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One-on-One: NBA Draft best, worst picks ... and Bol Bol's spider suit!
Yardbarker NBA writers Pat Heery and Sean Keane address some of the hottest issues in the league. This week's topic: NBA Draft fallout.
Heery: This lottery featured everything -- a transcendent talent at the top (Zion!), a plethora of trades (which really threw a wrench into my final mock draft), a perceived reach by the Suns (Cameron Johnson), and a whole lot of tears. So, from the lottery, give me your best pick, worst pick and biggest surprise.
Keane: It was outright rude of the Timberwolves, Suns, Hawks, and Pelicans to make deals so close to the start of the draft, just to screw over all poor beleaguered mock drafters. The Pelicans of course made the easiest pick with Zion, but I loved Coby White going to the Bulls at No. 7. There was talk they’d blow up their roster, trade Zach LaVine, or trade up, but they ended up staying put and getting the young point guard they’ve needed for years. Check that, the young point guard better than Kris Dunn who they’ve needed for years.
I didn’t like 23-year-old Cam Johnson going as high as No. 11 to Phoenix. I did like that they added Dario Saric by trading down with Minnesota. Saric is a nice veteran to supplement the young core, but Johnson’s almost as old. Cam’s a great three-point shooter -- he shot nearly 46 percent from behind the arc at Carolina -- but he doesn’t do much else.
I was extremely surprised that Darius Garland -- he went to the Cavs -- wore a suit jacket that was almost a bathrobe. But my biggest shock was seeing Rui Hachimura go to the Wizards, considering I wasn’t positive that he’d go in the first round at all. Maybe they’re trying to sell a season ticket package to the Japanese Embassy?
How about you? Did any suits or selections catch your eye in the second half of the first round?
Heery: Thank you for sticking up for us mock drafters, we’re the real heroes of draft night. For the record, I shot 20% in the first round -- same as The Ringer! I agree that Rui and Cam Johnson at 9 and 11 were a little surprising (although I’m higher on Johnson than most). I was absolutely shocked that Brandon Clarke dropped to 21 -- that was a great trade for Memphis, and teams will rue the day they passed on such an athletic defender and Player Efficiency Rating stud. He, Carolina's Nasir Little (Trail Blazers) and Southern Cal's Kevin Porter Jr. (Cavaliers) were the best value picks in the first round.
As for suits, I was a fan of Zion going all-white, like LeBron did in 2003. I enjoyed Keldon Johnson’s wardrobe change. And I was appalled by Bol Bol’s spider suit designed by Young Thug -- perhaps that’s why he wasn't picked until No. 44 by the Heat and then dealt to Denver. He’s a top-five talent and the only 7-foot-2 player with guard skills I’ve ever seen. Kudos to the Nuggets, whose president of basketball ops said he feels "fortunate to add another young piece, a guy that we thought pretty highly of."
Heery: So who do you think won the draft? I obviously liked Memphis’ draft and loved what the Hawks did by trading up for Deandre Hunter at No. 4 and having Cam Reddish fall in their laps at No. 10.
Keane: I appreciated Keldon Johnson’s look, but I bet he didn’t think he’d have to wear two suit jackets for 29 picks before his dramatic reveal. It’s the rare case where we see a player literally sweating out a drop down the draft board. I love Memphis building an impenetrable frontcourt defense with Clarke next to Jaren Jackson, Jr. I appreciated the Knicks rejecting all their historical instincts and simply staying put to take RJ Barrett at No. 3. But I really like what the Pelicans did overall, beyond grabbing Zion. They got a high-upside center in Jaxson Hayes, a well-rounded combo guard in Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and a delightful Brazilian sharpshooter named Marcos Louzada Silva, who has bleached blond hair and won’t come to America for at least one more year. Plus, they dumped Solomon Hill’s contract and cap space for a max free-agent contract. It’s too bad they weren’t this creative when they still had The Brow.
On the other hand, the Sixers seem to be saving money for free agents with their moves, more than adding to a playoff team. By the way, Bol Bol, paired with Nikola Jokić, could be part of the sweetest-shooting center platoon in NBA history. Also, there’s something beautiful about sending the tallest guy in the draft a mile high. Clearly, you love this trade for Denver. What other deals struck your fancy, besides the Hawks sneaking into the top four?
Heery: Jokic and Bol Bol make for the most inverted frontcourt in NBA history. I think the Cavs were smart to not trade No. 5 and draft Vanderbilt's Darius Garland despite having Collin Sexton (Garland was the best available player), and then I liked that they got the enigmatic but extremely talented Kevin Porter Jr.
The Lakers trading into the second round to select the positionless Klutch Sports client Talen Horton-Tucker of Iowa State was a nice value pick at No. 46. For those counting, the Lakers now have six players on their roster. Speaking of team building by GOATs, one of my good friends -- who is unfortunately a Hornets fan --texted me after Charlotte continued to pass on point guards. MJ’s team now has seven forwards and Cody Zeller, Bismack Biyombo and Willy Hernangomez. I’d say LeBron has the upper hand in assembling a team right now.
Heery: Last question from me: Which of these draftees, if any, make an impact in the playoffs next year like Shai Gilgeous-Alexanderand Landry Shamet did this season?
Keane: There are a few guys in this draft who look like possible playoff heroes, not counting Kentucky's Tyler Herro, who I could absolutely see swinging a playoff game with a bunch of three-pointers, if only the Heat were making the postseason. I could see Cam Reddish teaming up with Trae Young in Atlanta to give the Raptors a scare in the first round. A rehabilitated Chuma Okeke could give the Magic good minutes. Tennessee's Grant Williams is exactly the kind of defensive-minded, formerly chubby forward Danny Ainge falls in love with in Boston, and Nassir Little could be exactly the scoring punch the Portland second unit needs in May. At the same time, I can see Matisse Thybulle being unplayable for the Sixers when opponents refuse to guard him.
But the draft pick I can see making an impact in the playoffs, and this may be the adrenaline of draft night making me dreamy, is Zion Williamson. He could lead a low-seeded, youthful Pelicans team that no one wants to play in Round 1. Any final draft thoughts?
Heery: It’s funny, as I was asking you which rookies would be making a playoff impact next season, I came to the big-picture realization that hardly any of these kids will be ready to make a big-time contribution to winning for another couple of seasons. It’s kind of crazy how psyched we get for the draft process when you think about it from that perspective.
Whatever the NBA is doing to drive the draft hype machine, it should keep doing it. In other words, keep the Woj Bombs coming! And finally, you are damn right about Zion -- I honestly expect him to be an all-star as a rookie. While we’re at it, let’s give executive VP of basketball ops David Griffin a round of applause for his performance during his first month as the Pelicans’ decision-maker. I can’t wait to watch this Pelicans team compete after the Lakers win the next two or three titles.
More must-reads:
- Theories emerge about why Bol Bol fell so far in the draft
- Biggest takeaways from the 2019 NBA Draft
- The 'First overall NBA Draft picks' quiz
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