The 2010 NBA Draft took place on Thursday night (June 24th) without too much drama unfolding. But the behind-the-scenes work of several franchises on draft night have put them in prime position for success in the upcoming free agent signing period or going into next season.
It’s useless to try to determine the success of a team’s draft class before watching their players actually compete in the regular season. We have no idea how each player will adapt to the NBA game or mesh with their new teammates.
But what is very helpful is to analyze how well teams did in terms of drafting good value players, obtaining assets, filling needs, and other aspects of building a franchise. Draft night 2010 may have been one of the quieter rookie drafts in a long time, but small moves might end up making a big difference going forward.
Here’s a look at how I’d grade each team in its dealings on draft night. 2010 NBA Draft Grades:
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EASTERN CONFERENCE -
WASHINGTON WIZARDS - A
Many analysts have been critical of Washington’s overall moves on draft night after their selection of John Wall. The Wizards took Kirk Hinrich (and his large salary) off of Chicago’s hands, traded up to draft Trevor Booker at pick 23, a guy who was a projected 2nd-rounder, and also added French big man Kevin Seraphin at pick 17. Look, all of these moves could be questionable in another environment. But in Washington? They were looking to add as many assets as possible to team with new franchise player Wall. They ended up with a very solid third guard in Hinrich, who is also insurance in case Arenas goes AWOL. They then got the highest drafted senior in the draft (Booker) to play right away, and are able to stash the French big man overseas in a pick they got from Chicago for nothing. I love this draft. Wall is going to be a superstar, and that alone is worth the A. The other combination of moves shows that the Wiz are looking to give him every chance to lead this team to big things in a hurry.
ORLANDO MAGIC - A
Orlando had the second-to-last pick in each round, and made no other moves. All they did was draft two late guys. Somehow, though, they got two incredibly valuable players in each spot. Daniel Orton at #29 is a guy I had as overrated, but only because he was being considered in the late lottery and may never develop. But at #29, he’s an amazing value. This guy could end up being a very valuable center, and he’s got a pretty good one on the roster to learn from. At #59, the Magic drafted Stanley Robinson, the best athlete in this draft. Apparently every team on the board was worried that he’s better suited as an Olympian than as an NBA player. He does lack ball skills and any kind of a jump shot. But I’ve seen this guy play a ton, and he has the ability to play in the NBA. He can sky above anyone to grab rebounds, and is very physical around the rim. If he works hard and is developed properly, he will be an absolute steal at #59. If not, he’ll never play in the league and will be winning every dunk contest in the D-League.
DETROIT PISTONS - A-
The Pistons took versatile forward Greg Monroe with the 7th overall pick, and added super-athletic guard prospect Terrico White at #36. Both picks were very good. Monroe can only help this team, as his tremendous passing skills and versatility can become an immediate asset. He’s not the greatest fit for Detroit, as they lack a dominant scorer to deflect to, but Monroe’s addition should start to make everyone better. White was a first-round talent who could either become a great sleeper pick or end up being wasted as a bust with limited guard skills. Typical hit-or-miss pick, but at #36 it’s a great gamble.
MILWAUKEE BUCKS - A-
A quick glance at other analysts’ grade sheets has Milwaukee slated everywhere between D and A. Essentially, it all comes down to what you think of their top pick, #15 Larry Sanders. I am a huge Sanders fan and think he’s going to be one of the most valuable players of this draft. I saw him play several times despite his lacking coverage at small-school VCU. He can flat out compete on both ends and will be a major rebounder and shot-blocker in the league. His supreme athleticism gives him a chance to make an impact on the offensive end. Milwaukee also adds Darington Hobson at #37, who has versatile skills but might not ever make an NBA rotation. Pick #47 was a good time to gamble on Tiny Gallon, who could be out of the league by year 3 as an out of shape head-case, but could be a major contributor if he works his tail off. He’s got the talent and size. Also, the Bucks added Corey Maggette through trade, to address their scoring needs. Between Sanders, Gallon, and Maggette, this draft is a worthy A- to me.
PHILADELPHIA 76ERS - B+
Philly got their man in Evan Turner at #2. He was the safest pick available, and will unquestionably be a very good player for them from day one. That goes a long way for a team lacking any kind of identity. I personally think that they should have taken the gamble on Favors or Cousins at #2. It’s an extremely tough call, and nobody knows whose going to be the best player of the three. All I know is that Philly is loaded with swingmen like Turner, and they could have used Favors or Cousins to develop as a dominant franchise big man and really swing for the fences.
NEW JERSEY NETS - B+
New Jersey lands potential franchise PF Derrick Favors at #3 and adds senior forward Damion James in a trade in the late first round. Adding size and strength down low was crucial for this 12-win team. I’m personally not in love with James as a player, but he’s going to help the Nets. They’ve all of a sudden gotten some monster athletes along their front line (Terrence Williams, James, Favors, Brook Lopez), and can start to build their backcourt in free agency.
BOSTON CELTICS - B+
What’s not to love about Avery Bradley at #19 for the Celtics? It seems like a perfect match to me, and Bradley has the talent to be an impact player in the NBA. He might be a picture-perfect complement to Rajon Rondo. They can never start together in the same backcourt, but he’s a perfect 6th man scoring option and will pose major, major matchup problems when on the floor with Rondo if the C’s go small with three guards. I hate Luke Harangody at pick #52. He will never play meaningful minutes in the NBA; take that to the bank. I’m not qualified to make that statement, but it’s my opinion from watching about 40 of his games during his 4-year college career.
INDIANA PACERS - B
Tough to read this draft. The Pacers, notorious for drafting safe players, took major risks in all 3 of their selections. Paul George at #10 could be the biggest sleeper of this draft and they’re hoping he develops into the next Danny Granger. The problem is, Granger is already their franchise player. In fact, George literally plays the same exact position and role as Granger, has the same type of game, looks eerily similar to him, and basically is hoping to be Granger 2.0. Perhaps this could be a good strategy; it’s just a little strange. Indiana picked up Lance Stevenson at pick #40, a complete steal at that time. Risky for the team, but if he works hard then he could be a major contributor. Magnum Rolle was their selection at 51, a big man who can block shots.
CHICAGO BULLS - B
The Bulls are one of 4 teams who did not make a selection in this draft. They’re also the only ones who had a reason not to, and I give them a B for their sound reasoning. Chicago traded the 17th pick and Kirk Hinrich to Washington to save a boatload of cap space, and be able to focus 100% effort on free agent signings to pair with Rose, Noah, and Deng. Good move by them. The only question I have is if it was worth it to just toss away the #17 pick in the Hinrich deal. They probably couldn’t have traded him and his salary to anyone without including the pick, but trading away a near-lottery pick for nothing is very risky. They could have added a quality player to their young nucleus. Instead, they had to throw away a nice young piece entirely just to get rid of Hinrich. We’ll see next week (when free agency begins) if it ends up being the right move.
TORONTO RAPTORS - B-
Toronto went with the route I predicted, in selecting Ed Davis to become their Chris Bosh replacement. They have similar skill sets, but Davis needs to put in about 12 hours of work per day for the next 2 years to become the physically powerful and skilled big man that Bosh is. The Raptors added falling Solomon Alabi in round two at#50, who was worth the late flier selection. He fell due to knee injury concerns, but could be a productive 7-foot shot blocker in the league if he stays healthy. This is another franchise that recognized their team was especially weak defensively, and they used their picks to beef up inside with talented forwards. The thinking must be praised.
MIAMI HEAT - B-
Miami did what it needed to do, and for that I’ll give them a B-. They traded away Daequan Cook and the #18 pick to save cap room for this summer, and it was a very smart move. They now nearly have the cash for THREE max free agent deals. They also had three 2nd-round picks, none of whom they have to pay any guaranteed money to. They took three very suspect guys, which kept this draft from reaching the A range. Dexter Pittman was not a guarantee to be drafted, and Miami took him #32. Questionable. They added Jarvis Varnado at #41, who is a pure shot-blocking machine but doesn’t do much else, and Da’Sean Butler at #42. Butler would have been a first-rounder, but he tore up his knee 6 months ago. I’m happy he got drafted, but there’s a reason why every team in the league passed on him. Miami takes the chance at #42. None of these three guys might end up making an impact.
ATLANTA HAWKS - C-
Jordan Crawford was my favorite late first-round sleeper in this draft. The problem is, the Atlanta Hawks are the worst possible destination for him. Crawford is a guy you draft because he can score, and because he can find his own shot when your team lacks second-unit scoring options on the floor. The Hawks have no need for another one of those players. Too many of those guys are why they got owned by Orlando in the playoffs. Jordan Crawford is a clone of Jamal Crawford, and not just because of the name. I like the player, don’t like the fit. Atlanta added Pape Sy with pick #53, a Senegalese player who I have absolutely no insight or any kind of information about. I love his name, though.
CLEVELAND CAVALIERS - D
The Cavs had no picks in this draft, and made no attempt to get any. They failed big-time, and it’s similar to New York’s situation. How is LeBron James going to be impressed with an NBA Draft coming and going without Cleveland adding a single rookie??? You’ve got to make some attempt to make a splash or make a move, at least something to make a statement that you will do anything to build a strong core around LeBron. Instead, Cleveland was oblivious to the idea of picking up a second-rounder that could be appealing to James, and the franchise will be sweating it out next week.
CHARLOTTE BOBCATS - D
The Bobcats also had no picks in the draft, and also made no attempt to acquire any. I was under the impression that they were going to trade into the late first or second round to select someone, but it never happened. I have no idea whether they tried to or not, but I can’t say I’m very impressed with the idea of not adding a single rookie to a team that’s in desperate need to continue to add young talent. They’re about to lose a couple of guys to free agency, too. I don’t know if Michael Jordan realizes that you’re allowed to make trades in this league to help your team, but he should have stressed that big-time to his organization. They should have found a way to add a player.
NEW YORK KNICKS - D-
My Knicks were the absolute losers on draft night. I’ve never been more disappointed as a fan. New York had back-to-back second round picks, and were expected to try to make some noise on draft night by trading up into the first round or making another move. Instead, they stayed put and drafted two horrific value guys at 38 and 39. Don’t get me wrong; Andy Rautins and Landry Fields are both good character guys that have talent and will be nice to root for. But neither was even projected to be drafted!! There’s no chance that any big time free agent is going to look at the Knicks’ selections and say, “Wow! Great picks, I want to go play with them.” And in the end, that really was the goal of this draft. New York made no splash, made no effort to attract free agents, and ended up with two suspect picks early in the 2nd round. Lance Stevenson was on the board and was selected with the pick after Fields. I just don’t understand the logic.
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WESTERN CONFERENCE -
SACRAMENTO KINGS - A
The Kings loaded up in this draft with two potential star big men. They were one of many franchises that recognized a major defensive deficiency on the team, and took advantage of using selections to beef up down low. DeMarcus Cousins at #5 could end up being the second best player in this draft. He should become a 20-10 guy if he develops properly. Teaming Cousins with Tyreke Evans immediately sets up for a dynamic franchise 1-2 combo for years to come. Sure, these guys will get into their share of disagreements and end up driving coaches crazy for a year or two. But they also are going to give every team in the league fits. It’s an amazingly physical, skilled, explosive combo to build upon. Oh, Sacramento also adds young 7-footer Hassan Whiteside at #33, a guy who was considered a potential lottery pick as recently as last week. He has enormous upside, as well as the potential to be a bust. But he’s a perfect gamble at 33. Awesome draft by the Kings.
OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER - A-
It’s no surprise to anyone that the Thunder came away with a good draft. OKC traded their 18th pick for the Clippers’ 1st-round pick next year, which we all can pencil in as being better than 18th. Then, they traded up to acquire Cole Aldrich at pick 11. I don’t love Aldrich’s skills or potential, but he’s a perfect fit for the Thunder. He immediately comes in and adds size, strength, experience, rebounding, and shot-blocking for a team that desperately needs all of it. He will be a great teammate and should mesh well with this talented young nucleus.
HOUSTON ROCKETS - A-
No team makes more consistently good front office decisions than the Houston Rockets, at least for the last 5 years. They make another terrific draft pick this year, with Patrick Patterson at #14. Patterson will look to fill the void left by Carl Landry in the trade last year for Kevin Martin. Patterson fits right in with this team’s culture of hard-working, physical, unselfish players with versatile skills. It’s a great fit, and that pick alone puts them into the A range.
LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS - B
The Clippers took three risky players in this draft, all of whom have similar skill sets to players that are already on the roster, and need to be groomed properly for success in the league. I’m not sure it’s going to work out for the doomed Clipper franchise. But if these guys develop properly, this will end up being an awesome draft. Al-Farouq Aminu at #8 is a super-talented scoring forward who needs to develop a better work ethic and could turn into a star. Eric Bledsoe at #18 is very similar to Eric Gordon, but he will work on his point guard skills as well, and he is a very talented slasher with an NBA body. Second-round 2-guard Willie Warren was Blake Griffin’s teammate at OU, and he was once considered a top-5 talent in this draft. If he can somehow improve upon his attitude, work ethic, and selfish play, he could end up being a steal. Basically, this is a boom or bust draft.
SAN ANTONIO SPURS - B
San Antonio stuck to their system of selecting safe, veteran guys in the draft. James Anderson at #20 is as safe as it gets, and he will be a producer for this team from day one. They also added English big man Ryan Richards late in round two, who could end up learning much from Tim Duncan when he comes over. Solid selections from a team that continues to impress. The only problem here is that the Spurs are quickly transitioning to a new type of team, and they didn’t draft any upside guys that could be difference makers in 2 or 3 years. Duncan, Ginobili, and Parker are no longer the Big 3 that they once were.
MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES - B
Memphis made a bunch of trades on draft night and kept swapping their later picks. In the end, all that matters is that they ended up with Greivis Vazquez and Xavier Henry in round one. Both guys are big, physical guards that could end up being impact players. I’m not in love with either guy in terms of what I saw in college, but their size and skill sets cannot be overlooked. Henry needs to develop more of a killer instinct and willingness to look to score if he wants to live up to his selection at #12. Vazquez will bring tons of energy to the club, but he must adapt to life in the NBA and, of course, in a losing environment. I still like the gamble on him in the 20’s.
LOS ANGELES LAKERS - B-
The Lakers took two second-rounders who could end up being contributors. Devin Ebanks is a great value in round two as a big-time rebounder and hustle player who should earn minutes from day one. Derrick Caracter is a big-time talent down low that has had a myriad of off-court issues to combine with on-court attitude problems. If he can mature and improve his work ethic, he will earn minutes for this team. If not, it was a wasted pick.
UTAH JAZZ - B-
Gordon Hayward at pick 9 could be the perfect fit, as a versatile wing who can shoot it from deep and create for others. He could also turn into a bust if he doesn’t adjust to the physicality of the league. I think he will end up being productive. They added a player in round two (Jeremy Evans) who was not projected to be drafted. This entire draft’s success will be determined by the development of former Butler Cinderella darling Hayward.
GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS - C+
I am a huge fan of Ekpe Udoh, who they got at #6. But even I thought that it was a bit high to select him. Golden State made no other selections in the draft. How about trading down from 6 to 11 (a pick that was on the move) and looking to add another asset? Udoh may have been available there, or they could have added a different big man. I think Udoh will be a good player, but it wasn’t great overall decision-making by the Warriors, in my mind.
NEW ORLEANS HORNETS - C
The Hornets could have added an impact rookie at #11. Instead, they traded the pick to the Thunder, and wound up with Craig Brackins in the deal. He is a physical forward that had a rough season at Iowa State last year and was drafted too high. They did add one of my favorite sleepers later in round one with swingman Quincy Pondexter. He should definitely help this team as a tough, versatile wing player that can contribute on both ends. But there just was not enough here from the Hornets, who are in danger of losing their franchise player Chris Paul to trade requests, if not to free agency in two years. This is another franchise that had an opportunity to make a statement to their star player, and came up short.
PHOENIX SUNS - C
Gani Lawal was a nice value in round two, but he’s very similar to their lottery pick from last year, Earl Clark. They added Dwayne Collins with pick 60, and added Scottie Reynolds to their summer league roster. I’m hoping Scottie makes the team and can contribute to this up-tempo roster with his scoring ability and versatile offensive game. However, I’m not impressed with this draft. The Suns became a lost franchise very quickly. Steve Kerr is out as GM, Amar’e Stoudemire is about to be out as their frontcourt star, and 36-year-old Steve Nash has a bunch of role players to try to win with. With Kerr gone, who knows what direction this team is looking to go in.
DALLAS MAVERICKS - C-
The Mavs ended up with Dominique Jones late in round one, and he is a nice player to add to a winning team. He’s a hard worker that can contribute on both ends, and can score when needed. He’s just not exactly a great fit in Dallas, where the Mavericks are loaded with backcourt players that already fight for time. They needed to address the frontcourt, which is about to learn its fate. They could lose Dirk Nowitzki and Brendan Haywood to free agency, and Erick Dampier is likely to be traded or cut anyway. The inability to address the forward or center position is a big mistake.
MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES - C-
Minnesota’s draft was on track for an A after their first pick. Wesley Johnson at #4 was the perfect selection. I think he’s going to be a great player in the league, and he fit a need for the team. But after that? Minnesota was typically lost. They traded their #16 pick for Martell Webster, who plays the same exact position and role as Wes Johnson. Webster is a nice player, but why not draft an impact rookie that can block shots? The Timberwolves then drafted, yes, ANOTHER small forward at pick 30. Lazar Hayward also could be a decent player, but he’s also similar in ways to Webster and Johnson. It makes no sense to add three players with similar skills that will all fight for minutes. In round two, Minnesota added two European big men that they will groom overseas. Luckily, Wes Johnson is one of my favorite players in the draft and will save Minnesota from a D, barely.
DENVER NUGGETS - D
Denver had no picks, and didn’t acquire any. They join Cleveland and Charlotte as receiving D’s for their effort. What kind of message does it send to Carmelo Anthony that the team did not even attempt to add a young big man for him? Carmelo is the prized free agent of next off-season, and the franchise is doing very little to prove its commitment to their star.
PORTLAND TRAILBLAZERS - F
The Blazers pulled off the most egregious move in NBA draft history. Portland FIRED its General Manager Kevin Pritchard an hour before the draft, but insisted that he run the team’s draft room for the night. Pritchard has been one of the top GM’s of the past few years, and was easily considered a top-10 league executive by anyone who covers the league. The reasons why he was let go certainly have nothing to do with job performance. Anyway, the Blazers ended up trading away Martell Webster and drafted Nevada teammates Armon Johnson and Luke Babbitt. They’re both good prospects, but they didn’t mesh particularly well as teammates in college. No idea why a team would draft them to play together in the NBA. Who knows, because Pritchard made the picks and split, and is now on the market as a golden GM to be hired.
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Questions, opinions? Drop a comment and let me know.
