2016 NBA Picks & Predictions – Draft Recap: Winners and Losers

2016 NBA Picks & Predictions – Draft Recap: Winners and Losers: The 2016 NBA Draft is in the books, and while every team goes into the night hoping to improve their team and get one step closer to contending for a title, the truth is that for every team that hits a home run on draft night, there are two more that strike out. With that in mind, let’s take a closer look at the winners and losers from the 2016 NBA Draft.

2016 NBA Picks & Predictions – Draft Recap: Winners and Losers

Winners

When the Boston Celtics decided to pass on Providence PG Kris Dunn, he fell into the lap of the Minnesota Timberwolves. Sure, Minnesota failed to complete a deal to land a proven veteran, but Dunn represents a sizeable upgrade over current point guard Ricky Rubio, especially on the defensive end. Dunn gives Minnesota another dynamic athlete to pair with Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns, and he should also provide a much-needed shutdown defender on the perimeter. The Timberwolves are now stockpiled with three young players that could all be All-Stars within a few years, and with Dunn on board, Rubio or Zach LaVine could be moved to add a veteran presence.

It is one thing to have three picks in the top 20 like the Denver Nuggets, but it is another thing to convert on all three picks. Denver’s excellent haul started by snagging combo-guard Jamal Murray, and his deep range and all-around scoring ability make him the perfect complement to the more athletic but less offensively polished Emmanuel Mudiay. The Nuggets then added Juan Hernangomez, a stretch forward with the skills to act as a point forward at times. Malik Beasley was the last piece to the puzzle, and he is an athletic sharpshooter that should add some perimeter firepower.

One of the reason that great teams remain great is because the front office does its job as well as the players on the court. Despite picking last in the first round, the Golden State Warriors managed to grab a potential contributor in Damian Jones. The 7-footer is an incredible athlete, and he could be on the receiving end of lots of alley-oops in that offense. Golden State then worked a trade to land Patrick McCaw, a polished wing that can shoot from deep, defend multiple positions and pass well. In other words, he is a perfect fit for the Warriors’ system, and he will allow the Warriors to maintain their backcourt depth even if they lose some bench players in free agency.

Losers

The Charlotte Hornets appeared to have made a solid selection in shooting guard Malachi Richardson. He has great size and athleticism for his position, and he could develop into an explosive scorer. Unfortunately, Charlotte shipped Richardson to the Sacramento Kings for veteran wing Marco Belinelli. Yes, the Hornets are playoff-caliber team, so adding a veteran would make sense. However, Belinelli is well past his prime, and he is no longer the outside shooting threat he once was. Charlotte may not have even won this trade for this coming season, and they certainly lost this deal in the long run.

Going into the draft, the Boston Celtics made it clear that they wanted to add a proven veteran that could put them over the top in the Eastern Conference. Instead, they made Jaylen Brown the surprise No. 3 pick and kept their plethora of picks, selecting a bunch of high-upside prospects. Sure, some of the picks could eventually pan out, but for a team that wanted to turn into a title contender sooner rather than later, this draft class is unlikely to help reach that goal.

The entire draft for the Los Angeles Clippers was a bit confusing. Forward Brice Johnson is ready to contribute now, but he is tweener with a limited ceiling. Second-round pick David Machineau wasn’t even expected to be drafted, and fellow second-rounder Diamond Stone is another low-ceiling player. Yes, Stone has a polished back-to-the-basket game, but with DeAndre Jordan already in town and the Clippers’ reliance on athleticism in their offense, Stone seems out of place. The bottom line is that Los Angeles doesn’t look any better on paper after this draft.