NBA Draft: Mock Draft for Picks 11-20

Earlier this week I posted a mock draft regarding the top 10 picks in the draft, you can go check that out and come back to this piece to keep up with my draft predictions.

With these next ten picks, we have some lottery teams that will search to build upon their young core and some winning teams that will look to find pieces to push them further into the playoffs. This draft is very heavy on talent towards the beginning, however, there are some talented prospects that will be helpful and effective members of any team.

Players like Kevin Knox, who I see falling out of the top ten, could very well be a future star. He is a raw prospect now, who did not have a big showing at Kentucky, but he could develop into a reliable starter if he falls to the right system. Other players like Lonnie Walker, Miles Bridges, and Mikaal Bridges won't necessarily be stars, but they could be good scoring wings for any playoff team.

Let's see who the teams within the 11-20 range could draft this coming Thursday:

With the 11th pick, the Charlotte Hornets select Kevin Knox

Kevin Knox, a freshman from Kentucky

As mentioned earlier, Kevin Knox could become a star. Knox had a fairly underwhelming season at Kentucky. It must be reminded that he is not even 19 yet. Knox had his share of struggles. His 3-point shot does need to improve, as he shot under 35% from 3 in college. He is a versatile scorer, as he can attack the rim and knock some mid-range jumpers. He has drawn comparisons to Tobias Harris with his smaller frame and ability to play the power forward position.

It will need to be determined whether Knox is going to play the small forward or the power forward. He needs to put more effort on defence, but his potential overall will be enough for a lottery team to take a chance. Charlotte made a mistake last year taking Monk instead of Mitchell, and they may be doing more scouting to be cautious this year. I do believe Knox could be part of that next core with Monk as the Hornets try to figure out their direction.

With the 12th pick, the LA Clippers select Collin Sexton

Collin Sexton

I see Sexton as an improved version of Patrick Beverley.

He shares a similar defensive intensity with flashes of a strong offensive game. Coming off a good season with Alabama, Sexton has shown he can be a lockdown defender and he is capable of being aggressive and finishing at the rim. His comparisons are Eric Bledsoe and Patrick Beverley for his strong work ethic and bulldog presence.

Here, the Clippers could be getting their point guard of the future. He may never be a star, but he could be a dependable starter for a contending team. The Clippers are still trying to compete while doing a rebuild. Adding Sexton and the next pick will be great additions to the team to get them back into the playoffs.

With the 13th pick, the Los Angeles Clippers select Lonnie Walker IV

Lonnie Walker

Lonnie Walker is a scorer. He could form a nice backcourt with Collin Sexton. Sexton's defence and Walker's scoring touch could be complementary to each other. Walker could put up anywhere between 15-20 points a game during his career. The Clippers could use some scoring to help Tobias Harris and Austin Rivers.

Walker does have flaws, his offensive game does need to improve in terms of his passing and shot discipline. I do believe Doc Rivers will be able to coach Walker into being a faster, smarter shooter, and become a stronger defender. He could be a good starter or a decent 6th or 7th man off the bench.

With the 14th pick, the Denver Nuggets select Zhaire Smith

Zhaire Smith

Zhaire Smith has the potential to be a good 3 and D guy for a team. He is a versatile defender who can guard multiple positions and for his smaller size, he is an effective rebounder. Offensively, he is a smart passer and I do believe he can knock down the 3 point shot as he shot 45% off only 40 attempts for Texas Tech. In comparison, Mikaal Bridges shot a similar per cent off of 239 attempts.

For the Nuggets, their backcourt may be set with Jamal Murray and Gary Harris. Smith could be a nice small forward to add to the young core and provide some defensive intensity and wreck havoc for other wing players, to push the Nuggets into the playoffs next season.

With the 15th pick, the Washington Wizards select Robert Williams

Robert Williams

Robert Williams is one of the few remaining big men that will be left on the board for the first round. The Wizards are set with guards and wings, with Wall, Beal, Porter, and Oubre. They could add to their big man depth by drafting Robert Williams. Williams is similar to Deandre Jordan. He shares the same explosive dunks and will be a good interior defender. He averaged 2.5 blocks a game this past season and will strike fear in a big man who intend to match up with him and attack the paint.

He will need to improve his shot if he wants to be an effective centre in today's NBA. He plays a more traditional style in comparison to today's modern centre. Lastly, he excels at the pick and roll and could be very useful with an All-Star point guard like John Wall.

With the 16th pick, the Phoenix Suns select Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

The third point guard off the board. SGA is the best defender out of the three and will need to improve his offensive instincts to be an effective player in today's NBA. The Suns also have the first overall pick, who many expect will be Deandre Ayton. By pairing SGA with Devin Booker, you will have a nice combination of offence with Booker and lengthy defence with SGA.

He has drawn comparisons to Shaun Livingston for being a tall point guard with strong defensive IQ. The Suns' young core will be even better with a young point guard and a young centre to add to their already growing young core. He needs to be more disciplined as a facilitator and will need to work on his shooting.

With the 17th pick, the Milwaukee Bucks select Troy Brown Jr.

Troy Brown Jr.

Troy Brown could be a facilitator for the Bucks, which is an aspect I do believe they could use. Brown stands at 6'6 and plays shooting guard, however his passing instincts could allow him to shift over to the point guard position and create mismatches with smaller guards. He is a strong defender, which is another aspect the Bucks are in dire need of.

Brown won't make the Bucks go from being a weak defensive team to the best in the league, but he will be helpful off the bench or playing alongside either Eric Bledsoe or Malcolm Brogdon. He will need to improve his shooting and his versatility on offence, but his size and playmaking skills will make him a great candidate for the Bucks.

With the 18th pick, the San Antonio Spurs select Keita Bates-Diop

Keita Bates-Diop

Another wing player who is capable of being a good two-way player. Bates-Diop stands 6'8 and is a strong defender, who will be capable of guarding multiple positions. On offence, he can post up and attack the rim. He is capable of knocking down the 3 point shot, but he will need to improve this skill before it becomes reliable.

He is not a very fast player and may struggle to be a shot creator, so he could be used as a spot up shooter for the Spurs. This franchise is currently going through hell with their superstar wanting out, assuming no trades are made during the draft, the Spurs can rely on Bates-Diop to provide some versatility off the bench.

With the 19th pick, the Atlanta Hawks select Kevin Huerter

Kevin Huerter

With my earlier mock draft, I predicted the Hawks to land Doncic with the third pick. If that happens I think Huerter will be a nice fit alongside Doncic. Huerter is a great spot-up shooter and can pull up off the dribble to knock down a mid-range shot. He shot 41% from three this past season on close to 200 attempts. He stands 6'7 and will probably play the shooting guard position.

With this size, he will be a defensive mismatch and cause problems for opposing guards or wings. He plays hard on defence and his effort will be a very big positive for the Hawks who will consider drafting him. The Hawks are currently trying to rebuild and by pairing a skilled playmaker with Doncic alongside a sharpshooter like Huerter, it will be a nice core to add to Taurean Prince and John Collins for the future.

With the 20th pick, the Minnesota Timberwolves select Elie Okobo

Elie Okobo

Okobo is a good scoring point guard from France, who could provide strong numbers off the bench in place of Jeff Teague. He is still learning to play Point Guard, but his versatility on offence with pull-ups, attacking the rim, and spotting up to shoot will add some scoring to the Timberwolves bench. He is a good passer who will need to improve, but I believe he will, as he learns the responsibility and role as a point guard. Defensively Okobo is decent. He needs to put more effort on that side of the ball (a trend for a lot of the young core in Minnesota).

Hopefully, Thibodeau and Butler can bring out the defensive potential out of Okobo. He could be a very good starter but will need time. By going to Minnesota he will be able to learn from a playoff team and from veteran Point Guard Jeff Teague.

With these 10 picks, there are a lot of players who could be useful starters or good bench players. Keep in mind, last year Donovan Mitchell fell in this range and look how he turned out. Anyone of these players, if in the right system, can blossom into a steal and who knows maybe a year from now, we will be arguing who really was the best point guard from this draft class?

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