Sheldon Wohlman of Utility Sports celebrates the 2024 NBA All-Star weekend with a brand new 2024 NBA Mock Draft featuring the entire first round of nba draft picks. Cody Williams makes a push for the number one pick conversation. Alex Sarr remains a headliner of the 2024 NBA Draft class but hot names like Zaccharie Risacher, Nikola Topic, Ryan Dunn, Rob Dillingham, Reed Sheppard and more make their cases as potential lottery picks and sure-fire first round selections during the NBA Draft this year. Comment below who you want your team to draft. Leave a like and subscribe for more NBA Content!
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0:00 – Intro & 2024 NBA Mock Draft Preview
0:18 – Pick 1 – Detroit Pistons – Cody Williams
4:11 – Pick 2 – Washington Wizards – Alex Sarr
7:20 – Pick 3 – San Antonio Spurs – Nikola Topic
9:39 – Pick 4 – Charlotte Hornets – Ron Holland
11:39 – Pick 5 – Portland Trail Blazers – Zaccharie Risacher
14:09 – Pick 6 – Toronto Raptors – Rob Dillingham
17:06 – Pick 7 – Memphis Grizzlies – Matas Buzelis
19:02 – Pick 8 – Houston Rockets (via Brooklyn Nets) – Reed Sheppard
21:23 – Pick 9 – Atlanta Hawks – Ja’Kobe Walter
23:03 – Pick 10 – OKC Thunder (via Houston Rockets) – Tidjane Salaun
25:52 – Pick 11 – OKC Thunder (via Utah Jazz) – Ryan Dunn
28:45 – Pick 12 – Chicago Bulls – Donovan Clingan
31:05 – Pick 13 – Portland Trail Blazers (via Golden State Warriors) – Tyler Smith
33:58 – Pick 14 – Los Angeles Lakers – Yves Missi
36:55 – Pick 15 – Orlando Magic – Isaiah Collier
40:10 – Pick 16 – Miami Heat – Stephon Castle
41:38 – Pick 17 – Toronto Raptors (via Indiana Pacers – Kyle Filipowski
43:14 – Pick 18 – Atlanta Hawks (via Sacramento Kings) – Bobi Klintman
44:39 – Pick 19 – New York Knicks (via Dallas Mavericks) – Kyshawn George
45:59 – Pick 20 – Philadelphia 76ers – Dalton Knecht
48:29 – Pick 21 – New Orleans Pelicans – Kel’el Ware
50:05 – Pick 22 – Phoenix Suns – Jared McCain
51:51 – Pick 23 – New York Knicks – Ajay Mitchell
55:05 – Pick 24 – Milwaukee Bucks – Johnny Furphy
56:38 – Pick 25 – Denver Nuggets – DaRon Holmes II
58:44 – Pick 26 – Washington Wizards (via LA Clippers) – Hunter Sallis
1:00:28 – Pick 27 – Cleveland Cavaliers – Kevin McCullar
1:02:08 – Pick 28 – Utah Jazz (via OKC Thunder) – Izan Almansa
1:03:50 – Pick 29 – Minnesota Timberwolves – Trentyn Flowers
1:06:41 – Pick 30 – Boston Celtics – Carlton “Bub” Carrington
1:09:20 – Like, Subscribe & Comment for more NBA Draft Content
Hey there everyone welcome back to utility Sports super excited for another 2024 NBA Mock Draft I’m really excited for this one so let’s not waste too much time and jump into it here make sure you guys are subscribed leave a like comment today lets me know you guys are enjoying
The videos and first overall we’ve got the Detroit Pistons so very important note keeping aspect here we are doing this mock draft based on the NBA standings as of Allstar Weekend so if you don’t like the order it’s kind of just the way that things are right now
Based on standing so that’s where we’re at and with the first overall pick we’ve got the Detroit Pistons and this is not a familiar territory for them they’ve been in this spot recently they drafted K Cunningham a few years ago and then the last couple of drafts I feel like
They’ve done a pretty good job they’ve had a the fifth overall pick a couple of times Jade iy and alar Thompson Jaylen Duran was an absolute home run pick at number 13 as well so this team’s in a a spot where they have a lot of young talent I think that they’re figuring
Things out here on the Fly of course they started the season horrendously had a huge losing streak the longest in NBA history but they’re at a spot now where I think they’re finding some things that work they’re finding some of their identity and now it’s an opportunity to surround their
Current existing young Talent with more talent and in this 2024 NBA draft the big question is who will go first overall and I think it’s really dependent on which team actually gets the first overall pick in real life because in this draft there’s not a clear 1A Victor wanyama type player that
Everyone knows is going to be the first overall selection this year it will come down a lot more to how teams evaluate certain prospects are they higher on one guy or not and that’s going to play into this as well when we talk about fit in a
Lot of my previous mocks I have just landed with Alex SAR who I think currently uh if you had me put money on it today I would bet him being the best player in the draft when it’s all said and done but I think the Pistons with
Some of their spacing issues and things that they need to continue improving on they will not go alexar in this mock draft so instead with the first overall pick here I have the Detroit Pistons selecting Cody Williams out of Colorado and I have been very impressed by him
This season and coming into the year he was one of the players I highlighted as a potential highriser coming into this college season he’s the brother of now Oklahoma City thunderstar Jaylen Williams and he’s got similar aspects to his game although there’s other things that separate him from his brother one
He’s further along than jayen was at this age he’s a much better play and Prospect now than Jaylen Williams was as a true freshman many years ago of course Jaylen Williams spent multiple Seasons at Santa Clara Cody Williams is a oneandone prospect because there’s a lot
To work with already he’s got a thin slender frame that I think you could build upon when it gets into an actual NBA wait room and one thing I really like about Cody Williams is his ability to put the ball in the deck and make plays not necessarily just as a
Facilitator he does that to a small extent right now I think there’s a lot of fruit there on the tree for a team to grab and work with and improve upon but really the big thing is he’s able to get to spots on the floor score the
Basketball and I know people are going to point to his three-point shot he’s a hesitant three-point shooter right now only shooting about two attempts per game but he’s been connecting on a pretty good deal of those uh attempts making over one three-pointer a game at points in this season and then also just
Recently he’s hovering anywhere from about 45% to 50% from three on the season he’s been a highly productive player on the season I think he’s somebody that really stands out to me as a likely or potential number one pick in this year’s draft because he has all of
The tools and traits you’re looking for he’s a lengthy athletic wing and when it’s all said and done skilled length and athleticism and size are really what teams and GMS and Executives value the most when Cody Williams gets into individual workouts later in the draft process I think he’s going to stand out
To a bunch of teams and there’s a good chance that a team like Detroit who needs a little bit more Wing Talent some shooting I think Cody Williams there’s hope that he grows into becoming a very good good shooter at the NBA level at some point he’s going to be a home run
Pick for a team like Detroit still looking to add and Implement more young Talent especially on the wing around Kate Cunningham and Jaden Ivy moving into pick number two we have the Washington Wizards and I just want to really commend what the Wizards are doing here I think they had another very
Good trade deadline I think Michael Winger and Will Dawkins since getting into Washington have only made great decisions a lot of the moves that they have made have been pick oriented and they’ve set themselves up with a pick Surplus now to continue working they traded Daniel Gafford for a first round
Pick if you would have asked me over a month ago if I thought that was going to be a reality I would have been a little bit more hesitant on that just thought that hey his value is probably closer to three or four second round picks but
They were able to net a true first round pick for him so credit to them for that and they’re in a spot here now with a player that I love that I think could be a a franchise defining player in some aspects specifically on the defensive
End of the floor he PA’s here now second overall and he’s going to fill that void of Daniel Gafford who they just traded with the second overall pick I have the Washington Wizards selecting Alex sar from the Perth Wildcats and he has been tremendous this season in the NBL uh one
Of the more athletic big men in recent memory he moves his feet extremely well he’s someone who’s able to adjust and contort his body side to side he flips his hips extremely well for a big man and really the name of the game here if you’re drafting alexar is what he’s
Going to bring for you defensively the versatility you could probably play him at Power Forward uh as a four because he’s switchable he can go out in space and guard fours in today’s NBA but he stands at 7′ one which gives you the flexibility to you know playing him at
Center and not just for 4minute burst for extended stretches of time he could be an NBA Center I think especially as he puts on more weight gets a little bit stronger and adjusts to the NBA game he’s going to become a very good big man whether that’s playing at the four or
Five this gives you lineup flexibility which I think is very important in today’s NBA especially if you’re a team like Washington where your rebuild is further than just what you’re looking to do this draft cycle if the Wizards go into next year and find a way to get the
Number one overall pick and take Cooper flag you look at what could be one of the best D Dynamic defensive Duos in the league with SAR and fle in your front court but regardless the Wizards are an atrocious defensive team right now they need someone who could become an
Identity builder for them on that end of the floor and having a big man who at some point in time probably not right away because it’s a really difficult position to play but down the road someone who projects to be someone who can switch out in space play as a hedge
And recover Defender be in drop at times protect the rim as a weak side help uh shop blocker he does all of those things he checks all the boxes now offensively he’s still rather raw I think there’s a lot of tools to work with there but he’s
Probably not going to come into the league and average 18 19 20 points per game he’s probably going to be anywhere from 12 to 145 depending on what his role and usage looks like but I still think there there’s going to be a lot to
Work with there’s a lot of meat on the bone here for alexar he’s a talented Prospect and I think the Wizards are getting a home run pick here second overall and what again is deemed as a weak draft I don’t think so there’s a lot of talent in here there’s a lot of
Players who I think are going to be high impact contributors for winning basketball down the road and I think Alex R is the headliner for me in this year’s draft so far pick number three we move on to the San Antonio Spurs I would love to see Alex SAR playing in San
Antonio next to wanyama think about that defensive front court but here the Spurs they’re in a spot where they can address one of their biggest needs and I think it’s been very clear this season when Trey Jones is on the floor this team’s actually pretty good and when he’s not
On the floor they’re actually really bad and it’s because of the lack of other Playmakers specifically around Victor wanyama Jeremy Sohan I know at the beginning of the year a lot of people were flaming him Greg papovich was trying to put him in a position to
Develop and see what you really had is there any chance that he could be a point guard or a real point forward type I think we’ve seen him kind of Rel at back to his normal role which has been better for him he’s been been he’s been
Playing much better as of late which is a Real Testament to his talent still I know a lot of people got very low on him very quickly but I still think there’s a lot to work with there with Jeremy Sohan so the Spurs here now third overall they
Have a chance to drastically improve their team with this selection and with this pick I have the San Antonio Spurs selecting nicoa topic playing now currently in the Euro league for Red Star he also spent some time in mega basket this year and he’s been a really great playmaker that’s really the thing
That stands out the most to me is if I had to go and rank all of The Playmakers in the draft right now when it comes to a facilitating standpoint I would put nicoa Topic at the top of the list he’s got incredible passing Vision he’s got
Good feel for the game he’s ran a ton of different NBA styled actions of course the NBA is a big-time copycat League they take a lot of what the Euro league does a lot of the standard actions Spain is one that stands out to me tow pitch
Has a lot of reps running that already he’s also just very accustomed to handling the basketball running High pick and roll spread pick and roll uh side pick and roll he does a lot of those kind of things a lot right now both when he was playing in mega basket
And now he’s getting some of those reps in the Euro league especially now coming back healthy over these next couple of weeks I think he’s going to be a player that the Spurs if they get him in the building he’s not only going to set up wanyama very well which wanyama is
Already a top 25 player in the world to me but you’re looking at the opportunity now to actually improve your team this is going to maximize Devon Vel hopefully maximize Kell Johnson Jeremy Sohan and the entire team takes a big step forward by getting one more facilitator in the
Room even if it isn’t Trey young we’ll talk about that in future videos moving on to pick number four we have the Charlotte Hornets and Brandon Miller’s been balling out lately and the Hornets have a great opportunity to add to their existing young core of lamelo ball
Brandon Miller and Mark Williams and I think with this selection here it’s really pivotal that the Hornets address something that they don’t have a lot of right now and to me the answer that they need to to find is downhill creation physicality it’s one of the reasons why
I thought scoot Henderson would have still been a very good fit in Charlotte is when lamelo balls out of the game their offenses pretty lackluster I would say now obviously they’ve made some changes they got Trey Mann at the deadline so things look a little bit
Different now than they did at the draft last year but they’re still in a spot here where I think they need a little bit more downhill juice someone who finishes at The Rim can finish through contact play through physicality and for me the player that stands out is Ron
Holland from G League ignite the fourth overall pick I think he’s a good fit here in Charlotte gives them some more much needed scoring punch and he’s a player who gives them that downhill juice that I think they’re just currently lacking Brandon Miller an extremely Adept mid-range shooter and
Three-point shooter obviously an outside inside game uh everyone knows the Paul George comp I think that’s played out relatively well this year uh and then lamelo ball uh you know he’s pretty reliant on floaters he does a good job probing the lane does a lot of nice
Things off the dribble of course as both a facilitator and a deep range scorer but Holland gives you that little bit of locomotive juice to go into bodies play through traffic now Ron Holland is out for the rest of the g-league season out of precaution for a thumb injury so his
Season’s over here but I think Ron Holland even though the g-league ignite program has been kind of a let down again this season they just don’t win very many games there’s probably going to be some adjustments that come to the g-league ignite program I don’t think
Ron Holland is really at the center of those issues although he has his own fair share of problems he’s going to turn over the basketball but I think playing next to someone like ball with spacing around him for example Brandon Miller I think you’re going to be able
To maximize him pretty quickly and I think he’s going to be a pretty good fit here into Charlotte fourth overall moving on to pick number five we now have the Portland Trailblazers and the Blazers here are in an interesting spot obviously they have their young core already kind of established scoot
Henderson I still think is going to be a fantastic All-Star caliber guard in this league uh I’ve had the pleasure of watching him in person as I have with many teams this year uh and he’s really impressed me still I know people are going to be really low on him his field
Goal percentage is low he’s not shooting the three very well trust me small young guard he’s going to learn quickly he’s going to continue to get better and by year two or three of his career we’re going to really start to see him pop and and and take the necessary steps forward
To becoming an All-Star guard in this league but I think for the Blazers it’s about getting skilled sides that complement scoot Henderson and Shaden sharp and really what did the Blazers need I think a little bit more true shooting on the floor and this is a player who I considered first overall I
Considered him second third fourth overall um honestly you could say fifth overall is too low for him based on how he’s played this year and I think that’s fair taking Zachary rasare from J Borg the French Prospect who can really light it up from behind the arc he is shooting
The ball so so well this season and for a variety of reasons I think he’s a great fit here into Portland one he has a lot of natural sze there’s rumors right now that he’s measuring in around 6′ 10 I’m probably more likely to believe that he’s about 6’9 at this
Point but either way you’re looking at a tall lengthy Prospect who can probably play the three or four depending on what you really need him to do gives you some more lineup flexibility obviously the Blazers already have Jeremy Grant in the building so you could look at Rach share
Being the compliment to grant for the short term while you’re still probably exploring and finding ways to get more young Talent around scoot Henderson and shanen sharp I think Rea share’s ability to stretch the floor he’s shooting the ball at a very high clip this season for
JL Berg and he’s going to be a really great fit in Portland uh as a player who can maximize scoot Henderson by opening up the court for him a bit more giving him maybe a good pick and pop option at times if that’s something Portland would
Want to lean into while also still just being a natural spot up guy play off the catch a bit um and I think as we see re AER take steps forward in his own development he’ll probably get a little bit more comfortable with the ball in his hands although I’m not expecting
That to ever become a primary trade of his I still think he’s a player who could be pretty impressive um off the ball and as someone who maybe is a timely cutter at times uh but really just makes his money from the three-point line and I think that’s a
Huge part of the NBA game right now and I think it would also do scoot Henderson wonders there in Portland moving on to pick number six we have the Toronto Raptors here and this pick is a must watch down the stretch of the season with about 25 to 30 Games
Remaining in the NBA schedule this year the Raptors are musty television because there’s a lot lying on this draft pick for them it is top six protected to the San Antonio Spurs so if you’re a Spurs fan watching this you’re probably disappointed right now to not see this
Be pick number seven because there’s a good chance that that actually happens if a team leap frogs in the lottery the Raptors will fall down a spot and this pick would convey to San Antonio and I’m sure Raptors fans are saying well we want the pick to convey you don’t really
Want it to convey if it’s pick number seven so the Raptors are an interesting spot here it’s kind of a tricky subject tricky situation keeping your pick is always good and this is going to be the potential payoff from the aqua purle tra but sixth overall here I have the
Toronto Raptor selecting Rob Dillingham out of Kentucky this is one of the most interesting picks in this draft Rob Dillingham has been a sixthman spark plug off the bench for the Wildcats this year not very often do you see a player going in the top 10 who did not start
Frequently for his college program uh an example that pops into my mind is Zack LaVine back when he was at UCLA but Dillingham here for me is a player who I think could be really electric for a team like Toronto who already got Emanuel quickly they did shed Dennis
Shooter’s contract at the deadline um and bought out Spencer deny so I think there is a backup point guard spot open there in Toronto and I think Dillingham probably would go from sixth man at the college ranks to sixth man at the NBA ranks and he would probably thrive in
That role he’s just been awesome this season uh for the Kentucky Wildcats just providing a bunch of bench scoring for them and I think for the Raptors it’s about getting more floor spacing more speed in the building and I think Dillingham can do a lot of that for you
He’s shooting the ball extremely well this season uh and he’s also someone who I know he’s smaller people are going to point to that and that might be one reason why people will expect him to potentially fall I think it would be a mistake for him to fall outside of the
Top 10 in this year’s draft just given kind of the strength of the draft and where Dillingham is at as a prospect right now he I still think he’s an extremely athletic player both when it comes to downhill quickness and as actual verticality he’s someone who’s throwing down windmill dunks at times
This season now it doesn’t come in bunches for him he’s not going to throw down 100 dunks in an NBA season he’ll probably throw down anywh from 5 to 15 but those 5 to 15 are going to be pretty electric and I think even though he’s
Not going to be someone who punches the ball home on in traffic he’s got more athleticism than people give him credit for vertically and I think just with his shot making his ability to generate open looks for not only himself but others that’s been really one positive I’ve
Seen from him this year uh just his ability to run the pick and roll navigate a defense get open looks for others he’s a clean Shot Generator for others while still being a difficult shot maker himself and I think that combination should lock him into the top
10 in this year’s draft and I think Toronto is getting a really good player here sixth overall pick number seven we have the Memphis Grizzlies now the Grizzlies are another team that we have to keep our eyes on down the stretch I’m still waiting for a big move from them I think
They’re positioned to potentially find a way to get something done this deadline or this offseason excuse me but I think if they keep the pick they’re still in a great spot here especially with who’s Fallen a little bit in this mock draft that is Matas buellis from g-league
Ignite he’s been an instrumental piece in their season I know that they haven’t had a good year but they’re significantly better with mates buus healthy and on the floor he missed the beginning of the season the team could not buy a win since he’s come back
They’ve been a bit more stable a bit more consistent and you saw him in the rising stars game actually hit a gamewinner as the g-league ignite team or the team G League actually took down Victor web Bama’s team which is uh just a crazy upset um during the all-star
Weekend but mates bu to me is a player who I think would compliment Memphis well um in the past I’ve labeled him as someone with point forward qualities now I’m not saying he’s a point guard I’m not saying he’s going to run your offense but you can put the ball in his
Hands occasionally he could function off of Zoom action a lot where you put the ball in his hands and let him work off of handoffs and screens get him downhill moving that way and I think he’s a capable enough passer to beat defenses that way he likes to post up a bit he’s
About 6′ 10 uh lengthy with a little bit of a handle so there’s a lot to work with here I think you know the big questions are going to be what does his toughness look like defensively how switchable is he is he purely a power forward in the NBA can he play small
Forward or power forward that’s going to be some of the big questions around his game but I like buellis a lot I’ve been extremely high on him for quite some time he played his high school basketball uh at Sunrise Christian in Kansas and I think he’s just a player
Who is going to continue to get better he has a lot of the traits you’re looking for um and coming into the draft cycle this year I thought he was a potential number one draft choice hasn’t really played out that way but there’s still a lot to love here about this pick
For the Memphis Grizzlies pick number eight we now move on to the Houston Rockets here and listen they’ve had a very good season for themselves this pick comes from the Brooklyn Nets from the James Harden trade that was made seemingly a half decade ago now it’s crazy how you know
Trades so long ago just continued to impact draft cycles and we’re at a spot now where the Rockets have a really Prime opportunity to add good talent and I think there’s a few things on the checklist that they need to address I think some more secondary playmaking
Would be really good for them you can never have enough guys who can handle the basketball and make decisions secondly and I think this is probably their biggest need now after trading for Steven Adams who will be a big help to them Inc coming seasons is finding
Shooting they need someone who can space the floor play off of Amen Thompson play off of Jaylen green play off of Fred Van vet and just really provide a spacer to them I think it would do wonders to their offense having someone who has some connectivity to him but also just
Stretches the flooor naturally and the prospect that just really stands out to me here and a prospect that I really like we’re going back to the well here of Kentucky guards eighth overall I have the Houston Rockets selecting Reed Shepard a player who just to me is going
To make the right play a lot of the time a player I’ve compared him to is a better shooting Austin Reeves and based on where Austin Reeves is at right now as a player the media’s perception of him fan perception of him if you’re getting a better shooting version of
That getting a heck of a player and I think that’s exactly what the Rockets are in line here for the analytics scouting people will love read Shepard all of the analytics are going to point to him being a really good high impact contributor on an NBA roster and I think
From the eye test as well he’s just somebody who is always under control he’s got a good handle to him he just seemingly makes the right play a lot of the time and again and i’ I’ve said it last year I said it last year t with Brandon psky who’s having a fantastic
Rookie season for the Golden State Warriors you want to bet on the dribble drible pass shoot guys Reed Shepard is someone who can dribble pass and shoot and I know it sounds really basic it sounds really Elementary but when you have players who are just flat out
Skilled and they have all the technical strengths that you’re looking for to complement your star players and your really good young Talent if you’re Houston Reed Shepard’s a guy who not only does he fit in he’s probably going to help Elevate the rest of your roster
As well and that’s why it’s a home run pick here eth overall for the Rockets pick number nine we move on to Atlanta who’s in quite a bit of a tricky situation right now when it comes to figuring out their long-term future will dejonte Murray be a part of that will
Clint capella be a part of that there’s a lot of unknown for me right now for Atlanta so I think the big thing going into this draft for me when I’m mocking selections for them before we have real Clarity on which way they’re going to go it’s about finding a player who’s going
To fit seamlessly around other Talent regardless of who’s on the roster or not and the player that stands out to me here ninth overall for the Atlanta Hawks is jacobe Walter from Baylor I went back and forth on if jacobe Walter would get mocked eighth overall to Houston or if
That would be Reed Shepard I landed on Shepard I just think he’s the better player but jacobe Walter is a player who stands out to a lot of people he’s a pretty good athlete he shoots the ball extremely well now this year his numbers are a little bit down at Baylor I think
Kind of disappointing for his actual talent level his very first ever college game he scored 28 points and I think there’s been a lot of those flashes along the way this season as well for him he is somebody who I think could be a nice high imp player for a team this
Season and I think that or going into next season excuse me and jacobe Walter to me while Atlanta has all of these question marks of who’s going to be on the roster and what way do we want to build finding someone who is a wing shooter who can defend across a couple
Positions he’s just going to fit in as a good quality Wing in the NBA it’s a really safe pick it’s not a franchise altering selection probably but it’s a it’s a decision that regardless of what other decisions you have to make along the way jacobe Walter is going to be
Able to find his way onto the floor and he’s going to be able to make an impact regardless of who he’s playing around pick number 10 we move on to the Oklahoma City Thunder here and I’m very excited for this selection this is one of my favorite mocks in the entire Mock
Draft today and the reason why with this pick coming from the Houston Rockets the Thunder have a great opportunity here to improve their team drastically get a player who addresses some of their big needs but also still fits into their strengths and there’s not a lot of
Players that are like this player in the draft pick number 10 I have the Oklahoma City Thunder selecting tijon Salon playing for cholet in France right now in the L&B Pro a league and I think based on what we saw last year around Bal kulali and around Victor wanyama
There’s more belief right now in overseas leagues that Scouts are more comfortable evaluating talent there because they’ve spent more time there over the last couple of Seasons evaluating the league they’re more aware of you know what the competition level looks like and how those players now
Translate to the NBA W Bama’s been great in the league we know Bak kali’s been pretty impactful as a rookie for the Wizards in you know limited minutes at times in a limited role he’s still been quite good and I think tjon Salon a player who’s relatively raw there’s
Going to be a belief that he could translate very very well to the league because he’s got the requisite size athleticism he’s got the physical profile you’re looking for and I think Oklahoma City is a natural great fit for him because right now if I had to
Describe him in two words I would probably label him as a play finisher or in as a player who finishes advantages and what I mean by that when you’re looking at someone who finishes advantages he’s probably not like your offensive engine he’s not the guy who’s going to create open shots for others
He’s not the guy who’s going to self create off the dribble and and step back into into three-pointers and can him with someone in his face what he’s going to do though is he’s going to play very well in transition he’s going to score in three on two opportunities he’s going
To back cut and score and he’s quite good at all of those things so when you think about the way that Oklahoma City plays they might have the best Advantage Creator in the entire NBA in Shay gild just Alexander and the way that their offense has established Mark digal has
Done a great job over the last three or four years really building the team identity to play the way that they currently do now which is pace and space they space the floor extremely well they open up a ton of driving Lanes they’re very creative with small to small
Screens they ghost a bunch of screens they do a lot of creative stuff and it opens up a lot of opportunities for for driving lanes and for downhill attacks out of Advantage especially after Shay G just Alexander gets two feet in the paint kicks the ball out after the
Defense collapses now you’re attacking close outs and I think this is where T John Salon could have a lot of success playing off of that and if his three-point shot starts to fall he’s a really tremendous fit in Oklahoma City providing a little bit more length and
Size next to Chad homr playing the four while homeg grin’s at the five pick 11 we’re staying on the topic of the Oklahoma City Thunder and with back toback picks here this one comes from the Utah Jazz this is another key pick to watch this is top 10 protected
The fact that it falls to 11 here based on standings that’s going to be a very essential thing to keep our eyes on because it’s possible the Thunder have two picks in the lottery it’s possible that they only have one so we’re going to have to really watch and see exactly
What happens here with this selection but 11th overall now where do I have the Thunder going that’s a good question it’s a difficult decision here because I feel like we’ve already addressed a big need for them with Salon the pick prior I’ve kind of bounced back and forth with
Ideas there’s a lot of different players I could see them going with and targeting and and looking at them as huge upgrades into their roster I’m going with something they just don’t have right now they have a lot of really good Defenders they don’t have anybody like this because there’s really not a
Lot of players in the league like this period 11th overall I have the Oklahoma City Thunder selecting Ryan Dunn he’s a freakish Wing at about 6’8 6’9 he can guard across a ton of positions he is very sound technically with his defensive footwork he does a great job
Keeping guys in front of him limiting uh straight line drives he cuts off guys extremely well off the dribble but he might be one of the best defensive Playmakers I’ve ever evaluated in his most recent game he had eight blocks that’s right eight blocks so you might
Be wondering okay if this guy’s a lock down Defender potentially who also gets in the passing Lanes he’s going to block a ton of shots he’s a freak athlete why is he going 11th overall it’s because he’s not a very talented offensive player and when I say not very talented
I mean he’s not talented offensively period now he is shooting extremely well at The Rim this season and on twos his numbers look quite good and the reason for that is his shot selection basically all of his field goals this year have come right at The Rim on dunks or layups
Because he is more athletic than 99% of college players it’s just the reality so when he gets to the NBA and he’s faced with better athletes better Rim protectors and a bunch of teams won’t respect his three-point shot it’s going to change the way his offensive game looks pretty drastically so that’s the
Downside here and how does that clog up Oklahoma City’s offense that’s my big concern that’s why I kind of went back and forth on this of does Ryan Dunn actually make sense for Oklahoma City but I think he’s too intriguing of a defensive prospect for the Thunder to
Pass on here just given their amount of assets if it doesn’t work out with Dunn no big deal you wash your hands of him 3 four years from now but if he does hit oh my goodness and the only thing that he really has to do to become a quality
Like a highquality NBA player I think has become a average three-point shooter from the corner specifically if he can get his Corner three-point percentage up to 35 36% which that’s a pretty drastic amount from where he’s at right now I’m not betting on him to get there but I’m
Saying if he ever found a way to oh my goodness you’re looking at a huge steal here 11th overall and I think would be a fascinating get for the Oklahoma City Thunder in this draft moving on to pick number 12 we have the Chicago Bulls and
While there’s a lot of guards on the board here that I would like to mock we have some teams that I just don’t think need to Target those guards I think the Thunder already are stacked with cards I think the Bulls really like where they’re at with Kobe white obviously
They have IOD dumu they drafted D and Terry a couple drafts ago I think for them it’s more about trying to find front Court help and one thing that I’ve said over the last two or three draft Cycles is if you’re going to draft a center you have to draft them well
Before you actually really need them to play the Dallas Mavericks obviously drick Lively’s been a huge contributor for them but I think even at times when he’s been great you’ve still seen some of the Growing Pains of playing a rookie Center at times and how that’s hard to
Win even with a generational point guard like Luka donic if you’re a team like Chicago who doesn’t have a donic it’s going to be even harder to win that way so if you’re going to draft and develop a center you should get ahead of it early and while vuvi has been quite up
And down this year especially down in some areas that are really important for the his style of play I think still with him on the roster you have a little bit of a grace period here to maybe draft and develop a big and the player I have the Chicago Bulls here taking 12th
Overall is Donovan kingan out of Yukon had one of his better games just recently um and he’s a player who I think is going to turn into a rebounding machine he’s a huge body he’s about 7′ one he sets massive screens that’s really what his role was on the team
Last year uh when they won the national title he was an excellent screen Setter both on and off the basketball and I think with his size and frame he’s somebody who can turn into a really good rim protector he screens and rolls relatively well as well I think that’s
One of the big differentiations between him and Zach Ed on the offensive end is kingan’s got more downhill juice to him he can scream and really get downhill put pressure on the back side of the rim as a lob threat those are just things Zach Edy doesn’t do very well so even
Though Ed has the more goty scoring numbers and dominates college basketball at a level that kingan probably never will I think kingan maybe adjust to the NBA game quite a bit easier on the offensive end as well as the defensive end of course Ed struggles in space defensively um and that’s probably the
Same kind of thing we talked about with nicoa vuich I think kingan he’s got the mobility he’s got the athletic traits to probably thrive in the NBA as both a screen Setter and diver as well as defensively giving you a little bit more versatility than maybe what Chicago already has on their
Roster moving on to pick number 13 we’re back to the Portland Trailblazers remember earlier we went with Zachary rash chair out of France and this pick comes from the Golden State Warriors this is a part of the Drew Holiday trade this came through the Boston Celtics so
This pick’s been traded a bunch of times already at one point it belonged to the Grizzlies but here the Blazers now have an opportunity to add more Talent this is a player who his archetype is not something I’m super high on to be completely honest with you but this is
Again not what I would just necessarily do this is a mock on what I would expect to happen and 13th overall live the Portland Trailblazer selecting Tyler Smith out of g-league ignite this is the third player from g-league ignite we’ve had go in the lottery that is a lot
Given their history the most that they’ve had in the lottery in a single draft is two that was uh Jonathan kaminga and Jaylen green but now we’re at a spot here where 13th overall Tyler Smith he’s an intriguing Talent smooth left-handed jump shot he’s he’s connecting on a decent number of his
Threes this year and he really translates to a face up four a player that he’s kind of reminiscent of for me is Isaiah Todd and I’m sure a bunch of Washington Wizards fans probably just shuddered a little bit hearing that saying what whoa Isaiah Todd comp and
He’s going in the lottery again I’m not super high on this archetype a player who translates to be a face up for I don’t see any world that Tyler Smith can ever play center in the NBA consistently I really don’t ever see him playing small forward I think everyone would
Agree with that so you’re kind of pigeon H holding your coach into playing him at one position you’re going to have to have a rim protector on the floor next to him and you’re really not going to be able to play other big men around him at
The four so it’s an interesting dilemma here because if you’re Portland you already have DeAndre Aon and Robert Williams um and obviously we’ve already got with Zachary rasher so we’ve already added size so why Tyler Smith I think the offensive end of the floor is really where there is some dynamism to him
Though he is an athletic player he gets off the floor really well he rolls really well uh he’s got soft good hands he’s able to catch tough passes and tough angles and I think because of that you’re giving Portland a player who could become pretty dynamic in a screen
And roll game with scoot Henderson and listen the Blazers are so early in their rebuild after just trading Damen Lillard last offseason they don’t need to panic right now all of their decision-making doesn’t have to revolve around just making the best roster fits right now and building a team that
Correlates with each other now you want to build around scoot Henderson and Shaden sharp which is why in this mock I feel like we’ve done that but if you’re building your team around DeAndre you’re not going to be very good so even though aton’s there in Portland right now I
Don’t think that there’s any real you know connection to him of Hey we’re going to make sure that he works out here I think Portland’s at a spot where they’re just going to try and acrew talent build their team out as best as they can and then really make tough
Decisions down the road when it comes to team building fit roster construction and the like pick number 14 now we look at the Los Angeles Lakers and the Lakers they’ve been quite disappointing this season there’s a lot of question marks right now about will LeBron James actually be on the roster next season
And what does that mean for the Lakers if he isn’t now that’s going to be a topic for a different video I’m not going to get into that today but the Lakers do have a lot of questions and this pick they technically could owe to the Pelicans the Pelicans have the right
To defer the pick to 2025 if they so choose and with where the pick was 14th overall I decided the Pelicans would rather push this pick back a year see if LeBron James leaves and just open up their possibility of having a super high pick in the 2025 draft that is really
Really strong especially at the top the Lakers then um in turn get this selection so how do you go about building this team out and there’s a player who is relatively newer to basketball who has already taken massive strides forward this season from where
He was the first game of the year for a really good college program to where he is now as a true freshman has been tremendous he has taken huge strides forward in his game and I’m very impressed with some of the development we’ve seen from him 14th overall I have
The Los Angeles Lakers selecting Eve Mei from the Baylor Bears and for me he’s a player who he’s got a lot of the athletic traits that you want to see from a rim rolling Rim protecting Center and for the Lakers I think the one Dynamic they’ve been dealing with since
Acquiring Anthony Davis is is he a center is he a power forward why does he not like playing Center playing Center should be really good for him he doesn’t really enjoy it or like it so you get a actual quality front Court player in here the Lakers have for years tried to
Find that guy they signed Thomas Bryant they signed Jackson Hayes obviously they brought in Christian wood they’ made a lot of moves to try and find quality big men drafting one here actually makes a ton of sense for them especially with the traits that he has because it contributes to their length size
Defensive kind of identity that they’ve established where they’re just a really long defensive-minded team I think Eve Mei could be a really good good pick and roll Defender at some point again right now he’s extremely raw he’s often times out of position whether he’s playing drop coverage or having to hedge at the
Level of the screen he’s not in the right position a lot of the time but he’s athletic enough to make up for that there’s times where if I paused a play and showed you like this is how far out of position he is you would think it’s
An easy basket for the other team and then all of a sudden he just seems to spawn out of nowhere and SWAT a shot off the backboard so he’s an impressive physical talent and I think as he continues to get better and improve he’s going to turn into a really highquality
Big man at some point especially if you pair him with other smart players other length and defensive-minded aspect uh and and defensive minded veterans excuse me I think he could turn into a really highquality player and I think that reason the Lakers who look they didn’t trade their draft pick last year I
Wouldn’t expect them to trade it again this year just given the uncertainty of their future Eve Mei could be a really nice pickup for them 14th overall moving on to pick number 15 here we have the Orlando Magic now at this spot and I think the one thing with
Orlando listen they’ve been a really high quality team this year currently SED to make the postseason they’ve been an awesome storyline to watch and they’ve been playing really high quality basketball for sure the magicar A spot here where they have a good opportunity to add some highend Talent a former top
Recruit a player who coming into the year a lot of people expected to be a possible top three pick he’s fallen to number 15 here in my mock draft 15th overall have the Orlando Magic selecting Isaiah klier out of USC and you might be wondering whoa why do you have him so
Low in this mock draft especially when others might have him as a still top 10 pick in the draft there’s a few things that I’ve been really turned off by from him in this draft cycle now I’m not trying to hate on him but there’s a few
Things that I’m a little concerned about adjusting to the NBA one the defensive intensity just has really not been there this season USC has been one of the bigger disappointments this year um obviously Brony James hasn’t been playing great for them since coming back from his cardiac arest um I think that’s pretty
Fair to expect that from him the fact that he had such a life-altering occurrence in the offseason but Isaiah ker like he hasn’t picked up the slack especially defensively uh and I just feel like there’s a lot left to be desired where he’s missing rotations kind of just standing in zone defense
They try to hide him sometimes uh and even then it’s still really apparent that he’s a huge walking traffic cone at times defensive L despite having a really good physical profile where he’s super strong he’s quick he should have active hands you you would expect him to
Be a player who can make plays defensively and at times he has this year it’s just never strung together and it’s not been consistent so that’s a big red flake for me the second thing is as a guard you just have to shoot in the in
Today’s NBA and I think magic fans can attest to Marquel Foltz not being a good quality shooter obviously he had a crazy injury to his shoulder that completely derailed his career from when he was the first overall pick in Philadelphia but nonetheless like magic fans know what
That looks like at times you’re getting other team centers put on your point guard because he’s not a willing shooter Isaiah ker at times is a hesitant shooter as well so that’s going to be another thing to watch for does he adjust to a deeper NBA three-point line
Or does he shy away from that and I still think that’s a red flag for me the player I can’t get out of my mind when I watch ker is a less athletic Eric bledo so and and one who’s not a defensive minded player now he is a much better
Play playmaker than bledo um I think there’s still a lot of strengths to his game he’s strong physical downhill Burly score which is where the bledo comp kind of comes from they’re both built like linebackers and I think klier is going to be able to score at the NBA level and
I think he’s also going to be able to facilitate at the NBA level I think the hope is if you’re in Orlando you already have a really good team defensive construct you have a bunch of good quality Defenders a lot of length and size around Kier that if everything goes
Right with his development he could be the missing piece there in Orlando he could be the player that really elevates this team offensively and maybe defensively with the right pieces around him you get him to buy in play with a little bit more activity all things Jamal Mosley’s done a great job
Instilling there in the culture there in Orlando ker just might be the home run of the draft 15th overall pick number 16 we stay in Florida here with the Miami Heat and this player is someone who I think is quite polarizing right now at times he
Hasn’t shot it well this year he’s been a little reluctant to shoot the ball as well but I still think there’s a lot of talent to work with here and he’s a player who I’m quite high on that is Stefon castle out of Yukon 16th overall
I think the heat are getting a really high caliber player someone who I think he going to be able to impact the game in multiple ways he’s got good feel as a playmaker he also is a I think a high quality cutter someone who’s going to be
Able to get on the glass he’s got a good Big siiz Frame to him uh he’s just been playing really good basketball this year for Yukon uh and a player who I think coming into the year a lot of people thought might have the trajectory of
Being a top five or 10 pick in the draft right now I have him 16th overall but I like him quite a bit more than that and I think the one hold up here for me as well with both klier and Castle you’re looking for spots that need point guards
The Lakers just drafted one last year jayen Hood chafino so I didn’t have them go with one at 14 the Blazers drafted scoot Henderson last year they also have Anthony Simons and Shane sharp I couldn’t justify them going with a point guard the Bulls have Kobe white who is
Broken Out In a big way this year I couldn’t justify them going with a point guard just given what is currently on their roster so couple of point guards fell here Isaiah Coler to 15 Stefan Castle to 16 I still think that those players uh could have nice NBA Futures
Ahead of them and there’s a lot of things that I am very fascinated with uh especially in Castle’s game that I think is going to turn him into a quality NBA player pick number 17 now the Toronto Raptors are here again this pick comes from the Indiana Pacers from the Pascal
Cakam trade of course the Raptors already did move one of those picks in the trade for Kelly oin and while they’re going to get a Kelly Alin lookalike here 17th overall of the Toronto Raptor selecting Kyle filipowski and I think as the Raptors continue to build a team around Scotty Barnes it’s
Going to be essential for them to put Talent around him not just size not just defense and length things that M jury obviously throughout his tenure as the GM and president of basketball operations for the Raptors is valued he needs to put shooting and playmaking and
The ability to put the ball in the deck around Scotty Barnes and I think the trade for Kelly oen shows that he’s going to be willing to do that and I also think drafting someone like Kyle filipowski who’s been extremely productive in college basketball the season in his sophomore year I was
Surprised he didn’t come out in last year’s draft now he has a really good chance to be a lottery pick this year I kind of fell out of it in this mock draft to 17 but I think this is the right range for him and I think Toronto
Getting a player who at some point you’re hoping can be a really high quality stretch big uh someone who’s comfortable like Kelly oen putting the ball in the deck and I think at some point we might see yaka purle get rerouted because the Raptors I think when this team’s at their best they’re
Going to have players who can move the basketball like Darko wants them to they’re going to be a good highquality passing team the offense is going to run through Scotty Barnes they have players who can attack off Closeouts like RJ Barrett obviously we’ve already gotten them uh some more Talent at the guard
Spot here in Rob Dillingham this draft Raptors could load up with a bunch of young talent I think Philip pelski would definitely help them going forward as well pick number 18 we have the Atlanta Hawks here yet again the Atlanta Hawks earlier remember we went with jacobe
Walter and at this spot I think again you’re looking for a player who you would expect to be a versatile fit across multiple different roster constructions because we don’t know what this Hawks team is going to have in the next four months what is their roster
Going to look like that’s a big open canvas right now that we just aren’t really sure what they’re going to have this pick remember comes from the Sacramento Kings from the Kevin herder trade and at this selection here I have the Atlanta Hawks selecting Bobby Clinton from the cans typin playing in
The NBL part of the next Stars program Clint I think is just an intriguing Prospect with his size his ability to probably guard up and down the lineup a little bit I think he’s a player who he’s taken tremendous strides forward this year from where he was at last year
As a draft prospect out of Wake Forest a lot of people expected him to be a first round pick last year ended up withdrawing his name super close to the deadline and then ended up going over to uh to Australia to play for cans and I think since then he’s just really grown
As a prospect he’s a good cutter he’s I think taken strides forward as a jump shooter as well which really helps him and with his size and length you’re looking at a player who I think is going to be a phenomenal screen and dive big
If you ever want him to play that way but I think really the the Intrigue is going to be playing off the basketball cutting finding Avenues to score while also still giving you a quality defender in the front Court pick number 19 we move on to the
New York Knicks this pick comes from the Dallas Mavericks from the kristofh porzingis trade which again another one that feels like over half a decade ago at this point the Knicks are now in a great spot to select and add more talent to their team and a player that I like
Quite a bit who I think makes a good deal sense for them is kaon George out of Miami he’s a bigger bed guard who is quite capable of scoring the basketall he’s shooting the ball extremely well this season that’s been one of the big turnarounds for him and one of the big I
Think areas for him that really solidifies him as a potential first round pick the hurricanes have been a quite good program over the last couple of seasons and George I think he been at the center of it especially this season with his production the way that he’s
Played and for the Knicks you’re looking for guards who can play off of Jaylen Brunson having some natural size of that position is going to be huge just complimenting him and obviously they’ve done a great job building out their team if I had to really guess for the next
What they’re going to do with these first round picks is probably trade them either out for future picks in the future or you’re looking at them packaging them for a star player whether that means Julius Randall plus a couple of picks for somebody better than
Randall or if that means uh you know a couple of picks plus whatever salary to get to a certain uh price point those are definitely things that are on the table for the next this uh offseason for sure pick number 20 the Philadelphia 76ers and this is another pick here that
I love a ton from a fit perspective with the 20th overall selection I have the Philadelphia 76ers selecting Dalton neck out of Tennessee former Joo product this is a player who I think is going to get extremely slept on throughout the draft process because of his age he will be 23
Years old on draft night kind of giving Chris dwarte Vibes remember when the Pacers drafted him in the lottery although I think the difference here between neck and dwarte is neck has a easier Pathway to being a quality NBA player because of his skill set he’s a high volume three-point shooter and he
Shot it extremely well throughout his collegiate career so far on again good volume so you’re looking at a a bigger player he’s got a really good athletic frame and he shoots the ball extremely well he’s got a quick trigger sometimes doesn’t even dip in his shot so he
Catches and just pulls the trigger without having to kind of reenter the ball down to his hip to shoot it I think off of that if you look at what Philadelphia’s recently done they traded for Buddy heel darl muray is clearly someone who values three-point shooting he was the architect behind the Houston
Rockets uh where they shot more threes than anybody else in the entire league so he understands the value of three-point shooting getting someone like dton neck makes a ton of sense but what separates neck from other draft prospects who are quite frankly just Shooters neck can put the ball in the
Deck this year for Tennessee he’s been a high volume scorer for them someone who they rely on in the half court to get Buckets off the dribble on not that that’s really his you know bread and butter I don’t think that’s what he’s going to step into the NBA and do he’s
Not going to be an NBA scorer but I think he’s going to be someone who is timely with you know getting you a bucket when you need it if the shot clock is down to like less than 5 seconds I think he can make a quick play
And and make something happen you’re not going to rely on him all the time to do that but in sticky situations he can get you uh out of a jam and I think that’s one thing that’s really important here for Philadelphia they don’t have a lot
Of players under roster they have a lot of cap space this offseason so if you’re able to find an older Prospect at 23 years old on draft night DT neck can step in and play right away you’re not drafting a project player here this is part of why they traded Jaden Springer
Away darl mury said after trading Springer that they’re looking for players who can help them win a championship sooner than later and they’re trying to find ways to open up that Championship window as soon as possible and while maybe selling on a young player like Springer prematurely
Might not be the best actual roster move in my opinion it’s clear that they’re going to Value players who are more NBA ready and dton act as a player who stands out to me in that regard pick 21 we have the New Orleans Pelicans here now with this
Selection I think really finding a big man who gives you downhill Mobility athleticism is essential especially for the way that they’ve been playing since hiring James brael really is their offensive coordinator I love this pick for the Pelicans 21st overall I have the Pelicans selecting khil wear out of
Indiana the hoer has been terrific this season former Oregon duck obviously transferred now his sophomore season and I think he’s come into his own playing for Mike Woodson and the hooers and he’s got a lot of the tools that you’re looking for as an NBA big man he’s
Lengthy athletic can jump out of the gym he blocks shots at a decent rate and I think for the Pelicans again just like I said earlier if you’re drafting a big man you got to get them early because it’s going to take a year or two to get
Them up to speed to being a quality NBA Defender to be an anchor for a defense and I think where even though he’s got a lot of those physical tools probably still not there fieldwise yet but I think with his downhill athleticism you drop him into New Orleans Zoom offense
With Brandon Ingram coming off of handoffs CJ McCullum coming off of handoffs someone who can get downhill in a hurry is just going to open up the middle of the floor for them a ton and I think it gives them a different Dynamic than what yonas Valen chunes currently
Gives them as a player who’s a little bit of a slower roller sometimes he’ll fade it pop out to the three-point line I think we’s downhill tenacity really will change the dynamic here for New Orleans and give them I think a better offensive attack while probably still improving their defense as well and
Because of that I think it’s a home run selection here 21st overall for the Pelicans pick 22 we’re now looking at the Phoenix Suns remember this pick there’s a whole bunch of swap options that they’ve got over the next couple of years solely because they want to make
My life difficult when I’m preparing videos like this because I have to cross check every single draft pick that they’ve ever owned seemingly to know where it’s going and and what teams have swap options on it and this that and the other thing but here we are second
Overall with the Suns now they’ve been playing much better as of late I think a big part of that is obviously just Bradley Beal getting healthy was one of my big concerns coming into the year now that they’re healthy they’re starting to click on all cylinders which is great to
See with this selection here I have the Suns going with a player who I think is just going to be a nice off ball fit next to their star Trio and that is Jared McCain out of Duke I think he’s a really good fit here as an off ball
Guard he shoots the ball very very well he had a huge showing the other night for the Blue Devils and he’s a player to me that he’s cap capable of running a pick and roll I’ve talked about this with a few other video or a few other
Players in this video already he’s a capable player you can put the ball in his hands at times he can go make decisions make plays but it’s not going to be what his main appeal is for you offensively the point is for him to be a floor stretcher for him to be someone
Who can make a quick decision off of one dribble or off the catch and I think McCain who’s already playing that role off of Tyrese Proctor and off of Kyle filipowski at Duke he’s going to step into a familiar role in the the NBA in Phoenix very similar to what we’ve seen
Grayson Allen play in this year where Grayson Allen’s having one of the best seasons of his career because he’s in a comfortable situation where he’s not overtasked to do too much for an offense when he’s on the floor and because of that he’s producing at a pretty good
Level I think Jared McCain honestly it’s funny enough another Duke Prospect comes in and and finds that kind of level of success pretty quickly into his career if he lands in a situation like Phoenix pick 23 we’re back to the New York Knicks and this is one of my
Favorite picks in the entire entire mock draft and I hope you guys can tell how much I love the 2024 NBA draft class there’s just a lot of players in here that I think are you know unique Niche players that just honestly don’t get the love that they deserve and and the fact
That so many people keep calling this a week draft class listen I get no onea player but I think there’s a lot of talented players and this player really stands out to me as a guy who I think is super under the radar and honestly his final ranking on my big board is
Probably going to be much higher than 23 I’m much higher on this guy than I think the consensus especially as The Season’s kind of progressed and grown I’ve fallen more and more in love with him 23rd overall I have the New York Knicks going with AJ Mitchell from UC Santa Barbara
And you might say okay that’s an interesting selection we’ve already had the Knicks go with kaon George we’re taking another guard here back to back and the reasoning for that for me first of all they have Josh Hart they have oan noi they just traded for bu on MCD
Donovich so I think that they have their wing players for the future obviously still have Mitchell Robinson under contract as well so I I think the Knicks it’s just about finding Talent if they’re going to keep this pick and if I had to give you a comp right now for AJ
Mitchell well it’s a player of the Knicks fans love a lot Jaylen Brunson now Mitchell is quite a bit taller than Brunson so the comp might not make the most sense from a physical profile but the style of play is eerily similar Mitchell does a very good job navigating
Screens as a ball handler he sets up his Defender well to either take a screen the first time or to kind of Dodge the screen to retake the screen get his Defender out of position he finds his way to the paint he’s just a really crafty player with his ability to open
Up driving Lanes he holds his driving lane extremely well when he gets it he’s pretty strong at the point of attack offensively something I haven’t talked about a ton with draft prospects but that really does stand out to me a ton watching him he gets to two feet very
Well he has a good pivot game to him now the reason why you might be saying okay if your comp for him is kind of a bigger jayen Brunson why is he not going first or second overall in this draft the reason is the three-point shooting is
Spotty last last year he shot sub 30% this year he’s in the mid-30s if he was a 40% three-point shooter on high volume like Brunson was at Villanova his junior year we would see Mitchell going really high in this draft really high the reason he’s not is again there’s
Concerns about the shooting consistency if he doesn’t figure it out from the NBA three-point line that’s going to be a big cause of concern about how often can you run your offense through this guy but I think from the standpoint of being able to run a show being able to
Facilitate for others he’s got a good assist to turnover ratio again this season for the third straight year he is a little bit older that’s another knock that’s you know little knock that’s going to go against him in the draft cycle for me I don’t look at it that way
I think that older prospects can be really blessings in Disguise for teams because they’re more ready to step in and contribute and there’s no guarantee that a 19-year-old within two or three years is going to catch up and even if they do you’re already two to three years through their rookie contract so
You’re a couple of years behind technically so the draft Theory suggests that draft drafting good older players Works we’ve seen it with haime hakz this year with the Miami Heat so I think that’s going to be a key thing to watch for but AJ Mitchell love this pick for
The next I think it’s a home run selection for them 23rd overall pick number 24 Now we move on to the Milwaukee Bucks and for me here it’s hard to find a player that I think really addresses a lot of their key needs um and areas that they want to
Address now there is a player who I think is gaining a lot of no notoriety as of late and that is Johnny Fury from Kansas a player who I think he’s going to be an interesting name to monitor over the next couple of months because if you asked me a month
Or two ago if he was going to be a first round pick I would have probably been pretty bullish on that idea and I think most of the draft Community would have been as well but the real like kind of push behind him right now is based off
Of some of his recent play he’s played very well in recent games and just the skill set that he provides now Milwaukee doesn’t need a lot more of offensive punch they’ve actually been a really good offensive team this year that’s what you would expect with Giannis and
Damen Lillard on your roster and I don’t even think they’ve leaned into all of the things that they could do which like they could do more Damen Lillard yanis pick and roll they could invert it have Giannis handling the ball with Dame setting screens they have a lot more
Upward flexibility I think becoming a great maybe alltime great offensive team honestly but Fury I think is going to even further enhance that uh he’s just a talented player and I think as the Bucks go into this offseason the questions are really going to like kind of hover
Around Bobby poris and Pat Conan’s contracts so finding a player like Fury probably slot him into the Conan role probably look at that as a long-term upgrade and the Bucks could go out and maybe try and find other ways to improve their roster this off season outside of
Just the draft where Fury would be a nice pickup for them for sure pick 25 we move on to the Denver Nuggets here and the Nuggets listen there’s not a lot of needs for them but I think one thing just especially based on how they operated last year their
Entire focus on the draft right now is to find quality players who can help them win basketball games ASAP they did so drafting Hunter Tyson Julian Str just a couple of their draft picks last year and I think the Nuggets they’re in a great spot here to maybe add more
Highquality talent and the player that stands out to me here Dron Holmes the second out of Dayton I myself am a Dayton Flyers fan and I love Dron Holmes game he’s got a really good right baby hook and I think that’s something that Denver when yic is off the floor maybe
They could play in the post a bit more with someone like Dron Holmes obviously right now they pivot a lot to a roll game with DeAndre Jordan setting screens and kind of reinvigorating Lob City with Reggie Jackson which has been a fun storyline this season for the nuggets
And I think the big thing here with drafting Holmes is you find your long-term backup center and the theme of this video has been draft to Center early get him in the building early while DeAndre Jordan is maybe giving you some good minutes right now and yes
Nicole yic is probably the best player in the world getting a backup big we saw the Nuggets last year trade for Thomas Bryant because they wanted to sh up their backup big man rotation I think dealing with teams like Minnesota in the Western Conference will also push the Nuggets to continue improving their
Front court and their front Court depth specifically and I think Holmes II could be a really nice addition here for uh for Denver he’s stepping out to the three-point line quite a bit more I think defensively he’s taking strides forward and he’s just been a dynamite
Player for the Flyers of the Season he’s done a lot of great things for them for the program over the last couple of years obviously the Flyers last year had tman Kamar get drafted as well so Dayton’s become more of a draft seen in recent years you think back to Obi
Toppen as well um there was a possibility that Jaylen Crutcher would would have been drafted obviously went undrafted but the Flyers have been producing Pro players and I think Holmes is going to be one of the better examples of players who work out really well coming out from Dayton and I think
The Nuggets get a pretty good T talented player here at this spot pick 26 we move on to the Washington Wizards now remember with the Wizards earlier second overall Alex SAR fell to them so we drafted alexar we felt really good about that sele ction as a player who could maybe build their
Defensive identity but I think a lot of wizards fans would probably be pretty disappointed about not getting a future point guard someone who could run the offense for them so we’re going to try and address that here this is kind of a pick that this is kind of highrisk high
Reward here a little bit he’s a player who to start his college career wasn’t great but in recent history has found a ton of success and that is Hunter Salis out of Wake Forest started his career gona I remember a couple draft Cycles ago saying that I thought he would be a
Top 10 pick in the draft and then he had one of the worst freshman Seasons I could have remembered for a player who I had that kind of expectation for coming into the year and since then he’s transferred he’s played into a better system for him where the coach actually
Trust him just never really found that rhythm with Mark Fu at gega and with where he’s at now I think Hunter Salis is really playing his best basketball and he’s at a spot where remember this is the pick the Wizards picked up for trading Daniel G stord if you get this
Form of Hunter Salis who’s playing at a really high level he’s connecting on way more of his three-point opportunities than what people previously expected of him he’s got size length athleticism at the guard spot this is a high upside pick here for the Wizards and one that I
Could see you know their management talking themselves into looking at uh Winger and Dawkins I think that they could fall in love with a player like Salis just based on uh what he’s shown this season and some of the big stries he’s taken forward uh from where he was
A couple of years ago pick 27 we have the Cleveland Cavaliers now and I kid you not I wanted to mock bronnie James here so bad because in reality I think the best route for the Cavaliers possibly winning another title at some point would be drafting bronny James in
Hopes of signing LeBron James this off season that is what I think would be the best actual outcome for them but that’s not what we’re doing in this mock draft because I just don’t think it’s the best way to actually operate and to look at the situation now obviously this is a
Very unique situation sitation with bronny James in the draft class this year possibly it completely changes what everything could look like but 27th overall I have the Cavaliers going a different way they’re going to draft from an organ uh from a college program that they drafted from Recently with the
27th overall pick I have the Cleveland Cavaliers selecting Kevin mcculler Jr from Kansas remember a few drafts ago they selected oai abbaji in the lottery here mcculler who is having a great season for himself this year he was a player who I said before the year was
Going to probably ascend into a real first round Prospect well here he is Kevin mcculler he’s shooting the ball well he’s a big lengthy Wing who I think a lot of teams are going to have their eyes on we’ve SE players like this every single year Wendel Moore Jr is a great
Example of a player who they stick around in college they find a rhythm they kind of build up their draft portfolio in a way they find a way to impress teams and I think mcculler if you look at what Cleveland still is looking to add and improve upon it’s
More quality Wing play the more quality Wing play you can have have in the league the better I think mcculler is a player who is going to translate relatively well as both a shooter and as a cutter and I think because of that the Cavaliers are a natural fit for him
Around Donovan Mitchell and around Darius Garland pick 28 we move on to the Utah Jazz this pick is from a swap worst through a bunch of different teams most recently came from Toronto in the Kelly alen trade and the Jazz here at a spot where they have a bunch of different
Options there’s ACH bun of players in this draft that they could go out and Target now I do think they like Keon George quite a bit I think that they probably look at him as the long-term point guard for their team um obviously they were able to give him some valuable
Reps early in the season his minutes have kind of scaled back a little bit as of late but they’ve been playing good basketball I think Will Hardy is one of the better young coaches in the league actually take out the word young I think he’s one of the better coaches in the
League period And I think they have a chance here to get I think a really unique player who could kind of fill the role of what Kelly oen left and that is isan almana from g-league ignite the Spanish born player has really good feel for the game he’s a good short roll
Decision maker he passes the ball extremely well he’s skilled with the ball in his hands as a ball handler and slasher cutter I think the big question for him is how does the three-point shot come around and defensively who does he guard is he a big man is he able to
Guard fives consistently if not you’re might be in a tricky situation the Jazz also already have a lot of size they have Markin in John Collin Walker kler of course but after trading Al Lin maybe there’s a a route here where there’s an open Avenue for some more big man
Minutes on the roster and I think almana he has a skill set that I could see Danny a falling in love with and I think honestly with the way the Jazz have operated they’re just looking for more Talent more skill they’re taking this rebuild slow they’re I think going about
It the right way and getting almana here 28th overall I think a pretty quality pick for them moving on to pick number 29 we have the Minnesota Timberwolves here here and for the Timberwolves I think when you’re looking at ways to address the team construct and how to
Improve the roster I think looking at the point guard spot longterm is one of the big question marks Mike connley is in his mid to late 30s they just traded for Monte Morris I think nikil Alexander Walker is one of the most underrated players in the league but he’s not
Really a true point guard he’s more of a combo guard where he handles the ball a bit but he’s also good off the ball so you’re looking for someone who maybe has more of that to him where maybe you’re able to run another combo guard next to
Nille and play that way and as Anthony Edwards continues to develop and improve as a lead guard in recent weeks he’s shown more and more of that I believe you’re looking at a possibility of maybe transitioning into more of the way the Dallas Mavericks play where Luca donic
Whether you want to call him a point guard or not has the ball all the time and maybe Anthony Edwards as his decision- making improves as he matures gets a little bit older maybe he becomes that Hub of the offense you know kind of offensive engine for the Timberwolves so
You’re just looking for skills and traits around that and a player that stands out to me here 29th overall for the Timberwolves is Trenton flowers playing for the Adelaide 36ers their season just wrapped up in the NBL 24 season and flowers to me is a player that I think is still extremely
Underrated in the draft cycle and draft radar of a lot of other people he stands about 6’9 he’s got arms that go on for days he’s extremely athletic he’s going to translate to an Above the Rim finisher and if you look at Minnesota’s current R your construction they’re
Obviously a big believer in positional size they have that with jayen McDaniels playing small forward at about 6’10 Carl Anthony towns is one of the biggest power forwards in the league now Rudy Gober is a huge Center just huge bodies all over the court for Minnesota and
Because of that they’ve become an elite defense and nikil Alexander Walker has plus defensive size Nas Reed basically plays small forward or power forward at times and he’s 6’10 so I think Trent flower is getting another big lengthy body here who is also extremely athletic could really help Minnesota’s ability to
Play big and continue to defend at a very high level uh especially as he kind of matures and grows defensively flowers I think you know it’s probably going to be a draft and develop situation you’re not going to come in and play him 30 minutes a game that’s why he’s at the
End of the first round here but I think he’s a player nonetheless that I think he’s got a really good head on his shoulders very mature he’s already got Pro experience playing pro basketball in the NBL and I think there’s a lot to work with I think his shot is something
That is going to be become a good tool in the NBA as well and again the athleticism the ability to handle the basketball a bit he’s not a point guard he’s kind of a combo guard kind of hybrid Wing there’s a lot to love with Trent flowers game and I think he’s
Going to stand out in a big way for the Minnesota Timberwolves if they select him 29th overall now at pick number 30 here we are the final team of this mock draft and the Boston Celtics are here now with a player who just does a little bit of
Everything and if you’re looking for a player who is a compliment behind Drew holiday and Derek white obviously Payton Pritchards played well this year but this is a a bigger guard who I think moves really well he’s got I think a crafty handle it can create space for
Himself but also just impacts the game outside of just being a ball handler or just being a scorer and this player I think would be a really nice little bit of juice into their offense when it comes to the way that they play fitting around that but having some of the
Upsite to maybe become a downhill slasher something he doesn’t play into enough yet but I think has the traits to become 30th overall I have the Boston Celtics selecting Carlton Carrington better known as Bob and Bob has been tremendous this year his very first college game he recorded a triple double
For the Panthers but since then he just continues to impress me on film now the one thing I don’t like about 60% of his shots come from behind the three-point line and I would categorize him as a player who’s better at getting to the rim and better shooting mid-range jump
Shots than he is as a deep range shot maker right now so adjusting to the NBA three-point line I think I think will be a challenge for him but with the way Boston plays they want players who do shoot a lot of three so the fact that
Bub Carrington is a willing shooter will probably fit into Boston’s long-term plans of him but in the short term I think the whole point of drafting him would be to sit develop him allow him to be an impact contributor probably at first in the g-league and then when he’s
On the floor he’ be an offense initiator running actions with Chris hops porzingis in pick and pops and maybe dumping the ball into Jason Tatum another quality ball handler who can create space off the dribble and I think if you really wire his game the right
Way I would I would love to coach a player like buob Carrington to be honest because he has all the tools that I’m looking for in a player that I would love to you know draft and develop and and coach and and just watch him grow as
A player because I think the the sky is the limit for him he can again like I’m saying use his handle he’s got wiggled to him he can open up space and that’s one of the most important things as a guard is if you’re able to to create
Space and be an offensive engine to create open shots you have a real wave to becoming a good NBA player as a guard and I think that Bub Carrington 30th overall this is tremendous value for Boston this is a player who I think could have a really great NBA career
Ahead of him and they would have a front row seat to watching him develop while they still already have a stacked roster that is ready to compete for titles bub Carrington might just be the icing on top of the cake at the end of the
Day I really hope you guys did enjoy if if you did make sure to leave a like subscribe to the channel for more let me know what draft pick was your favorite in this mock again I had a ton of fun really appreciate each and every one of
You make sure again to leave a like And subscribe check out these other videos as well and we’ll catch you in the very next utility Sports video
27 Comments
Isaiah Collier and Nikola Topic have all of the same basic strengths and all of the same concerns fwiw. Topic doesn't play defense or shoot either.
The last thing the Wizards need is another mud sized wing with "upside" and needs to develop….they need a center, a point guard and a power forward that rebounds…Sarr or Topic would be great
As an OKC fan (only because I loved the sonics) I absolutely love the idea of Ryan Dunn falling to them in the draft. However, I'm not so high on Salaun. While he could be a decent player, I just feel like there's a higher upside pick out there. I'd take Dunn at 10 and maybe a guy like Collier at 11. It might be a stretch depending how you feel but I think he has huge upside
If you look at the draft pattern over the past 4 years. The worst record doesn’t get the #1
As a Jazz fan I'm cool with them going several different directions with these late picks. But the one direction I'm not cool with is the undersized center route. I'm a no on Izan Almanza, Oso Ighodaro, Collin Murray Boyles or any others of the like. No thanks.
Thought for sure Kyle Filipowski would be 10 or 11 to OKC. I just think the role would be defined pretty clearly. OKC won’t have developmental minutes to give a guy like Salaun imo. I think OKC would prefer that Utah pick not conveying so they can reevaluate closer to the day the role players’ contracts expire.
More great content! Thank you!! Really interesting pick at #10 for OKC. Feels a little overlapping w/Ousmane Dieng, especially in a guy that's going to need to development time as a raw prospect. I've seen some mocks having OKC pick Filipowski and I like the fit, but Salaun's superior potential is exciting.
Sarr is a bust. his brother cant even get garbage time
I think Knecht could sneak into the lottery
Spurs get nikola and rob at 7th pick we come away with draft with manu and tony parker 2.0 to go with wemby 😅 heard it here first
What about the spurs getting Trae young ? That’s a waste of a top 5 pick with topic
Collier ain’t going # 15 top 10
Cody Williams is NOT the #1 pick
BRO I DONT THINK LAKERS HAVE THEIR PICK THIS YEAR??? PELICANS HAVE THEIR PICK
1. Damn I like Ausar but this means he's likely going to the bench in this mock
2.OK pick but im not a fan of a #2 pck being a complimentary player
3.Perfect player for the system.. the sytem is get wemby the ball… Wemby is lucky he lives in a soft era.. bigs now are too nice he should be getting punished
4.Does Miller go down to the 2? Holland at the 3?
5.risacher would come off the bench… grant would play the 4 and sharpe would start at the 3…
6. Rob dilligham backing up quickly is criminal.. I hate it for him.. I wish he would have went to NC State and been a starter
7. If he puts weight on he's tall enough to start at the 4 if they don't pull anything off a trade or signing. If not, smart goes to the bench..Matas is lowkey a cone on defense
8. I don't hate it but if he's getting minutes over cam whittmore i belive youll have to trAde cam because cam will be bussin his ass in practice all day
9. good addition id actually like reed here and jakobe at 8 i feel reed just will get targeted on houston
10. Meh would have liked them to get a 3 point shooter like reed or an attacker/slasher or a 5
11.future andre roberson?
12.makes sense… id love for Chicago to move up to 8 or so and get dilligham no lie he has Chicago written all over him.
13. cool player saw him at OTE disappointed he went to the gleague ignite from a league perspective it kind of hurts the OTE
14 hmmmm alright would have liked them to draft a shooter but since AD is a giant baby i get it.. I just feel they should look for veteran bigs to play along side him why not Ware here though?
15. Collier give me fultz vibez which is crazy the magic are gong from him they need a guard I honestly want them to trade this pick to the hawks to try to get murray.
16. Oh man great pick up for miami jimmy will mold him.
17. Good Pick for raptor as far as kyle he could have been drafted last year and would have been selected by the warriors
18.meh
19. not bad
20.Not bad would have loved this pick to be traded to chicago for derozan
21. There he is lol not a bad fit with the pelicans
22. Nice pick for the suns especially since Gordon likely will be outta there since he's underpaid
23.hmmm I don't know this guy…
24.idk him i'd like them to get someone who can put the ball on the ground and attack and shoot
25.can stretch the floor too nice pick up
26. I thought you were gonna say DJ wagner lol i was getting ready to cut teh vid off but cool cool
27. I like him… might have grabbed bronny instead though
Cody Williams is not 1 – he’s not even top 10
Collier is the best PG in the draft
Collier just busted Cody Williams ass lol
In no world is Cody going above Alex. I don’t care if you have a franchise big already or not. Talent wins. That didn’t stop Detroit from taking Ivey when they had Cade
Also, Filiposki is just too low
Wow. Only 2 players in the top 5 from NCAA. Crazy how the game has changed.
Are you going to do some Tankathon sim mock drafts? Either way great content
Houston wants rob
Yup 💪
As a wizards fan I’ve been through mid terrible bad I just want one championship please what have I done to deserve this terrible team year and year out or just strait mid please basketball gods 🙏
Mr Wohlman has my Hawks taking Bobi Klintman who the hell is this with all due respect to you sir. I love the Walter pick and also as a Grizz fan I love the Buselis pick as well
Buzelis falling to 7 is not something I see happening