Mock Draft 1.0: First look at projecting the draft lottery
player. 84. . Forward. Sacramento Kings. A.J. Griffin. 7
A.J. Griffin in high school was an elite prospect, a deadly sharpshooter with the athleticism to leap out of the gym. He looked the part of a modern 3 who can be an offensive engine and stretch the court. Then two serious injuries hit and sapped much of that athleticism as an upperclassman. He still came into Duke and shot 48.3 percent from deep, but that burst wasn’t there. Will Griffin regain that as he gets further removed from those lower-body injuries? That’s the question.
Odds are that some team will roll the dice and say that he will, and the Sacramento Kings make sense as such a team. They can use an elite shooter after moving on from Buddy Hield, and he has the upside to become more. He and Harrison Barnes would be a strong forward pairing, or Griffin could replace Barnes if the Kings (wisely) move Barnes this offseason.
Forward. New Orleans Pelicans. Bennedict Mathurin. 8. player. 69.
Although plenty of freshmen will go in the 2022 NBA Draft, the theme of the lottery is the sophomore; as many as six could easily go in the lottery, and Auburn center Walker Kessler and Arizona guard Dalen Terry could make it eight in the first round. Bennedict Mathurin went from a 3-and-D freshman to an all-out star as a sophomore for Arizona, winning Pac-12 Player of the Year dropping 17.3 points and 5.7 rebounds per game for a #1 seed.
The Pelicans have their small guards figured out and they have plenty of bigs, so they now need to add talent on the wing. Mathurin is fast, athletic and quick-twitch, all great things for a high-level role player who could become another star in this team that is quickly loading up. The question for Mathurin on defense is his consistency, and playing on a team with Herb Jones, Jose Alvarado and Trey Murphy will ensure Mathurin plays hard or loses his spot.