Wig Liveblogs the Draft
Posted: Wed Sep 02, 2026 2:16 pm
Okay, let's get the complaining out of the way first.
SLOWEST. DRAFT. EVER.
Not sure it's because the talent pool is relatively shallow, but it sure seems like with most drafts, people are anxiously awaiting their chance to grab new young talent for their roster. This season... not so much. Took forever for the draft order to be announced and since the #1 pick was obvious, that pick was pretty much fait accompli. The draft was always REALLY going to start with pick #2.
In the past, even if we don't see a lot of moves into the top few picks, there's at least a buzz around things. The buzz this season has been almost non-existent, like nobody cares about these players. We'll have to see if things pick up as the draft moves along, but early returns? Not good. We're five hours into the draft and pick #7 still hasn't happened yet, and the one draft-day trade we saw was nixxed by the league office.
Having gotten that setup out of the way, let's look at what HAS happened:
Pick #1: The Pacers select Dikembe Mutombo
This wasn't a surprise pick at all; I think everyone had Mt. Mutombo pencilled in as the #1 pick since people realized this was his draft year. The Pacers gambled that taking the Bullets' pick in 1991 was going to be a good bet, and I guess they couldn't have done any better than the #1 overall pick. Mutombo is kind of old for a rookie at 25 years old, but Pauly has put together a team that is mostly in their mid-20's (Eddie Johnson excepted). The thing that interests me about the Pacers' pick here is that while Mutombo is going to clog the lane, they have a ton of three-point gunners, which makes me think they may plan to try to train up Mutombo's inside game and passing so they can run the Shaq/Hakeem offense of the early 90's - "dump the ball into the post, draw the double team, spray the rock outside for three point shooters to launch." Paul Pressey is likely destined to be trade bait since he can't shoot, and if Pauly can find a legitimate stretch 4 that rebounds (though maybe Dan Majerle can rebound enough from the 3 to offset this) the Pacers will be tough to match up with. They may not be dominant in wins, but they'll be a tough matchup for sure.
Pick #2: The Knicks select Steve Smith
The dominant Steve Smith in the PBSL was borne of Training Camp blessings, and that's probably what the Knicks are praying for here. They've got a nice young nucleus with Coleman, Ceballos, and Smith, but they still really need to land a defensive anchor at Center and a floor general at PG - Duane Schintzius isn't the answer up front and Lester Conner's best days are WAY behind him now. They're still probably a couple of seasons away as they need to let their young guys develop, but the good news for them is they have their own pick next season, and should they decide to tank for Shaq, they'd be able to solve their Center problem. I'd be shocked if the Knicks weren't trying to land a high-value point guard in free agency this season... or perhaps they're going to try to go big this offseason and not worry about Shaq on the theory it's easier to find point guard talent. I really do think they need an offensive focus for this season, though - Coleman, Ceballos, and Smith are all complementary players at this point in their careers.
Pick #3: The Nuggets select Bobby Phills
The Nuggets' roster is stacked up and down with quality players; they have three point guards already, though, so it makes sense why they shied away from picking up yet another Point Guard. Phills probably doesn't crack their rotation this year or next, so they'll have plenty of time to let him develop and maybe try to hide him on the bench until after he hits RFA. If I'm being honest, I'm not a big fan of Phills' game - his rebounding is awful for a shooting guard - though Joe Dumars had similar ratings and turned out all right so maybe I'm just a hater. He's just too limited this early in his career but perhaps he blossoms into a star later. Then again, the Nuggets are deep enough to wait.
Pick #4: The Mavericks select Kenny Anderson
The Mavericks were left staring at a draft board where the two best available players were point guards... and like the Nuggets, they already had a couple of point guards on the roster. Rather than trying to trade out (maybe there was nothing available to trade for?) the Mavericks tripled down on short point guards and grabbed Kenny Anderson to join Scott Stiles and Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf. I think if I were in their position, I would have had to at least consider picking up a big - their interior defense was awful after trading away Sam Bowie last year - but like the Knicks, they have their own first round pick in 1992, so perhaps they are contemplating tanking for Shaq and just making sure they get the point guard position right... with so many guards to choose from, you have to hope at least one of them turns into a great point guard. Bernard King continues to be the offensive focal point of this team, and I'm sure the Mavericks are counting the days until his contract expires and they can move on... for now I expect them to try to stockpile young talent - maybe they can move one of their point guards for a wing or a big - but I also don't see the Mavericks in any hurry to improve quickly given the potential prize in next year's draft waiting for teams that can't win this season.
Pick #5: The Lakers select Terrell Brandon
Brandon was quite obviously the best player left on the board, and the Lakers are in talent accumulation mode. Their best young player is currently Rod Strickland, but I suspect the Lakers felt that nobody on the board was nearly as good as Brandon was and that either Rod or Terrell can be flipped for an equivalent piece at another position later on down the road. I'd almost be more curious to see the Lakers run a double-point-guard lineup with both Brandon and Strickland sharing the floor; with Rodman being a non-factor offensively, the Lakers clearly need an offensive centerpiece in Free Agency, but LTS has shown us time and again, he's not afraid to chase big offensive stars. I expect to see him pick up at least one, if not two, major scoring threats by the time the season starts, and this will let us see how Brandon can perform as a setup man right out of the gate.
Pick #6: The Grizzlies select Rick Fox
This was kind of the "dropoff" point in talent in the draft; if Terrell Brandon was an obvious pick at #5, I think the rest of the lottery is more or less a crapshoot - here teams are more likely to pick for fit or need because there's no obvious talent gap. The Grizzlies' roster is a little bit big-heavy at the moment, but Antoine Carr is on the block, which suggests strongly to me that the Grizzlies are looking to run a multiple-wing offense with a bunch of interchangeable guys that can all rebound a little, pass a little, shoot the three, and defend, maybe even trying to run a five-out type offense. Similar to my comments about the Pacers doing something a little different, it feels like the Grizzlies are setting their team up to do something a little different and I have to wonder if Carr doesn't get moved, will they go traditional with a Smits-Causewell-Carr rotation or will they go with their all-wing idea. You never can tell with xist, but it wouldn't surprise me if he tries to find a way to parachute back into the late lottery to grab another wing if he can.
Pick #7: The Nets select Dale Davis
It's clear RPF still believes that beef is the way to win in the East. Davis will hopefully prosper under the tutelage of Mike Gminski, who has now had three seasons where he can't stay healthy. I think Dale is a couple of years away from being a defensive stud, and his offense probably never comes around, but he's got a very well-defined role - big, bruising shot-blocker, rebounder, and enforcer - and with Gminski and Vandeweghe getting long in the tooth, RPF starts to lay the foundation for the next generation around Kendall Gill, who is still a complementary player himself, but whom I think will be ready to take the reins of the offense in a season or two once Vandeweghe moves on. The Nets still have another pick at #9, and unless the Hornets break their hearts, I can only imagine that RPF is preparing to select Robert "Robot" Pack at #9 - this would give him a hyper-athletic backcourt and gives him rock-solid pieces at the 1, 3, and 5 to build around - and both Gill and Davis can easily slide to 2 and 4 respectively, allowing RPF a ton of flexibility in roster-building as he moves forward. Even if the Hornets do throw a monkeywrench into this plan and grab Pack, there are multiple fallback options at point guard in Eric Murdock, Greg Anthony, and even Elliott Perry, so the Davis pick to get the big he likes best makes a ton of sense here.
TRADE: Grizzlies/Hornets/Pistons
The big news as it relates to the draft is the Grizzlies jump back into the draft as the Hornets go back 2 spots to pick #10 and the Pistons trade out.
Pick #8: The Grizzlies select Stacy Augmon
My suspicion that the Grizzlies are looking to go with a bunch of interchangeable do-it-all guys is confirmed - positionless basketball is coming! Augmon fits the mold of a guy that doesn't do any one thing amazingly, but does a little bit of everything, and it's clear the Jazz are all-in on this model as Duane Causewell - one of their traditional centers - get shown the door. Rik Smits and Antoine Carr should be watching their backs. This will make for an interesting matchup problem for a lot of teams.
SLOWEST. DRAFT. EVER.
Not sure it's because the talent pool is relatively shallow, but it sure seems like with most drafts, people are anxiously awaiting their chance to grab new young talent for their roster. This season... not so much. Took forever for the draft order to be announced and since the #1 pick was obvious, that pick was pretty much fait accompli. The draft was always REALLY going to start with pick #2.
In the past, even if we don't see a lot of moves into the top few picks, there's at least a buzz around things. The buzz this season has been almost non-existent, like nobody cares about these players. We'll have to see if things pick up as the draft moves along, but early returns? Not good. We're five hours into the draft and pick #7 still hasn't happened yet, and the one draft-day trade we saw was nixxed by the league office.
Having gotten that setup out of the way, let's look at what HAS happened:
Pick #1: The Pacers select Dikembe Mutombo
This wasn't a surprise pick at all; I think everyone had Mt. Mutombo pencilled in as the #1 pick since people realized this was his draft year. The Pacers gambled that taking the Bullets' pick in 1991 was going to be a good bet, and I guess they couldn't have done any better than the #1 overall pick. Mutombo is kind of old for a rookie at 25 years old, but Pauly has put together a team that is mostly in their mid-20's (Eddie Johnson excepted). The thing that interests me about the Pacers' pick here is that while Mutombo is going to clog the lane, they have a ton of three-point gunners, which makes me think they may plan to try to train up Mutombo's inside game and passing so they can run the Shaq/Hakeem offense of the early 90's - "dump the ball into the post, draw the double team, spray the rock outside for three point shooters to launch." Paul Pressey is likely destined to be trade bait since he can't shoot, and if Pauly can find a legitimate stretch 4 that rebounds (though maybe Dan Majerle can rebound enough from the 3 to offset this) the Pacers will be tough to match up with. They may not be dominant in wins, but they'll be a tough matchup for sure.
Pick #2: The Knicks select Steve Smith
The dominant Steve Smith in the PBSL was borne of Training Camp blessings, and that's probably what the Knicks are praying for here. They've got a nice young nucleus with Coleman, Ceballos, and Smith, but they still really need to land a defensive anchor at Center and a floor general at PG - Duane Schintzius isn't the answer up front and Lester Conner's best days are WAY behind him now. They're still probably a couple of seasons away as they need to let their young guys develop, but the good news for them is they have their own pick next season, and should they decide to tank for Shaq, they'd be able to solve their Center problem. I'd be shocked if the Knicks weren't trying to land a high-value point guard in free agency this season... or perhaps they're going to try to go big this offseason and not worry about Shaq on the theory it's easier to find point guard talent. I really do think they need an offensive focus for this season, though - Coleman, Ceballos, and Smith are all complementary players at this point in their careers.
Pick #3: The Nuggets select Bobby Phills
The Nuggets' roster is stacked up and down with quality players; they have three point guards already, though, so it makes sense why they shied away from picking up yet another Point Guard. Phills probably doesn't crack their rotation this year or next, so they'll have plenty of time to let him develop and maybe try to hide him on the bench until after he hits RFA. If I'm being honest, I'm not a big fan of Phills' game - his rebounding is awful for a shooting guard - though Joe Dumars had similar ratings and turned out all right so maybe I'm just a hater. He's just too limited this early in his career but perhaps he blossoms into a star later. Then again, the Nuggets are deep enough to wait.
Pick #4: The Mavericks select Kenny Anderson
The Mavericks were left staring at a draft board where the two best available players were point guards... and like the Nuggets, they already had a couple of point guards on the roster. Rather than trying to trade out (maybe there was nothing available to trade for?) the Mavericks tripled down on short point guards and grabbed Kenny Anderson to join Scott Stiles and Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf. I think if I were in their position, I would have had to at least consider picking up a big - their interior defense was awful after trading away Sam Bowie last year - but like the Knicks, they have their own first round pick in 1992, so perhaps they are contemplating tanking for Shaq and just making sure they get the point guard position right... with so many guards to choose from, you have to hope at least one of them turns into a great point guard. Bernard King continues to be the offensive focal point of this team, and I'm sure the Mavericks are counting the days until his contract expires and they can move on... for now I expect them to try to stockpile young talent - maybe they can move one of their point guards for a wing or a big - but I also don't see the Mavericks in any hurry to improve quickly given the potential prize in next year's draft waiting for teams that can't win this season.
Pick #5: The Lakers select Terrell Brandon
Brandon was quite obviously the best player left on the board, and the Lakers are in talent accumulation mode. Their best young player is currently Rod Strickland, but I suspect the Lakers felt that nobody on the board was nearly as good as Brandon was and that either Rod or Terrell can be flipped for an equivalent piece at another position later on down the road. I'd almost be more curious to see the Lakers run a double-point-guard lineup with both Brandon and Strickland sharing the floor; with Rodman being a non-factor offensively, the Lakers clearly need an offensive centerpiece in Free Agency, but LTS has shown us time and again, he's not afraid to chase big offensive stars. I expect to see him pick up at least one, if not two, major scoring threats by the time the season starts, and this will let us see how Brandon can perform as a setup man right out of the gate.
Pick #6: The Grizzlies select Rick Fox
This was kind of the "dropoff" point in talent in the draft; if Terrell Brandon was an obvious pick at #5, I think the rest of the lottery is more or less a crapshoot - here teams are more likely to pick for fit or need because there's no obvious talent gap. The Grizzlies' roster is a little bit big-heavy at the moment, but Antoine Carr is on the block, which suggests strongly to me that the Grizzlies are looking to run a multiple-wing offense with a bunch of interchangeable guys that can all rebound a little, pass a little, shoot the three, and defend, maybe even trying to run a five-out type offense. Similar to my comments about the Pacers doing something a little different, it feels like the Grizzlies are setting their team up to do something a little different and I have to wonder if Carr doesn't get moved, will they go traditional with a Smits-Causewell-Carr rotation or will they go with their all-wing idea. You never can tell with xist, but it wouldn't surprise me if he tries to find a way to parachute back into the late lottery to grab another wing if he can.
Pick #7: The Nets select Dale Davis
It's clear RPF still believes that beef is the way to win in the East. Davis will hopefully prosper under the tutelage of Mike Gminski, who has now had three seasons where he can't stay healthy. I think Dale is a couple of years away from being a defensive stud, and his offense probably never comes around, but he's got a very well-defined role - big, bruising shot-blocker, rebounder, and enforcer - and with Gminski and Vandeweghe getting long in the tooth, RPF starts to lay the foundation for the next generation around Kendall Gill, who is still a complementary player himself, but whom I think will be ready to take the reins of the offense in a season or two once Vandeweghe moves on. The Nets still have another pick at #9, and unless the Hornets break their hearts, I can only imagine that RPF is preparing to select Robert "Robot" Pack at #9 - this would give him a hyper-athletic backcourt and gives him rock-solid pieces at the 1, 3, and 5 to build around - and both Gill and Davis can easily slide to 2 and 4 respectively, allowing RPF a ton of flexibility in roster-building as he moves forward. Even if the Hornets do throw a monkeywrench into this plan and grab Pack, there are multiple fallback options at point guard in Eric Murdock, Greg Anthony, and even Elliott Perry, so the Davis pick to get the big he likes best makes a ton of sense here.
TRADE: Grizzlies/Hornets/Pistons
The big news as it relates to the draft is the Grizzlies jump back into the draft as the Hornets go back 2 spots to pick #10 and the Pistons trade out.
Pick #8: The Grizzlies select Stacy Augmon
My suspicion that the Grizzlies are looking to go with a bunch of interchangeable do-it-all guys is confirmed - positionless basketball is coming! Augmon fits the mold of a guy that doesn't do any one thing amazingly, but does a little bit of everything, and it's clear the Jazz are all-in on this model as Duane Causewell - one of their traditional centers - get shown the door. Rik Smits and Antoine Carr should be watching their backs. This will make for an interesting matchup problem for a lot of teams.