Updated

Updated · The Boston Globe · Jun 22

Mock Draft Projects AJ Dybantsa No. 1 to Wizards as Celtics Take Isaiah Evans at No. 27

Updated

Updated · The Boston Globe · Jun 22

Mock Draft Projects AJ Dybantsa No. 1 to Wizards as Celtics Take Isaiah Evans at No. 27

Q: With teams now drafting players specifically to counter him, is Victor Wembanyama already the NBA's most influential force?

Yes. When teams use draft capital not just to improve themselves but to find bodies and skill sets specifically for one opponent, that player has already bent the league around him. Victor Wembanyama appears to be at that point. The clearest evidence is in this draft itself. Oklahoma City’s selection of 7-foot-3 Aday Mara was framed as a long-term answer to Wembanyama, while San Antonio drafted Koa Peat to complement him. More broadly, evaluators have spent this cycle searching for “Wemby stoppers” — long, mobile bigs such as Mara and Jayden Quaintance — which shows his presence is shaping roster construction across the league. That influence is backed by production, not hype. Wembanyama is already a unanimous Defensive Player of the Year, a three-time blocks leader and an MVP-level force. Opponents alter their shot maps when he plays: fewer attempts at the rim, more shots from distance, and more possessions distorted by his reach and recovery speed. Coaches and analysts describe a “fear factor” that standard metrics still struggle to capture. His impact also extends beyond defense. He led San Antonio to the Finals in his third season, making the Spurs a contender years ahead of schedule. That kind of two-way dominance changes how rivals draft, scheme and spend. He may not yet be the league’s biggest commercial star, but on basketball influence — the ability to force every other team to react — Wembanyama already has a strong claim as the NBA’s most influential force.

3 articles · Updated · The Boston Globe · Jun 22

AJ Dybantsa is projected to go No. 1 to Washington in the latest mock draft, edging Darryn Peterson and Cameron Boozer on upside for a Wizards team seeking a franchise cornerstone.
The top of the board stays forward-heavy after that, with Peterson mocked No. 2 to Utah, Boozer No. 3 to Memphis and Caleb Wilson No. 4 to Chicago in a class billed as unusually deep.
Boston is projected to land Duke wing Isaiah Evans at No. 27, a polished shooter seen as a fit after the Celtics' first-round exit exposed 3-point issues against Philadelphia.
The mock also highlights team-specific needs across the first round, from Milwaukee starting a post-Giannis reset at No. 10 to the Lakers targeting a center at No. 25 and several clubs exploring trades.