Wizards Add Shooting in Johnson, Pelicans Take Fears
Entering the second half of the top ten picks, Washington secures one of the draft’s most universally loved players in Johnson. He’s an elite shot-maker whose ability to hit NBA-level jumpers will make him a meaningful contributor for many years to come. There are some justified concerns about his lack of finishing ability around the rim, but his phenomenal three-point shooting still makes him an asset for the Wizards. Johnson and Bub Carrington might potentially be the best young shooting duo in the NBA. Add in the fact that they traded away Jordan Poole, and Johnson is going to a situation where he should be able to thrive.
Meanwhile, Fears is one of the most polarizing players in the draft. There are a lot of things to like about him as a very young, dynamic, and explosive lead guard. However, his lack of actual point guard ability and three-point shooting is glaring. Fears is capable of filling it up and putting on an absolute show, but it’s unclear what his avenue to success will be in the NBA. Though electric, Stephen A. Smith calling him the second coming of Kyrie Irving is plainly absurd. Unless he makes real strides as a shooter, especially off the catch, it’ll be an uphill battle for Fears.
Confused Fan Base Range
Although most people recognize that this draft isn’t the most talented pool of prospects, there were still a lot of unhappy Nets, Raptors, and Suns fans following their draft picks.
Brooklyn takes Egor Demin in what could be a high-risk/high-reward selection. The positives are Demin is a unique player with a skillset that matches the ideal profile for the modernized mold. He’s an exceptional playmaker with the IQ, size, and handle to reliably dictate the action as a main creator. Demin is very fundamentally sound with the pace and instincts to cause matchup problems for opponents. There are some similarities to Josh Giddey as bigger ball-handlers with shooting struggles.
It seemed like there were a lot of mixed opinions after Toronto drafted Collin Murray-Boyles. However, if any fanbase should be optimistic about his long-term path, it’s the Raptors. They have no clear direction and a very strange mix of young guys (that nobody wants) and old guys (that nobody wants). The Raptors owe Scottie Barnes, Brandon Ingram, Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett, and Jakob Poeltl roughly $155 million next season. While Murray-Boyles has no clear path to minutes, his versatile game could ultimately make one of those expensive pieces expendable. The Draymond Green comparison is perhaps a bit lofty, but he should be able to carve out an identity as a switchable defender with passing feel and scoring ability.
Rounding out the top ten, Phoenix almost made the right move. Drafting Khaman Maluach was objectively the smartest possible pick. There’s obvious appeal, especially long-term, for him to become a notable rim-protector in the NBA. He has a high floor as a guy who can consistently anchor the paint to block or alter shots defensively. Maluach’s offensive game will be a work in progress, but he’s shown several flashes worthy of optimism. The pick itself was great, but trading next year’s first-round pick for Mark Williams is dumb. Not sure if anyone told the Suns, but they should be pretty bad next season. Losing the ability to control one’s own pick (particularly after trading away a top twenty player) makes zero sense unless they are a playoff team. Regardless, Maluach should progress into becoming a meaningful contributor in time.