The Oklahoma City Thunder wasted no time in making their decision. While there was some back and forth, it was said early in the 2021-22 season that Chet Holmgren (82 overall) was the player the Thunder have had their eye on all season long and they now were given the chance to make that dream a reality. Weird body types has never scared OKC away from a player - look no further than Aleksej Pokusevski - but Holmgren has got the skills to put it all together and become a true difference maker in the league.
A core of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Josh Giddey and now Chet Holmgren may signal to the rest of the league that the Thunder are ready to compete.
With the New York Knicks on the clock, there’s no doubt who they are going to take to give this franchise the kick in the *** it needs and to put a true superstar in NYC to dazzle the fans in MSG…
Oh no! The New York Knicks do what only the Knicks (and maybe the Kings) would have done and go against conventional wisdom and pass on the 2nd of two franchise players! With the 2nd pick of the draft, they selected 18-year old point guard J.D. Davison (75) out of Alabama. When you are blessed with the 2nd overall pick, you don’t draft for position but for best player available. The Knicks did the opposite. With Julius Randle and Obi Toppin at power forward, they seemingly decided to pass on the most gifted scorer in the draft to draft a point guard when they already have four others - Derrick Rose, Kemba Walker, Alec Burks, Miles McBride - on the roster.
While all but McBride are on the wrong side of 30, Davison is a long ways away from being ready to contribute in a meaningful way and may not be ready to start until the end of his rookie contract. What an absolute blunder by the Knickerbockers!
The Houston Rockets got the guy they wanted all along! With Alperen Sengun slotted in as a full-time center, Banchero can step in as the starter at the four and make Christian Wood expendable. Look for Houston to put the veteran big man on the market immediately following the draft and continue to rebuild around their young threesome of players.
With the 4th pick for the 2nd consecutive year, the Raptors selected shooting guard Jaden Hardy (78) from the G-League Ignite squad. If the Knicks were looking to add a dynamic guard, this was the guy they should have gone with. He’s got the makings of a true elite scoring guard in the mold of young Derrick Rose with his athletic ability but shows the makings of shooting it from deep like Rose never could. There’s a chance we look back at the draft and argue that Hardy is the best player from this class if things all work out in his favor.
The Magic and Hawks make a trade at pick #5 and the Hawks immediately selected big man Damion Collins (77) out of Kentucky. A pure defender and rebounder, he should slot in as a backup big man to Onyeka Okongwu (80) at center. Okongwu will now get his chance to step in and be the starting center for Atlanta after spending his first two seasons playing behind Capela.
The Pistons missed out on potentially adding a dynamic wing scorer to go next to Cade Cunningham after sliding down two spots from the lottery results and draft 18-year old Jalen Duren (79) out of Memphis. With Isaiah Stewart, Brook Lopez and Kelly Olynyk already in town, Duren will have to beat them out for any playing time this season. He’s got great potential and maybe a “redshirt” season would be best for him to start his career.
With absolutely zero other point guards on the roster, the Wizards decide to turn the keys over to Duke point guard Jeremy Roach (75). A strong defender, solid shooter and highly intelligent floor general, Roach will hope to be playing alongside Bradley Beal for the foreseeable future…if Beal decides to stick around in Washington.
One of the players that saw his name in the top-5 of mock drafts all year long, Kendall Brown (78) finally comes off the board with the 8th overall selection to the Charlotte Hornets. At 6’8”, he’s a multi-position defender that can legitimately guard the two through four with ease, facilitates with the ball in his hands and has a developing offensive game that should grow next to a lead guard like LaMelo Ball (89).
The Nuggets, coming off an incredibly disappointing season, nab Jaden Ivey (78) out of Purdue. Another strong two guard that can both score and distribute effectively, the Nuggets’ offense should be tough to stop with Nikola Jokic (95) and Jamal Murray (87) also moving the ball within the flow of their offense.
The Spurs select one of the better 3&D prospects in the draft in Michigan’s Caleb Houstan (77). He should be an immediate upgrade over Doug McDermott (75) at the small forward position and give the spacing needed when playing next to Dejounte Murray (87), Devin Vassell (78) and Draymond Green (83).
Speaking of weird body types, the Grizzlies pegged Kenneth Lofton Jr. (73) with the 11th overall pick, the biggest shock of the draft outside of the Knicks taking Davison at #2. At 6’7” and 280-pounds, Lofton Jr. has the complete opposite body type that most NBA teams are looking for. While he’s an excellent interior scorer and strong rebounder, it remains to be seen whether those skills can translate for a player of his size and shape. He’s also playing squarely behind Jaren Jackson Jr. (85) and Steven Adams (81) for big man minutes.
The Blazers looking for wing help for Damian Lillard (91) selected Marcus Bagley (76) out of Arizona State. Another 3&D prospect much like Caleb Houston, Bagley has the size at 6’8” and rebounding ability to easily slide down to the four and play the power forward for Portland. Solid get this late in the draft.
Auburn’s Jabari Smith (78) goes 13th overall to the Indiana Pacers! The 6’8” stretch four shows tremendous form and range on his three-point shot and is an elite shot blocker for his position as well. At just 19-years of age, if he continues to develop his game he could be the steal of the lottery.
A strange pick here by the Hornets considering they have LaMelo Ball already, but Charlotte trades back into the first round by moving two points guards - Terry Rozier (82) & T.J. McConnell (77) - to draft the French PG|SG|SF prospect Ousman Dieng (76). At 6’9” and 185-pounds, Dieng already shows great instincts on the defensive end when guarding on an island or in the pick-and-roll and has a great feel for the game as a passer and crafty scorer when on the move towards the hoop. It will be interesting to see how Charlotte utilizes both Ball and Dieng going forward.
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The Thunder were back on the clock with the 21st pick of the draft and selected Max Christie (76) out of Michigan State. An absolutely elite shooter from all ranges, he pairs it with solid handles for his position and the tools to be a solid defender on the wing. While Lu Dort (80) is the great defender with solid shooting ability, Christie is the opposite, which should add to the Thunder’s bench depth.