Thanksgiving is in the rearview mirror and, while that means the NBA season is beginning to heat up to some degree, it also means that the league’s future stars are beginning to put together more and more tape at the college level. For the 2018-2019 season, the headline program for NBA Draft die-hards is the Duke Blue Devils and, of course, the work of presumptive No. 1 overall pick Zion Williamson.
While there have been plenty of words assigned to chronicling Williamson’s ridiculous early-season performance (with more to come), the Blue Devils also have another long-awaited top prospect in R.J. Barrett. The Canadian wunderkind has been highly anticipated for a long time and, despite some efficiency issues, it is easy to see the appeal of Barrett at the pro level. However, there is a third elite prospect in play at Duke and, in short, it wouldn’t be wise to ignore him.
Cameron Reddish entered college with the reputation of a prospect with big-time ability and, in the early going, there is nothing to dissuade those evaluating him from that view. The 6’8 forward has a 7’1 wingspan to go along with elite-level fluidity and athleticism, but Reddish’s calling card at this stage may be his silky-smooth jump shot. He brings a fantastic shooting profile to the table at all levels and, through a handful of college outings, Reddish owns a 61 percent true shooting clip to complement his physical traits.
Defensively, there are also positive signs with the one-and-done forward, as Reddish brings great tools, including the length necessary to defend 4’s at the next level. While his size might be suited for a 3/4 hybrid role in the NBA, Reddish also has guard skills with the ball in his hands, especially if he can refine his footwork in the future. It has to be noted that not everyone is sold on Reddish, simply because a reputation for floating through games still follows him from the high school level. There haven’t been many issues with motor in college to this point, though, and he may be fully unlocking as a top-tier prospect at this early stage.
Reddish probably won’t catch Williamson at the top of the class but, in our inaugural DIME mock draft of the 2019 draft season, we unveil where he may land. Let’s go.
1. Atlanta Hawks – Zion Williamson (F, Duke)
Before the summer, there was real skepticism from scouts (myself included) on Williamson as the top player in the class. He didn’t play against great competition in high school and, more importantly, he has a physical package we’ve just never seen. Then, he looked fantastic on Duke’s trip to Canada and, when the actual season arrived, Williamson exploded with productivity, efficiency and impressive across the board play. It would be a little bit premature to declare the race for No. 1 over but he’s now the clear favorite.
2. Phoenix Suns – Cameron Reddish (F, Duke)
As noted above, Reddish still has to shed the label (at least from some) that he doesn’t play with enough consistency at this stage. If he can do that, there probably isn’t a player better suited for the No. 2 spot given what the theoretical idea of Reddish is in the future.
3. Chicago Bulls – R.J. Barrett (F/G, Duke)
Barrett hasn’t blown anyone away in the early going of his college stint but, with that out of the way, he’s still a tremendous prospect. He has a great motor, is a big-time creator and can make others better when he wants to. Defensively, he profiles as a possible impact guy but, at the moment, the big swing skill comes with his jump shot and Barrett needing to prove he can score efficiently.
4. Cleveland Cavaliers – Nassir Little (F/G, North Carolina)
There always seems to be one top prospect stuck in a subpar college situation and, this year, it might be Little. He isn’t starting at North Carolina right now and, even if that could make sense from the standpoint of Roy Williams, Little hasn’t had the full opportunity to showcase his best traits. He’s a big-time rim attacker with the ball in his hands, a great athlete and a potentially tremendous defender. It would be unwise to overlook him on account of college counting stats.
5. New York Knicks – Quentin Grimes (G, Kansas)
Combo guards are scary in some ways, as it isn’t quite as easy to project a player like Grimes. He does, though, have the ability to function both on and off the ball, which is a huge selling point. Throw in the impressive defensive profile and, well, he might just be a top-five pick in this class. Oh, and Grimes paired with Frank Ntilikina would be all kinds of fun.
6. Atlanta Hawks (via Dallas) – Keldon Johnson (F/G, Kentucky)
Mathematically, it is unlikely that the Hawks end up at No. 1 overall (14 percent odds for the NBA team with the worst record this season) but, if they pull off that heist and add this pick from Dallas, look out. Even if it’s not Atlanta, though, Keldon Johnson will be intriguing, as he is a big-time two-way prospect. He’s probably a role player, albeit a high-end one, but there aren’t many boxes he can’t check.
7. Orlando Magic – Romeo Langford (G/F, Indiana)
Langford is good at almost everything. He isn’t uber-elite at much but, quite honestly, he won’t have to be in order to return value as a top-10 pick. The swing skill (as for many prospects) is his three-point shooting but there isn’t enough downside there to scare anyone away. Langford is the real deal.
8. Brooklyn Nets – Kevin Porter Jr. (G, USC)
I’ll be the first to say that this may be too high for Porter Jr. and he might be playing over his head in the early portion of the college season. He has been tremendous, though, and his potential as a scorer is tremendous. There is real upside in that if he can clean up some shortcomings.
9. Boston Celtics (via Sacramento) – Bol Bol (C/F, Oregon)
Bol is perhaps the most polarizing player in the class. His upside isn’t quite what Williamson brings to the table but it’s not far off. Still, there is real risk with Bol, who has a strange NBA body and a game that doesn’t fit everywhere. Boston can afford to take a bit of a swing and it would be hard to envision a better development scenario for Bol than under Brad Stevens and with little pressure in his early years.
10. Miami Heat – Rui Hachimura (F, Gonzaga)
The country witnessed Hachimura’s breakout against Duke in the Maui Invitational but, even before that, he looked the part of a lottery pick. He’s a tremendous physical specimen with size and athleticism at the forward spots and there is an impressive skill set to boot. Hachimura probably won’t be a star in the NBA but he does a lot of things (very) well.
11. Minnesota Timberwolves – De’Andre Hunter (F, Virginia)
The jury is very much out on whether Tom Thibodeau will be making this pick but, if he does, Hunter is a comically good fit. He has tremendous defensive and rebounding tools to go along with a budding offensive game and, much like fellow returner Daniel Gafford, Hunter could’ve been a lottery pick a year ago. He will be this time around.
12. San Antonio Spurs – Sekou Doumbouya (F, France)
This is a project. Doumbouya is the consensus No. 1 international prospect in this class but, at the same time, he’s still 17 (!) years old and has a lot of growing to do. San Antonio would seem to be a good landing spot for that type of player and, honestly, the upside is tremendous if everything comes together for the youngster.
13. New Orleans Pelicans – Jarrett Culver (G/F, Texas Tech)
Culver is probably more of a 2 and that takes a little bit of juice away from his evaluation. Still, the Pelicans need all the help they can get on the wing and Culver has the potential for two-way impact.
14. Boston Celtics (via Memphis) – Darius Garland (G, Vanderbilt)
Garland recently suffered a meniscus injury and, while it doesn’t look as if it will cost him his entire season in Nashville, that is a real blow. In a draft sense, it shouldn’t do much to take away from his shine but Garland won’t have the same opportunity to prove himself that fellow freshman will. With all of that out of the way, he was arguably the top point guard prospect in his high school class for a reason. This may be too low.
15. Washington Wizards – Daniel Gafford (C, Arkansas)
Gafford may regret coming back to school, just because the bloom often comes off the rose as scouts see more of a player. Still, Gafford looks better, at least to me, than he did in 2017-18 and he’s a no-doubt pick. Honestly, this should be his floor, but the questions center more on what teams want to do with him than with Gafford’s individual skill set.
16. Detroit Pistons – Herb Jones (F/G, Alabama)
It is easy to be tantalized by Jones’ defensive tools, even if the potential parallels with Stanley Johnson might make this a tough fit. Regardless, Jones has the look of a modern, defense-first wing that can justify this draft slot with a bit of growth from his jumper.
17. Charlotte Hornets – Ja Morant (G, Murray State)
If you buy Morant’s jumper, this might be too low for him. In fact, he might be the best point guard prospect in the entire class, and you probably haven’t heard of him because he plays at Murray State. It is time to get familiar with Morant, though, as he is a big-time athlete and scorer that is making strides as a passer. He’s going to be a first round pick and possibly go in the lottery.
18. Los Angeles Lakers – Jalen McDaniels (F, San Diego State)
Could the Lakers use a defense-first, hyper-athletic big man? Well, I’d say yes. There is some risk here, but McDaniels is already showing more than he did in previous iterations and there is the potential that he continues to rise given his body and theoretical upside.
19. Boston Celtics (via LA Clippers) – Kris Wilkes (F, UCLA)
This might be a little high for Wilkes but, given what the Celtics did with their first two picks in this scenario, adding a 3-and-D prospect makes sense. The jury is out on just how good of a shooter Wilkes is but, if he can prove it, he will establish a first round floor.
20. Indiana Pacers – Luguentz Dort (G, Arizona State)
Shooting is a concern, at least to some degree, with Dort and that could make the fit in Indiana a bit challenging. If the Pacers believe in the jump shot, however, the rest of his game falls into place. He is one of the better defensive guards in this class and is a beast physically.
21. Utah Jazz – Killian Tillie (F, Gonzaga)
There is a bit of “out of sight, out of mind” with Tillie, who hasn’t played yet this season due to injury. Admittedly, I’ve always been higher on him than the consensus, but he’s a skilled player with great length and defensive versatility. Utah values players with off-ball skill sets and Tillie has one that would be a great addition for the Jazz.
22. Houston Rockets – PJ Washington (F, Kentucky)
Washington would fit pretty much anywhere as a supporting piece that doesn’t need the ball. That skill set plays even better in Houston, where Washington can use his defensive aptitude, rebounding and versatility in the future. He’s a bit of an odd prospect to project in terms of ceiling but his floor appears high.
23. Portland Trail Blazers – Naz Reid (C, LSU)
Scouts are all over the place on Reid, with some believing he could be a lottery pick and some projecting a second-round landing spot. We’ll split the difference here, as the Blazers could use someone with his measurables and skill set, and Portland might be able to utilize him in a way other teams (and rosters) couldn’t.
24. Philadelphia 76ers – Ignas Brazdeikis (F, Michigan)
Brazdeikis wasn’t “supposed” to be a first-round pick when the season began but the Michigan newcomer has been tremendous. He may dip at some point but, for now, he profiles as a versatile, two-way player that can defend multiple positions. That would be a snug fit in Philly.
25. Boston Celtics – Luka Samanic (F, Croatia)
This would be the fourth (!) first round pick for Boston. It stands to reason that, if this happens, the Celtics won’t actually make four picks but, if they did, stashing the best European player available seems like a good idea. I don’t love Samanic but he’s worthy of a late first-round pick and this is the spot.
26. Brooklyn Nets (via Denver) – Tre Jones (G, Duke)
Who in the world knows what happens in Brooklyn’s backcourt? There is a lot of uncertainty there but, even if you think the Nets already have answers at point guard, Jones is a worthy selection. He probably won’t go in the lottery because of upside concerns but he’s a no-doubt first rounder based on the tape to this point.
27. Oklahoma City Thunder – Charles Bassey (C, Western Kentucky)
The Thunder could use a rim-runner behind Steven Adams and Bassey is a nice upside pick. He’ll fly under the radar given his college choice but, on the merits, he’s a first round pick as an athletic, productive big.
28. Milwaukee Bucks – Jontay Porter (C, Missouri)
It was brutal news when Porter suffered a torn ACL that will cost him the entire season. Because of that, Porter’s stock is a bit of a mystery but, at a minimum, he’s the best offensive center in this class. There is a soft landing spot for him as a result and slotting into the Brook Lopez role with the Bucks could make sense.
29. Golden State Warriors – Eric Paschall (F, Villanova)
Paschall would be a “best player available” pick for the Warriors in the Jordan Bell mold. He’s a little bit older than you’d like but the Warriors are, of course, in win-now mode and Paschall could potentially help immediately in a number of ways.
30. San Antonio Spurs (via Toronto) – Darius Bazley (F, High School)
This is a flier for the Spurs but Bazley does have significant upside. He isn’t playing basketball this season after deciding to skip both Syracuse and the G League but Bazley has good size and athleticism. San Antonio would be a great place for him to develop but, admittedly, his stock is all over the place and probably will continue to be until June.
