[SwatLakeCityParticipant]

With the lottery coming closer and closer, I can hardly keep my anticipation around a normal level especially since my favorite team could land the top pick. With that in mind, I have decided to release my mock to the public and allow it to be graded. (by graded I mean given a rating if you so please and an explanation as to why you ranked it where you did, not a letter grade.)

If you would like to rank it you can, and I would encourage you to do so. Please rank it on a scale of 1-5 with 1 meaning poor, 5 meaning excellent and 3 meaning satisfactory if you choose to do so. If you do not want to rank, no hard feelings. It is not a requirement to rank to comment on this post. If you do decide to rank it, then I would like an explanation as to why you ranked it the way you did. I know how to take constructive criticism and I will make changes accordingly if need be. I update my mock draft pretty regularly. 

If you do not wish to rank, fine by me, you can still comment on this post and leave your thoughts on my mock.

I have provided a comparison for most of the players in my draft. There is no explanations, but the comparisons I have for most of the players is provided in comments section of my mock draft. Just click on the appropriate link if you would like to see the comparisons I have made. Please understand that there is no best or worst case scenario with these comparisons. I simply compare the draft prospect to current or retired NBA player based on their playing styles. The comparison does not mean that I think player x will reach that particular level of play. It just means that their styles are similar, I think. For some players I two players compared to them seperated by a slash mark. This is not a best and worst case scenario, but it means that I think this player’s style is comparable to two players rather than just 1. Player x could very well turn out to be a mix and match of the two players that I have him compared to. That is what I mean by the slash mark and the two players that I have compared those two players to.

I have not provided an explanation for any of the picks. This does not mean that I do not have them. I do, and I am willing to provide them upon request just list the pick you would like explained and I will be more than happy to provide it for you. I do like to provide explanations for picks, but not in the comments section of the mock draft. My explanations are often pretty wordy, and often change as the draft gets closer and closer and I would rather not change them so often as well as the draft order too. So if you would like an explanation for a certain pick then just list the pick(s) below in your comment and I would be happy to oblige.

 

 

 

 

 

[trelos6Participant]

 As a Celtics fan, I hope someone takes a punt on Randle, so Exum can fall to us at 5.

Otherwise, a solid top 10.  It will probably have the same 10 players in a different order. 

LaVine could impress people at the combine and maybe Cleveland reach.  

I love how you put Ejim at 59.  He deserves a spot in the second round.

 

 

[trelos6Participant]

 As a Celtics fan, I hope someone takes a punt on Randle, so Exum can fall to us at 5.

Otherwise, a solid top 10.  It will probably have the same 10 players in a different order. 

LaVine could impress people at the combine and maybe Cleveland reach.  

I love how you put Ejim at 59.  He deserves a spot in the second round.

 

 

[WinterSoldierParticipant]

 I don’t like Randle to Utah. We have already tried the Boozer, Okur and Jefferson experiment in Utah. We don’t need another defensiveless big man.

[WinterSoldierParticipant]

 I don’t like Randle to Utah. We have already tried the Boozer, Okur and Jefferson experiment in Utah. We don’t need another defensiveless big man.

[SwatLakeCityParticipant]

Randle is my plan C for Utah. Parker is plan A, and Embiid is plan B. So in my scenario I have them picking Randle because he is the best fit given the circumstances. I also do not like his size next to Favors down low. And if Vonleh wasn’t so raw offensively I would put him at 4 instead. I wouldn’t say Randle is completely defensiveless though. In my situation you would proabably rather have the Jazz select Exum or Gordon, and here’s why I don’t think that will happen given my situation.

The Jazz have been in the lottery for 3 years now I believe. They are a team that is not typically in the lottery and when they are they are not there for long. This is longest the Jazz have been in the lottery since when they were in New Orleans (I think) so its time they advance out of the lottery. Therefore they need an NBA ready player that can be a star at the next level. Fortunately this is the right draft to get a star, so they have pretty good chance at achieving that goal. This also means that the Jazz need to select a player that is NBA ready meaning they can’t go for a guy that we aren’t sure if he is a point guard or a shooting guard (Exum), nor can they go for a guy that we are not quite sure if he is 3 or a 4 (Gordon). The Jazz don’t have the time to test either of them out at point or 3 or 2 or 4 depending on what works for their team. (Exum would probably be the 2 guard while Gordon would probably play the 3) But for both of those players the 2 and the 3 may not be their natural positions. And the Jazz don’t have time to test them out if they want to make the playoffs next year. They have to picky with their level of NBA readiness if they want to make the playoffs next year. Also both the 2 and the 3 are already filled up for the Jazz. Burks is very likely to start next year, and if he does, it will work out. So Exum would have to come off the bench as Burke is not being delegated to bench player and I don’t think Exum would be too keen to coming off the bench his rookie year (no guy in the top 5 is looking to come off the bench in their first year) The same goes for Gordon. Hayward is already starting in his sopt (the 3) and even though he is a restricted free agent, I don’t think he is leaving. I think the Jazz will match his offer. So even though I love his athleticism and motor I have to hold back on my hopes because I realize that the Jazz may not be the right team for him. And the Jazz usually pick players that fit into their system. 

So now that I have already crossed off Gordon and Exum for those reasons, I have to consider Vonleh. I love his size, his defensive intensity, but I am concerned about his offensive ability. He is a little raw in this area. He can develop to be very good offensively buts its gonna take him a little bit for him to develop offensively. I do think him and Favors can co-exist down low, but once again I am a little leery because of his raw offensive abilities. Now he is not that raw offensively as Favors was when he came into the NBA, but still a little bit that it puts a red flag in my mind for him. I currently have Vonleh as plan D for Utah. (But that D is so close to becoming plan C, it might change after workouts if the Jazz do not land a top 3 pick) And it will be interesting if Utah does not land a top 3 pick, who wins the workout war of the power forwards for the Jazz. (Vonleh, Randle or Gordon) Once again the Jazz cannot draft a player who is raw in any area if they want to make the playoffs next year. So Vonleh would not be the best pick for them.

Nor is Randle the best pick for the Jazz, but given the situation my mock draft proposes, he is. Gordon and Exum would not work because you are not sure about their positions, and their perfect position may already be filled up. Vonleh is too raw offensively for the Jazz to suceed and make the playoffs next year with him as their starting 4. Yes, I think the Jazz are done being a lottery team, so Randle would be the best given that situation, even though I don’t like his size next to Favors.

If you are curious this is my order of plans for the Jazz: Parker, Embiid, Randle, Vonleh, Gordon, and Exum. (Randle, Vonleh and Gordon are so close though that the order very well could change for them after workouts if the Jazz do not land a top 3 pick.)

 

 

 

[SwatLakeCityParticipant]

Randle is my plan C for Utah. Parker is plan A, and Embiid is plan B. So in my scenario I have them picking Randle because he is the best fit given the circumstances. I also do not like his size next to Favors down low. And if Vonleh wasn’t so raw offensively I would put him at 4 instead. I wouldn’t say Randle is completely defensiveless though. In my situation you would proabably rather have the Jazz select Exum or Gordon, and here’s why I don’t think that will happen given my situation.

The Jazz have been in the lottery for 3 years now I believe. They are a team that is not typically in the lottery and when they are they are not there for long. This is longest the Jazz have been in the lottery since when they were in New Orleans (I think) so its time they advance out of the lottery. Therefore they need an NBA ready player that can be a star at the next level. Fortunately this is the right draft to get a star, so they have pretty good chance at achieving that goal. This also means that the Jazz need to select a player that is NBA ready meaning they can’t go for a guy that we aren’t sure if he is a point guard or a shooting guard (Exum), nor can they go for a guy that we are not quite sure if he is 3 or a 4 (Gordon). The Jazz don’t have the time to test either of them out at point or 3 or 2 or 4 depending on what works for their team. (Exum would probably be the 2 guard while Gordon would probably play the 3) But for both of those players the 2 and the 3 may not be their natural positions. And the Jazz don’t have time to test them out if they want to make the playoffs next year. They have to picky with their level of NBA readiness if they want to make the playoffs next year. Also both the 2 and the 3 are already filled up for the Jazz. Burks is very likely to start next year, and if he does, it will work out. So Exum would have to come off the bench as Burke is not being delegated to bench player and I don’t think Exum would be too keen to coming off the bench his rookie year (no guy in the top 5 is looking to come off the bench in their first year) The same goes for Gordon. Hayward is already starting in his sopt (the 3) and even though he is a restricted free agent, I don’t think he is leaving. I think the Jazz will match his offer. So even though I love his athleticism and motor I have to hold back on my hopes because I realize that the Jazz may not be the right team for him. And the Jazz usually pick players that fit into their system. 

So now that I have already crossed off Gordon and Exum for those reasons, I have to consider Vonleh. I love his size, his defensive intensity, but I am concerned about his offensive ability. He is a little raw in this area. He can develop to be very good offensively buts its gonna take him a little bit for him to develop offensively. I do think him and Favors can co-exist down low, but once again I am a little leery because of his raw offensive abilities. Now he is not that raw offensively as Favors was when he came into the NBA, but still a little bit that it puts a red flag in my mind for him. I currently have Vonleh as plan D for Utah. (But that D is so close to becoming plan C, it might change after workouts if the Jazz do not land a top 3 pick) And it will be interesting if Utah does not land a top 3 pick, who wins the workout war of the power forwards for the Jazz. (Vonleh, Randle or Gordon) Once again the Jazz cannot draft a player who is raw in any area if they want to make the playoffs next year. So Vonleh would not be the best pick for them.

Nor is Randle the best pick for the Jazz, but given the situation my mock draft proposes, he is. Gordon and Exum would not work because you are not sure about their positions, and their perfect position may already be filled up. Vonleh is too raw offensively for the Jazz to suceed and make the playoffs next year with him as their starting 4. Yes, I think the Jazz are done being a lottery team, so Randle would be the best given that situation, even though I don’t like his size next to Favors.

If you are curious this is my order of plans for the Jazz: Parker, Embiid, Randle, Vonleh, Gordon, and Exum. (Randle, Vonleh and Gordon are so close though that the order very well could change for them after workouts if the Jazz do not land a top 3 pick.)

 

 

 

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