First Round Winners and Losers

WINNERS I love what Milwaukee (Braden Burries/1/2G & Nate Ament/SF/PF) did. We still aren't sure whether they will keep the haul that they got from Miami so they drafted front and backcourt versatility meaning two guys who can play multiple spots. Burries can swing between either guard spot while Ament plays both forward spots. This gives them flexibility and leverage if they start getting interest around the league in the players that they got from Miami Philly (LaBaron Phillon/PG) made up for that strange trade of Jared McCain to the Thunder. It never made sense to me that you get a steal in the mid first round who was in the rookie of the year talk all year only to trade him to the reigning champs. Getting Philon at 23 is not only a steal but takes McCain's spot as a backup to Maxey. Best player available and you fill a need in one fell swoop I like what Charlotte did at 14 & 18 (Hannes Steinbach/C/PF & Christian Anderson/PG). I know that I had Steinbach and Anderson at 19 & 22 in my mock but Charlotte did what Milwaukee did and that's have a balanced draft with one big and one guard. If you notice the theme of my mocks, I will often say that such and such team picks a type of player late in the draft because their earlier pick was a different type of player. For example, drafting a center when you picked a combo guard earlier. Charlotte gets a big man who can play the 4 and 5 who is equally adept at facing the basket and playing with his back to the basket while Anderson can shoot the rock as well as set up teammates Same with Atlanta (Kingston Flemings/PG & Zuby Ejiofor/PF). They got a guy at....

When I clicked on this thread, I thought it was going to be links to external sites.

I'm glad it's actually your thoughts, just so we can get these types of fan perspectives.

Can you give the ages of Milwaukee's key players now? And positions.

Someone else (a fan from another platform) had Steinbach as his #8. That fan also had Boozer #1. Other than Caleb Wilson, the rest of his top 10 were guards.

This sort of goes with what I'm thinking with this draft. There's going to be bigs drafted in the 11-20 range, that will end up being in the top 10 in this draft class.

They don't seem dominant now, but with incremental improvements, they will get there.

Sort of like how Bam Adebayo was drafted #14, but clearly a top player from the 2017 draft class now.

Next to each team in your writeup, can you list their new additions, and the positions they play?

I'll get on it

I'm gonna include the guys that are due to arrive in Milwaukee via the trade assuming they don't get diverted elsewhere

Tyler Herro/2G/26

Jaime Jaquez/SF/25

Kasparas Jakaciuonis/PG/20

Kel'el Ware/C/22

Here is the current roster of players most likely to be on the roster

Myles Turner/C/30

Kyle Kuzma/SF/PF/30

A.J. Green/2G/26

Ryan Rollins/PG/23

Done

I would have loved to add another first rounder this year. Sadly, we didn't trade Kawhi to GSW for that 11th pick. With the looming Inspiration fiasco, who knows if draft picks will be taken away or how many will be taken away. Having two picks this year in a loaded draft would have softened the blow a little.

Thanks, that helped a lot.

It's a good plan if there's multiple picks, to draft different positions.

BUT, I'll also say it's ok to draft the same position, if the two players have very different styles of play.

If it's two bigs, maybe one is a good rebounder and good around the rim, while the other guy can play in the high post or even further out.

If it's two guards, maybe one is a slasher and the other is a set shooter.

Thunder might let Isaiah Joe or another guard go.

So maybe they're preparing for that, by getting another guard.

This is true too. On the wing, I always like to pair a slasher with a shooter or as I envisioned this draft for the Clippers, taking a defensive oriented lead guard in the first round and then getting a scoring lead guard off the bench

It's tough to gauge this Milwaukee draft until we see if the Giannis trade develops into something more than just a two team deal but as of now, I like what they did

I wish these teams would stop helping the Thunder. You would think it would be an unwritten rule of sorts. Not sure what Atlanta expects of Wiggins given their depth on the wings or why someone would let them off the hook by taking Joe's salary. As it stood, the Thunder were in a tough spot, Pick up the option on either Hartenstein or Dort and you're in the 2nd apron. Now, they are creatively finding a way to get around that by dumping salaries on teams that have little use for these players