Another week, another round of mocks.
Most mock drafts published an update following the combine (where very few players participated) and the subsequent interviews. While last week, literally no consensus was arrived at, this week, we've got three mocks going with Patrick Patterson (one of the best interviews at the combine) and two with Donatas Motiejunas from Italy. Presumably, there's a lot more process still to go, with player workouts still to follow.
Perhaps the biggest news of the week is the dropping stock of Hassan Whiteside (At the Hive profile here). Chad Ford has him in the 20's in his latest Insider draft, and I've seen him drop out of the lottery in quite a few mocks. It's way, way, way too early to definitely speculate about his ultimate draft position, but it's something to keep an eye on as individual workouts begin.
Notable sites without a post-Combine update: Ridiculous Upside and Sports Illustrated.
Patrick Patterson PF, Kentucky 6-8, 223, 21 Intelligent, undersized power forward with long arms, a great frame and nice athleticism. Very aggressive inside, can operate with his back to the basket with great touch, and is a terrific finisher around the hoop. Can knock down jump-shots with solid accuracy. Footwork and overall offense polish still improvable. Not a very good rebounder. Relies too much on his natural tools at times, particularly on the defensive end. Daniel Orton C, Kentucky 6-10, 260, 19 True center with all the physical attributes look for in a big man, including a chiseled frame, a great wingspan and solid athleticism. Showed great flashes of potential in tiny doses on both ends of court this year. Didn't play much behind DeMarcus Cousins coming off an injury plagued year in high school. Numbers are incredibly underwhelming, but potential is anything but. Patrick Patterson PF, Kentucky 6-8, 223, 21 Intelligent, undersized power forward with long arms, a great frame and nice athleticism. Very aggressive inside, can operate with his back to the basket with great touch, and is a terrific finisher around the hoop. Can knock down jump-shots with solid accuracy. Footwork and overall offense polish still improvable. Not a very good rebounder. Relies too much on his natural tools at times, particularly on the defensive end. Cole Aldrich C, Kansas 6-11, 245, 21 True center with terrific size, an excellent frame, and an extremely long wingspan. Big-time rebounder who plays a physical brand of defense. Has good hands and is a capable finisher around the basket. Still needs to work on improving all-around offense polish. Has glaring limitations, but is a rare commodity thanks to his physical attributes, mobility and the intensity in which he plays with. Donatas Motiejunas C, Italy 7-0, 215, 19 Athletic left-handed European big man with great size and length. Possesses a versatile skill-set: can handle the ball, shoot with range, pass or operate inside. Not the toughest player around, struggles at times on the defensive end, is a very poor rebounder and can get frustrated when things aren't going his way. Upside as a scorer is considerable. Patrick Patterson PF, Kentucky 6-8, 223, 21 Intelligent, undersized power forward with long arms, a great frame and nice athleticism. Very aggressive inside, can operate with his back to the basket with great touch, and is a terrific finisher around the hoop. Can knock down jump-shots with solid accuracy. Footwork and overall offense polish still improvable. Not a very good rebounder. Relies too much on his natural tools at times, particularly on the defensive end. Xavier Henry SG, Kansas 6-6, 210, 19 Swingman with good size and an excellent frame. Possesses excellent scoring instincts and deep range on his jump shot. Smart, unselfish player who understands the game. Good, not great athlete who may struggle to create his own shot at the next level. Lateral quickness is questionable. Mature complimentary player. Prenocephale 8-0, 290, 65,000,000 Small, speedy, and with gigantic eyes that indicate its superior vision, Prenocephale is yet another prime point guard to call New Orleans home. Chris Paul is a crown jewel of today's NBA, and Darren Collison might have been the finest PG in last year's rookie class. The Hornets, who have so little to their name, really have choice but to try and play them together. Marcus Thornton brings some pure scoring fire power, but someone has to spell Paul and Collison if the team really does go with a "best available" approach to the starting line-up. Or, if one is traded, the team will need a back-up. Or, if things get really crazy, and someone recognizes that even a 4-foot tall dinosaur is still really fucking strong and athletic, maybe Preneocphale can become like a scaly cross between Tyson Chandler and Brad Miller. Donatas Motiejunas C, Italy 7-0, 215, 19 Athletic left-handed European big man with great size and length. Possesses a versatile skill-set: can handle the ball, shoot with range, pass or operate inside. Not the toughest player around, struggles at times on the defensive end, is a very poor rebounder and can get frustrated when things aren't going his way. Upside as a scorer is considerable.
Source
Projection
DX Comments
PG, International