A new class of players was welcomed on Wednesday night in the NBA Draft
The NBA Draft took place on Wednesday night, welcoming in a class of 60 new NBA players into the league. Emotions were high with players in the comfort of their own homes due to the remote broadcasting of the draft, and we got our first look at the newest young players of the league.
Each player has an abundance of skills and weaknesses to pick apart and pore over prior to the start of the new NBA season. But if we boil it down to one thing, the thing they are the best at, where does each prospect land?
Let’s take a look, 1-through-30, at the best skill of each player drafted in the first-round.
1. Anthony Edwards – Minnesota Timberwolves; Scoring
When it comes to Anthony Edwards, his scoring jumps off the page. Averaging 19.1 points per game in his lone season at Georgia, he led his team in scoring by a wide margin with the next closest teammate at fewer than 13 points per game.
While there are some concerns over his shot from range (he made just 29.4 percent of his 3-point attempts in his freshman season), his serviceable free-throw shooting provides some confidence in coach ability with his shooting.
3-point shooting at the college level is hardly a true indicator of long-term shooting strength given that the distance is different from NCAA to college, anyway.
Edwards will score, it will just be a matter of where those shots come on the floor.
2. James Wiseman – Golden State Warriors; Offense above the rim
James Wiseman is a quick, athletic big man who has hints of some of the all-time greats in their prime in his offensive game.
While we didn’t get to see much of Edwards due to a short-lived run at Memphis in his freshman season, Wiseman’s size and strength alone will guarantee he gets some immediate action at the run on his own accord or from lobs from teammates (potentially Steph Curry, if he stays in Golden State?).
3. LaMelo Ball – Charlotte Hornets; Playmaking
LaMelo Ball will be an elite playmaker right from the start as a Charlotte Hornet. His highly anticipated debut will come off the heels of a year spent playing in Australia, and in that year as a pro overseas Ball averaged 6.8 assists per game (7.9 per 36 minutes).
Ball will score on his own, and though there are questions about his ability as a shooter, his playmaking is a strength from day one.
4. Patrick Williams – Chicago Bulls; Great teammate
“Great teammate” comes off as a slight sometimes, but it’s a great thing in the context of Williams.
Any scouting report on Patrick Williams will tell you about his unselfish play style and his emphasis on team-oriented defense.
Simple, Williams is a great teammate, something that will help the four players around him and gain him immediate respect in this league.
From his coach, per SacTown Royalty:
"“He’s a great teammate, he has an unselfish spirit…He’s probably the youngest player in the draft, so it’s going to take some maturity for him to assimilate into the NBA system and style of play.”"
5. Isaac Okoro – Cleveland Cavaliers; Defense
Isaac Okoro is a lock-down, elite defensive player who Bruce Pearl on Wednesday night claimed could guard one-through-five. Pearl also claimed Okoro was the best defensive player in the draft, and that’s probably true.
Versatility on the defensive end is a huge skill to have in today’s NBA.