Bajaden's Real Mock Draft: Part Two
16. 76'ers: Jared McCain: SG/PG, 6'3", 203 Lb's, 6'3.5" Wingspan, Freshman, Duke
I guess you could argue that the 76'ers don't need another 6'3" guard, but in fact, with only two players signed for next season, they need a bit of everything, and at this point, McCain is probably one of the best players available. He's one of the best shooters in the draft who can play on or off the ball equally. He's a smart player who knows how to move without the ball. He's not a true PG, but is capable of handling the ball and some creating for others as well as himself. Smart player who always seems to make the right decision. He's not a great athlete, but has good instincts on defense where I think he's more than capable of holding his own. He's a very good shooter, and a high IQ player who can really light it up at times. I think he has a higher upside than most do.
17. Pelicans: Ja'Kobe Walter: SG, 6'5", 198 Lb's, 6'10" Wingspan, Freshman, Baylor
32.3 mpg - 15.9 ppg - 37.6% fgp - 34.1% 3pp - 79.2% ftp - 4.4 rpg - 1.4 apg - 1.1 stl's - 0.2 blk's - 6.3 3pa
In simple terms, there's two ways to look at a player when evaluating him. Potential and results. I'm more of a results guy who does consider potential. As a result, I'm not as high on Walter as some others. Yes, he did score around 16 pt's a game, but wasn't very efficient doing it. On the other hand, he's young, and he wasn't terrible either. He showed the ability to be a solid defensive player, and he has good size for the guard position. I'd like to see him put the ball on the floor and attack the basket a little more. He needs that 3 pt percentage to get up around 38%.
18. Tyler Smith: PF, 6'10", 223 Lb's, 7'1" Wingspan, 19 Years old, G-League Ignite
22.5 mpg - 14.3 ppg - 47.8% fgp - 35.2% 3pp - 74.2% ftp - 5.2 rpg - 1.7 apg - 1.0 stl's - 0.8 blk's - 3.4 3pa
In several of the games I watched Smith was the best player on the G-League Ignite team. He's a good shooter although his average took a bit of a dip, it still ended up being respectable. He's a very good athlete who shows the potential to be an above average defender. He runs the floor well and gets some easy baskets in transition. He has great size and length for the position and looks the part of a stretch four. He needs to get stronger and tighten up his handles a bit. He's showed good lateral quickness on the perimeter sliding his feet, but sometimes got lost on the defensive side. That said, there's a lot to work with. He has a high ceiling and a fairly high floor. A good combination! I like Smith a lot.
19. Raptors: Tyler Kolek: PG, 6'3", 196 Lb's, 6'3" Wingspan, Senior, Marquette
33.0 mpg - 15.3 ppg - 49.6% fgp - 38.8% 3pp - 85.1% ftp - 4.9 rpg - 7.7 apg - 1.6 stl's - 3.9 3pa
Kolek is another of my favorite players in this draft, and may be the best all around PG in this draft. I thought he defended well at the college level, but his defense is probably his biggest question mark. His basketball IQ and court vision are off the charts. He is the essence of what a floor general should look like, directing his teammates where to pass or where to be on the floor. He's constantly directing traffic. He's a very good offensive player who shot around 40% from three for most of the year. He's not afraid to attack the basket, and once in the lane, you have no idea what he's going to do! To some players, that's no man's land. To Kolek, that's setting the table.
20. Cav's: Jaylon Tyson: SF, 6'7", 218 Lb's, 6'8" Wingspan, Junior, California
34.3 mpg - 19.6 ppg - 46.5% fgp - 36.0% 3pp - 79.6% ftp - 6.8 rpg - 3.5 apg - 1.2 stl's -0.5 blk's - 4.5 3pa
Tyson has flown under the radar to some degree! Probably because Cal wasn't a very good team. But if you watched Cal play, whatever the reason, you would have noticed Tyson. He was the best player on the team. After transfering from Texas Tech to Cal, his shots almost doubled from 8 to 15. And while his 3 pt percentages went down a little, almost everything else went up. He had shot over 40% from three the year before. He's a solid defender and a good athlete. He doesn't have the length that teams are looking for defensively, but he has good instincts and good lateral quickness, plus the effort. He doesn't quit on plays. I think he has the ability to be a solid rotational player and perhaps eventually, a starter.
21. Pelicans: Kyle Filipowski: C/PF, 7'0", 230 Lb's, 6'10.5" Wingspan, 20 years old, Duke
30.4 mpg - 16.4 ppg - 50.5% fgp - 34.8% 3pp - 67.1% ftp - 8.3 rpg - 2.8 apg - 1.1 stl's - 1.5 blk's - 3.1 3pa
I like Filipowski even if he is the designated T-Rex of the draft. He shot almost 35% from three this year which was a big improvement from his freshman year. He also shows signs of a midrange game. He's not a bad post player with good footwork along with some baseline spin moves. All he needs is a little polishing. He has the foundation already laid. The question is, is he big and long enough to guard centers, or is he quick enough to guard PF's. He a good passer and you could run the ball through him in the high post.
22. Suns: Isaiah Collier: PG, 6'4", 205 Lb's, 6'4.75" Wingspan, Freshman, USC
30.0 mpg - 16.3 ppg - 49.0% fgp - 33.8% 3pp - 67.3% ftp - 2.9 rpg - 4.3 apg - 1.5 stl's - 3.0 3pa
Collier had an up and down season. He had a very rough beginning for a player that was considered a top five pick in this draft. Nothing went right and he started his fall from grace. Suffering a broken hand didn't help. But in the last third of the season he started to look like the player he was supposed to be and that seemed to stop his slide. He's a very good passer with good court vision and excell's at running the pick and roll. His 3pt shot needs some work as does his freethrow shooting. He's a crafty player who can self create or create for others. He loves to attack the basket and is a good finisher where his size and strength help. So to me, the jury is still out. He's a good athlete, and has the skill set to be a solid PG in the NBA.
23. Buck's: Johnny Furphy: SF, 6'9", 202 Lb's, 6'8" Wingspan, Freshman, Kansas
24.1 mpg - 9.0 ppg - 46.6% fgp - 35.2% 3pp - 76.5% ftp - 4.9 rpg - 1.0 apg - 0.9 stl's - 0.3 blk's - 3.8 3pa
Furphy sort of came out of nowwhere to work his way into the first round. I'm high on Furphy who has a picture perfect jumpshot. He shot a respectable 35% from three and a very good 46% overall. He's pretty much a perimeter scorer right now, but has handles good enough to play the guard position. He runs the court well and has shown some passing skills in the open court. Defensively you can see glimpses of potential. He's a good athlete with good quickness. I like his long term potential and the Bucks need some talented youth on the team.
24. Knicks: Dillon Jones: SF, 6'6", 236 Lb's, 6'11" Wingspan, Senior, Weber St.
37.0 mpg - 20.8 ppg - 48.9% fgp - 32.4% 3pp - 85.7% ftp - 9.8 rpg - 5.2 apg - 2.0 stl's - 3.4 3pa
Jones is another of my favorites. He's a much better shooter than that 32% from three would indicate. Especially on catch and shoots. He shot close to 40% for a good part of the season until defenses caught up with him. Jones is a big bruising player that doesn't mind contact around the basket, that can be attested by his almost 10 boards a game. He's a good finisher at the basket, but isn't a high flyer. He seldom dunks the ball. Jones is a good passer with good court vision. He has good handles, but tends to get a bit loose at times. I would like to see fewer turnovers. Some worry about his ability to defend, but I think he has good defensive instincts and is capable of guarding two through five, thanks to his huge wingspan.
25. Knicks: Da'Ron Holmes: PF/C, 6'10", 236 Lb's, 7'1" Wingspan, Junior, Dayton
32.5 mpg - 20.4 ppg - 54.4% fgp - 38.6% 3pp - 71.3% ftp - 8.5 rpg - 2.6 apg - 0.9 stl's - 2.1 blk's - 2.5 3pa
I've gone back and forth with Holmes all year. Holmes is an ugly player, and I'm not talking about his face. He always appears a bit stiff. He's not a fluid athlete. He always looks a little mechanical to me. However, as I said, I'm a results guy, and Holmes gets results. He's turned himself into a good basketball player who can do a little bit of everything. While he mostly scores around the basket, and loves to dunk the ball, he does have a nice midrange shot, and a three pt shot that you have to respect. 38.6% is nothing to sneeze at!. He's a solid rebounder and a very good rim protector. He's also a surprisingly good perimeter defender.
26. Wizards: Kel'el Ware: Center, 7'1", 230 Lb's, 7'4.5" Wingspan, Soph, Indiana
32.2 mpg - 15.9 ppg - 58.6% fgp - 42.5% 3pp - 63.4% ftp - 9.9 rpg - 1.5 apg - 0.6 stl's - 1.9 blk's - 1.3 3pa
First let me say that Ware made a huge jump this season over last years season. But Ware still has a way to go in my opinion. Offensively, he does shoot the three, but he only took 1.3 a game. So make of that what you will. He has a midrange jumper, but most of his scoring comes at the basket on alley oops, putbacks and some posting up. He's not a bad post up player, but sometimes lets a much smaller player force him into a bad shot. Like others, he needs to get stronger. My major concern is his lack of hustle at times. He's always the last one down the floor. That worries me!
27. Timberwolves: Kyshawn George: SF, 6'8", 208 Lb's, 6'10.25" Wingspan, Freshman, Miami
23.0 mpg - 7.6 ppg - 42.6% fgp - 40.8% 3pp - 77.8% ftp - 3.0 rpg - 2.2 apg - 0.9 stl's - 4.2 3pa
George was a surprise for me this year. While he has the height of a SF, and the handles of a guard. He can get anywhere he wants on the floor. He's a very good passer with great court vision and a very good 3 pt shooter. He's just an average athlete. No explosive first step. But it doesn't seem to matter.Despite not being a great athlete, he seems quite capable of keeping his man in front of him and that includes guards. He has excellent instincts on defense. He had a very good first year at Miami and it's possible he pulls his name out of the draft, but I doubt it. He's a riser and could go as high as17 or 18.
28. Nuggets: Kevin McCullar: SF, 6'6.5", 209 Lb's, 6'9" Wingspan, Senior, Kansas
34.2 mpg - 18.3 ppg - 45.4% fgp - 33.3% 3pp - 80.5% ftp - 6.0 rpg - 4.1 apg - 1.5 stl's - 0.4 blk's - 4.5 3pa
McCullar is a Nugget kind of player. He's one of the better defenders in college, and this season he showed off a new and improved 3 pt shot. While he did fade later in the season ending up at 33%, his corner catch and shoots are closer to 40%. I doubt you'll ever see him an a dribble hand off, but if he can hit the open catch and shoot then he's a valuable asset because of his defense. He has good enough handles to play some SG and he can guard one through four.
29. Jazz: Baylor Scheierman: SF, 6'7.5", 205 Lb's, 6'8" Wingspan, Senior, Creighton
36.8 mpg - 18.5 ppg - 44.8% fgp - 38.1% 3pp - 87.6% ftp - 9.0 rpg - 3.9 apg - 0.9 stl's - 6.9 3pa
Baylor is another of my favorites. I think he's an underrated player. He has crazy eye's and a lot of dog in him. He's a better defender than he's given credit for. He's a terrific rebounder and one of the better shooters in the draft. He's not just a catch and shoot player. He can come of DHO's and screens. I think the Jazz are getting a steal in Scheierman. He's a fierce competitor who plays with a chip on his shoulder. He's an extremely confident player with good basketball IQ. He's not a great athlete, but he makes up for it with hustle and smarts.
30. Celtics: Zach Edey: Center, 7'5", 299 Lb's, 7'10.75" Wingspan, 9'7" Standing Reach, Senior, Purdue
32.0 mpg - 25.2 ppg - 62.3% fgp - 50.0% 3pp - 71.1% ftp - 12.2 rpg - 2.0 apg - 0.3 stl's - 2.2 blk's - 0.1 3pa
Once again, I'm biased. I'm not as high on Edey as others are. Thus he gets the 30th pick. I give him credit for transforming his body over the last few years remind me of Marc Gasol. I've always lookded at Edey as a backup center. He can't defend away from the basket, and at some point he'll have to in the NBA. He'll also have to adjust to the defensive 3 second rule which they don't have in college. I hope I'm wrong about him. I wish him no ill will.
16. 76'ers: Jared McCain: SG/PG, 6'3", 203 Lb's, 6'3.5" Wingspan, Freshman, Duke
I guess you could argue that the 76'ers don't need another 6'3" guard, but in fact, with only two players signed for next season, they need a bit of everything, and at this point, McCain is probably one of the best players available. He's one of the best shooters in the draft who can play on or off the ball equally. He's a smart player who knows how to move without the ball. He's not a true PG, but is capable of handling the ball and some creating for others as well as himself. Smart player who always seems to make the right decision. He's not a great athlete, but has good instincts on defense where I think he's more than capable of holding his own. He's a very good shooter, and a high IQ player who can really light it up at times. I think he has a higher upside than most do.
17. Pelicans: Ja'Kobe Walter: SG, 6'5", 198 Lb's, 6'10" Wingspan, Freshman, Baylor
32.3 mpg - 15.9 ppg - 37.6% fgp - 34.1% 3pp - 79.2% ftp - 4.4 rpg - 1.4 apg - 1.1 stl's - 0.2 blk's - 6.3 3pa
In simple terms, there's two ways to look at a player when evaluating him. Potential and results. I'm more of a results guy who does consider potential. As a result, I'm not as high on Walter as some others. Yes, he did score around 16 pt's a game, but wasn't very efficient doing it. On the other hand, he's young, and he wasn't terrible either. He showed the ability to be a solid defensive player, and he has good size for the guard position. I'd like to see him put the ball on the floor and attack the basket a little more. He needs that 3 pt percentage to get up around 38%.
18. Tyler Smith: PF, 6'10", 223 Lb's, 7'1" Wingspan, 19 Years old, G-League Ignite
22.5 mpg - 14.3 ppg - 47.8% fgp - 35.2% 3pp - 74.2% ftp - 5.2 rpg - 1.7 apg - 1.0 stl's - 0.8 blk's - 3.4 3pa
In several of the games I watched Smith was the best player on the G-League Ignite team. He's a good shooter although his average took a bit of a dip, it still ended up being respectable. He's a very good athlete who shows the potential to be an above average defender. He runs the floor well and gets some easy baskets in transition. He has great size and length for the position and looks the part of a stretch four. He needs to get stronger and tighten up his handles a bit. He's showed good lateral quickness on the perimeter sliding his feet, but sometimes got lost on the defensive side. That said, there's a lot to work with. He has a high ceiling and a fairly high floor. A good combination! I like Smith a lot.
19. Raptors: Tyler Kolek: PG, 6'3", 196 Lb's, 6'3" Wingspan, Senior, Marquette
33.0 mpg - 15.3 ppg - 49.6% fgp - 38.8% 3pp - 85.1% ftp - 4.9 rpg - 7.7 apg - 1.6 stl's - 3.9 3pa
Kolek is another of my favorite players in this draft, and may be the best all around PG in this draft. I thought he defended well at the college level, but his defense is probably his biggest question mark. His basketball IQ and court vision are off the charts. He is the essence of what a floor general should look like, directing his teammates where to pass or where to be on the floor. He's constantly directing traffic. He's a very good offensive player who shot around 40% from three for most of the year. He's not afraid to attack the basket, and once in the lane, you have no idea what he's going to do! To some players, that's no man's land. To Kolek, that's setting the table.
20. Cav's: Jaylon Tyson: SF, 6'7", 218 Lb's, 6'8" Wingspan, Junior, California
34.3 mpg - 19.6 ppg - 46.5% fgp - 36.0% 3pp - 79.6% ftp - 6.8 rpg - 3.5 apg - 1.2 stl's -0.5 blk's - 4.5 3pa
Tyson has flown under the radar to some degree! Probably because Cal wasn't a very good team. But if you watched Cal play, whatever the reason, you would have noticed Tyson. He was the best player on the team. After transfering from Texas Tech to Cal, his shots almost doubled from 8 to 15. And while his 3 pt percentages went down a little, almost everything else went up. He had shot over 40% from three the year before. He's a solid defender and a good athlete. He doesn't have the length that teams are looking for defensively, but he has good instincts and good lateral quickness, plus the effort. He doesn't quit on plays. I think he has the ability to be a solid rotational player and perhaps eventually, a starter.
21. Pelicans: Kyle Filipowski: C/PF, 7'0", 230 Lb's, 6'10.5" Wingspan, 20 years old, Duke
30.4 mpg - 16.4 ppg - 50.5% fgp - 34.8% 3pp - 67.1% ftp - 8.3 rpg - 2.8 apg - 1.1 stl's - 1.5 blk's - 3.1 3pa
I like Filipowski even if he is the designated T-Rex of the draft. He shot almost 35% from three this year which was a big improvement from his freshman year. He also shows signs of a midrange game. He's not a bad post player with good footwork along with some baseline spin moves. All he needs is a little polishing. He has the foundation already laid. The question is, is he big and long enough to guard centers, or is he quick enough to guard PF's. He a good passer and you could run the ball through him in the high post.
22. Suns: Isaiah Collier: PG, 6'4", 205 Lb's, 6'4.75" Wingspan, Freshman, USC
30.0 mpg - 16.3 ppg - 49.0% fgp - 33.8% 3pp - 67.3% ftp - 2.9 rpg - 4.3 apg - 1.5 stl's - 3.0 3pa
Collier had an up and down season. He had a very rough beginning for a player that was considered a top five pick in this draft. Nothing went right and he started his fall from grace. Suffering a broken hand didn't help. But in the last third of the season he started to look like the player he was supposed to be and that seemed to stop his slide. He's a very good passer with good court vision and excell's at running the pick and roll. His 3pt shot needs some work as does his freethrow shooting. He's a crafty player who can self create or create for others. He loves to attack the basket and is a good finisher where his size and strength help. So to me, the jury is still out. He's a good athlete, and has the skill set to be a solid PG in the NBA.
23. Buck's: Johnny Furphy: SF, 6'9", 202 Lb's, 6'8" Wingspan, Freshman, Kansas
24.1 mpg - 9.0 ppg - 46.6% fgp - 35.2% 3pp - 76.5% ftp - 4.9 rpg - 1.0 apg - 0.9 stl's - 0.3 blk's - 3.8 3pa
Furphy sort of came out of nowwhere to work his way into the first round. I'm high on Furphy who has a picture perfect jumpshot. He shot a respectable 35% from three and a very good 46% overall. He's pretty much a perimeter scorer right now, but has handles good enough to play the guard position. He runs the court well and has shown some passing skills in the open court. Defensively you can see glimpses of potential. He's a good athlete with good quickness. I like his long term potential and the Bucks need some talented youth on the team.
24. Knicks: Dillon Jones: SF, 6'6", 236 Lb's, 6'11" Wingspan, Senior, Weber St.
37.0 mpg - 20.8 ppg - 48.9% fgp - 32.4% 3pp - 85.7% ftp - 9.8 rpg - 5.2 apg - 2.0 stl's - 3.4 3pa
Jones is another of my favorites. He's a much better shooter than that 32% from three would indicate. Especially on catch and shoots. He shot close to 40% for a good part of the season until defenses caught up with him. Jones is a big bruising player that doesn't mind contact around the basket, that can be attested by his almost 10 boards a game. He's a good finisher at the basket, but isn't a high flyer. He seldom dunks the ball. Jones is a good passer with good court vision. He has good handles, but tends to get a bit loose at times. I would like to see fewer turnovers. Some worry about his ability to defend, but I think he has good defensive instincts and is capable of guarding two through five, thanks to his huge wingspan.
25. Knicks: Da'Ron Holmes: PF/C, 6'10", 236 Lb's, 7'1" Wingspan, Junior, Dayton
32.5 mpg - 20.4 ppg - 54.4% fgp - 38.6% 3pp - 71.3% ftp - 8.5 rpg - 2.6 apg - 0.9 stl's - 2.1 blk's - 2.5 3pa
I've gone back and forth with Holmes all year. Holmes is an ugly player, and I'm not talking about his face. He always appears a bit stiff. He's not a fluid athlete. He always looks a little mechanical to me. However, as I said, I'm a results guy, and Holmes gets results. He's turned himself into a good basketball player who can do a little bit of everything. While he mostly scores around the basket, and loves to dunk the ball, he does have a nice midrange shot, and a three pt shot that you have to respect. 38.6% is nothing to sneeze at!. He's a solid rebounder and a very good rim protector. He's also a surprisingly good perimeter defender.
26. Wizards: Kel'el Ware: Center, 7'1", 230 Lb's, 7'4.5" Wingspan, Soph, Indiana
32.2 mpg - 15.9 ppg - 58.6% fgp - 42.5% 3pp - 63.4% ftp - 9.9 rpg - 1.5 apg - 0.6 stl's - 1.9 blk's - 1.3 3pa
First let me say that Ware made a huge jump this season over last years season. But Ware still has a way to go in my opinion. Offensively, he does shoot the three, but he only took 1.3 a game. So make of that what you will. He has a midrange jumper, but most of his scoring comes at the basket on alley oops, putbacks and some posting up. He's not a bad post up player, but sometimes lets a much smaller player force him into a bad shot. Like others, he needs to get stronger. My major concern is his lack of hustle at times. He's always the last one down the floor. That worries me!
27. Timberwolves: Kyshawn George: SF, 6'8", 208 Lb's, 6'10.25" Wingspan, Freshman, Miami
23.0 mpg - 7.6 ppg - 42.6% fgp - 40.8% 3pp - 77.8% ftp - 3.0 rpg - 2.2 apg - 0.9 stl's - 4.2 3pa
George was a surprise for me this year. While he has the height of a SF, and the handles of a guard. He can get anywhere he wants on the floor. He's a very good passer with great court vision and a very good 3 pt shooter. He's just an average athlete. No explosive first step. But it doesn't seem to matter.Despite not being a great athlete, he seems quite capable of keeping his man in front of him and that includes guards. He has excellent instincts on defense. He had a very good first year at Miami and it's possible he pulls his name out of the draft, but I doubt it. He's a riser and could go as high as17 or 18.
28. Nuggets: Kevin McCullar: SF, 6'6.5", 209 Lb's, 6'9" Wingspan, Senior, Kansas
34.2 mpg - 18.3 ppg - 45.4% fgp - 33.3% 3pp - 80.5% ftp - 6.0 rpg - 4.1 apg - 1.5 stl's - 0.4 blk's - 4.5 3pa
McCullar is a Nugget kind of player. He's one of the better defenders in college, and this season he showed off a new and improved 3 pt shot. While he did fade later in the season ending up at 33%, his corner catch and shoots are closer to 40%. I doubt you'll ever see him an a dribble hand off, but if he can hit the open catch and shoot then he's a valuable asset because of his defense. He has good enough handles to play some SG and he can guard one through four.
29. Jazz: Baylor Scheierman: SF, 6'7.5", 205 Lb's, 6'8" Wingspan, Senior, Creighton
36.8 mpg - 18.5 ppg - 44.8% fgp - 38.1% 3pp - 87.6% ftp - 9.0 rpg - 3.9 apg - 0.9 stl's - 6.9 3pa
Baylor is another of my favorites. I think he's an underrated player. He has crazy eye's and a lot of dog in him. He's a better defender than he's given credit for. He's a terrific rebounder and one of the better shooters in the draft. He's not just a catch and shoot player. He can come of DHO's and screens. I think the Jazz are getting a steal in Scheierman. He's a fierce competitor who plays with a chip on his shoulder. He's an extremely confident player with good basketball IQ. He's not a great athlete, but he makes up for it with hustle and smarts.
30. Celtics: Zach Edey: Center, 7'5", 299 Lb's, 7'10.75" Wingspan, 9'7" Standing Reach, Senior, Purdue
32.0 mpg - 25.2 ppg - 62.3% fgp - 50.0% 3pp - 71.1% ftp - 12.2 rpg - 2.0 apg - 0.3 stl's - 2.2 blk's - 0.1 3pa
Once again, I'm biased. I'm not as high on Edey as others are. Thus he gets the 30th pick. I give him credit for transforming his body over the last few years remind me of Marc Gasol. I've always lookded at Edey as a backup center. He can't defend away from the basket, and at some point he'll have to in the NBA. He'll also have to adjust to the defensive 3 second rule which they don't have in college. I hope I'm wrong about him. I wish him no ill will.
De Silva does remind of Murray, his natural foot speed looks a little better, and he looks pretty tenacious going for jump shot blocking. Nice drop passes to the post. Silva 3pt form looks very good. He doesn't look like his mid-range/post up is as polished as Murray. Nor his rebounding. Assuming the Kings resign Monk, De Silva seems like a good pick to bolster 3/4 depth.
