Winner: The Pelicans
The Pelicans went from having a Top 5 NBA player and the 9th pick, to potentially having two Top 5 NBA Players. Zion is the most hyped prospect since LeBron and is capable of forming a terrifying duo with Davis if he stays around. But what if the Brow decides he doesn’t want to wait for him to develop? They can send him to the Lakers or Knicks and get some young talent to build around the potential superstar. Win-Win.
Loser: Tanking
- The Suns had a 20.1% chance of falling all the way to 6.
- Atlanta only had a 9.3% chance of falling 8 or lower.
- Chicago had only a 19% chance of falling 7 or lower.
- Cavaliers finished behind 3 teams that they had better odds than.
- The Knicks, who we’re probably the luckiest of the group, fell to 3.
For better or for worse, the new system worked. Tanking was minimized and teams in the 6-10 range reaped the benefits finishing 1,2, and 4.
Winner: RJ Barrett
The draft is weeks away. Stuff happens. But we’ve known for months that this is really a 3 man draft. Baring someone shooting up the boards at the combine to an extent that we’ve never seen before, Zion is a lock at 1 and the PG needy Grizzlies will take Morant. That means RJ will fall to the one of the most valuable franchises in the world. That same franchise that is reportedly 95% going to land Kevin Durant as well as Kyrie Irving. That same franchise that has been trotting out the Two-Headed-Dragon of Alonzo Trier and Daymean Dotson for a combined 50.3 MPG. Yes I looked it up. He could not have fallen in a better situation.
Loser: Wizards
At least you’re not 10th? Can’t really say much here. The Wizards are basically screwed until John Wall’s contract is up so maybe lose more games next season. If thats possible.
Winner: Lakers
Lakers now have their pick of any prospect outside of the Big 3. Not bad for a team that was floating around the 8th seed for a good chunk of the season. Getting a really solid young player like DeAndre Hunter, Jarrett Culver, or Darius Garland would be a big win considering the season they had.
