The Top 10 Picks in the NBA Draft
As the slow summer months drag on it’s time for another JBL Chronicles. Even though our JBL Rookie draft is still a couple weeks away (deadline for drops is October 1st) I thought I would share my thoughts on this year’s top 10 rookie picks. Should I be sharing my thoughts on these guys considering our Rookie draft hasn’t happened yet? Well sure, why not, again my history with rookies is less than stellar so if anyone is reading this and making a decision based on my comments, shame on them. What do I know?
Furthermore, I have pick #5 in this draft and we can all pretty much agree on who will be the top 3 picks will be so I don’t think sharing my take on the other 7 top 10 picks is going to change much. All 10 of these players will be selected in our 14 team rookie draft. So there really isn’t any surprises there. I will say that I don’t envision our rookie draft following the exact same order, but who knows, that’s why the rookie drafts is so much fun.
So, with that, here we go…
#1 – Pelicans - Zion Williamson – the guy is a beast. A ManChild. I know some say he will be a bust because he’s carrying too much weight. And hey, they might be right, but I just see a beast of a player. I see similarities to Barkley or Larry Johnson or Elton Brand. Undersized but a bull in a china shop. I like him. I like him a lot. Is he the best rookie since Anthony Davis? Since Karl-Anthony Towns? Only time will tell. But I clearly see why Seoul sold the farm to move up to #1. Most people would be building around Zion for 5 years and the rest of us would never have a chance to trade for him. That’s the great thing about Zion landing in Seoul because it’s highly unlikely Zion lasts the full 5 years. Phil is not afraid to pull the trigger on a trade if it means a chance at another JBL Title. Did you know Seoul hasn’t won a title since the 2010/11. That’s a long time ago. Is Seoul still considered a perennial favourite when they haven’t won in 8-9 years?
#2 – Grizzlies - Ja Morant – again, I’m a huge fan. Not just of him as a player but of his landing spot. Being in Memphis and essentially giving the keys to him. I like it. The fear of small or mid-major schools shouldn’t be there anymore with guys like Lillard and McCollum showing that those players can be successful in the NBA. Morant and Jackson Jr should be an exciting young duo for the rebuilding Grizz. I think he could have a real shot at Rookie of the Year because he’s going to have the ball in his hands all the time. I don’t have any doubts that he’s going to be the #2 pick in the JBL rookie draft. I think Benny would love to add him to his KAT/Bam combo. However, I’m also well aware of teams with offers to move up to #2 to presumably grab Morant. We’ve already seen the #1 pick flipped – let’s see if Benny stays here at 2.
#3 – Knicks - RJ Barrett – love that another Canadian kid went so high in the draft. His numbers at Duke were insane and I like that he landed in New York. I don’t like that NY went out and signed 5 power forwards for this season. Once NY didn’t land the big fish Free Agent I would have much preferred they just go with a young team and build through their youth. My question though is can he be a fantasy stud? His percentages were not great in college so how will they translate to the NBA. I expect a lot of points and some huge nights. No one is higher on RJ Barrett than Idaho. That works out really well since Idaho is picking at #3. Now, it could all be a part of an elaborate rouge by Idaho, pumping the tires of RJ and looking for someone willing to trade up and get him. However, I’m not sure if everyone is as sold on RJ as Idaho is. I’m not saying there is another player to take over him at #3 but RJ does appear to be very difficult to project at the pro level.
#4 – Hawks - DeAndre Hunter – the Hawks paid a huge price to move up and get him in the draft. For me, he’s going to be a way better real life NBA player than he will be in Fantasy. However, he’s in the perfect landing spot. A young team who needs a Small Forward. He can play D and he can shoot 3’s. He has lots of opportunity to approach 30 minutes a night and in most cases - minutes usually mean fantasy stats. Will Hunter be the #4 pick in the JBL rookie draft? Bangkok now sits at #4 and we know Kok could go 2 ways here. He will go with the ‘safest’ pick and the one who will likely contribute to the Fighters this season. Or he goes for the home run, takes a chance on someone who might not start right away but could be good next spring and for years to come. Someone who has massive upside. This #4 pick is really where the JBL Rookie draft begins. And the Kok gets to set the stage for the rest of the rookie picks. Who will Kok take at 4?
#5 – Cavaliers - Darius Garland – the wildcard pick. He only played five games in college before injuring his knee. It appears he can shoot it. He doesn’t pass much. Can he defend? How will it work with him and Colin Sexton in the Cavaliers backcourt? The coach appears to love him already so that’s a good thing for him. He is a little undersized though and I wonder if the Sexton/Garland backcourt can work long term. For me, the kid could be a stud and one of the best players in this draft or he could be just another average dude struggling to find his way in Cleveland. High risk, high reward type pick. The latest news that he had another knee surgery this summer definitely has to worry some JBL owners considering calling his name. Will he stay healthy? Will the Cavs limit his minutes? Since Darius is the son of Winston Garland, that gives him bonus points in my eyes.
#6 – TimberWolves - Jarrett Culver – A bit surprised that Minnesota took Culver here with Coby White still on the board and Minny needing a PG. That said, I like Culver. I think he will play a lot for the T-Wolves and ultimately if he develops he will force the Wolves to push Wiggins out the door (if they can find someone to take his horrible contract). While Culver needs to work on his shooting apparently, I think his athleticism and defense will earn him minutes this coming season. The Wolves traded Dario Saric and the #11 pick in the draft to move up to take Culver – so they must have plans to play him. It looks like the Wolves will consider starting Josh Okogie at a wing position alongside Wiggins. Or can Culver beat Okogie out? Regardless, I think there is a path for Culver to play meaningful minutes this season for the Wolves.
#7 – Bulls - Coby White – initially one of my favourite rookie targets for my #5 rookie pick. Then I saw him play in Summer League. He’s quick, he’s agile, he can pass and defend, but the boy can’t shoot. I like that he’s landed in Chicago as I thought he would replace Kris Dunn but then the Bulls went and signed Satoransky for 3 years. I do think he’s worth a high pick because of how fast he is and what he’ll be able to create for the Bulls. Reminds me of De’Aaron Fox. If the Bulls didn’t sign Satoransky then I think White would be very high on the lists of JBL owners. I do still think he goes top 10 in our Rookie draft because his upside is huge. Like his hair. Love his hair.
#8 – Pelicans - Jaxson Hayes – didn’t know much about him except I thought his rebounds were low for a 7-footer. Then I saw his summer league dunk. Holy cow, he’s long and athletic. The challenge will be minutes in New Orleans I think. They brought in Favors and they also have Okafor. I think New Orleans thinks they can push for a playoff spot so I’m not sure how many kids they can play at one time. Now, if the Pelicans playoff push stalls I would look for Hayes and Alexander-Walker to get more minutes near the end of the season. Love him as a draft and stash because of his athleticism and Favors and Okafor haven’t exactly been a perfect picture of health over the years. Could this be the Kok’s big swing?
#9 – Wizards - Rui Hachimura – loved his college game and I loved that Gonzaga team but the scouts are concerned about how his game translates to the NBA. Can he hit 3’s? Can he defend? Is he a SF or a PF? The best spot about this landing spot is that the Wizards are going to be bad and they don’t have many forwards who can play. I think Rui will play a lot from the get-go and could put up decent numbers. When Seould held the #4 pick it seemed like Hachimura was destined for Seoul. After the big Seoul/Bangkok trade, the Kok demonstratively announced he would not be picking Hachimura. I wonder if that statement still stands. Hachimura had a good FIBA World Cup and looked good at times so I definitely think he will play minutes for the Wizards this season.
#10 – Hawks - Cam Reddish – the 3rd Duke freshman taken in the top ten. He was supposed to be a stud coming out of the high school but his numbers at Duke are amazingly bad. The kid never found his shot. He’s long and athletic and landing in Atlanta is a great spot for him. But will he excel and be a fantasy gem? I’d like to think he can and I know a lot of scouts love his potential. I’m just worried about those percentages. He’s also struggled a bit with some sort of injury this summer. If he had been able to play in the Summer League and show he’s healthy and can shoot – then I think he would likely go higher than #10 in the JBL Rookie Draft. It certainly looks like he has a path to minutes in Atlanta as he can play SF or SG and he’ll be battling for minutes with the likes of De’Andre Bembry and Evan Turner – so you have to like his chances.
So, those were the top 10 picks in the NBA rookie draft. Will those be the top 10 picks in the JBL rookie draft? I'm saying absolutely not.
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