NBA Mock Draft 2.0

1. Cleveland Cavaliers: Alex Len – C/Maryland

The Cavs need a big, and Len has the most upside of any center in this year’s draft.

2. Orlando Magic: Ben McLemore – SG/Kansas

The Magic need scorers, and McLemore’s combination of athleticism and 3-point shooting make him the perfect fit in Orlando.

3. Washington Wizards: Otto Porter – SF/Georgetown

The Wizards have a glaring hole at the small forward position, and Porter’s skill set fits perfectly into their system.

4. Charlotte Bobcats: Anthony Bennett – PF/UNLV

Charlotte needs a scorer, and Bennett is an extremely versatile offensive player. He can post you up or take you out to the 3-point line and knock down a J.

5. Phoenix Suns: Victor Oladipo – SG/Indiana

Phoenix is in need of a major attitude change, and Oladipo is the perfect player to bring in because he has all the intangibles a coach wants. He instantly makes them better defensively and his offensive game has a lot of room to grow.

6. New Orleans Pelicans: Trey Burke – PG/Michigan

Burke is the best point guard in this year’s class, and excels in running the pick-and-roll. It just so happens that New Orleans runs a predominantly pick-and-roll based offense. Drafting Burke would also allow the Pelicans to move Austin Rivers to the shooting guard spot; his natural position.

7. Sacramento Kings: Nerlens Noel – C/Kentucky

It’s no secret that the Kings have been trying to trade Demarcus Cousins for a while now, so drafting Noel would give them their center of the future making Cousins more expendable.

8. Detroit Pistons: Michael Carter-Williams – PG/Syracuse

If Detroit wants to move Brandon Knight to the shooting guard position, they’re going to need a new point guard. Enter MCW, who is the best passing player in this year’s class.

9. Minnesota Timberwolves: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope – SG/Georgia

All reports say that the T-Wolves have fallen in love with Caldwell-Pope. He can shoot, and would fit in nicely with the rest of their team.

10. Portland Trailblazers: Cody Zeller – PF/Indiana

As good as LaMarcus Aldridge is, he needs a break every once in a while. Zeller is an athletic 4-man who can run the floor and also play some center if needed.

11. Philadelphia 76ers: Kelly Olynyk – C/Gonzaga

The 76ers need post scoring, especially if Andrew Bynum never suits up for them, and Olynyk is a very capable post scorer that also has range out to the 3-point line.

12. Oklahoma City Thunder: Steven Adams – C/Pittsburg

Adams is Kendrick Perkins 2.0 with way more potential on the offensive side of the ball. In a year or two, he could be the post scorer OKC has been searching for.

13. Dallas Mavericks: C.J. McCollum – SG/Lehigh

This is classic “pick the best player available” pick. McCollum is a top-10 talent and arguably the best scorer in this class.

14. Utah Jazz: Shane Larkin – PG/Miami

The Jazz need a point guard who can push the ball up the court, and Larkin is one of the quickest and most athletic guards in this class.

15. Milwaukee Bucks: Dennis Schroeder – PG/Germany

Schroeder is regarded as the next Rajon Rondo, and could be the perfect pass-first point guard to go along with all the scorers on the Bucks.

16. Boston Celtics: Shabazz Muhammad – SF/UCLA

Shabazz is a bit of a risk, but veteran leadership like Paul Pierce might be able to set him straight. On the court though, Muhammad could be the Celtics go-to scorer of the future.

17. Atlanta Hawks: Lucas Nogueira – C/Brazil

If the Hawks don’t get Dwight Howard in free agency, they are going to have a glaring hole at center. Nogueira has one of the highest ceiling of any center in this class, and his size would allow Al Horford to move back to his natural position of power forward.

18. Atlanta Hawks: Glen Rice Jr. –SG/NBADL

The Hawks desperately need a player who can score from the wing, and Rice Jr. showed that can score in a variety of different ways last year in the D-League.

19. Cleveland Cavilers: Giannis Adetokunbo – SF/Greece

Adetokunbo is still a mystery, but his size and skill set making him an intriguing NBA prospect. He may stay in Europe for another year or two, but he could potentially be the steal of the draft this late.

20. Chicago Bulls: Gorgui Dieng – C/Louisville

Even though the Bulls have a very good frontline already, it’s not very deep. Dieng could come in and play some good minutes for Chicago next year, and slowly develop his offensive game as well.

21. Utah Jazz: Tim Hardaway Jr. – SG/Michigan

Utah got their PG already with Shane Larkin, so now they fill their perimeter scoring void with Hardaway Jr. His ability to shoot and attack the rim would fit nicely with Utah’s other pieces.

22. Brooklyn Nets: Jeff Whithey – C/Kansas

The Nets need another rim protector and backup center, and Whithey looks like the type of player who could have a very long career in the NBA as just that.

23. Indiana Pacers: Reggie Bullock – SG/UNC

I had the Pacers taking Bullock in my first mock draft over a month ago, and I’m not changing the pick now. Bullock is a sharpshooter that will keep the lane open for Roy Hibbert and the rest of Indiana’s bigs.

24. New York Knicks: Jamaal Franklin – SG/San Diego State

Franklin is an athletic wing who can defend and rebound, two things that the Knicks desperately need. He won’t need shots to make an impact on the game.

25. Los Angeles Clippers: Sergay Karasev – SG/Russia

Karasev is a very good shooter who is extremely versatile on the offensive end of the court. He could play multiple positions for the Clippers and new head coach Doc Rivers would love to have him on their team.

26. Minnesota Timberwolves: Allen Crabbe – SG/Cal

If the Timberwolves can get Caldwell-Pope and Crabbe in this draft, they’re getting two of the three or four best shooters in the entire draft. And it’s a good thing two because they were dead last in 3-point percentage last year.

27. Denver Nuggets: Tony Snell – SF/New Mexico

When Danilo Gallinari went down with his injury late last season, the Nuggets lost their only real shooting threat, allowing teams to pack the paint. Snell is a deadeye 3-point shooter that would really help improve Denver’s offense.

28. San Antonio Spurs: Pierre Jackson – PG/Baylor

Manu Ginobili was Tony Parker’s backup this postseason, and we all saw how that worked out. Jackson is an explosive little guard who can really play the game well. This could be a steal this late in the draft.

29. Oklahoma City Thunder: Erick Green – PG/Virginia Tech

When Westbrook went down with an injury in the first round of the playoffs, OKC’s offense really struggled to get back on track. Enter Erick Green, the NCAA’s leading scorer last season. Green could play either the point or shooting guard position and really help OKC’s second string.

30. Phoenix Suns: Rudy Gobert – PF/France

Gobert is a project, but the Suns aren’t expected to compete for a few years anyway so this makes sense. Gobert had the longest wingspan ever recorded at the NBA Draft combine and has shown flashes of a solid post game. He just needs time.