darin3 Posted June 29, 2005 Share Posted June 29, 2005 (edited) In an effort to "pump up" the fantasy basketball that's discussed here (no easy task), I thought I'd prepare a little team-by-team rundown of last night's draft, with fantasy implications mixed in. First, for a pick-by-pick running diary, check out this link. Now, on to the teams: Chicago, Cleveland and Dallas had no picks this draft. Come on. F's for both of you! Charlotte Bobcats: The big winners in this draft, if you ask me. At first I thought the Felton pick was somewhat questionable, but it worked out for them, as they were able to nab Felton's UNC cohort Sean May later in the first round. The Bobcats were really after one of the "big two" PGs (Paul or Williams), but settled for the local product Felton. With Felton and May, they fill big needs (PG and size underneath to complement Okafor) and quite importantly, they'll fill the seats. Grade: A Fantasy Outlook: Brevin Knight and Jason Hart proved that you can dish out assists to scrubs last season. Felton will probably step right into the starting PG role and will post similar stats to Knights, perhaps with a bit more scoring. I wouldn't want Felton as my #1 fantasy PG, but as a backup or utility guy, he'll be solid. May would also classify as a solid backup or utility guy. Okafor isn't really much of a scorer and neither is Brezec. Expect 12-14 points out of May from the get-go, and probably 6 or 7 boards (because Okafor is a monster on the glass). Those sort of numbers might not help you out if you're deficient in boards, but May could help in other areas. --- Milwaukee Bucks: The Bucks HAD to take Bogut here. Big men with skills like Bogut don't come around often. They grabbed a pretty solid Euro forward in the 2nd round (Ersan Ilyasova), after he dropped out of the lottery due to injury concerns. Grade: A- Fantasy Outlook: Don't expect anything from Ilyasova this or next season, but track his progress, as he could be a 18/8 guy if he progresses. Bogut, however, should be on your radar this season. He'll average a double-double by just showing up. In terms of other categories you look to a big man for (blocks, FG%), you might be slightly disappointed, however. Bogut's not that savvy of a shot-blocker, and spends alot of time on the perimeter, so his FG% may be slightly below the norm for a big guy. However, he's a fantastic passer, so he'll probably average 4-5 assists a night. --- Boston Celtics: Wow, maybe Danny Ainge DOES know what he's doing. Or maybe things just fell into his lap. Maybe a bit of both. Gerald Green falling to him at #18 was a complete steal. Highway freakin' robbery. Teams like Toronto should be ashamed. Green could conceivably take over for Paul Pierce as the team's go-to-guy in 3-4 years... or sooner. He has T-Mac skills. They got their second absolute steal in the 2nd round in Ryan Gomes. Jim Calhoun, head coach at UConn, publicly criticized his own recruiting in missing out on Gomes, stating that he was probably one of the best recruits to come out of New England in years. Gomes had a solid career at Providence, nearly coming out last season. He is a tremendous low-post presence at the SF spot and will help the Celts from day one. With their third pick, they grabbed a little-known defensive stopper in Orien Greene. The University of Louisiana-Lafayette star averaged more than 2 steals in each of his three seasons at ULL. He completely locked down the best of the best in pre-draft workouts. Grade: A Fantasy Outlook: If you're in a very rare keeper/dynasty league for basketball, draft Green without question. For re-draft leagues, it might be a bit risky to take Green before the middle-to-late rounds. He has Ricky Davis AND Paul Pierce ahead of him. Gomes might actually be the better fantasy prospect here, at least for this coming season. The Celts desperately need help on the front line, and Gomes could potentially be a 14/7 guy off the bench. Greene isn't worth drafting, even in keeper leagues. --- LA Clippers: Man oh man, it pains me to type this, being a moderate Clipper fan. They really dropped the ball here. Gerald Green and Danny Granger basically fell in their lap, and they simply swept them off to draft the Euro (Yaroslav Koralev) they'd been targeting all summer. They didn't have any contingency plans... just to draft this guy. He has some skills, but he's very young, very raw, and will probably continue to stay in Europe to develop. They grabbed the solid Daniel Ewing in the 2nd, but there may have been better talent out there for them. They have their PG of the future in Livingston, so this pick made little sense. But then again, after their first-round selection, the Ewing pick looked like a stroke of genius. Grade: If I could go lower than F, I would Fantasy Outlook: The only fantasy outlook I have for the Clips here is a fantasy world where Donald Sterling sells the team and the new owner sends Elgin Baylor packing. Don't draft either of the Clips' picks, unless you're in a dynasty league and have a pick to burn. --- Memphis Grizzlies: The Grizzlies got Hakim Warrick, who might have slipped a bit, and Jerry West pretty much had to take him. He'll fit in with the style of play the Griz go with, and he makes the unhappy Stromile Swift expendable. They also traded for big man Lawrence Roberts, who is a solid project big man.Grade: B Fantasy Outlook: Warrick is certainly worth a late-round pick in most leagues next season, if for nothing else, his athleticism that is unmatched. He won't average 20 points, not with Gasol there, but he could put up some good all-around numbers. Roberts is a project. --- Atlanta Hawks: I don't know. I think they made the wrong pick here. Marvin Williams could potentially be the best player in this draft, but based on needs, the Hawks should have taken Chris Paul to distribute the ball to Josh Smith, Al Harrington and Josh Childress. Those 4 could have developed together in Atlanta. Williams, still, is a good pick... and their draft as a whole jumps up in value in picking Salim Stoudamire in the 2nd. Stoudamire could conceivably be running this team by mid-season. The Hawks also landed a decent Euro in Cenk Akyol, who will spend more time in Euro. So, looking back, Williams + Stoudamire is probably a heck of a lot better than Paul + ???. That being said... Grade: A Fantasy Outlook: OK, Williams has mad skills, but with the glut of forwards the Hawks have, how much impact will he have right away? He's probably worth drafting in mid-to-late rounds based on potential alone. Harrington is a stud in the making himself, so you'll want to track the progress of both leading into the season before committing to drafting one or the other. Stoudamire might be worth a look in the late rounds or as a free agent early in the season if he proves he can hit the NBA three with consistency. --- Miami Heat: It's somewhat hard to grade a team with only one pick, but when a team makes a solid pick, you have to applaud them. Wayne Simien fits what the Heat need to a tee. Udonis Haslem isn't a scorer. Simien is. He's a quality kid from a quality program. He'll fit right in with Shaq and Haslem along the front line in Miami. Now, he has some injury concerns, but now that he's in the NBA, he'll have more time to condition. Grade: B+ Fantasy Outlook: Call me crazy but I think Simien has the chance to be the ROY next season. There will be hype for Paul, the Williamses, etc... but Simien will quietly average 13-15 points, grab 5-7 boards, and will shoot a solid % from both the line and field. I'd be comfortable grabbing him in mid-to-late rounds as a backup or utility starter. --- New Orleans Hornets: Wow, some teams really did well this draft. Chris Paul will be the King of New Orleans for a decade if he stays healthy. He is a heady, athletic and determined point guard with incredible ball-handling and distribution skills. Brandon Bass in the 2nd round was a pretty good value. He'd be a lottery pick if he was 6'9". As an undersized power forward, he'll have to rely on quickness to score and defend. But hey, he'll learn under the underrated P.J. Brown, so maybe in a year or two he'll be a solid NBA backup. Grade: A- Fantasy Outlook: Draft Chris Paul with confidence. He will be the starting PG from day one, and could average 15 points and 7 assists, with good %s. He can hit the three, and will probably swipe 1-2 steals a game to boot. Don't draft Bass unless Brown gets injured and Bass proves he can score and defend at the 4. --- Utah Jazz: Hey, at least they had the foresight to move up to get their guy. Paul and Williams were going to get drafted before the Jazz were set to pick, so they made their move. Deron Williams is a more "complete" PG than Chris Paul, at least at this point. He'll be the odds-on favorite for ROY given the talent he has around him. He could average 9+ assists along with 10-14 points, 4-5 boards and a couple of steals. C.J. Miles was a mild reach and may return to the University of Texas since he didn't sign with an agent and was not selected in the first round. Robert Whaley was a horrible pick. That drops them out of the "A" region, draft grade wise. Grade: B Fantasy Outlook: Deron Williams is Jason Kidd lite. Draft him with the utmost of confidence. I'd say he could even be your #1 PG if you're strong at other positions. Whaley probably won't even make it past training camp, so don't even consider him. --- Sacramento Kings: Like I mentioned earlier, it's somewhat difficult to grade teams with only one pick. But the Kings' pick makes perfect sense: a guy that's completely NBA-ready that can play multiple positions, and that will contribute right away. Francisco Garcia can flat out play. He'll be a perfect backup to Peja and could even play big guard. Good pick by the Kings. Grade: B+ Fantasy Outlook: Real tough to say how much PT Garcia is going to get from the outset, but he may be worth a late-round selection. Given serious minutes off the bench, he could get you 10 points with a three. Good for deep leagues. If he starts, however, his stats could get serious. --- New York Knicks: First Danny Ainge looks like he knows what he's doing, and now Isaiah Thomas appears to have a clue? What's this world coming to? Channing Frye was a pretty good pick in the first round. The typically BRUTAL Knick fans that attend the draft were actually applauding the pick. Frye is NOT your typical Knick pick (soft, unknown big man). While Frye SHOULD have dominated the Pac-10 a bit more, he certainly left his mark at UofA. Well-coached is an understatement here. He didn't really rebound with much authority, but he can score around the hoop and will block shots. David Lee wasn't that good of a pick; he doesn't fit too well with the Eastern Conference style of play. He did, however, have a fantastic pre-draft camp (earned MVP honors), so perhaps this is a decent pick after all. Getting Nate Robinson in the Q-Rich/Thomas deal was solid. The kid is only 5'9" but is tough as a bulldog, and can score around the hoop despite his size. In addition, they grabbed Dijon Thompson, who played with some obscurity at UCLA, who is a nice combo guard. I think the Knicks did absolutely wonderful. Grade: A- Fantasy Outlook: From a fantasy perspective, I don't know how much value these guys have. Thompson is a year or 2 away from really contributing, and Robinson might take some time to adjust to the NBA game. Lee won't get the minutes with the glut of big men for the Knicks. Frye might entertain a look, given his shot-blocking ability. With Kurt Thomas gone, Frye will probably get minutes and might be worth a later-round selection and could average 10 points, 7 boards and 2 blocks. --- Los Angeles Lakers: As a Laker fan, it got me pretty hyped to see the likes of Green and Granger slip through the cracks. However, like their Clipper bretheren, they had their sights set on one player and one player only. Phil Jackson had been tracking "Baby Shaq" Andrew Bynum even before he had the Laker job. He's certainly a talented player, but will probably be a project for a year or two. I honestly think they should have scrapped the project and went with a more NBA-ready player like Granger. I'm lukewarm here. Their second round selection, however, got me pretty excited. I absolutely love Ronny Turiaf's enthusiasm and work ethic. He is EXACTLY what the Lakers need. If he can continue to develop offensively, he might just be the steal of the draft. They also nabbed a sleeper in Von Wafer, a wafer-thin SG from Florida State. Grade: C+ Fantasy Outlook: Again, in rare cases where you're in a dynasty league, Bynum is worth a look given the lack of pure stud big men. He's worthless in re-draft leagues, at least for now. Turiaf isn't worth a look either, unfortunately. Perhaps if he grasps the triangle offense from the get-go and the Lakers release Brian Grant, he could be a nice source of boards, FG% and blocks. Wafer won't help fantasy teams. --- Orlando Magic: Martynas Azndriuskevicius was a complete steal (well, for Cleveland, who got him via trade) at #44. Let's start with him. If they're able to fit his name on his jersey, he could absolutely dominate. He's huge, height-wise, but needs to bulk up. A year or two back in Europe or in the NBDL will serve him well and he can return to learn under Big Z. This guy was projected out as a top-5 pick last season. Travis Diener is going to surprise some people. Two words: Kirk Heinrich. No one thought he'd make that big of a splash, but look at what he's doing for the Bulls. Only difference here is that the Magic are going to give Jameer Nelson the reins at PG once Steve Francis is done or move him to SG. And the Magic's first round pick was a no-brainer, they had the big Spaniard, Fran Vazquez, in their sights the second their draft position was determined. If he actually leaves his Euro team, he can step right in and contribute. Grade: B+ Fantasy Outlook: Like I mentioned above, if Vazquez leaves his Euro team, he will contribute. He's not your prototypical NBA center, but with Dwight Howard manning the middle, Vazquez could roam (a la Pau Gasol) and put up decent fantasy stats. Diener could probably put up good stats, but is buried behind Nelson and Francis. Azndriuskevicius is a project. --- New Jersey Nets: I don't like the Nets' draft one bit. I think they dropped the ball on not drafting Hakim Warrick. He would have been a PERFECT fit with Kidd, Carter and Jefferson. Talk about an athletic lineup. They could have thrown some stiff in at the 5, gone somewhat small, and run teams off the court. Instead, they went with Antoine Wright. No offense to Wright; he's a solid shooter and somewhat underrated. The Nets second round pick was a - get this - big Euro (Mile Ilic) that needs to bulk up and play 2-3 seasons back in Europe or the NBDL. Does the NBA have a pre-requisite to draft big skinny Euros? Grade: C- Fantasy Outlook: Let's toss Ilic out the window. Wright? Heck, if he can consistently knock down the NBA three, he might be a deep sleeper. --- Denver Nuggets: Well, the Nuggets really wanted Hakim Warrick here, to play alongside his Orangeman pal Carmelo Anthony. But Julius Hodge has the athleticism of Warrick, but at more of a swingman level. He's not a terrific shooter, but does the little things that will keep him in this league. They also picked an insignificant Euro in Axel Hervelle, and got Ricky Sanchez, a young and developing SF, from Portland in exchange for Jarret Jack. They would have been better off keeping Jack, who would have been a solid 3rd guard behind Miller and Boykins. Pretty bland draft for the Nuggets in my estimation. Grade: C+ Fantasy Outlook: Julius Hodge doesn't shoot well enough to merit consideration for fantasy basketball. Think Shane Battier without the 11 points per game. Sanchez and Hervelle are - at best - 4 years away from behind fantasy-worthy. --- Indiana Pacers: The Pacers picked the standard Euro in the 2nd (Erazem Lorbeck) but it was GM Donnie Walsh's pick at 17 that was an absolute STEAL (Danny Granger). Granger, on most mocks, was slated to go in the top-10, and probably deserved to be (can you hear me, Toronto?). Granger's a perfect fit to complement O'Neal and Artest and will contribute right away. Great pick. Grade: A Fantasy Outlook: I mentioned that Wayne Simien will be a dark horse for ROY in my Heat analysis; I think Granger belongs in that category, too. He can play on both ends of the court, and will contribute from the get-go. I wouldn't be shocked to see him score 12-15 points (especially with Reggie Miller gone), grab 6-7 boards and dish out 3-4 assists. I'd take a flier on Granger in later rounds. --- Detroit Pistons: Well, this is what separates the great teams from the great teams that draft well. The Pistons, while building a great team, do not draft well... or at least they did not this draft. Jason Maxiell gives them a nice, tough low-post presence that can board like a beast, but he probably went far too early. Would have liked to see them trade down and hoard some picks. Amir Johnson is talented, but if anything, will play in the NBDL. Ditto for Alex Acker. They could have used a pure deep threat. No such luck, and as such, a poor grade for the Pistons. Grade: D+ Fantasy Outlook: Neither Acker nor Johnson will be of value this season. Draft Maxiell in the last round or pick him up in free agency if you are struggling for boards in your 16-and-up-team league. --- Toronto Raptors: Ah, the big losers of the draft. I cannot stress enough what a huge mistake the Raptors made in selecting Charlie Villanueva. The guy was wavering on even coming out, as he really hasn't fully developed into a solid college player. Ron Babcock has been a pretty solid GM, but he really made an odd choice here. They already have Chris Bosh, who is a small step away from stardom. They had the chance at several NBA-ready players and even some young studs, and opted for Villanueva at 7. An absolute atrocity. Good news though, they landed probably the most NBA-ready Euro in Roko Ukic. He's a 6'5", savvy and experienced (even at 20 years old) point guard. Could be the steal of the 2nd round. And more good news, I completely missed their 2nd first rounder (16th overall), Joey Graham (I must have been totally shell-shocked by their Villanueva pick). Good pick for the Raptors. He's a smart, tough guy that plays inside and out. They also grabbed another Euro in the 2nd (Uros Slokar). Grade: Flip-flop their 7th and 16th and their draft looks decent... still, a C- at best Fantasy Outlook: I'd be surprised if Villanueva played 10 minutes a game his rookie season. That said, he's not worth drafting. And given his lack of big game experience, I'd even be hesitatnt in drafting him in dynasty leagues. Ukic might be a steal if he lands the starting PG position. Might be worth a late flier in larger leagues, or keep him on your radar in smaller leagues should you need assists. --- Houston Rockets: The Rockets needed a guard, and they got a good one. Luther Head was overlooked, for the most part, in the draft due to the stud PGs at the top. Head can play either guard position, and can knock down jumpers with regularity. Good pick for the Rockets. Grade: B Fantasy Outlook: Mike James and David Wesley are old and are average at best. A good showing from Luther Head could propel him into the starting roster or a significant role off the bench. If he can hit the NBA three and distribute the ball to Yao Ming and T-Mac, he could have some value as a deep sleeper. It's a mild stretch, but consider him a poor man's Gilbert Arenas; he has the size, and played the combo guard position, like Arenas, in college. --- Philadelphia Sixers: Bad draft for the Sixers. They picked Louis Williams, a talented - yet undersized - HS player. But he's gonna sit in the NBDL for a couple of years before having any value. They would have been better off taking a big Euro. Grade: F Fantasy Outlook: What? --- Seattle Supersonics: Fantasy footballers know the feeling. You are targeting a guy to pick with your next selection, and he gets taken from you 2 spots ahead of your pick. Then your "backup" pick gets taken right ahead of you. Well, the Sonics REALLY wanted do-all guard Julius Hodge, then wanted Jarret Jack. They settled for Euro Johan Petro, a big athletic forward, after Hodge and Jack got selected just ahead of them. They followed up their first Euro pick with another: Mickael Gelabale, who has some talent. Both guys should spend a year or two honing their skills in Europe or the NBDL. That being said, it's merely an average draft for the Sonics. Grade: C Fantasy Outlook: Perhaps in a year or two you revisit these Euros. As for now, they're worth zilch. --- San Antonio Spurs: In typical fashion, the Spurs grab a solid Euro that's probably NBA ready in Ian Mahinmi. He'll have to get out of his Euro contract, however. He's young, but big. If he bulks up a bit and gets out of his contract, he'll join the Spurs and may contribute off the bench. Grade: B Fantasy Outlook: Don't expect Mahinmi to contribute fantasy-wise, at least not this season. Big Shot Bob will probably be back, and will be the main contributor off the Spur bench. If Mahinmi gets out of his contract, perhaps you pick him up in dynasty leagues, otherwise just track him for future seasons. --- Phoenix Suns: Hmm, not a good draft for the Suns in my mind. They could have taken Wayne Simien for some low-post punch off the bench, but opted for Nate Robinson, who they sent packing east to New York to consummate the Q-Rich for Kurt Thomas trade. Thomas will be solid for the Suns, though. They finished off the draft by taking the standard big Euro (Marcin Gotat), who they promptly sent packing to the Magic in exchange for "cash". OK, so Marion and Stoudemire are pretty young, but Nash isn't. They came away with zilch from this draft, unless you count Thomas. I don't like it. Grade: D- Fantasy Outlook: Well since they didn't add anyone via the draft, there is no outlook. However, Kurt Thomas will provide some solid SF/PF help, but won't score or rebound much with Stoudemire and Marion getting all the stats. If you own Thomas in a keeper/dynasty league, you aren't very happy. --- Minnesota Timberwolves: Interesting couple of picks for the Wolves. They landed quite possibly the best SG in the draft in Rashad McCants. He has some "head" issues, that the combination of KG and GM Kevin McHale will have to work on. Heck, can't be any "headier" than Sprewell. Bracey Wright in the 2nd was a bit of a reach, as he's an undersized SG that may not have the talent to move to PG. Grade: B Fantasy Outlook: McCants can flat-out play. I would be shocked if he doesn't start and/or put up decent stats for the Wolves, starting from day one. I wouldn't be surprised to see 15 points, 5 boards, 4 assists and a steal and three per game. I'd draft him late if I had the opportunity. --- Portland Trailblazers: The Blazers are an absolute mess right now. They couldn't figure out who to draft at #3 (they already have Sebastian Telfair as their PG of the future, so drafting D. Williams or Paul would make no sense). So they traded picks with the Jazz and took young Martell Webster with the 6th pick. He shot up the board as a HS entrant, and has tremendous upside. He can shoot lights-out, but will need to develop the rest of his game to make a splash in NBA. They took the requisite Euro (although he played at Mizzou) in Linas Kleiza in the 2nd round for Denver (via trade). They got Jarret Jack in return, a solid defensive guard that should complement Telfair off the bench. If Webster pans out, this is an alright draft. For now, though, it's average at best. Grade: C+ Fantasy Outlook: None of the above-mentioned are worth drafting unless you're in a deep dynasty league and want a shooter like Webster. --- Golden State Warriors: I like what the Warriors did in this draft. They went with a proven college stud (Ike Diogu), a project high schooler with huge upside (Monta Ellis) and a project college player (Chris Taft). Ellis will learn the NBA game behind Baron Davis, and Taft can develop behind Troy Murphy. Diogu will contribute right away as an offensive post presence. Solid but unspectacular. Grade: B+ Fantasy Outlook: As noted above, Taft and Ellis are years away from significant contributions. Diogu would be worth a late pick if you want a guy that can score and put up good FG%. --- Washington Wizards: Another one of those tough-to-grade teams. Only one pick, and it was a mild reach. Andray Blatche is a big rangy kid from Kentucky, who they picked in assumption that the Kwame Brown experiment was a general failure. I'm somewhat surprised the Celtics didn't grab him... but they got Gerald Green, so Blatche slipped to the Wizards. He has Rasheed Wallace qualities (minus the technical foul problems). Considering they only had one pick and have a good, young squad, they were afforded the opportunity for a mild reach. Grade: B Fantasy Outlook: Blatche certainly has skills, but is 2-3 years away from serious PT and therefore serious fantasy worth. --- Thoughts/comments/criticism is welcomed. Edited to add a few Euros I forgot. Edited June 30, 2005 by darin3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hugh 0ne Posted June 29, 2005 Share Posted June 29, 2005 Dude, you've got waayyyyyyyy too much free time. You need to go get laid or something. And if you're getting laid already, you need to get laid more. A lot more. Nice analysis though. Too bad basketball sucks monkey ass. And the Hornets are from New Orleans now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
broncosn05 Posted June 29, 2005 Share Posted June 29, 2005 Denver did good I think but traded Jack was a mistake. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darin3 Posted June 29, 2005 Author Share Posted June 29, 2005 Dude, you've got waayyyyyyyy too much free time. You need to go get laid or something. And if you're getting laid already, you need to get laid more. A lot more. Nice analysis though. Too bad basketball sucks monkey ass. And the Hornets are from New Orleans now. 858516[/snapback] I just didn't feel like actually working today. Or maybe I'm trying my hand at a new profession. I get laid plenty, TYVM. Basketball shouldn't suck monkey ass. I hope it improves in the public eye; it's actually a pretty fun fantasy game. Oh yeah, called them Charlotte Hornets in the title but did reference New Orleans in the text. Oops. Denver did good I think but traded Jack was a mistake. 858523[/snapback] Aside from the poor grammar, this is a good statement. Too bad I already said it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Country Posted June 29, 2005 Share Posted June 29, 2005 Fox's analysis Haven't had a chance to read all of Darin's reviews, or all of Fox's, but they gave the Warriors , Hornets and Jazz the highest grades fo A, with several teams getting A-minuses Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LegFuJohnson Posted June 29, 2005 Share Posted June 29, 2005 In the third round, they grabbed a little-known defensive stopper in Orien Greene. The University of Louisiana-Lafayette star averaged more than 2 steals in each of his three seasons at ULL No wonder the Celtics did well. Everyone else quit after the 2nd round. But the Celtics kept going. -But appreciate the effort, even if Hugh is correct. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darin3 Posted June 29, 2005 Author Share Posted June 29, 2005 (edited) In the third round, they grabbed a little-known defensive stopper in Orien Greene. The University of Louisiana-Lafayette star averaged more than 2 steals in each of his three seasons at ULLNo wonder the Celtics did well. Everyone else quit after the 2nd round. But the Celtics kept going. -But appreciate the effort, even if Hugh is correct. 858532[/snapback] Hugh can my (forgot who I need to footnote for this graemlin combo, sorry). Celtics had a great draft. But uh, ALL the teams quit after the 2nd round. The NBA draft IS only 2 rounds.... and as such, I meant their third PICK... not third round. Edited June 29, 2005 by darin3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darin3 Posted June 29, 2005 Author Share Posted June 29, 2005 Fox's analysis Haven't had a chance to read all of Darin's reviews, or all of Fox's, but they gave the Warriors , Hornets and Jazz the highest grades fo A, with several teams getting A-minuses 858530[/snapback] I will assume they gave the Jazz the A for having the foresight to move up to get Deron Williams. But their two other picks sucked ass. They don't deserve an A. The Warriors deserve their A. Hornets deserve an A or A-. Hawks, Celtics, Knicks... all did well, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hugh 0ne Posted June 29, 2005 Share Posted June 29, 2005 Hugh can my 858551[/snapback] You want me to whistle your moon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muck Posted June 29, 2005 Share Posted June 29, 2005 ...interesting that a conference that is so consistently strong only sent two players to the NBA... Linus Kleiza and Wayne Simien were the only two Big 12 players to get drafted. Any projections on other notable Big 12'ers as free agents, like the Massey kid from KState or Keith Langford or Aaron Miles from KU? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darin3 Posted June 29, 2005 Author Share Posted June 29, 2005 (edited) ...interesting that a conference that is so consistently strong only sent two players to the NBA... Linus Kleiza and Wayne Simien were the only two Big 12 players to get drafted. Any projections on other notable Big 12'ers as free agents, like the Massey kid from KState or Keith Langford or Aaron Miles from KU? 858734[/snapback] Very surprising that Big-12 players weren't looked at favorably. Perhaps this means next season's crop of Big-12 players will dominate the draft (especially with the newly-installed age limit). Jeremiah Massey, although undrafted, should probably sign on with an NBA team prior to the season. He had a pretty good camp showing in Portsmouth. I could see him signing with the Lakers once they trade Devean George and/or Chucky Atkins and/or Caron Butler. Keith Langford, while his pedigree is impressive, is your classic 'tweener. Probably a bit short and weak to play SG (although Ben Gordon proved you can be a scorer at 6'4"). Dallas has shown some interest (he's a Dallas kid), but with the likes of Josh Howard and Marquis Daniels on the roster, it may be tough to crack in to a position where he'd matter. Aaron Miles would need to seriously bulk up or improve his outside game if he had any shot in the NBA. He's 6' on his tippy-toes and 180 lbs. soaking wet. Again, like Langford, has a nice pedigree / well coached, but that only gets you so far. He does play solid D, though. So perhaps if he bulked up and improved his consistency in his outside game, he could land on a team with a need for a backup PG with defensive skills. Edit: Looks like Miles was generally impressive in pre-draft camps, so it's a mild surprise he was not nabbed by a team looking for a solid PG that can distribute the ball, who played for a program like KU. Edited June 29, 2005 by darin3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
major-tom Posted June 30, 2005 Share Posted June 30, 2005 ...interesting that a conference that is so consistently strong only sent two players to the NBA... Linus Kleiza and Wayne Simien were the only two Big 12 players to get drafted. Any projections on other notable Big 12'ers as free agents, like the Massey kid from KState or Keith Langford or Aaron Miles from KU? 858734[/snapback] You forgot the best athlete and highest pick from the Big 12, Joey Graham. Everyone is so focused on the horrible pick by the Raptors of Villanueva that they're overlooking the better prospect in Graham. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Puddy Posted June 30, 2005 Share Posted June 30, 2005 Detroit Pistons: Well, this is what separates the great teams from the great teams that draft well. The Pistons, while building a great team, do not draft well... or at least they did not this draft. Jason Maxiell gives them a nice, tough low-post presence that can board like a beast, but he probably went far too early. Would have liked to see them trade down and hoard some picks. Amir Johnson is talented, but if anything, will play in the NBDL. Ditto for Alex Acker. They could have used a pure deep threat. No such luck, and as such, a poor grade for the Pistons. Grade: D+ 858487[/snapback] Other then that non-biased report, you never cease to amaze with the amount of effort you put into many of your posts. Great job Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darin3 Posted June 30, 2005 Author Share Posted June 30, 2005 You forgot the best athlete and highest pick from the Big 12, Joey Graham. Everyone is so focused on the horrible pick by the Raptors of Villanueva that they're overlooking the better prospect in Graham. 858960[/snapback] Great frickin' call... I'm honestly embarrased that I didn't mention him anywhere in this thread. Graham should have been drafted. Bottom line. But here's the rub: there is absolutely NO difference from a 2nd round pick and an undrafted pick. Only first round picks are guaranteed contracts. I will bet dollars to donuts Graham will work out for someone and/or join (and excel on) a summer league team and will get signed. Heck, sign up with the Lakers. Now. Great kid. Great athlete. Great pedigree. Total shock that so many teams passed up on him for random HS guys and Euro stiffs. Guys like Graham will not be passed up starting next draft. Amen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Puddy Posted June 30, 2005 Share Posted June 30, 2005 Great frickin' call... I'm honestly embarrased that I didn't mention him anywhere in this thread. Graham should have been drafted. 859102[/snapback] Didn't Toronto draft him? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jumpin Johnies Posted June 30, 2005 Share Posted June 30, 2005 You want me to whistle your moon. 858572[/snapback] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darin3 Posted June 30, 2005 Author Share Posted June 30, 2005 Didn't Toronto draft him? 859250[/snapback] Yup, totally missed that. I think I was still shell-shocked by them picking Villanueva 7th. Heck, flip-flop their 7th and 16th (Graham), and their draft would look oodles better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seminoles Posted July 1, 2005 Share Posted July 1, 2005 it seems to me that you gave a lot of teams a high grade (B or higher). wasnt this suppose to be a weak draft. just wondering Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darin3 Posted July 1, 2005 Author Share Posted July 1, 2005 it seems to me that you gave a lot of teams a high grade (B or higher). wasnt this suppose to be a weak draft. just wondering 860867[/snapback] Abso-freakin-lutely not. It was one of the deeper drafts in recent history. Didn't have the front-line stud talent like LeBron or KG, but had a ton of solid collegiate players, HS players (since this is the last season they can declare) and Euros. I based my grades on needs, mostly. If a team only had one pick and filled a need, there's no way I could grade them lower than a B. Lots of teams did very poorly. Several teams, however, got incredible values and I graded them accordingly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Country Posted July 1, 2005 Share Posted July 1, 2005 Definitely the deepest draft in at least the last 5-6 years, as evidenced by the total lack of trades. I don't know that there was any clear cut franchise player in this draft, but lots of teams were able to address needs with their picks. Of course, you have the Toronto's going with Villanueva for some odd reason when they had other needs as V plays the same position as their best player, Bosh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darin3 Posted July 1, 2005 Author Share Posted July 1, 2005 Toronto's going with Villanueva for some odd reason when they had other needs as V plays the same position as their best player, Bosh. 861508[/snapback] ... and drafted another big man in Rafael Araujo (sp.) last season. Their Graham pick was decent, and if their picks were flip-flopped (7 & 16) it would have actually made more sense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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