Mock Draft 2.0

Hoops League Mock Draft 2.0

Key: ~ means no change, + means moved up, - means moved down

1. Miami Tides – Austin Bridges, G (~)

The Tides are in need of most everything, true, but they already have solid building blocks in young star SF Lamarr Chambers, rising star PF Francisco Gerbi and C Timothy Garcia Jr. Drafting Bridges, an HLA-ready player with sky-high potential and an incredible shooting touch for a 19-year-old, would address Miami’s need at the SG position while allowing them to move on from Kacey Cunningham. A lineup of Sage Jackson – Bridges – Chambers – Gerbi – Garcia Jr. would provide the Tides with a lot of hope for the future.

2. St. Louis Archers – BJ Vandeventer, G (~)

The Archers are in bad need of a franchise PG (sorry Kyle Mason), and Vandeventer fits the bill. He’s a pass-first point guard with a raw shot, good at creating offense for others but not for himself. Such a build is perfect for St. Louis, who have a talented shooter in Jason Garcia, a rising star in Xavier Sevenade and a dominant frontcourt rotation of Sakuragi, McGeetus and Jiggs. He is also decently well-equipped to step in and start from day one, a must for a team looking to capitalize on the weakness of the East that won’t last forever. He’d be a good fit in his hometown.

3. Vancouver Summit – Lukasz Morawski, G (+7)

Fiedelak may be back, but he appears quite unlikely to return to the Summit. With that in mind, Vancouver is likely looking at a long rebuild, so picking Morawski makes sense. He is extremely high potential, has a similar build to Fiedelak, and is relatively raw, so his development timeline lines up well with Vancouver’s. His defense-first approach will fit well with their existing scheme, and his pass-first mentality will allow young pieces like Jamie Spencer to get the necessary touches. He would be a perfect successor at the one for his idol.

4. San Francisco Quakes – Jake Robinson, G (+1)

With a lottery pick for the third straight year, the Quakes have a true embarrassment of riches, particularly considering their already-existent hoard of 2 5 stars, 2 4 stars and a 4.5 in the starting lineup. That said, the Quakes were definitely lacking at the backup PG position last season, as Benji Phillips proved to be too much of a shoot-first guard, and Harry Mason simply isn’t getting it done. Robinson, a HLA-ready passing wizard, will instantly fill the hole there for the Quakes, stepping in from day one to take over ballhandling duties for either Stevenson or Mack.

5. New York Empire – Aaron Ford, G (-1)

During last season’s draft, the Empire made the move to acquire Scottie Thompson and the pick that became Malcolm Banks in exchange for Mandawuy Aurallo and Captain Price, hoping they’d be able to return him to the fringe All-Star form he exhibited in his first stay there. Instead, Thompson put up pedestrian numbers and largely failed to produce on the glass for them the way he had in the past. The Empire can pick up his successor here in Aaron Ford, a far better passer and a superior inside scorer (though worse shooter), who will allow Thompson to play his natural position at the two with the impending departure of Malcolm Banks, and may be just what the Empire’s offense needs to start humming.

6. Atlanta Activists – Dan Glisack, C (~)

The Activists may not take the first center off the board, as they’ve already got Zach Vega in tow and have major needs elsewhere. But backup center was a huge liability for the Activists through the regular season, as Rhys Kaneko and Leon Jameson simply did not get it done. Glisack projects to be better than most backups right off the bat, and may even take some first-team reps instead of Adobo Flakes or Tone Show. He’s a dominant inside force, and will shore up the league’s 5th- worst rebounding and 2nd-worst blocking team right off the bat.

7. Portland Roses – Pippy Big Pippy, C (+5)

Portland is one of the most interesting teams in the first round, largely because there’s just so many directions they could go. They could pick a guard, like Zane Cruz, to fill the gaping hole by Koality Game. They could pick a forward like Darius Westbrook or Joshua Owens to give them some badly needed future star power. Or, as I have them doing here, they could take a league-ready player at a position of need that will keep together their current contending core. Pippy is the guard’s best shooter, may be its best rebounder, and is probably its best overall player. He’d be a perfect spot starter over Justin Taylor, and he would be the ideal backup to the soon-to-be 30-year-old Jamon Alexander. This pick, however, is largely dependent on how they do in the playoffs. If they struggle and bow out in the first round, they may be forced to pick for potential.

8. San Diego Surf – Darius Westbrook, F (-5)

The Surf are in bad need of forward depth behind Thomas Shoffner, as Captain Price and Mandawuy Aurallo are simply too raw to be effective in the frontcourt off the bench on a contending team. If he falls here, Westbrook would be as good of a backup as they can hope for. With a high ceiling, ready-to-play shooting touch and great offensive instincts, Westbrook could be well capable of providing that elusive bench scoring prowess that the Surf desperately crave. Odds are he doesn’t fall here, but it could happen.

9. New York Empire (via LA) – Joshua Owens, F (+2)

With Brodeur confirmed to test FA (though he has indicated he may stay in NY), they are without a bona fide future star. Picking Owens, though he is very raw, would fit that hole. He is the draft’s worst player by a wide margin, yet simultaneously has its highest ceiling. Picking Owens would give them a potential superstar in the pipeline while not disturbing the balance of the team as it is. They can simply stash him in the D-League and wait till he’s ready for the league to call him up.

10. St. Louis Archers (via HOU) – Joel Idusohan, G (NEW) The Archers need a dominant scorer to truly compete, and at this point, Idusohan is the best on the board. He’s got a ways to go before being a real threat, of course, but he can spend a season learning from young sharpshooter Jason Garcia before taking the reins as the 2 guard. His development timeline is perfect for St. Louis, and his potential as a Polan Stronk/Malcolm Banks type player gives St. Louis an offensive spark they will need down the line.

11. Chicago Blues – Zane Cruz, G (-4)

With Rajah Rose potentially heading elsewhere next season, the Blues may be in need of a strong shooting guard, and Cruz would be a great fit. He is similar to Rose and John Rodriguez in that he is deficient on that side of the ball, but he’s got as good of a shot as anyone in the draft, and he is less turnover-prone than players like young Rose and Garcia. Even if Rose decides to stay, this could be a great pick—it would allow the Blues to shift Rodriguez into the starting lineup long term, putting him at the one, Rajah at the two and Yensid at the three, leaving Cruz and Sergio Fric on a bench unit that already can play with the best.

12. Boston Charms – Melo Hayes, C (-3)

a. The Charms have been rumored for a while now to be looking to move on from former 6MOTY Tyler Moore, and if he falls here, Hayes would be a fantastic replacement. Though his inside-dominant style is more of a callback to Maxwell Goodson than anything else, he is simply too talented to pass up if he falls to this slot. A better rebounder and shot blocker than Moore already, he’d be a great piece for the still-contending Charms, and could provide enticing trade bait to acquire a veteran or two if they so choose.

13. New York Empire (via MIA) – Brooke Reid, C (NEW)

This pick entirely depends on the decision-making of Pierre Brodeur, but it’s not a bad take for them if he comes back anyways. Reid is a similar player, a two-way stretching big man who is offensively focused, but he can knock it down more efficiently than Brodeur, and has some upside as a perimeter defender. With decent potential, he can be stashed away in the D-League if necessary, or he could be an effective backup to Jesus James. Either way, he’d be a solid grab for the Empire.

14. St. Louis Archers – The Kryptonite, F (-6)

A player whose stock has fallen a bit in recent days, Kryptonite would still be a solid pick for the Archers. With Xavier Sevenade possibly leaving the team, Kryptonite would serve as a capable stopgap, a guy with a decent shooting touch and all-around build that can fill in at the three occasionally. Alternatively, if Sevenade stays, he’ll shore up what was one of the league’s worst frontcourt benches with his capable skillset. He’d fill a need for the Archers either way.

15. Vancouver Summit – George Georgeson, F (NEW)

The Summit look likely to lose Kwanzy Iceberg in this coming FA period, and Georgeson should be a capable replacement. A solid player already with a skillset similar to Iceberg’s, Georgeson would fit nicely into Vancouver’s existing scheme, while not taking too many touches away from players like Jamie Spencer or Lukasz Morawski. The Summit may want to trade up from here, however, given their need for more high potential players.

16. San Francisco Quakes – Jerry Platinum, F (NEW)

I don’t expect the Quakes to keep this pick given their roster and cap constraints, but if they do, Platinum would be a nice find. He’s a pretty league-ready player with a diverse skillset, and provides a better potential backup for Samuel James/Car Lo than Daws 20.

17. Atlanta Activists (via NY) – Tobias Miller, F (NEW)

With the first of their two consecutive picks, the Activists can address two of their biggest problems from last season: bad rebounding and terrible three-point shooting. The league’s worst perimeter offense (12th in 3PFGPG and 3PFG%) and 8th-worst rebounding squad would do well to add Miller, a Rebounding Shooter who could contribute as a bench piece from day one and hit both birds with the same stone.

18. Atlanta Activists – Hawk Rosario, G (NEW)

If the Activists really do lose Kyron Hickman, they will need some guard depth, in which case Rosario could be a solid second-round acquisition. A solid two-way player with a particular knack for picking pockets and cleaning the glass, Rosario would be a fine backup for either Jon Rahm or Fred Fredericks, and would be a steadier backup than Antonio Rondao.

19. Portland Roses – Simon Syzykowski, G (NEW)

The Roses need guard depth badly, and though Syzykowski won’t do much from day one, he’s got a decent ceiling, an aptitude for passing, and possesses some of the finest hands in the draft. He’ll be a fine backup PG in a few seasons, and may have starter potential in time. They may look to trade up to grab a guy like King Ntilikina, depending on how they perform this post season, as Syzykowski is a long-term project.

20. New York Empire (via SD) – Damian Merritt, G (NEW) The Empire could use some guard depth, and Merritt is a good find this deep into the second round. He’s a solid two-way player already, capable of producing a couple of points per game right off the bat, but also as a defensive stopper—he led the combine in steals and SPG. He would make a fine backup two or three as needed.

21. Los Angeles Stars – W. R. Asher, F (NEW)

The Stars have just one pick in this draft, it being this one, but they don’t really have that many needs. Taking Asher here would allow them to send either or both of Collin Adams and Demar Langley to the D League by significantly improving their forward depth, and it would make sense also for the simple reason that he’s the best player left on the board here.

22. Houston Cosmos – Thomas Lambo, G (NEW)

The Cosmos are going to need a guard to replace the soon-to-depart The Captain, and though signing one in FA or acquiring one via trade would certainly be ideal, Lambo will do in a pinch. He won’t score much, but he can pass fine and is a mediocre defender, which is about as good as one can hope for this late in the draft. He’ll be a fine player with time, but he should spend time in the D-League first.

23. Chicago Blues – Nicholas Patnella, F (NEW)

The Blues have developed a penchant for finding great talent in the back ends of drafts and/or in the UFA pool, and Patnella would be a great addition for the team. He won’t do much besides play defense, but that’s really all they need him to do. As one of the draft’s best defenders, he could start at any position as necessary, and would be a great lockdown piece of the bench. He is low ceiling and highly specialized, but for the Blues, that’s a perfect fit.

24. Boston Charms – Jalen Hood, C (NEW) Hood is a great defender, perhaps already one of the league’s best blockers, making him a great acquisition for any team already in the contending phase. He could work as a spot starter against teams with shot-heavy centers, and will be a solid relief player for Cedric Hardwicke without a huge drop-off in defensive quality. He’ll likely spend a lot of time in the D-League, but he could be useful for the Charms at times as well.

25. Vancouver Summit (Fiedelak) – Nathan Korst, C (NEW)

Reports indicate that the Summit may be looking to move on from veteran C Tyrone Jackson, a move that would make sense given their current rebuilding situation. If they do, Korst would make a fine backup to Deandre Daniels, or whoever is playing center. With solid defensive capabilities and a passable potential for offensive production, Korst would be a fine bench piece in time.

26. Portland Roses (Percy Snow) – Luigi Datome, F (NEW)

Datome has decent potential, particularly for a forward this low in the draft, and though he’s a cliché archetype for a forward, he could certainly be useful given time. This is a draft-and-stash pick for Portland.

27. Miami Tides (via POR) (Mikey Williams) – Haruto Johnson, F (NEW)

Last season, the Tides picked Daren Scorpio in the second round, a defense-first guard who was very raw save for on that side of the ball. It worked like a charm, as he set records for steals by a rookie on both the team and in the league for a single game. Johnson profiles as a similar selection for the tides, a guy who can get stops consistently on D but is not good for much else as of now. If used correctly, Johnson can be a good piece on that side of the ball for now, and both sides down the line.