NBA Mock Draft: Cornelissen 1.0

The NBA Draft is this Thursday, and teams are narrowing down their targets. Who could each team select when they are on the clock?

Editor’s note: Josh’s mock, listed below differs from our own Zach Reynolds’, who has been covering the draft for us all season. With the draft approaching, we decided to get additional opinions in as to who went where. You can find Zach’s mock here.

Picks 1-5

Analysis: The top two picks of the draft are basically set in stone. Boston elects to go with Dunn here, who doesn’t fit a need but could be the top talent on the board. Phoenix is in love with Chriss, so while this is too high for my tastes I do think the Suns will take him at #4, leaving Minnesota with Dragan Bender, a player they love and who will fill a need on their team perfectly.

Picks 6-10

Analysis: New Orleans and Sacramento both go after shooters, and both teams need them. Jaylen Brown has limitless talent, but failed to put it together at Cal, so Denver at #7 seems like the furthest he should fall. Ellenson fits Toronto’s need for a stretch-4, while Murray has the upside to be Milwaukee’s answer at PG after Michael Carter-Williams has failed to produce.

Picks 11-15

Analysis: It’s an international run for the back end of the lottery, as Orlando and Phoenix target wing shooters they both need. Domantas Sabonis should be going five spots higher, but Utah will be the team to add him and reap the benefits. Baldwin is the top remaining point guard for Chicago, while Denver adds a player in Deyonta Davis who is athletic, explosive, and swats everything in sight as a power forward.

Picks 16-20

Analysis: Poetl was a onetime top-8 pick, but then everyone watches his NCAA tournament tape where he was destroyed by Domantas Sabonis and it gives them pause. Boston needs a rim-protecting center, though, and 16 is as far as Poetl should fall. Zubac is a young big who can fill in the rotation in Memphis, and Denver gets an eventual replacement for Danilo Gallinari. Detroit gets hometown hero Denzel Valentine, who will fill a key role as a bench ball-handler. Taurean Prince is going to be a great 3-and-D player in the league, and with Indiana going small they need every wing they can get.

Picks 21-25

Analysis: Atlanta needs scoring on their bench, and Zizic can provide that. Charlotte needs a ball-handler on their bench, and Jackson is the top remaining guy for that role. Malaci Richardson and Malik Beasley provide the Celtics and 76ers with upside young wings, while DeAndre Bembry could be the Clippers’ long-term answer at the small forward position.

Picks 26-30

Analysis: Philadelphia gets a true point guard to back up Ben Simmons here, and together they constitute the two best passers in this draft. Toronto and Phoenix both get developmental big men here; Labissiere was once a consensus top-two pick in this draft, but his poor showing at Kentucky has him plummeting and nothing in his tape suggests he will put things together. Brogdon is a tough player who will embrace the San Antonio culture, while LeVert is a lottery talent who has dealt with injury concerns that the Warriors can afford to be patient on.