name from the draft last year, so I’m not sure why he’s so low in most mocks this year. He could very well end up being a KD esque player. Especially with the Raptors other worldly development staff.
## 16. Los Angeles Lakers: Kal’el Ware
The Lakers have a lot of needs to fill. They fill one of them here by grabbing a high upside big man in Ware. He is very similar to Lively, except he is much more raw. He could contribute immediately as a rim protector and lob threat, but his real value could be in a post LeBron/AD era.
## 17. Atlanta Hawks: Brandon Miller
The Hawks could really use some depth at both forward positions. Miller fills that need. He’s a combo forward that reminds me a ton of Herb Jones. Not the best athlete, but a great defender. Super smart player who does a lot of the dirty work. Good finisher, an improving shooter, and a good passer. Miller could be a really special player in Atlanta.
## 18. Indiana Pacers (via CLE): GG Jackson
Jackson was the #1 player in his recruiting class before reclassifying. He’s a big athletic forward who scores a ton due to his size and athleticism. He needs to work on scoring more because of skill as he won’t always be the biggest most athletic guy on the floor. Reminds me a ton of Carlton Bragg.
## 19. Utah Jazz (via MIN): Amari Bailey
One of the main problems with the Jazz during the Don/Gobert era was their lack of defense beside Gobert. After taking a great defender in Black, the Jazz double up on defense and take Bailey. Bailey is a super intriguing 3&D guard. Due to his size and skill set he is best suited as a SG. He’s a good athlete who really likes attacking the rim. He will really need to work on being able to attack and finish with his right hand. He also really likes the mid range jump shot. He’s not currently the best three points shooter, but his form looks good which is a good sign for his future as a shooter.
## 20. New York Knicks (via DAL): Jordan Walsh
After winning the Victor sweepstakes, the Knicks address one of their biggest needs in perimeter defense. Walsh is a very versatile defender who projects to be able to guard 1-4. He is a guy who leaves it all on the floor and is constantly making winning plays. He could develop into a really good 3&D wing.
## 21. Memphis Grizzlies: Chris Livingston
Livingston is a super athletic wing with an NBA ready body. He is currently best when getting to the rim, but he still id a decent shooter. You could see him drafted much higher than this if he shows some consistency shooting the ball. He also has all of the tools to be a good defender. If everything worked out right he could be the long term answer at SF in Memphis.
## 22. Miami Heat: Sidy Cissoko
Cissoko is a 6’5 PG from France who is currently playing for the G League Ignite. He isn’t the most athletic or quickest prospect, but he uses his length well. He is a very very raw offensive player at this point. He is a good passer, but his handle and three point shot need some work. He is best currently at attacking the rim. The best part of his game right now is his defense. He really uses his size and length well. He could be a nice fit in the backcourt long term next to Tyler Herro.
## 23. Charlotte Hornets (via DEN): Julian Phillips
With the departure of Miles Bridges the Hornets have a glaring hole at forward. Phillips is a guy who could be a really nice long term piece for them. Phillips is super athletic and versatile defensively. He is a decent shooter, but he will need to develop that aspect of his game. He reminds me a lot of Ziare Williams.
## 24. Brooklyn Nets: Arthur Kaluma
Kaluma is a forward who could come in and help the Nets immediately. He’s a good athlete who has an NBA ready body. He could become a very good 3&D forward, but he will need to work on his perimeter defense and on his jump shot. He’s currently best at using his size and length to attack the basket.
## 25. Utah Jazz (via PHI): Baba Miller
After drafting more defensive minded players with their first two picks, the Jazz go with a high upside offensive player in Miller. He has a story similar to they of Anthony Davis… a couple of years ago he was a guard. One growth spurt later and now he’s a 6’11 forward with guard skills. He is a good ball handler, passer, and even defender. He’ll need to work on refining all of those skills along with developing his jump shot.
## 26. Golden State Warriors: Leonardo Okeke
Okeke is a 6’9 big forward from France. Many have compared him to Giannis. I wouldn’t go that far, but I do really like the kid as a prospect. He has some length and is also pretty athletic. He protects and attacks the rim well. He has even shown some ability as a ball handler and passer in transition. He will need to work on his jump shot though. I think the Warriors would be a great fit for him as they have a system that would create a ton of spacing. I could see him being a bigger and more athletic version of what Draymond is in that system.
## 27. Los Angeles Clippers: Kyle Filipowski
I know this is much lower than many probably have Flip. I myself am not super high on bigs who aren’t great rim protectors. At this point in the draft thought the offensive upside is too much to pass up. Flip is a big in the mold of a Jokic, Sabonis, or Sengun. He has a pretty good post up game, can space the floor, and is a good passer. He can even handle the ball some. As previously mentioned though he offers little to no rim protection. The Clippers are one of the few teams who might be able to hide that weakness.
## 28. Phoenix Suns: Harrison Ingram
The Suns biggest issue right now (aside from losing to an NBL team) is age. Harrison Ingram is a 3&D forward who could be a supercharged version of what Jae Crowder is right now. Pairing him with Book, Bridges, Johnson, and Ayton would be a pretty scary young core going forward. His jump shot still needs a little work if he wants to be a true 3&D forward though.
## 29. Houston Rockets (via MIL): Damion Collins
After drafting Scoot the Rockets only real need is a young rim protector. Collins fills that need and then some. He is a long and lanky explosive athlete. He is a great rim protector and lob threat. He has even shown some ability to shoot the three. There have also been flashes of aggressive drives to the rim and smooth pull up mid range shots when he’s ran off of the three point line. I could see him becoming a player very similar to JJJ.
## 30. Indiana Pacers (via BOS): Adou Thiero
After having already made two other first round picks the Pacers go with potentially the highest upset player in the class in Adou Thiero. Coming out of high school he was listed at 6’5, but it is now believed that he is every bit of 6’7 and still growing! According to reports he could end up being as tall as 6’11. He is a super lanky prospect who is also a good athlete. His best aspect right now is his defense and motor. He still has retained the passing and vision he had as a PG, but needs to work on being more comfortable as a ball handler with his new length. His jump shot will also need to continue to be worked on. If everything clicks the sky is truly the limit for him.