I participated in a community mock draft and focused on mostly defensive-minded prospects.
Last week, I participated in an NBA Draft mock with other draft evaluators organized by Richard Stayman, who runs the account MavsDraft. In this simulation, the Wizards drafted 2nd, 26th, and 51st.
Given the team’s current personnel, I chose to focus on bolstering their defense as much as possible. The Utah Jazz won the lottery so they selected Ron Holland first.
With the second overall pick, I selected Alex Sarr, a 7’1 center for the Perth Wildcats. Doubling down on the defense, I took 6’8 Virginia forward Ryan Dunn at 26. Pairing those two with Deni Avdija and Bilal Coulibaly should make for a lockdown front court for many years to come.
Sarr is a rangy, switchable athlete who can cover more ground defensively than any big man in the draft. He’s a good roller out of the pick-and-roll and has shown flashes of floor-spacing and facilitation potential.
Dunn is arguably the best defender in the entire draft. He’s a work in progress on offense but he’s a smart cutter and will be a good transition finisher for a team that seems intent on pushing the pace.
Supposedly, he was a good shooter before a growth spurt in high school and he would not be the first person to be held back by the Virginia system. The Wizards just need to send him to the shooting coach who helped Deni Avdija last offseason and not whoever “helped” another one of their recent lottery picks work on his shot.
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In the second round, the Wizards held the 51st pick. I selected Trey Alexander, a 6’4, junior guard from Creighton. I think Alexander will be a nice two-way addition for the Wizards. He’s not a great athlete but he’s a solid positional defender who can create his own offense, something the Wizards’ bench needs more of.
In this mock draft, each “general manager” is allowed to add two undrafted free agents. I selected Trevon Brazile, a 6’8 pogo stick from Arkansas, who will give the Wizards a much-needed infusion of athleticism. With the other spot, I added PJ Hall, a 6’8 forward from Clemson, who adds shooting and toughness.
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How did I do overall? Would you be happy with this outcome on actual draft night?