1. New Orleans Pelicans - Zion Williamson, PF, Duke
Zion Williamson was a no-brainer for the Pelicans here at #1, and so far, it is looking like a good decision. There was that Summer League injury, but from what we’ve seen from him, he’s looked as dominant as expected. After only 19 games, he has cemented himself as one of the league’s top offensive rebounders, averaging 3 offensive rebounds a game. However, Zion’s stamina must improve if he wants to be among the league’s elite. Grade: A+
2. Memphis Grizzlies - Ja Morant, PG, Murray State
Morant, the future Rookie of the Year (Zion even said it himself), has already blossomed into one of the most electrifying point guards. He had the whole league on notice after he nearly ended Kevin Love’s whole career; not to mention, he currently has Memphis sitting in the #8 seed, above the Spurs, the Kings, and Zion Williamson’s Pelicans. Grade: A+
3. New York Knicks - R.J. Barrett, SG, Duke
R.J. Barrett has hit about every realistic expectation for him in his rookie year. No one was expecting him to lead the Knicks to a playoff spot, but he has shown that he is a hard-worker and is dedicated to the team. He has impressed at times with his defensive and rebounding prowess, but can his skillset translate into the stardom the Knicks so desperately need? Unfortunately, I do not think so. He is almost certainly destined for a long, successful career, but I do not see him being a first or second option on a top-4 seeded team. Grade: B-
4. Atlanta Hawks - De’Andre Hunter, SF, Virginia
I am going to preface this piece about Hunter with what I said immediately after the selection: “My question is, though, How much do they like him over Cam Reddish?” Of course, in the end, the Hawks ended up getting both. As for Hunter, he is similar to Barrett, but in a better situation. Hunter is the perfect player to surround Trae Young with. Especially now with Clint Capela on the team, you can not go wrong with this pick. He definitely could have been more aggressive on the defensive side of the ball through his first year, but that will come over time as he gets acclimated to the Hawks’ system. Grade: A-
5. Cleveland Cavaliers - Darius Garland, PG, Vanderbilt
Garland is still getting used to the pace of the game, as he did not play much college basketball, but has still done well so far in his first NBA season. This was a risky pick, but Garland has shown tremendous upside. In this final stretch of the season, I think it is possible we could have seen him breakout. His jumpshot was improving, and I think it is only up from here. With that said, I still do not think it was the wisest pick for the Cavaliers, since they already have Collin Sexton. Time will only tell if the two can play well together. Grade: B
6. Minnesota Timberwolves - Jarrett Culver, SG, Texas Tech
Similarly to Garland, Jarrett Culver was on an upward trend, with a .601 true shooting percentage in the month of February. At the same time, however, Culver was reduced to a third-string role. He has seemingly found his way out of the Timberwolves’ system and is a likely trade candidate this offseason. He showed so much promise at Texas Tech that maybe a team will take a chance on him, while the Wolves explore other options in free agency. Grade: C-
7. Chicago Bulls - Coby White, PG, North Carolina
The Bulls finally got their supposed point guard of the future at #7. Although coming off the bench for all but one game this season, Coby White has shown outrageous potential. You can point to so many instances of this: His 7 three-pointer quarter, his explosion vs. the Knicks, his exposing of the Wizards, etc. The rest of the team may be a mess, but Coby White is definitely one bright spot. Grade: A-
8. New Orleans Pelicans - Jaxson Hayes, C, Texas
Hayes is definitely a project for the Pelicans, as he would not have seen much playing time down the stretch for New Orleans, but that certainly is not because of a lack of talent. When he plays, he shows great flashes of potential, including a five block performance against Phoenix. He is only 19 years old, and once Derrick Favors leaves NOLA, could get some serious playing time. Grade: B
9. Washington Wizards - Rui Hachimura, SF, Gonzaga
Hachimura suffered a groin injury which resulted in him missing two months, but that did not stop him. He bounced back very well and took control of the Wizards’ starting SF spot. Rui is only shooting 27% from three, which is a number he needs to improve upon, but the rest of his game shows great promise. His defense has always been solid, as he has proven that he can switch well across all five positions on the floor. He can guard Tobias Harris, Ben Simmons, and Joel Embiid with relative ease. Rui’s offensive game is evolving at a rapid pace in an effort to diversify his finishing options. He has become much less predictable over time at the rim, which will help him in the long-run. Grade: B+
10. Atlanta Hawks - Cam Reddish, SF, Duke
In the first two months of the NBA season, the game seemed too fast for Cam Reddish. He kept pulling his shot left due to slipshod footwork and could not find his place in Atlanta’s system. From then on, he adjusted his mechanics, and in his last 24 games, he has shot nearly 42% from the three-point line, what most would consider as a remarkable transformation. Just 5 days before the NBA suspended its season, Reddish scored a career-high 28 points on 11–17 shooting against Washington. I do not think you can dock the Hawks much for this pick — They had their eyes set on Reddish, and got both him and De’Andre Hunter on the same night. Grade: A-
11. Phoenix Suns - Cameron Johnson, SF, UNC
I was the first person to hate on this pick, and I still do, because I think the Suns could have traded down further if Johnson was their main target. However, there is no denying that Cam Johnson has exceeded expectations for his rookie year. He is third in three-point percentage among rookies with 100+ minutes played and 9th in box plus-minus compared to the class. Johnson has made his case for an All-Rookie Team, which is more than expected for his projections, but a saying that should be assumed for an 11th overall pick. He does get injured quite a bit more than a team would like, though, and, as I said, I think he would have been available in the late-teens. Grade: C-
12. Charlotte Hornets - P.J. Washington, PF, Kentucky
P.J. Washington started the NBA season off phenomenally, as in the five October games, Washington averaged 16 points per game on 55% from the field and 52% from three. Since then, he has cooled off, but not to the point where you can be disappointed with his output. As the 12th overall pick on one of the worst teams in the NBA, he is a large part of a majority of Charlotte’s wins. With some more efficient pieces around him, I could see Washington being a solid starting four on a competitive Hornets team in the near future. Grade: B+
13. Miami Heat - Tyler Herro, SG, Kentucky
Similar to Washington, Herro has cooled down since the beginning of the season, as Herro was injured back in February. His 13 points per game may not seem that impressive, but his nearly 40% from the three-point line is exactly what the Heat need off the bench and in the occasional starting role. Herro has helped the Heat make a surprise run to the 4-seed in the East. Tyler Herro is the perfect complement to Bam Adebayo and the reignited spark to a seemingly dying franchise. Grade: A
14. Boston Celtics - Romeo Langford, SG, Indiana
Romeo Langford is very much so still a project. He has shown flashes of defensive prowess in games against the Lakers and Hawks, but not enough to fully determine the kind of player he will develop into. I think that Brandon Clarke would have helped the C’s immediately rather than give them a reserve-type player. I am not saying he does not have promise, but the short-term impact has not been enough to justify a lottery pick. Grade: C-
