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NBA Draft 2019: Final predictions and analysis for all 60 selections

By Tristan Freeman

WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 31: Zion Williamson #1 of the Duke Blue Devils reacts against the Michigan State Spartans during the first half in the East Regional game of the 2019 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Capital One Arena on March 31, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 31: Zion Williamson #1 of the Duke Blue Devils reacts against the Michigan State Spartans during the first half in the East Regional game of the 2019 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Capital One Arena on March 31, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /
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BLOOMINGTON, IN – DECEMBER 08: Romeo Langford #0 of the Indiana Hoosiers shoots the ball against the Louisville Cardinals at Assembly Hall on December 8, 2018 in Bloomington, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
BLOOMINGTON, IN – DECEMBER 08: Romeo Langford #0 of the Indiana Hoosiers shoots the ball against the Louisville Cardinals at Assembly Hall on December 8, 2018 in Bloomington, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /

15. Detroit Pistons – Kevin Porter Jr. (Corn)

Like some of the top picks in the draft Porter Jr. is oozing with upside. He has all the intangibles, but a lackluster college season caused his stock to fall. The Pistons could need a shooting guard, and honestly at pick 15, KPJ offers them the best player available tag and most defiantly offers the most upside. He’s got the physical tools to become a great player. It’s all up to his drive (which has been in question) and if he put everything together.

14. Boston Celtics – Sekou Doumbouya (Harkins)

One of the top international prospects in this class, I couldn’t pass up Doumbouya when he fell to the bottom of the lottery. He is currently an 18-year-old prospect with an insane amount of potential. He already brings a 6-foot-9 frame to the table and projects as a multi-positional defender at the next level. In the modern NBA, that kind of defensive potential should not be overlooked. On the offensive end of the floor, he functions mostly as a slasher right now but is developing as a shooter as well. He has one of the higher ceilings in the class due to his frame, athleticism, and age.

13. Miami Heat – Romeo Langford (Benjamin)

Langford is almost a no-brainer for the Heat, who really needs someone who can create offense and eventually become a No. 1 option. The 6’6 wing showed glimpses of his offensive potential despite playing a torn ligament in his shooting hand last year with the Hoosiers. He averaged 16.5 points along with 5.4 rebounds and 2.1 assists last season while shooting a solid 44.7% from the field despite shooting a dismal 27.2% from beyond the arc. The 19-year-old scored in double-figures in 28 of 32 appearances, topping the 20-point plateau on 11 occasions. Langford has good size, strength and length with a 6’11 wingspan. He is a fluid athlete who can score in transition and is just as adept in pick-n-roll situations. Plus, he has shown enough of overall ability, including on the defensive end, that he projects as a two-way player with a high ceiling and floor.

12. Charlotte – Rui Hachimura (Freeman)

All the attention is on what franchise player Kemba Walker will do but this is an important pick for Charlotte as well. Only two players on the roster scorer over 10.1 ppg this past season (Walker and Jeremy Lamb), with the frontcourt being a clear weakness. The best scoring forward available is Hachimura, a 6’8 product from Gonzaga who scored 19.7 ppg on 59% shooting. The Japanese product has only been playing true basketball for a few years and still has a ton of room to grow. He’s the best chance to give Walker another offensive option to work with.

11. Minnesota Timberwolves – Brandon Clarke (Weber)

In basketball terms, Brandon Clarke is a fantastic piece of cheese pizza. He’s not a superstar or someone capable of ever leading his team to a title, but he’s a perfect piece of a winning foundation. Like with your ordinary piece of cheese pizza, he’s great on his own but the toppings you surround him with will dictate his effectiveness at the next level.

For instance, if you’re a certifiable maniac and put pineapples or ranch on your pizza, well, that would be parallel to drafting Clarke to Oklahoma City and deploying him next to notorious non-floor spacer and offensive zero Steven Adams in the frontcourt. Likewise, you can throw some sausage and pepperoni, and maybe some salami or prosciutto (you’re becoming true Italiano!) and you’ve got yourself one heck of a slice of pizza, one that rivals Michael Scott’s favorite, Sbarro. So that would be picking Clarke to Minnesota and slotting him next to Karl-Anthony Towns–a young floor-spacing big and offensive supernova who’s struggled defensively.

Brandon Clarke is the defensive messiah Minnesota’s porous score-stopping core needs. He can safety-pin one of the league perennial defensive laughingstocks and also fill in as an efficient finisher and freak athlete competitor on offense. Personally, Clarke is top-five on my board because of the elite fundamental defensive instincts, 99th percentile athleticism, and historic scoring efficiency. If he slips to 11 (looks pretty likely), the T-Wolves should capitalize and snag defensive hub with limitless athleticism who looks the part of a Shawn Marion 2.0.

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