By: Tyler Ward and Stephen Patterson
NOTE: The trades included in this column happened at least 3 days prior to the Draft, which is why we are listing the trades as part of the grades.
Pacific Division
Golden State Warriors (Ekpe Udoh, Traded for Dan Gadzuric & Charlie Bell)
TW: I'm a little bit torn on this case, simply because of the Corey Maggette trade. The Udoh selection was pretty good, as I think Udoh can step in there and make an impact on a team that is filled with backcourt players. Udoh has proved that he can be a solid rebounder, but NCAA basketball is different from the NBA. He may not be an offensive prescence, but he can for sure be a defensive force, I think. However, the Maggette deal didn't fair too well for them, as Maggette is almost a given 17-20 point scorer per night. Gadzuric has a big contract and Bell will have to back up Stephen Curry. The trade favors Milwaukee, but it is not like the Grizzlies-Lakers trade from a few years ago. Overall, decent draft by Golden State.
SP: Udoh was widely viewed as a Top 10 pick this season, but I think selecting him sixth may have been a stretch. In the weeks leading into the draft, Udoh's stock rose faster than almost any other prospects. He will bring size and rebounding to Golden State, two qualities that will definitely be appreciated by the Warriors. Trading away Maggette was pretty much a formality, a move that has been discussed for months. Personally, I feel the team could have gotten a better offer, but Ward and Gadzuric are decent role players and the Warriors also collected some future picks to further help their rebuilding.
Overall: C+
Los Angeles Clippers (Al-Farouq Aminu, Eric Bledsoe, Willie Warren)
TW: The Clippers did the best in the draft, in my opinion. Aminu was a good player at Wake Forest and I think he can make the transition to the NBA. He will more than likely beat out Rasual Butler as the starter at some point this year. He can provide quality minutes and scoring for a team that desperately needs scoring at this point. The acquisition of Eric Bledsoe was my favorite deal of the draft. What the selection tells me is that Baron Davis' time in L.A. is running short because Bledsoe will eventually take over for the aging Davis. Warren, also, can provide instant scoring for the Clips. In my opinion, they got a steal in Warren, who I think will be a good role player in the NBA. Also, with last year's #1 pick, Blake Griffin, coming back, the Clippers may actually have a fighting chance to make it to the playoffs for the second time since Donald Sterling took over the team (only other playoff appearance was 2005-06). The Clippers are headed in the right direction. Good job Clippers.
SP: The Clippers had an excellent draft and brought in some nice additions to an increasingly improving roster. Aminu will definitely be a great player to bring off the bench and will be able to hold his own while providing valuable breaks to Blake Griffin and Chris Kaman. Bledsoe's game should translate well to the NBA, and I can see him being groomed to be the team's starter upon Baron Davis' departure. Warren was projected as a lottery pick had he not returned to Oklahoma, and has to be considered a great pick up for the Clippers where they drafted him. With young players like Griffin, Bledsoe, Gordon, Aminu, and Kaman, the Clippers have the pieces to be successful for the forseeable future, something that is new for LA's brother team.
Overall: A
Los Angeles Lakers (Devin Ebanks, Derrick Caracter)
TW: Although the Lakers didn't have a first round pick, they did a great job in the draft. Devin Ebanks, who many considered a bonafide first round pick, was stolen at 43rd overall. Ebanks can provide depth to a team that is filled at almost every position. I view Ebanks as being like his future teammate, Lamar Odom. Ebanks will probably be a future starter in the NBA and it was an absolute steal to snag him at 43rd. Caracter, like Ebanks, was thought to be a first rounder, but was chosen at the tail end of the draft at 58th overall. I'm not so sure about Caracter, as he played in a second tier conference (C-USA, UTEP). Caracter will probably make the team and show something at some point this season. At least he won't be wearing a Wal-Mart suit, like Adam Morrison..
SP: Fresh off their second consecutive NBA championship, the Lakers only had selections in the second round, having traded this season's first rounder to Memphis in the Gasol trade. Ebanks and Caracter are both solid players and should compete for the roster spots that belonged to Mbenga, Morrison, and Powell last season. I expect both will make the final roster, and while they may not contribute immediately, I think both will be successful at the NBA level. Ebanks didn't quite live up to expectations at WVU, leading to drop on some teams draft boards, but he could perhaps be one of the bigger steals in this years draft.
Overall: B
Phoenix Suns (Gani Lawal, Dwayne Collins)
TW: The Suns, like the Lakers, didn't have a first round pick, but they did fairly well with their choices. Gani Lawal, who many considered would be a first round pick, can play at the NBA level. He is a valuable pickup and the Suns did really well with their selection. Collins is a longshot to make the roster, but who knows.
SP: Lawal's stock may have been one of the most disputed of any of this seasons prospects. Some teams had him pegged as a first rounder, others saw him as a potential gamble in the second round. Having played for a poor Georgia Tech team, Lawal didn't post extraordinary numbers in college, but he should be a successful back up big man to help replace Amare Stoudemire. His main problem is a lack of offensive game, something that can be addressed and hopefully improved. Collins was a solid pick up to end the draft, but he will probably have to battle to make the roster.
Overall: B-
Sacramento Kings (DeMarcus Cousins, Hassan Whiteside)
TW: I do not like this pick whatsoever. Behind Daniel Orton, I feel that Cousins is the most overrated player in the draft. The self-proclaimed "best player in the draft", is by far not the best player. Point blank period. With the addition of Samuel Dalembert, Cousins will have to ride the bench this year. And when he does get off that bench, he won't be that good. Cousins is too overhyped and I don't think he will find success at the NBA level. I think it was a bit of a stretch to take him 5th overall, when there were other players available that should have been taken at that point. Whiteside, I don't know much about, but he can be a serviceable backup if he can prove that he belongs there.
SP: This will probably be the team with the widest difference in opinions for this draft. Most people saw drafting Cousins as the biggest high risk/high reward in the draft this season. I personally see DeMarcus Cousins being one of the most successful players to come out of this draft. He has the size, skill set, and charisma to be an All-Star caliber player for years and will likely be a franchise cornerstone for the Kings along with guard Tyreke Evans. Picking Whiteside in the second round may have been a poor decision, choosing the two players with the most red flags in the draft. Whiteside's potential is far smaller than that of Cousins, and likely will be a decent bench player for a few seasons before falling out of the league. Sacramento taking the gamble on Cousins may prove to be the wisest decision made in the 2010 Draft.
Overall: B-
Southwest Division
Dallas Mavericks (Dominique Jones)
TW: When Jones got drafted, I was excited because he got taken by the Grizzlies, but it was short lived. He was soon traded to Dallas for future cash considerations. I like this choice because Jones is a legitimate scoring threat and he can work very well alongside fellow sharpshooter, Jason Terry. Also, taking it into consideration, Jones won the Big East scoring title and was on the Big East First Team. He can truly be a game changer that can give the Mavericks a spark when they need it (i.e. J.R. Smith). Unfortunately, Jones came at a cost with the Mavericks having to give Memphis anywhere from $2-3 million, along with the contract that Jones signs with the team. However, I think he's worth it as there have been a few mid-20 picks that have turned up pretty good recently (i.e. Rajon Rondo, Aaron Brooks, Kevin Martin). I think he can probably be the best pick out of the picks 21-29.
SP: Personally, I think Memphis should have held onto Jones, but knowing Michael Heisley is one of the cheapest owners in the NBA, I was less than surprised to hear the trade announced. The only thing that remotely surprised me was that they somehow convinced the Mavs to give up nearly $3 million; I assumed they would have shouted "Sold!" a $1 million. Jones is a great pick up, providing Dallas with a sharp shooting guard that may make Heisley regret his cheap decision.
Overall: B-
Houston Rockets (Patrick Patterson)
TW: For some reason, the Rockets didn't make the playoffs this year. Why? No Yao Ming. I will give him credit, however, because he has some strengths and advantages. But, there is one flaw. His height. He is 7'6", by far the tallest player in the league. He is only about two and a half inches from the rim and should be able to dunk every single time he gets into the paint. Yao should go out there every single night and average 30 points, 15 rebounds, and 8 blocks. He is taller than anybody on the court and come to think of it, I have never seen him get in a confrontation with anybody. It seems to me that he has no heart to play in the NBA. But anyway..back to the subject.
The Rockets drafted Patterson simply because they need a big man. They lost out on Gortat last summer and were never able to fill their frontcourt needs. Personally, I think Patterson should have gone in the mid-20's so I really can't grade this too high. But, I think Patterson can be a solid backup, but he will never be a full fledged starter in the NBA. Decent pickup by the Rockets, but Yao Ming needs to be gone..
SP: Yao Ming has to be considered Houston's Nightmare compared to Hakeem's Dream. When he was drafted back in 2002, with the first overall pick, he was one of the heaviest hyped players in NBA history. He has failed epically to live up to those expectations. People thought he would destroy the NBA, reshape the game, and dominate the likes of Shaq. But what exactly has Yao done? Let's look at the numbers: 0 titles for Houston, 481 regular season games played, 656 possible regular season games, 4 leg/foot injuries, 28 postseason games, 8 seasons. Impressive. The team needs to cut ties with Ming and move on, and selecting Patterson was a move in the right direction. With Patterson, Scola, Hayes, and Hill on the roster, Houston has enough players to survive without Ming until they can pick up another top tier Center to build around.
Overall: B-
Memphis Grizzlies (Xavier Henry, Grievis Vasquez)
TW: The homer in me loves these picks. I was hoping at the beginning of the draft that the Grizzlies would take Henry. He is a very explosive player that can help, whether he's a starter or a sixth man. At 6'6", he is a good enough player to either play at the point or at the two guard. There are some players that he can overmatch, just with his height. He also has the strength to get to the rim to score or pass the ball. He will eventually be a starter on the Memphis squad and hopefully lead the team someday. The Vasquez pick, I like also just because Vasquez had the best reaction in the entire draft. Vasquez is also a good player, too. He can provide scoring, passing, and rebounding off a bench that was last in the league in bench points at 20 points per game. He can also energize a team that has not had much support recently. Great picks.
SP: For the first time in a long time, the Grizzlies had a solid all around draft. While I've already shared my displeasures about the Jones/cash trade, I love both selections Memphis chose and kept. Henry was a Top 3 prospect heading into college, and only dropped due to semi poor performances in the tournament and end of the regular season. He's one of the best pure shooters in this class, which is saying something for a left handed shooter. Vasquez was perhaps the happiest person I have ever seen to hear he is going to Memphis. He was possibly the happiest guy at the draft, even hugging David Stern. That's a good sign that he wants to be here, and has already shown in college he is a very capable guard that can score and distribute the ball.
Overall: B
New Orleans Hornets (Quincy Pondexter, Craig Brackins)
TW: New Orleans had a fairly decent draft. Although they dealt Cole Aldrich, they were still able to have a good night. Quincy Pondexter, I feel, is a good player that can provide scoring off the bench. He led the #11 seed Washington Huskies to the Sweet 16, with two good performances against #6 seed Marquette and #3 seed New Mexico. If given the oppurtunity, Pondexter can lead a solid bench along with Darren Collison. Craig Brackins can also provide some defense to New Orleans, which was a need for them last year. He can prove to be a solid bench presence also, so the Hornets did well with the hand they were dealt.
SP: New Orleans was involved in tons of rumors heading into the draft because of the rumors swirling around Chris Paul's potential trade. They made some deals but nothing nearly that major. While the Hornets could have used someone with size like Aldrich, Pondexter is a solid player and should fit in well with the team. The main reason they made the deal, in my opinion, was to save money on the salary of Mo Pete and contract of a Top 10 player. I haven't really seen Brackins play, so I can't really judge anything on his selection.
Overall: B
San Antonio Spurs (James Anderson, Ryan Richards)
TW: With yet another early to mid 20's pick, I think they did fairly well drafting Anderson 20th overall. At Oklahoma State, Anderson provided the best scoring offense the Cowboys had the last few seasons. I think he can be an eventual successor to the aging Manu Ginobili and average a good 15 points per game. I really don't know much about Richards to say anything, but if he comes over from England, he could be a contributor.
SP: Anderson will give the Spurs a possible replacement for Ginobili, the last of the Big 3 needing a successor (Duncan - Blair, Parker - Hill). Richards probably won't be in the NBA this season, and possibly not for a few with Tiago Splitter expected to join the team this summer. Hopefully Anderson can take some of the scoring resposibilities from Ginobili and Parker in the regular season, saving the Spurs from a mid-round playoff burnout this season.
Overall: C
Northwest Division
Denver Nuggets (None)
Overall: N/A
Minnesota Timberwolves (Wesley Johnson, Lazar Hayward, Nemanja Bjelica, Paulao Preistes; traded for Martell Webster)
TW: I love the pick of Wes Johnson. I felt that Johnson should have gone 3rd overall to the Nets, but I'm sure Minnesota is happy Johnson ended up in their hands. He can provide scoring and rebounding for a team that hasn't had much luck recently. In my opinion, they got one of the top three players in the draft. They will not regret this decision and they will be satisfied when Wes Johnson beats out Corey Brewer. Lazar Hayward, I also liked. He can be a solid contributor off the bench with his athleticism and strength. I think Hayward can be a good role player in the next few years. The trade for Webster also benefits them because he has shown that he can be a scorer at some points and be a decent player that Minnesota needs. I know nothing about Bjelica and Priestes, so I can't say anything about those picks.
..Also, David Kahn should be fired as soon as possible. He has doomed this franchise, but there is still a glimmer of hope if they can just switch GM's.
SP: See my previous post on the Timberwolves. My feelings about this team's incompentence is fully explained there.
Overall: C
Oklahoma City Thunder (Cole Aldrich, Ryan Reid, Latavious Williams; acquired Morris Peterson and Daequan Cook)
TW: The Thunder acquired Aldrich from New Orleans, which benefits both teams. Oklahoma City got some much needed size with Aldrich (Nenad Krstic was only player above 7'0"; Nick Collison received most playing time at C and only being 6'9"). I don't think Aldrich will make any All-Star appearances, but he can be a taller version of his teammate, Collison. Ryan Reid, I don't know much about. Williams seemed to do decent in the NBDL, but I don't think he will contribute like most people are expecting him to. Oklahoma City got much needed 3-point scoring with the historically good Morris Peterson and former 3 point champion, Daequan Cook. They gave the Lakers a good shot in the playoffs this year and I think they can do even better this year.
SP: Aldrich is a good pick for Thunder, giving them another quality big man for their front court. Williams has a decent chance to make the roster but will have to earn his spot. The best part of the night for New Orleans was picking up two veteran shooters in Peterson and Cook. The only real problem I had with their night was dealing Eric Bledsoe away, but it's always a good thing to own a Clippers 1st round pick.
Overall: B-
Portland Trail Blazers (Luke Babbitt, Elliot Williams, Armon Johnson)
TW: At a small school like Nevada, he did fairly well, but can he translate to the NBA? I say no. I think Babbitt, along with Cousins, are the most likely to be busts in this league. When I first saw Babbitt play, I immediately thought of Luke Jackson, you know the 10th overall pick in 2004? He also played in 63 games out of a possible 328 games in 4 seasons for 4 different teams. Babbitt was taken slightly lower at 16th, but will have the same skills as Jackson. He just won't do that well in my opinion. The Elliot Williams selection, I like. Williams can bring scoring to the table in Portland and form a formidable backcourt with Brandon Roy. He was projected to go in the lottery earlier this year, but Portland got a steal in taking him 22nd overall. The Williams pick salvaged their draft, along with Pritchard not ruining the Blazers future. Babbitt's teammate, Armon Johnson, was also taken by Portland. Johnson can be a good distributor and help solidify the backup Point Guard position.
SP: First off, Kevin Pritchard should get Executive of the Year for not completely screwing Paul Allen for firing him one hour before the draft, then asking him to work through the night anyway. Considering his situation, Pritchard had one of the best nights he could, picking up Williams, who I think will be very successful on the NBA level. Babbitt is one of the mostly likely first rounders to turn out total busts within three years, but I highly doubt Pritchard really cares.
Overall: B-
Utah Jazz (Gordon Heyward, Jeremy Evans)
TW: I think the Jazz didn't do that well. I don't think Heyward was worth the #9 overall pick. I saw him in the 15-20 range. In my opinion, Heyward was only chosen that high because he led Butler to the National Championship Game. He also reminds me of his teammate, Kyle Korver, strictly because I don't think he will be able to have any dribbling skills and he will just be a shooter. However, unlike Korver, Heyward has no 3 point game. He shot below .300 last year and that will not make it in the NBA. I'm sure he will work on it, but he definitely will shoot anywhere from the basket to mid range. Heyward is a developmental player that was drafted high and he may not even the player the Jazz need (He'll end up being this year's Hasheem Thabeet). I don't know anything about Evans to comment on this one.
SP: The Jazz addressed a need, but I think there were not only better players at the position, but could've also traded down and still gotten Heyward a few picks later. Heyward had a good 5 game burst at an oppurtune time on the perfect stage, but it will show fast he was drafted too high. Given a few seasons to progress, Heyward could be a decent contributor to the team, but he will not give them much, if anything, in the immediate future.
Overall: C-
