NBA Draft 2021: NBA Mock Draft 4.0 with lottery odds set
By Mike Luciano
While NBA mock draft season has been kicked into high gear for some time now, Toronto Raptors mock draft season has been going on since the very second the club was eliminated from postseason contention.
The Raptors will have their best odds for the top pick in years, as they currently have the seventh-best odds for the top selection, which will in all likelihood be Oklahoma State point guard Cade Cunningham.
While there is a select hierarchy of players who are clearly at the top of the pack, this draft is as deep a class as we have seen in years, with international and collegiate stars to be had in the later parts of this draft.
With several lackluster franchises looking to land that one player that can change everything, let’s see what the draft landscape looks like right now.
Updated pre-lottery order:
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) May 25, 2021
1. Houston
2. Detroit
3. Orlando
4. Oklahoma City
5. Cleveland
6. Minnesota (to Golden State if not top-3)
7. Toronto
8. Chicago (Orlando if not top-4)
9. Sacramento
10. New Orleans
11. Charlotte
12. San Antonio
13. Indiana
14. Golden State
2021 NBA Draft: NBA Mock Draft Version 4.0
player. 169. PG. Oklahoma State. Cade Cunningham. 1. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis
In all honesty, the draft might as well start at pick No. 2, as whoever gets the top pick is going to bring Cunningham into the fold. If you’re GM can’t construct a winner around Cunningham, it’s time for the GM in question to find a new line of work.
Cunningham has the body of a bigger small forward, but he plays with the explosiveness of a much smaller guard. Throw into that elite shooting, mesmerizing passing, and leadership that helped the Cowboys go on a little run in March, and you have a game-changer at that position.
Houston has John Wall, but Rafael Stone passing on Cunningham would be the height of irresponsibility. He has all the tools to help this team win the second he steps in Houston, and what minor flaws he has shouldn’t lead to him falling out of the No. 1 spot.
Scouting Report. C. Evan Mobley. 2. player. Pick Analysis. USC. 64
Mobley is without question the best big man in this class, as he looks like the prototype for what the next wave of dominant centers can play like. At 7-0, Mobley has the mobility and offensive polish of a player several inches shorter.
Mobley is an elite defensive player both on and off the ball, but he can become an All-Star on Day 1 if he managed to become a bit more efficient with his face-up game. Mobley and Killian Hayes could be part of Detroit’s future.
Isaiah Stewart has impressed, but the Pistons are kidding themselves if they think that passing on Mobley because of Stewart is a wise strategy. Detroit’s road to the postseason will get much shorter if they end up acquiring Mobley.