Basketball

Nikola Jokić Sets the Tone in NBA High Score Creator League Draft

By Hugo Brennan

Nikola Jokić Sets the Tone in NBA High Score Creator League Draft

Nikola Jokić went first overall in a 14-team NBA High Score creator league draft, and the board quickly showed what this format rewards: monster single-game ceilings, frontcourt volume and playmaking that gets a premium in the scoring.

How the High Score format changed the board

Each manager drafted 10 players and will set a six-man weekly lineup with two guards, three frontcourt spots and one utility slot. Only a starter’s top fantasy performance for that week counts. Points and rebounds are worth one point, assists count for two, while steals and blocks carry three points each. Turnovers do not reduce a player’s score.

  • Jokić was the clear No. 1 after producing 68.6 fantasy points per game last season. His projected 9.8 assists alone are nearly 20 High Score points per night.
  • Luka Dončić, selected third, was one of only two players alongside Jokić to average more than 60 fantasy points per game last season.
  • Victor Wembanyama went second, followed by Dončić, Cade Cunningham and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
  • Cooper Flagg landed at No. 9. His best weekly game as a rookie was 31% better than his normal output, a larger split than any other first-round selection.
  • Stephen Curry rose to No. 19 after lasting until pick 36 in a points-format mock. In High Score, one explosive Curry night can carry a full week.
  • Trae Young went 20th, with his projected 10.1 assists translating to more than 20 points per game before any scoring, rebounding or defensive production is included.

Frontcourt pressure arrived early

The three-frontcourt starting requirement drove the draft’s biggest positional run. From picks 35 through 45, 11 consecutive FC-only players came off the board. By the end of the draft, managers had taken 67 frontcourt-only players against 49 guard-only options.

  • Lauri Markkanen began the FC-only rush at pick 35.
  • Anthony Davis went 39th despite a projection of roughly 59 games. Availability carries less weight here because one game in a scoring period can be enough.
  • LeBron James followed at No. 41, another veteran whose missed games are less damaging in a best-game format.
  • Joel Embiid came off the board at 43, 15 slots earlier than in a standard points mock.
  • Kel’el Ware, Ivica Zubac, Jaren Jackson Jr., Alex Sarr and Jarrett Allen were among the bigs selected in Round 5.
  • Zion Williamson was picked 63rd, 16 spots earlier than in the points mock, another sign that managers were willing to soften the usual health discount.

Jason Zone Fisher built the most frontcourt-heavy roster, ending with six FC-only players around Wembanyama. Bjorn Broman went in the opposite direction stylistically, pairing Giannis Antetokounmpo with Josh Giddey and James Harden to chase the double value on assists.

Notable swings, values and flexibility plays

Amen Thompson was taken 29th as a guard who can fill up big-man categories. He is projected for 8.2 rebounds, 1.6 steals and 1.0 blocks, with those steals and blocks alone adding about eight High Score points per game.

  • Paolo Banchero fell to pick 28 after projections of 24.1 points, 7.8 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game.
  • Kyrie Irving lasted until 54th despite being ranked 36th on the High Score board.
  • Dejounte Murray went 64th after being ranked 53rd.
  • Ja Morant was drafted 77th. His projected 58.5 games are less concerning in this scoring setup, though his possible bench role and resulting minutes remain worth monitoring.
  • Dylan Harper came off the board at 72, 24 picks ahead of his points-mock position. His best weekly score last season was 39% above his typical game.
  • Matas Buzelis went 56th and projects for 1.6 blocks per game. His best weekly outing was 35% above his normal production last season, and his projected top weekly score is 50.6 points.
  • Nickeil Alexander-Walker was selected 57th, with a projected 76 games making him one of the more reliable guards in the pool.

Dual eligibility also became a major roster-building tool. Seven of the 24 G/FC players drafted were selected in Round 8. Cedric Coward, Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Quentin Grimes gave one roster interchangeable wing options for weekly lineup decisions.

  • Coward is projected for 16.7 points, 5.6 rebounds and 3.3 assists in his second season.
  • Jaquez was taken earlier than his board ranking but brings projected averages of 14.6 points, 4.9 rebounds, 3.9 assists and nearly one steal.
  • Kon Knueppel went 52nd, 29 selections ahead of his points-mock placement. His top game each week was 32% above his standard rookie output, while preseason hamstring concerns did not push him down this board.
  • Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer and AJ Dybantsa formed the most rookie-heavy roster, with Peterson becoming the third member of that group at pick 101.

The full 10-round draft board

Rounds 1 and 2

  • Round 1: Nikola Jokić (Denver), Victor Wembanyama (San Antonio), Luka Dončić (Los Angeles Lakers), Cade Cunningham (Detroit), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Oklahoma City), Giannis Antetokounmpo (Miami), Jayson Tatum (Boston), Anthony Edwards (Minnesota), Cooper Flagg (Dallas), Tyrese Haliburton (Indiana), Jalen Johnson (Atlanta), Tyrese Maxey (Philadelphia), Donovan Mitchell (Cleveland), Scottie Barnes (Toronto).
  • Round 2: Jamal Murray (Denver), Karl-Anthony Towns (New York), Alperen Sengun (Houston), Kevin Durant (Houston), Stephen Curry (Golden State), Trae Young (Washington), Deni Avdija (Portland), Jalen Brunson (New York), Josh Giddey (Chicago), Kawhi Leonard (Toronto), Austin Reaves (Los Angeles Lakers), LaMelo Ball (Minnesota), Evan Mobley (Cleveland), Paolo Banchero (Orlando).

Rounds 3 through 5

  • Round 3: Amen Thompson (Houston), Jalen Williams (Oklahoma City), Bam Adebayo (Miami), Devin Booker (Phoenix), Jaylen Brown (Philadelphia), James Harden (Cleveland), Lauri Markkanen (Utah), Brandon Miller (Charlotte), Domantas Sabonis (Sacramento), Chet Holmgren (Oklahoma City), Anthony Davis (Washington), Franz Wagner (Orlando), LeBron James (Philadelphia), Jalen Duren (Detroit).
  • Round 4: Joel Embiid (Philadelphia), Walker Kessler (Los Angeles Lakers), Cameron Boozer (Memphis), Stephon Castle (San Antonio), Derrick White (Boston), Trey Murphy III (New Orleans), Julius Randle (Brooklyn), Keyonte George (Utah), Donovan Clingan (Portland), Kon Knueppel (Charlotte), Desmond Bane (Orlando), Kyrie Irving (Dallas), Darius Garland (Los Angeles Clippers), Matas Buzelis (Chicago).
  • Round 5: Nickeil Alexander-Walker (Atlanta), Pascal Siakam (Indiana), Michael Porter Jr. (Brooklyn), Kel’el Ware (Milwaukee), Tyler Herro (Milwaukee), Ivica Zubac (Indiana), Zion Williamson (New Orleans), Dejounte Murray (New Orleans), Jaren Jackson Jr. (Utah), Alex Sarr (Washington), Jarrett Allen (Cleveland), Damian Lillard (Portland), Caleb Wilson (Chicago), Ryan Rollins (Milwaukee).

Rounds 6 through 8

  • Round 6: De’Aaron Fox (San Antonio), Dylan Harper (San Antonio), AJ Dybantsa (Washington), Payton Pritchard (Boston), Naz Reid (Charlotte), Onyeka Okongwu (Atlanta), Ja Morant (Portland), Ty Jerome (Memphis), Dyson Daniels (Atlanta), Jalen Suggs (Orlando), Rudy Gobert (Minnesota), OG Anunoby (New York), Ausar Thompson (Detroit), Coby White (Charlotte).
  • Round 7: Cedric Coward (Memphis), Jaden McDaniels (Minnesota), Zach Edey (Memphis), Paul George (Boston), Derik Queen (New Orleans), Mikal Bridges (New York), Immanuel Quickley (Toronto), Brandon Ingram (Los Angeles Clippers), Day’Ron Sharpe (Brooklyn), Josh Hart (New York), VJ Edgecombe (Philadelphia), Miles Bridges (Phoenix), Darius Acuff Jr. (Sacramento), RJ Barrett (Toronto).
  • Round 8: Jalen Green (Phoenix), Collin Murray-Boyles (Toronto), Darryn Peterson (Utah), Zach LaVine (Sacramento), Brandin Podziemski (Golden State), Andrew Wiggins (Miami), Norman Powell (Chicago), Anthony Black (Orlando), CJ McCollum (Atlanta), Jimmy Butler III (Golden State), Nic Claxton (Chicago), Isaiah Hartenstein (Oklahoma City), Kyshawn George (Washington), Jaime Jaquez Jr. (Milwaukee).

Rounds 9 and 10

  • Round 9: Davion Mitchell (Miami), Fred VanVleet (Houston), Kevin Porter Jr. (Milwaukee), Rui Hachimura (Los Angeles Clippers), Jabari Smith Jr. (Houston), Ayo Dosunmu (Minnesota), Yaxel Lendeborg (Golden State), Egor Dëmin (Brooklyn), Andrew Nembhard (Indiana), Neemias Queta (Boston), Myles Turner (Milwaukee), Khaman Maluach (Phoenix), John Collins (Detroit), Aaron Gordon (Denver).
  • Round 10: Cason Wallace (Oklahoma City), Peyton Watson (Cleveland), Ajay Mitchell (Oklahoma City), Draymond Green (Golden State), Toumani Camara (Portland), Keegan Murray (Sacramento), Scoot Henderson (Portland), Daniel Gafford (Dallas), Jusuf Nurkić (Utah), Dillon Brooks (Phoenix), Mikel Brown Jr. (Brooklyn), Jeremiah Fears (New Orleans), Maxime Raynaud (Sacramento), Quentin Grimes (Los Angeles Lakers).

Several useful names were left for waivers despite the 140-player draft: Jonathan Kuminga, Collin Gillespie, DeMar DeRozan, Jakob Poeltl, Tre Jones and Kristaps Porziņģis were all undrafted. The High Score waiver pool should remain active through the season, particularly for managers willing to cycle through bench spots in search of one massive weekly performance. Porziņģis remains a more difficult stash because of his medical outlook.

The next tip-off is opening night next week, when the format’s central idea becomes clear: managers do not need four steady games. They need one that blows up the box score.