NBA Mock Draft 4.0: Picks for the entire first round
Wing. Washington Wizards. Johnny Davis. 10. player. 142.
It seems like the nine players already taken are something of a consensus top nine, in some order, but either of these next two players could easily leap up and push other players down. If so, the Wizards would love the chance to draft Dyson Daniel or one of the top wings to pair with Bradley Beal.
If the board falls this way, however, the Wizards’ decision is largely made for them. Instead of investing in another power forward or center, Washington will give Beal backcourt help by taking Wisconsin’s Johnny Davis. The two combined have enough shot creation to work even without a classic point guard on the court, and Davis’ underrated defensive chops will help make up for Beal’s lackadaisical approach on that end.
Forward. New York Knicks. Jeremy Sochan. 11. player. 27.
The popular chatter is that the New York Knicks are looking for a backcourt creator, and if the draft shakes out this way with Johnny Davis and Dyson Daniels off the board it may seem like a negative. Perhaps they do want to fill that need and will reach for a player like TyTy Washington.
Yet this is a Tom Thibodeau-coached team, and he doesn’t have a lot of defensive weapons to deploy at the forward positions. That could make Jeremy Sochan an awesome fit, a different look from Julius Randle and Obi Toppin who can defend nearly any position and provide rim protection in Randle-at-center lineups. If the Knicks’ path to being a playoff team is built on defense, Sochan is a dangerous weapon to add.