2019 NBA Draft: Full Mock Draft 4.0, Atlanta Hawks Trade Down to Pick at 8, 14 & 22, Lakers Trade #4

As expected, Zion Williamson out of Duke University is the number one pick here, as he has been since roughly the first game of the NCAA Men’s Basketball season when Zion led the Blue Devils to an utterly destructive showing against the Kentucky Wildcats.

Though that was roughly where Duke peaked, Zion’s career is just beginning, and not to be hyperbolic, but he has the makings of a superstar due to his absolutely breathtaking athleticism, striking basketball IQ and ability to make jaw-dropping plays on both ends of the court.

Perhaps the lottery was rigged to keep the NBA in the New Orleans market with Anthony Davis likely on the way out via trade (as he is in the 2019 NBA Draft mock-up scenario in this very article), but the Pelicans are sitting pretty with the top pick in the 2019 NBA Draft.

Just to reiterate this, Zion produced the highest recorded Player Efficiency Rating in Sports Reference’s database with an astonishing 40.8. Notably, the second-highest mark belonged to Gonzaga’s Brandon Clarke – who we’ll get to later in this mock draft.

Per Bart Torvik, Zion Williamson was second in at-rim attempts in the country last season at 313. Among players in the Top 50 of at-rim attempts, Zion was second in at-rim shooting percentage with a ridiculous 78.9 percent. The only player with a higher percentage at the rim? The aforementioned Brandon Clarke, who shot 79.7 percent at the rim.

Though the Pelicans were looking to be in an ugly position next season, their fates turned on the bounce of a ping-pong ball.