Pre-Draft Lottery Projection: 2nd round
A few weeks ago, this pick would have been scoffed at. We can already hear the backlash now. “He’s too short! His shot was inconsistent! He’s too old!” The fact of the matter remains, Eric Bledsoe was disastrous in the playoffs (immediately after receiving a big extension). In the biggest games of his life, Bledsoe shied away from the moment and let his teammates down.
Could you say the same for Carsen Edwards? The player who erupted for 34.8 points per game while shooting 45.9 percent from deep and leading his Purdue Boilermakers to the Elite 8? With the final pick in the first-round, the Bucks have one chance to lock a high potential player up under cheap team control for years to come.
If he flames out, you can cut him the same you would a second-round pick. But if he recaptures that Isaiah Thomas-esque magic, you just locked down a real difference maker for virtually nothing. This is the smart gamble for a small market team.
Here we have reached the conclusion of the post-NBA Combine 2019 NBA Mock Draft. We are now just two weeks shy of the start of the 2019 NBA Draft officially.