2024 NBA Mock Draft (Picks 15-30)
Miami Heat – G, Isaiah Collier, USC
Nikola Jovic showcased his point guard skills after Miami moved on from Lowry and it looked good at times. However, he is not a traditional point guard, and his lack of playmaking was noticeable in the playoffs. Insert, Collier who did not have the season people envisioned but the skill set is off the charts.
He is a bruising downhill finisher who is comfortable with the ball in his hands. The shooting and decision making has to improve but with one of the best development and coaching staffs in the league, I think he is in good hands.
He had a chance to shut it down after an injury and his team underperforming but he did not. Not only did he return, but he improved from the first stretch. His playmaking improved while being ultra-aggressive defensively. Miami ranked bottom five in assist% so the need for playmaking is high. Collier can fulfill that As well as provide scoring from the backcourt.
Philadelphia 76ers – G, Carlton Carrington – Pitt
One of the hottest names amongst draft circles after the combine was Carrington. He is coming off a historic freshman season at Pitt and could have returned to school and been a top 10 pick. However, he is here and is in a nice position with a contending Eastern Conference team.
Lowry plans on returning but he is on the downside of his career but is a perfect veteran for Carrington to learn under. You want the ball in Maxey’s hands as much as possible, but I do think it is some value in a point guard setting the table for both he and Embiid.
Carrington is a really good playmaker who sees the floor well in the half-court and transition. He can play in the pick and roll with Embiid and knock down the mid-range shot consistently. He does need to bulk up and be able to get to the rim and free-throw line more but that will come with experience.
Los Angeles Lakers – G, Jared McCain – Duke
The Lakers three-point% suggest that they were a good shooting team but that was far from the truth. They were 29th in percentage of shots coming from deep. With Anthony Davis and Lebron being able to dominate in the paint, they need a reliable knock down shooter.
Insert Jared McCain who improved drastically from November to March. During Duke’s Sweet 16 run he had 50/50/90 shooting splits and was by far their best player. It does not start and end with the shooting. McCain showed the ability to initiate offense and be pivotal in the pick and roll.
Spot up shooters have made a living off of passes from Lebron. I think McCain is in line to return home and be on the receiving end of a lot of wide-open looks. Stretching the floor opens up driving lanes and balance is much needed with this Lakers offense. Oh yeah, he’ll be getting coached by another Duke alum who could shoot the ball pretty decently.
Orlando Magic – G, Ja’Kobe Walter – Baylor
Did you watch Orlando in the playoffs? If you didn’t, here are some numbers for you. 32,31,29,26, and 22. Those are what the Magic shot from three in five of the seven games against Cleveland. They have their cornerstone stars in Paolo and Franz but the lack of shooting is a huge concern.
Walter did not shoot 40% like Sheppard or McCain but he was 34% on nearly 6 attempts per game. What impresses me and could benefit Orlando is the variety of ways he made those threes. The deep ball is a plus, but he can score at every level.
He can also play without the ball and could get even more open looks off of drive and kicks. Defensively he is intense and has shown flashes of being a pest. That will work well with the second unit and if Jett Howard can take a step, they could both raise the floor of this team.
Toronto Raptors – C, Kel’el Ware – Indiana
It is a copycat league and Ware could benefit from the success Lively and Gafford are having. Skillset wise he has it all but the talk amongst scouts is the low motor. That is one thing that will scare teams away regardless of how talented you are.
Ware is a springy highflyer who can finish through contact. He’s shown the ability to step out and shoot but on a low volume. Toronto could take a swing due to their lack of rim protection and overall rim running bigs.
Cleveland Cavaliers – G, Kyshawn George – Miami
The stats will not blow you off the page, but the upside is out of the world. The size and shooting prowess is why he is landing here. The Cavs have a ton of decisions to make, and one would think their backcourt is split up before next year.
Cavs did take a similar player last year in Emoni Bates who did not shoot it as well as George. The wing depth is not the most attractive and getting a young sharp shooting wing could bolster that.
New Orleans Pelicans – G, Tyler Kolek – Marquette
Pelicans have drafted well over the last few years, but they are missing a key piece to the puzzle. They have no true point guard. They are using CJ McCollum to patch it together which has not been as successful as they would like.
Kolek is a Jalen Brunson type of guard who plays well in pick and rolls while also having the ability to knock down shots. He led the nation in assists and constantly creates the best shot for his teammates. That is exactly what the Pelicans are missing. They would be able to slide CJ back to his natural position and allow Kolek to orchestrate the offense.
Phoenix Suns – F/C, Kyle Filipowski – Duke
There are several glaring needs for the Suns. One thing for sure, they do not need a project, they need a veteran player who can contribute right away. Nurkic was essentially played off the floor in the playoffs and Filipowski has the ability to add an offensive stretch five that helps their spacing.
He shot almost 35% from deep and has the ability to work in the mid post area on smaller defenders. His screen setting is solid which helps get the big three free to do what they do best, score. The Suns also need a guard, but I think they can get that later in the draft. A versatile ready made big like Filipowski will not be there late in the 2nd.
Milwaukee Bucks – F, Tristan Da Silva – Colorado
Another team who is looking for immediate contributions. They took two forwards last year who did not get a ton of minutes but Da Silva’s offense sets him apart from Andre Jackson Jr and Chris Livingston. Look no further than them playing Danillo Gallinari over both of them in the playoffs.
Da Silva was the unquestioned leader on the Buffs team who potentially has three top 35 picks, so he understands how to play with other talented players. That is a skill that is not talked about enough, especially for players going in this range to championship contending teams.
Da Silva can defend multiple positions and stretches the floor. He is not the most athletic guy but still finds ways to get to the paint and make an impact.
New York Knicks – C, Yves Missi – Baylor
With the injury history of Mitchell Robinson and Isaiah Hartenstein looking for a big payday in free agency, there is likely a need for a big man with one of their two picks. Missi has a high motor and the ability to defend in multiple coverages. His rebounding numbers are not the best but his activity around the rim makes up for that.
He is averaging 2.1 STOCKS (steals + blocks) and just under 11 points per game. His offense is mostly predicated on lobs and put backs which is perfect in the Knicks system. He does need to be better at defending without fouling and being better conditioned but those are things I think can get better under a pro system.
New York Knicks – F, Jalen Tyson – Cal
Tyson has been one of the higher risers from pre-season to now. It was reported he did really well in workouts. It is and has been an ongoing debate for years with players like Tyson. Is he putting up empty calories due to the quality of his team or is he just a clear notch or two above the competition
My eyes and the numbers tell me that it is a combination of both. He averaged almost 20 points and 6.8 rebounds and shot above 35% from deep. If he can sustain that level of shooting on top of keeping his shot creation high, he could be Jaylen Brown like.
He has similar style but shoots it better than Jaylen did coming out of college. He also has good positional size and the ability to defend every position on the floor. Knicks could use a do it all wing that can create offense off the bench.
Washington Wizards – G, Terrance Shannon Jr – Illinois
I’m certainly higher on Shannon than most but his skills all translate to the next level. He is a three-level scorer with great size and can be a pest on the defensive end. His improved ball handling allows him to be effective on and off ball and in today's game, you can never have too many ball handlers.
I have Sarr going to Washington with their 2nd pick to sure up the interior, but Shannon would be a great secondary guard behind Poole. It also gives them some insurance incase Kuzma and/or Kispert are moved.
I’m sure I’m not alone when I say this, but if those off the court issues never happened and Shannon had this type of season, He would be closer to the lottery than this specific position.
Minnesota Timberwolves – G, Baylor Schierman – Creighton
We saw first-hand that the Twelves struggled to stretch the floor. It allowed defenses to build a wall to shut down Anthony Edwards while ignoring the perimeter shooting. Baylor is a versatile shooter who can drain shots in a ton of different ways.
He moves well without the ball and at his size is a great rebounder. He averaged nearly 10 per game last year with a 14.8 rebound%. He’s an older player so he does not need a ton of development and should be ready to play some kind of role throughout the regular season and into the playoffs
Denver Nuggets – F, Daron Holmes – Dayton
A bit undersized but with Joker in the middle he would be playing more forward. Aaron Gordon struggled in the game seven and they had no other options at the forward spot. Holmes has a throwback forward skill set that can post up as well as face up to get his own shot.
He averaged 20 points and 8 rebounds on almost 40% from deep. Not only that, but he also blocked 2 shots per game which shows how versatile he is on both ends of the floor. Denver lacks depth in general but specifically in the frontcourt. Holmes to me could be similar to what Bobby Portis is for Milwaukee.
Utah Jazz – F, Johnny Furphy
I had Utah taking Dalton Knecht with their first pick to add some shooting versatility. Why not add more shooting and size to their front court with Lauri. Furphy. After being out of the rotation early in the season,
Furphy elevated himself into the lineup and finished the year with a ton of momentum. Season long stats are a bit misleading due to his lack of minutes early on. If you filter out games where he played 20 or more minutes, he averaged 12.1 points per game. He had eight games where he scored 15 or more and the shooting got better as well.
He may not be ready right away due to his lack of defensive ability and the inability to create for himself, but he could be a nice stash piece for Utah to develop and bring along slowly.
Boston Celtics – F, Kevin McCullar – Kansas
Rounding out the 1st round is a player who could not have gotten hurt at a more pivotal time. His stock had been soaring all year and some even had him fringe lottery early in the season. McCullar is an older player who I think can carve out a role in this rotation.
McCullar is an exceptional two-way player who can rebound and score. He improved his shooting year over year while also keeping his aggression at a high level. The front court depth behind Tatum and Brown is not a strong point. Hauser is a streaky shooter and Jordan Walsh has failed to see the floor.
McCullar has a chance to come in and outwork both of those guys to be able to crack the rotation. His two-way potential is what sets him apart from both Hauser and Walsh who he would likely be competing with. If he can consistently shoot the ball from deep and defend on the perimeter, I like his chances to be a rotational piece.