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NBA Mock Draft 2013: Everyone's worst-case scenario

2013-06-17T16:00:05Z

Let's be honest: we are a nation of haters. Whether it's sports, politics or the arts, there's nothing people like more than tearing down public figures. The 2013 NBA Draft is no exception, especially when writers rely so heavily on information from anonymous "front-office decision-makers" with agendas of their own.

For this week's mock, I figured I'd join in on the fun. So I brought in an "NBA insider" (read: a friend who is a semi-professional gambler) to help me talk trash about this year's prospects.

If last week's mock was the glass half-full take, this week's mock is the glass completely empty. We'll call our insider "The Diabolical Hater," or TDH for short.

ALSO SEE: Jonathan Tjarks' Big Board Scouting reports of our top 40 prospects.

1. Cleveland Cavaliers: Nerlens Noel (Scouting report)

JT: He weighed 205 pounds at the combine. That means he weighs less and is less skilled than Brittney Griner.

2. Orlando Magic: Otto Porter (Scouting report)

TDH: Porter struggles creating his shot with more than one dribble, but he understands the game, plays hard on both ends and has a solid stroke. A role player, not a top-three pick.

3. Washington Wizards: Anthony Bennett (Scouting report)

JT: Bennett's freshman season had a ton in common with Michael Beasley's, except he was less engaged defensively, not nearly as productive and in a much worse conference.

4. Charlotte Bobcats: Alex Len (Scouting report)

JT: A 7'0 20-year-old coming off serious surgery on his ankle. The good news is big men never have recurring injuries in their feet.

5. Phoenix Suns: Ben McLemore (Scouting report)

TDH: He was deferring to Elijah Johnson this season. This guy is a star?

6. New Orleans Pelicans: Trey Burke (Scouting report)

JT: Unless you think he is Chris Paul, it's hard to draft a small point guard this high. He's not Chris Paul.

7. Sacramento Kings: Victor Oladipo (Scouting report)

JT: We're drafting shooting guards who average 14 points and two assists a game in the top 10? You need offense from that position.

8. Detroit Pistons: Michael Carter-Williams (Scouting report)

JT: He shot 39 percent from the field this season. Rajon Rondo might not have a jumper either, but he shot 48 percent in his last season in college.

9. Minnesota Timberwolves: C.J. McCollum (Scouting report)

TDH: His college career comprised of crossing over consultants and Seth Curry. Cue the tape of his games against Baylor and Lehigh and please stop with the Steph Curry comparisons.

10. Portland Trail Blazers: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (Scouting report)

TDH: If he's a super athlete, how come more than half his shots came from beyond the three-point arc? Maybe shoot better than 37 percent from the college three if that's supposed to be your NBA calling card.

11. Philadelphia 76ers: Cody Zeller (Scouting report)

TDH: He tested well at the combine, but remember how functionally athletic he looked the last time played in a basketball game? Ten points on 3-11 shooting against Syracuse.

12. Oklahoma City Thunder: Gorgui Dieng (Scouting report)

JT: He's an undersized 23-year-old center who averaged 10 points a game this season. How much better is he going to get?

13. Dallas Mavericks: Dennis Schroeder (Scouting report)

JT: One big game at the Nike Hoop Summit does not a career make. Ask Saer Sene or Bismack Biyombo.

14. Utah Jazz: Shane Larkin (Scouting report)

JT: Forget defending his position; how is he even going to contest shots in the NBA? He's short, slight and he has a 5'11 wingspan.

15. Milwaukee Bucks: Shabazz Muhammad (Scouting report)

JT: Whatever genius on Twitter came up with "Jared Dudley meets DeMar DeRozan," please come forward. I can't top that.

16. Boston Celtics: Steven Adams (Scouting report)

JT: Remember how raw Meyers Leonard was as a rookie? He was at least one to two years ahead of Adams in the development process.

17. Atlanta Hawks: Rudy Gobert (Scouting report)

TDH: A tall guy who can't play. At least Hasheem Thabeet had a resume of documented production.

18. Atlanta Hawks: Jamaal Franklin (Scouting report)

TDH: His stock would be a lot higher if putting the ball in the basket wasn't the object of the game.

19. Cleveland Cavaliers: Sergey Karasev (Scouting report)

JT: He's 200 pounds and he's not all that fast. Hard to defend anyone in the NBA with that combination.

20. Chicago Bulls: Mason Plumlee (Scouting report)

JT: Coach K has a long tradition of developing big men. That's why Cherokee Parks, Shelden Williams, Josh McRoberts and Miles Plumlee have been so successful in the NBA.

21. Utah Jazz: Giannis Adetokunbo (Scouting report)

JT: A lot of guys can look good against D3-caliber competition. His DraftExpress video looks like it was recorded on Betamax.

22. Brooklyn Nets: Kelly Olynyk (Scouting report)

TDH: Olynyk has T-Rex arms and no burst. I would say he's a D-League player, but those aren't things he can improve.

23. Indiana Pacers: Tony Mitchell (Scouting report)

JT: Mitchell's statistics were down across the board on a 12-20 Sun Belt team. That's one of the conferences that sends 16-seeds to the NCAA Tournament every year.

TDH: He admitted to having issues with effort. It's always encouraging to hear that about a player before he is drafted.

24. New York Knicks: Ricky Ledo (Scouting report)

JT: Congratulations, unnamed college coach. You are the hater of the year.

A coach said this abt Ricky Ledo: "he's the single worst human being I'd ever been associated with on a basketball court", "program killer"
— Rob Dauster (@RobDauster) April 9, 2013

25. LA Clippers: Tim Hardaway Jr. (Scouting report)

TDH: He can't even dribble!

26. Minnesota Timberwolves: Allen Crabbe (Scouting report)

JT: Let's draft a shooter who shot 35 percent from three in college.

27. Denver Nuggets: Reggie Bullock (Scouting report)

JT: A shooting guard who can't create his own shot. It's not hard to get open shots when you play at UNC.

28. San Antonio Spurs: Lucas Nogueira (Scouting report)

JT: Two years after he first put his name into the draft, he hasn't gained any weight and he still has no offensive game. What has he been doing?

29. Oklahoma City Thunder: Archie Goodwin (Scouting report)

JT: A shooting guard who can't shoot or pass. After the season ended, Goodwin said he would have to be "delusional" to declare for the draft. Well, here he is.

30. Phoenix Suns: Glen Rice Jr. (Scouting report)

JT: He didn't do anything in college to suggest he's an NBA-caliber player. He doesn't have the talent to be worth his off-the-court issues.

More from SB Nation:

• Flannery: Finally, The Manu Game | How the Spurs won

• Spurs take Game 5, now just one win from the title

• GIF: Danny Green foils LeBron's fast break

• Interview: Behind the lens of Team Wade

• NBA mock draft: Best-case scenarios | Scouting reports | Big Board

Don't Punt The Pick

2013-06-13T18:54:51Z

Almost as soon as the lottery ended, speculation began that the Mavs were looking to move out of the first round. The logic is simple. Sitting at No. 13, Dallas appears locked out of the top-tier of a draft that isn't considered particularly strong. And with the team set to pursue Chris Paul and Dwight Howard in free agency, every bit of extra cap space helps. However, as great as a second star would be, pursuing one has become the Mavs white whale. Once again, the organization is putting the cart before the horse.

A year ago at this time, Deron Williams was their top priority. As a native son playing for a team with no clear path through the Eastern Conference playoffs, he looked like the perfect fit. Much has been made of Mark Cuban filming a reality show instead of wooing Williams personally. In reality, if he thought Dallas was the best place to compete for titles, he would have gotten over it. The real issue, as Williams told the leering press, was "the future of the team, other than Dirk."

Once again, the organization is putting the cart before the horse.

When Williams looked at the Mavs, he saw a team built around a 34-year old star without much young talent. If he signed with Dallas, what would happen if Dirk missed a significant amount of time? A year later, there's still no real answer if Paul and Howard ask the same question. While a rookie isn't likely to sway their decision one way or the other, the No. 13 pick is an asset that can be turned into a quality young player, something the Mavs desperately need. There's no reason to just give it away.

The 2013 draft is relatively weak, especially in comparison to 2012 and (most likely) 2014, but there will still be plenty of well-regarded prospects available at No. 13. It's somewhat misleading to look at the average return for that draft spot, because there are good players taken well into the 20's every single year. The 2011 draft, considered the weakest in recent memory because of the impending lockout, is a good example: Kawhi Leonard (15), Nik Vucevic (16), Iman Shumpert (17), Tobias Harris (19), Kenneth Faried (22), Reggie Jackson (24) etc. etc.

Given how unsettled things are in the Top 10, it's hard to say exactly who will be available when Dallas goes on the clock. The "beauty" of the Mavs situation is that it doesn't matter. There are so many holes on their roster that, regardless of who falls or rises over the next two weeks, they will be able to sift through a number of options who can help right away and well into the future. They can sit back at No. 13 and let the draft come to them. That's what happens when you have questions about three different positions -- PG, SG and C.

Among this year's PG's, Trey Burke is the only lock for the Top 10. Even if there's a run behind him, at least one of Michael Carter-Williams, CJ McCollum and Dennis Schroeder will be there at No. 13. Of the three, Carter-Williams is the most intriguing physically, McCollum is the best shooter and Schroeder might have the best all-around package of tools. Personally, I'm a big Carter-Williams fan. However you rank them, though, all are far better options than what the Mavs currently have at the position, which is essentially nothing.

SG, meanwhile, might be the deepest position in this year's draft. Even after Ben McLemore and Victor Oladipo, there are a number of starting-caliber players on the board. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, a 6'5 205 former McDonald's All-American with an NBA-ready three-point stroke, is projected to go in the 10-15 range. Jamaal Franklin, a jack-of-all trades dynamo, would have been a sure-fire lottery pick with a more consistent jumper. Allen Crabbe and Reggie Bullock, 6'6+ pure shooters with size and athleticism, will be there too.

Perhaps most intriguing is the center position. Asides from one glorious year with Tyson Chandler, C has been a black hole for the entirety of the Dirk era. You have to overpay them in free agency and even mediocre ones are rarely available in the 20's, where Dallas has picked for the last decade. This year, they could play it safe with Gorgui Dieng or Mason Plumlee, experienced centers who can contribute immediately on both sides of the ball, or roll the dice on a high-upside gamble like Steven Adams or Rudy Gobert.

The bang for your buck opportunity is too good to pass up.

No matter how you view the various options, the bang for your buck opportunity is too good to pass up. These are the cap charges for last year's No. 13 pick: $1.6 million as a rookie, $1.7 million as a second year-player and $1.75 million as a third-year player. It's essentially impossible to find a starting-caliber player in free agency at those prices, much less one with any upside. Having quality young players on cost-controlled contracts is how a team becomes a free-agent destination in the first place.

I'm not nearly as up on cap matters as some of the other writers here, but Tim Brown had a good piece on the different ways the Mavs can clear cap space this off-season. Point being, there are ways they can do it without punting their highest draft pick in 13 years. Even if the math for keeping the pick doesn't work out, they can still take a European player and keep him overseas (read: off the cap) next year. At the very least, they could take a flyer on Giannis Adetukonbo, an 18-year old from Greece with tremendous upside potential.

As someone who covers the ins and outs of the NBA draft year round, I like to imagine I have some feel for this year's crop. Nevertheless, I'll admit that projecting 18-21 year old basketball players is inherently risky. Even the Spurs don't get every pick right. The key is giving yourself as many opportunities as possible to find young talent. Years of neglecting the draft are why the Mavs so desperately need to hit a HR in free agency this year anyway. They might still miss on the pick, but there's no excuse not to even try.

2013 NBA Mock Draft: Everyone's best-case scenario

2013-06-10T15:30:05Z

There isn't a lot of time left for front office personnel and NBA insiders to lower their expectations about this year's bunch of prospects considering the 2013 NBA Draft is just a few weeks away. The aforementioned experts know that this draft is weak in comparison to 2003 or 2008, but there are good players available well into the 20s every year. People need to stop acting like 2013 is any different.

To counteract some of the negativity out there, "Mr. Bright Side" will be giving analysis for this week's mock draft. Consider it a glass half-full take on 2013.

1. Cleveland Cavaliers -- Nerlens Noel

Humans with 7'4 wingspans shouldn't be as able to move as fast as Noel. Good luck running pick-and-rolls against him and Tristan Thompson.

(No. 5 on SB Nation Big Board | Scouting Report)

2. Orlando Magic -- Victor Oladipo

Oladipo is an elite athlete with a high motor who plays with a ton of polish. Given how much he improved during his last season in college, it's hard to put a ceiling on how good he can become at the next level.

(No. 9 on SB Nation Big Board | Scouting Report)

3. Washington Wizards -- Otto Porter

Porter is a 6'9 point forward with the versatility to defend three different positions. He's also a rookie who plays like a 10-year NBA veteran.

(No. 8 on SB Nation Big Board | Scouting Report)

4. Charlotte Hornets -- Anthony Bennett

Bennett is the best scorer in the draft and he's 6'8 and 240 pounds. He's a definite mismatch problem at the next level.

(No. 1 on SB Nation Big Board | Scouting Report)

5. Phoenix Suns -- Ben McLemore

Phoenix can sit back and let an excellent player fall to them. McLemore is an elite athlete and an excellent shooter, nice elements for any team to have -- particularly one with the many needs of the Suns.

(No. 2 on SB Nation Big Board | Scouting Report)

6. New Orleans Pelicans -- Alex Len

Len is the best two-way center prospect in several years. He has more offensive potential than Noel, Derrick Favors, Andre Drummond and Jonas Valanciunas and more defensive potential than Greg Monroe and DeMarcus Cousins.

(No. 3 on SB Nation Big Board | Scouting Report)

7. Sacramento Kings -- Trey Burke

Burke is a leader on and off the court. He can control the tempo of the game and cut down on some of the foolishness in Sacramento.

(No. 6 on SB Nation Big Board | Scouting Report)

8. Detroit Pistons -- Michael Carter-Williams

Drummond, last year's Pistons pick, was successful as a rookie because he had a size and athletic advantage on the guys guarding him. The same is true for Carter-Williams.

(No. 4 on SB Nation Big Board | Scouting Report)

9. Minnesota Timberwolves -- C.J. McCollum

McCollum would be the perfect release valve in the Minnesota offense. If he's the fifth option, that's a potent lineup.

(No. 19 on SB Nation Big Board | Scouting Report)

10. Portland Trail Blazers -- Kentavious Caldwell-Pope

Caldwell-Pope is a two-way shooting guard who can instantly upgrade Portland's rotation. If they think the draft can't help them, they might want to take a second look at their bench.

(No. 15 on SB Nation Big Board | Scouting Report)

11. Philadelphia 76ers -- Steven Adams

Adams is huge (7'0, 255 pounds with a 7'4 wingspan) and he can move his feet pretty well. He has also been shooting the ball really well in individual workouts with teams. The potential is there.

(No. 24 on SB Nation Big Board | Scouting Report)

12. Oklahoma City Thunder -- Cody Zeller

Think of how many open shots Kendrick Perkins gets in the half-court. Now Imagine if Oklahoma City had a guy who could make shots in that position.

(No. 7 on SB Nation Big Board | Scouting Report)

13. Dallas Mavericks -- Giannis Adetokoubo

If Dallas needs a draft-and-stash player here, it might as well get the one with most upside.

Execs at Adidas Eurocamp raving about Giannis Adetokoubo. One said Adetokoubo, a point forward, had "Kevin Durant like ability."
— Chris Mannix (@ChrisMannixSI) June 9, 2013

(No. 11 on SB Nation Big Board | Scouting Report)

14. Utah Jazz -- Dennis Schroeder

Utah is building a team similar to Indiana. He could be their George Hill.

(No. 12 on SB Nation Big Board | Scouting Report)

15. Milwaukee Bucks -- Shabazz Muhammad

Shabazz was the No. 1 player in his high school class. He averaged 18 points a game as a freshman. If he gets the ball, he will get buckets.

(No. 22 on SB Nation Big Board | Scouting Report)

16. Boston Celtics -- Tony Mitchell

Rajon Rondo to Tony Mitchell could be the most vicious alley-oop combination since vintage Jason Kidd to Kenyon Martin.

(No. 10 on SB Nation Big Board | Scouting Report)

17. Atlanta Hawks -- Rudy Gobert

A guy with a 7'9 wingspan can have an impact on the game just by standing in front of the rim.

(No. 25 on SB Nation Big Board | Scouting Report)

18. Atlanta Hawks -- Reggie Bullock

Bullock is big, athletic and he can shoot. He can help every team in the NBA, not just the Hawks.

(No. 21 on SB Nation Big Board | Scouting Report)

19. Cleveland Cavaliers -- Sergey Karasev

Karasev is one of the best shooters in the draft and would make Cleveland a more explosive team.

(No. 18 on SB Nation Big Board | Scouting Report)

20. Chicago Bulls -- Gorgui Dieng

Dieng can fill the role Omer Asik had on the Bulls' second team. The Louisville product gives Chicago another long and athletic big man with a good feel for the game.

(No. 13 on SB Nation Big Board | Scouting Report)

21. Utah Jazz -- Kelly Olynyk

Olynyk would allow the Jazz to keep the biggest front-court rotation in the NBA. There aren't many second units who can handle a 7-footer who can create offense for himself.

(No. 23 on SB Nation Big Board | Scouting Report)

22. Brooklyn Nets -- Mason Plumlee

Plumlee is a pretty good rebounder. Not quite as good as Reggie Evans was for the Nets this past season, but the rookie is a lot better in every other facet of the game.

(No. 20 on SB Nation Big Board | Scouting Report)

23. Indiana Pacers -- Jamaal Franklin

Franklin is a jack-of-all-trades wing player from San Diego State with a questionable jump shot. Sound familiar in Indiana?

(No. 16 on SB Nation Big Board | Scouting Report)

24. New York Knicks -- Shane Larkin

Larkin is an explosive scorer who can run the pick-and-roll. The Knicks could use that on their bench.

(No. 30 on SB Nation Big Board | Scouting Report)

25. Los Angeles Clippers -- Ricky Ledo

Lance Stephenson's success is going to make a lot of people double-check on Ledo. The value of getting a player like that this late in the draft is pretty high.

(No. 31 on SB Nation Big Board | Scouting Report)

26. Minnesota Timberwolves -- Allen Crabbe

Crabbe would give Minnesota another shooter to add to its rotation. With Crabbe and McCollum getting minutes, three-point shooting would be a team strength.

(No. 14 on SB Nation Big Board | Scouting Report)

27. Denver Nuggets -- Glen Rice Jr.

Rice averaged 25 points a game in the D-League playoffs while playing in an uptempo system similar to Denver's. He was doing that against guys a lot older than him, too.

(No. 67 on SB Nation Big Board | Scouting Report)

28. San Antonio Spurs -- Lucas Nogueira

The strengths and weaknesses of his game are fairly similar to Noel's -- and he's available at the end of the first round.

(No. 25 on SB Nation Big Board | Scouting Report)

29. Oklahoma City Thunder -- Archie Goodwin

Goodwin is still only 18 years old. He's the perfect candidate for Oklahoma City to stash in the D-League for a year.

(No. 33 on SB Nation Big Board | Scouting Report)

30. Phoenix Suns -- Erick Green

Green is a pretty solid value at the end of the first round. At worst, he's Mario Chalmers, who came off the board early in the second round of the 2008 Draft.

(No. 17 on SB Nation Big Board | Scouting Report)

For more coverage, visit SB Nation's NBA Draft 2013 section.

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• Flannery: LeBron, Heat reach level no one else can

• Turnovers doom Spurs | Watch LeBron’s block (now with explosions)

• Report: Jason Kidd "pursuing" Nets' coaching job

• Rockets chasing both Dwight and CP3

• NBA mock draft: Let's collaborate! | Scouting reports | Big Board

2013 NBA Draft big board: SB Nation's ranking of prospects

2013-06-10T04:20:00Z

There's not a lot of hype surrounding the 2013 NBA Draft class, mainly because it's a little thin at the top. However, just because there aren't any "franchise players" available doesn't mean teams can't improve themselves.

Like in any draft, there will be quality players available through the early and middle portions of the second round, at least. NBA teams are picking and choosing among the majority of the best 19- to 22-year-old players in the world. A team that can't find a quality prospect out of a planet of seven billion probably isn't looking hard enough.

The importance of drafting well has only increased with the new CBA. With luxury tax penalties now so punitive, both financially and in terms of how you can build your roster, even the richest teams need quality young players on cost-controlled contracts to fill out their roster.

In that sense, a draft like 2013, thin an the top but with a solid middle class, should benefit most of the teams in the league. After all, the 2011 draft, conducted in the shadow of the lockout, was considered one of the weakest in recent memory, and Kenneth Faried, Reggie Jackson, Jimmy Butler and Chandler Parsons were all taken after the 21st pick.

Drafting is a fairly inexact science. Once you get past the top 15-20 players, the rankings become extremely fluid. None of these young men are LeBron James; they all need to be in situations where their weaknesses are minimized and they can play to their strengths.

My draft board, starting with Anthony Bennett at No. 1, doesn't align with some of the pre-draft consensus. Over the next few weeks, we'll be rolling out scouting reports that delve a little deeper into why. There is an underlying logic to it. (At least I hope.)

PREVIOUS MOCK DRAFTS:

May 22: Immediate post-lottery mock.
May 29: Going away from the consensus.
June 3: Jonathan Tjarks and Tom Ziller collaborate.
June 10: Everyone's best-case scenario.

NBA Mock Draft 2013: The collaborative version

2013-06-03T16:37:59Z

In this week's mock draft, Tom Ziller will be coming aboard to help me make the picks. A group mock draft, in many ways, is closer to what actually happens on draft night. With two different people making selections, even one unexpected pick can have a butterfly effect that pushes guys way down the board. Multiply that dynamic with 30 different front offices making picks and you can see why getting every pick in the first round right is essentially impossible.

Let's get to it.

More: Jonathan Tjarks' prospect rankings Full draft coverage

1. Cleveland Cavaliers: Nerlens Noel

The opportunity to pick up a potentially franchise-changing defensive big man is too tempting a thought to refuse, even for good prospects like Ben McLemore. -Ziller

2. Orlando Magic: Ben McLemore

If I'm Orlando, this was my reaction to not getting the No. 1 pick and being boxed into taking Noel, regardless of the fit with the rest of my roster. -Tjarks

3. Washington Wizards: Otto Porter

Not only is Porter potentially the best prospect at No. 3, but he's the best fit with a Washington team aiming for the postseason. He should be able to give the Wizards something in Year 1 while developing with John Wall and Bradley Beal for the long run. -Ziller

4. Charlotte Bobcats: Anthony Bennett

Anthony Bennett scouting report from DraftExpress

Bennett is a 6'8, 240-pound forward with the jumper, ball-handling ability and explosiveness of a wing player. He might be able to make this team entertaining. -Tjarks

5. Phoenix Suns: Alex Len

They need Bennett, though! Landing Bennett or McLemore -- potential star scorers at scoring positions -- has to be the major hope for Phoenix. If Len's the pick, it may mean that new GM Ryan McDonough wants to flip Marcin Gortat. But Len's not going to be ready quickly due to injury and experience, so there's no time pressure to lose the Polish Hammer ASAP. -Ziller

6. New Orleans Pelicans: Trey Burke

If Eric Gordon can't get it together, would a Burke/Vasquez backcourt make sense? Maybe? There's probably an Austin Rivers joke to be made in there somewhere. -Tjarks

7. Sacramento Kings: Victor Oladipo

It may change the calculus on Tyreke Evans somewhat, but Oladipo's potential is too high to pass up. -Ziller

8. Detroit Pistons: Sergey Karasev

Detroit needs shooting and passing around their big men. Karasev provides both in spades. -Tjarks

9. Minnesota Timberwolves: C.J. McCollum

Desperately seeking shooting. (How weirdly fun would a Rubio-MCW backcourt be, though?) -Ziller

10. Portland Trail Blazers: Cody Zeller

Great fun ... until defenses started playing five guys in the paint.

I don't think people are ready for two big white guys who can run and jump like Zeller and Meyers Leonard. Lob Suburbia? -Tjarks

Oh, Byron Mullens and Josh McRoberts are not going to let that fly. -Ziller

11. Sixers: Steven Adams

Poor 'Bazzy. -Ziller

12. Oklahoma City Thunder: Gorgui Dieng

Kendrick Perkins is Johan Petro with a championship ring. I'm not even joking. Look it up. -Tjarks

13. Dallas Mavericks: Shabazz Muhammad

DraftExpress on Shabazz Muhammad

Mike Fisher immediately dubs Dirk, Muhammad and Dwight the new Big Three. -Ziller

14. Utah Jazz: Dennis Schroeder

If the Mavs do that, this would be me at the press conference.

Utah gets their PG of the future. -Tjarks

15. Milwaukee Bucks: Michael Carter-Williams

So long, Brandon Jennings! Landing MCW might actually make keeping Monta Ellis palatable. -Ziller

16. Boston Celtics: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope

Gives them a more complete SG to put next to Rondo. -Tjarks

17. Atlanta Hawks: Rudy Gobert

A player with impeccable size to slot next to Al Horford for years to come. The Hawks would need to focus on perimeter scoring. -Ziller

18. Atlanta Hawks: Reggie Bullock

They need to get a cheap option on the wings with one of these picks. -Tjarks

19. Cleveland Cavaliers: Glen Rice Jr.

Cleveland just needs a good option on the wings somewhere in the draft. -Ziller

20. Chicago Bulls: Tony Mitchell

Tony Mitchell scouting report on DraftExpress

Mitchell could give Derrick Rose the explosive pick-and-roll partner he's lacked in Chicago. -Tjarks

21. Utah Jazz: Kelly Olynyk

I doubt Olynyk slips this far. But the Jazz are definitely one of the teams that tells K.O. to cut off his mane. -Ziller

22. Brooklyn Nets: Dario Saric

Brooklyn needs to land a high-upside guy in this draft. Given their salary situation, there aren't many other ways for them to improve their talent base going forward. -Tjarks

23. Indiana Pacers: Ricky Ledo

The Pacers have two positions of need: backup big man and shooting guard. Ledo would slot in as a potential Lance Stephenson replacement. -Ziller

24. New York Knicks: Shane Larkin

Larkin doesn't have ideal size, but he should be a great pick-and-roll guard in the NBA. He can turn the corner, hit the roll man and shoot if defenses go under. -Tjarks

25. Los Angeles Clippers: Jamaal Franklin

The two wing positions are blinking in neon for Los Angeles. Franklin is a pretty promising two-guard prospect. -Ziller

26. Minnesota Timberwolves: Mason Plumlee

Doubt he falls this far, but he would give Minnesota some insurance in case Pekovic leaves. -Tjarks

27. Denver Nuggets: Allen Crabbe

We'll see which direction the Nuggets head now, but if they keep on the same path of tossing a ton of wings with good size together, Crabbe fits the program. -Ziller

28. San Antonio Spurs: Giannis Antetokounmpo

Giannis Antetokounmpo scouting report from DraftExpress

Someone gave him a promise. It might have been the Spurs. He's an 18-year-old with a ton of talent who's a few years from coming over. -Tjarks

29. Oklahoma City Thunder: Lucas "Bebe" Nogueira

The next NBA Brazilian big man with an awesome name. -Ziller

30. Phoenix Suns: Archie Goodwin

Goodwin has the talent. He may never put it together, but his talent makes him worth a gamble at the end of the first round. -Tjarks

More from SB Nation:

• Flannery: All on the line for LeBron, Heat

• LeBron's history in previous Game 7 playoff games

• Nets said to target Brian Shaw as next coach

• Longform: How Paul George got to this point

• The Halfy Hour: Best NBA fights ever

• NBA mock draft 2013: Going away from the consensus | SB Nation's Big Board

NBA Playoffs 2013 schedule: Pacers force Heat to Game 7

2013-06-01T21:19:59Z

The Pacers surged in the second half Saturday against the Heat to force Game 7 in Miami.

The Miami Heat need one more win to make their third consecutive trip to the NBA Finals as they return to Indianapolis for Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Indiana Pacers. Tipoff for the game is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. ET on TNT.

The Heat are familiar with handling the ups and downs of a long playoff run, as well as closing out opponents to advance. In the second round of last year's playoffs, Miami closed out Indiana in Game 6 after Dwyane Wade exploded for 41 points and the Pacers wilted under the pressure after a strong third-quarter run.

This is a different series, though. Many of the names remain the same, but their impact this year has changed. Miami coach Erik Spoelstra knows the Heat will have to come together for a strong effort to get past the Pacers in a raucous Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

"Our experience in a lot of different situations has taught us a lot." Spoelstra said, via the Sun-Sentinel. "It doesn't guarantee us anything and we know that the toughest teams to play are the ones that are on their last stand. We can expect a great environment. We need to have a collective resolve to get it done."

The Pacers remain confident they can push the series back to Miami for Game 7, which is no surprise with coach Frank Vogel continuing to motivate his team.

"We're still encouraged," Vogel said on Friday, via Pacers.com. "We know we have to play great to beat this team, we know we didn't play well enough to do it, we're confident that we can."

"It's not false talk. There's a reason I'm confident. I like to tell these guys I'm not an optimist. That's what my image is. I'm a realist and when I look around at what I see in the room when I'm talking to this team or what I see on the court and the level of execution that we're capable of and the adjustments that make sense with our coaching staff, which I think my three assistant coaches are the best in the NBA, the intelligence that they bring to the table combined with the talent we have on this basketball team gives me real confidence in this basketball team."

The Pacers appeared to lose that confidence in Game 5 when LeBron James lit up the third quarter to raise the intensity and level of play for the Heat. Indiana's poor response leaves them with their backs against the wall, while the Heat can smell the finals. With motivation in abundance for both teams, Game 6 should add another entertaining chapter to this intense Eastern Conference Finals series.

Heat vs. Pacers, Game 6

Game time: 8:30 p.m. ET
TV: TNT
Odds: Miami opened as a three-point favorite

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Masai Ujiri accepts Raptors GM job, according to report

2013-05-31T21:39:12Z

After weeks of negotiating with both teams, Denver Nuggets GM Masai Ujiri will take on the same position with the Toronto Raptors, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.

Ujiri, who won the NBA's Executive of the Year honors this season, will return to his roots in Toronto, where he was an assistant GM from 2008-2010. He will reportedly receive a five-year, $15 million deal in Toronto.

By all accounts, Ujiri did a tremendous job in his three years with Denver, keeping the Nuggets among the top teams in the Western Conference despite the traumatic departure of Carmelo Anthony in 2011.

However, despite his accomplishments, Ujiri was one of the lowest-paid GMs in the NBA this past season. While the Nuggets made an effort to retain him, it does not appear that they were willing to match Toronto's lucrative offer.

Ujiri will be walking into a difficult situation in Toronto, as Bryan Colangelo assembled a below-.500 team without much flexibility to maneuver under the salary cap going forward. He will not have a first round pick in the 2013 NBA Draft after it was traded to the Houston Rockets in a package for point guard Kyle Lowry last summer.

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Pacers vs. Heat: David West, Roy Hibbert accuse Shane Battier of 'dirty play'

2013-05-30T18:39:17Z

With the Miami Heat and Indiana Pacers tied 2-2 headed into a pivotal Game 5 in Miami, tensions between the two teams continue to mount.

Earlier in the series, Roy Hibbert said Shane Battier was purposefully using his knees in mid-air to ward off defenders. On Thursday, David West upped the ante, saying that Battier has been going after his knees, per Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com:

"I always have my guard up and protect my knees," West said. "(Battier) has got this funny way of moving into your knees. We're very conscious of that. We talk about making sure we protect our knees."

Miami has been trying to use the 6'8, 225-pound Battier to defend the much bigger Indiana big men in this series, with very mixed results. He doesn't have the size to play behind them, so he's had to use every trick in the book to try to slow them down.

For more on this series: Heat blog Hot Hot Hoops Pacers blog Indy Cornrows

For the Pacers, some of those tricks cross the line, with Hibbert outright calling Battier "dirty." With so much on the line on Thursday, though, nothing they say will have much of an effect on how Battier plays the game.

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PREVIOUS MOCK DRAFTS:

NBA Mock Draft 2013: The collaborative version

1. Cleveland Cavaliers: Nerlens Noel

2. Orlando Magic: Ben McLemore

3. Washington Wizards: Otto Porter

4. Charlotte Bobcats: Anthony Bennett

5. Phoenix Suns: Alex Len

6. New Orleans Pelicans: Trey Burke

7. Sacramento Kings: Victor Oladipo

8. Detroit Pistons: Sergey Karasev

9. Minnesota Timberwolves: C.J. McCollum

10. Portland Trail Blazers: Cody Zeller

11. Sixers: Steven Adams

12. Oklahoma City Thunder: Gorgui Dieng

13. Dallas Mavericks: Shabazz Muhammad

14. Utah Jazz: Dennis Schroeder

15. Milwaukee Bucks: Michael Carter-Williams

16. Boston Celtics: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope

17. Atlanta Hawks: Rudy Gobert

18. Atlanta Hawks: Reggie Bullock

19. Cleveland Cavaliers: Glen Rice Jr.

20. Chicago Bulls: Tony Mitchell

21. Utah Jazz: Kelly Olynyk

22. Brooklyn Nets: Dario Saric

23. Indiana Pacers: Ricky Ledo

24. New York Knicks: Shane Larkin

25. Los Angeles Clippers: Jamaal Franklin

26. Minnesota Timberwolves: Mason Plumlee

27. Denver Nuggets: Allen Crabbe

28. San Antonio Spurs: Giannis Antetokounmpo

29. Oklahoma City Thunder: Lucas "Bebe" Nogueira

30. Phoenix Suns: Archie Goodwin

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