7
Isaiah Stewart Center, Washington
17.0 Points, 7.9 Rebounds, 1.9 Rebounds, 58% FG, 29 MPG
Pick Via Memphis Grizzlies
If the Memphis Grizzlies’ pick falls outside of the top 6 in this draft, Memphis is in big trouble, as this selection would fall to the Boston Celtics. With this pick, Boston would probably look to make a package for an established NBA star, but for the sake of this mock Danny Ainge will address the center position.
Stewart is a big-bodied, back-to-the-basket athlete who rebounds and protects the paint very well. He is far from a modern NBA center, but this is not to say that his game will not translate to the NBA. As a former five-star recruit, Stewart has been able to excel alongside Jaden McDaniels, which may be enticing to a contending team like Boston. Center is really the only position that Boston could use some help at, and Stewart may be the best one in this class.
Draft Stock Trend: -1
8
Tyrese Haliburton Guard, Iowa State
16.8 Points, 5.9 Rebounds, 7.9 Assists, 2.5 Steals, 53% FG, 39% 3PT, 36 MPG
Tyrese Haliburton may be the Ja Morant of this draft: a sophomore who seemingly came out of nowhere to establish himself as one of the top prospects in the draft. He has shown great improvement from year one to two in nearly every aspect of his game. To this point in the season, Haliburton has really shown no weaknesses in his game. In addition to his great play, Haliburton also has great size for a point guard at 6-foot-5.
Although Chicago just recently drafted a point guard in Coby White, drafting a positional need in this lead guard-heavy draft is simply not a good idea considering the state the Bulls are currently in. I am still not completely sold on Coby White, and adding a talented distributor and defender such as Haliburton may be the key to getting the most out of this young talented offense.