The Mother’s Day Lottery drawing was a fertile time for a few lucky franchises and was a total MFer for a few unlucky teams
1) The Wizards Win It All!
That’s a phrase we don’t hear everyday but with the Wizards winning the no.1 overall pick to add to their exciting young core we could be looking at a title contending team within a few years. That’s how important this no.1 selection is. The odds are on AJ Dybantsa to be that pick. He’d bring his ferocious play style and alpha dog mentality to a Wizards franchise that has lacked that identity for much of its earthly existence. What a huge Mother’s Day gift for the team!
Best Fits: AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Cam Boozer
2) The Jazz Jump With Joy
Although the Jazz would have loved to jump up one more spot to have the clear chance at BYU star AJ Dybantsa, landing at no.2 is still a major win for the team. They have plenty of assets to make a strong offer for the no.1 pick or could stay at no.2 and take a guy who might be the most talented guard in 15 years in Darryn Peterson.
The Jazz also have a strong connection to Cameron Boozer, with his Dad Carlos joining the Jazz front office last year. Don’t be surprised to see some movement with the Jazz trading up or down on draft day.
Best Fits: AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Cam Boozer
3) Grizzlies Claw Their Way Into The Top 3
What a big win for the Grizzlies! They are a franchise going through a full rebuild and already have a few key pieces in place. Now they get to add a potential superstar forward in Cam Boozer or Caleb Wilson (or possibly the ultra talented Peterson, if he slides to no.3).
Ja is probably on his way out, which could bring even more draft capital to Memphis and be a turning point for the franchise, as they head in a new direction. My favorite fit here is Caleb Wilson who I see as the most talented PF/C in the draft. He doesn’t have as high of a floor as Boozer but his upside is through the roof. A few months after trading away JJJ the Grizzlies could add another elite defender and big time talent at the power forward position.
Best Fits: Darryn Peterson, Cam Boozer, Caleb Wilson
4) Bullish On The Chicago Bulls
Of all the lottery day winners I think the Bulls might be the biggest winners. They jumped from a projected no.9 pick into the coveted fab four of this draft. I have Boozer falling to them in my mock but there’s a real chance that the no.4 pick will be Caleb Wilson, which would be a steal, in my opinion. Maybe there’s a world were Peterson falls to four but I doubt it.
Besides the fab four prospects I think Kingston Flemings would be a really fun addition to this team, if for some reason they decide to trade down.
Best Fits: Cam Boozer, Caleb Wilson, Kingston Flemings
5) Pain In Pacer-Land – The Lottery’s Biggest Loser (And Winner)
From Haliburton’s injury in the Finals, to a season of loosing and then a bone-headed trade that cost them this lottery pick, the Pacers franchise and fan base is in a world of pain right now. On the flip side, the Clippers pulled off a major heist in relieving the Pacers of this top 5 pick in one of the strongest drafts of the century.
The Clippers are an older and somewhat boring team that really needed this big win. They’ll get a chance to add a stud young guard in Darius Acuff Jr., Kingston Flemings, Keaton Wagler or Mikel Brown Jr. I like the Wagler fit the best but have both Acuff Jr. and Flemings rated slightly higher on my board. And you can’t be drafting for fit this high in the draft.
This is the pick where the fun in the draft could really begin. Which of the guards will go first? Or do the Clippers look to move this pick for a win now player?
Best Fits: Darius Acuff Jr., Mikel Brown Jr, Keaton Wagler
6) Nets Stuck In Neutral
The Nets are a franchise in need of a big win but the Mother’s Day lottery delivered mediocre results. The Nets will still get a stud player at no.6 but after drafting a handful of guards in last year’s draft they’ll be faced with an interesting dilemma: the top prospects in this range of the draft are all guards so, do the Nets trade up or down to get a big man or stick at no.6 and take the BPA?
Either way, this is a solid landing spot for the Nets but landing in the top four could have really kicked their rebuild into high gear.
Best Fits: Aday Mara, Caleb Wilson, Hannes Steinbach
7) The Lowly Kings
There was no lottery luck for the lowly Kings, who slid a few spots to no.7. They are a team in need of any and all talent that might come there way and will be in position to draft a really good guard with this pick. Obviously landing in the top four would have been great but I think this is a decent spot for the Kings to draft, as they’ll have two of Flemings, Acuff Jr., Brown Jr. or Wagler available here.
Best Fits: Darius Acuff Jr., Mikel Brown Jr, Keaton Wagler, Kingston Flemings
Stay tuned for a look at picks 8 through 14 coming soon.
Thanks for reading!