2019 NBA Mock Draft: Is R.J. Barrett right for the Knicks?
Bol Bol. 11. player. 125. . C. Oregon
Bol suffers the biggest fall of anyone in the second iteration of our mock after suffering a season-ending left foot injury that will require surgery.
ESPN reported Jan. 4 that Bol will nevertheless enter the draft. The freshman posted on Twitter shortly after, saying, “Playing for my dream school under my favorite Coach Altman has been the Best part of my life and sadly it has come to end sooner than I would Like.” The ESPN report indicated Bol simply would not have recovered in time to return during the season anyway, so the extra time to prepare for his professional career will be more valuable.
Yet while Bol is expected to be patient and make a successful recovery, a foot injury for a big man is never a good sign. And Bol isn’t just a big man. He’s 7-3 with a game predicated upon mobility. If he’s not the same triple-threat scorer or rim protector after recovering from this surgery, his stock takes a huge hit. Much like Darius Garland, it’s a decision teams will have to make by bringing Bol in before the draft and listening keenly through the grapevine.
Atlanta can be patient and take the risk. With two picks in the first round, the Hawks are still adding talent in the early stages of a rebuild. They’re waiting to see what players like Trae Young, John Collins and Kevin Huerter can be. Bol’s development would neither be the focus or a difference-maker in Atlanta, but his emergence would complete a terrifying frontcourt alongside Collins should it happen.