boyutpedia Chapter 501 The Draft Operation Ends
Chapter 501 The Draft Operation Ends
On June 22, 2018, the 2018 NBA Draft was held at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
With a large number of talented young players gathered together, 2018 was a big year for the draft, and many young players with the potential to become the cornerstone of a team emerged this year.
If you have a top-5 draft pick, you have a good chance of selecting a young, promising player who can be a cornerstone of a team.
This year's draft has sparked debate about who will be the number one pick, as well as how the Clippers will draft. As the defending champions, they hold three first-round picks, the most of any team in this year's draft.
Many people are mocking the Pistons and Rockets for doing all the work for the Clippers. Although Blake Griffin and 58 have performed well after joining their new teams, compared to Jia Fei, these two have proven why they can't win a championship. In today's league, they lack a very important attribute - versatility.
58 can only play point guard, and Blake Griffin can only play power forward. 58 is alright; despite his height (under 185cm), he's not completely helpless off-ball, thanks to his excellent defense and playmaking abilities. The problem lies with Griffin. He can't play small-ball center, and he lacks a killer offensive weapon, making it difficult for the Clippers to build a cohesive roster. You have to pair him with a rim protector, which inevitably leads to a big lineup, making it difficult to counter opponents' small-ball lineups. And because of this big lineup, Griffin's shooting is also average, so a shooter is needed. Therefore, the team's 2/3 positions can only be filled by shooters or 3-and-D players.
The team's strongest ball-handler is 58, which gives you an idea of their ceiling. Why did they lose to the Rockets after leading 3-1? Because this team couldn't play a small-ball lineup. Against the Rockets' unpredictable offense, their lineup lacked defensive flexibility, was slow to get back on defense, and lacked a consistent and tough scoring option. All their weaknesses were exposed, allowing the Rockets to score in a flurry of shots and reverse the game.
So it was no accident that the Clippers were crushed by the Warriors later. Facing the Warriors' modern style of play and lineup, their ancient lineup was simply outmatched.
Blake Griffin's biggest problem is that he lacks a killer offensive weapon. His one-on-one ability is even inferior to Aldridge's. Aside from his spectacular dunks, his most noteworthy trait is his all-around game. But as the team's primary scorer, his inability to deliver in crucial moments is his fatal flaw.
Jia Fei did not travel with the team to the draft; he was currently playing golf at a golf course in Los Angeles with his buddies, including Art Mayork!
But he kept a close eye on the draft, and team staff would keep him informed of what was happening on-site.
Golf is truly a difficult sport to popularize. The venue alone is enormous; such a large area could easily fetch a fortune (around 10 million yuan) if used to build a residential complex. And the grass—if no one helps you retrieve your ball after a shot, you might never want to play again after an eagle. If you don't want to retrieve the ball, you can play indoor golf and practice putting, but what's the point? Bowling might be a better option!
Back to the draft.
Just like in Jia Fei's previous life, the Suns, holding the number one draft pick, still selected center Deandre Ayton from the University of Arizona.
The second overall pick is still Bagley, and the third overall pick is still Doncic.
The deal from the previous life has come to pass: Doncic and Trae Bravo have swapped teams.
After the Knicks selected Knox with the 9th pick in the draft, a trade was made live!
The Clippers traded their 14th and 29th picks (from the Rockets) to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for the 76ers' 10th overall pick!
The Clippers then selected small forward Mikal Bridges (Daqiao) from Villanova University with the 10th overall pick in the first round!
The news immediately caused a stir!
The Clippers have actually made a move!
Moreover, it was an upward trade, but why choose Bridge, an older rookie?
While Daqiao's immediate impact is undeniable, his age and 3-and-D style make him arguably the least suitable prospect to build a team around. He lacks offensive development skills, his ball-handling is average, but by 3-and-D standards, he's excellent. He's 201cm tall with a nearly 220cm wingspan, fast, and has good defensive awareness, excelling in both one-on-one and help defense.
So if the Clippers are looking to use him, then without a doubt, Jerry West would be a better fit than high draft picks like Bradley Young. This is because he has better overall game and would be a better fit playing alongside players like Kevin Garnett and Paul George.
In Jia Fei's previous life, the Clippers also made an upward trade, but they acquired SGA through that trade. In hindsight, SGA was better than Bridge, but from a holistic perspective, Bridge was the more suitable candidate.
While Jia Fei needs to consider the team's future, he also needs to consider the present. Among these high-draft picks, Da Qiao is the player with the best immediate impact and completeness, making him the most suitable for their team.
3D players are a necessary type of player in any system and era.
Daqiao was also a bit confused. He thought he was about to wear the Philadelphia 76ers' team cap, and he also wanted to go to the 76ers because his mother worked for the 76ers.
Unexpectedly, the Clippers acquired him in a trade, and he ended up wearing a Clippers hat.
The draft is still ongoing...
Everyone is curious whether the Clippers will trade away their 30th overall pick, and if they do choose to keep him, who would they pick?
Soon, the draft reached the 30th pick. Just when everyone thought the Clippers would select power forward Spellman, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver announced that the Clippers had selected Jalen Brunson, also from Villanova University, the 2018 NCAA Championship winner, with the 30th pick in the first round!
Now many people finally understand why the Clippers didn't choose to trade up to draft SGA; it turns out they had their sights set on championship guard Brunson!
In his previous life, Brunson was selected by the Mavericks in the second round with the 33rd overall pick, but the Clippers directly hijacked the draft!
The Clippers' draft isn't over yet, and they've already selected Miami guard Bruce Brown with the 35th pick in the second round (from the Pistons)!
With this, the Clippers' draft is complete. They have used their four draft picks to select three players: Bridge, Brunson, and Bruce Brown.
Jia Fei was very satisfied with the result. Judging from the situation observed by the "Heavenly Eye," Da Qiao, Brunson, and Bruce Brown were all capable of making it.
The draft is just the first step in the Clippers' offseason moves. Their roster isn't quite balanced yet and needs adjustments. Currently, they have too many guards, but lack players who can swing at the 3/4 position or the 4/5 position. In the playoffs, they pushed Jia Fei to the 5 position when playing small lineups, but this can't be the norm, as it would be too taxing on him.