NBA Draft Highlights - Who Are the Winners and Losers?
- Harshan Santhamoorthi
- Jul 21
- 3 min read
Updated: Jul 22
List of the first-round picks that went in the top 5, and what team they went to.
Cooper Flagg, Duke University. Selected by the Dallas Mavericks.
Dylan Harper, Rutgers University. Selected by the San Antonio Spurs.
VJ Edgecomb, Baylor University. Selected by the Philadelphia 76ers.
Kon Knueppel, Duke University. Selected by the Charlotte Hornets.
Ace Bailey, Rutgers University. Selected by the Utah Jazz
To start us off, I'll address the elephant in the room. Our number one pick for this year's NBA draft, Cooper Flagg, is a favorite among many sports analysts because he plays both sides of the ball at a high level. Though the Dallas Mavericks getting the number one pick in this year's draft was quite unexpected for many, because they only had a 1.8% chance of winning the number one overall pick. But after the lottery, many analysts and fans expected that the Mavericks were going to select Cooper Flagg, especially with the accidental Instagram post 11 days before the draft. But all that aside, this is a huge win for the Mavericks, with a great starting lineup and multiple very good rotations. Cooper Flagg is giving people déjà vu from Anthony Davis, as they are quite alike—both are very good on defense and offense. With both of them on the same team now, it makes the Mavericks' defense now expected to become one of the best in the league by many sports analysts, as well as them being an offensive monster with Klay Thompson, Anthony Davis, Kyrie Irving, Cooper Flagg, and P.J. Washington. This also helps them build their new star because of the environment with all the veterans. Now that we've talked about the elephant in the room, I believe we should talk about our dark horse this year.
At 2:54 AM on Thursday, June 26th, a man dressed in all white came out of the crowd, being drafted by the Memphis Grizzlies with the 6th overall pick. His name is Hansen Yang, and many people call him the Chinese Jokic, a nickname he deserves because of his elite passing skills and playmaking. He was 18 when he played in the CBA (Chinese Basketball Association) and earned many awards in it. While drafted by Memphis, he is going to the Portland Blazers because of a trade made between the two teams during the draft. This is a huge win for the Blazers because they have been struggling on the offensive side; they are currently ranked 26th out of the 30 teams in field goal percentage. Hansen Yang averages 16.6 points per game, 10.5 rebounds per game, 3 assists per game, and 2.6 blocks per game. This makes him perfect for the Portland Trailblazers because of his ability to facilitate the offense. The trade with the Grizzlies gave them a few first-round picks in the year to come, making it perfect to start building around Hansen Yang.
Basketball Glossary:
"Plays both sides of the ball" - Being able to do both offense and defense.
"Starting lineup" - The first five players on a team who start the game.
"Rotations" - A process used by teams to avoid fatigue on players or run certain plays by substituting players out.
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