Three Duke Players Projected For First Round in Mock Draft
CBSSports.com released an updated mock NBA Draft, and it’s good news for the Blue Devils underclassmen hoping to land with a team as a first-round pick.
Sophomore Tre Jones and freshmen Vernon Carey Jr. and Cassius Stanley are all slotted for the first round, according to the latest projections.
There’s still plenty that’s up in the air, since, not only hasn’t the draft lottery order been determined yet—its postponement was announced last week—but the regular season still hasn’t been completed, as the league suspended operations in early March due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
CBS sees Jones as being the first Blue Devil to hear his name called. He’s expected to go No. 22 overall, to the Brooklyn Nets, who got the pick from Philadelphia. The CBSSports scouting report on Jones says that his defense “dropped off a bit last season” but his improved jump shot could help cancel that out. Jones improved his three-point accuracy but saw his rate on two-pointers fall, “something that will cause general managers to vacillate.”
Carey is expected to go one pick later, at No. 23 overall, to Miami. CBS admits that most mocks don’t have the big man going that high, but his improvement from November to March earned him the spot. “A big man with a good touch, a good defensive profile and a nice passer for a player of his size. If he falls beyond 25, it's a mistake. Period,” the CBS scouting report reads.
Cassius Stanley also makes it into the first round, going at No. 28 overall to the Knicks, who got the pick from the Clippers. Again, CBS admits that it’s higher than most mocks have him, “but Stanley's film is intoxicating. He's one of the two or three best athletes in this draft.”
