2017 NBA Draft Results and Analysis
As drafts go typically the NFL gets the most hype and coverage (ESPN over 4 days). This year the NBA provided some drama, a lot of intrigue, and a number seemingly bright future stars. Check out the grades and analysis below for more on the 2017 NBA Draft.
The 2017 NBA draft has wrapped, and it’s safe to say that Thursday night’s selection process was an impactful and an interesting one.
Many saw the selection of Washington product Markelle Fultz at pick No. 1. The selection of UCLA’s Lonzo Ball by the Los Angeles Lakers at No. 2 was also fairly predictable. However, the rest of the night was full of surprises.
The Boston Celtics made former Duke forward Jayson Tatum the third overall selection after trading back so the Philadelphia 76ers could get Fultz. The Golden State Warriors, meanwhile, managed to trade into the early second round in order to grab a quality defender in Oregon’s Jordan Ball.
How did each team do overall? That’s what we’re going to examine here. We’ll assign grades to each team’s overall draft haul, and we’ll dive deeper into some of the top picks in the draft.
Atlanta should get better with the selections of Wake Forest’s John Collins, Oregon’s Tyler Dorsey and Alpha Kaba of France. Collins could be a bit of a project, but he’s a solid value late in Round 1.
Boston Celtics (A-)
The Celtics seem to have been locked in on Tatum for a while, so trading back and getting a future asset from Philadelphia was wise. The team essentially got a future first and the guy it would have taken at No. 1 anyway.
Brooklyn Nets (B)
First, the Nets traded the 27th pick to acquire D’Angelo Russell and Timofey Mozgov from the Los Angeles Lakers. Then, the team took a chance on former Texas center Jarrett Allen. If Allen is able to reach his full potential, this will be looked back on as a successful haul.
Charlotte Hornets (A)
Charlotte made one good move by ending former Kentucky scorer Malik Monk’s fall at No. 11 in the first round. They then made another good move by trading to acquire Florida State’s Dwayne Bacon. All-in-all, a good day for the Hornets.
Now, about that Dwight Howard deal…
Chicago Bulls (F)
Trading for today’s version of Howard was questionable. The Bulls’ trading of star Jimmy Butler was stupid. Former Arizona big man Lauri Markkanen may one day be a quality player, but he isn’t a game-changer like Butler can be. The players acquired from the Minnesota Timberwolves, Kris Dunn and Zach LaVine, are good but not great. LaVine is coming off a torn ACL.
Cleveland Cavaliers (n/a)
No selections
Dallas Mavericks (B)
The Mavericks got an intriguing, if inconsistent, prospect in former N.C. State point guard Dennis Smith. If he develops well, he could become a difference-maker.
Steve
Steve is an affordable multifamily housing professional that is also the co-founder of Whiskey Congress. Steve has written for national publications such as The National Marijuana News and other outlets as a guest blogger on topics covering sports, politics, and cannabis. Steve loves whiskey, cigars, and uses powerlifting as an outlet to deal with the fact that no one listens to his brilliant ideas.
