NBA MOCK DRAFT: What we’d do if we made the calls

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And now for something completely different … instead of collecting the best guesses ahead of Thursday’s NBA Draft, here’s how we’d  like to see it go down:

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1. San Antonio. Victor Wembanyama PF/C, France. The only easy selection. Nobody is going to pass on perhaps the greatest prospect in the history of the NBA. How lucky can one franchise get: Daid Robinson, Tim Duncan and now Wembanyama. Two all-time greats and now an excellent shot at another game-changing big man.

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2. Charlotte. Scoot Henderson, G, G League. Most people seem to believe the Hornets want Brandon Miller, but I don’t get it. Henderson has long been seen as a player that would go first in many previous drafts. He had some injuries and wasn’t as spectacular this season as last, but has nearly all the tools to be a star. Worrying over fit (with franchise star LaMelo Ball) over best talent available is how teams (like Charlotte) stay at the bottom of the standings for years.

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3. Portland. Brandon Miller, F, Alabama. He’s a fine consolation prize and even a nice fit on a Portland roster looking, perhaps, to be relevant with Damian Lillard still in town. Miller can score, defend, and has star potential. There’s some off-court baggage, and he reportedly didn’t show amazingly in interviews, but Miller is a big-time talent.

4. Houston. Amen Thompson, G, No college. Anyone remember Shaun Livingston before his horrific on-court accident? Thompson is a level above even that high-flying Livingston, he’ll instantly be top tier in a league full of freak athletes and is a gigantic natural point guard. There’s a decent chance Thompson becomes the second-best player in this draft. But he also can’t shoot at all and hasn’t faced anything close to NBA competition. Still, I’d take this swing.

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5. Detroit. Cam Whitmore, F, Villanova. The other Thompson twin would be a coin flip for us here, but Whitmore seems less likely to fall short and is a much better shooter. He’s also a jaw-dropping athlete and an ideal wing to slot with Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey. Whitmore can improve in a number of areas, but you can’t teach what he does well and he’s massive for a wing.

6. Orlando. Ausar Thompson, F. The aforementioned other Thompson twin.  Ausar is a wing, not a point guard and isn’t quite the athlete his brother is, but he’s still a great athlete in his own right and an even better dribbler, by most accounts. He’s also got huge upside and Orlando traditionally favours players with similar length and skill sets as Thompson.

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7. Indiana. Bilal Coulibaly, France. I’d like to see the Pacers take a shot with Wembanyama’s intriguing former teammate. It was once unthinkable for Coulibaly to rise this high, but all his physical tools and his motor scream potential stud. He’ll need a lot of time to develop — he can’t shoot at all and needs work on his dribbling too — but his potential is high.

8. Washington. Anthony Black, G, Arkansas. Washington is starting what could be a long rebuild. Higher picks are sure to follow, but you need to start somewhere. How about with a big guard who does everything solidly, including shoot? Black projects as a strong two-way player and a nice building block.

9. Utah. Taylor Hendricks, F, UCF.  Hendricks or Jarace Walker would both be great fits to complete Utah’s Lauri Markkanen-Walker Kessler frontcourt. Both are considered elite defenders, but Hendricks is a bit taller and is more advanced offensively. He’s also a player that’s been rising up draft boards.

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10. Dallas. Kobe Bufkin, G, Michigan. Dallas has some choices here, but Bufkin would be a nice complement to Luka Doncic. He’d take some of the scoring pressure off the Slovenian star and his stock has been skyrocketing. He might go higher than this because of his scoring prowess.

11. Orlando. Jarace Walker, F, Houston. Probably a steal at this point, and maybe they don’t need both Thompson and Walker, but this gives the Magic two shots at a star forward to grow with reigning rookie of the year Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner.

12. Oklahoma City. Gradey Dick, F, Kansas. It’s not sexy, but adding one of the best shooters, if not the best, in this draft class to spot up while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander creates seems like a pretty good idea, no? The Thunder is stacked with young talent, everything but shooting, really. Dick is as good a fit as they could find.

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13. Toronto. Cason Wallace, G, Kentucky. Toronto flat-out stinks stopping the point of attack. Wallace excels in that area and is viewed as a strong all-around defender. He also can shoot and Kentucky’s track record of producing NBA guards can’t be ignored (Gilgeous-Alexander, Jamal Murray, Devin Booker, De’Aaron Fox, Tyrese Maxey, Tyler Herro). Even if Wallace doesn’t reach those heights, he sure appears to be a solid bet to help the Raptors in many areas.

14. New Orleans. Leonard Miller, F, G League. Would more of a sure thing make sense? Maybe. The Zion Williamson saga goes on and on, Brandon Ingram isn’t reliable because he’s often injured and these guys could use a potential star. Miller would be better off going to a more stable organization, because he’ll need a lot of time and patience, but he has star potential and does way too many things well for me not to take him in the lottery at some point.

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