The opening weekend of the NCAA Tournament brought with it many observations and hot takes. Ja Morant shined bright as did Zion Williamson while Duke and UCF played the game of the tournament so far. Away from the tournament, potential lottery pick Jontay Porter re-tore his ACL, likely falling out of the first round in the process.
It leads to plenty of shakeups in the draft as we look at another mock draft in the wake of the opening weekend.
1. New York Knicks – Zion Williamson, Big, Duke
Of all the shakeup in the draft, nothing about Williamson’s status changed. He is still the clear cut No. 1 pick and nothing is changing that at this point.
2. Phoenix Suns – Ja Morant, Guard, Murray State
Morant was already a top-five pick entering the NCAA Tournament. All his performance over the weekend did was solidify him as the second-best prospect in this draft. He would fit perfectly in Phoenix with a team badly in need of a lead guard.
3. Cleveland Cavaliers – RJ Barrett, Wing, Duke
Barrett has taken some heat this season but he’s still a remarkably talented wing player and fits a big need for the Cavaliers, who have a huge hole on the perimeter.
4. Chicago Bulls – Jarrett Culver, Guard, Texas Tech
On his own, Culver is a great prospect that is only increasing his case with his tournament performance. He doesn’t fit a need on the Bulls but I’m a big proponent of taking the most talented players and figuring out the fit later.
5. Atlanta Hawks – Cam Reddish, Wing, Duke
Reddish’s stock has taken a hit this season but he’s still another uber-talented wing. If his shooting can return to form of his time in high school and pre-dating Duke, he’d be a great pick for the Hawks.
6. Memphis Grizzlies – Darius Garland, Guard, Vanderbilt
While Garland missed a big chunk of the season, point guard is an area of weakness for this draft, meaning Garland’s stock has hardly fallen. It wouldn’t be surprising if Memphis moved Mike Conley this summer, opening up the starting point guard spot for Garland.
7. Atlanta Hawks (via Mavericks) – DeAndre Hunter, Wing, Virginia
One would have to imagine that the Hawks walking out of the draft with Reddish and Hunter to go with Trae Young and Kevin Huerter would leave them ecstatic. The duo are likely the top two 3-and-D wings in the draft and make a ton of sense in the more modern offense of Atlanta’s.
8. Washington Wizards – Coby White, Guard, North Carolina
With John Wall on the shelf long-term, the point guard position is open moving forward. Perhaps no player has seen their stock rise more in the second half of the season than White, who is flying up draft boards in a weak point guard class.
9. New Orleans Pelicans – Jaxson Hayes, Big, Texas
After an injury scare, it appears Hayes’ knee injury won’t affect him long-term. In that case, he’s likely the top big prospect on the board and the Pelicans, who will likely have an Anthony Davis-sized hole in their lineup to replace, would be a suitable landing spot.
10. Los Angeles Lakers – Brandon Clarke, Big, Gonzaga
One of the most under-the-radar prospects in the draft, Clarke is a high-IQ player that, despite being a bit undersized, could fill the Lakers’ need for a big moving forward.
11. Minnesota Timberwolves – Nassir Little, Wing, North Carolina
Ironically, Little is a great Tom Thibodeau player. As a player capable of playing either forward position, he’s a perfect player to slot in next to Karl-Anthony Towns.
12. Charlotte Hornets – Romeo Langford, Guard, Indiana
The Hornets could potentially lose one guard who can’t shoot from range, Jeremy Lamb, but could replace him with another in Langford. At least with the latter, there’s both reason to believe he could improve and other areas he can be a positive offensively.
13. Orlando Magic – Tre Jones, Guard, Duke
Markelle Fultz could be the long-term answer at point guard for the Magic. There’s an equal, if not better, chance he won’t be that. Tre Jones’ offense will be a work in progress moving forward but he’s a huge positive defensively already.
14. Boston Celtics (via Kings) – Bol Bol, Big, Oregon
The Celtics are one of a few teams that can afford to take Bol Bol and offer him time to get healthy. If he pans out, he could be the second-best player in this draft. But he’s also a big with foot problems, so there’s a ton of reason for concern.
15. Miami Heat – Keldon Johnson, Wing, Kentucky
The Heat are a team focused on constantly remaining relevant. Johnson is a type of player who can step into a rotation and contribute immediately. He’d also provide the Heat with a young wing option they don’t have many of.
16. Brooklyn Nets – Bruno Fernando, Big, Maryland
The Nets don’t have a need for a big man but they also play Jared Dudley regular minutes. Fernando is a modern big that has really shown out in his sophomore season and has flown up the draft boards in the process.
17. Detroit Pistons – Kevin Porter, Jr., Wing, USC
The Pistons need shooting around Blake Griffin and Andre Drummond. They’ve needed shooting for years around him. Porter is a risky prospect but if he pans out, he’d be a huge get for Detroit.
18. Boston Celtics – Sekou Doumbouya, Big, International
An international draft-and-stash option for the Celtics as opposed to Bol, who would be a draft-and-stash guy stateside. Simply put, Boston has too many players and too many picks to not take draft-and-stash players.
19. San Antonio Spurs – Grant Williams, Big, Tennessee
The Spurs landed Jakob Poeltl last off-season but Williams is too good a player to pass at this point. The reigning two-time SEC Player of the Year, Williams is a big-bodied big man who has shown flashes of range, too.
20. Oklahoma City Thunder – PJ Washington, Wing, Kentucky
Washington’s injury will likely cause him to slip down draft boards and Oklahoma City will happily reap the benefits. Washington is a perfect modern forward that, if healthy, could be a contributor early on.
21. Utah Jazz – Rui Hachimura, Big, Gonzaga
The lesser-known Gonzaga forward, Hachimura could step in and fill the hole left by Derrick Favors this off-season and join a list of bigs developed by Utah over the years.
22. Boston Celtics (via Clippers) – Goga Bitadze, Big, International
Draft-and-stash. Rinse, repeat.
23. Indiana Pacers – Cam Johnson, Guard, North Carolina
Like teammate White, Johnson has flown up draft boards this season. The Pacers could see Bojan Bogdanovic and while Johnson hasn’t proven to be an NBA shooter yet, he has all the tools to succeed.
24. Portland Trailblazers – Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Guard, Virginia Tech
Alexander-Walker is a prospect with a high variance from evaluators. At the 24th pick, it’s hard not to see him as a great value pick as a third guard who could step into either guard spot for the Blazers.
25. Cleveland Cavs (via Rockets) – Talen Horton-Tucker, Wing, Iowa State
For many of the same reasons listed above with their top-five pick, the Cavs need wing help and Horton-Tucker makes a ton of sense in this spot.
26. Philadelphia 76ers – Tyler Herro, Guard, Kentucky
The Sixers simply need any young bench help they can find. Herro is a great player and could provide them with shooting and guard play that they lost by sending out Landry Shamet in the Tobias Harris trade.
27. Golden State Warriors – Jontay Porter, Big, Missouri
If Porter enters the draft, a big if, he’d likely still be a first-round pick late in the first to a contender that can afford to give him time to return from injury. Golden State could reap all sorts of benefits if Porter is able to return to full strength and fulfill his potential.
28. Brooklyn Nets (via Nuggets) – Ty Jerome, Guard, Virginia
The Nets don’t necessarily have a need for a guard but Jerome is a great shorter and with players like D’Angelo Russell and Spencer Dinwiddie, the Nets have run lineups all season long with multiple guards on the floor.
29. San Antonio Spurs (via Raptors) – Matisse Thybulle, Wing, Washington
Thybulle is a tremendous defensive wing prospect with great measurements that needs some seasoning offensively. Sound familiar? The Spurs aren’t going to find the next Kawhi Leonard but they are going to find a productive wing player.
30. Milwaukee Bucks – Daniel Gafford, Big, Arkansas
Gafford’s decision to sit out of the NIT Tournament had little-to-no effect on his draft stock. While he isn’t a big man that can shoot threes, which Milwaukee seems drawn to this year, he is an uber-athletic center with a huge wingspan that could still be effective in the NBA and in the Bucks’ system.
