thelesterlee
The 2021 NBA Draft was one of the more talent-filled nights in recent memory where I could see several all-stars emerge from this class. But with every big event like this you know there are winners and there are most certainly losers.
Here are the 5 biggest winners and losers of the 2021 NBA Draft:
1. Orlando Magic
This might be the first time in the last decade of this organization ‘rebuilding’ that I finally can say that Orlando might’ve actually had a great draft(??) Jalen Suggs fell into their lap after Toronto reached for Scottie Barnes ahead of them. Suggs and Cole Anthony is a legit NBA backcourt. No offense to Michael Carter-Williams and Evan Fournier but yea, Orlando has real studs on this roster now.
Plus, I’m always a fan of putting brothers on the same team. Especially weird German ones. Shout out to the Wagners.
2. The G-League
2 of the top 7 picks decided to forgo college and play professionally in the NBA’s development league. It didn’t negatively affect their draft stock in any way plus they were able to get NBA experience while earning decent salaries instead of going taking biology midterms and shit.
Fuck college.
3. Russell Westbrook
Westbrook has been getting passed around year after year. Just completely ran through. Russell Westbrook is for the streets. But now, he finally gets to lay his head back home in Los Angeles and instantly joins a title favorite as opposed to playing in Washington again reading daily reports about Brad Beal wanting to leave as Beal smiles in his face every day pretending to be happy.
4. Houston Rockets
I don’t believe a team full of 20 year olds is going to win many basketball games but they managed to go from the no. 1 seed being led by one of the greatest scorers in NBA history to suddenly going full process Sixers but only tanking for a season and ending up with a roster full of lotto tickets.
5. Ben Simmons
Uh, Ben Simmons doesn’t seem like the type of cat that enjoys change. As much as I would love to see Ben on his own team that’s specifically built around him, Simmons isn’t going to change if he’s traded just out of spite. He’ll get worse on purpose. If we want him to succeed then he needs to stay in Philly and that appears to be the plan.
And now onto the losers…
1. Golden State Warriors
Steph Curry just put up an MVP caliber season and nearly singlehandedly dragged the Warriors to the playoffs. Now they are asking the 33-year old to repeat his legendary season with a limping Klay, a bum ass Draymond and now two more teenagers—Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody—that need time to develop with last season’s first round pick, James Wiseman.
Why wouldn’t you package your two lottery picks along with James Wiseman attached to Andrew Wiggins’s contract in order to match salaries with a max player to acquire a win-now all-star caliber player?
2. Los Angeles Lakers
Buddy Hield is one of the best shooters in the NBA and was sitting on the Lakers lap. A perfect fit to pair with LeBron and Anthony Davis. But Rob Pelinka is still Rob Pelinka so naturally, he decided to trade for Russell Westbrook instead.
Obviously, they are the Lakers and have the star of Space Jam on their roster. They can sign some decent guys to play alongside their new Big 3 but god, this shit can crash and burn so fast. Anthony Davis in a walking boot while LeBron and Westbrook argue over assists and rebounds.
3. Josh Giddey
LIKE BRO?
SO HIS WEAKNESS IS BASKETBALL? pic.twitter.com/y9HWJudVG7
— TND (@ThunderND) July 30, 2021
With the no. 6 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, the Oklahoma City Thunder select some Australian kid who appears to suck at basketball. Ok. Maybe having 100 first round draft picks don’t matter if you’re selecting names out of a hat.
4. Davion Mitchell
Based off everything I’ve seen from Davion Mitchell, he looks like the type of guy you can envision being a major X-factor in a 7-game playoff series with his defense and intensity and clutch shot making.
Unfortunately, he’s been drafted to the Sacramento Kings so we will never see him reach his full potential or play any meaningful minutes because Luke Walton has no idea how to coach and cannot be fired for some reason.
5. Chicago Bulls
What a fun first round. Oh, what’s that? The Bulls didn’t participate at all? And they miss the playoffs every single year? So they need draft picks more than anyone yet they have none? Hm. Interesting. Couldn’t be me.
