23rd annual DBR Mock Draft - It's done!

[Bob Green]

This thread is where you will make your picks. Please make picks in a timely fashion. Try to be aware of when you are going to come up and check the site often so you can get your pick made.

When it is your turn, please make sure you are clear about who you are picking first and then go into your rationale for the pick. Ideally, you should put the name of your selection in the title of your post.


First Round
1. Minnesota - flyingdutchdevil - Karl Anthony Towns, PF/C - Kentucky
2. L.A. Lakers - theschwartz -Jahlil Okafor, C - Duke
3. Philadelphia - pfrduke - Justise Winslow, SG/SF - Duke
4. New York – Mountain Devil 91 92 01 10 15 - Emmanuel Mudiay, PG - E'rywhere
5. Orlando – subzero02 - Willie Cauley-Stein, C - Kentucky
6. Sacramento - brevity - D'Angelo Russell, PG - Ohio State
7. Denver - mattman91 - Mario Hezonja, SF - Croatia
8. Detroit – BD80 - Stanley Johnson, SF - U of Az
9. Charlotte - roywhite - Kristaps Porzingis, PF - Latvia
10. Miami - superdave - Myles Turner, C - Texas
11. Indiana - NashvilleDevil - Cameron Payne, PG - Murray State
12. Utah - DallasDevil - Frank Kaminsky, PF - Wisconsin
13. Phoenix - Duvall - Devin Booker, G - Kentucky
14. Oklahoma City - NSDukeFan - Trey Lyles, PF - Kentucky
15. Atlanta - Jason Evans - Sam Dekker, SF - Wisconsin
16. Boston – Bob Green - Montrezl Harrell, PF - Louisville
17. Milwaukee - Turk - Jerian Grant, PG - Notre Dame
18. Houston - gocanes0506 - Bobby Portis, PF - Arkansas
19. Washington – Billy Dat - Kevon Looney, PF - UCLA
20. Toronto - theAlaskanBear - George de Paula, PG - Pinheiros, Brazil
21. Dallas - Troublemaker - RJ Hunter, SG - Georgia St
22. Chicago - CDu - Tyus Jones, PG - Duke
23. Portland - Henderson - Kelly Oubre, SF - Kansas
24. Cleveland - tfk53 - Justin Anderson, SF - Virginia
25. Memphis - Duke3517 - Cliff Alexander, PF - Kansas
26. San Antonio - JNort - Cedi Osman, SF - Anadolu Efes, Turkey
27. L.A. Lakers - theschwartz - Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, SF - Arizona
28. Boston – Bob Green - Christian Wood, PF - UNLV
29. Brooklyn – Newton 14- Rashad Vaughn, SG - UNLV
30. Golden State – awhom111 - Delon Wright, G - Utah

Second Round
31. Minnesota - flyingdutchdevil - Terry Rozier, PG - Louisville
32. Houston - gocanes0506 - Andrew Harrison, PG - Kentucky
33. Boston – Bob Green - Anthony Brown, SF - Stanford
34. L.A. Lakers - theschwartz - Guillermo Hernangomez, C/PF - Sevilla
35. Philadelphia - pfrduke - Jarell Martin, PF - LSU
36. Minnesota - flyingdutchdevil - Olivier Hanlan, PG - Boston College
37. Philadelphia - pfrduke - Aleksandar Vezenkov, PF - Bulgaria
38. Detroit - BD80 - Chris McCullough, PF - Syracuse
39. Charlotte - roywhite - Rakeem Christmas, PF/C - Syracuse
40. Miami - superdave - Nedim Buza, SF - Bosnia and Herzegovina
41. Brooklyn – Newton 14 - Jordan Mickey, F - LSU
42. Utah - DallasDevil - Nikola Milutinov, C - Serbia
43. Indiana - NashvilleDevil - JP Tokoto, SF - UNC
44. Phoenix - Duvall - Richaun Holmes, PF - Bowling Green
45. Boston – Bob Green - Michael Frazier, SG - Florida
46. Milwaukee - Turk - Joseph Young, SG - Oregon
47. Philadelphia - pfrduke - Tyler Harvey, SG - E. Washington
48. Oklahoma City - NSDukeFan - Norman Powell, SG - UCLA
49. Washington – Billy Dat - Quinn Cook, PG - Duke
50. Atlanta - Jason Evans - Robert Upshaw, C - Washington
51. Orlando - subzero02 - Pat Connaughton SG - Notre Dame
52. Dallas - Troublemaker - Moussa Diagne, C - Senegal
53. Cleveland - tfk53 - Shannon Scott, PG - Ohio St
54. Utah - DallasDevil - Mouhammadou Jaiteh, C - France
55. San Antonio - JNort - Branden Dawson, SF - Michigan State
56. New Orleans - gurufrisbee - Arturas Gudatis, PF - Lithuania
57. Denver - mattman91 - Vince Hunter, F - UTEP
58. Philadelphia - pfrduke - Michael Qualls, SG - Arkansas
59. Atlanta - Jason Evans - Jonathan Holmes, PF - Texas
60. Philadelphia - pfrduke - TJ McConnell, PG - Arizona

Flyingdutchdevil can make his pick now.

On Deck - L.A. Lakers - theschwartz
In the Hole - Philadelphia - pfrduke

[brevity]

Before we get started, a gentle reminder from a living legend:

John Calipari @UKCoachCalipari

My goal is to have seven players selected in the DBR mock draft. I can't pay you GMs directly, but you know how this works. Ka-ching!

12:23 PM - 4 June 2015

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

And we're off!

This thread is where you will make your picks. Please make picks in a timely fashion. Try to be aware of when you are going to come up and check the site often so you can get your pick made.

When it is your turn, please make sure you are clear about who you are picking first and then go into your rationale for the pick. Ideally, you should put the name of your selection in the title of your post.

(edited by -jk, hoping I got this list right...)

First Round
1. Minnesota - flyingdutchdevil
2. L.A. Lakers - theschwartz
3. Philadelphia - pfrduke
4. New York – Mountain Devil 91 92 01 10 15
5. Orlando – subzero02
6. Sacramento - brevity
7. Denver - mattman91
8. Detroit – BD80
9. Charlotte - roywhite
10. Miami - superdave
11. Indiana - NashvilleDevil
12. Utah - DallasDevil
13. Phoenix - Duvall
14. Oklahoma City - NSDukeFan
15. Atlanta - Jason Evans
16. Boston – Bob Green
17. Milwaukee - Turk
18. Houston - gocanes0506
19. Washington – Billy Dat
20. Toronto - theAlaskanBear
21. Dallas - Troublemaker
22. Chicago - CDu
23. Portland - Henderson
24. Cleveland - tfk53
25. Memphis - Duke3517
26. San Antonio - JNort
27. L.A. Lakers - theschwartz
28. Boston – Bob Green
29. Brooklyn – Newton 14
30. Golden State – awhom111

Second Round
31. Minnesota - flyingdutchdevil
32. Houston - gocanes0506
33. Boston – Bob Green
34. L.A. Lakers - theschwartz
35. Philadelphia - pfrduke
36. Minnesota - flyingdutchdevil
37. Philadelphia - pfrduke
38. Detroit - BD80
39. Charlotte - roywhite
40. Miami - superdave
41. Brooklyn – Newton 14
42. Utah - DallasDevil
43. Indiana - NashvilleDevil
44. Phoenix - Duvall
45. Boston – Bob Green
46. Milwaukee - Turk
47. Philadelphia - pfrduke
48. Oklahoma City - NSDukeFan
49. Washington – Billy Dat
50. Atlanta - Jason Evans
51. Orlando - subzero02
52. Dallas - Troublemaker
53. Cleveland - tfk53
54. Utah - DallasDevil
55. San Antonio - JNort
56. New Orleans - gurufrisbee
57. Denver - mattman91
58. Philadelphia - pfrduke
59. Atlanta - Jason Evans
60. Philadelphia - pfrduke

Flyingdutchdevil can make his pick now.

On Deck - L.A. Lakers - theschwartz
In the Hole - Philadelphia - pfrduke

Gosh, my name is getting unwieldy... :rolleyes:

[-jk]

Gosh, my name is getting unwieldy... :rolleyes:

Some problems aren't so bad...

(And where is flyingdutchdevil? Let's get rolling!)

-jk

[theschwartz]

Lakers are licking their chops at #2.

#brokethefloorforOkafor

[Duke3517]

If the Wolves pass on Okafor they are missing out on a wonderful talent. His flaws are very teachable.

[tfk53]

Cleveland GM has other things on his plate tonight!
However, for next year, he is singing "Where is the Love?"

The classic Roberta Flack version for this child of the 60s/70s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZcHPNUN-U8E

[flyingdutchdevil]

Ladies and gents - with your permission, can I get the ball rolling tomorrow morning?

[Bob Green]

Ladies and gents - with your permission, can I get the ball rolling tomorrow morning?

Okay, but bright and early tomorrow morning not at 11:59 am. :)

[flyingdutchdevil]

Thanks!

[awhom111]

We might get to pick 30 so fast that I will not know what to write about in my narrative on the team.

We may also go so fast that we end up drafting international players who withdraw from the draft after we pick them.

Remember that besides the early entry list, international players who have never gone through the draft and were born in 1993 are automatically available for selection as well as any who sign a pro contract with any other league in the United States besides the NBA before going through a draft. All American players as well as foreign players classified as American (by going to school here) who have signed a pro contract before going through the draft are also automatically in this draft.

[flyingdutchdevil]

...wait. Instead of giving the name first. Let's breakdown the issue.

There are only two choices that the Timberwolves will pursue: PF Karl Anthony Towns (KAT) and C Jahlil Okafor. Both are frontcourt players, but both players could not be more different from one another. And before we break down these players, let's look at the composition of the Timberwolves for the foreseeable future:

We have a total of 6 key players, 4 of which figure to be with the Timberwolves for a long time:
-Andrew Wiggins: excellent athlete with some offensive chops and gaining a reputation for being an elite scorer. KEEP
-Zach LaVine: excellent athlete who plays above the rim and has the reputation of a good 3pt shooter (34% rookie year). Needs help on defense. KEEP
-Shabazz Mohammad: sophomore who had a great season. Excellent from the post and a surprisingly good 3pt shooter. Needs help on defense. KEEP
-Gorgui Dieng: very good rebounder, decent shotblocker, alters shots, and can play his man one-on-one. Better than advertised scorer. KEEP
-Ricky Rubio: Excellent passer, excellent on the fast break, excellent rebounder, okay defender, terrible shooter. He's basically the exact same player that he was as a rookie. He's also injury prone. WILLING TO TRADE
-Nikola Pekovic: Good scorer, decent rebounder, can't play defense. Already 29 years old and digressed this past year. WILLING TO TRADE

So what does that leave us with? It leaves the Wolves with some amazing talent, especially 3 athletic wings and a defensive center. Two of these players - Wiggins and Dieng - have shown a ton of potential on the defensive end. LaVine and Shabazz have the tools to be good (and even very good/elite) defenders due to their athleticism, and the offense will certainly come around on the wings. What the Wolves are missing is a long-term PG if Rubio doesn't improve soon and any resemblance of a PF. Dieng cannot play PF. It's not even an option with his skill set.

So, bottomline, the Timberwolves already have a ton of talent. We'll be good in 3-4 years. But we can be great with the right pick.

Let's now compare Okafor vs Towns:

Offensive Potential: Okafor
Post-Up Ability: Okafor
Jump Shot: Towns
3pt Shooting: Towns
Defensive Potential: Towns
Rebounding: Towns
Man-on-Man Defense: Towns
Help Defense/Blocking Ability: Towns
Size: Okafor
Strength: Okafor
NBA Ready: Okafor
Athleticism: Towns
Intangibles: Towns

In essence, Okafor is an NBA-ready center with a complete set of offensive skills down low. He is a serviceable defender man-on-man but not great on the help defense and a sieve on the pick-and-roll defense, a defense that bigs need to master to be somewhat effective in the NBA. He has the potential to be the best post scorer in the NBA, a trait that is very unique. But, for a big man, he is not a "complete" one. His defense and rebounding - two big man traits that are valued more than ever in this NBA - are underwhelming.

KAT, on the other hand, does everything good. Right now, he isn't great at anything (Okafor is great at post offense), but the potential is there. He is already a very good defender and rebounder, and he has the ability to shoot jump shots and potentially 3pt shots, and has impressed scouts/the media with this ability recently in workouts. His post game needs a lot of help, but the athleticism is there is help this along. He clearly has more long-term potential as a perennial All-Star, and reminds many of Anthony Davis, arguably the next great NBA player. Furthermore, KAT can play both the PF and C positions, and that flexibility helps an up-and-coming team.

So, with the first pick of the NBA draft, the Minnesota Timberwolves select... Karl Anthony Towns. For the following reasons:
-Bolstering our already potentially good defense and pairing Dieng with another very good defender/rebounder
-"Stretch 4" potential, a luxury in the NBA, especially when you have quality slashers like LaVine and Wiggins
-Higher potential of KAT over Okafor
-Ability to play the PF, a position that the Timberwolves sorely need

This pick may not look right for a couple of years, but once KAT figures it out, he'll be a beast.

[gocanes0506]

Since there are no trades here I agree with the pick. I think Oak's inability to gaurd the pick and roll ultimately keeps him out of the number one.

[BD80]

Wonder who the Lakers will pick.

Actually, I wonder why it wasn't within 15 seconds of Minny's pick (real world, it would be except the Lakers would field offers in case they can give Kobe an experienced co-star)

[gocanes0506]

Wonder who the Lakers will pick.

Actually, I wonder why it wasn't within 15 seconds of Minny's pick (real world, it would be except the Lakers would field offers in case they can give Kobe an experienced co-star)

Cue Cleveland for a sign and trade with Love. Love and cleveland's first for the number 2, hill/black/ed davis, and a future pick.

[NSDukeFan]

...wait. Instead of giving the name first. Let's breakdown the issue.

There are only two choices that the Timberwolves will pursue: PF Karl Anthony Towns (KAT) and C Jahlil Okafor. Both are frontcourt players, but both players could not be more different from one another. And before we break down these players, let's look at the composition of the Timberwolves for the foreseeable future:

We have a total of 6 key players, 4 of which figure to be with the Timberwolves for a long time:
-Andrew Wiggins: excellent athlete with some offensive chops and gaining a reputation for being an elite scorer. KEEP
-Zach LaVine: excellent athlete who plays above the rim and has the reputation of a good 3pt shooter (34% rookie year). Needs help on defense. KEEP
-Shabazz Mohammad: sophomore who had a great season. Excellent from the post and a surprisingly good 3pt shooter. Needs help on defense. KEEP
-Gorgui Dieng: very good rebounder, decent shotblocker, alters shots, and can play his man one-on-one. Better than advertised scorer. KEEP
-Ricky Rubio: Excellent passer, excellent on the fast break, excellent rebounder, okay defender, terrible shooter. He's basically the exact same player that he was as a rookie. He's also injury prone. WILLING TO TRADE
-Nikola Pekovic: Good scorer, decent rebounder, can't play defense. Already 29 years old and digressed this past year. WILLING TO TRADE

So what does that leave us with? It leaves the Wolves with some amazing talent, especially 3 athletic wings and a defensive center. Two of these players - Wiggins and Dieng - have shown a ton of potential on the defensive end. LaVine and Shabazz have the tools to be good (and even very good/elite) defenders due to their athleticism, and the offense will certainly come around on the wings. What the Wolves are missing is a long-term PG if Rubio doesn't improve soon and any resemblance of a PF. Dieng cannot play PF. It's not even an option with his skill set.

So, bottomline, the Timberwolves already have a ton of talent. We'll be good in 3-4 years. But we can be great with the right pick.

Let's now compare Okafor vs Towns:

Offensive Potential: Okafor
Post-Up Ability: Okafor
Jump Shot: Towns
3pt Shooting: Towns
Defensive Potential: Towns
Rebounding: Towns
Man-on-Man Defense: Towns
Help Defense/Blocking Ability: Towns
Size: Okafor
Strength: Okafor
NBA Ready: Okafor
Athleticism: Towns
Intangibles: Towns

In essence, Okafor is an NBA-ready center with a complete set of offensive skills down low. He is a serviceable defender man-on-man but not great on the help defense and a sieve on the pick-and-roll defense, a defense that bigs need to master to be somewhat effective in the NBA. He has the potential to be the best post scorer in the NBA, a trait that is very unique. But, for a big man, he is not a "complete" one. His defense and rebounding - two big man traits that are valued more than ever in this NBA - are underwhelming.

KAT, on the other hand, does everything good. Right now, he isn't great at anything (Okafor is great at post offense), but the potential is there. He is already a very good defender and rebounder, and he has the ability to shoot jump shots and potentially 3pt shots, and has impressed scouts/the media with this ability recently in workouts. His post game needs a lot of help, but the athleticism is there is help this along. He clearly has more long-term potential as a perennial All-Star, and reminds many of Anthony Davis, arguably the next great NBA player. Furthermore, KAT can play both the PF and C positions, and that flexibility helps an up-and-coming team.

So, with the first pick of the NBA draft, the Minnesota Timberwolves select... Karl Anthony Towns. For the following reasons:
-Bolstering our already potentially good defense and pairing Dieng with another very good defender/rebounder
-"Stretch 4" potential, a luxury in the NBA, especially when you have quality slashers like LaVine and Wiggins
-Higher potential of KAT over Okafor
-Ability to play the PF, a position that the Timberwolves sorely need

This pick may not look right for a couple of years, but once KAT figures it out, he'll be a beast.

Boooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

But good reasoning and analysis about the pick.

[theschwartz]

Sorry for the delay, the Lakers front office got a bit of a late start on the west coast this morning. It is Friday after all. Still working on the analysis--along with trying to complete a couple deliverables by this afternoon--but didn't want to delay the process any further, so I'll finish it up later today.

Excited to see Jahlil in purple & gold for the next 15 years (in this scenario at least)!

[rhcpflea99]

Size and strength Okafor has it Towns doesn't. You can't rebound if you are getting push out the key like nothing. This is not college Towns will not be able to tip the ball back to him. Okafor has a nice little Tim Duncan bank shot that he really didn't have to use in college because he could post anybody up.

[pfrduke]

The 76ers are drafting for talent. That should be an obvious proposition. I think the only thing that even might have given them pause about taking the best available player is if Okafor was still on the board, since Okafor, Noel, and Embiid are a bit redundant of each other (even if they do have different skill sets), but that's a non-issue. So we're comfortable just taking the guy we think will be the best pro, regardless of position.

And, while I'm sure I'm biased in this assessment, I think that person is Justise Winslow. Winslow oozes potential, with an actual record of performance to back that up. He's a terror on the defensive end with the size and quickness to guard 1-3 (and the potential to develop enough strength to guard certain 4s in a pinch when the 76ers want to go small to mismatch). His shooting needs some work, but he's far from an MKG-level project on that end and by the end of the season both his 3-pt stroke and FT shooting were money. And he can get out and run, which fits with the frenetic pace that the Sixers employed this season.

Conventional wisdom has the 76ers taking D'Angelo Russell here. I think that would be a fine pick, but if forced to wager on who would be a better pro, I'd pick Winslow over Russell without giving it a ton of thought. Mudiay and Mario Hezonja are other popular potential picks - it's hard to compare their international performance record to Winslow's, and certainly one could turn into a home run, but I still view Justise as having a better overall likelihood of being a stud in the NBA.

[Henderson]

Justise Winslow = best player in the draft. I would have taken him #1 or traded down to #3 or 4 and taken him.

No one will remember I said that. But I'll come back in 10 years and remind y'all.

OK, so it's not THAT bold a statement. But I'd take him over Towns or Oak.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

The New York Knicks were saved the ignominy of passing on Justise Winslow in the draft, which might mean some people keep their jobs for one or two more seasons. Given that they can no longer be crucified for passing up on the best talent in the draft, they will have to settle for making a different sort of mistake - drafting unproven potential. The upside: Mudiay may blossom into a top-tier guard over a few seasons, allowing the rebuilding of the Knicks to continue on the slow, almost-imperceptible trajectory, likely keeping them in the lottery next year. Best case scenario - his size lets him bang on offense and defense and he becomes a cornerstone of the next generation of Knicks, averaging 17 pts, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists within a few seasons. Worst case scenario - the hype from The Congo and his Texas high school are just that - hype. Never having proved himself in college and a season doing who-knows-what in China leaves him unexposed and he's out of the league in a few years.

All in all, he sounds like a perfect pick for NY.

This is all to say - with the fourth pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, the New York Knicks select Emmanuel Mudiay, of... well, everywhere.

[ChillinDuke]

The New York Knicks were saved the ignominy of passing on Justise Winslow in the draft, which might mean some people keep their jobs for one or two more seasons. Given that they can no longer be crucified for passing up on the best talent in the draft, they will have to settle for making a different sort of mistake - drafting unproven potential. The upside: Mudiay may blossom into a top-tier guard over a few seasons, allowing the rebuilding of the Knicks to continue on the slow, almost-imperceptible trajectory, likely keeping them in the lottery next year. Best case scenario - his size lets him bang on offense and defense and he becomes a cornerstone of the next generation of Knicks, averaging 17 pts, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists within a few seasons. Worst case scenario - the hype from The Congo and his Texas high school are just that - hype. Never having proved himself in college and a season doing who-knows-what in China leaves him unexposed and he's out of the league in a few years.

All in all, he sounds like a perfect pick for NY.

This is all to say - with the fourth pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, the New York Knicks select Emmanuel Mudiay, of... well, everywhere.

Perfect pick for NY is right.

Can't wait for him to flounder and fail.

That's almost the best part of picking him.

- Chillin

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

Perfect pick for NY is right.

Can't wait for him to flounder and fail.

That's almost the best part of picking him.

- Chillin

Oh, here's an interesting question that may have been addressed... Is this mock draft supposed to be a simulation of who we THINK teams will draft? Or who they ought to draft? I channeled my inner Knick Front Office for my pick.

[pfrduke]

Oh, here's an interesting question that may have been addressed... Is this mock draft supposed to be a simulation of who we THINK teams will draft? Or who they ought to draft? I channeled my inner Knick Front Office for my pick.

You can mock draft from whatever perspective you want to. My approach was assuming that I was wearing the 76ers GM hat and getting to choose their pick, not predicting who they would take.

[ChillinDuke]

Oh, here's an interesting question that may have been addressed... Is this mock draft supposed to be a simulation of who we THINK teams will draft? Or who they ought to draft? I channeled my inner Knick Front Office for my pick.

Seems like "ought" given Justise went #3.

I think however you want to play is fair game, IMO.

That said, your pick seems to cover both think and ought as far as the Knicks go.

- Chillin

[subzero02]

#5 pick Orlando Magic: Willie Cauley-Stein

The Orlando Magic have two future all stars in the offensively gifted Victor Oladipo and Nikola Vucevic. The 7 foot Vucevic is a talented rebounder and scorer, essentially averaging 20ppg and 10 rpg but he is no rim protector at only .7 bpg. Cauley-Stein served himself well by returning to Kentucky. He emerged as the best defender on a team that produced some of the most impressive defensive performances in the history of college basketball. His ability to block shots and run the floor will help Orlando become a more potent transition team. The Magic could become a playoff contender if Oladipo, Aaron Gordon and Cauley-Stein come close to reaching their defensive potential next season.

[brevity]

This is what I know about the Sacramento Kings:

1. They play in Sleep Train Arena. Apparently, a California mattress retailer pays better for naming rights than ARCO gasoline.

2. For a brief period last season, they had a Stockton and a Malone.

3. The owner’s daughter, Anjali Ranadivé, was the second young woman to crash the 2014 NBA Draft Lottery telecast. Because the Kings did not improve their draft position, she got a lot less attention than Mallory Edens. So she spent her time on stage flirting with the Detroit Pistons representative, Kyle Singler.

4. Despite a Carolina guy as coach (George Karl), there are no Heels on the roster. No Devils, either. No ACC players at all.

5. They finished 29-53 last season, just one game out of 12th place in the Western Conference standings.

I chose Sacramento because they selected early in the first round and had no second round pick, which reduced my commitment to DBR in the coming days. (Had I known the Timberwolves would require a whole day, and that the Lakers needed almost 6 hours to name the second person in a two-man draft, I would have picked another team.)

Everyone assumed that the Top 5 picks on a Duke board would be Mudiay, Okafor, Russell, Towns, and Winslow (in some order). So #6 was the first wide-open pick of the draft, and I’ve had a couple of days to decide which player is the best of the rest.

But something interesting happened about 30 minutes ago while I was debating the merits of elevating Stanley Johnson past the Kentucky guys: D'Angelo Russell slid out of the Top 5. Sactown Royalty (http://www.sactownroyalty.com/2015/6/4/8728501/latest-draftexpress-mock-draft-has-kings-selecting-emmanual-mudiay) pointed out that Sacramento has a recent history of selecting players that slide to them (Demarcus Cousins in 2010, Thomas Robinson in 2012, Ben McLemore in 2013). Valid or not, this gives them the reputation of being Slide Stoppers. I see no reason to stop the trend now. Russell has NBA-ready size for a point guard (6' 5" with shoes, 6' 9.75" Bilas-span) and is a great deal more exciting than anyone else I was looking at.

My reading of the tea leaves tells me the real draft will go differently. Russell will be selected in the Top 5, and the Kings will draft the heavily hyped international center Kristaps Porzingis as trade bait, hoping to acquire a veteran and move down in the lottery, probably for Cameron Payne.

[mattman91]

The Denver GM is out on the town tonight, so the analysis will be a bit delayed.

[BD80]

The Pistons select Stanley Johnson SF, AZ.

The best fit would certainly be Justise, but Johnson has similar qualities.

The Pistons need a SF (the position is currently manned by a pair of 35 y/o players, T Prince and C Butler), and are set at center Andre Drummond and PG (B Jennings AND R Jackson). They have an adequate SG (KCP) and a tall third PG of promise (Dinwiddie). Van Gundy will probably play multiple PGs in the game if they all remain on the roster. The Pistons will lose PF Greg "Moose" Monroe, but are rumored to be after Draymond Green as a replacement (Arn Tellum's client who is now in the Piston's front office and rumored to be receiving an ownership stake).

Johnson is long (6' 11 1/2" wingspan) and aggressive, and will to do the dirty work. I see him as a Stan Van Gundy kind of player. In particular, he will be a good defender and can switch off onto most players with his strength, length and quickness. He is one of those guys you don't have to run plays for him to get his points.

[roywhite]

Charlotte Hornets 2014-15
Finished 33-49, 10 games worse than 2013-14
28th in offensive efficiency, last in 3-point shooting (Lance Stephenson did his part by hitting 17% from behind the line)
Needs: shooting certainly, but talent overall; they're more than one player away from being good

Kristaps Porzingis PF Latvia is a versatile 7-footer who moves well and can shoot; he's only 19, had a chance to be drafted last year, but decided to spend another year in the Spanish pro league
Needs strength and experience but can be a major force on offense

Also considered: Frank Kaminsky, Devin Booker

[NashvilleDevil]

Per the rules our pick will be delivered tomorrow afternoon.

[Bob Green]

Up to Bat: Indiana - NashvilleDevil
On Deck: Utah - DallasDevil
In the Hole: Phoenix - Duvall

Please do not allow the draft to bog down over the weekend. Let's keep the momentum going.

Thanks!

[roywhite]

Up to Bat: Indiana - NashvilleDevil
On Deck: Utah - DallasDevil
In the Hole: Phoenix - Duvall

Please do not allow the draft to bog down over the weekend. Let's keep the momentum going.

Thanks!

Don't forget Miami and superdave; they're at #10

[Bob Green]

Don't forget Miami and superdave; they're at #10

Thanks! :o

[NSDukeFan]

Don't forget Miami and superdave; they're at #10

Maybe he lost his pick because of a lack of institutional control. I hear that's going around.

[superdave]

Myles Turner is the pick. Floor spacing big to learn under Chris Bosh.
And we're off!

This thread is where you will make your picks. Please make picks in a timely fashion. Try to be aware of when you are going to come up and check the site often so you can get your pick made.

When it is your turn, please make sure you are clear about who you are picking first and then go into your rationale for the pick. Ideally, you should put the name of your selection in the title of your post.

(edited by -jk, hoping I got this list right...)

First Round
1. Minnesota - flyingdutchdevil - Karl Anthony Towns, PF/C - Kentucky
2. L.A. Lakers - theschwartz -Jahlil Okafor, C - Duke
3. Philadelphia - pfrduke - Justise Winslow, SG/SF - Duke
4. New York – Mountain Devil 91 92 01 10 15 - Emmanuel Mudiay, PG - E'rywhere
5. Orlando – subzero02 - Willie Cauley-Stein - Kentucky
6. Sacramento - brevity - D'Angelo Russell, PG - Ohio State
7. Denver - mattman91 - Mario Hezonja, SF - Croatia
8. Detroit – BD80 - Stanley Johnson, SF - U of Az
9. Charlotte - roywhite - Kristaps Porzingis, PF - Latvia
10. Miami - superdave
11. Indiana - NashvilleDevil
12. Utah - DallasDevil
13. Phoenix - Duvall
14. Oklahoma City - NSDukeFan
15. Atlanta - Jason Evans
16. Boston – Bob Green
17. Milwaukee - Turk
18. Houston - gocanes0506
19. Washington – Billy Dat
20. Toronto - theAlaskanBear
21. Dallas - Troublemaker
22. Chicago - CDu
23. Portland - Henderson
24. Cleveland - tfk53
25. Memphis - Duke3517
26. San Antonio - JNort
27. L.A. Lakers - theschwartz
28. Boston – Bob Green
29. Brooklyn – Newton 14
30. Golden State – awhom111

Second Round
31. Minnesota - flyingdutchdevil
32. Houston - gocanes0506
33. Boston – Bob Green
34. L.A. Lakers - theschwartz
35. Philadelphia - pfrduke
36. Minnesota - flyingdutchdevil
37. Philadelphia - pfrduke
38. Detroit - BD80
39. Charlotte - roywhite
40. Miami - superdave
41. Brooklyn – Newton 14
42. Utah - DallasDevil
43. Indiana - NashvilleDevil
44. Phoenix - Duvall
45. Boston – Bob Green
46. Milwaukee - Turk
47. Philadelphia - pfrduke
48. Oklahoma City - NSDukeFan
49. Washington – Billy Dat
50. Atlanta - Jason Evans
51. Orlando - subzero02
52. Dallas - Troublemaker
53. Cleveland - tfk53
54. Utah - DallasDevil
55. San Antonio - JNort
56. New Orleans - gurufrisbee
57. Denver - mattman91
58. Philadelphia - pfrduke
59. Atlanta - Jason Evans
60. Philadelphia - pfrduke

Flyingdutchdevil can make his pick now.

On Deck - L.A. Lakers - theschwartz
In the Hole - Philadelphia - pfrduke

[devildeac]

The Denver GM is out on the town tonight, so the analysis will be a bit delayed.

Well, considering it's all One World, I hoping you know your ABCs and this pick doesn't turn you into a Green Man and result in the Burial of this selection. (You might have to be from Asheville to understand these references:o.)

Good choice. I think:confused:.

[Bob Green]

Now my post from this morning is accurate, paging NashvilleDevil:


Up to Bat: Indiana - NashvilleDevil
On Deck: Utah - DallasDevil
In the Hole: Phoenix - Duvall

Please do not allow the draft to bog down over the weekend. Let's keep the momentum going.

Thanks!

[NashvilleDevil]

First the Pacer organization would like to apologize. Our mock GM had a dance recital to attend this morning.

We were hoping that Cauley-Stein would fall to us. He could turn into an excellent pick and roll offensive player like Tyson Chandler and we love his defensive motor. Of course Orlando took him. Our next option was Myles Turner who could learn under David West and turn into a nice stretch 4. So with Turner going to the Heat our next options are Cameron Payne or Stanley Johnson. We look both players but with the 11th pick we are taking Cameron Payne, PG, Murray State.

[-jk]

DallasDevil - you're up!

Hmm... It looks like he hasn't been on in a couple days. If anyone knows him in the real world...

-jk

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

DallasDevil - you're up!

Hmm... It looks like he hasn't been on in a couple days. If anyone knows him in the real world...

-jk

What is this that you speak of?

[Tripping William]

What is this that you speak of?

My name is Lennay Kekua, and I approved this message.

[DallasDevil]

First off, apologies for the delay. I was following the mock draft this weekend on a device where I was not logged in, so that is why it may have looked like I was inactive. The wife is out of town for the weekend and I’ve been looking after a sick 2-year-old and a sick 4-year-old today, so I haven’t had the chance to make my pick until I had both of them in bed. But since I have now successfully managed that, on to my thought process behind the pick…

The Jazz are in a bit of an unusual situation for a lottery team, in that they do not have a hole at any position. Trey Burke, Dante Exum, and Alec Burks are all guards with potential. They gave Gordon Hayward max money at SF, and Rodney Hood had a good rookie campaign at the wing. Derrick Favors is solid at the 4, and Rudy Gobert was a revelation this year at center. Unfortunately, none of these players are (yet) all-NBA caliber. What the Jazz really need is a true star, and they’re unlikely to find that with the 12th pick. Given this, the best use of the pick (assuming they keep it) would be to add depth in the frontcourt or a good shooter. I considered Booker, Oubre, Dekker and Lyles here, but in the end Kaminsky could bolster the frontcourt and help stretch the defense. He may be a bit of a stretch at 12, but he is ready to contribute and the Jazz want to contend for a playoff spot next season after having a strong finish this year.

[Bob Green]

13. Phoenix - Duvall
14. Oklahoma City - NSDukeFan
15. Atlanta - Jason Evans

[superdave]

Myles Turner is the pick. Floor spacing big to learn under Chris Bosh.

Myles Turner has a lot of talent. Remember that he was ranked #6 overall in the Class of 2014 RSCI composite. He will turn 20 at the end of his first NBA season.

At the combine, he measured 6'9.75'' in socks with a 7'4'' wingspan. Last season for Richard Barnes, he averaged 10 and 6 in 22 minutes, plus 2.6 blocks per. He went 4-4 from three last season in a game vs OKST so he can shoot, even if it needs work. His offensive rating was 112 and defensive rating 86, via basketball-reference.com. I really like his defensive rebounding % at 24.9 and block % at 12.3.

He reminds me of a Derrick Favors type 4 on the defensive end and (a big "hopefully") a Lemarcus Aldridge type on the offensive end. Great pick for the Heat. Turner should be able to keep Bosh's minutes to a healthy average and he can play the 5 during small ball time.


BTW, who had the maxiest vertical at the draft combine this year? Prepare yourself: http://www.draftexpress.com/nba-pre-draft-measurements/?page=&year=2015&source=NBA+Draft+Combine&sort2=DESC&draft=0&pos=0&sort=12

[sagegrouse]

Myles Turner has a lot of talent. Remember that he was ranked #6 overall in the Class of 2014 RSCI composite. He will turn 20 at the end of his first NBA season.

At the combine, he measured 6'9.75'' in socks with a 7'4'' wingspan. Last season for Richard Barnes, he averaged 10 and 6 in 22 minutes, plus 2.6 blocks per. He went 4-4 from three last season in a game vs OKST so he can shoot, even if it needs work. His offensive rating was 112 and defensive rating 86, via basketball-reference.com. I really like his defensive rebounding % at 24.9 and block % at 12.3.

He reminds me of a Derrick Favors type 4 on the defensive end and (a big "hopefully") a Lemarcus Aldridge type on the offensive end. Great pick for the Heat. Turner should be able to keep Bosh's minutes to a healthy average and he can play the 5 during small ball time.


BTW, who had the maxiest vertical at the draft combine this year? Prepare yourself: http://www.draftexpress.com/nba-pre-draft-measurements/?page=&year=2015&source=NBA+Draft+Combine&sort2=DESC&draft=0&pos=0&sort=12

I believe it was Connaughton from Notre Dame. There was, however, a comment or two at the time that his measured standing reach was suspiciously low, so his jump measure might need some -- ahem -- some adjustment. Nevertheless, an amazing performance.

Kindly,
Sage
'The jump measure is how high you can touch on a vertical standard minus your standing reach'

[Duvall]

When in doubt, select a player that can put the ball through the iron ring. The Phoenix Suns select Devin Booker, G, University of Kentucky in hopes of improving the long-range shooting of a team that finished 21st in 3FG% last season.

[roywhite]

When in doubt, select a player that can put the ball through the iron ring. The Phoenix Suns select Devin Booker, G, University of Kentucky in hopes of improving the long-range shooting of a team that finished 21st in 3FG% last season.

I like that pick. Thought about Booker at #9.

Might be the best shooter in the draft; good size (6'6"), seems to have a good feel for the game, 18 years old, really good upside.

[dukelifer]

I like that pick. Thought about Booker at #9.

Might be the best shooter in the draft; good size (6'6"), seems to have a good feel for the game, 18 years old, really good upside.

Listened to Calipari on the Lupica show while on my morning run and he said that he intentionally limited his kids throughout the season so they could work on their skills to be better prepared for the NBA. He said that Towns is a great shooter but he wanted to develop his back to the basket moves and defense which he will need at the next level. Thus he told Towns that he could not shoot 3's. Cal clearly sees his role as developing his kids for the NBA.

[sagegrouse]

Listened to Calipari on the Lupica show while on my morning run and he said that he intentionally limited his kids throughout the season so they could work on their skills to be better prepared for the NBA. He said that Towns is a great shooter but he wanted to develop his back to the basket moves and defense which he will need at the next level. Thus he told Towns that he could not shoot 3's. Cal clearly sees his role as developing his kids for the NBA.

What a pile of horse hockey! So, he was intentionally trying to throw games to work on his players' greatest needs. Did Lupica buy that nonsense?

[NSDukeFan]

When in doubt, select a player that can put the ball through the iron ring. The Phoenix Suns select Devin Booker, G, University of Kentucky in hopes of improving the long-range shooting of a team that finished 21st in 3FG% last season.


Listened to Calipari on the Lupica show while on my morning run and he said that he intentionally limited his kids throughout the season so they could work on their skills to be better prepared for the NBA. He said that Towns is a great shooter but he wanted to develop his back to the basket moves and defense which he will need at the next level. Thus he told Towns that he could not shoot 3's. Cal clearly sees his role as developing his kids for the NBA.

With these two posts in mind and since I'm Canadian, I guess Trey Lyles is the obvious choice. He can certainly put the ball in the hoop in various ways and imagine how much he would have scored if Calipari wasn't taking it easy on the opposition to give them a chance against his powerhouse.

[JasonEvans]

With DeMarre Carroll, the Junk Yard Dog, a free agent, the Hawks want a little bit of a backup plan if their almost all-star SF leaves. Plus, Dekker is the best player on the board (as far as we are concerned) at this point making the pick even easier.

The Hawks like Dekker's ability to stretch the floor and his desire to take the big shot. The Hawks need a bit more of that. His length is outstanding for a SF and he should help on the boards, which was a problem for the Hawks in the post-season. Dekker also has shown that he plays his best in the big games, an attribute that is oh so important in the NBA.

We strongly considered, Montrezl Harrell, who we could see anchoring the inside of the Hawks second unit, a monster on the glass when teams have to help on the slashing of the German Rondo, Dennis Schroeder. But, we are thrilled that Dekker is still available and gladly take a guy who, at 6-9, can play either SF or PF. We see Dekker as a clear lottery-level talent (we would probably have taken him a few picks earlier if we were picking there) and adding him to a team that already won 60 games is huge! The Joe Johnson trade is the gift that keeps on giving. Thanks, Brooklyn!!

-Jason "thanks to everyone who is helping out with the mock draft... we are sailing along!" Evans

P.S. - If it matters, I had a long post on how I was not going to take Lyles, and I was probably going to regret it. Thankfully, NS saved me from that decision ;)

[dukelifer]

What a pile of horse hockey! So, he was intentionally trying to throw games to work on his players' greatest needs. Did Lupica buy that nonsense?

Because they are buds. Not sure he was throwing games as much as sacrificing for the betterment of the kids. Never heard a coach who made this claim- it was vintage Cal. Just think how good his teams could be if he was selfish and only thought about wins ;)

[Bob Green]

With the 16th pick in the 2015 DBR Mock Draft, the Boston Celtics select Montrezl Harrell. We love his physical tools and motor. Harrell is a high energy player!

[theAlaskanBear]

Sooo close to pick #20...but I head to work shortly. I will be waiting to make my pick tonight just be patient if it stalls for a bit.

[Kedsy]

With these two posts in mind and since I'm Canadian, I guess Trey Lyles is the obvious choice. He can certainly put the ball in the hoop in various ways and imagine how much he would have scored if Calipari wasn't taking it easy on the opposition to give them a chance against his powerhouse.

Well, it's a good thing Calipari held him back, because Lyles's statistics were somewhat abysmal for a 6'10" guy. Here's a comparison of Lyles to our own Amile Jefferson (who nobody will mistake for a lottery pick):



Player ORtg pts per 40 eFG% DefReb% OffReb% Asst% Stl% Blk%
Trey Lyles 112.4 15.1 49.5% 16.0 9.9 9.2 1.4 2.1
Amile Jefferson 118.9 11.5 63.0% 17.9 13.8 6.7 1.6 2.9


These are pace- and minute-independent stats. Looks like Lyles scores more (although not that much more) and passes a bit better, but other than that, Amile bested him in every category. And before anybody argues that Lyles stats were dampened by playing with such strong teammates, think who Amile was competing with for points and rebounds.

Unless Calipari really did hold Lyles back, I think this guy is going to be a bust. Admittedly, not as big a bust as Dakari Johnson (whose stats are even worse and who somehow managed to record just a 25 inch vertical at the combine), but a bust nonetheless.

[GGLC]

There's a guy who's sliding that I think has a good chance of being a top 8 talent in this draft. Let's see who gets him.

[Troublemaker]

There's a guy who's sliding that I think has a good chance of being a top 8 talent in this draft. Let's see who gets him.

It's getting into Tyus range now...

[Henderson]

There's a guy who's sliding that I think has a good chance of being a top 8 talent in this draft. Let's see who gets him.

Damn, I hope it's me. That sounds pretty cool.

[gocanes0506]

There's a guy who's sliding that I think has a good chance of being a top 8 talent in this draft. Let's see who gets him.

Depends on what site you follow. All the talent that should be gone is gone per Nbadraft.net

[gurufrisbee]

56? No, oh sorry. I'll go back to sleep then.

(actually it's really fun reading all the analysis from everyone as they pick - even when I totally disagree (re: WCS) it's still fun to read and I appreciate all the hard work people are doing to make this so well done)

[GGLC]

Depends on what site you follow. All the talent that should be gone is gone per Nbadraft.net

I like Dx a lot more than NBAdraft.net, but my feelings about this player are just from reading a few different knowledgeable observers and watching his videos myself.

[NashvilleDevil]

I like Dx a lot more than NBAdraft.net, but my feelings about this player are just from reading a few different knowledgeable observers and watching his videos myself.

Is it a young man who played ball on the West Coast? I was looking at him at 11 if that's who you're talking about.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

With the 16th pick in the 2015 DBR Mock Draft, the Boston Celtics select Montrezl Harrell. We love his physical tools and motor. Harrell is a high energy player!

I like this pick. He's wildly physical, but also has a really sharp head for the game. Would love to see what Stevens can do with that kid.

[GGLC]

Is it a young man who played ball on the West Coast? I was looking at him at 11 if that's who you're talking about.

Yes indeed.

[Bob Green]

I like this pick.

Thanks! I strongly considered Kelly Oubre and Kevon Looney, but Harrell is too good to pass on.

[-jk]

Turk,

Please make your pick by 10:00 am Monday (EDT). If you can't, we'll need to find a proxy GM for your pick...

thanks,

-jk

[Bob Green]

Turk,

Please make your pick by 10:00 am Monday (EDT). If you can't, we'll need to find a proxy GM for your pick...

thanks,

-jk

It's Monday morning and time to get the draft rolling:

Up to Bat: Milwaukee - Turk (10:00 am deadline to post pick)
On Deck: Houston - gocanes0506
In the Hole: Washington – Billy Dat

[NSDukeFan]

Well, it's a good thing Calipari held him back, because Lyles's statistics were somewhat abysmal for a 6'10" guy. Here's a comparison of Lyles to our own Amile Jefferson (who nobody will mistake for a lottery pick):



Player ORtg pts per 40 eFG% DefReb% OffReb% Asst% Stl% Blk%
Trey Lyles 112.4 15.1 49.5% 16.0 9.9 9.2 1.4 2.1
Amile Jefferson 118.9 11.5 63.0% 17.9 13.8 6.7 1.6 2.9


These are pace- and minute-independent stats. Looks like Lyles scores more (although not that much more) and passes a bit better, but other than that, Amile bested him in every category. And before anybody argues that Lyles stats were dampened by playing with such strong teammates, think who Amile was competing with for points and rebounds.

Unless Calipari really did hold Lyles back, I think this guy is going to be a bust. Admittedly, not as big a bust as Dakari Johnson (whose stats are even worse and who somehow managed to record just a 25 inch vertical at the combine), but a bust nonetheless.

Oh, you and your stats and evidence, which I do appreciate. Those are some pretty compelling numbers. A couple of differences between the two were usage rate, (Lyles 20.6%, Amile 16.something) and +/-, where Lyles was one of the top players in the country, which may or may not mean anything. I was quite impressed with his skill the little I did see him play. He may very well be a bust, or he could end up being a solid player, but his numbers do seem to indicate he may have a tough road ahead. He is still young, skilled and, I believe, solid defensively and that may translate to better results in the pros.
Another take home from your analysis for me is I hope Amile is more aggressive offensively next year, with or without a jump shot. He has some nice skills inside, along the baseline and I like when he is assertive from the high post against zones.

[Turk]

17. Milwaukee Bucks: Jerian Grant, PG, Notre Dame

The Milwaukee Bucks gave hope to all sad-sack lottery teams last year that only one year of Tankapalooza, if managed well, is enough to turn a franchise around. With rookie Jabari Parker proving he can play in the league, the continuing improvement of other young players such as Giannis "Greek Freak" Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton, and an upgrade from Coach Larry "zzzzzz" Drew to Jason Kidd, the Bucks were able to trade Brandon Knight for 2014 Rookie of the Year Michael Carter-Williams. Coupled with a weak Eastern Conference, the Bucks went from lottery team to a .500 record and a playoff spot. The owners are in win-now mode, and the biggest hurdle facing the team right now is actually off the court, as the NBA has given the team a deadline to have a new arena or else the NBA will move the team. The latest news is that the governor is willing to match the owners' $250 million contribution with $250 million of state funding, but negotiations are still in progress and there is much political grandstanding and posturing left to do before an agreement will be signed.

On the court, let's start with the center position. The Bucks essentially run a platoon, with Zaza Pachulia's offense supported by John Henson's rebounding and shot blocking. Miles Plumlee can also provide energy off the bench, but no upgrade at that position will be available at the #17 pick.

At PF, Jabari Parker is expected to be completely recover from the torn ACL that ended a promising rookie season. The front office knows that if Jabari's rehab and workout time is greater than the total air time of his Gatorade commercials, he will be a stud and have an All-Star caliber year. Ersan Ilyasova averaged 11.5 PPG / 4.8 RPG with good percentages in Jabari's absence, and he will be a solid (although overpriced) rotation big this year.

At SF and SG, Khris Middleton had a breakout season as a 3-and-D wing player, averaging 13.4 PPG and shooting better than 40% from deep. He is a restricted free agent, and the Bucks need to re-sign him at a reasonable price. 20-year-old Giannis Antetokounmpo continued to grow as a stat-stuffing monster, averaging 12.7 PPG / 6.7 RPG / 2.5 APG, with about a block and a steal per game, and a handful of Freakish highlight reel plays as well. We also have adequate veteran shooting off the bench in OJ Mayo and Jared Dudley, but both were injured in the second half of the season, and with their advancing NBA years, we have some concerns about our overall shooting depth. (The mock GM also takes back all the unkind things he said about OJ Mayo last year; he was not the gunner and locker room cancer we feared he might become on a losing team.)

Our biggest need is at the guard position. Carter-Williams is a combo guard who brings size, defense, and exciting play to the floor, but he is still raw, with horrible high-volume shooting percentages (.434 FG / .252 3FG career) and turnovers (3.7 PG). Any GM needs to be wary of a player that's not even good enough to fit in the Sixers future. Coach Kidd is going to have to do some serious point-guard whispering before MCW can be the primary guard on a championship caliber team. But wait, it gets worse! After MCW, the next guys in line are Jarryd Bayless and Tyler Ennis. 'Nuff said.

On our draft board, the Bucks seriously considered Delon Wright, RJ Hunter, Justin Anderson, and Tyus Jones. We were briefly tempted by Bobby Portis and Kelly Oubre, and but we're pretty set at PF and SF and didn't see them as much of a long-term upgrade.

In the end, the Bucks chose Jerian Grant for his NBA size and athleticism, his maturity, his 3.0 assist to TO ratio, and basketball IQ. His skill set will mesh well with MCW's. Grant is 22, which is a negative for many teams, but we look forward for him to come in and contribute right away, giving Coach Kidd more lineup options to complement MCW and take advantage of the opponent's weakness (and give us a bit of insurance if MCW gets hurt). The Bucks want a higher playoff seed next year, perhaps a 4 or 5 slot if the team continues to mature. Given our young talent, cap space, and no really dreadful boat-anchor contracts, We are poised for additional moves to improve the team in and out of the draft. That will create more excitement and momentum for the new arena and for our franchise.

P.S. Our new logo and uniforms are way cool. Everybody is raving over them.

[gocanes0506]

With 18th Pick, the Rockets select Bobby Portis, PF, Arkansas.

The Rockets had a few options with this pick:
1 replace Terry at PG.
2 replace smith at Smith
3 get a stretch forward to unclog the middle for Howard.

The options for #1 was lessened with the Bucks taking Grant. He was the most ready to take the PG slot for our champ ready team. We'll look to fill it later.

Option 2 we had options with Oubre and Hollis-Jefferson. Both were very good options but, Smith did so well for us we will look to bring him on another season.

Bobby Portis was our pick because the Rockets are the right pick for him and he is the right fit for us. He has a strong jumper, decent D, and a pretty good athlete. His lack of post moves aren't a big issue as we have a top center in Howard. He can learn from the best over the next 3 years. He will be utilized to stretch the D for Harden's drives and Howard post moves. He will help in rebounding as well.

This pick makes the Rockets a real tough team to guard.

[Turk]

The Rockets had a few options with this pick:
1 replace Terry at PG.
2 replace smith at Smith
3 get a stretch forward to unclog the middle for Howard.

The options for #1 was lessened with the Bucks taking Grant. He was the most ready to take the PG slot for our champ ready team. We'll look to fill it later.



BWA HAH HAH! Brevity did the same thing to me last year when I wanted a PG. Good thing it's only a mock draft so I'm not bitter and I can easily forget such setbacks.

[GGLC]

I expect both Grant and (especially) Portis to be good pros and solid value picks here.

[Troublemaker]

Yeah, lots of solid picks being made here.

I'm drafting at 21 and I started with a list of 6-7 players I wanted to draft, and now it's down to 2.

And there are two drafters ahead of me.

Getting nervous!

[Billy Dat]

And there are two drafters ahead of me. Getting nervous!

Co-sign. The Washington Wizards are on the clock and have seen their big board ravaged by you savvy drafters.

Let's set the stage, the Wizards are a team on the come up. At quick glance, they appear young, but that is only because their bright young stars, PG John Wall and SG Brad Beal, are just knocking the green off their emerging primes. Otto Porter has also emerged as a legit 3 man, helping tip the balance of Washington's up and down recent drafting history.

Everyone else is pretty old. 32 year old Nene has 14 years in the league under his belt. Marcin Gortat is 30. Paul Pierce is Paul Pierce. Combine their relative age with their relatively maxed out cap and I think the Wizards need to draft well and try and reduce their age and average salary rather than look for fixes via free agency.

Researching the team, I hadn't realized that they had become a Top 5 defense under Coach Randy Whitman. In fact, the fanbase's gripe is that Whitman has too tight a grip on the offense, and that in the playoffs many were excited that he let them run a little freer. The fans want the defense to stay strong and the offense to spread it's wings behind Wall's speed and Beal's shooting.

One problem with their offense has been the lack of a stretch 4 with Pierce likely to leave this summer. Guards can stay home on Wall and Beal as Gortat and Nene are bolted to the block. If one of these bigs is in the game, they need a 4 who can not only defend but can also shoot. They also have needs for a back-up center and a a back-up combo guard.

Bobby Portis would have been the perfect player for them. He checks every box they need - maintain the D, space on offense, high motor, high character, glue guy who does not need the spotlight. Damn you, gocanes0506. Jerian Grant would have been the ideal back-up combo guard to spell Wall or Beal. A HUGE part of me wants to grab Tyus a Wall's back-up but that's not filling the most pressing need.

I gave Kelly Oubre a look, but Otto Porter has solidified his role on the squad and he's not quite big enough to be that stretch 4.

So that leaves the Washington Wizards to use the 19th pick in the 2015 DBR NBA Draft on UCLA's Kevon Looney. He moved all over a lot of draft boards so this could be a place where a ton of value is gained. He's got the size and athleticism to be part of our defensive scheme, he can shoot pretty well out to 3 and that should get better as he is still really young, and I think he's midwestern roots will gibe with the lunch pail St. Louie origins of Beal and Porter. It's important that he have good chemistry with his fellow young turks.

Big picture, we'll be pulling out all the stops to get Mr. Kevin Durant to come home next summer. Looney could be sign and trade bait as part of a Durantula package.

[Kedsy]

Oh, you and your stats and evidence, which I do appreciate. Those are some pretty compelling numbers. A couple of differences between the two were usage rate, (Lyles 20.6%, Amile 16.something) and +/-, where Lyles was one of the top players in the country, which may or may not mean anything. I was quite impressed with his skill the little I did see him play. He may very well be a bust, or he could end up being a solid player, but his numbers do seem to indicate he may have a tough road ahead. He is still young, skilled and, I believe, solid defensively and that may translate to better results in the pros.
Another take home from your analysis for me is I hope Amile is more aggressive offensively next year, with or without a jump shot. He has some nice skills inside, along the baseline and I like when he is assertive from the high post against zones.

Yeah, I wasn't trying to be overly critical of your pick. What really stuck out to me in the stats was Lyles's lack of steals and blocks. His one-on-one D might be good (I'm not sure), but I think most NBA defensive stalwarts have much better college defensive stats (not that steals and blocks are really indicative of defensive ability, but still...).

[GGLC]

...That's the guy I was talking about. I think he's got a chance to be the steal of the draft; just insane upside.

[roywhite]

...That's the guy I was talking about. I think he's got a chance to be the steal of the draft; just insane upside.

Could be.

Just not sure what to think about UCLA and it's players. Is there a school doing less with highly ranked talent?

[Skitzle]

Could be.

Just not sure what to think about UCLA and it's players. Is there a school doing less with highly ranked talent?

Umm.. UNC?!

[devildeac]

Could be.

Just not sure what to think about UCLA and it's players. Is there a school doing less with highly ranked talent?


Umm.. UNC?!

Roywhite can certainly be the sly one with hints, allegations, suggestions and insinuations:rolleyes:;).

[Henderson]

Roywhite can certainly be the sly one with hints, allegations, suggestions and insinuations:rolleyes:;).

Hints and allegations? Maybe you can call him Al.

[Skitzle]

Roywhite can certainly be the sly one with hints, allegations, suggestions and insinuations:rolleyes:;).

Figured that :) Thanks for the Alley-Oop!

[theAlaskanBear]

Absurdies aside, Toronto faces some tough choices. They are clearly interested in competing in the Eastern conference, but GM Masai Ujiri has been drafting longer-term project players (notably Caboclo and Nogueira). The have a lot of salary cap space and very few long term deals (three years for Lowry is the largest). Rather than going all-in in a win-now mode, I feel like the Raptors will try to maximize this team in free agency while bringing longer-term prospects on board to develop over 2-3 years.

With the promising PFs taken already in the draft, Toronto will have to address these needs via free agency and will choose a back up guard. This is were it gets tough, because Tyus Jones is still on the board. However, as an offensive focused PG who is small and doesnt project to be a great defender, this wont be a great fit for the Raptors because they already have this type in Kyle Lowry.

Masai Ujiri (via the AlaskanBear) will apply for honorary Brazilian citizenship and select a terceiro jogador brasileiro de basquete -- GEORGE LUCAS DE PAULA, PG

A raw player, George de Paula possesses freakish size. The youngest player at the combine, and at 6'6'' in shoes with a 7-foot wingspan (and enormous hands...more growing?) and decent athleticism he projects to be a tenacious defender. He is unselfish and his ability to break down defense off the dribble and pass and create offense for his teammates is his best offensive ability. He is a great rebounder for a guard. He will need to work on his 3 point shooting and work on turnovers (does this sound like MCW to anyone?). Probably 2 years from any meaningful contribution, it is just too hard to pass up on a playmaker of his size. Whether he will be a true point, or a playmaking guard/forward in the mold of Giannis Antetokounmpo remains to be seen. He will draw comparison to Dante Exum.

Other considerations for this pick: Jerian Grant, Tyus Jones, Michael Qualls, Delon Wright, Mammadou Jaiteh.

PS I can't believe I am picking him over Tyus Jones.

[devildeac]

Hints and allegations? Maybe you can call him Al.



If I can call you Betty:o.

[gocanes0506]

Bobby Portis would have been the perfect player for them. He checks every box they need - maintain the D, space on offense, high motor, high character, glue guy who does not need the spotlight. Damn you, gocanes0506. Jerian Grant would have been the ideal back-up combo guard to spell Wall or Beal. A HUGE part of me wants to grab Tyus a Wall's back-up but that's not filling the most pressing need.

You're welcome! I try my best to dissatisfy the wizards. No more john wall dancing for you!

[Turk]

...That's the guy I was talking about. I think he's got a chance to be the steal of the draft; just insane upside.

Yeah, but I caught a couple of late-night UCLA games, and saw nothing really special. Bill Walton questioned Looney's inconsistent play in the few minutes of air time when he wasn't talking about sweetgrass or his bicycle. That was enough for me to take him off my list.

[superdave]

With the 16th pick in the 2015 DBR Mock Draft, the Boston Celtics select Montrezl Harrell. We love his physical tools and motor. Harrell is a high energy player!

I just did a skim of mock drafts. Most have Harrell going at #23 to Portland. I could not find him going any higher than #17.

I guess they dont think Harrell can develop a jump shot, which would be what it takes for him to go from role player to double-double guy.

[theAlaskanBear]

I just did a skim of mock drafts. Most have Harrell going at #23 to Portland. I could not find him going any higher than #17.

I guess they dont think Harrell can develop a jump shot, which would be what it takes for him to go from role player to double-double guy.

Its ok, my overreach of de Paula will make Harrell at 16 look like child's play.

[Troublemaker]

The Mavs
I'm the GM of a team that seemingly tries to re-tool itself from scratch every offseason to build a contender around Dirk Nowitzki. It's been a hit-or-miss strategy as you might expect but it did work like a charm in 2011 when we won a championship due in large part to offseason acquisition Tyson Chandler. This offseason may be the most extreme example of re-tooling yet, as we only have 3 players guaranteed to be on the roster next season: Dirk, Chandler Parsons, and Devin Harris. So that's two starters at PF and SF, respectively, and a useful backup guard. I can draft almost anything and it would make sense!

Dirk
Even though Dirk has discussed coming off the bench next season because he feels bad for having a poor (for him) season in 2015, my owner loves Dirk and thinks he can bounce back strong next season even though he's turning 37 this month. I can sort of see the logic in that myself. Dirk had an amazing season in 2011 (champions!), then slipped some in 2012, then slipped some again in 2013 before having a great bounce-back season in 2014 and now this poor season in 2015. We hope/think he'll be more like 2014 Dirk next season, someone who can be the second-best player on a contender or maybe even the best player if the team we build is well-rounded enough.

Free agency
On the free agency market, we will be going heavily after LaMarcus Aldridge (Dallas native) and DeAndre Jordan (Texas native) and offering them the max. No matter what we choose to do in the draft, we'll have to land one of those guys plus some quality non-max players to be a contender next season. Two other free agents we have high-interest in to be the aforementioned quality role players are Danny Green and Khris Middleton.

As far as free agents who played for the Mavs last season, we have to consider whether we want to bring Monta Ellis back. I'm leaning no. We definitely want versatile Al-Farouq Aminu back.

Rajon Rondo will NOT return! He sucks. We hate him.

RJ Hunter
We believe he's going to be a good starting 2-guard in the league in time, AND we believe he's going to be a solid rotational player for the Mavs next season as a rookie. So best of both worlds.

He's 6'5" with a 6'9" wingspan and he likes to shoot from deeep, including this memorable bomb (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmcOo-bGJp0) in the NCAA tournament. Stats guru Kevin Pelton projects him to be the best 3-pt shooter in this draft. This is partly because college FT% (89%) is a better predictor of NBA 3-pt shooting prowess than college 3-pt% (only 30% this season, but 40% and 37% in previous seasons). It's a sample-size thing for why FT% is the better predictor. For example, Justise shot the three better than Hunter this season, but he has almost no chance of being the better NBA shooter. Especially since in the NBA, he will not be the focus of defenses and he will probably cut down on taking insane bombs.

Hunter is not one-dimensional. On defense, he uses his wingspan to play effective shot-challenge defense and also hawks passing lanes to have a high steal rate. On offense, he can both spot-up and curl off screens. You can run pick-n-roll with him and he's an excellent passer (19.7% assist rate this past season). We just think he's a really well-rounded player for picking at spot #21. This is a deep draft.

[roywhite]

Really nice job on the research and presentation, Troublemaker.

Of course, that doesn't mean for certain the guy won't end up as a bust. :)

[CDu]

The Bulls are at a tricky spot. They seem to have a bunch of players good on one end but weak on the other. Gasol and Mirotic are talented offensively but weak defensively. McDermott looks to be in the same mold. Noah and Gibson are terrific defensively but poor to terrible offensively. So one would think we would be looking for two-way players. So seeing guys like Oubre and Justin Anderson on the board gives us reason to think.

The thing is, right now the Bulls have just two guys who can handle the ball. That is a problem. So they need to add playmakers there. Seeing Grant go off the board a few picks ago was disappointing though not surprising. That leaves the Bulls with two options at PG: Tyus Jones and Delon Wright.

Wright has the edge in measurables. He is taller and longer. Statistically he had the better year. He fits the bill as a two-way player. Jones? He is not very big, not very quick, and not very explosive. He isn't a good defender. Yet it is hard to deny that the kid has "it." Whatever the hell "it" is, he has it. Smarts, guts, feel, it is all there in spades.

So with the 22nd pick in the 2015 DBR Mock NBA Draft, the Chicago Bulls select Tyus Jones.

Jones projects as a backup PG right now, which is the role he will play at first. But his ability to shoot and his ability to play alongside another PG give us reason to believe he can play decent minutes alongside Rose. He can take some of the playmaking burden off Rose and Butler and hopefully find easier buckets for those guys. And with a creative offensive mind like Hoiberg, it is nice to add the most offensively intelligent player in the draft in Jones. Frankly, it is a match made in heaven.

[Duke3517]

The Bulls are at a tricky spot. They seem to have a bunch of players good on one end but weak on the other. Gasol and Mirotic are talented offensively but weak defensively. McDermott looks to be in the same mold. Noah and Gibson are terrific defensively but poor to terrible offensively. So one would think we would be looking for two-way players. So seeing guys like Oubre and Justin Anderson on the board gives us reason to think.

The thing is, right now the Bulls have just two guys who can handle the ball. That is a problem. So they need to add playmakers there. Seeing Grant go off the board a few picks ago was disappointing though not surprising. That leaves the Bulls with two options at PG: Tyus Jones and Delon Wright.

Wright has the edge in measurables. He is taller and longer. Statistically he had the better year. He fits the bill as a two-way player. Jones? He is not very big, not very quick, and not very explosive. He isn't a good defender. Yet it is hard to deny that the kid has "it." Whatever the hell "it" is, he has it. Smarts, guts, feel, it is all there in spades.

So with the 22nd pick in the 2015 DBR Mock NBA Draft, the Chicago Bulls select Tyus Jones.

Jones projects as a backup PG right now, which is the role he will play at first. But his ability to shoot and his ability to play alongside another PG give us reason to believe he can play decent minutes alongside Rose. He can take some of the playmaking burden off Rose and Butler and hopefully find easier buckets for those guys. And with a creative offensive mind like Hoiberg, it is nice to add the most offensively intelligent player in the draft in Jones. Frankly, it is a match made in heaven.

A real accurate spot to pick him. I'm wondering if a team will reach for him in the lottery considering he is such a clutch player which you cannot teach.

I also wonder if he played at Duke for one more year, progressed to a 1st team AA, possible npoy, and who knows how far the team would go in the tournament; would he be a top 10 pick? I really hope it all works out for him.

[luburch]

A real accurate spot to pick him. I'm wondering if a team will reach for him in the lottery considering he is such a clutch player which you cannot teach.

I also wonder if he played at Duke for one more year, progressed to a 1st team AA, possible npoy, and who knows how far the team would go in the tournament; would he be a top 10 pick? I really hope it all works out for him.

Orrrr he stays at Duke, struggles a little, hits a sophomore slump, picks up an injury, and bows out early in the tournament. He made the smart safe decision.

[Henderson]

The Portland Trail Blazers only have one pick in this draft at #23. So we're pouting about that.

We may lose Lemarcus Aldridge to free agency. We can offer more max money, but Oregon's top marginal income tax rate is 9.9%, and Dallas's is 0%. Ooops.

If Aldridge re-signs with us (as he's promised to do), we're pretty good at PF and at PG (with Lillard). Plus, there are no Aldridge replacements left in this draft. And we like CJ McCollum as our SG of the future, regardless of what Wesley Mathhews and Arron Afflalo do. Frankly their GM thinks both are overpaid. We could use a more dominant big guy, but none is available here, and Robin Lopez will suffice for now. So that leaves small forward.

Nicolas Batum, we love your accent and the jaunty European air you give our Gauloises- and Raclette-loving city, but you aren't that good. And you make a lot of money. So we are looking to move you and find us a SF of the future.

Unfortunately, it's not here. Not in this draft.

So we'd be looking to trade up, down, or out of this draft. But we can't. So with the 23rd pick, the Portland Trail Blazers select Kelly Oubre of Kansas. And hope that he develops. Because, frankly, we aren't that impressed with him so far. He may develop into a great talent, but he seems unready for prime time. Still, he's only 19 and may have more upside than the others we considered: Justin Anderson, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, and Alexandar Vezenkov. And although it's first-round money, it's not that much if he doesn't pan out. And, frankly, we're surprised he fell this far.

P.S. Portland doesn't need a guard, so it almost selected Quinn Cook. You know, just to be ironic. But Paul Allen doesn't get irony. So there's that.

[brevity]

#22?! What does DBR have against Tyus Jones?

Granted, it would be nice to see a real NBA Draft where the Jones family helps Jahlil Okafor get settled in Minnesota and the Okafor family helps Tyus Jones get settled in Chicago. Still, it's nuts to see a DBR mock draft where two other point guards get selected in the #16-20 range.


Masai Ujiri (via the AlaskanBear) will apply for honorary Brazilian citizenship and select a terceiro jogador brasileiro de basquete -- GEORGE LUCAS DE PAULA, PG

Oh come on! Now we're just making up names. I can only assume that Robert Zemeckis Chen and Joss Whedon Gutierrez are waiting until the 2016 draft.

George Lucas (Alves) de Paula needs a nickname. You can see where I'm going with this.

1. If he's a shoot-first point guard, call him Greedo.
2. If he can use that 7-foot wingspan to shut down Stephen Curry and Chris Paul, call him Star Destroyer.
3. If this 19-year-old flies from one end of the court to the other, call him Millennial Falcon.
4. If he can dunk from the free throw line, call him Skywalker.
5. If he goes to San Antonio, and David Robinson unretires his number for him, call him Admiral Ackbar.

[tfk53]

The Cavs are obviously a little distracted from this mock draft by the NBA finals, having pulled themselves out a potential deep 0-2 hole last night. This mock GM is torn between cheering for the Cavs and wanting to see Curry just explode for the whole series. Did not happen for Curry last night.

Their roster is interesting to look at by position - 5 centers, 1 PF(Love), 2 SF, 6 SG, and 1 PG. Delly has shown some true ability to fill the PG absences of Kyrie on a big stage. It is a pressing need but the next one up is Delon Wright. Just felt 24th pick was a bit too high for him. There are several potential PGs that are second round material so other possibilities do exist.

Looking at their roster, there will be several that will not be on the 2015-16 edition of the Cavs. Marion, Haywood, Miller are likely not to return. James Jones is 34 and at the tail end of his NBA career. Shumpert may go to other pastures. Love has stated he will return but not definite until he signs. The Cleveland press feel he will be back.

On to Anderson:
Thought that Anderson is simply too talented to let pass. 6'6.25" in shoes, 6'11.5" wingspan, 43" vertical, 231#. 45% 3-pointers last season. He has shown marked improvement from his first 2 years at UVA during his junior season. Moves very well laterally. Needs to improve his midrange game though he attacks the basket well. Many feel his defensive skills were held back by the packline defense of Bennett - which does suppress some of the individual defensive stats - and should improve in the NBA. I think he will show the ability to work as both a 2 and 3. His 3 point shooting can open some room for LeBron. We all saw what happened to UVA when Anderson was out injured. A markedly different team.

Other choices considered - Hollis Jefferson - his downside is limited (at least demonstrated so far) offensive potential. Delon Wright - only 36% 3 point shooting and is already 23 years old. Sadly for the Cavs, Tyus and Jerian Grant both off the board.

[theAlaskanBear]

The Cavs are obviously a little distracted from this mock draft by the NBA finals, having pulled themselves out a potential deep 0-2 hole last night. This mock GM is torn between cheering for the Cavs and wanting to see Curry just explode for the whole series. Did not happen for Curry last night.

Their roster is interesting to look at by position - 5 centers, 1 PF(Love), 2 SF, 6 SG, and 1 PG. Delly has shown some true ability to fill the PG absences of Kyrie on a big stage. It is a pressing need but the next one up is Delon Wright. Just felt 24th pick was a bit too high for him. There are several potential PGs that are second round material so other possibilities do exist.

Looking at their roster, there will be several that will not be on the 2015-16 edition of the Cavs. Marion, Haywood, Miller are likely not to return. James Jones is 34 and at the tail end of his NBA career. Shumpert may go to other pastures. Love has stated he will return but not definite until he signs. The Cleveland press feel he will be back.

On to Anderson:
Thought that Anderson is simply too talented to let pass. 6'6.25" in shoes, 6'11.5" wingspan, 43" vertical, 231#. 45% 3-pointers last season. He has shown marked improvement from his first 2 years at UVA during his junior season. Moves very well laterally. Needs to improve his midrange game though he attacks the basket well. Many feel his defensive skills were held back by the packline defense of Bennett - which does suppress some of the individual defensive stats - and should improve in the NBA. I think he will show the ability to work as both a 2 and 3. His 3 point shooting can open some room for LeBron. We all saw what happened to UVA when Anderson was out injured. A markedly different team.

Other choices considered - Hollis Jefferson - his downside is limited (at least demonstrated so far) offensive potential. Delon Wright - only 36% 3 point shooting and is already 23 years old. Sadly for the Cavs, Tyus and Jerian Grant both off the board.

He would be a great fit for the Cavs...can alternate at SG, SF and is ready to contribute immediately. Offers great defensive and offensive flexibility who would fit right in the rotation with Shump, JR Smith, neither of whom have the size to guard bigs like LeBron or Anderson theoretically could.

[Duke3517]

The Grizzlies biggest need is a pure shooter. Unfortunately Devin Booker was taken way to early. This draft sees him as a top 10 pick and so does most mock draft boards. We strongly considered RJ Hunter because we believe he would be the biggest steal of the draft for a late round pick. But he was taken at the 21st pick to our surprise. In the end the Grizzlies are going to have to address a pure shooter in free agency because I don't see much left in that department with a lot of upside in this draft. We considered Tyus Jones (drafted), Kelly Oubre (drafted), Justin Anderson (drafted), and Delon Wright.

The other strong need is an athletic post player. That is what we are going to draft. We considered Guillmero Hernandez, Rakeem Christmas, and Dakari Johnson. All players who can come off the bench. The Grizzlies are going to draft a player who will be a reach and a risk for our club but with one pick it is worth it. We will feel that though this player does need to mature he does have quite an upside.

With the 25th pick the Memphis Grizzles select Cliff Alexander PF from Kansas.

Reason for the pick:

Really athletic player who has a wing span of 7'2". Though post player is not our biggest need we feel we could use some athleticism plus with this player we have size and strength at this position. He rebounds and blocks shots very well.

We know his eligibility issues are a big concern and the Grizzles are really reaching at this pick. Alexander might start in the D league to develop and to be honest with you that is okay. He does need to develop his shooting and foot work if he wants to make it at the next level.

In the end we are going for upside and taking a chance that we might of stolen one of the most talented players in the draft.

[theAlaskanBear]

With the 25th pick the Memphis Grizzles select Cliff Alexander PF from Kansas.


My point-guard has hands as large as your PF, and a wingspan only 2'' shorter. Huehuehue, rararara, vai Brasil!!!

[JNort]

With the 26th pick in the NBA draft the San Antonio Spurs select Cedi Osman.



Will discuss later when it's not 330am

[theschwartz]

This is a critical offseason for the Lakers. As they enter the last year of Kobe Bryant’s contract—and most likely of his career—the team is being pulled in multiple directions. Many in the front office still have that “Win Now” mentality – the feeling that the Lakers absolutely must try to field a competitive team in this upcoming season (Kobe's last) – while others are more realistic and recognize that the rebuild won’t happen overnight. The team is in need of a massive overhaul. They basically need help everywhere: starting center, starting small forward, long-term solution at shooting guard, some depth in the frontcourt and on the wings. Depending how they ultimately feel about Jordan Clarkson, they may need a starting point guard as well.

With three draft picks and up to $23 million in cap space, the Lakers are in decent position to make some moves this offseason that could position them well for the “legendary” Free Agent Class of 2016. The Lakers have been linked to just about every top potential free agent this summer, names like Rajon Rondo, Kevin Love, Marc Gasol, DeAndre Jordan, and Jimmy Butler. Obviously, the Lakers need to think about who they can realistically —and more importantly, SHOULD—sign this offseason as they head into the draft, as that will have a significant impact on what they ultimately decide to do.

So with all that said, KA Towns is the man atop the Laker draft board, for many of the reasons that have been discussed ad nauseam in the media and amongst draft analysts: better 2-way player, more versatile, a superior athlete, has an outside game. But with him off to the frigid wonderland of Minnesota, do the Lakers take the other obvious big guy Okafor? Remember, the Lakers were ecstatic to get a top-2 pick, knowing that either Okafor or Towns would fall into their lap and they can begin rebuilding around a franchise big man with the potential to be dominant for many years down the road. How much consideration—if any—do they give D’Angelo Russell and Emmanuel Mudiay?

Okafor is perhaps the best offensive big man that has come into the NBA since Tim Duncan arrived 18 years ago. Is he the perfect prospect? No. Does he have a chance to dramatically improve in his perceived areas of weakness (defense, free throw shooting, extending his offensive range, conditioning)? Absolutely. Many people talk about Okafor as if he is a finished prospect, that he is who he is. But the kid’s 19 and spent the last month-and-a-half of the college basketball season—when he was thrown into the national spotlight—dealing with an ankle injury. He improved a great deal over the course of the season, and with good coaching (courtesy of co-coaches Byron Scott and Kobe Bryant) and his work ethic, he’s going to keep on improving.

Russell and Mudiay are highly intriguing prospects as well. Russell’s being talked about as someone who can come in, be Kobe’s protégé for a year, and then easily replace him next year after Kobe retires. First off, no one is replacing Kobe so easily. Heaping those kinds of expectations on the kid could bury him before he even gets a chance to establish his own identity. Second, the Lakers already have Jordan Clarkson, a kid who turned his mid-second round draft position into a spot on the NBA All-Rookie First Team. Clarkson may not be a star, but he can definitely turn into a solid combo guard for a contender for many years to come. Mudiay intrigues me as well – he could be a great point guard in this league, and he would pair well with Kobe in the backcourt. However, the Lakers can’t make their pick only thinking about next year. Kobe’s gonna be gone in a year so a major reason for picking Mudiay will soon be moot.

The Lakers have had two guys at the top of their draft board, Towns and Okafor. The smart money has them taking whichever big the Timberwolves don’t take. Okafor is a great pick for the Lakers. He has a chance to be a 16-and-8 guy right away next year and form a dangerous frontcourt duo with Julius Randle, while giving his teammates space on the perimeter and setting them up with crisp passes to hit their jump shots. He will make the Lakers better immediately, and could make the Lakers an appealing destination for some of the big free agents who become available next year.

Now, on to the #27 pick. Lakers considered a couple different guys here: Rashad Vaughn of UNLV and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson of Arizona. Very different players. Vaughn is a volume scorer, if not the most efficient, capable of shooting from outside and slashing to the basket. Reminds me a lot of Mr. Iggy Azalea himself, Swaggy P. Not sure there’s enough room on the Laker roster for a 2nd Swaggy P (Swaggy V?). I worry about his defensive ability and whether he can become more than just another one-dimensional wing player who never finds a home. RHJ, on the other hand, is a high-motor elite defender who brings a great deal of athleticism and effort onto the court with him. He is Byron Scott’s dream player and would be an excellent fit for this Laker team that has struggled badly on defense the last couple seasons, and could help make up for some of the defensive struggles that Okafor and Randle will have. Problem is, he struggles on offense and his jump shot has been described as “broken.” That’s fine though. Between Kobe and Swaggy P (if he doesn’t get traded this summer) and Randle and Okafor, Lakers will have enough guys who can put the ball in the hoop. RHJ reminds me in a way of a taller Tony Allen, a defensive stopper who can shut down the opponent’s best wing and make the occasional offensive contribution. Plus, my buddy from grad school who went to U of A for undergrad won’t shut up about how awesome RHJ is so I pretty much have to take him.

With the #27 pick in the 2015 draft, the Lakers select Rondae Hollis-Jefferson.

[BD80]

With the 26th pick in the NBA draft the San Antonio Spurs select Cedi Osman. ...

Typical Euro-stash.

I was hoping Cedi would slip down to the Pistons in the second round. He is staying in Europe for two more years, but could be a great investment. I see him as instant offense off the bench, a great leader of the second squad.

[Henderson]

Typical Euro-stash.

I was hoping Cedi would slip down to the Pistons in the second round. He is staying in Europe for two more years, but could be a great investment. I see him as instant offense off the bench, a great leader of the second squad.

Can a first round player be "drafted and stashed" without paying the 1st round salary for the year(s) of waiting? Is there a cap hit?

[superdave]

Can a first round player be "drafted and stashed" without paying the 1st round salary for the year(s) of waiting? Is there a cap hit?

Spurs will have the rights to the player but there will be no salary cap issue until a contract is signed. I dont know this guy's particular status, but he may have a buyout with his current team that burns off in the next few years. The Spurs could wait for that to be done.

[Skitzle]

Can a first round player be "drafted and stashed" without paying the 1st round salary for the year(s) of waiting? Is there a cap hit?

Yes. See Saric, Dario.

[Bob Green]

With the 28th pick in the 2015 DBR Mock Draft, the Boston Celtics select Christian Wood. We are impressed with Wood's ability to run the floor and handle the ball. His offensive versatility including the ability to space the floor by stepping outside and knocking down jump shots will be extremely helpful to our efforts to improve offensive performance.

I really wanted a small forward with this pick; however, Justin Anderson, R.J. Hunter and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson are already off the board. Another option I considered was selecting Center Robert Upshaw but his off court issues weighed heavily in the "Cons" column of the decision matrix.

[Newton_14]

With the 29th Pick of the 2015 NBA Draft, the Brooklyn Nets select, Rashad Vaughn, SG, from UNLV. Other players considered were Rakeem Christmas, Terry Rozier, and Jarrell Martin. In the end we like the upside of the youngster Vaughn more than the other guys and our backcourt is not getting any younger.

[Kedsy]

With the 28th pick in the 2015 DBR Mock Draft, the Boston Celtics select Christian Wood. We are impressed with Wood's ability to run the floor and handle the ball. His offensive versatility including the ability to space the floor by stepping outside and knocking down jump shots will be extremely helpful to our efforts to improve offensive performance.


With the 29th Pick of the 2015 NBA Draft, the Brooklyn Nets select, Rashad Vaughn, SG, from UNLV. Other players considered were Rakeem Christmas, Terry Rozier, and Jarrell Martin. In the end we like the upside of the youngster Vaughn more than the other guys and our backcourt is not getting any younger.

All right, here's my question: How could UNLV possibly have had two first round NBA draft picks and finish 8-10 in the MWC?

[awhom111]

The Warriors finally get to make a pick after trading so many draft choices to create the current roster. Given their performance this season, there are no gaping holes to fill in the draft assuming that Draymond Green is re-signed. At times, the bench has performed extremely well, making it difficult to see which spot might be the easiest to fill in the whole rotation. At the wing, Leandro Barbosa may have priced himself out of being brought back, unless he would like a similar deal to this season. Justin Holiday, who was the last man to make the roster, had some good stretches and might have done enough to get more than the minimum as a restricted free agent, creating a possibility for a new player to step in as Brandon Rush has not shown any signs of returning to his pre-injury best should he choose to opt in for next season. You can never have too many frontcourt players so a new player who can take the roster spot of Ognjen Kuzmic, who is likely returning to Europe, would also help.

Given the team's impending salary explosion, there is some temptation to pick a player who can be safely stashed in Europe until the salary cap finishes expanding and David Lee is off the books. With the punitive effects of the luxury tax, adding salary that does not have a purpose is not productive if our rotation is largely set in stone. Unfortunately, these days some players thought to have been draft and stash material have managed to force their way across the ocean, so these picks are not as obvious as before. This mock GM also wants to avoid the embarrassment of picking someone who withdraws from the real draft after this pick is made.

In the end, we went with a player who we can feel can contribute immediately and fits in with the general theme of our bench unit and went with Delon Wright from Utah. Interestingly, his brother was previously on our team over the course of his journeyman career.

[flyingdutchdevil]

The Warriors finally get to make a pick after trading so many draft choices to create the current roster. Given their performance this season, there are no gaping holes to fill in the draft assuming that Draymond Green is re-signed. At times, the bench has performed extremely well, making it difficult to see which spot might be the easiest to fill in the whole rotation. At the wing, Leandro Barbosa may have priced himself out of being brought back, unless he would like a similar deal to this season. Justin Holiday, who was the last man to make the roster, had some good stretches and might have done enough to get more than the minimum as a restricted free agent, creating a possibility for a new player to step in as Brandon Rush has not shown any signs of returning to his pre-injury best should he choose to opt in for next season. You can never have too many frontcourt players so a new player who can take the roster spot of Ognjen Kuzmic, who is likely returning to Europe, would also help.

Given the team's impending salary explosion, there is some temptation to pick a player who can be safely stashed in Europe until the salary cap finishes expanding and David Lee is off the books. With the punitive effects of the luxury tax, adding salary that does not have a purpose is not productive if our rotation is largely set in stone. Unfortunately, these days some players thought to have been draft and stash material have managed to force their way across the ocean, so these picks are not as obvious as before. This mock GM also wants to avoid the embarrassment of picking someone who withdraws from the real draft after this pick is made.

In the end, we went with a player who we can feel can contribute immediately and fits in with the general theme of our bench unit and went with Delon Wright from Utah. Interestingly, his brother was previously on our team over the course of his journeyman career.

Noooooooooooooooooooooo. You stole my pick. But nice analysis.

[gocanes0506]

Noooooooooooooooooooooo. You stole my pick. But nice analysis.

Well i guess I would have had no chance at him

[flyingdutchdevil]

It's no secret that the Timberwolves need back-up PGs, especially if Rubio gets traded. Unfortunately, the Timberwolves just missed out on Delon Wright, a player who could be a 10-year back-up PG in the league. Instead, we drafted Terry Rozier, a young PG with a knack for scoring who still is developing as a passer. Furthermore, he's got really good defensive instincts and, when paired with Wiggins, Karl Anthony Towns, and Dieng, forms a frightening defensive line-up.

[gocanes0506]

Im at a point where I cant do analysis. Give me about 3 hours.

To keep it moving: houston rockets select Andrew Harrison, PG, Kentucky.

[ChillinDuke]

Im at a point where I cant do analysis. Give me about 3 hours.

To keep it moving: houston rockets select Andrew Harrison, PG, Kentucky.

Booooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo.

- Chillin

[Ichabod Drain]

Im at a point where I cant do analysis. Give me about 3 hours.

To keep it moving: houston rockets select Andrew Harrison, PG, Kentucky.

A small side not, apparently the twins tried to pull a fast one on NBA execs and showed up at each others NBA workout. Can't imagine that is helping either of their draft stocks.

http://www.wtvq.com/story/d/story/harrison-twins-pull-a-fast-one/42732/jG1qMN8ff0aC19G0Zdz8hw

[awhom111]

With the 28th pick in the 2015 DBR Mock Draft, the Boston Celtics select Christian Wood. We are impressed with Wood's ability to run the floor and handle the ball. His offensive versatility including the ability to space the floor by stepping outside and knocking down jump shots will be extremely helpful to our efforts to improve offensive performance.

I really wanted a small forward with this pick; however, Justin Anderson, R.J. Hunter and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson are already off the board. Another option I considered was selecting Center Robert Upshaw but his off court issues weighed heavily in the "Cons" column of the decision matrix.

I would have taken Upshaw if only the offcourt issues were in play. Now that there are also more severe health concerns, I decided that would be an even worse idea.


Noooooooooooooooooooooo. You stole my pick. But nice analysis.

Everybody else right before was snapping up all of the players that I hoped would fall.


Can a first round player be "drafted and stashed" without paying the 1st round salary for the year(s) of waiting? Is there a cap hit?

Salary is not paid until the player is signed. There is a cap hold until both the team and player notify the NBA that he will not be signing for the duration of the season.

[Troublemaker]

A small side not, apparently the twins tried to pull a fast one on NBA execs and showed up at each others NBA workout. Can't imagine that is helping either of their draft stocks.

http://www.wtvq.com/story/d/story/harrison-twins-pull-a-fast-one/42732/jG1qMN8ff0aC19G0Zdz8hw

Those two watched too much Sister Sister re-runs and Zack and Cody growing up.

And maybe Orphan Black recently, although that's a good show.

[brevity]

I would have taken Upshaw if only the offcourt issues were in play. Now that there are also more severe health concerns, I decided that would be an even worse idea.

I was just reading about this last night. Robert Upshaw is a tricky case for mock drafting purposes, and trickier for real GMs.

On June 5 DraftExpress reported (http://www.draftexpress.com/article/Robert-Upshaw-In-Holding-Pattern-Awaiting-Further-Medical-Tests-5057) the heart issue:


An issue with Robert Upshaw's heart was identified by doctors at the NBA Combine in Chicago last month, which has forced him to suspend training and postpone all workouts with NBA teams. At this point, no long term conclusions have been reached, and further blood testing has been requested by NBA doctors to pinpoint the exact nature of his medical condition.

Then on June 8 a reporter from NBA. com tweeted:

Scott Howard-Cooper (https://twitter.com/SHowardCooper/status/607943322598965248) @SHowardCooper

Barring setback, Robert Upshaw expected to be cleared to resume activity this week after halting workouts because of heart issue. #NBADraft

9:12 AM - 8 Jun 2015

That's kind of a statement without substance, and I haven't seen corroborating sources.

Setting health and behavior issues aside, Upshaw is widely considered to have 1st round talent. Seeing where (or if) he is chosen will be one of the curiosities of the real draft.

[tbyers11]

A small side not, apparently the twins tried to pull a fast one on NBA execs and showed up at each others NBA workout. Can't imagine that is helping either of their draft stocks.

http://www.wtvq.com/story/d/story/harrison-twins-pull-a-fast-one/42732/jG1qMN8ff0aC19G0Zdz8hw

In elementary school I was friends with identical twins who pulled the switcheroo on their 4th grade teachers on April Fools day. That's cute.

Pulling this in an NBA pre-draft workout shows an amazing lack of maturity/self-awareness. Kind of like playing hero ball in the last few minutes against Wisconsin instead of trying to get the ball into Towns.

[BD80]

A small side not, apparently the twins tried to pull a fast one on NBA execs and showed up at each others NBA workout. Can't imagine that is helping either of their draft stocks.

http://www.wtvq.com/story/d/story/harrison-twins-pull-a-fast-one/42732/jG1qMN8ff0aC19G0Zdz8hw

They're just maneuvering to get onto the same D-League team.

What is really funny is that in their minds, they'll be able to pull this off in the pros too! (Funny that they think it would be a funny joke in a pro game. Funnier that they think they are going to play in the pros with their maturity - or lack thereof)

[gocanes0506]

Well im out on training and cant because Im in mobile mode.

The reason the reason Rockets picked Harrison us because some body with enough defensive prowess to guard Steph Curry. Harrison provides that. When he put forth the effort he was pretty disruptive on D. He is long enough at 6'4.5 out of shoes with a long wingspan to disrupt jump shots and limit dribbling. Our ability to shut down Steph will determine if we win a championship.

Prior to making this pick we checked his ID and explained to him his role here. He will be a pure facilitator to Harden, Smith, Portis, and Howard. All of his energy will be spent on shutting down the star guard of each team. We will slowly build up his his long jumper consistency. He, not Aaron, was ok with the current and future plan.

We really wanted Grant or Wright but both were gone at our picks. In reality we might trade down to take another plus get another 2nd rounder. We want to get as many gaurds as we can to shut steph down.

[brevity]

Prior to making this pick we checked his ID and explained to him his role here.

Good thinking, but Aaron and Andrew Harrison can always switch IDs. You should get Andrew's fingerprints on file and periodically check them.

[Henderson]

They're just maneuvering to get onto the same D-League team.

What is really funny is that in their minds, they'll be able to pull this off in the pros too! (Funny that they think it would be a funny joke in a pro game. Funnier that they think they are going to play in the pros with their maturity - or lack thereof)

Hayley Mills covered the whole twin joke in "The Parent Trap" in 1961. It was funny for about the first 30 minutes of the movie.

[Duvall]

Prior to making this pick we checked his ID and explained to him his role here. He will be a pure facilitator to Harden, Smith, Portis, and Howard. All of his energy will be spent on shutting down the star guard of each team.

"My role will be primary offensive weapon, mostly through contested jumpshots. Got it." - AH

[BD80]

"My role will be primary offensive weapon, mostly through contested jumpshots. Got it." - AH

Unless there is the opportunity to drive into traffic and throw up a wild prayer and complain that no foul was called.

[gocanes0506]

Not a liked player but we have to shut down curry and he can do it.

[Ichabod Drain]

Not a liked player but we have to shut down curry and he can do it.

If that's all you're looking for just offer Dellavedova a max contract.

[Bob Green]

With the 33rd pick in the 2015 DBR Mock draft, the Boston Celtics select Anthony Brown. We need a SF who can provide floor spacing by knocking down jump shots. Brown has good size at 6'7" and is an excellent shooter. He will have to improve his overall game to make an impact as he is currently one dimensional. Brown is a guy who might have to pay his dues in the D-League or overseas for a year or two, which is another reason he fits our plans. With four picks in the draft, there will not be an immediate roster spot for all four.

[theschwartz]

Lakers would much rather package the #27 and #34 picks, along with Jordan Hill or Nick Young, and try to trade up in this draft, maybe get a mid-1st round pick to select someone like Sam Dekker or Devin Booker. In this scenario, RHJ was a steal at #27 but chances are slim he'll still be available at #27 on June 25th. Mitch Kupchak has already been on the record saying that he doesn't see the Lakers bringing in 3 rookies on next year's team. Lakers already have a glut of young guys that they're trying to develop. So in the event the Lakers keep the pick, I see them taking a draft-and-stash guy like Guillermo Hernangomez (http://www.nbadraft.net/players/guillermo-hernangomez) from Madrid. Lakers have been trying to build up their international scouting organization, recently hiring Spain-based Antonio Maceiras, who's had the opportunity to see Hernangomez in person quite a bit. He's not ready for the NBA quite yet, but a couple more years in Spain should allow him to work on his game and be ready to join the Lakers as a defensive-minded backup center.

[pfrduke]

The 76ers are still in best player available mode, without much regard to roster fit (although we're not looking too hard at centers and Robert Upshaw's myriad issues make it easy to ignore him anyway). There's a lot more talent on the board at forward than at guard, so while we have some holes in the backcourt, we also have 4 more picks in the second round. We considered a number of players here (whom I won't mention given that we also get to go 2 picks later and I don't want to tip my hand) but ultimately settled on Jarell Martin out of LSU. Martin has a versatile offensive game - effective both in the post and facing up - and while his jumper needs work, we're confident (well, maybe hopeful) that concerted practice can give him range at least to 18-20'. Martin's stronger on offense than on defense, but again we think the basic tools are there for someone who can at least be a neutral defender. Ideally, he'll play backup minutes at the 4 while offering the potential to steal minutes at the 5 if we go small or maybe even at the 3 if we go big.

[Bob Green]

Today's line-up:

Up to Bat: Minnesota - flyingdutchdevil
On Deck: Philadelphia - pfrduke
In the Hole: Detroit - BD80

[flyingdutchdevil]

Bolster our back-up 1s and 2s. Great scorer. Hey, it's the second round! Gotta be risky!

[Henderson]

Bolster our back-up 1s and 2s. Great scorer. Hey, it's the second round! Gotta be risky!

Excellent value pick.

[pfrduke]

He's been described as one of the best shooters in the draft and also one of the worst defenders in the draft. Our team is long on defense and short on offense so having a big who can stretch the floor and hit some 3s fills a need, even if he's going to need a lot of help on the other end. This is also a draft and stash - no need to bring him over to the NBA right away.

[BD80]

The Pistons select:

Chris McCullough Syracuse PF – Standard BS, athletic, lots of “upside,” a highly rated prospect out of high school that seemed to be fulfilling his potential. Recovering from ACL injury, so only college season was cut short. Good risk to take first round talent in the second round. I am, however, very concerned about him developing under Stan Van Gundy, who is not known for nurturing young, raw talent.

Had hoped Cliff Alexander would have fallen to this spot. Great defender and rebounder. Athletic. I see him being a solid pro player.

Also considered:

Arturas Gudaitis PF, Lithuania. This is who NBADraft.net has for the Pistons in the second round, and I find the reasoning sound. Based on scouting reports, he is the perfect stretch 4 to allow Andre Drummond room in the post. Good shooting range and athletic. Not weak, but could get stronger.

Treveon Graham, SG, VCU. Long range shooter with good size and length. Injured ankle senior year hurt his draft stock.

Robert Upshaw. Lots of potential, but a real risk. Too much like current center and future of franchise, Andre Drummond. Second unit should offer variety.

Terren Petteway. High volume offense can be useful on second unit.

[Bob Green]

Things are moving along nicely:

Up to Bat: Charlotte - roywhite
On Deck: Miami - superdave
In the Hole: Brooklyn – Newton 14

[roywhite]

Christmas had a terrific season for Syracuse; 17.5 pts/game, 9.1 rebounds, 2.5 blocks. He made major improvements and seems capable of more; should be able to contribute esp. to a team with needs like Charlotte (overall talent level and offense).

He has primarily played inside; at 6'9", he's not tall for playing Center, but does have good reach and wingspan. He can improve his value and versatility by working on shooting range of 15' or better; he shot better than 71% FT, so seems to have decent touch.

I was interested to see BD's pick of Rakeem's Syracuse teammate; I had narrowed it down to those two; McCullough may have the higher upside, but IMO is making a mistake coming out early, esp. after a major knee injury in January, 2015; Christmas is the more proven commodity and probably a better fit for the Hornets than McCullough

[superdave]

Nedim Buza - SF - Bosnia and Herzegovina

Buza is a 6'8'' 3-point specialist who played in Sarajevo last year. He is only 20 and will get stashed for another year or two abroad until the salary cap situation clears up.

[Newton_14]

With the 41st pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, the Brooklyn Nets select Jordan Mickey, F, LSU.

[BD80]

Pistons Acquire Ersan Ilyasova from Bucks, giving up SF Carron Butler and PF Shawne Williams. Ilyasova is the stretch 4 that SVG wants, with 2yrs at $8 mil per. This virtually assures that Greg Monroe will not be back, but it also indicates that the Pistons won't be signing Draymond Green. I suppose there could be some sort of sign and trade with the Knicks and Monroe (switching 1st rounders so the Pistons can get Justise???) but this really straps the Pistons financially. They have two quality point guards in Brandon Jennings and Reggie Jackson (had to give up Singler for Jackson), which could give them some roster flexibility.

http://www.si.com/nba/2015/06/11/ap-bkn-bucks-pistons-trade

This wouldn't change my approach to the Pistons' draft. It actually improves the value of each pick.

Ironically, this is a salary dump by the Bucks so they can retain Kris Middleton, a Pistons second round pick shipped to the Bucks with Brandon Knight for Jennings. Knight was sent to the Suns in the Plumlee deal. Ilyasova leaving opens up more time for Jabari.

[DallasDevil]

I was keeping on my eye on some other players like Chris McCullough, Nedim Buza, and Jordan Mickey, but savvy GMs scooped them up before they could fall to the Jazz. I briefly flirted with the idea of Robert Upshaw, but the red flags scared me away. The Jazz do have a history of drafting bigs with troubled pasts (see Luther Wright and Robert Whaley), but they haven't ever panned out and I think they've learned their lesson. If the Jazz keep all of their picks, I think it is likely at least one will be someone like Milutinov who can be stashed in Europe. They are unlikely to find an immediate impact player this late in the draft, and really need to bring in some veteran free agents more than they need more youth. Milutinov has good upside, and the Jazz could always use another young seven footer if he ends up developing.

[Bob Green]

Up to Bat: Indiana - NashvilleDevil
On Deck: Phoenix - Duvall
In the Hole: Boston – Bob Green

[NashvilleDevil]

We have looked at several options with this pick and I know this pick will be mocked by the mock drafters so without further adieu, the Pacers are drafting JP Tokoto, SF, UNC.

[roywhite]

We have looked at several options with this pick and I know this pick will be mocked by the mock drafters so without further adieu, the Pacers are drafting JP Tokoto, SF, UNC.

just one opinion, but I like the choice at this stage of the draft; Tokoto is an upper level athlete with basketball skills except for good shooting (now, that's a pretty major skill, but he can develop); he's got some guts...witness the way he played in Cameron, and he was willing to leave the UNC program with a blast on the coaching

[brevity]

We have looked at several options with this pick and I know this pick will be mocked by the mock drafters so without further adieu, the Pacers are drafting JP Tokoto, SF, UNC.

Not sure why you think the rest of us will give you grief over this pick. This mock draft has featured a serious grab on players in the small forward position -- 10 of the first 42 -- so it was a matter of time before Tokoto became the best available.

But I will give Tokoto himself a little grief here. Short of a shared player/front office delusion, he will not be a first round selection. He has to accept that he will not get that guaranteed good haircut money, and will have to get by with non-guaranteed, do-it-yourself haircut money.

[Turk]

Pistons Acquire Ersan Ilyasova from Bucks, giving up SF Carron Butler and PF Shawne Williams. Ilyasova is the stretch 4 that SVG wants, with 2yrs at $8 mil per. This virtually assures that Greg Monroe will not be back, but it also indicates that the Pistons won't be signing Draymond Green. I suppose there could be some sort of sign and trade with the Knicks and Monroe (switching 1st rounders so the Pistons can get Justise???) but this really straps the Pistons financially. They have two quality point guards in Brandon Jennings and Reggie Jackson (had to give up Singler for Jackson), which could give them some roster flexibility.

http://www.si.com/nba/2015/06/11/ap-bkn-bucks-pistons-trade

This wouldn't change my approach to the Pistons' draft. It actually improves the value of each pick.

Ironically, this is a salary dump by the Bucks so they can retain Kris Middleton, a Pistons second round pick shipped to the Bucks with Brandon Knight for Jennings. Knight was sent to the Suns in the Plumlee deal. Ilyasova leaving opens up more time for Jabari.

On the other hand, the Milwaukee mock GM is seriously pissed at the lack of communication with the home office and leaving our draft team to twist in the wind. When we get back to Milwaukee, heads are gonna roll. We're making the Knicks and the T-Dogs look like well-run organizations over here.

This is the second year in a row the real NBA world has taken a dump in my DBR draft lunchbox. Last year, after mock drafting Embiid at #2, we learned that his foot was broken, required surgery, and he would miss most of his rookie year. (or all of it, as it turned out).

For this season, we liked Ilyasova as a veteran stretch four to partner with and help develop Jabari, and felt we were in good shape in terms of cap space. Ilyasova's contract was a little high but still acceptable for everything he brought to the Bucks. Instead of Jerian Grant in Round One, we would have gone with Bobby Portis, who also is a popular pick in a few other mocks. We like him better than Harrell (meh) and Looney (double meh).

Suffice it to say that Mssrs. Butler and Williams do not figure into our plans. ESPN's Kevin Pelton rated the trade as a B+ for Detroit and a B- for the Bucks, which seems about right to me.

[Duvall]

The Suns looked at a number of frontcourt players for the 44th pick - we considered Kentucky's Dakari Johnson until we realized that his limitations included athleticism and basketball skills, and considered Robert Upshaw until we decided that an inability to remain part of a basketball team would probably be a liability for a professional athlete. As a result, we settled on Richaun Holmes, PF, Bowling Green University, who combines an ability to provide rebounding and defense with an ability to not get kicked out of the sport.

[Bob Green]

With the 45th pick in the 2015 DBR Mock draft, the Boston Celtics select Michael Frazier. Frazier is a floor spacer who is willing to play defense.

[ChillinDuke]

I was keeping on my eye on some other players like Chris McCullough, Nedim Buza, and Jordan Mickey, but savvy GMs scooped them up before they could fall to the Jazz. I briefly flirted with the idea of Robert Upshaw, but the red flags scared me away. The Jazz do have a history of drafting bigs with troubled pasts (see Luther Wright and Robert Whaley), but they haven't ever panned out and I think they've learned their lesson. If the Jazz keep all of their picks, I think it is likely at least one will be someone like Milutinov who can be stashed in Europe. They are unlikely to find an immediate impact player this late in the draft, and really need to bring in some veteran free agents more than they need more youth. Milutinov has good upside, and the Jazz could always use another young seven footer if he ends up developing.


The Suns looked at a number of frontcourt players for the 44th pick - we considered Kentucky's Dakari Johnson until we realized that his limitations included athleticism and basketball skills, and considered Robert Upshaw until we decided that an inability to remain part of a basketball team would probably be a liability for a professional athlete. As a result, we settled on Richaun Holmes, PF, Bowling Green University, who combines an ability to provide rebounding and defense with an ability to not get kicked out of the sport.


The Pistons select:

Chris McCullough Syracuse PF – Standard BS, athletic, lots of “upside,” a highly rated prospect out of high school that seemed to be fulfilling his potential. Recovering from ACL injury, so only college season was cut short. Good risk to take first round talent in the second round. I am, however, very concerned about him developing under Stan Van Gundy, who is not known for nurturing young, raw talent.

Had hoped Cliff Alexander would have fallen to this spot. Great defender and rebounder. Athletic. I see him being a solid pro player.

Also considered:

Arturas Gudaitis PF, Lithuania. This is who NBADraft.net has for the Pistons in the second round, and I find the reasoning sound. Based on scouting reports, he is the perfect stretch 4 to allow Andre Drummond room in the post. Good shooting range and athletic. Not weak, but could get stronger.

Treveon Graham, SG, VCU. Long range shooter with good size and length. Injured ankle senior year hurt his draft stock.

Robert Upshaw. Lots of potential, but a real risk. Too much like current center and future of franchise, Andre Drummond. Second unit should offer variety.

Terren Petteway. High volume offense can be useful on second unit.


The 76ers are still in best player available mode, without much regard to roster fit (although we're not looking too hard at centers and Robert Upshaw's myriad issues make it easy to ignore him anyway). There's a lot more talent on the board at forward than at guard, so while we have some holes in the backcourt, we also have 4 more picks in the second round. We considered a number of players here (whom I won't mention given that we also get to go 2 picks later and I don't want to tip my hand) but ultimately settled on Jarell Martin out of LSU. Martin has a versatile offensive game - effective both in the post and facing up - and while his jumper needs work, we're confident (well, maybe hopeful) that concerted practice can give him range at least to 18-20'. Martin's stronger on offense than on defense, but again we think the basic tools are there for someone who can at least be a neutral defender. Ideally, he'll play backup minutes at the 4 while offering the potential to steal minutes at the 5 if we go small or maybe even at the 3 if we go big.

He's receiving a lot of nibbles, but no one is hooked.

We're at the 46th pick for crying out loud. The guy certainly has some issues, but he's gotta go. I would have mock picked him probably 10 mock picks ago. And maybe at any mock point in the mock second round.

Snippet from a Bleacher Report article I just read (formatting is mine):

"Given the value tied to rim protection in today's NBA, it's no wonder why teams are willing to bring in. Prior to leaving Washington, Upshaw was leading the country in shot-blocking, having swatted 4.5 shots a game (7.2 per 40 minutes) through 19 contests. Upshaw ultimately finished his college career with a bang—a 13-point, nine-rebound, six-block effort against Utah and projected 2016 lottery pick Jakob Poeltl on January 25.

Upshaw's measurements at the combine could have only enhanced the appeal tied to his defensive outlook. He came in at 7'0" in sneakers, while his wingspan (7'5½"), standing reach (9'5") and hand size (10" by 11") [U]each ranked No. 1 in the class. "

- Chillin

[Troublemaker]

He's receiving a lot of nibbles, but no one is hooked.

We're at the 46th pick for crying out loud. The guy certainly has some issues, but he's gotta go. I would have mock picked him probably 10 mock picks ago. And maybe at any mock point in the mock second round.

Snippet from a Bleacher Report article I just read (formatting is mine):

"Given the value tied to rim protection in today's NBA, it's no wonder why teams are willing to bring in. Prior to leaving Washington, Upshaw was leading the country in shot-blocking, having swatted 4.5 shots a game (7.2 per 40 minutes) through 19 contests. Upshaw ultimately finished his college career with a bang—a 13-point, nine-rebound, six-block effort against Utah and projected 2016 lottery pick Jakob Poeltl on January 25.

Upshaw's measurements at the combine could have only enhanced the appeal tied to his defensive outlook. He came in at 7'0" in sneakers, while his wingspan (7'5½"), standing reach (9'5") and hand size (10" by 11") [U]each ranked No. 1 in the class. "

- Chillin

Upthread when there was discussion about some mystery West Coast player who had top 10 talent but was falling in the draft, I briefly thought that folks were thinking about Upshaw. Turned out to be Looney. Regardless, I agree that using a mid to late 2nd-round pick on a boom-or-bust player like Upshaw seems like a good gamble.

[Turk]

46. Milwaukee Bucks: Joseph Young, SG, Oregon

The Bucks draft team wrapped up our pity party over the Ilyasova trade and taped up our wall charts after ripping them up in frustration. We got back to work and decided to stick with our plan to improve the offense. We're not touching Upshaw either. Young can drive, score, and shoot; our "boom or bust" model with this pick is Steph Curry. Young's lack of height (6'2") doesn't bother us when we can pair him with 6'7" MCW or the Freak. We're hoping Young can give us some bench offense as we improve our depth.

[pfrduke]

Harvey was one of the best shooters in the country on both a volume and accuracy basis and can really fill it up. He may end up being a tweener - not really quite big enough to play 2 but not enough handles to play 1 - but he could be a quick injection of offense off the bench.

[-jk]

In the home stretch!

First Round
1. Minnesota - flyingdutchdevil - Karl Anthony Towns, PF/C - Kentucky
2. L.A. Lakers - theschwartz -Jahlil Okafor, C - Duke
3. Philadelphia - pfrduke - Justise Winslow, SG/SF - Duke
4. New York – Mountain Devil 91 92 01 10 15 - Emmanuel Mudiay, PG - E'rywhere
5. Orlando – subzero02 - Willie Cauley-Stein, C - Kentucky
6. Sacramento - brevity - D'Angelo Russell, PG - Ohio State
7. Denver - mattman91 - Mario Hezonja, SF - Croatia
8. Detroit – BD80 - Stanley Johnson, SF - U of Az
9. Charlotte - roywhite - Kristaps Porzingis, PF - Latvia
10. Miami - superdave - Myles Turner, C - Texas
11. Indiana - NashvilleDevil - Cameron Payne, PG - Murray State
12. Utah - DallasDevil - Frank Kaminsky, PF - Wisconsin
13. Phoenix - Duvall - Devin Booker, G - Kentucky
14. Oklahoma City - NSDukeFan - Trey Lyles, PF - Kentucky
15. Atlanta - Jason Evans - Sam Dekker, SF - Wisconsin
16. Boston – Bob Green - Montrezl Harrell, PF - Louisville
17. Milwaukee - Turk - Jerian Grant, PG - Notre Dame
18. Houston - gocanes0506 - Bobby Portis, PF - Arkansas
19. Washington – Billy Dat - Kevon Looney, PF - UCLA
20. Toronto - theAlaskanBear - George de Paula, PG - Pinheiros, Brazil
21. Dallas - Troublemaker - RJ Hunter, SG - Georgia St
22. Chicago - CDu - Tyus Jones, PG - Duke
23. Portland - Henderson - Kelly Oubre, SF - Kansas
24. Cleveland - tfk53 - Justin Anderson, SF - Virginia
25. Memphis - Duke3517 - Cliff Alexander, PF - Kansas
26. San Antonio - JNort - Cedi Osman, SF - Anadolu Efes, Turkey
27. L.A. Lakers - theschwartz - Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, SF - Arizona
28. Boston – Bob Green - Christian Wood, PF - UNLV
29. Brooklyn – Newton 14- Rashad Vaughn, SG - UNLV
30. Golden State – awhom111 - Delon Wright, G - Utah

Second Round
31. Minnesota - flyingdutchdevil - Terry Rozier, PG - Louisville
32. Houston - gocanes0506 - Andrew Harrison, PG - Kentucky
33. Boston – Bob Green - Anthony Brown, SF - Stanford
34. L.A. Lakers - theschwartz - Guillermo Hernangomez, C/PF - Sevilla
35. Philadelphia - pfrduke - Jarell Martin, PF - LSU
36. Minnesota - flyingdutchdevil - Olivier Hanlan, PG - Boston College
37. Philadelphia - pfrduke - Aleksandar Vezenkov, PF - Bulgaria
38. Detroit - BD80 - Chris McCullough, PF - Syracuse
39. Charlotte - roywhite - Rakeem Christmas, PF/C - Syracuse
40. Miami - superdave - Nedim Buza, SF - Bosnia and Herzegovina
41. Brooklyn – Newton 14 - Jordan Mickey, F - LSU
42. Utah - DallasDevil - Nikola Milutinov, C - Serbia
43. Indiana - NashvilleDevil - JP Tokoto, SF - UNC
44. Phoenix - Duvall - Richaun Holmes, PF - Bowling Green
45. Boston – Bob Green - Michael Frazier, SG - Florida
46. Milwaukee - Turk - Joseph Young, SG - Oregon
47. Philadelphia - pfrduke - Tyler Harvey, SG - E. Washington
48. Oklahoma City - NSDukeFan
49. Washington – Billy Dat
50. Atlanta - Jason Evans
51. Orlando - subzero02
52. Dallas - Troublemaker
53. Cleveland - tfk53
54. Utah - DallasDevil
55. San Antonio - JNort
56. New Orleans - gurufrisbee
57. Denver - mattman91
58. Philadelphia - pfrduke
59. Atlanta - Jason Evans
60. Philadelphia - pfrduke

[NSDukeFan]

As much as I don't want to choose anyone to compete with Kyle for minutes, I considered mostly bigger, (at least for college) athletic guards for this spot. After selecting Trey Lyles based on his potential in the first round, I thought I might look much at productivity for this pick. Alan Williams certainly meets that criteria as a double double guy in college, where rebounding is a translatable skill. I also considered Jonathon Holmes as a potential big wing, who might be able to space the floor. I was most drawn to the trio of big, athletic guards still on the board, Michael Qualls, Dez Wells and Norman Powell. They are all known more for their athleticism and driving rather than their shooting and all rebound well for guards. In the end, we decided on Powell from UCLA, who may be the worst shooter of them, but might also be the most athletic, with a 40 inch vertical, good wingspan and scored the most of the three. He may give OKC someone to attack the rim when Westbrook is taking a break.

[awhom111]

This year we're moving so quickly that we could do it twice before the real thing!

[Billy Dat]

It's the second round, and since we Wizards got our stretch 4 in the first round, we need to zero in on that combo guard in Round 2.

Some may say this is a reach, but I have a feeling about this kid and this city.

-During his senior year, he showed he could play both the 1 and the 2
-He also showed he could really compete on the defensive end
-While he is undersized for the NBA, he's been called one of the greatest leaders his coach has ever seen, and this is from a guy who writes books on leadership
-He had a great showing at the Portsmith Invitational
-He is a native son, a child of the DMV who will be proud to rock the red, white and blue

With the 49th pick in the DBR Mock Draft, the Washington Wizards selected Quinn Cook of Duke University

[tfk53]

Cleveland mock GM had his eyes on Cook, hoping he would last till pick #53. NBS Finals Game 4 showed a need for more point guard skills on the Cavs. Could use his 40% 3 point range.

Here's hoping the real draft appreciates QC as much as DBR does!

[-jk]

Jason Evans has limited availability today and filed this early:

With the 50th pick in the 2015 DBR Mock Draft, the Atlanta Hawks select Robert Upshaw, C - Washington.

At this point, we all know the issues with Upshaw. The Hawks are a veteran team with a very solid locker room that will not tolerate knuckle-heads. Hopefully, that will rub off on Upshaw and help him figure out what it takes to become a professional. If not, all we lost was a late second round pick not likely to make much of an impact on the team anyway. But, if the kid can get his head on straight, he's a game-changing defensive presence in the middle. From a risk-reward standpoint, he's a huuuuge reward. You simply don't find something like that at this point in the draft very often. I would imagine he would spend much of the year in the D-League too, as a way of teaching him what life is like riding buses instead of airplanes. Make him appreciate the NBA life a little and know that if he messes around, he won't get to experience it.

Worth noting that most mocks have him off the board 10+ picks ago, so I am getting very good value at this point in the draft.

-j "on behalf of Jason" k

[NSDukeFan]

This year we're moving so quickly that we could do it twice before the real thing!

I'll take Minnesota and Jah in our second draft.

[NSDukeFan]

It's the second round, and since we Wizards got our stretch 4 in the first round, we need to zero in on that combo guard in Round 2.

Some may say this is a reach, but I have a feeling about this kid and this city.

-During his senior year, he showed he could play both the 1 and the 2
-He also showed he could really compete on the defensive end
-While he is undersized for the NBA, he's been called one of the greatest leaders his coach has ever seen, and this is from a guy who writes books on leadership
-He had a great showing at the Portsmith Invitational
-He is a native son, a child of the DMV who will be proud to rock the red, white and blue

With the 49th pick in the DBR Mock Draft, the Washington Wizards selected Quinn Cook of Duke University

Congratulations to Quinn for being mock drafted and to the Wizards for mock getting a great player who appears to be a great person.

[BD80]

As much as I don't want to choose anyone to compete with Kyle for minutes, ...

What is Kyle's contract status? I remember thinking that the Pistons may be able to get him back after the trade as a free agent.


This year we're moving so quickly that we could do it twice before the real thing!

Leadership!

[Troublemaker]

Darnit, with Upshaw and Quinn gone, now I have to do some research for my pick.

[roywhite]

Darnit, with Upshaw and Quinn gone, now I have to do some research for my pick.

Michael Qualls, Mouhammadou Jaiteh, Vince Hunter, Pat Connaughton -- still some interesting prospects out there

[JasonEvans]

Michael Qualls, Mouhammadou Jaiteh, Vince Hunter, Pat Connaughton -- still some interesting prospects out there

I was looking only at the second round and was surprised that Cliff Alexander was still available. Then I noticed that he had gone late in our first round. I think he is very unlikely to go in the first round of the real draft. Whew talk about a guy who was hurt by going to school!

If there was a high school to the NBA rule in place a year ago, Alexander would have been a lottery pick, likely high in the lottery. A year ago, Alexander was certain to be a mid-upper lottery pick. Many considered him the #2 player in the freshman class, ahead of Towns, Turner, Winslow, and so on. But, he arrived at Kansas and the troubles started. He never seemed on the same page as the Kansas coaching staff, struggling to get the kind of minutes it seemed he deserved. And then there were the eligibility problems from the NCAA -- mostly involving a loan to his mother. In the end, his season was cut short by the NCAA so we never really saw what he might become as a freshman. I wonder if the Kansas coaches never really played him all that much because they suspected they would not have him for the post-season and they did not want to re-tool their team once they inevitably lost him.

In any event, he's a kid who is a little undersized for the PF position and who is still extremely raw offensively (he will never be a pick-and-pop or a stretch 4), but who is extremely physical and has a great motor around the basket. He is not an explosive athlete but he clearly has the tools and talent to develop into a very solid NBA pro and a good rebounder. Still, I doubt he gets first round guaranteed money from any NBA team, likely going in the 30s or low-40s in the real draft. Kid cost himself a boat load of money by going to school. Probably should have gone the Mudiay route and just played in China or something. He'd be lottery bound for sure if he had merely disappeared for a year rather than playing sporadically for Kansas.

Sorry for the diversion back to a guy who was 20+ picks ago, but -- like I said -- for a moment I thought he was still on the board and I wasn't super surprised at that.

--Jason "as an aside, any one-and-done prospect who considers Kansas needs to be made aware of how 'lottery locks' like Alexander, Perry Ellis, and Wayne Selden have done in recent years" Evans

[NSDukeFan]

What is Kyle's contract status? I remember thinking that the Pistons may be able to get him back after the trade as a free agent.



According to ESPN, he seems to have one year left.

[subzero02]

51st pick: Orlando Magic select Pat Connaughton SG, Notre Dame:
Despite being drafted in the 4th round by the Baltimore Orioles last year, Pat has committed to focusing on basketball for now. On the mound he features a 96 MPH fastball and on the hardwood he displays an equally impressive 44 inch vertical leap. He's an outstanding 3 point shooter and should provide instant offense while playing alongside or behind Oladipo.

[ChillinDuke]

I was looking only at the second round and was surprised that Cliff Alexander was still available. Then I noticed that he had gone late in our first round. I think he is very unlikely to go in the first round of the real draft. Whew talk about a guy who was hurt by going to school!

If there was a high school to the NBA rule in place a year ago, Alexander would have been a lottery pick, likely high in the lottery. A year ago, Alexander was certain to be a mid-upper lottery pick. Many considered him the #2 player in the freshman class, ahead of Towns, Turner, Winslow, and so on. But, he arrived at Kansas and the troubles started. He never seemed on the same page as the Kansas coaching staff, struggling to get the kind of minutes it seemed he deserved. And then there were the eligibility problems from the NCAA -- mostly involving a loan to his mother. In the end, his season was cut short by the NCAA so we never really saw what he might become as a freshman. I wonder if the Kansas coaches never really played him all that much because they suspected they would not have him for the post-season and they did not want to re-tool their team once they inevitably lost him.

In any event, he's a kid who is a little undersized for the PF position and who is still extremely raw offensively (he will never be a pick-and-pop or a stretch 4), but who is extremely physical and has a great motor around the basket. He is not an explosive athlete but he clearly has the tools and talent to develop into a very solid NBA pro and a good rebounder. Still, I doubt he gets first round guaranteed money from any NBA team, likely going in the 30s or low-40s in the real draft. Kid cost himself a boat load of money by going to school. Probably should have gone the Mudiay route and just played in China or something. He'd be lottery bound for sure if he had merely disappeared for a year rather than playing sporadically for Kansas.

Sorry for the diversion back to a guy who was 20+ picks ago, but -- like I said -- for a moment I thought he was still on the board and I wasn't super surprised at that.

--Jason "as an aside, any one-and-done prospect who considers Kansas needs to be made aware of how 'lottery locks' like Alexander, Perry Ellis, and Wayne Selden have done in recent years" Evans

Good background on his storyline.

Perhaps a great example of why the NBA instituted the one-year rule. Cliff may have lost a boatload of money going to college. But the NBA likely saved it (or more reasonably allocated it to better resources).

The jury is still out on his NBA career, but is there any doubt that at his current trajectory he would've been considered a top-10 bust? Methinks so.

- Chillin

[Troublemaker]

The Senegalese-Spaniard Diagne has a 7'4" wingspan and great athleticism.

The Mavericks are one of the worst defensive teams in the NBA and should take a chance on a high-upside defensive prospect like Diagne, who has excellent rebounding, steal, and block rates in the Spanish ACB league, one of the best basketball leagues in the world.

On offense, his youtube highlights show someone who can be effective finishing pick-and-rolls above the rim. Diagne also shot 81% on free throws, to boot, which hopefully means he has some touch and can one day reliably hit 18-footers to draw opposing big men away from the basket.

In summary, Diagne is basically a high-upside modern NBA big man prospect. Which means rim-protection, athleticism, pick-and-roll finisher, and maybe even some stretchiness down the line with his shooting.

At pick 52, can't ask for too much more in a dice roll.

[gurufrisbee]

The Senegalese-Spaniard Diagne has a 7'4" wingspan and great athleticism.

The Mavericks are one of the worst defensive teams in the NBA and should take a chance on a high-upside defensive prospect like Diagne, who has excellent rebounding, steal, and block rates in the Spanish ACB league, one of the best basketball leagues in the world.

On offense, his youtube highlights show someone who can be effective finishing pick-and-rolls above the rim. Diagne also shot 81% on free throws, to boot, which hopefully means he has some touch and can one day reliably hit 18-footers to draw opposing big men away from the basket.

In summary, Diagne is basically a high-upside modern NBA big man prospect. Which means rim-protection, athleticism, pick-and-roll finisher, and maybe even some stretchiness down the line with his shooting.

At pick 52, can't ask for too much more in a dice roll.

My only pick is at 56. I made a list of four names, in order, that I was hoping for at that stage. You just took #2 off my list. Sad for me. But nice pick.

[Duke3517]

I was looking only at the second round and was surprised that Cliff Alexander was still available. Then I noticed that he had gone late in our first round. I think he is very unlikely to go in the first round of the real draft. Whew talk about a guy who was hurt by going to school!

If there was a high school to the NBA rule in place a year ago, Alexander would have been a lottery pick, likely high in the lottery. A year ago, Alexander was certain to be a mid-upper lottery pick. Many considered him the #2 player in the freshman class, ahead of Towns, Turner, Winslow, and so on. But, he arrived at Kansas and the troubles started. He never seemed on the same page as the Kansas coaching staff, struggling to get the kind of minutes it seemed he deserved. And then there were the eligibility problems from the NCAA -- mostly involving a loan to his mother. In the end, his season was cut short by the NCAA so we never really saw what he might become as a freshman. I wonder if the Kansas coaches never really played him all that much because they suspected they would not have him for the post-season and they did not want to re-tool their team once they inevitably lost him.

In any event, he's a kid who is a little undersized for the PF position and who is still extremely raw offensively (he will never be a pick-and-pop or a stretch 4), but who is extremely physical and has a great motor around the basket. He is not an explosive athlete but he clearly has the tools and talent to develop into a very solid NBA pro and a good rebounder. Still, I doubt he gets first round guaranteed money from any NBA team, likely going in the 30s or low-40s in the real draft. Kid cost himself a boat load of money by going to school. Probably should have gone the Mudiay route and just played in China or something. He'd be lottery bound for sure if he had merely disappeared for a year rather than playing sporadically for Kansas.

Sorry for the diversion back to a guy who was 20+ picks ago, but -- like I said -- for a moment I thought he was still on the board and I wasn't super surprised at that.

--Jason "as an aside, any one-and-done prospect who considers Kansas needs to be made aware of how 'lottery locks' like Alexander, Perry Ellis, and Wayne Selden have done in recent years" Evans

My reason for picking him was how our mock draft was unfolding such as no great shooters left and depth from an already impressive front court the Grizzles have.
I think he has more potential then you think but it won't come right away. He will probably start in the d league to develop his footwork and motor. I also was not terribly impressed with the front court that was left and felt the most potential came from Alexander.

I wanted to draft RJ Hunter knowing the Grizzles would have to trade up to get Booker. I don't need to explain any reasoning because troublemaker outlined it as well as you could and much better then I would have.

Another reason is I work with a guy who is from Memphis and asked him what he thought. He is obsessed with the Grizzles. I told him about Hunter, Anderson, etc and he felt the Grizzles while they might not draft him in the end are most intrigued with Alexander because of what you outlined in his talent.

Sure he does come with red flags but if they can max his potential out he will be a solid pro. Certainly not an all star or hall of famer.

[tfk53]

The Cavs with pick #53 select Zhou Qi.

19 year old from China. Stands 7'2" in shoes with 91" wingspan. Stashing for the future. Did not feel any point guards worth pursuing at this pick. Going out on a limb. Has been called the next Yao Ming. We shall see in 5 years

Sorry to be slowing things. Got caught shopping with the better half. Draft going amazingly quick.

[awhom111]

The Cavs with pick #53 select Zhou Qi.

19 year old from China. Stands 7'2" in shoes with 91" wingspan. Stashing for the future. Did not feel any point guards worth pursuing at this pick. Going out on a limb. Has been called the next Yao Ming. We shall see in 5 years

Sorry to be slowing things. Got caught shopping with the better half. Draft going amazingly quick.

Zhou Qi did not declare for the draft this year, so he is not eligible to be picked. I do not know what our procedure is for this if you want to make another pick of a player who is actually available.

[tfk53]

My apologies! Cleveland mock GM will be banned from beer for 24 hours, at least after he finishes his Fortnight Blonde Ale.
I thought he had declared and could not find an up to date list quickly. Oh well...

Given a second chance, Cavs will pick with the 53rd pick Joseph Young from Oregon. A scorer but limited on defensive end so far. Choices getting slimmer now.

[brevity]

My apologies! Cleveland mock GM will be banned from beer for 24 hours, at least after he finishes his Fortnight Blonde Ale.
I thought he had declared and could not find an up to date list quickly. Oh well...

Given a second chance, Cavs will pick with the 53rd pick Joseph Young from Oregon. A scorer but limited on defensive end so far. Choices getting slimmer now.

Slimmer than you think. Milwaukee drafted Joseph Young at #46.

[BD80]

... Choices getting slimmer now.


Slimmer than you think. ...

John Henson slim

[brevity]

I sent a private message to tfk53 to make a third attempt at its second round pick, because Cleveland. It was CC'd to DallasDevil, who has the following pick, and Bob Green.

[Duvall]

This is pretty impressive commitment to playing the role of a Cleveland Cavaliers GM, though.

[DallasDevil]

I'll hold off for a little while longer, but have church commitments from 7am-4pm Central tomorrow. So, if the Cavs aren't able to make their selection soon I'll probably submit choices 1A and 1B so as to not hold things up tomorrow.

[roywhite]

I'll hold off for a little while longer, but have church commitments from 7am-4pm Central tomorrow. So, if the Cavs aren't able to make their selection soon I'll probably submit choices 1A and 1B so as to not hold things up tomorrow.

Go for it. It might take care of two slots.

I say this as a mock GM, not the mock commissioner :)

[DallasDevil]

Okay, sorry to be impatient but I didn't want to hold things up tomorrow.

The Jazz have already selected 2 seven-footers this draft, but only have one center on the roster and maybe if we pick enough of them one will work out. If not, we have a total of 10 draft picks over the next 2 years where we can try to find another big.

So, the Utah Jazz select Mouhammadou Jaiteh. He was in Salt Lake today for a workout, and we liked what we saw.

However, if the Cavs decide to retroactively select Jaiteh, then I'll take Arturas Gudaitis. Either way I'll end up with a raw European center that we hope will be a contributor in a few years.

[awhom111]

According to ESPN, he seems to have one year left.

Kyle is a restricted free agent after this season along with Enes Kanter. The Thunder already have 13 guaranteed contracts for next year and they have committed to signing Josh Huestis to his rookie deal. They also have their picks for this year (with their first round pick in not so Euro-stash friendly territory) and Semaj Christon as an unsigned second round pick who was playing well in the D League where they stashed him. Look for them to make some other moves if they want to keep Kyle and Enes. My crazy scenario proposal is that they should convince Kyle to go back to Real Madrid for a season and then sign him for 2016-17 with the expanding cap and more roster spots (since they will retain restricted free agent rights if he goes overseas).

[Bob Green]

The Mock Draft is currently in a slight delay waiting for tfk53 to redo pick #53 (Joseph Young has already been drafted). So today's line-up is:

Up to Bat: Cleveland - tfk53 -
On Deck: Utah - DallasDevil
In the Hole: San Antonio - JNort

[tfk53]

Hoping third time is the charm the Cleveland mock GM stays in state, looking for point guard back up for Kyrie. Scott has the physical tools but never consistently applied them at Ohio State.

I was away from things yesterday (unfortunately, not in Oakland for tonight's Finals game) - not expecting the draft to move so rapidly! Appreciate the patience a great deal.

[DallasDevil]

Jaiteh it is for the Jazz then.

[theAlaskanBear]

Jaiteh it is for the Jazz then.

Surprised Jaiteh is this far down.

Also, looking like Charlotte may have teh steal of the draft at #9 if the current chatter about Porzingis is true.

[roywhite]

Surprised Jaiteh is this far down.

Also, looking like Charlotte may have teh steal of the draft at #9 if the current chatter about Porzingis is true.

As the Charlotte GM, I'd like to claim I scouted him for months and was delighted when he was still available at #9.

Truthfully, I don't think I recognized his name until the mock draft was set up. After watching some highlights, he did remind me of someone we know --- Christian Laettner.

Here's a recent article:

A 19-year-old Latvian prospect is blowing away NBA people in workouts, and some think he could be the best player in the draft

(http://www.businessinsider.com/kristaps-porzingis-blowing-away-2015-nba-draft-scouts-2015-6)

[BD80]

As the Charlotte GM, I'd like to claim I scouted him for months and was delighted when he was still available at #9.

Truthfully, I don't think I recognized his name until the mock draft was set up. After watching some highlights, he did remind me of someone we know --- Christian Laettner.

Here's a recent article:

A 19-year-old Latvian prospect is blowing away NBA people in workouts, and some think he could be the best player in the draft

(http://www.businessinsider.com/kristaps-porzingis-blowing-away-2015-nba-draft-scouts-2015-6)

Why does this sound so familiar?

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1659729-the-most-dead-wrong-scouting-reports-in-nba-draft-history/page/2

2003 Nbadraft.net mock draft:
http://web.archive.org/web/20030618014556/http://nbadraft.net/

2003 Nbadraft.net top prospects list:
http://web.archive.org/web/20030606232724/http://nbadraft.net/2003prospe...

2003 Nbadraft.net top international prospects list:
http://web.archive.org/web/20030608165819/http://nbadraft.net/internatio...

2003 CNNSI NBA mock draft:
http://web.archive.org/web/20030526233155/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.c...

CNNSI article explaining different talent tiers for 2003 NBA Draft:
http://web.archive.org/web/20030604165352/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.c...

Articles about Darko leading up to 2003 NBA Draft:
http://web.archive.org/web/20030417001158/http://seattletimes.nwsource.c...

http://web.archive.org/web/20030402053618/http://www.cleveland.com/sport...

http://web.archive.org/web/20030417000953/http://www.mansfieldnewsjourna...

[subzero02]

Oh Darko. The fact that the Pistons won the title his rookie year doesn't soften the blow from this debacle. The landscape of today's NBA is very different if Wade or Carmelo land on the pistons' roster.

[NashvilleDevil]

Isn't Yi another one of Ford's huge misses based on watching him play against a chair? I know I'm biased but teams that pass on Jah are going to be kicking themselves. Other than Dirk and the Gasols has a Euro player played up to their draft pick?

[gurufrisbee]

Isn't Yi another one of Ford's huge misses based on watching him play against a chair? I know I'm biased but teams that pass on Jah are going to be kicking themselves. Other than Dirk and the Gasols has a Euro player played up to their draft pick?

It's always open to opinion but some possibilities might include:

Tony Parker
Peja Stojakovic (1st round - 14th overall)
Andre Kirlilenko (1st - 24th overall)
Jose Calderon (undrafted)
Zydrunas Ilgauskas (1st - 20th)
Rudy Gobert (1st - 27th)
Marcin Gortat (2nd - 57th overall)
Goran Dragic (2nd - 45th overall)
Nicholas Batum (1st - 25th)
Boris Diaw (1st - 21st)
Nikola Vucevic (1st - 16th)

[NSDukeFan]

Oh Darko. The fact that the Pistons won the title his rookie year doesn't soften the blow from this debacle. The landscape of today's NBA is very different if Wade or Carmelo land on the pistons' roster.

The cool thing with BD80's second link was that Wade was also mocked to go behind two other European bigs. We would do more mocking if that had happened.

[theschwartz]

Isn't Yi another one of Ford's huge misses based on watching him play against a chair? I know I'm biased but teams that pass on Jah are going to be kicking themselves. Other than Dirk and the Gasols has a Euro player played up to their draft pick?


It's always open to opinion but some possibilities might include:

Tony Parker
Peja Stojakovic (1st round - 14th overall)
Andre Kirlilenko (1st - 24th overall)
Jose Calderon (undrafted)
Zydrunas Ilgauskas (1st - 20th)
Rudy Gobert (1st - 27th)
Marcin Gortat (2nd - 57th overall)
Goran Dragic (2nd - 45th overall)
Nicholas Batum (1st - 25th)
Boris Diaw (1st - 21st)
Nikola Vucevic (1st - 16th)

Before Darko, there was Skita (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikoloz_Tskitishvili) (1st round - 5th overall). At the time, Chad Ford said he could be the "Kevin Garnett of [the 2002] draft" (http://espn.go.com/espn/print?id=1398945). The cases of both Skita and Darko really made NBA GMs do their homework on those Euro prospects.

Couple more recent interesting European prospects:
Giannis Antetokounmpo (1st - 15th). He's looking like a top-3 guy out of the 2013 draft.
Nikola Mirotic (1st - 23rd). Drafted in 2011, but had a great rookie year for the Bulls in 2014-15.
Ricky Rubio (1st - 5th). Interesting only because the T'wolves took TWO point guards (Rubio & Jonny Flynn) at #5 and 6, while a certain future MVP who plays roughly the same position went at #7. Let's hope the T'wolves do a little better this year.

[NSDukeFan]

Isn't Yi another one of Ford's huge misses based on watching him play against a chair? I know I'm biased but teams that pass on Jah are going to be kicking themselves.

i am also biased, but did I read that there is now a gap between Towns and the next tier, including Jah? I hope it is team's posturing, as Jah should not be picked over based on things like basketball skills or potential. Mind you, based on last night's Finals game, neither one should be picked at the top and only guards and wings should be picked. It won't take a brilliant coach to find a way to take advantage of Okafor's post skills.

[Bob Green]

Today's line-up:

Up to Bat: San Antonio - JNort
On Deck: New Orleans - gurufrisbee
In the Hole: Denver - mattman91

[CDu]

It's always open to opinion but some possibilities might include:

Tony Parker
Peja Stojakovic (1st round - 14th overall)
Andre Kirlilenko (1st - 24th overall)
Jose Calderon (undrafted)
Zydrunas Ilgauskas (1st - 20th)
Rudy Gobert (1st - 27th)
Marcin Gortat (2nd - 57th overall)
Goran Dragic (2nd - 45th overall)
Nicholas Batum (1st - 25th)
Boris Diaw (1st - 21st)
Nikola Vucevic (1st - 16th)

Some others of note who have met or exceeded their draft expectations:
Mehmet Okur (2nd - 37th)
Toni Kukoc (2nd - 29th)
Detlef Schrempf (1st - 8th)
Hedo Turkoglu (1st - 16th)
Vlade Divac (1st - 26th)
Nikola Pekovic (1st - 31st)
Drazen Petrovic (3rd - 60th)
Arvydas Sabonis (1st - 24th)
Jonas Valanciunas (1st - 5th)
Danilo Gallinari (1st - 6th)

Still, the list of Euros drafted in the lottery who have panned out is pretty short (Pau Gasol, Schrempf, Nowitzki, Valanciunas, Gallinari). Most have disappointed to some degree.

[toooskies]

Has Valanciunas officially panned out? 12/9 in 26 minutes a game, not a rim protector. I mean, it's acceptable to just get a starter at #5, but there is a ton of talent that got drafted after him that you'd rather have: Kemba, Klay, the good Morris brother, Vucevic, Kawhi, Jimmy Butler... The historical success of the #5 has been up and down, and Valanciunas isn't a bust yet, but he's also no Demarcus Cousins.

[DallasDevil]

Tough break for a couple of mock GMs, as @DraftExpress is reporting that Nedim Buza and Moussa Diagne have withdrawn from the draft.

[Duvall]

Tough break for a couple of mock GMs, as @DraftExpress is reporting that Nedim Buza and Moussa Diagne have withdrawn from the draft.

Alexander Vezenkov as well. I'm preemptively annoyed with these European players for making an honest man out of Cal.

[CDu]

Has Valanciunas officially panned out? 12/9 in 26 minutes a game, not a rim protector. I mean, it's acceptable to just get a starter at #5, but there is a ton of talent that got drafted after him that you'd rather have: Kemba, Klay, the good Morris brother, Vucevic, Kawhi, Jimmy Butler... The historical success of the #5 has been up and down, and Valanciunas isn't a bust yet, but he's also no Demarcus Cousins.

I would say that he has met or slightly exceeded expectations (remember: he's just 22). I'd take him over Kemba (Walker's stats look better because he plays more minutes; pace-adjusted things favor Valanciunas) and Morris.

Cousins, on the other hand, has wildly exceeded expectations. Same for Leonard, Vucevic, and Butler. Just because those guys wildly exceeded expectations doesn't mean that Valanciunas hasn't met expectations.

[NSDukeFan]

Has Valanciunas officially panned out? 12/9 in 26 minutes a game, not a rim protector. I mean, it's acceptable to just get a starter at #5, but there is a ton of talent that got drafted after him that you'd rather have: Kemba, Klay, the good Morris brother, Vucevic, Kawhi, Jimmy Butler... The historical success of the #5 has been up and down, and Valanciunas isn't a bust yet, but he's also no Demarcus Cousins.

When you are talking about the good Morris brother, are you talking good in college or good in the pros? I find it interesting that they aren't one and the same.

[Duvall]

George Lucas (Alves) de Paula needs a nickname. You can see where I'm going with this.

1. If he's a shoot-first point guard, call him Greedo.
2. If he can use that 7-foot wingspan to shut down Stephen Curry and Chris Paul, call him Star Destroyer.
3. If this 19-year-old flies from one end of the court to the other, call him Millennial Falcon.
4. If he can dunk from the free throw line, call him Skywalker.
5. If he goes to San Antonio, and David Robinson unretires his number for him, call him Admiral Ackbar.

If he disappears from the draft without making an impact remotely proportionate to his hype, call him Boba Fett. (https://mobile.twitter.com/DraftExpress/status/610547796173844480?p=v)

[-jk]

JNort, it's been more than a day. Please make your pick by 7:00 tonight, or we'll have to find someone to make it for you.

regards,

-jk

[brevity]

JNort, it's been more than a day. Please make your pick by 7:00 tonight, or we'll have to find someone to make it for you.

regards,

-jk

Not enough. Threaten to give San Antonio the other Harrison twin.

[Dev11]

Not enough. Threaten to give San Antonio the other Harrison twin.

Pop would still turn him into an All-Star. You can't punish the Spurs with underperformers.

[-jk]

Can someone make and defend a pick for San Antonio at 55 in round two?

thanks,

-jk

[NSDukeFan]

Pop would still turn him into an All-Star. You can't punish the Spurs with underperformers.


I resemble that remark.
No kidding. I always hope Duke guys go there.

[gurufrisbee]

I feel like I've been ready and waiting to my pick since the last time the Terd Heels won a national title...

I'm so glad we win more often.

[roywhite]

I feel like I've been ready and waiting to my pick since the last time the Terd Heels won a national title...

I'm so glad we win more often.


Can someone make and defend a pick for San Antonio at 55 in round two?

thanks,

-jk

To move things along, the Spurs pick Branden Dawson of Michigan State.
Tough, versatile player who rebounds well, defends well, runs the floor, and can get to the rim.
Typical Izzo type guy, and a guy Pop can work with.

[gurufrisbee]

#56 - the New Orleans Pelicans take Arturas Gudatis – Lithuania

Before the draft started I had four names I was hoping for at this spot, but Gudatis was at the top of my list. His birthday is Friday, so if we can find a translator, hopefully this pick will wish him a happy birthday.

The Pelicans have a great young nucleus with one of the league's best in Anthony Davis. Right now the team rotates the other big man either between Omar Asik or Ryan Anderson. Asik is supposed to be the big interior guy to protect the rim and rebound and score inside, while Anderson stretches the defense with outside shooting. The problem has been that Asik actually doesn't protect the rim or score inside.

The team has a young, fairly productive, but kind of expensive trio in the backcourt of Eric Gordon, Jrue Holiday, and Tyreke Evans. With them and Davis the team is already spending a lot, but they also would love to attract some free agent talent. It's unlikely Asik is brought back next year - it's not even all that likely Anderson is back the next year.

With that in mind, the Pelicans need some size and talent up front. Gudatis is their man. He is very strong and athletic and moves well as a big man. And he has terrific shooting range and probably more shot blocking ability right now than Asik anyways. He'll be able to step in right away as a rookie and learn from Davis and Anderson and back them up and hopefully show a lot of signs that they may not want to look at keeping Anderson after next year either. Plus that cap space is going to help as they need to sign Davis to a max deal down the road and also will want to see if a big time free agent wants to join the Pelican Power.

[Bob Green]

Now that JNort finally made his pick (thank you Roy White!):

Up to Bat: Denver - mattman91
On Deck: Philadelphia - pfrduke
In the Hole: Atlanta - Jason Evans
Last but not Least: Philadelphia - pfrduke

[MarkD83]

Before we get started, a gentle reminder from a living legend:

John Calipari @UKCoachCalipari

My goal is to have seven players selected in the DBR mock draft. I can't pay you GMs directly, but you know how this works. Ka-ching!

12:23 PM - 4 June 2015

pfrduke may be forced to take 2 Ky players with his last two picks.

[Troublemaker]

Before the draft started I had four names I was hoping for at this spot, but Gudatis was at the top of my list.

I had a feeling Gudaitis was your pick based on your previous commentary. Congrats on your long wait being over and making a solid choice for your only pick in this draft. I think Draft Express has him going at #33 right now.

[mattman91]

sorry for the delay...pick coming soon!

[mattman91]

More on this pick, as well as our first round pick coming soon.

Sorry for the hold up. The Denver GM has had a lot on his plate today.

[pfrduke]

Honestly, we're shocked he's still on the board. We considered him at every one of our second round picks (albeit ultimately going elsewhere) and think he could have been justified in any of those slots, so we're thrilled to see him available at 58. Qualls, at a bare minimum, will get after people on the defensive end. He's a superb athlete, has a 7'0" wingspan (as a 6'6" SG), and can jump out of the building. He showed tremendous effort on defense while in college and we think that will translate to the pros. Now, he may make Tony Allen look like an offensive savant, so there's that issue, but with the 58th pick? Absolutely worth the risk.

[mattman91]

Honestly, we're shocked he's still on the board. We considered him at every one of our second round picks (albeit ultimately going elsewhere) and think he could have been justified in any of those slots, so we're thrilled to see him available at 58. Qualls, at a bare minimum, will get after people on the defensive end. He's a superb athlete, has a 7'0" wingspan (as a 6'6" SG), and can jump out of the building. He showed tremendous effort on defense while in college and we think that will translate to the pros. Now, he may make Tony Allen look like an offensive savant, so there's that issue, but with the 58th pick? Absolutely worth the risk.

He was who we really wanted at #57 until reports came out (http://espn.go.com/nba/draft2015/story/_/id/13085339/former-arkansas-razorbacks-forward-michael-qualls-tears-acl-workout) that he tore his ACL in a workout with Phoenix on Thursday.

[pfrduke]

He was who we really wanted at #57 until reports came out (http://espn.go.com/nba/draft2015/story/_/id/13085339/former-arkansas-razorbacks-forward-michael-qualls-tears-acl-workout) that he tore his ACL in a workout with Phoenix on Thursday.

That's terrible for Qualls. Nonetheless, to say the Sixers are playing the long game is, I think, an understatement, so if all the ACL means is that we can sort of shelve one of our second round draft picks for a season but lock up someone who we think has potential upside, well, no skin off our backs.

[mattman91]

That's terrible for Qualls. Nonetheless, to say the Sixers are playing the long game is, I think, an understatement, so if all the ACL means is that we can sort of shelve one of our second round draft picks for a season but lock up someone who we think has potential upside, well, no skin off our backs.

Agreed. If anyone can afford to stash a draft pick, it's the 6ers!

[JasonEvans]

I'm missing something right? Jonathan Holmes, PF from Texas, is gone, isn't he? We are talking about a guy that some folks say will go in the 1st round, a guy going in the 30s in every mock I can find. He can't still be on the board for me with the 2nd to last pick of the entire draft, can he?

He isn't great, but is beefy and strong with decent outside shooting touch. I'm not sure I love this pick, but it is sorta ridiculous that he is still available, so the Hawks are taking him.

-Jason "almost done!!" Evans

[-jk]

Almost there!

First Round
1. Minnesota - flyingdutchdevil - Karl Anthony Towns, PF/C - Kentucky
2. L.A. Lakers - theschwartz -Jahlil Okafor, C - Duke
3. Philadelphia - pfrduke - Justise Winslow, SG/SF - Duke
4. New York – Mountain Devil 91 92 01 10 15 - Emmanuel Mudiay, PG - E'rywhere
5. Orlando – subzero02 - Willie Cauley-Stein, C - Kentucky
6. Sacramento - brevity - D'Angelo Russell, PG - Ohio State
7. Denver - mattman91 - Mario Hezonja, SF - Croatia
8. Detroit – BD80 - Stanley Johnson, SF - U of Az
9. Charlotte - roywhite - Kristaps Porzingis, PF - Latvia
10. Miami - superdave - Myles Turner, C - Texas
11. Indiana - NashvilleDevil - Cameron Payne, PG - Murray State
12. Utah - DallasDevil - Frank Kaminsky, PF - Wisconsin
13. Phoenix - Duvall - Devin Booker, G - Kentucky
14. Oklahoma City - NSDukeFan - Trey Lyles, PF - Kentucky
15. Atlanta - Jason Evans - Sam Dekker, SF - Wisconsin
16. Boston – Bob Green - Montrezl Harrell, PF - Louisville
17. Milwaukee - Turk - Jerian Grant, PG - Notre Dame
18. Houston - gocanes0506 - Bobby Portis, PF - Arkansas
19. Washington – Billy Dat - Kevon Looney, PF - UCLA
20. Toronto - theAlaskanBear - George de Paula, PG - Pinheiros, Brazil
21. Dallas - Troublemaker - RJ Hunter, SG - Georgia St
22. Chicago - CDu - Tyus Jones, PG - Duke
23. Portland - Henderson - Kelly Oubre, SF - Kansas
24. Cleveland - tfk53 - Justin Anderson, SF - Virginia
25. Memphis - Duke3517 - Cliff Alexander, PF - Kansas
26. San Antonio - JNort - Cedi Osman, SF - Anadolu Efes, Turkey
27. L.A. Lakers - theschwartz - Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, SF - Arizona
28. Boston – Bob Green - Christian Wood, PF - UNLV
29. Brooklyn – Newton 14- Rashad Vaughn, SG - UNLV
30. Golden State – awhom111 - Delon Wright, G - Utah

Second Round
31. Minnesota - flyingdutchdevil - Terry Rozier, PG - Louisville
32. Houston - gocanes0506 - Andrew Harrison, PG - Kentucky
33. Boston – Bob Green - Anthony Brown, SF - Stanford
34. L.A. Lakers - theschwartz - Guillermo Hernangomez, C/PF - Sevilla
35. Philadelphia - pfrduke - Jarell Martin, PF - LSU
36. Minnesota - flyingdutchdevil - Olivier Hanlan, PG - Boston College
37. Philadelphia - pfrduke - Aleksandar Vezenkov, PF - Bulgaria
38. Detroit - BD80 - Chris McCullough, PF - Syracuse
39. Charlotte - roywhite - Rakeem Christmas, PF/C - Syracuse
40. Miami - superdave - Nedim Buza, SF - Bosnia and Herzegovina
41. Brooklyn – Newton 14 - Jordan Mickey, F - LSU
42. Utah - DallasDevil - Nikola Milutinov, C - Serbia
43. Indiana - NashvilleDevil - JP Tokoto, SF - UNC
44. Phoenix - Duvall - Richaun Holmes, PF - Bowling Green
45. Boston – Bob Green - Michael Frazier, SG - Florida
46. Milwaukee - Turk - Joseph Young, SG - Oregon
47. Philadelphia - pfrduke - Tyler Harvey, SG - E. Washington
48. Oklahoma City - NSDukeFan - Norman Powell, SG - UCLA
49. Washington – Billy Dat - Quinn Cook, PG - Duke
50. Atlanta - Jason Evans - Robert Upshaw, C - Washington
51. Orlando - subzero02 - Pat Connaughton SG - Notre Dame
52. Dallas - Troublemaker - Moussa Diagne, C - Senegal
53. Cleveland - tfk53 - Shannon Scott, PG - Ohio St
54. Utah - DallasDevil - Mouhammadou Jaiteh, C - France
55. San Antonio - JNort - Branden Dawson, SF - Michigan State
56. New Orleans - gurufrisbee - Arturas Gudatis, PF - Lithuania
57. Denver - mattman91 - Vince Hunter, F - UTEP
58. Philadelphia - pfrduke - Michael Qualls, SG - Arkansas
59. Atlanta - Jason Evans - Jonathan Holmes, PF - Texas
60. Philadelphia - pfrduke

[mattman91]

More on this pick, as well as our first round pick coming soon.

Sorry for the hold up. The Denver GM has had a lot on his plate today.

1st Round

Mario Hezonja was easily the best option available at number 7. A great scoring wing with athleticism and potential. Hezonja is regarded as one of the top 2 European players in the draft, but may have some question marks with his character and attitude. Hopefully he will be able to grow up quick and avoid being JR Smith 2.0. We felt the risk was worth it on this one.


2nd Round

Vince Hunter has tons of upside, athleticism, and a pretty good skill set. Averaging 15 points, 9 rebounds, and about 2 assists per game as a sophomore, Hunter proved to be capable of putting up solid numbers. Vince has a high motor, which results in him being able to pull down lots of offensive rebounds and finish put backs above the rim. Standing at 6'8 210lbs Hunter is slightly shorter than the average NBA PF, but his 39 inch vertical and 6'11 wingspan should make up for it if he can beef up a bit. Scouts say Vince is capable of guarding the 2,3, and 4 positions in the NBA due to his lateral quickness and size...talk about defensive versatility (Lance Thomas?.)

The biggest weakness in Hunter's game is hands down his outside shooting. If he can improve his accuracy from behind 18 feet, Vince can become a match-up nightmare. Some time in the D League will probably be needed, but with time we feel he will be able to be a solid role player.

[pfrduke]

With the 60th and final pick, the most important thing is that the Sixers do NOT select Aaron Harrison and do NOT select Dakari Johnson. Honestly, I would rather pick a guy out of the local rec league and try to make a modern day basketball version of Vince Papale. However, I'm not super up to speed on the selection at the Philly rec leagues, so I'll do the next best thing - Philadelphia drafts TJ McConnell, PG out of Arizona. McConnell can run an offense, has a nice enough shooting touch, and is a hard-nosed defender. For a team that plays out of control pretty much all the time, McConnell could bring some order to second units.

[NSDukeFan]

With the 60th and final pick, the most important thing is that the Sixers do NOT select Aaron Harrison and do NOT select Dakari Johnson. Honestly, I would rather pick a guy out of the local rec league and try to make a modern day basketball version of Vince Papale. However, I'm not super up to speed on the selection at the Philly rec leagues, so I'll do the next best thing - Philadelphia drafts TJ McConnell, PG out of Arizona. McConnell can run an offense, has a nice enough shooting touch, and is a hard-nosed defender. For a team that plays out of control pretty much all the time, McConnell could bring some order to second units.

We ruined what could have been the best mock day in UK basketball history.

[-jk]

It's a wrap!

First Round
1. Minnesota - flyingdutchdevil - Karl Anthony Towns, PF/C - Kentucky
2. L.A. Lakers - theschwartz -Jahlil Okafor, C - Duke
3. Philadelphia - pfrduke - Justise Winslow, SG/SF - Duke
4. New York – Mountain Devil 91 92 01 10 15 - Emmanuel Mudiay, PG - E'rywhere
5. Orlando – subzero02 - Willie Cauley-Stein, C - Kentucky
6. Sacramento - brevity - D'Angelo Russell, PG - Ohio State
7. Denver - mattman91 - Mario Hezonja, SF - Croatia
8. Detroit – BD80 - Stanley Johnson, SF - U of Az
9. Charlotte - roywhite - Kristaps Porzingis, PF - Latvia
10. Miami - superdave - Myles Turner, C - Texas
11. Indiana - NashvilleDevil - Cameron Payne, PG - Murray State
12. Utah - DallasDevil - Frank Kaminsky, PF - Wisconsin
13. Phoenix - Duvall - Devin Booker, G - Kentucky
14. Oklahoma City - NSDukeFan - Trey Lyles, PF - Kentucky
15. Atlanta - Jason Evans - Sam Dekker, SF - Wisconsin
16. Boston – Bob Green - Montrezl Harrell, PF - Louisville
17. Milwaukee - Turk - Jerian Grant, PG - Notre Dame
18. Houston - gocanes0506 - Bobby Portis, PF - Arkansas
19. Washington – Billy Dat - Kevon Looney, PF - UCLA
20. Toronto - theAlaskanBear - George de Paula, PG - Pinheiros, Brazil
21. Dallas - Troublemaker - RJ Hunter, SG - Georgia St
22. Chicago - CDu - Tyus Jones, PG - Duke
23. Portland - Henderson - Kelly Oubre, SF - Kansas
24. Cleveland - tfk53 - Justin Anderson, SF - Virginia
25. Memphis - Duke3517 - Cliff Alexander, PF - Kansas
26. San Antonio - JNort - Cedi Osman, SF - Anadolu Efes, Turkey
27. L.A. Lakers - theschwartz - Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, SF - Arizona
28. Boston – Bob Green - Christian Wood, PF - UNLV
29. Brooklyn – Newton 14- Rashad Vaughn, SG - UNLV
30. Golden State – awhom111 - Delon Wright, G - Utah

Second Round
31. Minnesota - flyingdutchdevil - Terry Rozier, PG - Louisville
32. Houston - gocanes0506 - Andrew Harrison, PG - Kentucky
33. Boston – Bob Green - Anthony Brown, SF - Stanford
34. L.A. Lakers - theschwartz - Guillermo Hernangomez, C/PF - Sevilla
35. Philadelphia - pfrduke - Jarell Martin, PF - LSU
36. Minnesota - flyingdutchdevil - Olivier Hanlan, PG - Boston College
37. Philadelphia - pfrduke - Aleksandar Vezenkov, PF - Bulgaria
38. Detroit - BD80 - Chris McCullough, PF - Syracuse
39. Charlotte - roywhite - Rakeem Christmas, PF/C - Syracuse
40. Miami - superdave - Nedim Buza, SF - Bosnia and Herzegovina
41. Brooklyn – Newton 14 - Jordan Mickey, F - LSU
42. Utah - DallasDevil - Nikola Milutinov, C - Serbia
43. Indiana - NashvilleDevil - JP Tokoto, SF - UNC
44. Phoenix - Duvall - Richaun Holmes, PF - Bowling Green
45. Boston – Bob Green - Michael Frazier, SG - Florida
46. Milwaukee - Turk - Joseph Young, SG - Oregon
47. Philadelphia - pfrduke - Tyler Harvey, SG - E. Washington
48. Oklahoma City - NSDukeFan - Norman Powell, SG - UCLA
49. Washington – Billy Dat - Quinn Cook, PG - Duke
50. Atlanta - Jason Evans - Robert Upshaw, C - Washington
51. Orlando - subzero02 - Pat Connaughton SG - Notre Dame
52. Dallas - Troublemaker - Moussa Diagne, C - Senegal
53. Cleveland - tfk53 - Shannon Scott, PG - Ohio St
54. Utah - DallasDevil - Mouhammadou Jaiteh, C - France
55. San Antonio - JNort - Branden Dawson, SF - Michigan State
56. New Orleans - gurufrisbee - Arturas Gudatis, PF - Lithuania
57. Denver - mattman91 - Vince Hunter, F - UTEP
58. Philadelphia - pfrduke - Michael Qualls, SG - Arkansas
59. Atlanta - Jason Evans - Jonathan Holmes, PF - Texas
60. Philadelphia - pfrduke - TJ McConnell, PG - Arizona

[Turk]

With the 60th and final pick, the most important thing is that the Sixers do NOT select Aaron Harrison and do NOT select Dakari Johnson. Honestly, I would rather pick a guy out of the local rec league and try to make a modern day basketball version of Vince Papale. However, I'm not super up to speed on the selection at the Philly rec leagues, so I'll do the next best thing - Philadelphia drafts TJ McConnell, PG out of Arizona. McConnell can run an offense, has a nice enough shooting touch, and is a hard-nosed defender. For a team that plays out of control pretty much all the time, McConnell could bring some order to second units.

Alas, I have lost touch with the Philly rec league scene, and I think Delly has cornered the market on "the modern day basketball version of Vince Papale." After our weekly pickup game, we had a lively discussion over which of us had a game most like Delly's. (and it was not a compliment to be considered in the discussion). Perhaps McConnell will be Delly 2.0; Pittsburgh is as unlikely a source of basketball talent as Australia.

Nice pick to wrap up the draft. Now let's see what the Sixers do with that truckload of picks in real life...

[Troublemaker]

Great job everyone!

I enjoyed drafting and discussing the picks with y'all.

[roywhite]

Great job everyone!

I enjoyed drafting and discussing the picks with y'all.

Yeah, lots of fun, and thanks much to Commissioner Evans and his staff of mods for setting this up and keeping it going.

More fun yet to come:
Actual draft -- more interesting to watch since many of us have researched picks
Comparison of actual draft to DBR draft -- some enterprising analytic types will no doubt tell us which picks were closest to those actually made, and which DBR picks represented best value or worst value

[flyingdutchdevil]

Yeah, lots of fun, and thanks much to Commissioner Evans and his staff of mods for setting this up and keeping it going.

More fun yet to come:
Actual draft -- more interesting to watch since many of us have researched picks
Comparison of actual draft to DBR draft -- some enterprising analytic types will no doubt tell us which picks were closest to those actually made, and which DBR picks represented best value or worst value

Yeah - from a selfish standpoint, I'm looking to see if Terry Rozier is taken in the 1st round (I got him in the second round) and where Olivier Hanlan goes. Basically, I want to see if I have what it takes to be an NBA GM ;)

[awhom111]

Yeah, lots of fun, and thanks much to Commissioner Evans and his staff of mods for setting this up and keeping it going.

More fun yet to come:
Actual draft -- more interesting to watch since many of us have researched picks
Comparison of actual draft to DBR draft -- some enterprising analytic types will no doubt tell us which picks were closest to those actually made, and which DBR picks represented best value or worst value

I volunteer to do the comparison again this year. It will be confusing with all of the draft withdrawls from international players.

I won't be able to pull off as big of a pick this time because I changed my strategy of picking a team with one late second round pick.

[brevity]

I won't be able to pull off as big of a pick this time because I changed my strategy of picking a team with one late second round pick.

I had to look at last year's mock draft (forums.dukebasketballreport.com/forums/showthread.php?33925). I guess picking Josh Huestis at #57 was big, but it's not like anyone could anticipate the Thunder's weird Moneyball gamble at #29.

And I found this...


Also, holy crap, Bill Simmons was a train wreck last night, he was butchering names left and right, didn't know anything about the players, and had way outdated rankings. He basically did zero research before the draft and casted it anyway.


It can't be said or repeated too often that Simmons is Gawd-Awful. Please ESPN, take that guy off of our TV's, interwebs, radios, satellites, or any other form of communication. Talk about no value add. He's simply terrible.

One year later, wish granted. This might mean more Jalen Rose, but at least he seems to prepare and put forth an effort. The draft will be Simmons-free.

[superdave]

I had to look at last year's mock draft (forums.dukebasketballreport.com/forums/showthread.php?33925). I guess picking Josh Huestis at #57 was big, but it's not like anyone could anticipate the Thunder's weird Moneyball gamble at #29.

And I found this...

One year later, wish granted. This might mean more Jalen Rose, but at least he seems to prepare and put forth an effort. The draft will be Simmons-free.

I like Simmons and Rose a lot. Too bad they are split up. Fun dynamic.

But neither watches college ball, so asking them to comment on college players is pointless. I recall both of them being dead silent and hanging on Jay Bilas' words as he described certain players' NBA prospects. Draft commentary means you have to spend all year tracking high school recruits and watching college ball, otherwise you are useless.

[gurufrisbee]

I like Simmons and Rose a lot. Too bad they are split up. Fun dynamic.

But neither watches college ball, so asking them to comment on college players is pointless. I recall both of them being dead silent and hanging on Jay Bilas' words as he described certain players' NBA prospects. Draft commentary means you have to spend all year tracking high school recruits and watching college ball, otherwise you are useless.

I think they are both fun, as well, but not great for their objectivity. Simmons is also a much, MUCH better writer than he is on camera. But Simmons grew up as a devoted local Celtics fan and with a adolescence boy crush on Jordan and EVERYTHING he does related to the NBA comes from those two places. Rose still cannot get over his own Fab Five career and see anything other than through that lens. But they are entertaining together.

[awhom111]

Here is this year's scorecard:

Exact picks:
1 1 Karl Anthony Towns flyingdutchdevil
8 8 Stanley Johnson BD80
13 13 Devin Booker Duvall

We picked sooner than actual:
-16 16 32 Montrezl Harrell Bob Green
-15 43 58 JP Tokoto NashvilleDevil
-12 32 44 Andrew Harrison gocanes0506
-11 19 30 Kevon Looney Billy Dat
-7 3 10 Justise Winslow pfrduke
-7 21 28 RJ Hunter Troublemaker
-6 36 42 Olivier Hanlan flyingdutchdevil
-5 26 31 Cedi Osman Jnort
-4 18 22 Bobby Portis gocanes0506
-4 47 51 Tyler Harvey pfrduke
-3 4 7 Emmanuel Mudiay Mountain_Devil_91_92_01_10_15
-3 11 14 Cameron Payne NashvilleDevil
-3 15 18 Sam Dekker JasonEvans
-2 17 19 Jerian Grant Turk
-2 22 24 Tyus Jones CDu
-1 2 3 Jahlil Okafor theschwartz
-1 5 6 Willie Cauley-Stein subzero02
-1 10 11 Myles Turner superdave
-1 33 34 Anthony Brown Bob Green
-1 34 35 Guillermo Hernangomez theschwartz
-1 55 56 Branden Dawson JNort made by roywhite

We picked later than actual:
16 42 26 Nikola Milutinov DallasDevil
15 31 16 Terry Rozier flyingdutchdevil
12 29 17 Rashad Vaughn Newton_14
10 30 20 Delon Wright awhom111
10 35 25 Jarrell Martin pfrduke
10 51 41 Pat Connaughton subzero02
9 38 29 Chris McCullough BD80
9 56 47 Arturas Gudaitis gurufrisbee
8 23 15 Kelly Oubre Henderson
8 41 33 Jordan Mickey Newton_14
7 44 37 Richaun Holmes Duvall
5 9 4 Kristaps Porzingis roywhite
4 6 2 D'Angelo Russell brevity
4 27 23 Rondae Hollis-Jefferson theschwartz
3 12 9 Frank Kaminsky DallasDevil
3 24 21 Justin Anderson tfk53
3 39 36 Rakeem Christmas roywhite
3 46 43 Joseph Young Turk
2 7 5 Mario Hezonja mattman91
2 14 12 Trey Lyles NSDukeFan
2 48 46 Norman Powell NSDukeFan


We did not pick:
27 Larry Nance
37 Darrun Hilliard
39 Juan Vaulet
40 Josh Richardson
45 Marcus Thornton
48 Dakari Johnson
49 Aaron White
50 Marcus Eriksson
52 Satnam Singh Bhamara
53 Sir'Dominic Pointer
54 Daniel Diez
55 Cady Lalanne
57 Nikola Radicevic
59 Dimitrios Agravanis
60 Luka Mitrovic

We picked, but went undrafted:
25 Cliff Alexander Duke3517
28 Christian Wood Bob Green
45 Michael Frazier Bob Green
49 Quinn Cook Billy Dat
50 Robert Upshaw JasonEvans
53 Shannon Scott tfk53
54 Mouhammadou Jaiteh DallasDevil
57 Vince Hunter mattman91
58 Michael Qualls pfrduke
59 Jonathan Holmes JasonEvans
60 TJ McConnell pfrduke

Withdrew between our mock and actual draft:
20 George de Paula theAlaskanBear
37 Aleksandar Vezenkov pfrduke
40 Nedim Buza superdave
52 Moussa Diagne Troublemaker

[gocanes0506]

I was really surprised to see Houston pass on Portis and Grant. Dekker is good but didnt fit a need.

I wasnt surprised to see them pass on Harrison in the 2nd with Harrell still available.

[Duke3517]

Russell better be a multiple all star. Bold move to pass up on Okafor...

I just don't get it, Okafor's flaws are easily teachable.

[timmy c]

Russell better be a multiple all star. Bold move to pass up on Okafor...

I just don't get it, Okafor's flaws are easily teachable.

Agree. In fact I would be happy to offer to teach anyone how to miss free throws and rotate late in pick and roll situations. Where do I apply? :)