Just a couple of hours before the start of the draft I finally finished my mock draft. In green the players that I have way higher than most mocks and in red the players that I'm much less fond of than others.
Tier 1 (Superstar)
Zion obviously number 1, but I think Morant has MVP-potential as well.
1. Zion Williamson PF
2. Ja Morant PG
Tier 2 (All Star)
My first surprise (many to follow), I'm very high on Nassir Little. He's a player I would move up in the draft for (expected around 12, just before our first Celtics pick).
3. Nassir Little SF
4. Darius Garland PG
5. RJ Barrett SF
Tier 3 (Starter)
There are a lot of good big men in this draft, I have them quite high. Windler, Fernando and Cam Johnson are proven players and still they're projected as late first or second round picks (don't get it). Bazley is a weird name here, but he has massive potential. Many question marks around Bol, the talent is there, I had to put him somewhere.
6. Goga Bitadze C
7. Dylan Windler SF
8. Bruno Fernando C
9. Darius Bazley SF/PF
10. Nickeil Alexander-Walker PG/SG
11. Cameron Johnson SF
12. Bol Bol PF/C
Tier 4 (Role player)
Gafford and Brazdeikis have made a jump on my mock. Could be steals in the real draft. Culver is expected to be drafted 5th, but I get a Evan Turner vibe (I'm trusting my instincts).
13. Matisse Thybulle SG
14. Brandon Clarke PF
15. Tyler Herro SG
16. Daniel Gafford C
17. Kevin Porter Jr SG
18. Iggy Brazdeikis SF
19. Luka Samanic PF
20. Jarrett Culver SG
Tier 5 (Bench player)
Jontay Porter or Chuma Okeke can be fantastic picks if they can recover well from their ACL-injuries. I have Hunter and White as late firsts, probably few will agree with me here.
21. Mfiondu Kabengele PF/C
22. De'Andre Hunter SF
23. Grant Williams PF
24. Jontay Porter C
25. Carsen Edwards PG
26. Talen Horton-Tucker SG/SF
27. Chuma Okeke SF/PF
28. Coby White PG
29. Nicolas Claxton PF/C
Tier 6 (Expect a bust)
All right, here it becomes hard to defend myself, but I just think that whomever is going to draft White, Hunter, Doumbouya, Hayes, Washington, Reddish, Langford or Hachimura in the lottery will soon be a very unhappy man. They have potential, but I don't think the basketball IQ or the mentality is there for them to succeed in the NBA.
30. Sekou Doumbouya SF/PF
31. PJ Washington PF
32. Cam Reddish SF
33. Ty Jerome PG
34. Keldon Johnson SG/SF
35. Jalen Lecque PG/SG
36. Isaiah Roby SF/PF
37. Jaxson Hayes C
38. Romeo Langford SG
39. KZ Okpala SF
40. Luguentz Dort SG
41. Rui Hachimura PF
42. Terence Davis SG
43. Naz Reid C
44. Shamorie Ponds PG
45. Louis King SF