NBA News NBA News, Match Reports and Updates
The NBA playoffs are finally here! Though the play-in tournament results will determine the final draft lottery odds, we’ve got a pretty good idea about how things will fall. Last mock, I played out the scenario in which Darryn Peterson tumbled out of the top three due to medical concerns. Today, we’re doing the opposite now that the order is mostly set with a clean board and standard order. Let’s get to it with both the first and second rounds.
A.J. Dybantsa, 6-9, BYU freshman forward
Congratulations to the Wizards for their hard work tanking their way to only 17 wins, ending the year on a high note with a 10-game losing streak! At worst, the Wizards can end up with the fifth pick. But we’ll save that nightmare scenario for a future mock. For now, the Wizards stick with the first pick and land Dybantsa, who led the nation in scoring as a freshman by averaging 25.5 points for a top-25 team. At 6-foot-9, players his size are not supposed to move with the herky-jerky elasticity that Dybantsa does. He can dunk over defenders. He can stop on a dime and fade away from midrange. And he can catch fire from behind the line too. BYU head coach Kevin Young said Dybantsa’s scoring talent is “in rare air with some of the greats.” Over the course of his freshman year, he began to make dramatic progress as a passer, too, as shown with his cross-court, bull’s-eye passes to find shooters.
Advertisement
If the Wizards land him with the top pick, they could be getting the face of the franchise they need to headline a young roster with some appealing talents, such as center Alex Sarr, wing Kyshawn George, and guard Tre Johnson. And perhaps Trae Young and Anthony Davis could return next season and help Dybantsa win as a rookie.
(Hassan Ahmad/Yahoo Sports Illustration)
Darryn Peterson, 6-6, Kansas freshman guard
Tyrese Haliburton told Pacers fans not to get used to no games being played in April, May and June. Odds are, he’s right. Indiana has a lot of talent on the roster, and as long as Haliburton can return to his All-NBA level, whomever gets picked will be the cherry on top. With Dybantsa off the board, the Pacers…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/nba/article/nba-mock-draft-20-full-projections-for-both-rounds-with-regular-season-in-the-books-173944181.html
Author : Kevin O'Connor
Publish date : 2026-04-14 17:39:00
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.
