Orlando Magic Daily Mock Draft 2.0: After the ping pong balls drop
Orlando Magic Daily Mock Draft: The In-Betweens
. F. Oklahoma City Thunder. Scottie Barnes. 6. player. 149
By Timmy Monaghan
Every basketball aficionado knows two-way wings in today’s NBA are the most valuable assets in any lineup. The Oklahoma City Thunder have needs at starting center after trading away Al Horford to land Kemba Walker in a trade with the Boston Celtics.
However, there are no centers who make sense with USC center Evan Mobley off the board and Texas center Kai Jones being considered a reach. The Thunder do not overthink and take the best available prospect that fills a need. Not a bad consolation prize for a team whose draft position suffered thanks to some untimely bounces from the lottery balls.
Scottie Barnes has been rising up draft boards in the last month and it is definitely warranted. He makes a lot of sense after his defensive prowess manifested itself last year at Florida State under noted defensive coach Leonard Hamilton.
He is very versatile on that end of the court. He can guard every position on the court. And meanwhile, on the offensive end, he has the proclivity to be explosive. He can be a great finisher in transition or on the pick and roll. He showed he can be a playmaker.
It is conspicuous he can also be a very efficient player. In college, he shot 56 percent from 2-point range and had an assist to turnover ratio of over 2 to 1. That was third-best in all of college basketball among power-five conference players.
It does not hurt that he has a 7-foot-2 wingspan. Barnes is a very high ceiling player and has been compared very favorably to guys like Jabari Parker and even Draymond Green.
Golden State Warriors. Keon Johnson. 7. player. 41. . SG
By Andres Rosero
To say the last three years of Golden State Warriors basketball have been erratic would be underselling the range of emotions Golden State fans have experienced.
Caught in the crossroads between dynastic teams and one of the most talent-bereft rosters in basketball is a legitimate opportunity to create a tantalizing combination of superstar talent with high-level prospects.
Klay Thompson’s return and two picks in the lottery have the Warriors in an advantageous position of picking for the future rather than instant production.
With that in mind, Keon Johnson is the perfect addition for the Warriors at No. 7.
Johnson gives the Warriors a potential replacement for Thompson as he ages out of his prime years while also developing his game in an organization that has become synonymous with player development and success.
Johnson is athleticism personified, ubiquitously considered the most athletically gifted player in this year’s class, among players like Jonathan Kuminga and Scottie Barnes.
Johnson is incredibly quick and parlays this quickness as a transition monster — able to outrun defenses on the fast break and punishing them with dazzling finishes at the other end.
Johnson’s immediate value will come at the defensive end, where he showed in college an affinity for being a high-energy pest that is willing to sacrifice his body for rebounds yet savvy enough to anticipate and create steal opportunities.
His offensive game is a bit raw and will take some time to develop. But with a staff and roster that
includes players like Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson plus a defensive mentor in Draymond Green, Golden State would be the perfect environment for Johnson to develop his skillset and perhaps thrive in the post-Big 3 Warriors era.