The Ringer is not messing around with their latest mock draft. Or, maybe they are? It's hard to say for sure if they're serious right now, but their current mock draft has one of the most bizarre crop of picks we've ever seen. It's like they did a Mock Draft Simulator and just wrote down the results.
We'll get to who the Utah Jazz were mocked to take in this experiment they ran, but firstly, let's talk about the first overall pick because that's wild. They have Reed Sheppard, a 6'3 true point guard going first overall to the San Antonio Spurs. Now, maybe he's going to be a great player. He's shooting over 50% from three in college, so that's clearly a reason to covet him. Yet, he's started just three games, is only taking four threes per game, and isn't even averaging 13 points across the season.
Bold to take someone with such mediocre numbers so high. Most people have one of three going first overall, Zaccharie Risacher, Matas Buzelis, or Tidjane Salaun going in the top three. Who knows if they're any good, the transition from non-NBA to NBA is drastic. Yet, we've not heard about Sheppard going this high at all before this article.
As for the Jazz, assuming they keep their Top 10-protected pick, they're apparently taking Nikola Topic. He's an 18/19-year-old point-forward with decent vision but no real shot. He got to show off for Mega MIS, dropping 18 points and seven assists in 12 games, but aside from that, he doesn't have a lot of consistent playing time. Currently suiting up for Crvena zvezda Meridianbet in the ABA, he's played just two games and taken four shots.
Sure, there's potential but that's it.
At the 29th pick the Jazz's second potential first-round selection, they have the Jazz taking Jaylon Tyson out of Cal. He's at least putting up solid numbers. He's scoring just under 20 points per game (19.6), with shooting splits of .470/.358/.799. Solid numbers for a player who will likely come off the bench in garbage time for the Jazz, should he get selected. He's a solid option at that point, considering everyone else who's gone ahead of him.
I'm not as enthused with Topic, who has really no outstanding performances to his name. His lack of a three-point shot in the modern NBA is also concerning.