We are nearly a quarter of the way through the season and the standings are starting to take shape. Now I know it�s kind of early for this but that�s the point of the title. I figured it�s still tooooo early for an entire first round mock, but the gap between lotto teams and the playoff chasers is starting to form, so let's take an early look at what a potential lottery might look like if the season ended today. 

1st overall, Chicago Selects: Alexandre Sarr, PF/C - Perth (NBL)

This pick honestly might be the easiest in this entire mock, not because he�s the clear cut favorite (he isn�t, there isn�t one this draft), but it�s because it's the one thing Chicago is lacking, another big. Sarr would form a monster defensive duo with Claxton and also help stretch the floor with his decent ability to shoot for his size. Along with his length and athleticism, a starting lineup of Ball, Thomas, Bridges, Sarr and Claxton will reign hell on all. 

 2nd overall, Orlando Selects: Isaiah Collier, PG - USC

Orlando desperately needs a starting PG, Suggs is good but he wouldn�t be my first choice to start at the PG. I�d arguably start Suggs at the two and pair him with Collier. Isaiah�s size at 6�4 205lbs gives him a lot of size over most PG�s, and i'm sure his defense will eventually come with his size and strength. But his shooting and playmaking can�t be ignored as he�s the clear cut best PG in the draft, and a solid pairing with Zion and Allen. 

3rd overall, Atlanta Selects: Ron Holland, SF/PF - GLeague Ignite

Ron Holland arguably couldn�t find a better home. Tobias Harris will be off the books along with Kyle Lowry and Buddy Hield, taking about 90 million off the books for this offseason. Along with that comes Desmond Bane, Cob White, Isaiah Stewert, a bevy of talented rookies, and at least 4 other first rd picks, Ron Holland will easily be the star of an Atlanta team that arguably will be a force to reckon with soon to come. 

4th overall, Milwaukee Selects: Zaccharie Risacher, SF - JL Bourg (France).

Daz getting a top 4 pick is unfair and we all know it since well, well we know why it�s unfair. However the need for a scoring wing is more drastic than perceived. Miles bridges will arguably be out of the league next year and OG Annanuby will most likely opt out of his PO for a rightful payday. Zac makes sense. 47% 3pt shooter with an 18.5ppg per 36 min with only an upward trajectory. If he can up the defense while lowering the fouls, he�d make a pair with SGA. 

5th overall, Memphis selects: Jakobe Walter, SG - Baylor.

Constant injuries and so much money, Memphis is gonna have to start making some tough choices. IMO, with the constant injuries to beal and herro, i�d do my best to move on from one of them and draft a new guard to pair with the other, not only from a health standpoint, but also salary standpoint. Walter is no slouch either. An average of 14.4ppg and solid splits, Walter is a solid 2 way guard to start out the gate and provide a great scoring punch. 

6th overall, Brooklyn Selects: Matas Buzelis, SF - GLeague.

Brooklyn has a solid big 3, Lauri, Kyrie and Jamal, however the rest of the supporting cast has much to be desired. This is where Matas comes in. With his 6�11 frame and great defensive instincts, I believe he�s a great pairing next to Lauri, being interchangeable position wise with him. However IMO, if Brooklyn wants to become a playoff team, it might be time to move on from the magician himself, Kyrie, get a haul, and do a soft reset around a new big 3 of Matas, Lauri and Murray.

7th overall, Clippers Select: Donovon Clingan, C - UConn. 

The Clippers have every Gms dream, a butt-ton of young wings and guards, their biggest lack however? A true bigman. That�s where Clingan comes in. Coming in at a massive 7�2, 265lbs, Clingan can come in and immediately start with a major impact. Averaging 14ppg, 6.3rpg and 2bpg, he comes in and provides a major defensive presence inside and pairs with Paolo as a massive 1-2 punch combo of size, strength and athleticism. 

8th overall, Atlanta Selects: Nikola Topic, PG - KK Mega Basket (Serbia). 

First Atlanta gets their Harris replacement, not they get their Lowery replacement. Nikola Topic is a Coaches dream. 6�6, 201lb PG that can shoot, handle, score and pass. His defense leaves much to be desired but his impact on the offensive end can�t be denied. Plus Atlanta most definitely has the players to cover for his lack of defense. His biggest strength of all however is his passing. A true playmaker for his size he can easily come in and run the offense at any pace needed.

9th overall, Dallas Selects: Stephon Castle, PG/SG - UConn. 

Dallas has 2 major needs, a true star and a starting PG. Castle is both. CAstle may not show it right now, but he�s got star potential from his size to his athleticism. His shooting has much to be desired but that�s not the hardest of fixes. Plus he�s a workhorse on the defensive end. If LJ can just pair the right players around castle, Castle could most definitely be a star in the league one day. 

10th overall, Portland selects: Reed Sheppard, PG/SG - Kentucky. 

Look up the word perfect in the dictionary, and a picture of Sheppard might be the definition. He can shoot, score, pass, defend, rebound, cook, clean, do your taxes and solve world hunger. But seriously, this kid is a do it all guard with no flaws besides being the shortest person selected so far. His skills alone and with a bit more time could easily put him in the top 5, but right now Portland should be screaming to the heavens they can pair him with Dame. 

11th overall, Atlanta Selects: Kyle Filipowski, C - Duke. 

Kyle was seen as a solid second round pick in last year's draft, so he decided to go another year and improve his draft stock, and man has it worked. Now being seen as a lottery level talent, he can score, rebound and defend, plus shoot. He would fit well in the run and gun athletic, young starting lineup that Atlanta would be building in this mock. His ability to score and rebound is almost unmatched at his position and his defense has vastly gotten better. He would be a great fit at Atlanta and could start right away. 

12th overall, Atlanta Selects: Kel�el Ware, C - Indiana. 

Atlanta in this draft is gonna be Utah last year, so seeing them keep all of these picks would be surprising. However, as the same as Kyle, Ware took an extra year and it paid off. His rebounding and shot blocking ability would turn him into a monster presence in the paint. Paired with guys like Kyle and Holland, Atlanta would become a dangerous team with all this year's talent, whether or not they keep it all. 

13th overall, Warriors Select: Tyrese Proctor, PG - Duke. 

Proctor is a talented PG who can score and pass as good as any guard in this draft, however his defense is what has him this low in the lottery. For GS, you just need to go for BPA, especially with not owning their own pick this year. Proctor would be a solid start to what seems to be a long rebuilding process. 

14th overall, Miami Selects: Cody Williams, SF - Colorado. 

Cody Williams is the younger brother of Jalen Williams, but the argument can be made that Cody is the more talented sibling. At a solid 6�8, he's got great size and length. Arguably he�s your ideal wing player. He can shoot, score, pass and defend. It wouldn�t be surprising if one day he plays more point than wing, however for a team like Miami that lacks offense, Williams would be a welcome site. 

This is just an early mock before christmas, so don�t take any of this to heart. However it does provide some decent insight into struggling teams and draft heads into potential lottery prospects. Plus it�s never too early to be looking towards the future.