Knicks’ fans were not impressed with their team’s first pick Thursday night
As mentioned in the Draft Day Winners post, it was certainly a strange state of affairs in Brooklyn Thursday night. It seemed as though some teams were just waking up when making their selection, just blurting out a name only to fall back into the deepness of their sleep. In other words, there was no shortage of head-scratching choices being made.
So, who were the biggest losers of the draft?
Los Angeles Lakers
For all the hoopla that is surrounding D’Angelo Russell being a great pick for the Lakers’ future, not sure there are many fans of the team that agree with that statement. And why should they? The Lakers passed up on the better player in Jahlil Okafor, and it’s possible they did so in hopes to acquire a big man via trade.
That is a pretty confident stance to take considering they really do not have much in terms of sought-after pieces. A certain other team in the state of California is not going to accept Julius Randle (coming off missing 81 games), and a mix of either Jordan Clarkson or Russell as sufficient payment for one of the league’s premier centers. So this move really is quite puzzling.
New York Knicks
It’s just an absolute mess in NYC, and the selection of Kristaps Porzingis only solidifies that. Why the Knicks decided to pass on Emmanuel Mudiay, Frank Kaminsky, and Stanley Johnson for a center who may not even be ready to play strong minutes this season is anyone’s guess, but it certainly was not a smart move.
We are all aware that the Knicks stand to make a splash in free agency in some way, but to use your draft pick in such a careless manner suggests not even Phil Jackson may be able to save this franchise.
The array of boo’s upon being announced hammers home the way the fans felt.
Orlando Magic
This is quite possibly the worst choice of the night. Orlando was another team who passed up on players who fit the mold for their organization, and instead elected to go with someone who averaged seven points in the Euro League. Yep, seven points… That average is an indication of the amount of minutes on the floor, and if you are not even getting substantial minutes in the Euro League, there is no reason to believe you will earn many in the NBA.
Tobias Harris is not expected to return, but there were other options in free-agency, and in the draftm that make a lot more sense than going this route. Orlando would have benefited way more by drafting someone like Frank Kaminsky or Justise Winslow.
If we were grading, this was an absolute F!
Sacramento Kings
Not sure if the Kings deserve a pass considering their team is so in flux, as the coach is not even involved in the draft process. Though, the fact remains, they completely messed this one up.
Willie Cauley-Stein is certainly an explosive player on the defensive-end, and can run the floor at an elite level for a big, but he is not someone to build an organization around. And if the Boogie rumors have any merit, he may be the only big in Sacramento come the start of the 2015/16 NBA season.
The Kings would have sealed a gaping void at PG by drafting Mudiay, but instead they wanted to add a rim protector who cannot score despite some incredible foot work. Let the wild rumpus known as the “Summer of Boogie” begin.
Steve Krebs is a correspondent at FantasyPros. To read more from Steve, check out his archive and follow him @BKHoops5.
