:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/46237388/usa-today-8358367.0.jpg)
The NBA Draft is on June 25th this year, which is 58 days from today. The NBA Draft Lottery is on May 19th. Things are heating up, as the NBA Draft Combine starts (for the players) on May 12th. Heck, the Early Entrant list was just released. So, let's start talking about the NBA Draft. The Minnesota Timberwolves, New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers, Los Angeles Lakers, Orlando Magic, and Boston Celtics look to be the teams that make a lot of noise early and often in the first round. Here's the draft order for this year, and the strengths, weaknesses, and overall draft strategies for each of the teams. One thing we know now is that the NBA Draft is more than just a situation where your fates are made or broken depending on if you get the 1st pick -- after all, LeBron James has been spectacular, Anthony Bennett hasn't, and possible Rookie of the Year winner Andrew Wiggins looks to fly between those two extremes. And those are just guys all drafted by the same franchise.
Anyway, this is what you need to look out for -- as this is potentially "professional NBA draft chatter" because fate has made me someone who gets occasionally paid to write about the NBA Draft and attend it. I don't think I'm that smart, and I don't put a lot of stock into this stuff. It's early, and General Managers in the NBA are just as clueless as the fans are. So enjoy this moment, we don't know what's going to happen in the next few weeks. But we do know that some teams are going to really mess up under pressure.
So, here's the first round, and estimated guesses on what these teams may be looking for.
| Team | W | L | % | Strength | Weakness | Strategy | |
| 1 | MIN | 16 | 66 | 19.5% | PG, Youth, Andrew Wiggins | Power Forward | Best Player Available |
| 2 | NYK | 17 | 65 | 20.7% | Big City, Insane Owner | Big City, Insane Owner | Big City, Insane Owner |
| 3 | PHI | 18 | 64 | 22.0% | Fans used to losing | Point Guard | Best Player Available |
| 4 | LAL | 21 | 61 | 25.6% | Kobe Bryant | Kobe System, Point Guard | Best Player Available |
| 5 | ORL | 25 | 57 | 30.5% | PG, SG, C | SF if Tobias Harris leaves | Best Player Available |
| 6 | SAC | 29 | 53 | 35.4% | C, SG in theory | Owner | Best Player Available |
| 7 | DEN | 30 | 52 | 36.6% | PG, PF | SG | Best Player Available |
| 8 | DET | 32 | 50 | 39.0% | PG, SG, C | PF if Greg Monroe leaves | Best Player Available |
| 9 | CHA | 33 | 49 | 40.2% | Al Jefferson | Non-Al Jeffersons | Michael Jordan is horrible at his job |
| 10 | MIA | 37 | 45 | 45.1% | Weather | It's not 2013 Anymore | Best Player Available |
| 11 | IND | 38 | 44 | 46.3% | SF, PF, C | SG, PG, and SG again | [Racist Joke Redacted] |
| 12 | UTA | 38 | 44 | 46.3% | SF, PF, C | PG | Target best player on NCAA runner up |
| 13 | PHX | 39 | 43 | 47.6% | PG, Morrii | C | MOAR BALL HANDLERS! |
| 14 | OKC | 45 | 37 | 54.9% | PG, SF, PF | C | Please don't make us pay for Enes Kanter |
| 15 | ATL | 60 | 22 | 73.2% | PG, SG, C | Free Agency | Need someone Big |
| Team | W | L | % | Strength | Weakness | Strategy | |
| 16 | BOS | 40 | 42 | 48.8% | PG, C | SF, PF | Somehow trade for Kevin Garnett again |
| 17 | MIL | 41 | 41 | 50.0% | PF, SF | PG, SG | But is he an upgrade over MCW? |
| 18 | HOU | 56 | 26 | 68.3% | James Harden, Dwight Howard | PG, PF | Most urgent need |
| 19 | WAS | 46 | 36 | 56.1% | John Wall | PF | Paul Pierce can't last forever tho… |
| 20 | TOR | 49 | 33 | 59.8% | Universal Health Care | Playoffs | Go for Athletes |
| 21 | DAL | 50 | 32 | 61.0% | Dirk Nowitzki, Insane Owner | Window may have closed | Best Player Available |
| 22 | CHI | 50 | 32 | 61.0% | PG, PF, C | SG if Butler leaves | Go for Defenders |
| 23 | POR | 51 | 31 | 62.2% | Damian Lillard, Steve Blake | Everything Else | Go for best Big |
| 24 | CLE | 53 | 29 | 64.6% | LeBron James | LeBron James Hairline | Need a wing badly |
| 25 | MEM | 55 | 27 | 67.1% | Lots of Grit | Perhaps too much Grind | Best Player Available |
| 26 | SAS | 55 | 27 | 67.1% | Lichdom | Plucky Adventurers | Best International guy on the board |
| 27 | LAL | 21 | 61 | 25.6% | Kobe Bryant | Kobe System, Point Guard | Look for rotation guy |
| 28 | BOS | 40 | 42 | 48.8% | PG, C | SF, PF | Tweener Forward? Gotta have him. |
| 29 | BKN | 38 | 44 | 46.3% | Insane Owner | General Manager | Throw money at the problem |
| 30 | GSW | 67 | 15 | 81.7% | PG, SG, PF, C | No Four Point Line | Get smart guards |
Of course, expect more, and more, and more draft coverage here in the next few hours.