PtR Daily Mock Draft: Spurs select Brandon Miller with the 3rd pick
Welcome to Pounding the Rock’s countdown to the NBA Draft Lottery, which is just 4 days away! Each day, we will be running a Mock Draft in Tankathon‘s draft simulator and exploring what the Spurs could do in each of their possible landing spots. Yesterday San Antonio selected Amen Thompson at 4th. Today we are looking at what the Spurs can do with the 3rd overall pick. Here are the lottery results:
Houston and Detroit may have won the tanking battle, but they lost the tanking war. The worst two teams in the NBA fall to the 5th and 6th selections. Indiana and Washington both climb into the top 2, adding top prospects next to NBA all-stars.
Mock Draft
- Indiana Pacers, Victor Wembanyama: Tyrese Haliburton, Bennedict Mathurin and Myles Turner next to Wemby? Sign me up. The Pacers instantly become a top-tier league pass team with the first pick. There might not be a better landing spot for Wemby (outside of San Antonio) in the lottery.
- Washington Wizards, Scoot Henderson: The Wizards get Henderson again, this time with the second pick. I love the fit of Henderson and Bradley Beal in Washington’s back court. Their play style may resemble the John Wall and Beal days!
The Spurs have a tough decision to make with the third overall pick. After much deliberation, San Antonio has decided to take a college star with their top selection.
My pick: Brandon Miller G/F, Alabama
All season the Spurs lacked someone with go-to scoring ability. Someone who could space the floor and get you a bucket. With Miller, they get that bucket-getter. At 6-foot-9, he has the ability to shoot over players from deep and compete defensively on the perimeter. Miller’s not among the other high-level athletes in the draft, but he’s good enough to make your jaw drop on occasion with slams and chase down blocks. At Alabama, he struggled around the rim and didn’t attempt many shots from the mid-range (likely to please his coach). If San Antonio buys his scoring upside, Miller could be the pick here.
Other Possibilities
Amen Thompson: G/F, Overtime Elite
The decision between Thompson and Miller is a tough one. Thompson is the better athlete and passer and has a higher upside. With his physical tools and vision, he could very well become one of the most exciting point forwards in the game. But drafting him means the Spurs would have another key contributor without a reliable jump shot. The margin here is narrow, and on another day, I may have gone with Thompson.
Notable 3rd overall picks: Jabari Smith Jr., Evan Mobley, LaMelo Ball, R.J. Barrett, Luka Doncic, Jayson Tatum, Joel Embiid, Bradley Beal, James Harden, Pau Gasol, Carmelo Anthony
What do you think, Pounders? If the Spurs happen to fall to 3rd in the draft, who would you like to see them pick?
Remember you can watch the Lottery on Tuesday, May 16 at 7:00 PM CT on ESPN.
Previous Picks
