Joe Kotoch’s Mock Draft 3.0: Embiid now No. 1 to Cavs

25. Elfrid Payton, PG, Louisiana-Lafeyette, 6’3″, 170 lbs

Payton reminds me a bit of Rajon Rondo in that he is a long, athletic point guard that is a relentless defender and fills up the stat sheet. Payton has plenty of work to do offensively and must become a better shooter.  At this point, Payton is shooting up boards based on excellent workouts. Payton recently matched up against Marcus Smart in Sacramento and looked very impressive, according to scouts. With the Rockets roster adding a PG who can defend would be a great alternative to Jeremy Lin. Rockets GM Daryl Morey has long been interested in adding Rajon Rondo and by selecting Payton he would be getting a younger, cheaper option.

26. DeAndre Daniels, SF, Connecticut, 6’7″, 210 lbs

In helping lead the Huskies to a championship, Daniels finally broke out and produced like many have expected of him. The fear for some teams is that Daniels never produced on a consistent basis. Is this a case of a late bloomer or an underachiever? As a prospect, Daniels has nice length and an improved touch from outside, which a team drafting late in round 1 will find useful. Daniels is the type of athletic player who knows how to defend, and the Heat love to draft similar to when they took Norris Cole.

27. Mario Hezonja, SF, Croatia, 6’7″, 200 lbs

The last few picks of the first round every year are filled with teams looking to draft and stash, and this year should be no exception. Hezonja is a young prospect that will probably stay overseas for another season or two but already has shown flashes of brilliance on offense with a jumper with plenty of range and an arsenal of moves that allow him to score in handfuls. Phoenix GM Ryan McDonough has been openly talking to every team in Chicago about his interest in moving up or out on draft night as they have three picks and no intention of adding three rookies to next season’s roster.

28. Glenn Robinson III, SF, Michigan, 6’7″, 225lbs

Robinson is a prospect to watch on draft night as his athleticism and length should be enough for teams to draft him. Robinson is polished and a strong shooter with great transition and finishing skills. Being the son of a former NBA player has helped Robinson prepare for his interviews. The Clippers need more shooting and it’s fair to expect Robinson to be able to contribute in limited minutes as a rookie next season.

 

29. Shabazz Napier, PG, Connecticut, 6’1″, 180 lbs

Napier helped himself more than any other prospect in the Big Dance in leading his Huskies to a title. The star point guard showed flashes of another Huskies point man, Kemba Walker, carrying his team offensively down the stretch. Napier showed this season that he does it all. While he may not be a natural point, that is where he will wind up in the NBA. His ability to score, rebound and defend will be a commodity few teams this late can pass up on. Napier is a great option for the Thunder, and his style of play would certainly be a fit from Day 1, especially now that Derek Fisher is retiring.

30. K.J. McDaniels, SG, Clemson, 6’6″, 210 lbs

McDaniels is prospect who capitalized on a strong junior season. The thing that stands out about McDaniels is his tenacious brand of defense and ability to lock down on opponents. As athletic as McDaniels is, it’s easy to see why he translates to a plus defender. If he can improve as a shooter, he could be a Danny Green-type of wing. The Spurs could use an infusion of youth in their backcourt and with Manu Ginobli slowing down finding an athletic lockdown defender.

 

(POSITIONLESS PLAYERS PAR FOR THE COURSE IN TODAY’S NBA)
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Joe Kotoch is the Editor-in-chief of Pro Basketball Draft, a leading scouting service in the world of professional basketball. Before Joe created PBD he served as an NBPA & FIBA certified agent and scouted players all across the world. Born and raised in Cleveland, Joe also contributes to Fox Sports Ohio and the Cleveland Plain Dealer. You can follow Joe on Twitter @Probballdraft.