Tag: NBA Mock Draft

Where did the ESPN mock NBA draft have Rutgers basketball’s Ace Bailey going?

Rutgers basketball commit Ace Bailey is a top-five NBA draft pick.

Rutgers basketball recruit Ace Bailey cracked the top five of the mock NBA draft that aired on Wednesday on ESPN.

A five-star forward from McEachern (Powder Springs, Georgia), Bailey has certainly looked the part of being the nation’s No. 2 recruit. This week, 247Sports elevated Bailey one spot, putting him behind only Duke commit Cooper Flagg in the national rankings

Bailey has had a really strong final season of high school basketball. The 6-foot-9 forward has shown his ability to run his team’s offense but defensively he has been strong off the glass, contesting shots and his off-the-ball defense has been very solid.

But it has been his ability scoring, in particular his range, that has been impressive this season. Bailey’s ability to play above and around the rim is well-known, but he developed a consistent jump shot this summer.

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All of which led ESPN NBA draft analyst Jonathan Givnoy to place Bailey as his second pick in his most recent mock draft for 2025. The top five picks made the ESPN show ‘NBA Today’ this week:

 

Flagg was quickly elevated to the No. 1 recruit status following his re-classification into the 2024 class this past August.

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Bailey is one of two recruits ranked as a consensus five-star who is committed to Rutgers in this class, the other being Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, New Jersey) standout guard [autotag]Dylan Harper[/autotag].

Harper committed to Rutgers in December at an event in New York City at the Fanatics headquarters building.

Bailey and Harper were named to the McDonald’s All-American Game this week. Harper, ranked the No. 3 recruit nationally in the ESPN 100, did not make Givnoy’s top five in the mock draft.

The latest 2024 NBA mock draft from Bleacher Report has 3 overseas players going top-3

A look at who could be going at the top of the 2024 NBA Draft.

The questions about who’s going at the top half of the 2024 NBA Draft continue to swirl. Is there really a top player in this class that’s emerging as 2024 begins?

In our latest mock NBA draft from Bryan Kalbrosky, he had the Pistons taking Ja’Kobe Walter out of Baylor, followed by Nikola Topic and Isaiah Collier. In the latest from Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman, it’s Alexandre Sarr No. 1 to the Pistons, Nikola Topic to the Spurs (although Topic just suffered an injury), and France’s Zaccharie Risacher to the Wizards at No. 3. That’s three international players going at the top.

Here’s what Wasserman wrote about Sarr:

Without an obvious answer for best prospect in the draft, fit and needs could play a larger role than normal at No. 1. Aside from Alexandre Sarr looking capable of plugging into the 4 position between Jalen Duren and Ausar Thompson, his size, athleticism and translatable defensive versatility create a level of certainty that other prospects aren’t offering.

Even if his development stalls early, there is still safety tied to 7’1″ height and quick, light feet for surefire finishing, shot-blocking and switching. But flashes of open-floor ball-handling and shotmaking also create a path to more offensive upside.

The most eye-opening number so far shows that he’s 10-of-22 on pull-up jumpers. He has also made 15 threes and had success putting the ball down and attacking closeouts. When paired with his rim protection and defensive movement, the face-up flashes that produce those perimeter scoring stats have some scouts seeing No. 1 overall potential.

There you have it! Don’t forget to check out our latest NBA Mock Draft from Kalbrosky!

The latest 2024 NBA mock draft from Bleacher Report has a surprise at No. 1

Who could the Pistons take at No. 1? There are a lot of names, but this one is intriguing.

The list of possible No. 1 overall picks in the 2024 NBA Draft continues to get longer.

In our third mock from Bryan Kalbrosky, he had the Pistons taking Baylor wing Ja’Kobe Walter for the top pick, and names like Alex Sarr from Perth and Nikola Topic out of Serbia have been thrown around as possible top picks.

Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman added another name to the list: Matas Buzelis from the Ignite as the first overall pick by the Pistons (Kalbrosky had him going eighth to the Bulls in his latest mock). Here’s what Wasserman had to say about his selection here:

In seven games since returning from an ankle injury, Matas Buzelis has turned heads with a combination of shotmaking, face-up fluidity, finishing and on-ball defense. For a 6’8″ wing, that mix creates a coveted archetype and an easy-to-picture fit, a trait that will hold extra value in a draft that’s lacking sure things at the top of the board.

There you have it! Don’t forget to check out our latest NBA Mock Draft from Kalbrosky!

The latest 2024 NBA mock draft from Yahoo has Alex Sarr going to the Pistons

Could the French big man help the hapless Pistons?

If you’re a Detroit Pistons fan, you need something to cheer you up as the franchise hasn’t won a game since … October 28. Gah!

So, there’s the fact that the Pistons could end up with the 2024 No. 1 pick thanks to the NBA Draft lottery. And who would they take there?

In our second mock from Bryan Kalbrosky, he had the Pistons taking forward Ron Holland out of the G League. In Yahoo Sports’ latest mock, Krysten Peek has center Alex Sarr, who plays for Perth in Australia, and he’s a name that’s been thrown around as a top pick.

Here’s Peek’s reasoning behind the pick in her mock:

He’s an elite rim protector and has started to add some range in the pick-and-pop. He plays a grab-and-go style rebounding game and has great hands, particularly when catching in traffic in transition. Sarr is averaging 10 points and five rebounds off the bench for the Wildcats so far this season.

There you have it! Don’t forget to check out our latest NBA Mock Draft from Kalbrosky!

SB Nation’s latest 2024 NBA mock draft has a new No. 1 who’s getting a ton of buzz

Could Nikola Topic be the new favorite as No. 1 pick?

Is Nikola Topic from Serbia about to be the name that everyone’s buzzing about for the first name off the board at the 2024 NBA Draft?

There seems to be no clear No. 1 — ESPN’s latest mock had Isaiah Collier from USC going first. In our second mock from Bryan Kalbrosky, Topic was the No. 18 player taken in the first round.

But in  SB Nation’s latest mock draft, Topic is first off the board to the Detroit Pistons. Why is that? How did he go from a first-rounder to maybe first overall? Is this a sign of things to come?

Here’s the reasoning from the site’s Ricky O’Donnell:

In an underwhelming draft class, Topic’s awesome production in the Adriatic league has positioned him as my early front-runner for the No. 1 pick. The success of Luka Doncic and Alperen Sengun has shown that dominating a European league at a young age in your pre-draft year is a major precursor for NBA success. Topic’s combination of size and speed for a lead guard helps him pass the eye test even without a plus jumper, and his overall production is the reason he deserves serious consideration for the first pick.

There you have it! Don’t forget to check out our latest NBA Mock Draft from Kalbrosky!

ESPN’s latest 2024 NBA mock draft has a new No. 1

Who’s going first in next year’s NBA Draft? That’s up in the air, but here’s one player who’s emerged.

The 2024 NBA Draft is shaping up to be a fascinating one, and not because there’s a generational prospect like we had at the top last year.

It’s because, at the moment, there’s no clear No. 1 so far (although there’s plenty of time for that). In our second NBA Mock Draft from Bryan Kalbrosky, he had Justin Edwards out of Kentucky go first, with the Ignite’s Ron Holland second and USC’s Isaiah Collier third.

In the latest ESPN 2024 NBA Mock Draft that dropped on Thursday, Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo had Collier going first to the Spurs, and here’s their reasoning:

Collier is no stranger to the top prospect conversation, having earned the No. 1 Men’s Recruiting Services Consensus Index (RSCI) ranking in the 2023 high school class and entering the season at No. 2 in our mock. Through his first six games with USC, Collier has been a bit of a mixed bag — some pronounced highs and lows — but his overall production has been up to snuff.

The good: He’s averaging an efficient 18.2 points per game, shooting 56% on 2s, 41% from 3 and 76% from the line.

The bad: He’s turning the ball over 5.3 times per game — to just four assists — an alarming turnover clip for any prospect, much less a player that figures into the discussion at No. 1. While it’s a tiny sample size, it’s safe to say there’s much for Collier to improve on to shore up his place atop draft boards.

Don’t forget to check out our latest NBA Mock Draft from Kalbrosky!

ESPN did not include Bronny James in latest 2024 NBA Mock Draft

Bronny was previously projected as a top-10 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.

Bronny James was not included in the latest mock draft from ESPN’s Jonathan Givony.

James, whose father LeBron is the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, suffered from cardiac arrest in July. James was a McDonald’s All-American and he is an incoming freshman at USC.

Back in February, Givony projected James as a top-10 pick in the first edition of his 2024 NBA mock draft. Then in Givony’s second edition, published in June, James was projected at No. 17 overall.

While we have received positive updates about James following his health scare, it makes sense why Givony would include the incoming freshman in this mock draft.

James is reportedly “doing very well” but did not participate with the team for USC’s first practice of the season. USC head coach Andy Enfield did not provide further comment about James’ medical status.

LeBron has previously stated that his intention is to play alongside Bronny in the NBA before retiring.

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Warriors add Alabama freshman Noah Clowney in The Ringer mock draft

In the latest mock draft from The Ringer, the Warriors landed some support in the frontcourt with a young big.

As Adam Silver gets closer to the podium to announce the first overall pick in the 2023 NBA draft on Thursday, mock drafts continue to pour in across different media outlets.

With the No. 19 overall pick, Mike Dunleavy Jr. will be challenged in his first season as general manager of the Golden State Warriors with finding a player that can help alongside veterans Steph Curry and Klay Thompson while also adding to their young core around Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody, Patrick Baldwin Jr. and Jordan Poole.

With the No. 19 overall selection, Dunleavy Jr. and Steve Kerr will have a myriad of options when they hit the clock on Thursday night. In the latest mock draft from The Ringer, Kevin O’Connor projected Alabama freshman big Noah Clowney to the Warriors at No. 19. According to O’Connor, the Alabama product is one of the more complete bigs in the 2023 draft class.

Via The Ringer:

Clowney could provide support behind Kevon Looney because of his size, length, and toughness and behind Draymond Green also because of his versatility. He’s young, but one of the more complete bigs in this draft. Steve Kerr doesn’t like handing minutes to young players, but he might have no choice with Clowney.

Read O’Connor full mock via The Ringer here.

Via @KevinOConnorNBA on Twitter:

In his only season under Nate Oats at Alabama, Clowney helped the Crimson Tide alongside Brandon Miller secure a No. 1 ranking in the polls and the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA tournament. 

In 36 games at Alabama, Clowney averaged 9.8 points on 48.6% shooting from the field to go along with 7.9 rebounds in 25.4 minutes per game.

Clowney scored a career-high 22 points on 8-of-17 shooting from the field with five made 3-pointers in a win over South Dakota State in December. During his time at Alabama, Clowney recorded three double-doubles, including a 17-point, 14-rebound performance against Missouri.  

The NBA draft is set for Thursday, June 22 at 5 p.m. PT in Brooklyn, New York. 

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

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2023 NBA Mock Draft 9.0: Final update with Kobe Bufkin, Bilal Coulibaly and Dereck Lively rising

Find out who your favorite NBA team may select on June 22.

We are merely hours away from the 2023 NBA Draft and we are starting to get a more clear picture of how everything will shake out.

This mock draft is based on intel, research, scouting, deep data dives, and continued conversations with experts around the league. The results of this mock draft are based on the current order of the draft, though we can expect trades that will shake up the picks on the night of the event.

Included in this version is original reporting with direct quotes from Jarace Walker, Dereck Lively, Gradey Dick, Nick Smith, Keyonte George, Olivier-Maxence Prosper, Brandin Podziemski, Noah Clowney and more!

Unless noted otherwise, all data was pulled from our friends at Cerebro Sports — you can create a free account to evaluate player performance across all levels globally.

We also used AI-Powered statistics provided by the Stats Perform database.

The best takes and the sharpest bets on all the hoops storylines you need to know. Sign up for our Layup Lines newsletter, hitting your inbox on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

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2023 NBA mock draft roundup: Where Alabama players are projected to be selected

Where Brandon Miller, Noah Clowney, and Charles Bediako are projected to land in the 2023 NBA draft!

On Thursday night, the 2023 NBA draft will get underway from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York and as many as three former Alabama basketball stars could hear their names called.

The freshman duo of Brandon Miller and Noah Clowney are both expected to be selected in the first round with Miller potentially being the No. 2 overall selection right behind the French unicorn, Victor Wembanyama.

The third Tide star who could potentially be drafted is sophomore Charles Bedikao who surprisingly surrendered his remaining college eligibility to remain in the draft. Bediako has a slim chance of being selected in the second round, but most draft experts believe the 7-footer will go undrafted.

Roll Tide Wire has assembled a list of eight different mock drafts from various outlets to give you a better idea of where each of the former Alabama standouts could be selected on Thursday night.