[Memphis MadnessParticipant]

Cleveland: C-  They come away with a solid point guard with the first pick.  Should be an above average point guard but lacks the explosiveness of Rose, Westbrook, or even John Wall.  Compared to Chris Paul but he lacks Paul’s speed.  If his ceiling is more around a Mike Conley type then the Cavs got a solid, above-average point guard but not a superstar or even a perennial all-star.  Brandon Knight and Kemba Walker may end up being just as good — or even better than Kyrie.  I would have had him as the number 2 guard slightly behind Kemba Walker who I feel is speedier, quicker, a better athlete, more clutch, and a more dynamic player overall.  Kyrie should be solid but he had an incomplete year and is coming off an injury.  Even if he is the next Chris Paul or Derron Williams those two guys have yet to go the the NBA Finals.  Paul is a top 5-10 player and a superstar but unless they get a Top 10-15 wing player I don’t see them getting out of the 1st or 2nd round out West even with a former all-star at power forward in David West, a high quality (slightly undersized) big man in Emeka Okafor (and a former number 2 pick), and a solid, rangy, athletic small forward in Trevor Ariza who is a good 4th option or so on a contender (aka the Lakers title team a couple of years back).  Compared to older players Kyrie’s upside could be like Rod Strickland and Mark Jackson (former ROY), two very good point guards in their career but never a top 3 or 4 point guard, weren’t perennial all-stars and neither won an NBA title.  Not quite in the same league as Magic Johnson, John Stockton, Isiah Thomas, a prime Tim Hardaway, a prime Gary Payton, or even a prime Mark Price.  

Tristan Thompson sounds like a nice player but more of a late lotto talent closer to one of the Morris twins, or Kawhi Leonard.  Not as good as Enes Kanter and doesn’t have the upside or athletic ability of Jan Vesely or even Bismack Biyombo.  Closer to Markieff or Marcus Morris in terms of talent.  Not sure that is top four pick potential.  Vesely might have been a better fit since he can play some small forward and would give the Cavs a great finisher to go with a great creator (Irving).  Oh, and he plays the same position (power forward) as their best young player (JJ Hickson).  Biyombo, as a shot blocking center, would have been a better fit as would Kawhi Leonard who was the top small forward prospect in this draft.  A Derrick Williams and Brandon Knight pairing would have been much more effective.  … Jonas is a center and would have also been a better fit for the Cavs.  The Cavs fail to get the top talent in the draft (Derrick Williams) and a forward who I would have taken after Kanter, Vesely, Jonas, and probably Leonard and Bismack.  In the second round they draft a promising stretch four who can play some 3 in Justin Harper but they trade him for two future second round picks, not a fan of that move as Harper is a good a second round talent as any and this could be one of the deeper drafts as far as late talent goes.  With their other second round pick they get Milan Macvan who is another power forward who might not come over next year.  Don’t like that pick either.  The Cavs have to hope that they come away with a GREAT wing player in next year’s draft which is supposedly good at the wing position but there is no guarantee that they come away with a top 3 pick.  Through the draft the Cavs come out with a power forward controversy and the third guy on their point guard depth chart for next year (behind Baron Davis and Ramon Sessions). 

 

Minnestota T-Wolves:  A  The T-wolves come out of the draft with the best talent in Derrick Williams.  Should be fun to watch along with Kevin Love and Ricky Rubio.  They can play Williams at 3 and Love at 4 giving them two good rebounders and outside shooters with Love being a good passer and Williams being a good shot blocker and athletic finisher.  Then they acquire Bojan Bogdanovic who is a good shooter/scorer with size at the 2.  Won’t come over for awhile but the T-Wolves nucleus is young and they are building for the future.  They also acquire Brad Miller who is ancient but a smart basketball player who can bang, shoot, and pass.  

 

Utah Jazz:  A  They come away with the best low post big man in Enes Kanter.  He is good on offense and they can play him at the 5 some.  Good size.  The 2nd best talent outside of Derrick Williams.  Fills a need at center and makes a guy like Paul Milsap expendible.  John Calipari said that he should be the first pick and that guy knows basketball talent.  At 12 they draft the best guard on the board and one of the best talents left in Alec Burks.  Good shooting guard who can do some of everything.  They already have Devin Harris at point guard and this guy should complement Harris’ game.  The Jazz have Gordon Hayward to provide perimeter shooting at the 3.  Great draft for the Jazz.  They get the best player available at their two picks and they fill a need each time.  With this new talent upgrade and as well as 2nd year talents Hayward and Derrick Favors the Jazz can make a run for a playoff spot.  Even if they don’t they should be able to come away with a decent player next year and get a point guard for the future (Kabongo looks promising, Kendall Marshall is a steady, pass-first point guard). 

 

Toronto Raptors:   B  A lot of people don’t like this pick, but he has potential.  He’s a center and good centers are hard to find.  The Raptors could have used a lead guard like Brandon Knight or Kemba Walker but they also needed a center.  Some say he is a Gasol-like talent.  If he can combine Pau’s offensive scoring skills and low post moves with Marc’s toughness and strength with the requisite Gasol passing skills then the Raps get a very good player.  Won’t come over for another year so sort of a risk but the Raptors can add a good point guard or wing player in next year’s draft. 

 

Washington Wizards:  A  The Wiz get a long, freakish athlete in Jan Vesely (aka The Flying V) to pair with McGee.  Another good running mate for John Wall and he doubles the chances of DC bringing home the dunk title next year.  Not much of a rebounder or free throw shooter but he has lots of upside.  Chris Singelton is another one of their first round picks.  Great defender.  Also freakishly long and a solid athlete.  Not a scorer but should be able to get his own points.  Will give them a long, athletic front line along with McGee and Vesely.  Shelvin Mack is built like a Mack Truck and can really heat up.  Great range, solid athlete with a good vertical measurements.  Looks like a good third guard for them to bring off the bench.  The Wizards might not make the playoffs but they will be fun to watch.

 

Sacramento Kings:   A  Come away with Jimmer Fredette, the shooter they need, and Tyler Honeycutt who is a great value pick who can play either wing position.  Also get a speed demon with the last pick in Isaiah Thomas.  Jimmer is a good guy to put next to Tyreke.  Tyreke is a great scorer and one-on-one player who can score and handle the ball.  Jimmer is a great 3 pont shooter with incredible range.  Tyreke and Jimmer may be the NBA’s new version of the Odd Couple but they should really help each other out.  He seems like a solid citizen (as does Honeycutt) who can both provide a buffer between Tyreke and Cousins.  They also acquire John Salmons in that trade.  A crafty scorer who had an off-year, but a good veteran.  Probably won’t make the playoffs but will give teams fits and should do very well at home.  

 

Golden State Warriors:  A-  Klay Thompson was the best player on the board and can shoot and score.  Looks like this team should be built around offense and he should help at either wing spot.  They also come away with Jeremy Tyler who has a lot of upside and potential and great size.  If he pans out then the Warriors had a GREAT draft.  At worst, he will be a solid rotational center who can bang and provide a defensive/offensive presence down low.  David Lee is a great rebounder who finds ways to score so he is a good primary front court threat with Epke Udoh being a nice defender, shot blocker, and secondary rebounder.  So the Warriors didn’t really need a one-dimensional banger so they went with the best player available in Thompson and came away with a good big man in Tyler.  Nice draft for them.

 

Detroit Pistons:  A  Good draft for them.  Brandon Knight falls and they pick him up.  A good point guard with great range on his shot.  Kind of in the Chauncey Billups mold.  Could have gone as high as 3. In the second round they get Kyle Singler who is a good player and a good value at 33. 

 

Charlotte Bobcats:  A-  They pick up Kemba Walker who is my favorite guard in this draft.  Could step in and run the team.  He can do it all and is very clutch.  A winner who took home the world championship belt (NCAA title), the intercontinental belt (Big East tourney title), and the TV title (Maui Invitational).  They also get Bismack Biyombo who is a risky pick but has great upside as a defender and shot blocker and seems like a good guy to build around.  Got Magette in the Stephen Jackson trade.  Picked Tyler but traded him.  Maybe they should have kept him, but sounds kind of like a head case.  Might have reminded Michael Jordan too much of Kwame Brown.

 

Milwaukee Bucks:  B-  Traded Corey Maggette who can score to get Stephen Jackson, a good talent but kind of high maintenance.  Beno Udrih is a nice backup point guard who can also hit the 3, and a great player when he is on.  Shaun Livingston has talent but not an outside shooter.  Needs the ball to be effective like Jennings and Jackson.  Tobias Harris is a good all-around player who has some upside but doesn’t excel at anything.  Seems like a tweener with out the size to play power forward or the speed/athleticism to play the 3.  The Bucks could have drafted Klay Thompson if they hadn’t had done the trade which would have been a better option.  This trade might put the Bucks back in the playoffs or it might not.  The players they received have low upside and don’t turn the Bucks into legit contenders or anything.  Jon Leuer will help Bucks’ fans get over the loss of Brad Lohaus back in the day.  Good player who can shoot and he’s tall.  Will now be stuck in 35-45 win hell.

 

Phoenix Suns:  B+  The Suns get a nice power forward in Markieff Morris who can do some of everything and should make the Suns tougher up front.  Good fundamentals.  Will fit in well with Steve Nash.  Not a home run pick but a solid pick.  

 

Houston Rockets:  C-  With a need for a center and a good small forward they draft Marcus Morris (the lesser of the two Morris twins.  The Harvey of the two Morris twins) and pass up Kawhi Leonard (who would have been a great fit to replace Shane Battier and a tough, hard-nosed player) and Nikola Vucevic who is a legit center and the tallest player in the draft.  Singleton and Shumpert might have also been better picks.  With Marcus Morris they get a good 3rd power forward behind Luis Scola and Patrick Patterson.  Chandler Parsons is a nice second round pick who can do some of everything at the small forward spot.  He saves the Rockets, possibly, from getting an even worse grade.  They do get Three Trade Motie who plays the four spot as well, but is tall enough to play center.  Might be a poor man’s version of Bargs.  Has as much upside as any late first rounder but I have no idea what the Rockets are doing.  Houston, we have a problem.

 

Indiana Pacers:  B+  With 3 small forwards, Kawhi Leonard might have been a keeper but they come away with George Hill who is a nice player who can be a good backup to Darren Collison.  He can shoot from long range and can probably play some 2 guard in spots.  The Pacers had a need at 2 guard, backup pg, and depth at power forward.  George Hill helps some with two needs. 

 

Philadelphia 76ers:  B  The Sixers get a center.  Is he the center they need?  Could be.  Has size and height, no hops.  Should be steady.  The Sixers are already loaded on the wings, have some good point guards and decent help at the 4 spot with Brand and Speights.  A good, solid pick for them.  An upgrade over Spencer Hawes.

 

NY Knicks:  B-  The spectators weren’t too happy with this pick.  Spike Lee was befuddled.  But he is a good athlete who can dunk.  Versatile who is supposed to be good at defense.  Not a bad pick.  Should be a good role player if he figures it out on the next level.  Guys like Singleton and Faried might have provided more toughness, rebounding, and defense but they are forwards where the Knicks are fairly deep at with Amare, Carmelo, Shawne Williams, and Jared Jeffries.  Shumpert has upside.  The Knicks could have done worse.

 

Portland Trailblazers:  B-  They traded Andre Miller for Raymond Felton trading in one above-average point guard for another, and they also get younger.  Felton is not quite the passer, but he has more upside going forward.  For that part of the Trailblazer’s draft night I give them an A-.  Looks pretty good on paper but Andre Miller was great for LaMarcus Aldridge and really good for the team so they may miss him.  They traded Rudy Ferndandez for future picks.  Rudy is a nice player but didn’t get the minutes he needed so I can see why they did this trade.  Nolan Smith is a nice player but more of a combo guard than a true point guard.  Will join Elliott Williams in a former Duke combo guard reunion in Rip City. A solid ‘C’ pick for the Blazers, but they could have used Kenneth Faried as a rebounding beast, or they could have gone out and gotten another point guard with more upside like Norris Cole.  Jon Diebler is a good pick up at 50.  Great 3 point shooter in college with good height. 

 

Denver Nuggets:  A  Kenneth Faried gives them the rebounder they need although he might end up being more of the next Renaldo Balkman.  But either way he should provide toughness off the bench and a good rebounding option.  A good pick for them.  I think they get a good value with the 22nd pick.  They trade Felton who is a nice young player but they pick up a good, crafty veteran in Andre Miller who can really pass and is a good post-up player for a point guard.  Ty Lawson is their point guard of the future anyway and Andre Miller is an ideal mentor for Lawson and a great 2nd point guard.  They also come away with Jordan Hamilton who really fell but he has late lotto potential.  Another good piece for the Nuggets who, with his addition, bumps the Nuggets grade up to an ‘A’.

 

Oklahoma City Thunder:  C-  The Thunder needed a backup small forward or a low post player who can score, instead they pick up a score first small guard.  I actually like Maynor as a backup point guard and Reggie Jackson sounds like a poor man’s version of Russell Westbrook.  Not sure if Reggie will pass to Durant either.  A good upside guy but the Thunder didn’t really accomplish anything.  Marshon Brooks, JaJuan Johnson, Kyle Singler, Tyler Honycutt, and Justin Harper would all have been better picks.  They were a top four team last year but I don’t think they added the piece that they need to improve which hurts given that the Heat, Mavs, and Grizzlies all had a good draft night. 

 

Boston Celtics:  B-  JuJuan Johnson is solid and will play some good minutes at the 4.  But if they keep Jeff Green, Mr. Johnson does kind of the same things.  The Celtics got another Purdue guy in E’twaun Moore who I didn’t really follow.  The Celtics needed help at center, and the day after the draft the Celtics STILL need help at center.  Maybe they should have kept Marshon Brooks who could have studied under Jesus Shuttlesworth and formed a good, young backcourt of the future with Rajon Rondo.  The Celtics made two "safe" picks that might work out, but they weren’t "wow" picks for the future or guys who could really help them out next year,although I do like JuJuan Johnson.  A slightly above-average draft night for the Celtics who will now look to free agency to find a center.  

 

New Jersey Nets:  A-  The Nets had a late first round pick (27) who they ended up turning into Marshon Brooks who has plenty of question marks but also plenty of offensive ability.  Should work well next to D-Will.  A great upside pick for the Nets, but he does have some bust potential.  They also get Jordan Williams who can take up space and rebound some.  If he can keep the weight off then his upside might be higher than some might think.  A solid pick for them at 36.  

 

Chicago Bulls:  C  Should have held onto Norris Cole who can shoot and play backup point guard.  Jimmy Butler sounds pretty good.  Could be a good backup 3 man.  I actually think that one of their major weaknesses was at backup 3.  Korver isn’t any good, and one dimensional and his one dimension is usually off.  If Butler can create and score some then he is a good pick.  But, Norris Cole and Shelvin Mack might have been better, safer picks as backup point guards and 3 point threats.  Nikola Mirotic sounds like a good player but he won’t be over for about 4 years.  Malcolm Lee might help some.  Not crazy about these picks.  They had two late first rounders and came away with a decent player and a guy who won’t come over for another four years.  If Butler plays well then this won’t be a totally bad draft but their draft didn’t help them take the next step.  I guess they will upgrade their shooting guard position in free agency.  The Bulls didn’t try to make a home run pick they just picked up a few solid players going forward.  They only get a ‘C’ since they didn’t do enough to separate themselves from the other contenders such as Dallas, Miami, OKC, and Memphis.  The Bulls did fill some needs so their draft night wasn’t a total head-scratcher like the Thunder’s.  They played it kind of safe, but here were some more-established college players on the board. 

 

San Antonio Spurs:  A-  The Spurs really filled a need and got one of the draft’s better players in Kawhi Leonard.  Everyone said they needed help up front but I thought they just needed to get younger and the Richard Jefferson at small forward thing was killing them.  Could end up being a top 5-10 player from this year’s draft.  Should fit in with the Spurs culture of tough, smart basketball players.  They gave up a pretty good point guard to get him though and Leonard isn’t the kind of outside shooter that they need but I really like this pick.  The Spurs add a good piece and get younger without giving up Tony Parker.  If Tim Duncan can turn into the next Kareem (with a shaved head and slimmed down body, TD already looks like a late-career Kareem some.  If he adds a skyhook then it’s money.), then the Spurs may have another run or two left in them.  Cory Joseph is the replacement for George Hill.  He’s a talent and could help.  Not sure who Adam Hanga is, but with the Spurs picking him I bet he’s pretty good.  Of all the fringe contenders who are just past their prime (but with the window still slightly opened) the Spurs helped themselves out the most, better than Boston or the Lakers.

 

Miami Heat:  A-  They come away with Norris Cole who can shoot and play point guard.  I really like Mario Chalmers as their point guard of the future but Cole should help out too.  They could have used a center (Jordan Williams, Jeremy Tyler, and Keith Benson were on the table) but they get a guy who can help right away at backup point guard.  Their draft night was not as good as Dallas or Memphis but they did better than the Bulls and Thunder (two teams who could have really helped themselves, but who didn’t really help themselves that much). 

 

LA Clippers:  B-  The Clips get a power forward to play behind Blake Griffin.  A solid player who others had going higher.  He’s a pretty nice pick for them.  Not a home run pick but he shouldn’t be a bust either.  They could have used another wing player like Chandler Parsons, but they did pretty well.  With their core of Blake Griffin and Eric Gordon, they add another nice piece to the puzzzle.  But, you always have to question the Clippers’ picks since they usually find a way to screw things up, so they get a ‘B-‘ instead of a ‘B’. 

 

LA Lakers:  C+  They came away with Darius Morris who should be good.  Andrew Goudelock can really shoot (supposedly).  Nice picks.  Those picks are very good and should help out the Lakers next year.  Not sure about the other two picks (Chukwudiebere Maduabum and Ater Majok), taking their grade down from a solid ‘B+’ down to a C+.

 

Orlando Magic:  A-  They get Justin Harper and DeAndre Liggins, two solid players who are solid athletes and should be able to help the Magic.  Harper is a good stretch four, while Liggins is a good defender, athlete, and a solid three point shooter.  He can also handle the ball some.

 

Memphis Grizzlies:  A The Grizzlies drafted Josh Selby with the 49th pick and may have gotten a huge steal.  Great talent coming out of high school, and, for a time was the #1 high school prospect.  Had a rock, and disappointing freshman year at Kansas but he has good skills and really played well in draft camps and was compared to Monta Ellis.  Also sounds like Jerryd Bayless.  Could be another good scoring threat off the bench (some on the Grizzlies message board think that this could help move OJ Mayo back to the starting lineup and allow Tony Allen to come off the bench with Selby as the prime reserve scoring threat).  Has a big upside, and should help.  If he doesn’t pan out then he should have some decent trade value (early 2nd round pick at worst).  The Grizzlies could have used a spot-up 3 point shooter like Jon Diebler (who went 50) but Selby has more upside.  The Grizzlies need another backup big man, and were supposedly looking for a stretch four, but guys like Jamie Skeen, Greg Smith, and Matt Howard went undrafted.  Ben Hansbrough and David Lighty were also undrafted and could be picked up by a team like the Grizzlies.  They might also bring back U of M player Will Coleman who is really raw but is a good athlete who can run, jump, and dunk.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[HobbyOGParticipant]

You Doing too much..

[HobbyOGParticipant]

You Doing too much..

[Memphis MadnessParticipant]

Oops, forgot about the Dallas Mavericks…

 

Dallas Mavericks:  A  Came away with Rudy Fernandez who can create his own shot, hit 3’s, pass, and handle the ball.  A good veteran who can play a couple of different positions.  Can help the Mavericks win now which is good since they are in WIN NOW mode and have a great shot of repeating as champs if they resign everybody.  Fernandez is an upgrade over Peja with his more versatile game.  He will give the Mavs their second best passer after Jason Kidd.  Jordan Hamilton might have been a better long-term keeper but for the next year or 2 (or 3) then Rudy is a better bet.

[Memphis MadnessParticipant]

Oops, forgot about the Dallas Mavericks…

 

Dallas Mavericks:  A  Came away with Rudy Fernandez who can create his own shot, hit 3’s, pass, and handle the ball.  A good veteran who can play a couple of different positions.  Can help the Mavericks win now which is good since they are in WIN NOW mode and have a great shot of repeating as champs if they resign everybody.  Fernandez is an upgrade over Peja with his more versatile game.  He will give the Mavs their second best passer after Jason Kidd.  Jordan Hamilton might have been a better long-term keeper but for the next year or 2 (or 3) then Rudy is a better bet.

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