Memphis Grizzlies Mock Draft 1.0

I participated in a Twitter mock draft recently. Here's how it shook out and my rationale behind my picks.

It’s draft month. We’re about to start seeing more smoke and intel come in regarding prospects, teams, and overall plans — all leading up to a chaotic draft night. With all that comes mock draft season.

Every so often, I participate in some mock drafts with various members of NBA Draft Twitter, so I’ll start posting my picks here with deeper explanation of why I made certain selections. No, this mock draft doesn’t do trades. Sorry about it.

Link to the entire mock draft. Shoutout to Rich Stayman (aka MavsDraft), give him a follower on Twitter.

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25th pick: Jalen Hood-Schifino, 6’6” guard, Indiana

A clear case of “best player available,” Jalen Hood-Schifino is a big guard projected by some to go into the lottery.

He resembles the type of guard you should want in a rotation with Ja Morant and Desmond Bane going forward. He possesses the size to play alongside Morant, and the lead ball-handling abilities to co-pilot an offense alongside him or Bane. For followers wanting a bucket-getter, Hood-Schifino demonstrates the traits with live-dribble prowess — shot 42% on pullup 2’s and 37% on pullup 3’s.

The Grizzlies could use a combo guard in their developmental part of their depth chart, and the 19-year old Hood-Schifino is a good value play at 25.

3 picks after:

• Bobi Klintman, forward, Wake Forest

• Julian Phillips, wing, Tennessee

• Brandin Podziemski, guard, Santa Clara

45th pick: Andre Jackson, 6’8” wing, Connecticut

Andre Jackson won’t wow anyone with his shooting, a weakness dropping him to the second round. However, the rest of his game is enticing. He’s a defensive maniac, an elite passer for his positional archetype (5.8 assists per 36 minutes, 2.38 assist-to-turnover ratio), and a good committee rebounder (7.7 rebounds per 36 minutes). He’s just a winning player.

Losing Dillon Brooks means they don’t have a primary defensive stopper. With one of the 3 two-way spots, Jackson can improve on his shooting in his rookie year, giving some upside he can fill the void down the road.

3 picks after:

• Keyontae Johnson, wing, Kansas State

• Ricky Council IV, wing, Arkansas

• Mike Miles, guard, TCU

56th pick: Mouhamed Gueye, 6’11” Big, Washington State

The Grizzlies could use a rim-runner that’s near 7-feet tall, especially with the loss of Brandon Clarke. At 6’11”, Mouhammed Gueye projects as an energy big man that’s going to finish plays and protect the rim. He’s still incredibly raw and could use some seasoning in the G League, but this is a solid gamble at the 56th pick.

2 picks after:

• Emoni Bates, wing, Eastern Michigan

• Jalen Pickett, guard, Penn State

Undrafted Free Agents

• Tristian Vukcevic, big, Serbia

It never hurts to have more shooting in today’s NBA, especially players with size that can stretch the floor. Vukcevic is a riser after showing off his 3-point touch at the NBA Draft Combine.

• Kendric Davis, guard, Memphis

As many Memphis faithful have seen the past year, Kendric Davis is the ultimate competitor that makes winning plays and has a knack for getting buckets — whether it’s off the dribble or at the free throw line.

Notable undrafted players: Drew Timme, big, Gonzaga; Matthew Mayer, forward, Illinois; Hunter Hyson, wing, Clemson; Jaime Jacquez, wing, UCLA; Chris Livingston, forward, Kentucky; Adama Sanogo, big, UConn; Damion Baugh, guard, TCU

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