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The NBA Draft is still months away but that isn't slowing down any of the hype surrounding the event. We don't know for sure what players will be in the draft and we don't know where teams will be picking but that isn't stopping analysts from getting the mock draft train rolling a bit early this season.
Chad Ford of ESPN.com has updated his preseason mock draft and projects Syracuse forward Jerami Grant to the Atlanta Hawks with the No. 16 pick:
The Nets sent this pick to the Hawks as part of the Joe Johnson trade a few years ago. What if Josh Smith had just been content doing the things he does well instead of launching ill-advised long 2s and 3s all game? Hawks fans probably stay up late at night wondering that. Well, Grant might be your answer. Like Smith, he's a freak athlete who has versatile skills. Unlike Smith, he knows he's not a great 3-point shooter and has taken just five all season.
Grant is averaging 12.5 points and 6.5 rebounds while playing 30 minutes a night as a sophomore for an undefeated Syracuse team. He is shooting 50 percent from the field and as Ford mentions, he knows his offensive limitations and tries to play to his strengths.
Here is an interview Grant did with DraftExpress at the USA Basketball U19 World Championship Training Camp:
