Mock Draft 1.0: First look at projecting the draft lottery

Chet Holmgren is a hyper-skilled big man, with a handle, smooth outside shot and crisp passing vision. He may have an incredibly-thin frame, to the point where teams are genuinely concerned about his ability to hold up inside, but his presence on defense both at the rim and floating around the halfcourt was monstrous. Holmgren is the kind of guy who could post 5×5 games (five points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks).

The Houston Rockets invested in a pair of guards and a pair of bigs in the 2021 NBA Draft last season, and they have another big and another guard currently in their core. This team needs either a true 3 or a true shot-blocking center; with no small forwards in the mix this high, Houston instead takes an elite shot-blocker who also spaces the court on offense.

A dominant freshman season at Auburn propelled Jabari Smith to the very top of draft boards, and then a couple of shakier performances to end the season may have settled him down a bit. Even so, Smith could easily hear his name called as high as No. 1, so the hype is still very real. Smith is 6’10” but with a butter-smooth jumper that is nearly impossible to block, and defensively he has length, agility and a high-motor to make a major impact as a high-powered stretch-4.

The Orlando Magic are also bit by the bug of potentially having a super-high pick but truly needing a wing to play the 3. Here instead they lean the other way, adding a 6’10” power forward in Smith with the skill to play some 3. Pairing Smith and Franz Wagner together would be a lethal frontcourt pairing, one that can play with Wendell Carter Jr. or Jonathan Isaac at the 5 but then slide down themselves to go smaller.