Arizona Basketball: Rawle Alkins moving to top 30 in 2018 NBA Mock Drafts
Arizona Basketball sophomore Rawle Alkins is back and stronger than ever is moving up in 2018 Mock NBA Drafts.
Arizona Basketball has had the fortune of getting guard Rawle Alkins back in the line-up for four games and tonight against ASU will be the teams biggest test of all. But regardless of the outcome of tonight’s game, which Sean Miller has tempered as a difficult win, Alkins return has proven he is NBA ready.
The Wildcats dismal showing in the Bahamas is all the critics and media have focused on this season when evaluating the team. It doesn’t seem to matter which ranked teams they have beaten or how good the teams that beat they actually were, those three losses stung the team, and the stinger seems to be still stuck in their rears.
Arizona Wildcats Basketball
But what was missing in the Bahamas at the Battle 4 Atlantis? Well, of course, defense, but what was also missing was that spark plug. That Kadeem Allen or TJ McConnell type of player who can get into the game under the radar and turn up the volume. The player with a ton of heart, but also can keep his cool in difficult situations. The player that never gives up and holds his teammates accountable. The player who doesn’t give up on a play, who dives for the ball at all costs, who listen and learns from the coach and understand what intensity is needed.
The Wildcats were missing their leader. Scoring is not enough in the NBA. Look at D’Angelo Russell! A prolific scorer who was shuffled off to Brooklyn from Hollywood. The reason Magic Johnson made that decision was that Russell hadn’t proved that he was a leader. He believes Lonzo Ball will become that leader. So scoring is not enough.
For NBA scouts, I feel they make youth is more important than it should be. Scouts look more towards 18 and 19-year-olds without a ton of college experience and not necessarily the two, three, four and five-year guys coming out of the NCAA ready to do whatever it takes to play. They even have a hard time persuading NBA teams to bring in players from their G-League Affiliates, so what is that saying about NBA Scouts? Well, that’s another subject for another time.
In between the two extremes, one-and-done’s and college graduates, are the sophomores and juniors like Allonzo Trier and Rawle Alkins. Throw in there Aaron Holiday (UCLA Junior) and Bennie Boatwright (USC Junior).
Alkins fits right into the player the NBA is looking for, and he proved it by coming into the lineup and leading the team by his energy and play style as well as scoring in double digits in each game. Last season Alkins averaged 10.9 points per game, but in just four games this season his average is now 16.0 (64 total). If you throw out his first game, where he didn’t start, his average is 19.0 points.
Opp. MP FG FG% 2P 2P% 3P 3P% FT FT% RB AST ST BK PTS Alabama 22 2 .333 2 .667 0 .000 3 .500 2 3 1 1 7 New Mex 31 9 .818 6 .750 3 1.000 5 1.000 5 2 1 1 26 NDSU 25 3 .375 3 .600 0 .000 5 .833 6 1 1 2 11 UConn 31 6 .545 3 .500 3 .600 5 .833 4 1 2 1 20 109 20 .556 14 .636 6 .429 18 .783 17 7 5 5 64
Provided by CBB at Sports Reference: View Original Table
Generated 12/30/2017.
I have always stated, and I continue to contest that there is a good chance that Rawle will end up being a lottery pick or close to it once the season ends. A lottery pick in next seasons draft is anyone drafted at No. 14 or above. If he decides to leave, and I am betting he will, the 2018 NBA Draft will take place on June 21st.
UPDATE (1/11/18): I am not the only one in the Alkins will be a Lottery Pick camp. Just this week, The Ringer’s Jonathan Tjarks slotted in Alkins in as the final NBA 2018 Draft Lottery Pick at No. 14 going to TJ McConnell’s Philadelphia 76’ers.
https://twitter.com/ZonaZealots/status/951181446294659073
Alkins was the talk of the 2017 NBA Combine and impressed a number of teams GM’s and scouts, some of whom I spoke to personally. And although some wanted to draft him last season, there were some who thought an extra year in school would help boost his chances. Alkins was told he was a position-less player, and the media took off on that saying that was a bad thing. But the NBA is looking for position-less players. The coaches are switching around their lineups with more flexibility thanks to Steve Kerr‘s Golden State Warriors; the entire game seems to be changing.
Related Story: Rawle Alkins is a fan favorite
Make no mistake about it, Alkins sees himself as a lottery pick, and for a good reason. If you look at who is listed in mock drafts early in the season, you may feel he is right up there with them. It is a fickle thing these mock drafts, and it makes no sense that Trier is sometimes listed below Alkins, or Alkins is listed below Trier. But it is always fun to see what the latest mock drafts tell us.
Case in point. Bleacher Report writer Jonathan Wasserman has Alkins at the No. 26 spot drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers citing that Alkins was well-liked in the last draft, but wasn’t projected to go in the first round. Wasserman feels Alkins passes the eye test, and we now know that certain teams like what they heard as well. He has Trier going No. 40 to the 76ers and Ayton going No. 1 to the Atlanta Hawks.
Three weeks ago, Wasserman had Alkins listed to go at No. 34 to the Sacramento Kings and Ayton to the Hawks at No. 2. So Wasserman likes what he is seeing from the Arizona sophomore. And if things go well, in my eyes, he can climb into the top 14.
On Nov. 23, Basketball Insiders, Steve Kyler, had Alkins going to the Warriors at No. 28, Trier at No. 25 to the Cavs, and Ayton No. 5 to the Cavs as well.
Tankathon.com listed Alkins at No. 26 to the Spurs, Trier at No. 30 to the Warriors, and Ayton No. 3 to the Celtics.
Draftnet.com has Alkins going No. 27 to the Brooklyn Nets. The Nets were interested in Alkins last season, and he actually tried out and met up with Rondae Hollis-Jefferson. Draftnet.com also has Trier at No. 40 to the Suns and Deandre Ayton No. 1 to Atlanta. Note this mock draft was developed and reported on Nov. 6th.
Cavs Sports Talk reported their first 2018 NBA Mock Draft, and they have Alkins going No. 25 to the Spurs, Trier No. 15 to the Miami Heat, and Ayton No. 3 to the Dallas Mavericks,
https://twitter.com/CavsSportsTalk/status/944326817263087617
Alkins just has the right attitude. I can’t believe an NBA coach or scout not being impressed by his confidence and ability to answer questions with bravado. He understands the rivalry between Arizona and ASU, and it doesn’t seem to faze him. He has become key to the Wildcats as a leader pushing his teammates to be the best they can be at all times.
Sitting out for preseason and the beginning of the season helped King Rawle. He was able to understand more of the game, more of what his coaches were talking about. And although he felt it took him awhile to slow the game down so he could play better after coming back from injury, it seemed seamless and speedy to fans.
They say everything happens for a reason. And although it was difficult to understand the reason Alkins got hurt playing in a pickup game, it seems obvious now that living through adversity only made him stronger. Since it looked like there wasn’t anyone leading the team in the Bahamas, it does look like a leader has emerged in Alkins.
Arizona’s rankings and record could have been better at this point in the season with Alkins on the court, and hopefully, the NBA world will take notice that now that the team has him back in the lineup, the team is playing better.
This makes Alkins a difference maker. Not to mention he improved his physique, health, and his body fat percentage, in his time away from the game. Which is also something that the NBA should take into account. Hear from Rawle in his own words how he made it through his recovery time and how much he knows about ASU’s head coach:
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I first met King Rawle in 2016 at the Ballislife All-American Game and have been impressed with him and his play ever since. What he showed the fans back before he stepped court in McKale was exciting back then. While all the other players took it easy, Alkins balled out and showed his versatility. When he and his skills are on display, there is no doubt there is only one way to go for him, and that’s up! Last season he played under the radar, and at the NBA Combine, he showed what he is capable of.
If nothing else, his swagger, determination, skill and more are all on display every time he steps onto the court. It seems no one wants to win a game more than Alkins and isn’t that what the NBA is made for?