RADIO
After many pre-draft workouts and countless hours of scouting from front offices, the NBA draft has now concluded. Now that it is over, we have had over 24 hours to process the selections that each team made. Some teams chose the best players available, and some teams chose fit, but at the end of the day, each team walked away happy. Today, I will be ranking my winners from the NBA draft.
Just to be clear, I will be basing my rankings on the players available at their pick, who they picked, and whether they addressed their needs. I'm a believer that you can improve while not addressing your needs, and that's how some teams made my list. I think that most teams did well in this draft, but I feel like some teams were more aggressive and significantly improved.
Without much more explanation, let's hop straight into the list right now. If you have any questions or comments, message me on Twitter at @danieldleonard7.
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1. San Antonio Spurs
Big Win - They won the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes.
The San Antonio Spurs are my most obvious winners from the NBA draft, they went home with the most coveted prospect. When The Spurs won the NBA draft lottery, their future went from possibly good to possibly historic. That's the type of impact Wembanyama could have on this franchise. He's a franchise player with a blend of unique skills and absurd size that many players just weren't blessed with. Wembanyama has showcased that he has the tools to become the future face of the NBA.
The Spurs also made an underrated selection at number 44 when they chose French prospect Sidy Cissoko. Cissoko is a 19-year-old who just came off an impressive season on the G-League ignite. He has great positional size at 6'8, can pass the ball very well, and can handle the ball as well. I think this was a great value pick for the Spurs, as Cissoko was slotted as a first-round pick in many experts' mock drafts.
2. Houston Rockets
Big Win - Got two top-five prospects without giving up any assets.
I'm honestly still shocked right now at how the Houston Rockets walked away with two great prospects without giving up any future assets. The Houston Rockets started the night great when they selected guard Amen Thompson. Thompson is going to come in and immediately provide playmaking and perimeter defense, two things the Rockets struggled with last year. Then they had one more selection in the first round at pick twenty, a pick they got from the Clippers while getting rid of Eric Gordon.
With rumors of bad workouts and frightening medicals, the sure lottery pick, Cam Whitemore, started to fall fast. Many experts and fans had expectations of Whitmore being a surefire top-five pick, so when he started to fall, everyone was shocked. That's when the Houston Rockets pounced on the opportunity to grab an ultra-talented defender and shotmaker at 20. We've seen injuries scare off franchises from talented prospects many times before, but it usually never ends well for the franchises that passed up on those prospects. Guys like Michael Porter Jr. and AJ Griffin have gone on to prove that you can bank more on talent than injury history.
3. Dallas Mavericks
Big Win - Improved defense and created crucial cap space.
The Dallas Mavericks started the night off kind of rough when they missed out on prospect Taylor Hendricks by one pick. When they were on the clock, it was obvious that they were looking to trade back in the draft. They traded the 10th pick and Davis Bertans for the 12th pick, this was an amazing move, in my opinion. They created cap space, and they also got a prospect that has been routinely linked to them in Dereck Lively. Lively is an amazing rim protector and lob threat who comes in and immediately provides interior defense.
The Mavericks then decided again to hop back into the draft and trade for the 24th pick, which was Olivier-Maxence Prosper. Prosper is an athletic 3 and D wing who could find himself in the rotation very soon because of how he compliments Luka Doncic. They also acquired Richaun Holmes in their deal with the Kings. Holmes provides energy on both ends and good defense as well. The Mavericks addressed their most obvious needs while also clearing cap space to resign free agent Kyrie Irving.
4. Los Angeles Lakers
Big Win - Got two prospects who can contribute right away.
The Lakers went into draft night with rumors swirling about them trading away the 17th pick. But they stuck with the pick and actually had a handful of good players available at their pick. They chose point guard Jalen Hood-Schifino; he was the best fit for them. They had Cam Whitmore available at their pick, but with there being a good chance they will lose one of their current point guards, they needed a replacement. Jalen is a great playmaker who can also consistently create his own shot and will be valuable off the bench.
At pick 40, the Lakers selected Maxwell Lewis. This was amazing value for a guy who was routinely in talks of being a first-rounder. Maxwell has the tools to be a great 3 and D wing in the league, and he has also shown the potential of being a shot-creator. In my eyes, the Lakers selected two first-round talents, but they also got guys who fit with Lebron and Anthony Davis most importantly.
5. Utah Jazz
Big Win - Got talented prospects and addressed team needs.
The Utah Jazz held three first-round picks during draft night and got great prospects in all three. They started the night by selecting Taylor Hendricks. Hendricks is a versatile 3 and D wing who can become a great scorer at the next level as well. At pick 16, the Jazz selected guard Keyonte George. George is a gifted scorer who can shoot the ball with the best of them; he also flashed some playmaking as well.
With their last pick of the first round, the Jazz selected guard Brice Sensabaugh. Sensabaugh is similar to George because both can shoot lights out and create their own shots efficiently. I think the Jazz addressed their depth and also improved upon their already good offense. The Jazz have one of the best young cores in the NBA and will be exciting to watch next year.
There you have it, that's the end of the list. These are the teams I think walked away as winners from the NBA draft. Just so you know, I ranked these teams based on the players available at their pick, who they picked, and whether they addressed their needs.
Just like I stated at the start, if you have any questions or comments, you can find me on Twitter at @danieldleonard7.
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