We’re still months away from this upcoming NBA Draft, but still, that doesn’t mean General Managers, media and scouts aren’t working around the clock to try and find the best potential pick.
- 14. Sekou Doumbouya – SF/PF, Boston Celtics
- 13. Romeo Langford – SG, Los Angeles Lakers
- 12. Charles Bassey – C, Atlanta Hawks
- 11. Nassir Little – SG/SF, Minnesota Timberwolves
- 10. Keldon Johnson – SG, Detroit Pistons
- 9. Nickeil Alexander-Walker – SG, New Orleans Pelicans
- 8. Jarrett Culver – SG, Orlando Magic
- 7. Bruno Fernando – C, Washington Wizards
- 6. KZ Okpala – SG/SF, Memphis Grizzlies
- 5. Cameron Reddish – SG/SF, Atlanta Hawks
- 4. Rui Hachimura – SF/PF, Chicago Bulls
- 3. RJ Barrett – SG/SF, Cleveland Cavaliers
- 2. Ja Morant – PG, Phoenix Suns
- 1. Zion Williamson – PF, New York Knicks
Ever since the start of the NCAA season, Mock Drafts have been changing by the day, either because players go up or down in the rankings, or because the teams that could fall into the lottery also change on a weekly basis.
Even so, us at Fadeaway World can’t wait until the Draft, so we’re going to go ahead and show you our latest updated Mock Draft, so you can get a glimpse of the player your favorite team may pick.
14. Sekou Doumbouya – SF/PF, Boston Celtics
Earlier in the season, Sekou Doumbouya was a consensus top 5 pick but slipped all the way to the mid 1st round. Now, he’s finally climbed all the way back to the lottery thanks to his scoring outbursts.
Doumbouya is still kind of rough on both ends of the floor but has shown a lot of upside as a scorer. It’s still unclear whether the Celtics will keep their pick or trade him, but he’s the best international prospect of his class and by a long shot.
13. Romeo Langford – SG, Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are facing a huge risk of not making the playoffs for yet another season, but at least they can put their hands on UCLA’s latest gem, a plug guy that could contribute right away.
Langford may not excel in any category, but he’s not a liability on either side of the hardwood. Also, he’s one of the best shooters of his class, and we all know LeBron thrives the most with shooters around him.
12. Charles Bassey – C, Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks already have an outstanding rim-running big man on Jason Collins, but given his newfound sharpshooting ability, he could slide all the way to the power forward spot with great ease.
That would open up the door for Charles Bassey to land with the Hawks. He’s strong, a great finisher is very physical and has a nice face-up game, although his outside stroke is still not quite there yet.
11. Nassir Little – SG/SF, Minnesota Timberwolves
The Minnesota Timberwolves need outside shooting and that’s not something they’re going to get out of Nassir Little, but he could give them a versatile and physical stopper whose defense is already NBA ready.
Little is arguably the third most athletic player of this class behind Zion Williamson and Ja Morant, respectively. He’s got a 7’1’’ wingspan and can guard 1 through 5 thanks to his physicality. Still, his offense is yet to catch up with his defense.
10. Keldon Johnson – SG, Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons may land one of the best offensive players of this class in Keldon Johnson, a Buddy Hield kind of shooter that could become a volume scorer a couple of years from now in this league.
His offense is already elite from all three levels and is outstanding in isolation. Still, Johnson tends to look careless from time to time when it comes to defense, and that may limit his playing time unless he gets it going.
9. Nickeil Alexander-Walker – SG, New Orleans Pelicans
Nickeil Alexander-Walker is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s cousin and, just like him, one of the best young defenders in the country, something that may come quite handy for the soon-to-be-rebuilding New Orleans Pelicans.
The Canadian has a great wingspan and is extremely athletic. His basketball IQ is one of the best of his class and takes great care of the ball. Still, his shooting is still a work in progress and may struggle early on in the NBA.
8. Jarrett Culver – SG, Orlando Magic
Jarrett Culver is one of the most prolific scorers of this year’s NCAA tournament, a walking bucket that has climbed all the way to a top 10 spot thanks to his ability to shoot lights out from everywhere in the court.
Even so, it looks like his shot selection and basketball IQ may be the only thing holding him back, as well as his lack of upper body strength. He’s a couple of years away from being able to dominate, but once he gets it going, he’s going to be giving buckets for years.
7. Bruno Fernando – C, Washington Wizards
Bruno Fernando is a tough, physical, long and athletic defender, with a playing style that resembles Rudy Gobert or Mo Bamba. He’s a dominant rebounder, but his offense is still years away.
The Washington Wizards are set to be without All-Star point guard John Wall for most of the next campaign, so they’re not likely to extend Dwight Howard���s stay and could hand Fernando as many minutes as he can handle.
6. KZ Okpala – SG/SF, Memphis Grizzlies
KZ Okpala’s Draft stock keeps on rising as the late-blooming wing keeps showing his skills for Stanford, even though he’s already 20 years old and that’s a bit of a red flag for most NBA scouts nowadays.
Okpala has put a lot of work between seasons to improve on his jump shot and defense, and he’s been carrying Stanford for most of the year. The Grizzlies crave a scorer, and he might as well be it.
5. Cameron Reddish – SG/SF, Atlanta Hawks
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7Eo0PSNKTo
Cameron Reddish has proven night in and night out that he has what it takes to become one of the deadliest scorers in the league. He’s got a tough winning mentality and a lot of intangibles that may lead him to stardom.
With him, Young and Collins, the Hawks may feature one of the most entertaining and sparking offenses in the league in no time. He’s great off the dribble, an explosive driver and a willing facilitator.
4. Rui Hachimura – SF/PF, Chicago Bulls
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QlxF5Sp0Uo
Rui Hachimura came out of the blue to take the league for assault, and he’s been drawing comparisons with Giannis Antetokounmpo because of his strength, length, and ability to dominate while driving.
Hachimura may not be as talented as Giannis but has all the physical tools to be almost as dominant as him. His jump shot is slightly better than Giannis’ at his age, and has shown a lot of upside as a defender as well.
3. RJ Barrett – SG/SF, Cleveland Cavaliers
RJ Barrett is likely the most NBA-Ready offensive player in the league, and the perfect complement to pair with Collin Sexton, as he’s a much better shooter than the Cavaliers’ point guard.
Barrett can pull up from everywhere in the floor, drive, kick and put defenders on skates with great ease. He’s going to be extremely fun to watch for years, so hopefully, the Cavaliers can go back to contention a couple years from now.
2. Ja Morant – PG, Phoenix Suns
Ja Morant has climbed a lot of positions in this year’s mock drafts as the most dominant point guard of his class. He’s incredibly athletic, explosive, fast and strong, although his shooting is a work in progress.
Perhaps the biggest issue with Morant is the fact that he’s playing for quite a small basketball program, so whether he becomes the next Stephen Curry-Damian Lillard or Cameron Payne is still yet to be seen.
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1. Zion Williamson – PF, New York Knicks
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5nykLPRi6M
Zion Williamson’s floor is Charles Barkley, and he has no ceiling. This kid hasn’t played a single minute of professional basketball, yet teams are already trying to figure out how to stop him.
He’s a bit of a tweener and lacks a jump shot, but is an incredibly strong and athletic beast like we haven’t seen before. If the Knicks land him and Kevin Durant, they’ll be on the title race in no time.
