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2019 NBA Mock Draft: Prospects Facing Major Fall Down Draft Boards
April 22, 2019
Most prospects entering the 2019 NBA draft are far from the finished product.
A majority of the players will be selected on potential and groomed by their teams into superstars in the years to come.
But some of the top prospects available come with bigger risks than others, especially on the injury front.
With some red flags starting to appear at the start of the draft process, we are getting an early idea of which players may suffer significant drops down the first round during draft night.
2019 NBA 1st-Round Mock Draft
1. New York Knicks: Zion Williamson, PF, Duke
2. Cleveland Cavaliers: R.J. Barrett, SG, Duke
3. Phoenix Suns: Ja Morant, PG, Murray State
4. Chicago Bulls: Jarrett Culver, SG, Texas Tech
5. Atlanta Hawks: DeAndre Hunter, SF, Virginia
6. Washington Wizards: Cam Reddish, SF, Duke
7. New Orleans Pelicans: Darius Garland, PG, Vanderbilt
8. Memphis Grizzlies: Coby White, PG, North Carolina
9. Atlanta Hawks (from Dallas): Nassir Little, SF, North Carolina
10. Minnesota Timberwolves: Rui Hachimura, SF/PF, Gonzaga
11. Los Angeles Lakers: Brandon Clarke, PF, Gonzaga
12. Charlotte Hornets: Nickeil Alexander-Walker, SG, Virginia Tech
13. Miami Heat: Keldon Johnson, SF/PF, Kentucky
14. Boston Celtics (from Sacramento): Sekou Doumbouya, PF, Limoges CSP (France)
15. Detroit Pistons: Kevin Porter Jr., SG, USC
16. Orlando Magic: Romeo Langford, SG, Indiana
17. Brooklyn Nets: Tyler Herro, SG, Kentucky
18. Indiana Pacers: P.J. Washington, PF, Kentucky
19. San Antonio Spurs: Jaxson Hayes, C, Texas
20. Boston Celtics (from Los Angeles Clippers): Bruno Fernando, C, Maryland
21. Oklahoma City Thunder: Bol Bol, C, Oregon
22. Boston Celtics: Ty Jerome, PG/SG, Virginia
23. Utah Jazz: Goga Bitadze, C, Republic of Georgia
24. Philadelphia 76ers: Matisse Thybulle, SF, Washington
25. Portland Trailblazers: Cameron Johnson, SF, North Carolina
26. Cleveland Cavaliers (from Houston): Talen Horton-Tucker, SF, Iowa State
27. Brooklyn Nets (from Denver): KZ Okpala, SF, Stanford
28. Golden State Warriors: Luguentz Dort, SG, Arizona State
29. San Antonio Spurs (from Toronto): Grant Williams, PF, Tennessee
30. Milwaukee Bucks: Dylan Windler, SF, Belmont
Prospects Facing Major Fall Down Draft Board
Romeo Langford
Romeo Langford came into college basketball with plenty of hype, but he was far from the spotlight during the bulk of his freshman season at Indiana.
Despite Langford putting up strong numbers, the Hoosiers failed to make their mark in the Big Ten and needed a last-gasp effort at the end of the regular season to reach the NCAA men's basketball tournament bubble.
Langford's overall production might not turn away NBA teams, but having surgery on his thumb could.
The guard told ESPN.com's Jonathan Givony that he is scheduled to have surgery on a torn ligament in his thumb, which he suffered before the November 27 game against Duke.
The torn ligament likely played a role in Langford's poor shooting numbers, as he shot 27.2 percent from three-point range.
But since every little detail is broken down during the draft process, there could be some lingering concerns regarding Langford's injury going into June.
Langford's injury and the poor shooting that came with it could cause a few teams to pass up on the Indiana freshman and select other high-profile shooting guards.
If he drops out of the lottery picks, Langford could be seen as a steal for a team that gets eliminated from the first round of the postseason.
Bol Bol
Bol Bol could be selected in the top 10 because of his NBA pedigree and the numbers he put up in limited time at Oregon.
However, Bol's foot injury, which kept him out for half of the college basketball season, should be a major concern for teams interested in his services.
One of the biggest red flags in the NBA draft is taking a big man who already has injury issues.
There will be concerns about Bol's durability, and teams in the top 14 picks should be scared away because they can't afford to waste a first-round pick on an injured center.
For example, if a team like Chicago or Washington were to take Bol and he continues to deal with injury issues, they will be set back another year.
A few other franchises, like New Orleans and Memphis, fall into the same category as well, as they can't take a risk on a player with so many concerns coming out of college.
Bol's drop down the draft board might be beneficial in a way because he would be able to develop and reach 100 percent on a team that doesn't need him to be a star right away.
Bol's 21 points and 9.6 rebounds per game from the 11 contests he played at Oregon will intrigue some teams, but it won't be enough to convince them to take an injured big man early in the first round, which will lead to a drop into the bottom half of the first 30 picks.
Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.
Statistics obtained from ESPN.com.