2019 NBA Draft grades for every team: Pelicans get an A+, Rockets an F

2019 NBA Draft grades for every team: Pelicans get an A+, Rockets get an F

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 20: Zion Williamson poses with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver after being drafted with the first overall pick by the New Orleans Pelicans 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) /

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NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JUNE 18: Ruffles, the Official Chip of the NBA, Partners with Six-Time NBA All-Star Anthony Davis in the First-Ever “Chip Deal,” featuring the debut of a custom-designed Ruffles-inspired sneaker, The Ruffles Ridge Tops, and a discussion regarding Davis’ ideas for a limited-edition flavor of Ruffles potato chips. At NBA Store on June 18, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images for Frito-Lay) /

Los Angeles Lakers – A

46th Overall – Talen Horton-Tucker, Wing (Iowa State)

The Los Angeles Lakers are coming off of one of the most embarrassing seasons in franchise history. They made the splashy move and brought LeBron James to Hollywood but poor decision making in free agency led to him being supplemented by players that didn’t fit at all. Not to mention public trade negotiations around the all-star break didn’t help build camaraderie on the roster. In the end, the lack of shooting, trust, and healthy LeBron led to the Lakers missing the playoffs for the sixth straight year.

Lottery luck was on their side and they moved from 11th to fourth thanks to the ping pong balls. However, they would use that fourth pick (and most of their roster and future draft picks) in a deal to finally bring Anthony Davis to the Lakers. Teaming James and Davis is a match made in basketball heaven and with James entering the twilight of his NBA career as Davis starts his prime aligns the two stars perfectly and given that Davis is likely to remain with the Lakers after his contract ends emptying their cupboard of assets was very much worth it.

That also meant that they would be entering the 2019 NBA Draft the team would be without a single pick. With just six players in the team (James, Davis, Kyle Kuzma, Moe Wagner, Isaac Bogna, and Jemerrio Jones) they surely could’ve used a few picks to try and fill out the roster some prior to free agency where it is unsure if they’ll have the necessary cap space to add a third max player to the team. They were able to buy a second round pick and used it to select Talen Horton-Tucker.

Horton-Tucker is a hard player to try and define. As the game becomes more “positionless”, Horton-Tucker is a player that honestly does not have one. He can run an offense and facilitate like a guard. He can defend in the paint and against bigger players like a center. He can switch on multiple defenders and operate off the ball like a forward. In a sense, Horton-Tucker is best described as a basketball player. With the Lakers having many holes to fill as they attempt to sure up the roster beyond Janes and Davis, Horton-Tucker provides them someone who’s able to operate at multiple positions depending on who is on the court with him.

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