Alright class is in session, last nights NBA draft could've been one of the most talented crop of players since 2003. Pretty much every lottery pick has the potential to be a valuable starter if not an All-Star in the future, and some of the later round picks have that potential as well. I'm here today to give out draft grades for each team that was in the draft last night so apologies to Portland, Dallas, Golden State, Washington, and Indiana for not being included in this blog. Finally I get to give the grades and not receive them, this is my form of payback on all my teachers over the years...even though none of them will read this.....
Cleveland Cavaliers: Before I talk about the picks, I think Andrew Wiggins takes the trophy for most ugly suit ever in a draft and he also takes home the award for "Least Amount of words Spoken in English During an Interview" award. Anyway the Cavs took Andrew Wiggins with the no. 1 overall pick, I think they were looking to trade the pick but waited too long and were forced to take Wiggins which isn't all that bad. Wiggins is one of the top athletes in the draft and is an underrated defender with his long size and athleticism. However he needs to work on his offensive fundamentals like shooting if he wants to come to the next level and be a successful player. Imagine this Starting 5 for Cleveland- Kyrie, Dion Waiters, Wiggins (I know he's a 2-guard but they should play him at the 3), Tristan Thompson, and Anderson Varejao. 4 out of the 5 starters would be Cleveland's lottery picks from the past 3 years except for Anthony Bennett who is dangerously approaching ham sandwich territory at this point. The Cavs' two second-rounders were Joe Harris out of Virginia and Dwight Powell from Stanford. The Harris pick was something that kind of confused me, Harris was a pure shooter in college and plays the 3 which kind of creates a build-up at that position. Powell made sense to me because he is a banger down low which is something the Cavs need especially with Varejao getting older they will need a player to put in his space down the road.
Grade: B+
Also LeBron isn't coming back this summer sorry Tom...
Milwaukee Bucks: Ok they got their savior in Jabari Parker at no. 2 and he has the capability to come in and average 20 points per game right away and I think he will average that this upcoming season, he does need to become a much better defender than he is now. If he can't defend a Mercer 3-guard how can he possibly guard Gerald Wallace (I'm making Gerald Wallace look really good right now. Fun fact he actually probably reads this, anything with his name in it Gerald Wallace is taking a look at it). Another plus to Jabari is that he'll bring in fans to the Bradley Center which the Bucks desperately need after nearly being sold to Seattle. Next two-picks were Damien Inglis and Johnny O' Bryant. Inglis is a lanky Frenchman but he'll most likely be stashed overseas to develop, O' Bryant out of LSU can play both the 4 and the 5 and is a banger down low which the Bucks can use down the road. Celebrate Bucks fans! You're on the right track.
Grade: A-
Philadelphia 76ers: The kings of stashing assets the 76ers had 6 picks last night and used every one very well. They took Joel Embiid with the no. 3 pick which could be seen as a risk with Embiid's foot problems but it seems like the same storyline with Nerlens Noel last season. Plus the Sixers are ok with sucking for one more year to get another lottery pick. They traded picks with Orlando at 10 and got Dario Saric who will play overseas which is ok with them. When Saric comes over he'll be a terrific player he was easily the best international player in this draft and the Sixers got em. Their other picks included K.J. McDaniels from Clemson who is a great perimeter defender, Jerami Grant from Syracuse another great defender, Vasilije Micic from Serbia who is a 6'6" distributing PG who will back-up MCW, and Jordan McRae from Tennessee who was a lights out shooter for the Vols last season. Overall I loved the Sixers draft obviously most of these players will need developing but that's what the 2014-2015 season is for right?
Grade: A
Orlando Magic: I was almost certain the Magic were going to take Dante Exum at no. 4 and I was very surprised with there pick of Aaron Gordon. Gordon is a supreme athlete and a good defender he just needs to put the rest of his game together and I think he can become a Blake Griffin type of player. They swapped picks with Philly as mentioned before and got the rights to Elfrid Payton from UL- Lafeyette who is a pesky defender and has great athleticism but really cannot shoot, compare him to a Rajon Rondo for now. Their final pick was Roy Devyn Marble from Iowa who is an exceptional shooter. So imagine this starting 5 for Orlando in the coming years Payton, Oladipo, Tobias Harris (one of my fav players but he goes very unnoticed), Aaron Gordon, and Nikola Vucevic that could be an up-and-coming squad in the future.
Grade: A-
Utah Jazz: They took Dante Exum with the no. 5 selection to play alongside Trey Burke in the backcourt. I'm slightly skeptical of Exum just based on the fact that he did not go to college and only played overseas, I hope he proves me wrong but as of now he has bust potential. There second selection was Rodney Hood out of Duke which was a steal at pick 23 I thought he slid in the draft and the Jazz had no problem picking up a lefty scoring talent like Hood.
Grade: B
Boston Celtics: The Celtics surprised me with taking Marcus Smart at no. 6 I thought they were taking Julius Randle but none-the-less I thought it was a terrific pick. Smart is a pure athlete and a good passer but he needs to improve his shooting and decision making. The thing I like about Smart is his effort factor he is going in there giving you a 110% every single night and that is why he fits well in the Celtics system. Their second pick James Young the lefty from Kentucky was another steal, I thought he'd go 13 or 14 but Boston got him at 17 and is the shooter the Celtics need for the future. Hopefully Simmons reads this and hires me to Grantland after I praise his team's drafting ability.(Wishful thinking).
Grade: A-
LA Lakers: They got their future with Julius Randle at no. 7 although that foot kind of scares me I think Randle can be the future stud after Kobe retires. He need to work on his shooting however last year at Kentucky he shot 17% on jump-shots. 17%!!!!! Let that register that's about what I shoot from Jimmer range at the Y. Not saying I'm a better player than Randle but I might be a better shooter than him which isn't good. Hold on I got a knock at my door....oh it's Julius Randle. $%&@!@!. They're second pick was Jordan Clarkson from Mizzou who is a good two-way player and I think he will be the back-up PG instead of Jordan "Elephant Ears" Farmar.
Grade: A-
Sacramento Kings: Alright I think Nik Stauskas has the potential to be real good player but I thought the Kings kind of reached for him. They already have several back-court players and this pick could hurt the confidence of a Ben McLemore or someone like that. Stauskas is terrific offensive threat and is surprisingly athletic and is lights out from 3. I just don't know how this is going to pan out for Stauskas. He is going to a place where the welcoming billboard says "Welcome to Sacramento, the place where careers come to die".
Grade: B-
Charlotte Hornets: You have no idea how awesome that was to type Charlotte HORNETS. Anyway I love it. They got a steal at no. 9 in Noah Vonleh who will fit perfectly into that system he is a long stretch-4 who can defend and step out and hit the jumper, a perfect compliment to Big Al. They swapped with Miami and got P.J. Hariston at no. 26 who is a great shooter and a good athlete to boot. The fact that he played last season in the D-League also bodes well for him. Their final pick was Semaj Carston from Xavier who is a good PG that can take that back-up role from Luke Ridnour. Overall I think the HORNETS are shaping up to be a playoff team.
Grade: B+
Denver Nuggets: Traded picks with Chicago so they came out with the no. 16 and no. 19 picks. First pick was Jusuf Nurkic from Bosnia who is unbelievably raw, he'll probably be a stash away for a few seasons before coming over to Denver. At no. 19 they took Gary Harris from Michigan State, this is the biggest steal of the draft in my opinion. Listening to Simmons and Jalen last week, Jalen had him going 5th to Utah and he goes 19! Great pick by Denver and I'll say this later too, Minnesota should've taken him. Their final pick was Nikola Jokic from Serbia who is another stash away to save some cap room for the Nuggets.
Grade: B
Minnesota Timberwolves: Leave it to the Wolves to draft the lead singer of Maroon 5 with the no. 13 pick. Oh wait that's Adam Levine. Anyway the Wolves selected UCLA guard Zach LaVine who is a great athlete so great in fact that Coach/GM/Cotton Candy salesman/Ticket scalper/Target Center Usher Flip Saunders went on to say LaVine is "The best athlete in the draft" which isn't totally far-fetched but he is not a better athlete than Wiggins or Gordon. He needs a lot of work to become a good player he has a smooth shot and can finish around the rim but the rest of his offensive and defensive game lacks. I'll say this only once the Wolves will regret not taking Gary Harris with this pick. The Wolves also took Michigan forward Glenn Robinson Jr. in the second round which helps out at the SF position where they have two incompetent players (Corey Brewer and Shabazz Muhammad). Not a terrible draft for the Wolves but LaVine has bust potential.
Grade: B
Phoenix Suns: The Suns have always been a fun team to watch and they furthered that reputation last night by selecting NC State's scoring maestro T.J. Warren at no. 14 and also selecting Syracuse PG Tyler Ennis which will help fill the hole the Eric Bledsoe could possibly leave if he chooses not to re-sign. Their final two picks were Serbian sharpshooter Bogdan Bogdanovic who may be stashed overseas and Alec Brown a big bruising body from Wisconsin-Green Bay who at 7'1" can step out and hit threes as well as bang down low.
Grade: A-
Atlanta Hawks: They picked up a great two-way player in Michigan St. forward Adreian Payne who can work down low and can also step out and hit jumpers a perfect compliment to Al Horford and Payne will be able to step in for Horford if Horford were to get hurt again this year. There second-rounders included 7'3"center Walter Tavares who they will likely stash overseas but, Tavares has a 7'9" wingspan yes you did read that correctly. Their final pick was Pitt guard Lamar Patterson who isn't a scoring threat yet but can play defense and rebound well for his position.
Grade: B
Chicago Bulls: They traded their two first rounders for Denver's no. 11 pick which was Doug McDermott. Now their are only two ways I see McDermott's career working out he either becomes a solid off the bench instant offense guy for Chicago which would be deadly or he turns into Adam Morrison pt. 2 who he has been compared to which isn't the greatest thing ever but Morrison does have 2 rings so I guess as long as you get that ring. Their second rounder was New Mexico's Cameron Bairstow who may not make the team based on how many talented players they have at those positions. Take a look at this line-up if Chicago gets Carmelo (which I think they will) Rose, Butler, Melo, Taj Gibson, and Joakim Noah with McDermott off the bench. That's frightening.
Grade: B+
Toronto Raptors: Toronto laid an egg last night they could've taken Shabazz Napier at no. 20 to help fill the hole that Kyle Lowry could leave but instead they take the Brazilian player Bruno Caboclo who will most certainly be stashed overseas, ESPN analyst Fran Fraschilla said about Caboclo "He doesn't really know how to play yet".WHAT. Why would you draft a guy that can't play? I can't play will you draft me Toronto? I could use the extra cash. They also drafted UCONN forward DeAndre Daniels in the second round who is very athletic but needs to bolster his skills to become good. Drake's on his worst behavior right now (Get it).
Grade: D+
Oklahoma City Thunder: Again could've taken Shabazz to back-up Russell or could've taken CleAnthony Early but no they take a guy who hasn't played in a year Mitch McGary. McGary seems like he'll be the Cole Aldrich type who believe it or not played for the Thunder as well and was awful! Their other first rounder was Stanford's Josh Huestis who is athletic but was projected to be a second-rounder. Again CleAnthony Early was available. The Thunder needed bench players to help Westbrook and Durant and they didn't do that. Making it more and more likely that they both leave OKC when they become free agents.
Grade: C
Memphis Grizzlies: The Grizz took sharpshooter Jordan Adams from UCLA which will help when they take the offensive juggernaut that is Tony Allen off the floor (sarcasm). They also took Tennessee forward Jarnell Stokes in the second round and he is a terrific rebounder probably the best offensive rebounder in the draft and will be able to bang down low when Zach Randolph is not in the game.
Grade: B+
Houston Rockets: The Rockets goal of the draft was to just draft foreigners they could stash away to save cap room for a run at Melo or LeBron or both. So they took Switzerland's Clint Capela at no. 25 and Italy's Alessandro Gentile in the second round. They also took Arizona's Nick Johnson in the second round who will be able to drive to the basket and become a distributor as well.
Grade: B+
Miami Heat: As said before the Heat got the Hornet's pick in exchange for P.J. Hariston and a second rounder. So the Heat got Shabazz Napier my favorite player in the draft. I'll be honest when Charlotte took Napier I was already on my Chinese wholesale website looking for a Hornets Napier jersey but then he was traded away to Miami which will fill their need and help persuade LeBron to come back (which he was going to do anyway). I think Napier has a chance to become a starter by seasons end. Sorry to the Heat fans who like Mario Chalmers but he is just awful and if you think otherwise you are just to biased to admit it. Norris Cole is a better player than Chalmers and Napier can overtake both of them in my opinion.
Grade: A-
Los Angeles Clippers: They had one pick no. 28, they could've taken CleAnthony Early who would help at the Small Forward position but instead they took Washington's T.J. Wilcox who is a good player but how does that fit their roster? They have J.J. Redick, Jamal Crawford, Jared Dudley, and Willie Green all playing shooting guard so what is Wilcox supposed to do? He'll probably end up in the D-League for the season.
Grade: D-
San Antonio Spurs: They took UCLA forward Kyle Anderson who is regarded as one of the smartest players in the draft so it's surprising the Spurs would take a smart player right? Their second rounder was Serbian guard Nemanja Dangubic who they'll stash. Surprise, Surprise.
Grade: B+
New York Knicks: The Knicks got the second biggest steal of this draft when they took CleAnthony Early in the SECOND ROUND. Early is a great scorer and can play the 4 which will help the Knicks especially if Carmelo does not come back. Their other second-rounders were Thanasis Antetokounmpo otherwise known as the Greek Freak's brother who isn't as athletic but still has some upside, and their final pick was French big man Louis Labeyrie who might stay in Europe for a year.
Grade: A-
Detroit Pistons: Detroit only had one second round pick and they used it on Colorado guard Spencer Dinwiddie. Dinwiddie did not play due to a torn ACL last season but is a good PG or SG at 6'6". Detroit took a risk with him based on his injury history but Dinwiddie can shoot fairly well and could factor in well in Detroit.
Grade: B
Brooklyn Nets: The Nets traded into the draft by getting 3 of Minnesota's second-rounders for cash. So they took Oklahoma State's Markel Brown who is athletic and can shoot. They also took San Diego State's stud Xavier Thames which is puzzling as to why they took two shooting guards but Thames is a great scorer but isn't the greatest defender. Their final pick was Baylor's Cory Jefferson who can step out and hit jumpers. Brooklyn needs to get younger and they took a step in the right direction last night.
Grade: B-
New Orleans Pelicans: They had one pick and they took Louisville guard Russ Smith who is talented but joins a roster with several point guards already there so we'll see how it turns out but remember the Pelicans basically traded Pierre Jackson for Russ Smith and Pierre Jackson averaged nearly 40 in the D-League this year.
Grade: C-
That's all I got for today...
-NS (@NolanPSchmidt)
