Since the NBA Finals was essentially a scrimmage between a varsity squad and a C-team, much of the excitement for basketball fans has been in anticipation of the 2018 NBA Draft and impending free agency period. Last week, league execs gathered together to fawn over the next generation of NBA studs and duds. Here are the winners and losers:
Winners
Dallas Mavericks – The Mavs went into the draft armed with the No. 5 pick. With the level of talent at the top of the draft, they were capable of getting an impact player if they stayed put. However, the Mavs weren’t content with an impact player, Mark Cuban wanted a cornerstone. So he worked out a deal with the Atlanta Hawks and moved up two spots to nab Luka Doncic, a player that many scouts pegged as the top overall talent in the draft.
I have some minor concerns about Doncic’s athleticism and how his game will translate to the NBA. However, Doncic is 6-foot-8 with tremendous playmaking ability and an excellent feel for the game. He and Dennis Smith Jr. should form a dynamic backcourt that will terrify opposing teams. Adding Jalen Brunson (Villanova) and Kostas Antetokounmpo in the second round was put a cherry on top of the Mavs magnificent draft day.
Orlando Magic – The Magic must have been nervous sitting at No. 6 as they needed a few teams to make missteps (more on that later) to insure they would land an impact player. As it turns out, there was magic in Orlando as Texas’ Mohamed Bamba was sitting there waiting after the deal between the Mavs and Hawks.
The 6-foot-11 Bamba has the potential to be the most dominant big in the draft, and that includes No. 1 overall pick Deandre Ayton. Bamba boasts a 7-foot-9 wingspan and moves with agility and athleticism not often seen by men his size. I have no doubt that Bamba will one day develop into the league’s Defensive Player of the Year. Offensively, he has the capability to become a solid threat from deep and will have no problem pounding alley oops down the throats of less-athletic defenders.
Atlanta Hawks – It’s not often that two teams involved in a trade can both be considered winners, but that’s the case with the Hawks and the Mavs. Many analysts feel the Hawks made a major snafu by trading down from the No. 3 spot and then compounded it by snatching Oklahoma’s Trae Young in the No. 5 spot. I disagree.
Young lead the NCAA in both scoring and assists for Oklahoma. Despite a sometimes questionable shot selection, Young is a dynamic guard with a bright future in the NBA. He also has tons of star power. The Hawks finished dead last in attendance during the 2017-18 season with an average attendance of just 14,409 per game. I don’t see Doncic jerseys flying off the shelves in ATL the way Young jerseys will. He has ATL swag. Plus, the rebuilding Hawks picked up a lightly-protected first-round pick in next year’s draft just for dropping two spots.
Milwaukee Bucks – Some people think the Bucks reached for Villanova’s Donte DiVincenzo with the No. 17 pick in the draft. I think it was a perfect selection. Armed with a competent coach in Mike Budenholzer, the Bucks could turn heads this season. Giannis Antetokounmpo should emerge as a bona fide MVP candidate and Kris Middleton is the most underrated player in the game. What the Bucks need though is another guard who can create his own shots.
Last season, the Bucks often trotted out Matthew Dellavedova and 60-year-old James Terry off the bench. DiVincenzo can shoot, defend and create his own shot (as evidenced by 31 points off the bench in the NCAA title game).
Losers
Memphis Grizzlies – Sorry Grizz fans, but I’m just not sold on Jaren Jackson Jr. as an elite talent. The 6-foot-11 Jackson was an elite defender at Michigan State but his lack of explosiveness makes me question whether he can excel on the next level.
My good friend Mike Dickson put it best when he stated, “All Jaren Jackson’s highlights look like he was underwater.”
Athleticism isn’t everything, just ask Zack Randolph, who was so beloved in Memphis that he should have a statue outside the FedEx Forum. Still, I’m just not drinking the Jackson Kool-Aid quite yet.
Memphis fans should come to love gritty second-round pick Jevon Carter. He’s a Memphis-style player. But I have a feeling when we look back in three or four years, the Grizz will be kicking themselves for passing on Bamba.
Michael Porter Jr. – I won’t dive too deep into Porter’s slide all the way to No. 14 since my colleague Alvin Reid has that covered this week. However, Porter’s back issues caused a player who was expected to be a surefire Top 3 pick to slide all the way to the end of the lottery. Porter’s slide potentially cost him upwards of $20 million in guaranteed salary.
All is not lost for MPJ though. In Denver, Porter will be allowed time to heal and develop. He also signed a sneaker endorsement deal with Puma. If Porter’s back problems are behind him, the Nuggets got the steal of the draft.
World Cup fever
Though I’ve been a longtime fan of EA Sports’ FIFA video games, I’ve never been a huge fan of the World Cup. Maybe it’s because the U.S. team always finds a way to look like the Washington Generals on the pitch. With the U.S. failing to qualify this year, I’ve been able to follow and root for other countries without feeling guilty. The two teams that really captivated my attention and admiration have been Mexico and Nigeria.
I watched nearly the entire game between Mexico and Germany. I was ecstatic to see our neighbors from the South defeat the defending World Cup champions. Then, I was almost equally as crushed to see Sweden put the smack down on Mexico 3-0, which put their future in jeopardy.
I quickly became an expert in tiebreakers, goal differentials and total goals scored in case Sweden, Germany and Mexico all finished 3-1 in group play. Luckily, handed Germany a second “L” and Mexico advanced to the knockout round. Nothing would make me happier than to see the POTUS’s face if Mexico hoisted the World Cup trophy.
Despite boasting the best kit (aka jerseys) in the tournament, Nigeria couldn’t quite ride its wave of momentum into the Round of 16. The team gave Lionel Messi and Argentina a run for its money Tuesday, but ultimately fell 2-1 and got sent back to the Motherland early.
If Senegal fails to defeat Columbia on Thursday, the 2018 World Cup will be the worst showing for African nations since 1982. Egypt, Morrocco and Tunisia have also already been eliminated.
Follow Ishmael and In the Clutch on Twitter @ishcreates.
