6/24: Draft Wrap...

Greetings all... first off, check out the live blog (no longer live of course) in the previous post... got to about pick #25 before frustration about computer issues set in... let's go team-by-team to break down what happened...

• Atlanta Hawks - The Hawks were without a first rounder and claimed Keith Benson at #48... now, it's pick #48 so let's not get crazy, but it was a rare occasion where I actually liked what they did... Benson may not be the prototypical center type they need, but he's a skilled 6'11, and you can't argue with that at that point in the draft... the overall discussion centers on whether they sent too much to Washington in the Hinrich deal (#18 pick ended up being Chris Singleton with Kenneth Faried on the board also)... but that's a discussion for another day...
  
• Boston Celtics - Boston traded down 2 spots from 25 to 27 to get an additional 2nd rounder next year, and took JaJuan Johnson at 27 out of Purdue... he's really, really long and skilled... kind of a tweener, but they sort of went best available, and he could be a long-term option... Hilariously, they took his teammate E'Twaun Moore in round 2, and he's a guy I've always enjoyed, but he's just a guy who's not great at anything... could be a nice bench guy down the road...
  
• Charlotte Bobcats - The Bobcats dealt Stephen Jackson and Shaun Livingston in order to obtain the #7 pick and Corey Maggette... then went on to select Bismack Biyombo at 7 and Kemba Walker with their actual pick at #9.... Biyombo is a classic high-upside/high-risk pick with insane athleticism, but no one knows whether he's really 18 years old (there's a birth certificate issue) and whether he'll ever develop any offensive game... Kemba fell in their lap, and will immediately be their 3rd guard I'd imagine... I don't love his game because he's a combo guard and doesn't have a great jumper, but he's a winner, and there's something to be said for that...
• Chicago Bulls - They snagged 2 late-first round picks thanks to a trade with Minnesota... they gambled on Nikola Mirotic at #23... he would've gone much higher reportedly, but there's a severe buy-out issue... thankfully for Chicago, that's a good roster, and they can afford to wait... at #30, they took Jimmy Butler out of Marquette... good athlete, can guard multiple spots, and may be as good or better than Ronnie Brewer right now... nice pick...
• Cleveland Cavaliers - You know about Kyrie Irving... he was the slam-dunk #1 pick IMO and that's where they went... but they threw a curveball at #4... Tristan Thompson out of Texas was the pick... there seems to be wide-ranging thoughts on that pick, but I'm of the mind that I really actually like him, but it's a bit of a reach... that said, at #4, if he's the guy they wanted, I have no issue with it because no one else stood out to me once Kanter went to Utah... they also obtained someone named Milan Macvan at #54... I got nothing on that...
  
• Dallas Mavericks - They basically didn't have a "pick" in this draft... they swapped their #26 selection (Jordan Hamilton) to Portland in a 3-way deal that we'll touch more on later, but they acquired Rudy Fernandez in the deal... I'm not a Rudy guy... he's a streak shooter, and when he's on, he's scary, but I think I would've rather had Hamilton...
• Denver Nuggets - Busy night for the Nuggets... the biggest news is that they've traded Raymond Felton for Andre Miller in a bigger deal that involved picks... that exchange is one I actually like for them just because I think Miller/Lawson is a better fit than Felton/Lawson was... you can play Miller with Lawson easily because Miller has the size/strength to defend 2-guards instead of trotting out 2 smallish points... additionally, they pick up Jordan Hamilton from Dallas in that deal, and that's a nice addition of a guy who fell big-time in the draft, but has top-10 ability... at #22, they went with Kenneth Faried... one of my favorite guys in the entire draft... insane motor, great rebounder, and a guy who can play right away in the league... love it... They took someone I've legitimately never heard of named Chukwudiebere Maduabum at #56... I didn't make that up...
  
• Detroit Pistons - Point guard is a need for Detroit IMO... and they filled it with Brandon Knight at #8... I have a feeling they were surprised he fell to them, but he was the best available player, and didn't fall into a logjam, so it's a nice move... at #33, they took Kyle Singler, who's a guy I like, but I'm not sure where he fits with guys like Villanueva/Daye/Prince... also, they added Florida's Vernon Macklin at #52... I'm underwhelmed by that one... don't see NBA talent from him in what I've seen
• Golden State Warriors - This pick made me laugh out loud... hear me out... they went with Klay Thompson at #11, and I'll say this first, I like Klay Thompson... okay, now that that's over... that's an awful pick IMO... what does Golden State need? A shoot-first wing!... um.. no... I would've gone with Singleton or Leonard in this spot, because they'll basically have the worst perimeter defense imaginable barring an Ellis trade... yeah.... At #39, they went an acquired the pick to take Jeremy Tyler, which I loved for them just because I think Tyler has lottery upside, with absolutely no risk, and he'd fit in their system... Also, they acquired Chuck Jenkins at #44 via trade from Phoenix/Chicago and he's a scoring combo guard... stop me if you've heard this before...
• Houston Rockets - They're always busy, huh?... the highlight move was a trade that acquired Jonny Flynn, #20 pick Donatas Motiejunas, and Chandler Parsons... I like the Flynn pick-up alot because he's a nice contrast with Lowry, I'm underwhelmed by the other 2, but Motiejunas can be stashed... oh, the #14 pick... they went with Marcus Morris, which I honestly don't understand... I'm not a fan of his work anyway, but he's a tweener forward who thinks he's a 3 (he's not), and is a 4, but they have a logjam there with Scola, Patterson, and Jordan Hill... I would've gone elsewhere...
• Indiana Pacers - They officially opted out of the draft... choosing instead to deal their #15 pick to San Antonio for George Hill... in a vacuum? George Hill is better than the #15 pick in this draft, no question about it in my mind... but with Darren Collison in place, I'm not sure how much upside this move has... and the guy they moved (Kawhi Leonard) would've been nice for them... I can't hate it though, because that's good value at where they were picking...
• LA Clippers - Somehow, they ended up taking both UGA players (Travis Leslie and Trey Thompkins) in the 2nd round... both upside picks... but both with tremendous bust potential... Thompkins is wildly skilled, but seems to have a conditioning issue, and those don't usually get better when you make money and live in LA... and Leslie is one of the better athletes/leapers in the draft, but he's not particularly skilled, and I can't seem him making it...
• LA Lakers - I was all set to rant and rave about Darius Morris isn't a triangle fit... until I realized LAL isn't going to be using the triangle... I like Darius a lot (Michigan bias aside) because he's a pure point, but he's about 6'4-6'5, and can do a lot of things well... think Andre Miller.. but he certainly can't shoot... they picked up Andrew Goudelock at #46 who's an absolute bomber, but I'm not sure what else he can do... and they went with Ater Majok from UConn late... hated that pick, but hey, it's a wash...
• Memphis Grizzlies - Only one pick... and at #49 they went with Josh Selby... it's a definite value because he's got lottery talent and there's no risk this late... I'm not convinced he ever gets it together, but they don't need him right away, and if they can sort his knee issues out (the reason he fell this far), he could be a steal...
• Miami Heat - The Heat dealt for Norris Cole... an underrated PG out of Cleveland State... I do like the move because PG is still a need (sorry Chalmers fans) and he's a guy with decent upside this late in the 1st... I'm not sure what they'll do for next year (veteran?) but he could be better than Chalmers... quickly...
• Milwaukee Bucks - They were busy... involved in the 3-way deal discussed earlier with Charlotte and Sacto... they add Stephen Jackson, Shaun Livingston, and Beno Udrih in that move... Jackson gives them a better wing scorer than Salmons will ever be, and Udrih/Livingston gives Jennings some help in the backcourt... at #19 they picked up Tobias Harris, who's a guy I'm not in love with, but he's got the advantage of being very, very young, and he's got a high basketball IQ... not a tremendous athlete, but if he matures behind Jackson, that could be a value pick... I love the Jon Leuer pick at #40 as a stretch four... he's huge, smart, and can fill it up
• Minnesota T-Wolves - We'll focus on the Derrick Williams pick mostly because Kahn was so busy, it's difficult to explain it all... I thought Williams was the 2nd best player in the draft, but the fit is exceedingly questionable in Minnesota... Kevin Love is their best player, and he's not moving from the 4 spot (where Williams is best IMO), and they already have 2 bigger small forwards in Beasley and Randolph... they can't help but to play Williams, but they're going to have to make a move or bury someone capable to do it... Malcolm Lee was the highlight of their 2nd round, but I don't particularly get that pick either... defensive stopper PG, but they couldn't ever play him with that logjam... even after dealing Flynn...
• New Jersey Nets - The Nets want to compete right now, and they moved up to get Marshon Brooks... they think the Providence 2-guard can play right away, and I don't love him (at all), but he can certainly score, even if that's the only thing he does... they picked up a Euro guard in Bojan Bogdanovic who isn't coming over for a years at #31, and went with Maryland's Jordan Williams at #36 in a tough, rebounder mold, but I'm not sure he's big enough...
• New Orleans Hornets - Probably the most lackluster night for anyone... they had only one pick (#45) and ended up selling it to New York... moving on...
• New York Knicks - The head-scratcher of the night award goes to... the Knicks!... Iman Shumpert was the play at #17... positives first... he's a great athlete, has great size for the PG spot, and might be the best perimeter defender in the whole draft... now that we're done with that... he's a disaster offensively... bad decision-making, bad shooting... and they already have their defensive stopper guard in Douglas... if this had been at #37? Fine with it... but not here... and they purchased the #45 pick from NO to take Kentucky's Josh Harrelson... he's big and rugged... but not a great athlete at all, he'll be a borderline roster guy at best...
• OKC Thunder - They went with Reggie Jackson at #24... he's a big-time talent, but he's a combo-guard and they already have Westbrook/Maynor/Harden... so I'm not sure where that's going fit-wise.. definitely a "best available" pick... or maybe they're shopping Maynor... not sure...
• Orlando Magic - They moved up to #32 to get Justin Harper out of Richmond... a 6'10 pure shooter in the Rashard Lewis mold... nice fit if it works out... and they got DeAndre Liggins at #53 out of Kentucky... don't see him sticking, but he's a long, long perimeter defender, just don't see much offense...
• Philadelphia 76ers - They went need over best available... pure and simple, in selecting Nikola Vucevic, the 7-footer out of USC... people seem to think he can be a legit 7-foot center in the league, but there's not a lot of upside... they went with Lavoy Allen at #50 in Round 2, typical 2nd round pick of a 4-year senior from Temple... nothing exciting
• Phoenix Suns - Picked up Markieff Morris at #13... couple things here... #1) NO one thought Markieff would go ahead of his brother a few months ago, and #2) I like Markieff more.... that being said, this is a slight reach based on them wanting some athleticism/rebounding up front, and I'm okay with it... they are young and mobile on the front line with Gortat/Lopez/Morris now...
• Portland Trail Blazers - Obviously, their headline is dealing Andre Miller and Rudy Fernandez for Ray Felton essentially... not a move I love for them.. they get out from under Rudy and open the logjam a bit at the wing, but I'm not convinced that Felton and Roy are a match in the backcourt... seems like the new regime was just set on moving Miller... at any case, Portland also picks up Nolan Smith at #21... lower upside guy, but he's ready to play right away and would be a nice backup option off the bat for Felton... at #51, they picked up Jon Diebler, who can shoot with anyone on Earth, but doesn't provide much else... could be a guy who makes a club to stand still and shoot
• Sacramento Kings - They were busy as well... in the aforementioned 3-way trade... they basically exchanged the #7 pick and Beno Udrih for the #10 pick and John Salmons... not a deal I would've made because I want nothing to do with Salmons, and he's clearly declining... anyway, at #10 they went with Jimmer... you know someone would... I like Jimmer as a player, but I'm not crazy about the fit with Evans, and there's HUGE pressure for him to start at the point right away (because there's no one else... like at all)... best of luck with that... they'll be a steep learning curve... and the bigger issue is that the coaching staff didn't even want him, this was clearly an ownership/ticket sales pick... not a good recipe for him starting off... oh yeah, and he has to play with Evans and Cousins... welcome to the NBA!... Sacto did pick up Tyler Honeycutt at 35 who has a chance to be very good once he gets away from Ben Howland, and I love that they took a flier on Isaiah Thomas with the 60th pick... he's too short, but he does a lot of things well and deserves a shot (and will get it in that depleted backcourt)
• San Antonio Spurs - They had an interesting evening... trading a legit rotation guy in George Hill for the rights to Kawhi Leonard... Leonard was probably my favorite guy in this draft, and to get him at 15 is a steal... he's a "Spurs-type" of guy... gritty, plays D.... but he'll bring an athleticism to that front line they haven't had in a while, and his hands are unbelievable... the loss of Hill will hurt them, but they weren't paying him down the line anyway with Parker in place, and they felt like they could sure it up elsewhere... like in drafting Cory Joseph at 29... same sort of feel that the Hill pick had in that everyone was like, "huh?" and then everyone thinks... well, it's the Spurs, they know something... Joseph was a one-and-done at Texas, and guys generally get better after they leave Rick Barnes... we'll see... also, picked up Davis Bertans (42) and Adam Hanga (59) as typical Euro-stashes...
• Toronto Raptors - Puzzling pick here... they went with Jonas Valanciunas at #5... he's a legit 7 footer from Europe with big-time upside, but he's not coming over for at least a year, and did they really need another Euro big? Keep in mind they took Ed Davis in the lottery last year, AND signed Amir Johnson for the full mid-level... I don't really know what Colangelo is doing...
  
• Utah Jazz - Despite being in rampant trade discussion... Utah kept their picks and got good talent... Enes Kanter may be the most talented player in the draft and they get him at #3... I question the fit with Jefferson, Millsap, and Favors already in place, but they probably weren't in love with Brandon Knight, and there wasn't another clear option on Kanter's talent level... at 12, they took the best 2-guard available in Alec Burks... nice contrast with Gordon Heyward on the wing, and he should play right away... not a bad draft
• Washington Wizards - 3 of the top 34 for Washington... they went with Euro Jan Vesely at #6... he had been rumored there for days and they followed through... he's a non-Euro in that he's not soft, and not a shooter, but more of a athlete/leaper type up front... should be interesting to see how NBA-ready he is, and how he fits on that crazy front line with McGee and Blatche... Chris Singleton at 18 is a steal... he's the best defender in the draft, and really helps them guard on the wing (which they desperately need)... at #34, they went with Shelvin Mack... he's a guy I like, and I think he could be a primary backup as a rookie... really like the last 2 picks, indifferent on Vesely without knowing much...

And there it is... probably 5-figure word count on the NBA draft... take it all in folks, and start praying for a new CBA...