Warriors first. Jonathon Kuminga No 7. As they say, great upside, but will he learn to shoot free throws?. I've been watching him the last two days playing in the summer leagues. He's 18 yrs old in a grown man's body with marvelous athleticism. Right this minute he is valuable as a rebounder and a downhill scorer. He has a lot to learn. His growth will be better served in practice time and in big boy NBA games. There are a lot of mentors on the Dubs who will provide the rookie with ways to improve his game. Igudala, for example. Welcome home Mr. Clutch! Now for the 14th pick, Moses Moody. He too has upside, but how high is the question. If it turns out his ceiling is as a strong reserve, well so be it. Bench is essential to winning in the NBA. I'm pulling for Moody because my grandson is named Moses, named for Moses Malone, not the Biblical prophet.
Sacramento Kings: Davion Mitchell in the first round. He's short at 6 ft. But he's a bulldog with lots of skills. If his Baylor senior year 3 pt shot proves to be his NBA 3 pt shot, he'll help a great deal because he'll be a big plus on D and while not giving up anything on offense. The Kings sure need to improve their team and individual D. It will be interesting to see what the Kings do with Buddy Hield. Bit of advise from an old NBA Jock: Hield is a downtown proven 3 point threat. Don't give him up unless you get equal value back. No first round draft choices in 2050 and other Sam Presti rookie nonsense.
Other observations by teams: Miami Heat. I'm going out on a limb and say Lowry will not be the magic bullet at guard the Heat need. I'm not a big Butler fan either. He's a mid range shooting threat and a strong defender, but he's undersized and is no longer the youthful Butler of yore. And, I don't trust a player who bailed the way he did on the Timberwolves and Coach Tibs who gave him his start to fame with the Chicago Bulls. Character means a lot. Anyway, let's remember Lowry is not a spring chicken himself. Unless Toronto has other ideas for Drajic, the clever vet guard will help the Raptors. Look for Van Vleet to get more open looks with Drajic feeding him.
Detroit Pistons: Cade Cunningham is the real deal. He will have a long outstanding career in the NBA. Will he be a super star? Maybe, but for sure he's going to be a franchise player, having more to do with leadership and smarts than point totals. Read this morning that he's already being called Motorcade. Kudos to Detroit sports writers.
Cavs: Baring injuries, Mobley is a future Hall of Fame player. Get him into the weight room.
Orlando: Suggs will also have a long career in the NBA. A Billups type of guard. Already asserting his leadership. But wait! It's only Summer League. Franz Wagner? See me shrugging my shoulders. Any team interested in a down-town 29 years old Lativian shooter, keep an eye on Janis Timma.
Raptors: Don't trade Siakim, Barnes is a question mark.
Rockets: Green can get 20 easily every night. We'll see how dedicated he is to defense. Wasn't that a recent super star problem for the Rockets? According to my wife, Green gets the most handsome rookie award.
I'm saving the Olympics for my next Blog, but here's a poem for the 2021 Tokyo Olympic high divers. I got a nose bleed simply watching them.
HIGH DIVER by Robert Francis.
How deep is his duplicity who in a flashPasses from resting bird to flying bird to fish,
Who momentarily is sculpture, then all motion,Speed and splash, then climbs again to contemplation.
How deep is his duplicity who in a flash
