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I haven’t been able to sleep because I’m so excited for the draft. This has been an unusual year for me and honestly a really weird experience. I haven’t really done the due diligence I usually do and I’ve just been really all over the place in terms of my projections. I apologize to those of you who check my mocks every year and come here for detailed explainations before the draft.
Now that I’m literally not sleeping because of the draft, I’ve been doing nothing but watching as much basketball as possible. Rewatching games and making sure I compare players, because I’ve been way too up and down with who I like and don’t like. Also keeping an eye on and considering the speed of the NBA and understanding the base of NBA requirements.

There will be some surprises in here, this is my new rankings of each position of players I think could possibly get drafted:

(*star*) next to players I think are underrated) -Can be better than projection
(-minus-) next to players I think are overrated) -Can be worse than projection

********************************************July 9, 2018 regrets*************************************************
- I said I would have Collin Sexton #1 overall at the start of the year and I would go back to that.
- I was relatively lower on Gilgeous-Alexander, but I would have him after Sexton, before Young.
- I was higher on Aaron Holiday earlier in the season, but lack of hype from draft experts and people here made me reconsider. Would have him before Melton.
- I was lower on Josh Okogie throughout the year, but the overhype from this forum and draft “experts” made me reconsider. I would bump him down before Hamidou Diallo
- Originally was super high on Troy Brown, but draft “experts” made me reconsider. Would bump him up to fourth best SG.
-I had Anfernee Simons as high as #10 overall not too long ago, but his draft position made me think about dropping him, would have him as the third best SG.
- I was their first to mention Huerter on this sub because I loved him during the season, but the overhyped people here annoyed me so I tried to find everything I could wrong with him. Would have him 6th best SG.
- I’ve been high on Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk for a long time, but people in this thread and draft experts made me rethink him because of his wingspan and the fact that people didn’t watch him and claimed he wouldn’t be able to play off the dribble, but I knew he could do it. Just a lot of negativity out me off him. Would have him after Grayson Allen, who I have also always been really high on.
- I would move Miles Bridges down because I still see him as just a role player and I believed in him at one point, but once I paid attention to his lack of fluidity and foot speed, I changed my tune.

Everything else I stand by.
-Moral: Trust my own evaluation skills because I watch more basketball than anyone Ive ever met and I honestly think more than anyone I’ve ever talked to on the internet. Sorry I’m so confident, I watch basketball 24/7 and I tend to be right about this stuff.

PG
Trae Young
Collin Sexton
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Elie Okobo*
De’Anthony Melton*
Landry Shamet
Trevon Duval
Aaron Holiday
Jalen Brunson
Bruce Brown-
Rob Gray*
Tony Carr
Jevon Carter*
DeVonte Graham
Keenan Evans
Bryant Crawford
Jordan McLaughlin
Thomas Wilder

SG
Luka Doncic
Zhaire Smith*
Josh Okogie
Lonnie Walker
Jerome Robinson
Troy Brown
Donte DiVicenzo
Kevin Huerter
Anfernee Simons
Grayson Allen
Hamidou Diallo
Jacob Evans
Gary Trent Jr*
Khyri Thomas
Shake Milton
Rawle Alkins-
Malik Newman*
Devon Hall*
Elijah Stewart
Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk
Jaylen Barford
Dakota Mathias*
Allonzo Trier
Trevon Bluiett

SF
Kevin Knox*
Michael Porter Jr
Mikal Bridges
Chandler Hutchison*
Miles Bridges-
Dzanan Musa
Isaac Bonga*
Rodions Kurucs
Melvin Frazier
Justin Jackson
George King*
Donte Ingram
Desi Rodriguez*
Donte Grantham
Theo Pinson
DJ Hogg
Vince Edwards-
Gary Clark-
JP Macura
Kelan Martin
Arnoldas Kulboka
Deng Adel
Egor Koulechov*

PF
Marvin Bagley
Moritz Wagner*
Keita Bates-Diop
Chimezie Metu
Adjin Penava
Ray Spalding*
Billy Preston*
Jarred Vanderbilt-
Yante Maten
Kenrich Williams
Matur Maker
Kevin Hervey-
Alize Johnson
Wenyen Gabriel
Malik Pope

C
DeAndre Ayton
Jaren Jackson
Mohamed Bamba
Wendell Carter Jr
Robert Williams*
Mitchell Robinson
Kostas Antetokounmpo
Omari Spellman
Brandon McCoy
Drew Eubanks
Tryggvi Hlinason
Thomas Welsh*
Isaac Haas
Jo Lual-Acuil
Jock Landale
Angel Delgado

Went from top 12 to top 10. Also updated.

I see Dzanan Musa and Rui Hachimura as more of a SFs and Hamidou Diallo more of a SG, especially at the next level

skywalker33 wrote:I see Dzanan Musa and Rui Hachimura as more of a SFs and Hamidou Diallo more of a SG, especially at the next level

I think about their role offensively. In the NBA, an SF’s responsibility usually is corner 3s, defending inside and out, slashing, getting rebounds and posting up. Musa right now to me plays more like a SG, by coming off of screens and spotting up. Sometimes slashing and grabbing boards. I just don’t think he’s big enough at SF. He also only has a 6’8 wingspan, which says it’ll be much harder to match up with opposing SFs.

Hamidou Diallo can’t shoot right now, which makes it hard for him to be a SG at the next level. Right now he’s really just an athletic wing defender that grabs rebounds and that’s an SF. Then just shooting wide open corner threes when the ball gets to him.

Hachimura you could argue as an SF, but with his size and lack of shooting, I think he’s better suited as a PF.

Finally updated

Good to see your take, door. I like the inclusion of guys like Porter, Alexander-Walker, Wilkes, Gafford, Thomas, in the mid/late 1st, been meaning to add some of those guys to my own.

Only things I differ on greatly are Ayton at 6 and Robert Williams not in the 1st round.

GimmeDat wrote:Good to see your take, door. I like the inclusion of guys like Porter, Alexander-Walker, Wilkes, Gafford, Thomas, in the mid/late 1st, been meaning to add some of those guys to my own.

Only things I differ on greatly are Ayton at 6 and Robert Williams not in the 1st round.

I’m obviously pretty low on Williams and I don’t think it’s uncalled for for him to slip out of the first. It has happened in previous years. I just think the NBA is trending smaller with less centers and this class is pretty stacked at center. Along with Williams lack of production on offense, I think it’s a very real possibility he slips that much. I also saw him live and wasn’t impressed at all.

I also don’t think Ayton at 6 is a big knock on him. For me there is a pretty thin line between Ayton and Bagley. I just don’t see him as this dominant force everyone else seems to see him as. And I’ve honestly been moving him up and down trying to gauge how good I think he can be. Recently with his play hes been really good, but Bagley’s passing really sets him apart for me. I’m super high on Young and Bamba is just unreal in terms of his upside. I’ve also been up and down on Bamba, but I’ve come to realize he has a ton of untapped potential. I don’t think he’s the right pick for every team, but if he gets on a slower-paced team he can be an elite center in the league. If that jumper can start falling and if he feels better with contact, he can be hard to stop just because he’s so long and tall. I’m also impressed with his vertical, which is what I think makes him stand out as someone with special ability.

Hope the mavs can snag Doncic. Dude is an absolute beast. Lebron-esqu


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Updated to Rankings. I’ll do a mock soon (probably after all-star break so I can track any contracts that were traded to project).

doordoor123 wrote:Updated to Rankings. I’ll do a mock soon (probably after all-star break so I can track any contracts that were traded to project).

Do you have a big board for the first round? You have a lot of interesting takes on players who fly under radar, and you seem to be really high on some of them (1st round picks in your eyes). So I'd be curious to see which players you'd leave off the list for some of the sleeper picks.

The-Power wrote:

doordoor123 wrote:Updated to Rankings. I’ll do a mock soon (probably after all-star break so I can track any contracts that were traded to project).

Do you have a big board for the first round? You have a lot of interesting takes on players who fly under radar, and you seem to be really high on some of them (1st round picks in your eyes). So I'd be curious to see which players you'd leave off the list for some of the sleeper picks.

I have a rough first round right now. It’s picks without the teams.
There are a lot of centers in this draft, but not a lot of need for centers. I think some really good ones are going to drop to the 2nd round. I really would like to draft Jontay Porter in the first round, but I just think Center is too deep. I like Jontay, but I see a lot of need to develop. I’ve noticed in recent drafts that even with elite tools, if a player needs too much time to develop they usually drop to the 2nd round or undrafted (or at least late first). Examples are Terrance Ferguson, Ivica Zubac, Kobi Simmons, etc. I think Jontay fits in that category as well as others. Some guys like Alexander-Walker and Kris Wilkes are really good shooting off ball, but they need to expand their games a lot. I wouldn’t be surprised if they wait at least another year because IMO they aren’t ready. So I took out guys that might not be ready in general.

1. Jaren Jackson Jr (too high)
2. Trae Young
3. Michael Porter Jr
4. DeAndre Ayton
5. Mohamed Bamba
6. Marvin Bagley
7. Luka Doncic (should be first, I don’t know how I put him this far down)
8. Wendell Carter Jr
9. Mikal Bridges
10. Collin Sexton
11. Miles Bridges
12. Dzanan Musa
13. Daniel Gafford
14. Cameron Johnson (thought he was younger)
15. Troy Brown Jr
16. Trevon Duval (overrated)
17. Hamidou Diallo (overrated)
18. Lonnie Walker
19. Mitchell Robinson
20. Rawle Alkins (overrated)
21. Kevin Knox (underrated)
22. Jarred Vanderbilt (overrated)
23. Khyri Thomas
24. Chandler Hutchison
25. Isaac Bonga
26. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (underrated)
27. Bruce Brown
28. Chimezie Metu
29. Grayson Allen
30. Ajdin Penava

I have a second round too, but it’s much less cemented.

Updated once Again

doordoor123 wrote:I have a rough first round right now. It’s picks without the teams.
There are a lot of centers in this draft, but not a lot of need for centers. I think some really good ones are going to drop to the 2nd round. I really would like to draft Jontay Porter in the first round, but I just think Center is too deep. I like Jontay, but I see a lot of need to develop. I’ve noticed in recent drafts that even with elite tools, if a player needs too much time to develop they usually drop to the 2nd round or undrafted (or at least late first). Examples are Terrance Ferguson, Ivica Zubac, Kobi Simmons, etc. I think Jontay fits in that category as well as others. Some guys like Alexander-Walker and Kris Wilkes are really good shooting off ball, but they need to expand their games a lot. I wouldn’t be surprised if they wait at least another year because IMO they aren’t ready. So I took out guys that might not be ready in general.

I totally agree with you on Jontay. I'm guessing he'd be the youngest player in the draft if he comes out. He could develop into a special player, but he needs another year of college to develop. Then again, as NBA teams are paying more attention to player development in the G League, if he can get a first round guarantee, I can see him taking it. And if I was picking late first, I'd have to strongly consider taking him.

New big board. Getting closer to my final.

Check out Jontay's last game against Mississippi. 18 points, 13 boards, 4 assists, 5 blocks, made a couple of 3's. You were ahead of the curve on this kid. Special potential.

Just heard from my friend CCJ - who occasionally posts in the Draft forum - he heard an interview clip with Jontay where he said doctors told him they expect him to grow to at least 7 feet tall.

Ruzious wrote:Just heard from my friend CCJ - who occasionally posts in the Draft forum - he heard an interview clip with Jontay where he said doctors told him they expect him to grow to at least 7 feet tall.

That’s interesting. He’s still young and I can definitely see it happening. I actually think Michael Porter is also growing. Even though he didn’t play he was starting to look bigger than 6’9.

Wow, I hate this mock draft.

blazeyo wrote:Wow, I hate this mock draft.

Well it’s not based on how teams will draft. It’s based on the ability to succeed. It’s better than copying everyone else, which is what most people do.

blazeyo wrote:Wow, I hate this mock draft.

Why don’t you tell me what would be better? Because someone like Lonnie Walker has upside, but he’s definitely not ready for the NBA and doesn’t have a great feel for the game. Show me one bucket he gets off of a play because all of his buckets are out of rhythm.

You’re high on Trevon Duval? Hes been terrible and he can’t shoot. Again, an upside pick, but often players who can’t shoot don’t develop that shot. Elfrid Payton was just traded for a second round pick.

Daniel Gafford is a really similar prospect to Deyonta Davis who barely gets play time.

Mitchell Robinson hasn’t proven himself on a higher level.

By saying it’s not how you would draft, my arguement is strengthened.