A look at the winners and losers of the first round of the NBA draft:
Winners
76ers
A home run of a pick, landing Alabama guard Labaron Philon Jr. at No. 22. He should’ve gone in the late teens at worst.
He was one of college basketball’s top guards last season, averaging 22 points, five assists and shooting 39.9 percent from distance on 6.1 attempts. He’s terrific going to the basket, has a sweet jumper and made a major leap from his freshman to sophomore season.
Teams were concerned that he would struggle to hold up defensively at only 176 pounds.
But with Philadelphia, he’s a third guard, behind Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe. That’s a heckuva young trio, all 25 or younger.
Spurs
San Antonio addressed a major weakness that hampered it in the playoffs: big man depth behind Victor Wembanyama.
They used the 20th pick on Kentucky center Jayden Quaintance, then traded for a second first-round pick, and used No. 26 on Connecticut’s Tarris Reed Jr. Quaintance is a lottery-level talent with injury questions after playing in just four games this past season after ACL surgery.
It was a worthwhile gamble. Odds are, he won’t play much next year, but could be a major factor in time. Reed is not a prototypical NBA big man, because he doesn’t shoot 3s or guard well in space. But he’s physical, tough and can be an enforcer type.
Thunder
Did Oklahoma City find an answer for its Wembanyama problem? Aday Mara, the Thunder’s pick at No. 12, is at least an option.
The 7-foot-3 center is a defensive dynamo who helped lead Michigan to its first national championship in 37 years in April. The more size you can throw at Wemby, the better.
At No. 16, the Thunder added Iowa sharpshooting guard Bennett Stirtz. At worst, he’s a court-spacer. Don’t count him out from being more than that, though.
Losers
Clippers
Keaton Wagler over Darius Acuff Jr., Kingston Flemings and Mikel Brown Jr.? The three players the Clippers passed on for him at No. 5 will all be better pros. Wagler isn’t a bad prospect — he just isn’t as good as the aforementioned players.
He doesn’t guard like Flemings and doesn’t have the offensive ceiling of either Acuff or Brown.
Suns
Phoenix traded into the last pick of the first round for Koa Peat, a one-and-done wing out of Arizona who isn’t much of a shooter and doesn’t project as a lockdown defender.
Bizarre. Peat should’ve stayed in school, and the Suns could’ve done much better, whether it was taking Duke wing Isaiah Evans, North Carolina big man Henri Veesaar or Arkansas guard Meleek Thomas.
Knicks fans
Coming off the franchise’s first championship in 53 years, they wanted a fun toy to add to the revelry.
When it came close to their time to pick, Knicks fans started dreaming of keeping the local star home, and picking Zuby Ejiofor of St. John’s.
The Hawks beat them to the punch, snagging the Big East Player of the Year with the 23rd pick.
Odds are, the Knicks weren’t making a pick anyway. They made a number of maneuvers to save money and move out of the first round.
Knicks fans did get excited for a moment when they picked Spanish point guard Sergio De Larrea, with the idea of stashing him overseas for a year. But they traded him, too, sending the Spaniard to the Mavericks.
It was a buzzkill night, but if it helps the Knicks bring back two of Mitchell Robinson, Landry Shamet and Jordan Clarkson, it will be a win in the end.
