NBA Draft Recap

Here, finally, is my 2015 NBA Draft recap. The reason that it took so long is, well, because it was very puzzling.  Almost every part of the draft, from number 4 overall and down, caused some uproar. I will start with the #4 overall pick, Kristaps Porzingis, who went to the Knicks. Yes, those Knicks. This pick incited one of the largest upheavals I have seen at a draft for a while. It even incited Stephen A. Smith to go on television and rant, literally scream, about how Willie Cauley-Stein would have been better. How? Kris Porzingis, while maybe a little high at 4, has Dirk-like potential. You hear the term "upside" so much during this time of year, but in reality, Kris has serious upside. Also, some people think that he is way too skinny for a 7 footer, and he will take 3-5 years to fill out and become a threat. Which begs the question, why does every big man have to be Roy Hibbert? If he isn't huge and lumbering with the strength to lift a car, he can never succeed? Speaking of Roy Hibbert, the Pacers made an interesting pick at 11. They took Miles Turner from Texas, the 7 foot center. For all intents and purposes, they took a younger Roy Hibbert. Why? I have no idea. Nothing against Turner, but did the Pacers really need to get another center? With David West gone, I see the need for a stretch 4, but Turner isn't it. I heard a ton about how he has the "mechanics" to shoot the 3. If that is true, why didn't he? Moving forward, the Sixers decided that tall was back in, so they drafted a big man. Then another. And, when they were finished with that, they took a big man. Which is odd, because they already had 2 highly touted big men. One thing that I noticed was the slipping of particular players that seem like someone you would want. Take Tyler Harvey, for example. He went 51 to the Magic, who were obviously stocking up on shooters. Harvey is a shooter, plain and simple. Maybe not a great passer or defender, but the nation's leading scorer. He drew some Stephen Curry comparisons, but I think that is a little overzealous. I see an awful lot of Kyle Korver in him, however. Someone who can seamlessly transition to the NBA three point line, someone who has the balance to get off a shot while on the move. If Korver turned out to be an All Star, why was Harvey so low? Another guy I really like is Norman Powell from UCLA. Think Tony Allen-esque defense, streaky shooting and scary athleticism. Going in the second half of the second round, Powell looks to me like a lottery pick that slid way further than he should have. If Tony Allen can succeed in the NBA, why can't Powell? He combines a lock-down defender with a 40 inch vertical and an improving mid range game. On paper, Powell appears to be a lock to have a very solid NBA career, if not an exceptional one. I guess NBA general managers have tunnel vision when it comes to certain physical traits. Like an elite level leaping ability, or a monster wingspan for his position, both things that Powell clearly has.  Maybe my favorite player in this draft was Rondae Hollis-Jefferson. Let’s face it, the kid can do pretty much everything on the basketball court. As a sidebar, he also has impeccable taste in draft day outfits.

Rondae was projected to go in the 15 range, but he slid all the way to 23. Another elite defender with improving offensive prowess, I would be on cloud 9 if I could pick him in the 15-18 range. Well, he went to Portland at 23, and was later traded to Brooklyn. While some talented players went later than they should have, some weren’t taken at all. Take top recruit Cliff Alexander. The Kansas big man was one of the most highly scouted high schoolers in recent memory, but had an underwhelming season. That season was stained by a reported NCAA violation, which I heard had something to do with his mom and an agent, but don’t quote me on it. I certainly would have taken a chance on the young man, especially since many teams really scraped the bottom of the barrel late in the draft. But, Cliff never heard his name. Sometimes, I just don’t know what these teams are thinking. Wait, let me upgrade that to 75% of the time. One team that made a really good decision was the Lakers, when they took D'angelo Russell second overall. A real gem there, someone with All-Star potential. Well, that about does it for that. I will see you in Free Agency.