Feature image courtesy of flickr.com

The NBA Draft happened almost a week ago, but like any episode of ‘Game of Thrones’ or ‘The Walking Dead,’ it’s still fun to talk about long after its conclusion. Today, we’ll continue that conversation, and take a look at four prospects who ended up in situations that suit them perfectly. For these rookies, Christmas came in June this year.

1) D’Angelo Russell and the Lakers

Why the situation is perfect for him: He’ll have a nice backcourt buddy to grow with, he can become the next Laker star, and he avoided a certain team.

Ending up in L.A. is terrific for D’Angelo Russell for a few reasons. Let’s list them:

Reason #1: He didn’t end up in Philadelphia, even though a lot of mock drafts predicted he would. Therefore, he avoided being traded in a few months for four 2nd round picks in 2023.

Reason #2: As Chris Ryan of Grantland points out, Russell has a flair for dramatic, eye-popping and wide-eyed, emoji inducing plays, and he gets a grand stage in Hollywood to perform them on.

Reason #3: He’ll have a tremendous basketball (and trash talk) mentor in Kobe Bryant, get to form a capable backcourt duo with second-year player Jordan Clarkson, and be the man who ushers in a new era of Lakers basketball. He has a solid chance of being the city’s next beloved player.

Reason #4: He didn’t end up in Philadelphia.

"I'm really looking forward to [Kobe Bryant] taking me under his wing." – Lakers draftee D'Angelo Russell pic.twitter.com/62VWNOmEar — SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) June 26, 2015

2) Justise Winslow and the Heat

Why the situation is perfect for him: He slipped past the bad teams and finds himself on a talented one, where he can begin his career doing what he does best.

Many pundits are pegging this as the draft’s best value pick, and I’m right there with them.

Even though Tyus Jones (Winslow’s teammate at Duke) took home the Most Outstanding Player Award during the team’s run to the NCAA Tournament Title for his standout play in the Final Four, Winslow was the most impressive Blue Devil throughout March Madness. The 6’6”, 220 pound forward combines exceptional talent with an aggression that’s more commonly seen on the football field. For him to fall all the way to the 10th spot is absurd.

In fact, in a few years from now, people will likely be bald from all the head scratching they do when they try to explain how Winslow ended up being taken so late. Pat Riley and the Heat, though, probably won’t care — they’ll be too busy enjoying his production.

While other players in this post are named because they were picked by teams that will benefit the start of their careers the most, in this case, both sides will end up happy that they were paired with one another. Because Miami is so talented already, Winslow won’t have to shoulder the load that rookies above him will have. He can just play hard, slowly develop his skills and stay within himself. If he had been taken by a franchise like New York or Sacramento, he would have needed to be more of a focal point and possibly do things he isn’t comfortable with, which is never good for a rookie.

Meanwhile, the Heat will gladly reap the benefits of a winning player who plays tougher and harder than just about any other prospect — not to mention one they probably shouldn’t have even had the chance to select in the first place. It’s a classic win-win.

Celtics offered the Hornets 6 (including an unprotected first) draft picks in an effort to move up to #9 and draft Justise Winslow. Wow. — Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) June 26, 2015

3) Bobby Portis and the Bulls

Why the situation is perfect for him: His style of play matches Chicago’s and, like Winslow, he’s now a part of a loaded roster.

Bobby Portis was picked later than anyone expected him to be picked, but Chicago certainly isn’t complaining.

Last season’s SEC Player of the Year slid to the Bulls’ slot at No. 22, and the team eagerly snatched him up. The 6’11” forward does a little bit of everything, and, on a squad that values versatile, hard-nosed, big men (Joakim Noah, Taj Gibson and Pau Gasol all fit that description to a reasonable extent), he’ll fit right in. Just like the Spurs like to choose underappreciated players, and just like the Knicks tend to pick players who no one thought they would/should, the Bulls usually find guys who can do a lot of things well and help a team win. In Portis, they identified and acquired another prospect who embodies that philosophy.

Oh, and it also doesn’t hurt Portis’ chances that he is now on the same roster as the skilled men mentioned above, in addition to Derrick Rose. Him and the Bulls will get along better than Ricky Bobby and Cal Naughton, Jr.

Surprised Bobby Portis fell. Does everything well. No huge holes. Amazing motor. Love the pick for the Bulls. — Chad Ford (@chadfordinsider) June 26, 2015

4) Kevon Looney and the Warriors

Why the situation is perfect for him: Looney is extremely raw, but the potential he possesses is incredible. By landing in Golden State, he’ll have plenty of time to find his ceiling.

UCLA’s Kevon Looney is widely regarded as one of this year’s class’s biggest boom-or-bust prospects. The rangy center has shown flashes of insane potential but needs a lot of time to turn those flashes into a regular occurrence.

Being drafted by an organization with a weak roster could have damaged his career before it even started, as he would have been forced to rush his growth and possibly end up washed out of the league prematurely. Thankfully for him, though, he made it to Golden State, where he can quietly go about expanding his game and will not be forced to play right away. The Warriors are the league’s defending champs and are as deep as anyone. Looney can use his first few years in the NBA to watch, learn and practice.

Sure, Looney probably would have been pleased to start playing in the Association anywhere. But when the Warriors selected him with the last pick in the first-round, they gave him the ideal place to begin his search for his sky-high ceiling. Like Kanye West and a mirror, these two are a match made in heaven.