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Round 1: Derrick Rose
Round 2: Serge Ibaka
Analysis: Atlanta didn't even have to attend this draft to do well. With the #2 pick it was always going to be either Derrick Rose or Michael Beasley. For them, I think Rose is the right fit. Greg Oden, drafted last year, and Rose will become a formidable duo in no time at all. Their second round pick this year, Serge Ibaka, looked like the best player left on the board. He will more than likely stay overseas, but a rebuilding team like the Hawks can afford to wait for him to develop, so if he pans out that will be a nice pick-up.
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Round 1: Jason Thompson
Round 2: Nathan Jawai
Analysis: The Celtics did a great job getting guys that had slipped past where they had went in the NBA Draft. They grabbed Thompson at 17 (12th in the NBA Draft) and took Jawai at 47 (41st in the NBA Draft). If either of these guys pan out then they will be considered steals, which is why I give them a B. Neither of these guys will be too much of a disappointment if they don't pan out, and if they do then great. The Celts played it pretty safe here. And both men may have the chance to compete for a starting job with the way Andrea Bargnani has been playing. |
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Round 1: Brandon Rush
Round 2: Deron Washington
Analysis: I think that Brandon Rush will be a good player, and with Jerry Stackhouse's age I can see why the Bobcats selected him. However, I still don't think he was the best fit for their team of the guy's left on the board. I think a guy like Robin Lopez would have fit well next to a scoring PF like LaMarcus Aldridge. Selling Goran Dragic might have been the right move with Aaron Brooks and Carlos Arroyo already sitting at the PG spot. Deron Washington probably has little chance of making the team. He has great athletic ability, but that's about it. |
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Round 1: Roy Hibbert
Round 2: Darnell Jackson, Joe Crawford
Analysis: Trades are what made this draft for the Chicago Bulls, and both ended up helping the team. After this draft, this team looks more complete than I've seen it in a long time. The first trade they made sent Cuttino Mobley over to Miami for Drew Gooden. All they had to do was swap a couple of seconds to steal Gooden from the Heat. The second trade was even better for the Bulls. They traded Steven Hunter and Bobby Simmons along with the #10 pick Joe Alexander over to the Bucks for Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Anthony Parker and #13 pick Roy Hibbert. So now the team has two players that can score at the PF position in Shareef and Gooden, they have a successor to Shaq in Roy Hibbert and a great back-up center until Shaq retires, and were able to retain TJ Ford and Ron Artest. To say the least, I am very excited about this team. And that doesn't include their two second round picks, Joe Crawford and Darnell Jackson. If either of those guys develop through the D-League, this draft will be an even bigger success for Chicago. |
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Round 1: None
Round 2: None
Analysis: No action for the Cavs on draft day. If the team can manage to re-sign most of their guys, they'll be set. They don't need no stinkin' draft picks! |
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Round 1: Donte Green
Round 2: Goran Dragic
Analysis: Donte Green was clearly the best player available. Taking anyone else at 28 would have been a reach, so the Mavs did the right thing here. They tried to trade up but did not succeed. If they had succeeded, this may have been a better draft for the team. However, Green is a good player and will fit in as a good back-up at worst. His summer league performances were incredible, so it looks like this kid has a bright future and the Mavericks have themselves a late first round steal. As far Dragic, he was a cheap pick-up, bought from the Bobcats, who they hope can play for them in the future. |
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Round 1: None
Round 2: Shan Foster
Analysis: With only one pick in this draft, the Nuggets took Shan Foster. I'm not a huge fan of Foster and personally don't believe he will ever find a place in the league. But at 45, there really wasn't much left. |
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Round 1: None
Round 2: None
Analysis: No draft picks for the Pistons this year. Although these guys could use some rookie influence, unlike the Cavs. |
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Round 1: Michael Beasley
Round 2: Nikola Pekovic, James Gist
Analysis: The choice at number one came between Beasley and Rose, and Golden State took who they thought would help them best. I think either of the two would have fit here, but they couldn't have gone wrong either way. As for their second round selections, I'm not a huge fan of Pekovic but we'll have to see if he pans out. I believe DJ White, JR Giddens, or even George Hill would all have fit better for the Warriors but to each his own. As for Gist, at 57 he was definitely the best guy left. |
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Round 1: DJ Augustin
Round 2: Luc Mbah a Moute
Analysis: The GM-less Rockets did well. They can now move combo guard Stuckey over to SG and play Augustin at the PG position. Mbah a Moute is a defensive specialist, a la Bruce Bowen, and he might find a place in the league. They've immediately made their team a little better and taken a step toward becoming more competitive, if they can get a GM. |
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Round 1: None
Round 2: George Hill, Walter Sharpe
Analysis: I like George Hill, especially at 36, and I also like Walter Sharpe somewhat but I can't bring myself to give the Pacers any higher than a C-. The fact is, this team should have had a top ten draft pick and they traded it away for injured stars with expiring contracts. So they chose to "win now" and didn't win anything. They need a rookie presence as much as any other team to revitalize their city, especially if even one of their stars leaves town. George Hill is not that star and Walter Sharpe isn't either. |
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Round 1: Eric Gordon
Round 2: Omer Asik
Analysis: Eric Gordon seems to fit nicely into the Clippers lineup. Also they get a bonus for drafting as their NBA counterparts! But in all seriousness, Jarrett Jack, Eric Gordon, and LeBron James could form a pretty nice group. Re-signing K-Mart and keeping Perkins around rounds out the lineup nicely. Drafting Gordon at eight was probably the best thing to do. Augustin would have been a little bit of a reach, as would Speights have been, and the team has no need for Alexander or Gallinari at all. As for Asik, he will more than likely stay overseas, but if he gets to the NLL he will provide some more firepower at center for the team. |
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Round 1: Darrell Arthur
Round 2: Sonny Weems, Kyle Weaver, Malik Hairston
Analysis: This team actually had more second round choices than those three players they selected, if you can believe that or not. The GM here did a great job of getting rid of some of those choices, and chose well all throughout the draft. However, at 19 Arthur was probably a bit of a reach and it seems he drafted three guys at SG that are too similar. I guess he figures if at least one pans out then he wins. Can't argue with that logic I guess, but I would rather take my chances on drafting different types of players. |
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Round 1: DeAndre Jordan
Round 2: Richard Hendrix, Mike Taylor, Semih Erden
Analysis: Jordan is all upside, if he becomes a good center then I'll change this grade but he can provide absolutely nothing for a team right now. At #31 he is a good choice, but at 29 or even 30 where you are guaranteeing to give this guy a contract in the NBA it isn't worth it. Which is why he fell in the NBA Draft. As for Hendrix, Taylor, and Erden they are decent picks. Erden is another chance pick; as of now it looks like he has little chance of ever playing NBA or NLL ball. I'm not a fan of D-Leaguers, so Taylor doesn't look like an enticing pick to me, but I could be wrong. And Hendrix, to me seems like the most solid pick of the bunch, and that isn't a good thing. |
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Round 1: JJ Hickson
Round 2: DJ White, Sean Singletary
Analysis: Although I believe Chicago won out in their trade with the Heat, I don't think it hurt their overall draft. JJ Hickson, I feel, will become a decent player in the NLL and was a good pick at 21. Although I do not believe Singletary will become a very key NLL player given the Heat's needs at PG he was a good pick for them. DJ White was also a good pick because that they had given up Gooden. While I don't think the trade with the Bulls was a great one they saved themselves with who they picked up. |
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Round 1: Russell Westbrook, Joe Alexander
Round 2: None
Analysis: I absolutely love Russell Westbrook. Drafting Joe Alexander didn't look like too big of a deal until Josh Childress decided he was going overseas. This team is loaded with young talent, and the fact is they could have drafted anybody and still done pretty well. They traded for the guys they thought were the best available and I'd say they did well. |
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Round 1: Brook Lopez, Anthony Randolph, Chris Douglas-Roberts
Round 2: None
Analysis: Three first rounders, that's right! This draft also brought Jason Terry to the T'Wolves, which is a big plus. Honestly, I don't know how to grade this draft for Minnesota. Lamar Odom is gone, Terry is now in. They traded for Brook Lopez, which is a plus even if they still have Dalembert. But I felt they reached big time on Douglad-Roberts and I think that Anthony Randolph may become one of the most over-rated players of this draft. So there is both good and bad here in my eyes. So I give them a neutral C. |
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Round 1: Ante Tomic
Round 2: Maarty Leunen
Analysis: Another team I don't really know how to grade. Ante Tomic, when he comes over, will be a decent player and the Nets could undoubtedly use him. I also like Maarty Leunen, even if he was only picked because he was the only guy available. Leunen will probably never play, but I still like him. But the Tomic is too much of an unknown for me to grade them to favorably, so another neutral C. |
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Round 1: Marreese Speights
Round 2: None
Analysis: I have to admit, personal preference really affected this grade. But I really think Speights will be a big piece of the Hornets puzzle one day. He can play C or PF, and can start next to Camby right away. Jamario Moon can go back to playing SF, Iguodala can fit in at SG, and Rondo at PG. This pick alone allows the Hornets to have a sound lineup. Figure in their $54 M in cap space and this team can do some things in the rest of the offseason to make them better. But this draft was the jumping off point for them and they got off to a good start. |
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Round 1: Kosta Koufos
Round 2: Patrick Ewing Jr.
Analysis: Patrick Ewing Jr may have been a sentimental pick, but still a pretty decent one. The Knicks really have a whole at C, and Koufos can help to fill that. He was the best center available at 20, and the Knicks got him. I think they achieved what they wanted with him, so they did well. |
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Round 1: Jerryd Bayless
Round 2: None
Analysis: They got who they wanted, what else can I say. And Jerryd Bayless will be a hell of a player. If he can play PG, that's great. If he ends up playing SG, then that's fine too. It doesn't matter because Bayless will be great. |
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Round 1: Alexis Ajinca
Round 2: None
Analysis: Ajnca was taken 20th in the NBA Draft, so at 26, he could be considered a bit of a steal. Ilgauskas is getting old, and Ajinca will probably end up being his successor. Ajinca may stay overseas but that will just give Ilgauskas one more year to man down the post by himself. This is the second straight year that Philly takes a European, but this guy doesn't seem quite as talented as Rudy Fernandez. So that's why they get a little bump down. |
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Round 1: None
Round 2: Joey Dorsey
Analysis: Dorsey will make his living on hustle and defense. Neither hustle nor defense doesn't translates in the NLL, at least it usually doesn't. With Horford and Villanueva, along with Pachulia, the team isn't exactly loaded with big men but Dorsey will still need to work his way up the roster. |
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Round 1: JaVale McGee
Round 2: DeVon Hardin
Analysis: The NLL Champions picked a potential guy in McGee, which is something they can do if they want to. But they took another potential guy in the second in DeVon Hardin. Too much risk if you ask me. Both players have too much in common. Even if both become successful, you can't use Ben Wallace (who still has two years left and will be hard to deal), Hardin, AND McGee. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt because I like McGee and because they won the championship. |
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Round 1: OJ Mayo, Kevin Love, Robin Lopez
Round 2: Bill Walker, Sasha Kaun
Analysis: This was a horrendous draft performance. The Kings' lineup looked like this on draft day, before they dismantled it: Mike Conley, OJ Mayo, Boris Diaw, Kevin Love, Brook Lopez. They were guaranteed three ROY candidates and an up-and-coming team that would have been competitive in the very near future. they traded away this year's ROY Conley and the promising Brook Lopez for the younger brother Robin Lopez and Lamar Odom. OJ Mayo is a scorer, not a PG and I his talent will be wasted if SAC plays him at the PG position. But that first round performance isn't all that was done badly. The team then continued on by reaching much too highly for Bill Walker. Walker makes his living on his high-flying acrobatics and with a bum knee this guy may never see the light of day. I really did not like this draft day for the Kings. |
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Round 1: Courtney Lee
Round 2: None
Analysis: Courntey Lee is a very good shooter. So is Ray Allen, Adam Morrison, and Jason Kapono. The last thing this team needed was a deep-threat scoring wing. This team is in need of big men, and even a reach for Ajinca would have been a better choice as it stands now. |
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Round 1: Danilo Gallinari
Round 2: JR Giddens
Analysis: I'm not a fan of Gallinari, but you cannot deny his skill. Giddens wasn't really a steal as he was supposed to go in the second anyways, but the Sonics got him later than he was taken in the NBA. He'll be able to come in and compete with Willie Green. Gallinari may have to sit the bench though, behind Tayshaun Prince. |
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Round 1: Nicolas Batum, Mario Chalmers
Round 2: Trent Plaisted
Analysis: Batum may have been one of the best guys left at 23, but with Durant at SF why take him? He probably won't come over right away and he'll play second fiddle to Durant if he wants the job, though. Chalmers was a great choice at 25, but you can't help but feel he was a consolation prize when you consider that they should have had Augustin and had to reach just to get their man in Chalmers. And Trent Plaisted looks like he'll be nothing more but a successor to Mark Madsen. |
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Round 1: None
Round 2: None
Analysis: No picks for the Jazz! |
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Round 1: Ryan Anderson
Round 2: Tadija Dragicevic
Analysis: This team has a ridiculously talented starting lineup, so if Ryan Anderson can just come in and play 10 good minutes for this team, then he will be successfull. But who in the hell is Tadija Dragicevic? |
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