2019 NBA Draft Reactions (1-14)

1) New Orleans Pelicans -- Zion Williamson (Duke)
I don't love him quite as much as the rest of the world does (I'm totally ready to be proven wrong!), but he is clearly the #1 player, #1 prospect, #1 potential badass in this draft. Pelicans are gonna be high in my League Pass rankings next year!

2) Memphis Grizzlies -- Ja Morant (Murray State)
Conley's out, it's Morant's team now. While I'm not a huge fan of bringing in Crowder and Korver, it's nice to start Morant off with a coupla solid vets. I don't expect the Grizz to be good any time soon, so no pressure on him.

3) New York Knicks -- RJ Barrett (Duke)
Was the #1 prospect coming out of high school last year and struck me as the more ready-to-go player on the Duke roster last year. Hard to tell what the Knicks will be adding this summer but the Knicks have a good chance to be wildly better than last year (well, I mean, that shouldn't be that hard). And since I love youth movements, looks like I'll be watching a lot of Knicks this season.

4) Atlanta Hawks -- Deandre Hunter (Virginia)
So they traded up for Hunter. UVA (champs!) has steadily produced disciplined smart players over the years and if Hunter plays smart, he'll be a good foil for Trae Young. Seems like he'll fit in nicely between Huerter and Spellman, the Hawks got the youth movement filled out now--and they're still adding.

5) Cleveland Cavaliers -- Darius Garland (Vanderbilt)
(The Celtics willing to take back JR Smith for this pick?) They say Garland's the next Kyrie Irving (hopefully just on the court), meaning great hands, quick shot, relentlessly attacks the basket. The Cavs just brought in Collin Sexton, can he move to SG?

6) Minnesota T-Wolves -- Jarrett Culver (Texas Tech)
(Wolves just traded for this pick, are they trading it away?) Kinda thought they'd take Coby White, so is this pick future trade bait? Or is Robert Covington the next trade for the Wolves? All I saw of Culver was in the tourney, he played well but he kinda disappeared from time to time, but if he can be a reliable scorer Culver could be a sneaky ROY candidate.

7) Chicago Bulls -- Coby White (North Carolina)
Uhhhh....*sigh*....I don't think this is a good fit. White has great speed but he feels like a project to me and the Bulls are a project team who probably ought to fill out scoring and defense now and just pick up a veteran PG. But, never know, White could be the spark that raises this team up.

8) New Orleans Pelicans -- Jaxson Hayes (Texas)
Thought going for Cam Reddish was the move here, but the Pelicans went for size instead. He's a great finisher around the rim, seems like a nice fit with Zion and Lonzo. I didn't see this one coming but could be a real upside addition for the Pelicans. League Pass!

9) Washington Wizards -- Rui Hachimura (Gonzaga)
Ooh, this is a strangely good pick. I like Hachimura, can score from inside and outside and I like his steady improvement throughout college. Wizards are a dumpster fire so not sure this is the best move for his career but I think he'll play for them right away.

10) Atlanta Hawks -- Cam Reddish (Duke)
Nice! I feel like he's the guy they wanted all along so to pick him up at #10 is a beautiful thing. Reddish kinda disappeared from time to time, but he's a pro now and Trae Young will give him touches. To add Hunter and Reddish on the same night is rocketing Hawks up my League Pass rankings!

11) Phoenix Suns -- Cameron Johnson (North Carolina)
Hmmmm....he topped out at #24 in the mock draft I saw and was most recently a 2nd round projection. So...no idea what the Suns had in mind here. Big for a SF, if he can score (good 3P% in NCAA) he'll get some run, I guess. The Suns did pick up Saric, so while I don't see Johnson making an impact in that lineup, he can take his time developing throughout his rookie year. This is a weird pick.

12) Charlotte Hornets -- PJ Washington (Kentucky)
Hmmm, I figured they'd go for a Tarheel here (like Nassir Little) but I watched a lot of PJ and I liked him a lot and I think he'll be a better pro than a collegian. His comp, and this will be tough to pull off, is Draymond Green: no-nonsense big man who can handle, pass, shoot pretty well but more than anything he can be the guy in control. If the Hornets lose Kemba they'll need a leader and I think PJ can be that guy.

13) Miami Heat -- Tyler Herro (Kentucky)
Herro was nice all year long but played really well in the tourney (in that sense he reminds me of Devin Booker at UK, too, so maybe Herro blows up). Smart kid, bigger than you think, moves well, he'll give the Heat some perimeter shooting. Heat need everything, so Herro's not a bad fit here.

14) Boston Celtics -- Romeo Langford (Indiana)
Nice pick! Langford had been dropping but I was never sure why. If he's healthy I think he'll play hard and score right away (sneaky ROY pick). I think of him as an SG more than a PG, so he might not be a Celtic by the end of the summer because they've got moves to make.