Keeping our pick? This might be a Lottery year

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Make the pick for the Future.....or trade it for 'now'?

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  • Build for the future....one player won't make enough of a difference

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The Kings kinged another one.
Behind by three points with 17 seconds left in overtime, Harrison Barnes inbounded the ball to their center, Damian Jones.
Jones didn't immediately get rid of the ball and you could hear Monty Williams yelling at his team to foul Jones, which Torrey Craig did. Jones made one free throw. Game over.
 
If we keep picks with Dame then they need to draft best front front court players available in 6’8. - 6’10 range.
 
Does anyone know the length of AJ Griffin’s injuries? Is it bad enough that you don’t consider taking him if he’s the best player available?

Injuries aside, I think AJ would fit will with Nassir offensively and defensively. They’re both a bit undersized as wings but make up for it with a strong frame and long wingspans.

It would be interesting to see them on the court at the same time. Right now, Nassir is the vastly superior on-ball defender and AJ Griffin makes much less mistakes off-the-ball defensively. And offensively, AJ is a much better shooter and there were stretches in the season where I felt like Nassir couldn’t be stopped going to the basket.
 
LayneStaley said:
Duren looks like he has a very nice future. An NBA body like that at 18 is impressive. Chet just screams bust to me.
Click to expand...
What about Duren tells you he won’t just be a like a WCS or Nerlens Noel? People keep bringing up his age, I get he’d be even younger than Simons when we first got him and that’s intriguing. But skill-wise, what’s the difference?

I’ve seen some clips where he switched onto a guard and did pretty well. I went to the the first round game and was hoping to see him get switched onto guards a few times, but I don’t remember it ever happening. In real life though, he looked like the average athletic big. Nothing wowed me.

That’s not to say I don’t like him at all though. If NOP’s pick ended up being around 11th, I probably would take him there. But I don’t know if I’d want to use our own lotto pick for him.
 
I want read top quality scouting analysis of all these draft prospects. Who do you think the best analysts are, or which sites cover in detail?
 
BankTeller said:
What about Duren tells you he won’t just be a like a WCS or Nerlens Noel?
Click to expand...

That's the second time I've seen that mentioned. How does Duren bear any similarity to either of those players? Are you just picking two random bigs who were known more for defense than offense? If that's the road you want to go down, then every prospect is a potential bust. Likelihoods be damned.
 
Yeah, the more I watch, the less impressed I am with the bigs projected for the lottery. Not that they can't develop into special players, but as usual they are not complete players yet. So the risk is certainly there. We do not want to pass up a good wing player just to fill our PF need unless we are somewhat sure of the pick.
 
It’s a real possibility the Thunder, Magic and Pistons surpass us.
 
If we can't get Smith or Banchero with a top 2 pick, i'm still feeling Mathurin at 5,6,7ish and Duren at 10,11,12ish.
 
Pinwheel1 said:
They would have to have a winning record the rest of the way and we would need to lose every game. That would be tough. There are only about 12 games left
Click to expand...
agreed.

but the pacers/kings are def possibility which puts us at 5 with a 10% chance at #1 and a 32% chance at top 3.
 
handiman said:
That's the second time I've seen that mentioned. How does Duren bear any similarity to either of those players? Are you just picking two random bigs who were known more for defense than offense? If that's the road you want to go down, then every prospect is a potential bust. Likelihoods be damned.
Click to expand...
I’m just asking man. I’m in my mid 20s now and basketball overall is less of a priority, I don’t pay attention to the NCAA like I did in high school when the Noels and WCS’s were there. He reminds me of them physically, as well as Bam, if you just wanted me to throw out a good name.

Why did you choose to only quote the comparison portion of my post? I had legitimate takes and a fair assessment on what I’ve seen in a real life game and YouTube tapes imo. It’s not like you can’t respond to them and try and convince me otherwise.

I’ve seen him hit a few face up jumpers on tape, but not enough for me to be completely confident that he’ll be able to shoot the ball. I didn’t see him hit any jumpers in the first round. I liked his energy and defense, but I don’t like putting too much stock into energy because I can’t project effort in a player down the line, I want to be sure his skills will develop as well.

At the end of the day for me, my ideal vision is to eventually have a modern 5 that can shoot. He’s still a really young player and he didn’t have a legit PG in college, so he could maybe even thrive off the PnR with Dame right away and learn to shoot eventually. Again, I said I’ve seen him do well switched onto guards which was encouraging Nurk’s constant injury concerns, I see paths for Duren to get valuable time even in year one. But I like him with the NOP lower lotto pick, not our own.

Me asking the question wasn’t disagreement of what you said—he definitely is impressive physically, like Bam but considerably bigger. I’m taking Dame’s timeline into consideration. If the front office believes he can be special, I’m all for it. There’s still combine and workouts as well, opinions can change.
 
Chet Holmgren | 7-1 | PF | Gonzaga | Age: 19.8 | Mock draft: No. 1
Gonzaga escaped with a win against freshman center Jalen Duren and a powerful Memphis squad that put quite a scare into the NCAA tournament's No. 1 overall seed, with Holmgren having a somewhat underwhelming performance by his lofty standards.

It started with real fireworks between the projected top-10 picks, with Holmgren stifling Duren repeatedly inside the post, showing impressive toughness and fight despite giving up more than 50 pounds, along with his extraordinary length and timing challenging him at the rim. Foul trouble prevented the two from seeing as much head-to-head action as scouts may have liked, with both players in foul trouble, but Holmgren still clearly got the best of the matchup.

Holmgren was somewhat passive offensively by his recent standards, not looking to push the ball off the defensive glass or exploit mismatches in short-roll situations as aggressively as in previous showings. His outside shot wasn't falling either, as he's hit a bit of a cold streak, converting just 1 of his last 14 attempts from 3, but is still at 39% from 3 on the season. He also missed two of his three free throws, including the front end of a key 1-and-1, which is uncharacteristic. While nerves may have been a factor, he also seemed to be deferring to the experience of upperclassmen stars Drew Timme and Andrew Nembhard, who were both having huge games and carrying the team in different stretches.

Despite his relatively muted impact offensively, Holmgren was a huge factor defensively as usual, blocking four shots, challenging countless others and finishing +18 in a game Gonzaga won by four. Naysayers will point to the struggles he had dealing with physicality, as he got pushed around on the glass at times and dunked on emphatically by Duren while attempting to draw a charge. Holmgren moves onto the Sweet 16, where he'll face another formidable opponent in Arkansas, with the No. 1 defense in the SEC, another great opportunity to solidify his standing at the top of the draft against top-level competition. -- Jonathan Givony

play
0:21
Chet Holmgren gets the steal and the and-1 slam
Chet Holmgren steals the inbound pass and races down the court to stuff down an and-1 dunk for Gonzaga.

Jabari Smith | 6-10 | SF/PF | Auburn | Age: 18.8 | Mock draft: No. 2
Smith built his candidacy as a potential No. 1 pick by making impossible shots look easy all season. Those shots stopped falling at the worst time possible in a frenetic, up-tempo, small-ball game that saw Auburn completely fall apart in a loss to Miami, shooting 30% from the field and trailing from the opening tip.

Smith had easily his worst offensive game of the season, shooting 1-for-8 from 3 and 2-for-8 from 2, looking discombobulated by Miami's unorthodox style, and never finding any type of rhythm, like the rest of his team. Variance, and the extremely high degree of difficulty of attempts he lives off with his sped-up style will lead to nights like this on occasion, but it was still shocking to see it play out.

After 34 games, playing against an elite strength of schedule, NBA teams know exactly the type of prospect Smith is. Still, only two players over 6-6 have ever been drafted in the lottery after shooting under 45% from 2-point range (Cam Reddish and Ziaire Williams), and Smith's lack of explosiveness, extreme reliance on difficult jumpers and inability to create easy shots for himself or others inside the arc reared its head several times in this game, as it has all season.

On the positive side, Smith didn't go down without a fight, grabbing a career-high 15 rebounds, posting three blocks and showing terrific effort all game long sliding his feet on the perimeter and covering ground all over the floor. He was obviously distraught in defeat, and can't be solely blamed for the loss, as his entire team (and coaching staff) had a very poor showing.

Smith will still be a top-3 draft pick ultimately, but his chances of going No. 1 got a little bit smaller with this surprising upset, even if he'll surely still receive strong consideration depending on which team gets the pick. -- Givony

play
0:25
Auburn players in disbelief after Jabari Smith's jaw-dropping poster jam
Jabari Smith's teammates were in awe after he goes up and over the Jacksonville State defender for the vicious slam dunk.

Paolo Banchero | 6-10 | PF/C | Duke | Age: 19.3 | Mock draft: No. 3
Banchero had some ups and downs but played a huge role in Duke's comeback win over Michigan State, making several important plays down the stretch. Despite looking indecisive at times in the first half, Banchero ramped up the aggression and unleashed his talent in a major way with several skillful one-on-one baskets in the final minutes, scoring on a fluid, rangy spin-move from the perimeter over Marcus Bingham Jr., and then powering through Joey Hauser with a series of crossovers and hesitation moves to give the Blue Devils the lead for good.

Banchero also showed his ability to find teammates for open shots, and had an impressive block on Hauser -- sliding his feet on the perimeter and meeting him at the rim -- showing excellent mobility and timing on the defensive end. Banchero's tendency to overthink open jumpers and shy away from physicality on both ends of the floor has been frustrating for scouts to watch at times this season, but there was very little to criticize in this game as he finished with 19 points, seven rebounds, four assists and a trip to the Sweet 16. Duke will face the No. 1 defensive team in college basketball, Texas Tech, which should provide a major test for coach Mike Krzyzewski's young squad. -- Givony

play
0:44
Banchero, Roach step up late to lead Duke to Sweet 16
Paolo Banchero hits the go-ahead bucket, follows up with a block at the other end and then Jeremy Roach helps seal it for Duke with a 3-pointer.

Jalen Duren | 6-11 | C | Memphis | Age: 22.1 | Mock draft: No. 7
While Memphis put up an impressive fight against No. 1 overall seed Gonzaga and projected No. 1 pick Holmgren, Duren wasn't able to move the needle with his individual play, battling foul trouble on his way to seven points, seven rebounds on 3-for-11 shooting in 19 minutes.

Duren used his powerful 250-pound frame to wedge Holmgren under the rim on the offensive glass several times, leading to four offensive rebounds -- his best NBA skill at this stage. He took advantage of a Holmgren flop for an explosive dunk out of the post. He finished a lob well above the rim that was far more indicative of the type of spacing he'll have at the next level. He made a couple heady high-low passes. He also stymied guard Andrew Nembhard on a couple switches, recovered well to Holmgren out of short roll situations to take away shot attempts and put together a couple strong defensive possessions on Drew Timme, who still found ways to score in the midst of an unbelievable display of tough shot-making.


2022 NBA mock draft: Top 58 prospects in the NCAA tournament
6dJonathan Givony and Mike Schmitz
Duren struggled to finish around the rim against Holmgren's length both on put-backs and post isolations, not always going up with the amount of ferocity as his tools suggest. He forced up a contested mid-range jumper halfway through the shot clock that missed. He committed avoidable fouls on the glass, as a screener and reaching on the perimeter. Duren also had underwhelming moments guarding in space, which was also the case against Boise State. For as vertically explosive as he is, Duren doesn't have great technique defending away from the rim, as he doesn't sit down in a stance like he could and often opens his hips too quickly.

His urgency on both ends still fluctuates, as he doesn't always sprint the floor, and he'll get boxed out of shot-blocking situations with deep seals defensively. Although he was unable to completely outplay Holmgren and put together a true signature performance, Duren has shown enough to warrant his standing as a potential pick between No. 6-10.

Getting to know Duren personally and determining whether or not he can be more than a run-and-jump big will go a long way in deciding just how high the 18-year-old big man with Dwight Howard-like tools will ultimately go, and if he can be more than an NBA starter. -- Mike Schmitz

play
0:19
Chet Holmgren gets a flop warning after getting posterized
Chet Holmgren gets dunked on by Jalen Duren then gets a warning from the referees for flopping.

Jeremy Sochan | 6-9 | PF | Baylor | Age: 18.8 | Mock draft: No. 13
Although Baylor's valiant 25-point comeback fell short against North Carolina in overtime, Sochan showed quite a bit of character during the Bears' short-lived NCAA tournament run, averaging 15 points, nine rebounds and three assists in 30 minutes while shooting 50% from 2 and 3-of-9 from 3. Sochan's energy, competitiveness, defensive versatility and toughness shined through in the second half against UNC and it's become increasingly clear that he's not only the best NBA prospect on his team, but a potential lottery pick if he can convince teams of his shooting throughout the pre-draft process. He fought until the bitter end against the Tar Heels, flying around at the top of the Baylor press, switching onto guards, battling inside, crashing the offensive glass, diving on the floor for loose balls and trying to change shots around the rim.

Sochan naysayers will question his elite NBA skill, which is fair. He has nice size at around 6-9 and 230 pounds with solid agility, yet he's not long (7-0 wingspan), isn't overly quick or vertically explosive and he's not much of a threat to score in the half court, which we saw against the Tar Heels. UNC bigs Armando Bacot and Brady Manek regularly closed out short and dared him to beat them from 3, which limited Sochan's downhill attacks and led to some underwhelming possessions that highlighted his lack of a reliable jumper and somewhat limited burst off the bounce (4-for-14 from the field).

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Heat at Celticss, 7:30 p.m.
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Analytics models will flag his 58.9% free throw clip and sub-30% 3-point shooting. Sochan's 14.3 points per 40 minutes also rank in the bottom 15 among ESPN's top-100. Yet, Sochan attempting 4.3 threes per 40 minutes this season is encouraging as far as his confidence is concerned, and watching him shoot in person several times, he has touch and solid mechanics, even showing the ability to knock down pull-ups and mid-post turnarounds on occasion. If he can turn himself into a league-average shooter, then he'll be able to unleash the ballhandling and passing we saw this season and so regularly with the Polish junior national team.

play
0:16
Jeremy Sochan skies for the filthy rim rock
Jeremy Sochan does work in the paint then gets air for a massive dunk.

Sochan has a chance to be an instant NBA contributor defensively as he's comfortable switching out onto guards, tracking big wings and has at least shown the willingness to slide up to the small-ball 5. He doesn't quite have the sheer reach and bounce to be a full-time protector at the 5, but the instincts are there (2.0 steals and 1.1 blocks per 40 minutes), and he's a solid positional rebounder who gravitates toward the ball and isn't afraid to mix it up in traffic. Being able to shift up to the 5 also makes him a far tougher cover offensively.

At 18 years old with the type of versatility NBA teams covet, I'd fully expect Sochan to be a potential riser in the pre-draft process as teams get to know him, dive into his FIBA tape and unearth his shooting potential. Even if he doesn't evolve into a reliable half-court scorer, Sochan could thrive in a Boris Diaw-like role as a playmaking forward who makes his teammates better, adds value with his defensive versatility and does a lot of the little things that impact winning. -- Schmitz

TyTy Washington Jr. | 6-4 | PG | Kentucky | Age: 20.3 | Mock draft: No. 14
Kentucky suffered one of the most shocking NCAA tournament upsets in recent memory, losing to No. 15 seed Saint Peter's, with their highly regarded freshman Washington having his worst game of the season at the most inopportune time possible, scoring five points on 2-for-10 shooting with more turnovers than assists, and several poor defensive possessions.

Washington simply hasn't been the same player since suffering an ankle injury two months ago in a loss at Auburn, seeing his scoring production and efficiency fall off. How healthy he was the past two months and what caused this precipitous drop in production will be a major point of conversation for lottery teams the next three months.

Watching the ease in which Kentucky's entire offense was grinded to a halt by a MAAC team with a simple, but highly effective game plan will raise many of the same questions NBA teams have asked about other John Calipari guards in the past. Tyrese Maxey, Devin Booker, Tyler Herro, Keldon Johnson, Hamidou Diallo, Immanuel Quickley, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Brandon Boston Jr. and others all ended up being under-drafted after looking vastly more comfortable in the NBA than they did in college, which has caused scouts to openly discuss grading future Kentucky prospects on a curve, operating under the assumption that they simply won't be used to their full potential in college.

Were Washington's weaknesses similarly accentuated by the extreme lack of shooting and spacing surrounding him? And will being placed in a more modern offensive system not built around post-ups, offensive rebounds and mid-range jumpers help solve some of the issues he faced this season with his struggles beating opponents off the dribble and finishing in traffic?

Outside of one week in which Sahvir Wheeler was injured (where Washington broke John Wall and Kentucky's single-game record with 17 assists), we never quite got to see what Washington would look like as a full-time point guard, something NBA teams would surely like to know more about. Washington's ability to make reads out of ball-screens is arguably his biggest strength, but he averaged less than six pick and rolls per game, ranked 467th among division one players, per Synergy Sports Technology. Prior to Washington's injuries, he was the most efficient pick and roll player in college basketball, but he fell off the past two months.

Excuses aside, it's safe to say Washington should have done better with the opportunities he had, especially with his team's season on the brink against an overmatched opponent, and certainly on the defensive end where he actually had some nice progress relative to where he started. He'll now move onto the pre-draft process, where several polarizing guard prospects, including himself, will attempt to position themselves for consideration in the No. 10 to No. 20 portion of the draft. -- Givony

Go to Ratings

Not turning 19 until May, Brown's raw offensive skill set and struggles defensively aren't shocking considering his lack of experience, and he still has several intriguing attributes to hang his hat on as arguably the most explosive leaper in this draft class, with a 6-11 wingspan and some real flashes of passing and ability to defend one-on-one. Still, there are real question marks about what exactly Brown's role will be early in his NBA career, and whether he has the touch to develop his jump shot, which will be a major key to his long-term development. -- Givony
 
Shams confirms today what’s been assumed. Portland is going after Grant with the Pelicans pick

https://theathletic.com/3198951/202...n-simmons-back-and-more-nba-news-inside-pass/
Detroit Pistons

The Portland Trail Blazers are expected to seriously pursue Pistons forward Jerami Grant in the offseason, sources said. Armed with the Pelicans’ 2022 first-round draft selection, the Trail Blazers will explore offering the pick should it fall between Nos. 5 and 14 in the June draft. If the pick does not fall in that range and convey to Portland this offseason, the organization’s package falls behind competing teams that are chasing Detroit’s versatile forward. Grant is eligible for a four-year, $112 million contract extension in the offseason.

Grant and Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard played together in Team USA’s gold medal run in the Tokyo Olympics last summer.
 
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BankTeller said:
I’m just asking man. I’m in my mid 20s now and basketball overall is less of a priority, I don’t pay attention to the NCAA like I did in high school when the Noels and WCS’s were there. He reminds me of them physically, as well as Bam, if you just wanted me to throw out a good name.
Click to expand...

I agree that we need a center that can do it all. (i.e shoot from the outside and guard the perimeter) But at least Duren is reportedly 250 pounds. Noel was 206 when he was drafted. Physically those two are not even close to being the same.

As for Bam....I would love to have someone like him as our center.
 
Predator said:
Chet Holmgren | 7-1 | PF | Gonzaga | Age: 19.8 | Mock draft: No. 1
Gonzaga escaped with a win against freshman center Jalen Duren and a powerful Memphis squad that put quite a scare into the NCAA tournament's No. 1 overall seed, with Holmgren having a somewhat underwhelming performance by his lofty standards.

It started with real fireworks between the projected top-10 picks, with Holmgren stifling Duren repeatedly inside the post, showing impressive toughness and fight despite giving up more than 50 pounds, along with his extraordinary length and timing challenging him at the rim. Foul trouble prevented the two from seeing as much head-to-head action as scouts may have liked, with both players in foul trouble, but Holmgren still clearly got the best of the matchup.

Holmgren was somewhat passive offensively by his recent standards, not looking to push the ball off the defensive glass or exploit mismatches in short-roll situations as aggressively as in previous showings. His outside shot wasn't falling either, as he's hit a bit of a cold streak, converting just 1 of his last 14 attempts from 3, but is still at 39% from 3 on the season. He also missed two of his three free throws, including the front end of a key 1-and-1, which is uncharacteristic. While nerves may have been a factor, he also seemed to be deferring to the experience of upperclassmen stars Drew Timme and Andrew Nembhard, who were both having huge games and carrying the team in different stretches.

Despite his relatively muted impact offensively, Holmgren was a huge factor defensively as usual, blocking four shots, challenging countless others and finishing +18 in a game Gonzaga won by four. Naysayers will point to the struggles he had dealing with physicality, as he got pushed around on the glass at times and dunked on emphatically by Duren while attempting to draw a charge. Holmgren moves onto the Sweet 16, where he'll face another formidable opponent in Arkansas, with the No. 1 defense in the SEC, another great opportunity to solidify his standing at the top of the draft against top-level competition. -- Jonathan Givony

play
0:21
Chet Holmgren gets the steal and the and-1 slam
Chet Holmgren steals the inbound pass and races down the court to stuff down an and-1 dunk for Gonzaga.

Jabari Smith | 6-10 | SF/PF | Auburn | Age: 18.8 | Mock draft: No. 2
Smith built his candidacy as a potential No. 1 pick by making impossible shots look easy all season. Those shots stopped falling at the worst time possible in a frenetic, up-tempo, small-ball game that saw Auburn completely fall apart in a loss to Miami, shooting 30% from the field and trailing from the opening tip.

Smith had easily his worst offensive game of the season, shooting 1-for-8 from 3 and 2-for-8 from 2, looking discombobulated by Miami's unorthodox style, and never finding any type of rhythm, like the rest of his team. Variance, and the extremely high degree of difficulty of attempts he lives off with his sped-up style will lead to nights like this on occasion, but it was still shocking to see it play out.

After 34 games, playing against an elite strength of schedule, NBA teams know exactly the type of prospect Smith is. Still, only two players over 6-6 have ever been drafted in the lottery after shooting under 45% from 2-point range (Cam Reddish and Ziaire Williams), and Smith's lack of explosiveness, extreme reliance on difficult jumpers and inability to create easy shots for himself or others inside the arc reared its head several times in this game, as it has all season.

On the positive side, Smith didn't go down without a fight, grabbing a career-high 15 rebounds, posting three blocks and showing terrific effort all game long sliding his feet on the perimeter and covering ground all over the floor. He was obviously distraught in defeat, and can't be solely blamed for the loss, as his entire team (and coaching staff) had a very poor showing.

Smith will still be a top-3 draft pick ultimately, but his chances of going No. 1 got a little bit smaller with this surprising upset, even if he'll surely still receive strong consideration depending on which team gets the pick. -- Givony

play
0:25
Auburn players in disbelief after Jabari Smith's jaw-dropping poster jam
Jabari Smith's teammates were in awe after he goes up and over the Jacksonville State defender for the vicious slam dunk.

Paolo Banchero | 6-10 | PF/C | Duke | Age: 19.3 | Mock draft: No. 3
Banchero had some ups and downs but played a huge role in Duke's comeback win over Michigan State, making several important plays down the stretch. Despite looking indecisive at times in the first half, Banchero ramped up the aggression and unleashed his talent in a major way with several skillful one-on-one baskets in the final minutes, scoring on a fluid, rangy spin-move from the perimeter over Marcus Bingham Jr., and then powering through Joey Hauser with a series of crossovers and hesitation moves to give the Blue Devils the lead for good.

Banchero also showed his ability to find teammates for open shots, and had an impressive block on Hauser -- sliding his feet on the perimeter and meeting him at the rim -- showing excellent mobility and timing on the defensive end. Banchero's tendency to overthink open jumpers and shy away from physicality on both ends of the floor has been frustrating for scouts to watch at times this season, but there was very little to criticize in this game as he finished with 19 points, seven rebounds, four assists and a trip to the Sweet 16. Duke will face the No. 1 defensive team in college basketball, Texas Tech, which should provide a major test for coach Mike Krzyzewski's young squad. -- Givony

play
0:44
Banchero, Roach step up late to lead Duke to Sweet 16
Paolo Banchero hits the go-ahead bucket, follows up with a block at the other end and then Jeremy Roach helps seal it for Duke with a 3-pointer.

Jalen Duren | 6-11 | C | Memphis | Age: 22.1 | Mock draft: No. 7
While Memphis put up an impressive fight against No. 1 overall seed Gonzaga and projected No. 1 pick Holmgren, Duren wasn't able to move the needle with his individual play, battling foul trouble on his way to seven points, seven rebounds on 3-for-11 shooting in 19 minutes.

Duren used his powerful 250-pound frame to wedge Holmgren under the rim on the offensive glass several times, leading to four offensive rebounds -- his best NBA skill at this stage. He took advantage of a Holmgren flop for an explosive dunk out of the post. He finished a lob well above the rim that was far more indicative of the type of spacing he'll have at the next level. He made a couple heady high-low passes. He also stymied guard Andrew Nembhard on a couple switches, recovered well to Holmgren out of short roll situations to take away shot attempts and put together a couple strong defensive possessions on Drew Timme, who still found ways to score in the midst of an unbelievable display of tough shot-making.


2022 NBA mock draft: Top 58 prospects in the NCAA tournament
6dJonathan Givony and Mike Schmitz
Duren struggled to finish around the rim against Holmgren's length both on put-backs and post isolations, not always going up with the amount of ferocity as his tools suggest. He forced up a contested mid-range jumper halfway through the shot clock that missed. He committed avoidable fouls on the glass, as a screener and reaching on the perimeter. Duren also had underwhelming moments guarding in space, which was also the case against Boise State. For as vertically explosive as he is, Duren doesn't have great technique defending away from the rim, as he doesn't sit down in a stance like he could and often opens his hips too quickly.

His urgency on both ends still fluctuates, as he doesn't always sprint the floor, and he'll get boxed out of shot-blocking situations with deep seals defensively. Although he was unable to completely outplay Holmgren and put together a true signature performance, Duren has shown enough to warrant his standing as a potential pick between No. 6-10.

Getting to know Duren personally and determining whether or not he can be more than a run-and-jump big will go a long way in deciding just how high the 18-year-old big man with Dwight Howard-like tools will ultimately go, and if he can be more than an NBA starter. -- Mike Schmitz

play
0:19
Chet Holmgren gets a flop warning after getting posterized
Chet Holmgren gets dunked on by Jalen Duren then gets a warning from the referees for flopping.

Jeremy Sochan | 6-9 | PF | Baylor | Age: 18.8 | Mock draft: No. 13
Although Baylor's valiant 25-point comeback fell short against North Carolina in overtime, Sochan showed quite a bit of character during the Bears' short-lived NCAA tournament run, averaging 15 points, nine rebounds and three assists in 30 minutes while shooting 50% from 2 and 3-of-9 from 3. Sochan's energy, competitiveness, defensive versatility and toughness shined through in the second half against UNC and it's become increasingly clear that he's not only the best NBA prospect on his team, but a potential lottery pick if he can convince teams of his shooting throughout the pre-draft process. He fought until the bitter end against the Tar Heels, flying around at the top of the Baylor press, switching onto guards, battling inside, crashing the offensive glass, diving on the floor for loose balls and trying to change shots around the rim.

Sochan naysayers will question his elite NBA skill, which is fair. He has nice size at around 6-9 and 230 pounds with solid agility, yet he's not long (7-0 wingspan), isn't overly quick or vertically explosive and he's not much of a threat to score in the half court, which we saw against the Tar Heels. UNC bigs Armando Bacot and Brady Manek regularly closed out short and dared him to beat them from 3, which limited Sochan's downhill attacks and led to some underwhelming possessions that highlighted his lack of a reliable jumper and somewhat limited burst off the bounce (4-for-14 from the field).

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Wednesday, March 23
Nets at Grizzlies, 7:30 p.m.
76ers at Lakers, 10 p.m.

Wednesday, March 30
Heat at Celticss, 7:30 p.m.
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Analytics models will flag his 58.9% free throw clip and sub-30% 3-point shooting. Sochan's 14.3 points per 40 minutes also rank in the bottom 15 among ESPN's top-100. Yet, Sochan attempting 4.3 threes per 40 minutes this season is encouraging as far as his confidence is concerned, and watching him shoot in person several times, he has touch and solid mechanics, even showing the ability to knock down pull-ups and mid-post turnarounds on occasion. If he can turn himself into a league-average shooter, then he'll be able to unleash the ballhandling and passing we saw this season and so regularly with the Polish junior national team.

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Jeremy Sochan skies for the filthy rim rock
Jeremy Sochan does work in the paint then gets air for a massive dunk.

Sochan has a chance to be an instant NBA contributor defensively as he's comfortable switching out onto guards, tracking big wings and has at least shown the willingness to slide up to the small-ball 5. He doesn't quite have the sheer reach and bounce to be a full-time protector at the 5, but the instincts are there (2.0 steals and 1.1 blocks per 40 minutes), and he's a solid positional rebounder who gravitates toward the ball and isn't afraid to mix it up in traffic. Being able to shift up to the 5 also makes him a far tougher cover offensively.

At 18 years old with the type of versatility NBA teams covet, I'd fully expect Sochan to be a potential riser in the pre-draft process as teams get to know him, dive into his FIBA tape and unearth his shooting potential. Even if he doesn't evolve into a reliable half-court scorer, Sochan could thrive in a Boris Diaw-like role as a playmaking forward who makes his teammates better, adds value with his defensive versatility and does a lot of the little things that impact winning. -- Schmitz

TyTy Washington Jr. | 6-4 | PG | Kentucky | Age: 20.3 | Mock draft: No. 14
Kentucky suffered one of the most shocking NCAA tournament upsets in recent memory, losing to No. 15 seed Saint Peter's, with their highly regarded freshman Washington having his worst game of the season at the most inopportune time possible, scoring five points on 2-for-10 shooting with more turnovers than assists, and several poor defensive possessions.

Washington simply hasn't been the same player since suffering an ankle injury two months ago in a loss at Auburn, seeing his scoring production and efficiency fall off. How healthy he was the past two months and what caused this precipitous drop in production will be a major point of conversation for lottery teams the next three months.

Watching the ease in which Kentucky's entire offense was grinded to a halt by a MAAC team with a simple, but highly effective game plan will raise many of the same questions NBA teams have asked about other John Calipari guards in the past. Tyrese Maxey, Devin Booker, Tyler Herro, Keldon Johnson, Hamidou Diallo, Immanuel Quickley, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Brandon Boston Jr. and others all ended up being under-drafted after looking vastly more comfortable in the NBA than they did in college, which has caused scouts to openly discuss grading future Kentucky prospects on a curve, operating under the assumption that they simply won't be used to their full potential in college.

Were Washington's weaknesses similarly accentuated by the extreme lack of shooting and spacing surrounding him? And will being placed in a more modern offensive system not built around post-ups, offensive rebounds and mid-range jumpers help solve some of the issues he faced this season with his struggles beating opponents off the dribble and finishing in traffic?

Outside of one week in which Sahvir Wheeler was injured (where Washington broke John Wall and Kentucky's single-game record with 17 assists), we never quite got to see what Washington would look like as a full-time point guard, something NBA teams would surely like to know more about. Washington's ability to make reads out of ball-screens is arguably his biggest strength, but he averaged less than six pick and rolls per game, ranked 467th among division one players, per Synergy Sports Technology. Prior to Washington's injuries, he was the most efficient pick and roll player in college basketball, but he fell off the past two months.

Excuses aside, it's safe to say Washington should have done better with the opportunities he had, especially with his team's season on the brink against an overmatched opponent, and certainly on the defensive end where he actually had some nice progress relative to where he started. He'll now move onto the pre-draft process, where several polarizing guard prospects, including himself, will attempt to position themselves for consideration in the No. 10 to No. 20 portion of the draft. -- Givony

Go to Ratings

Not turning 19 until May, Brown's raw offensive skill set and struggles defensively aren't shocking considering his lack of experience, and he still has several intriguing attributes to hang his hat on as arguably the most explosive leaper in this draft class, with a 6-11 wingspan and some real flashes of passing and ability to defend one-on-one. Still, there are real question marks about what exactly Brown's role will be early in his NBA career, and whether he has the touch to develop his jump shot, which will be a major key to his long-term development. -- Givony
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After reading that; Banchero would be the only one I would feel very good about drafting.
 
BankTeller said:
I’m just asking man.
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It doesn't work that way. Asking how a player is any different from another player(s) is just another way of suggesting they're the same. Especially when it's purely a negative slant with the chosen players. "What about Duren tells you he won’t just be a like a WCS or Nerlens Noel?" That's not just asking, that's implying.

Now, including Bam as a possible comparison makes it a legit question, as there's a range of development paths being proposed. Duren has zero physical similarities to Nerlens and WCS, but bears a strong resemblance to Bam. However, his game doesn't [yet] show the offensive versatility of Bam.
 
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