Season 5 Mock Draft 1.0

1. Vancouver Summit – Antony King, F

The Summit’s weakest position last year was the 3-spot, while their three-point shooting was among the worst in the league. Antony King is a tailor-made prospect to fix those issues. Arguably the draft’s best offensive player, his shooting stroke and ballhandling skills already far surpass that of many in the HLA, and surely that of all others in the draft class. A veritable scoring dynamo, King will revolutionize a Summit offense that leaned too heavily on a protean frontcourt and was unable to find offensive consistency altogether.

2. Atlanta Activists – Adrien Russell, F

Russell is a reach here, so if the Activists wind up with the #2, they ought to trade down, but he would certainly do a world of good for a team that ranked dead last in steals per game last season and 9th in blocks per game. Moreover, as a defense-only player at the moment, he won’t demand as many touches as some alternatives, meaning Atlanta can focus on running the offense through their incumbent stars, Santos and Vega. He has potential to be a decent all-around player in the future, and his highly specialized skillset at present makes him a great fit for Atlanta.

3. St. Louis Archers (via SD Surf) – Tyler Gaines, G

If St. Louis is here, and Gaines falls into their lap, they absolutely have to take him. A prolific scorer with the ability to run at the 1 or the 2 plus serviceable defensive skills, Gaines is the ideal backcourt partner for Jason Garcia. His three-point shooting and turnover-light style of play would greatly augment the Archers’ offense that was alternatingly prolific and parched from downtown, as well as one that turned the ball over at the second highest rate in the league.

4. Arizona 122 – Taog Gib, G

A pick that is highly dependent on who Arizona selects in the expansion draft, Gib represents the best remaining potential on the board, and he’s a damn good player as is. Although primarily a playmaker, Gib has shown a keen ability to create his own shots, and has a decent shooting stroke for a rookie. He is the class’ best passer, and should be able to start and contribute right away. Hard to analyze Arizona’s situation given that they have no players at the moment, however.

5. Indiana Overdrive -- Beef Jerkey, C

Again, not much can be said on this pick, as the Overdrive have yet to acquire any players. That said, Jerkey is clearly the best player left on the board, and they would be remiss not to scoop up someone of his stature. As talented as they come as an inside finisher, Jerkey showed an ability in college to take over games that many players simply lack. A talented all-around player with no real weaknesses save his shooting, he’s something of a steal at #5, though centers are a hot commodity these days.

6. New York Empire – Dominique Jakobs, G

With Aaron Ford testing free agency, the search for the successor to Carl Joseph continues. New York will not find that successor here, but Jakobs could point to the answer while also solving a number of big problems for New York. The league’s worst inside team last season, New York struggled to get to the rim and convert, ranking dead-last in FG%. They also ranked second-to-last in rebounds per game. Enter Jakobs, the draft’s best rebounder and a talented slasher. He slots in perfectly at the two for the Empire, shifting Chug to the one for their backcourt of the future. New York has had success with rebounding guards in the past—Scottie Thompson was nearly an All-Star in the orange and blue with Joseph at the one. Jakobs could in time bring them back to that halcyon age.

7. St. Louis Archers – Darren Taylor, F

If the Archers remain here, Taylor could round out a truly terrifying young lineup. Garcia/Bas – Gaines – Taylor – Darius – Brodeur is automatically a top 5 starting unit in the league. Taylor is a talented player in almost every area, an offense-first jack of all trades whose defense is not too shabby either. He would fit right in as a glue guy capable of putting on a show, and the Archers would be lucky to have him.

8. Portland Roses – Elijah Rose, C

Portland is a team sorely needing veteran depth across the board, so Rose doesn’t meet their biggest need. That said, he does fit a big need for them—backup center. While back-end second rounder Brook Reid performed admirably behind Jamon Alexander and greatly improved under his tutelage, he simply did not have the skill to get it done on both ends. Enter Rose, a relatively league-ready center with a skillset similar to Alexander’s who can shore up the unit and let the offense play through him for stretches.

9. San Diego Surf – Marcus Smith, C

Timothy Garcia Jr. may well leave in FA, and even if he does not, the Surf will likely lose Randall Ta to expansion, meaning they will be in the market for a center regardless. Smith would contribute right away as a defense-first 5 capable of scoring on his own at times, though only close to the basket at the moment. He also would add valuable rebounding skill to a team that ranked 10th in that statistic this past season.

10. Houston Cosmos – Lo Bot, F

Joseph Canny took a big step back this year, and it hurt the Cosmos. With him not getting any younger, the Cosmos lack a three-point punch. Bot, as one of the best snipers in the draft, should be able to bail them out when they need a three. He is rather raw, and will need time to develop, so the Cosmos should look for more immediate solutions. At present, however, he will stop the bleeding.

11. San Diego Surf – Carlton Hollis, F

With Francisco Gerbi seemingly gone, the Surf are in need of a score-first forward for their playmakers to dish to, and Hollis is the best on the board here. He’s a talented scorer, particularly on the interior, and he can slide in at the three or the four if need be, which makes room for other prospects like Howard and co.

12. Los Angeles Stars – Tobias DiPierri, F

With Demar Langley and possibly Collin Adams out the door this coming off-season, the Stars could use an upgrade at backup forward. DiPierri is very raw offensively, but his defense is already backup unit quality for a team of the Stars’ defensive caliber. Much like they used Tone Show a few years ago and still use Julius Carter today, DiPierri would make a great defense-first addition as a role player and glue guy assigned to each opposing teams’ toughest forward, while not actively hindering the offense.

13. Chicago Blues – Emmius One, G

The Blues will stop Emmius’ freefall in a pickup that greatly benefits both sides. Emmius is a high-potential guard on both sides of the floor with a play style that already fits well into the Blues’ scheme. His shooting touch will approximate that of the likely-gone Rajah Rose’s to some extent, and his defensive skill already far exceeds that of Rose’s. He can also run the point on occasion, and his dribbling prowess is decent enough that he can be relied upon not to turn over the ball. If Emmius is here, he and the Blues are a perfect match.

14. Boston Charms – Dallas Howson, G

It’s hard to pick someone for the Charms to draft, considering that they are simply stacked, top to bottom. They are all but certain to lose Kyron Hickman in the pending expansion draft, but they may not necessarily be in the market for a replacement guard, considering that Noel Stoner is still on the roster, and Louis Lavander will be a solid backup PG with another season in the farm system. If they do seek out a veteran replacement, plenty of guys, like Fred Fredericks and Dizzy Michaels, might be eager to sign on. Regardless, Howson is a solid pick here at #14, if they keep it. He is a true two-way member of the roster—if they want to keep him up, he’ll provide serviceable playmaking and excellent perimeter defense off the bench, and if they want to send him down, he’ll eventually develop into a player in the mold of Alex Sinclair, an indispensable defensive gem. It’s more of a stash selection for Boston, but they’d be wise to have a guy like Howson on the roster.