(USA TODAY Sports)
Draft Information
Now that the NBA season has come to an end, the first crucial point in the offseason is the NBA Draft. The lottery has taken place, and the draft order has been established. The big winners were the Philadelphia 76ers, getting the 1st overall pick. The Lakers and the Celtics round out the top 3 slots. With the draft coming up in a few days, rumors of trades and transactions are all around the league.
I’ll breakdown every first round pick with opinions along with a pro comparison for each player. Their ceiling being their ultimate upside comparison and their floor being their bust comparison. I also include a less detailed second round mock.
Mock Draft
First Round
1. Philadelphia 76ers – Ben Simmons, SF/PF, LSU
Any time someone draws comparisons to Magic Johnson and LeBron James, it is going to be hard to pass up on them in the draft. I don’t see the Sixers giving up Simmons. He fits there play style as a big that can dribble and facilitate. With Simmons alongside Nerlens Noel, the Sixers could have a versatile and athletic front court that could be scary in the future. Simmons is the most talented player in the draft.
Ceiling – LeBron James
Floor – Lamar Odom
2. Los Angeles Lakers – Brandon Ingram, SF, Duke
Ingram is an intriguing prospect because of his length and versatile ability to score, therefore he naturally draws comparisons to Kevin Durant. Ingram may not quite have the offensive skill set of Durant, but he is a better defender than KD was entering the league. Although Brandon Ingram was a great 3-point shooter in college, he struggled at the free throw line, shooting just 68%. The major concern with Ingram is his weight. His size is there, his wingspan is there, but his strength is not, yet.
Ceiling – Kevin Durant
Floor – Michael Beasley
3. Boston Celtics – Buddy Hield, SG, Oklahoma
To be honest, I don’t think the Celtics are keeping this pick, but if they do, I think they’ll go with Hield. The Celtics have always been one go to scorer away from being a contender, so who better to pick than the NCAA leader for total points in 2015-16. His age is one major concern with him because he did stay all four years at college, a rarity in today’s NBA.
Ceiling – CJ McCollum / Michael Redd
Floor – Anthony Morrow
4. Phoenix Suns – Dragan Bender, PF, Croatia
There is always risk involved with foreign players, as they often are busts. With the uprising of Kristaps Porzingis in his rookie campaign, it seems that teams will be more confident in drafting Bender this high. As you can see by the comparisons, there is big uncertainty when it comes to Bender, but the potential is there.
Ceiling – Kristaps Porzingis
Floor – Nikola Mirotic
5. Minnesota Timberwolves – Kris Dunn, PG, Providence
Another older prospect in the draft, Dunn is a two-way point guard with good size and athleticism. He can shoot, dribble, and pass on the offensive side, and shows great effort on defense. He struggled with injuries in his first couple years at Providence, so that is a concern. As far as play on the court he runs his team well, one major downside is his tendency to turn the ball over, which is a fixable problem.
Ceiling – Gary Payton
Floor – Shaun Livingston
6. New Orleans Pelicans – Jamal Murray, G, Kentucky
He was the top scoring Freshman in the NCAA for a reason. He brings a great ability to score but lacks key athleticism and explosiveness. His shooting skills along with his instinct should translate to the NBA well, but attacking the basketball may be a problem for him.
Ceiling – Chauncey Billups
Floor – Randy Foye
7. Denver Nuggets – Jaylen Brown, SG/SF, California
Brown’s March Madness disappointment has definitely hurt his draft stock. This doesn’t change the fact that he’s an athletic, strong, and explosive guard.
Ceiling – Jimmy Butler
Floor – Stanley Johnson
8. Sacramento Kings – Domantas Sabonis, PF, Gonzaga
It has been rumored that President and GM Vlade Divac loves him. They are in need of a PF and he has big potential. He is a good rebounder, finisher, and shooter but lacks athleticism and some defensive skills.
Ceiling – Zach Randolph
Floor – Luis Scola
9. Toronto Raptors – Skal Labissiere, PF/C, Kentucky
With frequent concerns about Jonas Valanciunas’ health and doubt with Bismack Biyombo’s future with the team, the Raptors may be looking for a big. Labissiere is an enormous project for whoever chooses him, but he has great potential. He definitely underperformed at Kentucky, but his ability is still there. And yes there is potential for him to be a huge bust, so this floor comparison might even be a reach.
Ceiling – Serge Ibaka
Floor – Channing Frye
10. Milwaukee Bucks – Marquese Chriss, PF, Washington
Chriss is a very intriguing prospect, he has a jumper, size, and athleticism. Greg Monroe is reportedly on the way out, which means Milwaukee will be looking for a big.
Ceiling – Chris Bosh
Floor – Ed Davis
11. Orlando Magic – Malik Beasley, SG, Florida State
The Magic lack shooting in their backcourt. Elfrid Payton isn’t a shooter, and Victor Oladipo shoots 34% from 3 in his career. Efficient 3-point shooters have obviously become a necessity in today’s NBA, making Beasley even more intriguing in the draft.
Ceiling – Klay Thompson
Floor – Anthony Morrow
12. Utah Jazz – Jakob Poeltl, C, Utah (UPDATE: Pick traded to Hawks)
Great athleticism for his size, good rebounder, and he is a two-way big. He does lack shooting range and finishing ability inside.
Ceiling – Andrew Bogut
Floor – Emeka Okafor
13. Phoenix Suns – Deyonta Davis, PF, Michigan St
This may be a tradable pick for the Suns, assuming they keep it, Davis is a great pick. He is a similar player to Marquese Chriss in that he is a lengthy big that can hit a jumper. He is a great shot blocker, but tends to be foul prone, which could potentially be a problem. He is a fairly low risk pick, but his ceiling isn’t crazy high, unlike other prospects in the draft.
Ceiling – Serge Ibaka
Floor – John Henson
14. Chicago Bulls – Denzel Valentine, G, Michigan St
Valentine was a great college player. He has the potential to be a triple-double type player in the NBA. Quickness could be a problem on both sides of the ball. He is an average at-best defender, but is a great offensive player.
Ceiling – Joe Johnson
Floor – Evan Turner
15. Denver Nuggets – Furkan Korkmaz, SG, Turkey
Again, a somewhat risky player to pick so high in the draft. He lacks playmaking, strength, and free throw shooting, but has good attacking skills and size. He could potentially be a great defender, finisher, and 3-point shooter. His upside isn’t great, but his floor is also pretty high.
Ceiling – Evan Fournier
Floor – Marco Belinelli
16. Boston Celtics – Henry Ellenson, PF/C, Marquette
This is another Celtics pick that could potentially be packaged with other assets in a trade, but assuming they keep this pick, they will need a big man. Ellenson is a versatile big that can handle, play in the post, and rebound. He struggles with conditioning and several key parts of defense, but could be a good player in this league.
Ceiling – Derrick Coleman
Floor – Spencer Hawes
17. Memphis Grizzlies – Wade Baldwin, PG, Vanderbilt
He has the potential to be a great two-way player. But there’s also a chance that he can’t improve off the dribble offensively, and becomes simply a defender, which is basically his worst case scenario. He has had trouble creating offense off the dribble, which is obviously a necessity for any great point guard in today’s NBA. Mike Conley could be out the door as well, so a point guard is the obvious pick here for Memphis.
Ceiling – Chauncey Billups
Floor – Matthew Dellavedova
18. Detroit Pistons – Demetrius Jackson, PG, Notre Dame
The Pistons are in need of a back-up point guard, Jackson is the best available in this spot. He is a great scorer, he is athletic, long, and hard-working. Concerns come in consistency. He has shown good shooting potential but shot only 33.1% from a college 3-point line. Defensive consistency is a problem as well. As you can see in the comparisons, there is a huge range of his potential NBA outcome.
Ceiling – Mike Conley
Floor – Jonny Flynn
19. Denver Nuggets – DeAndre Bembry, SG/SF, St. Joseph’s
Bembry is an athletic wing that can facilitate, rebound, and play good defense. He needs to develop a better shot, and become better in one-on-one offensive situations.
Ceiling – Andre Iguodala
Floor – Brent Barry
20. Indiana Pacers – Timothe Luwawu, SG/SF, France
Luwawu is a great defender, that has great size. The downside comes on the offensive end, where he has struggled with shooting mechanics. They aren’t terrible, but they need improvement.
Ceiling – Andre Iguodala
Floor – Thabo Sefolosha
21. Atlanta Hawks – Cheick Diallo, PF/C, Kansas
He is kind of a question mark entering the draft because of his lack of time at Kansas, but his potential is high. Defensively, he could be an elite rim protector, great rebounder, and post defender. His weaknesses come offensively with fundamentals and with experience. Two easily fixable problems.
Ceiling – Kenyon Martin
Floor – Taj Gibson
22. Charlotte Hornets – Dejounte Murray, PG/SG, Washington
He is a poor shooter, which is a big problem in the NBA. He has good athleticism but needs to improve on other skills in the game. He will be a good defender, and once he develops a jumper, he could be a great two-way player.
Ceiling – Ron Harper
Floor – Tyreke Evans
23. Boston Celtics – Tyler Ulis, PG, Kentucky
Talent isn’t the question with Ulis, it’s his size. He has the talent to be a lottery pick in this draft, but it is so hard for small guards to have success in the NBA. Why not put him behind the best small guard in the league in Isaiah Thomas? Learning under a similar player could be very beneficial for Ulis.
Ceiling – Isaiah Thomas
Floor – Pierre Jackson
24. Philadelphia 76ers – Malachi Richardson, SG, Syracuse
Richardson is a versatile scorer that could be of good value at this pick. He needs offensive and defensive consistency to improve at the next level to be successful.
Ceiling – Dale Ellis
Floor – Nick Young
25. Los Angeles Clippers – Brice Johnson, PF, North Carolina
He is probably the best rebounder in the draft, he scored in double-digits consistently at UNC, so he has the potential to be a great player. He needs more consistency in shot-blocking and aggression. In college, he would put up some monster games, then be quiet the next game, he needs to attack every game.
Ceiling – Chris Bosh
Floor – Joe Smith
26. Philadelphia 76ers – Ivica Zubac, C, Croatia
He needs to improve in several areas to be a good NBA player, but overall his offensive skills and offensive rebounding is good enough for him to get minutes. Once he improves on paint defense, he will be a solid player.
Ceiling – Andrew Bogut
Floor – Nenad Krstic
27. Toronto Raptors – Thon Maker, C, Australia
The potential is crazy with Maker. He could be a great defender, rebounder, mid-range shooter, and teammate. His biggest problems are about experience, which is daily fixable with time. Athleticism is also a question with Maker, but shouldn’t cause a bust.
Ceiling – Kevin Garnett
Floor – Anthony Randolph
28. Phoenix Suns – Stephen Zimmerman, PF/C, UNLV
He is an explosive big man that can shoot mid-range and go to the rim. He needs to work on post defense, rebounding, and strength. These are obviously big defensive issues, but his offensive game is there.
Ceiling – Al Horford
Floor – Raef Lafrentz
29. San Antonio Spurs – Damian Jones, C, Vanderbilt
He is a good defender, good low-post scorer, and is developing a mid-range game. He could be scary if he becomes a better rebounder, and becomes more consistent all-around.
Ceiling – Derrick Favors
Floor – Marcin Gortat
30. Golden State Warriors – Ante Zizic, C, Croatia
Festus Ezeli had a poor year with the Warriors, and they are in need of a Center with Andrew Bogut being injured so often. Zizic is the best one available. He is athletic, good in pick-and-roll, and can rebound offensively. Perfect fit with the Warriors.
Ceiling – Marcin Gortat
Floor – Jordan Hill
Second Round
31. Boston Celtics – Diamond Stone, C, Maryland
32. Los Angeles Lakers – Juan Hernangomez, PF, Spain
33. Los Angeles Clippers – Malcolm Brogdon, SG, Virginia
34. Phoenix Suns – Ben Bentil, PF, Providence
35. Boston Celtics – Taurean Prince, SF, Baylor
36. Milwaukee Bucks – Caris LeVert, SG, Michigan
37. Houston Rockets – Gary Payton II, G, Oregon St
38. Milwaukee Bucks – Michael Gbinije, SG, Syracuse
39. New Orleans Pelicans – Paul Zipser, SF, Germany
40. New Orleans Pelicans – Patrick McCaw, SG, UNLV
41. Orlando Magic – Isaiah Whitehead, G, Seton Hall
42. Utah Jazz – Pascal Siakam, PF, New Mexico St
43. Houston Rockets – Guerschon Yabusele, PF, France
44. Atlanta Hawks – Anthony Barber, PG, NC State
45. Boston Celtics – Isaiah Cousins, PG, Oklahoma
46. Dallas Mavericks – Joel Bolomboy, PF, Weber St
47. Orlando Magic – Georgios Papagiannis, C, Greece
48. Chicago Bulls – Isaia Cordinier, SG, France
49. Detroit Pistons – Georges Niang, SF/PF, Iowa St
50. Indiana Pacers – Daniel Hamilton, SG/SF, UConn
51. Boston Celtics – Perry Ellis, PF, Kansas
52. Utah Jazz – Kahlil Felder, PG, Oakland
53. Denver Nuggets – Zhou Qi, C, China
54. Atlanta Hawks – Jarrod Uthoff, PF, Iowa
55. Brooklyn Nets – Zach Auguste, PF, Notre Dame
56. Denver Nuggets – Wayne Selden, SG, Kansas
57. Memphis Grizzlies – Petr Cornelie, PF/C, France
58. Boston Celtics – AJ Hammons, C, Purdue
59. Sacramento Kings – Marcus Paige, PG, North Carolina
60. Utah Jazz – Robert Carter, PF, Maryland
The Last Timeout 