What do you think?

 initially not happy with the wagner pick. Felt like we could use a perimter defender to potetnially replace caldwell pope. Someone like a khyri thomas or josh okogie. 

 But been watching some tape on wagner and im liking it a bit now. Also listened to rob pelinka do post draft press conference where he said magic was giddy about wagner and that a couple of the young lakers including kuz were at wagners workout and they said he would be great for the team and were really impressed. They love his basketball IQ and passing and how he sets screens to free teammates. 

So if wagner could replace brook lopez as our space spreading center, or at least give us solid backup minutes then i dont mind the pick.

I’m shocked that Boston had Robert Williams fall into their lap at 27.  For the last 5-6 years I had been looking for potential bigs that could bring rebounding and shot blocking to the team.  Finally this year I was locked in on getting a player out of the large group of guards and wings in that 15-30+ range.  Even as he was falling into the early 20s I thought for sure the Blazers or Lakers were going to take him before the Celtics could get him.  

 Heat: no picks but getting Yante Maten and Duncan Robinson to our summer league team gives us low cost options for next season.

 Dallas fans should be very exciting about the dennis smith-doncic backcourt for the future, it’s like the parker-ginobili backcourt only riches… And also agree about Brunson being a big steal, just see such high level player with some Steve Nash in him…

 I’m happy with what Detroit did. Drafting Brown (don’t know too much about him except he’s very strong) and trading for Khyri Thomas is amazing. Thomas was pegged as a mid-late first rounder, so getting him at 38 for 2 future second rounders was great. Both fit our most glaring weakness on the wing, so it was about as good as I could have hoped for. 

 Like the value my Spurs got, Walker is great combination of athletic ability and base of overall basketball skills and mind, Hope could be the jaylen brown of this draft… Matzoo remind me something between skal labissiere and John collins, not as dynamic as collins so closer to labissiere but still could be rotation player for us…

Nuggets fan here…

Porter could be the steal of the draft.  If he is able to show as a small forward, he fits a big need.  With Jokic, Harris and Murray; he doesn’t need to come in and be a star right away.  Just needs to play defense and hit open shots.  If he translates more of a strecth PF, there will be a logjam of minutes with Lyles, Hermangomez and Lydon all having similar skillsets.  

Vanderbilt is a going to help on defensive end down the road but they are in no rush with him.  Youth is on his side.

Welsh is 7-foot; not sure what the Nuggs front office saw in him.  He’s got some nice offensive skills but is a slug athletically.

Overall, love the gamble.  Gotta risk it for the biscuit.

 Love the Sixers trade for Zhaire Smith.  While I liked Mikel alot he doesn’t have the edge Smith has.  It also signalled that the Sixers are very much on the look for a star wing instead of a rookie one which is another good sign.

Landry Shemet was a surprise pick I didn’t think we were going to keep that pick.  But I love the shooting he brings to the table.  They also doubled down on guards to light a fire under Fultz who I fully believe will breakout next year that guy just has way too much talent not to be good.

OKC picked up an amazing haul for only having picks in the 50s. All 3 wings but Hervey and Hall are both experienced players who bring a lot of energy, defense, and shooting, and Diallo is raw as all get out but he showed a whole lot of defensive potential and him on the fast break with Russ and T Ferg would be terrifying. I didn’t think I’d be this satisfied with our draft but I am, even though thinking about Melo immediately puts me in a bad mood…..

 I think they played it safe.  They very well may have picked the two best players available when they were drafting.  I think they increased their chances of being a 500 team but did not increase their chances of winning an NBA title.  I think this was a swing for the fences opportunity for the Bulls and they passed on that opportunity.  Teams ended up paying a lot to move up imo and I would not have given up a future 1st to move up a couple of spots so maybe they did OK.  Just not a home run imo.

I like Young and Huerter but getting so close to Doncic and missing out hurts, hopefully the Mavs pick falls in the lottery. Spellman is ok and fits reasonably well with Collins on offense if he can sit in the corner and shoot 3s, but the Hawks need better rim defense with our weak perimeter defense. Mostly thankful that Schroeder is packing his bags, hopefully Schlenke can fool a team into coughing up a first rounder with a bad salary attached.

I wanted Trae Young, just because they are so thin at point guard at the moment. I don’t think he’ll be Steph Curry, but he has a chance at a Mike Bibby type career. Which should make Hawk fans happy.

Pivoting to Bamba keeps Magic GM John Hammond on brand. I really like the long term pairing with Jonathan Isaac. They’re quick, long, and switchable on perimeter players. But Gordon makes things complicated. I think Isaac’s best long-term outlook is at the PF position. Gordon broke out (kind of) last year when the team fully commited him to the 4. But the team still sucked.

Could Orlando considers a sign and trade with Gordon before next season? Perhaps. I wouldn’t be heartbroken if it happened. But overall, I think Orlando has a bright future on the defensive end of the floor with Bamba and Isaac anchoring the frontcourt.

I came away generally “content” with the Bulls draft based on the way things fell. I would have loved to have moved up to get Doncic but that wasn’t in the cards. I am high on Carter and I thought the mix of value, positional need and options mixed well at #7. I know I have read a lot of hand-wringing and gnashing of teeth from Bulls fan that Carter is “all we have to show for tanking” but I think it massively underappreciates what Carter is and can be. While I must concede he is not an organizational altering prospect – few are – I think he will be rock solid and has All-Star type ceiling ala Al Horford. If Carter can be a 15 and 10 while providing rim protection and some switchable defense, then he will have been well worth the pick and is the type of guy who will contribute to winning basketball. People seem to forget that he was a top 5 national recruit, was basically a double-double player at Duke while clearly not being the focal point of the offense. From reading a few Duke season recaps, many pundits and fans came to the same conclusion, while Bagley put up the stats and was the “star” it was Carter who was the one who was most important because he was a foundational defensive piece, rebounded and accepted a secondary role as a passer and spacer which is why Duke had success. Carter is only 19 with a well-formed physique, to think he will bulk up further is a scary thought as he will be a load to deal with. I am encouraged by his free-throw stroke and though the sample size was small, he has demonstrated the ability to be a threat away from the basket.

I have less to say about Hutchison, he looks like another solid player, doesn’t have a crazy high ceiling but he can be a contributor to the team which sometimes is all you can expect from a pick in the 20s. First round picks are around for three years with guaranteed money, missing on them is just dead weight on the cap, while getting contributors on cost-controlled contracts is the key to getting excess value. If Hutchison’s shot really has turned the corner, then he could be a nice piece both now and in the future as a 3-and-D type.

When the Bulls finally hit the reset button last year I was thrilled, I never expected this to be a one year turnaround, so my hope is that the coaching staff, management, and ownership plays the long game and simply focuses on letting the key pieces play and develop, find out exact what we have with Dunn, Lauri, Carter, Hutchison, Porter – I am not even concerned if they let Lavine go as I would rather not commit max (or near max) money to a guy who is not a two-way player – lets get another piece in 2019 and hopefully utilize the cap on a real game-changing piece in another year or two.

 Wolves:

I think they drafted the BPA for their positional needs at the time with Okogie. However, I was really hoping to trade Wiggins and/or Butler (who is likely going to sign elsewhere next summer) to move up in an unbelievably talented draft… I don’t think we’re gonna be near contending for a championship with the core we have and as long as the Warriors and now Rockets are in tact. So I was kind of hoping for a semi rebuild with Towns and one of the very talented guards in the lottery this season. But again, for not trading up I’m pleased with the pick. I wanted either Okogie or Trent because he’s a good shooter, good potential, and a hometown kid who played with Tyus and Tre in high school.