The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie released a new NBA mock draft on Thursday and paired former Duke basketball stars [autotag]Jared McCain[/autotag] and [autotag]Kyle Filipowski[/autotag] with two recent playoff heavyweights.
Vecenie put McCain on the Philadelphia 76ers (a team that is becoming a popular destination for the sharpshooting 20-year-old) before Filipowski went 24th to the New York Knicks.
McCain, who made more than 41% of his 3-pointers last season and scored at least 30 points twice in four NCAA Tournament games, wowed fans and scouts at the combine with his shooting display. He’s earned comparisons to the Currys, two-time MVP Steph and former Blue Devil Seth, for his form and consistency from behind the line.
Vecenie pointed out that McCain averaged 16.2 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.9 assists during his final 28 games.
“Over the last two-thirds of the season, McCain was one of the best freshman scorers in high-major college basketball,” Vecenie wrote. “He made 41.6 percent of his 6.4 3-point attempts per game during that span and consistently got into the lane in transition or when driving closeouts. I also thought he improved drastically on defense over his final 15 or so games.”
Filipowski, a 7-footer who can participate in the offense as a ball-handler and distributor, earns first-round hype for his particular skillset. He made nearly 35% of his 3-pointers.
“(Filipowski) carried the Blue Devils through long stretches of games with his ability to catch the ball on the block and score,” Vecenie wrote. “But pro scouts are more intrigued by his well-rounded perimeter game.”
The NBA draft begins on June 26.