NBA Draft 2019: Winners and losers

BROOKLYN, NY - JUNE 20: Ja Morant looks on after being selected second overall by the Memphis Grizzlies during the 2019 NBA Draft on June 20, 2019 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 2019 NBAE (Photo by Melanie Fidler/NBAE via Getty Images) /

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BROOKLYN, NY – JUNE 20: Zion Williamson smiles after being selected number one overall by the New Orleans Pelicans during the 2019 NBA Draft on June 20, 2019 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 2019 NBAE (Photo by Matteo Marchi/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Winner No. 1: The New Orleans Pelicans

Well, duh. The 2019 NBA Draft class has widely been panned as a one-player draft — Zion Williamson and everyone else — and the Pelicans drafted Zion Williamson. That seems good.

Williamson becomes the new centerpiece for the Pelicans in the wake of the Anthony Davis trade, and he’s now surrounded by a useful set of young players in Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, No. 8 pick Jaxson Hayes, and No. 17 pick Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and the Pelicans still have a pair of useful veterans in E’Twaun Moore and Jrue Holiday to provide leadership. It’s not an ideal setup around Williamson — the Pelicans’ wish list for the summer will probably end at the word, “SHOOTING” — but there are some positives, particularly a menacing fastbreak centered around Lonzo Ball hurtling passes up the court to Zion on what might be the best fastbreak tandem in the league from day one. Williamson also gives the Pelicans a defensive backbone, a rim protector surrounded by decent to good perimeter defenders that should help them surprise defensively for such a young team.

With their other two picks, New Orleans landed a decent upside play in Jaxson Hayes at pick No. 8 and a solid potential fit next to Ball in Alexander-Walker at No. 17. Alexander-Walker probably slots in well as a third guard between Ball and Holiday, giving the Pelicans three tall guards that can move the ball, and really unlocking what should be a really good switching scheme if the Pelicans choose to use it. And while Hayes may not be ready for NBA minutes next year, he should grow into a very strong dive man, a good compliment to Zion and another way to add spacing to an offense that probably needs a lot of shooting moving forward. This was a good haul for David Griffin.

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