There was shock and horror amongst all Toronto Raptors fans as they drafted Bruno Caboclo with the 20th pick, a player no fans of any extremity had heard of. Of all the picks in the first round, Caboclo was the most unknown player. Some fanbases, though, can take pride in their newly acquired talent. While teams drafting near the top are obviously pleased with their decisions, here are the real winners of the draft:
1. Los Angeles Lakers - I am beginning to believe the more players are seen, the lower they fall in the draft. Teams do not seem to have interest in known quantities, even when the result is good. Julius Randle slipped to the Lakers at 7, and could potentially be the best player from this draft class. Randle led Kentucky to the NCAA Championship game behind a relentless attack, both scoring, and on the offensive glass. In addition to randle, the Lakers were able to nab Jordan Clarkson through a trade with the Washington Wizards. Clarkson, from Missouri, is a Combo Guard with great size and athleticism, in the same vein as Russell Westbrook (obviously less athletic). Clarkson could end up being a great rotation player, and the Lakers got a real steal drafting him at 46.
2. Minnesota Timberwolves - The Timberwolves took a huge risk on one of the best athletes to come into the NBA in years by drafting Zach LaVine with the 13th pick. LaVine is raw, but can already shoot the ball, and jump out of the gym. LaVine claims to be a Point Guard, but no matter what position he plays at the next level, he has unlimited potential. In the second round, the Timberwolves drafted Glenn Robinson III, another one of my favourite prospects in this year's draft. Robinson has genes on his side, and is the perfect glue guy on any team, as he was with Michigan on the road to their NCAA Championship game appearance.
3. Charlotte Hornets - The Charlotte Hornets drafted my favourite player in this year's draft, P.J. Hairston. Hairston has the scoring gene, capable of filling it up from three, and also using his thickness to get to the rim and finish with contact. Hairston was a star for the Texas Legends of the D-League this past season, having numerous 40 point games, and averaging 21.8 points per game. The Hornets were also able to nab Noah Vonleh with the 9th pick. Though I don't like Vonleh as a prospect, his physical tools cannot be denied, and he certainly has loads of potential. It makes little sense drafting Cody Zeller and Vonleh in back to back years, with the Hornets best player, Al Jefferson, being a PF/C. I guess it is a good problem to have, though.
4. Orlando Magic - The Magic were looking for a Point Guard, and got just the one they wanted with Elfrid Payton Jr. While a 1-2-3 combo of Payton-Oladipo-Gordon can shut down opposing teams with elite defending, they seriously lack outside shooting. I believe the team will need a Power Forward who can shoot and stretch the floor to make up for this issue. Nevertheless, the team is at the talent evaluation stage, and these young players have plenty of room to grow and prove themselves before any changes are made. It will be interesting to see how Aaron Gordon's shooting stroke has improved, considering how well he was said to have shot in the Magic workout.
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