Brace yourselves, I have same bad news.
The annual NBA Mock Draft at this space has been cancelled.
The Celtics have no first round pick after sending it to Oklahoma City in the Kemba Walker-Al Horford swap. And, after the top four picks, I believe the next 20-25 picks are all fairly similar from the "He does this well, but needs to do these two things better to be a good NBA player" perspective.
Cade Cunningham should go first, but I could see Detroit trading down if Houston or Cleveland falls in love with Cunningham and is willing to give up at least one future unprotected first round pick.
Jalen Green, Evan Mobley, and Jalen Suggs should round out the top four in some order. Mobley, in my opinion, will be the best player from this draft. He is an athletic 7-footer with a two-way game that projects him to be an All-NBA caliber player (especially if he gets paired with a play-making point guard).
Beyond the top four I really like Moses Moody, Davion Mitchell, Chris Duarte, Kai Jones, Jared Butler, Tre Mann, and Miles McBride of the remaining projected first round picks.
***
I mentioned six possible prospects I liked for the Celtics, who currently hold the 45th overall pick, last week. Tre Mann, Miles McBride, Brandon Boston, Quentin Grimes, Joe Wieskamp, and Charles Bassey all seem to me to be able to project to fit a specific role on Boston's roster.
I knew Mann and McBride were possible end of first round targets, unlikely to fall to the middle of the second round. They both currently project to be taken somewhere in the 20's.
Boston, Grimes, Wieskamp, and Bassey all could slide to the Celtics. Here are a few other prospects I like that could be available at 45.
Filip Petrusev is a 6-11 forward who started his career at Gonzaga, where he was the 2020 West Coast Conference Player of the Year, before moving on to play for Mega Soccerbet of the Adriatic League this past season where he was the League MVP and made 41.9% of his three-point attempts. If he is available at 45, he represents the potential steal of the entire draft. Adding a skilled offensive talent with his size would give the Celtics a player that they can develop into a pick-and-pop big man to pair with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
The other four prospects who strike me as interesting fits for Boston all are good shooting wings. Isaiah Livers of Michigan, Joel Ayayi of Gonzaga, Kessler Edwards of Pepperdine, and Sam Hauser of Virginia all have the potential to develop into significant NBA role players due to their shooting ability.
If the Celtics do keep the 45th pick, Brad Stevens needs to add a player that has a specific skill that Ime Udoka can utilize as a complement to Tatum and Brown. Championship rosters are built around stars as the foundation, but then need a deep group of players that fill specific needs.
***
The Celtics also could look to add a veteran player via a trade at the Draft.
A name to keep a close eye on is Tomas Satoransky from the Bulls. Satoransky would be a complementary guard who would give much needed size (he is 6-7) and shooting (career 36.6% three-point shooter) to the Celtics roster. His $10-million salary for 2021-22 would fit into the Traded Player Exception (TPE) left over from the Gordon Hayward trade to Charlotte.
Jarrett Culver of the Timberwolves, the sixth overall pick in the 2019 Draft, is rumored to be available as well. Culver does not help with shooting (career 28.8% three-point shooter), but he might be worth taking a shot on, as his $6.3-million salary could fit into the TPE created by the Kemba Walker trade and Minnesota may be so happy to dump his money that they'd take back a conditional future second round pick.
***
Patriots training camp opens today. Coming off of a disappointing 7-9 season and their first non-playoff season since 2008, Bill Belichick has reloaded the roster to provide enough optimism that not only will the 2021 team be in the playoffs but could be a Super Bowl contender.
The most important part of camp and the preseason games will be the competition at quarterback. Cam Newton had a mediocre debut as Tom Brady's replacement in 2020 and Belichick used the team's first round pick on Alabama's Mac Jones.
If Jones demonstrates that he can be a more effective passer than Newton and limit turnovers, he should end up being the starter no later than the start of October. Belichick has built a championship caliber defense, so if Jones can help manufacture an average of 24-27 points per game with limited turnovers he would present the team's best option.
***
Chaim Bloom is on the clock this week. The Red Sox have the best record in the American League and are a legitimate World Series contender. The Red Sox also have some roster needs. Bloom's decisions in the next 53 hours before Friday's 4pm trade deadline will impact not only the 2021 team but also the next several years.
Boston's most glaring need right now is a first baseman. Bobby Dalbec might eventually turn into a productive Major League first baseman, but right now the 26-year-old is hurting the lineup. Dalbec has hit 10 home runs and has driven in 38 runs, which is decent production from the bottom of the lineup, but he also has a .218 batting average and has struck out 104 times in 278 plate appearances.
One possible fit is Anthony Rizzo of the Cubs. Rizzo is not having a tremendous season either (.248 with 14 HR and 40 RBI) but he is a proven playoff producer (he hit .340 in the 2016 NLCS and World Series in leading the Cubs to their first championship in 108 years) and he's also a better fielder than Dalbec. Rizzo could slot into the sixth spot in the lineup behind Alex Verdugo, Xander Bogaerts, Rafael Devers, and JD Martinez.
Dalbec could be included in a deal for Rizzo, as Triston Casas (Boston's top prospect) projects to be the everyday first baseman by 2023 at the latest. Chicago could also get a positional prospect like Jeter Downs or Nick Yorke and a pitching prospect to make the deal.
The Red Sox, like all contenders, could also use an upgrade in the starting rotation and in the bullpen. Even with the impending return of staff ace Chris Sale in August, Bloom would be wise to add a veteran starter and another proven arm for the bullpen.
Bloom has made it his priority to rebuild the farm system. However, with the 2021 team being a serious contender, Bloom has to be willing to deal prospects to give the team a shot at the World Series.
***
Enjoy Jarren Duran today.
No comments:
Post a Comment