NBA Draft: Zion Williamson still first in 2019 Redraft

After the first four picks of out 2019 NBA Redraft go exactly the same as two years ago — which is borderline unheard of when looking back on drafts historically — we have our first change here, and it’s a major one. After originally going 29th overall to the San Antonio Spurs, forward Keldon Johnson leaps up to go fifth to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

As is often the case with the loaded classes of prospects at Kentucky, it was hard for draft analysts to properly place them in the correct order. P.J. Washington and Tyler Herro will show up soon, as this was an absolutely loaded class for the Wildcats, but on draft night Johnson was the third one picked and now he flips the script.

There isn’t anything Johnson does that is elite: he’s not a nuclear athlete, or a perimeter marksman, or a passing savant. There also isn’t much that Johnson cannot do, as he contributes to every facet of the game. He can fit onto just about any team, playing anything from the 2 through the 4, with a small usage role or a large one.

That versatility is what elevates Johnson, along with a whisper of upside that he could develop into something more. Although he has played in only 86 games he has made the most of them, and his 4.3 win shares (on a pair of teams that missed the postseason, no less) rank 10th in the class. Johnson helps a team win games, and that is something many teams in the lottery could use. Here the Cleveland Cavaliers gain a forward, the most valuable commodity in the league, able to fill in the gaps alongside Collin Sexton among their young core.