'Lanier could go 28-30': Final NBA mock draft updates for Tennessee's Chaz Lanier
Chaz Lanier as a first-round pick in Wednesday’s NBA Draft isn’t completely off the table, according to what an anonymous executive in the league told The Athletic. Going late in the first round is apparently still possible for Tennessee’s star shooting guard.
“That damn guy can score,” an Eastern Conference executive told The Athletic. “Lanier Gould go 28-30, somewhere in there. To me, he’s a pretty good player. So if I had a pick in those areas, he would be a guy I’d be looking at.”
The first round of the NBA Draft will be held Wednesday at 8 p.m. Eastern Time on ABC and ESPN, while the second round will be held Thursday at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN.
NBADraft.net mock draft has Chaz Lanier going in first round
Most projections have Lanier being selected early in the second round. ESPN on Wednesday moved Lanier up one spot in its updated mock draft, with the Detroit Pistons taking him at No. 37 overall. The Athletic also has Lanier at No. 37 to the Pistons.
Lanier was projected at No. 38 overall to the San Antonio Spurs by both NBA.com and NBC Sports. On3 has Lanier at No. 40 overall to the New Orleans Pelicans.
Bleacher Report and NBADraft.net also believe Lanier could sneak into the first round, with both outlets projecting him at No. 30 overall to the Los Angeles Clippers with the final pick in the first round.
‘High-level shooter. High level. Elite standstill or transition pull-up shooter’
Lanier spent one season at Tennessee after transferring from North Florida. He averaged 18.0 points per game with the Vols last season while shooting 43.1% from the field and 39.5% from the 3-point line. He made 123 3-pointers in 38 games, breaking the previous record of 118 held by Chris Lofton.
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He won the Jerry West Award in April, given annually to college basketball’s best shooting guard, and was also named third-team All-American by the National Association of Basketball Coaches and The Sporting News.
Lanier was also named an All-American by the Wooden Award, was First Team All-SEC and won the SEC’s Newcomer of the Year award.
“(Lanier is a) high-level shooter,” an anonymous college assistant coach told The Athletic. “High level. Elite standstill or transition pull-up shooter. No matter what level, there’s a premium on that.
“He is a better defender than Dalton Knecht. The last two months, the light bulb went on. Chaz has a quiet mental toughness. And he’s physically tough. You can hit him. He doesn’t mind that.”
