Gonzaga Basketball: NBA Mock Draft Consensus on Suggs, Kispert, Ayayi
Pacific Northwest Sports brings you a compilation of where Gonzaga basketball stars Jalen Suggs, Corey Kispirt, Joel Ayayi, and Filip Petrusev may go in the 2021 NBA Draft.
The NBA Draft is a bittersweet time for Gonzaga basketball fans. On the one hand, it’s a final goodbye to players who did so much to boost the Zags. On the other, it’s a time to celebrate those player’s achievements as they get rewarded with a chance to cash in and play at the highest level of professional basketball.
The NBA Draft is on July 29. Pacific Northwest will update Gonzaga Bulldogs fans on where former team stars Jalen Suggs, Corey Kispert, Joel Ayayi, and Filip Petrusev are likely to get drafted. Pacific Northwest Sports scoured the internet for reliable mock drafts. We audited 22 of them, including ESPN, Fox, CBS, Sports Illustrated, and USA Today, to get a consensus.
Jalen Suggs – 6-4, Point Guard
- Highest draft spot – Houston Rockets, 2nd
- Lowest draft spot – Oklahoma City Thunder, 6th
- Most common draft spot – Toronto Raptors, 4th
What a pleasure it was watching 18-year-old Jalen Suggs do his thing for the Gonzaga Bulldogs during his lone season in Spokane. There isn’t a Zags fan who will ever forget the three-pointer Suggs drilled at the buzzer in overtime to defeat UCLA in the Final Four. Let alone the crazy celebration that followed.
All along, ZagsNation knew it would be a one-and-done situation with Suggs. He came to Mark Few’s squad as the highest-ranked recruit in program history. Almost a year later, he leaves as a Top 5 NBA Draft pick.
From a draft standpoint, Suggs has all the goods necessary to be an NBA Superstar. He’s silky smooth with the ball in his hands, has incredible vision to find the open man, and can thread the needle with his passes. If his man plays off him too far, he’ll pull up for a shot. Guard Suggs too tight, and he beats his man off the dribble.
For such a young man, Suggs understands how to play good defense. Combined with the athletic ability to match his IQ, the second-team All-American will give his opponents fits. A few other intangibles are mixed in with an amazing skill-set that puts him over the top.
Although he was a freshman on a veteran team, Suggs earned a leadership role with his outstanding play. Next, he showed outstanding determination all season. There were many times when he refused to let his team get beat. Finally, Suggs’ infectious attitude permeated his teammates and made them better.
Suggs isn’t without developmental areas. Most criticisms about him focus on two things. First, he needs to be a more consistent shooter from the outside. Second, he can play recklessly at times. The latter is likely a factor of his youth, and Suggs should grow out of that.
Prospects 1.0
An astounding 16 of 20 mock drafts have Suggs heading north of the border to Toronto as the fourth overall pick. Two others tab him to Houston second overall. It would be either a small miracle or mass insanity if he slipped past the top five picks.