21-30
21. Dallas Mavericks- R.J. Hunter, G, Georgia State #22 Indianapolis, IN
With Rajon Rondo’s unceremonious exit from Dallas already done and over with, the assumption is of course, get a PG. However, Monta Ellis is opting out of his deal and Chandler Parsons had microfracture surgery not too long ago. If neither are available, there’s no true scoring threat at the wing. R.J. Hunter was better than he showed last season at Georgia State and may excel again now that he won’t face double and triple teams the way he did in college. He can start from day 1, key on a team clearly trying to win now.
22. Chicago Bulls- Justin Anderson, G/F, Virginia #23 Fredericksburg, VA
New Head Coach Fred Hoiberg could never stress defense as much as Tom Thibodeau did. However, Hoiberg is much freer with his offensive game plan. Anderson was one of the best shooters on a very impressive Virginia team last year. Injuries may scare Chicago off (they’ve had enough of them), but Hoiberg knows very well about his collegiate production and could soon step in as a key member of Chicago’s rotation. The Los Angeles Lakers among others would love to move up for him.
23. Portland Trail Blazers- Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, F, Arizona #23 Chester, PA
For all of his athletic talent and defensive prowess, RHJ falls on this board because of his inability to shoot. With the Trail Blazers dealing Nicolas Batum for Gerald Henderson and Noah Vonleh, Portland seems to be reverting back into transition mode. That means they can work on RHJ’s jumper while giving him time on the floor to establish himself as a plus defender. Even though I’m not a Vonleh fan, assuming LaMarcus Aldridge departs, they’ll give Vonleh every opportunity to succeed.
24. Cleveland Cavaliers- Luka Mitrovic, F, Serbia #9
Admittedly, this pick comes out of left field, but there are reports that the Cavaliers are interested in Mitrovic as a draft and stash candidate. If Kevin Love does decide to leave this off-season, perhaps they’d be interested in letting him develop stateside. A bit of a tweener, he will struggle early on, but we may not know how he does for a couple more years most likely.
25. Memphis Grizzlies- Jarell Martin, F, LSU #1 Baton Rouge, LA
Supposedly Martin had received a draft promise from a team in the mid-first round. While I don’t think it was Memphis, they showed heavy interest in him throughout the draft process. I don’t know why they choose to pick him over a shooter especially when they should give Jarnell Stokes more PT, but maybe they’re hedging their bets and adding depth in case Marc Gasol decides to go elsewhere this summer.
26. San Antonio Spurs- Kevon Looney, F, UCLA #5 Milwaukee, WI
Very good prospects just happen to fall to the Spurs. Looney, for all of his rawness as a basketball player, led all freshmen in double doubles. The tools are there. He just needs to be molded correctly. While they could use a guard to off-set the potential departures of Manu Ginobili, Danny Green and Cory Joseph, this is where we figure out how much Kyle Anderson has learned in his rookie season.
27. Los Angeles Lakers- Joseph Young, G, Oregon #3 Houston, TX
This pick is supposedly promised to Young, but that’s IF LA doesn’t move the pick first. The Lakers struck gold last year drafting Jordan Clarkson with the 46th pick. This year they add potentially the Isaiah Thomas of this year’s draft. He’s not a pure PG but when he’s on, he can take over a game offensively for stretches.
28. Boston Celtics- Rashad Vaughn, G, UNLV #1 Minneapolis, MN
It wouldn’t shock me if he were drafted higher. In fact, I really tried to figure out a place in the top 20 for him. Even though Boston has an upgraded version of Rashad Vaughn in Marcus Smart, it doesn’t hurt to add depth. Vaughn, 18, could spend much of his season in D-League like James Young did, but if nothing else arises, Vaughn could be a big time trade chip along with their stash of Brooklyn Nets draft picks.
29. Brooklyn Nets- Montrezl Harrell, F, Louisville #24 Tarboro, NC
A true energizer, Harrell adds size and toughness to a front court whose toughness has been questioned at times. While they could use a player with more upside given how many picks they won’t have in the next few years, this is a win now team and Harrell can be a spark plug off the bench giving them a lift during some stretches.
30. Golden State Warriors- Mouhammadou Jaiteh, C, France #14 Pantin, France
The Warriors are fresh off of a 2015 Championship. They’re way more likely to package this pick along with a contract such as David Lee’s to free up space under the luxury tax. In addition to Lee possibly being traded, they also could potentially lose Marreese Speights to free agency, so Jaiteh’s offensive game can be a suitable replacement for Speights. Jaiteh would love to play right away, but Golden State can be conservative with him. After all, they’re champions.
