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The 2012 NBA Draft was a chaotic one to predict as nobody knew how trades would affect things.

Now that it’s over we focus on who helped themselves the most by adding talent to their teams.

NBADraft.net’s Mike Misek (West) and Jonathan Wasserman (East) break down the entire draft.

 

Atlanta
Draft Grade
AdditionsAnalysis

B+
No 23 John Jenkins

John Jenkins has been the best three-point shooter in college basketball. He’s almost a replica of JJ Redick, with the same quick release, but has three extra valuable inches on his wingspan. With Josh Smith on the block and changes to be made, I thought Perry Jones and Arnett Moultrie were tough to pass on. But Jenkins’ ability to spread the floor and knock down threes can’t go overlooked. Mike Scott should crack the rotation as well, as a rugged power forward with a polished midrange jumper. The Hawks just improved in two areas of the game, and I like that coming out of a draft. Overall a solid effort for new GM Danny Ferry.

Boston
Draft Grade
AdditionsAnalysis
B+

No. 21 Jared Sullinger
No. 22 Fab Melo
No. 51 Kris Joseph

The Celtics got incredible value with Sullinger at #21. The red flags will end up turning into a blessing in disguise for Boston, and will do the same for Sullinger, who gets to play for a world-class coach who should maximize his abilities. Though his athleticism is under question, his measurements are not. Assuming he stays healthy, his talent should do the talking. Fab Melo on the other hand was an interesting pick. With Boston losing shot-makers and in desperate need of athleticism, I thought there were better options on the board. Melo gives Boston a true seven-footer and an active interior presence, but most of his work will come off the ball, and he has minimal offensive upside. Swingman Kris Joseph will join his Syracuse buddy in Boston, and should add some athleticism and length to the Celtics’ second unit. A post-player, a shot-blocker and a wing, Boston acquired a variety of different skills.

Brooklyn
Draft Grade
AdditionsAnalysis
C-
No. 41 Tyshawn Taylor
No. 54 Tornike Shengelia

The Nets grade is partially based on the fact that they gave up their pick (6th overall) for a player that is now a free agent (Gerald Wallace). They acquired New Jersey native Tyshawn Taylor in the second round, a guard with excellent size, athleticism but questionable decision making. Tornike Shengelia has solid potential as an energy forward and has been one of the hottest international prospects over the past few months. Two talented second rounders, and a wasted opportunity in the first.

Charlotte
Draft Grade
AdditionsAnalysis
C
Picks: No. 2 Michael Kidd-Gilchrist,
No. 31 Jeffrey Taylor

The Bobcats had a tough decision to make, and went with a proven winner, high character kid and two-way player. He gives Charlotte a constant in a lineup that saw little consistency. They added a player that will add toughness, hustle and defense which should help push them towards developing a winning attitude. The problem is that MKG lacks offensive potential, and this team really struggles to score. Kidd-Gilchrist is more of a glorified role player (think Kawai Leonard or Gerald Wallace) than a super star in the mold of a Scottie Pippen. Players such as Harrison Barnes or even Thomas Robinson made more sense, and trading the pick for multiple picks seemed like the obvious move. There will be quite a few players taken after this pick that we project will end up better than MKG. Charlotte also added Jeffery Taylor, a versatile forward who can guard three positions and knock down shots on the perimeter.

Chicago
Draft Grade
AdditionsAnalysis
A-
Picks: No. 29 Marquis Teague

With one pick at #29, the Bulls made it count. Marquis Teague quarterbacked the Wildcats to a National Championship as a freshman, looking more and more comfortable running an offensive set. That’s what he’ll be asked to do in Chicago, and should have ample opportunity to learn on the fly while Derrick Rose rehabs his knee. The Bulls needed a point guard, and got a pretty good one for a late first round selection. Excellent value pick for Chicago.

Cleveland
Draft Grade
AdditionsAnalysis

C-
Picks: No. 4 Dion Waiters
No 17 Tyler Zeller  

The less Waiters worked out, the higher his stock soared. By the time the draft rolled around the myth of Dion Waiters had grown to legendary status. The Cavs swung for the fences with this one, passing on Thomas Robinson, Harrison Barnes and Andre Drummond. For a team with such a talented and proficient point guard, adding a ball dominant, undersized combo guard so high doesn’t seem to make much sense. Obviously Waiters shows a lot of potential as a go-to scorer, but the fact that the team never worked him out has to raise some eyebrows. After their questionable pick at 4, they followed that up with a trade that netted them a solid borderline starting center. But they gave away picks that could have yielded them Arnett Moultrie, Draymond Green and Doron Lamb. While Zeller seems like a sure bet, for a team that’s rebuilding with youth, rolling the dice on those three seems like a better option.

Dallas
Draft Grade
AdditionsAnalysis

B-
Picks: No. 24 Jared Cunningham
No. 33 Bernard James
No. 34 Jae Crowder
While ultimately, the Mavericks success in 2012-13 will be determined by how they utilize their cap space in free agency to surround Dirk Nowitzki, it should be noted that even if the Mavericks spend their money on the top part of their roster that they will still need inexpensive and functional players on the bottom of it. Dallas came away with a decent haul of talent. Jared Cunningham is an attacking guard with a knack for getting to the line where he shot 74 percent last year. Dallas drafting Cunningham could partially be a play for Deron Williams as they share the same representation agency. Bernard James is a well-schooled defensive center with good bulk and length, plays hard, and gets the job done on the offensive glass. Crowder is a lot like Draymond Green. He is smart, battles incredibly hard on both ends, and can be an asset off the bench.
Denver
Draft Grade
AdditionsAnalysis

C
Picks: No. 20 Evan Fournier
No. 38 Quincy Miller
No 50 Izzet Türkyilmaz

Fournier is a crafty player off the dribble who has had a knack for scoring in bunches. He has a pretty looking shot, but his perimeter shooting numbers the past couple years have not been great. This past season he shot 28 percent from three, and in 2011 he shot 22 percent. For him to really succeed, he needs to improve his shooting from deep. And while young Denver GM Masai Ujiri is off to a tremendous start proving to be one of the sharpest minds in the business, we feel that this pick was a reach. Quincy Miller on the other hand was a tremendous value pick where the Nuggets got him. If his knee can improve, he has considerable upside. He is likely to get the kind of pseudo-redshirt year that Jordan Hamilton got last year. It is hard to see him get much time with Gallinari, Chandler, and Hamilton already in the mix. Türkyilmaz is a 7’1 small forward who has played sparingly with Banvit BK in Turkey this past season. His body appears extremely slight so it will take some major weight training for him to make it.

Detroit
Draft Grade
AdditionsAnalysis

A
Picks: No. 9 Andre Drummond
No. 39 Khris Middleton
No. 44 Kim English

Joe Dumars is on a roll. Drummond was our #2 overall prospect and has too much value to fall to the 9th pick. Prospects with his upside are usually off the board much earlier, so Detroit should consider this a major victory. They won’t see production right away, but he’s got tremendous potential down the road. He’s in an ideal situation playing alongside a great passing bigman in Greg Monroe. Detroit added Texas A&M wing Khris Middleton, who’s coming off a disappointing season yet has shot-making ability, along with Kim English, the sharpshooting guard out of Missouri who has specialist potential and defensive versatility. While there are no guarantees with any of them, it’s possible Detroit landed a star, a specialist and a role player. Not too shabby for a team with only one first round pick.

Golden State
Draft Grade
AdditionsAnalysis


A
No. 7 Harrison Barnes
No. 30 Festus Ezeli
No. 35 Draymond Green
No. 52 Ognjen Kuzmic

Harrison Barnes was our top rated small forward and he projects better to the NBA level than college. Following the NC State win on 2/21/12, Barnes was having an All-American caliber season averaging 18 points per game on 47 percent shooting and 43 percent from behind the arc. From there on, he shot below 36 percent from the field and 22 percent from three. If he can grow out of the extended shooting funks, he can be an incredible asset for the Warriors going forward. Festus Ezeli is a massive big man who is known for being a rim protector. For him to succeed in the NBA, he will need to cut down on his fouling. Draymond Green was a very good value in the second round, and should be able to step in and battle for a backup forward position. Kuzmic is a 7-footer who was signed to a multi-year deal by Unicaja Malaga last summer, and spent last season with a lower level club in Spain. He is a long way away from the NBA, but has size.

Houston
Draft Grade
AdditionsAnalysis

A-
No. 12 Jeremy Lamb
No. 16 Royce White
No. 18 Terrence Jones

The Rockets came away from the draft with an excellent haul of talent. Jeremy Lamb is a talented shooter whose long arms and athleticism should make him a pest on the defensive end. Royce White is the most unique talent in the draft, and his combination of power forward size and point guard-like ballhandling and passing skills. Terrence Jones has prototypical power forward size to go with small forward athleticism. In a vacuum, it is an A draft. That said, nothing fits with Houston right now, and further moves need to be made to be a team as opposed to a collection of good players. Right now, Houston has Luis Scola, Patrick Patterson, Marcus Morris, Royce White, Terrence Jones, Jon Leuer, Jon Brockman, Donatas Motiejunas, and Diamon Simpson on their roster. A team simply cannot have that many power forwards. Even if they wanted to consider White and Morris to be small forwards, they would still have seven power forwards on their roster. The Rockets are accumulating assets and trades will need to be made, but that’s GM Daryl Morey’s obsession.

Indiana
Draft Grade
AdditionsAnalysis

F
No. 26 Miles Plumlee
No. 36 Orlando Johnson

There had been rumors that Miles Plumlee would get into the first round in the weeks leading up to the draft but many scouts struggled to grasp the concept. Plumlee is 7-feet and has a 40 inch vertical. But his basketball skills are so raw that he simply doesn’t justify a first round selection. The shock will eventually wear off, but the Pacers will still have to account for drafting Plumlee over Arnett Moultrie and Perry Jones. Buying a 2nd rounder to take Orlando Johnson wasn’t enough to salvage their failing grade.

LA Clippers
Draft Grade
AdditionsAnalysis


B
Picks: No. 53 Furkan Aldemir

Aldemir is big bodied banger who rebounds well and hangs around the hoop. In the TBL, he averaged 8 points and better than 6 rebounds in 20 minutes per game. He fouls too much and does not have much range, but can stay in Turkey for a few years to continue his development. For what it is worth, Furkan Aldemir, Izzet Türkymaz, and Ilkan Karaman all were on the U20 Turkish national team at the European Championships in 2010. The team won four of its nine games. Aldemir is the one that was regarded by scouts as the legitimate prospect for the majority of the season.

LA Lakers
Draft Grade
AdditionsAnalysis

B
Picks: No 55 Darius Johnson-Odom
No. 60 Robert Sacre

Darius Johnson-Odom is a late second round pick with a real chance to stick. While undersized for a shooting guard, he is an incredibly hard working defender and has shot the ball well from the perimeter over the past three years. This year’s Mr. Irrelevant will see if he can duplicate last year’s Isaiah Thomas. Sacre is a 7-footer who should have a chance to make it in the league as a back up center. He won WCC Defensive Player of the Year this past season, though also struggled to defend Meyers Leonard and Jared Sullinger.

Memphis
Draft Grade
AdditionsAnalysis

B-
Picks: No 25 Tony Wroten

Tony Wroten is a talented prospect who slipped into what could end up being a good fit if he can grow up quickly. The Grizzlies need a backup point guard for Mike Conley, but it is fair to question whether Wroten is ready to step into that role on a team that should be contending in the West. While Wroten has great size and potential, his poor shooting, shot selection, and high turnover rate could make it hard for Memphis to trust him to be in that role next year. But his upside is considerable if he can figure things out.

Miami
Draft Grade
AdditionsAnalysis

C+
Picks: No. 45 Justin Hamilton

I guess they just didn’t think anyone was worth the guaranteed contract. They traded away the pick that could have been either Arnett Moultrie or Perry Jones. But then again, Miami and Moultrie might not have been a very good combination. But they did get a future first rounder, and Justin Hamilton in the second, who possesses a nice blend of size, touch and mobility. Miami will be looking to make noise on the free agent market with their exception.

Milwaukee
Draft Grade
AdditionsAnalysis

B-
Samuel Dalembert
Picks: No 14 John Henson
No. 42 Doron Lamb

In the past few days, the Bucks have built a moat around their defensive goal. Henson, along with Samuel Dalembert, provides Milwaukee with a sense of rim protection that should make it difficult for opponents to score easy baskets. The Bucks also added Doron Lamb, a player we felt had first round talent, giving them a proven three-point shooter and a reliable source of backcourt depth. Still, Milwaukee was missing a wing presence and likely would have been better off holding onto the 12th pick and selecting Jeremy Lamb. While I like their acquisitions, I don’t think either make Milwaukee a better team next year.

Minnesota
Draft Grade
AdditionsAnalysis


B+
Chase Budinger
No. 58 Robbie Hummel

the Timberwolves were in need of a SG and they made a smart decision as there wasn’t one as good as Chase Budinger available at the 18th pick. For a late second round pick, Hummel has value. Even after the knee injury that sidelined him for all of 2011, he can still shoot it extremely well from deep as well as make good decisions with the basketball. On a team with a great distributor like Ricky Rubio, it is very possible Hummel can make the team and find a niche as a spot up shooter off the bench.

New Orleans
Draft Grade
AdditionsAnalysis

A-
No. 1 Anthony Davis
No. 10 Austin Rivers
No. 46 Darius Miller

It is hard to find fault with the Hornets draft night. Anthony Davis has been the consensus top pick, and Austin Rivers is one of the top scoring guards in the draft. On a team that fell so far following the Chris Paul trade, this draft has given them two building blocks for the future. Darius Miller is an athletic wing and committed defender who should be able to make the team. The only possible complaint with what they have done is their trade of Emeka Okafor and Trevor Ariza for partially guaranteed contract of Rashard Lewis. But for as team looking to build for the future, this will likely turn out to be a great move as well.

New York
Draft Grade
AdditionsAnalysis

B+
No. 48 Kostas Papanikolaou

Clearly Glen Grunwald didn’t think there was anyone who could crack the Knicks rotation at #48. Kostas Papanikolaou played at the highest level overseas, and has gradually improved his game over the course of the year, an attractive tendency scouts covet. He had a big impact on Europe’s highest stage helping Olympiacos take home the Euroleague Final Four title. New York will exercise the old draft and stash, and let Papa season in Europe for a while. Knicks fans can boo, but this is one of the few International picks with some substance.

Oklahoma City
Draft Grade
AdditionsAnalysis

A

Picks: No. 28 Perry Jones III

Apparently the fears about his knee did play a factor in Perry Jones sliding on draft night. Oklahoma City received a gift. Even if you want to criticize Jones for struggling to dominate against smaller, less talented opponents in college or fault him for settling for mid-range jumpers as opposed to aggressively using his physical gifts to get to the rim, it is hard to not love the pick. At 28, it’s unheard of to find such a stand out physical specimen. Despite falling way further than he should have, Perry is a good kid and finds himself in the ultimate situation to succeed as he’s in a winning environment where he can develop positive work habits. He will not have the burden of trying to be a star, and can simply allow his game and confidence to grow.
Orlando
Draft Grade
AdditionsAnalysis
B+
Picks: No. 19 Andrew Nicholson
No. 49 Kyle O'Quinn

The Magic added a quality post player in Andrew Nicholson, who reminds some, myself included, of an undersized yet more versatile Al Jefferson. He added a new face up dimension while increasing his range, and should give the Magic an immediate inside/outside option off the bench. Kyle O’Quinn was also a nice second round pickup, who provides Orlando with even more front court depth and size. Sounds like they are preparing for a future without their current starting center.

Philadelphia
Draft Grade
AdditionsAnalysis


A
Picks: No. 15 Moe Harkless
No. 27 Arnett Moultrie

I don’t think Philly could have gotten more when you consider their draft position. In a few years, I see Moe Harkless as one of the steals of this year’s draft. Incredibly smooth, long and athletic, Harkless has a power forward’s interior feel with a small forward’s mobility. Though his jumper takes on criticism, the mechanics are there and so is the work ethic. While this was a great upside pick at #15, it doesn’t compare to the value they got at #27. Arnett Moultrie has lottery tools, including 6’11 size, elite athleticism and jumper that’s unappreciated. He also led the SEC in rebounding. I would have liked the selection if they got him at #15. The Sixers did give up a future first rounder for him, but it is protected. Philly didn’t have a pick in the lottery and landed two studs. Exceptional draft work by a top notch scouting organization.

Phoenix
Draft Grade
AdditionsAnalysis

B+
No. 13 Kendall Marshall

Kendall Marshall was able to operate the point guard spot at North Carolina in beautiful fashion. He understands how to play the position at such an advanced level, but Phoenix does not have the talent relative to the NBA that North Carolina has compared to the rest of college basketball. If Steve Nash stays, then Marshall will be able to ease into the position. Such a scenario would certainly help Marshall’s transition to the NBA. If Nash leaves and Phoenix goes into full rebuilding mode, it will be a much more burdensome task.

Portland
Draft Grade
AdditionsAnalysis

B+
Picks: No. 6 Damian Lillard
No. 11 Meyers Leonard
No. 40 Will Barton

While his numbers at Weber State were phenomenal, it is completely unfair to compare what he did at a Big Sky school to what most of the lottery picks did against ACC, Big East, or SEC schedules. Regardless, Lillard has a chance to be special. Leonard is a worthy gamble. As inconsistent as he was at Illinois, it is hard to believe he will be ready to offer major minutes for the Blazers right away. However Leonard’s upside is considerable as he could become a top 10 center in the league if he puts his mind to it. It is worth questioning, however, whether they would have been better off gambling on Drummond at #6 and seen what could have been available at 11 (Lillard?). Will Barton has solid value in the second round.

Sacramento
Draft Grade
AdditionsAnalysis

B
Picks: No. 5 Thomas Robinson

The Kings were at the bottom of the NBA in so many categories last season. They were a bad defensive team who did not share or shoot the ball well offensively. Robinson is not going to be able to help alleviate all their problems, but he should help them improve upon the 29th ranked defensive rebounding percentage (70.5%) and gives them a boost at the power forward position going forward. One also has to hope that his focused, aggressive style of play rubs off on some of his teammates.

San Antonio
Draft Grade
AdditionsAnalysis


A-
Picks: No. 59 Marcus Denmon

Denmon spent his final two years at Columbia playing as well and as efficiently as any guard in college basketball. He scored inside and out as well as protected the ball incredibly well. If he was not undersized for his natural shooting guard spot, he would have never been available late in the second round, but even at his size he could still be capable of stepping in and possibly becoming San Antonio’s next Gary Neal off the bench.

Toronto
Draft Grade
AdditionsAnalysis

A
Picks: No. 8 Terrence Ross
Quincy Acy 

Toronto clearly went with the guy who they thought was the best on the board. Ross has so many NBA qualities that it’s easy to understand how they could pass on Austin Rivers. Ross was one of our favorite players and could become the top SG from this year’s class. He should turn out to be an excellent pick for the Raptors, blending with Demar Derozan at the 2/3 positions. Quincy Acy also has a lot of likeable qualities with a high motor and a huge wingspan.

Utah
Draft Grade
AdditionsAnalysis

B+
Picks: No. 47 Kevin Murphy

Last season, the Jazz were 27th in the NBA in three point shooting percentage and 28th in three pointers made. The team needs to improve its shooting on the perimeter, and Murphy had an excellent record in college as a shooter, albeit at a small Ohio Valley Conference school. He will go to training camp and have a chance to compete for roster spot and opportunity to one of the players who help fill that void.

Washington
Draft Grade
AdditionsAnalysis

B-
Picks: No 3 Bradley Beal
No 32 Tomas Sataransky

John Wall needed a reliable shot-maker running alongside him. And that’s exactly what he got in silky smooth Bradley Beal, who provides a sense of balance and reliability to a core that’s missing consistent nightly production. A lights out shooter who can handle the ball, his ability to defend and rebound reflect his completeness as a prospect. The Wizards also added the playmaking forward Tomas Satoransky, who they’ll stash overseas as a future asset. We view that pick as a bit of a reach.

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33 Comments

  1. Ah Philly

     I like the grade my Sixers received.  Hope it turns out to be true. The Harkless pick is getting plenty of WTFs from the faithful but he was the target from his visit on.  Glad they got a need pick in Moultrie as well

  2. @ Vulture711

    Dude, you’re such a hypocrite.  On the latest mock draft, you said you didn’t even want Moultrie on your team (the Sixers).  Now that he’s on your team, it automatically makes him somebody you wanted?!

    http://www.nbadraft.net/2012-nba-mock-draft-60#comment-478808

    I’m happy for your Sixers; they had an excellent draft.  But I bet if they gave your Sixers anything below an A, you’d be ripping into your front office about how they did a horrible job drafting Moultrie.

  3. Questionable Grades

    Toronto- I think Drummond even with Jonas coming in had a lot more value than Ross and they definitely called the wrong Quincy from Baylor in the second. They could’ve even gotten Barton or D. Lamb. C at best because I do like Ross. Grade C-

    Charlotte- I love Kidd-Gilchrist you have him mistaken, he will be more than Gerald Wallace. Jeffery Taylor is similar to MKG and they do play the same position but he couldv’e went anywhere in the 20’s and nobody wouldv’e complained. Great Picks they aren’t changing overnight. Grade "A".

    Cleveland- They loved Waiters and wanted a second lottery pick. They got Zeller and you guys had him in the lottery for months. Why do you give them a C-? I’m not a Zeller fan either and do you think they couldv’e gotten Waiter’s later? Who would have moved up? Possibly Golden State to take Barnes but I think they wanted Waiters as well. They could’ve stayed pat and gotten more prospects but 2 lottery picks, they deserve at least a B.

    • I agree completely with you

      I agree completely with you on Toronto. Even with Jonas coming, Drummond would have been a solid pick and still gotten a guy in the second round like Will Barton who fills the need on the wing that Terrence Ross is occupying. Their numbers from last year as well as their potential seem somewhat similar to me

  4. OkC

     I love that Perry Jones slided to them. They are already a title contender and with Jones playing with hardworkers and a great coach in Scott Brooks (hopefully) the sky is the limit for him

  5. My hometown raptors passed on

     

    My hometown raptors passed on both Andre Drummond and Quincy Miller. If that’s an A, we need to redefine these grades.

    Terrence Ross is ok, but is he better than Jeremy Lamb? This is a C at best.

  6. Hawks

    I really like the pick by the Hawks. They get a guy that is a flat out sharp shooter. He is going to spread the floor for Jeff when he penetrates. Nice Pick…

    • KJripoff

       Everyone knows Fab Melo posted no important numbers at Cuse , yet he goes in the first round.

      Kevin Jones averages a double-double in a great conference, yet he goes undrafted. 

      What’s with that Stern?

       

      • Stern?you think because he

        Stern?

        you think because he calls the names he makes the picks??

        Jones had his older brother as his agent and that inexperience cost him, im sure he will get a good shot at a roster spot somewhere.

        I disagree with most of these grades, shoulda just graded the talent not the circumstances around them. No way atlanta gets a b+  the same grade as the celtics and higher than the mikecats, MKG and Taylor grade out higher than Jenkins by far.

        And the cavs deserve a much higher grade, they really scored getting Zeller late, no way that talent equates to anything below a B

  7. Raptors Draft Grade
    Bryan Colangelo could have drafted Andrre Drummond and traded him to Houston for Kyle Lowry and the #12 pick (and chosen T. Ross at that point). In the 2nd round, he should definitely grabbed Quncy Miller instead of Quincy Acy. Toronto already has a few PF’s and had a big hole at SF. Miller has more upside than Acy, and usually people with ACL injuries can take over a year to get back their explosiveness. So, Toronto could have walked away from this draft with Ross, Lowry and Q. Miller. Grade C.

  8. Jenkins had a nice career at

    Jenkins had a nice career at Vandy..But i never like the idea of using a 1st round pick on 1 Dimensional Players,especially shooters with average ball handling skills..

  9. This was the first draft in a
    This was the first draft in a very long time where the majority of teams drafted for Need instead of Potential. There were exceptions, like Houston… but for the most part, high upside players kept falling out of projected draft ranges in favor of a player who would plug a hole in the lineup or fill a niche.

    This draft is going to look stupid in 4 years.

  10. Love the 76ers

    I think the 76ers are building for when they trade Iggy and I love how they are doing it. Harkless is awesome for anyone who watched him at St. Johns. If he would have come back he would have been a top 10 pick next year. And Moultrie was a great get bc they needed an athletic PF to replace Brand. This Line up in 2 years has just about everything you want outside of great shooting. Holiday Evans Harkless Moultrie and Hawes. Ok Hawes is a little gross but he is 7’1" and young. and they may be able to shop iggy for a better center.

  11. Exaggerated Grades.

    I understand the hate, as many fans are still mad. But Indiana came into the draft well prepared and with a clear target in mind, how can that be graded as such? They don’t need another project in Perry Jones or Arnett Moultrie, they need someone who is more NBA ready than those 2 guys. It is surprising that it was Miles Plumlee, but again, the team did well in preparing to choose a guy they feel will give them what they need. They need someone to replace the role of Jeff Foster – outside of the lottery, can you name one guy that fills that qualification other than Plumlee?

    The grades here are exagerrated, in my opinion. It seems like you were grading as soon as a team picks while the draft was progressing.

    Miami may have won the title but they showed one glaring need, quality depth up front. Everybody thought Moultrie was perfect, but they traded him for someone who’ll probably replace Dexter Pittman and a future first rounder that is likely in the early 20’s. How can you give up Moultrie this late in the draft? To me, they did worse than Indiana.

    Though Houston did manage to load up in talent, their team is still a mess, and now it is even messier. Looks like they failed to launch a trade on draft day. Good picks, especially Lamb. But take a quick look at their roster and it seems they are still lottery-bound next year.

    Brooklyn actually did well in draft night, traded for Ty Taylor instead of settling for scraps in the bottom of the 2nd round.

    I think it would be more fair to base the grades on a team’s approach coming into the draft and not just on the excitement level these picks bring with them, on a team’s status before the draft and how are they after it. 

     

  12. hmm

    I would have given the bucks, rockets, sixers and warriors much worse grades…For the Bucks, how is henson that much difference than larry sanders? how many thin supposed defensive specialists with no offensive game do they need in their front court? For the Sixers and Warriors, they already have logjams at the positions they drafted so how are these players ever going to get to play? there has to be some sort of trade in the future, but you can’t give them a good grade when that trade has not mateialized. Same thing with the rockets… they need a center, but now they have 4 pf’s on that team you cant congradulate them for something that hasn’t happened and may not.

    Giving the Heat deal a C+ i guess says you think that moultrie and jones will come back to hurt miami, but 1st round picks were going for cash last year so getting a second and a future 1st is a really good deal. 

    I dunno why everyone is so quick to bash on melo… he is obviously raw, but he also got a triple double with blocks last year…He was the 2nd best weakside shot blocker in the draft… given the praise lauded on serge ibaka, when that is really all he can do… Melo has a valuable NBA skill.

  13. As for the Draft…

    I very happy that the pistons got Andre drummond there isn’t much pressure for him to be a  "star" right away…but i do think that he is going to be a defensive presence right away…If ben wallace signs for another year that would really help… I still think the pistons should’ve also tried to nab Sullingers as well since his stock was dropping too..but im solid on the picksof kim and middelton…..I can’t wait to see how summer leacue is?

  14. I Thing the grade Dallas got

    I Thing the grade Dallas got for their draft is appropiate..James and Crower can do the dirty work and little things that go unnoticed by everyone but the coaches..At 6’4 1/2 i’m Not sure what position Crowder will play,but he has the strength to move guys out of positions and quick feet to guard point guards…Last season the Mavs really missed Stevenson,Barea,Chandler ..

    *Bernard James might’ve went in the late lottery,if he was 3 years younger and was a little more offensive minded…

    *Cummingham reminds me alot of former player Terrance Stansbury, a good athlete that can play both guard spots….

  15. I remember saying a few weeks

    I remember saying a few weeks ago,that Kevin Jones would go undrafted…And i got a bunch of negatives from guys on here….

    I had read some of the things scouts said about him when he was searching for info about his draft status after his jr. year.And what he was told was that he had a 50/50 shot of having a nba career….

    I do see him getting invited to some team’s training camp in the fall…Hard Working guys like him always try to prove their doubters wrong…..

  16. Wizards

     The Wiz definitely filled there most pressing need with a player worthy of the #3 pick, and for that alone they deserve at least a B. You were kind, however, in describing there second round pick a reach. You should have added that in selecting the "reach", they overlooked 3 guys who could have filled the still existing need of perimeter shooting. Doron Lamb, Kim English, or Will Barton would have been great picks as  SGs who can score and aren’t liabilities on D. Even with the pick of Beal, a perimeter scorer is still the teams greatest need. 

  17. Toronto Raptors

    I think the Raptors did a fantastic job. Terrence Ross looks like a good player and he says he loves Toronto and Quincy Acy is a bruiser that we needed

  18. Bull’s A?

     The problem with draft grades is that the meaning of the grades are not defined. We have Chicago with the 29th pick with an A-, while the Bobcats with the 2nd and 31st pick getting a C. That is absurd and invalidates any attempt the author may have on objectivity. 

    • @ Mister P

      Hear ya, Bro.  I think that the grades should mostly be based on overall talent.  I also think that graders f’d up by rewarding teams that received players via trades, but not penalizing those who lost picks somewhere along the line.  Keep it simple, leaving trades out of it, look at the draft talent acquired, and consider what could have been acquired (i.e. you could have had PJ3 instead of Plumlee).

      • Draft Grade for Bulls

         Otherwise I would have to conclude 28 teams really screwed up by not taking Teague. I guess instead of going 29th he should have gone number 1 or number 2 😉

  19. For what it’s worth…

    I think Minn f’d up by trading the 18th pick.  T. Jones is worth a lot more than Budinger.  I also think that the Cavs are going to be sorry that they passed on Robinson and Barnes.  And in Indy, Plumlee over PJ3 and Moultrie?  Hell, I think that the Pacers would have been better off with J. Taylor, Q. Miller, or D. Lamb. 

    As a Sixers fan, I was hoping they would get Myers Leonard or PJ3.  They passed on PJ3, like many other teams, and they also passed on T. Jones (and his NBA-ready body).  In the end, I like the combination of PJ3 and T. Jones over Harkless and Moultrie.  We’ll see…

    Based mostly on overall talent, I would give the following grades:

    A:  GS, Hou, and NO

    B:  Bos, Char, Cle, Den, Det, Milw, Phi, Por, Sac, and Was

    C:  Atl, Chi, Dal, Orl, Phon, OKC, and Tor

    D:  NJ, Ind, LAL, Mem, and UT

    F:  LAC, Mia, Min, NYK, and SA

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