For some fanbases, being in the NBA draft lottery is an uncomfortable, unexpected situation. Los Angeles Lakers fans probably aren't thrilled, though ending up with the No. 2 pick in a strong draft was certainly welcomed.
For other fanbases, the draft is the highlight of the season. There are plenty of folks in Philadelphia who basically turned themselves into de facto scouts, eagerly seeking out potential franchise-changing players for the Philadelphia 76ers.
Regardless of whether a team is in uncharted territory or charting a familiar course, trying to pick what a few franchises will ultimately do with their selections is always a guessing game. Let's take a look at the franchises who could keep us guessing the most along with a full mock draft.
Mock Draft
3. Philadelphia 76ers
You just never really know what the Sixers are going to do at a draft, do you?
Yes, the prevailing logic would suggest selecting D'Angelo Russell to address both the team's need for a primary ball-handler and an outside shooter who can score and space the floor. Pairing Russell with bigs like Joel Embiid, Nerlens Noel and eventually Dario Saric seems ideal.
But this is general manager Sam Hinkie's Great Tanking Experiment, and you never quite know what you're going to get. Derek Bodner of USA Today outlines one scenario that could end up surprising fans:
Now, the logical counterpoint to this is pretty simple: Why in the world would the Sixers need that many bigs?
Well, it's possible they could draft the best player in Kristaps Porzingis if that's the player they have atop their board at No. 3, then trade either Noel or Embiid. To be fair, Porzingis would pair more naturally at the 4 with either Noel or Embiid at the 5 than Noel and Embiid would likely pair together down low.
It would all likely drive Sixers fans nuts, of course, especially when Russell appears to be a perfect fit for the team. But Hinkie marches to the beat of his own drum, and if the song he wants to play will sound better with Porzingis, well, don't be surprised if Philly plays an unexpected note at No. 3.
4. New York Knicks
For starters, it's very possible Phil Jackson and company will look to trade this pick for a veteran player, trying to speed up the rebuild around star player Carmelo Anthony. While the Los Angeles Lakers are positioned to add their big man of the future at No. 2 regardless of who drops to them, the Knicks are likely going to be deciding between a point guard, a player on the wing and Porzingis.
From a pure talent perspective, Emmanuel Mudiay makes the most sense. He has the most upside here and could give the team a Russell Westbrook-esque presence at point guard, at least if he can improve his shooting.
Justise Winslow is intriguing as well, as his versatility and unselfish game could make him the perfect wing to pair with Anthony, while Mario Hezonja has a ton of upside. Porzingis doesn't feel like a great fit next to Anthony, but his talent could be tough to pass on. And the team could always surprise everyone by making a defensive stalwart like Willie Cauley-Stein the selection.
It's hard to say. The Knicks could go in a number of directions or even trade the pick. Their selection will decide a lot about the rest of the draft.
10. Miami Heat
This draft appears to have three pretty defined tiers in the early going:
The elite tier: Karl-Anthony Towns, Jahlil Okafor, Russell, Mudiay
The intriguing, lesser-known internationals: Porzingis, Hezonja
The best-of-the-rest domestic products: Winslow, Cauley-Stein, Stanley Johnson
Those nine players, in some order, will very likely represent the first nine picks, and they should. There is a clear distinction between them and the rest of the draft, which means Miami has the first pick in what will essentially be a new draft as teams seek out diamonds in the rough and potential role players.
Miami could go after a wing player such as Sam Dekker or Kelly Oubre. It could go after the intriguing and versatile Trey Lyles, or it could look to add another guard, such as Devin Booker, to take some of the burden off the aging and oft-injured Dwyane Wade. Maybe the Heat will really shake things up and select Frank Kaminsky.
Whatever the case may be, a lot of teams in the teens will be targeting a specific player they think represents excellent value outside of the top nine players in this draft, and those teams could make the move up to No. 10 to nab him. Certainly, that makes the Heat an intriguing team to watch.