Winners and Losers of the NBA Draft
After the 2019 NBA Draft concluded, we all knew that some teams lucked out with players falling to them or making trades, and some teams missed the opportunities to get players that their team needed.
Winner: New Orleans Pelicans
Well no duh, they got Zion, but they also got Jaxson Hayes from Texas to help out their C position, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker from Virginia Tech. Walker is a combo guard that can space the floor, and should be a good bench piece for the Pels this year. They also got Marcos Louzada Silva, a wing from Brazil. So, the Pels got the best player and some nice bench pieces to surround them. This could be a possible starting lineup, Lonzo Ball at PG, Jrue Holiday at SG, Zion at SF, Brandon Ingram at PF and Jaxson Hayes at C. They also have C Jahil Okafor off the bench, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker along with Marcos Louzada Silva, the Pels are all but set for the 2019-2020 season.
Loser: Phoenix Suns
Well, the Suns had pick 6 and were looking for a PG. Darius Garland was off the board, going Pick 5 to the Cavs. This would have been a perfect time to draft Coby White, from UNC. Instead they traded the 6th pick for the 11th pick and Dario Saric from the Timberwolves. At Pick 11, they took Cam Johnson from UNC. Johnson is a great wing that can shoot, but that was not what they were looking for. So yeah, big L from the Suns. Not that we expected any better though.
Winner: Memphis Grizzlies
After trading Mike Conley, the Grizzlies were hitting the reset button. Already pick Ja Morant from Murray State at pick 2, they needed some more pieces. At pick 21, they took star PF Brandon Clarke from Gonzaga. Good selection and a starting caliber player for the Grizzlies. Now they have good young players like Ja, Jaren Jackson Jr, and now Brandon Clarke.
Loser: Rockets and Bucks
After both of these teams having great seasons and strong playoff runs, but both teams needing a little bit more to push them over the top, you think they would pull a few string and pick somebody. Nope. Neither of these teams made any trades, picks or do anything on draft night. Just the same team that could not be succsessful. Good luck next year.
Winner: Portland Trail Blazers
Not to be bias or anything, but I think that Blazers are the best team in contention to do something on draft night. Nassir Little, a raw talent from UNC, who was supposed to go in the lottery, was still on the board when the Blazers were selecting at Pick 25. Little will add some scoting and size to the Blazers, something they lack off the bench. Little will play some minutes for the Blazers and hopefully he can develop his game in the coming years.
Loser: Marvin Bagley III
Bagley called himself the best rapper/ music creator in the NBA, a clear shot at Damian Lillard. Lillard has the most prolific music career of anybody in the NBA, and he responded, just a few hours after the comment, he dropped a diss track to Marvin Bagley. Everybody was going nuts and saying that the song was really good and Bagley was getting roasted. Bagley came back with another diss track, but this one was not as good as Dame’s and he got roasted even more. This is me being a Blazers fan by the way. Bagley, don’t try to disrepspect a man who has done so much in career and for the NBA, and you haven’t even made the playoffs or do anything significant in the league yet. So just don’t man.
