2019 NBA mock draft 3.0: The post-lottery first round

NBA Comp: LeBron James in young Rodney Rogers' body

Unless David Griffin has some monster trade in mind, Zion Williamson will be destroying the rims in the Smoothie King Arena next season. Pelicans fans have been given an unearned reprieve - they had a future first-ballot Hall of Fame player in Anthony Davis the past seven years and haven't had an attendance record better than 21st during those years. Now, they have the two most hyped NBA prospects since LeBron James on the same roster! From a schematics and roster standpoint, Williamson steps right into Julius Randle's role as power forward and playmaker as Randle, who is a poor man's version of Williamson, will almost certainly decline his player option and sign elsewhere. Though there will be a learning curve for Zion, he, Davis and Jrue Holiday should rise near the top of the NBA defensive metrics with three players with elite defensive capabilities. From a basketball standpoint, this is great for Zion's career as he will join a decent team with an awesome talent to measure himself by instead of going to a lowly franchise with no real plan like the Suns. 

NBA Comp: Dennis Smith Jr. with a little more point guard savvy

The fits don't get any more obvious that this, folks. The Grizzlies are reportedly going to move Mike Conley this offseason and move forward with Jaren Jackson Jr. as their franchise centerpiece. After being gifted the opportunity to draft a point guard of the future in the following draft despite having the eighth-best odds heading into the night - this couldn't have worked out much better for Memphis' rebuild. The Grizzlies might still kick the tires on RJ Barrett, but point guards with Morant's upside only come around every so often. Take Morant, and don't think twice about it. He's the second-best player on most draft boards and will scare the heck out of teams in pick-and-rolls with Jackson for the next 10 years. 

NBA Comp: Lefty DeMar DeRozan

It's a little poetic that the Knicks fans were hoping so badly for Zion Williamson and are going to end up with his teammate. It's alright though because Knicks fans are going to love RJ Barrett. Barrett was the consensus No. 1 player in the draft class heading into the college season and has a very high floor as a player. Yes, Barrett has the tendency to put the blinders on when he drives to the basket, and his shot selection is questionable at times. However, this kid is special in the open court and an excellent rebounder for his position, and he can develop into a top-notch scorer in the half court. He’s an alpha-dog and a maniacal worker as well. He's also a building block that the Knicks can point to when recruiting free agents this summer as he will be able to contribute as a scorer, and eventually a wing defender very early in his career. Barrett has all of the NBA tools, has the NBA body and has the work ethic to be a starter, at worst, and a star, at best. 

NBA Comp: Damian Lillard with less polish

Not sure if the Lakers are going to keep this pick, but if they do, the player with the highest upside and fit for future Lakers' teams is Darius Garland as he can play alongside Lonzo Ball or replace him as the primary point guard if the team moves off of him. Garland came into the year as the No. 1 point guard prospect in his class but missed most of the season with a torn meniscus. Assuming he'll return to full health, this kid has a game modeled after the likes of Trae Young and Damian Lillard. His pretty shot and unlimited range jump off the screen. Whether he's making a spot up shot or an off-the-dribble shot, Garland does a good job of gathering himself with a strong base, squaring his shoulders to the basket and shooting a repeatable shot every time — it's reminiscent of Lillard's shot mechanics. Garland clearly played some shooting guard growing up because he's also a good cutter without the ball. From a playmaking standpoint, he already has all of the dribble moves you could ask for and seems to see the court nicely. Like Young, he'll have to learn to avoid over-dribbling and improve his defense, as his slight frame will have opponents licking their chops at the thought of running him through pick-and-rolls all night. 

NBA Comp: Jeremy Lamb

Cavaliers' GM Koby Altman certainly understands the importance of having tough shot-makers on his roster, as he's witnessed the likes of LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and JR Smith repeatedly hit difficult shots during his tenure with Cleveland's front office. Culver falls in that category even though his range doesn't quite extend to the three-point line just yet. The 6-foot-6 playmaking wing can elevate to get his jumper off in the toughest of spots on the court. The hope here would be that Culver can eventually hit those same tough jumpers, only three-pointers, at the end of the shot clock in the NBA. Ranked as high as No. 4 on many analysts draft boards, Culver's ability to handle and distribute is also appealing for the Cavaliers here because it's unclear whether Collin Sexton will become a high-level playmaker.

NBA Comp: Jamal Crawford

This is what you get for running your franchise into the ground, Robert Sarver - enjoy the sixth pick. His team should probably get a point guard one of these years, so why not snag the frenetic Coby White? For any podcast listeners out there, Coby White plays basketball like he's listening to podcasts on the 1.5x speed setting — he plays fast and he makes quick decisions. Such a playing style has two distinct outcomes in the pros: He could become a great score-first pick-and-roll player as a ball-handler's ability to instantly process the defense and create a good shot is paramount; or, Mr. White could end up in the coach's doghouse for turning the ball over too often. My sense is that White will excel if Devin Booker handles most of the Suns' playmaking duties next season and allows White to build confidence by doing what he does best: getting buckets.

NBA Comp: Jeff Green

You think Knicks fans are having a rough day - imagine being a Bulls fan? They dreamt of Zion and ended up with Cam Reddish! Despite his alarming inconsistency in college, Reddish is the right pick here for the Bulls based solely on his upside. He is everything you could ask for from the neck down in a modern-day NBA wing. Plus, he did have some big-time clutch moments at various points during his one season at Duke. Some players are just meant to play in the NBA, and it all clicks once they're exposed to NBA coaching, training and regimens instead of having to pretend to be students for six to eight months in college. If he developed into the elite prospect scouts were expecting 12 months ago, this could be the steal of the draft. There, I hope I talked some Bulls fans off the ledge.

NBA Comp: Jae Crowder (Celtics version)

It's safe to say the Mavericks won the Luke Doncic trade with the Hawks getting the eighth and tenth picks in the draft. Not optimal, but if this draft is as void of superstars as most NBA Draft analysts say it is, then Hunter is the type of high-end role player you want to complement Trae Young, Kevin Huerter and John Collins. De'Andre Hunter is that player — partly because of his shortcomings. In particular, he doesn't bring a lot to the table in terms of playmaking or athletic upside. Thus, the Hawks don't have to worry about getting Hunter pick-and-roll reps or isolations. He knows where his bread is buttered. He's got an NBA body (6-foot-8, 220-pounds, 7-foot-2 wingspan), and he has the three-and-D aspect to his game on lock (44 percent from three last year). He'll be a valuable starter for years to come.

NBA Comp: Pascal Siakam before he made The Leap

The Wizards are one of the more hopeless franchises in the NBA right now because of their John Wall situation. They'll have a replacement for Ernie Grunfeld, who will be tasked with orchestrating a rebuild over the next three or four years and will be in the business of selling hope. In the NBA Draft that often equates to selecting a high-risk, high-reward developmental project and crossing your fingers that he turns into a good player three or four years later. Taking a high-upside prospect means taking Sekou Doumbouya or Bol Bol here. With everyone witnessing how impactful Pascal Siakam is in these playoffs, the Wizards' new GM can sell Doumbouya as the "next Siakam" to his fans as an example of a tangible player who took three years to really start paying dividends. This strategy is often a total farce, but it's the type of move that gives a GM some breathing room to put his long-term strategy into place. Besides, if Doumbouya becomes even 75 percent of what Siakam is today, it'll be a great pick at No. 9 of this relatively weak draft class.

NBA Comp: Thon Maker if he played more like his high school mixtape

The Hawks have a nice foundation of young players and two late-lottery picks in a weaker draft, so why not swing for the fences with one of the picks? Bol Bol is the biggest boom-or-bust prospect in this draft because of his unique skill and body combination. At 7-foot-2 but only 220 pounds, Bol Bol will enter the NBA as one of the skinniest players in league history (much like his late father, Manute Bol). Also like his father, Bol Bol's insane height and wingspan make him an elite rim-protector without much effort. But unlike his father, Bol Bol is an excellent offensive player who can score from three levels. That was on full display in his nine games with Oregon, where he averaged 21 points and 10 rebounds with scintillating 56-52-76 shooting splits. On raw talent alone, Bol deserves to be a top-five pick in this draft, but scouts have cooled on him as of late because of his foot injury. (Once 7-footers' feet start getting hurt, they tend to stay hurt.)

NBA Comp: Tyrus Thomas if he cared

Get ready to see this pairing on a lot of mock drafts. The 6-foot-8 Clarke seems like a perfect fit next to Karl-Anthony Towns, as he can defend like a wing but protect the rim like a center.(He averaged over three blocks per game last season.) And while his jump shot was completely remade and doesn't extend to the three-point line yet, the Wolves can use Clarke as a pick-and-roll rim-runner and have Towns space the court on the perimeter because he's an elite three-point shooter. If the Wolves really like Clarke at No. 10, they should make him a promise early in the draft process and tell him to shut down all of his other workouts because he's going to wow scouts with his athleticism. Plus, if he shows signs of improvement on his jump shot from distance, he could go as high as number 4.

NBA Comp: Willie Cauley-Stein

I previously compared Hayes to his Texas brethren Jarrett Allen, but a better comparison is Cauley-Stein as Hayes, like Cauley-Stein, was a football player first until he hit a huge growth spurt and become too tall and athletic to not play basketball. While Cauley-Stein benefited immensely from staying in college for three years and developing different parts of his game (particularly his defense), Hayes certainly has the frame and athletic ability to eventually be a great rim-runner and defensive menace. It's about time the Hornets start taking some swings on potentially transformative players and stop competing for the eight seed every year. Hayes could actually learn a lot playing behind a fundamentally sound but relatively athletic big man like Cody Zeller, only Hayes can do things Zeller could never dream of doing on the court. 

NBA Comp: A less moody Marcus Morris 

Hachimura has the skills, athleticism and pedigree to be a good NBA player. At a 6-foot-9 and a stout 235 pounds, Hachimura can bang with most bigs in the post, but he also has the ability to blow past them or knock down a face-up jumper if given too much space. Like any talented big man entering the NBA today, his offensive potential will likely hinge upon whether he can consistently knock down three-pointers and spread the floor for his teammates. Do not be surprised if Japan's first basketball prodigy winds up going in the top 10 on draft night. If he slips, a team like the Heat should be happy to swoop in and take him.

NBA Comp: Marvin Williams

Does this guy scream Marvin Williams or what? Little definitely picked the wrong school to go to for his sole season in college, considering he spent the entire season behind Luke Maye and Cameron Johnson. I remember this guy going toe to toe with Zion and Barrett at the high school all-star games last year. What happened to that guy? Did Roy Williams hold him back, or is he just a really good athlete with average skills and a limited basketball IQ? He's going to be a bit of a project in the league, but the Celtics have a ton of draft picks and the ability to be patient with developmental projects, so why not roll the dice on this kid and see if you can turn him into Jaylen Brown instead of Williams.

NBA Comp: A poor-man's Peja Stojakovic

When Dwane Casey won Coach of the Year with the Raptors, it was spurred on by a spread-out, three-point heavy offense. After posting the No. 23 team three-point percentage this past season, Detroit could really use some three-and-D wings to space the court around Blake Griffin and Andre Drummond. Enter Cameron Johnson. The 6-foot-9, fifth-year senior wing is an elite shooter who posted 51-46-82 (FG-3FG-FT) shooting splits this past season at Chapel Hill. At 23 years old, he seems like an ideal plug-and-play, three-and-D wing for a playoff contender. You can teach a lot of things in basketball, but height and a sweet stroke aren't among them. 

NBA Comp: Associate's degree version of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 

Despite DJ Augustine's Game 1 playoff heroics against Toronto, the Magic desperately need a franchise point guard. Luckily for them, Alexander-Walker should be available at pick 16. You may notice that Alexander-Walker has a lot of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in his game — that's because the two are cousins! He's tall (6-feet-5), long (6-feet-9), ambidextrous and plays at his own pace. He's not a great athlete, but his feel for the game and high skill level make up for it. He'd need a year or two to develop into a legitimate playmaker in the league, but that's why keep a veteran like Augustine around. Alexander-Walker also projects to be a multi-positional defender.

NBA Comp: JR Smith

JR Smith-Nick Young-Jordan Crawford. That's the best-average-worst case scenarios for Porter in the NBA. All three of those guys were talented, athletic and inconsistent in their play and behavior. Smith's ceiling made him a worthy gamble if your team had the right infrastructure. Young's ceiling made him kind of worth the gamble. Crawford's ceiling was not worth the gamble. When you watch Porter's highlights and see him making athletic plays and tough shots off the dribble, he looks like a future star. By the same token, when you look at the inconsistent game logs and read about his maturity issues, it makes you wonder whether he's worth the headache. Fortunately, the Nets have proved that they do, indeed, have the right infrastructure to take on a high-risk, high-reward player like Porter.

NBA Comp: Kevin Huerter

This seems like a match made in heaven. The team that routinely wears Hickory High jerseys gets its own version of Jimmy Chitwood. Although he struggles to create his own shot at times, Herro will be a dynamic shooter in the NBA and is the type of player who could shoot up draft boards during his pre-draft workouts if he tests well and shows signs of improvement with his ball-handling. A number of scouts believe he has the ability to run some pick-and-rolls in the league, which would really raise his draft profile after the success of Kevin Huerter last season. The Pacers could sure use some scoring pop and shooting (as seen by their playoff performance against Boston), and Herro could be part of that solution.

NBA Comp: The Ante Zizic Celtics fans told you about

And here we have our first new addition to the mock draft: Goga Bitadze. Bitadze would be a lottery pick if he came up in the league 10 or maybe even five years ago with his skill set and power around the basket along with his nice touch from the outside and solid all-around game. His problem is going to be — you guessed it — his ability to play defense when he gets thrown into a bunch of pick-and-rolls and has to switch onto the James Hardens and Steph Currys of the league, as he is a little slow-footed at the moment. His ceiling has been described by some experts as Jusuf Nurkic. If any team can help an international talent reach his potential, it's the Spurs. 

NBA Comp: Iman Shumpert 

Shumpert is a solid comparison here because he provides a range of what Langford could become — on one end of the spectrum, there's the player who people thought Shumpert could become when he first arrived on the Knicks. and on the other end there's the garbage player who became unplayable his last two years in Cleveland. A team with a great reputation for developing prospects, such as Boston, might talk itself into Langford though because of his reputation as a scorer and his decent touch around the rim. Plus, he played through a thumb injury most of the year and just looks like he was born to play two-guard in the NBA. (Look at that wingspan!) At the same time, Langford doesn't really have any elite skills. His shooting mechanics are disjointed, he doesn't have great handles or much creativity on drives and he doesn't jump off the screen as a defender or playmaker. 

NBA Comp: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope

Johnson is 6-foot-6 and 210 pounds of straight bulldog. His physical playing style combined with his tenacity and effort make him an ideal prospect for a playoff team looking to solidify its depth at wing with a kid who projects to be a high-level role player in the NBA. While his offensive abilities are a little behind his defensive abilities, he should be able to at least be able to attack closeouts with powerful drives to the rim and knock down open three-pointers. With a little discipline and the right coaching, Johnson could turn into an excellent wing defender in the league, much like KCP was early in his career for the Pistons.

NBA Comp: Taj Gibson

Instead of focusing on the things Washington can't do (like shoot free throws), NBA teams would be smart to notice all of the little things he does extremely well. For instance, this guy is always around the ball, whether he's getting offensive rebounds, tip-outs, blocked shots, loose balls, etc. That's an intangible trait that only good basketball players possess. He's also a gamer and always seemed to show up big in Kentucky's toughest games. (Check out his stats in the tournament during his career at Kentucky.) He won't be a star in the NBA, but he projects to be a great role player. If Boston trades for Anthony Davis, its roster will be a little depleted and Washington could contribute immediately.

NBA Comp: PJ Tucker with more offense and less defense

Williams' stock was at its apex heading into March Madness after being named SEC Player of the Year for the second consecutive season. Although he put up solid numbers and had a few big moments during the tournament, he took a backseat to Admiral Schofield and Tennessee's guards when it mattered the most. Thus, his stock probably dipped back into the late-teens, early-20s range. Williams definitely won't be a bust, but his ceiling as an impactful player will be tied to whether he knocks down threes and switches onto perimeter players on defense. He was never really asked to do that in college, but it'll be mandatory in the NBA. He'd be a nice player for Quin Snyder to groom into a replacement for Jae Crowder.

NBA Comp: Trevor Ariza

Okpala isn't your typical prospect out of Stanford. He's an athletic, raw wing with three-and-D upside in the league. He's 6-foot-9 with a 7-foot-2 wingspan and is pretty comparable to a young Trevor Ariza. Despite averaging 17 points and six assists per game, he struggled with consistency this season, especially against some of the more athletic PAC-12 and non-conference teams. Some also question whether his basketball IQ will catch up to his body. Assuming he stays in the draft, he'd be a nice wing for a team like the Sixers to draft and stash in the G-League until he's ready to make NBA contributions in a year or two.

NBA Comp: Current Jae Crowder

Schofield is a man with a name to match his game. Yes, he's a senior and yes he looks like he's a Big Mac away from being too heavy to play wing in the NBA. But man, this guy competes and brings it every night. Look no further than his second-half performance against Purdue in the NCAA Tournament. He can knock down threes at a consistent enough clip to play on the perimeter on offense and is strong enough to guard up a position in small-ball lineups on defense. I'd be shocked if he isn't a rotation player in the NBA for seven to eight years (which is tremendous value for this late in the first round). As always, the Blazers could use some help at wing next season. Schofield could get minutes as a three or small-ball four for the Blazers.

NBA Comp: Norm Powell

Dort is a "thicc" guard with a lot of two-way capability. One thing scouts have to like is that he seemed to play up to the competition any time Arizona State faced a tournament-level opponent. His shooting needs to come a long way, as he shot only 31 percent from three despite a large sample size. If he can steady his mechanics and develop at his own pace, he could easily be a playoff contender's version of Norm Powell in the pros. The Cavaliers need talent at every position, and Dort could at least provide a little more defense than the likes of Collin Sexton and Jordan Clarkson.

NBA Comp: Deonte Burton

What is it with super-"thicc" power guards playing at Iowa State? First it was Deonte Burton, and now it's Talen Horton-Tucker. Standing 6-foot-4 and weighing 240 pounds, but with a 7-foot wingspan, Horton-Tucker is unique from a physical standpoint for a guard in this draft. He's powerful and has broad shoulders, so once he gets a step on a defender, he's tough to slow down or block. As one might expect, he's comfortable around the basket and has a nice face-up game with an array of up-fakes and step-back moves in his arsenal. He can pass a little bit too. While his shot needs work, he's an intriguing talent who could be used in small-ball lineups in the NBA. Let's give him to Kenny Atkinson and see what he can get out of him.

NBA Comp: Michael Kidd-Gilchrist

Would prime Tony Allen have a place in today's NBA? If so then Matisse Thybulle could be a steal for a team drafting near the end of the first round, as he's the best wing defender to enter the NBA in years. Thybulle averaged an absurd 3.5 steals and 2.2 blocks this past season but only nine points and three rebounds. The odd thing is that his jump shot isn't broken, and there's some belief that he could eventually develop into a Danny Green-type player on offense. Hey, if you're getting that type of player at this point in the draft, you must be pretty pleased with the job your scouting department did. Assuming Kevin Durant departs, the Warriors will need to reinvent themselves a bit with their depth at wing. What better way to start than to take the best wing defender in the entire draft?

NBA Comp: Patty Mills

Edwards' Kemba Walker impersonation during March Madness certainly did his draft stock some favors. Instead of being viewed as a chucker, like he was for much of the Big Ten regular season, Edwards is now being seen as a player who can carry an average Purdue team to the cusp of a Final Four almost entirely on his own. The unlimited range and impressive shot-making ability he displayed this March were truly amazing and probably solidified his draft stock as a late-first-, early-second round pick. Every team could use a spark plug guard off the bench, and Edwards certainly fits that mold. He'd be an ideal long-term replacement for Patty Mills in San Antonio.

NBA Comp: Anthony Randolph with a pass-first mentality

Despite being somewhat of a surprise player to declare for the draft, Claxton certainly popped off the screen if you ever found yourself watching a Georgia game. It wasn't that he was dominant or had some elite skill, but it was more that he was 6-foot-11, lengthy as hell and possessed a guard's game. Yes, he can handle the ball and played some de facto point guard for Tom Crean last season at times. He can step out and hit some three-pointers as well. He's most impressive, however, when he grabs a rebound and pushes the ball up the court. Claxton has a modern game, but you just wonder if his skinny frame and rawness to the rest of his game will prevent him from ever getting the minutes to excel. He'd be a great low-risk, high-reward guy at the end of the first round for the Bucks.