FanPost

Mock draft update for MM twins and Selby

Jonathan Givony, of DraftExpress.com, has updated his mock (on 6/16/11), with snippets about each of the 1st round picks.

10 Milwaukee Bucks
Marcus Morris PF
21 years old; 6’9"; 230 lbs
Kansas, junior

Milwaukee ranked as the worst offensive team in the NBA last year, largely due to their inability to get good looks around the rim. Picking the most effective post-up threat in college basketball last season, Marcus Morris would go a long ways. Morris’ toughness, polish and experience would fit in very well on a Scott Skiles-coached team.

16 Philadelphia 76ers
Markieff Morris, PF
21 years old; 6'10"; 240 lbs
Kansas, junior

Morris would give the Sixers some added toughness and athleticism, which would surely please head coach Doug Collins.

In this mock, two guards are standing in the way of Selby making the first round:

27 New Jersey Nets (From Los Angeles Lakers)
Charles Jenkins, PG/SG
22 years old; 6’3"; 220 lbs
Hofstra, senior

The Nets have targeted the guard position as an area they’d like to address and they’ll be intimately familiar with New York product Charles Jenkins. Jenkins has the added benefit of being able to see minutes alongside Deron Williams or serve as his backup. He is a good enough shooter to space the floor for Williams and Brook Lopez.

30 Chicago Bulls
Travis Leslie SG/SF
21 years old; 6’4"; 205 lbs
Georgia, junior

The Bulls are telling interested teams that they’re unlikely to keep both of their first-rounders. That means that this pick could be in someone else’s hands on draft night. Shooting guard is the biggest position of need on this roster, and while Leslie doesn’t appear to be an ideal fit alongside Derrick Rose and behind Ronnie Brewer, his athleticism could intrigue the Bulls enough to take a chance on him.

 

Snippets from two more mock drafts:

The SI mock (from 6/14/11), which I think has worse analysis of players but better "insider info", has Marcus at 9 to the Bobcats:

The Bobcats will have a new voice in this process after hiring former Portland general manager Rich Cho for the same position Monday. He will join Rod Higgins, who was promoted from GM to president and owner Michael Jordan in Charlotte's glass offices. The new-look brass is said to be looking hard at the more offensive-minded of the Morris twins after his strong workout there last week. Thompson is a possibility here, too, along with Texas small forward Jordan Hamilton after he "shot the lights out" in his Charlotte workout, according to a source.

Markieff at 14 to the Rockets:

The Rockets are looking to upgrade their defensive approach and scheme as part of this new regime under coach Kevin McHale (hence the ongoing courting of defensive specialist Chuck Person as an assistant who, if hired, would run Mike Brown's defensive system). But former coach Rick Adelman would likely argue that most of the personnel given to him in recent years was as offensive-minded as he tends to be. Morris would change that trend, as he is -- in addition to being a capable scorer -- a strong rebounder with the sort of athleticism that helps on both ends of the floor. Florida State small forward/defensive specialist Chris Singleton remains high on Houston's list, as does Hamilton and USC center Nikola Vucevic. And in the interest of full disclosure, inserting Morris here is a calculated move based on one interesting slice of information: A source says the Morris twins have been avoiding working out for New York at No. 17 and thereby sending a strong signal that they fully expect to be taken earlier.


No luck for Selby, and the guards standing in his way this time are Nolan Smith from Duke at #27 and Shelvin Mack from Butler at 28.  The mock does say this about the NJ pick at 27:

The Duke product could provide the kind of toughness, energy and poise that coach Avery Johnson covets. The move makes sense whether Deron Williams returns for more than one season or not (he can become a free agent after next season), although I do wonder whether Selby enters the picture here. He wouldn't come with the sparkling reputation of Smith, but his athleticism and upside are appealing.

ESPN's mock by Chad Ford (from 6/15/11) is "insider", but I was able to glean this from some surreptitious internet searches:

Morris at #9 to Charlotte

The Bobcats haven't been the greatest drafters the past few years. Michael Jordan is determined to change that. The thinking in Charlotte is to not take big risks -- to go with a proven product and swing for a double instead of a home run. Morris, with his versatility, toughness and Kansas pedigree is a very good option. Klay Thompson, Chris Singleton and Jordan Hamilton are all in the mix here as well.

In something of a surprise, Ford also has Markieff going to Charlotte at #19.  This is the lowest I've seen Markieff, though I couldn't find the text of Ford's explanation.

In Ford's previous mocks, he had Selby the Nicks at #17, which would be huge for Selby since D'Antoni's uptempo offense would suit him. But in the most recent version, apparently Selby falls to #26 with the Mavericks.

The Mavs have won the title, but now it's time to begin thinking about the future. While the Mavs may have one more long run in those veteran legs, it's unlikely. Selby, like Tyler, could be a home run if he's developed right. His ability to get to the basket is really unmatched.

Ford's scenario is pretty rosy - M&M play together and Selby gets into the first round.  I'm not sure why we would believe Ford's mock draft over the others (or believe anyone's mock draft, for that matter), but I'm pulling for it.