By Stephen Vilardo, SuperWest Sports
June 22, 2022
With the NBA Finals behind us, we turn our attention to the NBA Draft.
I see six former Pac-12 players getting selected on Thursday night.
For a little bit of fun, I thought I’d try my hand at projecting when the Pac-12 players will hear their names and their future destinations.
For a more in-depth look at some notes and numbers for Pac-12 see my Pac-12 Draft Preview and Draft Capsules.
Bennedict Mathurin, Arizona
Shooting Guard, 6-6, 210 pounds
Round 1, Pick 6
Indiana Pacers
Turner is a good shot-blocker and defender, and losing him will require Indiana to address its defense with the sixth pick.
Mathurin has length, and while he will not be the rim protector Turner is, he will cause problems for shooters on the perimeter.
With this pick, the Pacers would also get a knockdown shooter they need. Mathurin was excellent in transition for Arizona and should be able to create off of the dribble.
Mathurin—along with Tyrese Haliburton—would give the Pacers an exciting young backcourt. And the combination of Mathurin and Chris Duarte would give the Pacers two solid wing defenders.
Dalen Terry, Arizona
SG/SF/PG, 6-7, 195 pounds
Round 1, Pick 17
Houston Rockets
Dalen Terry is one of the more versatile players in the draft. He probably slots in as a guard but also could be a small forward.
Terry also has ball-handling skills that could be appealing to Houston.
The Rockets used Kevin Porter Jr. as their point guard this past season, but Terry’s ability to fill in at the one while slotting in at the two or three could be an added bonus for the Rockets.
Terry is long and would be able to defend well at any of the three spots on the perimeter.
Offensively, Terry shot 36.4% from behind the arc. Houston was 20th in the league in three-point percentage last year, despite attempting the fourth-most shots from distance per game.
Christian Koloko, Arizona
Center, 7-0, 221 pounds
Round 2, Pick 1 (31st overall)
Indiana Pacers
This pick revolves around my thought, earlier, about Indiana moving Myles Turner.
When they do that they will need to find a new Center and they get it with the first pick of the Second Round with a pick they will have acquired from a Houston via Cleveland.
Koloko blocked 4.4 shots per 40 minutes played last season, ranking 13th in the nation.
In Koloko, the Pacers get the rim protector they will need and he will provide them with some scoring inside, as well as the ability to knock down free throws as he shot 73.5% from the stripe last season.
Jabari Walker, Colorado
Small Forward, 6-8, 214 pounds
Round 2, Pick 11 (41st overall)
New Orleans Pelicans
Walker is a wing who can play at both ends of the floor. He will knock down shots on offense and has the length to defend.
He will also hit the glass on both sides of the ball, which will appeal to the Pelicans. New Orleans was 27th in the NBA last season with a total rebound rate of 33.3%.
A spot-up shooter who knocked down 34.6% of his threes last season, Walker should also help a New Orleans team that was 27th in the NBA in three-point percentage.
Johnny Juzang, UCLA
Shooting Guard, 6-7, 209 pounds
Round 2, Pick 20 (50th overall)
Minnesota Timberwolves
Juzang can knock down shots when he gets hot, allowing him to change a game. Minnesota shot 45.6% from the floor last season, 23rd in the NBA.
Juzang’s stock may have dropped this season, but he still has the talent to play in the NBA, and he would add depth to Minnesota’s perimeter.
He could be a scorer off the bench, and with D’Angelo Russell and Patrick Beverley both in contract years next season, Minnesota could be a landing spot for the former Bruin to develop.
Peyton Watson, UCLA
Small Forward, 6-8, 203 pounds
Round 2, Pick 57 (57th overall)
Golden State Warriors
Watson is going to be a bit of a gamble for any team that takes him. The production was not there at UCLA last year, but the talent certainly is.
If any team can afford to gamble on a late-round pick, Golden State would be that team.
Watson is athletic and has the size to play in the NBA. The Warriors would not need him to contribute immediately and could develop him in the G League.
Follow Stephen on Twitter @StephenVilardo and his organization @SERCenter.
Visit his website at sercstats.com.
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