Follow Mike @MikeElworth24. For site updates follow @walterfootball.
May 18, 2023.
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Minnesota Timberwolves: Anthony Edwards, SG, Georgia 
Actual Pick: Anthony Edwards
Edwards is a star and is very quietly becoming a superstar. I admit that I wasn’t huge on him as a prospect, but now I love his game. It’s a shame he’s on the Timberwolves, who are in mediocre purgatory, but there is zero doubt that they would pick him a second time. -
Golden State Warriors: LaMelo Ball, PG, USA 
Actual Pick: James Wiseman
The Wiseman pick was rough, and the Warriors let him go for Gary Payton, ouch. A lot of people wanted to see Ball on the Warriors, as he would have given them another star talent at guard, but center was a need, and Wiseman seemed to be an obvious stud. I like Wiseman, but I would have loved Ball in Golden State. -
Charlotte Hornets: Tyrese Haliburton, PG, Iowa State 
Actual Pick: LaMelo Ball
Haliburton is one of the elite true point guards and has become a star for the Pacers, but he’s not Ball. Stuck in Charlotte, many haven’t noticed that the youngest Ball is filling the stat sheet. Regardless, Haliburton is a 20-10 point guard who is a more than attractive consolation prize. -
Chicago Bulls: Desmond Bane, SG, TCU 
Actual Pick: Patrick Williams
As a Bulls fan, I really like Williams, but Bane would have been a fantastic pick. He’s become the Robin to Morant’s Batman with the Grizzlies and is simply an elite scorer. He is also an elite shooter and a quietly excellent playmaker. Bane would have fit the Bulls well. -
Cleveland Cavaliers: Tyrese Maxey, SG, Kentucky 
Actual Pick: Isaac Okoro
When it comes to pure scorers, there aren’t too many as pure or efficient as the 76ers’ young star. Issac Okoro was a huge miss by the Cavaliers, and they could have paired Maxey with star point guard Darius Garland. There is a solid chance that this means he would have been traded for Donovan Mitchell, but that’s basketball. -
Atlanta Hawks: Devin Vassell, G, Florida State 
Actual Pick: Onyeka Okongwu
Vassell just had a big season for the Spurs as their second option. He is a big-time shooter, improved as a distributor, and he would have been a really nice fit with the Hawks. -
Detroit Pistons: Immanuel Quickley, PG, Kentucky 
Actual Pick: Killian Hayes
It took awhile, but Quickley has become a key guy for the Knicks and was third in sixth-man voting. He is a plus shooter and distributor who gives you 15 points off the bench. There are few players like him. -
New York Knicks: Precious Achiuwa, PF, Memphis 
Actual Pick: Obi Toppin
After Quickley, the talent lessens in a big way, and we are simply at elite to mediocre role players, starting with Achiuwa. Achiuwa is a small 6-foot-8 big man, but with starter minutes, he could average 16-11. Achiuwa and Mitchell Robinson would have made for quite the big-man combo. -
Washington Wizards: Onyeka Okongwu, C, USC 
Actual Pick: Deni Avidja
Okongwu was drafted as a reserve to Clint Capela, but I would like to see what he could accomplish as a starting center. Okongwu’s numbers have been fantastic off the bench, and he could legimatelty average 18-11 with multiple blocks a game. -
Phoenix Suns: Patrick Williams, F, Florida State
Actual Pick: Jalen Smith
Patrick Williams is a two-way power forward who shoots 40 percent from three. He’s an elite role player and should become a key guy on the Bulls. The Suns would very likely prefer Williams over Jalen Smith, who is actually no longer with the team. -
San Antonio Spurs: Tre Jones, PG, Duke 
Actual Pick: Devin Vassell
San Antonio’s starting point guard was a second-round pick, but it’s safe to say the team likely wouldn’t scoff at selecting Jones here. He probably should be an elite reserve like his Grizzly brother, but Tre Jones is more than solid for the Spurs in a starting role. -
Sacramento Kings: Saddiq Bey, SF, Villanova 
Actual Pick: Tyrese Haliburton
Bey is a talented shooter who can be a quality third or excellent fourth option on a winning team. His numbers for Detroit in his second year were fantastic, as he averaged 16-5-3, but he averaged just 14-5-2 in his third season. He should be improving, and the fact he isn’t, is concerning for Hawks fans – he was traded to Atlanta. -
New Orleans Pelicans: Cole Anthony, PG, North Carolina 
Actual Pick: Kira Lewis Jr.
A very talented point guard, Anthony has performed well for the Magic and looks like a much stronger talent than Lewis. -
Boston Celtics: Xavier Tillman, C, Michigan State 
Actual Pick: Aaron Nesmith
Tillman has been an excellent big reserve for the Grizzlies and is a more than capble scorer and rebounder. The Celtics have needed a solid reserve center, and Tillman would fit that spot. -
Orlando Magic: Isaiah Stewart, PG, North Carolina
Actual Pick: Cole Anthony
Stewart is a solid scoring 6-foot-8 big man who can shoot and is a fantastic rebounder, but should be a third big. He bas been a solid starter for Detroit.
Go to Mike’s 2020 NBA Mock Re-Draft: Round 1 – Picks 16-30
Sorry for cutting this into two halves; I’ve received complaints about load times and putting the mock draft on two pages saves bandwidth.
By Mike Elworth.
Follow Mike @MikeElworth24. For site updates follow @walterfootball.
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