2018 NBA Mock Draft: What’s in store for the second round?

An insider secret about the making of FanSided NBA mocks: I go through and put the players in the order that makes sense and then go back in and mess with certain teams that have multiple picks and try to form a cohesive draft. Rarely would I notice something like the pattern I created for them in this week’s mock, in which they pick three of the most high-profile college players of the season all together. Knox joins Brunson here, and Atlanta adds another NCAA standout at No. 3.

As I believe all of Atlanta’s picks should be at this point, this one is all about value. Knox is one of the few guys who backed up his physical advantages with legitimate value on the court this year, especially as he settled into a lower usage role to finish conference play.

Over 38 percent of Knox’s shots were from distance this season, and he knocked down 34 percent. You would have liked the efficiency to be even higher with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander creating open shots for him consistently, but nevertheless Knox was solid. He falls to 19 for that reason and because his defensive advantages did not turn into statistical production quite enough, but the Hawks would be getting a versatile, gifted player at this spot.