The NBA Draft Lottery is now behind us and while I think I can speak for EVERYONE when I say that I wish it went a little differently, we have to look toward the future. I’ll be linking all of our in-depth draft profiles to each player (we worked really hard on these, after all) so let’s break down who I think each lottery team will select in this year’s NBA Draft now that we know the order.
# 1 – Washington Wizards: AJ Dybantsa
There’s an argument for a couple of guys to go #1 overall, but what isn’t a debate is which one has the least
amount of concerns, and that would be AJ Dybantsa. It would have been really nice for the BYU product to make his way to Utah for the Jazzmen, and it even looked like he was hoping that we’d get the #1 spot, but his fit in Washington would be seamless.
Bilal Coulibaly has not developed offensively during his time in the league, so Dybantsa will take the starting SF spot in DC, and in doing so solidifies their future. Trae Young and Anthony Davis will be fun additions for the upcoming season(s) but once Tre Johnson, Alex Sarr, and Dybantsa are ready to take the leap, we may finally see a Wizards team that wins 50 games for the first time in over 50 years.
#2 – Utah Jazz: Darryn Peterson
Just an incredible talent: the most NBA ready scorer in this year’s draft, pro-level offensive skillset, and undeniably a walking bucket. His only concern this entire year was his durability.
He was plagued with muscle cramps for the majority of his time at Kansas, but recently it was reported that the cause of all that cramping was high does of creatine. Better late than never, I say. I have no other choice but to be hopeful that the issue is now behind him, and if it truly is, a backcourt of Keyonte George and Darryn Peterson is enough to make my mouth water.
# 3 – Memphis Grizzlies: Cam Boozer
The Memphis Grizzlies are… struggling as of late. After trading Jaren Jackson Jr. to the Jazz this year, their role players not developing the way they hoped, and the impending trade of Ja Morant, the Memphis Grizzlies just need a star level talent in the building.
After winning the College Player of the Year with averages of 22/10/4 it would be safe to say that Cam Boozer is one of those star level talents. After watching Nikola Jokic manhandle the league for the last few years it’s hard to imagine a world where Boozer doesn’t succeed. Now I’m not saying that he’ll be a future 3x MVP, but at bare minimum I think Memphis has an All-Star and potential perineal All-NBA level player on their horizon.
#4 – Chicago Bulls: Caleb Wilson
There are questions about Wilson’s fit in a modern NBA offense, but there’s a reason that he’s drawing Kevin Garnett comparisons. His defensive tenacity is unmatched, he stuffs the stat sheet, and he’s a very underrated playmaker.
Much like Memphis, Chicago is in need of true star power, and while I understand being a little shy to select a player with huge defensive upside but questionable offensive skillset again (*cough* Patrick Williams *cough*), Caleb Wilson is no Patrick Williams. Paring Wilson up with what we’ve seen from Matas Buzelis could be very dangerous in the future, and Chicago should be joyous.
#5 – Los Angeles Clippers: Mikel Brown Jr.
The Clippers seem to be heading towards a Kawhi Leonard divorce this offseason, and while the defensive concerns of the two guards you traded for in Darius Garland and Benedict Mathurin are very visible, it would make sense here to draft a more reliable defender in Mikel Brown Jr.
Is he the next Gary Payton? No. Is he going to be a traffic cone on defense? Also no. He has the ability to fill up the stat sheet, have great shooting splits, and if it goes as well as I want it to for him, he could very well be the “face” of the Clippers franchise for the next decade.
#6 – Brooklyn Nets: Darius Acuff
The Brooklyn Nets have some sins to atone for after drafting 5 decent to unplayable Rookies last year. Being in a bigger market means that you have to and get a superstar, and Darius Acuff could certainly be that.
He has his problems, sure. He’s not an All-World defender, but he’s undeniably one of the best offensive engines that the college game has seen from a guard in quite some time. Statistically Acuff had the greatest season that any Coach Calipari guard has ever had, and I don’t think I have to tell you how insane that is. In my opinion they should draft the obvious offensive superstar, and figure out the rest later.
#7 – Sacramento Kings: Kingston Flemings
The Kings have been stuck in basketball purgatory for a while now, and I think it’s time that they just start fresh. Get rid of EVERYONE and draft a high upside guy like Flemings.
I’ve written about my concerns with him and his consistency, but he certainly knows how to put the ball in the hoop. On top of that he’s a very good playmaker and rebounds well for his position. It may be a few years before they could compete given the history of this franchise, but I could see a world where a Flemings led Kings team is back in the playoffs just as long as they’re able to surround him with the right tools.
#8 – Atlanta Hawks: Brayden Burries
The further down we go on this list the less upside there is for players, and that’s why teams that are getting ready to take a leap need to draft talent that will help you win immediately. Enter: Brayden Burries.
He isn’t a superhuman athlete or a top 3 playmaker in the draft, but he is a reliable option at the SG position AND knows how to play a role. Adding someone like him to the Jalen Johnson Hawks could be really interesting in the near future.
#9 – Dallas Mavericks: Keaton Wagler
After winning the Rookie of the Year, the Dallas Mavericks are looking to add more talent to Cooper Flag and Wagler could help in many departments.
He’s got great size, he does a little bit of everything, he’s efficient, and he can play either guard position. In the immediate he would be a great aid to a healthy Kyrie Irving in the Mavericks’ backcourt, and in the future he could be a great facilitator next to Cooper Flagg.
#10 – Milwaukee Bucks: Hannes Steinbach
Hannes has shot up a lot of people’s draft boards as of late and for very good reason. He’s an elite rebounder, he’s got great shooting splits, and he’s a very solid defender despite his lack of vertical athleticism.
He’s certainly not going to be mistaken for fellow German Dirk Nowitzki anytime soon offensively, but he has shown flashes of offensive ability and his shooting mechanics are very solid. He would be a fantastic piece to add to this young core, and if Giannis stays, he would be a great sidekick in the frontcourt.
#11 – Golden State Warriors: Labaron Philon Jr.
A Steph Curry-less future is approaching in Golden State so now it’s time to consider a replacement. Steph Curry would still run the show for a few years, but after that? Labaron Philon could be a guy in The Bay.
He was great during his second season at Alabama averaging 22 points and 5 assists a night. He was hyper efficient as well with 50/39/79 shooting splits. His defensive effort/ability and his frame are cause for concern but can we think of any other team/front office that’s been able to overcome a short/defensive liability point guard before??? Oh, that’s right.
#12 – Oklahoma City Thunder: Yaxel Lendeborg
Yaxel has slipped in many mock drafts for one simple reason: his age. He was part of the Cade Cunningham high school draft class and while Cade was in MVP considerations this year and is leading his team (potentially) to the NBA Finals, Lendeborg is just now becoming a professional.
The ONE team that age couldn’t possibly matter to is the Oklahoma City Thunder. They will always need players that are ready to contribute right away, and Lendeborg can certainly do that. Yaxel does a little bit of everything on the floor and if there’s one thing that OKC loves, it’s a do it all forward.
#13 – Miami Heat: Cameron Carr
There have been rumors that the Heat will be moving on from Tyler Herro this offseason in favor of “Big Game Hunting”, so they could very easily replace that archetype with Cameron Carr.
He averaged nearly 19 points per game on very solid shooting splits. He isn’t a great defender, but he does rebound well for his position. I believe that the Heat like what Herro has to offer their team in terms of style, but if they wanted to keep a similar scheme while getting cheaper in the process, I think that Carr could be a great selection.
#14 – Charlotte Hornets: Nate Ament
Ament arguably had the longest fall from grace in this draft process, but his upside is still as present as ever. He had an up-and-down season at Tennessee but a 6’10” forward who can do what he can is hard to pass on.
The Charlotte Hornets already have a lot of talent so it isn’t super important that he hit on this pick here, and Ament is one of those players that you almost have to take a chance on.
With the NBA Draft Lottery coming to a close that just means we’re one step closer to the NBA season returning, and I couldn’t be more pumped. Who do you think the Jazz will draft? What are you expecting from the other teams? Sound off in the comments!
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