Tag: Jalen Johnson

Final 2021 NBA Mock Draft: Latest intel, trade rumors and predicting all 60 picks

Wasn’t it just the 2020 NBA draft? How is the 2021 NBA draft already here? Crazy, maybe, but the league is about to have a ton of new faces.

Wasn’t it just the 2020 NBA draft? How is the 2021 NBA draft already here? Crazy, maybe, but the league is about to have a ton of new faces.

The names that you’re most likely to hear at the top are Cade Cunningham, Jalen Green and Evan Mobley. But the draft will start heating up once guys like Jalen Suggs, Scottie Barnes and Jonathan Kuminga start to find their new homes.

This draft will also be unique in that there will be fewer players in attendance than usual. According to one prospect who recently spoke to For The Win, due to COVID-19 restrictions, those not invited to the green room are not allowed to come to the stage and shake the hand of the commissioner as they have been in years past.

Regardless of who is actually in the building, however, it is certain to be an exciting and life-changing night for the next generation of NBA talent.

Based on conversations I’ve had with scouts around the league, and from reports and tea leaves left in other mock drafts from trusted draftniks, below is how I project the events will unfold at Barclays Center and on ESPN and ABC at 8:00 p.m. ET on July 29.

Duke prospect Jalen Johnson discusses looking up to LeBron James

Jalen Johnson, a potential first-round pick from Duke, discussed why he looks up to LeBron James.

As the 2021 NBA draft approaches, Jalen Johnson is regarded as a potential lottery selection.

Johnson played one season at Duke and averaged 11.2 points, 6.1 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.2 blocks, 1.2 steals and 21.4 minutes per game. He converted on 52.3% of his shots on 8.4 attempts and 44.4% from deep on 1.4 attempts.

The 6-foot-9 forward could be a top-10 selection depending how the Orlando Magic, Oklahoma City Thunder and Sacramento Kings view him; all three teams could use more wing depth.

Johnson’s assist numbers are low on paper, but his passing vision and ability to deliver accurate passes are exquisite for his position. Going into the NBA, he’ll need to answer questions about his free-throw and 3-point shooting, as he struggled or didn’t shoot many of each.

During a recent press conference with the media, Johnson discussed who in the NBA he looks up to and tries to model his game after, via Ben Baer of NBA.com:

“LeBron James for sure. Just with everything he does on the court, the way he communicates, the way he leads, his IQ.”

With the playmaking skills Johnson has displayed, he could help a team as a de facto point guard, similar to how LeBron James has operated throughout his career.

But Johnson will need to polish his overall defense and stay locked in, especially off the ball. And as mentioned, he must improve his ability to create and knock down shots on high volume.

Johnson will turn 20 in December, which is why his upside intrigues teams around the league. However, he might not be available at No. 22, which is when the Los Angeles Lakers are slated to make their pick.

The draft will commence on July 29.

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2021 aggregate NBA mock draft 7.0: Ranking the full class of prospects

The 2021 NBA draft is less than a week away and we finally have an idea of who is in — and who has withdrawn — from the class.

The 2021 NBA draft is less than a week away and we finally have an idea of who is in – and who has withdrawn – from the class.

In order to get a better sense of where all of the prospects stand as of right now, we compiled mock drafts from NBADraft.net, CBS Sports, Bleacher Report, Yahoo, The Athletic, The Ringer, Yahoo, NBA Big Board and USA TODAY Sports Media Group’s For The Win to see where the prospects rank at the moment.

Please note that these rankings reflect the composite score to get a feel for consensus, not our own opinion.

Since our previous update last month, some of the players with the most positive momentum include Quentin Grimes, Joe Wieskamp, Vrenz Bleijenbergh, Aaron Wiggins, Justin Champagnie, Jericho Sims, Jason Preston, Josh Primo, Neemias Queta, Trey Murphy and Bones Hyland.

Among players who ranked on our previous update who have since withdrawn from the draft include Roko Prkacin (32), Marcus Bagley (39), Terrence Shannon (48), Ariel Hukporti (50), Max Abmas (53), Johnny Juzang (54), Jordan Hall (66), Carlos Alocen (69) and Ochai Agbaji (75).

The most notable omissions who remain in this class but not these rankings are Yves Pons, Scottie Lewis, Jay Huff, Marcus Zegarowski, Aamir Simms, Dalano Banton, Matt Mitchell, Jose Alvarado, Carlik Jones, Derrick Alston Jr., Romeo Weems, Balsa Koprivica, Chaundee Brown, Isaiah Miller, Jordan Schakel and D.J. Carton.

Note that for the offensive roles, we borrowed a fun idea from Todd Whitehead (formerly of Nylon Calculus) with help from our friends at Bball-Index.com to create a slightly tweaked formula from the version they use.

The goal of that is not to explain how well a player scores but rather offer context for the way that he was used on his most recent team. This should help you predict how he might be used at the next level.

Meanwhile, you can learn the latest updates on every single prospect who has been included in recent mock drafts by scrolling below.

HoopsHype’s Alberto de Roa contributed research to this report

2021 NBA Draft Big Board 5.0: Final rankings of the Top 100 prospects

With just over a week left until the 2021 NBA draft at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, it’s officially the most wonderful time of the year! 

With just over a week left until the 2021 NBA draft at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, it’s officially the most wonderful time of the year!

That means that after a slew of surprising early entry withdrawals impacted the worlds of both college and international basketball, the next generation of NBA talent is getting closer to entering the league. As players finalize their place on big boards in front offices, I wanted to offer my opinion on how I think those rankings should look.

Note that our list is certainly going to look different from the lists at ESPN, The Athletic, Bleacher Report and other publications. Player evaluation is an inexact science. Part of the process is being willing to admit when you were wrong about a player.

But avoiding group-think and ending higher than consensus on a player is how an NBA team ends up selecting them in the draft. With that in mind, here is who I would target if I were running a front office.

Thunder draft: 5 players that could fall out of lottery, to No. 16

A player with lottery talent could be available at No. 16 for the Thunder. Here are some players they should be looking at in the mid-first round.

With the NBA draft less than two weeks away, the Oklahoma City Thunder are continuing to evaluate their big board and prospects around the world as they take their next step.

Barring trades, the Thunder will enter the draft with six picks: Nos. 6, 16, 18, 34, 36 and 55.

There are a handful of players who are near-certainties to be lottery selections, but with the subjectivity that naturally comes along with prospects and front offices, there is always lottery talent that slips down.

Holding the 16th pick, the Thunder could find such player. Here are five lottery talent names who could still be available when Oklahoma City has its mid-first-round picks.

The list is in alphabetical order. Stats are from Basketball-Reference.

Cade Cunningham, Jalen Green among prospects invited to draft green room

Cade Cunningham and Jalen Green are among the 15 prospects invited to attend the NBA draft from the green room.

Cade Cunningham and Jalen Green are among the 15 prospects invited to attend the NBA draft from the green room at the Barclays Center on July 29 in Brooklyn, New York.

The NBA on Thursday announced that the draft would take place in person after it was mostly held virtually last year due to the coronavirus pandemic. The league was then expected to invite the top prospects to attend from the green room.

While no player attended the draft in person last year, the league invited about 20 players in 2019 to the green room, including Zion Williamson, Ja Morant and R.J. Barrett. The league has so far invited 15 players this year, with five more expected to join the list next week.

The 15 players invited this year, according to Jonathan Givony of ESPN.

Of course, the 15 players invited so far are widely expected to be the first drafted in some order. Prospects like Alperen Sengun, Sharife Cooper, Ziaire Williams, Cameron Thomas and Usman Garuba are among the next group of players to be invited to the green room.

With the draft less than two weeks away, teams are busy conducting interviews and workouts as most prospects continue to try to improve their stock. Prospects often work out with teams right up until the day before the draft before enjoying the festivities with family and friends.

This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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Warriors hosting several first-round prospects for pre-draft workouts

Projected lottery picks Moses Moody and Davion Mitchell are among the prospects visiting the Warriors this week.

With the NBA draft two weeks away, the Golden State Warriors are beginning to ramp up preparations with several projected first-round prospects visiting the team this week.

Of course, the Warriors currently have the seventh and 14th selections in the NBA draft. While they are rumored to look to trade one or both of those picks, the team is doing its due diligence on those players projected to be in their range on draft night.

To this point, the Warriors have only hosted players projected to be second-round picks or those not expected to be selected. Warriors guard Stephen Curry recently said none of the top prospects had been into the Bay yet, but that is beginning to change.

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On Wednesday, Florida guard Tre Mann and LSU forward Cameron Thomas were among the prospects to work out with the Warriors. Nah’Shon “Bones” Hyland from VCU and Houston guard Quentin Grimes were also part of that workout, according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic.

Following that workout, the Warriors will be bringing in projected lottery picks Moses Moody (Arkansas), Davion Mitchell (Baylor), Jalen Johnson (Duke) and Kai Jones (Texas) on Thursday, according to Connor Letourneau of the San Francisco Chronicle.

Of the group visiting on Thursday, Moody and Mitchell have been heavily linked to the Warriors. They each project to be able to step in and play immediately and both would bring needed skillsets to the roster, such as shooting and defense.

Golden State projects to be one of the more interesting teams to watch on draft night. With the organization looking to add veteran help, they seem poised to make at least one trade and shake up the draft.

This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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Report: Davion Mitchell, Moses Moody, Kai Jones, Jalen Johnson scheduled for pre-draft workouts with Warriors

Potential first-round draft picks Davion Mitchell, Moses Moody, Kai Jones, Jalen Johnson are reportedly scheduled to work out for the Warriors at Chase Center.

After reportedly bringing in players like G League Ignite forward Isaiah Todd and LSU guard Cameron Thomas in for workouts, the Golden State Warriors will see another wave of potential first-round picks at Chase Center before the draft.

According to Connor Letourneau of The San Francisco Chronicle, Baylor’s Davion Mitchell, Arkansas’ Moses Moody, Texas’ Kai Jones and Duke’s Jalen Johnson are scheduled to work out in the Bay Area on Thursday. All four players are widely considered lottery or first-round picks.

Via @Con_Chron on Twitter:

Both Mitchell and Moody have previously been mentioned as potential candidates for picks when the Warriors are on the clock at No. 7. In the latest mock draft from Cody Taylor of USA TODAY’s Rookie Wire, Moody comes off the board at No. 7 to the Warriors.

Via Rookie Wire:

Moody is busy showcasing his shooting ability during the pre-draft process, something that should intrigue the Warriors. The SEC Freshman of the Year converted on 35.8% of his 5.8 attempts from 3-point range last season and registered a 7-foot wingspan at the combine. He projects to be a strong 3-and-D prospect at the next level and could be able to step in and help Golden State immediately. They have been rumored into wanting to move this pick so it will be worth monitoring to see if they are on the clock at this point of the draft.

On his way to winning SEC Freshman of the Year at Arkansas, Moody averaged 16.8 points on 42.7% shooting from the floor with 5.8 rebounds, 1.6 assists and a steal in 33.8 minutes per contest.

Via @swishcultures_ on Twitter:

In a previous mock, Mitchell has been linked to the Warriors at No. 7. In Taylor’s post-lottery mock draft, Mitchell landed with Golden State.

Via Rookie Wire:

Mitchell, who led the Bears to the national championship, was named the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year after averaging 14.1 points, 5.5 assists, 2.7 rebounds and 1.9 steals 30 games. He also became the first player in program history to be named the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year. Mitchell projects to be one of the most NBA-ready players with his defensive ability and shot-making after converting on 44.7% from 3-point range on 4.7 attempts per game. The Warriors are certainly in win-now mode and his explosiveness and skills as a ballhandler will be a welcomed addition, on top of his potential to be the best defender in this draft.

The Naismith Defensive Player of the Year helped lead the Baylor Bears to the 2021 National Championship, averaging 4 points on 51.1% shooting from the field and 44.7% shooting from beyond the arc on 4.7 3-point attempts per game. The 6-foot-1 guard tacked on 5.5 assists, 2.7 rebounds and 1.9 steals per contest.

Via @Raptornian on Twitter:

Jones and Johnson round out the rest of the group slated to work out at Chase Center on Thursday.

Jones, a 6-foot-11 center out of Texas, averaged 8.8 points on 58% shooting from the field with 4.8 rebounds in 22.8 minutes per game during his sophomore season in Austin. Jones was named the Big 12 Sixth Man of the Year in 2021.

Before deciding to forgo the rest of his freshman season at Duke, Johnson averaged 11.2 points on 53.3% shooting from the floor in 13 games. During his short run with Mike Krzyzewski at Cameron Indoor, Johnson recorded double-figures in scoring six contests, including a powerful double-double performance in his debut with Duke. Johnson registered 19 points on a perfect 8-of-8 shooting from the field with 19 boards and five assists against Coppin State.

As draft season hits crunch time, Steve Kerr, Bob Myers and the rest of the Golden State Warriors are doing their final round of pre-draft homework before hitting the clock on July 29.

This post originally appeared on Warriors Wire! Follow us on Facebook! 

2021 NBA Mock Draft 6.0: Predicting all 60 picks after the combine

While most of the basketball world is focused on the NBA Finals, scouts and draftniks are in the midst of a very busy time of year as well.

While most of the basketball world is focused on the NBA Finals, scouts and draftniks are in the midst of a very busy time of year as well.

The most crucial dates leading up to the draft are the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, the early entry application deadline, the lottery, the combine and the early entry withdrawal deadline. All have since come and gone, which means that we’re somehow already in the home stretch before the big night in Brooklyn on July 29.

Prospects are still frantically traveling around the country, visiting with teams for both individual and group workouts in front of key decision-makers. Still, others are currently playing for their national team on the FIBA circuit.

But as far as the public is concerned, the only new information that will be released between now and the draft will be filtered through whatever is reported by journalists. As such, until intel starts rolling in, this mock draft offers the most informed projections yet.

While these predictions are based on my conversations with NBA scouts and executives around the league, as well as my own scouting and information-gathering, they’re subject to change dramatically over the course of the next few weeks.

Hornets Mock Draft Roundup: Charlotte adds shooters around LaMelo Ball

In the latest round of mock draft roundups, the Hornets appear to be targeting shooters to complement LaMelo Ball.

With the early entry withdrawal deadline coming to pass on Wednesday, a handful of freshly updated 2021 NBA mock drafts were released this week.

For Charlotte, the focus was on shooters around LaMelo Ball. After a standout rookie season, the Hornets are focused on building around Ball. One of the primary ways to do so is to add shooters to a team that ranked 14th in the league in 3-point shooting.

The Rookie Wire’s Cody Taylor projected the Hornets to take Duke forward Jalen Johnson:

“After dealing with a foot injury and opting out of the season in February, Johnson logged only 13 appearances with the Blue Devils. He averaged 11.2 points, 6.1 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.2 blocked shots on 52.3% shooting from the field. Despite the shortened season and overall questions regarding his durability, Johnson still projects to bring plenty of defense and post-scoring to the NBA. Of note, Johnson recorded the largest hand size at the combine by length (9.75 inches) and width (10.5 inches).”

From CBS Sports’ Matt Norlander, Charlotte would take Illinois guard Ayo Dosunmu:

“Proven bucket-getter who embraced pressure, led Illinois to its best season in 16 years and did so despite injury and a never-ending greeting of double teams. Dosunmu will almost certainly be drafted 5-10 spots lower than he should be, because he’ll be over-scrutinized and overanalyzed. He’s a desirable player because he’s fundamentally good at so many things. What will hold him back is some thought that he’ll never be NBA-great at any one thing. Once you’re outside of the top six or seven picks, those hangups can shoot you awry. Dosunmu will be a plus on the offensive end, will have defensive reliability, and he’ll be a quality role player. His toughest challenge heading into the draft is the question of if he should, or will, be able to guide an NBA offense in a lead guard role.”

NBA.com released a consensus mock draft in which they awarded points based on where players were drafted across 14 mock drafts and assigned the players to teams accordingly. The result for the Hornets was landing Australia forward Josh Giddey.

“Big guard who can dish and defend, likely providing efficient minutes from the jump; scoring punch will determine how versatile the lineups can get”

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