NBA Mock Draft 3.0

1. Cleveland Cavaliers: Otto Porter SF Georgetown
I wrote earlier about the Cavs wanting to trade out of this pick. I will not speculate trades on this mock draft though. I think the Cavs whether they trade down or not, will take Otto Porter out of Georgetown. They need a small forward more than anything else. Noel would not be a smart choice at this position. If they draft Porter they will have a nice trio of Irving, Porter and Thompson.

2. Orlando Magic: Ben McLemore SG Kansas
Aside from the rumored trade of Arron Afflalo for Eric Bledsoe and Caron Butler, there have also been rumors that McLemore is on top of the Magic big board. If that is true, they should draft him, whether or not Afflalo is traded by the time of the draft. McLemore would give them a top scoring option from inside and out, which is something the Magic dearly need.

3. Washington Wizards: Nerlens Noel PF/C Kentucky
Some team might swoop in and draft Noel before the third pick, but I wont speculate trades. The Wizards would be in a nice situation if they were able to get Noel. He would not have to start right away since they have Nene and Okafor starting. He would be able to work in a backup role after he recovers from his ACL injury. He might get the chance to start next to Nene later in the year, if the Washington coaching staff feels he is ready.

4. Charlotte Bobcats: Anthony Bennett PF/SF UNLV
With McLemore off the board, the Bobcats should take the best player available. Luckily for them, Anthony Bennett is the best player available and he fills a dire need. Byron Mullins is a free agent and he is not a good starter anyways. Bennett would provide Charlotte with a big man who can score in a variety of ways.


5. Phoenix Suns: Victor Oladipo SG Indiana
The Suns desperately need wing help. They would love it if somehow McLemore fell to them, but Oladipo is a fine player to have with the fifth pick. He could use some work on his outside game, but he is very good on the drive. He and Dragic would form a nice backcourt grouping. Them, like the Bobcats will not be in contention next season and maybe they will luck out in the lottery and get either Wiggins or Parker.


6. New Orleans Pelicans: Alex Len C Maryland
Some mocks have Trey Burke mocked to the Pelicans and I have no idea why. Vasquez played great last season, he is, by far, the least of their worries. They should be focused on pairing Anthony Davis with another big on the block. Len's offensive game is not fully developed yet, but he and Davis would make a very good, very young defensive duo. When Len gets his offensive game together, there is no telling how dominant this front court could be.


7. Sacramento Kings: Shabazz Muhammad SF UCLA
The Kings are probably not going to hold onto Tyreke Evans, which means that they will need a wing scorer. Evans was not much of a scorer, but he was their go to guy. Muhammad will likely be a better scorer in the NBA, but not as much of an all-around player that Evans is. The Kings need help in a lot of areas, but small forward is probably the biggest and need.


8. Detroit Pistons: Trey Burke PG Michigan
The Pistons catch a break with Burke falling this far. They could use more help at shooting guard or small forward, but Burke would be a welcomed addition as an outside scorer. There is nothing wrong with Calderon at point, but Burke is a long term solution. I reckon Burke would start right away or at least get big minutes off of the bench.


9. Minnesota Timberwolves: CJ McCollum SG Lehigh
The Timberwolves need a shooting guard in the worst possible way. McCollum is more of a combo guard, but he has the skills to play shooting guard, the only thing holding him back is his height. He should be starting as soon as possible because the Timberwolves absolutely need immediate help at this position.

10. Portland Trailblazers: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope SG Georgia
The Trailblazers really lacked a presence off of the bench last season. Caldwell-Pope would be a nice shooter to have coming off of the bench in his first couple of seasons and maybe he could carve out a starting position in the near future. They could use a center also, but they will have a hard time finding a true center and they would be better off trying to resign Hickson.

11. Philadelphia 76ers: Cody Zeller PF/C Indiana 
Zeller needs to put on some muscle and become stronger, in order for him to become a full fledged starting center. In is first couple of years, he could be a nice asset to have coming off of the bench. Zeller is a good offensive player, who plays smart, but defers to lesser teammates too often. If he gets stronger and gets a mean streak going, he could be a very good player in 2-3 years.

12. Oklahoma City Thunder: Rudy Gobert C France
The Thunder need to replace Perkins immediately, which is why I am tempted to think that they will pick Kelly Olynyk out of Gonzaga, but Gobert's potential is too great to pass up on. He needs to work on his offensive game a lot, but his defense and size are too good to pass up on. Even if his offensive game never fully develops, he will still be a better player than Kendrick Perkins.

13. Dallas Mavericks: Michael Carter-Williams PG Syracuse
I have had Kentavious Caldwell-Pope mocked to Dallas for a while now, but with Portland taking him, Dallas will have to settle on taking Carter-Williams. He will give the Mavs a much needed distributive point guard. They do not want Darren Collison back and Carter-Williams should make them forget about him.

14. Utah Jazz: Dennis Schroeder PG Germany
With Carter-Williams off of the board, the Jazz will have to settle with Schroeder. That should be OK with them, Schroeder is not the distributer that Carter-Williams is, but he is a better scorer. He has a slight frame, but he should be able to put on some weight before the season ends. He is very quick and will be able to leave many defenders in the dust. He should start right away and get around 30 minutes a game in his rookie season.


15. Milwaukee Bucks: Allen Crabbe SG California
The Bucks might need guard help if both Ellis and Jennings leave in free agency. Crabbe is a good three point shooter, but he needs to work on not settling for shots. If he can learn how to score inside, he could have a lethal NBA career.

16. Boston Celtics: Kelly Olynyk C Gonzaga
The Celtics need a center, Kevin Garnett is not a center and even if he was, he is nearing the end of his illustrious career. Olynyk would provide a nice inside-outside offensive presence. He is not quite as polished inside, but he will have a lot of time work on that. He is not much of a defensive player, but his offensive game should be enough to nullify his weaknesses. He should start right away and have a very good and productive career.


17. Atlanta Hawks: Gianna Antetokounmpo SF Greece
After Josh Smith leaves in free agency, the Hawks will need another athletic forward. Giannas is a point forward type who would do wonders with the Hawks. He would likely start right away because the Hawks are lacking in the small forward department.

18. Atlanta Hawks: Lucas Nogueira C Brazil
Nogueira's stock is starting to rise quickly, due to his showing at the Adidas Eurocamp. I still don't think he should be drafted this high, but teams love his potential and for him to show it on the court, that will have teams drooling for him. He won't start right away, but he will be a key bench player for the Hawks for a couple of seasons, until he is ready to take over.


19. Cleveland Cavaliers: Steven Adams C Pittsburg
The Cavs should not waste their first pick on Nerlens Noel, but they still need a center. Adams would be a nice a nice pick because he has an NBA ready body. His offensive game really needs some help, but he could be ready to get some minutes in his first season.

20. Chicago Bulls: Jeff Withey C Kansas
Withey is a dangerous shot blocker who is also good as a post up defender. The Bulls need to replace what they lost in Asik and Withey should be able to do that. When Noah went out in games, teams did not fear going inside, but if Noah is replaced by Withey, teams will.


21. Utah Jazz: Tony Mitchell SF North Texas
The Jazz need some small forward help and Tony Mitchell would bring it. He is very athletic and can from the inside. He could use some work on his outside shooting, but they have Gordon Hayward for that.

22. Brooklyn Nets: Mason Plumlee PF Duke
The Nets need some big man help. Reggie Evans played well toward the end of last season, but he may not be able to keep it up for an entire season. Plumlee would be able to help, he is a decent scoring presence, unlike Evans. He plays OK defense and is very active on the boards, much like Evans. I also think Evans would be better suited for a bench role.

23. Indiana Pacers: Tim Hardaway Jr SG Michigan
The Pacers need some backcourt depth in general, but if they snag someone who can shoot, that will be an added bonus. Hardaway can shoot, but he has a hard time creating his own shot. Having a three point shooter on the roster will really help them in the playoffs when they need a reliable shooter.

24. New York Knicks: Shane Larkin PG Miami
I think the Knicks would take a player like Larkin in the first round. I do not think he belongs in the first round, but he will intrigue some team with his athleticism. New York needs a point guard since Jason Kidd retired and Pablo Prigioni is 36 years old and will not be around long. Ray Felton is still the starter, but Larkin would make a decent backup.


25. LA Clippers: Jamaal Franklin SG San Diego State
The Clippers need a shooting guard. Chauncey Billups is getting old and has not been able to hold up in recent years. Jamal Crawford played great last season, but he is also getting up there in age and he is better suited as a sixth man. Franklin would bring athleticism, but he could use some work on his jump shot.

26. Minnesota Timberwolves: Sergey Karasev SF Russia 
Karasev is a good scorer and would be a nice piece to have coming off of the bench. He needs to learn not to settle for two many threes and long twos. He and CJ McCollum would make two very good first round picks. They can both shoot and score from a lot of places on the court. Although Karasev would not start, right away at least, he would still play a big role in this offense that is lacking scoring outside of Kevin Love.

27. Denver Nuggets: Gorgui Dieng C Louisville
The Nuggets would be very lucky if Dieng fell to them. With Lucas Nogueira souring up draft boards, there is a chance that Dieng fell to them. He would give Denver an actual defensive presence on the inside, while brining an offensive game that no other Nugget center has. He can hit the mid range shot, which will give Ty Lawson a lot of options when he drives into the lane. Dieng would be a day one starter for the Nuggets since he is not only the best center, but there is no more George Karl to hold back rookies.

28. San Antonio Spurs: Reggie Bullock SG/SF UNC
Bullock would provide the Spurs with a nice three point shooting threat on the wing. Kawhi Leonard does not have a proper backup and Ginobli is in the last year of his contract. Bullock would proved security and could get some good playing time early in his career.


29. Oklahoma City Thunder: Ricky Ledo G/F Providence 
The Thunder need someone behind Durant so he can actually get some rest. Ledo has loads of potential, but he did not get to play since he was ruled ineligible.


30. Phoenix Suns: Glen Rice JR NBADL
The Suns need a small forward and Rice would be the best one on the board at this point. Rice is good at a lot of things, but not great at one. Add that to his off the court issues, he falls to the end of the first round.