Draft Review: The Tiers
Take a seat everyone. Class is in session. While it's always a bittersweet moment looking back at draft night, it is important to discuss the performances of teams around the entire league. While some love to use this exercise to give out draft "grades" I thought it would be better to give it a different type of spin. I'm going to put everything that happened on draft night into some tiers. So let's get after it folks.
The "Out of Body Experience"
There always seems to be a number of teams on draft night that just teach a masterclass. This year a number of teams had some impressive hauls when it came to talent brought in. It's specifically important for teams that are trying to fill out their roster when it comes to the early stages of a rebuild. This is the type of night in which fans of a specific team find themselves pacing around the room with extreme excitement, thanking everyone for being a part of a magical night. Here are some teams that looked to have a fantastic night when it came to their selections.
Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets came into this draft class with three first-round selections. After some maneuvering, they ended up leaving the draft with four first-round selections and they did a sensational value of adding talent to their roster in a hurry. It was a fantastic night for the Houston Rockets and their fans. After adding Jalen Green with the second overall selection, Houston went to work and did a great job of letting the board fall into their hands. Houston made a trade with the Thunder to acquire the 16th overall selection, which resulted in the Rockets drafting Turkish big man Alperen Sengun. It was an outstanding pick, as Sengun was seen as a player who could have gone as early as 8th overall. Sengun will now find himself in a great position to develop his talent with plenty of potential playing time in the near future. Houston wasn't done there, adding defensive wizard Usman Garuba with the 23rd overall selection. Garuba will have plenty to work on when it comes to the offensive side of the ball, but his defensive versatility and passion should set the tone early for this rebuilding Rockets team. With their final selection, Houston got one of my favorite sleepers in this draft in Arizona State bucket getting Josh Christopher. A former teammate of Jalen Green early on in their basketball careers, Christopher has the potential to turn into a dangerous scoring weapon at the NBA level. For a team that needed to add some serious talent to their roster, the Houston Rockets were one of the most impressive teams on draft night.
Golden State Warriors
Have yourself a draft, Bob Myers. The Warriors were in a position to be one of the "curveball" teams on draft night, but they turned out to be one of the most impressive. Getting G-League Ignite prospect Jonathan Kuminga at 7 was still sensational value. Even though some might wonder if the Warriors should have gone another route, Kuminga makes all of the sense in the world for this organization. He's got some of the highest upsides out of all draft picks in this class and he will find himself in a sensational place to develop his game. There were rumblings that the Warriors were looking into Arkansas wing Moses Moody with the 7th pick...so the fact that Moody fell into their hands at 14 is also another homerun selection. At the end of the night, Golden State did a sensational job of letting the board play to their hands. They found themselves two players who could be serious pieces for this organization moving forward. If you're a Warriors fan, it's about as good of a night as you could have hoped for.
Orlando Magic
Personally, I thought that the Orlando Magic were going to end up potentially having a chaotic night. It seemed as if the Magic were destined to select Florida State forward Scottie Barnes with their first selection. Instead, Toronto jumped over Barnes and that ended up with a potential star falling into their lap at 5. I love the idea of Jalen Suggs with this Orlando organization. While many will be quick to point out the crowded backcourt, this team is still in a position to acquire as much young talent as they can. I do believe that Suggs could thrive a bit off of the ball early on, and I think Suggs has franchise point guard potential. At 8, I was expecting the Orlando Magic to throw a wrench into the whole process but they did well. Although I personally wasn't crazy about Michigan forward Franz Wagner, I think this was a fantastic fit. Franz absolutely has the talent to be a strong asset for his next team, and I thought that his fit was going to play a big role in that potential early success. Orlando does a great job of adding two young players with high upside who will continue to shape the direction of this team.
Detroit Pistons
You shouldn't be surprised to see the Detroit Pistons on this list. Obviously, they are going to be one of the winners of the class after drafting Cade Cunningham. But I'm more intrigued with some of the other selections. Specifically, I LOVE the selection of Michigan forward Isaiah Livers at 42. Now Pistons fans, you probably already know this...but you're going to need to play the waiting game with Livers. He's recovering from an injury suffered at the end of the year...but down the road, he's the exact type of player this young Pistons roster will need. Think of Livers having the upside to be a special rotational asset. With a young roster, you're going to need some smart players who just simply know their role on the floor. That's exactly what Livers is. He's a player I thought could have easily sneaked up into the first-round if he had an entire pre-draft process. Livers can shoot the crap out of the ball but he also knows how to put himself in the right position on both sides of the floor. Iowa big man Luka Garza will have an uphill battle to be able to transition to the modern NBA, but I thought he was absolutely worth the roll of the dice at some point of the draft. Garza has the potential to be a strong depth piece, and he can carve out a roll in Detroit if everything clicks. Balsa Koprivica has some intriguing size and is worth the extended look at.
Atlanta Hawks
Atlanta left the draft with two of the most intriguing "value" selections. This roster continues to have scary amounts of talent and upside. Although Duke forward Jalen Johnson was expected to fall on draft night, I think he landed up in a perfect situation. If Atlanta does re-sign John Collins, the Hawks can make life simple for Johnson out of the gate. GM Travis Schlenk continues to do a fantastic job of adding talent and the best player available on draft night. This Hawks roster has the potential to be scary deep if all of the talent can buy into their roles moving forward. Getting Sharife Cooper at 48 was a robbery. Cooper will have to develop his outside shot, but the playmaking and mentality he has to his game will fit perfectly for Atlanta. At the end of the day the Hawks got better, and that's exactly what you need to do if you want to keep pushing the needle forwards as a hopeful title contender.
The "Now That's Impressive"
While teams on here won't be mentioned in the "Heavenly power" section, they still had themselves a heck of a night. The goal with draft night should be making sure that your team takes steps forward when it comes to adding talent. All of the teams here succeeded when it came to that goal. You don't have to swing for the fences when it comes to these picks, you just need to add a player to your roster that is going to help a specific "need." All of the teams here did a great job of adding specific pieces to the puzzle. Those players should help the franchise move the needle forward. Let's take a look at who had an impressive draft night.
Charlotte Hornets
I was a bit terrified for Charlotte Hornets fans going into draft night. I thought the plan of attack for the Hornets was Kai Jones at 11, and I just was skeptical about that being the only piece for the Hornets to leave this draft with. INSTEAD, the Hornets did a sensational job of adding pieces all over the board with some strategic moves. At 11, the Hornets did a sensational job of adding one of my favorite players in this class. UConn guard James Bouknight will get the reputation of a bucket getter, but he's an intelligent player who knows how to do the little things all over the floor. The potential that both he and LaMelo Ball have as a young backcourt together is terrifyingly exciting. It's a big win for the Hornets. Charlotte wasn't done, trading up to 19 and securing their "lob threat" in Texas forward Kai Jones. Although I didn't love the idea of Jones at 11, I think going back up to "get your guy" was a brilliant move by Charlotte. Now you have some serious talent in Bouknight and a young developmental big in Jones. If they can make life simple for Kai out of the gate, and stress patience, the Hornets could have themselves something. I'm also a big fan of what Charlotte did in the second round. JT Thor is going to need some time, but the Auburn forward has some scary tools. He could be a prospect that could use some extended run early on in the G-League, but he has sensational upside for a swing at 37th overall. Although he never seemed to take strides offensively, Florida guard Scottie Lewis has the potential to turn into a dangerous defensive weapon in the NBA. He's another player who could use some extended run in the G-League, but I love the value at the end of the second round.
New York Knicks
Although it wasn't as "sexy" as New York Knicks fans might have dreamed, it was a great haul overall for the organization. Shoutout to the NBA for making it almost impossible to track these picks with the trade announcements (more on that later). Houston wing Quentin Grimes is a player who had himself a heck of a journey to the NBA. A former top recruit out of high school, Grimes started out at Kansas before later transferring to the Cougars. He reinvented himself as a player and he should become a sensational addition to this roster as a rotation asset. You're talking about a shooting wing who plays with grit and determination on both sides of the floor. From there, the Knicks added one of my favorite international "sleepers" in Rokas Jokubaitis. It's been reported that Rokas is going to be a player who will participate at Summer League, but he's expected to spend next year with Barcelona. That could change, but it seems like a wise decision for the Knicks. There's serious upside for Rokas to be an asset on this roster moving forward. I loved the rest of the selections by the Knicks as they found some serious value. Don't let the second-round tag fool you, Miles McBride will be a player who can carve out a role early on. McBride is a demonic presence as a defender and he can shoot the rock from NBA range. Thibs and Knicks fans will become fans in a hurry. Texas big man Jericho Sims was great value at 58. If the Knicks make his role simple early on, there's potential for Sims to be serviceable depth as a big man who can impact the game defensively.
Utah Jazz
It was a major buzzkill to see Baylor guard Jared Butler fall in the draft, but he found himself landing in a dream fit. Butler had a history of some medical concerns going back to his days in which he originally committed to play for Alabama. Now, Butler finds himself landing with a great organization with the Utah Jazz. This has the potential to be the steal of the draft. Butler can come in and be a strong rotational asset early on. Hopefully, the health concerns are taken care of and if they are, Utah found themselves a heck of a basketball player.
Los Angeles Clippers
I'm actually a huge fan of the value that the Los Angeles Clippers got in this draft. After making a trade with the New York Knicks, the Clippers added themselves a raw wing with some scary upside in Tennessee's Keon Johnson. Although there's going to be plenty of work that needs to be done on the offensive side of the ball, Johnson will be a player who fits in well with his passion and ability to impact the game on the defensive side of the ball. From there the Clippers did a great job of adding to their backcourt depth with intelligent playmaking guard Jason Prestton. The Ohio product will need to continue to develop his frame, but I love adding a player with his mentality and feel for the game.
Brooklyn Nets
With some serious Salary Tax issues to maintain, the Brooklyn Nets went into the draft needing to find some players to fill out the roster. They were one of the most active teams on draft night, adding a total of five selections to their team. The hope is that most of these players can turn out to stick. LSU guard Cameron Thomas at 27th was just assault to the rest of the NBA. While I understand some of the concerns when it comes to how Cam Thomas might fit at the NBA level, adding him to their offensive arsenal is just flat out scary. Thomas now lands in a perfect spot in which the Nets can allow him to come off of the bench and do what he doe best. North Carolina big man Day'Ron Sharpe at 29 was another intriguing addition. Sharpe is a force on the boards and his offensive game has plenty of upside, especially as a floor spacer. Dont' forget, Sharpe has some serious upside as a playmaker with his passing ability. He should fit well alongside the shooters that the Nets have. Kessler Edwards projects to become a strong 3-and-D asset at the NBA level. From there the Nets did a great job adding an intelligent gritty guard in Creighton's Marcus Zegarowski. One of the sleepers here is Florida State forward Raiquan Gray. He will need to continue to improve his weight and conditioning, but Gray has a rare set of skills for a player of his size. He will be a fun one to watch at Summer League.
Cleveland Cavaliers
Let's keep this simple. An absolute homerun of a night for Cleveland Cavaliers fans, who land one of my favorite prospects in this class at 3rd overall. Mobley should come in and immediately become a strong presence on the defensive side of the ball. We will wait to see what happens with the Cavs throughout the offseason, especially when it comes to Collin Sexton and Jarrett Allen, but this is a massive addition for this franchise. Mobley has unicorn-like tools to his game and if he can develop a consistent outside shot...his upside is special.
Indiana Pacers
Although I thought that the Indiana Pacers might target their backcourt at 13, they decided to go another route. Oregon wing Chris Duarte was one of the hottest names throughout the pre-draft process, and many thought he was destined to be the selection at 14 by the Golden State Warriors. Instead, Duarte is heading to Indiana, where he should provide some immediate offensive firepower with his ability to light it up all over the floor. From there, I LOVED what the Pacers did by adding Isaiah Jackson at 22nd overall. The Kentucky big man has plenty of room to grow on the offensive side of the ball, but he's a dangerous transition threat who can offer serious upside as a high motor rim protector.
Washington Wizards
Another team I thought did a great job of adding value and upside with both of their selections on Draft night. Washington added one of the "safest" selections in this years draft at 15th overall. Gonzaga forward Corey Kispert will draw the "upperclassmen" tag, but he's a heck of an addition for this team moving forward. Kispert is an intelligent player who can make winning plays on both sides of the floor. It doesn't hurt that he can also shoot the crap out of the rock. It's been reported that the goal now is to surround Bradley Beal with as many assets as the Wizards can. Corey Kispert will be a welcomed player alongside Beal. Love what the Wizards did at 31st overall adding G-League Ignite forward Isaiah Todd. He's got some serious tools to work with and he will be an intriguing name to keep an eye on throughout the year. Todd has some serious upside as an offensive threat but he just needs time to carve out the rest of his game.
New Orleans Pelicans
It was such a weird night looking at the ramifications of the Pelicans/Grizzlies trade. In a weird way, I think the Pelicans turned out to be big winners of this trade. They got a player at 17 that I think they could have potentially taken at 10 and some of us might have been fine with it. Regardless, I love the addition of some lethal shooting in Virginia wing Trey Murphy III. He will be a welcomed addition to that roster as he has the ability to be an elite catch-and-shoot weapon early on. From there, the Pelicans got themselves some great value in this class. Alabama forward Herbert Jones is one of the best defenders in this class. His outside shot will need to come around, but Jones is a great addition in the second round as a potential rotation piece. Kentucky wing Brandon Boston Jr went much later than some might have expected, but he was absolutely worth the swing at 51. He's got great upside to his game, especially as a scoring threat. Boston should spend some time early on in the G-League, but his upside is exciting.
Philadelphia 76ers
At first, I thought that Sixers might end up in the "I also like to live dangerously" tier...but the more I thought about it, the more I'm intrigued with their class. Tennessee guard Jaden Springer has a scary amount of upside to his game. His outside shot is still a work in progress, but the rest of the tools are jaw-dropping. He's an absolute bulldog on the defensive side of the ball, and he's got some sneaky explosiveness to his game. If the Sixers play the waiting game with his development, he has all of the tools to turn into a heck of a player. Serbian big man Filip Petrusev is a sleeper to pay close attention to here. He started his career at Gonzaga before heading overseas this year and he took massive strides in his game, especially as an outside shooter. It's expected he will most likely be a stash candidate this year, but he's a fun one to track. Personally, I thought Western Kentucky big man Charles Bassey deserved to go much earlier in this draft. I love the tools he has to his game already and he's only scratching the surface. Keep an eye on him at Summer League, Bassey is a force who has shown the ability to spread the defensive with his outside shot. I think there's real potential for Bassey to be an intriguing steal here, especially as a depth piece.
Denver Nuggets
With the Denver Nuggets heading into the next season with Jamal Murray expected to miss some time, they needed to find a way to add some more offensive firepower in their backcourt. That's just what the Nuggets did by adding Nah'Shon "Bones" Hyland at 26th overall. Hyland is thin-framed and will need to try to add some strength to his frame, but he can light it up in a hurry from outside. When I say from outside, I'm talking parking lot type of range folks. Bones will be a thrilling player to watch at Summer League, as he's not afraid to pull up from anywhere on the floor. For a team that needs to add some scrappy players who can provide an offensive boost, I love the idea of Bones thriving in Denver.
Milwaukee Bucks
For a team that wasn't expected to do much on draft night, I do love what the Milwaukee Bucks did with their selections towards the end of the draft. Seton Hall big man Sandro Mamukelashvili is such a fun prospect to watch and I think there's a realistic chance he could have ended up in the perfect spot. Sandro is a playmaking big man who has an outstanding feel for the game. He absolutely has a chance to stick on this roster, as he could thrive in a bench role with his ability to spread the floor and make plays for others. Greece forward Georgios Kalaitzakis was on draft radars over the last couple of years, and he's an intriguing addition at the end of the draft.
Chicago Bulls
I thought that Illinois guard Ayo Dosunmu deserved more "buzz" throughout the pre-draft process than he did. Dosnmu has great size and length to his game and he knows how to play the game with a change of pace. If anything, the Chicago Bulls found themselves a strong backcourt addition who at worse would be a great tempo setter off of the bench. An intelligent guard who has continued to get better each year, Dosunmu is a great addition to this Bulls roster, especially at 38th overall. I thought he deserved to go somewhere in the 20-30 range, so getting him where they did is a win for Chicago.
The Terrence Clarke Tribute
“The NBA selects Terrence Clarke”
— Backcourt Violation (@backcourtv) July 30, 2021
Amazing moment from Adam Silver at the #NBADraft with Terrence’s family.
RIP
pic.twitter.com/x0mEtmTQ5o
One of the best moments by far on draft night was when Adam Silver and the NBA took a break to give tribute to Terrence Clarke. The former Kentucky Wildcat was expected to be a draft selection this year before he passed away during a car crash. It was an emotional moment for the NBA and its fans, as Clarke had serious ties to the basketball world and some of its players in the league. "The NBA selects Terrence Clarke" will go on to be one of the more touching and memorable moments in NBA Draft history. Well done Adam Silver, well done.
The "Danger's My Middle Name"
There are always going to be some teams that walk the line when it comes to having some dangerous selections. Consider it rolling the dice at the craps table. You could be in for a heck of a draft haul, or it could turn problematic down the road. Now it's important to mention that being in this tier isn't necessarily a bad thing. It's just proving that you're going to have to figure out some other moves down the road in order to create some clarity. The danger is sometimes a good thing. It can mean that your team was willing to take a gamble on making future moves that would make this haul even stronger. That being said, let's look at some teams that were filling a little dangerous on draft night.
Sacramento Kings
Just because I have the Sacramento Kings in this section doesn't mean I didn't like what they did on draft night. It was thought that the Sacramento Kings had a promise out to Michigan forward Franz Wagner. Unfortunately, Wagner wasn't on the board at 9. That being said, I'm actually warming up to this selection in a hurry. The Kings simply went with the best player available on their board, which is always a smart decision. Now some might question whether or not the Kings should have added another talented guard to their quickly crowded backcourt, but I do love the idea of Mitchell for a team like the Kings. They need to get better at the end of the day and I strongly believe that Mitchell helps them move the needle in the right direction. He's a tone-setter who will be able to impact immediately with his defensive ability. Mitchell isn't a stranger to sharing the court with another talented guard, and he knows how to put teammates in a position to succeed. Utah State big man Neemias Queta has been on NBA radar's over the last couple of years, and I am intrigued by the addition at 39th. Although Queta has some work to do when it comes to polish on the offensive side of the ball, there's still plenty of tools to be excited about. He's got lethal rim-protecting upside and he's taken big strides with his ability as a playmaker.
Oklahoma City Thunder
Sam Presti just simply was laughing at all of us on draft night. It was thought that Presti would look to add UConn guard James Bouknight at 6th overall before Presti gave us the first curveball of the evening. Australian guard Josh Giddey was a name who caught some serious buzz during the last 48 hours leading up to the draft. He's one of the youngest players in the draft and has great size at 6'8". Giddey will need time to let his outside shot continue to develop, but the upside is sensational. We will see how he meshes alongside Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, but Giddey might have landed in a great spot to allow his game to develop with experience. From there, Presti went to work. He added another intriguing guard with offensive upside in Florida's Tre Mann. Presti seems to just be adding as many horses as he can to his stables, and Tre Mann has some serious potential to turn into a heck of a player on both sides of the floor. One of my favorite additions by the Thunder was Jeremiah Robinson-Earl at 32nd overall. The former Villanova forward is a player that could end up easily playing 10+ years in the NBA. Maryland wing Aaron Wiggins gained some serious momentum throughout the pre-draft process after impressing at the NBA Draft Combine. He's got potential to be a strong 3-and-D asset, but he could probably use some time developing in the G-League early on.
Toronto Raptors
I actually LOVED the Scottie Barnes pick, AND I KNEW THAT THE RAPTORS WERE GOING TO DO THIS. If you've read the pre-draft content or heard the podcasts, I was frequently waking up with a cold sweat thinking that the Raptors could go Scottie Barnes at 4...and look at what happened. Let's get serious though. Although I thought Jalen Suggs would have been a sensational fit for Toronto, I do love the Scottie Barnes selection. Toronto might be in for a number of moves this offseason. Who knows what is going to happen with Pascal Siakam, but Barnes is the type of player that can absolutely transform your organization in a positive way. He's going to set the tone right out of the gate and he's a proven winner. Yes, the outside shot will need to come around, but Barnes does too many other things at a high level that will make a team better. If his offensive game comes around, he's a terrifying type of talent who can be extra special in the NBA. Nebraska guard Dalano Banton was generating some buzz as a potential second-round selection in this draft. He's a shifty playmaker with great size who will need to develop his outside shot in order to stick, but the playmaking ability is special. Louisville guard David Johnson was one of my favorite second-round sleepers in this class. He's got a great combination of size and length that pairs well with some shiftiness. Johnson might have landed in the perfect situation, as the Raptors developmental staff will have a player with serious upside to work with. It was a "dangerous" night in Toronto, but I love the mentality and pieces they added to the puzzle.
Portland Trail Blazers
Sure, the offseason in Portland is all going to be focused on what happens with star guard Damian Lillard. That being said, I still think the addition of Texas forward Greg Brown at 43rd is some serious Austin Powers vibes. When you watch Brown on tape, he makes some plays that are absolutely horrifying (in an awesome way.) He's an incredible athlete who can explode off of the screen for highlight plays on both sides of the floor. But, he's also incredibly raw and is going to need some serious time. If Portland was looking for a prospect with eye-opening upside who is a bit of a gamble, then Greg Brown is what you'd dream of. It would be smart if Brown spends some serious time in the G-League his rookie year. If anything, don't be surprised if he has a couple of elite Summer League highlights.
Boston Celtics
It was the first selection for the new President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens (still feels weird to write), and it looks as if they added themselves a potential draft-and-stash candidate. I actually am a big fan of the addition. Juhann Begarin spent the last year playing with Paris Basket and he's got serious upside to his game. He's about to turn 19-years-old on August 7th, and there's potential for him to be an elite NBA slasher with his upside on both sides of the ball. If Begarin can develop a better shot selection, he has the potential to become a serious addition to the Celtics roster down the road. As a side note, the highlights on Begarin for the draft were absolutely terrible. It was like 3 reverse lay-ups which don't really highlight the type of exciting athleticism he has in his game. Begarin has some wiggle and can get downhill in a hurry with bad intentions.
Kendrick Perkins on Draft Night
— Backcourt Violation (@backcourtv) July 30, 2021
I went into Draft night thinking that the addition of Kendrick Perkins to the draft panel was going to be an absolute disaster. It proved to be some hilarious comedic relief at points. I'm still wanting someone to make a tribute to every time that Perkins busted out in a memorable laugh throughout the draft (probably would be 10 minutes in length). But the Perkins experience actually worked! We all need Moses Moody to have himself a sensational career so the clip of Perkins above never gets old.
The "Titanic"
It's always difficult for fan bases who leave the draft night scratching their head. Sometimes it turns out to work beautifully and the rest of the draft world hold their hands up high to say "yep, we were wrong." That being said, as of right now... there are some teams on this list that will have a lot of attention on them early on. Sometimes, teams can be overly aggressive in trying to secure a prospect. Remember, this isn't saying these picks won't work out...but it's just important to point out that they will have plenty of attention on these picks early on.
San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs gave me my first ever "scream out loud because of shock" reaction on Draft night. I was absolutely blown away to see the Joshua Primo pick at 12, as I can safely assume most of you were as well. Although I was expecting Primo to come off of the board in the 20-30 range, let's try to shed some positivity on this situation. I'm a big believer in "Go Get Your Guy" as I've said here time and time again. If the Spurs weren't able to find a partner to trade down with, then stick to your beliefs and get a guy you're high on. It was expected that the Alabama guard would return for his sophomore year and skyrocket up boards with an impressive sophomore year. Primo instead decided to keep his name in this class, and he's got some serious upside on both sides of the floor. This very well could have been the spot in which Primo would have gone if he stayed in college for another year, but instead, he goes much earlier than some expected. From there I do like the value addition of Iowa sharpshooting wing Joe Wieskamp. Another player that some expected might return to Iowa for another year, Wieskamp put up an impressive performance at the combine during the scrimmages and offers upside as a lethal sniper from outside.
Memphis Grizzlies
I've been absolutely IN LOVE with what the Memphis Grizzlies have done in the NBA Draft over the last couple of years. This year? Well, I have some concerns. Now, I'm not saying this won't work out in a big way for the Grizzlies. They added two fantastic players with serious upside. Personally, it might have been a bit rich for my blood but I'm still rooting for these players in a big way (as with all prospects selected). Stanford forward Ziaire Williams was a pre-season favorite to become an early lottery selection in the 2021 NBA Draft. After an up-and-down freshman year at Stanford, Williams was viewed as a prospect who could have an extremely wide range on draft night. Memphis instead went all-in, adding him with the 10th overall selection in this draft. Although he will need to put on some weight, Williams still has the offensive upside and shot-making potential to become a heck of a pro at the NBA level. From there Memphis added another intriguing selection at 30th overall in Santi Aldama. It was another player that was viewed as potentially going much later in the draft, but I'm not surprised that a team was smitten on the Spanish-born big man. Aldama put up some eye-opening numbers and was dominant for Loyola (MD) last year. It will be interesting to see if the Grizzlies decide to stash Aldama.
The Trade Coverage By the NBA
This has quickly become one of the worst parts of the entire NBA and it needs to change immediately. We've got teams announcing draft selections and then it's being announced that the pick is on the move anywhere from 10 seconds after it's announced to 5 minutes later. It's removing all of the excitement about each selection. Now, we are stuck waiting for 10 minutes before we can get excited about a player potentially being added to a team's roster. Just imagine the fans at the arena who have no recollection of what's going on. Now, we are making it so we have to jump on our phones to read about each pick to find out of it's going to be traded or not. There's also the incredibly awkward situation of making a kid wear a draft hat of a team that he will most likely never play for. The NBA needs to figure this out in a hurry, as it's creating an annoying viewing experience for fans at home and in attendance.
The NBA makes the draft a bad experience for people attending and watching on TV. Adam Silver announcing the wrong teams. Players wearing the wrong hats. It's so confusing. It's a shame. You have to follow on Twitter. The NFL does the draft way better. NBA should learn from them. https://t.co/OPiW81cFTA
— Kevin O'Connor (@KevinOConnorNBA) July 30, 2021
