Mock Draft Monday: Inside the 2019 mock draft process

The 2019 NBA Draft is on Thursday at 7:00 PM EST on ESPN, which means it is the time of year in which I am scrambling to get my mock draft done in time. It's a hectic process, but a lot of fun at the same time. In this blog post, I would like to quickly address how I go about compiling my mock draft so as to give everyone a better understanding of the process that I undertake.

#1. I get the picks figured out before the analysis: In years past, I used to laboriously write analysis pick by pick, which made the whole mock draft much more stressful. Some of the following fears used to cross my mind: What if I don't get it done in time? What if I crap out at pick #50?

Those fears have subsided as I first take care of the full mock draft without analysis. This way, I know that if worse comes to absolute worse, I at least have a mock draft to show everyone even if it's light on the analysis.

By the way, for those that are curious, I do have a rough draft mock draft completed with all 60 picks. I won't give it all away right now, but I will tell you that I have Zion Williamson going #1 overall to the New Orleans Pelicans, Ja Morant going #2 overall to the Memphis Grizzlies, and R.J. Barrett going #3 overall to the New York Knicks. #60 to the Sacramento Kings is Nevada shooting guard Caleb Martin. Picks 4 through 59 you'll have to wait until late Wednesday night/early Thursday morning to find out what those are!

#2. I pay attention to other mock drafts: The main NBA draft site I go to for information, big boards, and mock drafts is NBADraft.net. I help them out with some analysis of prospects and in general I've always been a big fan of the site. While I don't copy my mock draft from them or anywhere else, I do want to make sure that my selections are within the window of relative probability. E.g. I don't want to have a guy projected to go in the top 25 slide into the mid 40s on my mock.

#3. I first focus on what a team needs. If an immediate need isn't obvious, I roll with best available: When thinking about which player to peg where, I look at each team's roster and see what they most need. For example, if a team has a young point guard that is excelling, but is in need of a wing, I'll have them select a wing over a point guard provided the wing is within the window of being picked in that slot. If there isn't such a player that fits a pressing need, then I have the team take the best player available even if they already have a talented young player at that position. I know I said I wouldn't give away any more secrets, but this is exactly how I approached the draft selection of the Cleveland Cavaliers. They don't need a point guard given the presence of Collin Sexton and I think there are other positions of need that they can adequately address with the #5 overall pick.

Quickly touching more on best available, this usually means highest rated player, but sometimes it can mean the guy who I feel has the most potential. Oregon center Bol Bol for example is a bit of project, but he has a ton of potential due to his physical tools and natural gifts. I'm going to factor that into the "best available" equation in addition to who is the best player right now. Remember, the draft is all about projecting who will be the best in five years and beyond. Some teams have an immediate need, but others can be more patient and see how guys pan out.

Also, if a team has multiple picks, I might be a little more liberal in them rolling the dice on a guy who has very high odds to either boom or bust. If a team has just one pick in the first round for example, I figure they'll probably be more conservative with their selection.

#4. I don't try to predict trades: Predicting trades is impossible to do even if you sense one. E.g. The Lakers trading the #4 overall pick to get Anthony Davis. I operate under the assumption that the team in the slot will make that pick and then if a trade happens, it is what it is. That said, I do try to wait until Wednesday night to post my mock draft to account for as many trades as possible, but at the end of the day, trades are a monkey wrench in the mock draft that you just have to accept.

#5. The mid-late second round is a total crap shoot: There are probably 35-40 players in any given draft that you know are going to get picked, it's just a matter of where. Some could go late first round, others could do early second round, but you know with about 90-95% certainty that they're going to get picked somewhere.

Outside of those 35-40 guys, it's anyone's guess who gets picked with picks #41-60. Rather than going off the big board or sticking to the script, I have some fun with these picks and see what sticks to the wall and what doesn't.  I don't give it too much thought because the late second round typically is pretty random. Remember Chukwudiebere Maduabum going #56 to the Lakers (traded to Denver) in 2011?

#6. I'm not afraid to make my mock draft unique: Why have a mock draft if it's just like every other mock draft? This doesn't mean you ignore projections, data, and scouting reports, but if you're going to do a mock draft, make it your own. Have some fun. You never know what prediction you have will come true and it's more fun to have a unique take that nobody else has (provided you have sound reasoning to back it up).

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Tomahawk Tuesday: The Golden State Warriors screwed Kevin Durant

                                         (Credit: Getty Images) 


The Golden State Warriors' dramatic 106-105 win over the Toronto Raptors on Monday night was overshadowed by Kevin Durant going down once again with what is believed to be a torn right Achilles tendon. Normally, a team would be all smiles or at least giving off vibes of relief after keeping their NBA Finals hopes alive, but that was not the case with the Warriors last night. Instead, they were giving off vibes of frustration and sadness as a result of losing their best player for the season and possibly beyond. The post-game press conference held by Warriors GM Bob Meyers perfectly encapsulated that frustration and sadness as he was holding back tears talking about Durant.



Before I begin explaining why the Warriors screwed Durant, let me first say that anyone questioning Durant's toughness or lack of willingness to play in the NBA Finals is a MORON. As one who has gotten to know high level basketball players as part of my job covering Cal hoops for Rivals.com, I can confirm that these guys will play at all costs and never want to miss a game. Basketball is who they are. If you are saying a guy like Durant isn't tough for not coming back earlier, you either have a negative agenda or you don't know high level basketball players. Or both.

With that mini tirade out of the way, let me begin another tirade if you want to call it that. The Warriors screwed Durant. Plain and simple. I'm not saying it's any one individual's fault. I don't agree that it should all fall on Meyers' shoulders, though I applaud him for being willing to accept the blame. That takes courage on his part.

The Warriors as a collective whole screwed Durant. The coaching staff, front office, medical staff, and even teammates all played some role in pressuring Durant to return when it was clear to all of us that his return was being rushed. There were reports earlier that if this wasn't the playoffs, Durant would be out for several weeks, indicating that the Warriors knew this was a really serious injury.

Even more cynically, I think it's pretty clear that Durant's injury was worse than what the Warriors were letting on. They said calf strain, but the vibe was that it was something much more serious like a torn Achilles. Meyers insists that it was a calf injury the first time and that this time around, it's an Achilles. I have a really hard time buying that. While I'm no medical doctor, I'm pretty familiar with the severity of sports injuries and the whole time the vibe I got was an Achilles. As soon as Meyers coughed up that it was an Achilles, I thought to myself: "That's what it was the first time, too."

The Warriors knew they were playing with fire by bringing Durant back and yet they rolled the dice anyways. Sometimes when you play with fire you get burned and that's exactly what happened to the Warriors. Actually, it was Durant who got burned, which makes it all the more tragic. As a result of the Warriors' reckless decision to put Durant in harms way, they may have cost him his NBA career. A torn Achilles is no joke. It's like the kiss of death for NBA players. He may never come back from this, which is why the Warriors should feel like trash right now.

If you think I'm being too harsh, don't take it from me. Take it from Meyers. His body language was that of one who knew his organization screwed up. That's why he was crying. If this was another freak accident, he wouldn't have come to the podium to address the media. The fact that he addressed the media at all indicates the Warriors knew going in it was a risk to play Durant. They did not believe Durant was fully healed or anywhere close to full strength, which puts the blame squarely on them.

The only way to defend the Warriors is to say that Durant really wanted to play and that if he wants to go out there and ball, he should be allowed to do as he pleases. The problem I have with that is you have to see the bigger picture in matters like this. One championship isn't worth sacrificing someone's career. It just isn't. Especially when you've already won three titles in four years.

On top of that, the Warriors know how to win without Durant. At this point of the series, even if Durant could play, you could argue it would be better to not play him over concerns of him messing with their flow or getting off to a rusty start. The fact that he came out on fire doesn't change this. The Warriors have enough firepower to win without Durant and their lack of confidence in themselves to do so continues to baffle me.

The bottom line here is the Warriors decided to sacrifice Kevin Durant's career to get a one point win in an NBA Finals that they are probably going to lose no matter what. Is anyone's health or career worth that? The answer is no and the Warriors know it. End of story.

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Mock Draft Monday: Five teams that need to get it right in the 2019 NBA Draft

While no team wants to mess up in the NBA draft, some teams have more of a cushion than others. For some teams, the draft is a chance to change the fortunes of their future or at least begin the process of doing so. Below is a list of five teams that really need to make sure they get it right come Thursday, June 20th. I should note that I'm not addressing the Pelicans, Grizzlies, or Knicks since it's pretty clear what they're going to do. The Pelicans are expected to take Zion Williamson, the Grizzlies are expected to take Ja Morant, and the Knicks are expected to take R.J. Barrett. If any of those three teams mess it up, their GM should be sent down the Amazon river tied to a wooden raft.

The Lakers have several different options that they can choose from. They can go with Virginia small forward  DeAndre Hunter, Vanderbilt point guard Darius Garland, or even Maryland center Bruno Fernando if they want to go big. They could also trade the pick. Given all the turmoil in their front office, they need to make sure that on draft day, they make the right call. They can't let their dysfunction bleed into the draft, which might be easier said than done. 

The Bulls were hoping to win the Zion Williamson sweepstakes and instead they're picking 7th. Fortunately for them, there's a lot of talent that they can choose from if they keep the pick. Nassir Little who I'm really high on could be available. Other talented guys like Cameron Reddish should also be available. After not getting the chance to draft Williamson, the Bulls need to at least make sure they find the right fit for their team with the 7th pick. Don't compound bad luck by making an unwise pick. There's still a chance the Bulls walk away as one of the winners from this draft provided they do their homework.

The Phoenix Suns currently possess the 6th overall pick in the draft and already have a talented young core with Deandre Ayton and Devin Booker. What this team needs more than anything is a veteran leader, ideally a point guard, that can run the offense and help mentor the younger guys. With this being the case, it makes sense for them to explore trade packages and see if they can perhaps get such a point guard by giving up the pick. Having the 6th pick isn't bad, so unless they really get a good deal, they should keep the pick and maybe see if they can land a point guard the old fashioned way. NBADraft.net actually has North Carolina point guard Coby White going to the Suns 6th overall, so perhaps that is the direction they should go.

Note: My friend Brandon Condron runs a really good Phoenix Suns channel on YouTube. He addressed this topic a little while back. Click here to check it out.

The Wizards are picking 9th overall and with the John Wall/Bradley Beal era not yielding enough fruit, they need to revamp their look ASAP. There's plenty of talented players for them to choose from with this pick or like the Suns they could trade the pick and get some veteran help in return. Regardless of what they do, they have to make the right decision. What adds to the drama in all of this is they still don't have a general manager. The Wizards are a bit dysfunctional at the moment, but doing well in the draft could do wonders to steady the boat.

The Hawks recently made a trade sending Taurean Prince and a 2021 second round pick to the Nets for Allen Crabbe and the No. 17 overall pick in this year's draft and a protected first round pick in 2020. As a result of this trade, the Hawks now have three picks in the first round of this year's draft (#8, #10, and #17). On top of that, they have three second round picks, giving them six picks in total. With so much flexibility and picks to play with, the Hawks have a lot of freedom. But with that freedom comes responsibility. They need to make sure they use all these picks to the best of their advantage. If they do, they could walk out as one of the big winners from the draft.

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Skyhook Sunday: Do the Toronto Raptors need to win Game 5?

                                         (Credit: Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images) 

On Monday, the Toronto Raptors will get the chance to win their first NBA championship on their home floor. Even more impressive is the fact that this is Game 5. When I predicted the Golden State Warriors would win the series in six games, I thought I was showing the Raptors a fair amount of respect. I believed they were a dangerous, good team. My main reservation was the fact that this was their first time in the NBA Finals and they were going up against a team that has won two straight titles and three of the last four NBA Finals. The fact that the Raptors have owned the Warriors through the first four games of this series is incredible. It's just a matter of them finishing what they started and not letting the Warriors come back.

With that in mind, the question that I want to address tonight is do the Raptors need to win Game 5? Of course they want to finish this sucker ASAP, but what I'm asking is should they still feel confident in their chances to win this series even if they don't close it out on Monday night? Is having an insurance Game 7 at home enough to give them the peace of mind to not overly stress about Game 5?

My answer to this question is rather nuanced and I apologize in advance: The Raptors do not need to win Game 5, but it would be really nice if they did! I think the Raptors have played well enough that they deserve to be favorites for the rest of this series. My belief is you should always pick the home team to win a Game 7, which means if this series does come down to one final game in Toronto, the Raptors should be favored to win. Period. Kawhi Leonard has proven to be a terrific closer and if he's given a chance to close out a series twice on his home floor, you best believe he'll get it done one of those two times.

That all said, the longer this series goes on, the more life the Warriors will have. Especially since Kevin Durant could be back for a Game 7 or possibly sooner than that. The official status of KD is he practiced on Sunday and is a game-time decision for Monday, though it seems unlikely he'll play. If he is able to get back on the floor and give the Warriors any sort of boost, it could be lights out for the Raptors. The possible return of KD in a Game 6 or 7 should he not play in Game 5 should be enough to motivate the Raptors to win this series now.

                                          (Credit: Silverscreenings.org) 

When the six-fingered man had Inigo Montoya on the ropes in The Princess Bride, he should have finished the job when he had Montoya severely wounded. Instead, he toyed with Montoya, allowing him to strike back and avenge the death of his father. The Raptors do not want to be like the six-fingered man. They want to end this while they have the Warriors on the ropes. So while they don't have to win Game 5 on Monday, this series will suddenly get really interesting if we are having a Game 6 in Oakland on Thursday night.

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Wednesday Windmill: The Toronto Raptors are in the driver's seat to win the NBA Finals

                                         (Credit: Frank Gunn-The Associated Press) 

On Wednesday, the Toronto Raptors defeated the Golden State Warriors 123-109 to take a 2-1 series lead in the NBA Finals. Kawhi Leonard had a huge game with 30 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks, doing a little bit of everything to help the Raptors get the win. As for Stephen Curry, he was sensational on the other side for the Warriors, scoring a playoff career-high 47 points to go along with 8 rebounds, 7 assists, and 2 steals. The problem for him was he didn't get enough help as Klay Thompson (hamstring), Kevin Durant (calf), and Kevon Looney (collar bone) were all out.

I said on Tuesday that the Warriors would be hard pressed to win without Thompson and that certainly proved to be the case in Game 3. Basketball is a team sport and when you lose enough guys, it's tough for any team to win. Even if they have a guy as good as Curry on their team.

At this point in time, the Raptors are in the driver's seat to win this series. They've stolen home court advantage right back, putting all the pressure on the Warriors to win Game 4 on Friday. By extension, there's a ton of pressure on the Warriors to get Thompson back. Without him, I don't see them winning another game in this series.

On that note, Steve Kerr sounded optimistic that Thompson would play on Friday in his post-game comments while sounding much less sure about Durant. If I had to guess, I would say Thompson plays on Friday while Durant will once again be inactive. Odds are starting to look good that Durant won't play at all in this series and that the Warriors have known this the whole time.

Assuming Thompson is a go on Friday, the Warriors still have a chance to win this series, but the odds are not in their favor. The Raptors have the advantage now and need to make sure they shut the door on the Warriors while they can do it.

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Tomahawk Tuesday: The Golden State Warriors come back to the Bay Area banged up

The Golden State Warriors got the split they needed in Toronto, but it came with a price. Klay Thompson went down with a hamstring injury while Kevon Looney broke his collar bone. Steve Kerr told the media on Tuesday that Thompson is questionable for Wednesday's Game 3 while Looney is out indefinitely, unlikely to return in the series. As for Kevin Durant, he too will miss Game 3, raising doubts about his availability for the rest of the series.

The Warriors are used to playing without Durant, so whether he returns or not doesn't matter much in my opinion. I don't mean to degrade Durant, but as I said a week ago, I feel the Warriors actually play better without him. He commands too much attention and gets other guys out of their flow. So once again, the Warriors shouldn't stress too much about losing him.

As for Looney, his absence is significant in that the Warriors don't have much of a front court. DeMarcus Cousins is back but still kind of fragile while Andrew Bogut hasn't been used to logging heavy minutes. Both guys will need to step it up in Looney's absence and spend a fair amount of time playing together. Whether they can make a huge impact in the paint against Pascal Siakam and Marc Gasol will be put to the test in Game 3.

Lastly, the potential absence of Thompson looms large. He's been a huge part of what the Warriors do, scoring 25 points in Sunday's Game 2 win before injuring his hamstring. If he's out, the Warriors lose their second best offensive weapon, putting a ton of pressure on Stephen Curry. The Warriors can win this series without Durant and Looney. I'm not sure they can win this series without Thompson. His presence is vital to their success.

Hopefully for the Warriors, they'll be able to get these guys back. Especially Thompson. If they're forced to soldier on without them for the remainder of this series, the Raptors will be in the driver's seat to win the title.

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Mock Draft Monday: Despite his minor knee surgery, the Memphis Grizzlies should still take Ja Morant

                                         (Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports) 


Over the weekend, news broke about the minor arthroscopic knee operation that Murray State point guard Ja Morant will undergo to remove loose bodies in his right knee. An operation that is expected to keep him out 3-4 weeks. It's called "minor" surgery for a reason and yet people have already started saying that Morant may no longer go #2 overall to the Memphis Grizzlies as a result.

Let me be really clear about something: The Grizzlies would be really stupid to not draft Morant because of his surgery. If you follow the NBA and basketball as a whole, you know that minor arthroscopic knee operations happen all the time. It's routine surgery and something that just about every basketball player will have at some point. It's hardly anything to be alarmed about. If Morant tore an ACL or something of that nature, that would be wholly different, but minor arthroscopic knee surgery is nothing to even get remotely concerned about.

Now, if the Grizzlies genuinely think R.J. Barrett or DeAndre Hunter are better fits for their team, then they should take one of them, but if they believe Morant is the best available prospect for their team, they should take him and not even think about his knee surgery. It's just not that big of a deal.

Morant pushes the ball in transition, knows how to create for others, and has done a really good job of improving his jump shot (30.7% from 3-point range as a freshman; 36.3% as a sophomore). His 24.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, 10.0 assists, and 1.8 steals per game are reminiscent of John Wall, who when healthy is one of the top point guards in the league.

With Mike Conley aging, the Grizzlies need a new point guard to lead them, making Morant a great fit for them. They could also have him learn behind Conley for a year or two before he takes over the reigns. It would be a perfect situation.

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