Jeremiah Fears - NBA Mock Draft Roundup 2.0

The Nets were another team that hoped the lottery balls would fall their way. Still, Brooklyn can come out of the draft with an immediate contributor at pick No. 8. Fears is a crafty guard capable of filling an immediate hole in Brooklyn's backcourt.

Fears ascended draft boards throughout the season at Oklahoma and is now considered a potential top-five pick. He was able to impact games on both ends of the court, finishing as one of three Power Four players to average at least 17 points, four rebounds, four assists and 1.5 steals.

The Jazz were another team that had a rough night on Monday after slipping to fifth in the lottery. They should be a team considering several prospects with this pick, with Fears emerging as a strong candidate based on his overall skill set and ability.

The reality for Fears is that teams and evaluators either really love him or they don't. He's a very polarizing player for evaluators around the league, because you either believe in the upside of him as a primary ballhandler and think he can be a true top-tier option, or you don't and you think he profiles more as a backup. There are genuinely scouts and executives I've talked to who think he's a top-five upside bet in this draft because of his handle and creativity. Others see him more as a backup long-term and as a bet to take in the late teens or even the 20s.

The Nets have a roster loaded with holes, but the good news is that they seem to have found an excellent coach long-term to build around in Jordi Fernandez. Fears here would make sense, as the team doesn't really have a primary ballhandler for the long haul on its books. He is a playmaking guard who can get paint touches with his quickness and handle. However, he struggles to shoot the ball right now and isn't a great finisher, and his defense needs a lot of work. He's more of a project than a ready-made player. However, the ability to separate is there if he can improve his skill set.

Pro Comparisons: Dejounte Murray

Once Dylan Harper is off the board, teams interested in adding more backcourt creation, rim pressure and playmaking will focus their attention on Jeremiah Fears. Scouts are anticipating the 18-year-old drawing top-five consideration, particularly after he averaged 22.3 points and 4.8 assists over Oklahoma's final nine games.

Workouts will give Fears a chance to ease some concerns over his three-point numbers. His 38 made threes still indicate clear shotmaking ability, and he was a 42.6 percent mid-range shooter.

Unreliable range, a high turnover rate and limited off-ball skill will have certain teams looking elsewhere. But Fears seems to be a realistic candidate for guard-needy teams early in the lottery.

Team Fit: Fears brings plenty of creativity and confidence, both of which could mold him into becoming a high-end lead guard with time. The Wizards should value upside and can afford to let the 18-year-old play through missed threes and early turnovers —Zach Buckley, NBA Analyst

Scouting report: Fears, 18, had a spectacular freshman season, guiding Oklahoma to the NCAA tournament despite being one of the youngest players in college basketball. His combination of size, speed, pace, shotmaking and shot creation gives him significant long-term upside, as he can get anywhere on the floor to create for teammates while dishing on the move, finish skillfully in the lane or head to the free throw line.

Fears' youth, thin frame and inconsistent finishing and decision-making will likely require patience from the team that drafts him, even if there is doubt around the significant star power he possesses, which will earn him looks much higher than this spot. -- Givony

NBA intel and fit: Dropping out of the top four is highly disappointing for the Jazz, who will have a more complicated evaluation process after falling all the way to fifth. The Jazz are committed to a lengthy internal rebuild under CEO Danny Ainge but have yet to select a player with the type of homegrown star power that could kick-start them back toward winning.

They'll now aim to find that player not atop the draft but at No. 5, where Fears and his shot-creation chops might be appealing, even with other young guards on the roster. -- Woo

Fears is one of the youngest players in this draft class after spending only three years in high school (he won't be 19 until Oct.), but Oklahoma trusted him enough to consistently put the ball in his hands in the toughest conference in the country. Fears delivered in a high usage role, getting the Sooners to the NCAA tournament and putting on a show in a close first-round loss to UConn. The 6'3 guard has the best combination of speed and ball handling in this class, generating paint touches at will. What happens once he beats his initial defender is often a bit of an adventure: Fears only shot 53 percent at the rim, and had a bad habit of throwing the ball all over the place with a 20 percent turnover rate. Fears should get better as a finisher as he adds strength and craft to his game, and it's promising that he's already a monster at getting to the foul line. His three-point stroke is another big question mark after hitting only 28 percent of his triples, but his willingness to shoot and touch from the foul line (85 percent) indicates that he's a decent bet to shoot it long-term. If everything comes together Fears could become a gifted advantage creator off the bounce in the NBA, but it's going to take him some time to get there.

Year 1 for Fears might look something like a learner's permit driver trying to handle a manual-transmission McLaren. At his high points, he'll blaze up and down the floor at 150 mph, leaving people wondering why he didn't go in the top five in this draft. During his low stretches, he'll be a tough watch—grinding gears as he learns how to function on the ball. His creativity and chaos live in a pretty delicate balance and frequently tilt toward the latter. There are a cluster of factors that need equilibrium, including his inconsistencies as a shooter, but with a yo-yo handle and comfort with physicality, Fears will find his way into the paint regularly. The Pelicans could use some young blood in the form of an on-ball catalyst, and while Fears is a bit of a risky wager because of his shooting issues, his downhill ability and playmaking flashes have the highest upside at this slot in the lottery.

Brooklyn with four first-round picks takes a big swing here in a high-risk, high-reward prospect in Fears. He's electric as a ballhandler and downhill attacker with some questions about how his slender frame and shot will translate.

The Pelicans badly need a point guard of the future, and Fears has the skills to become that for them as a dynamic guard with a twitchy attacking style and a knack for coming through as a clutch shooter. He was one of college basketball's youngest freshmen, and it showed with his shaky decision-making as a shooter and passer. But he has a feel for shot creation and a handle that lets him get anywhere on the floor, so he may only need time to emerge as a star.