[OhCanada-Participant]

So whats everybody’s thoughts on how the draft played out?

WINNERS

I think its very clear Detroit are the clearcut winners of the NBA draft. Thats three solid drafts they’ve had now which should more or less put the rest of the league on notice. This teams gonna be a problem and it might be sooner than later.

One sneaky winner I feel will end up being New Orleans. They pick up Dyson Daniels 8th and a trade for EJ Liddell who went 41st which I feel is going to be an absolute steal. Both players are very similar picks to Herb Jones as two more versatile defenders they can add to their core of Mccollum, Ingram, Zion and JV.

Houston had a great draft. Jabari Smith at 3, Tari Eason at 17 and TyTy Washington on a trade at 28. Seems like they just made a best player available board and stuck too it all night taking who they thought was the best talent. All three of could be in the rotation on opening night.

SUBTLE WINNERS

You never really see teams with only one pick mentioned as winners but I feel like they should also recieve some praise.

Washington picking Johnny Davis 10th overall was just a very good simple pick. Don’t overcomplicate things just pick the best player. Yes we have Beal thats fine they will figure it out on the court. Johnny Davis is probably my early favorite for Rookie of the Year.

Toronto addressed there C need with Christian Koloko one of college basketballs best Centers and landed in possibly the best situation for him to really shine. He shares the same hometown (Douala) as his new teammate Pascal Siakam and his new competitor Joel Embiid. This pick also justifies trading back 13 picks for Thaddeus Young. If Christian Koloko went 20th to the Toronto Raptors nobody would of thought it was a reach.

I’ll throw OKC into this mix. They are kinda just playing video game franchise mode. Stocking up on picks and trading them all for the highest potential players they see in the draft. They end up with Holmgren, Dieng and Jalen Williams and the most amusing part of this is that none of these players really project to improve the team immediately whichg still keeps them in play for Victor Wembanyama which you know is the ultimate goal for Sam Presti. How many picks will it cost for OKC to trade up and select the French Center next year?

LOSERS
I understand the deal for the Knicks, but when has it ever been smart to trade away a lottery pick for cap space? This is why the Knicks never get anywhere. They feel like they can just pay the players to win and they always get burned. So they want to offer Jalen Brunson a near max salary and they honestly believe thats the move that rights the ship. Just draft the right player and sign him to that cheap rookie contract then find another way to clear salary. Don’t give up your best asset.

I’m not a big fan of what the Spurs did here. They don’t really trade away the players they draft, for a while at least. They seem to make it work over the long haul. I just don’t see how all this fits. Now they have Vassell, Primo, Walker, Branham, Wesley all competing for SG and SF minutes in a tight rotation. The Sochan pick is alright but just overall I’m not moved by what they did.

Peyton Watson at 30? Come on Denver your better than that. This dude misses 1 on 0 layups.

[armchairgmParticipant]

I really like what the Spurs did. I thought they had one of the best drafts.

Memphis is first team that comes to my mind on a puzzling draft.

[HitsterParticipant]

The Thunder look to have got their backcourt already sorted with Giddy and SGA. If they do have one eye on Victor W next year they could have a generational frontcourt with him and Chet throw in Dieng at 3 and it is immense size across the team.

The top of the draft went pretty much within reason with players only a place or two away from where we thught they may go. When the Knicks started making their moves it made things interesting.

A couple of good players were traded for pre-draft but no current high names moved on Draft Day. I guess the fun now moves onto FA market with Kyrie and Bradley Beal etc.

[OhCanada-Participant]

Pretty sure Beal is staying in Washington. Anticlimactic but that would be alot of money he leaves on the table unless theres a sign and trade in the works.

[HitsterParticipant]

They have got Beal a good sidekick in Porz and there would be money left on the table. Plus he only turns 29 next week so its not like he is 32/33 and really needs to be on a contender before his peak years are over. But it does amuse me when it is said about multi millionaires leavy money on the table when they can still get very lucrative deals. But you also hear rumours Kyrie might take under $7 million to join the court of King James again.

I hope someone at least tries for a bold move. I’d factor in too Brad is coming off a quieter season and if he opts out as he is likely to if he gets the security of a big new deal he has something to prove. He can also easily do a 2+1 or a 1+1 deal to give him some security but not tie him down for the rest of his peak years.

Kyrie there has been talks the Knicks might make a play but Nets will likely need to give him a good offer as KD wants him to stay.

[OhCanada-Participant]

Yeah its just not the same though. For me or you to leave 10 grand on the table 10 grand is still just 10 grand. And 10 mil is still 10 mil. Doesn’t really matter if he has 100 mil ion the bank its still another 10.

[NorrinRaddParticipant]

When the Pistons look at this draft in hindsight 6 years from now… they came up big this year in the draft. For sure they won. They have great prospects and great fits.

If somehow the Pistons didn’t win the draft, it’s because OKCs prospects pan out.

Paolo Banchero is a winner of the draft for going first.
Jalen Williams is a winner going 12th.
Jake LaRavia has a great agent, he must have won the night.

I think Duren would have better than Sochan in San Antonio, but maybe not. Wesley and Branham are good value picks.

Effin’ Lakers could have done much better I think, but they do get a lot out of their players.
One of my favorite prospects I can say lost the draft, as Ismael Kamagate will probably back up Jokic.

Sharpe may be a year or even 2 away, but he’s going to be a bad ass in due time at Portland.

I’m looking forward to seeing TyTy vs Chandler in Grizzlies camp. I think they reached on some prospects, but got good fits.

How did the Warriors become a loser this draft?

[armchairgmParticipant]

TyTy went to Rockets so that will be tough to see

[Nico4nicolasParticipant]

Dallas is to be mentioned among the winners, the used their sole pick to get Jaden Hardy at #37. He could end up being a great fit along Luka.

To the losers side, we can add Sacramento. Nothing against Keegan Murray here, it’s that the pick worth more. Many teams were high on Jaden Ivey and the Kings could have done better with it.

The Spurs made an interesting draft but I don’t see Malaki Branham nor Blake Wesley as good fits. It will be difficult for them to get decent playing time unless another guy don’t get pushed to the end of the bench.

[ZouldiersParticipant]

Miami getting their hands on Nikola Jovic at 27 makes them the winner in my opinion. Of course I’m a Heat fan but sheesh I wanted Jovic man haha and based on his reaction he wants to be in South Beach as well lol.

[HitsterParticipant]

Jovic I had going higher so I agree he is a good pick up for Miami and they get him on a bargain salary. As he declared I assume he is keen to come over and going to a powerhouse team he’ll get a winning mentality and won’t need to be rushed but down the line he could well save Miami a lot of money if he becomes a solid starter or even a very good bench option which I’d say is his downside.

[zolaParticipant]

I like what Pistons, Thunder, Rockets did. I like Christian Braun in Denver. I like Koloko in Toronto. I like Jović in Miami, especially if they manage to trade Robinson. Timberwolves made good trades to have two picks, but I’m not impressed with their selections, especially with Kessler. I like Spurs selections, but I don’t like logjam at SG they will have.

I don’t like what Hornets, Knicks and my Grizzlies did. I don’t understand why Knicks didn’t unload Kemba in initial trade since Thunder also has cap space.

I like Grizzlies selections except of Roddy’s. Not that I don’t like him but he and LaRavia are similar players in my eyes. I don’t see either of them being able to be good contributor on the wing, especially defensively. Since they trade Melton, drafting Blake Wesley would make much more sence as his replacement with more upside. If Tyus Jones leaves, they will be so thin in backcourt. But my biggest dissapointment with their draft was that they didn’t try to get 13th pick. Both Hornets and Knicks sold that pick very cheap, Grizzlies could definitely make I better offer. Maybe they didn’t like prospects in that range, but Jalen Duren would help this team. Now they will have logjam at PF.

[armchairgmParticipant]

According to this site in their draft grade articles (Def don’t agree):
Team with best draft at an A grade- Houston, San Antonio, Dallas, Lakers
Team with worst draft at a D grade- Memphis

[NorrinRaddParticipant]

That is pretty funny, I don’t agree with that either. OKC should also have an A grade along with the Pistons. Lakers are with Memphis for a D grade imo. Nuggets did bad too.

[OhCanada-Participant]

Memphis has proven to be one of the best drafting teams in the entire league and other the obvious Ja Morant selection they make questionable picks every year. At this point when they pick a player a no longer question if it will work out I just think more highly of whoever they picked.

[NorrinRaddParticipant]

that’s a good point. And true, however that Jake LaRavia pick at 19 could’ve been EJ Liddell. He’s a little better defender and about what LaRavia is offensively.

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