“Don’t worry about fit when you’re terrible,” is a maxim I’ve heard a few times on NBA Draft preview shows, but it really hit its apex with the Scoot Henderson/Brandon Miller debate behind Victor Wembanyama in the 2023 NBA Draft. The theory was that the Portland Trail Blazers should take Scoot Henderson, obviously the better player (lol), at two even though they already had Damian Lillard and several other young guards. They sucked, so it wasn’t time to worry about “fit.”
Even though Miller has turned out to be the much-better player and asset, that maxim is still broadly true. The problem for terrible teams, though, is they are often so bad that their problems are more philosophical than basketballical. In an effort to help everyone out, I’m here to identify those problems so they can all decide whether it’s time to worry about fit or not. Because sometimes its not so simple as saying you need a rim-running defensive power forward. The Philadelphia 76ers need, like … an exorcism.
Quick note: because not every team has a first round pick and we’re not talking prospects anyway, I put the teams in order of our last set of NBA power rankings, which you should totally also go check out. Without further ado: every team’s biggest “need,” only slightly liberally stretching the definition of the word.
1. Oklahoma City Thunder
- Biggest need: To manage limited roster spots
The Thunder have the 12th pick in this draft, but are a primo contender to trade back since they actually can’t keep adding lottery picks to this roster without offloading some players. That is the rub of building the Death Star in Oklahoma: eventually, you run out of real estate.
2. New York Knicks
- Biggest need: Big man depth
The reigning champs have a wonderfully stacked roster that will start getting expensive soon-ish, and so securing their biggest weakness (big man depth behind Karl-Anthony Towns) is a major priority. Mitchell Robinson is great at what he does but limited and exploitable offensively; he’s also injury prone and eligible for a major extension.
3. San Antonio Spurs
- Biggest need: Not more guards
It would be easy to say “backup center” for Wembanyama like I did for five years with Joel Embiid (he was getting backed up by the ghost of Dwight Howard forever), but I don’t know if it will be easy to do better than Luke Kornet, a player they’re paying and that is better than he looked in the last two rounds. What this team does not need is any more guards to mix into the rotation, with Dylan Harper obviously needing a starting spot sooner rather than later.
4. Boston Celtics
- Biggest need: Centers. Rim protection. Whatever you got. We’ll take them all.
Going into last season, the Celtics projected center rotation was Luka Garza and Neemias Queta — it is still that. This team try-harded its way to an awesome regular season but got exposed beyond belief by Joel Embiid in the playoffs. Whether its in the draft or free agency (or in Milwaukee) the Celtics need serious defensive size.
5. Minnesota Timberwolves
- Biggest need: Stopgap wing players
Donte DiVincenzo tore his Achillies during the playoffs and could miss all of next season; that could leave the Wolves thin in the perimeter/dribbler department beyond Anthony Edwards, and while they will look to re-sign Ayo Dosunmu, they will still need something in the interim. I’m not the most sure Bones Hyland is the key.
6. Los Angeles Lakers
- Biggest need: Secondary shot-creation if Austin Reaves walks
Without LeBron James or Austin Reaves, both of whom could be back but will not necessarily be back, Luka Doncic is going to find himself back in the doldrums of 2023 Dallas Mavericks land with no one else capable of creating a shot. Anyone comfortable with the ball in their hands will be welcome.
7. Detroit Pistons
- Biggest need: Secondary shot-creation if Austin Rea — wait, sorry, just secondary shot-creation.
Same problem as the Lakers but not because they’re going to lose anyone. Cade Cunningham had a spectacular season but also can’t be expected to shoulder that kind of offensive load forever. The Pistons will also need to decide if Jalen Duren, who was benched down the stretch in their playoff run, is worth $287 million (oh my god). Good luck to everyone with that!
8. Denver Nuggets
- Biggest need: Defensive size beyond Aaron Gordon
Denver’s success hinged way, way way too much on the health of Aaron Gordon, their only actually good perimeter defender. Nikola Jokic is not getting any younger, but if they want to be more than the 2021 Milwaukee Bucks (one championship then disaster) they will have to be aggressive.
9. Cleveland Cavaliers
- Biggest need: Brace for Donovan Mitchell drama and plan accordingly
Mitchell has significant leverage this offseason in that he can wait to sign a much-larger extension next offseason … but also would be playing out the year on an expiring deal. That’s the danger zone for the Cavs, who may need to start thinking about what a post-Mitchell universe would look like.
10. Houston Rockets
- Biggest need: A point guard. Two point guards? You got three?
The Rockets-Lakers series radicalized me against the positionless agenda. Point guards are still necessary in the modern NBA because oh my god if I have to watch Reed Sheppard and Alparen Sengun run every action again I’m going to lose it. Fred VanVleet’s return should be a boon, but it’s unclear exactly how healthy he will be coming off an ACL tear.
11. Atlanta Hawks
- Biggest need: Younger CJ McCollum
Guard shot creation brought this team closer to beating the Knicks four times than the rest of the NBA combined, but CJ McCollum cannot be expected to throw down the gauntlet again like that. Looking around for a real Trae Young replacement, albeit a less ball-dominant one, feels like a good start.
12. Toronto Raptors
- Biggest need: A playable big man
I love Collin Murray-Boyles, but hustle small ball only gets you so far in a league with eight-foot aliens and demigod point guards. Jakob Poeltl is officially #NotIt, so they will need to find an alternative big man solution ASAP.
13. Los Angeles Clippers
- Biggest need: A Kawhi decision and a big man
Fun fact: only one team ever have won a championship with their best player age 34 or older: the 1998 Chicago Bulls with Michael Jordan (you could argue a couple Tim Duncan years but Kawhi Leonard was the guy by then). Speaking of Kawhi, he’s going to be 35 in a few days! Do they really think this is going to just magically work itself out, or is the 5th pick plus Darius Garland a safer bet?
14. Orlando Magic
- Biggest need: 3-point shooting
The glaring-est issue for any team, perhaps in the entire postseason, was the Orlando Magic’s complete inability to shoot 3s. It’s just not a stable situation for anyone if Desmond Bane is the only shooter on the floor; if Paolo Banchero is more of a worse Giannis than a worse Tatum, we’ll have to figure this thing out.
15. Portland Trail Blazers
- Biggest need: Decide on who the future includes
Does it include Scoot? Does it include Robert Williams III? What about Jrue Holiday? Is everyone on the right timeline? There is work to be done here, and the future could certainly include someone from the draft if they so wish.
16. Charlotte Hornets
- Biggest need: Another table setter
Look, I like Tre Mann as much as the next guy, but LaMelo Ball cannot be the only focal point of the offense. Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel have come a long way as creators of their own shot, but who is getting stuff for everyone else? Who is doing the dishes? Who’s making dinner?
17. Indiana Pacers
- Biggest need: Depth, depth and more depth
A roster without a lot of holes but needing some insurance for injury-prone pieces. It’s not a given that Tyrese Haliburton will just slide back into his old, free-wheeling days. It might take some time to de-rust.
18. Philadelphia 76ers
- Biggest need: An excorci — I’m kidding. Some younger talent
My great passion project since they were eliminated is explaining to people how old and expensive this roster is. But the draft is a real opportunity to fix that, or at least start fixing that, since getting younger players in with VJ Edgecombe and Tyrese Maxey is paramount.
19. Phoenix Suns
- Biggest need: Someone else who can score
The Suns actually have a core of young players I like, and defensively they’re nails. But in this here National Basketball Association, you have to actually score points to win games, and Devin Booker is about the only thing they have in terms of that. So offense = the priority.
20. Utah Jazz
- Biggest need: A consolidation of options
The Jazz have been tanking for almost half a decade, and they’ve accumulated quite a suite of interesting players. But which ones are going to be trusted with car keys, in addition to whoever they take with the second overall pick? That’s a real question.
21. New Orleans Pelicans
- Biggest need: A soft reset
The Pelicans seem rather open to trading Trey Murphy III, their best asset, which suggests to me we are headed toward a soft if not complete rebuild. They managed to end up with the eighth pick which managed to end up with Atlanta, so nothing is happening for them in this draft. Time to think about the next one.
22. Washington Wizards
- Biggest need: Are we doing this or is it a youth movement?
Anthony Davis: is he going to play or get traded? If not, time to get your ducks in a row around the number one overall pick. If he is playing, then it’s time to get serious, sign some serious players and make a serious run at this thing right-the-heck now. No time like the present.
23. Miami Heat
- Biggest need: Everything?
This is a classic “when you’re terrible, don’t worry about fit.” Miami is struggling to come up with anything beyond Giannis Antetokounmpo prayers, and even that may not immediately fix everything. They just don’t have a lot of assets, so anything would be good.
24. Golden State Warriors
- Biggest need: An exciting young talent to root for
The Stephen Curry era will come to an end eventually, it just will. So having something in place with the 11th pick in the draft will soften the blow.
25. Dallas Mavericks
- Biggest need: Quality wings
Beyond Cooper Flagg, Kyrie Irving and some big men, this team is thin across the board. We might be a couple trades away still, but starting with wings to pay the bills (that doesn’t rhyme, hmm) will be a nice start.
26. Brooklyn Nets
- Biggest need: Clarity of purpose
Maybe the Nets don’t need to draft, they need to meditate. The rebuild from back-to-back-to-back all-in trades will include some gory details, but I think society would benefit from a televised address, like a “State of the Nets” type beat.
27. Memphis Grizzlies
- Biggest need: Pieces for the post-Ja Morant world
Arguably the only thing worse than not having your superstar is thinking you have him and then you do not, in fact, have him. Morant is going to move on from this team sooner rather than later, and so young players on a different timeline will be the order of the day.
28. Chicago Bulls
- Biggest need: Anyone good
This is peak “do not worry about fit” because everyone fits! Is there a player that exists that wouldn’t help the Bulls at this point?
29. Milwaukee Bucks
- Biggest need: The next thing
Buckle up Bucks fans, because this is the last lottery pick you are going to have for the next, uh, while, so this better be an impact player not some role guy who could help three years from now. This might be the chance to get something exciting, and it might be the last chance for a hot minute.
30. Sacramento Kings
This team needs to get rid of dudes and bring in dudes. That’s way too many dude-based transactions for one team to handle. I wish them luck. Sincerely.
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