The NBA Draft is one of the most important evenings of the season, as the stars of the future take the stage for the first time and assets tend to get moved in order to build for the future.
This year’s Draft night wasn’t as moved as everybody expected it to be, but even though, being as stacked as this class is; the picture for this upcoming season seems like it’s rounding up pretty well.
Nonetheless, not everything went perfectly for some teams, with their general managers either reaching for some players or just flat out taking players to fill spots that were already filled. So, let’s go ahead and talk about the top 3 winners and losers from today’s Draft.
Losers
Charlotte Hornets
The Charlotte Hornets took Shai Gilgeous-Alexander with the 11th overall pick just to immediately trade him to the Clippers for Miles Bridges, and even though the guy may be a huge pickup for Charlotte at both forward spots as a decent scorer, especially from three-point land, they could’ve been better off just taking the point guard.
Gilgeous is our dark horse to become the best point guard in this Draft, mostly because of his intelligence and outstanding defense and wingspan, and with Kemba Walker being in the trade block, they passed on a huge opportunity to land their franchise playmaker.
Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards had a major chance to address a huge concern in the roster by taking an athletic big man, and with Robert Williams available, he was the obvious choice as one of the best rim protectors of this class.
The Wizards wind up taking Troy Brown instead, a tweener guard/forward out of Oregon with boom or bust talent. Having Beal, Porter and Oubre Jr, it was an odd choice to say the least, as he wasn’t even able to connect from three-point land all year long with a horrid 29.1 from downtown.
Sacramento Kings
The Sacramento Kings wind up taking Marvin Bagley III with the 2nd overall pick and not only he’s nowhere near being the 2nd best prospect on this Draft, but also, they took him to fill one of the most crowded spots in their roster with Wilie Cauley-Stein, Skal Labissiere and Harry Giles also in town.
Bagley is a nice player but he lacks the shooting stroke to become a successful modern power forward, but he’s not a good defender below the rim (or anywhere in the court) to play as the team’s starting center. Classic Kings move.
Winners
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Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks have finally landed a true diamond since breaking their Championship team in 2011, and now that they’ve paired Luka Doncic with Dennis Smith Jr, it’s pretty safe to assume that they’re going to be back in the playoffs in absolutely no time.
Defense is going to be a concern for the Mavs young backcourt, but given both players ability to run the point and handle the offense, they’re going to be a really entertaining team to watch for a very, very long time.
Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls went with the smart and safe bet by getting Wendell Carter Jr at 7th, pairing Lauri Markkanen with a smart big man that can create his own shot, find the open man and consistently hit from the three-point land, creating such a dynamic frontcourt duo.
Also, the Bulls got a very hard-working young man in Chandler Hutchinson out of Boise State, a guy that improved on a yearly basis in college, can guard multiple positions and is a natural scorer.
Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns just got a lot of balance in this Draft by getting both DeAndre Ayton and Mila Bridges in the 1st round. While Ayton was a no-brainer as the unanimous 1st overall pick due to his top-notch scoring ability, athleticism and physical game, getting Bridges is perhaps the most important move they did all night.
Bridges is set to make an immediate impact as a 3 and D specialist, and will definitely improve the Suns horrid defense. A starting five of Elfrid Payton, Devin Booker, Mikal Bridges, Josh Jackson and DeAndre Ayton will be dynamic, fast and exciting for years to come, balancing top-tier scoring ability with pesky defense. Here come the Suns.
