2019 NBA Mock Draft: Latest Pre-Final Four Predictions
With the NBA regular season coming to a close and most men's college basketball teams done for the season, more focus is being put on the 2019 NBA draft.
The star underclassmen at the collegiate level are beginning to declare for the June draft since most of them won't be participating at the NCAA tournament Final Four.
Of the players headed to Minneapolis, only a select few are currently considered as first-round picks.
The goals for the potential lottery picks left in the NCAA men's basketball tournament are to improve their respective draft stocks as much as possible while trying to win a championship.
For the players already eliminated, the focus is solely on preparing for the NBA and speculating which teams would be good fits for them.
2019 NBA 1st-Round Mock Draft
1. New York Knicks: Zion Williamson, PF, Duke
2. Phoenix Suns: Ja Morant, PG, Murray State
3. Cleveland Cavaliers: R.J. Barrett, SF, Duke
4. Chicago Bulls: Jarrett Culver, SG, Texas Tech
5. Atlanta Hawks: Cam Reddish, SF, Duke
6. Memphis Grizzlies: Darius Garland, PG, Vanderbilt
7. Atlanta Hawks (from Dallas): Rui Hachimura, SF/PF, Gonzaga
8. New Orleans Pelicans: Jaxson Hayes, C, Texas
9. Washington Wizards: De'Andre Hunter, SF, Virginia
10. Los Angeles Lakers: Brandon Clarke, PF, Gonzaga
11. Minnesota Timberwolves: Coby White, PG/SG, North Carolina
12. Charlotte Hornets: Keldon Johnson, SG/SF, Kentucky
13. Miami Heat: Bruno Fernando, C, Maryland
14. Boston Celtics (from Sacramento): Sekou Doumbouya, SF/PF, France
15. Brooklyn Nets: Kevin Porter Jr., SG, USC
16. Orlando Magic: Romeo Langford, SG, Indiana
17. Detroit Pistons: P.J. Washington, PF, Kentucky
18. San Antonio Spurs: Bol Bol, C, Oregon
19. Oklahoma City Thunder: Nickeil Alexander-Walker, SG, Virginia Tech
20. Boston Celtics (from Los Angeles Clippers): Talen Horton-Tucker, SF, Iowa State
21. Indiana Pacers: KZ Okpala, SF/PF, Stanford
22. Boston Celtics: Tyler Herro, SG, Kentucky
23. Utah Jazz: Tre Jones, PG, Duke
24. Philadelphia 76ers: Ty Jerome, PG/SG, Virginia
25. Portland Trailblazers: Daniel Gafford, PF/C, Arkansas
26. Cleveland Cavaliers (from Houston): Naz Reid, C, LSU
27. Brooklyn Nets (from Denver): Jordan Nwora, SF, Louisville
28. Golden State Warriors: Matisse Thybulle, SF, Washington
29. San Antonio Spurs (from Toronto): Cameron Johnson, SF/PF, North Carolina
30. Milwaukee Bucks: Dylan Windler, SF, Belmont
Draft order based off records following Wednesday's games.
Knicks, Suns, Cavaliers With Best Chance to Land Zion
Zion Williamson has most likely played his last collegiate game, and now the focus turns to which franchise wins the lottery and lands the services of the otherworldly talent.
New York, Phoenix and Cleveland are in line to receive the best odds to land the 18-year-old in the new lottery format in which the three worst teams in the NBA have a 14 percent chance to earn the No. 1 overall pick.
The Knicks seem like the perfect fit for Williamson because he'll be playing on one of the biggest stages in the league, and there could be high-profile free agents heading to Madison Square Garden if New York plays the offseason right.
If the Knicks lose the lottery, it'll be seen as the latest crushing blow to a franchise that tanked the best during the 2018-19 regular season.
If Phoenix somehow lands the No. 1 overall pick for the second straight season, it could make a legitimate playoff push with Williamson, Deandre Ayton and a collection of young talent the franchise has put together over the last few years.
Cleveland could get lucky in the lottery once again and earn its fifth No. 1 pick since it took LeBron James in 2003.
Of course, a team with lesser odds to earn the No. 1 pick could win the lottery as well, and the postseason chances of those sides would improve immensely with Williamson on the roster.
Whichever team lands the Duke Blue Devils man will be getting an all-around player with a skill set that could turn him into a superstar for the next decade.
At Duke, Williamson averaged 22.6 points, 8.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 2.1 steals and 1.8 blocks per game.
The South Carolina native is known for his presence in the paint, but he also showed off his three-point shooting ability by hitting seven triples in four NCAA tournament games.
Not only will the team with the No. 1 pick get the highlight reel of slam dunks from Williamson, but it'll also receive a player who is working to become a complete star in the NBA.
Culver Trying to Further Boost Draft Stock at Final Four
With Duke out of the NCAA tournament, the Final Four is lacking a bit of individual star power.
Of the players headed to Minneapolis, Texas Tech's Jarrett Culver is looked at as the top NBA prospect.
The Red Raiders guard has put together a set of impressive performances through four March Madness games, and he'll be relied on once again for Chris Beard's team to knock off Michigan State Saturday.
Culver has scored at least 15 points in his last four games, with his highest point total coming in the first-round win over Northern Kentucky.
Although some NBA fans are just becoming familiar with the 20-year-old, he's been producing at a high level all season.
The sophomore guard heads to the Final Four averaging 18.9 points, 6.4 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game.
Like plenty of other prospects, he still needs to work on parts of his game, including three-point shooting, as he's hit 31.6 percent of his shots from beyond the arc this season.
However, Culver has shown plenty of potential recently, and if he shines at the Final Four, he'll continue to boost his draft stock and possibly contend with Ja Morant and R.J. Barrett to be selected directly behind Williamson.
Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.
Statistics obtained from ESPN.com.
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