NBA Mock Draft 1.0
The first selection outside of the NBA Draft lottery comes via the Washington Wizards as they pick Chris Duarte out of Oregon. The six-foot-six shooting guard can play early in his career and the Wizards hope he can be a bench spark plug sooner rather than later.
He averaged 17.1 points per game for the Ducks last season and was a key contributor to their 21-7 regular-season record. Duarte went off for 23 points on 9-12 shooting in the Ducks second-round upset over the second-seeded Iowa Hawkeyes in the NCAA tournament.
The Thunder are back on the clock at pick number 16 thanks to the recent trade in which they sent Al Horford to the Boston Celtics. After drafting the versatile Scottie Barnes with their earlier pick they go for upside at 16 by selecting Ziaire Williams from Stanford.
Williams was a top recruit coming out of high school and has a ton of talent despite his draft stock. The Thunder draft for potential instead of production with this selection.
Jalen Johnson, who cut his season short for the Duke Blue Devils this past season, is the Memphis Grizzlies choice with the 17th overall pick. He has a ton of upside if there are no off-court issues and the Grizzlies feel they can take that risk given their expected development from within this offseason.
Johnson is a wing that does a little bit of everything and won’t be rushed onto the court right away with the Grizzlies depth in front of him.
This Thunder pick is via the Miami Heat and once again sees the team value potential over immediate impact. Josh Giddey is far too talented to fall all the way to 18th overall and the Thunder have no choice but to select him.
Giddey is a big guard that does everything and is proven against professional talent. His well-rounded game should translate to the NBA and the sky is the limit for him long term.
The Knicks have a few picks coming up and they get their draft started by selecting Real Madrid big man Usman Garuba. Garuba is a very interesting prospect due to his defensive ability and the Knicks love what he could become on that end of the floor.
Thibs should have no problem getting effective minutes from him on the defensive end within a few years and he could turn into a lot more impactful player than a specialist if things go right.
The Atlanta Hawks bring in power forward Jeremiah Robinson-Earl at pick number 20. With John Collins set to hit restricted free agency the Hawks get insurance at the power forward spot by selecting the big man out of Villanova.
In his sophomore season, he averaged 15.7 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. He is more of a traditional four than a new school four but the Hawks don’t mind that due to how it adds balance to their roster.