2017 NBA Draft Regrets

 

Sixers decision to trade up to #1 

Coming into the 2017 draft, Markelle Fultz was the consensus #1 pick. Philly was still in their “trust the process” phase and finished with the third pick in the lottery. Celtics won the lottery, with the Nets pick and a week before the draft swapped #1 for #3 and Philly also included the Kings 2019 pick (#14 this year).

Celtics took Jayson Tatum at #3 who is certainly one of the top players from the draft. Fultz played a grand total of 33 games for Philly, starting 15 this past season and 0 as a rookie. This was a huge whiff for a team with a championship-level core of Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons. Fultz was traded to the Magic at this past trade deadline, cutting the cord on this huge mistake.

The Celtics, meanwhile, value Tatum so much that they refused to include him in trade talks for Anthony Davis.

Knicks decision to draft Frank Ntilikina over Dennis Smith Jr

In Phil Jackson’s final move as Knicks team President, before being fired a week later, he drafted Frank Ntilikina out of Italy, one pick before the more polished and well-known Dennis Smith Jr, went one pick later to Dallas. I refuse to criticize the Knicks for passing on Donovan Mitchell, because I wasn’t a fan at the time and felt Malik Monk was higher on the wish list than Mitchell.

Anyways, Frank has played just 43 games this past season and has shown raw ability on the offensive end, averaging 5.9 ppg and 3.1 apg through two seasons. Dennis Smith Jr is now Frank’s Knicks teammate, following a trade this past February involving Kristaps Prozingis. The fact that Smith was the centerpiece of the players aspect of the trade has to hurt even more.

Hornets take Malik Monk over Donovan Mitchell 

I didn’t criticize the Knicks for passing on Mitchell, but I will criticize the Hornets. Malik Monk has averaged 7.9 ppg in 15.5 mpg through his first two seasons while Mitchell has led the Jazz to back-to-back playoff appearances while averaging 33 mpg and scoring 22 ppg

Bucks take DJ Wilson over John Collins 

DJ Wilson made virtually no contribution to the team with the NBA’s best record, while John Collins has developed into a very solid player for the Hawks, averaging 19.5 ppg and 9.8 rpg in 2018-19. Wilson has played just 70 games (only 22 as a rookie) through his first two years in the league.