NBA Mock Draft 1.0: Brooklyn Nets hunting shooting with size
By Phil Watson
The rest of the top 10
We hit the bottom of the top 10 here with a lot of talent still on the board.
The Washington Wizards kick off their post-Ernie Grunfeld era with a talented combo forward who underwhelmed at times in Duke’s Cam Reddish, the third Blue Devil off the board in the top six.
Reddish showed a tendency to sleepwalk at times as well as a tendency to settle for jumpers because he’s a bit shy about playing through contact.
But he’s long and has the frame to fill out and still put up 13.5 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.6 steals in 29.7 minutes per game as a third option.
His shooting was poor, just 35.6 percent overall and 33.3 percent on 7.4 3-point attempts a game, but the mechanics can be tweaked with work.
Coby White will have to alter his shot release to find success in the NBA. Despite being 6-foot-5, White’s low release could be easy pickings for defenders at times.
He’s better in the catch-and-shoot than in pick-and-roll situations, but going to a New Orleans Pelicans squad that already has Jrue Holiday, he could excel in that role.
As a freshman, White averaged 16.1 points, 4.1 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 1.1 steals in 28.5 minutes per game and shot 42.3 percent overall and 35.2 percent on 6.7 deep tries a game.
If the Memphis Grizzlies keep this pick, Darius Garland of Vanderbilt could be a great consolation prize as the eventual successor (or maybe immediate successor) to Mike Conley at the point in the Grindhouse.
Garland is a terrific shooter, but was limited to just five games as a freshman after a meniscus injury short-circuited his season for the Commodores.
He averaged 16.2 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 27.8 minutes per game, shooting 53.7 percent overall and an impressive 47.8 percent on 4.6 long-range attempts a game, but never faced any elite competition after being injured in late November.
A native of Guinea, Sekou Doumbouya is long at 6-foot-9 and has solid bulk for an 18-year-old at 230 pounds (he turns 19 on Dec. 23).
He joined CSP Limoges in France’s Jeep Elite League this season and in 30 games in domestic and Eurocup play has averaged 6.4 points and 2.9 rebounds in 16.7 minutes per game, shooting 48.7 percent overall and 32.2 percent on 2.0 3-point attempts per game.
Doumbouya is already in his fourth professional season in France, working up through a season in the third division and two years in the second-tier Pro B circuit before moving up to the top domestic league this season.
The Minnesota Timberwolves already have Karl-Anthony Towns, but size is never a bad option in the draft.
Jaxson Hayes came on strong as his freshman season at Texas progressed, starting the final 21 games he played. He averaged 10.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.2 blocks in 23.3 minutes per game while shooting a ridiculous 72.8 percent.
He’s not a stretch threat at this point — he did not attempt a 3-pointer all season — but shot 74 percent at the line, so he’s got some touch. Hayes averaged 10.3 points in conference play, so he didn’t shy away from the tough competition in the Big 12.