NBA mock draft: Need vs. best available

With the regular season wrapped up and the early entry deadline in the rear-view mirror, the draft is starting to come into focus a bit.

There are some interesting decisions to be made by teams in the top 10, especially at the point guard position, where Kris Dunn, who may be the third best talent in this draft, could drop based on little more than team needs, depending on how the lottery shakes out. The debate over how strictly you adhere to best player available over team needs is always an interesting one, and this year is sure to be no exception.

First Round

*note: Team needs are taken into account

The change at the top of the Sixers front office could make this decision interesting, as they may be more interested in looking for pieces that fit, and Duke's Brandon Ingram would provide much-needed perimeter scoring. Still, Simmons has the most upside, and that's something the Sixers desperately need.

Ingram's perimeter shooting and two-way potentail would give Los Angeles an easy piece to build around, and a great running mate for D'Angelo Russell moving forward.

Boston's in an interesting position, with enough high draft picks to swing for the fences, but a playoff team that could use a contributor now. Despite that, Bender has enough long-term potential that it would be difficult to pass on him, even if he might not contribute right away.

In terms of pure talent, Providence point guard Kris Dunn would probably be the pick here, but Phoenix is set on the perimeter going forward. Brown has similar upside and fills more of a position of need, despite being a little bit riskier of a selection.

Murray's off-the-ball game would seemingly fit perfectly with Karl-Anthony Towns, Andrew Wiggins, and Ricky Rubio. Whether new head coach and president of basketball operations Tom Thibodeau believes he can mold Murray into a plus defensive player will be the biggest question.

Ellenson's potential as a perimeter power forward would make him an interesting fit with Anthony Davis, especially if he can develop as a defender over time.

Denver has emerging talent on the perimeter, but another shooter, especially somebody who commands the kind of attention from defenses Hield does, would help make Emmanuel Mudiay's growth easier.

Dunn could go as high as third in this draft, but Phoenix, Minnesota, New Orleans, and Denver all being relatively solid at the point guard position could cause him to drop. If so, Sacramento would stand to benefit greatly.

Mark this one down as a value pick, something which makes sense for the Raptors to pursue given the fact that they're not expected to be in the lottery much in the near future.

Luwawu's shooting, feel for the game, and defensive potential would give Milwaukee another intriguing perimeter option to place around Giannis, and one who could continue to allow Milwaukee's point-forward the chance to initiate much of the half court offense.

Chriss' athleticism, perimeter shot, and ability to alter shots around the rim would be a nice complement to Nikola Vucevic and Aaron Gordon in the front court.

Valentine's diversified all-around offensive game and his great decision making would fit in well with Utah, and provide them with another young piece to build around.

Sabonis' potential to dominate on the glass and score inside would give the Suns some much-needed front court youth alongside Alex Len.

Chicago could use some youth at the point guard position, and Jackson's athleticism, perimeter shooting, and pick and roll play would fit in well with Chicago.

If the Nuggets get their shooting guard earlier in the draft, they now get a versatile forward who can give them some much-needed front court depth and positional versatility in Prince.

Korkmaz is young and needs to mature, both physically and in terms of his overall skill level, but with his size, athleticism, and three-point shooting ability, Boston could take a chance on upside here with one of their three first round picks.

The uncertainty around Mike Conley's free agency makes point guard a position of need for the Grizzlies, and Baldwin has the size and off-the-ball scoring to play some minutes at the two if Conley does return.

Highly regarded as a prospect, Labissiere was disappointing in his only season at Kentucky, but his potential as a pick-and-pop threat could work well with Andre Drummond down the line.

Davis' potential to control the game defensively would be a great value pick for Denver this late in the draft.

For a team that had as much success as Indiana did this season, their front court situation, outside of Myles Turner, is fairly fluid. Johnson's offensive game, centered around scoring around the basket, would fit in well with Turner.

Cordinier is young and raw, but Atlanta could be just the place to help grow this incredibly athletic shooting guard. Patience would be needed, but the upside is there.

Zizic was great as a 19-year-old in the Adriatic League, with his rebounding an energy level making him one of the most productive teenagers in recent memory. If he could continue to develop his midrange jump shot, it would be interesting to watch him grow.

Stone's all-around game isn't there yet, but Brad Stevens has shown himself capable of getting the most out of big men with defensive limitations, and Stone's ability to score inside would add an interesting dynamic to Boston's offense.

The Sixers are in need of some talent at the point guard position, and Ulis has the kind of floor game, smarts, and leadership to provide some stability to a very young Philadelphia squad.

Beasley's perimeter shooting and upside would be a nice addition to a Clippers team short on the assets necessary to add complementary pieces to their core trio of Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, and DeAndre Jordan.

The Sixers could use two-way players, especially on the wing, and local product Bembry has the chance to develop into that, especially if he can improve his perimeter jump shot.

Cornelie's perimeter shooting would fit in well next to Jonas Valanciunas and Bismack Biyombo in Toronto's front court rotation.

Qi fits in well for Phoenix as a value pick this late in the draft, and also adds some additional shot blocking and youth to Toronto's front court.

Jones' disappoitning junior season could cause him to drop a bit, but he has the kind of upside and defensive potential that a team like San Antonio could mold into a future contributor.

When healthy, LeVert has been an incredibly productive, well-rounded contributor. His diversified skills and upside make him a perfect late-round gamble for a Warriors team that isn't likely to select high in the draft in the foreseeable future.