In his latest mock NBA Draft, Sam Vecenie of The Athletic had Oklahoma City selecting Arizona freshman guard, Josh Green, with the No. 25 overall pick.
In addition to adding Green in the first round, Vecenie has Oklahoma City picking up 6-foot-4 senior guard Skylar Mays out of LSU late in the second round with the No. 51 overall pick.
Mays is an experienced guard who started the final 69 games of his collegiate career, helping the Tigers to their first SEC regular-season title in a decade in 2019.
He was also a two-time All-SEC selection during his time in Baton Rouge, earning first-team honors in his final season.
According to Vecenie, Mays is an intriguing pick because of his ability as an “offensive creator on the perimeter” coupled with his reputation as LSU’s “most consistent performer”.
He averaged 16.7 points, five rebounds and 3.2 assists while sharing the lead duties with JaVonte Smart. He’s a smart, efficient finisher both inside and outside, making 49 percent of his overall shots and 39 percent from 3. Mays is also a good defensive player, although he’s not quite as big as you want your role players to be on the wing. The idea here is combo guard off the bench who can fill a lot of different roles. You need a guy who can play next to a big initiator as the point guard? Mays can do that. You need a 2-guard next to a true point? Mays can do that, too. His versatility is useful.
In a 91-90 overtime loss at No. 11 Auburn back in February, Mays went for 30 points, eight assists, and seven rebounds.
Check out some of his highlights: