Updated ESPN 2021 NBA Mock Draft
Espn dropped a new mock draft today. Here are some players of note:
20. Franz Wagner
24. Josh Christopher
35. Ayo Dosunmu
45. Luka Garza
50. Isaiah Livers
51. Trayce Jackson-Davis
55. Aaron Henry
Seems like the world is starting to catch on that Franz is indeed the best NBA prospect in the B1G.
Notable names not listed include Isaiah Todd while 3 of his G League Ignite teammates are (3rd, 5th, and 43rd respectively)
Also not listed is Hunter Dickinson and I really doubt this changes regardless of how this year plays out. Seems like a good bet he'll be back for at least 1 more year.
A name that I didn't expect to see was one time UM target Moses Moody. This mock has him near the end of the lottery at 12th.
February 2nd, 2021 at 12:07 PM ^
Notable names not listed include Isaiah Todd
I really don't see how Todd doesn't get drafted. A team will at least draft him and stash him in the G League to develop. His upside is too immense to pass up imo
A name that I didn't expect to see was one time UM target Moses Moody. This mock has him near the end of the lottery at 12th.
Moody was a bigger miss than Christopher. He's been absolutely killing it this year
February 2nd, 2021 at 12:15 PM ^
Never was a fan of Todd's game.
I stay on the sideline in regards to Moody vs. Christopher. I still think Christopher is a stud.
February 2nd, 2021 at 12:21 PM ^
Never was a fan of Todd's game
How so? He's a 6'10" freak athlete with developing offensive game and nice handle for his size. I feel like you'd have a different opinion if he was on the team right now
February 2nd, 2021 at 12:28 PM ^
I was vocal about him he was committed. He is a soft chucker. He is no where close to a freak athlete.
February 2nd, 2021 at 12:12 PM ^
The fact the Aaron Henry is on this list proves to me that there are too many roster spots available in the NBA
February 2nd, 2021 at 1:04 PM ^
He's an elite defender. There's a place for guys like that in NBA. Andre Igoudala-types.
With some upside if his shot comes back around.
But if you're going late second round, you're unlikely to make a spot. Team is taking a flyer on you.
February 3rd, 2021 at 12:46 PM ^
Kind of reminds me of a Ron Artest type
February 2nd, 2021 at 3:24 PM ^
That's not at all what it proves, and it isnt true that there are too many NBA roster spots.
Lol, its got him at the very end of the 2nd round. That's flyer territory and most likely getting cut after summer league, maybe hang in the Gleague range. He's a 3 and D guy potentially, and teams will always take a look at those at the very least.
February 2nd, 2021 at 12:26 PM ^
Garza seems like the ultimate “elite college but not pro player” guy To me, but even with his limitations, I am still a bit surprised to see him projected that low...
February 2nd, 2021 at 12:29 PM ^
yeah i will be curious how his game will translate to the NBA. He will need to go to the right coach/system.
February 2nd, 2021 at 12:43 PM ^
It would be fun to watch him try to guard Clint Capella. I think his game is a bad match for today's NBA.
February 2nd, 2021 at 3:48 PM ^
pick and pop the 3 type center; like laimbeer. he is more skilled than laimbeer tho. he will struggle on D tho; especially against a center that can also hit the 3 with any kind of athleticism.
February 2nd, 2021 at 12:50 PM ^
He doesn't have the athleticism to guard any position in the NBA.
February 2nd, 2021 at 1:01 PM ^
I could see him being a bench big in the NBA. He's got a good enough skillset and is physical enough to make an impact and maybe stick somewhere
February 2nd, 2021 at 1:25 PM ^
Yeah, I feel like he would be a huge offensive mismatch in today's NBA, although of course he'd get torched on defense as well. Is he just not athletic enough to be a big time NBA prospect? Am I wrong in feeling like 10-20 years ago he would have been in the running to be the #1 pick?
On a related note, take Shaq. Easily one of the greatest players of all time, and completely dominated the NBA during his prime years in LA. How do people think his game would have translated to today's NBA?
February 2nd, 2021 at 1:39 PM ^
Shaq today would get exploited more defensively than he did in the late '90s/early '00s, but he'd still get a ton of buckets inside and would probably have Embiid-level value (especially if he could be convinced to keep some of his late-career weight off).
There's a *ton* of difference in athleticism, though, between guys like Embiid and Shaq and a guy like Garza. Neither is a perfect comp, but I'm guessing his time in the NBA looks something like post-Philly Jahlil Okafor's or Caleb Swanigan's. There will be times, especially in the playoffs, when he's likely to be unplayable.
February 2nd, 2021 at 2:06 PM ^
Garza can't guard centers in college well enough, let alone guys in the league. He can't switch, can't lock down the paint and craters any attempt at being competitive. The only way to make that work in the NBA is to Jokic level, and Garza is not one of the best passing centers of all time good.
February 2nd, 2021 at 3:06 PM ^
The B1G seems to churn out a lot of great 4-year college big men who aren’t NBA type guys. Kaminsky, Happ, Garza
February 2nd, 2021 at 3:26 PM ^
His numbers are down this year, but Kaminsky is in his 6th year in the league and has played about 20 min a game shooting 3-4 three's a game at around 35% clip. He's a pretty decent fit in the league as a stretch-type big off the bench.
February 3rd, 2021 at 12:47 PM ^
Assume that's why he returned for his senior year
February 2nd, 2021 at 12:37 PM ^
I think it would be pretty cool to see Franz drafted around the same spot as his older brother (Moe was drafted at #25 in 2018).
February 2nd, 2021 at 12:42 PM ^
Id like to see them stand next to each other now. Franz has to be same height or within an inch now. He is also filling out nicely.
February 2nd, 2021 at 1:08 PM ^
I bet Franz has him by a few inches in a standing vertical reach.
February 2nd, 2021 at 3:07 PM ^
Moe played well in that shootout the other night.
February 2nd, 2021 at 12:37 PM ^
Livers is going to be an excellent player in the NBA. He has all the shooting of a Joe Harris or Duncan Robinson but with bonafide defensive chops. He is going to go to some good team drafting late and turn into a starter while higher ceiling projects taken earlier bounce around to a few teams before making any real mark.
February 2nd, 2021 at 12:45 PM ^
I like Livers, but I've never seen a more optimistic take on his NBA prospects.
You just asserted that his shooting is like Duncan's. Really?
February 2nd, 2021 at 1:02 PM ^
To be fair, Livers is a better shooter in college than Duncan ever was and I also don't think people understand how good of a shooter Livers actually is. He was shooting 50% from 3 prior to his groin injury last season, is currently shooting 45% from 3 and over the past 2 seasons has shot 95% from the free throw line. He is an elite shooter and if you go by the "free throw shooting is a good indicator of 3 point shooting translating" ideology then has a good shot of that translating to the NBA 3 point line. I think Livers very much has the chance to be another one of those "how did teams pass up on this guy" players in the NBA like Christian Wood and Duncan Robinson
February 2nd, 2021 at 1:15 PM ^
While it is true that Livers is a better shooter than Duncan was in college, Duncan has defied all reason to be somehow better in the pros (even though he's regressed to the mean a little bit this year). It would be hard to think that Livers will make the same transition.
That said, Livers is a better athlete and defender. Livers upside is higher if his shooting does translate to a 50/40/90 guy.
February 2nd, 2021 at 1:16 PM ^
^^This is exactly why. Duncan has turned all of the glimpses we saw in college into reality in the NBA. Livers has shown much more than glimpses and has better college numbers coupled with a more comprehensive athletic base to work from. I know Dan Dakich gets a lot of shit around here but the guy knows basketball. He was the first person I heard beating the Franz is going to be a legit pro drum and he is constantly talking about how good Livers is and how easy he makes it look. In the NBA Livers will be told to shoot because whoever is smart enough to draft him knows he is an excellent shooter. He is very unselfish in college (which is great) but in the NBA the priorities are different. This is something Duncan Robinson has mentioned repeatedly in interviews - he has been told not shooting is selfish to his team.
February 2nd, 2021 at 2:12 PM ^
Not sure I agree with Livers being a better shooter than Robinson in college. Their stats IMO don’t really show that. Sure Robinson slumped a bit his senior year but his volume is just so much higher than Livers and still currently has a higher 3P%. I still do think Livers is absolutely an elite college shooter and agree that people don’t really understand how good he is. I probably watch too much NBA but I want him to be shooting 8 3s a game instead of 5.
February 2nd, 2021 at 2:54 PM ^
Take out Livers freshman year, which doesn't get counted in Robinsons stats where I'm looking and Livers has a better percentage from his Soph-Sr years.
Good point about volume though. Duncan took some tough threes (had to in Beileins snail system). Livers doesn't take enough. I get so angry when he passes up a three that he can clearly get off.
It's amazing how comparable their shooting percentages are though. Very close from 2, 3 and FT.
February 2nd, 2021 at 12:37 PM ^
Damn double
February 2nd, 2021 at 12:41 PM ^
Moody has been lights out this season, I noticed his name up there a few weeks ago when I was looking at all this.
While I feel that Livers and Henry being basically at the same spot in the draft is criminal, I also feel it is a testament to just how bad the MSU team is this season to have a guy who is middling game in and game out project as a potential draft pick.
February 2nd, 2021 at 1:59 PM ^
So glad josh Christopher and asu at(6-8 ) doesn't look like they are going to make the tourney! After the way he supposedly mislead juwan and staff yes I'm bitter! If you want to go somewhere else no problem ,but to supposedly tell the staff your committing even up till that day then switch just to ( shock the world) in his words...isn't right! I don't care if they are kids or not!
February 2nd, 2021 at 2:10 PM ^
There's also at least some reason to believe that his immature shenanigans influenced the David DeJulius transfer
February 2nd, 2021 at 3:45 PM ^
Your absolutely right! That adds insult to injury!
February 2nd, 2021 at 2:20 PM ^
I agree. I hope the kid gets paid to play basketball at the next level, but I don't wish for a successful college career (probably 1 season) for exactly these reasons. To me it's not much different than rooting against the players on a rival school.
I am curious about how he would've looked for us, but with ASU he's been inefficient on a losing squad that focuses on iso ball.