Phall
Master
Maybe it's just the 24-hour news cycle, but the projected NBA draft seems to have been blasting the same pool of players for many months now. Time will tell. White players, though, seem few and far between at this point in the mock drafts. Frankly, I was surprised that I could come up with 14 prospects in the top 100. (Let me know if I missed anyone!)
Top Tier:
Chet Holmgren
Will he go #1 or #2? I think it's a great conundrum because he can play next to the Magic's Franz Wagner or the Thunder's Josh Giddey to form a core of white talent that really doesn't exist anywhere else in the league. How many other teams have two white starters pencilled in?
Mid-late first round:
Nikola Jovic
You would figure that anyone with a name close to the MVP's name would rate highly. I always have a hard time projecting Euro players, if only because they've never played with American blacks before (who are unnaturally selfish and self-important as teammates). Who knows how some young, unassuming Euro white will react?
Christian Braun
That 40" vertical leap at the combine should have quelled any concerns about his fit on an NBA roster. Braun put up similar stats on a lower usage rate to his star African teammate, who is projected to be a lottery pick. I think he might benefit from a stint in the G-League so he can learn to take as many shots as he wants.
Jake LaRavia
Wake Forest's superman seems to be projecting well during the off-season. I didn't watch him at all, but I've read that he's a 6'8 swing man who crashes the boards and plays as much defense as offense.
Late first round / early second round:
Walker Kessler
Auburn had a stud black freshman, a projected top 3 pick, who shot and scored a lot. Kessler cleaned up all his boards and blocked a handful of shots every game, too. As a transfer, he forced his way from an afterthought to a viable option #1B for an elite team.
Firmly Second Round:
Gabriele Procida
A 6'7, 20-yr old Italian swing forward.
Hugo Besson
French 6'4 point guard, 21 yrs old, from the New Zealand league.
Matteo Spagnolo
A 6'5, 19-yr old combo guard from Italy.
Fliers:
Colin Gillespie
The best college point guard in the country for two straight years. Can drive-and-dish but also shoots well from a set position. His teams win a lot of games.
Ziga Samar
A 6'6, 21-yr old point guard from Croatia.
Karlo Matkovic
A 6'9, 21-yr old big from Bosnia.
Alex Barcello
BYU's star do-it-all point guard, 6'3 age 24.
Buddy Boeheim
The 6'6 shooting guard, age 23, carried a mediocre power conference team on his back for his father's final seasons. Can definitely shoot with energy.
(*edited to include) Brady Manek
A 6'9 power forward with elite shooting/scoring ability and solid rebounding. He was a key player on the championship runners-up. I could see him making the the right roster if he has a strong summer league showing.
Top Tier:
Chet Holmgren
Will he go #1 or #2? I think it's a great conundrum because he can play next to the Magic's Franz Wagner or the Thunder's Josh Giddey to form a core of white talent that really doesn't exist anywhere else in the league. How many other teams have two white starters pencilled in?
Mid-late first round:
Nikola Jovic
You would figure that anyone with a name close to the MVP's name would rate highly. I always have a hard time projecting Euro players, if only because they've never played with American blacks before (who are unnaturally selfish and self-important as teammates). Who knows how some young, unassuming Euro white will react?
Christian Braun
That 40" vertical leap at the combine should have quelled any concerns about his fit on an NBA roster. Braun put up similar stats on a lower usage rate to his star African teammate, who is projected to be a lottery pick. I think he might benefit from a stint in the G-League so he can learn to take as many shots as he wants.
Jake LaRavia
Wake Forest's superman seems to be projecting well during the off-season. I didn't watch him at all, but I've read that he's a 6'8 swing man who crashes the boards and plays as much defense as offense.
Late first round / early second round:
Walker Kessler
Auburn had a stud black freshman, a projected top 3 pick, who shot and scored a lot. Kessler cleaned up all his boards and blocked a handful of shots every game, too. As a transfer, he forced his way from an afterthought to a viable option #1B for an elite team.
Firmly Second Round:
Gabriele Procida
A 6'7, 20-yr old Italian swing forward.
Hugo Besson
French 6'4 point guard, 21 yrs old, from the New Zealand league.
Matteo Spagnolo
A 6'5, 19-yr old combo guard from Italy.
Fliers:
Colin Gillespie
The best college point guard in the country for two straight years. Can drive-and-dish but also shoots well from a set position. His teams win a lot of games.
Ziga Samar
A 6'6, 21-yr old point guard from Croatia.
Karlo Matkovic
A 6'9, 21-yr old big from Bosnia.
Alex Barcello
BYU's star do-it-all point guard, 6'3 age 24.
Buddy Boeheim
The 6'6 shooting guard, age 23, carried a mediocre power conference team on his back for his father's final seasons. Can definitely shoot with energy.
(*edited to include) Brady Manek
A 6'9 power forward with elite shooting/scoring ability and solid rebounding. He was a key player on the championship runners-up. I could see him making the the right roster if he has a strong summer league showing.
Last edited: