Atlanta Hawks: Atl All Day Mock Draft 2.0 Full Draft Edition
5. Cleveland Cavaliers
Jarrett Culver: Guard – Texas Tech University
Height:6’7 Weight:194 Age:20.4
Wingspan:6’10 Standing Reach:8’4
Jarrett Culver is a versatile guard, who led Texas Tech to a surprising appearance in the NCAA Championship game. Culver is a good ball handler, who is able to create scoring opportunities for himself and his teammates. His height and wingspan allow him to also play the small forward position. He’s not the most gifted athlete and he must improve as a shooter, but Culver has a polished skill set and the deceptivness with the basketball, to be a valuable addition to any NBA team. Cavaliers point guard Colin Sexton is much more of a scorer than a play maker. This makes Culver the perfect fit, as a willing passer to pair with Sexton in the backcourt. Former 2300 point scorer at the University of Detroit turned draft Guru Rashard Phillips, compares Jarrett Culver to Paul Pearce. This is mainly due to his ability to make premeditated moves, in order to get to spots that he is comfortable pulling up from for mid range jump shots. He has Culver ranked number four on his draft board on Sports Talk 2319.
Hoops Perspective takes a closer look at the strengths and weaknesses of Jarrett Culver on their YouTube channel, in the following video:
2018 Stats: Pts:18.5 REB:6.4 APG:3.7 STL:1.5 BLK:0.6 FG%:46.1 2P%:52.6 3P%:30.4 FT%:70.7
6. Phoenix Suns
Darius Garland: Point Guard – Vanderbilt
Height:6’3 Weight:173
Wingspan:6’5″ Age:18.5
Despite playing in only five games for the Vanderbilt Commodores due to a meniscus knee injury, Darius Garland has maintained his status as a high draft pick. Garland should benefit from the fact that several teams in the top ten need a point guard to run the show. Thus is the case for the Phoenix Suns, who badly need a floor general to distribute the ball to deadly scoring shooting guard Devin Booker, second year center DeAndre Ayton and a host of talented young wing players. Garland can do just that, though he is still evolving as a playmaker. The added bonus is he’s an accurate shooter from range, allowing him to make opposing defenses pay for collapsing on Booker and Ayton. The backcourt of Garland and Booker would be lacking defensively, but would be very potent on the offensive end of the court.
Jeremy Woo, SI.com draft expert, believes that the Suns will select Darius Garland as well, as states in his mock draft. He offers these thoughts on Garland and the potential fit:
"There’s reason to be skeptical Garland has a promise from the Suns, as some have speculated. As things stand, the only team in front of them that might select him would be the Lakers, who need to maintain asset flexibility with the fourth pick. The Cavs probably don’t need him, and so there’s a chance he falls to this spot regardless of a guarantee. It’s more likely that promise came from a team further down in the lottery, and that Garland left the combine to prevent teams from having complete access to his medical information, as he continues what is said to be a slow recovery from a torn left meniscus. He comes with some risk, but also some playmaking upside, will likely be the second guard off the board. He’s certainly a fit here."
2018 Stats: Pts:16.2 REB:2.7 APG:2.6 STL:0.8 BLK:0.4 FG%:53.7 2P%:58.1 3P%:47.8 FT%:75
7. Chicago Bulls
Coby White: Point Guard – North Carolina
Height:6’5 Weight:191 Age:19.4
Wingspan:6’5 Standing Reach:8’2
The Chicago Bulls are another team in dire need of a point guard, to compete their young starting lineup. Coby White would offer them the last opportunity, to select a point guard worthy of top ten draft status. White is an explosive guard who can score in bunches off the drive and shooting from the outside. He can be streaky as a shooter, but when he is on, he can string together several consecutive makes in a row. He is also a willing passer. Slowing down and learning to control tempo, is the next step he needs to take to be a good lead guard. Defensively Coby is lacking and his short wingspan will probably prevent him from being a starting NBA shooting guard, so honing is point guard skills is absolutely essential.
Kyle Boone of CBS Sports is also predicting Coby White to the Bulls. He gives us this synopsis of White’s game:
"White is seen as a score-first point guard, but he is absolutely capable of creating and facilitating because of his top-end speed and elusiveness. If Chicago wants someone to solidify a position in need of an upgrade for the long-term, White can fill that void. At North Carolina he averaged 16.1 points and 4.1 assists per game while shooting 35.3% from 3-point range. Perhaps the most telling number, though, is 30.7: the percentage of points he scored in transition. He loves to push the pace and plays with poise. Decision-making and the ins-and-outs of playing as a primary creator is still where he most needs development, but in time he can be a tremendous piece for the Bulls to build with and around."