Joel Welser 2013 NBA Mock Draft – 13 June 2013
June 14, 2013 · Joel Welser
1. Nerlens Noel 2. Ben McLemore 3. Otto Porter 4. Anthony Bennett 5. Victor Oladipo
| Round 1 | |||||
| 1 |  |
Cleveland | Nerlens Noel | C | Kentucky |
| There is a bit of a risk in selecting Nerlens Noel with the first overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft. His ACL injury is expected to have him on the sidelines during the summer and that will slow his progress while transitioning into the NBA. This does not really fill a need for Cleveland either. A more offensive minded player like Otto Porter is a better fit. However, taking the best player available is always a sound strategy. | |||||
| 2 |  |
Orlando | Ben McLemore | SG | Kansas |
| Orlando has needs all over the floor and picking up a player who can be a scorer and a superstar is not a bad way to start rebuilding. Ben McLemore is a superb talent and will likely be the best player on the board right here and Orlando will want to grab the most talent they can in this draft. | |||||
| 3 |  |
Washington | Otto Porter | SF | Georgetown |
| Coming off of an amazing season with Georgetown, in which he averaged 16.2 points and 7.5 rebounds, Otto Porter should not fall past Washington with the third pick. However, the Wizards do need size up front too and Anthony Bennett is still available. | |||||
| 4 |  |
Charlotte | Anthony Bennett | PF | UNLV |
| At this point in the draft Victor Oladipo is a bit of a reach and Shabazz Muhammad is not a good enough outside shooter to fill Charlotte’s need at shooting guard. There are other needs so the Hornets should take a long look at Anthony Bennett. The 6-8 power forward dominated the MWC during his only year at UNLV. | |||||
| 5 |  |
Phoenix | Victor Oladipo | SG | Indiana |
| The Suns desperately need a shooting guard. With Ben McLemore gone, anybody else should be considered a bit of a reach at this point in the 2013 NBA Draft. Victor Oladipo is a great player with plenty of defensive prowess, but he may not have the scoring punch that Phoenix is looking for. They will probably take him anyway. | |||||
| 6 |  |
New Orleans | Trey Burke | PG | Michigan |
| Trey Burke should turn his award winning sophomore season at Michigan into a top ten selection in the 2013 NBA Draft. Burke led the Wolverines to the national championship game and averaged 18.6 points and 6.7 assists as a sophomore. The young Pelicans can build around Burke. | |||||
| 7 |  |
Sacramento | Michael Carter-Williams | PG | Syracuse |
| Sacramento will hope to take the best point guard with the seventh overall pick in the draft. With Trey Burke just taken one selection earlier, the Kings could think about drafting for value instead. But if they stick to their original plan, Michael Carter-Williams can become the playmaker they need. | |||||
| 8 |  |
Detroit | Kentavious Caldwell-Pope | SG | Georgia |
| The Pistons are a good scoring wing away from being a pretty good team. There is no way they can get Ben McLemore right there and Victor Oladipo is not really an NBA scorer either. That leaves combo guard C.J. McCollum or Kenavious Caldwell-Pope. Caldwell-Pope is a proven scorer who could turn into something special with more consistency from his outside shot. | |||||
| 9 |  |
Minnesota | Alex Len | C | Maryland |
| If there is a shooting guard Minnesota really likes, they should go get him. The only serious possibility left in this case would be C.J. McCollum. But the Timberwolves can use depth up front too and should take advantage of Alex Len falling into their laps. | |||||
| 10 |  |
Portland | Shabazz Muhammad | SG/SF | UCLA |
| The Trail Blazers do not have a ton of needs so they can take the best player available and get anybody who happened to fall to them at the ten spot. Shabazz Muhammad is slipping down draft boards for now, but he is a great talent who can add another scoring punch for Portland. | |||||
| 11 |  |
Philadelphia | Cody Zeller | C | Indiana |
| There is a lot of talk about how Cody Zeller will be a failure in the NBA due to his lack of toughness. Playing in the Big Ten is pretty tough too and Zeller managed to use his quickness and versatility quite well in college. Philadelphia does need to use him properly to get the most out of this pick. | |||||
| 12 |  |
Oklahoma City (from TOR) | Rudy Gobert | C | International |
| Rudy Gobert happens to fall to Oklahoma City in this situation. Oklahoma City has the luxury of going a lot of different directions with their pick that originally belonged to the Raptors and they can afford to leave Gobert overseas for a year or two if they want to as well. | |||||
| 13 |  |
Dallas | C.J. McCollum | PG/SG | Lehigh |
| The Mavericks have quite a few holes to fill. Both spots in the backcourt could be open. C.J. McCollum is a great scorer and will likely be an undersized shooting guard in the NBA. He can handle the ball a bit, but what he does best is score. The Mavericks may also trade this pick to save space for a big free agent pickup. | |||||
| 14 |  |
Utah | Dennis Schroeder | PG | International |
| The Jazz have to go out and get a point guard with this pick. They do not have any on the roster. With Michael Carter-Williams, Trey Burke and C.J. McCollum off the board, the choice will likely come down to Dennis Schroeder and Shane Larkin. Whoever they feel is ready to run the team right away should be Utah’s pick. | |||||
| 15 |  |
Milwaukee | Jamaal Franklin | SG | San Diego State |
| The Bucks are losing most of their backcourt so they need to find some depth. Jamaal Franklin is a tough guard and a very smart player. He is not much of a shooter, but he is a proven scorer who will use his strength to attack the basket and help out on the glass. | |||||
| 16 |  |
Boston | Steven Adams | C | Pittsburgh |
| In this mock draft there are some very talented big men who have fallen past the first half of the first round. Steven Adams is one of those players. He is a traditional post player who will play with his back to the basket and do plenty of work on the glass. He is raw, but Adams is full of potential. | |||||
| 17 |  |
Atlanta | Kelly Olynyk | C | Gonzaga |
| Atlanta is rebuilding in a major way and should be looking at the best talent available with their next two picks. Kelly Olynyk, like Steven Adams, could be long gone by this point in the draft, but some value players are going to fall to the Hawks in the middle of the first round. | |||||
| 18 | |
Atlanta (from HOU) | Dario Saric | SF | International |
| If the Hawks take a player like Kelly Olynyk, who can step in and make an impact right away, they will have a bit more flexibility here. Dario Saric certainly has the talent to see quality minutes as a rookie, but the Hawks could also stash him overseas for a year if they need to. | |||||
| 19 | |
Cleveland (from LAL) | Giannis Adetokunbo | SF | International |
| Cleveland did not address their need for a small forward with the first overall pick, so they will now. Giannis Adetokunbo has a slight frame at 6-9 and 195 pounds, but he can do more than enough to make up for his still growing body. The small forward from Greece has a large wingspan and is a solid all-around player. | |||||
| 20 |  |
Chicago | Mason Plumlee | PF | Duke |
| Mason Plumlee is a very seasoned player who has plenty of experience against top notch competition from his four years at Duke. He may not be a sexy selection, but the Bulls need depth in the frontcourt and Plumlee can provide it right away. | |||||
| 21 | |
Utah (from GS) | Gorgui Dieng | PF | Louisville |
| Utah got their point guard earlier in the first round. Now they need to go after some size. Gorgui Dieng is still developing offensively, but any team would love to have a defensive specialist like the 6-11, 245 pound Dieng. | |||||
| 22 |  |
Brooklyn | Jeff Withey | C | Kansas |
| Jeff Withey is a very good defender and shot blocker and that makes the seven-footer from Kansas a very valuable commodity in the NBA. Withey can be a great bench player for a long time to come. And, unlike a player like Gorgui Dieng, Withey can provide a threat of offense as a rookie. | |||||
| 23 |  |
Indiana | Tony Mitchell | SF | North Texas |
| At 6-8 and 235 pounds, Tony Mitchell has the potential to play power forward in the NBA. At North Texas he was often the lone big man surrounded by four guards. However, Mitchell is a good athlete with a decent jump shot who could play small forward as well. For now, the Pacers need depth at power forward and Mitchell will do just fine. | |||||
| 24 |  |
New York | Sergey Karasev | SF | International |
| Sergey Karasev will need to add some weight so he can use his 6-7 frame to effectively attack the basket in the NBA. Karasev will tend to settle for three-point shots as well and that could develop into a bigger problem if he struggles to get to the rim effectively. But even if that takes a little time, Karasev is a great talent who will get even better. | |||||
| 25 |  |
L.A. Clippers | Lucas Nogueira | C | International |
| Lucas Nogueira has a great combination of size and athleticism. The seven-footer has quite a bit of experience, most recently in Spain, but he is still young and relatively raw. The addition of strength over the last couple of years has greatly improved his draft stock and the Clippers can spend some time to develop him into a great player. | |||||
| 26 | |
Minnesota (from MEM) | Allen Crabbe | SG | California |
| Having gone with a post player earlier in the 2013 NBA Draft, it is time for Minnesota to add depth on the wing. Allen Crabbe has everything the Timberwolves could want in a shooting guard. He has plenty of size at 6-6 and can shoot over defenders or use his size to attack the basket. | |||||
| 27 |  |
Denver | C.J. Leslie | SF/PF | North Carolina State |
| The powers that be in Denver may not think C.J. Leslie is a first round talent, but they will have the opportunity to take a chance on the North Carolina State player. He is versatile with the size and athleticism to do just about anything and is worth a gamble this late in the first round. | |||||
| 28 |  |
San Antonio | Shane Larkin | PG | Miami (FL) |
| Shane Larkin had an amazing sophomore season with the Hurricanes of Miami. He was the leader on the floor for a team that won the Atlantic Coast Conference and has the potential to be a consistent point guard in the NBA. For now he will be a defensive specialist and a pass first point guard, but that could change shortly, especially if he keeps playing like he did during the pre-draft workouts. | |||||
| 29 | |
Oklahoma City | Archie Goodwin | SG | Kentucky |
| With Kentucky having a disappointing 2012-2013 and Nerlens Noel taking a majority of the headlines, Archie Goodwin flew a bit under the collegiate radar. He is not a prolific shooter, which will have some teams concerned, but he is a quality all-around scorer and a solid perimeter defender. | |||||
| 30 | |
Phoenix (from MIA) | Reggie Bullock | SG | North Carolina |
| Phoenix would be wise to keep adding players to the wing. After taking Victor Oladipo early in the first round, they can now take a chance on another big shooting guard. In this case Bullock should be able to do a bit more scoring. | |||||
| Round 2 | |||||
| 31 | |
Cleveland (from ORL) | Myck Kabongo | PG | Texas |
| With four of the first 33 picks in the draft, Cleveland can do a lot of different things in the 2013 NBA Draft. Adding even more depth in the backcourt is a good way to keep going. | |||||
| 32 | |
Oklahoma City (from CHA) | Livio Jean Charles | SF | International |
| The Thunder can go after another international player in Frenchman Livio Jean Charles and keep him overseas as long as needed. | |||||
| 33 | |
Cleveland | Mouhammad Jaiteh | C | France |
| With yet another pick in the draft, Cleveland adds another player with a ton of potential. | |||||
| 34 |  |
Houston (from PHX) | Tim Hardaway, Jr. | SG | Michigan |
| This is Houston’s only pick in the draft and they can make it count by taking Tim Hardaway, Jr. and adding some much needed depth to the perimeter. | |||||
| 35 | |
Philadelphia (from NO) | Andre Roberson | SF | Colorado |
| Andre Roberson’s ability to rebound should make him a borderline first round selection. He is not a bad scorer either. | |||||
| 36 | |
Sacramento | Deshaun Thomas | SF | Ohio State |
| Deshaun Thomas is not much of a defender or outside shooter, but he is a great scorer when attacking the basket. | |||||
| 37 | |
Detroit | Alex Abrines | SG | International |
| Detroit should keep adding youth to their backcourt to join the talented frontcourt. | |||||
| 38 | |
Washington | Adonis Thomas | SF | Memphis |
| Adonis Thomas may not have lived up to expectations during his sophomore season at Memphis, but he is still loaded with potential. | |||||
| 39 | |
Portland (from MIN) | Lorenzo Brown | PG | North Carolina State |
| Lorenzo Brown is a big point guard and a pretty good value at this point in the draft. | |||||
| 40 | |
Portland | Brandon Paul | SG | Illinois |
| Brandon Paul is a big time scorer, but he needs to find his stroke again if his NBA career is going to last too long. | |||||
| 41 | |
Philadelphia | Isaiah Canaan | PG | Murray State |
| There are a lot of point guards that are early second round talents and the 76ers just got one of the most experienced of the bunch. | |||||
| 42 |  |
Memphis (from TOR) | Ricardo Ledo | SG | Providence |
| Richard Ledo is full of potential, partially because he missed his freshman campaign at Providence. | |||||
| 43 | |
Milwaukee | Nate Wolters | PG | South Dakota State |
| If you missed Nate Wolters during his college days, you missed out on a dominant player who was always fun to watch. | |||||
| 44 | |
Dallas | Ray McCallum | PG | Detroit |
| The run of point guards continues with another player who can score in bunches. | |||||
| 45 | |
Portland (from BOS) | Trevor Mbakwe | PF | Minnesota |
| This is Portland’s third pick in the first half of the second round and they can keep adding depth. | |||||
| 46 | |
Utah | Mike Muscala | PF | Bucknell |
| If the Jazz need more new bodies in the frontcourt, Mike Muscala has the experience to play right away. | |||||
| 47 | |
Atlanta | Grant Jerrett | PF | Arizona |
| Grant Jerrett did not get much of an opportunity to show his stuff at Arizona as a freshman, so he is mostly considered potential at this point. | |||||
| 48 | |
Atlanta (from HOU) | B.J. Young | PG | Arkansas |
| If B.J. Young develops a better outside shot he could emerge as a productive scoring point guard or even play more off of the ball. | |||||
| 49 |  |
L.A. Lakers | Erick Green | PG | Virginia Tech |
| It is not easy to quietly average 25.0 points and 3.8 assists in the Atlantic Coast Conference, but Erick Green managed to pull it off. | |||||
| 50 | |
Chicago | Kenny Kadji | PF | Miami (FL) |
| Chicago needs a big man and they do not get much bigger than Kenny Kadji, a 6-11, 251 pound power forward. | |||||
| 51 | |
Orlando (from GS) | Tony Snell | SF | New Mexico |
| Orlando can add some more depth on the wing and get a second round steal with Tony Snell. | |||||
| 52 | |
Minnesota (from BRK) | Pierre Jackson | PG | Baylor |
| Pierre Jackson’s lack of size is a problem and that is why he is not considered a major prospect in the 2013 NBA Draft, but at this point he is worth a try. | |||||
| 53 | |
Indiana | Vander Blue | SG | Marquette |
| After going for size in the first round, Indiana will add some depth on the wing. | |||||
| 54 | |
Washington (from NY) | Rodney Williams | SF | Minnesota |
| Rodney Williams did not have a great senior season at Minnesota, but he is a good athlete who can rebound from the wing and do a bit of scoring above the rim. | |||||
| 55 | |
Memphis | DeWayne Dedmon | C | USC |
| DeWayne Dedmon is not going to do much scoring, but he is a seven-footer who can block shots and grab a ton of rebounds. | |||||
| 56 | |
Detroit (from LAC) | Elias Harris | SF/PF | Gonzaga |
| Despite averaging 14.6 points and 7.4 rebounds for one of the best collegiate teams in the nation, Elias Harris has been a bit disappointing throughout his collegiate career. | |||||
| 57 | |
Phoenix (from DEN) | Phil Pressey | PG | Missouri |
| It was a surprise that Phil Pressey left Missouri a year early, but he will get a shot at making an NBA team. | |||||
| 58 | |
San Antonio | Richard Howell | PF | North Carolina State |
| The Spurs will look to grab some depth in the second round and Richard Howell has the strength to battle in the paint in the NBA. | |||||
| 59 | |
Minnesota (from OKC) | Jackie Carmichael | PF | Illinois State |
| Minnesota already added some size with Alex Len, but they could take a chance on Jackie Carmichael too. | |||||
| 60 | |
Memphis (from MIA) | Solomon Hill | SF | Arizona |
| Solomon Hill may not have a ton of upside, yet he is a dynamic scorer who can be a shooter and slasher off of the bench. | |||||
