Instant reaction: Pick-by-pick lottery grades

1. New Orleans Pelicans: Zion Williamson, F, Duke

RIGHT MOVE? There was no other choice for the Pelicans, who lucked into the top pick just as Anthony Davis ushered himself out of New Orleans. Statistically speaking, Williamson should meet or exceed Julius Randle's production (22-9 last season, same stats Williamson put up at Duke).

COMPING THE PICK: No natural comparison exists for Williamson, whose been stacked against the game's greats (Charles Barkley comes up regularly) as a dunker and rebounder. To that end, former Oklahoma forward and highlight-reel dunker Blake Griffin is the closest resemblance in terms of style of play and upside from Day 1.

REGRETS, HAVE A FEW? Other than trying to sell the pick to the highest bidder, it's unlikely vice president of basketball operations David Griffin will look back on this selection and wonder, "What if...?" Williamson is not yet the total package, but the ceiling is sky high and anticipation for him hitting the NBA court will be off the charts.

GRADING THE PICK: A

2. Memphis Grizzlies: Ja Morant, PG, Murray State

SMALL SCHOOL, BIG TIME: If not for Williamson, there would be more oohs and aahs in the gallery of Morant's unique talent. He can jump out of the gym, has Magic Johnson-like vision and drained 3-pointers with a smooth stroke ready to translate to the NBA.

YOUR SHOW, MO: Morant became the first player in NCAA history to average 20 points and 10 assists and proved in two big showings in the NCAA Tournament that his game plays just fine, thank you, outside the Ohio Valley Conference. Morant is a Day 1 starter with the Grizzlies, replacing franchise pillar Mike Conley as a key to the fresh foundation alongside Jaren Jackson, the No. 4 pick in 2018.

GRIN AND BARRETT? The popular opinion entering the 2018-19 college basketball was RJ Barrett of Duke was the best player in the nation and a good bet to be the top pick in the draft. He has the guts and bravado to be a big-ticket item in the NBA, and his game won't likely fracture under the weight of being the marquee attraction at Madison Square Garden. Even still, the Grizzlies determined not long after scoring the second overall pick in the draft lottery that Morant was their man.

GRADING THE PICK: A

3. New York Knicks: RJ Barrett, F, Duke

CENTER STAGE: Barrett goes from Cameron Indoor Stadium to MSG and should inject life into a young core without a proven superstar. Barrett can score in a lot of ways, and the pressure of the market isn't a factor. If there was another direction to go here, it was perhaps point guard, but the Knicks are confident a core of Barrett, Dennis Smith Jr. and 19-year-old Kevin Knox can help turn the franchise around.

LYIN' ABOUT ZION: Fib if you must, N.Y. fans, but the Knicks can't hide their hangover from the draft lottery upset landing them with this pick and not the opportunity to pick Barrett's teammate, Zion Williamson, at No. 1. A relative disappointment, we're betting it won't be long before Knicks fans are all in on Barrett.

GRADING THE PICK: B+

4. Atlanta Hawks (from Lakers via Pelicans): De'Andre Hunter, F, Virginia

RUN WITH RALPH: For the first time since Ralph Sampson went No. 1 in 1983, the Virginia Cavaliers have a top four pick in the NBA draft. Opinions are split whether Hunter will be a good enough shooter to evolve into a facsimile of Draymond Green for the Hawks. He definitely can defend, move laterally and jump, allowing him to play on the ball against bigger opponents because of his NBA-ready frame.

BIG TIME: There is no true center in this draft, and the Hawks held onto the 10th pick in the first round. Size with speed should be an agenda item in Atlanta, which could thrive with a dunk-and-rebound 5 to pair with John Collins. Further, I'm not convinced Hunter wouldn't have been around a pick or four later. Atlanta had the No. 8 pick.

GRADING THE PICK: B-

5. Cleveland Cavaliers: Darius Garland, PG, Vanderbilt

WIN WITH COLLIN: The lottery pick of the moment last year was Collin Sexton, self-titled Young Bull, a point guard out of Alabama. Garland is a better shooter, natural scorer and a smart, face-of-the-franchise type of personality. But he does almost all of the same things the Cavaliers drafted Sexton to do last season, further confounding the direction of the team in the latest post-LeBron rebuild. Problem area: Neither can defend. Another one: Garland is not a pick-and-roll passer, which is to say we're punting on all of those Damian Lillard comparisons.

NO DEAL: The Cavaliers reportedly worked feverishly to deal this pick. New head coach John Beilein loves guards, and big men and wings that play like guards, so we'd be nuts to doubt his plan without seeing the full blueprint.

GRADING THE PICK: C

6. Minnesota Timberwolves (from Suns): Jarrett Culver, SG, Texas Tech

IN LIKE FLYNN: History says this pick is already better than the last No. 6 pick that went to Minnesota: Syracuse point guard Jonny Flynn one spot ahead of Stephen Curry (Warriors) in 2009. With a new regime in place, the Timberwolves are still on the outside looking in at Western Conference contenders.

WIGGINS OUT: Former No. 1 overall pick Andrew Wiggins might not be long for Minnesota. With the Wolves "actively shopping" the one-time Cavalier who was swapped for Kevin Love, Culver does make sense as the team attempts to build around Karl-Anthony Towns. The Big 12 Player of the Year is versatile, defends to win and can handle the ball in a pinch.

GRADING THE PICK: B-

--By Jeff Reynolds, Field Level Media