Start stockpiling provisions, the apocalypse is coming. The Hawks actually made the right move in this draft by taking the best player on the board and the best point guard on the board. The Hawks now have a scary core group of Law, Johnson, M. Williams, Childress, Smith, Horford, S. Williams, and Pachulia that could contend in the east for the next decade. Of course, this is the Hawks, and Billy Knight is still in charge, so that probably won't happen, but it's a very promising young group.
Boston Celtics - Thumbs Up
Picks - Gabe Pruitt (32), Glen Davis (35)
Well, it's hard to argue with basically trading the #5 pick for Ray Allen. Regardless of what happens with Allen's foot surgery and how his game will hold up with age, that's an incredibly cheap price for a guy with his talent. Their two draft picks, Pruitt and Davis, were both great values who went about 10 picks later than they should have. Pruitt should immediately help as a point guard with a jumpshot, and Davis was a great value who could turn out to be a star if he keeps his weight down. Few players in the draft were as adept post scorers as Davis; he's reminiscent of Zach Randolph without the off-the-court problems.
Charlotte Bobcats - On The Fence
Picks - Jared Dudley (22), Jermareo Davidson (36)
I was a huge fan of the Dudley pick when it happened, but I don't like it as much after the trade. Charlotte desperately needs more post players, especially with Okafor and May's health issues. Once they traded Wright, they didn't have that help coming in. I think they probably would've been better off with Tiago Splitter or Josh McRoberts there. I liked the trade, and there is the possibility that they could pick up another post in free agency, but that's a bit of a risk, as there aren't many good low post guys out there (Milicic and Varejao are really the headliners). Still, they did some good things and I like the way the franchise is heading in general.
I hate the Noah pick, absolutely hate it. He's an inferior player to Tyrus Thomas and Ben Wallace in almost every way. The Bulls are a legitimate post scorer away from being a championship contender, and they had Spencer Hawes on the board. Not only did they pass on Hawes, but they also didn't make a move on Zach Randolph. I still think they should pursue a deal for Jermaine O'Neal (Thomas, Noah, Thabo Sefolosha and sign & trade P.J. Brown), but they don't seem interested in that either. For a team so close to contending, the Bulls seem very hesitant to make an aggressive move, and that would scare me if I were a Bulls fan.
We've known for a while that Stuckey was their man, but I think they missed an opportunity when Nick Young fell to them. Stuckey is kind of a poor man's Randy Foye, and should be a decent combo guard in the league. However, Young has all-star level talent on the same level as Corey Brewer. Affalo is a Detroit-type player, but they don't really have a need at SG after taking Stuckey, and they had Marcus Williams, Glen Davis and Josh McRobert all available, who are better talents and need positions.
Indiana Pacers - ???
Picks - Stanko Barac (39)
I have no opinion. He's a face-the-basket 7-footer, and that rarely works out, but whatever.
Miami Heat - Thumbs Down
Picks - Daequan Cook (21)
Memo to Pat Riley: your team is aging quickly and you need to win now. Of all the gaps the Heat desperately need to fill, I don't think "inexperienced shooting guard with attitude problems" was one of them. If the Heat really wanted a shooter, Morris Almond was a much better pick there. Really, anyone was a better pick there. Kudos for bluffing Philly into giving up a second rounder to switch spots with you, but Cook is a terrible pick.
Milwaukee Bucks - On The Fence
Picks - Yi Jianlian (6), Ramon Sessions (56)
The decision on the Bucks' draft will be made sometime in the next few days as the Yi situation is fleshed out. If it turns out Yi isn't so averse to going to Milwaukee or if the Bucks trade him (Golden State is the likely candidate), then taking a chance on the best available talent was worth it. If not and Yi either doesn't show up or skulks through the season, then the Bucks made a terrible mistake. Time will tell on this one. Sessions was a great pick up that late though. He was a guy who people were talking about as a possible low first rounder after he had some impressive camps. Landing him at 56 was a great pick for the Bucks at a need position.
New Jersey Nets - Thumbs Up
Picks - Sean Williams (17)
I've wavered on this quite a bit, but in the end I think it was the right pick for the Nets. This is a franchise in limbo, and they need something big to happen. If Williams is able to display the kind of play that he showed at the beginning of the season for Boston College, this pick is a steal. It's a huge risk, but it's obvious that the Nets really thought this one out.
New York Knicks - Thumbs Down
Picks - Wilson Chandler (23), Demetris Nichols (53)
What will it take to get Isaiah Thomas fired? Check my last post if you want a detailed explanation of why the Zach Randolph trade was terrible for New York. Outside of that disaster, the Knicks reached on Wilson Chandler after they made a promise to him, they could've gotten him 10 picks later. I don't care if Isaiah knows talent, he's a crappy executive in every other facet.
Orlando Magic - Who Cares
Picks - Milovan Rakovic (60)
...Moving on.
Philadelphia 76ers - Thumbs Up
Picks - Thaddeus Young (12), Jason Smith (20), Derrick Byars (42), Herbert Hill (55)
I love almost everything about the Sixers' draft. Smith is a great pick for their PF need, Byars was an amazing value at 42, as was Hill at 55. However, I don't particularly like Young at 12, since I think Thornton and Wright were were better picks there. Also, they basically traded their 30th pick for the 42nd pick (cash considerations always bug me). All in all though, they had a very solid draft.
Toronto Raptors - Again, I Don't Care
Picks - Giorgos Printezis (58)
Darn this European influx. Again, I know nothing about this guy.
Washington Wizards - Thumbs Up
Picks - Nick Young (16), Dominic McGuire (47)
The Wizards got two steals where they were drafting. Young is a stud player who could've gone as high as #8 to Charlotte. McGuire is a great athlete who is a strong defender. For a pick that late, he's a great value.
Well, that's it for NBA stuff for a while. I'll post some on various deals that may happen in the offseason, but probably no more large NBA posts until I preview the next season.
I'm going to move on to the Eastern conference draft analysis tomorrow, but tonight I want to take a more in-depth look at the draft day trades, of which we had 3 major ones and a lot more minor ones.
ESPN has a full list of all the trades here, so you can check there for all the minor trades.
Trade #1
Boston sends Delonte West, Wally Szczerbiak, the #5 pick (Jeff Green) and a future second rounder to Seattle for Ray Allen and the #35 pick (Glen Davis)
First of all, this deal is a slam dunk for Seattle. They get younger by dumping Allen, get a solid player in West, and get the perfect guy to complement Durant in Green. There really is no downside to this trade for the Sonics. For the Celtics, it's a bit of a tougher call. I'm of the opinion that Boston needed to revamp and rebuild, but for the last few weeks, we've known that wasn't going to Danny Ainge's plan. From the perspective of improving the team to win now, which was apparently management's goal, this move makes a lot of sense. They paid a relatively low price for a guy who might be the league's best shooter and should pump in around 22 points a game fairly efficiently. Allen is also a guy who has wanted to play for Boston, which is always good. The real concern is that he is 31, coming off surgery for bone spurs in both his feet, and doesn't particularly strike you as a guy who will age well. Was it a perfect trade? No, but the cost was so low for Boston that I think they had to take a swing at it. They didn't give up Gerald Green or Al Jefferson to get him, and a core of Allen, Pierce, and Jefferson should put them in contention in the east. They also didn't trade away Theo Ratliff and his expiring contract, which gives them one more piece to work with to bring in more help. In addition to all that, it also paired Ray Allen with Allan Ray, which is just too awesome for words. Icing on the cake for Boston is that Glen Davis inexplicably fell to them at #35 with that pick, which gives this trade even more value. In the end I think it was the right thing to do for both squads, the deal was just too good a value for Boston.
Trade #2
Portland sends Zach Randolph, Dan Dickau and Fred Jones to New York for Steve Francis and Channing Frye.
I think I'm one of the few people who sees this as a terrible move for the Knicks. Sure, it's great value for a 20-10 guy. they basically traded Channing Frye for Zach Randolph, which is a pretty amazing deal. Why is this trade so bad then? First of all, aren't Zach Randolph and Eddy Curry basically the same player? they're both adept post scorers who have no interest in passing out of double teams or rebounding, and they've both had weight problems. Do you really think you can win a championship with a frontline of Curry and Randolph? You better, because they'll make over $100 mil together over the next 4 years. Also, does anybody actually believe that Randolph isn't going to get in trouble in New York? You take a known head-case guy and put him in New York, and you can bet we'll be hearing more from Zach Randolph before the end of next season. Lastly, how does David Lee get on the floor now? He played as well as anyone in a Knicks uniform and was easily their most efficient player last year, but how does he find PT behind Randolph and Curry? Now, I know this was a pretty low-cost deal, but the cost wasn't so much in the talent the Knicks gave up as it was in the cap space they destroyed. Now, the Knicks cap situation was nothing to be happy about, but at least they had some of their terrible large contracts coming off the books soon. Now they've taken Francis's nearly expired deal and replaced it with Randolph's monster of a contract. Sorry, I just don't get the reasoning. For Portland, I think it was an excellent move. I would've preferred if they'd gotten a lottery pick for trading him, but Frye is a pretty good prize all the same. A year ago, he was untouchable, but New York cooled on him after a lukewarm 2nd season. Just in case you're wondering, Francis is in the deal simply for salary purposes. Portland is reportedly working on a buyout with him that would probably cut his impact on the salary cap by about half before he comes off in 2 seasons.
Trade #3
Charlotte trades the #8 pick (Brandan Wright) to Golden State for Jason Richardson and the #36 pick (Jermareo Davidson)
First of all, like I said in my analysis of their draft, I love this trade for Golden State. They gave from a position of strength (aggressive wing players) to address a position of need (athletic posts who can defend the rim). Wright is, at very worst, a better version of Andris Biedrins. He's got huge potential and is hugely reminiscent of Chris Bosh coming out of college. I would not be surprised at all if he contributed immediately for them. For the Bobcats, I think the trade is a little more interesting. With Richardson's history of knee injuries, this one is a little risky, but if he stays healthy than the deal is a good one for Charlotte. Even after taking on J-Rich's contract, the Bobcats are still nearly $20 mil under the cap, which should be plenty to resign Gerald Wallace. Throwing Wallace and Richardson out on the wings is a scary prospect for the rest of the east. They took a chance and bought low on J-Rich's value, and I can't really fault them for that. They do have a serious frontcourt depth issue though. Okafor and May are the only 2 real competent posts (put your hand down Primoz Brezec, you don't count), and they both have injury history. If they don't pick up some sort of frontcourt answer in free agency (Anderson Varejao maybe?) then I think they're going to look back on this trade with regret, as they let a great young post go.
The long-awaited draft is over, so now its time to take a look at the results. It was actually a rather subdued draft until we got to the 18th pick or so, with the only real surprise being the Ray Allen trade. After that, things started going all kinds of crazy as Portland began to wheel and deal. Anyway, here's my team-by-team analysis of the draft. It's not grades, cause I don't like grades (btw, if we were to give teams a GPA based on their draft grades over time, what would Atlanta's be? 1.5? 2?). I'm going to give either a thumbs up, thumbs down, or on the fence for each team. So, starting with the Western Conference...
Now, I understand that Dallas didn't have a lot to work with here, but they didn't exactly make the most of it. I'll give them the last two, cause there's not that much talent that late, but they took Fazekas, who is quite possibly the worst athlete in the draft, in front of Glen Davis and Josh McRoberts, both much better talents. I don't see Fazekas being any kind of player in the NBA, he's just too slow, and slow big guys whose trademark is their shooting don't have a great track record.
Big thumbs up to the Warriors, who had my second favorite draft (behind Portland's masterpiece). Not only did they manage to grab some fantastic talent, but they got rid of Jason Richardson's contract too. I questioned their selection of Bellinelli instead of Jason Smith, but it makes sense with the acquisition of Wright. Take note that there's still a possibility that Yi will end up here for a package including Wright, though Milwaukee looks like they want to keep him. Wright is a perfect player for them. He has very little range to his game, but he's money near the hoop and he's a very good shot-blocker. At worst, he's a much more talented and athletic version of Andris Biedrins. Bellinelli is a dynamic 2-guard who has great range and can slash, but he's streaky (which should mean he fits in perfectly here). Lasme was one of my favorite second round guys, and I can see him contributing immediately as an energy/defense guy for the Warriors. Very good draft.
I really don't get their draft. They had McRoberts and Davis staring them in the face at both 26 and 31, and they passed them both times for inferior players. Brooks was a solid sleeper, but that's only a good pick if you don't reach for it, and they reached big-time for him. What's more puzzling is that they didn't even reach for a need, they've already got Mike James and Rafer Alston at the point and a gaping hole at PF. Landry is a gritty player, but he's undersized and can't rebound. McRoberts would've been perfect here, I'm really puzzled that they passed on him.
L.A. Clippers - Thumbs Up
Picks - Al Thornton (14), Jared Jordan (45)
The Clippers basically just sat back and took the best value that was available, and they ended up with 2 really good players who are both good fits. Thornton allows them to put the disgruntled Corey Maggette on the trading block. He's a terrific athlete, and I've been saying all along he's the second coming of Shawn Marion. He was easily the best value available for them. Jordan is a pure point who should be able to back up Sam Cassell right away. His ceiling as a player isn't very high, but he's a smart guy who should be able to carve out a niche in the league. I would've gone with Taurean Green there, but I can't fault them for taking Jordan.
L.A. Lakers - Thumbs Down
Picks - Javaris Crittenton (19), Sun Yue (40), Marc Gasol (48)
This rating is contingent on them keeping Kobe Bryant, which they have repeatedly said that they want to do. Were the Lakers set on building for the future, I would be ok with the Crittenton pick. He's the ultimate high-reward point guard prospect, with a good shooting touch, suberb athleticism, and a 6'5 frame. However, he's at least 2 years away from being able to run a team, and I doubt he'll contribute much next year. I'm not sold on Yue. From what I saw of him, he's not a great athlete and he didn't really impress me that much. They did get a steal in Gasol, who most mocks had up at the top of the second round.
Memphis Grizzlies - Thumbs Up
Picks - Mike Conley (4)
Not much to say about this. They took Conley, who was the best point guard in the draft and, in my opinion, the best player on the board at #4. He got better and better as the year went on last year, and I wouldn't be surprised to see him be a big contributor this year for Memphis. He's impossibly quick and has tremendous floor vision. Absolutely the right pick for the Griz.
Minnesota Timberwolves - On The Fence
Picks - Corey Brewer (7), Chris Richard (41)
As far as their draft goes, I think they made the right moves. Brewer was the obvious pick when he fell into their laps at #7, and Richard is a great value in the second round, he would be a first rounder if he'd played anywhere but Florida. However, I can't help but feel like the Timberwolves wasted their best chance to rebuild by not getting a KG deal done. They were adamant about what they wanted in return for him, and as a result of that they miss the chance to grab draft picks in the deepest draft in recent memory. I'm fine with the picks they made, but what they didn't do with KG devalues this for me.
New Orleans Hornets - Thumbs Up
Picks - Julian Wright (13), Adam Haluska (43)
They get a thumbs up because Wright at #13 is an absolute steal. He could've easily gone 6 picks higher than that. He doesn't fit a need quite as well as Nick Young would've, but there's no question that he was the best talent left on the board. On potential alone, he's probably the 3rd best guy in the draft. He had games at Kansas where he absolutely destroyed the opposing team. If the Hornets can get some consistency out of him, this is a great pick. Haluska was a surprise, as he wasn't really on anyone's radar. Really though, once you get into the last 20 picks, everything is a stretch.
Phoenix Suns - Thumbs Down
Picks - Alando Tucker (29), D. J. Strawberry (59)
Is there anything more depressing than seeing your team trade away a first round pick for cash? Yeah, the Suns have done that 4 straight times. Not only that, but they then took Tucker at 29, who is a PF in a SF's body. Oh yeah, he can't really shoot either. They had McRoberts and Gabe Pruitt sitting there at 29, and they took Alando Tucker instead. Ugh. The Suns have really made some disappointing moves in the last 2-3 years, and it's a shame cause I think their window for winning is closing. They had the chance here to either take players or trade for players who could bolster a championship level team, and they blew it. I do like the D.J. Strawberry pick at 59 though. He'll carve out a spot in the league as a lock-down defender.
Not only did the Blazers make an absolute killing with their picks but they also managed to bring another piece over in the Zach Randolph trade, Channing Frye. This is the best draft I've ever seen a team have. They drafted a franchise center in Oden, they got rid of head-case Randolph and his monster contract and brought in another good young big in Frye, they drafted two lottery-level talents in Fernandez and Koponen who will continue to mature overseas (something they had to do with all the guys they were bringing in with this draft), they got the steal of the draft in McRoberts at 37 (who is a perfect complementary post guy and also a good friend of Oden's), and they picked up Green about 20 spots later than most people had him ranked. That, my friends, is one heck of a draft. Here's the really scary thing about this team. By trading Randolph's contract for Francis's shorter deal, the Blazers made sure that they will be well under the cap in 2 years when guys like Aldridge and Roy start signing extensions. They've done so well building with young talent, and it's entirely possible that they will be able to keep all of it. Can anybody in the league match the young talent on their frontline with Oden, Aldridge, Frye, and McRoberts? This team is ridiculously scary.
Sacramento Kings - Thumbs Down
Picks - Spencer Hawes (10)
It's not that I don't think Hawes is a bad player. He's probably more-or-less the next Brad Miller, and Miller has had a very solid career with a few All-Star games tossed in there. However, with all the rebuilding that Sacramento has to do, they needed a high-ceiling kind of guy, and Hawes isn't it. Julian Wright would've been the much better pick here.
San Antonio Spurs - Thumbs Up
Picks - Tiago Splitter (28), Marcus Williams (33), Giorgos Printezis (58)
It's just not fair sometimes. The best team in the league adds a lottery-level talent who will wait a year before coming over. Splitter was a perfect fit for them, and they'll be reaping the benefits in two years. Williams is a great prospect with a ton of potential, but he never put it together in college. I was a little surprised that they didn't go with Derrik Byars, but if anyone can get Williams to put things together, it's the Spurs.
Seattle Supersonics - Thumbs Up
Picks - Kevin Durant (2), Jeff Green (5)
Big props to Seattle for being gutsy with their moves. Trading Ray Allen wasn't even something I was thinking about, but it makes a lot of sense. The word from Seattle is that they want to try and resign Rashard Lewis and be able to throw Green, Durant, and Lewis out there all at once. It's a remarkable idea, and I think that they could pull it off. There are very few players in the league versatile and athletic enough to run the 2,3,and 4 spots, but these guys could do it. Can you imagine trying to match up with that? Anyway, even if they don't bring Lewis back, Green is a great compliment to Durant. Overlooked in the Allen for Green deal is that they also brought in Delonte West, who is a solid player and should be the starter at the point for them next year.
Utah Jazz - Thumbs Up
Picks - Morris Almond (25), Kyrylo Fesenko (38)
I have no opinion on Fesenko, but Almond was a great pick at 25. He was obviously the best talent left on the board, and he fills the Jazz's need for a perimeter shooter. Considering where they were picking, the Jazz did a solid job.
Just as a final note, is anyone else as excited as I am that Ray Allen and Allen Ray are on the same team? I've been waiting for this since I learned that Villanova was bringing in a freshman named Allen Ray. It's fate, it had to happen, the basketball gods brought it about.
Just settling down to watch the draft. I haven't ever actually watched through the draft before, so this should be interesting. Feel free to share your opinions on each pick as it happens.
7:36 - And, to the surprise of nobody, Greg Oden goes first, and he's brought hand sanitizer so as to not get David Stern sick. Good move, Stern will make sure he'll get at least 100 calls this year because of that.
7:37 - Stephen A. Smith's analysis of Seattle: "Needs Kevin Durant" Gee, thanks Steven.
7:41 - First big trade of the day. Seattle gets rid of Ray Allen for Boston's #5 pick, Delonte West, and Theo Ratliff. Boston will be taking Jeff Green for them if he's still there. Great trade for Seattle, I'm not so sure for Boston. They'll be one of the top teams in the east with Allen, Pierce, and Jefferson.
7:42 - Kevin Durant's mother is proud of him. Huh, funny about that. Glad we've got reporters here to tell us that.
7:45 - Man is Kevin Durant long.
7:48 - Atlanta's pick, I can't wait. AND..........Al Horford. I can't believe it, the Hawks actually did the right thing. Jay Bilas thinks Horford is more ready to contribute immediately than any other big man in the draft. Um, Jay, you remember that Oden guy from a few minutes ago?
7:50 - Stephen A. Smith stumbles through something about Horford from which the only discernable words are "point guard". Is Smith the only analyst who can simulatneously scream and stutter?
7:51 - Stu Scott "everybody is somebody's hotties". Um...moving on.
7:52 - Memphis listens to Jerry West and takes Mike Conley. Great pick, I love him.
7:57 - Celtics take Green for Seattle. Nice pick for them, he'll play well with Durant. Is there a stupider rule than the fact that they can't officially announce traded picks until after the draft? What exactly is the point of that?
8:00 - Green was apparently nicknamed "Predator" as a freshamn for cutting off his long braids. Huh? I don't get it.
8:03 - Milwaukee takes Yi. Could he possibly look less excited? This must be going somewhere in a trade, cause he's made it very, very clear that he doesn't want to play for the Bucks. Why hasn't anybody mentioned this yet?
8:06 - Bucks are apparently keeping Yi. Does this sound like a good idea to anyone?
8:07 - Stu is talking to Yi, this should be good. Yi doesn't just have an accent, he mutters. His speech is more broken than Steven A.'s. Stu looks completely flustered, he can't understand a word of it. Also, apparenty Yi is pronounced "EE".
8:11 - Wolves take Corey Brewer. He's a steal at #7, that's a great pick.
8:12 - First #### Vitale sighting, I couldn't be less excited. I want to see a 3-way discussion between Vitale, Steven A., and Yi. That could possibly trigger the apocalypse.
8:17 - Woah now, they got Michael Jordan off the golf course to actually have some input. Disgusted by the fact that Stern has prohibited him from taking high school busts/players, he's looking to trade the pick.
8:18 - The UNC revolution continues as the Bobcats take Brandan Wright. Lots of good things about this pick, he's great value here. Not only that, but he's long, which might be mentioned 20 times in the next few minutes.
8:22 - Bulls are going to take Joakim Noah, I just know it. It's a terrible idea, but they're going to do it anyway. Great job by Bulls fans to rib Isaiah though, well done guys.
8:25 - UGH, I knew this would happen. Not only is he a terrible offensive player who is nowhere near worth a lottery pick, but how did a former Miss Sweden give birth to a child who is so horrifically ugly? He looks like one of the cavemen on the Geico commercials.
8:31 - Sactown on the clock. Doesn't Julian Wright have to be the pick here?
8:32 - They take Spencer Hawes. I'm not a huge fan of that pick. I like Hawes, but with all the rebuilding the Kings need to do, they need to take a guy with a high ceiling, and Wright might have the 3rd highest ceiling in the draft.
8:35 - Strength is the big "Must Improve" in the draft this year. I think 4-5 players have gotten that already.
8:36 - I'm agreeing with Stephen A, that kind of scares me. At least, I agree with what I can understand.
8:37 - Atlanta's pick at #11, I'm so excited...they took Acie Law. I'm almost disappointed, they made exactly the right move. This has been an amazingly logical draft so far, I'm surprised. Law's shot over Durant still gives me chills.
8:41- Ernie Banks is apparently Law's great uncle, who knew? I'm still floored that Atlanta made the right pick here.
8:42 - Philly gets their pick of Wright or Thornton. I really like Thornton here.
8:45 - They keep talking about how Philly needs a big man, and I'm afriad they'll reach for a guy like Smith here.
8:46 - Thaddeus Young is the pick. That surprises me, first real upset of the draft. With Wright and Thornton still on the board, this is a bit of a reach to me.
I was sure that New Orleans would need to take Nick Young here, but they've got their pick of him or 2 of the elite SFs. I think Thornton is the pick here, he's a stud who helps immediately.
8:51 - Acie Law is the first guard drafted in the first round by Atlanta since 1999. No wonder they're so pathetic. They're interviewing Billy Night, and I keep waiting for him to yell into the camera that he wants to take it back and draft Julian Wright.
8:52 - Wright is the pick for New Orleans. Great pick for them. I would rather have Thornton since Wright reminds me more of a David West PF/SF combo guy. Great value at #13 though, he could've gone as high as #7.
8:56 - Man, Stu Scott just slammed Mehmet Okur in his interview with Julian Wright. Seriously, Okur is a good player, couldn't you have picked a better example there Stu?
8:58 - How can they even be talking about Sean Williams or Jason Smith here? How is Thornton not the pick?
Yup, Thornton is the pick. Great pick by them. This gives them the room to move Quentin Richardson. Great player, I think he's a steal at 14.
Pistons just got handed Nick Young. I've heard they're looking at Rodney Stuckey, but how can you possibly pass on Young here?
9:05 - Stuckey is the pick, and Young continues his fall. Stuckey reminds me a lot of Randy Foye, he should be pretty solid as a backup for them. On top of that, his name is Stuckey, which is just awesome.
9:07 - We just heard that Chauncey Billups and the Pistons want to stay in a relationship, and that money and time will tell if they can work it out. Wow, it really is like a relationship.
9:22 - Stepped out for a minute there Nick Young got picked by Washington, which is a great pick for them, and Sean Williams predictably went to New Jersey. Marco Bellinelli goes to Golden State, which is a pick I really like. I'm a big Bellinelli fan (did you know he dropped 25 in 28 minutes on team USA? That's pretty darn good). and despite the fact that the Warriors are loaded on the wing, he's a great talent. I think Jason Smith made more sense on need, but they obviously thought Bellinelli was the better talent.
9:27 - Lakers on the clock. It'll be interesting to see what happens here with the Kobe situation hanging over them. Stephen A. Is going absolutely nuts about this.
9:29 - Javaris Crittenton goes to LA. Kobe has got to be headed out, this pick isn't going to help them out for at least 2 years. Mr 81's head may just explode.
9:31 - Smith and Vitale just had a split-screen argument. I think the earth just trembled there a little bit.
9:33 - Woah, Portland traded Zach Randolph. How did I miss this happening? Anyway, the deal is Channing Frye and Steve Francis to Portland for Zach Randolph, Dan Dickau, and Fred Jones. I think the move is OK for Portland, though I would've preferred them trying to get into the lottery with him. They do get a good young post and huge cap relief though. It doesn't make sense for the Knicks, but that's not really surprising, Isaiah has made his entire career on that. On the bright side, The prospect of Zach Randolph in New York is amazing on a humor potential scale.
9:37 - Miami takes Jason Smith. I really don't like this pick for them. They needed a wing guy who could help them immediately and Smith isn't it. It's possible that a trade is in the works with Sacramento to bring in Mike Bibby and Ron Artest, in which case this pick might be moving, or if not it makes more sense to pick a big if those two guys come in.
9:41 - Philly takes Daequan Cook and a trade is immediately announced. Smith will go to the Sixers, and Miami gets Cook and cash considerations. I love Smith for Philly. He's a solid PF and should work well in transition with Miller and Iguadola. Cook is one of my least favorite guys in the draft, and I still don't like it for Miami. They need someone who can contribute immediately, and Cook isn't going to do that.
9: 45 - Very good interview with Rod Thorne, the Net's GM, about the reasoning behind taking Sean Williams. I still don't agree with it, but it's very clear that they did their homework on this guy and made a very educated pick. Solid interview, my respect for the Nets just shot up.
9:48 - Woah now, what have we here? The Bobcats take Jared Dudley at #22. That's a great pick, but I'm shocked that they took him there. I was sure he would last till the Spurs picked at 26. Dudley is a fantastic pick. My faith in the Bobcats is vastly increased by this.
9:51 - Unbelievable graphic on Isaiah Thomas. 25 players traded away, 20 players brought in, 5 different coaches, and an amazingly bad record. How can anyone defend him?
9:53 - Too bad the Knicks made a promise to Wilson Chandler, cause Morris Almond is still around and would've been perfect for them. I think this is a terrible pick, they could've traded down 10 spots and still gotten him.
9:56 - Unbelievable, Portland just bought Phoenix's #24 pick. Isn't this like 3 years in a row they Suns have done this? I love the way Phoenix has built their team, but they've made some really dubious moves the last 2 years. Portland is dominating this draft. Remember, they've got 4 more picks in the second round.
9:59 - Phoenix picks Rudy Fernandez for Portland, which is a great pick for them. He'll stay over in Europe for a year and develop, then come over and help fill their hole at SF. From all I've heard, he's a lottery talent. I love the way Portland is building this team, they've done an amazing job so far.
10:05 - Morris Almond to the Jazz. This pick makes a lot of sense. Houston is probably crying that he didn't fall one more spot. At any rate, Almond is an immediate improvement over Gordan Giricek.
10:09 - I'm not sure how I feel about the Durant/Arenas NBA Live commercials. One thing is sure, neither of them is going into acting anytime soon.
10:11 - Wow, HUGE reach for the Rockets. I like Aaron Brooks, but shouldn't Glen Davis have been the pick there? Did they forget that they traded Juwan Howard for Mike James? I mean, not only is this a reach, but it's not even a reach for need. I don't understand this.
10:13 - We just learned that Seattle's #35 pick was also included in the Ray Allen trade, and that by trading Allen, the Sonics are going to try to keep Rashard Lewis to be able to put 3 versatile 6'9" guys out there. Also another correction to what I announced earlier was that Boston traded Wally Szczerbiak instead of Theo Ratliff.
10:19 - Arron Affalo is the pick for the Pistons. Decent player, but I'm not a big fan of the pick. He's a catch and shoot guy, and there are several of them who are comprable available in the second round. Wouldn't they be better off with Glen Davis, or maybe Gabe Pruitt to back up Chauncey? I'm confused by these last two picks, it's like the teams thought they were 10 picks lower than they actually were.
10:24 - Spurs pick...Tiago Splitter. You know, it's almost unfair how this worked out. He's a lottery talent who most people had in the high teens (because of his buyout, he won't play for a year). Great pick by them, he'll fit perfectly when he comes over next year.
10:30 - Phoenix takes Alando Tucker. I'm so confused right now. They had Gabe Pruitt sitting right there to back up Steve Nash. They had McRoberts there who fits perfectly in their system. Instead, they reach to take Tucker, who is an ok player, but basically a 6-7 PF.
10:33 - Vitale is really reeming the Randolph trade. He very nearly passed out right there, you could hear his lungs screaming as he refused to take a breath.
10:37 - Philly with the last first-rounder. Stern just announced the 76ers/Miami trade, and it also includes a 2009 scond rounder going from Philly to Miami.
10:38 - The Sixers finish off the first round with Petteri Koponen, which is a great pick for them. I've seen scouts who say he'd be a lottery pick if he played high school hoops in the US. They can store him overseas and let him develop as a successor to Miller.
Quick thoughts on the first round. I really like what Portland, Seattle, and Philadelphia did. I think New York #### up royally, as did Miami, though not as badly cause they got a pick out of the trade with Philly. Phoenix also bombed out by not making any moves and giving away a first rounder.
10:47 - Carl Landry taken by Seattle. Most mocks had him going undrafted. Are people forgetting that Glen Davis is still on the board?
Gabe Pruitt goes to Boston, which is a perfect pick. He's a great value there, and he can help them by being a point guard who actually has a jumpshot.
10:51 - Spurs take Marcus Williams, and Davis and McRoberts continue to plummet. He doesn't strike me as a Spurs-type guy, I'm surprised by this one. He does fit a need at SF though.
10:53 - Dallas takes Nick Fazekas, who Jay Bilas tells us has soft hands but not a good body...moving on.
10: 55 - Seattle stops Glen Davis's freefall. Bilas just compared him to Oprah. At any rate, I really like this pick, he's an amazing value here. Most mocks had him climbing up the draft boards as high as the mid-teens. An infinitely better pick than Landry.
10:59 - Golden State takes Jermareo Davidson. He's one of the real steals of this draft and fits their style perfectly. He went through some tough stuff during college which probably hurt his game. He runs the floor well and will probably play immediately for them.
11:01 - Wow, Portland just grabbed Josh McRoberts who fell into their laps at #37, and traded the 42nd pick and cash to the Sixers for Petteri Koponen. McRoberts apparently played with Oden in AAU ball, and was an amazing value for them right there. This draft has been amazing for the Blazers so far.
11:06 - Sixers take Kyrylo Fesenko, who Bilas describes as a high-risk Aaron Gray type. Um...Well, at least Iguadola will have fun dunking over him in practice the next few years. I'm becoming much less positive about the Sixers draft.
11:09 - I can't believe I haven't addressed this yet, but I kind of slipped over it. Apparently the Bobcats have traded Brandan Wright to Golden State for Jason Richardson. How does that even make sense? The Bobcats desperately need some frontline talent, so they trade Wright away. Ugh.
11:13 - Stanko Barac goes to Miami, and we hear that he is a 7'2 player who doesn't play well in the post. Gee, he doesn't sound like a bust waiting to happen. It's amazing to me how these guys keep getting drafted. Lakers take Sun Yue, who on his highlight video looks like a guy who would be decent in a pickup game at your local park. Could they not get better highlights than that? Everybody looks good in highlight videos. I would be very scared of him.
11:16 - Chris Richard to Minnesota. I like him there, he's a talented guy. He's probably a first rounder if he'd played on any team other than Florida.
11:18 - Portland is picking for Philadelphia right here, and I think it's got to be Derrick Byars.
11:19 - We just learned that Jermareo Davidson also goes to Charlotte in addition to Richardson. I still don't like it. And...yup, the pick is Byars. He's a steal here for Philly.
11:20 - New Orleans takes Adam Haluska, who Bilas describes as "bouncy" and he has "great legs". Really, it's amazing what Jay Bilas gets away with.
11:22 - Orlando takes Rayshawn Terry. Solid pick. He's a solid athlete, good defender, and had times last year where he was really clutch for UNC. He can help immediately on the wing for them and has lots of room to improve.
11:24 - Back to the Richardson-Wright trade, I just don't see the logic for Charlotte. Wouldn't they have been better off just keeping Wright and resigning Gerald Wallace? It's a great trade for Golden State since Wright will be perfect in a run-and-gun offense, and he's terrific at defending the rim, something they lack.
11:27 - Jared Jordan goes to L.A. Solid move for them. He should be able to back up Sam Cassell immediately.
11:38 - Missed the last few picks, so here's a quick rundown. Golden State continues an impressive draft by taking one of my favorite guys in Stephen Lasme. Dominic McGuire to Washington, Marc Gasol to LA, and Aaron Gray to Chicago. Decent picks by everyone, nothing to argue about there.
11:42 - Dallas takes Renaldas Seibutis. I have no opinion.
I'm back at home where I have no cable, so I'm just watching the draftcast on ESPN.com for the rest of the way.
11:48 - Another run down of picks here. JamesOn Curry takes his outrageous name to Chicago (eh), Taurean Green to Portland (how did he fall this far?), Demetrius Nichols to Portland (it's like they're rigging this to make Portland better), Brad Newley to Houston (no opinion).
11:53 - Utah takes Herbert Hill (good value there), and Milwaukee makes a great value pick in Ramon Sessions. He's a first round talent, great value and fits a need.
11:56 - Detroit takes Sammy Mejia from DePaul. He wasn't even on the radar, but I've seen him play and he's a big-time scorer. Interesting pick.
11:58 - Spurs take Giorgos Printezis. Gee, that's exciting. I wanted them to take D.J. Strawberry here, it's amazing to me that he's still on the board.
12:03 - Phoenix takes Strawberry. I bet he contributes next year.
12:06 - And we finish off the draft with Dallas taking Milovan Rakovic. Interesting as the European influx is, it really makes for some boring draft picks.
And that's all for the 2007 draft. We had one superstar trade in Ray Allen switching teams, we had the Hawks actually doing the right thing, and we saw Portland completely dominate the draft.
My initial reaction is that Portland did an amazing job. They ended up with Oden, Channing Frye, the contract of Steve Francis which expires in 2 years, Rudy Fernandez, Petteri Koponen, Josh McRoberts, Taurean Green, and Demetris Nichols. That's absolutely incredible. I will be shocked if they haven't won a championship within 5 years. I also really like what Seattle, Atlanta, and Golden State did. New York completely #### up by adding yet another offensive minded post player with no defense and a bad contract. Other drafts that I disliked were Charlotte, Miami, Houston, and LA.
I'll post some sort of grades/analysis tomorrow after I've had some more time to analyze it.
I finished up my team previews last night, so today I'm just going to share some final thoughts on things that are going down around the league, potential trade, the latest rumors, and which potential draftees I like/dislike.
Big trade this morning. Orlando trades the #54 pick to Houston for cash considerations. I hear that Houston just loved Zoran Erseg and had to trade into the second round to get him...Seriously though, iIs there anything more boring than seeing "cash considerations" as part of a deal? What does that even mean? They didn't actually pay you for the pick, but they considered it? I'm gonna have to figure this out.
You know, I expect incompetence from the Hawks, but the rumors of them moving the #11 pick for Luke Ridnour were just too much. That's woefully incompetent even by the Atlanta's standards. Please, just contract them now and save all 6 of their fans the torture of another season.
Rumblings of a debate going on in Memphis. Chris Wallace wants Corey Brewer. Jerry West wants Mike Conley. Um...why is there even a debate here? Isn't this the same Chris Wallace who just recently finished running the Celtics franchise into the ground? Do we even have to go over Jerry West's credentials? Has there ever been a battle of wits this one-sided? In other news, Wallace has apparently made inquiries into whether or not Vin Baker is interested in coming out of retirement...
Someone in the Chad Ford chat just noted that if Utah were to trade up and get Corey Brewer, they would have two Brewers and a Boozer. In Utah. We absolutely must make this happen. Somebody call David Stern and make sure he's aware of the situation.
Word is that the Bulls will take Joakim Noah if he's still there at #9. Um, don't the Bulls kind of need some interior scoring? Isn't Spencer Hawes pretty good at that? I will never understand this pick, Noah is like an infinitely worse version of Tyrus Thomas, and his jumpshot makes Shawn Marion look like a shooting coach.
The Knicks are rumored to have made a promise to DePaul forward Wilson Chandler with the 22nd pick, continuing the grand Isaiah Thomas tradition of taking guys 15-20 picks higher than necessary. Seriously, he needs to just retire right now, he's killing his legacy. (As a side note, people have been very apologetic about last year's Ronaldo Balkman pick because he turned out to be a pretty decent bench guy. The thing is, it was still a bad pick. He could've easily traded down and got him 10 spots later, and he probably would've been there with the Knicks' second round pick. Nobody was high on Ronaldo Balkman. Credit to Isaiah for finding him, but that doesn't mean it wasn't a stupid executive move to take a mid second-rounder in the middle of the first round.)
Gabe Pruitt is a decent prospect. He'll go somewhere in the mid 20s and help out a team that needs a point guard. However, Pruitt's leaves behind a legacy of being the subject of quite possibly the greatest college basketball prank ever. If you haven't seen this, check it out here.
Anyway, here are some guys that I like in the draft, and some that I don't.
Guys I Like
Jared Dudley - Stop with the Josh Howard comparisons, they're completely different players. I don't think Dudley has the potential to be the force that Howard has become, he's just not that kind of athlete. However, he's the perfect role player. He's got a good shot, he's a strong leader, he can contribute in every area of the game, and he's a gritty, hustle-type guy. Apparently he's been blowing away every team he's worked out for so far. I would be shocked if the Spurs don't take him at #26, he's a perfect fit for them. The fact that he will go below Sean Williams is a travesty.
Taurean Green: The guy was the driving force behind back-to-back national title teams. I will defend to the death that you could've taken any of the other guys out and they still win at least 1 title, but if you'd taken Green away they'd be ringless. He's gutsy, he's experienced, and he's willing to take big shots. If I were a team in the second round looking for a point guard, I would be all over this guy.
Demetrius Nichols: Nichols is basically J.J. Redick + defense. He's basically a perfect 3-point specialist, and somebody is going to get a steal with him in the second round.
D. J. Strawberry: If you're looking for the next Bruce Bowen, you might want to start here. He's the best perimeter defender in the draft (yes, better than Corey Brewer) and he rated as the best athlete at the combine.
Russell Carter: It's amazing to me that a guy who averaged 17 PPG, shot nearly 40% from long range, and graded out as the second best athlete at the combine is looking like he'll go undrafted. It boggles the mind. Do NBA teams not realize that shooters are in demand right now. Did they not watch the Cavs just get blown out because of their lack of shooters? Sigh.
Stephane Lasme: So what if the man doesn't have an offensive game, he blocked 5 shots a game in college. Think he did it all against mediocre competition? Witness the 21-6-9 he dropped against Alabama. Some guys block shots just because they're tall. Lasme has a gift for it. Remember this when Lasme turns up as the next Ben Wallace or Dennis Rodman.
Al Thornton: He's Shawn Marion with a jumpshot. He'll contribute more next year than any rookie not named Oden or Durant.
Brandan Wright: As a diehard NC State fan, I hate to write this, but I think Wright is going to end up being a stud. Reports of his nonchalance are highly overblown. He played on a UNC team that was filled with talent, so it's no surprise that he didn't demand the ball all the time. I'll tell you this though, when Brandan Wright caught the ball in the post, he scored. He was absolutely unstoppable in college when he got the ball in the paint. Scouts like to say guys are long, but Wright is just on another level. He's got amazing touch around the rim and he's basically unblockable at full extension. Oh yeah, and he's pretty darn good at blocking shots too.
Acie Law: I've never seen anybody have a season quite like Acie Law's last year. I remember going over to my friend's dorm room and watching the Texas game, and everybody knew that he was going to take over at the end of the game. All the players knew it, all the fans in the crowd knew it, and everybody watching around the nation knew it, and yet they couldn't stop him. His fadeaway jumper over the outstretched arm of Kevin Durant will go down in history as one of the greatest clutch shots ever in college basketball. It was an impossible shot, and yet you knew it was going in. That's Acie Law. Guys like that don't come around every day.
Guys I Don't Like:
Joakim Noah: Yuck. His entire game is ugly. I firmly believe he's been the beneficiary of overblown media attention and 3 very good teammates. Best case scenario is he becomes Anderson Varejao. Does that sound like a lottery pick to you? People can't find anything positive to say about him other than his hustle, so they just keep talking about his "intangibles". If I were an NBA team, I'd be a lot more worried about his lack of "tangibles" such as not having any kind of offensive game whatsoever.
Daequan Cook: He's a disaster waiting to happen. Seriously, when a guy mails in half a season then burns all his bridges on the way out the door, do you really want him on your team?
Sean Williams: If this were a few years ago, it would be a mortal lock that he would somehow end up in Portland. At any rate, he's a huge risk for a guy who never showed anything remotely resembling offensive skill.
Aaron Gray: Great college player, and he seems like a pretty decent guy. However, the track record of big slow white guys does not bode well for him. Coming soon to a poster near you.
Javaris Crittenton: If you averaged 4 TOs a game last year, how good a PG prospect can you really be? It's not that I don't like Crittenton, it's just that he needed about 2 more years of college before he would actually be able to run a team.
Alrighty, that's it for my predraft stuff guys. I'll be live blogging the draft tonight, so you should come by and give your opinions of the picks while they're happening. See you at 7!
It must be great to be the Spurs. They've got the core of their team locked up for the next 3 years, and veteran free agents would kill to be on their team. It's almost unfair for the rest of the league. Remember that they've also got Manu's teammate on the Argentinian National Team and 2-time Spanish League MVP Luis Scola waiting in the wings. If all the Spurs did was resign Jaques Vaughn and Fabricio Oberto (which shouldn't be hard), they'd still have to be the favorites going into next year. In addition to that, they can try to use their mid-level exception to pursue a veteran free agent desperate for a championship (for example, if I were Grant Hill, I would be booking my plane ticket to San Antonio right now). So, who should the Spurs be looking at in the draft? Well, my favorite guy for them is Jared Dudley, at either 28 or 33. People are calling him the Josh Howard of this year's draft, and while I wouldn't go that far, I still think he's being overlooked and he's a perfect fit for the Spurs. Also, don't be surprised if they go for an international guy and store him overseas for a few years.
What They Should Do: Resign Vaughn and Oberto, make an offer for Hill, and draft Dudley.
What They Will Do: They'll do whatever is best. Of any franchise in professional sports, I wouldn't trust any of them more than I would the Spurs. They have a definite plan and they almost always seem to be making the right move.
Seattle Supersonics
Roster For 07-08
PG - Luke Ridnour, Earl Watson SG - Ray Allen SF - Damien Wilkeis, Mickael Gelabale PF - Nick Collison, Chris Wilcox C - Robert Swift, Saer Sene, Johan Petro
The Sonics are in luck, even they can't screw this draft up. In the last 3 drafts, they've taken 3 consecutive 7 footers for whom the term "project" is being generous. However, even the Sonics can't screw up taking Kevin Durant. As if that weren't enough, there's more good news for Sonics fans. Apparently Atlanta is very seriously considering trading the number 11 pick for Luke Ridnour. That's not a joke, they're really considering that. Man, I love the Hawks, they're always good for a laugh.
What They Should Do: Take Durant, trade Ridnour for the 11th pick and take Acie Law or Spencer Hawes. In the second round, they can look at Ramon Sessions, Taurean Green, Marc Gasol, and Alando Tucker.
What They Will Do: Even Seattle can't scrrew this draft up, can they?
Toronto Raptors
Roster For 07-08
PG - T.J. Ford, Jose Calderon SG - Anthony Parker, Juan Dixon SF - Joey Graham, Carlos Delfino PF - Chris Bosh, Andrea Bargnani, Jorge Garbajosa, Kris Humphries C - Rasho Nesterovic
Picks
None
I have liked the Raptors since they drafted Bosh as their franchise cornerstone. This doesn't figure to be a particlarly busy offseason for Toronto though. They don't really have any cap space, nor do they have any draft picks. I'm not even really going to address them, cause they're not really looking like they'll do anything this offseason. That's not a bad thing though, cause they're a young team that is gelling and improving more each year.
Utah Jazz
Roster For 07-08
PG - Deron Williams, Derek Fisher SG - Gordan Giricek, Ronnie Brewer SF - Andrei Kirilenko, Matt Harpring PF - Carlos Boozer, Paul Millsap C - Mehmet Okur, Jarron Collins
Picks
1 - 25 (25 overall) 2 - 25 (55 overall)
Not a whole lot of holes in this Jazz squad. They need to get Ronnie Brewer more minutes next year because, quite frankly, Gordan Giricek might be the worst defender in the league. They really need to trade Kirilenko, but he's got a terrible contract and his value is at an all-time low. At this point, it might be better to just hope he can turn it around next year instead of trading him for way less than what he's worth. At any rate, they need to be looking at someone in the draft who can help back up at the wing position, either SG or SF. The best options for them are probably Marco Bellinelli, Derrick Byars, or Rudy Fernandez.
What They Should Do: Be willing to trade Kirilenko, but don't give him away for nothing. He's still a very solid complementary player with the potential to be very good, and his trade value is very low at this point. Take one of the guys listed at #25.
What They Will Do: They're in the range of teams that might be looking at Daequan Cook, who I think is one of the most overrated prospects in the draft. I can't see him working well with Jerry Sloan, so I hope they avoid him with their first-rounder.
Washington Wizards
Roster For 07-08
PG - Gilbert Arenas, Antonio Daniels SG - Jarvis Hayes SF - Caron Butler PF - Antwan Jamison, Darius Songaila, Etan Thomas C - Brendan Haywood
Picks
1 - 16 (16 overall) 2 - 17 (47 overall)
Yikes. Well, probably the best thing you can say about this team is that Caron Butler has a good contract. Other than that, there isn't a lot to get excited about. Jamison's contract ends this year, Arenas has said that he'll opt out after next year, and the rest of the roster is filled with overpaid role players who are signed for 3 years. There's not really any young talent outside of Butler and Arenas, and they probably won't be keeping Arenas. Not a whole lot of hope for the future there. There's not a ton they can do about it right now though, and they'll probably still be a contender in the east next year. As far as their draft pick, they could use a wing guy, preferably one with some serious potential. Thaddeus Young fits the bill, and I don't think I've seen a mock draft that doesn't have him going to the Wizards. USC's Nick Young would also be a good option if he's still there.
What They Should Do: Try to get rid of Jamison for some young talent/picks before they lose him to free agency. I doubt they can get rid of him, but it wouldn't hurt to try. Take one of the Youngs with their pick.
What They Will Do: Eh, who knows, this is the same franchise that took Kwame Brown with the #1 pick. It's the NBA, anything could happen.
I've made my stance on the Suns pretty clear recently with all the trade talks. Obviously, if they could get KG for Marion, that would be the optimum, but it doesn't seem like that's going to happen. If that's the case, then I think Phoenix has to trade Amare for KG. I've detailed the reasons why in previous posts, so check those out if you want my reasoning. Beyond that, I think they need to package their picks and try to move up and grab Jason Smith or maybe Javaris Crittenton to back up Nash. They could also try to use the unprotected first rounder they get from Atlanta next year in order to move into the lottery and grab Thornton, Young, or Wright. How scary is that above lineup, only with KG instead of Stoudemire, and with Smith and Wright added in? Would you be betting against them?
What They Should Do: Trade for KG, Trade your #24, #59, and a 2nd rounder next year to Washington or New Jersey at #16/17 to take Smith. Then package Atlanta's first rounder next year and the #29 pick to Sacramento or Philadelphia and draft Wright. Proceed to dominate the league.
What They Will Do: I have a terrible suspision that they're going to pull out of the KG deal because they don't want to part with Amare. While this wouldn't be the end of the world, I don't think they can beat the Spurs without making this move, I just don't see it happening.
Portland Trailblazers
Roster For 07-08
PG - Jarret Jack, Sergio Rodriguez, Dan Dickau SG - Brandon Roy, Martell Webster SF - Darius Miles, Fred Jones, Travis Outlaw PF - Zach Randolph, LaMarcus Aldridge C - Joel Przybilla, Raef LaFrentz
I've said it before, but Portland is the team to watch next season, and going into the future. They're filled with young talent and they're about to add more to it. They're going to draft Oden #1, and it's absolutely the right move. Oden's been the guy from day one, and they'd be foolish to pass on him. The other big need the have, outside of the center position, is to find a solid SF. I've been hawking this deal forever, but I'll throw it out there one more time. Randolph to Chicago for P.J. Brown (sign and trade), Chris Duhon, and the #9 pick. It makes an amazing amount of sense for both teams, and allows Portland to take Wright or Thornton (maybe even Green if they're lucky) to shore up the wing position. Other than that, the Blazers would really love to part with Darius Miles, but I can't think of anyone who would possibly want him, so I think they're stuck with his contract. Moving away from that and back to the draft, we see that Portland absolutely owns the second round this year. With 4 picks, look for them to go international with a few and take some proven college guys with the others. Names to look for are Petteri Koponen, Jared Dudley, Demetris Nichols (love this guy for them), Ali Traore, Stephane Lasme, D.J. Strawberry, and Rayshawn Terry.
What They Should Do: Take Oden, trade Randolph for a lottery pick, land Nichols (a perfect fit for this team) in the second round, and persuade Miles to listen to his knees and retire. When the highlight of your career is that you were in a bad movie with Scarlett Johansson, you need to think about hangin em up.
What They Will Do: There's been a lot of talk about them trying to move into the top 5 and take Mike Conley. I don't put much stock in this, but it would be a terrible idea. Point guard is a position of strength for this team right now, with two good young players who are improving, why waste assets to get another point instead of addressing a position of need?
Sacramento Kings
Roster For 07-08
PG - Mike Bibby, Quincy Douby SG - Kevin Martin, Francisco Garcia SF - Ron Artest, John Salmons PF - Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Kenny Thomas C - Brad Miller
Picks
1 - 10 (10 overall)
Wow, this team got old quickly, didn't they? It's not as though they don't have talent, it's just that it's all either old or crazy. Their best bet right now is to ship out Bibby while he still has value and Artest before he kills someone and see what they can get back. I messed around with a bunch of trades for them, and I'm not sure what exactly to do with this roster. Here's an interesting trade though though.
Sacramento gets Carlos Arroyo, the expiring contracts of Pat Garrity and Keyon Dooling, Darko Milicic via sign & trade, and Orlando's first rounder next year.
Orlando gets Mike Bibby and Ron Artest.
Looks kind of crazy at first, and it's not typically my type of trade, but doesn't this make sense? Sactown gets expiring contracts, a draft pick, a promising young point in Arroyo, and a good young post in Darko. Orlando fills needs at point guard and on the wing. Sure, Artest is crazy, but aren't you buying low on him right now? Anything could happen, but you can go to war in the east with a core of Bibby, Artest and Howard. Just something to think about.
What They Should Do: Drop contracts in any way that they can, hopefully picking up some draft picks/prospects in the process. This team needs to be completely rebuilt around Kevin Martin. With the 10th pick, take whoever the best player left on the board is, they have needs at every position.
What They Will Do: Demand too much in trade for their guys, keep everyone there, and have a miserable season until Artest guns down the Maloof brothers in cold blood while screaming bad rap lyrics. Poor Reggie Theus.
5 more teams. I'm planning on finishing this tonight, then posting a list of my favorite and least favorite players tomorrow before I live blog the draft.
PG - Jameer Nelson, Carlos Arroyo, Keyon Dooling SG - Keith Bogans, J.J. Redick SF - Hedo Turkoglu, Trevor Ariza, Pat Garrity PF - Dwight Howard, James Augustine C - Tony Battie
Picks
2 - 14 (44 overall) 2 - 24 (54 overall)
The magic are one of my favorite young teams in the league. They really bombed the T-Mac era, but have rapidly rebuilt into one of the most promising young units in the east. Jameer Nelson and Carlos Arroyo are a solid point guard combo, and Dwight Howard is the best young post player in the league (in addition to being able to slap a sticker 12 and a half feet up a backboard). So, there are two areas of concern this offseason. The first is resigning Darko Milicic. Milicic will always be the Bowie to Carmelo Anthony's Jordan, but he's only 22 and has shown a lot of promise since he left Detroit. If Milicic resigns for somewhere around his current value of $7 mil a year, then the Magic will have plenty of cap space to fix their other problem, which is finding a decent player on the wing. The obvious answers here are Rashard Lewis or Gerald Wallace. Orlando could offer a deal starting somewhere in the neighborhood of $14 mil a year, or alternatively could pursue a sign & trade where they give up the expiring contracts of Pat Garrity and Keyon Dooling, plus maybe a future draft pick in order to get one of those guys. Either way, they don't have the assets to move into the draft, and they really need to get one of those guys to make use of all this cap space that they have. As for their pick, I like D.J. Strawberry in the second round. He's a great athlete and defender, I think people are really sleeping on him.
What They Should Do: Make a run at Lewis. He's exactly the kind of guy they need, a shooter who can open things up inside. Wallace is the secondary option because he doesn't fit as well with the team, but they've got to get one of these two guys if they want to be a playoff team next year. On another note, I hear that Atlanta is offering their 11th pick to Seattle for Luke Ridnour. Maybe Orlando can beat that by offering Nelson and get themselves a lottery pick.
What They Will Do: What else can they do?
Philadelphia 76ers
Roster For 07-08
PG - Andre Miller, Kevin Ollie, Louis Williams SG - Andre Iguadola, Rodney Carney, Willie Green SF - Kyle Korver, Bobby Jones PF - Shavlik Randolph C - Samuel Dalembert, Steven Hunter
The rest of the league should be scared stiff of this team. They're a year away from being really good if they play their cards right. They need help in the frontcourt and another dynamic wing player, but this is a team that has a solid core and will shave huge amounts off their cap after next year. They'll be nearly $20 million under the cap in an offseason that could include free agents like Elton Brand, Jermaine O'Neal, Gilbert Arenas, Shawn Marion, and Corey Maggette. So, what do they do this season? I've heard a lot of talk about them trading up, but that doesn't make a lot of sense to me. Unless they can get the #3 pick and snag Al Horford (unlikely), they're just as well off waiting and grabbing Al Thornton with the 12th pick. Later on in the first round, there are a lot of great value picks at PF, like Glen Davis, Josh McRoberts, Sean Williams, and Tiago Splitter. Expect them to go international with at least 1, maybe 2 of the picks if they keep them all, so they can store the guys overseas and let them develop. This is the new thing in the NBA since the Spurs started doing it, and the Sixers probably don't want 4 draft picks going on their cap this year.
What They Should Do: Draft Thornton at 12, then aim for Splitter or Davis at 21. Splitter is a great fit because they can afford to wait till next year with him, and he's a great talent. Look to get Petteri Koponen with either the 30th or the 38th pick. Scouts rave about him, and he'll develop in Europe for a few years. I also really like Stephane Lasme for this team, he's a great energy guy at PF.
What They Will Do: They'll probably try to trade up and draft Yi. Sigh.
PG - Randy Foye, Troy Hudson, Marko Jaric SG - Ricky Davis, Trenton Hassell, Rashad McCants SF - PF - Kevin Garnett, Craig Smith, Juwan Howard, Eddie Griffin, Mark Madsen C - Mark Blount
Picks
1 - 7 (7 overall) 2 - 11 (41 overall)
You know, I knew Kevin McHale was a terrible GM, but I hadn't quite realized the depths of his ineptitude until I looked at the Wolves' roster. This is, quite possibly, the most poorly assembled team I've ever seen. Just look at some of the terrible contracts on this team. Juwan Howard makes $7 mil a year for the next 2 years. Mark Blount makes $7 mil for the next 3 years, ditto for Troy Hudson. Marko Yaric makes $7 mil a year for the next 4 years. Marko Yaric! By comparison, Trenton Hassell's 3 years at $4 mil a pop seems like an absolute deal. Amazingly enough, the team isn't even that far away from being in decent position to rebuild, it's just that McHale is demanding more than he's going to get for Garnett. Word is that the Wolves are the ones who backed out of the 4-team trade I mentioned a few posts ago, refusing to go through with it unless Boston included Al Jefferson. If McHale knew what he was doing, he'd unload the contracts of KG and Yaric and get some draft picks out of it. As far as who they should be looking at with their picks, they've got enough holes that basically anyone fits. Foye, McCants, and Smith are the only real decent young players they've got, so they should pretty much be taking whoever is the best player on their board. Conley, Brewer, Green, Yi, and Wright are all guys who would be decent picks at that spot, though apparently Yi doesn't want to go to Minnesota, so you might cross him off the list.
What They Should Do: Make the bloody trade! If Indiana wants to be dumb enough to facilitate that trade, go ahead and pull the freaking trigger on it. You get to dump contracts, get a young guy in Green, and get two first rounders. That's as good a package as is going to come for KG. Take Conley if he's available at 5, then take Green or Brewer at 7. At 19, they could take a chance on Tiago Splitter or Sean Williams, or they could look at Jason Smith if he's still there. In the second round, they could look at Nick Fazekas, Marc Gasol, Rayshawn Terry, Alando Tucker, or Dominic McGuire.
What They Will Do: They'll hold on to KG and continue to waste the prime years of an all-time great. Since they've got 5 PFs, they'll probably draft Brandan Wright. Gotta love Kevin McHale.
New Jersey Nets
Roster For 07-08
PG - Jason Kidd, Marcus Williams SG - Vince Carter, Antoine Wright, Bernard Robinson SF - Richard Jefferson, Bostjan Nochbar, Hassan Adams PF - Josh Boone, Clifford Robinson C - Jason Collins, Nenad Krstic, Mile Ilic
Picks
1 - 17 (17 overall)
I'm counting Carter on here because reports are that he's staying with the Nets, whether that means picking up his player option or signing a new deal with the team. The Nets are in an interesting place right now, with Kidd and Carter on the downhill side of their career, but with a strong group of young guys behind them. Once they sign Carter, they don't have any space to pursue other free agents, and I don't think particularly need a trade. I don't think they should be trying to keep Carter, but that appears to be the direction they're heading. Since that's the case, the three guys I would be looking at would be Rodney Stuckey (if he falls past Detroit), Morris Almond, and Sean Williams.
What They Should Do: Don't sign Carter long term because he's rapidly declining and wasn't ever a championship winning star anyway. Reports are that the team is a little wary on Williams after his workout with them, so I would take Stuckey if he's there, and Almond if he's not. They need a backup guard, and Almond's shooting touch would be great on the recieving end of Jason Kidd's passes.
What They Will Do: They'll probably sign Carter for way too much and for far too long. They're apparently looking at Jason Smith right now, and I don't really see that as being a great fit.
New Orleans Hornets
Roster For 07-08
PG - Chris Paul, Jannero Pargo SG - Bobby Jackson SF - Peja Stojakovic, Rasual Butler PF - David West, Cedric Simmons C - Tyson Chandler, Hilton Armstrong
Picks
1 - 13 (13 overall) 2 - 13 (43 overall)
This might be the easiest analysis I write. I love the way this Hornets team is built. They've got a great core of Paul, West, and Chandler (getting him for P.J. Brown was a great move last year), and that gets even better if Simmons or Armstrong (both high-ceiling young big men) develop into productive players. If Jackson and Stojakovic stay healthy (big if, I realize) this is a playoff team. Anyway, the pick here is easy. Nick Young from USC is the obvious fit, he should be available at 13 and fits their biggest need.
What They Should Do: Take Young and wrap Stojakovic in bubble wrap for the rest of the offseason.
What They Will Do: Just take Young. Please.
New York Knicks
Roster for 07-08
PG - Stephon Marbury, Steve Francis, Nate Robinson, Mardy Collins, Jamal Crawford SG - Quentin Richardson SF - Renaldo Balkman, Jared Jeffries PF - David Lee, Jerome James, Malik Rose C - Eddy Curry, Channing Frye, Randolph Morris
Picks
1 - 23 (23 overall)
Ah, the Knicks. Can I just take a pass on this one? So, what does the worst-run franchise in professional sports need to do to improve? Well, they have somehow collected an unbelievable amount of point guards without actually having a true point. They're losing $50 mil off their cap this year, and yet are still $35 mil over. So how do they fix it? Well, they aren't going to be able to do it this year. Their best bet is to wait for next year when they can move the expiring contracts of Starbury and Franchise for another big money star, like a sign and trade package for KG or Arenas. As far as this year goes, they need to aim for a shooter in the draft. Morris Almond or Marco Bellinelli are the two best options where they pick.
What They Should Do: Get rid of Marbury or Francis if they can. Draft Almond if he's there, and Bellinelli if he's not. Fire Isaiah Thomas tomorrow.
What They Will Do: Rumor is that they may have given Wilson Chandler a guarantee, which would be a terrible idea. They've also shown interest in Daequan Cook, who is about as high-risk as prospects come in this draft.
Yikes, 10 teams to go and only one day between now and the draft. I might have to quicken these previews up a little bit.
PG - Lynn Greer SG - Michael Redd SF - Bobby Simmons, David Noel PF - Charlie Villanueva, Brian Skinner (if the team picks up his option), Damir Markota C - Andrew Bogut, Dan Gadzuric
Picks
1 - 6 (6 overall) 2 - 26 (56 overall)
More than any team in the east, Milwaukee has the chance to explode from bottom-feeder to contender. With Bogut, Villanueva, and Gadzuric, they've got a deep young frontline that is improving. Resigning Mo Williams would give them a backcourt that could compete with anyone. Redd is the rare star guard who is not overpaid, an efficient scorer, and a class act. If Bobby Simmons can return from injury to be a competent player, they can match up with anyone in the east. Gee, all this and they've got the number 6 pick too. The Bucks would love to get Conley if he falls to them, but it's not likely he'll be there at 6. If he's gone, look for the Bucks to take Corey Brewer or Jeff Green to shore up their forward spot. Whoever they pick, the bucks will have the luxury of not plunging them immediately into the fire, instead letting them back up a veteran until they fill out their potential.
What They Should Do: Resign Williams and Charlie Bell (a low-priced solid backup option at SG), then take Conley, Brewer, or Green with the 6th pick, whoever is available (in the order listed).
What They Will Do: I've heard they want Yi, which would be a terrible idea, because he doesn't fit well, and he doesn't want to be there anyway. They've also been rumored to be interested in Chauncey Billups, which is another bad idea. They can pay more for an aging point, or they can pay less for a young point who has comprable production.
