Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
What was the biggest head scratching selection?
John: The biggest head scratcher in my opinion was Terry Rozier going to the Boston Celtics at number 16.
All of the ‘big boards and mock drafts had Rozier going in the late first round or early in the second round. The Celtics could have probably nabbed a shooter/scorer at the 16 spot and still grabbed Rozier with their 28th pick in the first round.
Rozier is almost the same player as current starting Celtics point guard Marcus Smart, so is Danny Ainge ready to start fresh after one year of Marcus Smart? Smart was one of the big keys for the Celtics in making a late playoff push and eventually gaining the eighth seed in the East.
The Celtics passed on higher rated point guards such as Jerian Grant, Delon Wright and Tyus Jones to grab Rozier. So far, Head Coach Brad Stevens have made all of the right moves and definitely has the Celtics on the upswing. We will see if this lateral move was worth the reach
David: Lesser men might say Kristaps Porzingis fourth to the Knicks was the biggest head-scratcher pick, but I would remind you that I CALLED that pick in our most recent Wiz of Awes mock draft.
Since I have such strong clairvoyant powers, there weren’t a lot of real head-scratchers for me.
I had this draft on lock.
If I had to choose one, however, I’d probably go with the Celtics’ selection of Louisville guard Terry Rozier with the 16th overall pick.
For a team with a logjam at point guard – they already have Isaiah Thomas, Marcus Smart, Avery Bradley and Phil Pressey on the roster – it doesn’t really make sense that they’d not only take another point guard, but reach for one like Rozier, whom no one had going that high.
They’re still a team with basically no good wings, and Sam Dekker was sitting right there. Maybe history will vindicate Danny Ainge, but it makes absolutely zero sense to me.
Ben: Has Michael Jordan ever not had a head scratching move in the NBA Draft?
I wasn’t a fan of the Frank Kaminsky pick at number 9, even though I think he’ll become a solid player at the next level. 1) The Hornets drafted Cody Zeller two seasons ago, hoping he’d develop an outside shot. He’s already more athletic than Kaminsky and his upside is higher. 2) You just acquired Spencer Hawes from the Los Angeles Clippers. Kaminsky is basically the same player.
With Justise Winslow on the board, it seemed like a no-brainer.
Instead, Jordan and his staff chose Kaminsky. They were also reportedly offered a number of picks for their ninth overall selection by the Boston Celtics. If the Hornets’ track record is considered, we’ll probably look back on this draft wondering why Jordan took Kaminsky over a number of players that went after him.
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