The 8 Points, 9 Seconds 2018 NBA Mock Draft 1.0
By Jacob Lane
No. 16 Phoenix Suns (from Milwaukee) — Troy Brown Jr., SG/SF, Oregon
When your team is as bad as the Phoenix Suns you don’t worry about anything other than taking the best player available.
Troy Brown Jr. could go anywhere from 11-25 come June, and just like Lonnie Walker IV he’s got a lot of potential in the NBA.
There wasn’t a lot from the 2017-18 season that stood out from Troy Brown Jr. aside from his size (6’7, 215 pounds) and athleticism. Brown will need to improve his shooting and become a more consistent scoring threat, but his potential as a 3-D wing make him a nice value pick at 16 for Phoenix. He will have plenty of room to grow as the team attempts to rebuild.
No. 17: Philadelphia 76ers — Dzanan Musa, SF, Bosnia
I won’t sit here and act like I know a lot about Dznan Musa from Bosnia & Herzegovina. I think you would be able to sniff out that BS.
But here’s what I do know. Musa plays for KK Cedevita in Croatia, has averaged 12 points, and 3 rebounds per game, shooting 48% from the field in 22 minutes per game, according to Draftexpress.com.
Musa has great size for a SF, standing at 6’9. But 76ers fans will likely need to be patient, as Musa is not quite ready for the NBA.
No. 18: Denver Nuggets — Mitchell Robinson, PF/C, Western Kentucky
Here is our first true unknown player of the 2018 NBA Draft.
Mitchell committed to Western Kentucky, showed up on campus, left campus, said he was transferring, came back to campus, and then left again to “pursue the NBA Draft.”
Mitchell is a former McDonald’s All-American with all the talent in the world, and could be a very nice big man down the road. He’s likely the most athletic big on the back side of the first round and will excel in pre-draft workouts because of it.
No. 19: Washington Wizards — Anfernee Simons, SG, IMG Academy
Anfernee Simons is still technically in high school and is likely to go to college, but will be able to declare for the draft if the interest is there due to him being a “post-grad” one year removed from high school.
Simons is a straight baller and I think if he went to college he’d be a top 10 pick next year. Simons has great athleticism, a great knack for scoring the ball, and has the position versatility scouts are looking for at guard.
He’ll absolutely need to spend a year or two in the G-League in order to develop, but could be a huge steal for the Wizards down the road.
No. 20: Minnesota Timberwolves – Keita Bates-Diop – SF – Ohio State
Keita Bates-Diop is another player who wasn’t on the NBA radar coming into the 2017-18 college basketball season. But after leading Ohio State to a 24-8 record, while winning Big Ten Player of the Year, Bates-Diop is now looked at as a first-round lock.
The senior forward improved significantly from his junior to senior season, finishing the year averaging 19.4 points, 8.8 rebounds, while shooting 48% from the field. Bates-Diop has a knack for scoring, doing so very well from just about everywhere on the floor.
With the NBA becoming more and more “position-less” finding players who can do everything is key. Bates-Diop isn’t a guy who can bring the ball up the floor and get your offense going, and could face problems trying to go 1-on-1 with quality defenders. However, with the other skills that are present with the 22-year-old, this is something that can be avoided.