Seton Hall
Castaneda's NBA Mock Draft 1.0
Date: May 21, 2019By: Ronny Castaneda
With the NBA season coming to an end and the order of the 2019 draft in place, it is time for teams that are not battling it out for the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy to decide on the first step to building their future. This class is filled with potential game-changing talent. The names read by Adam Silver at the Barclays Center on June 19 will be some that we will be talking about long after their careers have passed.
1. New Orleans Pelicans - Zion Williamson
Perhaps the most hyped up prospect since LeBron James, Williamson has made himself into a household name with his monstrous athleticism and backboard shattering dunks. An athlete who can properly play both sides of the ball is already a force to be reckoned with. Adding Williamson’s size and IQ is not even fair for opposing teams. With rumors speculating around Anthony Davis’ departure from New Orleans, Williamson would be the perfect fit to breathe life back into the disgruntled franchise.
2. Memphis Grizzlies – Ja Morant
After a breakout season at Murray State, Morant’s highlight filled season caught the eyes of scouts early in the season. The sophomore point guard is easily the best passer in the draft, by consistently dishing out one-handed darts and no-look dimes. Mix that with his freakish hops and athleticism, it is time for the Grizzlies to look for veteran Mike Conley’s successor. There is no better answer for Memphis than Morant.
3. New York Knicks – R.J. Barrett
Although New York fans did not receive the coveted number-one pick they desperately tanked for, the Knicks can still add a solid piece to their young core in Barrett. If it was not for Williamson, Barret would have been the premiere player for Coach K and the Duke Blue Devils. After breaking the ACC freshman scoring record, Barrett also raised his scoring average from 23.3 to 26.2 following Williamson’s injury. The Knickerbockers can still bring a wholesome talent to The Garden. New York hopes to land a free agent that can help mentor the player they select with the third overall pick.
4. Los Angeles Lakers – De’Andre Hunter
In a surprising turn of events, the Lakers ended up in the top-four of the lottery after a disappointing season where the King James hype was not what the fans wished it would be. The Lakers are planning to build a championship caliber team around James, rather than continue their rebuilding process, which makes Hunter a perfect fit. Upperclassmen are usually drafted to make a direct impact on a team and the junior is more than capable of doing so. Hunter is coming off a national championship-winning season, where he earned All-ACC honors and Defensive Player of the Year in the conference.
5. Cleveland Cavaliers – Jarrett Culver
The Cavs have taken the post-James era just as well as you thought they would. But they did find a diamond in the rough with Collin Sexton. Now, they need to add an athletic wing to space out the offense. Culver is an all-around player that can fill that spot. After leading the Texas Tech Raiders to the Final Four and National Championship, Culver would make an easy fit in Cleveland’s young and athletic core. After propelling himself to be the Raiders’ number one option, sharing his talent alongside Sexton would only make it easier for Culver to transfer over into the league.
6. Phoenix Suns – Brandon Clarke
The Suns have not had the best of recent drafts. Aside from Devin Booker, we are still waiting to see how Josh Jackson and DeAndre Ayton will fair out in the league. With Ayton being a key piece in Phoenix’s rebuild, Clarke would make for a perfect one-two punch. Despite being considered under-sized, Clarke led the NCAA in blocked shots and field goal percentage. If he can transfer that into the league, Phoenix might have the best up-and-coming big man combo in the league.
7. Chicago Bulls – Coby White
The Bulls have everything they are looking for in a young core, except for a consistent point guard. White is the simple answer. White is more than capable of putting the ball in the basket, but he can add as a facilitator as well. With Zach LaVine on the wing and Lauri Markkanen being a staple stretch four, the Bulls can secure the perfect set of pieces for their future.
8. Atlanta Hawks – Bol Bol
A seven foot, three-point shooting center is the kind of talent to go within the first five picks at least, but an early season-ending foot injury brought down Bol’s draft stock. A foot injury to a lengthy center is enough to scare scouts away, but Bol’s potential cannot go unseen. With two picks in the top-10, the Hawks are in prime position to build around Trae Young.
9. Washington Wizards – Jaxson Hayes
The Wizards have not been the team we are used to seeing. The untimely injury of point guard John Wall is an uneasy feeling for the franchise. On the bright side, Bradley Beal has flourished since Wall’s injury. At 25, The Wizards should look to capitalize on Beal’s prime. Although he is listed as a power forward, Hayes can be placed to play the center spot. At 6 feet 11 inches tall, Hayes proved to be a force at the rim. With Dwight Howard’s tenure not adding up to what they paid for, the Wizards can get some valuable play from the rook, while he gets some action in-favor of the eight-time all-star.
10. Atlanta Hawks – Cam Reddish
Reddish was a key part to Duke’s success, even if you did not hear about him as much as Barrett and Williamson. To be fair, he did not live up to what we had seen from him in high school, but with his shooting ability and quick feet and hands on defense, Reddish should translate well into the league. Imagine the potential line-up of Young, John Collins, Taurean Prince, Kevin Huerter, and Reddish. Do not be surprised if the Hawks start making noise earlier than expected.
Another key aspect about this year’s NBA off-season is the stacked free agency. The likes of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and Davis will possibly be looking for new cities to call home. With plenty of time between now and the draft, the order of the teams and their projected selections are bound to change.
Ronny Castaneda can be reached at ronald.castaneda@student.shu.edu.
