Team

Picks

Summary

Grade

Atlanta

24 & 49

Matisse Thybulle and Shamonie Ponds were the two selections for the Hawks. Thybulle, taken 20^th and traded to Philly in the NBA will play a role in the second unit for a stacked 76ers team. He had a historic defensive season at college level and projects to be a defensive stopper at the NBA level. Pick 24 was the perfect time to take a shot on Thybulle and he should at the very least be a role player for the Hawks. Ponds was undrafted but signed with the Rockets shortly after draft night. We will get a better look at him over the Summer league but he projects as an undersized, scoring guard.

B

Boston

4, 21, 25, 40 & 57

Blanketing the draft with a plethora of picks, Toby looked to add to his youth movement. He landed top end talent in Darius Garland who should make immediate impact at Cleveland as their starting PG or SG. The big question will be how he fits next to Sexton. Toby appeared infatuated with upside late in the first as he drafted Nassir Little at 21 and Porter Jr at 25. Little had an underwhelming freshmen year after being touted as a top 5 prospect out of High School. He is a big wing that has found a nice fit in Portland. Will he live up to his ‘late bloomer’ label? Porter Jr has question marks on his character but has a highlight reel that resembles James Harden Jr. If he can put it together he could become a go-to scorer but does he have the mindset? The second round saw Toby draft more of the same… Guards! It may cause headaches for his rotations when the actual season begins but I suppose it only takes one hit to make it a worthwhile approach. Overall a solid but guard heavy approach.

C+

Brooklyn

5. 56

Brooklyn addressed its need for high-end talent on the wing by bringing in Jarrett Culver with the 5^th pick. Culver seems a high character guy, very mature and grounded. He has the size to play both the two and the three and should contribute straight away at both ends of the court. He has the potential to be an elite 3 and D complementary scorer. At pick 56, Jaylen McDaniels came off the board. He’s a 6”9 combo forward with a 7 foot wingspan. He has the physical tools but needs to stay focussed especially with discipline on the defensive end.

B-

Charlotte

19 & 42

Nic loves the draft and consistently finds gems with his astute eye for talent. This year he was excited by the prospect of late first round picks due to the depth of the talent pool. A notable target of his at 19 was Grant Williams but he was taken earlier than anticipated. Nic decided to take Claxton at 19 with a slight reach instead. Claxton projects as a versatile tall who can move laterally, guard the perimeter, protect the rim and pass the ball at a high level for a C. This pick was met with immediate praise in the forum however due to recent free agent signings in Brooklyn, it may take a little while for Claxton to make impact as he sits behind newly acquired DeAndre Jordan and developing rim protector Jarrett Allen. At 42 he took Jaylen Nowell. I knew very little about him until Nic messaged me a few things. He’s an explosive, smooth scoring guard with iso scoring ability. He is a little undersized but it looks like he might have the talent to find a role in the NBA. No star picks here but two potential role players.

B-

Chicago

48

Just a late second rounder for the Bulls which brought in Louzada Silva Marcos. He was drafted to the Pels out of Brazil. A good shooting guard with terrific work ethic. Could carve out a role in the NBA. Value pick at 48.

B

Cleveland

16 & 45

Picking just out of the lottery, Cleveland looked to continue to add youth around a young core of Jokic and Brogdon. At 16 they reached a little for Grand Williams who is a high character, non-flashy 6”7 PF with a 6”11 wingspan. Williams comes across as a winner, he has nice touch, can shoot outside, can defend the wings or bigs and has a high basketball IQ. He should fit the modern position-less NBA and is a good fit in Boston, but was there better talent on the board at 16? At pick 45 John Konchar was taken off the board. Who? I hadn’t heard of the Purdue prospect until I looked him up. He’s signed a two-way contract with Memphis and appears to be a fundamentally sound wing with good shooting percentages. He’s 23 which makes him a slightly older prospect but may be able to contribute straight away on a young Memphis squad.

B-

Dallas

11, 26 (trade) & 50

LJ made his selections at 11 and 50 and later traded a future pick to bring in Okeke who slipped all the way down to pick 26 making him one of the biggest steals on draft night. This value trade might make up for the reach at pick 11 where mimicked the Phoenix Suns and took Cameron Johnson. Though Johnson was one of the best shooters in the class, his age and questions about his health make him a risky pick at 11 especially when there’s so much talent still on the board. He should carve out a role at the Suns but will he be worth such a high pick? Okeke at 26 seems a steal, obviously it will depend on how he returns from his knee injury but his combination of size and shooting ability should make him a valuable commodity and worth the wait. Justin James was taken at 50. He is a senior wing who needs to improve his stroke to carve out a role. Good finisher. The Okeke trade gives this one a pass mark.

B-

Denver

6 & 55

Denver landed Coby White at six and Justin Robinson at 55. White was exactly what the Nuggets needed, a tall, talented and athletic combo guard with an aggressive scoring mentality. I believe in White and think his fit in Chicago is perfect for his long term outlook. Perfect pick at 6. Justin Robinson went undrafted in the NBA but was signed to a multi-year deal by the Wizards who obviously believe in this guard’s talent. He should see some minutes with Wall out and Satoransky signing with the Bulls. Denver earn a B+ purely on getting White at 6.   

B+

Detroit

10 & 51

Jaxson Hayes slipped to pick 10 and was quickly snapped up by the Pistons. He’s a nice get here and could prove to be a high calibre defensive big in the future. He will take time to develop but Detroit have a roster that can cover his development as it’s loaded with win-now talent. At 51 the Pistons selected Isaiah Roby who is a long, athletic wing. He seems to have the physical tools for a defensive wing but hasn’t made the jump on the offensive end. He looks like someone worth the punt at 51. Solid overall draft, perfect pick for Jaxson Hayes.    

B+

Golden State

17

The Warriors have a talented young roster and looked to add to it with pick 17. They took the punt on Euro big Goga Bitadze. He’s young, bouncy, passionate and possesses a jump shot that modern centres require to be successful. His career will start as a primary backup behind Turner and Sabonis in a talented young Pacers team. Worst case scenario I think Goga will be a highly productive backup, best case he could be a Nurkic type starter. Great value at 17.

B+

Houston

34, 37 & 41

Featuring three picks in the second round, Houston looked to add some sleepers to their core. I was of the belief that the draft had talent down to the mid to late 30’s and Vitticus proved this with pick 34. At 34 he landed a unique prospect in Horton-Tucker who looks like a brick with tentacles. He’s 6”4 with a 7”1 wingspan, is very strong and plays hard on the defensive end. He should be able to guard multiple positions and will learn from the very best in LA this season. At 37 he took Michael Porter Jr’s brother Jontay. He had some hype behind him until his 2nd ACL injury ended his college season. He recently inked a deal with Portland and will be given opportunities to develop as his recovery continues. At 41, Alen Smailagic was taken. He played in GSW D-League affiliate and is a big around-the-rim finisher. Not sure what his ceiling is other than possible role player. The gem in this chest is Horton-Tucker and earns Houston a pass mark.

B

Indiana

7 & 54

Indy bring in elite prospect DeAndre Hunter at pick 7. Clear value here as he was taken 4 in the NBA by the Hawks. I like the fit for Hunter and could see him developing into a high-level complimentary player. He has all the physical tools to be a fantastic wing and possesses the mentality and shooting stroke required to succeed at the next level. At 54 Spud took T-Mann. I had my eye on him for a late pick, partly because I trust LA Clips in this draft and because he passes the eye test. Big guard, good finisher and has a handy postgame. Major concerns were that to be a bit more selfish (is that even a problem?) and he is a bit older. Two good picks.

B+

LA Clippers

3 & 58

LA Clippers landed in the top 3 and picked up one of the highly touted prospects from this year’s draft, RJ Barrett. I’m a fan of Barrett and think he’s a nice compliment to Giannis, Draymond and Sexton. He has nice size, possesses the physical tools and ticks all the boxes in interviews as his character shines. Zach Norvell at 58 is another Two-Way contract that signed for the Lakers. He might see some opportunity depending on how they shape their backup roster over the offseason. Their draft was simple, just take the undrafted guy from the top 3.

B+

LA Lakers

23 & 38

The Lakers beefed up their guard slots in this draft with two great value picks. At 23 they snagged Alexander-Walker (Cousin of Gilgeous-Alexander). He’s a tough combo guard with a terrific outside stroke. He might project as a back-up early in his career but he has the heart to carve out a role in the NBA as a quality complementary guard. At 38 the Lakers landed Jordan Poole who was drafted first round by the Warriors. There are mixed reviews on Poole but the Warriors will no doubt continue to develop his ball handling abilities as he aims to become a reliable combo guard. The Lakers draft can be summarised in one word “value”.

A

Memphis

30 & 31

I tried to get my greedy hands on one of these picks as there was so much talent available at this point in the draft. With back-to-back picks Rootsey landed Mfiondu Kabengele and Darius Bazely. These are two very interesting prospects with unique backstories. Mfiondu is the nephew of Dikembe Motumbo, he is an emerging big with the ability to face up and protect the rim. He has a terrific wingspan and looks to be at worst a capable back up big with starter upside. Bazely bypassed the college program to become a New Balance “Intern”. This new style of academy could be the future for developing players for the NBA and it will be interesting to follow how his internship prepares him for the next level. At pick 31 he’s worth a punt.

B

Miami

18 & 43

Pete landed a steal at 18 in PJ Washington. He could become the face of the Charlotte franchise as Kemba Walker’s away from the Hornetts in free agency. He is a fiery, slightly undersized big with a solid all round game. He has drawn comparisons to David West. At 43 the Heat landed another steal in Dylan Windler who made an impressive debut in Summer League with a 19 point game. Windler was taken 26 by the Cavs in the NBA and is a rangey 6”7 wing. He’s possibly more suited as a shooting guard until he fills out as he will be bullied by the bigger forwards in the NBA. Two strong value picks here.

A

Milwaukee

1 & 60

ZIOOOOOONNNNNNN! A generational talent arrives in Milwaukee, an obvious pick that was always going to go first. Zion ticks every box you could want in a prospect and ticks the size box a second time. Monster. Quindarry Weatherspoon deserves some recognition at 60. This guy looks like a baller and he’s a perfect fit for the way the Spurs played. I watched him in summer league and he made his team mates better and was deceptively quick when getting to the rim. He could turn into a good role player one day.

A+

Minnesota

15

With the biggest shock on the NSL draft night Darko selected Bol Bol just outside the lottery. Bol has the feel for the game, size and jump shot but has question marks on his build, character and injury cloud. This could be the worst reach but funnily it could be a steal. It all depends on how Bol Bol responds to such a disheartening start to his career. I’m not optimistic he will make it.

D-

New Orleans

2, 9, 28, 59

New Orleans copied its NBA affiliate with multiple picks in the first round in very similar positions. With pick 2 they made the correct pick and took explosive Point Guard prodigy Ja Morant, completing an exciting youth pairing with Donovan Mitchell. At 9 they made the first reach of the draft in selecting Sekou Doumbouya. Though I like his fit in Detroit, I think this raw and athletic forward was more of a mid-late first. Obviously it will come down to his development in the NBA system as he has all the building blocks of a future star. I’m not sold on his character though. At pick 28 the Pels drafted Bruno Fernando. He’s a sleeper in this draft, he is big, has a great frame and can protect the rim and finish. Love his fit in Atlanta as well. Good pick. 59 was their last pick that brought in Miye Oni. Miye Oni concern with this pick is the name of the prospect. Good draft by the Pels.

B+

New York

No Picks

Oklahoma City

8, 20 & 52

The Thunder had two picks in the first round which they used to bring in two highly touted prospects who had underwhelming freshmen seasons. Reddish out of Duke played behind Barrett and Zion and faded in and out of games throughout the year. Has a versatile skillset but needs to show it more consistently. Romeo Langford went at 20 which is later than in the actual NBA where he went 14 to the Celtics. Romeo passes the eye-test, he can finish at the rim and makes scoring look effortless at times. Question marks around his finger makes scouting his jump shot challenging. Is he a crap shooter or was he hurt? Ignas Brazdeikis went at 52 who I know very little about, I know even less about how to pronounce that name. Overall OKC have drafted two top end prospects and a number of question marks.

C+

Orlando

36

Orlando drafted KZ Okpala at 36. He’s a long wing with great size and athleticism. Can shoot the ball and handles the ball well. Could improve on defence. Nice value at 36. 

B

Philadelphia

14, 29, 32, 35, 44 & 46

Ben had a shit load of picks in this draft and there’s no chance I’m going to write about them all. He took Samanic at 14 which I think is a reach but I do trust the Spurs franchise in developing talent so it’ll probably work out. He’s big and bouncy but will need time to size up and develop his instincts. Eric Paschall at 29 was a potential steal/ potential reach. He went pick 41 to the Warriors in the NBA but has drawn comparisons to PJ Tucker with his defensive prowess, motor and effort, glue gayness and tweener like size. Could Ben have picked him up at 32? Admiral Schofield went at 32, He wasn’t on my radar, another tweener type with high character. He’s got a decent jumper and good physique to become a 3 and D type wing on a successful team. With 35 he took Louis King, 44 he drafted another unpronounceable Deividas Sirvydis and 46 Yovel Zoosman who had a bit of sleeper hype behind him. Lots of reaching here but I think Ben is a savvy GM so I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt.    

C+

Phoenix

Traded 33 and 59 for 28

Phoenix made a draft day trade to land a solid all-rounder in Keldon Johnson. He fits the Spurs system but might take a while to emerge due to the sheer volume of wings and guards in SA. He has no glaring strengths and few weaknesses but is a fiery competitor who loves winning. I had my eye on him at 22 and think 28 is a good spot to take Johnson.

B

Portland

No Picks