Mock Draft Shows NBA Team Adding Evan Mobley To Young Core
Despite the 2021 NBA Draft being months away, mock draft season remains in full swing.
Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman released his latest NBA mock draft, and like most pundits, he had Evan Mobley being selected No. 2 overall, but to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Thunder are one of the most intriguing teams to watch over the next half decade, and between now and 2027 they own 17 first round picks.
Currently, they are in heavy tank-mode, trying their best to increase their odds at landing a player like Evan Mobley. If Thunder are able to draft Mobley, that will set their foundation in place to be future title contenders down the road.
Taking a look at the Thunder's current assets...
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander looks like a budding superstar, Luguentz Dort is a bulldog with an increasing ceiling, and Aleksej Pokusevski is a 7-foot big that is just oozing with potential.
Not to mention other interesting young players like Darius Bazley, Theo Maledon, and Moses Brown who have tremendous upside.
Wasserman argues that adding in a defensive anchor like Evan Mobley with the No. 2 pick could help strengthen the Thunder's defensive core.
Wasserman writes, "Between Mobley and the emergence of Luguentz Dort, the Thunder could really start to strengthen their defensive foundation and identity. USC's big man popped this year for his quickness and length in rim protection, switching and guarding in space."
The combination of Dort and Mobley on the defensive end would be nightmare for opponents. Trying to stop the Gilgeous-Alexander/Mobley pick-and-roll will be nearly impossible.
It might take a while for the Thunder to start being competitive when Mobley first arrives. But as they keep adding talent through the draft, they could easily build a title contender with the former USC star as the center piece.
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