NBA draft winners and losers: Hornets make splash with LaMelo Ball; Knicks have a logjam

SportsPulse: After a couple years playing abroad, LaMelo Ball will now call Charlotte home after being selected No. 3 by the Hornets and USA TODAY Sports’ Scott Gleeson tells us what they can expect. USA TODAY

Trying to evaluate a draft in the immediate aftermath is impossible really. It takes at least a few years to begin to be able to assess a class and even longer to truly know just how good it is.

But that’s never stopped fans and pundits from making snap judgments.

We love to debate winners and losers. Every year, as soon as the NBA draft is over, they’re always a hot topic as we argue over who made out the best and who didn’t do themselves any favors.

Everything else about this year’s draft might have been different, but our desire for hasty (and potentially foolish) proclamations hasn’t changed. Here are our winners and losers from the 2020 NBA draft:

Winner: Charlotte Hornets

After all the talk of potential trades, we largely got chalk at the top of the draft. The Minnesota Timberwolves and Golden State Warriors made arguably the safest picks in Anthony Edwards and James Wiseman at No. 1 and No. 2, respectively. That left Charlotte to use the third pick on LaMelo Ball, believed by many to be the best prospect in the field, without having to give anything up.

The Hornets needed to find a way to spark some excitement in a middling franchise, and they got their man in the 6-7 Ball. He certainly needs to improve his accuracy from long range, but Ball is a dynamic passer and playmaker with excellent vision and court savvy for his size, who brings immediate star power to the Charlotte backcourt.

LaMelo Ball gives the Hornets a potential star scorer and ball-handler

 (Photo: Anthony Au-Yeung, Getty Images) Winner: Patrick Williams

Williams surged up big boards in the days ahead of the draft and ultimately landed with the Chicago Bulls at the No. 4 pick. The Florida State product didn’t start a game or average double figures during his one season in college, but his combination of size, athleticism and defensive versatility made him an attractive wing prospect for the modern NBA.

Loser: New York Knicks

It’s become a time-honored draft tradition to pick on the Knicks for uninspiring selections, and we can’t pass up the chance this year. Dayton forward Obi Toppin is a good prospect, the USA TODAY Sports college player of the year. But the Knicks desperately need a perimeter playmaker, and Toppin just adds to New York’s logjam at power forward. It’s hard for Knicks fans to get too excited about Toppin, who may have a limited ceiling, when a point guard like Iowa State’s Tyrese Haliburton was still on the board at No. 8.

Winner: Detroit Pistons

The Pistons used their own pick at No. 7 to take French point guard Killian Hayes, a dynamic playmaker with good size and scoring upside. Then they went to work later in the draft, twice trading back into the first round to select Washington center Isaiah Stewart at No. 16 and Villanova forward Saddiq Bey at No. 19, two rugged defenders with size and versatility.

Autoplay

Show Thumbnails

Show Captions

Last SlideNext Slide Loser: R.J. Hampton

Once thought to be a potential top-10 pick, Hampton tumbled all the way to No. 24 following a year playing in New Zealand that failed to improve his stock. After trades, Hampton ends up with the Denver Nuggets, where he won’t be asked to do too much and will be given plenty of time to develop on a roster stacked with young talent.

Winner: Sacramento Kings

The Kings may have gotten the steal of the night in Iowa State guard Tyrese Haliburton with the No. 12 pick. A smooth, steady playmaker and capable scorer, Haliburton can also play off the ball in the backcourt alongside De’Aaron Fox. He needs to improve his man-to-man defense but has the size and instincts to be a solid on-ball defender.

Loser: Phoenix Suns

The Suns made a big move to acquire Chris Paul earlier this week, but they missed an opportunity to improve even further in the draft. Maryland forward Jalen Smith has a lot of offensive potential, especially as a stretch big at 6-10. However, his skill set overlaps with Deandre Ayton’s. And with more pressing needs on the wing, Phoenix passed on potential 3-and-D prospects like Florida State’s Devin Vassell and Vanderbilt’s Aaron Nesmith at No. 10.

Winner: Late first-round risers

There weren’t any huge surprises in the lottery. However, a few picks at the back of the first round saw players make late rises to be picked ahead of their pre-draft rankings: Kentucky guard Immanuel Quickley went No. 25 to the Oklahoma City Thunder (and was later traded to the New York Knicks); Oregon guard Payton Pritchard went No. 26 to the Boston Celtics; and Kansas center Udoka Azubuike went No. 27 to the Utah Jazz.

Winner: Dallas Mavericks

A team that loves to shoot 3s (41.3 per game last season, fourth-most in the NBA) got even better from the outside with the additions of Arizona’s Josh Green at No. 18 and Stanford’s Tyrell Terry at No. 31. Green has a good spot-up shot, and Terry is an elite outside shooter. They should fit in nicely and give superstar Luka Doncic even more space to work and find shooters on the perimeter.

Follow Matt Eppers on Twitter @meppers_.

Autoplay

Show Thumbnails

Show Captions

Last SlideNext Slide