Jay Bilas' Best Available - Draft Commentary (#4-5)

Welcome to Jay Bilas' Best Available, providing real-time draft commentary straight from the draft room.

Note: all draft commentary is based off of SWISH.

#4. Andrew Harrison, SG from Kentucky (ATL via MIL)
GRADE: A
Great move for the Atlanta Hawks, who are reportedly actually the ones making the pick, after trade talks for #4 fell through. Harrison adds a dynamic scoring guard to the team at a position where they really needed some help in SG. Many around here thought that he was the consensus #3 pick, so for the Hawks to swoop in and take him at #4 seems like both great value and fit. Expect the young guard to prove himself in the starting lineup next to Kemba Walker and Harrison Barnes, assuming no more big trades happen.


#5. Julius Randle, PF from Kentucky (MEM)
GRADE: A
Another wildcat is off the board, with the Grizzlies taking the beastly big man who hovered around the #2~4 slots throughout the season. Randle should fit right in, as really any player would've done the same on the talentless Grizzlies. From the start, it was pretty clear they were getting one of the two big men in Randle and Anthony Bennett, and it seems they lucked into getting who is widely considered the better of the two.


Best Available at #6 (BOS via DAL): Shabazz Muhammad, SF from UCLA
Despite all the flack and negative hype surrounding the once highly sought-after top prospect, he's shown that he still has a ton of talent and can be a star player in the CSL. There's no doubt that the kid has some red flags, but he's one of the top scorers and shooters of the draft, and has shown that he can hold his own defensively out there. With the re-emergence of volume scorers in the CSL, he makes the most sense for the young Celtics featuring young defensive studs like Patric Young and Dennis Schroeder in the lineup. Unlike Jahii Carson, who has also been mentioned as a top pick throughout the season, Muhammad fits right in.

We'll see how good a shooter Harrison ends up being. He's extremely raw right now and the worst thing you can have is a high scorer who can't shoot.

I agree he won't ever be a knockdown shooter, but he'll be fine IMO.

Still think you go BPA at this point over fit - always a team willing to overpay for fit via trade post draft , IMO.

I like Shabazz a lot, but not this early.

Reports say that Shabazz Muhammad won't make it past #9, possibly #7, to the Sacramento Kings.

#6. Jahii Carson, PG from Arizona State (BOS via DAL)
GRADE: B
The Boston Celtics went safe here with Carson, who is definitely worthy of the top 6 selection, but what does that mean for Dennis Schroeder? Neither are big enough to play SG, so it's possible that we see another trade coming in, though GM DennisJ has repeatedly talked about how highly he thinks of Schroeder. It'll be interesting to see, and while Carson is still a great value pick, you have to wonder if Shabazz Muhammad might've made a better one.


Best available at #7 (SAC via LAL): Perry Ellis, PF from Kansas
The Sacramento Kings need help at a lot of positions, and with just Ed Davis and Michael Carter-Williams looking like keepers, they can just go for BPA. The only reason they take Ellis here is that it's unlikely that the Minnesota Timberwolves will take Muhammad with all the wings that they have. Thus, leaving him for the 9th pick would probably be wisest, so that they can pick up their top option at #7.

THIS JUST IN: I'm hearing that recently-picked sixth overall pick Jahii Carson has been moved for draft considerations.

Alright guys, I went to bed not expecting to be on the clock so quickly. Ill have my pick up shortly.

Like all the picks in this draft range. Muhammad looks like he could develop into a top-tier scorer in this league and if you can build around his deficiencies, he could be worthy of that #7 pick. Will be interesting to see how the Celtics utilize him and help him out.

I really have no idea on these guys but interesting reads which give me a bit of insight, thanks.