As I do each year, here would be my Round One of the NBA Draft were I selecting for each team.
It's not prognostication.
Normally, I'd include something about who I want the Warriors to avoid. That seems less important this year for some reason.
1. Minnesota KA Towns C UK
2. LA Lakers D.Russell PG Ohio St.
-Russell's my top guy on the board, not by a lot, not enough that Minnesota shouldn't take Towns, but I like him enough over Okafor that the Lakers, who really should be acquiring assets, should take him.
3. Philadelphia E.Mudiay PG China
4. New York J.Okafor C Duke
5. Orlando K.Porzingis PF Latvia
-The real draft goes smoother than this when the Lakers take Okafor. Here, the Sixers who can't use him instead take the second best PG. The Knicks are good with any of the available options; I don't know about fit with Porzingis and the Magic, but these are the top 5 players on the board. in some 2-5 order they go.
6. Sacramento D.Wright PG Utah
7. Denver F.Kaminsky C Wisc
-These guys aren't going this high; once we get by the first five, then my valuation starts to diverge from what you're likely to see.
8. Detroit M. Turner PF Texas
9. Charlotte M.Hezonja SG Croatia
10. Miami S.Dekker SF Wisc
11. Indiana B. Portis PF Ark
12. Utah C.Payne PG Murray St.
13. Phoenix D.Booker SG UK
14. OKC J.Winslow SF Duke
15. Atlanta W.Cauley-Stein C UK
16. Boston S.Johnson SF Ariz
17. Milwaukee RJ Hunter SG Geo St.
18. Houston T. Jones PG Duke
19. Washington C.Wood PF UNLV
20. Toronto G. Hernangomez C Spain
21. Dallas K.Oubre SF Kansas
22. Chicago C.Osman PG Turkey
23. Portland R.Holmes PF BGSU
24. Cleveland A.Williams SF UCSB
25. Memphis M.Frazier SG UF
26. San Antonio S.Tuttle PF UNI
27. LA Lakers T.Lyles PF UK
28. Boston D.Johnson C UK
29. Brooklyn J.Anderson SF UVA
30. Golden St. R.Upshaw C Wash
