For what it's worth they also have us taking a center with
both our 24 and 29 pick...
Mock drafts are just projections of how good guys are playing and no one matches players to needs until a few weeks from the draft.
Mock drafts at this stage are interesting, but not very useful. There are several reasons why they don't mean much:
1. UNDERCLASSMENT: No one knows who will stay in the draft or pull out. This year it will be especially difficult because so many freshmen and sophomores are highly rated.
2 NCAA TOURNAMENT: No one knows which teams will go deep into the draft. Some exceptional players will have their teams get bumped off early while others will go deep. Strong tounament play can really help a player's stock, but poor seeding hurt others.
3 EUROS: It is very easy for Euros to pull out of the draft. Splitter has been in and out every year he's been old enough. Also, Euros often have contract issues which may mean they will fall much further than their talent would suggest.
4. WORKSOUTS AND THE COMBINE: There are some terrific college players who turn out to be a lot shorter or less athletic than imagined or otherwise don't test well. In other cases, guys who were considered talented rise when it turns out they are better jump athletes that previously imagined.
5. INDIVIDUAL WORKOUTS: Some teams make huge mistakes when guys do better in workouts than on the floor. Still, steals like Amare came from great workouts.
6. GAMESMANSHIP: Teams often lie about their intentions while agents spread rumors about who is interested and problems in other players.
Most of this settles out in the weeks before the draft, but prior to that it is more a "who's improving and who's declining?" process.
