Draft Review

Just a quick disclaimer before I start in on the Draft Review:

I haven’t seen the vast majority of these guys play…even a little. The small amount that I have witnessed consists of a few tournament games this year. So when I review a team’s draft I’m really commenting on how I think the draft picks fit with the particular needs of the club, rather than the player’s actual skill level.

Disclaimer #2:

I use what ESPN Insider Chad Ford writes about these guys to discern what their basic attributes are. While Ford may not be 100% right on all of them (who is?), it’s his job to monitor these college and international players all year long. So I trust his general take on what their strengths and weaknesses are.

Atlanta Hawks – Al Horford (3) & Acie Law IV (11)

While Horford and Law are probably upgrades over Marvin & Sheldon Williams and Speedy Claxton & Tyronn Lue respectively, the Hawks just got even younger. So even though these picks look good on paper, I don’t think they necessarily equate to more wins. Additionally, these were two guys I wasn’t overly impressed with in the tourney.

Boston Celtics – Ray Allen, Gabe Pruitt (32) & Glen Davis (35)

Pruitt is a possible replacement for the departed Delonte West, but I’m not sure about Glen “Big Baby” Davis. Talented guys with weight issues (Oliver Miller, Robert Traylor, Mike Sweetney, etc.) tend to have a very short shelf life in the NBA. The big news for the Celtics is obviously the acquisition of Allen.

Unlike most, I think Ray-Ray has at least two good years left in him. I’m of the mind that the Allen/Paul Pierce/Al Jefferson trio, with Rajon Rondo & Kendrick Perkins as role players, is enough for Boston to contend the East. Granted, GM Danny Ainge is gambling here by mortgaging the future to appease Pierce, but it’s a calculated risk worth taking in my book. I don’t think Ainge is done yet either. Look for Danny to move Theo Ratliff’s expiring contract and a youngster or two for some veteran help.

Charlotte Bobcats – Jason Richardson, Jared Dudley (22) & Jermareo Davidson (36)

GM Michael Jordan acquiring J-Rich is a major coup in my book. Richardson is one of the most underrated players in the NBA and fills a huge void on the Cats roster. Jason will step right in and be their #1 option on offense and go-to-guy in the clutch. J-Rich, Raymond Felton and Emeka Okafor is a very nice core to build around, and I expect Charlotte to be better than people think next season.

Dudley has been described as a Shane Battier type role playing SF. In other words, Jared does all the things that Adam Morrison doesn’t. I’m not sure where this leaves unrestricted free agent Gerald Wallace, but my guess is he’s played his last game as a member of the Bobcats. Davidson is raw athletic big with an outside chance of making the roster.

Chicago Bulls – Joakim Noah (9), Aaron Gray (49) & JamesOn Curry (51)

On one hand I can see how Noah’s demeanor and style of play fits right in with the Bulls and coach Scott Skiles. On the other hand they already have two guys who do the exact same things Joakim does in Ben Wallace and Tyrus Thomas. Now maybe GM John Paxson is stockpiling assets for a Kobe Bryant or Kevin Garnett deal, but I doubt it. Gray is a plodding center with some offensive skill and Curry is an undersized SG.

Cleveland Cavaliers – nothing

Dallas Mavericks – Nick Fazekas (34), Reyshawn Terry (44) & Renaldas Seibutis (50)

Fazekas looks like the next in the Keith Van Horn-Austin Croshere line as Dirk Nowitzki’s backup. Not a bad second round pick when you consider Nick’s numbers translate very well to the pro game.. Terry is an athletic SF and seems like the typical Mavs steal to me. Don’t expect to see Seibutis any time soon.

Denver Nuggets – nothing

Detroit Pistons – Rodney Stuckey (15), Arron Afflalo (27) & Sammy Mejia (57)

I think it’s safe to say that GM Joe Dumars was not happy with his back court depth last season. Stuckey is a combo guard that does a little bit of everything on the offensive end. He should be the first guard off the bench next year and bring some much needed athleticism to the Pistons rotation. Afflalo & Mejia are both swingmen, so maybe Joe D is hoping that one of them pans out.

Golden State Warriors – Brandan Wright (8), Marco Belinelli (18) & Stephane Lasme (46)

I think GM Chris Mullin got taken to the cleaners on the Wright-Richardson exchange from a purely talent perspective. Brandan is one of those kids with all the tools (length, athleticism) and unlimited “upside”, but he lacks pro level strength and has persistent questions about his desire and work ethic. That’s never a good combo in my opinion. What Mully did accomplish with his trade of J-Rich is he gained a $10 million dollar trade exception that is good for a calendar year. What this means is the Warriors can acquire a player with a contract up to $10 mil for nothing at all. That is absolutely HUGE for them. (Note: the trade exception can not be packaged with anything else when used.)

Belinelli is your typical European shooter that will probably have a tough time adjusting to the physicality and pace of play in the NBA. Lasme is a super-athletic shot blocking and rebounding specialist. I think Stephane’s got a decent shot at being a rotation player in GS this coming season because they don’t have a designated defensive stopper.

Houston Rockets – Aaron Brooks (26), Carl Landry (31) & Brad Newley (54)

New GM Daryl Morey is the first numbers based head personnel man in the NBA, so I guess we’re not supposed to understand his first draft. Brooks is an extremely undersized SG with lightning quickness. I think Aaron was a serious reach in the first round and doesn’t fit at all on a Rockets squad with Mike James, Rafer Alston, John Lucas III, Luther Head & Vassilis Spanoulis. Morey’s going to have to do something to clear up that log jam. Landry is a bruiser down low and fits a need for Houston much better than Brooks does. Newley is a star SG in Australia and could be a nice backup...if he comes over.

Indiana Pacers – Stanko Barac (39)

Another puzzling move by GM Larry Bird. Why trade a future second rounder for a guy who is years away from contributing? Seems a little silly to me, but I guess Bird saw something in him he just had to have.

Los Angeles Clippers – Al Thornton (14) & Jared Jordan (45)

I think GM Elgin Baylor did a great job here. Thornton basically fell into his lap and fits a need taboot. Much is made about Al’s age (23), but the Clips need someone who can produce right now. Thornton’s arrival also means that Corey Maggette is most likely on his way out of town. Jordan is a “true” PG that sees the floor, knows how to run a team and keep his teammates happy. The knock on JJ is his athleticism, so while his upside may be Steve Nash-y, Jared could also easily be the next Mateen Cleaves.

Los Angeles Lakers – Javaris Crittenton (19), Sun Yue (40) & Marc Gasol (48)

I’m sure Kobe Bryant was just thrilled with these picks. Crittenton is technically the PG the Lakers really need, but the problem is that he’s 19 years old and years away. He and Andrew Bynum have LA all set up to rebuild post “Mamba”. GM Mitch Kupchak has already said that both Yue and Gasol will play overseas for at least another year. Great, so we got nothing that makes us better in this draft. Fantastic! Actually, homerish disgust aside, I think Gasol can really help the Lakers interior defense and rebounding…if he ever gets stateside.

Memphis Grizzlies – Mike Conley Jr. (4)

Nice pick by new GM Chris Wallace here, although it was pretty much a no-brainer when you consider that the Griz have a decent player at every other position. I wonder if Conley is really ready though. If he is, Pau Gasol, Mike Miller and Rudy Gay will be very happy and Memphis will no longer be a league laughingstock.

Miami Heat – Daequan Cook (21)

Cook has all the tools to be a legit NBA SG, but is no where near ready yet. I also have to wonder given coach/GM Pat Riley’s intolerance of young players (Dorell Wright springs to mind), and the Heat’s win now mantra, why he would take a project here. I mean as good as Daequan might be, he’s not the missing piece Miami needs to get back to the Finals.

Milwaukee Bucks – Yi Jianlian (6) & Ramon Sessions (56)

Kudos to Bucks GM Larry Harris for having the testicular fortitude to draft who he thought was the best player on the board, regardless of what Yi’s “representatives” were saying. Jianlian is a face the basket PF with an outside shot and the ability to put the ball on the floor. The questions about him are his strength and toughness. As raw as Yi is, I think the Bucks are a great situation for him. A young team with low expectations in a small media market…it’s perfect! Now maybe the merchandise dollars won’t be the same as in a big city, but as far as on the court goes, it couldn’t be better. The sooner his “people” understand this, the better for everybody involved. Sessions is a pass first PG that has a chance to make the roster as a backup.

Minnesota Timberwolves – Corey Brewer (7) & Chris Richard (41)

After unsuccessfully trying to trade Kevin Garnett before the draft, GM Kevin McHale chose two Florida Gators. Brewer is going to be a solid defender, but his offense is a long ways away. That said, Corey and Randy Foye could be a nice tandem covering each other’s weaknesses. Richard was the sixth man for the Gators and will have a tough time making the squad.

A funny sidebar here is that had McHale pulled off the deal with Atlanta, he planned on taking Horford and Noah as well. I mean, you can’t make this stuff up.

New Jersey Nets – Sean Williams (17)

This guy is supposedly a character risk, but he’s exactly what the Nets need. Williams is an athletic shot blocking big man that doesn’t mind mixing it up inside. So he and Nenad Krstic compliment each other’s strengths and weaknesses. A nice pick here as long as metropolitan New York doesn’t get the best of Sean.

New Orleans Hornets – Julian Wright (13) & Adam Haluska (43)

I’m sure GM Jeff Bower was shocked to see Wright sitting there at 13. So even though Julian plays the same position as Peja Stojakovic, Bower did the right thing by taking the best player available. Conversely, Haluska was picked because he fills a need at SG, and seems like a massive reach that most likely would have went undrafted if not picked by the Hornets.

New York Knicks – Zach Randolph, Fred Jones, Dan Dickau, Wilson Chandler (23) & Demetris Nichols (53)

Give GM Isiah Thomas credit here, he got Z-Bo for pennies on the dollar. That said, Zeke also took on an additional $30 million in long term salaries and created a huge log jam in the low post. I have no idea how Zach and Eddy Curry are going to coexist as starters. While Randolph does have a decent mid-range jumper, he needs to be on the low block to do his best work. Ditto for Curry, minus the jump shot. Then there’s super-sub David Lee who is also strictly a low post performer, albeit one that doesn’t require the ball to produce. You would think after the Stephon Marbury-Steve Francis debacle that Thomas would have learned his lesson, but unless there’s another trade in the works, it seems not.

Chandler is a long athletic forward whose game is supposedly better suited to the NBA and Nichols is a one trick pony (3-point shooting). As always, I’m not about to question any of Isiah’s draft picks.

Orlando Magic – Milovan Rakovic (60)

The NBA’s version of “Mr. Irrelevant” is unlikely to ever cross the pond.

Philadelphia 76ers – Thaddeus Young (12), Jason Smith (20), Derrick Byars (42) & Herbert Hill (55)

At first I was a little disappointed when the Sixers picked Young, then I started reading about him and the pick made sense to me. Thad is a bit of a “tweener” now, but with some added muscle he could possibly play some PF in the future. Smith is a face the basket big man in the Dirk Nowitzki vein, so you can expect him to struggle defending stronger players for a while. I don’t expect Byars to make the team, but the Hill selection reminds me a lot of Utah taking Paul Millsap last year.

As MMM has been saying all along, he wanted GM Billy King to get two pieces out of this draft. I think there’s a very good possibility of that. Obviously I’m already driving the HH bandwagon, and if either Young or Smith reach their potential, well there you have it. There are some pitfalls here though. Thad and Jason are both “upside” guys, and if they develop slowly I doubt Philadelphians will have the patience to nurture them along.

Phoenix Suns – Alando Tucker (29) & D.J. Strawberry (59)

New GM Steve Kerr’s first go around in the draft was a little questionable. Tucker has great athleticism, is a good defender and is ready to play right away. In theory that give the Suns some much needed depth. The problem is that Alando can’t shoot, so how he fits into coach Mike D’Antoni’s system remains to be seen. Strawberry tested as the best overall athlete at the combine and has the makings of a future defensive stopper, but D.J. is another guy that can’t shoot.

Portland Trail Blazers – Steve Francis, Channing Frye, Greg Oden (1), Rudy Fernandez (24), Petteri Koponen (30), Josh McRoberts (37) & Taurean Green (52)

For the second consecutive year GM Kevin Pritchard was a wheelin’ and a dealin’ like a riverboat gambler on draft day. Unloading Z-Bo was the top priority of the summer, and even though I’m sure a better deal could have been made, getting rid of Randolph for whatever is good enough for me. Look for the artist formerly know as “Franchise” to be bought out without ever playing a game for the Blazers. Frye’s addition gives Portland another high post player (LeMarcus Aldridge) that will allow Oden the space he needs to operate on the low block.

Fernandez and Koponen will both likely stay in Europe for another year (probably more for Petteri). Rudy was a steal for the Blazers as I see it. The guy has been playing at the top level overseas for years now and will be a quality backup to Brandon Roy. McRoberts made his name playing alongside Oden in AAU ball (thanks Jay Bilas), so as a role playing 4th big man I like his fit in the grand scheme of things. Since Koponen is a few years away, Green has a chance to make the club as a 3rd PG.

A few more things about Portland. If/when Francis’ contract is bought out I expect Raef LaFrentz to be right behind him check in hand on the way out the door. K-Pritch has at least one unannounced trade still out there, and maybe another. The word is that James Jones (Phoenix) is on his way to the Rose City. That is probably part of the Rudy Fernandez deal, but Pritchard also alluded to the Blazers getting the SF they needed, but would not offer any clues. I can only hope he’s not referring to Jones as the answer at SF. Oh yeah, if you are reading this Darius Miles, RETIRE ALREADY!

Sacramento Kings – Spencer Hawes (10)

Hawes is a very offensively skilled center that also has a knack for passing the ball down low or at the high post. However, he’s rather unathletic and lacks strength, so defense and rebounding aren’t his strong suites. Basically he’s the next in the Vlade Divac-Brad Miller line. Which is fine, but GM Geoff Petrie really needs to blow this team up and start rebuilding, because the Kings as presently constituted are going nowhere fast.

San Antonio Spurs – Tiago Splitter (28) & Marcus Williams (33)

Typical quality draft by GM R.C. Buford. Splitter has a huge buyout with Tau Ceramica, so he won’t be in the states until the 2008-09 season. When he arrives he should take over the starting spot alongside Tim Duncan within a couple of years and be there until Tim retires. Williams probably should have stayed in school, but if he can put it together he’ll infuse the Spurs aging core with some much needed athleticism on the wings.

Incidentally, these are two players I was hoping would end up on the Lakers. Not like that matters to anyone though.

Seattle SuperSonics – Wally Szczerbiak, Delonte West, Kevin Durant (2) & Jeff Green (5)

30 year old GM Sam Presti burst onto the NBA stage by selling high on Ray Allen. The moral to the story? When Danny Ainge calls, other GM’s listen. Anyway, Wally’s contract is certainly steep, but for the two remaining years he should be a productive starter at SG. West is an ideal 3rd guard and will be a nice backup behind Szczerbiak and Earl Watson.

I don’t have the reservations some do about Durant and Green playing the same position because when Kevin fills out he’s going be a PF, leaving SF open for Green. Sure there will probably be some growing pains, but long term they should be fine.

Presti is not done reshaping this roster by a long shot. I know right now he’s saying that he wants to keep Rashard Lewis, but that’s just posturing so he can get more for him in a sign & trade. I also expect to see Luke Ridnour moved as well. What Sam gets back for those two will really prove what he’s made of, but I have to say Presti is off to fine start.

Toronto Raptors – Giorgos Printezis (58)

For some reason I don’t have a problem with GM Bryan Colangelo trading a future second rounder for some European prospect. Although, that probably says more about Larry Bird (the GM) than it does Colangelo.

Utah Jazz – Morris Almond (25) & Kyrylo Fesenko (38)

The Jazz have a had a hole at SG for an eternity it seems, enter Almond. Morris was considered arguably the best shooter in the draft. He has a great jumper from mid-range out to very deep. The question is, will coach Jerry Sloan play him. It’s possible that Utah wouldn’t have needed to draft Almond if last year’s first round pick Ronnie Brewer had received some playing time. Fesenko has good athleticism, size, mobility and the attitude to play center in the Association. He may not be over right away, but I get the feeling we actually will see this guy suit up eventually.

Washington Wizards – Nick Young (16) & Dominic McGuire (47)

GM Ernie Grunfeld had to be very happy when Young was still available at 16. Nick is a perfect fit for the Wizards free flowing offense. He should be a good running mate for Gilbert Arenas, and Gil can teach Young what it takes to be a pro. McGuire is an “upside” guy that could be a defensive stopper if he hits the weights.

Best Draft – Portland

Worst Draft – Houston

ARE YOU READY FOR FREE AGENCY!!!