If you are holding the FO to the "taking the best player in the draft" mindset, then there are zero FOs that hold up to that standard. OKC seems like a gold standard but they whiff all the time. They've hit the past 3 drafts, but in 2021 they took Tre Mann at 18. Before that they had Poku in 2020 (they traded Immanuel Quickley for him), Darius Bazley in 2019 (moving Brandon Clarke for him), Terrance Ferguson in 2017, Cam Payne in 2015, and Mitch McGary and Josh Huestis in 2014. Their past 3 drafts have been great, but let's not act like Presti doesn't have a bunch of misses too. Even within the past few drafts they traded Alperen Sengun on draft night in 2021, and swapped Dereck Lively for Cason Wallace in 2023 (too early to tell on that one but Lively seems like the better pick).
The draft is in part a crapshoot, you never know how these guys are going to develop. A more realistic view is: how do these guys hold up compared to where they were drafted? Wemby holds up as a #1 pick. Sochan is top 7 in points, rebounds, and assists in his draft class while also taking on the role of primary defender. Not bad for a #9 pick. Branham and Wesley have performed about average in comparison to their draft spots, with Branham being a top 10 scorer in the class but with empty numbers, and Wesley being one of the best playmakers in the class so far. 2021 was a complete flop with Primo and Wieskamp. In 2020 we got Vassell and Tre Jones. Vassell at 11 has easily been one of the top 10 players of the class, so good value there. Tre Jones was a second rounder who has turned out to be a starting level PG, which is phenomenal value. Those are all the drafts with Brian Wright as GM so far. Sochan and Vassell were good picks. Wemby and Tre Jones were great picks. Primo was a bad pick. Branham and Wesley have been about average. Who knows on Sidy and Castle at this point. Overall we have been solid in the draft under Wright.
Combine that with how much value we've gotten out of the trades we've made (DJ, Poeltl, Derozan, Thad, generating 2nds from cast-offs like Hernangomez and Forbes) and the lack of bad contracts handed out (aside from Zach Collins), I'd say Brian Wright has earned a little more grace than you're giving him. Especially since RC and Pop are both still in the building and part of the decision-making process.
The draft is in part a crapshoot, you never know how these guys are going to develop. A more realistic view is: how do these guys hold up compared to where they were drafted? Wemby holds up as a #1 pick. Sochan is top 7 in points, rebounds, and assists in his draft class while also taking on the role of primary defender. Not bad for a #9 pick. Branham and Wesley have performed about average in comparison to their draft spots, with Branham being a top 10 scorer in the class but with empty numbers, and Wesley being one of the best playmakers in the class so far. 2021 was a complete flop with Primo and Wieskamp. In 2020 we got Vassell and Tre Jones. Vassell at 11 has easily been one of the top 10 players of the class, so good value there. Tre Jones was a second rounder who has turned out to be a starting level PG, which is phenomenal value. Those are all the drafts with Brian Wright as GM so far. Sochan and Vassell were good picks. Wemby and Tre Jones were great picks. Primo was a bad pick. Branham and Wesley have been about average. Who knows on Sidy and Castle at this point. Overall we have been solid in the draft under Wright.
Combine that with how much value we've gotten out of the trades we've made (DJ, Poeltl, Derozan, Thad, generating 2nds from cast-offs like Hernangomez and Forbes) and the lack of bad contracts handed out (aside from Zach Collins), I'd say Brian Wright has earned a little more grace than you're giving him. Especially since RC and Pop are both still in the building and part of the decision-making process.
