Stealing this idea from
and (which you should subscribe to both), I tried a community consensus mock, in addition to the community mocks I host weekly.Background:
This is only the 1st round
A consensus mock is where I bring in a panel of draft analysts that I work closely with. They then vote for who they would choose, and the player with the most votes ends up winning the bid for the slot.
We are doing what we would do, not what we expect to happen.
I didn’t make any direct selections. The only hand I have in this is analysis on all 30 picks and breaking any ties.
Consensus GM’s and Their Twitter Handles
Matt Landry @Landry1117
Simon Rath @HawksDraftNerd
Nick Kalinowski @KaliDrafts
Keenan Womack @KeenanWomack
Garrett Johnson @HalfAwakeTakes
Bryce Simon @MotorCityHoops
Parker Fleming @PAKA_FLOCKA
The picks, with individual voter breakdowns are below. Asterisks mean I broke the tie.
ORDER AND SELECTIONS
Atlanta Hawks: Alex Sarr, C, Perth Wildcats
My Thoughts - This is the obvious pick. Capela seems to have run out of time in Atlanta, and Okongwu hasn’t been given a chance to start yet. With Sarr’s shooting upside, there is a world where they can coexist, but at the same time this could ease Sarr’s transition into the league and make a great pairing with Trae Young.
Washington Wizards: Donovan Clingan, C, UConn
My Thoughts - The Wizards need a defensive identity, and Clingan helps begin to shape that. This rebuild won’t happen overnight, but Clingan’s presence will allow for the Wizards to easily fit next year’s top pick next to him. Despite a lack of shooting, Clingan is the best paint controller in the class, and thus it is easy to justify this pick.
Houston Rockets: Reed Sheppard, G, Kentucky
My Thoughts - Arguably the best shooter in the class, Sheppard’s lack of size can be made up with size elsewhere on the roster. He also can fit next to any lineup, making him ideal to come off the bench and play near starters minutes right away. I like this pick, and it seems like a hand in glove fit.
San Antonio Spurs: Nikola Topic, G, Crvena Zvezda
My Thoughts - This is an ideal landing spot for Topic, being able to develop under a coach who has helped turn international players into stars. Additionally, any defensive woes are easily hidden with Wembanyama behind him.
Detroit Pistons: Zaccharie Risacher, Wing, JL Bourg
My Thoughts - Not necessarily a home run swing, but Risacher adds shooting next to Cade, and will also make the defense better right away. The top 3&D player in this draft, Risacher should be teammates with Cunningham for a long time.
Charlotte Hornets: Ron Holland, Wing, G League Ignite
My Thoughts - I broke the tie here, and appreciate this swing for the fences by Charlotte. They’ve been trying this kind of swing in the second round on value plays, but have not had luck. This swing could work, playing hard all the time and he has shooting upside. Lots needs to be ironed out, so Charlotte may not be an ideal fit, but if the talent can naturally improve with age, this is a big win for the Hornets.
Portland Trail Blazers: Dalton Knecht, Wing, Tennessee
My Thoughts - A good complementary player, Knecht adds shooting and off-ball scoring next to the Blazers’ guard core. He will struggle defensively, but can develop his offense even further early in his career in Portland. This is a good, safe pick for a team with two lottery picks.
San Antonio Spurs: Stephon Castle, G, UConn
My Thoughts - A defensive guard that can play up to the wings, Castle’s shot development will determine his upside. If he can stay on the court even with a near average jump shot, the layers of defense with Castle and Wembanyama will give opposing offenses nightmares. This feels like a great draft for San Antonio to not only improve their guard play, but also their defense.
Memphis Grizzlies: Zach Edey, C, Purdue
My Thoughts - This feels like an unnecessary reach for need, and not accounting for talent enough. I’d rather see Memphis take the best player available here (Dillingham, Buzelis, Williams, etc) instead of taking a big man.
Utah Jazz: Rob Dillingham, G, Kentucky
My Thoughts - The Jazz another PG for the future, and add another scoring guard to their core. Keyonte George and Dillingham may struggle to coexist at first, but if Dillingham can embrace being a point guard, and George can continue developing his playmaking, this feels like a big swing for the fences if Walker Kessler can make up for Dillingham’s defensive deficiencies.
Chicago Bulls: Matas Buzelis, F, G League Ignite
My Thoughts - This is a bit of a slide, and somewhat interesting of a landing spot. I am lower on Buzelis given his shooting question marks, poor measurements, lack of separation ability, and poor decision-making. However, Chicago is in desperate need of finding a diamond in the rough, so I don’t mind them swinging here at the potential end of their run with the current core. A miss on this pick, however, would put even more pressure on finding the right pick in following years.
Oklahoma City Thunder: Ja’Kobe Walter, Wing, Baylor
My Thoughts - While I am not a big fan of Walter, an undersized jump shooting based player, I do think Oklahoma City could groom him into a new Isaiah Joe type, or maybe even Aaron Wiggins caliber player. I’m comfortable with this swing, but would have gone another direction for OKC.
Sacramento Kings: DaRon Holmes, F, Dayton
My Thoughts - For a team lacking big man depth, this is a magnificent pick. I have Holmes in my top 15 because I see so much day-one value. His shooting touch is clear, even if the shot itself is lagging behind, but his ability to adapt and make everyone around him better on both ends without a signature skill will separate him from his peers at his size. I like this fit with Sabonis, likely coming off the bench. However, I was torn and hoped to see Sacramento draft a rim protector, but maybe they can find a steal in a hypothetical round 2 of this consensus mock.
Portland Trail Blazers: Cody Williams, Wing, Colorado
My Thoughts - Portland has two lottery picks this year, so they can afford for a swing for the fences on a risky player like Williams. Portland goes all in on the wings, giving one for floor and one for upside. While I am not a big Williams fan, I do think this is one of his better landing spots.
Miami Heat: Devin Carter, G, Providence
My Thoughts - Is there a more ideal landing spot for any one player/team combination in this draft than Devin Carter in Miami? Carter embodies Heat Culture, and should see the best version of himself in South Florida. With defense, P&R ability, and creative finishing, Carter’s upside can be fully unlocked in Miami.
Philadelphia 76ers: Jared McCain, G, Duke
My Thoughts - Philadelphia grabbing a shooter with Buddy Hield hitting free agency feels like great business, even if McCain is undersized. I like this pick and think Duke may have held back some of McCain’s on-ball skills due to roster personnel.
LA Lakers: Isaiah Collier, G, USC
My Thoughts - I see Collier as a career backup point guard with shooting and athletic concerns, so for me I think this profiles as a risky pick for a team needing every roster spot to add value. Collier will have a rocky learning curve in the NBA, so I’d like to see them take a chance on a more veteran type PG in the draft (like Tyler Kolek) or another player with a higher ceiling and more functional floor for the Lakers.
Orlando Magic: Tristan Da Silva, F, Colorado
My Thoughts - The Magic get their shooter with size, and while not the best player available on my board, he does slide in well next to Franz and Paolo. The off-ball shooting is a key need for the Magic this offseason, and adding it for cheap is helpful for the long-term. Da Silva’s ability to make plays off of attacking closeouts will also go a long way to fit in well to the Magic core.
Toronto Raptors: Tidjane Saluan, F, Cholet
My Thoughts - I’m a bit shocked Saluan fell this far, but I get the hesitancy from the group. He’s young and is a bit of a project, and he’s more theoretical than practical right now. However, Toronto is a great landing spot for any international project, so I give this a thumbs up given that plus the stopping of the slide here.
Cleveland Cavaliers: Jaylon Tyson, Wing, California
My Thoughts - The Cavs need a wing, and adding a dribble/pass/shoot wing would be both an upside play since Tyson is still far from his ceiling, and a floor play by adding a position of need. The Cavs’ offseason is slightly unpredictable, so adding a surefire rotation player in year one at 20 is good value.
New Orleans Pelicans: Yves MIssi, C, Baylor
My Thoughts - This is a steal. The Pelicans need rim protection, and Missi should be a lottery pick. Missi is still new to basketball, so the Pelicans can get him in as a developmental player that poses high upside long-term, and value as a rim-runner in the short term.
Phoenix Suns: Tyler Kolek, G, Marquette
My Thoughts - This is one of my favorite team/player fits in all of the draft. The Suns get their point guard for cheap, and he can play right away. There’s still some kinks to be ironed out, but his value be strong both right away and even after the current Suns era comes to a close.
Milwaukee Bucks: Kyle Filipowski, F, Duke
My Thoughts - I would have taken a swing on some other remaining players, such as the next 3 picks, but I do think Filipowski offers value if his jump shot translates. Playing next to Giannis and Lillard, tall shooters see a boost which makes Milwaukee a potentially valuable landing spot.
New York Knicks: Baylor Scheierman, Wing, Creighton
My Thoughts - I broke the tie on this one over Tyler Smith, purely because I think Smith’s defensive shortcomings would be a glaring flaw to ever fit into the Knicks’ system and earn playing time. Scheierman’s do-it-all game fits well with New York, along with a stellar feel for the game.
New York Knicks: Kel’el Ware, C, Indiana
My Thoughts - The motor concerns on Ware make me skeptical of this fit working out. In a perfect world, Ware is a growing shooter that can protect the rim as he adds strength and muscle to his frame. However, I worry about Ware fitting into the Knicks’ extremely grinding system that requires full buy-in and playing hard 100% of the time, otherwise minutes are scarce.
Washington Wizards: Carlton Carrington, G, Pittsburgh
My Thoughts - This feels like a steal at this point of the draft, with Washington getting a high upside point guard that can complement and feed their top pick, Donovan Clingan. This would be a strong draft for Washington, adding upside at the top and bottom of the lineup.
Minnesota Timberwolves: Alex Karaban, Wing, Connecticut
My Thoughts - I broke the tie here over Tyler Smith, largely in part because of defensive concerns, plus Karaban is the better shooter with a similar wingspan. If Karaban stays in the draft, he is a steal at this spot. He would fit in perfectly with the Wolves’ defensive identity, and he could play his ideal role as an off-ball player next to the Wolves’ stars.
Denver Nuggets: Tyler Smith, SF, G League Ignite
My Thoughts - While Smith’s defense is poor and among the worst in this class, his size as a shooter can fit in well in Denver by playing alongside other strong defenders like Peyton Watson and Aaron Gordon. Adding another shooter next to Jokic seems to be an easy formula for success.
Utah Jazz: Nikola Dkurisic, SG, Mega
My Thoughts - The Jazz have another pick at 32 that we didn’t get to pick this time, but I think given his Combine performance, Djurisic has earned a swing for upside. Ideally the Jazz would take one long-term swing and one floor play, so at the 32nd pick they could take a value player on someone like Jalen Bridges. Djurisic has interesting tools at 6’7, but has short arms and a line drive shot. If he can overcome his length and improve his shot to become more consistent, this is a steal.
Boston Celtics: Hunter Sallis, SG, Wake Forest
My Thoughts - I broke the tie between Kevin McCullar and Sallis, but think the overall scoring upside outweighs the offensive growth McCullar had, combined with his defensive prowess. Sallis’ scoring ability is high-level, and could eventually make other bench players expendable.