NBA Mock Draft: DeAndre Ayton joins the Hawks

As conference play begins across the country, we are re-visiting our mock draft, the first version of which went up in November as the NCAA season began.

Picks are based upon 538’s CARM-Elo projections, and once again no commentary is included for fit or team need. That will begin in the next edition. Consider this a restart from November’s initial version.

The Virginia Tech standout is hard to gauge, because of the Hokies’ firepower overall and his role within it. Is he really responsible for their elite offense, or is he a byproduct? The answer lies somewhere within.

Alexander-Walker can do many things, including shoot (46 percent from distance) and defend. But he’s not the fastest player and lacks craft as a finisher, meaning that he is truly a cog in the machine for Virginia Tech rather than an initiator.

If you draft the combo guard, you’re praying that his versatility comes to fruition and he impacts the game on both ends. The seeds have started to sprout for an interesting career.