2019 NBA Draft Update: Three that Go in the Top 7

The college season, along with the tournament are over and the NBA Season is hitting its playoff peak as well.

So what does this mean? We are rapidly approaching the 2019 NBA Draft in June. All of the top sports betting sites have Zion Williams as the No. 1 pick overall. But who will land the coveted 1st pick? And after Zion, who is likely to get go next in the draft?

DRAFT LOTTERY

The worst team in the NBA has won the Draft Lottery for four consecutive years. On May 14 at 8:30 PM, we’ll find out who gets that top pick. But what we do know for sure is that the New York Knicks won’t do any worse than the 5th pick. Newer lottery rules state that the team with the worst record is given the 5th pick overall if they have horrible luck in the drawing and are not pulled in the first four attempts.

This was the instituted as an anti-tanking measure. The worst three in the league are divided up with the most probability of getting their proverbial number pulled. The Knicks, the Cleveland Cavaliers, and the Phoenix Suns each have a 14 percent chance of grabbing that 1st pick and potentially, Zion Williams.

The Chicago Bulls get a 12.5 percent shot, followed by the Atlanta Hawks at 10 percent and the Washington Wizards at 9%. After that it gets grim, falling to 6 percent and then 3, 2, and 1 percent.

But we’ll have to wait for the flurry of draft balls to ping-pong out of the machine before we know actual order. Then, there will be a bunch of moves and trades; the real excitement begins.

TOP PROSPECTS

It’s like watching a blast from the past! Bol Minute Bol, the young, 7’2” center out of Oregon is rated as a top pick. He’s just got one college season under his belt … and to top that off, just 9 games due to a fractured foot. So, will the talented bean-pole with a standing reach of 9’7” get picked up in the early rounds? It’s highly likely, yet there is some inherent risk where durability is concerned. But he is rated as having the most upside in the entire draft class, with the exception of Zion Williams.

He’s got a wingspan of 7’8” and can move and splash outside shots. This makes him a unique seven-footer. He could be utilized in an Arvedas Sabonas type role after he matures and adds a little mass – though he’ll never have Sabonis-type mass for baseline play. In fact, this would be his biggest issue in the NBA. Strength; he only weighs 225. As tall and athletic as he is, he is going to get pushed around under the basket. Take a player like Mason Plumlee for example. He is only listed at 6’11, 235 –he’s probably 245. But the difference in power is vast. Now imagine him trying to post up against Boogie, who is inches shorter, but 270 pounds of muscle. Still, he’s top-ten talent and worth it if he can stay healthy.

Brandon Clarke is one of the best shot blockersin college ball. At 6’8, 220-pounds, he’s got a fantastic mix of athletism and build that allows him to block shots around the rim as well as be quick enough to defend guards. He plays extremely well on both ends of the court, so you can bet that there are a lot of teams that are looking at Clarke for an early pick.

There was no shortage of talent on Duke this year, andR.J Barrett tops that list. He was projected early on to go No. 1, before being outshined by Zion. That said, he is still probably the most likely of all to go No. 2. He isn’t best shooting guard, but he is a great ball handler that can score in iso scenarios. And his best quality is the fact that he plays with intensity and fervor. He attacks and attacks. He has that killer instinct and competitiveness that so many great talents lack.  We should see Barrett go in the top three, depending on how the lottery shakes out,