Andy Todd's Bla Blog: June 2016

With the Cleveland Cavaliers now officially crowned the victors of the 2015-16 NBA season, the sport immediately kicks into busy-offseason mode as the NBA Draft takes place this Thursday at 7 PM ET (on ESPN), just four days removed from game 7 of the NBA Finals. As fun as the offseason can be, there is still a noticeable lack of action compared to the real-life basketball games that were taking place just last week. This leaves a general hole in the sports calendar that is filled by only baseball (and a bunch of other niche sports that I refuse to acknowledge) and as much as I love baseball, I need something else competitive going on at the same time.

Every other time of year has two different sports going on at the same time, for example...

August-October: Baseball & Football
November-February: Football & Basketball
March-June: Basketball & Baseball

This leaves about a month and a half open to whatever competitive entertainment I can find and I think I've finally cracked the case on why I watch the lone reality television show that I do watch every summer. Big Brother starts this Wednesday and it could not come at a more perfect time because, as fun as Summer League basketball can be, after Thursday night's draft there really is not a whole lot else going on until the preparation for fantasy football drafts begin. I cannot explain why I watch this meaningless show other than it does have a bunch of contestants that have (usually awful) strategic approaches. In a weird way, the NBA Draft is both the beginning of the new season and a send-off for basketball until the new regular season starts up in late October. The offseason is a time of high excitement for players changing teams and on no night are more new players introduced to new fan bases than the night of the draft.

Here is my 2016 NBA Mock Draft...

1. Philadelphia 76ers - PF Ben Simmons (LSU)

Todd J. Van Emst - AP
A Power Forward that can play Point Guard, the 76ers will automatically contend for the playoffs with Simmons.

Look, the 76ers need a whole lot of pieces right now and nobody in this draft can fulfill more roles on a team than Ben Simmons. The 6'10'' LSU forward led the bad SEC school in every major category. Success as an SEC basketball player does not automatically translate to NBA success in those same categories but, there were so many signs that Simmons would be the best all-around player in this draft back when he was still getting presumably decent grades in high school (unlike his academic misadventures as a Tiger). As long as he is basketball smart and shows effort in practice and in games, who the hell cares what his flaws were in his late-teens? He's the surest thing since Lebron and the Colangelos will get plenty of undeserved credit for taking the future all-star.

2. Los Angeles Lakers - SF Brandon Ingram (Duke)

William Townson/USA TODAY Sports
Hopefully, Los Angeles has more success with this #2 pick than last year's rookie.

Something that is not discussed enough in the lead-up to every NBA Draft is the dreaded curse of the #2 overall pick. It seems like something that should work out just as well, hopefully better, than the number 3 pick. Alas, here is the history of the #2 pick... (The great picks worthy of being taken second overall are highlighted)

2015: Lakers - D'Angelo Russell (Early reviews are mostly unfavorable)
2014: Bucks - Jabari Parker (TBD)
2013: Magic - Victor Oladipo (Good so far but, no winning seasons yet)
2012: Bobcats - Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (Can't shoot, missed 123/325 games so far)
2011: Timberwolves - Derrick Williams (3 teams in 5 years)
2010: 76ers - Evan Turner (About to be on his 4th team in 6 years)
2009: Grizzlies - Hasheem Thabeet (Out of the NBA, not James Harden)
2008: Heat - Michael Beasley (Not Russell Westbrook or Kevin Love, on his 4th team)
2007: Thunder - Kevin Durant (No Rings, otherwise the best player on here)
2006: Trail Blazers - LaMarcus Aldridge (Never got past the second round in Portland)
2005: Hawks - Marvin Williams (Never topped 15 points, 7 rebounds or 2 assists per game)
2004: Bobcats - Emeka Okafor (Made the playoffs once)
2003: Pistons - Darko Milicic (6 teams in 10 years, started for 2 of those years)
2002: Bulls - Jay Williams (Motorcycle accident ended career after rookie season)
2001: Bulls - Tyson Chandler (Decent pick, never made a tremendous impact in Chicago)
2000: Grizzlies - Stromile Swift (Never got a starting job, awful draft)
1999: Rockets - Steve Francis (3X All-Star, never as good as #3 pick Baron Davis)
1998: Grizzlies - Mike Bibby (Never made an All-NBA team, left Grizz after 3 years)
1997: Nets - Keith Van Horn (Never got better, taken before Chauncey Billups)
1996: Raptors - Marcus Camby (Lasted 2 years in Toronto)
1995: Nuggets - Antonio McDyess (one time All-Star, 2 years in Denver)
1994: Mavericks - Jason Kidd (Traded after 2 years, won ring in late-career return to Dallas)
1993: 76ers - Shawn Bradley (zero time All-Star, not Penny Hardaway)
1992: Hornets - Alonzo Mourning (3 seasons in Charlotte before becoming a star in Miami)
1991: Nets - Kenny Anderson (2 picks ahead of Mutombo? No, no, no!)
1990: Sonics - Gary Payton (Couldn't win a ring in 12.5 seasons with Seattle)
1989: Cavaliers - Danny Ferry (Taken ahead of Sean Elliott & Glen Rice, 7.0 career PPG)
1988: Pacers - Rik Smits (1 time All-Star, too many foot problems)
1987: Suns - Armen Gilliam (2 years in Pheonix, turned into a journeyman)
1986: Celtics - Len Bias (Died 48 hours into his career)
1985: Pacers - Wayman Tisdale (Not Karl Malone or Chris Mullin, 0 All-Star teams)
1984: Trail Blazers - Sam Bowie (Worst bust in NBA history, taken ahead of Michael Jordan)
1983: Pacers - Steve Stipanovich (Retired after 5 years)

So in the last 33 years, there have been 5 picks that seem correct in retrospect and none of them won a championship with their drafted teams unless they came back 17 years later (Jason Kidd). The rest are all busts or just non-impact players for the teams that drafted them. Of course, Oladipo, Russell and Parker all still have chances to become more than they are right now but the odds are not in their favor for whatever reason. The #3 pick is a golden spot to draft in, as is #1, but #2 seems to be the easiest spot to screw it all up. Los Angeles holds this pick for the second season in a row and with Brandon Ingram being the only other player to have been mentioned as a possible #1 pick, it seems obvious that the Lakers are likely to take him. Larry Nance Jr. was very solid as a rookie at the small forward position for this team but, without a clearly superior center available, the jump-shooter from Duke is likely to take over Kobe's minutes at small forward. Good luck to you, Mr. Ingram, as you are likely to need it.

#3. Boston Celtics - SG Buddy Hield (Oklahoma)

AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki
Boston needs a shooter in late game situations and Hield is the right man for the job.

The most explosive shooter during March Madness is also the player that saw his stock rise most during 2016's men's annual college basketball tournament. Hield is nothing more than an average defender and the Celtics are one team that can afford to reach for such a player. A bit undersized for a two-guard, the Celtics are also used to having a disadvantage in size at the position as well (they started Avery Bradley at shooting guard for all of the 2015-16 season). With the expiration of Evan Turner's contract, Hield will slot in nicely as either a sixth-man or the team's starting shooting guard right out of the gate.

#4. Phoenix Suns - C Dragan Bender (Croatia)

Nicolas Armer/AP Images
There may be better players drafted but, it will be difficult to find a better name than "DRAGAN BENDER"

Long gone are the days of Steve Nash and the D'Antoni era is but a distant memory with Shawn Marion retired and Amare' Stoudemire losing ability every day on Miami's bench. It's been so long since Nash left that the Suns are basically on their second rebuilding attempt since the Canadian point guard left for L.A. before retiring. The first rebuild saw Phoenix grasping at straws and trying to create a winning team around names like Kendall Marshall, Alex Len and T.J. Warren. As it turns out, none of those players are reliable starters and the only one with a chance at becoming something is Warren, even after he broke his foot last February. Last year felt like the beginning of a new rebuild with the Suns putting one of the worst teams on the court night after night. The lone bright spot of young talent that is sure to turn into stardom was from 19-year old shooting guard Devin Booker. Len is nothing more than a good backup and the Suns have to somehow build a contender around Eric Bledsoe and Brandon Knight, which just feels impossible. Tyson Chandler will be on the trading block for any team willing to take on his heavy contract and Mirza Teletovic' probably does not see any reason to return which opens up a roster spot for the highly touted 7'2'' center from Croatia. After the early success of New York Knick Kristaps Porzingis, once teams saw Dragan Bender shooting from beyond the arc, their international prospect senses began tingling and Bender became a must-have for any team drafting between picks 3 and 7. Bender does not shoot nearly as consistently as Porzingis but, his ball handling is more respected than the Knicks' seven-footer. Phoenix needs another super young guy for the early-2020's contender that they should be building and this 18-year old is a nice fit for a team in need of depth for the time being.

#5. Minnesota Timberwolves - PG Kris Dunn (Providence)

Getty Images
Many rumors surrounding the T-Wolves and their PG's will likely lead to them taking a point guard like Dunn.

With Ricky Rubio quoted as saying he wants out of Minnesota IF they don't make the playoffs next season (and they really should), the Timberwolves would be wise to take a potential starting point guard here and send Rubio off to somebody like the Knicks where he can enjoy an even more painful losing season. Minnesota is widely rumored to be shopping the #5 overall pick and if they do, they should get an enormous return (Jimmy Butler, Serge Ibaka, KEVIN LOVE?, etc.). If they do not deal this away and everything goes according to my plan, Kris Dunn would be a great pick for this team as Tyus Jones is not a starter and Dunn's defensive potential would be a great asset if Rubio did in fact leave. Dunn is an inconsistent shooter but, as long as he keeps up the passing ability on a team with scorers Karl-Anthony Towns, Andrew Wiggins and Zach Lavine, he will have tremendous value on Tom Thibodeau's new squad. #SquadGoals.

#6. New Orleans Pelicans - PG Jamal Murray (Kentucky)

AP Photo/James Crisp
Murray will be joining fellow ex-Wildcat Anthony Davis on a new-look Pelicans' roster.

No longer do the Pelicans have to pay Ryan Anderson and Eric Gordon a combined $23 million and further cap relief is in view as both Tyreke Evans ($10.2 mil.) and Jrue Holiday ($11.2 mil.) enter their contract years. Finally, New Orleans will be able to undo all of the mistakes they made in Anthony Davis's first two seasons. With all of these parting pieces, New Orleans' future is pretty much Anthony Davis, Omer Asik's bad contract (which runs through 2019), Alexis Ajinca and no small-ball. The Pelicans are definitely going to go small in this draft and with Jamal Murray on the board, his piece fits perfectly in the new New Orleans puzzle. Murray is not a player with a ton of defensive upside but, this is a team that needs anything they can get out of this draft and if it's an offensive-minded point guard that falls to them, then it's an offensive-minded point guard that they will get and try to mold into a starter once Holiday is out.

#7. Denver Nuggets - SF Jaylen Brown (California)

Getty Images
Despite an underwhelming showing in March's tournament, Brown's stock still remains in the top ten.

The Denver Nuggets have to be sick and tired of Danilo Gallinari and Wilson Chandler always being sick and tired and Mike Malone's team needs youth at the forward position. Brown is a quick player that needs to work on his shooting stroke while his defense seems pretty NBA ready. He is this year's version of Justise Winslow and that is a pretty solid rookie whose rookie season will be very up-and-down but, the future promises improvement. Many of these teams have a core of young players sitting on the roster and Denver's core of Mudiay-Barton/Harris-Brown-Nurkic-Jokic' is one that would take some time to fully form. There is not a perfect fit for them at #7 and they should try to either trade up or trade out for a proven commodity.

#8. Sacramento Kings - PG Wade Baldwin IV (Vanderbilt)

Andrew Nelles/Tennessean.com
Wade Baldwin IV is the best basketball player of all the previous Wade Baldwins and that is... something.

Very rarely does anybody have any clue as to what the Kings' front office is thinking and this year's draft is the same story all over again. Tremendous in the pick-and-roll offense and a beloved favorite of the analytics community, Baldwin IV has the shooting range of a Klay Thompson and the passing ability of a Chris Paul (Okay, that is crazy optimistic). Baldwin IV is the most underrated player in this year's class and the one skill keeping him down at the moment is his consistency since well... he isn't very consistent (Quite simple really). The Kings have made some bold reaches in the past with Nik Stauskas and Willie Cauley-Stein being taken 5-10 picks early and Baldwin IV would be another slight reach except I see this one paying off. They will need a replacement for Rajon Rondo and with Darren Collison's recent domestic violence arrest, it seems increasingly obvious that this is the position they should be drafting for.

#9. Toronto Raptors - C Skal Labissiere (Kentucky)

Matt Stone/The Courier-Journal
Labissiere was not ready to play at Kentucky and will be a nice draft-and-stash pick for Toronto for a year or two.

If the Raptors let Bismack Biyombo leave for the plentiful free agent market that awaits him, this team will be in need of another big man to back up Jonas Valanciunas and potentially get some minutes alongside of him. Lucas "Bebe" Nogueira got a couple of playoff minutes after Valanciunas injured himself and there has to be a reason that an NBA team would have drafted him 16th overall three years ago so, maybe he gets a year or two to showcase his skills and then, either he or Valanciunas parts their ways with Toronto, leading to a boost in minutes for Labissiere once he has finally fully developed his game. Widely regarded coming out of a Memphis high school, Labissiere is a defensive beast in the making and could make an All-Defensive Team or two down the line. He is one of few in the disappearing breed of natural centers with no real chance at developing a jump shot. I would imagine this to be the perfect fit for him as he would get redshirted once or twice, like Bruno Caboclo has been, whereas anywhere else, he would become Hasheem Thabeet and disappear from the league in four years.

#10. Milwaukee Bucks - PF Marquese Chriss (Washington)

John Lok/The Seattle Times
The Bucks are looking for offense and they might be able to find it if Chriss slides to pick #10.

Bucks fans are salivating right now at the thought of a player with the upside of Marquese Chriss falling to them. Chriss is a big that is all offense and can still learn to play acceptable defense as he is just 18-years old as of draft night. Chriss would be a great role player off the bench that can play alongside stronger defenders like John Henson, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton. Sure, Milwaukee may already be stacked on taller guys that are also freak athletes and yes, they may have to trade up in order to actually acquire Chriss but, he is another offensive-minded player (like Rashad Vaughn last season) with a bright future that is super young and great fun to watch.

#11. Orlando Magic - C Jakob Poeltl (Utah)

Charlie Riedel/Associated Press
Poeltl blocking former Dukie, current Miami Heat player Justise Winslow. That's right! Jakob stayed multiple years!

Orlando already has a nice young core of Elfrid Payton, Victor Oladipo, Mario Hezonja, Aaron Gordon and Nikola Vucevic but, one of those things is not like the other (He wasn't drafted by Orlando and he is the oldest of the five players) and that thing is Vucevic. The Magic need to prepare for the inevitable departure of Vucevic whether it be via trade or via free agency. Poeltl is the best possible fit for new head coach Frank Vogel, who just turned Myles Turner into an absolute steal at the 11th overall pick last season. Poeltl is not the world's most polished defender although, much like Vucevic, the Utah seven-footer will put up big numbers and is basically just points and boards in human form. He averaged 17.3 PPG and 9.1 RPG along with 1.5 BPG and with Frank Vogel coaching him in this scenario, has a decent chance to become a better version of Vucevic. Who knows whether all of this will add up to wins but, surely this team full of young pieces is going to improve with a new head coach with a great track record.

#12. Utah Jazz - SG Furkan Korkmaz (Turkey)

Korkmaz was an explosive playmaker in Turkey. This is America. Who the hell knows?

Utah is a weird team that seems like they should have made the playoffs last year but didn't. The one super apparent flaw that seemed to keep them out of the postseason was Rudy Gobert's lack of an offensive game. This makes me think that the Jazz just need another scorer to add to their lineup or bench and Korkmaz was really offense-heavy overseas so, he should be a fit for a very strange team. They are still paying Alec Burks staggering amounts of money through 2018 (he is only in his mid-twenties yet, seems injured all of the time) and Dante Exum is coming off of a torn ACL so, guard might not be their biggest need in terms of youth, it just happens to be the shakiest position of depth on the team. Trey Burke is still there and still mediocre as well.

UPDATE: Atlanta has acquired the 12th overall pick in the Jeff Teague trade. I still like Korkmaz at #12 to Atlanta and still believe that Utah needs a guard/forward.

#13. Phoenix Suns - SF Denzel Valentine (Michigan State)

Rey Del Rio/Getty Images
The Suns' second of three first-rounders should be used on a kid who fills up box scores frequently.

The Suns need somebody older than 21 on their roster just so the team doesn't look too ridiculous (see: 76ers) and once the draft falls past pick #12, picks start to get really random or underwhelming. Draymond Green is a lazy comparison for Valentine as the main reason they are compared is because both graduated and spent four full years at Michigan State. Another reason that is slightly more viable for the two to be compared is how they both do a little bit of everything and fill up the stat sheets seemingly every game with near triple-doubles. Draymond is still accomplishing this at a professional level. Unfortunately for Valentine, he is a bit too sloppy of a player and I do not think the likelihood of every piece of ability that he had as a Spartan will translate to the next level. The important thing is that he finds the thing that he is best at (shooting?, passing?, being aggressive in the paint?) and makes that a focus of his game so that he might stick around long enough to work on the other intangibles and become a fantasy basketball darling over time.

#14. Chicago Bulls - PG DeJounte Murray (Washington)

(AP Photo/Young Kwak)
The second player from Washington in 5 picks goes to back up D-Rose.

Over the past five seasons, nothing has been more needed by the Chicago Bulls than a back-up for Derrick Rose. Rose has missed 238 of 394 games since the beginning of the 2011-12 season. Rose is also entering a contract year and is likely being shopped around behind the scenes as trade-bait. Aaron Brooks is a nice back-up point guard and the team did just add Spencer Dinwiddie but, neither of those players intimidate opponents as a starter. Murray is not a good shooter but, can pass and drive to the basket well much like Chicago's current point guard. If Fred Hoiberg can help Murray become a good defender, the Bulls will have their PG of the future.

UPDATE: Derrick Rose has been traded to the Knicks for Robin Lopez, Jose Calderon (likely to be cut) and Jerian Grant. I now think Murray is even more likely to land in Chi-town.

#15. Denver Nuggets - PF Henry Ellenson (Marquette)

Kathy Willens - Associated Press
Ellenson has the offensive skills of a modern big, something Denver lacks entirely right now.

Kenneth Faried is not getting any better nor can he shoot. Also unable to shoot, literally every other big man on Denver's roster including Joffrey Lauvergne, Nikola Jokic and Jusuf Nurkic. They need a Kevin Love-type big who can hit threes and grab rebounds and Ellenson is the best available at #15. A weak defender, Ellenson shot 28.8% from three, which is not very good and yet, it's still far superior to anything else the 33-49 Nuggets had last season.

#16. Boston Celtics - PF Domantas Sabonis (Gonzaga)

James Snook - USA TODAY Sports
With multiple expiring contracts in their front court, the Celtics are in need of a big man with reliable hands like Sabonis.

In a draft stacked with guys over 6'10'' that can score, grab rebounds and play extremely limited defense, Sabonis was the most productive rebounder in college with 11.8 per game in his sophomore season. The son of former Portland Trail Blazer Arvydas Sabonis, Domantas would be joining a fellow former-Bulldog Kelly Olynyk in Boston's front court. Boston is looking for bigs either in the draft or by trading for names like Greg Monroe, Kevin Love or Demarcus Cousins because they still like to emphasize the power forward and center positions and are losing Jared Sullinger this year and potentially, Amir Johnson soon as well. If they don't deal this pick, Sabonis is the right choice for the Celtics.

#17. Memphis Grizzlies - PG Tyler Ulis (Kentucky)

Andy Lyons - Getty Images
The second Kentucky guard to be drafted in the first could be drafted by a team that might need him to start right away.

Kentucky is well known for being the deepest team in college basketball annually and as a result, Ulis was the sixth man of the 2014-15 Wildcat team. He did eventually step into a starting role last season and excelled as a pure point guard even with his 5'9'' undersized basketball frame. Ulis will be trusted with running a majority of Memphis's offense immediately since Mike Conley is almost guaranteed to leave for a team with a more optimistic shot at a championship this offseason. Memphis is about to be in a total rebuild around Marc Gasol and the best place to start a rebuild and see instant success seems to be at point guard (unless the Grizzlies want to get rid of Gasol, in which case, I would say that a great center is the perfect beginning to a proper rebuild). Their streak of consecutive postseasons is in jeopardy and the Grizzlies need to retain a real lineup instead of tanking if they truly are dedicated to Gasol.

#18. Detroit Pistons - PF Deyonta Davis (Michigan State)

AP Photo/Michael Conroy
Deyonta Davis gets to stay close to home in this mock draft as he was born and raised in Michigan.

Detroit made some noise this season by improving drastically over the past year and their young nucleus of Reggie Jackson, KCP, Stanley Johnson, Marcus Morris and Andre Drummond put up quite a fight in all four games they played versus Cleveland in their first round sweep. If Stan Van Gundy's crew wants to take a few games away from Lebron or better yet, get a higher seeding and avoid the Cavs for a few rounds, they would be wise to add depth around Morris and Drummond since Morris isn't glued into the lineup for sure next year and they'll need somebody to play when the hack-a-Drummond scheme rears it's ugly head.

#19. Denver Nuggets - SG Malik Beasley (Florida State)

Joe Rondon/Tallahassee Democrat
In a draft void of slashers, Denver would be lucky to land Beasley with their third pick in the first round.

Already a team with multiple young players rostered and according to my mock draft, Jaylen Brown and Henry Ellenson, the Nuggets still need a shooting guard in case Will Barton leaves at some point and/or Gary Harris never develops into an NBA player. Beasley is unafraid of contact and will drive to the bucket if needed (something not true of Harris) unfortunately, this tends to lead to too much contact and some foul trouble on defense but, once we get down into the late-teens and twenties of the first round, teams should not need serious minutes from any of these late-first round picks until they start to lose games. In Denver's case, they have already had three draft picks up to this point and will just be looking for extra depth as well.

#20. Indiana Pacers - PF Diamond Stone (Maryland)

Jamie Rhodes - USA TODAY Sports
Ok, I was wrong about not finding a better name after Bender... DIAMOND STONE is a phenomenal name.

The first I heard of Diamond Stone was when he averaged 24 and 11 at Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin as a high schooler. Every expert in the state was convinced Stone would commit to the University of Wisconsin but last spring, he decided he would become a Terrapin, thus igniting a lot of resentment from his birth state. His lone season at Maryland saw his stock fall from a lottery pick to a late first/early second round type of selection and with a lot of unknown, interchangeable foreign big men on the board, the Pacers will keep Stone in the midwest as they need a forward/center next to budding sophomore player Myles Turner. Stone should be much better at rebounding considering his size and his defense leaves plenty to be desired but, Myles Turner will only get better on both ends and should make up for any flaws in Stone's game.

#21. Atlanta Hawks - C Ante Zizic (Croatia)

NBA.com
An energetic big with limited upside, size and free throw shooting are the main reasons a team would draft Ante Zizic.

The Hawks are looking to trade this pick based on multiple reports. If they do not work out a deal prior to the draft with any other teams, I see them taking a high-risk player like Zizic that has a decent offensive game and the size to play the center position well enough to become a role player. Tiago Splitter can help mentor him along and if Al Horford jumps off of this slowly sinking ship, Zizc will get a chance to show his strengths and weaknesses more often.

#22. Charlotte Hornets - SG Malachi Richardson (Syracuse)

Stephen D. Cannirelli
A shocking tournament run boosted the stock of many Orange players including Richardson.

When Malachi Richardson's 10-seeded Syracuse Orange team made it to the second round, nobody saw it coming since many experts had them missing the tournament field all together. Richardson went on to have the best month of his life and helped take the team to unbelievable heights, making it all the way to the final four. The question is whether all of this was just a fluke and one great month for a player that shouldn't be more than a D-leaguer or if Richardson is a player that comes through when needed and can translate to the next level. Realistically, I would expect him to be nothing more than a super deep bench player but, if Charlotte takes him and lets Courney Lee walk, he may get an opportunity to play more than he probably should in his rookie season when the Hornets select him.
#23. Boston Celtics - SF Taurean Prince (Baylor)

Prince explains how to grab a rebound after a disappointing first-round exit.

If you do not know who Taurean Prince is yet, click this link and meet him. If anybody in this draft is going to become the next Kawhi Leonard, Prince is the man to outplay his draft ranking and turn into an elite defender who can also shoot. Of course, Prince needs to up his game on both ends if he wants to get within range of Leonard but, he shows great promise on both ends of the ball. Prince struggles creating his own shots and having a quick, distracting point guard like Isaiah Thomas would immensely help him get open. Prince also needs to just make better decisions on the court and if the Celtics do in fact draft and keep him here, he will learn from one of the best coaches in the business right now in Brad Stevens. He's also not a tremendous rebounder, as made clear by Baylor's first round loss to Yale.

#24. Philadelphia 76ers - SF DeAndre Bembry (Saint Joseph's)

Mike Lawrie/Getty Images
Philadelphia has a grand history with the afro hairstyle (see: Julius Erving & Questlove)

In the second of three first round draft picks for the team, I have the 76ers going after a name that is not very known since he went to St. Joseph's. Bembry is a great passer for a shooting guard/small forward and could be a great offensive player except for the fact that he's not much of a jump shooter. There are very few players at Bembry's position in the NBA that just plain can't shoot and the ones that really cannot hit a jumper (Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Tony Allen, Andre Roberson) have made up for it by turning into fantastic defenders. Bembry is not a finished product defensively but, the likelihood of him or anyone becoming an All-Defensive 1st Team candidate are extremely unlikely. The 76ers need plenty of pieces and plenty of players that can do many things and Bembry will help the Sixers move the ball much easier.

#25. Los Angeles Clippers - PF Juan Hernangomez (Spain)

FIBA.com
Hernangomez's brother, Willy, was drafted last season by the Knicks in the 2nd round.

Apparently all of the Clippers' big three are returning and it seems like the team will only lose Paul Pierce and some of their 9th-15th most important players in their rotation. I don't expect them to do a whole hell of a lot this offseason and I especially do not see them taking anybody with an immediate impact at #25. Juan Hernangomez likely won't be seen in the USA this season and considering the lack of depth among front court players in L.A., the Clippers should take Hernangomez with the idea that Blake Griffin will be the first to leave if they fail to make the conference finals again next season.

#26. Philadelphia 76ers - PG Demetrius Jackson (Notre Dame)

Getty Images
A former teammate of Jerian Grant, Jackson is the much stronger, more intimidating prospect.

It says a whole lot about the current state of the Philadelphia 76ers that we are now on their third pick in the draft and they are just now addressing the fact that Ish Smith is slated to be their starting point guard. Ultimately, I don't think this team will start Jackson at point automatically out of the gate and they will probably overpay a Matthew Dellavedova or a Langston Galloway down the road as a placeholder. Jackson is much like the previous Sixer picks (Ben Simmons & DeAndre Bembry) in that he can do a little bit of everything but shoot consistently. The Bucks were pretty respectable just two years ago with no shooters outside of Khris Middleton and Jared Dudley so, if Philly does acquire a veteran shooter and keeps Robert Covington, as long as they focus on having a really good defense, they'll show major improvement as a whole and the Colangelos won't be despised by the fans like they already are.

#27. Toronto Raptors - SG Patrick McCaw (UNLV)

Eric Zamora/Fresno Bee
UNLV didn't make many headlines last year but, did develop a player with potential in McCaw.

I do not expect Toronto to keep this pick. We are now only two years away from Bruno Caboclo becoming the Brazilian Kevin Durant or whatever Fran Fraschilla said he was "two years away from being two years away" of becoming, Lucas Nogueira is seeing more and more playing time and the team is still developing Delon Wright while Norman Powell showed off explosive ability in the playoffs. The Raptors are building their depth and they are taking as much time as possible on shaping a good bench. With DeMar DeRozan's free agency this offseason, Masai Ujiri needs a back-up plan in place and McCaw can be another player to add on to the pile of potentially good players. McCaw's defense has all of the tools necessary to become a great defender and yet, he seems to get too aggressive when it comes to attempting to steal the ball. Norman Powell should probably be first in line if DeRozan does leave and McCaw would make a very nice role player off the bench.

#28. Phoenix Suns - C Ivica Zubac (Croatia)

Photo via: Ivica Veselinov
The Suns' gray jerseys are only slightly less eye-destroying than Zubac's Serbian League team.

The Suns have plenty of players on their roster already and have made two picks already in this draft so, they'll make a simple draft-and-stash choice here and take Zubac. Zubac may never play in America but, once you get past pick #25, teams seem to not care whether or not a player has any impact on their team and will use players from overseas as trade bait at one point or another in the off-chance that the 19-year old wants to join a roster soon. He needs to address his fundamentals on defense and most importantly, stay healthy in order to ever see the NBA. Zubac's upside is enormous due to his young age (IS HE MARC GASOL IN WAITING!?) and his floor is pretty low in contrast. A total wildcard, the Suns would be wise to develop him and Dragan Bender and have an all-Croatian front court in five years, one with a modern skill-set (Bender) and one more classic (Zubac).

#29. San Antonio Spurs - PF Thon Maker (Orangeville, Ontario)

Ned Dishman/Under Armour
A Sudanese/Australian immigrant, Maker is technically the lone high school prospect in this year's draft.

Thon Maker has taken the most interesting path to this year's draft. If it weren't for his unique transition for living in South Sudan to becoming a Canadian basketball phenom, Maker could have been a top-ten pick. He is both the third-tallest player in the draft and a jump shooter as well, which is incredible. Nobody has any clue how he will hold up against the stiff competition that are the seven footers of the NBA and he's not very good in the paint. Just looking at his photo, you may also notice what a thin frame he has and that could lead to some serious injuries when DeAndre Jordan is boxing him out for rebounds. There are obvious flaws there but, he's still just 19-years old and given a season or two in the D-League and in the weight room, he could become a serious threat behind or aside LaMarcus Aldridge since David West won't be around much longer if he even decides to return.

#30. Golden State Warriors - C Damian Jones (Vanderbilt)

Mark Humphrey/AP
The Warriors needed someone to help in the paint in games five through seven, Jones would be a great fit.

Only four days after they were embarrassed on the national stage, Golden State has to draft a player and likely force one of their players from their 73-9(!) roster off into free agency. After seeing how their bigs totally disappeared once Andrew Bogut was injured, it seems almost like a lock for them to part with Festus Ezeli (who will still fetch a big contract on the open market) and draft a center at the end of the first round that could make an impact right away. The Warriors will still have an Anderson Varejao-type veteran to help ease Jones into minutes as his play adjusts to the NBA and if he does go to Golden State, he could have a major role in the postseason by protecting the paint, something Anderson Varejao was too old and floppy to do.

Best of luck to all of your teams and may you all avoid drafting a Darko Milicic ahead of this year's Dwyane Wade!

Andy Todd's Bla Blog

Wednesday, June 29, 2016

2016 NBA Free Agents (Updated Live throughout off-season)

Wednesday, June 22, 2016

My 2016 NBA Mock Draft