2021 NBA Mock Draft Version 1.0: At the quarter mark of NBA season

13

Greg Brown Freshman, Forward, Texas (NCAA)

11.8 points, 8.0 rebounds, 0.1 assists, 0.6 steals, 1.4 blocks, 42% fg, 31% 3pt, 22 mpg

Greg Brown is an awfully exciting player to watch. A very confident basketball player, Brown is not afraid to take tough shots, put the ball on the floor, and pull up from deep. Additionally, he is a great leaper and athlete, which helps him to rebound and block shots well. However, to this point in his Texas career he has been a bit inconsistent.

A rough start to the season has been improved a bit, but scouts want to see the Austin native put together a consistent run. He is actually doing very well in limited minutes though, and should be a sure-fire lottery pick.

Denver is highly unlikely to end up finishing outside of the playoffs, but in the event that they do, Brown would be a great addition to a young and talented team. Paul Millsap is not going to be around for much longer, and Denver is otherwise thin at that position. Brown might take some time to mature as a scorer, but he has a high ceiling and could be a great fit with the Nuggets.

14

James Bouknight Sophomore, Guard, Connecticut (NCAA)

20.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.5 steals, 0.3 blocks, 45% fg, 32% 3pt, 33 mpg

The final selection in the lottery is made by Oklahoma City, who select sophomore sensation James Bouknight. Many predicted that Bouknight would have a breakout second season with the Huskies, and he has done exactly that, highlighted by a 40-point outing early on. It is clear that Bouknight can score, but the questions lie with the rest of his game.

He doesn’t have any other real strengths, and he hasn’t shot the three particularly well. Others are higher on Bouknight than I, but he seems to be a likely lottery pick.

Once again, OKC is going to go with the best player available, and on their board that player would likely be Bouknight. Finding a consistent backcourt partner for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander going forward would be helpful in their rebuild, and with Shai excelling as a passer this year, perhaps it would be a solid fit to have a scoring-minded two.