Post by nets on Mar 18, 2008 16:22:04 GMT -5
I will start with the top 10 picks and if people enjoy it and I have time I will do more. The team pages are not all updated so excuse me if I forget that someone will be on your team.
1. Indiana Pacers - PF Anthony Randolph, LSU - A- - what is not to like about Randolph. He plays good offense, he can rebound and he can play defense. He is a great size for a PF so he should have the athletic skills to keep up. I think Daye was the best player in the draft but the Pacers have small guys so this was a step forward. I gave an A- only because Randolph is 23 and it would be great if they could have gotten a younger guy.
2. Los Angeles Clippers - SF Austin Daye, Gonzaga - A+ - he is also 23 but I think he was the one guy in the draft that could be picked to be a super star right away. He appears to be even better then Aminu who was the #1 pick last year. He has all the skills and I guess quickly in NBL the prototypical SF is becoming the 6 foot 10 guy that can shoot, defend and pass which Daye seems to be.
3. San Antonio Spurs - SG Demar DeRozan, USC - B - the Spurs are getting old so they can really rebuild around any position. Shooting guard seems to be one of the easier positions to grab so I might have gone with one of the good looking centers to start building around but in terms of talent DeRozan looks very good.
4. Houston Rockets (from Nuggets) - SF Kyle Singler, Duke - C - As a talent Singler is great but the Rockets unlike the Spurs have a few pieces to build around, mainly Beverly and McGrady. So why the low grade? I think Singler is a pure SF and McGrady is already in that spot and Beverly doesn't look like anything but a SG so now we have a crowded back court with no big man. I would have liked to see a center or PF go here.
5. New York Knicks (from Magic) -C Alexis Ajinca, France - B- - ah the center that I thought could have gone at 3 or 4 now gets picked so what was my issue. The Knicks were the one team not in need of a center. Howard is the center of the now and the future and Koufus seems to be a carbon copy of Ajinca so now time has to be shared. The Knicks are one of the few teams that could have benefited from a SF or even an oversized SG. Maybe a Harden or Buford or Davon Jefferson.
6. Memphis Grizzlies - SF Davon Jefferson, USC - C - the backcourt looks good especially Mayo and Vince Carter can still play a passable SF so I don't like this pick. Talent wise again this is not a miss just position wise it is. A true center to block shots and rebound would have been a good fit here. I don't think this team is ready to win yet so maybe Jefferson's age of 24 is also not a great thing.
7. Phoenix Suns - Ralph Sampson III, Minnesota - B - kind of like Sampson Sr and Olajuwan the Suns are going for a twin tower thing with Sampson III and Speights. Do I buy into this? Yes, maybe but I think the best center left was not Sampson but McClain. Otherwise it was a good pick.
8. Houston Rockets - PF Samardo Samuels, Louisville - A- - ok so the Rockets got their big man just later in the draft. At first I gave them a lower grade because I don't think Samuels was the best big man left but then I looked at their team and realized that an inside scorer was needed and Samuels does appear to be that so I raised my grade then I realized that Samuels was 22 in a draft full of 23 year olds so I raised my grade again.
9. Toronto Raptors - SG James Harden, Arizona State - C - another team that really could have used a big man like McClain. For a team that is not very good they actually do have scorers from the wing in Rashad Lewis and Carney. Inside they have Randolph so a defensive presence like McClain would have made perfect sense.
10. Atlanta Hawks (from Wizards) - C Anthony McClain, Cincinnati A - finally someone picks McClain. After stealing Henderson Jr in a trade this team just needed another big man to go with Ogilvy and now they got it. I still don't get trading the league leading scorer and ROY but anyway as far as the pick they got a great fit and a good player. He wont score much but they dont need that anyway.
adding the next 5 picks.
11. Philadelphia 76ers - PF Deon Thompson, North Carolina - C - I am not a fan of this pick for a few reasons. Deon at 6'8" is a bit small, sure he has the weight but won't be a big shot blocker which the 76ers could use. Second he is 24 so with the #11 pick he is probably not a big upside guy. Lastly his C+ defense at PF position may keep him out of NBL games with the 76ers since they have Josh Smith, AI and Dominic James to score. I would have either gone with any real big man to start trying to replace big Zydrunas Ilgauskas or a backup PG.
12. Cleveland Cavaliers - SG William Buford, Ohio State - B - I love the pick from the standpoint that Buford is young and seems to have good upside to be a pure SG one day. What I don't like is the Cavs play a 6'9" center and are weak at PF so really a PF or C with good uspide should have been the move. At the SG/SF spot they have Gibson/LeBron and to a lesser extent Josh Carter. I assume this is why Telfair is moving.
13. Chicago Bulls - PG Chris Warren, Mississippi - B - similar to the Cavs pick I think Warren was arguably the best talent left and one day could be a great player but when you have Noah and Heytvelt playing 30+ minutes and no backups at PF/C then you gotta pick big man. This and the Cavs pick can be justified if maybe one the little guys can be moved for a big man but on their own they both get a B instead of an A.
14. Portland Trail Blazers (from Jazz) - SF Jordan Crawford, Indiana - A - finally a team that did not need a big man. With Hibbert and Oden they could draft what ever they wanted to. Crawford seems to have good upside, he may be a SG in the long run but never the less a great pick.
15. Dallas Mavericks - PF DeJuan Blair, Pittsburgh - D - I don't hate the pick two years ago at #4 this team picked Greg Monroe, three years ago they picked Richard Hendrix at #4 so why pick another PF that looks exactly the same:
6'8" - B C C- C+ A A
6'10"- B- C C A- A- B
6'8" - B- C C- B- A- A
No need to guess who is who just need to see that you have three identical players that now you have spent two lotto picks on and a #15. Please draft something outside of a PF. You could use a C or depth at PG/SG.
had more time so I did a few more
16. Milwaukee Bucks - PG Alexey Shved, Russia - A+ - I liked this pick a lot. Even not needing a PG I was considering this guy if he fell one more spot. He is 22, 6'6" can shoot and handle the rock. Sounds like a great PG prospect to me. I know he a 175 pounds so he will get pushed around but if his strenght improves then he could be great. He can also be used at SG and SF if his strenght improves. This is a pick with great upside considering that the draft was not deep after pick 8 or 9.
17. New Jersey Nets (from Heat) - SF Chandler Parsons, Florida - N/A - my pick so I won't give a grade but to me he was the Alexey Shved of SFs. Similar to Shved his shooting touch and height makes him versatile. Specifically his 3 point shooting makes him a unique player and rumors are he is a great shot blocker. Similar to Shved he is too weak for his position but if that can be worked out then he has upside.
18. Minnesota Timberwolves - PG E'Twaun Moore, Purdue - B - I think he is going to be a life long backup as he does nothing special and is not physically gifted. But he was one of the better talents left. I think Ibaka has better upside but I can't say much about this guy.
19. New Jersey Nets - C Serge Ibaka, Congo - N/A - again my pick so I don't want to rate him but being a true center and only 21 and plays good defense should have made him a pick much earlier. Many teams before me needed a center more then I did so I don't see how he dropped this far.
20. Golden State Warriors - PF Bryan Davis, Texas A&M - D - Al Harrington is better then this guy and is the backup PF so why do they need him? Then they have Brandan Wright starting so again why do they need him? He is 24 and I see nothing special about him. This is one of the few teams that could actually use a PG so why not just take a shot at one the decent looking PGs in the draft instead of picking up a guy to play 5-8 minutes.
1. Indiana Pacers - PF Anthony Randolph, LSU - A- - what is not to like about Randolph. He plays good offense, he can rebound and he can play defense. He is a great size for a PF so he should have the athletic skills to keep up. I think Daye was the best player in the draft but the Pacers have small guys so this was a step forward. I gave an A- only because Randolph is 23 and it would be great if they could have gotten a younger guy.
2. Los Angeles Clippers - SF Austin Daye, Gonzaga - A+ - he is also 23 but I think he was the one guy in the draft that could be picked to be a super star right away. He appears to be even better then Aminu who was the #1 pick last year. He has all the skills and I guess quickly in NBL the prototypical SF is becoming the 6 foot 10 guy that can shoot, defend and pass which Daye seems to be.
3. San Antonio Spurs - SG Demar DeRozan, USC - B - the Spurs are getting old so they can really rebuild around any position. Shooting guard seems to be one of the easier positions to grab so I might have gone with one of the good looking centers to start building around but in terms of talent DeRozan looks very good.
4. Houston Rockets (from Nuggets) - SF Kyle Singler, Duke - C - As a talent Singler is great but the Rockets unlike the Spurs have a few pieces to build around, mainly Beverly and McGrady. So why the low grade? I think Singler is a pure SF and McGrady is already in that spot and Beverly doesn't look like anything but a SG so now we have a crowded back court with no big man. I would have liked to see a center or PF go here.
5. New York Knicks (from Magic) -C Alexis Ajinca, France - B- - ah the center that I thought could have gone at 3 or 4 now gets picked so what was my issue. The Knicks were the one team not in need of a center. Howard is the center of the now and the future and Koufus seems to be a carbon copy of Ajinca so now time has to be shared. The Knicks are one of the few teams that could have benefited from a SF or even an oversized SG. Maybe a Harden or Buford or Davon Jefferson.
6. Memphis Grizzlies - SF Davon Jefferson, USC - C - the backcourt looks good especially Mayo and Vince Carter can still play a passable SF so I don't like this pick. Talent wise again this is not a miss just position wise it is. A true center to block shots and rebound would have been a good fit here. I don't think this team is ready to win yet so maybe Jefferson's age of 24 is also not a great thing.
7. Phoenix Suns - Ralph Sampson III, Minnesota - B - kind of like Sampson Sr and Olajuwan the Suns are going for a twin tower thing with Sampson III and Speights. Do I buy into this? Yes, maybe but I think the best center left was not Sampson but McClain. Otherwise it was a good pick.
8. Houston Rockets - PF Samardo Samuels, Louisville - A- - ok so the Rockets got their big man just later in the draft. At first I gave them a lower grade because I don't think Samuels was the best big man left but then I looked at their team and realized that an inside scorer was needed and Samuels does appear to be that so I raised my grade then I realized that Samuels was 22 in a draft full of 23 year olds so I raised my grade again.
9. Toronto Raptors - SG James Harden, Arizona State - C - another team that really could have used a big man like McClain. For a team that is not very good they actually do have scorers from the wing in Rashad Lewis and Carney. Inside they have Randolph so a defensive presence like McClain would have made perfect sense.
10. Atlanta Hawks (from Wizards) - C Anthony McClain, Cincinnati A - finally someone picks McClain. After stealing Henderson Jr in a trade this team just needed another big man to go with Ogilvy and now they got it. I still don't get trading the league leading scorer and ROY but anyway as far as the pick they got a great fit and a good player. He wont score much but they dont need that anyway.
adding the next 5 picks.
11. Philadelphia 76ers - PF Deon Thompson, North Carolina - C - I am not a fan of this pick for a few reasons. Deon at 6'8" is a bit small, sure he has the weight but won't be a big shot blocker which the 76ers could use. Second he is 24 so with the #11 pick he is probably not a big upside guy. Lastly his C+ defense at PF position may keep him out of NBL games with the 76ers since they have Josh Smith, AI and Dominic James to score. I would have either gone with any real big man to start trying to replace big Zydrunas Ilgauskas or a backup PG.
12. Cleveland Cavaliers - SG William Buford, Ohio State - B - I love the pick from the standpoint that Buford is young and seems to have good upside to be a pure SG one day. What I don't like is the Cavs play a 6'9" center and are weak at PF so really a PF or C with good uspide should have been the move. At the SG/SF spot they have Gibson/LeBron and to a lesser extent Josh Carter. I assume this is why Telfair is moving.
13. Chicago Bulls - PG Chris Warren, Mississippi - B - similar to the Cavs pick I think Warren was arguably the best talent left and one day could be a great player but when you have Noah and Heytvelt playing 30+ minutes and no backups at PF/C then you gotta pick big man. This and the Cavs pick can be justified if maybe one the little guys can be moved for a big man but on their own they both get a B instead of an A.
14. Portland Trail Blazers (from Jazz) - SF Jordan Crawford, Indiana - A - finally a team that did not need a big man. With Hibbert and Oden they could draft what ever they wanted to. Crawford seems to have good upside, he may be a SG in the long run but never the less a great pick.
15. Dallas Mavericks - PF DeJuan Blair, Pittsburgh - D - I don't hate the pick two years ago at #4 this team picked Greg Monroe, three years ago they picked Richard Hendrix at #4 so why pick another PF that looks exactly the same:
6'8" - B C C- C+ A A
6'10"- B- C C A- A- B
6'8" - B- C C- B- A- A
No need to guess who is who just need to see that you have three identical players that now you have spent two lotto picks on and a #15. Please draft something outside of a PF. You could use a C or depth at PG/SG.
had more time so I did a few more
16. Milwaukee Bucks - PG Alexey Shved, Russia - A+ - I liked this pick a lot. Even not needing a PG I was considering this guy if he fell one more spot. He is 22, 6'6" can shoot and handle the rock. Sounds like a great PG prospect to me. I know he a 175 pounds so he will get pushed around but if his strenght improves then he could be great. He can also be used at SG and SF if his strenght improves. This is a pick with great upside considering that the draft was not deep after pick 8 or 9.
17. New Jersey Nets (from Heat) - SF Chandler Parsons, Florida - N/A - my pick so I won't give a grade but to me he was the Alexey Shved of SFs. Similar to Shved his shooting touch and height makes him versatile. Specifically his 3 point shooting makes him a unique player and rumors are he is a great shot blocker. Similar to Shved he is too weak for his position but if that can be worked out then he has upside.
18. Minnesota Timberwolves - PG E'Twaun Moore, Purdue - B - I think he is going to be a life long backup as he does nothing special and is not physically gifted. But he was one of the better talents left. I think Ibaka has better upside but I can't say much about this guy.
19. New Jersey Nets - C Serge Ibaka, Congo - N/A - again my pick so I don't want to rate him but being a true center and only 21 and plays good defense should have made him a pick much earlier. Many teams before me needed a center more then I did so I don't see how he dropped this far.
20. Golden State Warriors - PF Bryan Davis, Texas A&M - D - Al Harrington is better then this guy and is the backup PF so why do they need him? Then they have Brandan Wright starting so again why do they need him? He is 24 and I see nothing special about him. This is one of the few teams that could actually use a PG so why not just take a shot at one the decent looking PGs in the draft instead of picking up a guy to play 5-8 minutes.
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