Prior to the NBA Draft Combine, many expected former Duke center Maliq Brown to go undrafted after four collegiate seasons with the Blue Devils and Syracuse Orange Men. But after positive pre-draft workouts, it appears as though Brown has skyrocketed up NBA draft boards.
In a recent mock draft conducted by Yahoo Sports’ Kevin O’Connor, he has Brown being selected by the Los Angeles Clippers with the No. 36 overall pick. O’Connor cites his mentality, basketball intelligence and defensive versatility as the main reasons why, with a lack of height and outside shooting as the main drawbacks.
But, in the same mock draft, O’Connor has a surprising position for another Duke standout, Isaiah Evans. After previous mock drafts have consistently ranked Evans as a late first-round selection, O’Connor has Evans falling to the second round, just two picks ahead of Brown at No. 34 overall to the Sacramento Kings. While a slip out of the first round could certainly affect Evans’ salary, landing with a franchise like the Kings could earn him consistent minutes from the jump.
