This is not a big board, just a fun mock draft so I can express my opinions on team/player fits I really like and I can fantisize about different player team combos as opposed to the more dry "big boards" ( I do believe big boards are more effective for determining BPA though- but I'll do my first one of those after I get a better handle on the mid and lower sections of this year's prospects.
#1. Orlando: Jabari Smith
Ownership loves Issac and they are a great offense defense pair. His spacing should open the floor for they're young guards and centers. Him and Wagner would be pretty scary wings to deal with. He's a real star potential player that Orlando's young roster would fit nice around. And my BPA.
#2. Houston: Jaylen Duren
Not my BPA here, but I think a wonderful fit. Let Duren be the star of the defense that he is and build the offense around Green. Houston would potentially have an elite scoring wing and an elite defensive center. If Duren and Green hit (I think they will) you have an elite player on both sides of the court. Green/Dure PnR would maybe be the most athletic PnR in the league. Fans would love this team and beloved teams with rowdy crowds can often outperform their talent.
#3. Detroit: Shaden Sharpe
A great pick at PG with Cade last year. Detroit needs alot of pieces to be a contender, adding a 6'5" 215lb electric scorer to Cades place and space game would be a great compliment. If Sharpe becomes the scorer I think he can be Detroit would just need role playing defenders who are efficient on offense to make some noise in this NBA.
#4. OKC: Paolo Banchero
Adding Paolo's consistent offense to Giddy/SGA electricity would be a really nice mix IMHO. I would not want to canibilize any of Dort/SGA/Giddy by picking a guard or SF here. I think OKC can get back to respectability quickly if Paolo comes out with a ROY type season and I think they still have an enormous amount of flexibility so they don't have to tank.
#5. Indiana: AJ Griffin
If AJ's medicals checkout he might be my #2 in this class. Wonderful shooter, really nice athleticism. About average height for a SG, but extremely strong and bulky. To me, AJ is a shooter on offense (and more, but primary value if off all imo) and is your defender of the bigger wing on defense (his bulk/strength will allow him to D up bifg wings imo). This pick does not canibilize Duarte. You have a nice young 1-3 of Haliburton/Duarte/Griffin to add to your 25 year old multiple time top 5 DPOY contender C. The outside shooting of Hali/Duarte/Griffin/Turner is also insanely above league average.
#6. Portland: Benedict Mathurin
Idk if Portland is building around Dame or Simon's. Picking a versatile two-way wing #6 overall pairs well with either option. You know your getting a good role player for the next few years with Dame or a solid starter down the line to pair with Simons. Imo Portland should rebuild and I'm the type that tries to avoid "high risk-high reward" players until all the safe bets are gone or unless theyr are no fits available from the "safe" prospects. Mathurin is both a fit and safe. Getting a Harrison Barnes/Devin Vassell/Mikal Bridges type at #6 is completely justifiable value.
#7. Sacramento: Keegan Murray
If you want to make a run at the playoffs with Barnes/Sabonis/Fox I think Murray fills that combo forward role really well to pair with Barnes.
#8. New Orleans: Jaden Ivey
As far as basketball fits go this would be incredible for Ivey. Ivey has electric athletsim, but is unproven as an NBA level 3 point shooter or PG. CJ and BI are both very ball dominant taking PG duties away from Ivey. BI and CJ will also draw lots of doubles giving Ivey wide open threes. Playing off CJ and BI should allow Ivey to either shoot open jumpers or blow past closeouts to get layups. Ivey will make the fast real offense dynamic. On defense he should be able to help cover up for CJ at guard. If Zion comes back everything gets that much better. CJ is extremely well respected and I would trust him to teach Ivey how to take over the PG spot once CJ moves on.
#9. San Antonio: Chet Holmgren
San Antonio has the role players. I don't think anybody is left among the "safe prospects" who is clearly a better prospect than anybody San Antonio already has at each position. Potel is very nice, but I would take a swing on Chet here. You can start him at PF in between Potel and Johnson, with Murray at guard this is about as defensively protected as an early lotto team can do for Chet. He has enourmus offensive potential and if he can make his shoots against NBA competition over the course of NBA seasons he is an absolute steal at this pick.
#10. Washington: Mark Williams
KP doesn't want to play C, so Williams fits great with him. Personally I would look at KP as a future trade chip and I think Beal will be resigned and traded so fit isn't extt important here imo. But Williams is probably my BPA at this pick and happily he is a great fit with Beal, Kuzma, Rui, Deni (I don't value Deni much though), and what KP wants to do (play PF). So BPA and a good fit. From a very safe prospect.
#11. Portland: Ochi Agbaji
With Dame, Simon's, Mathurin it is really hard to justify a guard. So either a forward or C should be the pick here. To spare Portland fans from having to watchthe same show every year since LMA left again (great backcourt no shooting from the front court) I'm giving them a safe 3-D SF. I hope this pick works out for you guys
I'm going to finish the lottery, but I haven't scouted much more than these guys yet.
#12. New York: Kennedy Chandler
I was a big IQ fan at Kentucky, but I still think he's best as a 25mpg bench player. New York needs a franchise PG to make everyone's life easier, I hope Chandler is that guy for them. He can start and bring Rose off the bench as a 6MOY candidate, then have IQ share minutes with Chandler and space the floor next to Rose.
#13. Houston: Kendall Brown
Full honesty, I forgot about Sending (and Garuba) when I mocked Duren #2. But tbh I'm not a very big Sengun fan (poor man's Sabonis and what has Sabonis ever done?). I think Duren/Green would be way better than Sengun/Green. But I do believe they are invested in Sengun, so if you don't want to canibilize his value And you can't trade off him, maybe AJ is the way to go at #2. Regardless, I'm keeping my mock this way and in this universe Sengun can go into his more natural role of Enes Kanter 6moy type (spicy enough take for yuh?). I'm moving Brown here as a "high risk-high reward" pick at the end of the lottery, where these pick belong. His defense will give one less hole for Duren to cover and make it harder to "hunt" Green. Brown on the fast break would be really fun. He also makes smart passes. I could see him and Sengun being really nice as an inverted high low tandem because Brown likes to drive in and make crafty dump off passes to his bigs. Allowing Green to make "hit ahead" passes to Brown on the fast break instead of using his own energy would be great. I think Brown can very reasonably end up as a SF version of PJ Tucker. Duren/Sengun/Wood as bigs Kmart/House/Brown as low value wings EG as a vet Green as a franchise scoring perimeter player. Get yourself an a+ PG and your in business. A really fun athletic team to get over all the bs this franchise has put that city though the past couple of years.
#14. Charlotte: Christian Koloko
#14 pick in what I believe is a less than stellar draft. Char has a glaring hole at C and I would just take a swing on a boa C here and hope for Magic. (Like I said earlier I'm not done scouting this draft). If Koloko isn't very high on the Hornets draft board they can easily justify BPA at SF as well. Eason is probably the overall BPA, but is maybe redundant with Bridges who is about to be maxed and I don't currently think Eason is a great enough talent to justify messing up the geometry of the Ball /Bridges connection.
I really like the top 12 of this draft.
Right now Jabari is my only tier 1 (franchise player tier)
Tier two is, in some order: (long term starter tier)
AJ, Sharpe, Duren, Williams, Banchero, Mathurin, Ivey, Holmgren
Tier three (currently): (6th man tier)
Agbaji, Brown, Muarry
I probably won't do to another mock Usually prefer traditional big boards, but I was bored and wanted to express my views more thoroughly
I hope this wall of text kept one of my fellow draft addicts entertained if only for a few minutes. I know I'm reading all that you guys do and I'm sure you guys are as addicted to draft NBA draft takes as I am.
