2021 DBR Mock Draft - that's a wrap!

[brevity]

But then something happened that made me toss the positional need and the readiness factor out the window... Josh Giddy slipped. So, with the 20th pick in the draft, the Atlanta Hawks select Josh Giddy, wing from Australia.

It's spelled Giddey, but it seems fitting you drafted "Giddy" based on DBR history...

Ding ding ding ding!

Battier committed and then we got Brand. Someone, I want to say it was Greg Sowell, stated that he was "Getting Giddy." I commented that it appeared we were leading in the race to get consensus (at the time) 1 recruit in the class Chris Burgess and I said, "Getting Giddy, Losing Control." It was soon shortened to GGLC.

-Jason "fond memories..." Evans

[Kdogg]

With the 25th pick of the 2021 DBR draft, the LA Clippers select: Miles "Deuce" McBride from WVU.

The team needs to strengthen the bench with a focus on younger back-court options especially at point and then next at center. Somehow Rondo is still playing but neither he nor Beverly are long term options. Even though the Clippers are in win now mode keeping an eye on the future is not the worst idea. Kawhi Leonard just had surgery to repair a partial torn ACL. The recovery will keep him out of the lineup for at least the beginning of the season. That emphasizes the draft’s need for player that can come in and contribute from the start. Having seen their preferred pick, Jared Butler, taken by the "other" LA team the Clippers move on to McBride. McBride has a well-rounded offensive game with the ability to score with and without the ball. He has a strong frame to get into the lane and draw fouls. Defensively he's elite. He is more of a scoring point guard verses a point guard that can score so that slots nicely into the Clippers' second unit. Is he a bit of a stretch with Sharife Cooper and Jaden Springer probably available here?Maybe, but McBride as fewer glaring holes in his game. McBride can shoot, defend, create and just has a nose for basketball. He can lead the second unit to take some of the scoring load off of Paul George and Leonard and eventually evolve into a starting slot.

[awhom111]

All of the early entry candidates are now known.

Here was the original list:
https://pr.nba.com/wp-content/upload...tes-6-1-21.pdf

These players withdrew earlier:
https://www.nba.com/news/early-entry...raw-draft-2021

These players withdrew before the deadline:
https://www.nba.com/news/nba-announc...rom-2021-draft

They usually have a list of players left, but given the length, I could see why they would not bother.

Either way, if anybody was hoping to draft Roko Prkacin or Makur Maker or something, that is probably not a good idea for this exercise.

As usual, I will go ahead and do the comparison to our draft and the real thing next week.

[brevity]

Just a quirky trivia note for y'all: Sharife Omar Cooper has a twin brother,Omar Sharife Cooper.

...so I will draft the best point guard available at #23: Sharife Cooper from Auburn University

With the 25th pick of the 2021 DBR draft, the LA Clippers select: Miles "Deuce" McBride from WVU.

...Is he a bit of a stretch with Sharife Cooper and Jaden Springer probably available here?

Sharife isn't available. Are you thinking of his twin brother?

[tommy]

All of the early entry candidates are now known.

Here was the original list:
https://pr.nba.com/wp-content/upload...tes-6-1-21.pdf

These players withdrew earlier:
https://www.nba.com/news/early-entry...raw-draft-2021

These players withdrew before the deadline:
https://www.nba.com/news/nba-announc...rom-2021-draft

They usually have a list of players left, but given the length, I could see why they would not bother.

Either way, if anybody was hoping to draft Roko Prkacin or Makur Maker or something, that is probably not a good idea for this exercise.

As usual, I will go ahead and do the comparison to our draft and the real thing next week.

Not exactly for this thread, but since you mentioned him, I was glad to see Makur Maker withdraw. Hopefully this trailblazer-of-sorts is heading back to Howard where he and the team can have a real season.

[Kdogg]

Sharife isn't available. Are you thinking of his twin brother?

No, I mean in the real draft.

[MrPoon]

The Denver Nuggets select Jaden Springer out of Tenn. While J. Murray recovers, they’ll need a good PG who can defend. With Barton opting out of his contract we’d love a wing but the value wasn’t there. Springer isn’t a shot creator but the current MVP does that for the entire team. They have Porter for offense but lost to The Dirty Paul’s of Arz. due to defense not offense.

When Murray returns these two can play together if Nuggets go small.

[Billy Dat]

The Brooklyn Nets, one big toe away from beating the Bucks, maybe getting healthy and winning the NBA title.

They are already way over the tax, have their Big 3 locked up in addition to DeAndre Jordan, Landry Shamet and Nic Claxton.

I am going to focus on Claxton here who has been really effective as an athletic young defensive center when he's healthy but he's never healthy. The Nets lost a lot when they shipped Jarett Allen off in the James Harden trade. DeAndre was past his prime a few years ago and my favorite young twitchy, springy, got-that-dogg-in-him center is still available.

With all the veteran talent on Brooklyn, they'll need some fresh youngster around to haze, make fun of, carry luggage and, most importantly, fill regular season minutes to keep the high priced talent rested and healthy.

With the 27th pick in the 2021 DBR Mock NBA Draft, the Brooklyn Nets select Isaiah Jackson of Kentucky!

[Gooch]

If they can swing it, the Sixers may move this pick as part of a Ben Simmons trade – any takers? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?

But assuming we’re picking here, I think it is realistic for the Sixers to find some shooting/scoring for their second unit. Trey Murphy, Jaden Springer and Jared Butler were all on my list if they fell this far. Finding a backup big to replace Dwight Howard is another area of need, but I think we can find that with our 2nd round pick. So...

With the 28th pick of the 2021 DBR Mock Draft, the Philadelphia 76ers select Nah’Shon Hyland, sophomore from Virginia Commonwealth. Most mock drafts have the Sixers taking Tre Mann at this spot, but I’m a sucker for a local kid overcomes tragedy and comes home story, so I went with “Bones”. (Note: Daryl Morey is definitely not the sentimental type, but since I’m the GM for this draft and a "local kid” myself…)

Hyland was the A-10 player of the year and led the league in points per game, total points scored, total three-pointers made, total field goals made, and total win shares (3.8) last season. If VCU hadn’t been bumped from the tourney due to COVID, Hyland might have gotten the added visibility and started higher on teams’ draft boards, as he really improved his draft stock at the combine. While his 3pt shooting regressed from freshman to sophomore year, he still shot 37.1%, so hopefully that translates to the next level. He is a plus-defender with a 6-foot-10 wingspan. He needs to work on his ball handling and his playmaking, but he should be able to contribute some right away with some upside as he gets stronger.

[roywhite]

After a tough loss in the finals, do we suppose the Phoenix Suns would like to have some more size down low, especially for rebounding and defense?

They choose Day'Ron Sharpe, 6'11" C from UNC

Day'Ron is a developing young big man who has size at 265#, plus good feet, and a nose for offensive rebounds. He has a good touch around the basket, but has not yet developed an outside game. Despite the plethora of big players on last year's UNC team and playing less than 20 minutes per game, Sharpe finished 9th in the country in total offensive rebounds.

[coldriver10]

...the Utah Jazz drop the hammer with JT Thor F, Auburn

The Jazz have a solid team centered around stars Donovan Mitchell, Rudy Gobert, Mike Conley, and Grayson Al...darn, nevermind. They have plenty of scoring and inside defense, but what the playoffs showed the world is that what they're really missing is a perimeter, shutdown defender. Insert JT Thor. He has great size (6'9"), length (7'3" wingspan), and is super athletic. He's already shown he's a very capable defender and with his quickness and smooth movement can guard both guards and forwards. He also runs the floor well in transition. He's certainly not a polished shooter, but at only 19 years old, he has a ton of potential there. I think he could be one of the steals of the draft in a few years.

[House P]

As the Mock Draft moves into the 2nd round, I thought it might be interesting to take a look at how early 2nd round picks have performed recently.

Among players selected 31 to 40 in the draft between 2000 and 2014,

- 93% played at least one game in the NBA
- 64% played 3 or more seasons in the NBA
- 36% played 6 or more seasons in the NBA
- 3% became All-Stars (Draymond Green, Khris Middleton, DeAndre Jordan, Carlos Boozer, and Mehmet Okur)

In other words, nearly everybody selected in the early 2nd round plays in the NBA*, about a third have reasonably long careers, and a few become All-Stars.

Of course, everybody selected in the DBR draft will make it to the Hall of Fame!


*These days, most early-to-mid 2nd round guys sign multi-year NBA Rookie scale deals worth at least $2M in total guaranteed money.

[phaedrus]

The Bucks are still celebrating their city’s first championship in 50 years. But when they are done, they will need to turn to the tough task of defending their title.

The Bucks plan to compete for several more years relying on their core of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, and Jrue holiday. Brook Lopez is also under contract for two more seasons, but the Bucks may be losing PJ Tucker, Bobby Portis, and Brynn Forbes this summer. They will prioritize bringing back fan favorite and bad @ss Bobby Portis, which means they may need to add some depth on the wing.

Fortunately, the best talent remaining in the draft includes a plethora of off guards with good size, including Tre Mann, Joel Ayayi, Josh Christopher, Cameron ‘Thomas, and Josh Primo. With Giannis on the floor, spacing and therefore shooting are paramount, but they want little compromise on defense.

With this in mind, the Bucks select Joel Ayayi from Gonzaga. He is a solid and improving shooter with good length, a smart defender, and proven winner. He will need to bulk up to be effective, but that’s never been a problem in Milwaukee.

[accfanfrom1970]

I think I’m up again at 32. Could use an update.

Knicks take Quentin Grimes, SG, Houston
Height: 6' 5" | Weight: 210 | Age: 21 | Junior

“Grimes was one of the biggest winners at the combine and has played his way into first-round consideration, with a well-rounded perimeter game and strong intangibles that have earmarked him as a tailor-made NBA role player. Grimes reinvented himself at Houston as a ball-moving, complementary jump shooter, and plays with a level of maturity and confidence that should endear him to playoff teams in this part of the draft“

[roywhite]

The Magic is attempting a full build after a 21-51 record, trades of veteran players, and a new coach.

They are looking for overall talent and versatility. Their DBR GM has so far chosen Scottie Barnes of Florida State at #5 and big man Alperen Sengun of Turkey at #8.

He'll go for another versatile guard and keep the in-state connection going with a choice of Tre Mann, 6'5" Guard from Florida

Mann had a strong sophomore season with the Gators, with 16 pts, 5.6 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game, leading to 1st Team All-SEC. He handles well, passes well, and has improved as a shooter.

[pfrduke]

With the 34th pick in the Mock NBA Draft, the OKC Thunder select:
Cameron Thomas, G, LSU

We're absolutely getting first-round talent here at the top of the second round. Thomas is a bucket - guy can score from anywhere. The big question will be whether he can do anything else - he has a rep as a ball-hog, it's not clear whether he'll put in the defensive intensity we need, etc. But we see him as a bench scorer who can anchor a second unit and get points against almost anyone. And we're a little bit optimistic that the fall to the second round will provide exactly the chip Thomas needs to motivate him to develop a more all-around game.

[MrPoon]

With the 34th pick in the Mock NBA Draft, the OKC Thunder select:
Cameron Thomas, G, LSU

We're absolutely getting first-round talent here at the top of the second round. Thomas is a bucket - guy can score from anywhere. The big question will be whether he can do anything else - he has a rep as a ball-hog, it's not clear whether he'll put in the defensive intensity we need, etc. But we see him as a bench scorer who can anchor a second unit and get points against almost anyone. And we're a little bit optimistic that the fall to the second round will provide exactly the chip Thomas needs to motivate him to develop a more all-around game.

Great pick here. We, the Nuggets, considered him at our spot and almost pulled the trigger then. To get him in 2nd is a steal.

[accfanfrom1970]

With the 34th pick in the Mock NBA Draft, the OKC Thunder select:
Cameron Thomas, G, LSU

We're absolutely getting first-round talent here at the top of the second round. .

Really thought about Thomas, but Coach Tom T. wasn’t going to deal with the attitude and lack of D. This quote scared us off -

“ While Thomas’s inflexible, shoot-first approach has been a divisive topic and a long-standing challenge to evaluate, he’s inarguably one of the more consistent, accomplished scorers in the draft. The questions here primarily surround the translatability of his playstyle, and his general disinterest in defense and sharing the ball. “

[brevity]

"Shooting, shooting, shooting." It was the theme of Karl Malone's recent hunting expedition, but it's also a reminder of what the Pelicans need to do to stop fading in the 4th quarter and get themselves into the playoffs. We could use a guy like Joe Wieskamp, junior SG/SF from Iowa.

Wieskamp has very good size (height 6-foot-7, wingspan 6-foot-11) and does a lot of things well. He shot 46% from 3-point range last season -- nearly 50% in Big Ten games -- with a quick and high release that poses a challenge to defenders. He also converted about 60% of his shots at the rim. He's solid and athletic, with a 42-inch vertical leap, 4th highest at the combine. He also did well in lane agility and sprint drills. He averaged about 7 rebounds, which is pretty good for a guard sharing space with Luka Garza.

He can defend multiple positions, but will need to carry that over to the next level without regressing. He also needs to develop a mid-range jumper and shoot free throws more consistently (86% as a sophomore, 68% as a junior).

We could have gone in many directions here, and with three more 2nd round picks, we probably will.

[JasonEvans]

Really thought about Thomas, but Coach Tom T. wasn’t going to deal with the attitude and lack of D. This quote scared us off -

“ While Thomas’s inflexible, shoot-first approach has been a divisive topic and a long-standing challenge to evaluate, he’s inarguably one of the more consistent, accomplished scorers in the draft. The questions here primarily surround the translatability of his playstyle, and his general disinterest in defense and sharing the ball. “

I don't think anyone has Thomas projected in the second round. All the Mocks I have looked at have him going in the low-mid 20s... but I read a bit about his attitude problems and there just ain't no way I would add a guy like that to my roster. If he was seen as more coachable and willing to work on his all-around game, he'd be in the lottery conversation, for sure.