2019 PBSL Draft: Winners & Losers
Posted: Fri Feb 09, 2018 8:02 pm
With every new season comes a brand new opportunity to breathe a breath of fresh air into the league. This season is no different; not only do we have a brand new general manager in the league, but there are many teams eager to better themselves in the meantime. So, we're destined to see some brand new faces across the league. Without wasting too much of your time, let's see who are the WINNERS and who are the LOSERS walking away from this year's draft. In this article, we'll be covering the top 5 teams in the draft lottery. If I'm encouraged, I will be adding more teams to this list.. You know, for the hell of it.
#01. Sacramento Kings — Erik Haynes WINNERS
Prior to this draft, the Kings were in a rough spot: Although they had ventured deep into the playoffs the season prior, they weren't so lucky this time around. Rather than acquiring a mid-range 1st round—like they were destined to—they decided instead to trade up with the Lakers to grab the #1 overall pick — and boy was it worth it. Eric Haynes is, undoubtedly, one of the best big men heading forward. He's a "can't miss" prospect, especially in an otherwise loaded draft. The Kings walked away as champions in their trade, and they walked away with the top (and best) prospect because they were smart enough to make the correct move.
#02. Milwaukee Bucks — Donovan Mitchell WINNERS
The Milwaukee Bucks entered this offseason as yet another club readily anticipating the future; they knew that their better days were ahead of them, so they chose to rebuild this season. With that said, they decided to kickstart their rebuild with Donovan Mitchell, a promising prospect out of San Jose State who has an immensely high ceiling. Donovan Mitchell, with enough time and grooming, should easily develop into one of the best all-around guards in this league. He should be expected to be both an offensive and defensive threat; he'll be a menace all over the court. If you're aiming to rebuild, just look to Milwaukee for inspiration.
#03. Los Angeles Lakers — Damion Wiliams WINNERS
Los Angeles made a huge trade with Sacramento early on. They traded the #1 overall pick in exchange for #3 and #5 — which is an otherwise huge trade in this loaded draft. The Los Angeles Lakers have a lot of work ahead of them, sure, but they ended up making the correct choice when they drafted Damion Williams, the sharp-shooting guard out of Alabama. Although they already have Gustave Lecroix, Damion Williams is a "can't miss" prospect; he's an offensive juggernaut whose abilities only continue to rise in notoriety. The Lakers ended up walking away with a huge prospect in Williams, who should become an easy replacement for Lecroix if they decide to take that route.
#04. Utah Jazz — J.R. Johnson LOSERS
The Utah Jazz came into this draft knowing they had their young core established—all they needed was a big man to take over at the 5 position—but instead, they walked away with the leftovers of the previous selection, despite their attempts to move up in the draft. Rather than having Erik Haynes or Damion Williams—both of whom the Jazz were both very high on—they walked away with J.R. "Jazz Rocket" Johnson, a backup PG who is hoping to become a future star in the league, even if he doesn't exactly fit with the Utah Jazz. For a team who had the worst record last season, they were readily anticipating a #1 overall pick in the lottery, but instead, they came up short. As Scott (76ers) would suggest: Consider this karma for tanking...
#05. Los Angeles Lakers — Alvin Briseno WINNERS
In a draft that's overloaded with guards and forwards, it's nice to come across an all-natural power forward and center—and that's exactly what the Lakers got with their 5th overall pick, Alvin Briseno. Alvin Briseno wans't high on many peoples' lists, but he fills numerous holes for the Lakers; for one, he's the big man of the future that they've so desperately needed, and furthermore he adds more depth to an otherwise struggling ballclub. With 2 picks, the Lakers managed to strike it rich—but how it'll pan out for them is an entirely different topic.
HONORABLE MENTION #07. Golden State Warriors — Tua Tagovailoa WINNERS
Nobody knows what was going through the Warriors' GM's mind when he decided to rename his prospect, but he picked a damn good one to rename. Tua Tagovailoa is a great all-around forward; he has great offensive potential and should surely develop into a defensive force in the years to come. How he'll be utilized is still up to debate, but few argue that Tagovailoa may be one of the biggest steals of the draft due to his all-around balance and offensive prowess, not to mention his badass name, which is almost certainly Hawaiian. I hope.