CBS Sports’ Colin Ward-Henninger released a new NBA mock draft on Tuesday, and he included two former Duke stars in his first 30 picks.
[autotag]Jared McCain[/autotag], the sharpshooting freshman who put together two 30-point performances in the NCAA Tournament this spring, went 13th overall to the Sacramento Kings.
The Kings have been a popular pre-draft pairing for McCain, who is from Sacramento. Ward-Henninger said the 41% 3-point shooter would be an easy fit alongside Domantas Sabonis, the Kings’ All-NBA Third Team forward who finished last season with 19.4 points, 13.7 rebounds, and 8.2 assists this past season.
The fit for [autotag]Kyle Filipowski[/autotag] will likely intrigue Duke basketball fans more. The sophomore 7-footer nearly slid out of the first round after Ward-Henninger questioned his ability as a rim protector and a perimeter weapon.
However, the CBS Sports writer still fit him into the first round with the Boston Celtics at 30th overall.
“He does have good touch around the basket and can move his feet defensively,” Ward-Henninger wrote about Filipowski. “So getting into a system like Boston’s would likely do wonders for his development.”
The selection would put the All-American on the same team as former Duke basketball star Jayson Tatum, who just made his third consecutive All-NBA First Team squad while leading the Celtics to their second Finals appearance in three years.