2021 NBA Draft: Mock 1.0, Knicks bolster the backcourt
By Toby Jaffe
NBA Draft Mock 1.0: A few high-ceiling prospects
12. Sacramento Kings, Jalen Johnson, F, Duke
A foot injury (he only played 13 games this season) played part in an overall poor season by Duke, and an early departure (Johnson left the team in February) will probably keep Johnson from going much higher, but this is a high ceiling pick that could fit a positional need for the Kings given the uncertain futures of Harrison Barnes and Marvin Bagley.
13. Golden State Warriors, Ziaire Williams, SF, Stanford
I have local California product Ziaire Williams landing with the Warriors with their second (!) lottery pick.
I’m a broken record at this point, but Ziaire Williams is an all-around forward with perennial All-Star potential. This NBA Draft just seems to be loaded with these guys. Williams, however, might be a tad bit riskier than some of the others because he was a below-average shooter during his one season at Stanford.
14. Memphis Grizzlies, Davion Mitchell, G, Baylor
The Grizzlies snag the man they call “Off-Night” to conclude the lottery portion of this mock draft.
Mitchell’s nickname is well deserved. He shut down every assignment he faced in March and early April, including lottery picks Jalen Suggs and Moses Moody, college stars like Quentin Grimes, and, well, practically the entire Villanova team in the second half of their sweet 16 matchup.
He’s not all defense, either; he led Baylor in assists and shot 45 percent from beyond the arc on nearly 5 attempts a game.