NBA Draft 2018: Winners and losers

BROOKLYN, NY - JUNE 21: Luka Doncic speaks to the media after being selected third overall at the 2018 NBA Draft on June 21, 2018 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Kostas Lymperopoulos/NBAE via Getty Images) /

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ST LOUIS, MO – MARCH 08: Michael Porter Jr #13 of the Missouri Tigers watches the action against the Georgia Bulldogs during the second round of the 2018 SEC Basketball Tournament at Scottrade Center on March 8, 2018 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /

Loser No. 1: Michael Porter Jr.

Now let’s talk about the things that didn’t go so well on draft night.

We can’t talk losers without discussing Porter, who was a preseason top-three prospect that lost his entire season, and millions of dollars, to a back injury. Porter landed at No. 14 in the 2018 NBA Draft, getting picked up by the Denver Nuggets after rumors had him going as high as second to the Sacramento Kings. This was a very disappointing night for the Missouri forward.

Porter may actually work out here, because Denver should allow him to play to his strengths to a large degree. He won’t have to do much on offense besides score thanks to their diverse set of playmakers led by Nikola Jokic, and there’s room for him to grow into a primary scorer for them as they try to make the leap into contention in the West. But the problem remains his health, which appears to have scared a lot of teams off in the lottery. The back injury, at the end of the day, just doesn’t allow for firm projection of his long-term fitness to play 82-game seasons. That’s going to be the ultimate decider for his career, and it really affected him negatively on draft night.

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