In concert with a post about the 5 winners (coming shortly), here are the individuals that I feel had a bad day.
NBA DRAFT LOSERS
Phil Jackson
He didn’t trade Kristaps Porzingis yet, so we’ll chalk that up into the “win” column. On the other hand, I’m not a fan of his pick at #8, Frank Ntilikina.
In theory, Ntilikina is a great point guard for the Triangle, given his size and length. On the other hand, I’m not sure Ntilikina is even a “point guard.” The NBA position is absolutely stacked at PG — you need elite quickness and court vision to succeed there. To me, Ntilikina’s going to be a solid rotational player who can give you minutes at PG, SG, and SF, but not dominate at any of them. There’s a reason he’s only the #12 prospect on my board.
Of course, there’s a good chance I’m wrong, and Ntilikina’s upside eventually comes to fruition. But the question is: how long will that take? If Ntilikina turns out to be a good starter, it’ll probably be in 2-3 years, when Phil Jackson may be long gone. Personally, I believe Jackson’s on his way out in New York after his contract expires, and I don’t think this pick changed the inevitable on that front.
Coach Mike Budenholzer
As mentioned on the ESPN broadcast, the Atlanta Hawks have the second-longest playoff streak of any team, behind only Budenholzer’s former franchise in the San Antonio Spurs. It felt like Coach Bud was building that same type of organization in Atlanta — where he could sustain success year after year given his staff’s incredible skills at player development.
But now, more than ever, it appears like the Hawks are embracing a deep rebuild. The Dwight Howard trade was a slight harbinger of that (and a poor deal for them all around), as was the pick of Wake Forest PF John Collins at #19. Maybe it’s reading into the tea leaves too much, but it could mean that free agent Paul Millsap is out the door next.
The potential of letting Al Horford and Paul Millsap leave in back to back years without getting ANY assets back for them would be a tough pill to swallow. It would send this franchise into a long rebuild with a few solid pieces — Dennis Schroder, Taurean Prince, John Collins — but none that I’d consider true franchise cornerstones. If the Atlanta Hawks are content to join a list of lottery teams, there are many other cores that I’d prefer to theirs at the moment.
Dante Exum and/or George Hill
The Utah Jazz made a few selections at point guard that I happen to like — Louisville PG/SG Donovan Mitchell at #13, and Gonzaga PG Nigel Williams-Goss at #55. Both have size and scoring ability that would fit well on the roster.
But those same attributes could describe their current point guards, George Hill and Dante Exum. In my mind, drafting two more point guards seems to indicate that the Jazz aren’t committed to at least one of the two of them. Hill’s a free agent who may get pricey (and may be eyeing up a return to the San Antonio Spurs). Exum’s supposed to be the future, but hasn’t shown much so far.
If I ran the Jazz, I’d try to keep hold on George Hill (and develop Mitchell as a 3-and-D PG behind him). If the team loses their only vet in Hill, you’re basically guaranteeing yourself a step back next year. And will free agent Gordon Hayward agree to that plan? I doubt it, especially given the allure of Boston (or Miami) out East.
GM Neil Olshey
What a difference a few years make. A couple of seasons ago, we’d have all agreed that Neil Olshey was among the top 5 general managers in the NBA. Right now… I don’t know what he is.
He made a great trade for center Jusuf Nurkic, but he’s also overdrawn Paul Allen’s bank account on some massive extensions for backup Allen Crabbe (who I happen to like) and Evan Turner (who I don’t.) He’s created a logjam in his backcourt that he hasn’t been able to solve, and a massive payroll that’s going to be difficult to maneuver with.
He did have an opportunity to wheel and deal last night since the team had three first-round picks in their coffers. Olshey utilized them to trade up for Gonzaga C Zach Collins. I don’t mind Collins I had him ranked #13 but I can’t really say he moves the needle much or presents a stark upgrade over Meyers Leonard, another recent extension given by Olshey.
The concern with Collins is that his stellar per-minute totals are inflated by the fact that he came off the bench and only had to play 17 minutes a night. He drew fouls at a high rate (2.7 per game) and will have to adjust his style of play at the next level if he’s going to be a 25-30 minute player. Given that, I don’t see him being a good defensive player, despite what that 1.8 blocks per game in college may suggest. If the Blazers are going to take the next step, a solid backup center isn’t going to be the way to do it.
