Last night the 2019 NBA Draft took place in Brooklyn at the Barclay Center and just like expected Zion Williamson was selected first by the New Orleans Pelicans.
The NBA draft has been how NBA teams have scouted new talent since 1947. Today it is the biggest moments in a young basketball players life and will determine where he will spend his first year after college basketball.
After the Pelicans won the Draft Lottery, it was clear where Zion would go. Zion Williamson is believed to be the biggest NBA prospect since LeBron James was drafted in 2003. Even with a potential 100 million dollar lawsuit hanging over his head, last night was all smiles for Zion Williamson as he was selected first in the 2019 NBA Draft.
Zion was a one and done guy from the get-go, and if there weren’t a rule set by the NCAA, he would have probably gone straight to the NBA. During his freshman year at Duke, Zion made other players around him look like amateurs when he would dunk the ball over their heads and lead his team to victory. Below are some of Zion’s best moments playing at Duke.
Other than Zion, The top 10 picks seen below are going to add some real value to the teams that selected them. My favorite pick was Coby White and the Chicago Bulls. Coby lit up the court during his year at North Carolina. White was able to put up more points as a freshman than Michael Jordan did during his first year at UNC. Coby will do great in Chicago and should fit right in with their young team.
The Atlanta Hawks had three of the top ten picks after they made a trade with the New Orleans Pelicans. The Hawks agreed to draft Jaxon Hayey and send him to the Pelicans for their fourth-round pick, the 57th pick, a future second-round pick, and Solomon Hill. Solomon Hill was traded as a salary dump to Atlanta since he still has $12 million on his salary. The Hawks also picked up Virginia’s DeAndre Hunter and Duke’s Cam Reddish in the first round.
It would have been cool if the New Orleans Pelicans could have kept Anthony Davis and added Zion Williamson and Jaxon Hayes, but Davis was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers earlier this week. With all the other trade rumors, draft picks, and other factors that entail during the offseason, the 2019-2020 NBA season will be a good one to watch.
2019 NBA Top Ten Draft Picks
- Zion Williams – New Orleans Pelicans
- Ja Morant – Memphis Grizzlies
- R.J. Barrett – New York Knicks
- De’Andre Hunter – Atlanta Hawks
- Darius Garland – Clevland Cavaliers
- Julius Culver – Phoenix Suns
- Coby White – Chicago Bulls
- Jaxon Hayes – New Orleans Pelicans
- Rui Hachimura – Washington Wizards
- Cam Reddish – Atlanta Hawks
Odds To Win Rookie Of The Year
Zion Williamson -250
Ja Morant +500
RJ Barrett +600
Darius Garland +1200
DeAndre Hunter +1800
Jarrett Culver +2500
Michael Porter Jr +3000
Cameron Reddish +3500
Coby White +3500
Jaxson Hayes +3500
Odds provided by Bovada