All-Duke 2016 NBA Mock Draft

Duke has one of the most storied draft histories of any college basketball program. Since the NBA Draft lottery was enacted in 1985, Duke players have gone in the first round almost every year. What’s unique about Duke, too, is that players of every age, from those drafted in the 80s to today, very commonly have had skill sets that would translate well into the modern era. Guys like Grant Hill and Christian Laettner probably would have found effective roles even in today’s NBA, and players like Bobby Hurley and Danny Ferry might have been even better in the age of small-ball and wide-open offenses.

With the depth of NBA-level talent that has come through Duke in the past 30 years, we thought we’d try a thought exercise: What if you transported every Duke draft prospect from Elton Brand to Mason Plumlee to 2016, and used that for the 2016 draft pool? How would things shake out?

Disclaimer: This is evaluating the players coming out of Duke, not based on how their NBA careers turned out. Jabari Parker still has both ACLs, Corey Maggette hasn’t averaged 20 points per game, J.J. Redick hasn’t figured out defense, etc. Draft order as of 2/1/2016

The 2016 All-Duke Draft

1. Philadelphia 76ers — Grant Hill, SF (3rd overall in 1994)

Hill’s a definite lock to be one of the top three Duke prospects on the board. He’s a little older than guys like Brand and Irving, but his diversified offensive skill set, ability to create and potential for defensive impact make him a no-brainer for the 76ers. Philly can plug him in at small forward and get a go-to scorer and a guy who can defend four positions, two things they could definitely use.

2. Los Angeles Lakers — Jabari Parker, SF (2nd overall in 2014)

The 76ers drafting Hill puts the Lakers in a bit of a bind. Many of the top prospects still on the board are point guards and space-eating offense-focused bigs, and the Lakers have young guys for both of those roles with D’Angelo Russell and Julius Randle. Parker is probably their best option here, because he’s another solid scorer who adds some much-needed athleticism to the roster. If he can develop a bit of an outside shooting game, Parker’s offensive versatility compliments Russell, and gives the Lakers several options to develop into their Kobe Bryant replacement.

3. Boston Celtics (From BKN) — Elton Brand, PF (1st overall in 1999)

Boston has a decent but unspectacular core of big guys, and they lack one player who does a bit of everything well. Brand fits that bill. He can score, he’s a fantastic rebounder, and even at 6-8, his monstrous wingspan means that he has good defensive potential and he can probably play some center in spots. Plus, you can pair Brand and his Inspector Gadget arms with Kelly Olynyk and his T-Rex arms, which is not only a cheap joke but also probably a very workable starting frontcourt moving forward.

4. Phoenix Suns — Christian Laettner, PF/C (3rd overall in 1992)

Real-life Laettner’s career never really panned out in terms of stardom, but in this draft, Laettner’s offensive versatility fits exactly what Phoenix has been building for over a decade. The Suns need help at the four, and Laettner could be very helpful there — he’s a decent shooter from range and can space the floor next to Alex Len, who compensates for the early defensive struggles Laettner will likely have. Laettner’s passing ability also jumps out as something Phoenix could utilize very well in their fast-paced offense. He might still be hated, but Phoenix fans would enjoy Laettner being added to their roster.

5. Minnesota Timberwolves — Brandon Ingram, SF (2nd in 2016 DX Mock Draft)

A bit of a surprise here, but Minnesota needs wing scoring, especially someone who can hit 3s. Ingram may not be as good of a prospect as guys like Irving, Jahlil Okafor, and Jay Williams, but his fit with Minnesota is so strong that Minnesota might consider grabbing him. He and Wiggins have the potential to be a fierce defensive tandem, and their offensive skill sets don’t really overlap a ton, meaning there might not be too much to worry about in terms of distributing usage between the two. Ingram, of course, gives you another shooter to make playing Ricky Rubio more palatable, and a lineup of Zach Lavine, Ingram, Wiggins, Karl-Anthony Towns and Gorgui Dieng is scary defensively. It’s a great fit even though it’s probably a bit of a reach.

6. Denver Nuggets — Luol Deng, SF (7th overall in 2004)

I give Deng the slight advantage over Mike Dunleavy and Shane Battier in this exercise, because Deng looks like a slightly better defender and you can give him minutes at the four, making him a more versatile piece for the Nuggets in particular. Denver’s a good fit because they don’t really need Deng to develop a 3-pointer, and if he does, that makes him even better. He gives them options to determine what to do with Danilo Gallinari, and he’s the rare Duke two-way guy that Mike Malone should be able to work well with.

7. New Orleans Pelicans — Jay Williams, PG (2nd overall in 2002)

New Orleans’s point guard situation just hasn’t worked out, and rebooting by grabbing the best overall player on the board is a smart move. Williams can do a little bit of everything: He can score inside, hit 3s in volume, and he’s a smart, skilled passer. He may not ever be a star, but competent and consistent point guard play for Anthony Davis would be something the Pelicans could really use moving forward.

8. Milwaukee Bucks — Kyrie Irving, PG (1st overall in 2011)

A very obvious landing spot for a guy who has slid because of fit. Yes, he’s coming off an injury, and we haven’t seen him play much. But Brandon Knight was a borderline All-Star last year playing the role Kyrie would step into in Milwaukee, and they have enough defensive pieces to compensate for his deficiencies on that end. He’s the best playmaker on the board, and that’s what the Bucks need up top.

9. Sacramento Kings — Mike Dunleavy, SF (3rd overall in 2002)

Another team that could use a shooter. Dunleavy’s hard to evaluate; he doesn’t have the frame to really be more than a 3-and-D type, but his college production suggests potential to be a solid stretch four. The nice thing for Sacramento is that they could really use both, so it’s not a bad idea to pick up Dunleavy and just let him try to find a role in the league.

10. Utah Jazz — Jahlil Okafor, C (3rd overall in 2015)

I had no idea what to do with Okafor in the top ten. Similar to the 2015 NBA Draft, Okafor’s probably one of the top guys, but who actually needs/wants a post-up genius with severe defensive questions? Well, someone’s going to go best player available eventually, and fit be damned Okafor/Gobert is a fascinating combination to attempt. If Okafor is at ten in this hypothetical and I’m Utah, I’m grabbing him and letting him develop behind Derrick Favors, similar to what they did with Enes Kanter in 2011.

11. Orlando Magic — Shelden Williams, PF/C (5th overall in 2006)

Even in a bizarre hypothetical world of drafting Duke prospects, I have no idea what to do with Orlando and their army of youngsters. The one thing they don’t have is a guy who can take a lot of the dirty work from Nikola Vucevic, which Williams in theory could do as a rebounder, cutter, and shot-blocker. If he develops correctly, he can be slid in as the third big behind Vucevic and Channing Frye, and can probably play with either. It’s not flashy, but Williams had to go somewhere and the Magic had to take someone. This works.

12. Toronto Raptors (From NYK) — Shane Battier, SF (6th overall in 2001)

No one knows where Demar DeRozan will be in 2016-17, but he seems like a safe bet to not return to Toronto. The Raptors probably need a small forward anyway (unless Bruno Caboclo is ready, of course) and Battier fits Toronto’s roster well as a super-athletic 3-and-D wing. Play him next to DeRozan in bigger units, at the four in small-ball looks, or next to James Johnson if you just want to stop the other team’s forwards from scoring completely. A sensible, low-upside, high-floor pick for Masai Ujiri.

13. Washington Wizards — Danny Ferry, PF (2nd overall in 1989)

The Wizards finally get their stretch four! He’s not a good defender and I wonder how his athleticism translates to the NBA, but Ferry can create off the dribble and shoot from outside. They’ve needed help at the four offensively for years, and even if he’s never more than a 6th man, Ferry pairs pretty well with John Wall and Marcin Gortat.

14. Charlotte Hornets — J.J. Redick, SG (11th overall in 2006)

Charlotte getting another shooter is never a bad idea, and while it might pain Michael Jordan to take one of the most hated Duke players of all-time, Redick makes sense as a development project for the Hornets. Charlotte has Jeremy Lamb at shooting guard, who is an acceptable 3-point shooter, but they lack a guy with the gravity that Redick could bring from beyond the arc. It’s easy to question Redick’s fit in Charlotte’s defensive scheme and whether he has the athleticism to compete, but sticking him next to Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Nicolas Batum probably counteracts both concerns to an extent. Like Frank Kaminsky, Redick might struggle at first, but he projects as one of the best shooters in the league in five years.

15. Denver Nuggets (From POR) — Bobby Hurley, PG (7th overall in 1993)

With Deng in tow already, the Nuggets can address the backup point guard spot here with Hurley. Hurley’s game mirrors Emmanual Mudiay’s, given that they’re both talented playmakers, though Hurley can do a bit more offensively than Mudiay at this juncture. That makes for a strong compliment, as the Nuggets can use Hurley in very similar ways to how they use Mudiay offensively. You can probably run these two in combination at times, too, thanks to Hurley’s slightly better projected scoring ability, allowing him to play off the ball. He doesn’t have much upside, but Hurley is likely a very good third guard in this league and he fits with the Nuggets’ guards quite well.

16. Denver Nuggets (From HOU) — Carlos Boozer, PF (35th overall in 2002)

Kenneth Faried isn’t going to be in Denver forever, and with their third pick, the Nuggets may be willing to gamble. There are concerns Boozer might slip in this draft, particularly because he played as an undersized center in college and hasn’t gotten chances to create for himself. But sitting as a power forward, especially next to Jusuf Nurkic and Nikola Jokic, would allow Boozer to play to his strengths (shooting from range, defensive rebounding, passing) and cover for some of his weaknesses (size, work ethic on defense). Boozer is basically a supercharged Darrell Arthur offensively, and the Nuggets could find a spot for him easily if they decide to move on from Faried.

17. Detroit Pistons — Trajan Langdon, SG (11th overall in 1999)

This is a Stan Van Gundy team, so “best shooter on the board” always makes sense. Langdon’s shown to be a quality 3-point shooter in college, and he can work as yet another floor spacer as a backup shooting guard. I don’t know if he has the defensive ability to effectively translate to the NBA, especially for SVG, but he’s got a decent basketball IQ if we set the final seconds of the National Title Game aside.

18. Indiana Pacers — Justise Winslow, SF (10th overall in 2015)

He’s undersized. He’s not a great shooter. He plays the same position as Paul George. But he’s a monstrous athlete, he’s smart, he’s sound defensively, and he fits perfectly with what Indiana likes out of its wings. Like Okafor, Winslow slips slightly and ends up in a quirky but fun development spot.

19. Boston Celtics — Corey Maggette, SF (13th overall in 1999)

Maggette’s still rather raw, but he projects as a pretty solid scorer. I worry about him being around Evan Turner and that magnifying some bad habits Maggette has in terms of shot selection, but Boston doesn’t have a wing who can consistently put up 20 points a night. Maggette may not project as much else, but Boston’s roster at this point is a bunch of guys who do everything but get buckets, so a wing who can score in bunches off the bench might actually fit well.

20. Atlanta Hawks — Rodney Hood, SF (23rd overall in 2014)

Consistent offense from the wing has been an issue for Atlanta this year, and Kyle Korver may be showing signs of slipping. Atlanta can address that by picking up Hood, an all-offense small forward who can space the floor and attack off the dribble. Defensively he’s a bit of a mess at this point, but Hood has the measurables to become better there, and he fits Atlanta’s offense very well as a mini-Korver.

21. Boston Celtics (From DAL) — Gerald Henderson, SG (12th overall in 2009)

At this point, Boston just takes the best non-point guard, non-center off the board. Henderson didn’t contribute a ton at Duke, but he can pass, he can dunk, and he can defend. You can’t go wrong with that, especially if you’re going to take a flier on Maggette.

22. Philadelphia 76ers (From MIA) — Johnny Dawkins, PG (10th overall in 1986)

Dawkins would probably go much higher if he were bigger than 6-2 and 165 pounds. Dawkins filled it up in college by attacking the lane and using his surprising athleticism to compensate for his thin frame, and dribble penetration is something the 76ers could really use from the point guard position. I don’t know how he translates to finishing in the NBA, but given Philly’s other offensive options, this is a great place for him to get some on-court time to figure it out.

23. Chicago Bulls — Mason Plumlee, PF (22nd in 2013)

With Joakim Noah likely heading out of town, the Bulls could stand to pick up another center to spell Pau Gasol under the basket. The Bulls have really lacked a quality pick-and-roll finisher for quite some time, and Plumlee’s really strong at that and would add an interesting dynamic to help spread out the Bulls offense the way Fred Hoiberg wants. I don’t think anyone would have fun battling with a Bobby Portis/Plumlee frontcourt, and adding Mason to Portis, Gasol, Taj Gibson and Nikola Mirotic creates a very diverse frontcourt arsenal for the Bulls.

24. Memphis Grizzlies — William Avery, PG (14th overall in 1999)

Memphis has struggled to find consistent backup point guard play, and taking a shot at Avery, who projects as a strong defensive backup, is a smart decision. Conditioning is a huge issue to address for Avery, but putting him in a locker room with Marc Gasol and Mike Conley might improve that. And if Avery can find his footing shooting the ball, he’s another strong perimeter defender for the Grizzlies to throw at teams.

25. Los Angeles Clippers — Austin Rivers, PG (10th overall in 2012)

Rivers, the twin brother of current Clipper Austin Rivers, disappointed in his one year at Duke, but he should be given plenty of opportunities to develop working next to Chris Paul under his dad’s coaching. Rivers has solid offensive tools, and if he can work on his shooting, Rivers could eventually drift into Jamal Crawford’s role.

26. Toronto Raptors — Josh McRoberts, PF (37th overall in 2007)

The Raptors love them some quirky power forwards, and McRoberts is next in line to slide in for the likely departing/retiring Luis Scola. Another Dukie who struggled in school, McRoberts does have solid passing instincts and could grow into a strong defender, even if he’s probably not the scorer he was projected to become out of high school. McRoberts compliments Jonas Valanciunas with his defensive versatility, and given a few years, he could slide in as a strong, reliable four next to Battier and Jonas in the Raptors frontcourt.

27. Philadelphia 76ers (From OKC) — Dahntay Jones, SG (20th overall in 2003)

He’s not spectacular in any facet of the game, but Jones fits Philly’s M.O. on the wing of solid athletes who try hard and can plug and play in their defensive system. He might not be the best prospect available, but he’s a guy who gets the most out of his talents, and Philly has a history of using that type of player very effectively.

28. Phoenix Suns (From CLE) — Kyle Singler, SF (33rd overall in 2011)

Singler’s by no means a spectacular prospect, but you can’t argue his production level in college. He should be able to develop into a strong shooter off the bench for the Suns.

29. San Antonio Spurs — Martynas Pocius, SG (Undrafted in 2009)

Even in this mock draft, the Spurs find a way to draft an international player that they can stash overseas.

30. Golden State Warriors — Cherokee Parks, C (12th overall in 1995)

The Warriors might lose Festus Ezeli this offseason, and will probably need a replacement as Andrew Bogut continues to age. I have no idea how Parks would fit in today’s NBA, but if anyone could figure it out, it’s Golden State’s development staff.

Best players left on the board

Mark Alarie, 18th overall in 1986

Chris Duhon, 38th overall in 2004

Tyus Jones, 24th overall in 2015

Miles Plumlee, 26th overall in 2012

John Scheyer, Undrafted in 2010