Hoops League Season 7 Mock Draft 1.0

1. Houston Cosmos: Papa John, C, Lincoln Tech

This is not a draft with a lot of value, and Papa John is the best value to be had. True, the Cosmos have Jesus James at center already, but John perhaps may already be a better player, at least on the offensive side of the ball. He offers high-level scoring and skilled interior play to a team that lacked both of those last season. A young lineup of Morawski-Morant-Bot-Poland/Jesus and John will be a genuine handful for opposing defenses for years to come.

2. Arizona 122: Leo Lion, G, Boston College

It makes too much sense: A raw but talented pass-first guard, and a team that has no legitimately playable point guards on the roster (sorry, Andrew Heldt). Lion will not add a lot of his own offense to the 122’s playbook immediately, but he’ll do a great job creating for Beef Jerkey, Marcus Damian, Skylar Murphy and others. PG play was one of Arizona’s main albatrosses last season, so Lion could provide serious immediate benefits.

3. Atlanta Activists: Alex Roze, G, Texas Tech

Atlanta is losing Antonio Rondao, and have long struggled with guard depth, so Roze makes a lot of sense. He’s fairly league ready and has a good ceiling, and may even be able to provide spot starts to an Atlanta team that is still looking to win now or in the near future.

4. Vancouver Summit: Walter Chamberlain, C, Ohio State

With Melo Hayes set to pack his bags, Vancouver’s biggest need is clearly in the middle. Chamberlain is almost tailor-made to replace Hayes, with some of his draft class’s best interior scoring, ball handling, and rebounding. He should be as close to a day one replacement as possible, and should fit in nicely next to James Murray and co.

5. DC Brigade: ZayVon Carter, G, Oklahoma State

The Brigade seem unlikely to be competing right from the tip, given that they are in the far more challenging conference. With that in mind, Carter seems a solid pick for them. He’s got a high ceiling but not a well-formed current skillset, and should develop into a fine player down the line. Getting a young guard at this spot is a must in a league where good guards are a hot commodity.

6. Denver Altitude: Lauren Bird, F, Emory College

If DC is set to pick players of the future, Denver will be left with many of yesterday’s stars, meaning they will likely try to contend in a weakened West from day one. Bird is the perfect player for such a scenario – a win-now player with a medium ceiling that she is already quite close to reaching.

7. St. Louis Archers: Jaxton Scott, F, Hawai’i

The Archers are in win-now mode, and are retaining almost their entire roster from last season with the likely exception of Adrien Russell. Benz Buckets is first in line to replace him, but Scott would be a good farm piece and insurance option. He is raw, and will spend most of his time with STL in the G League, but he can hit shots when called upon and is one of the draft’s best defensive players at the forward position. He’s also got a decent ceiling, making him the ideal piece for a team looking to win now while still having an eye on the future.

8. New York Empire: Justin James, C, Michigan State

The Empire have two major holes in the roster, those being the bench guards and bench center spots. James fits their scheme perfectly: He is a talented defensive player capable of scoring on the interior, and will get great mentorship from Cedric Hardwicke. As Hardwicke ages, James should also profile as a great replacement to the legendary center.

9. San Diego Surf: Jermaine Salcedo, F, Boise State

San Diego seems slated to lose one of their many talented forwards this offseason, and it was partially the poor play of their bench that cost them in the playoffs against Los Angeles. With that in mind, Salcedo is a good selection. He’s a talented player with a fairly high ceiling, capable of putting the ball in the basket in volume. One can never have too much scoring, particularly in the modern HLA.

10. Atlanta Activists: Koby Williams, F, Boston College

Atlanta’s forward depth, even with W.R. Asher returning and Radley Hatchett-Miles re-signing, is somewhat below par. Williams should address that, offering a diverse, if unrefined, skillset. His defensive upside is a bit below the class average, but he’s got reasonable shooting talent, good lob-catching ability, and the potential to have a well-rounded skill set.

11. San Francisco Quakes: Swag Stone, G, Koality College

There are probably going to be a number of holes to plug on this roster next season, and if San Francisco is looking for a stopgap measure, Stone’s about the best left on the board here. He isn’t Darryl Stevenson, no, but he’ll provide passable minutes with a talented skillset as they search for a more permanent solution.

12. Chicago Blues: Paolo Smuc, C, Texas-Arlington

The Blues have experienced such sustained success largely because they have consistently drafted players capable of helping them in the short- and long- term. As Chicago’s core continues to age and they prepare to make a final run or so at a title, Smuc is the ideal piece to round out their frontcourt. He has a more diverse skillset than either Riley Losleben or Jalen Hood, and he could play at the four or the five. He’s got a high ceiling and decent day one stuff. He's a perfect Chicago Blues pick.

13. Indiana Overdrive: Tyler Dynamite, F, Texas Tech

Indiana’s guard rotation is well put-together, barring any of the potential trades rumored of Syndor Drago. They also clearly trust Dan Glisack at the 5, and appear to like Gui Costa and Nathan Korst behind them. As such, forward is their thinnest spot, and subsequently, they should pick one up here. Grabbing Dynamite will allow them to get even younger, and will add some nice bench defense with capable offense from day one.

14. New York Empire: Eddie Obama, G, South Carolina

With two picks in a row here, and three total in the first round, it seems likely the Empire will at least explore trade options. If nothing works on that front, Eddie Obama will give them some decent guard depth. He won’t be a star, but he can score and play reasonable perimeter defense.

15. New York Empire: Buckets McGee, F, Austin

Again, if the Empire don’t trade this pick, they can take advantage of a frontcourt-deep draft and pick a draft-and-stash player. McGee will be a very solid player in time, with a well-rounded toolbox of skills, but he is raw and can’t help NY much at the moment. However, the Empire have a deep forward core, with multiple talented veterans and up-and-coming youngsters. Few organizations in the league, then, would better suit McGee, who can take time to develop into a good player in the G League.

16. Miami Tides: Allen Bolton Williams, F, Reed College

Miami looks likely to lose Alex Garza this coming offseason, and Allen Bolton Williams will be a fine replacement. The Reed College product has a similar skillset and similarly high ceiling, and he is both capable of playing right away as well as spending some time in the G League. He may not wind up as a long term answer at forward, but he gives them a valuable youth piece.

17. Houston Cosmos: Lyle Barr, C, Chicago State

The Cosmos may well lose Jesus James in the expansion draft, so if they do, Barr will be a great pick as a third-string center. He needs time to develop, but he’s a perfect fit for what has been established as Houston’s ideal center mold – stretchy and capable of shot-blocking. He’ll probably sit behind Donovan Lewis and Beef Supreme to begin with, but his high ceiling ensures he will eventually pass them both in the rotation.