NBA Draft Winners and Losers: Rockets Shoot to the Top
Recapping the NBA Draft Winners & Losers
Spurs Get Wemby, But Rockets Steal the Show
The Houston Rockets may not have had a top-3 pick in this year’s NBA draft, but that didn’t stop them from having arguably the best night from the rebuilding teams. Let’s analyze the NBA Draft Winners and Losers on another memorable night for the league’s future stars.
The Houston Rockets added Amen Thompson (Pick 4) and Cam Whitmore (Pick 20) to their young roster as they added athleticism, length and scoring in an impressive manner.
Whitmore’s medical apparently revealed huge red flags that saw the Villanova product slide from a top-lottery pick to a late first-rounder. Despite those potential warnings there was a clear low risk, high reward scenario for anyone drafting outside the lottery to potentially come up with the steal of the draft.
That fact he made it to the Rockets was seemingly a gift from the basketball gods given many thought Whitmore would land in Houston with their top-5 pick. His explosiveness off-the-dribble and ability to collapse the defense is exactly what the Rockets will cherish and the fact he has an above-average shooting touch is the icing on the cake.
Both players drafted have All-Star potential and if new head coach Ime Udoka can find a way to have his young core grow together there’s every reason for optimism around the future of the franchise.
Hornets Gamble on Miller, Blazers Draft Lillard Replacement?
The Alabama’s Brandon Miller.
The G-League Ignite’s Scoot Henderson seemed a consensus #2 pick this season up until draft night when reports started circulating that the Hornets were leaning towards Miller.
The forward’s skillset was seen as a better fit alongside All-Star guard LaMelo Ball and while it may become the right choice in the long-run it’s certainly seen as a miss to up on what appears the “better player” right now.
Rookie seasons aside it seems pretty evident that Scoot Henderson will be the player with the better NBA stats, the question for Charlotte is if their decision to go with the better fit pays dividends moving forward.
The Blazers ultimately ended up as one of the biggest winners thanks to the Hornets front office decision as they picked up Henderson with the #3 pick.
The biggest question mark around the pick is whether his future lays in Portland or if the team will look to use their most prized asset to facilitate a star to partner with Damian Lillard in NBA free agency.
Grading the NBA Draft Winners and Losers
In a loaded draft class, it was hard for the top NBA teams to miss but it’s also clear that some teams came out better than others.
Here’s a look at our NBA Draft Winners and Losers grades from across the league:
| TEAM | GRADE | PLAYERS |
|---|---|---|
| Boston Celtics | B+ | Jordan Walsh |
| Brooklyn Nets | C+ | Noah Clowney, Dariq Whitehead, Jalen Wilson |
| New York Knicks | N/A | No Draft Pick |
| Philadelphia 76ers | N/A | No Draft Pick |
| Toronto Raptors | B+ | Grady Dick |
| Chicago Bulls | D | Julian Phillips |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | B- | Emoni Bates |
| Detroit Pistons | A | Ausar Thompson, Marcus Sasser |
| Indiana Pacers | A- | Jarace Walker, Ben Sheppard, Mojave King, Isaiah Wong |
| Milwaukee Bucks | B- | Andre Jackson Jr, Chris Livingston |
| Atlanta Hawks | B+ | Kobe Bufkin, Mouhamed Gueye, Seth Lundy |
| Charlotte Hornets | B | Brandon Miller, Nick Smith Jr, James Nnaji, Amari Bailey |
| Miami Heat | B | Jaime Jaquez Jr |
| Orlando Magic | A- | Anthony Black, Jett Howard |
| Washington Wizards | B | Bilal Coulibaly, Tristan Vukcevic |
| Denver Nuggets | B | Julian Strawther, Jalen Pickett, Hunter Tyson |
| Minnesota Timberwolves | B- | Leonard Miller, Jaylen Clark |
| Oklahoma City Thunder | A- | Cason Wallace, Keyonte Johnson |
| Portland Trail Blazers | A+ | Scoot Henderson, Kris Murray, Rayan Rupert |
| Utah Jazz | A- | Taylor Hendricks, Keyonte George, Brice Sensabaugh |
| Golden State Warriors | C+ | Brandin Podziemski, Trayce Jackson-Davis |
| LA Clippers | C+ | Kobe Brown, Jordan Miller |
| LA Lakers | B+ | Jalen Hood-Schifino, Maxwell Lewis |
| Phoenix Suns | C | Toumani Camara |
| Sacramento Kings | C | Colby Jones, Jalen Slawson |
| Dallas Mavericks | B | Dereck Lively II, Olivier Maxence-Prosper |
| Houston Rockets | A+ | Amen Thompson, Cam Whitmore |
| Memphis Grizzlies | B- | Gregory “GG” Jackson, Tarik Biberovic |
| New Orleans Pelicans | B+ | Jordan Hawkins |
| San Antonio Spurs | A+ | Victor Wembanyama, Sidy Cissoko |
For NBA betting news, odds analysis, and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.
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