24
Daniel Oturu Center, University of Minnesota
20.1 points, 11.3 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 0.5 steals, 2.5 blocks, 56% fg, 37% 3pt, 34 mpg
Finally, Daniel Oturu has cracked the first round in the sixth mock draft of the season. Oturu increased his draft stock exponentially, as he was not on many draft radars to begin the season.
He has made his money by rebounding, shot blocking, and scoring on the low block with efficiency. Oturu has even begun to expand his range behind the three point line, as he attempts nearly two a game and converts at a solid rate for a big.
Utah has very limited options at center behind Rudy Gobert, as former first round pick Tony Bradley has played very limited minutes in his time with the Jazz. Oturu would help make a deep Utah team even deeper, as he could come in and contribute immediately.
He would need to put on some weight as a pro to maintain his success on the low block, but he has the length and versatility to be extremely successful. It will be interesting to see how well his game translates to the pros, as he had a great sophomore campaign.
25
Amar Sylla Forward, B.C. Oostende
7.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, 0.7 assists, 0.3 steals, 0.5 blocks, 39% fg, 22% 3pt, 21 mpg
Pick Via Oklahoma City Thunder (Top-10 Protected)
With their first draft pick of the post-Westbrook era, the Oklahoma City Thunder take a project player in Amar Sylla out of Senegal. Sylla is often compared to Toronto Raptors’ superstar Pascal Siakam, who took multiple years to develop, but has turned out to be well worth the wait.
In today’s NBA, every franchise seems to be searching for the next Doncic and Siakam, and this trend is something that OKC will probably want to hop on.
With Sam Presti initiating this rebuilding process under a year ago, the Thunder have plenty of time to wait on Sylla to develop. It may take some time in the G-League for him to develop some fundamentals, but his basketball IQ and athleticism are incredibly promising.
The Thunder need to find a franchise cornerstone to pair with young stud Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and an athletic, Swiss-Army Knife forward like Sylla is a great place to start. He could very well be a flop, but with an unbelievable amount of draft selections ranging over the next five seasons, the Thunder can certainly afford to take a home-run swing.
26
Jalen Smith Forward, University of Maryland
15.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, 0.8 assists, 0.7 steals, 2.4 blocks, 54% fg, 37% 3pt, 31 mpg
After going with a high-upside player in Theo Maledon, the Celtics use their second pick in the first round on a win-now player in Jalen Smith. Boston does not have a legitimate power forward on their roster, as Brad Stevens has been playing an undersized Gordon Hayward at the four, whose skill set is much better suited on the wing. Behind Hayward is Semi Ojeleye, who has been a complete and utter bust after being selected in the first round a few years back.
In taking Jalen Smith of Maryland, the Celtics would be acquiring a modern NBA big who can do a bit of everything on the floor. Smith can rebound, space the floor, and play very solid defense.
Smith is not incredibly athletic and would need to add some weight in order to be successful as an NBA player, but Smith’s 6ft 10 frame with some muscle mass added to it coupled with his skill set would be an extremely valuable asset for the contending Boston Celtics.