So the NBA Draft came and went this week, and like every season of talent acquisition, team officials are going to bust their buttons and fans are going to try to convince themselves that their new additions could be the guy who becomes THE GUY.
We’ll start at the top where the Atlanta Hawks picked a Frenchman No 1 overall. Of course the Hawks — who have drafted worse than the French Armed Forces through their history — get the No. 1 overall pick in a draft without a true No. 1 overall pick.
But they picked Zaccharie Risacher with the top pick and Serbian Nikola Djurisic in Thursday’s second round.
Hey, Hawks, if you were looking to become the United Nations South, then maybe you should have kept the rights to Luka Doncic several years ago, huh?
Risacher is 6-foot-9 with long arms and is known as a great on-ball defender. Excellent. The Hawks added the crepés-eating version of Stacey Augmon with the top pick. This won’t end well.
But while the Hawks rolled the dice — did anyone else notice how little fanfare or team-reaction the selection of Risacher generated? — there were several parts of the NBA Draft that created an avalanche of reaction, good and bad.
Let’s review the winners and losers shall we.
Winners, round 1: The Lakers. It was quite telling during the celebration of JJ Redick and the Lakers brass when Dalton Knecht was on the board at 17. That, or JJ told a borderline inappropriate joke to the room. Regardless, Knecht is a steal at 17 — a 6-6 230-pounder with deep 3 range and is a better athlete than most realize — and gives a team starving for perimeter acumen exactly that. This was, simply put, the best value pick and potential fit in Wednesday’s first round and Knecht will thrive playing with double-team-demanding stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
Losers: Brooklyn. Man, was it really that long ago that Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden were part of what was going to be the next BIG 3 across the league? Now, they are scuffling and did not have a pick this week.
Winner, round 2: The Lakers. Look everyone can say “Bronny James would not be drafted if his last name was not ‘James'” and everyone would almost assuredly be right. Bronny Greeson is looking for work in the TFP mailroom and hoping for quick advancement (and wondering why his parents named him Bronny). But this is not new. Package deals are part of sports — ask Giannis’ little brother in Milwaukee — and know this: Securing a free agent acquisition like Daddy James with a second-round pick is the best value imaginable.
Loser: Memphis. Man, the Falcons took a back-up QB in the top 10 earlier this spring and then the Grizzlies took a back-up center at 9 Wednesday. Zach Edey was a monster in college, and his size is undeniable. But in a stretch league where there are as many point-centers who handle the ball beyond the arc as there are back-to-the-basket post-up guys, Edey’s a defensive liability.
Winners: International hoops. Team France — which likely will include the last two No. 1 overall picks in Risacher and Victor Wenbayama — is gonna be a handful in the Olympics in years to come. Plus, in a league where arguably the four best players in the Association are international — Shai-Gilgeous Alexander (Canada), Giannis Antetokounmpo (Greece), Nikola Jokic (Serbia) and Doncic (Slovenia) — this game is assuredly global. And the gap looks to be closing.
Loser: ESPN’s coverage. OK, side rant: I think transparency is among the most important parts of being a trusted commentator or news source. So sharing your allegiances is a wise move. We’re all sports fans at some level, right? But the over-the-top reactions from some of ESPN’s most prominent faces is becoming extreme. Mike Greenberg spends 40% of his national platforms talking about the Jets, who are about as relevant these days as VCRs and 8-track tapes. And that is soft and low volume by comparison to what Stephen A. Smith’s love affair with the New York Knicks has become, and his five-minute hype video after the Knicks picked some dude who may be lucky to make the team’s rotation by February was ridiculous.
These reactions are big picture, of course, because the truth about drafts in all sports hinge on value rather than emotion.
And those true evaluations are years away.
Contact Jay Greeson at jgreeson@timesfreepress.com.