Previous Rank: No. 19 (-2)
When I wrote last month’s mock draft, Louisville was a perfect 9-0 and stood at the top of the college basketball dogpile. Since then, they’ve sustained losses to Texas Tech, Kentucky, and Florida State. Jordan Nwora has cooled off slightly in this stretch, but is still maintaining elite efficiency. Whether or not he can resuscitate Louisville’s season may ultimately decide his fate in the draft. Regardless, he can flat out score and would be a welcome addition to Brooklyn’s bench behind Kevin Durant.
Previous Rank: No. 16 (-6)
Over the summer, Tre Jones has rehauled his shot and found much success, found more ways to create offense, and asserted himself as a leader on this Duke roster. Despite all of that, I think he shot himself in the foot by returning for another year. This draft class is oversaturated with talented guards, and Jones is not going to capture any attention playing Duke’s cakewalk schedule. However, Jones would thrive in Nick Nurse’s “we before me” system.
Previous Rank: No. 20 (-3)
Paul Reed is a walking double-double machine. Let’s get that out of the way. But he also manages to nab nearly five combined steals and blocks per game, demonstrating his high court awareness and basketball IQ. Chris Paul earned the nickname “Point God” for a reason, and should enjoy playing alongside someone who always finds himself in the right place at the right time. Oh, and Steven Adams is on the market, so let’s jump the gun and find his potential replacement early.
Previous Rank: No. 23 (-1)
Scottie Lewis is still a bundled up ball of energy, and Houston is still the only team I see being willing to gamble on him. The freshman has averaged 9.3 points and posted an abysmal 27.6 percent from deep. It’s not like he hasn’t been given a fair chance, Lewis is averaging 29.4 minutes per game. Nobody can deny Lewis’ natural talent, but until he starts producing tangible results, he can expect a lengthy visit in this year’s green room.
Previous Rank: N/A
Is Jahmi’us Ramsey the real deal, or just on the hot streak of his life? Ramsey has scored a team-high 16.8 points per contest and lifted Texas Tech to an 8-3 record in games he’s played. He’s done so on an impressive 46.8 percent shooting from deep. On the other hand, he’s only hitting 66.7 percent of his free throws, which doesn’t bode well for future results. Regardless, Utah needs to replenish their guard rotation after letting Raul Neto walk and giving away Dante Exum for peanuts.