In what has been quite a rollercoaster year for the National Basketball Association, tonight marks the beginning of the 2021 NBA season with the NBA draft. This season will be especially odd due in part to the fact that there will not be any training camps, any summer leagues, or that long and drawn-out free agency period. Everything is going to happen insanely quickly as the 2020 NBA season wrapped up in October and the 2021 season is set to begin less than three months later, making for quite the quick turnaround. Tonight, 60 NBA prospects will find their future homes and will look to help a team contest for the Larry O’Brien trophy next season. So what are some of the things that you should be looking out for tonight during a draft night like no other? I’ve got you covered.
Where will LaMelo Ball land?
Perhaps one of the most polarizing, can’t-miss prospects in recent memory, it seems like you either love LaMelo Ball or you hate LaMelo Ball. But it doesn’t matter how we feel about him… what matters is how the teams at the top of the draft board feel about him. There is no denying that he has massive amounts of both talent and potential, but will a team be willing to take a risk on that talent and potential in the first few picks of the draft?
Will the Charlotte Hornets shake up the organization?
If it weren’t for Michael Jordan being the Owner of the Charlotte Hornets organization, then they may win the award for the least exciting organization over the last few years. Devonte Graham and PJ Washington gave them spark last season, but they were still a very underwhelming team. It seems like Michael Jordan is on a mission to fix that this offseason. They have been associated with a blockbuster deal involving Russell Westbrook and have also been tied to moving up to the first overall pick to select LaMelo Ball. Jordan knows that something needs to be done to shake up the organization, but will they make those moves? Or stay quiet like they always do?
Is James Wiseman a franchise cornerstone?
One of the most highly touted high school prospects in quite some time, James Wiseman dominated the high school game. He was poised to turn around the program at Memphis and help escalate Penny Hardaway to a John Calipari-tier coach until he was deemed ineligible by the NCAA. As his days in the NCAA felt like a mere stepping stone anyway, Wiseman left Memphis to declare for the NBA draft as a high-end prospect. The lanky center certainly offers the upside of a Rudy Gobert or Karl-Anthony Towns, but will any of the top teams show patience and be willing to develop those loads of talent that he possesses?
Can the Boston Celtics take the next step?
Okay, Brad Stevens… You’ve gotten your squad to the point where they are a perennial playoff team… but that is where it stops. Sure Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have tons of potential, but they seem to be missing that one extra piece that will get them to be legitimate finals contenders. Tonight, the Celtics boast three first-round draft picks and the ability to add some significant depth to their roster. Will this be the season where they can finally take it to the next level?
What will the New York Knicks end up with at pick 8?
Ah yes, the Knicks and draft night. A dramatic match made in heaven. It seems like it has almost been an eternity since the New York Knicks made a stellar draft selection. The jury is still out on RJ Barrett and whether or not he will develop into a solid NBA player. The Knicks hold the eighth overall pick, a somewhat disappointing slot given their awful 2020 record. At the eighth pick, big-name players like LaMelo Ball, James Wiseman, and Anthony Edwards will all but certainly be gone, leaving the Knicks to pick from the best of the rest. Will they take an upside shot on a player like Cole Anthony? Or will the Knicks try a different approach and go with a safe option like Tyrese Haliburton? Either way, the Knicks on draft night make for fantastic television. If you don’t watch any other pick, please please watch the Knicks selection.
Is Cole Anthony a star coming off a bad season or a bust?
Of course, I would be remiss if I didn’t discuss a player from my favorite team. As a massive North Carolina fan, I was elated at the fact that Cole Anthony selected North Carolina for his college career. But that excitement was quickly met with dread and despair as the season progressed. Anthony looked lost, seemed to have lost his touch for the game, and just flat out was not a good player. He almost made North Carolina worse whenever he was on the floor. But every once in awhile, there would be a glimpse of hope where Anthony looked like the remarkable player that he was scouted to be. Is that player still in there? And how early will a team be willing to take a shot on him?
