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As the second part of the ‘Boys from Omaha’ duo departs for unknown territory, let’s take a peek at where people on the internet think Khyri Thomas will end up in the NBA Draft.
To properly segment this I’m going to give you my prediction of where I think he belongs in the draft, as well as an assortment of publications and their predictions in order.
In all, there are 25 different publications I chose from that have posted their ‘final’ mock drafts from the past 48 hours. These range from indie blogs to ESPN, garnering a smorgasbord of different opinions and drafts. They also range from the mid teens to the final pick of the round, to a severe outlier, with nearly every team mentioned in between.
MY PREDICTION
I think Khyri will go #21 overall to the Utah Jazz. Utah is in desperate need of someone that’s remotely marketable and can star in made-for-tv Mormon movies and commercials for non-alcoholic beer.
The Jazz also need someone who would look good playing a tenor sax or a trumpet and I’ll be damned if he doesn’t fit that bill perfectly.
Khyri also seems to have a fictitious interest in hiking on sacred ground and hanging with the native peoples.
I also talked with a Utah Jazz scout after Khyri shut down Kelan Martin - the scout was there to see Martin - and the guy left convinced that he’d witnessed a player with so much potential that I assume he called Jazz GM Dennis Lindsey and told him to sign him ASAP.
Without further nonsense, here’s what I was able to scour from the web. Enjoy:
THE OPTIMISTS
Grizzly Bear News - #14 - Phoenix Suns
247 Sports - #16 - Phoenix Suns
Fantasy Pros - #17 - Milwaukee Bucks
THE POP CONNECTION
Philly.com - #18 - San Antonio Spurs
Star-Telegram - #18 - San Antonio Spurs
i Sports Web - #18 - San Antonio Spurs
EARLY HAWKS
Deseret News - #19 - Atlanta Hawks
THE REUNION
NBA - #20 - Minnesota Timberwolves
CBS Sports - #20 - Minnesota Timberwolves
Chicago Sun Times - #20 - Minnesota Timberwolves
THE YOUNGINS
11 Alive - #22 - Chicago Bulls
Palm Beach Post - #23 - Indiana Pacers
Oregon Live - #24 - Portland Trail Blazers
Dallas News - #24 - Portland Trail Blazers
At The Hive - #25 - Los Angeles Lakers
Bleacher Report - #26 - Philadelphia 76ers
Detroit Free Press - #26 - Philadelphia 76ers
For The Win - #27 - Boston Celtics
THE CHAMPS
Boston Herald - #28 - Golden State Warriors
Ridiculous Upside - #28 - Golden State Warriors
USA Today - #28 - Golden State Warriors
LATE HAWKS
Valley of the Suns - #30 - Atlanta Hawks
The Ringer - #30 - Atlanta Hawks
THE PIVOT TO VIDEO MAGAZINE
Sports Illustrated - #40 - Brooklyn Nets
I did one of these for the NBA draft last season when Patton was rumored to be a potential lottery pick. As it turns out, Bleacher Report and a website called ‘Tankathon’ were the only ones to predict the Bulls picking him at 16. Unfortunately, neither predicted he’d be traded to the Timberwolves, which just goes to show you that the NBA draft and their pre-draft predictions are garbage and shouldn’t be taken seriously.