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Here’s one of the more recent NBA mock drafts. This time none of the three Duke players in the draft are mentioned in the first round (this one only attempts to forecast the first round, not that it matters. It’s all guesswork. It’s fun, but it’s all just guesswork).
So here are some interesting things from NBC’s stab at the draft, along with some other things we’ve picked up along the way.
ACC picks first, and there aren’t that many:
#9: Devin Vassell to the Washington Wizards. Tough break if so. The Wizards are usually a fast trip to Palookaville.
#11: Patrick Williams to San Antonio. Mirror image of his teammates luck. San Antonio always finds guys who are good fits for the franchise and some go from being marginal players to solid assets.
#14: Cole Anthony. He’s gone from a Top Five pick to the edge of the lottery, at least in terms of what people expect. None of it will matter if he goes high on Draft Day, but that’s not looking too likely now.
Guys who are really intriguing:
#4, Deni Avdija to Chicago The young Israeli has clearly excited NBA teams. It’d be fun to see him team up with former Blue Devil Wendell Carter and also what new coach Billy Donovan could do with him.
#17: Aleksej Pokusevski to Minnesota. He’s really skinny but he’s 7-0 with guard skills and a nice shot. He could be the flavor of the month or possibly a unicorn. He’s kind of a preview of what we might expect from Chet Holmgren. It’s fun to think of two guys like that in the NBA at the same time.
Guys who may have been exposed already
Well Cole Anthony. Duh.
#20 RJ Hampton to Miami. If you go overseas and don't excel in what is basically a minor league then you might have to reconsider your decision making process. Someone will take a chance on him but perception wise at least, he’s damaged goods.
#28: Nico Mannion to the Los Angeles Lakers. He's got a ways to go to be an NBA level player but LA could use another point guard and maybe he’ll have time to figure things out. He’s not an elite physical talent but he could hang on.