THE VIBES NBA LOTTERY MOCK DRAFT
A Mock Draft based entirely on Vibes by Chris Filer
THE RULES
Mock drafts and big boards are prevalent in the draft community. Mocks come out occasionally as standings are relatively static as the season wears on. The good teams rack up wins and the bad teams bank losses. Big boards are generally better for “rankings” as the evaluator can try to list out their perceived player value while ignoring the context of the team that might be drafting. Unfortunately, that is not the situation that teams find themselves in each year at the draft lottery, where the draft order is often thrown into disarray and the prospects must be seen through the lens of a general manager. The GM also has to take into account the context of the team when making their picks.
In this mock draft exercise, I intend to try to replicate the plight of the GM. We will consider the lens of the draft order, even early in the season before the standings stabilize, as well as the chaos of the draft lottery by shaking things up with a simulated draft order which will be selected in the week leading up to publishing.
With the above considerations, hopefully this bi-weekly (occurring every two weeks) exercise should provide a more thought provoking experience than the typical mock draft. For the time being, this mock is about the lottery, so as to take advantage of the chaos created by the exercise.
Should you have any disagreements with the selections, analysis, or rule set on this exercise, please reach out to your local elected official to voice your outrage.
THE DRAFT
1 — WASHINGTON WIZARDS — COOPER FLAGG
The main man. Cooper Flagg will be the first pick in the draft until further notice. There is no team that will pass on him as of November 12, 2024. Flagg’s calling card is on the defensive end. He guards in space and is a phenomenal rim protector. His offensive ceiling is likely the deciding factor in how high he can climb as a star. For now, he looks like a terrific play finisher, a quickly developing shooter and a creation hub who threatens to get to the rim at all times.
Flagg is a perfect fit next to the Wizards young core, and could potentially be the go to scorer that they are dreaming about. A defensive core of Flagg, Bilal, and Sarr is extremely exciting. Many, many teams should be trying to capture the Flagg.
2 — UTAH JAZZ — ACE BAILEY
The runner up to Flagg at the beginning of the season. Ace is a big swing for any team, but should be flexible at the next level.
Ace is a very good athlete in an almost 6'10 body with incredible scoring ability. This man fits in with the greats as one of the best tough shot making prospects ever.
He should be able to guard on the wing and against smaller bigs due to his size, length, and athleticism. The question for Ace relies around his need to take tough shots. Is he capable of creating easier shots for himself and others?
The Jazz are still trying to find themselves. They have added young talented players over the last few years, but only Lauri Markkanen is a sure thing at this point. Ace could be the big swing that Utah is searching for.
3 — TORONTO RAPTORS — V.J. EDGECOMBE
A freaky athlete with incredible hustle. V.J. is a defensive dynamo who plays bigger than his size due to incredible speed, verticality, and length. With maybe the highest floor in the draft outside of Flagg, Edgecombe should be a safe bet to contribute at the next level if he can be an average shooter.
Offense is the key for V.J.’s stock. His shooting has improved over the years and entering college at Baylor, he has become a solid shooter on catch and shoots and is exploring his ability to create. A good decision maker with a shaky handle, the sky is the limit if he can improve on those weaknesses.
Adding V.J. would give Toronto a different kind of talent to add to their core. V.J. is ready to play in the NBA now, and could be a key addition to the Raptors aspirations for a playoff berth.
4 — PHILADELPHIA 76ERS — EGOR DEMIN
Demin is the first draft riser this season. So far, he has been throwing a perfect game against opposing defenses and showcasing a versatile scoring/passing hybrid offensive package.
To this point, it is not hyperbole to say that his decision making has been incredible. He has been able to make all of the passes and see the entire court with his 6'9 frame. He has an advanced control over the flow of the game, manipulating defenses with his eyes and picking them apart when they take the bait. His shooting form looks solid, and he has unveiled a step back three that forces his defender to play close, opening up the rest of his offense. He is passable on defense, and that is more than enough. Here, the 76ers add an elite connective piece to immediately fit in when they hopefully get healthy.
5 — NEW ORLEANS PELICANS — KHAMAN MALUACH
Maluach is relatively new to basketball, having just started playing at age 13, but having just turned 18 years old, is larger than Joel Embiid was at 20. Maluach is a giant, even in the world of basketball, and not a plodding one.
His athleticism is tantalizing, his motor is persistent, and his understanding of the game appears to be improving each time he steps onto the court. With the 5th pick in the draft, this is an upside swing to be sure, but with the hope of a solid floor. He is already a force on defense and should be an effective rim protector and rebounder in the NBA. His offense is improving, and he hasn’t even begun to show off the three point shot that he was so fond of in the lower levels. He could be exactly the force that New Orleans has been looking for to solve their center position.
6 — PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS — LIAM MCNEELEY
A 6'8 wing with in-the-gym range, McNeeley is an off the ball connector who would fit in on any team. There is never enough shooting a team can acquire, and McNeeley is world class. He shot over 52% from three on high volume as a senior at Montverde. He brings elite relocation skills, hustle and constant movement. He doesn’t force offense, but knows that he always has the green light. He looks like a good defender so far, as he is tall for a wing and shows good athleticism. His lateral quickness looks good so far and he has flexible hips that allow him to stay with quicker assignments.
The Blazers are in an odd spot, where at six, they do need to consider some of the young talent brought in recently, but McNeeley fits everywhere and with every team. This is a win.
7 — BROOKLYN NETS — DYLAN HARPER
Harper is a huge name and was a dominant high school player. He is intelligent, talented and strong. However, there is concern regarding his shot and overall burst that may hold him back from being a star at the next level. However, there is little reason that Harper cannot be a high level contributor in the NBA due to his numerous strengths.
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Harper is powerful, a talented ball handler, and always under control. He is a very good passer, and there is no reason he should not at least be stout on the defensive side of the ball. It is possible that he does not have an elite skill at the next level, but he should have plenty of good ones.
The Nets are trying to find direction at the moment, and they will take the best player available at number seven.
8 — CHARLOTTE HORNETS — KON KNUEPPEL
First and foremost, Knueppel is an elite shooter on volume. He is a spacing nightmare for opposing defenses to deal with, as he both shoots well, and has enough of a handle to attack hard closeouts. Kon has a strong build and good head on his shoulders. He understands the game and has a great motor. Is he a good enough athlete to be a plus on the defensive end at the next level? Is he able to improve upon the low amount of stocks tallied so far? Can he be more of a threat around the rim than he has been able to show in the early season? These are the key questions he needs to answer this year.
Regardless, adding an intelligent shooter with a strong build to the wing already manned by good positional size should workout great for everyone.
9 — DETROIT PISTONS — TRE JOHNSON
In a draft full of talented shooters, Tre might be the best. Last year, Tre was an almost 40% three point shooter on high volume and high difficulty. He regularly took deep pull-ups and shots off movement.
To begin his freshman year, he hasn’t missed a beat. Thus far into his Freshman season, Tre is a 94th percentile catch and shoot and a 81st percentile overall jump shooter per Synergy. He shoots off movement, off the dribble, and off balance. Just as important is his movement off-ball, which forces the defense to react to his incredible in-the-gym range. He looks stronger this year, and plays a bit bigger than his listed size as a result. Not so coincidentally, his defense is solid, as he is able to stay strong and help when appropriate.
He slots in perfectly for a team that needs as much shooting as possible.
10 — MIAMI HEAT — WILL RILEY
Riley is a talented scorer. He is looking to shoot the ball at all times and does so efficiently. He already looks like a guy who can put up strong numbers from three on volume.
On defense, he flies around screens, shows good lateral quickness and has solid length for contests.
While he is not seeing starter minutes on a strong Illinois team so far, he has popped in his opportunities.
For the moment, a pivot to a full tank seems unlikely in Miami. If they end up with the tenth pick in the draft, they might attempt to re-tool around Bam. Regardless of the details of the re-tool, Miami will be seeking players who can contribute next to him. Riley can bring more spacing from a younger source as some of the veteran Heat roster ages out.
11 — DALLAS MAVERICKS — KASPARAS JAKUCIONIS
Jakucionis is a legitimate initiator who runs offense at a high level in a strong, 6'6 package. His feel for the game is high, and his passing talent is impressive.
To this point, he has struggled a bit in balancing finding his own shot, versus finding teammates, often opting to pass out of good shots. However, with the kind of feel he has at age 18, it shouldn’t be long before gets it.
Defensively, he is strong and can certainly guard up against larger wings than point guards are normally required to handle. He also seems to be quick enough to handle reasonable speed. The defensive versatility he brings could be crucial for a Dallas team in an odd position. They need to find an immediate contributor. This could be their man.
12 — OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER — NOA ESSENGUE
Essengue is a project. An athletic and long project. At this moment, Noa is terrorizing offenses with his speed, length, and motor while crashing the offensive boards and switching out against whomever he needs to guard.
His offense is a work in progress, as for now, he relies on cuts and offensive boars for the bulk of his points. He is too small to be a primary big in the NBA and his shot has not come along so far. At only 17, he has not yet put together an average shooting season and it is unlikely that he will be ready to play NBA minutes next season.
All of this makes Noa a perfect fit for OKC. He even feels like an OKC player who relies on incredible athleticism and effort to contribute. OKC doesn’t need him to play right away, and down the line, he could fill in a rotation spot.
13 — SAN ANTONIO SPURS — NOLAN TRAORE
Traore entered the season as a favorite for a top 5 pick according to many publications. Traore is a very high level processor who picks apart pick and roll defenses like a long time vet. He is a good athlete who has shown flashes of shooting talent.
Now is the time to put it all together. He has continued to struggle shooting the ball from all levels, including around the rim. His long-time turnover problems persist and he still fouls at an incredibly high rate for a guard.
Traore has immense talent, but at the moment, he is a brilliant passer who is failing to be a scoring threat. He needs to figure out how to put the ball in the basket soon.
Traore, or maybe just the idea of Traore, fits San Antonio perfectly. He could hopefully QB this offense by next year.
14 — ATLANTA HAWKS — KANON CATCHINGS
Kanon Catchings shares the court with early breakout star, Egor Demin. Demin is making life easy for Catchings, and he has all the tools in the world to take advantage. He is very large, has a reportedly 7-foot wingspan that might be even longer, and is an extremely explosive athlete.
Catchings is a gifted point of attack defender and is so athletic that he is a serious threat as a weak side shot blocker.
The question with him is on offense. So far, his shot hasn’t fallen, but he was a 36% three point shooter in his senior year. If he can get his shot to passable, and cut down on some bad choices, he has a chance to be a real player.
Atlanta is in the midst of a soft rebuild. Catchings would fit in with the other big athletes already on roster. He also doesn’t need to contribute right away.
