NBA Mock Draft 3.0: The New Orleans Pelicans Land the Best Shooter
Point Guard / Duke. Scouting Report. Orlando Magic. Tre Jones. 15. player. 38. Pick Analysis
The Orlando Magic still need a point guard, with veteran D.J. Augustin getting older and Markelle Fultz preferring to play off the ball.
In a weak draft, many teams may decide to swing for the fences, looking for home runs rather than solid, low-risk picks like Tre Jones.
Jones is not a hugely gifted passer or elite scoring option, but he is solid, and projects as a good floor general, and a plus defender.
light. Related Story. Tre Jones is the perfect backup point guard for the Pelicans
Jones can finish at the rim and is smart enough to make the right pass, making him someone who can run the pick-and-roll at the next level, much like D.J. Augustin.
Minnesota Timberwolves. 16. Small Forward / Colorado. player. 86. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. Tyler Bey
Tyler Bey is another player who could make a big jump in the draft simply due to the lack of wings.
Bey is one of the few juniors in the draft, so he should be able to step into the Timberwolves’ rotation right away.
Bey is not a volume scorer but he does shoot 43.3 percent from 3-point range and projects as a 3-and-D wing.
He has good size at 6-foot-7 and pulls down his share of rebounds with nine per game.
Bey has posted 11 games with 10 or more rebounds this season and would instantly give the Timberwolves a boost in rebounding from the wing.
The Timberwolves already have plenty of volume shooters and got another guard earlier in the draft, so taking a defensive-minded wing who can shoot makes sense.
Bey would also pick up some of the slack for Towns on the offensive boards, as the Timberwolves’ center likes to play away from the hoop.
Bey has the tools to be a steal at this point in the draft, and at the very least will be a competent wing who can defend the position and grab boards.
Scouting Report. Power Forward / USC. Boston Celtics. player. Pick Analysis. Onyeka Okongwu. 17. 18
Like the New Orleans Pelicans, the Boston Celtics are in the enviable position of not needing to draft out of need.
The Celtics are already loaded with some of the best young talent in the NBA in Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, so they can swing for the fences here or try to add some depth.
The Celtics already have plenty of position-less wings, but have struggled to find reliable interior scoring and defense, especially with Enes Kanter on the floor.
Onyeka Okongwu would be an immediate upgrade defensively, as he has good size at 6-foot-9 and is already averaging 2.7 blocks per game, a statistic that usually translates well in the NBA.
You never really know what Danny Ainge will do with his picks and the Celtics always seem to have plenty of them to spare, so this could very well be packaged with one of their wings in a trade.
If the Celtics do decide to keep their pick then they will likely take a big, so it will really come down to which of the remaining power forwards or centers is ranked highest on their board.
Scouting Report. Dallas Mavericks. Precious Achiuwa. player. Pick Analysis. Power Forward / Memphis. 18. 79
Like the New Orleans Pelicans, the Dallas Mavericks have the advantage of being able to add assets even though they are already good now.
With one of the best playmakers in the league in Luka Doncic, the Mavericks could decide to go with a shooter here, or take a risk on a project, as they don’t really need more youth.
Related Story. Precious Achiuwa could be the defensive wing the Pelicans need. light
They have the luxury of taking a risk on the potential of a guy like Precious Achiuwa. At 6-foot-9 with a 7-foot-2 wingspan, Achiuwa could be an elite defender in the NBA.
He would pair well along Kristaps Porzingis or Willie Cauley-Stein, runs the floor well and would get plenty of dunks with Doncic running the point.