1.)    

Milwaukee Bucks – With Zion Williamson on the roster already manning the PF spot. Poster sales in Milwaukee had already taken a jump in revenue. With Athletic big men becoming a premium again in the league. Drafting James Wiseman #1 will turn the Fiserv Forum into a Bon-a-fide poster factory as no frontline in the league would be able to match up with the Lob City Part Duex tandem. Wiseman may have only played 3 games at Memphis. The lead passes he will get from SGA via back door cuts and lobs will build his confidence and his game will start to quickly fill out even if he does probably start off slow. He’s exciting and a guaranteed double double with a few blocks thrown in for good measure. He probably isn’t the best player in the draft. But he is the one to most likely give you exactly what you expect and that is something you can build around.

2.)    Charlotte Hornets – It seems like almost every day there is another deal coming from the New Hornets GM. It is rumored that the GM’s childhood home is in Dayton Ohio and it wouldn’t be a stretch here to see the sentimental pick of Obi Toppin. Toppin isn’t the best player in the draft either. But with the departure of Carter Jr. Toppin can bring some excitement as a PF/SF Similar to Lamar Odom but without the baggage. Toppin’s scoring and athleticism will be great as a 3^rd option on a team where he wouldn’t have the pressure of being the main guy.

3.)    Denver Nuggets – With Klay Thompson coming back from injury and Michael Porter Jr. Finding his NSL legs. The Nuggets need a player here that will have an immediate impact without needing the ball. Onyeka Okongwu is that guy. The Nuggets will slide Porter Jr. to his more natural SF spot and slot Okongwu in as an uber athletic PF that has a motor a keen to a formula 1 race car. On offense he will score on hustle plays and back door cuts. As a defender he will wreak havoc. Getting into passing lands, rebounding and just being a general pest. Okongwu is the player Draymond Green wants to be.

4.)    Atlanta Hawks – Officially in full on rebuild mode. The Hawks snatch up Anthony Edwards like a pedestrian finding a $100 on a crowded sidewalk. At first you cannot believe your eyes. But then you scoop it up and fade into the crowd like nothing happened. Edwards is arguably the best player in this draft. A head strong SG that knows he needs to remain a student of the game in order to improve. Very DeRozan like in skillset albeit a tad shorter. Edwards ceiling is a bit higher as he is more open to adjusting his game and being the beneficiary of arriving during a different era in NSL basketball.

5.)    Boston Celtics – With Collins and Tatum upfront and two picks in this lottery the Celtics will do two things.  Get the best player available and do a reach. They need both shooting and playmaking. Despite a lack of shooting ability. It would be criminal to pass on LaMelo Ball here at number 5. Ball’s time in Australia has giving him a chance to see the game better. So that he can better utilize his playmaking abilities which will be Key to his success and the Teams at the NBA level. Boston will have a PG for the next 7 years with Ball at the helm.

6.)    Boston Celtics – With their 2^nd pick. Tyrese Haliburton becomes the SG of the Celtics. Although playing PG at Iowa. Haliburton’s shooting ability makes him a perfect backcourt mate with LaMelo. Tyrese’s improvement from his freshman year to his sophomore year is an indicator of his work ethic and that kind of energy is infectious in young locker rooms. He isn’t going to be a big time scorer. But he is the kind of player that makes the big plays and hits the big shots when they matter most. Multiple teams will end up regretting passing on Tyrese Haliburton.

7.)    New Orleans Pelicans – One Day ja Morant and Donovan Mitchell will be the best backcourt in the NSL. But the current void in the Pelicans front line will restrict their greatness. In a need vs best player available pick. They take a reach and pluck PF Precious Achiuwa from Memphis. Achiuwa’s athleticism and high motor will probably keep him in the league a long time as the kind of player that punishes sleeping defenses with streaking cuts to the basket and hustle rebounds on offense. The occasional 3ptr won’t hurt either. May not become a regular all star but being a poor mans Chris Bosh would be a solid role for him.

8.)    Oklahoma City Thunder – The Thunder have the talent on paper to go deep into the playoffs. But couldn’t seem to put it together through the season. With the 8^th pick they essentially have nothing to lose. The Thunder will pick Killian Hayes. The French phenom PG will need time to adjust to the NBA game. In time he could take over the point duties from Fox and have Fox slide to the 2 guard spot and really open up the offensive potential of the Thunder. Teams would not be able to trap the PG anymore. Morant would end up either wide open or mismatched against a week defender allowing him to either get an easy basket or assistant on an easy basket. Killian Hayes will be a great addition to the Thunder roster in time.

9.)    Golden State Warriors – Riding the continued development and maturity of Lavine and Ayton. The Warriors have nothing to lose. Devin Vassell would be the guy to get here. Not a starter yet. But could develop into one over time. The kind of player with hard work could end up much better than anyone could have projected similar to Jimmy Butler just without the chip on his shoulder.

10. Orlando Magic – Like most teams in this part of the lottery. The Magic are a player away from reaching the next level. Most likely in need a PF with all of their other starting positions either set with established or developing talent. They will have to do some experimenting here and take a gamble on a sleeper pick. Daniel Oturu is a 6’10” center that has developing range and enough athleticism to play PF in the NSL. He is also addicting to shot blocking which continues to be an under appreciated skill. But even the ability to alter a player shot can be difference between handful of wins and losses throughout the season. Paired with Steven Adams the Magic will have a frontline that most people will think twice about attacking. A lot of teams will regret passing on Oturu.

11. Houston Rockets – Houston we have a problem. Needing players in multiple positions. It is unlikely that they will land an all-star player here. But an immediate impact player would-be best-case scenario if they do not just trade the pick. Cole Anthony is probably the best player available although not really the best fit. Anthony is a hot-blooded score first PG that is probably better suited to be a SG. But is exceptional at ball handing. Just lacks the leadership skills the Rockets need to get to the next level. Either way a positive building block for sure but not the answer on his own.

12. New York Knickerbockers – The Knicks are looking to develop multiple talented assets and pick a direction for the team down the line. They will likely take the best player available here Isaac Okoru. Is just the kind of player the Knicks are looking for. A slashing 2guard with aggressive defensive chops and a no fear attitude. His jump shot and court awareness are a work in progress. At worst he can be your stereotypical 3 and D guy. At best he could evolve into a more aggressive Rip Hamilton. He will need to develop the mentality to diversify his scoring and he could end up being the steal of the draft.

13. Utah Jazz – With an aging core and being trapped in salary cap prison. The Jazz must first figure out the status of Kyle Lowry build around what that status would be. If they want to take anther crack at a possible playoff run the can draft Deni Avdija from Israel. A very solid do it all SF. His immediate impact is debatable. But over time he will develop into the kind of player that always happens to be in the right place at the right time with the right play. From a key steal, deflection, a block to a hockey assist, key rebound or timely basket. It’s a skill that can’t be taught and derives from IQ, natural instinct and a thirst for the big moments. At worst could be a more developed Robert Horry, at best a poor man’s Chris Bosh.

14.  Memphis Grizzlies – The I got nothing to lose Pick. You either land the guy everybody slept on or you can reach here and see what develops. In comes SG Aaron Nesmith. Aaron had an impressive leap in development from Freshmen to Sophomore year. Shooting percentages, scoring and efficiency went up across the board. Albeit it was only for 14 games. But 23pts per game and 52% shooting from 3. Which was a 20% increase from his freshman season and this kid superstar potential. Likely due to tutelage from Jerry Stackhouse who broke his arm earlier in his NBA career and was able to improve his shooting mechanics during the recovery process. If not for his Foot Injury that ended his season he would have been ranked and picked much higher. At best could be next Reggie Miller with a little bit of Isiah Rider mixed in. At worst could be Harold Minor.