College Sports Wire’s Andy Patton released a full NBA mock draft on Monday after the conclusion of the NBA Draft Combine, and both [autotag]Kyle Filipowski[/autotag] and [autotag]Jared McCain[/autotag] went inside the first 20 picks.
While McCain has gotten more steam recently in light of his 3-point shooting exhibition at the combine, Filipowski actually came off the board first. The All-American 7-footer went 12th overall to the Oklahoma City Thunder, the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference this past season.
While the Thunder already have the 7-foot-1 Chet Holmgren, his slight frame could use some additional help on the interior. Filipowski isn’t exactly the most physical big man on the planet, but he’s got 30 pounds on Holmgren. Additionally, he averaged 2.8 assists last season and shot 34.8% from 3-point range, an alluring combination for a big man.
“While Filipowski isn’t exactly a low post anchor, he is a capable stretch four who takes some pressure off Chet Holmgren,” Patton wrote.
McCain went seven picks later to the Toronto Raptors, who won the NBA Finals in 2019. The 41% 3-point shooter is a little undersized at 6-foot-3 and 200 pounds, but his two 30-point games in the NCAA Tournament show he can be an offensive weapon anyway.
“In the midst of a rebuild, Toronto could grab a young point guard with significant upside here,” Patton added. “Especially with Duke’s strong track record of NBA talent.”
The NBA Draft begins on June 26.