Hoops Habit
Fansided

Grading every NBA team’s highest draft pick in the last five years

By Ari Schwartz

Jul 29, 2021; Brooklyn, New York, USA; NBA commissioner Adam Silver (middle) poses with the draftees before the 2021 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 29, 2021; Brooklyn, New York, USA; NBA commissioner Adam Silver (middle) poses with the draftees before the 2021 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 6
Next

Northwest Division

Denver Nuggets: A-

14. Michael Porter Jr.

While Porter Jr. may never reach the heights that many expected from him as a high school prospect, he’s still been a great value pick as the 14th selection. His injury issues caused him to fall in the 2018 draft, and while he has faced problems before in the NBA, overall, his talent has outweighed the injury concerns in five years with the Nuggets. He was Denver’s third-leading scorer this season, helping them to a 1st seed finish in the Western Conference and an NBA title.

Minnesota Timberwolves: A

1. Anthony Edwards

Edwards was taken first overall in 2020 and has been everything you would expect in three seasons with Minnesota. He still has room to grow as a decision-maker, but that makes it even scarier to imagine Edwards at his peak. He’s already an all-star at age 22, with averages of 24 points, five rebounds, and four assists on 45% shooting. Many consider him the future of the league, and that wouldn’t come as much of a surprise.

OKC Thunder: A-

6. Josh Giddey

Giddey is a very unique player, creating looks for himself and his teammates with a very methodical approach. Despite his lack of athleticism or amazing ball handling, he’s an elite floor general for OKC, with averages of 16 points, seven rebounds, and six assists per game. As his outside jumper improves, Giddey could very well be in the top-ten point-guards conversation a few years from now.

Portland Trail Blazers: B

7. Shaedon Sharpe

Coming into the league as an unknown, Sharpe had a pretty good rookie season considering his limited opportunities playing next to Damian Lillard and Anfernee Simons. In 22 minutes a night, Sharpe averaged nine points per game on 47% shooting from the field and 36% from three. In 15 games as a starter, he upped his points per game while maintaining solid efficiency. Assuming Damian Lillard is moved, Sharpe should have more opportunities to prove himself next season.

Utah Jazz: D

21. Grayson Allen

After playing four years at Duke, Allen had established himself as an NBA-ready role player coming into the league. He would only play about ten minutes per game in his rookie season though, before being sent to Memphis in a trade for Mike Conley. While the Conley trade ultimately was worth it for Utah, that doesn’t change the fact that they selected Allen in the first round and he never made much of a difference for them.