Draft day has arrived and within hours Adam Silver will step to the podium kickstarting the offseason and reformulation of the NBA. T.I. dives into how we believe the dominoes will (or should) fall including for the OKC Thunder.
Just a few short weeks ago the dynamics heading toward this evening were drastically different. Injuries to key players Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson, who pre-injury, sat atop the key free agent watch dramatically shifted pundit’s perspectives.
The Toronto Raptors earned their first franchise title, arguably with the toughest path to claim the gold ball. And, they did it without one lottery pick on the squad besting the Warriors in spite of their experience and loaded roster. To say that experience hasn’t changed how General Managers are viewing the draft would be underselling the Raptors accomplishment and how the NBA is arguably more affected by trends than any major league sport.
Factor in key trades such as Anthony Davis finally getting his wish to play in La La Land with pal LeBron James and an impressive trade by the Utah Jazz to add Mike Conley in an effort to bolster their squad’s opportunity next season.
Rumors and whispers are ever present as teams attempt to shift positions, package picks, wrangle a Draft Night trade or in the case of Sam Presti and the OKC Thunder seek to shed salary.
Expect constant Woj bombs, Sham scoops and an all out barrage of social media blasts as the draft hour approaches. The only certainty at this point which I’d be willing to place actual money on is Zion Williamson is a lock to land in New Orleans.
The following comprises the first round picks. Each pick takes into consideration what the drafting team needs are and talent expected to be on the board. As is typical for my annual (draft day) mock draft I do consider prospect promises and rumored selections but as those who’ve followed me over the years know, I’m not averse to taking a swing for a player a team likely won’t select and will regret.
Sometimes I nail it (see Kristaps Porzingis and the Lakers gaffe) and others turn out to be abysmal failures (see Noah Vonleh – oh how you let me down). I also look for hidden gems — yes I was the driver of the Pascal Siakam bandwagon long before anyone knew of his existence. And, likewise, I’ve missed the boat (probably more often than I’m fond of recalling).
Fasten your seatbelts, grab your favorite snacks and drinks and prepare for the first domino to fall. If nothing else, how the overall NBA picture will look by night’s end will be far different than it does as we begin the day.
With that, I give you the final T.I. Mock Draft of 2019. Enjoy.