NBA Mock Draft 2019: Knicks Snag Zion Williamson

Getty

For many NBA fans, March Madness signals the start of the draft process as top college basketball prospects begin to make a name for themselves under the bright lights of the NCAA tournament. All eyes continue to be on Duke with four players expected to be selected in the first round and three prospects with a chance to go inside the top five picks.

Knicks fans will be excited to see Zion Williamson heading to New York City in our latest NBA mock draft. Regardless of whether Williamson plays again for Duke, the Duke big man appears to be a lock to be the top pick in June’s draft. After Williamson, Muray State’s Ja Morant is battling Duke’s RJ Barrett to be the No. 2 pick. ESPN’s Jonathan Givony reported Barrett has a sizable lead on the field to be taken with the second pick.

Barrett came into the season firmly at No. 1. While fellow Duke freshman Williamson has since claimed that mantle, Barrett has put quite a bit of distance between himself and the rest of the field with a fantastic month of February (23 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists per game, with a 58.5 true shooting percentage). His performances without Williamson are a great reminder of his talent at age 18. Scouts still nitpick his defense and scoring efficiency, but when he’s passing and making shots like this, that feels like splitting hairs. To me, he’s as strong a candidate for the No. 2 pick as you’ll find in almost any draft class (Luka Doncic aside). I think he should go No. 2 regardless of who gets the pick.

I have Morant firmly behind Barrett but ahead of Blue Devils forward Reddish by a pretty comfortable margin.

Here’s a look at our latest mock draft heading into the NCAA conference tournaments. The draft order is based on the Tankathon.com standings as of Friday, March 8th.

NBA Mock Draft 2019: 1st Round Picks