Yahoo Sports’ Isis Young, Krysten Peek, Lamar Hurd and Tom Haberstroh names the players and teams who came out on top and who struggled in the opening night of this year’s draft.
Video Transcript
Well, the first round of the NBA draft is over.
We have seen some good picks, some decent picks, some terrible picks.
A lot of reactions that we have had here today, but we're gonna start with winners like the winners and losers.
We're gonna start with the winners who has won this draft.
KPI.
I feel like you have an interesting answer.
It has to be Viva La France, 100% full control country.
The whole four first round picks including the number one pick that going number one, the Atlanta Hawk, the first time ever where we've seen two French players back to back going number one.
Then you drop down to two.
Not very far.
Alex are originally from France played for the first Wildcats in the NBL.
He went number two.
Then it six to John Salon the long 68 you call, I called, I called four hours before the draft that here he's going to Charlotte.
I think he's going to be a great four spacer and then an upside guy, Paco De 25th into the first round with the New York Knicks.
There is so much talent coming out of France and it's not stopping anytime soon and I love to see it.
I love that the game, the NBA game is getting more universal and uh, front offices are taking note.
We wave, we wave, you called it Lamar.
We talked a lot earlier about the Lakers, what they could do at number 17.
How do you feel like they did with the, I feel like they had a needle, they had to thread where, you know, with rookies, you wanna be patient, let them kind of gain their bearings, work themselves into the league.
Lakers fans.
They're not trying to hear all that.
They have a 40 year old lebron James who was still great.
Anthony Davis coming off an exceptional season.
They wanna win out JJ Reddick has a new coach and I feel like they found the perfect fit for what they are trying to accomplish how they played in the past and how they wanna play moving forward.
They already have the rim pressure from Ad and lebron and others.
Now they need somebody that can give them a little bit of a hybrid.
Join us in getting to the paint and finishing.
Break down your man.
If you can one on one space, the floor.
Don connect does all that.
They're winners draft today.
France won Lakers won.
Who else Tom uh besides her for making the biggest call of the night.
Gotta give it up for my second pick after KP is gonna be the the Sacramento Kings for getting Devin Carter who might be the best perimeter defender in this draft.
And I think people were projecting him.
Some, some people were projecting at a top five pick and he slides all the way back to the Sacramento Kings.
And they know that second generation NBA players were really good because they got Mais Aon is on the team son of VV.
And now you bring in Anthony Carter's son in uh in Devon Carter and he was awesome at Providence this year.
Uh 42 inch Vert, a real dog defensively.
They are gonna love rebounder, great rebounder, elite rebounder for his size.
He might be 62, but he's a 69 wingspan.
He plays big.
They're gonna love him in Sacramento.
They needed a defensive wing guy and he is that in Spades?
Ok. Ok. Well, we have winners and then we have losers.
I have no idea why.
No idea why KP thinks that Memphis are the losers.
But I'm just gonna allow KP to explain to us how that's how is that possible?
Uh Listen, any time II, I will say this.
If I am wrong about Zach Edie, then I will gladly take that, but I don't think I'm wrong about him.
7 ft 4 300 very minimal in terms of what he's going to bring defensively with his footwork and how he guards the switch.
That's problem.
Number one.
Problem.
Number two, he only attempted 13 pointer at Purdue and he banked it in so the pick and pop still needs to get there.
That's problem.
Number two.
Also, I understand that he's a prolific scorer.
He was the, he was the best scorer in college basketball.
Best player for two years.
That's at the college level, you're not facing the floor the same.
And so when you take Zach in the top 10, I cannot understand, I cannot comprehend it for a backup center.
I understand.
If you need help in the front court, if you want to pair someone alongside Jaren Jackson Junior, you can get that with Eve Missy, you can get that with Khalil Ware.
Just the fact that they, they took the and they took a big body like Zach, I cannot get with it.
I cannot get it.
Ok.
I mean, and he scored more than a bucket a game which brings me to Lamar.
Lamar who, who lost, who, who is the loser here?
The people that's at home watching that average between three and six points per game is passing because, and that are available for.
You gotta be looking and saying AJ Johnson got drafted first round.
You have is 2.8 points per game in the first round.
Now, mind you, I don't have a problem with the pick.
I think that he is skilled.
I think the upside is there KP.
Put us up on game like I think it makes sense.
But as an athlete, if you're sitting like basketball players all the time, they sit back, they watch people, they say hold up.
I could, I did this, this, this against that person or I could do that if they give me.
So all the people sitting at home thinking he a, he averaged a bucket, all I gotta do a three point.
I think somebody like Bronnie James, like Ronnie, he gets knocked because people look at his US C numbers, but I don't feel like he's been given the same grace.
Uh Wait, he's better than those numbers the way AJ Johnson has been.
So, um I think ultimately AJ Johnson wins, brownie wins.
Um, but the people who are at home watching who won't have a chance to get their name called.
I hear you.
I hear you.
Johnson did go 23 to the Bucks.
Congratulations to him.
Tom Winners and losers who lost this one.
I'm going a little outside the box here and go with the Brooklyn Nets.
They're in a rebuild.
Do you remember the James Harden era in Brooklyn?
Neither do I.
They traded this pick that landed at number three.
They could have had Reed Shepard, but instead they don't have a pick and they're sitting here at home wondering what did we do that for?
And so Reed Shepherd, in my opinion, is gonna be the best player coming out of this draft.
I know that's a hot take but the Brooklyn Nets could have had him if they didn't surrender that for, uh, for James Harden.
So, to me, the Brooklyn Nets in a rebuild, they could have had a real piece here with Reed Shepherd.
Instead they trade him for James Harden and now they got neither.
Ok. Ok. My biggest takeaways, viva la France did what they needed.
Friends did what they needed to do.
