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Now that the NBA season is over, it is time to turn our attention towards the NBA Draft. This year is a very deep draft with potential impactful role players possibly being found in the second round. The NBA Draft is an exciting time where all the teams that tanked last season will have the opportunity to turn their franchise around with a foundational player.
This year's collection of draft talents includes the most successful European prospect ever to the potentially next Stephen Curry. It is chock full of talented big men who could make a real impact right away on a number of teams today, despite the fact that the modern game has been trending more and more away from the basket. Perhaps this year's draft class could stem that movement, or even reverse the momentum in favour of the big man - that's how good this draft class has the potential to become.
Without further ado, let's launch into our mock draft top 10:
With the 10th Pick, the Philadelphia 76ers select Mikal Bridges
The classic 3 and D prospect. Mikal Bridges has impressed scouts with his defensive intelligence and his ability to knock down the 3 point shot effectively. He will not be the star of a team but he will be a nice complimentary piece to add to the young core of the 76ers.
In Villanova, he had great help from his teammates like Divincenzo and player of the year candidate Jalen Brunson. He is coming off a championship run with Villanova and will look to bring a winning mindset to Philly.
With the 9th pick, the New York Knicks select Miles Bridges
Standing only at 6'6 Miles Bridges plays like a power forward. This past year at Michigan State, the Spartans played him as a small forward and he looked out of position. Had he gone through with the draft last year, he was projected as a top 10 pick. He is similar to Tobias Harris, as an undersized power forward who can score in different ways and get some rebounds despite the mismatches.
He may be a liability defensively due to his size and guarding bigger power forwards. The Knicks could try to play him as a small forward and give him time to develop as a wing player. He will need to find what position he should play for the next level and Knicks Coach David Fizdale will help him achieve his maximum potential.
With the 7th pick, the Cleveland Cavaliers select Wendell Carter Jr.
Having drawn comparisons to Al Horford, Wendell Carter Jr. has a great all-round offensive game and possesses all the tools to make an impact without having the eye-dropping statistics. This past season at Duke, he was in the shadow of his front court teammate Marvin Bagley III, and we were unable to see him in his fully fledged form. He won't be a franchise centrepiece like Bagley, but he can be part of the next phase for the Cavaliers for the next few years.
With the 7th pick, the Chicago Bulls select Michael Porter Jr.
Another draft risk is Michael Porter Jr. He was once considered the best player in this draft class, however a back injury caused him to miss most of his college season and when he did play, he struggled. Teams will be evaluating him based off his scouting reports from school rather than the 2 or 3 games he played this past year.
Standing at 6'11, his ball handling, speed and size will make him a good point forward type of player who will have the ability to finish any kind of way offensively.
With the 6th pick, the Orlando Magic select Trae Young
One of the biggest risks in the draft. Trae Young has been dubbed for most of the college season as the next Stephen Curry. He led the nation in points and assists.The comparison did put tremendous pressure on the Oklahoma freshman but he did have a similar style of play to Steph Curry and was able to knock down shots from way beyond the arc.
He does pose a risk as he did suffer a significant drop off towards the end of the season and his size will make him a liability on the defensive end of the floor standing only 6'1 with a 6'3 wingspan. Orlando is in dire need of not only a point guard but a superstar name and Trae Young checks both of those boxes and could be a nice core piece if he plays as he did at the beginning of the year.
With the 5th pick, the Dallas Mavericks select Jaren Jackson Jr., Big
Possibly the best two-way player in the draft class. Jaren won't be a big name for rookie of the year consideration, but his impact on both sides of the floor will be noticeable. He is able to spread the floor and knock down the 3 point shot. He averaged nearly 3 blocks a game for Michigan State but had trouble rebounding the ball against college-level athletes, which might mean an even harder time doing so at the professional level.
He needs to get stronger at the next level to develop his rebounding and a stronger post game. Overall, he will be a safe pick and will be a nice piece to add alongside Denis Smith Jr. for the Mavs future.
With the 4th pick, the Memphis Grizzlies select Mohamed Bamba
Bamba has drawn many comparisons to Rudy Gobert due to his elite rim protection and ability to defend multiple position. Bamba will be a a defensive force in the NBA with his big size and his NBA record 7'10 wingspan. He was among the leaders in college basketball in block percentage and total blocks made, which is why the comparisons to The French Rejection bear merit.
He has shown some flashes of brilliance as a shooter, but he will need to develop a quicker and smoother release for it translate at the NBA level. With Bamba, the Grizzlies will have a nice complimentary piece to Marc Gasol for the bench lineup. He can also serve as the centerpiece for the francise to build around if they choose to blow up their roster.
With the 3rd pick, the Atlanta Hawks select Luka Doncic
Doncic is the most successful European prospect the NBA has ever had in the draft class. I believe Luka is the best prospect in the class. The comparisons he has drawn to Manu Ginobili and James Harden are all legitimate. His passing ability is streets ahead of other players at his age. He has been playing professionally for years for Real Madrid, and has had major success as a teenager.
The Hawks have no pieces aside from Kent Bazemore, John Collins and Taurean Prince. With Schroeder wanting out and most likely getting traded before the start of training camp, Doncic can take over the primary ball handling duties for the team. There is a possibility the Hawks take Jaren Jackson Jr. or Mohamed Bamba to compliment Collins on the front court with this pick.
With the 2nd pick, the Sacramento Kings select Marvin Bagley III
Again this pick is based off team needs. The Kings have ball-handlers and wing players for their future in Fox, Hield and Bogdanovic. They do have Cauley-Stein, but he has not been very impactful offensively. This allows them to insert Bagley straight into their frontcourt while finding ways to either trade Cauley-Stein or to keep him in the rotation off the bench.
The Kings will be getting a potential 20 and 10 guy who is polished enough to make an impact for the team straight away. In all probability, he will be in consideration for Rookie of the Year. Bagley had an amazing season at Duke this past year and was constantly in discussion for College National Player of the Year.
With the 1st pick, the Phoenix Suns select DeAndre Ayton
I personally believe that Luka Doncic is the best prospect in this draft class, however in terms of team needs the Suns should take Ayton. Standing over 7 feet tall, Suns fans will drool at the thought of having a core of Ayton and Booker. The big man has already proclaimed that the combination of Booker and himself will remind viewers of Kobe and Shaq - evidently, the youngster is not lacking for confidence.
Ayton was very dominant in his first year at Arizona on the offensive end and has drawn comparisons to Karl Anthony Towns. Ayton has many questions surrounding his defence, as he ranked quite low on both steal and block rates in college basketball. Much of that can, however, be attributed to the Wildcats' strategy of fielding two-big 'Twin Tower' lineups.
