Analyzing the Strengths and Team Fits for Every NBA Lottery Pick

The NBA lottery picks have begun the process of integrating within their respective teams. How will they fit in as first-year players when the regular seasons rolls around? An examination:

1. Paolo Banchero, Orlando Magic

Strengths: A potential elite 3-level scorer, a match-up nightmare on his best days and a capable ball-handler.

Weaknesses: Could be a better rebounder, has the tools but still learning how to defend, playmaking could be better

High-End Comp: Anthony Davis
Low-End Comp: Pascal Siakam

Team Fit: Banchero is another high-level youth player added to Orlando’s budding core. Banchero and Moritz Wagner can be a very interesting experimental 3-4 offensive rotation added to the Magic’s depth of combo guards. The problem with this pick may be the Magic falling into an enviable dilemma of having too many hands and only one basketball.

2. Chet Holmgren, Oklahoma City Thunder

Strengths: An efficient scorer, a capable shooter, defensively active and a capable ball-handler.

Weaknesses: Frail frame, weak playmaking and an odd offensive game that makes him more a power forward or a wing than a true center.

High-End Comp: Anthony Davis/A unicorn
Low-End Comp: Myles Turner

Team Fit: OKC’s developing core is the perfect landing spot for Holmgren. Josh Giddey and Chet complement each other well as a playmaker/wing scorer duo. The disadvantages with Chet are physically clear. He is years away and might not even get there.

3. Jabari Smith Jr., Houston Rockets

Strengths: A dynamic athlete, a three-point threat and a good free throw shooter

Weaknesses: Scoring efficiency, weak playmaking and hasn’t learned to use his athleticism on the defensive end 

High-End Comp: Rashard Lewis
Low-End Comp: John Collins

Team Fit: Houston now has an interesting guard-forward combo of Jalen Green and Smith Jr. Both are high-flying, dynamic athletes with developing three-point games.  Rockets fans get to watch both attack the basket for years as they fill out the roster around their two high-flyers. The disadvantage with Jabari is he may end up as a scoring threat/highlight reel player who never learns to truly impose and decide games.

4. Keegan Murray, Sacramento Kings

Strengths: A confident dynamic scorer, a growing three-point game, a strong rebounder for a wing and defensively active

Weaknesses: Weak playmaking, older prospect

High-End Comp: Paul George
Low-End Comp: OG Anunoby/Otto Porter Jr

Team Fit: No team finds and loses talent like Sacramento. Murray may be another name added to that list. Murray fits into the modern three-and-D wing mold and should continue to develop on both ends of the court. Murray may be a high-end role player more than an elite first option or a good second fiddle.

5. Jaden Ivey, Detroit Pistons

Strengths: Elite athlete scorer with a growing three-point game. Elite speed.

Weaknesses: Weak playmaking, questionable defender right now but has all the tools to be elite. 

High-End Comp: Anfernee Simons
Low-End Comp: Collin Sexton

Team Fit: Detroit adds another interesting piece to their array of talents. Ivey, Marvin Bagley III and Cade Cunningham provide the Pistons with great interior scoring. The Pistons will have to account for Ivey being more a combo guard than pure point guard. 

Will Jaden Ivey win ROY? pic.twitter.com/e3eDNKrWzA

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6. Bennedict Mathurin, Indiana Pacers

Strengths: Dynamic wing scorer with an impressive three-point game. 

Weaknesses: Weak playmaker, a questionable defender right now but has all the tools to be elite

High-End Comp: Jaylen Brown
Low-End Comp: RJ Barrett

Team Fit: Indiana is looking for a scoring threat to complement Haliburton’s playmaking. Indiana is still working out its next step as a franchise so Mathurin will get the development time to round out the rest of his skillset. Mathurin should help provide interior presence as Haliburton doesn’t like to attack the basket.

7. Shaedon Sharpe, Portland Trail Blazers

Skipped the college year, so not much to analyze. Seems like quite the polarizing prospect depending on who you ask. This one is completely wait-and-see.

8. Dyson Daniels, New Orleans Pelicans

Strengths: Great athlete, good rebounding, defensively active and a developing playmaker.

Weaknesses: Weak shot-making. Three-point shot is still in development. Sort of positionless.

High-End Comp: Alex Caruso
Low-End Comp: Nickeil Alexander-Walker

Team Fit: As the Pelicans move into contender mode, Daniels is an interesting piece. A jack-of-all-trades guard who should eventually specialize in some skills….hopefully. Daniels is a project and still needs years of development to polish a pretty all-round game.

9. Jeremy Sochan, San Antonio Spurs

Strengths: A willing and committed defender. Strong interior scoring. Makes the extra pass. Willing to take a three-point shot.

Weaknesses: Weak playmaker, weak shot-maker outside the post, three-point shot a work in progress, ball handling

High-End Comp: Darius Bazley
Low-End Comp: Dorian Finney-Smith

Team Fit: As the Spurs continue a surprising rebuild with the trade of Dejounte Murray, the Sochan pick indicates a long rebuilding journey for the Spurs. Sochan plays like a natural Spur with his defensive effort and willingness to move the ball but is very unpolished as an overall player and is more a moments player now than a starter.

10. Johnny Davis, Washington Wizards

Strengths: Scoring mentality, a good rebounder for his size.

Weaknesses: A developing playmaker, weak shot-maker outside the post, a developing defender.

High-End Comp: Caris LeVert
Low-End Comp: Nickeil Alexander-Walker

Team Fit: The Washington Wizards are in an odd place, not competing but not bottoming out either. The pick of Johnny Davis should continue this cycle, Davis is a contributor in the right role and given time should develop into a well rounded combo guard. At worst Davis is gifted enough to be a moments player off the bench.

11. Ousmane Dieng, Oklahoma City Thunder

Playing in a league I don’t know very well, a raw player who didn’t put up impressive stats. A write-off year for evaluation.

12. Jalen Williams, Oklahoma City Thunder

Strengths: Interior scoring, playmaker potential, signs of turning into a reliable shooter from 3. 

Weaknesses: Three years in college pushes him closer to his ceiling than others, was a questionable defender in college

High-End Comp: Spencer Dinwiddie
Low-End Comp: Jalen Suggs

Team Fit: OKC’s developing core may not be the perfect landing spot for Williams. Giddey, Chet, SGA and OKC’s many other shooters may leave Williams out the shooting loop. Williams is a gifted offensive player with a so-so defensive game that could get better as he ages into his prime with OKC’s other talents.

13. Jalen Duran, Detroit Pistons

Strengths: Interior scoring, interior defense, the aura of a dominant athlete, a great rebounder.

Weaknesses: Low free-throw percentage doesn’t indicate a potential shooter; can’t stretch the floor, fouls too much, has to be set up to score

High-End Comp: Clint Capela
Low-End Comp: Jarrett Allen

Team Fit: Duran plays the role of a traditional center really well. Duran excels as an interior defender and when set up to attack the offensive rim.  Duran could help set up driving paths for the Pistons’ array of interior scorers and inversely could be the roadblock drivers encounter on the way to the rim as Duran cannot stretch the floor. Defensive dominance seems to weaken at the perimeter. Duran has to be played to a system or will look out of place.

14. Ochai Agbaji, Cleveland Cavaliers

Strengths: Dynamic wing scorer with an impressive three-point game. 

Weaknesses: Weak playmaker, a questionable defender right now but has all the tools to be elite.

High-End Comp: Anfernee Simons
Low-End Comp: RJ Barrett

Team Fit: Agabji adds to the Cavs’ impressive list of scorers, adds wing threat to a Cavs system dominated by a guard and an emerging PF/C. The Cavs are not an instant contender, giving Agabji time to possibly develop into a more all-around player.