Seth Romsa

An absolutely whirlwind NBA season came to a close last week with the Denver Nuggets deservedly winning the first title in franchise history.

Some people may have said that was a boring NBA Finals, but I felt like it was one of the best forms of basketball we have seen in some time.

That series was a dogfight to the end despite Denver winning in five, with the Nuggets playing a strong brand of team basketball and the Miami Heat ramping up the defensive intensity when it mattered to keep games close throughout the action.

Nikola Jokic proved he is one of the, if not the top, player in the NBA after becoming the first player in NBA history to lead the playoffs in points, rebounds and assists throughout the entire playoffs.

I think two straight regular season Most Valuable Players the two years prior to this coupled with a title and Finals MVP this year moves him to the top currently but the top of the field is crowded in a talented league.

JA MORANT SITUATION

News came out on Friday that Ja Morant would be suspended 25 games to begin the season and will have to complete certain steps before he can return to play.

If you are unfamiliar with the situation, Morant has been seen flashing guns once during the regular season and once after the Memphis Grizzlies were eliminated from the playoffs — having already spent time away from the team to figure out his situation.

Now I am obviously not saying owning a gun is a crime in any way, shape or form, but the way with which he brandished it — and having already been accused of punching and flashing a gun at a 17-year-old last summer — I’m not sure the 25 games will be enough.

Ja Morant is a super talented player, but essentially benching him for just over a quarter of the season may not have been enough for him to get his act together.

I was a little shocked the suspension was so short, but with the advantage of having the next five to six months to figure out where he is at in life may have been why the suspension was so short.

No criminal activity has been uncovered regarding his prior offenses, but the image for the league does become slightly diminished with guns being displayed in that manner by Morant so I can understand why they had to suspend him.

MOCK DRAFT

Kicking off the next season already will be the NBA Draft which is set to take place Thursday night at 6 p.m. Mountain Time in the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

Everybody knows who will be the No. 1 pick on Thursday, with generational talent Victor Wembanyama going to the San Antonio Spurs.

Beyond that, the next two top prospects are likely known, but the positioning of the two is not determined.

I feel like Brandon Miller will likely go to the Hornets at No. 2, but owner Michael Jordan’s likely sale of the franchise continues to put a poor franchise in a difficult position.

The small forward play of the Hornets has been all right over the past few years, but Gordon Hayward is not and should not be the option moving forward.

Then at three would be my most likely position for somebody to trade out of with the Portland Trail Blazers selecting. That trade would likely snag a secondary player or near star to help Damian Lillard, such as Pascal Siakim from the Toronto Raptors, or even John Collins from the Atlanta Hawks who has been on the trading block since last season.

If they don’t, it’s likely that the crowded back court would force Portland to move in a different direction and not take Scoot Henderson. Instead, they’d likely take Ausar Thompson, one of the twin brothers.

Next would be Houston, who would snap at the opportunity to take Henderson at four, likely forming a backcourt duo for the future with Jalen Green or having him learn from James Harden if he returns in free agency.

Detroit at five would then be left with the other top small forward in Cam Whitmore from Villanova to help join a strong young core for the Pistons.

Orlando has already filled a need with reigning Rookie of the Year Paolo Banchero the No. 1 pick last year, and continues to have a need at the guard slot that has haunted the franchise for decades.

The second twin will not make it past six, with Amen Thompson going to the Magic.

The Indiana Pacers decided to blow things up last year, shipping out most of the core but bringing in an incredible talent in Tyrese Haliburton to build for the future.

This may come a little early but I feel as if Taylor Hendricks embodies the Pacers as an organization and will jump ahead of a few names here.

The Washington Wizards are a mess, and Bradley Beal was not the answer for a reeling franchise after he was traded for a 38-year-old Chris Paul and some second round picks.

That could set off a chain reaction of trades, with rumors of Lillard to Miami, Paul reuniting with the Clippers or even Brandon Ingram being shipped for the No. 2 pick in Charlotte.

This is a team I could see moving up in the draft, but if they stick and pick it will be Anthony Black as the strong guard for the team in a position which has haunted the franchise since John Wall’s injury and subsequent departure from the nation’s capital.

The Utah Jazz also have some needs throughout the team, and I feel as if Gradey Dick from Kansas will be a likely pick for Utah.

Dallas needs to surround Luka Doncic with shooters, and I think as if Jordan Hawkins can be the answer as an off-ball shooter for the Mavericks.

Orlando gets a second pick in the lottery after a trade with the Chicago Bulls, and I feel like No. 11 can again provide a strong pick if the franchise doesn’t decide to trade out and stockpile more assets.

Small forward may be a position if they move Banchero to the power forward, and I think as if Bilal Coulibaly will be a good fit from France.

Oklahoma City has a ton of options and picks over the next few years, and they will likely trade out of 12 and probably add to a strong young team through a player rather than more picks.

If they do pick then Keyonte George from Baylor will be the likely pick, pairing well with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Josh Giddey as a strong option off the bench at shooting guard.

At 13 I feel like Toronto needs a center, and Derick Lively II from Duke will be the answer with a weaker center draft besides Wembanyama being available.

Finishing out the lottery for the New Orleans Pelicans and this draft prediction will be Cason Wallace from Kentucky, keeping the tradition alive with another player going early from the Wildcats.

Keep in mind that there will be tons of trades and likely stars moved in the coming weeks before the draft, after the draft and during the free agency period in early July.

Mock drafts are fun in principle, but getting all of them right is nearly impossible with the talent coming into sports all over the world.