Baja Den's first, complete nonsense, too early, 1st round mock draft:

[bajaden]

This mock is about where I would pick the players, and not where their likely to go. So expect changes in the future, especially when we actually know who is picking where. If your looking for a guard, this draft is loaded with quality at that position.

1. Cade Cunningham: 6'8", PG/SG/SF, Oklahoma St. Hands down the best player in the draft. Three years from now?

2. Evan Mobley: 7'0", Center, USC. Definitely best big man center in the draft. Fluid athlete who needs to add some muscle.

3. Jalen Green: 6'6", SG, G-League Ignite. The most electrifying player with perhaps the most upside in the draft. An ESPN highlight video waiting to happen.

4. Jalen Suggs: 6'4", PG, Gonzaga. Best pure PG in the draft not counting Cunningham. Very unselfish player that plays with confidence.

5. Jonathan Kuminga: 6'8", SF, G-League Ignite. He has superstar potential if he can improve his 3pt shot.

6. Moses Moody: 6'6", SG, Arkansas. Terrific defender, great athlete, a difference maker with the Potential to be a lock down defender. A clutch player!

7. Franz Wagner: 6'9.5", SF/PF, Michigan. Multi-skilled player who can handle, pass, shoot, and defend. Has a very high ceiling.

8. Keon Johnson: 6'5", SG, Tennessee. Terrific athlete that can get to basket at will. If he becomes a consistent 3pt shooter, the sky's the limit.

9. Scottie Barnes: 6'9", PF, Florida St. Excellent defender, great passer and great athlete. Needs to improve his offense, and be a little less selfish.

10. Corey Kispert: 6'7", SF, Gonzaga. Best shooter in college basketball with high BBIQ. Great on or off the ball. Willing to take the winning shot. And he defends!

11. Jaden Springer: 6'5", SG, Tennessee. A good 3pt shooter, good defender, but needs to be more aggressive at times.

12. Kai Jones: 6'10.5", PF/C, Texas. Excellent athlete with the handles of a guard. Can shoot all the way out to the three. Needs to get stronger.

13. Jalen Johnson: 6'8", PF, Duke. Based on talent alone he should go higher. Great potential, but needs fully commit to the game.

14. Ziare Williams: 6'8", SF, Stanford. Great size for the SF position. Very skilled player that needs to get stronger.

15. Ayo Dosunmu: 6'5", PG/SG, Illinois. Jack of all trades who plays with tremendous energy. Good shooter, passer, defender, and leader.

16. James Bouknight: 6'4", PG/SG, UCONN. Very similar player to Dosunmu. Carried UCONN on his back. Needs to be more consistent from the three.

17. Usman Garuba: 6'9", PF, Real Madrid. Great athlete who is like the energizer bunny on defense. Very raw offensively but loaded with potential.

18. Tre Mann: 6'5", SG/PG, Florida. One of my favorite players. Does a little bit of everything, and clutch when you need a basket. Good defender.

19. Shariff Cooper: 6'1", PG, Auburn. A Tough, scrappy, smart PG. A little undersized, but a good defender. Needs to improve his 3 pt shot.

20. Isaiah Jackson: 6'10.5", PF, Kentucky. Jackson could be one of the best players out of this draft 3 yr's from now. Elite athlete loaded with potential.

21. Alperen Sengun: 6'9", SF, International. Sengun is considered the best player to come out of Turkey. Great size, and very skilled.

22. Jared Butler: 6'3", SG/PG, Baylor. Butler is one half of a great backcourt for one of the best teams in college. He can shoot, pass, and is a lockdown defender.

23. Chris Duarte: 6'6", SG, Oregon. Love this kid. Great shooter, and also a very good defender who seems to be everywhere on the court at times. Smart player.

24. Day'ron Sharpe: 6'11", Center, North Carolina. Old school center who is surprisingly agile on the perimeter despite his size. He's unmovable under the basket.

25. Davion Mitchell: 6'2', PG, Baylor. Like Butler he's a great shooter, and a lockdown defender. Mitchell and Butler made up one of the best backcourts in college.

26. Greg Brown: 6'9", SF, Texas. Loaded with talent, but one of the most mistake prone players in college. Plays out of control at times, but also flashes brilliance.

27. Daishen Nix: 6'4", PG, G-League Ignite. He showed enough in G-League to be in the 1st rd. Needs to slim down a bit, but you can see the talent.

28. Isaiah Todd: 6'10", PF, G-League Ignite. He improved with every game, will likely be in the lottery when they do a re-draft a few years from now. Very talented.

29. Charles Bassey: 6'10", C/PF, Western Kentucky. Bassey has quietly hidden away at W. Kentucky and honed his skills. He'll never be a star, but has starting potential.

30. Brandon Boston: 6'7", SF, Kentucky. Boston is too skilled to slide into the 2nd rd. Who ever gets him this low will get a steal. His curse could be his blessing.

 

[Reverend]

Oh yeah buddy!!! It’s that time of year again. As always thanks for your contributions Baja, I know I speak with a lot of people on this forum when I say your knowledge on college hoops is very much valued and treasured by so many of us around this time of the season

 

[bajaden]

Oh yeah buddy!!! It’s that time of year again. As always thanks for your contributions Baja, I know I speak with a lot of people on this forum when I say your knowledge on college hoops is very much valued and treasured by so many of us around this time of the season

Your quite welcome, but it's just one man's opinion.

 

[macadocious]

So Baja, lets say the 5-10 range, who are your top 3 that would take for the Kings?

 

[bajaden]

So Baja, lets say the 5-10 range, who are your top 3 that would take for the Kings?

Well I would have to see whose sitting there at five, but lets say were picking somewhere between 6 and 10. My top three would be Wagner, Kispert, and Moses Moody. I probably have Moody higher than most people, and we probably don't need another SG, but he impacts the game every time he's on the floor. He's unselfish, and when his team needs a basket, he's the guy they look to. A player Moody reminds me of, and I'm not saying he'll be that good, is Jimmy Butler. A close runner up would be Kai Jones.

If we end up with the 5th pick in the draft, I'm taking whomever is left from the top five. Even if it's Suggs. Talent is talent, and you don't pass it up because you need help at a different position.

 

[iowamcnabb]

Moody is my other guy outside of the top five
Along with Wagner. They are saying he has a 7’1 wingspan and some scouts argue he has the right frame to add a bunch of muscle. A high IQ 3&D guy with potential for more is certainly something to consider come draft day.

 

[SacTownKid]

Scottie Barnes 9th. Man, that would be sweet if the Kings can hang around there. They might just win the draft again.

 

[bajaden]

Moody is my other guy outside of the top five
Along with Wagner. They are saying he has a 7’1 wingspan and some scouts argue he has the right frame to add a bunch of muscle. A high IQ 3&D guy with potential for more is certainly something to consider come draft day.

Moody is like a best kept secret. He's shooting just a tick under 38% from the three, and he takes 5 a game. Anyone who has seen him play knows that a lot of his shots are tough shots, and he only seems to shoot when he knows his team needs a basket, or he's left wide open, which is seldom. I think he'll thrive in the NBA with better talent around him and the floor spacing. He shoots over 40% on open catch and shoots. But his defense is outstanding and that's his calling card. I easily believe that his wingspan is 7'1".

In case anyone hasn't noticed, almost all the players that I like are very good defenders. If you want to improve defensively, then bring in players that defend, and if you can do that without harming your offense, then Wa La, your a contender. Or at least your hat is in the ring.

 

[bajaden]

Scottie Barnes 9th. Man, that would be sweet if the Kings can hang around there. They might just win the draft again.

It's hard to predict where Scottie will go. I know he's been comped to Simmons, but would Simmons go as high today as he did back then, now that people can see he'll likely never be an outside threat. Barnes might not either, or at least you have to consider that. On the other hand, he's a rare talent that someone is going to take a flyer on him. You have to love that regardless of his shot, he still impacts any game he's in. He's one of those players that you can't judge by his stat line. He's just a winner. Can't have too many of those.

 

[SacTownKid]

It's hard to predict where Scottie will go. I know he's been comped to Simmons, but would Simmons go as high today as he did back then, now that people can see he'll likely never be an outside threat. Barnes might not either, or at least you have to consider that. On the other hand, he's a rare talent that someone is going to take a flyer on him. You have to love that regardless of his shot, he still impacts any game he's in. He's one of those players that you can't judge by his stat line. He's just a winner. Can't have too many of those.

If he develops a consinstent jumper then he was appropriately named as a child. Scouts might finally have that Pippen clone they've been looking for. And with his defensive tools he should still be a key piece defensively at his floor. There's been players that could fool you like a Josh Jackson but had most people known the kind of jack*** he was he would have dropped. Hopefully Scottie is OK upstairs because he's got a great chance to be special if so.

 

[kb02]

Scottie Barnes 9th. Man, that would be sweet if the Kings can hang around there. They might just win the draft again.

I think Barnes will be a better pro than Cunningham.

 

[SacTownKid]

I think Barnes will be a better pro than Cunningham.

Cunningham is more developed but Barnes could impact the game in so many ways. He gets compared to Draymond and he could very well have that impact along with the numbers to back it up. I'd take that gamble 10 out of 10 times if it were me. If he busts, let him bust, haha.

 

[kb02]

Cunningham is more developed but Barnes could impact the game in so many ways. He gets compared to Draymond and he could very well have that impact along with the numbers to back it up. I'd take that gamble 10 out of 10 times if it were me. If he busts, let him bust, haha.

I think he'll be more of a wing than Drayjmond, but the playmaking definitely fits. See him on the same spectrum as Slo Mo and Lamar Odom. Floor is Slo Mo (probably better, because he's more athletic) and ceiling is a not quite as long, a lil more athletic Lamar Odom.

 

[Capt. Factorial]

If he develops a consinstent jumper then he was appropriately named as a child. Scouts might finally have that Pippen clone they've been looking for. And with his defensive tools he should still be a key piece defensively at his floor. There's been players that could fool you like a Josh Jackson but had most people known the kind of jack*** he was he would have dropped. Hopefully Scottie is OK upstairs because he's got a great chance to be special if so.

My mind hadn't gone there, but Scottie Pippen might be a great comp. Pippen never shot the three that well either (career .326) but was obviously one of the best second fiddles (and Swiss Army knives) we've ever seen. He may not be my top choice where we pick, but he'll definitely be high on the board if we don't land top-four.

 

[iowamcnabb]

I’ve only watched Barnes play three games but I didn’t see the great defense I keep hearing about. He did a lot of standing around and getting blow by actually. He is a tantalizing prospect nonetheless but he worries me. He seems like the ultimate boom or bust candidate.

 

[SacTownKid]

My mind hadn't gone there, but Scottie Pippen might be a great comp. Pippen never shot the three that well either (career .326) but was obviously one of the best second fiddles (and Swiss Army knives) we've ever seen. He may not be my top choice where we pick, but he'll definitely be high on the board if we don't land top-four.

Yeah, and speaking of that, Ak-47/Pippen type of player if he pans out.

 

[SacTownKid]

I’ve only watched Barnes play three games but I didn’t see the great defense I keep hearing about. He did a lot of standing around and getting blow by actually. He is a tantalizing prospect nonetheless but he worries me. He seems like the ultimate boom or bust candidate.

He is but the boom is incredible. Defensively it's the feet and length. They are having him actually legit guard PG's. No tricks, and he's looking good. They extend the defense like you have to in the modern NBA game. Michigan St, Florida State, and Iowa State are all programs to look at when considering the modern game transition from NCAA to the pros. Florida State plays anti-college D. They switch almost everything and hound pick and roll. Most teams sit back and let the college rules work their advantage and you see the kind of damage it can do first hand with Duke bigs like Marvin. If he had gone to another school his defensive tools would be well beyond where they are now.

 

[sactowndog]

It's hard to predict where Scottie will go. I know he's been comped to Simmons, but would Simmons go as high today as he did back then, now that people can see he'll likely never be an outside threat. Barnes might not either, or at least you have to consider that. On the other hand, he's a rare talent that someone is going to take a flyer on him. You have to love that regardless of his shot, he still impacts any game he's in. He's one of those players that you can't judge by his stat line. He's just a winner. Can't have too many of those.

I’m curious about Barnes defense. I watched the second half of the game and again came away unimpressed with his rotations and defensive awareness. To me he seemed to float in no man’s land quite a bit with limited lateral quickness. It seems a lot of his “defensive upside” is based on his physical gifts and potential. Have you seen something different?

His passing is spectacular but if he isn’t a plus defender he could be a bust.

 

[ESP47]

I’m curious about Barnes defense. I watched the second half of the game and again came away unimpressed with his rotations and defensive awareness. To me he seemed to float in no man’s land quite a bit with limited lateral quickness. It seems a lot of his “defensive upside” is based on his physical gifts and potential. Have you seen something different?

His passing is spectacular but if he isn’t a plus defender he could be a bust.

Yeah no defense and no shot makes him Evan Turner.

 

[sactowndog]

Yeah no defense and no shot makes him Evan Turner.

the Florida State Michigan game will be interesting to see Wagner and Barnes match up.

 

[kb02]

the Florida State Michigan game will be interesting to see Wagner and Barnes match up.

The defense of Rayquan Evans of FSU impressed me. #0. Dude looks like he can be a undrafted signee. 6'4. Can likely guard three positions. Would love to see him guard Suggs.

 

[SacTownKid]

I’m curious about Barnes defense. I watched the second half of the game and again came away unimpressed with his rotations and defensive awareness. To me he seemed to float in no man’s land quite a bit with limited lateral quickness. It seems a lot of his “defensive upside” is based on his physical gifts and potential. Have you seen something different?

His passing is spectacular but if he isn’t a plus defender he could be a bust.

That isn't him at all. His lateral quicks for a 6'9" player are off the charts. His feet are constantly moving. Their defense can be hit and miss sometimes like any switch defense. They do get lost from time to time and Barnes has to rotate to the other side of the floor often.

Remember, this is a person built like Rudy Gay playing full court pressure on PG's. You won't find better lateral quicks at that size.

 

[SacTownKid]

Yeah no defense and no shot makes him Evan Turner.

Evan Turner with that physical profile might have been quite a different player in his own right.

 

[sactowndog]

That isn't him at all. His lateral quicks for a 6'9" player are off the charts. His feet are constantly moving. Their defense can be hit and miss sometimes like any switch defense. They do get lost from time to time and Barnes has to rotate to the other side of the floor often.

Remember, this is a person built like Rudy Gay playing full court pressure on PG's. You won't find better lateral quicks at that size.

those look better but showing highlights not exactly definitive. I will keep watching. I just haven’t seen it yet.

 

[SacTownKid]

the Florida State Michigan game will be interesting to see Wagner and Barnes match up.

I'm not sure if they match up often since Barnes seems to be guarding small guys mostly. Also, his role is off and on which has effected his numbers big time. They rely heavily on the upper class guys. They did the same exact thing to Patrick Williams last year. Keeping them in that 20-24 mpg range most games.

 

[sactowndog]

I'm not sure if they match up often since Barnes seems to be guarding small guys mostly. Also, his role is off and on which has effected his numbers big time. They rely heavily on the upper class guys. They did the same exact thing to Patrick Williams last year. Keeping them in that 20-24 mpg range most games.

I understand but you do know that Wagner plays 2 guard for Michigan.

 

[SacTownKid]

I understand but you do know that Wagner plays 2 guard for Michigan.

He's not running the offense though, Barnes is typically on the ball when he's playing against the lead ball handler. With switching there should be times where he's on him I would think. It really depends on how he's used, some games he's out for long stretches. Also, they can call Wagner a G, they list themselves as having 3 guards but he's a 3/4 in terms the size of his teammates. He is used similar to what we see out of Harrison Barnes. Up top, in the post, in the corner.

 

[dude12]

I’m watching Barnes vs Michigan because of this thread.......Barnes length would be a great fit in the Kings current roster

 

[Reverend]

I’m watching Barnes vs Michigan because of this thread.......Barnes length would be a great fit in the Kings current roster

Franz Wagner is another one to watch

 

[twslam07]

Wagner is intriguing. I'm very interested to see what his height, wingspan, standing reach, and weight are at the combine.

• Only 19.5 years old
• Improved from his Freshman year to his Sophomore year
• Great size for SF
• Could still be growing (reportedly grew 1-2 inches vs. his freshman year. Could he get to 7'0"?)
• Good feel for the game & passing
• Doesn't turn the ball over
• Solid rebounder
• Solid shooter
• Good defender with solid fundamentals & instincts
• Appears to play winning basketball

He's one of those players that impacts a game without you really knowing he's impacting a game. If this kid spends time working on his handle & 1-on-1 moves, who's to say he couldn't develop into an all star level player?

I feel like a realistic ceiling for him is Gallinari but with good/solid defense. That's a pretty valuable player. If he can improve his handles/go-to scoring, he can ascend beyond that.