Night a win for surprise picks
NEW YORK — In a draft-night stunner, the Orlando Magic defied conventional wisdom by taking Duke’s Paolo Banchero over Auburn’s Jabari Smith and Gonzaga’s Chet Holmgren with the No. 1 pick. Fierce debates over the top selection are fairly common, but usually they get sorted out — and leaked — well before the prospects hit the Barclays Center stage.
The last-minute surprise made for an entertaining start to a night that saw two lottery picks traded. With all 58 picks officially in the books, let’s run down Thursday’s biggest winners and losers.
1. Winners: Houston Rockets and Orlando Magic
A sharp change of plans can often cause anxiety or disappointment, but the Houston Rockets should be elated Smith fell into their lap at the No. 3 pick. While there seemed to be real excitement at the prospect of pairing 2021 No. 2 pick Jalen Green with Banchero, Smith could easily prove to be the better long-term fit.
Smith’s defensive versatility will be a big bonus for the Rockets, who ranked dead last in defensive efficiency, and his ability to score without dominating the ball will allow more creation opportunities for Green. There was a chance that Green and Banchero would find themselves in a tug-of-war for control of the offense, and now Green can serve as the lead option, setting up Smith for drive-and-kick opportunities.
A similar argument can be made on the Magic side. Banchero will be cast as the alpha scorer in Orlando with 2021 lottery pick Jalen Suggs expected to be a more distribution-minded point guard. Meanwhile, the Magic has several promising frontcourt defenders who can help cover for Banchero’s limitations on that end.
2. Losers: New York Knicks
The Knicks wanted no part of this year’s festivities. First, New York traded away the No. 11 pick, Ousmane Dieng, to the Oklahoma City Thunder for future picks. Then, the Knicks rerouted the No. 13 pick, Jalen Duren, from the Charlotte Hornets to the Detroit Pistons in a three-way trade that allowed them to shed Kemba Walker’s salary.
Rather than add a lottery prospect or two to their unfinished roster, New York decided to clear cap space for its free-agency pursuits.
Given that there are few stars available on this summer’s market, the Knicks’ short-term thinking is likely to end with a whimper.
3. Winner: Chet Holmgren
Banchero’s surprise selection at No. 1 threatened to upend Holmgren’s night by sending him sliding down the board. Instead, Oklahoma City stayed the course and selected the 7-foot Gonzaga freshman rather than taking Smith. Holmgren couldn’t have asked for a better home than the small-market Thunder, who are fully committed to a patient developmental approach and can help shield him from questions about his physique early in his career. Oklahoma City reinforced its plans to build slowly by adding two other lottery picks: Dieng and Jalen Williams.
Holmgren is an “all ball, all the time” type, and he will be able to concentrate on his craft in Oklahoma City, just as he did in Spokane. Best of all, Holmgren is a highly efficient finisher around the basket and will be on the receiving end of plays set up by Shai Gilgeous-alexander and Josh Giddey. The offensive fit, especially with Giddey and his elite vision, should produce must-see TV for League Pass die-hards.
4. Losers: Sacramento Kings
Thursday felt like a missed opportunity for the Kings, who held the fourth pick in a draft where there was significant interest in Jaden Ivey, an explosive guard from Purdue. Although Ivey seemed disinclined to play for Sacramento, taking him anyway was an option. De’aaron Fox and Ivey would have given the Kings an attack-minded backcourt capable of eventually snapping the franchise’s streak of 16 straight lottery trips. Even if the Kings concluded that Fox and Ivey overlapped too much in skills, Ivey arguably has the more promising future.
But Sacramento didn’t select Ivey or even cash out the fourth pick in a trade. Instead, the Kings took Keegan Murray, and one can’t help but wonder how many other teams would have selected the 21year-old Iowa forward over Ivey if given the chance.