Todd Salem 2013 NBA Mock Draft – 22 June 2013
June 23, 2013 · Todd Salem
1. Anthony Bennett 2. Alex Len 3. Victor Oladipo 4. Otto Porter 5. Nerlens Noel
| Round 1 | |||||
| 1 |  |
Cleveland | Anthony Bennett | PF | UNLV |
| At this point, Nerlens Noel is more red flags than man. The injuries are not even as big a concern as the off-court business. Apparently, agent troubles, bad advice, bad character and everything in between is submarining his stock. Cleveland will look elsewhere and settle on either Alex Len or Bennett, with Bennett getting the edge for his athleticism. | |||||
| 2 |  |
Orlando | Alex Len | C | Maryland |
| The Magic will be hoping Alex Len does not vault all the way to number one since they could really use a post-up scorer inside. Len is the only man at the top of the draft who fits that bill. | |||||
| 3 |  |
Washington | Victor Oladipo | SG | Indiana |
| The player with the highest floor in this draft is Oladipo. At worst, he will be a long-time NBA role player set to defend and shoot threes. His ceiling is obviously much more than that but Washington may very well be getting the safest player third overall. | |||||
| 4 |  |
Charlotte | Otto Porter | SF | Georgetown |
| An all-around talent, Porter will have a lot of pressure on him to be a big-time scorer from day one. In college, he showed the ability to lead a team’s offense. It remains to be seen how much of a leap his game can take in this regard though. | |||||
| 5 |  |
Phoenix | Nerlens Noel | C | Kentucky |
| Phoenix stops the Noel plummeting at five. The question marks are plentiful; the upside is also. Not necessarily a team need with so many other holes to fill, the Suns are just taking the best player available here. | |||||
| 6 |  |
New Orleans | Ben McLemore | SG | Kansas |
| The same goes for New Orleans who will pounce on the man who many thought could go as high as second a few weeks back. McLemore’s scoring should fit in well with this team. He just needs to prove he can take over games and be more aggressive with the basketball. | |||||
| 7 |  |
Sacramento | Cody Zeller | C | Indiana |
| Thanks to a tremendous combine workout, Zeller has climbed back up to the area where he was projected to go prior to last season. A super athletic big man who can run the floor, finish in traffic will be a nice compliment to DeMarcus Cousins: a slogging big man who runs the floor only when chased. | |||||
| 8 |  |
Detroit | Trey Burke | PG | Michigan |
| With the thought that Brandon Knight is more of a two guard than a point, Trey Burke will have a chance to start here. His size and strength will play a factor in how quickly that comes to fruition. The rest of his game is in pretty good shape otherwise. | |||||
| 9 |  |
Minnesota | Kentavious Caldwell-Pope | SG | Georgia |
| Perhaps the best shooter at the top of this draft, Caldwell-Pope fills a big need for the Timberwolves. He should fit in well in the clubhouse too, being used to losing so much at Georgia. | |||||
| 10 |  |
Portland | Steven Adams | C | Pittsburgh |
| Adams did not have the best freshman season, making it possible he would have returned to Pitt for his sophomore year. However, as a projected lottery pick, he probably made the right decision. His body is big and ready; his game is not. | |||||
| 11 |  |
Philadelphia | Lucas Nogueira | C | International |
| Philadelphia might have been targeting Steven Adams here but with him going to Portland, the Sixers will be forced to look overseas for their inside presence. Rudy Gobert was originally thought of as the top international center prospect but with his stock falling, Nogueira has begun to climb. | |||||
| 12 |  |
Oklahoma City (from TOR) | C.J. McCollum | PG | Lehigh |
| OKC will be pleasantly surprised if CJ McCollum falls to them at 12. He is one of the more experienced and polished players in the draft and is a good scoring point guard. The Thunder already have a pretty good scoring point guard but may find reason to play McCollum alongside Russell Westbrook if the fit feels right. | |||||
| 13 |  |
Dallas | Michael Carter-Williams | PG | Syracuse |
| Michael Carter-Williams is a giant point guard with good court sense. He possesses many of the tangibles and intangibles a team would look for in a guard. He is wiry and thin, and struggles with his shot though. If the outside shooting concerns weren’t there, he would be a top three pick. | |||||
| 14 |  |
Utah | Mason Plumlee | PF | Duke |
| After missing out on two point guards they might have been targeting, Utah will be forced to look inside instead. Mason Plumlee has less upside than many of the other bigs in this draft. Utah knows what he is good at though: leaping, dunking, running the floor, rebounding and creating havoc near the rim on both offense and defense. | |||||
| 15 |  |
Milwaukee | Shane Larkin | PG | Miami (FL) |
| Larkin had an insane sophomore year that essentially forced him to declare for the NBA draft. His stock would never be higher. The Miami guard showed all the skills necessary to excel at the point and proved he could carry a team to boot. | |||||
| 16 |  |
Boston | Reggie Bullock | SG | North Carolina |
| The Boston Celtics are in flux. They need to get younger but also they need a scoring punch. Reggie Bullock may be the best shooter left at this point in the draft and he should help space the floor while defenses continue to lag off of Rajon Rondo. | |||||
| 17 |  |
Atlanta | Jamaal Franklin | SG | San Diego State |
| Franklin is not the most polished offensive shooting guard. His scoring is not his strength though. The San Diego State product does pretty much everything else well, and may fill in as a mini version of Josh Smith if the Hawks vet goes elsewhere. | |||||
| 18 | |
Atlanta (from HOU) | Shabazz Muhammad | SG/SF | UCLA |
| With back to back picks and Atlanta taking a defender, hustler, athlete at 17, it makes sense they would target scoring at 18 and Shabazz Muhammad is just that. He may not do anything else well…he may not do anything else period, but the man can score. | |||||
| 19 | |
Cleveland (from LAL) | Tim Hardaway, Jr. | SG | Michigan |
| Tim Hardaway Jr. does not have his dad’s crossover or penetration ability. He is a better outside shooter and a bigger body than his old man was though. Teamed with Dion Waiters, Hardaway should provide another threat that teams have to account for, opening up space for Kyrie Irving. | |||||
| 20 |  |
Chicago | Sergey Karasev | SG | International |
| Even with the return of Derrick Rose, Chicago should be able to find minutes for Karasev in the backcourt. He is a smart passer with a good court sense who may excel playing at the same time as the superstar. | |||||
| 21 | |
Utah (from GS) | Dennis Schroeder | PG | International |
| Utah may feel the need to take Schroeder at 14, fearing he won’t last until pick 21. Either way, the Jazz like what the foreign point guard brings to the table. With a hole at the position and a reloading roster of young bigs, it makes sense to want to bring in a young point as well. | |||||
| 22 |  |
Brooklyn | Glen Rice, Jr. | SG | Georgia Tech |
| Having played in the D-League this past season, Rice is perhaps the most NBA-ready prospect in the draft. With a number of older vets and an impatient owner, this might be just the type of player the Nets desire. Rice should be able to contribute behind the aging Joe Johnson from day one. | |||||
| 23 |  |
Indiana | Isaiah Canaan | PG | Murray State |
| The Pacers had one glaring hole on their roster in the Eastern Conference Finals: their bench, namely back-up point guard. When George Hill hit the bench, things became very hairy. Isaiah Canaan is an experienced guard who can score and should be an immediate upgrade over the likes of DJ Augustin. | |||||
| 24 |  |
New York | Tony Snell | SF | New Mexico |
| The Knicks like athletes and the Knicks like wings. Tony Snell is not the knockdown shooter New York tried to flood their roster with in 2013 but he is a very capable scorer who does loads of other things. | |||||
| 25 |  |
L.A. Clippers | Kelly Olynyk | C | Gonzaga |
| Whether the Clippers trade DeAndre Jordan or not, they are dangerously thin on the inside. The team struggled to find big men to play late in games last season. Olynyk is not a super athlete like Jordan but LA may find him a more desirable alternative nonetheless. | |||||
| 26 | |
Minnesota (from MEM) | Ricardo Ledo | SG | Providence |
| Doubling up on shooters hoping to hit on one may not be the most efficient use of two first round picks. However, for a team that is pretty solid when everyone is healthy, nailing one of two dead eye shooters would be a huge boon. | |||||
| 27 |  |
Denver | Tony Mitchell | SF | North Texas |
| Denver was crowded on the wing last season. This may not be the case anymore, leaving playing time for Tony Mitchell. The forward from North Texas reminds some folks of Denver’s Andre Iguodala, right down to the shaky jump shot. | |||||
| 28 |  |
San Antonio | Giannis Adetokunbo | SF | International |
| San Antonio may strike gold yet again in the international market. There are a lot of questions surrounding Adetokunbo, first of which is how to actually spell his name. But his versatility and court smarts fit in the Spurs’ system. | |||||
| 29 | |
Oklahoma City | Rudy Gobert | C | International |
| Originally thought of as a possible lottery pick, for the size-strapped Thunder, Gobert is too good of a value to pass up at this point in the draft. With rumors that Kendrick Perkins may get amnestied, OKC has very little interior presence on offense or defense with the realization that Serge Ibaka is more of a spot up jump shooter. | |||||
| 30 | |
Phoenix (from MIA) | Allen Crabbe | SG | California |
| If Phoenix has Nerlens Noel fall into their lap at the beginning of the draft, they are playing with house money with this final pick in the first round. Grabbing Crabbe solidifies their backcourt with a shooter capable of generating his own shot as well as open shots for others. Crabbe came on strong at Cal, proving he can have an offense run through him. | |||||
| Round 2 | |||||
| 31 | |
Cleveland (from ORL) | Ryan Kelly | PF | Duke |
| 31st may be a bit early for Ryan Kelly but with the way the league is going, a long power forward who can knock down threes consistently is so incredibly valuable. | |||||
| 32 | |
Oklahoma City (from CHA) | Grant Jerrett | PF | Arizona |
| Grant Jarrett never really showed any dominance or much aggressiveness in college. This may stem from the fact that he played just one year at a school brimming with young talent. | |||||
| 33 | |
Cleveland | Gorgui Dieng | PF | Louisville |
| Dieng is a proven commodity: a player who will be able to block shots, rebound and defend. His upside may be limited; his talent is evident. | |||||
| 34 |  |
Houston (from PHX) | Alex Abrines | SG | International |
| As with many international youngsters, Alex Abrines did not get a ton of playing time this past season. His skills (shooting, ball-handling, jumping) may need some time. | |||||
| 35 | |
Philadelphia (from NO) | Nate Wolters | PG | South Dakota State |
| Coming from a small school, Nate Wolters has to prove his collegiate level of competition is not an issue. Tremendous outside range is a skill that usually transfers over. | |||||
| 36 | |
Sacramento | Andre Roberson | SF | Colorado |
| If Kawhi Leonard proved anything in this year’s playoffs it’s that rebounding from a small forward is such a valuable asset. He continually created mismatches on the boards when opponents went small against the Spurs. Roberson has similar potential. | |||||
| 37 | |
Detroit | C.J. Leslie | SF/PF | North Carolina State |
| Leslie is an immensely talented forward who never quite lived up to expectations personally or on the Wolfpack. He is a good value in the second round though. | |||||
| 38 | |
Washington | Trevor Mbakwe | PF | Minnesota |
| Coming off of serious injuries and off-court troubles, Trevor Mbakwe’s stock is low. He proved though, in his time at Minnesota, that he has some skills that will certainly translate to the next level. | |||||
| 39 | |
Portland (from MIN) | Deshaun Thomas | SF | Ohio State |
| Bench scoring is an underrated piece of a championship team. Deshaun Thomas has the confidence and the skill set to be a team’s main, second unit scoring punch. | |||||
| 40 | |
Portland | Jackie Carmichael | PF | Illinois State |
| As a compliment to the offensive elite LaMarcus Aldridge, Jackie Carmichael is a shot-blocking, leaping, defensive hound. | |||||
| 41 | |
Philadelphia | Colton Iverson | C | Colorado State |
| After the Andrew Bynum debacle, Philly has to start over on the block. Iverson is a solid post scorer and rebounder but lacks that Bynum upside. | |||||
| 42 |  |
Memphis (from TOR) | Pierre Jackson | PG | Baylor |
| Speed, quickness and getting to the rim are traits every team desires from their backup point guard. Jackson has them in spades. | |||||
| 43 | |
Milwaukee | Ray McCallum | PG | Detroit |
| An all-around, efficient, pass-first point guard may be the pleasant change Milwaukee fans have been hoping for after experiencing the Brandon Jennings-Monta Ellis pairing. If McCallum can play alongside Shane Larkin, all the better. | |||||
| 44 | |
Dallas | Jeff Withey | C | Kansas |
| Dallas is used to having defensive game-changers on the inside. Withey was every bit of that in college and should protect the rim well in the NBA. | |||||
| 45 | |
Portland (from BOS) | Carrick Felix | SG | Arizona State |
| Felix will not stick in the league for long if his shooting and offensive game does not become more consistent. He should get drafted though just based on his defense alone. | |||||
| 46 | |
Utah | Lorenzo Brown | PG | North Carolina State |
| Many thought Brown would find himself in the lottery prior to last college season. He and NC State had an awfully disappointing season and here we are. However, Brown may prove to be one of the best bargains in the draft if he goes 46th. | |||||
| 47 | |
Atlanta | B.J. Young | PG | Arkansas |
| If he develops his jump shot and cuts down on mistakes, Young could become a very solid point guard; his ball-handling and penetration skills are already there. | |||||
| 48 | |
Atlanta (from HOU) | Arsalan Kazemi | PF | Oregon |
| Perhaps a bit small as an NBA power forward, Kazemi will have to rely on his effort and motor as a garbage scorer, rebounder and defender. | |||||
| 49 |  |
L.A. Lakers | Myck Kabongo | PG | Texas |
| Myck Kabongo is much more famous for off-court issues than anything he’s done on it. People were sky high on him coming out of high school. The tune has changed drastically coming out of college as he didn’t stay long enough to validate anything. | |||||
| 50 | |
Chicago | Mike Muscala | PF | Bucknell |
| Some teams may have shied away from Muscala because of his limited upside and lack of elite athleticism. Chicago knows they would be getting a smart and efficient post player though. | |||||
| 51 | |
Orlando (from GS) | Marko Todorovic | F | International |
| Having not played much overseas, Orlando would be taking a risk here that Todorovic can develop into a versatile inside-outside scorer | |||||
| 52 | |
Minnesota (from BRK) | Archie Goodwin | SG | Kentucky |
| At this point in the draft, Goodwin’s value is too hard to pass up. For a player so highly rated out of high school, a mid-second round pick is risk enough that he can improve on his freshman year at Kentucky. | |||||
| 53 | |
Indiana | Richard Howell | PF | North Carolina State |
| In an ever-changing league where specialization is becoming vital, everyone is aware of Richard Howell’s skills and that they should translate well to the NBA. | |||||
| 54 | |
Washington (from NY) | Augusto Lima | PF | International |
| A long, athletic power forward who can run the floor and finish alley-oops from John Wall is a perfectly complimentary piece to a growing team. | |||||
| 55 | |
Memphis | James Southerland | SF | Syracuse |
| A prototypical small forward with a nice outside touch, James Southerland will become important to a team desperate for a deep threat. | |||||
| 56 | |
Detroit (from LAC) | Livio Jean Charles | SF | International |
| With solid guard play and a couple good building blocks on the inside, Detroit lacks athletes and finishers on the wing. Livio Jean Charles is both of these things. | |||||
| 57 | |
Phoenix (from DEN) | Phil Pressey | PG | Missouri |
| People around the country were flabbergasted and disappointed in Phil Pressey’s final year at Missouri. He needs to improve his court sense and decision-making if he hopes to stick in the league. | |||||
| 58 | |
San Antonio | Erick Green | PG | Virginia Tech |
| Leading the ACC in scoring is nothing to sniff at. Green’s court vision and passing is underrated to boot. When San Antonio was forced to play Manu Ginobili at backup point guard during the finals, they wished they had a player like Green to come in. | |||||
| 59 | |
Minnesota (from OKC) | DeWayne Dedmon | C | USC |
| A big body with athleticism but raw offensive skills is worth a flyer this late in the process. | |||||
| 60 | |
Memphis (from MIA) | Brandon Paul | SG | Illinois |
| Memphis will look to add another shooter to their roster in the hopes that the black hole of outside scoring that occurred in this year’s playoffs does not happen again. | |||||
