Re-Drafting the 2016 NBA Draft Class at the Midseason Mark

January 11th, 2017 by Grant Hughes Leave a reply »
Halfway through the 2016-17 NBA season, it's time for some revisionist draft history.

Let's do the whole first round over.

First things first: If you're picking at the top of the lottery, you're almost never in a position to consider need. (What would have happened to the San Antonio Spurs over the last two decades if they'd looked at the 1997 draft class, seen Tim Duncan sitting there and said, "Nah, we're good. We've already got David Robinson!"?)

However, in extreme cases—like the one involving a Sacramento Kings team that already had DeMarcus Cousins and Willie Cauley-Stein (as well as needs at every other position)—I will probably go in a direction other than adding two more project centers in the first round.

For the most part, though, this is about using the skill and potential we've seen since the draft to reset the order. It's vital to keep a big-picture perspective here. Upside is still the most important quality—particularly at the top of the lottery. A 19-year-old prospect's luster doesn't just wear off if he (predictably) underwhelms in the first three months of the season.

This isn ...

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