2019 NBA mock draft 4.0: First round

NBA comp: LeBron James in young Rodney Rogers' body

Nothing new here. So here's my prediction how things will play out in the regular season:

Pelicans executive VP David Griffin will plead with Anthony Davis to give running with Zion a chance until the trade deadline in February. Agent Rich Paul will instruct Davis to reiterate his trade demand and threaten to sit out until he's traded. A staring contest will begin. The staring contest will quickly take a back seat to Zion, who will set the league ablaze in his first few weeks. While Davis holds out, his reputation will take a beating. When AD returns, his chemistry with Zion will be off; Zion will hit a rookie wall. The Pelicans will struggle and a savvy front office (Clippers?) will trade for Davis on the cheap. Zion will return to form, destroying defenses as the Draymond Green-roll man on pick-and-rolls with Jrue Holiday. Zion's rookie season will resemble Blake Griffin's (23 points, 12 rebounds, four assists per game.) 

NBA comp: Dennis Smith Jr. with more point guard savvy

This pick may be as certain as Zion to the Pelicans. The Grizzlies reportedly are going to move Mike Conley and make Jaren Jackson Jr. their centerpiece. 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. Morant will scare the heck out of teams on pick-and-rolls with Jackson for the next 10 years. 

NBA comp: Lefty DeMar DeRozan

The Knicks probably won't be 100-percent certain they'll get Kevin Durant in free agency before draft night. Because of that uncertainty, New York will take the best available player. Knicks fans will love Barrett, the consensus No. 1 player in the draft class heading into the college season. He has the tendency to put 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. Barrett, a forward, can develop into a top-notch scorer in the half court. He’s an alpha-dog and maniacal worker. He's also a building block the Knicks can point to when recruiting free agents this summer. He'll contribute as a scorer and eventually a wing defender early in his career. 

NBA comp: Damian Lillard with less polish

Since Garland left the NBA Draft Combine early, many assumed he has a promise from a team in the top half of the lottery, likely the Suns or Lakers. If the Lakers keep this pick, the best fit is Garland. He can play alongside Lonzo Ball or replace him as primary point guard if the team moves him. Garland, who also happens to be a Klutch Sports client, was 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 Lillard. His pretty shot and unlimited range jump off the screen. Garland's shot mechanics are reminiscent of Lillard's. He clearly played shooting guard growing up because he's also a good cutter without the ball. From a play-making standpoint, Garland already has all of the dribble moves you could ask for and seems to see the court nicely. Like Young, he must learn to avoid over-dribbling and to improve his defense.

NBA comp: Jeff Green

The Cavs dreamed of Zion Williamson and ended up with Cam Reddish! Despite his alarming inconsistency in college, Reddish is the right pick for the Cavs. He is everything you could ask for from the neck down in a modern-day NBA wing. He could end up being the next Paul George. He could end up being the next Rudy Gay. Instead, he'll probably end up being the next Jeff Green. If he develops into the elite prospect scouts were expecting a year ago, he could be the steal of the draft. 

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 White? For any podcast listeners out there, White plays basketball like the 1.5x speed setting: fast. He could become a great score-first pick-and-roll player. 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' play-making duties, allowing White to build confidence by doing what he does best: score.

NBA comp: Jeremy Lamb with better playmaking skills

The Bulls should count their blessings if Culver is still on the board. He was a strong title game performance away from being a consensus top-four pick just months ago. The 6-foot-6 play-making 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. Culver's ability to handle the ball and to distribute it also appeal to the Bulls. 

NBA comp: Jae Crowder (Celtics version)

The Hawks will do back flips if they land one of the safer picks in the lottery. Hunter is the type of high-end role player you want to complement Trae Young, Kevin Huerter and John Collins. Hunter doesn't bring a lot to the table in terms of play-making or athletic upside. Thus, the Hawks don't have to worry about getting him pick-and-roll reps or isolations. He has an NBA body (6-foot-8, 220 pounds, 7-foot-2 wingspan) and the three-and-D aspect to his game on lock (44 percent from three last year). He'll be a valuable starter for years.

NBA comp: Tyrus Thomas

Although his wingspan surprisingly matches his height (6-foot-8), Clarke projects to be an excellent wing defender and rim protector. Clarke, who has a 40.5-inch vertical, averaged more than three blocks a game last season. He's not a good three-point shooter, so the Wizards can use him as a pick-and-roll rim-runner for now and hope he develops a better jump shot. Although he's 23, Clarke has a lot of upside.

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 weak 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, he 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. 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, but scouts have cooled on him lately because of his nagging left foot injury. 

NBA comp: Pascal Siakam before he made The Leap

The Timberwolves must sell hope to their fans, which means adding a high-upside player who can complement Karl-Anthony Towns. The Wolves can sell Doumbouya as the next Siakam, a player who took three years before he paid dividends for Toronto. This strategy sometimes fails, but it's the type of move that gives a front office breathing room to put a long-term strategy into place. Besides, if Doumbouya becomes even 75 percent of what Siakam is now, this will be a great pick.

NBA comp: Willie Cauley-Stein

I have compared Hayes to his Texas brethren, Jarrett Allen, but a better comparison is Cauley-Stein. Hayes, like Cauley-Stein, was a football player first until he hit a huge growth spurt and became too tall and athletic to not play basketball. Hayes has the frame and athletic ability to eventually be a great rim-runner and defensive menace. It's time for the Hornets to take a shot on a potentially transformative player and stop competing for the eighth seed every season. Hayes could actually learn a lot playing behind a fundamentally sound but relatively athletic big man (Cody Zeller). Hayes, however, can do things Zeller could never dream of doing on the court. 

NBA comp: Marvin Williams

Does this guy scream Marvin Williams or what? Little definitely picked the wrong school to attend. 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 it's time for the Heat to develop draft picks into stars. At this point in the draft, why not take a shot on a former top prospect? 

NBA comp: Marcus Morris 

Hachimura has the skills, athleticism and pedigree to be a good NBA player. At 6-foot-9 and a stout 235 pounds, he 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. His offensive potential will likely hinge on 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. If he slips, a team like the Celtics should be happy to swoop in and take him.

NBA comp: Iman Shumpert 

A team with a great reputation for developing prospects (Boston?) might talk itself into picking Langford, who has a reputation as a scorer and a decent touch around the rim. Plus, he played through a thumb injury most of last season and just looks like he was born to play two-guard in the NBA. But Langford doesn't really have any elite skills. His shooting mechanics are disjointed, and he doesn't have great handles or much creativity on drives.

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. You may have noticed Alexander-Walker has a lot of Gilgeous-Alexander in his game — that's because the two are cousins! He's tall (6-feet-5), long (6-feet-9 wingspan), 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 will need a year or two to develop into a legitimate play-maker, but that's why you keep a veteran like Augustine around. Alexander-Walker projects to be a multi-positional defender.

NBA comp: A poor man's Peja Stojakovic

Every year players fall in the draft because of their age, lack of athleticism or whatnot. Then they become immediate contributors on playoff teams and front offices wondering how they missed on them. An early candidate for the "Hiding in Plain Sight" contributor is 6-foot-9, fifth-year senior wing Johnson. He is an elite shooter, posting 51-46-82 (FG-3FG-FT) shooting splits last season. The 23-year-old 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. Expect Johnson to be a late riser on draft night or a late-first-round steal for a smart playoff team with a good eye for talent (Nets?). 

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 sometimes struggles to create his own shot, Herro will be a dynamic shooter in the NBA. He's the type of player who could shoot up draft boards during pre-draft workouts if he tests well and shows signs of improvement with his ball-handling. Some scouts believe he has the ability to run pick-and-rolls in the league, which would really raise his draft profile after the success of Kevin Huerter last season. The Pacers need 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

Bitadze would be a lottery pick if he came up in the league 10 or maybe even five years ago. He has power around the basket, a 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 must switch onto the James Hardens and Steph Currys of the league. He's a little slow. 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: JR Smith

JR Smith-Nick Young-Jordan Crawford. 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 Celtics have proved that they do, indeed, have the right infrastructure to take on a high-risk, high-reward player like Porter.

NBA comp: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope

Johnson is a 6-foot-6, 210-pound 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. He could 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 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, 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 the little things he does extremely well. He's always around the ball, whether he's getting offensive rebounds, tip-outs, blocked shots or loose balls. That's an intangible trait that only good basketball players possess. He's 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. Washington could contribute immediately.

NBA comp: Deonte Burton

What is it with super-"thicc" power guards at Iowa State? First it was Deonte Burton, and now it's Horton-Tucker. He's 6-foot-4 and 240 pounds, but with a 7-foot wingspan, Horton-Tucker is unique from a physical standpoint for a guard. He's powerful and has broad shoulders, so once he gets a step on a defender, he's tough to slow 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. He can pass, too. Although his shot needs work, he's an intriguing talent who could be used in small-ball lineups. Let's give him to Quin Snyder and see what he can get out of him.

NBA comp: Robert Covington

Okeke would be a high upside pick for the Sixers here as they could use another stretch-four with Tobias Harris hitting free agency. As long as his knee checks out (no long-term damage), it's worth it for a team with championship aspirations like the 76ers to take a flyer on him. At 6-foot-8 and 230 pounds, Okeke can defend threes, fours and small-ball fives and stretch a defense with his 39 percent shooting from three-point land. He can also beat big men off the dribble. Okeke is an ideal modern forward. 

NBA comp: Michael Kidd-Gilchrist

Would prime Tony Allen have a place in today's NBA? If so, Thybulle could be a steal for a team drafting near the end of the first round. 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, he's a steal. The Blazers need more help at the wing. What better way to start than to take the best wing defender in the entire draft?

NBA comp: Anthony Randolph with a pass-first mentality

Claxton 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. He has  three-point range. He's most impressive, however, when he grabs a rebound and pushes the ball up the court. He'd be a great low-risk, high-reward guy at the end of the first round.

NBA comp: PJ Tucker with more offense and less defense

Williams' stock was at its apex heading into March Madness,  Although the SEC Player of the Year put up solid numbers and had a few big moments during the tournament, he took a back seat 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 won't be a bust, but he must knock down threes and master switching 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 Kenny Atkinson to groom into a quality offensive big man off the bench.

NBA comp: Current Jae Crowder

Schofield is a man with a name to match his game. He's a senior and 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 consistently and is strong enough to guard in in small-ball lineups. I'd be shocked if he isn't a rotation player in the NBA for seven to eight years -- that's a tremendous value for this late in the first round. Because their roster is so top-loaded, the Warriors could use help at wing and depth behind Draymond Green.

NBA comp: Patty Mills

Edwards' Kemba Walker impersonation during March Madness certainly did his draft stock favors. Instead of being viewed as a chucker, like he was for much of the Big Ten regular season, Edwards is now seen as a player who carried an average Purdue team to the cusp of a Final Four. He showed off unlimited range and impressive shot-making ability in the NCAA Tournament, solidifying his stock as a late-first-, early-second round pick. Every team could use a spark plug guard off the bench, and Edwards fits that mold. He'd be an ideal long-term replacement for Mills.

NBA comp: Norm Powell

Dort is a "thicc" guard with a lot of two-way capability. He seemed to play up to the competition when Arizona State faced a tournament-level opponent, a trait scouts like. His shooting must improve, especially from three-point range. He could easily develop into the Bucks' version of Norm Powell, one of the Raptors' most important role players in the Eastern Conference Finals.