The NBA draft is upon us. We covered college basketball all season long. Now we see the college stars get their names called at the next level. This is one of the most anticipated drafts in recent memory. An incredible talent pool and I think we can see close to dozen quality NBA dudes come out of this draft. Like always, Draftkings put out odds for us to bet, which you can find here.
As always, please gamble responsibly.
Dyson Daniels OVER 7.5 (+140)
I like these odds at plus money. There is still uncertainty of whether Portland is going to keep it's pick at No. 7. Daniels is a hyper athletic wing who has a bright future, but he needs some polishing. There is a lot of Sheadon Sharpe buzz here, and AJ Griffin could be a sleeper in this position as well (more on that later). The uncertainty of whether teams love Daniels, makes me want to take a stab at the over on this one.
Mark Williams OVER 13.5 (-210)
Sometimes you have to pay for certainties. The rise of Jeremy Sochan bumps Williams back. Teams don’t prioritize rim blocking centers. And in this case, the Hornets picking at No. 13 are rumored to prefer Jalen Duren over Williams. If Duren is picked earlier in the draft, the Hornets have a pick at No.15 to get Williams. It’s unlikely he will be the top player on the board when that pick comes around.
Bennedict Mathurin UNDER 6.5 (-285)
The juice is high on this one, but unless we have a Laremy Tunsil gas mask bong video moment before draft night, Mathurin is not falling. He has the Mamba-like killer instinct. He is great on the ball and off the ball. He has athleticism, length, and shot making ability. Indiana has their point guard of the future in Tyrese Haliburton. They can draft his backcourt mate at six. Doesn’t get easier than that.
AJ Griffin UNDER 11.5 and Griffin Top 10 (+300)
It only takes one team to fall in love with a player. And while there are injury concerns, (Griffin missed two years of high school basketball and was hurt the early part of the season at Duke), he is an athletic wing who shot 45 percent from three. What am I missing here? Isn’t that every GM’s dream nowadays? Griffin has been touted as a top 10 guy all year and now he is falling. Simply does not make sense to me. If Griffin falls outside the top ten, the GM’s that passed on him won’t have a job for long.
Jalen Williams UNDER 15.5 +140; Top ten (+1600)
My favorite prop of the draft. The forward from Santa Clara had a breakout season averaging 18.0 points, 4.5 assists, and shot 39 percent from deep. He excelled at the NBA scouting combine and measured with a 7-foot wingspan. He has been linked to many teams in the lottery from the Hornets, Bulls, and Spurs. He has a tremendously high basketball IQ and is a great passer out of the pick and roll. He is the type of prospect Gregg Popovich would reach for, with the Spurs picking at No. 9. I’ll take a flier on Williams going in the Top 10.
6. Blake Wesley UNDER 21.5 (-145)
Wesley has been seen as a lottery pick since coming out of high school. He has crazy athleticism and possesses high upside as a shot creator. Wesley is great with the ball; he has an elite first step and excels at getting to the rim. He has been projected to go to the Spurs at 20 or the Nuggets at 21. He has the potential to be jumped by guard Jaden Hardy. So it really depends how Wesley fits on their board. Teams are always swinging for guys with high upside. Wesley brings home run potential in the back end of the first round.
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