2019 NBA Draft Preview Picks 1-3

Here we go!! NBA draft week officially is underway. Thursday night we will see where the domino's fall for some key teams and teams who are in need of a boost from a young player.

The NBA off-season is off to a booming start with the blockbuster trade between the Lakers and Pelicans yesterday. Pelicans sending Anthony Davis off to LA for Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart & this year's 4th overall pick and future picks. LeBron got his wish of having another All-Star to play with in LA, now they just have to see if they can add to their roster another All-Star, (Kemba Walker, Kyrie Irving). Most likely Irving is going to be a Brooklyn Net. While the Pelicans obtained that #4 pick in this year's draft, there have been talks about them possibly trading that pick to either move up or down in the draft, if they move up in the draft then there is a good chance they will be bringing in RJ Barrett along with Zion as their #1 pick, but after the trade, it might be best for them to move down in the draft. The talent's of Ball, Ingram and Hart, I don't see a need for them to draft Barrett or even the likes of Jarrett Culver or a DeAndre Hunter, the pelicans have a great young core now, with the veteran leadership of Jrue Holiday and Jahlil Okafor, they have some young guys ready to contribute right away.

And with the first pick in the NBA draft, the Pelicans select......

Zion Williamson: A great all around athlete, with great bounce and amazing strength. Only thing he really needs to focus on is his shot IQ and 3-point shooting, shooting well above 65% from the field, even though most of those baskets came from driving to the rim with no one stopping him or posting up and scoring, while his 3-point shot was barely above 33%. A lot of teams will look to make him shoot the ball more beyond the free throw area, as that may be his biggest weakness, but he can contribute to the Pelicans in other facets besides scoring. Averaging close to 9 reb per game and 2 stls per game and just under 2 blks per game, this kid is all over the floor at all times. He is definitely going to be a dual threat player in the league, offensively and defensively, his ability to chase down players to block their shot and then the ability to play strict defense on any position, he poses a threat at both ends of the floor. It will be a real treat to watch him play in the Western conference next year, where the West is the more physical conference out of the two.

And with the 2nd pick in the 2019 NBA draft, the Memphis Grizzlies select:

Ja Morant: from Murray State. Human highlight reel on the court, just like Zion they both are very explosive when driving to the rim. Morant is a reliable playmaker, shot creator, and can spread the floor as he please's. He has great court vision, and a high basketball IQ. Averaging roughly 24.5 points per game and 10 assists per game, he is a walking double double at the point guard position. Now the thing is when does Memphis trade Conley, and to who for that matter. What team is going to take on that $32 million dollar contract with him being at 32 years of age. There have been ties to the Pacers and Jazz who have interest in Conley. There is no chance at all that Memphis trades their #2 pick, because they don't want to lose out on Morant, so now it's just how and when Conley is going to get moved either during the draft or after the draft when free-agency officially begins. Morant is another player in this draft who can play both ends of the court, due to his rebounding ability and stealing ability at averaging 2 stls per game in college last year. He is a tremendous on-ball defender and is a one-man fast break waiting to happen and light up ESPN's top plays each week. Morant pairing up with another young stud at Memphis in Jaren Jackson Jr, it will be a young core to watch out for in the future.

With the Knicks having the 3rd pick in the draft, they will most likely go with:

RJ Barrett: out of Duke, another Blue Devil in the top 3. He has the body of an NBA player and can get his shot at any point in time, and can drive to the rim whenever he wants to as well. Someone who can shoot the 3 ball with regularity and can play solid on ball defense, from point guard to smaller small forwards in the league. Next to Zion he is the next best shooting player within the top 5, coming in at 45% from the field, and averaging just under 23 points per game and 8 rebs and 5 ast per game, he is a good young player to build around in the New York, pairing him alongside with Kevin Knox and Dennis Smith Jr, if the Knicks can get a veteran player or an All-Star caliber player there, they could see themselves back in the playoffs next season. Barrett, for how much he drives to the rim and draws fouls he will need to definitely work on his free throw shooting, as he shot just over 66% at his season at Duke. Also there have been some talks that when the game comes down to the wire he tries too much to take over the game by him self and doesn't look to move the ball around as much, he looks to play solely ISO when becomes crunch time. The Knicks don't need another Carmelo Anthony in New York, they need a play-maker and someone who can look to score and spread the floor and become a floor general and make the other players around him better.