Busting Brackets
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NBA Draft 2019: 5 worst draft selections on the night

By Alex Weber

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 20: (L-R) NBA Draft prospects Kevin Porter Jr., Nicolas Claxton, Sekou Doumbouya, Goga Bitazde, Keldon Johnson, Nassir Little, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Rui Hachimuri, Jarrett Culver, Cam Reddish, Coby White, Zion Williamson, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, Ja Morant, De'Andre Hunter, Darius Garland, Brandon Clarke, Romeo Langford, Jaxson Hayes, Tyler Herro, Bol Bol, PJ Washington, Matisse Thybulle and Mfiondu Kabengele stand on stage with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver before the start of the 2019 NBA Draft at the Barclays Center on June 20, 2019 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 20: (L-R) NBA Draft prospects Kevin Porter Jr., Nicolas Claxton, Sekou Doumbouya, Goga Bitazde, Keldon Johnson, Nassir Little, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Rui Hachimuri, Jarrett Culver, Cam Reddish, Coby White, Zion Williamson, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, Ja Morant, De'Andre Hunter, Darius Garland, Brandon Clarke, Romeo Langford, Jaxson Hayes, Tyler Herro, Bol Bol, PJ Washington, Matisse Thybulle and Mfiondu Kabengele stand on stage with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver before the start of the 2019 NBA Draft at the Barclays Center on June 20, 2019 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images) /
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NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JUNE 20: Rui Hachimura reacts after being drafted with the ninth overall pick by the Washington Wizards during the 2019 NBA Draft at the Barclays Center on June 20, 2019 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JUNE 20: Rui Hachimura reacts after being drafted with the ninth overall pick by the Washington Wizards during the 2019 NBA Draft at the Barclays Center on June 20, 2019 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images) /

Rui Hachimura (Wizards)

9th, where Washington selected Gonzaga’s SECOND best player, is too high for Rui Hachimura, and I’m someone who likes Rui in comparison to the masses. The bust potential for Hachimura just appears to be higher than everyone else in the lottery. He can’t defend, he makes countless dumb errors on the basketball court and I’m yet to find one certain skill of his that will translate to the NBA. I guess it’s that he plays really hard. There’s no bigger televangelist of effort when it comes to drafting prospects than the dude typing right now, but even I recognize that there’s a required level of skill to develop into a player worthy of a top-10 pick. Hachimura, though a workhorse in the paint, prompts several questions in the periphery of his offensive game and in every facet of his defense.

(I’m actually going to play devil’s advocate for a minute, though, because despite Hachimura being over-drafted I still really like him as a prospect. Look, he can score, he hustles, he appears to be a hard worker off the court and is, by all counts, a very high character young man. As we’ve seen over and over again with uber-talented prospects, a lack of work ethic and effort or serious attitude/off-court problems can derail a kid’s career as quickly as his name comes out of the commissioner’s mouth on draft night. There is no indication that anything other than Hachimura’s pure skill will break his career. Here’s a confession: I’ll bet on Hachimura figuring it out. And heck, perhaps he’ll develop into a John Collins type who can really score the basketball at the power forward position.)

Okay, but back to my criticisms, chiefly of the Wizards over Rui himself. Right here, we have another perplexing case of an organization drafting someone in the top-15 they could have grabbed later on. And in this draft, just trade down if you’re pondering a reach. It’s almost as if Washington doesn’t have a general manager. Oh wait, they don’t! And then they shot down the Masai Uriji rumors. I’m sure Wizard fans loved that. Oh, there’s a rumor floating around that the best GM in the NBA is considering leaving the current champions to come throw water on our dumpster fire? Well, that’s not true. We can’t let our fans believe that the ownership is remotely competent! Shoot that one down, immediately! 

It’s nonsense. “We have not contacted Masai.” How about instead of admitting you haven’t reached out to the smartest executive in the league, you bite your tongue and listen to a report that the Masaiah actually wants to come live next door to Mitch McConnell and Elizabeth Warren and fix your collapsed sports franchise. You just had Ernie Grunfeld foir the first 19 years of this century, and you aren’t in a hurry to hire one of the brighter basketball minds in the NBA? Of course. Why would I expect anything different from Washington? I guarantee Uriji would have passed on Hachimura at no. 9 and Washington’s current leadership should have as well.

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