NBADraft.net has released their latest mock up of the 2013 NBA Draft and it looks a little different than some of the other sites. For example Kansas guard Ben McLemore is projected as the No. 1 overall pick to the Cleveland Cavaliers with Kentucky center Nerlens Noel sliding to No. 2.
Going big is a popular theory for the Atlanta Hawks but NBADraft.net goes a step further with Danny Ferry taking a couple of center prospects in Duke's Mason Plumlee and Brazilian big man Lucas Nogueira.
Plumlee has been a popular name for the Hawks among draft pundits. His good showing at the Draft Combine has seemed to solidify Plumlee as a first-round prospect at least heading into individual workouts.
With back to back picks the surprise playoff team, Atlanta Hawks address their frontcourt with Mason Plumlee. Plumlee was one of the surprises in college this year, but may slip to the teens due to his case of "senior-itis" Similar to last year with Tyler Zeller, younger prospects with more perceived upside may ultimately push the senior into the second half of the first round. He added some offensive skills around the basket, and played the year with surprising consistency. He is a better version of his brother Miles who somehow landed in the late first round in 2012. While he's not overly skilled in the post, he shows nice explosiveness, runs the floor well and shows a willingness to fight for rebounds and play tough in the paint. In such a weak draft, Plumlee figures to land in the teens.
Here is another scouting video from DraftExpress on Plumlee:
Lucas Nogueira is a name that I originally wasn't familiar with but I think he would be a stretch to be picked this high in the first round. Nogueira is 20 years old and stands 6-11 but is relatively light at a listed weight of 220 pounds. Here is what NBADraft.net had to say about him:
Bebe gives the Hawks the opportunity to bring him in right away or allow him to dvelop for another season in Spain. Nogueira is extremely raw, but players with his size and agility are rare. He had a breakout performance at the Copa America U18 tournament in 2010 and some NBA scouts came away saying he had top 5 pick potential. He lost most of that hype with a dreadful showing at the 2011 adidas Eurocamp in Treviso, but has a huge bounce back season playing in Spain for Estudiantes. "Bebe" developed a reputation for being soft and lazy, but this season he showed dedication and maturity that had been lacking from his game. For him, it's just a matter of becoming more aggressive and maintaining his focus. Bebe has proven himself in the ACB, Europe's best national league and has become our top International prospect for this year's draft.
Here is a DraftExpress interview from the 2011 Nike Hoop Summit with Nogueira: