NBA Draft 2021: Grades for all 30 draft picks from the first round
10. Memphis Grizzlies: Ziaire Williams, Forward, Stanford
Grade: D-
The Grizzlies took on the contracts of Eric Bledsoe and Steven Adams to move up from No. 17 to No. 10. It was widely believed they were interested in Josh Giddey here, but he went at No. 6. Williams was rumored to have some interest at No. 8, but going at No. 10 was a surprise.
He’s certainly got upside. A former top ten prospect, Williams had a down year at Stanford but showed some flashes of excellence. Still, he ended at No. 34 on my big board. Williams lacks strength right now which inhibits his ability to get to the rim and fight through screens. He’s billed as a shooter, but couldn’t find his stroke at Stanford.
Williams has a shot to become a plus role player down the line, but I think he’s not super useful in the short-term. The Grizzlies don’t have any gaping holes but could have used some more wing depth and scoring as they try to advance past the first round of the playoffs. Again, I would have gone with James Bouknight here.
11. Charlotte Hornets: James Bouknight, Shooting Guard, Uconn
Grade: A-
Expected to go in the top seven, Bouknight experienced a bit of a slip. The Hornets had more of a need for a big but went “best player available” with Bouknight. There’s some positional overlap here with Terry Rozier, and Malik Monk if he opts into his contract, but that shouldn’t matter too much.
Bouknight is a dazzling three-level scorer, with unique athleticism and finishing prowess. He’ll be an awesome fit next to Lamelo Ball. That duo should terrorize teams in transition. Bouknight had a pathway to being a 15 point per game scorer, and playing next to Ball for years will only make that easier.
12. San Antonio Spurs: Joshua Primo, Shooting Guard, Alabama
Grade: C+
While there were some surprised, Primo going No. 12 was an absolute stunner. He went from likely going back to school once the season ended, to a lottery pick in just a few months, He had a good, but not spectacular, combine. Primo’s pretty raw at this stage, but he’s long, a good defender, and can shoot. The Spurs were clearly enticed by how young he is.
This should signal the direction the franchise is going in. After being competitive for over 20 years, the Spurs passed on more ready players like Corey Kispert and Chris Duarte. Primo isn’t going to be a star, and he probably needs G-League time. But a backcourt of him and Dejounte Murray is long and theoretically terrorizing defensively.
If they move on from Demar Derozan, they should be bad enough to contend for the top of the lottery and get that future centerpiece they need to fully start the rebuild. I don’t see any All-Star outcomes for Primo, but plus role player is plausible.