2021 NBA Draft

[MU82]

Thought we might want a separate thread on this.

The Athletic just came out with its first post-lottery mock draft:

https://theathletic.com/2662367/2021/06/22/2021-nba-mock-draft-with-lottery-set-cade-cunningham-to-pistons-at-no-1-evan-mobley-jalen-green-follow/?source=dailyemail

Of note ...

++ Top 5: Cunningham (DET), Mobley (HOU), Green (CLE), Suggs (TOR), Kuminga (ORL).

++ Big East players: Bouknight to GS at 7; Robinson-Earl to BKN at 27; Mamu to BKN at 46 (2nd round); Duke to IND at 54 (2nd round).

++ Shaka recruits: Kai Jones to OKC at 16; Greg Brown to DEN at 26.

++ Kinda/almost MU near misses: Jalen Johnson to NY at 21; Grimes to IND at 60 (last pick 2nd round).

++ NPOY Luka Garza to TOR at 46 (2nd round).

++ No Garcia ... no Carton ... no Hauser.

[lawdog77]

Jericho Sims is gettting alot of hype as well.

[JWags85]

Bouknight is very good but I never saw him as top 10 pick good.

[Billy Hoyle]

Bouknight is very good but I never saw him as top 10 pick good.

some dudes have a skill set that translates much better to the NBA games. I wasn't impressed with Rondo in college and look at the career he's had.

[Jockey]

Bouknight is very good but I never saw him as top 10 pick good.

Rip Hamilton type player?

[MuggsyB]

I really like Davion Mitchell. 

[Its DJOver]

some dudes have a skill set that translates much better to the NBA games. I wasn't impressed with Rondo in college and look at the career he's had.

Donovan Mitchell and Steven Adams both had fairly underwhelmingly college stats considering their professional successes.

[JWags85]

Donovan Mitchell and Steven Adams both had fairly underwhelmingly college stats considering their professional successes.

To be fair, Steven Adams was always a project big.  He didn’t put up impressive numbers even before he came to Pitt.  He was always gonna be a lottery pick due to his size and potential even if averaged 1 and 1 in 25 min a game at Pitt that year.

[MU82]

I really like Davion Mitchell.

Yep. If he really goes in the teens, he very well could end up being the steal of the draft, the guy everybody is saying 2-3 years later: "I can't believe 12 teams passed on him!"

[Juan Anderson's Mixtape]

Yep. If he really goes in the teens, he very well could end up being the steal of the draft, the guy everybody is saying 2-3 years later: "I can't believe 12 teams passed on him!"

Mitchell has shot up draft boards. At this point, I think he goes 7 to Golden State.

Small ball lineup:

Mitchell
Curry
Thompson
Wiggins
Green

[JWags85]

Mitchell has shot up draft boards. At this point, I think he goes 7 to Golden State.

Small ball lineup:

Mitchell
Curry
Thompson
Wiggins
Green

I’m not convinced that GS holds onto that pick yet. 

[Juan Anderson's Mixtape]

I’m not convinced that GS holds onto that pick yet.

Yeah, that's possible.  Depending on what is available on the trade market, they could package 7, 14, and a player like Kelly Oubre .

But there seems to be a consensus top 7, which Mitchell is part of, and then the draft is wide open after that.

[MU82]

John Hollinger of The Athletic rated the top-20 picks. He was Grizzlies VP of basketball operations for 7 years and is a big analytics guy. Re 2 we've discussed -- Bouknight and Mitchell -- here's a sample of what he said:

On Bouknight, whom he rates No. 13:

The value proposition here is that high-level shot creation still matters. Bouknight has a lot of Jordan Clarkson in him, both for good and bad, but it’s not hard to imagine him becoming an annual Sixth Man winner.

On Mitchell, whom he rates No. 16:

Everyone has a visceral reaction to ball-pressure guys, and Mitchell was probably the best in college basketball. His lateral quickness is insane; nobody could get by him off the dribble. Mitchell combines that with a bulldog mentality and a zest for taking charges. He’ll be a Patrick Beverley or Avery Bradley type checking other point guards, a real pain in the ass to play against. Mitchell also shot 44.7 percent from 3-point range last season and showed real growth as an on-ball distributor. Mitchell also has a tremendous blow-by gear to the rim and shot a stellar 56.5 percent inside the arc. Offensively, his 3-point shooting from last season may be an outlier; he still only hit 64.1 percent from the line, and finished his career at 65.7 percent. To add, Mitchell also virtually never draws fouls. He’s also one of the older players in this draft, turning 22 in September. In an offense-first league, I still have a hard time seeing starter upside in Mitchell at that end. His defense will surely keep him on the court, and his work ethic and intangibles will push him up draft boards as well, but today’s NBA is a tough place for ball-pressure guys to shine.

Hollinger and some others rate Baylor teammate Jared Butler a better prospect. (He has Butler at 11.)

[Jockey]

John Hollinger of The Athletic rated the top-20 picks. He was Grizzlies VP of basketball operations for 7 years and is a big analytics guy. Re 2 we've discussed -- Bouknight and Mitchell -- here's a sample of what he said:


Hollinger and some others rate Baylor teammate Jared Butler a better prospect. (He has Butler at 11.)

Interesting. I really like Butler. Most guys have him in the 30-40 range.

I was hoping Bucks could get him with the 1st pick of the 2nd round.

[Billy Hoyle]

Donovan Mitchell and Steven Adams both had fairly underwhelmingly college stats considering their professional successes.

Cannot believe none of us have mentioned Jimmy Butler yet. Two-time BE Honorable Mention.

[Silkk the Shaka]

Cannot believe none of us have mentioned Jimmy Butler yet. Two-time BE Honorable Mention.

Butler's advanced stats at MU were incredibly good

[MU82]

Cannot believe none of us have mentioned Jimmy Butler yet. Two-time BE Honorable Mention.

Butler had much, much, much better stats than Adams, and a much deeper body of work than Mitchell.

[Billy Hoyle]

Butler had much, much, much better stats than Adams, and a much deeper body of work than Mitchell.

Right. But wasn’t the story only Chicago had him rated as a first rounder?

[MU82]

Right. But wasn’t the story only Chicago had him rated as a first rounder?

Billy, DJOver said Mitchell and Adams had underwhelming college stats considering their pro success. You responded by wondering why nobody mentioned Jimmy.

We’ll, nobody mentioned Jimmy because he actually had good college stats.

Nobody is debating that Jimmy has far exceeded expectations.

[Jockey]

Billy, DJOver said Mitchell and Adams had underwhelming college stats considering their pro success. You responded by wondering why nobody mentioned Jimmy.

We’ll, nobody mentioned Jimmy because he actually had good college stats.

Nobody is debating that Jimmy has far exceeded expectations.

But stats don’t really matter. Skills do.

If it was about stats, Luke Garza goes #1. In reality, he will be lucky to be drafted in the 2nd round.

[MU82]

But stats don’t really matter. Skills do.

If it was about stats, Luke Garza goes #1. In reality, he will be lucky to be drafted in the 2nd round.

Have I argued against that? Has anybody?

[Jockey]

Have I argued against that? Has anybody?

No.

Yes.

[MU82]

No.

Yes.

OK. I suggest you take it up with them if it bothers you enough!

[MU82]

Thought we might want a separate thread on this.

The Athletic just came out with its first post-lottery mock draft:

https://theathletic.com/2662367/2021/06/22/2021-nba-mock-draft-with-lottery-set-cade-cunningham-to-pistons-at-no-1-evan-mobley-jalen-green-follow/?source=dailyemail

Of note ...

++ Top 5: Cunningham (DET), Mobley (HOU), Green (CLE), Suggs (TOR), Kuminga (ORL).

++ Big East players: Bouknight to GS at 7; Robinson-Earl to BKN at 27; Mamu to BKN at 46 (2nd round); Duke to IND at 54 (2nd round).

++ Shaka recruits: Kai Jones to OKC at 16; Greg Brown to DEN at 26.

++ Kinda/almost MU near misses: Jalen Johnson to NY at 21; Grimes to IND at 60 (last pick 2nd round).

++ NPOY Luka Garza to TOR at 46 (2nd round).

++ No Garcia ... no Carton ... no Hauser.

Some changes in The Athletic's mock draft 2.0:

Top 5: Cunningham, Green, Mobley, Suggs, Barnes.

Big East: Bouknight to CHA at 11; JRE to UTA at 30

Also: Jalen Johnson to SA at 12

Didn't do a second round this time.

[Jockey]

I think the top 6 are locked in even though there are differing opinions on the order of 2 through 6.

After that, we generally know most of the lottery picks, but it will be determined more by team needs than anything else.