Written by Joseph Arthur, Senior Writer (@joe_arthur2010)
For anybody who thought the NBA would quiet down after the Toronto Raptors were crowned champs, marking the end of another season - shame on you. After a tumultuous draft and with a highly coveted free agency period underway, the NBA has once again proven itself to be a never-ending whirlwind of drama, highlights, tweets and most importantly, basketball.
As franchises make moves in free agency and build a roster for training camp, there are a number of teams with the most important day of the off-season already behind them - the NBA draft.
Here we are going to take a look at some of the younger cores across the league, both the good and bad - from what Zion will bring to NOLA, to the complete garbage fire that is the Phoenix Suns and everything in-between.
Let’s start with the good -
Atlanta Hawks
The Hawks look poised to take some big strides in season 2019-20. Another year into Trae Young, a healthy John Collins and the introduction of lottery picks De'Andre Hunter and Cam Reddish gives the Hawks flexibility and a team that appears well-suited to play together.
It’s unclear as to whether John Collins is capable of playing the five; this will come down to his ability to defend at an NBA level and a consistent three-point shot wouldn’t hurt either. Both of these are still up in the air, however his offensive talent and athleticism is undeniable.
Equally as undeniable is the offensive talent of his partner-in-crime Trae Young, who towards the end of last season looked more and more like the premier point guard the Hawks believe him to be. The significant drawback that plagues these two Hawks is the lapses in their defensive games, it's clear that Atlanta have attempted to address this issue through the draft with the additions of Hunter and Reddish.
Both rookies are lengthy wings that appear capable of closing out on the perimeter as well as providing inside coverage for when Young is inevitably beaten off screens. Reddish has plenty of 3-and-D potential and Hunter should be getting more credit for his athleticism, which is somehow underrated and he can shoot the three better then most people think (43% in college last year). Pairing these picks with the length and shooting of Kevin Huerter gives Atlanta flexibility on both offence and defense and with plenty of minutes available for these kids, I’ll be making them a league pass lock. The future is bright in Hot-lanta.
New Orleans Pelicans.
The era of new Zion has begun! It's hard not to get excited when looking at this young side that is set up to succeed in so many different ways. Williamson appears almost a certainty to be at the very least, an all-star of the future and at the very most, a player who transcends the game in a fashion not dissimilar from LeBron. Alongside enough future draft picks to make even the Celtics jealous, NOLA and new GM David Griffin appear to have played the Anthony Davis trade perfectly.
The additions of Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram and Josh Hart adds plenty of talent to the roster and although they may not all become superstars, each player has the tools to succeed and could play significant roles in the future of the Pelicans - at worst, they are handy assets for David Griffin to have in his back pocket.
Picking up Jaxson Hayes out of Texas at number 8 was yet another draft day move which bodes well for the Pelicans. Hayes is a project and won't be playing big minutes right away, but he has massive upside and fits New Orleans timeline as builds towards sustained success.
The signing of JJ Redick is another smart move, as Redick helps bolster the team's outside shooting and provides some veteran leadership to an extremely talented, yet young core. Essentially, it will take New York levels of incompetence for New Orleans to stuff this up completely.
Memphis Grizzlies
The grit and grind era for the Grizzlies is over with the departure of Mike Conley, and the keys to the city have been placed in the hands of number 2 pick Ja Morant and sophomore Jaren Jackson Jr.
Ja Morant is one of the best athletes in the draft class and his passing ability alone is enough to keep him in the league for a long long time. The question for Morant is whether or not he can improve his shooting off the dribble and tidy up his unorthodox release, but there’s plenty of people really high on this guy and with his almost limitless ceiling, it’s easy to see why.
With the all the hype over Morant, the Grizzlies second pick of the first round has gone a little under-the-radar but has the potential to be the steal of the draft. Number 21 overall, Brandon Clarke, formerly of Gonzaga, is a forward who looks ready to contribute to an NBA roster immediately. A slasher with good size for the NBA, Clarke could slot in nicely at the four alongside Jackson Jr, who should be more than capable of playing the five.
Jaren Jackson Jr had arguably the most underrated rookie season of anyone in last year's class and his talents make him incredibly valuable in today’s NBA. The second year big can hit three’s consistently and protect the rim at an elite level; I see an All-Star game or two in this kid's future sooner rather than later.
With the talents these three kids possess, the city of Memphis has plenty to be excited about and although the win column won’t be ticking over straight away, the Grizzlies have set themselves up nicely for the future by acquiring some extra draft picks early in free agency.
And now the bad -
Phoenix Suns
You just hate to see it. Usually when a team takes the best shooter of a draft class it’s very difficult to call that pick a dud. But the Suns have found a way. It’s not that I don’t like Cam Johnson, nor do I think he isn’t capable of becoming a starter in this league, but pick 11? Really??
A pure shooter, who hasn’t shown much defensively, is an average athlete at best and has already endured surgeries on both hips, isn’t a lottery pick. Not to mention he’s a full 8 months older then the franchise's one shining light over the past three seasons.
Phoenix are a mess, but I will try to reserve total judgment until the end of free agency - Ricky Rubio's something right? But opening up cap space by dumping TJ Warren just to lose most of it in a trade for Aron Baynes? I mean come on. I’m happy to be proven wrong but there’s still a ways to go before this franchise becomes relevant again and I don’t see a lot on the horizon that’s going to help them do that.
It's telling that former number 4 pick Josh Jackson is reportedly on the market (via theringer.com), available to anyone for almost anything after only two seasons. It's hard to have faith in a franchise that doesn't have faith in it's players.
If it’s any consolation, I like the Ty Jerome pick. The dude is slow as anything but can shoot the lights out and it gives the Suns another point guard to support Rubio, which is something.
There you have it! Four of the NBA's youngest rosters that will be battling it out in season 2019-20, some have a better outlook than others, but ultimately we'll have to wait and see how it all pans out.
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