The Worst Team You Can Draft, Rounds 1-4

Mock drafts are aplenty in this preseason time, and some trends and groupthink are being established. Everyone can talk about who to draft; but is anyone making the worst team you can draft?

These aren’t bad picks, per se. You can build with any of these players. But the value, guys, the value is what we’re talking about here. These are the guys that one writer thinks are overvalued, overpriced, or not worth the risk at their cost.

ROUND 1: TYRESE MAXEY

One time, in Cooperstown, we went to a diner with a huge menu with all different types of food. Italian, basics like burgers, breakfast food, stir fry, all of it. I foolishly ordered the fettuccine, which was one of the worst-tasting things I’ve had in a restaurant. It’s not their fault, it’s mine. I shoulda gone with the burger. There was just too much unnecessary risk. I shouldn’t have chased the risk. I shoulda just gone safe.

That’s where I am with Tyrese Maxey. He could be great, but the Sixers just added LeBron James and Jaylen Brown. Do we know how that’s going to shake out? Will the shots go down? What will the usage rate be? Is he a designated scorer or will he be more of a true point?

That’s the problem with Maxey in the first round. We have to be comfortable with the entire range of options to spend a first round pick on him. Right now, I’m not comfortable with the downside.

He’s the fettuccine in a burger joint. Go safe.

Draft instead: Like, anyone else in the round. Don’t chase risk in the first round.

ROUND 2: STEPH CURRY

Steph Curry is one of my favorite players of all time. He’s great. He continues to be great. The shooting is there at all times; he’s worked too hard for it to just die. But he only played 43 games last year and is going to turn 38 as a smaller guard. He’s a complete outlier with literally zero historical comps. Now, he’s a historical player, but it’s a health concerns. It’s the same with Kevin Durant.

Older guys get injured more often. I know, I like to post controversial takes for attention.

So second round is great for Curry if he can stay healthy and post more numbers like we’ve never seen before. I love Curry, don’t get me wrong. But that range of outcomes is too great for my risk-averse blood.

Draft instead: Jalen Brunson, Jamal Murray

ROUND 3: JAMES HARDEN

Another older guy. See the theme? But I won’t focus on Harden’s age more than saying he’s going to be 37 and hasn’t always been in the best shape.  I’ll talk instead about his 20 points, 7 assists average after the trade to Cleveland. That’s his lowest assist total since before COVID. The scoring has a chance to drop even more as the third or fourth option depending on how Peyton Watson fits in. There’s a lot of reasons to fade Harden, just choose one and………..

Draft instead: Josh Giddey, Austin Reeves

ROUND 4: WALKER KESSLER

Wait, what? Kessler isn’t an aging guard, what’s he doing in this article? Well, people are drafting Kessler as if he were a locked in double double machine with blocks. This ignores the injuries (5 games played last year, missed 24 the year before) and that he’s only averaged double figures in points one time in a full season. He’s basically Rudy Gobert but a couple rounds earlier. I’m not going to take the risk here that he underperforms his slot, at least not in the top four picks. You’re baking in the upside as guaranteed while any slippage from that means you take a loss.

Draft instead: Ivica Zubac, Jalen Duren, or just wait and draft a similar upside player four rounds later

Next up, we can get really funky and kill your team in rounds 5-8!