NBA Mock Draft: New York Knicks select Duke star

Apr 6, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Tyus Jones waves to the crowd after cutting down a piece of the net after defeating the Wisconsin Badgers in the 2015 NCAA Men

21. Dallas Mavericks

Last season, the Mavericks pulled off a trade mid season to acquire point guard Rajon Rondo to improve at the point guard position. The Rondo trade turned out to be a total disaster for the Mavericks, and in the NBA Draft they will be drafting a point guard. Tyus Jones from Duke will be the Mavericks’ man. Jones carried the Blue Devils to a National Championship with a great performance against the Wisconsin Badgers. Jones is the prototypical floor general, and will be be a perfect fit in Dallas.

22. Chicago Bulls

With the 22nd overall pick, the Chicago Bulls will be selecting Justin Anderson from Virginia. Anderson was the best player on the best defensive team in the country. Anderson will be a great defender in the NBA, but in his junior season he also became a real threat on offense. Anderson has a very good three-point shot, and also is very athletic. Anderson does need to improve at creating his own shot, but alongside Derrick Rose he wouldn’t have to worry about that much.

23. Portland Trail Blazers

One of the great stories of the NCAA Tournament was the success of Georgia St. in March Madness. R.J. Hunter was the coaches son, and was also a fantastic player in March. The Portland Trail Blazers will likely be losing guard Wes Matthews, and Hunter may be a good replacement. Hunter is a very good shooter and also a very good playmaker. He does need to add some strength to his  6’6″ frame, but he could be a solid player for a Trail Blazers team that may lose a lot of talent this offseason

24. Cleveland Cavaliers

The Cavaliers have their core in place, but when injuries hit in the playoffs, the Cavaliers ran players like Iman Shumpert into the ground. Depth is important in the NBA, and with the 24th pick the Cavaliers will select Ronde Hollis-Jefferson. LeBron James seemed like he played the entire NBA Finals, but the drafting of Hollis-Jefferson will provide the Cavaliers a backup for James. Hollis-Jefferson does pretty much everything on the court well besides shooting the basketball. If he improves his jump shot, he will be an effective offensive player.

25. Memphis Grizzlies

The Memphis Grizzlies may look to add offense here, but Montrezl Harrell and his high motor would be hard for a physical team like the Grizzlies to pass on. Memphis has had a lot of success as a bruising team in the Western Conference, and Harrell used that style of play in college. Harrell’s offensive game really grew last season, as he added a three-point shot into his skill set. While his jump shot is improving, Harrell does still have work to do with it.

Next: Picks 26-30