| 24 June 2011
With the 2011 NBA Draft now in the books, it's time to hand out 30 grades for all 30 teams.
Starting with...
Atlanta Hawks (B-)
Second Round: Keith Benson
I love this pick, if only because had Benson played at Duke, he would’ve gone in the Top 20. Instead he went to a small school, and fell to the second round. Big guy, good skill-set, I fully expect him to play in the league awhile.
On a different note, what happened to all those Josh Smith trade rumors?
Look, I’m not saying the Hawks had to make a move, but, well, they can’t bring back the same team they had last year either, right? To me, the Hawks are like the old Bill Parcells saying, “You are, what your record says you are.” And right now in Atlanta, what they “are,” is a team that’s peaking as a four or five seed, and never, ever beating Chicago or Miami (or likely Boston) to make it out of the second round of the NBA Playoffs. It could be worse, but it could be a lot better too.
Maybe Atlanta’s brass is ok with that, I don’t know. I just hope for their fan’s sake that “Drafting Keith Benson,” isn’t the end of their off-season moves.
Boston Celtics (B)
First Round: JaJuan Johnson
Second Round: E’Twaun Moore
These picks get one, big, collective “ehh.”
However, it does give us a full year to make, “Man I hope they draft Robbie Hummel in 2012 and get the band back together!” jokes.
Sure that joke isn’t funny, but still.
Charlotte Bobcats (B+)
First Round: Kemba Walker
First Round: Bismack Biyombo
Here’s the good news: There wasn’t a single, solitary reason for anyone to ever watch the Bobcats last year, and at least Kemba Walker gives us that.
Here’s the bad news: Isn’t Kemba Walker the exact same player, with the exact same skill-set as D.J. Augstin? You know, a small, quick point guard, that’s needs the ball in his hands, and is sort of more “scorer” than pure point? Of all the teams in the lottery, weren’t the Bobcats one of the last teams that needed Kemba Walker?
As for Biyombo, like Walker, I’m not really excited to see him here, and here’s why: Fran Fraschilla described him as someone with “zero offensive game.” Is that really the kind of guy that you want to add to the team that scored the second fewest points in the NBA last year (93.3)?
Basically, what I’m trying to say is that while I like these two players individually, I’m not so sure about the two of them fitting well with the organization that actually selected them.
Chicago Bulls (B+)
First Round: Nikola Mirotic
First Round: Jimmy Butler
No problem with the Bulls selection here. The only thing Chicago really needs at this point is a scoring two-guard, and quite frankly in the position they drafted, I’m not really sure there was one to be drafted. Maybe Marshon Brooks, but is he really going to be that much of an upgrade over Ronnie Brewer? Wait until free agency or the trade market opens up, and go get someone who can actually contribute right now.
On a different note, I couldn’t help but laugh when Fraschilla described Mirotic as “A great prospect…who won’t be coming to the NBA for four years.” Which is kind of like when a rich dad tells his son who is a high school senior, “I’m buying you a Mercedes for graduation… college graduation.” What a tease, huh?
Also, if you haven’t read this article on Jimmy Butler, do it right now.
Cleveland Cavaliers (A-)
First Round: Kyrie Irving
First Round: Tristan Thompson
Second Round: Milan Macvan
Simply put, Irving was the best player in this draft, and if Cleveland had tried to get cute and take Williams instead of him, I might’ve gone on an eight-state killing spree that ended with me in Cleveland, lighting Quicken Loans Arena on fire with a burning LeBron James jersey. Just saying. Irving is smart, a good kid, and incredibly skilled point guard. Enjoy Cavs fans, you got the one star in this draft.
As for Thompson, people are killing this pick, if only because most had him projected in the late lottery. But when Enes Kanter came off the board at No. 3, who else were they supposed to take? I’m not saying Tristan Thompson is a traditional No. 4 overall pick, but I’m not saying this is a traditional draft, either.
And finally, to their second rounder. Doesn’t “Milan Macvan,” sound like some kind of cheap cologne you’d buy out of the trunk of someone’s car?
Dallas Mavericks (Inc)
No Draft Picks
It’s all good.
Denver Nuggets (B+)
First Round: Kenneth Faried
First Round: Jordan Hamilton
Second Round: Chukwudiebere Maduabum
The Nuggets had a draft a weird draft, in the sense that I like the players they took…just not necessarily with this team.
To a degree, I guess Faried makes sense. Kenyon Martin is a free agent, and Nene has a player-option to leave, so I guess he’s insurance should both bolt town.
But Jordan Hamilton? He’s a volume shooter, who jacks up bad shots, has a low basketball IQ (and by “low,” I actually mean “non-existent) and plays poor perimeter defense. Which is basically the exact way you’d describe four guys that the Nuggets already have. Isn’t Hamilton just a taller, less tatt’ed up version of J.R. Smith?
As for Chukwudiebere Maduabum, well, just looking at his name on paper is making my head hurt.
Anyone have Tylenol?
Detroit Pistons (B-)
First Round: Brandon Knight
Second Round: Kyle Singler
To me, these two picks scream, “Our players held a mutiny against our coach next year, and at the very least, we’re going to bring in good character guys to make sure that never happens again.” Good times. Except for the coach who just got fired.
Unfortunately, from a basketball perspective, I’m not sure how this works out exactly. Especially since the Pistons already have a bunch of perimeter guys who much prefer shooting to passing, and well, Brandon Knight kind of prefers the same. Does this mean they’re moving Rodney Stuckey? Blowing up the team all together? Or are just content to have Knight, Stuckey, Ben Gordon and Rip Hamilton literally fight to the death over shots.
I don’t know, but if Detroit doesn’t get rid of some of those guys, I don’t see them being any better next year, than they were this year.
(On a different note, did you see poor Brandon Knight’s face when it was announced he was going to Detroit? It was like his girlfriend had just broken up with him, only if he found out about it the same day that his favorite band broke up, his puppy got run over by a car and his parents decided to get divorced. When Knight was getting interviewed by Mark Jones, it was almost like you could see him thinking, “Damn, I gotta call Coach Cal. I wonder if there’s any way I can walk-on at Kentucky next year.”
Actually, the more that I think about it, the more I think the Pistons should just stick Knight’s dopey face on a billboard, with the slogan, “Hey, at least it can’t get any worse!”
Doesn’t that slogan, matched with that face tell you everything you need to know about the Pistons?)
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Golden State Warriors (B-)
First Round: Klay Thompson
Second Round: Charles Jenkins
Second Round: Jeremy Tyler
With the selection of Thompson in the first round, the Warriors once again proved that some teams just aren’t concerned about winning. After all, how many all-offense, no-defense perimeter guys does one team need? Is Golden State stocking up in case the world comes to an end tomorrow or something?
As for their second rounders, well, I’m kind of intrigued by Tyler. All jokes aside, this guy was (at a time), the best player in his high school class, ranked ahead of Irving, Knight, Jared Sullinger and others. Granted, since then he’s proven to have the maturity level of a 16-year-old girl, but still.
If he ever puts it all together, Tyler could end up being a steal.
Houston Rockets (B-)
First Round: Marcus Morris
First Round: Donatas Motiejunas
Second Round: Chandler Parsons
I bumped this up to a B- only because Marcus Morris had the best line of the night after his brother got drafted, when he said that he’d send him “flowers or fruit or something” when he got lonely (Marcus and his twin Markieff have played together their whole lives). Absolutely classic.
Otherwise, this draft left me unimpressed.
Look, I think that Rockets GM Daryl Morey has gotten a lot of credit that’s well deserved. He’s embraced analytics, is good with the media, and squeezed about as much of the talent he has as anyone could.
At the same time, how many years in a row can the Rockets hang out in this abyss of “fringe playoff team,” without shaking things up? I love Marcus Morris, and think he’s better than last year’s pick Patrick Patterson. But is he really a guy who is making Houston better going into next year? Is he the missing piece that’ll push them into the playoffs? Morey has supposedly been collecting assets for years now, wasn’t this the time to either cash some in and try to move up in the draft, or get an impactful player in a trade?
I guess my point is this: Even though I had the NBA League Pass last year, I almost never watched the Rockets? Why? Because I always knew what I was getting out of them: They were a good team that usually beat the bad ones, but were almost never competitive with the league’s elite. Again, they’re stuck in an abyss.
And really, this draft did little to change that perception. Houston is incrementally better today than they were yesterday. As competitive as the Western Conference is, that’s not enough.
Indiana Pacers (Inc)
I mean, I guess it’s cool that they got George Hill. At the same time, I think that Kawhi Leonard would’ve helped them more.
Just my personal opinion.
Los Angeles Clippers (C-)
Second Round: Trey Thompkins
Second Round: Travis Leslie
How can you not love the Clippers? Only they would take two guys that were considered underachievers, off a college team that wildly underachieved in its own right. The fact that Jay Bilas said that Trey Thompkins had the body fat of “a sea lion,” probably didn’t make Clippers fans feel better either.
If you are looking for a positive spin however, I’m guessing that Leslie and Blake Griffin are going to have some pretty epic dunk contests after practice next year!
Los Angeles Lakers (C-)
Second Round: Darius Morris
Second Round: Andrew Goudelock
Second Round: Ater Majok
I know nothing about Goudelock. And I know that after watching him play at UConn, Majok will never play a single, meaningful minute in the NBA. Not one.
As for Morris, people keep saying he’s a first round talent that fell to the second round, but I don’t totally see it. To me he was a guy who was able to score points in college because 1) He was more athletic than most 2) The competition wasn’t always that good. Putting an athlete like Morris in the Big Ten is like sticking a supermodel in an all boys computer class. It’s not even fiar.
The bigger concern, is that as I’ve mentioned before, the Lakers need young pieces that can contribute right now. They don’t need stars, since they’ve got plenty of those. What they do need are guys that can come in and play spot minutes, and take some pressure off all the veterans on this team.
Quite frankly, I’m not sure any of these three can do it.
Memphis Grizzlies (B)
Second Round: Josh Selby
As I mentioned in yesterday’s column, I actually thought that entering the draft, Selby would provide some good value for whomever selected him. There are simply too many people, who’ve seen him do too many good things for me to believe that the kid is a total fraud. Makes sense, right?
But Selby to this particular team? Oooo-eee!
There are of course, two ways to look at this. On the one hand, if there’s one team that can take on a questionable character like Selby, it’s got to be the Grizzlies, right? After all, they did gainfully employ Zach Randolph, Tony Allen and O.J. Mayo last year. At the same time…the Memphis Grizzlies did in fact gainfully employ Zach Randolph, Tony Allen and
O.J. Mayo last year, which has the entire Memphis PD on a constant code red alert.
Add Selby to the mix, and Memphis’ season next year is ending in either one of two ways. Either the team will make another epic playoff run, which may result in an NBA title. Or someone is getting shanked in the shower after a bad loss.
There’s simply no middle ground.
Miami Heat (B-)
Second Round: Norris Cole
All I know about Norris Cole, is that he once put up a stat-line of 41 points, 20 rebounds and nine assists in a game last year. Not bad for a 6’1 guard.
Except, that’s also kind of my problem. Is Cole really bringing something to the table that Mario Chalmers isn’t already?
On a different note, I know that they don’t have much to trade, but why didn’t the Heat go out and try and get Kenneth Faried? Because here’s the thing: If you were writing down the characteristics of exactly what the Heat need this off-season, those characteristics would probably be “toughness in the paint, without taking anything away from the Big Three offensively,” right? Well isn’t that exactly what Faried brings?
Maybe Miami made a push for him, and didn’t have the pieces. And maybe they didn’t. I don’t know. But to me, they needed someone like Faried a lot more than they needed someone like Norris Cole. That’s all.
Milwaukee Bucks (B-)
First Round: Tobias Harris
Second Round: Jon Leuer
As I mentioned on Thursday, talk to anyone whose spent time with Harris, and they’ll speak of him like he’s some combination of Tim Tebow, Mother Teresa and Gandhi all rolled into one. Only nicer. So the Bucks have that going for them.
That’s about all I’ve got.
Minnesota Timberwolves (B)
First Round: Derrick Williams
Second Round: Malcolm Lee
Second Round: Targuy Ngombo
To sum up the Timberwolves draft as precisely as possible, let me share with you what I wrote on Twitter after they selected Derrick Williams. It read, “Poor Derrick Williams. Poor Minnesota Timberwolves. Poor America. Everyone’s a loser on this one.” Fourteen hours later, I stand by it.
Look, I could be wrong about Williams, but quite frankly, I don’t think I am. He’s got a great work ethic and awesome athleticism, but I’m not sure that makes up for the fact that he’s got the body of a small forward and the game of a power forward. To be blunt, I don’t think Minnesota is better today than they were yesterday.
Speaking of which, you can’t totally blame Williams here either. The Timberwolves have seemingly been drafting in the lottery since Pangaea broke apart, and aren’t any better for it. Meaning that I don’t care what the market was, they needed to trade this pick. Look at their roster; it’s younger than the demographic at a Justin Bieber concert, which is great if you need a great deal on a keg for Friday night. Just not if you’re actually trying to win NBA games.
It’s like I said before about Houston, it might sound great on paper to say you’re “collecting assets,” but at some point, you need to turn those assets into something. With the No. 2 pick in the draft and those young guys (all of whom I assume are expendable except Kevin Love and Ricky Rubio), the best veteran help Minnesota could get was Brad Miller? Can he even walk? Is he even alive? (Short answers: “Maybe” and “just barely.”).
Needless to say, this was a dud for Minnesota. It’s no disrespect to Derrick Williams, but something else, something better needed to be done. And unless it gets done between now, and whenever the first game of the season is, we’re going to be talking about Minnesota in this same regard next year.
New Jersey Nets (B+)
First Round: Marshon Brooks
Second Round: Bojan Bogdanovic
Second Round: Jordan Williams
The Nets are winners, if only because they traded their first round pick back in the winter to get Deron Williams. And really, even if Deron Williams leaves next offseason, wasn’t that the best thing that’s happened to the organization in like a decade?
And if that weren’t enough (Which, ask most Nets fans, and it would be), they ended up with Marshon Brooks and Jordan Williams…two guys which might actually play next year! Let’s hold a parade!
Kidding.
But in all seriousness, I like what the Nets did. I wish I could say the same for…
New Orleans Hornets (Inc)
No Picks
Woops!
I meant, I wish I could say the same for…
New York Knicks (C-)
First Round: Iman Shumpert
Second Round: Josh Harrellson
As soon as the Iman Shumpert pick was official, a bunch of my buddies who are Knicks fans texted me and asked, “What do you know about this guy?” To which my response was, “Not much, since I never found a compelling reason to watch Georgia Tech.” But hey, he was the best player on a team that was almost .500! That’s cool, right?!?
As for Josh Harrellson? Well, I thought CBS Sports College Basketball writer Matt Norlander said it best, when he Tweeted, “As if Calipari didn’t have it easy enough, now he’s got turning “Jorts” (Harrellson) into a second round pick in his barrel. Man is spinning gold.”
And really, that’s the best way to describe it. Say what you want about Calipari, but if you were a high school kid that wanted to play in the NBA (which they all do), how could you not at least consider Kentucky? Calipari just turned Josh Harrellson, Jorts, into a lottery pick! Are you kidding me?
Oklahoma City Thunder (B+)
First Round: Reggie Jackson
I know nothing about Reggie Jackson (except that his candy bars are phenomenal!), but if I’ve learned one thing through the years, it’s to never, ever question decisions made by the Oklahoma City front office. If they say this guy can play, I trust them.
Orlando Magic (C+)
Second Round: Justin Harper
Second Round: DeAndre Liggins
Something tells me these two aren’t going to inspire Dwight Howard to sign a contract extension any time soon.
Just a hunch.
Philadelphia (B)
First Round: Nikola Vucevic
Second Round: Lavoy Allen
Man, I’m really losing interest in writing the rest of this column…
Phoenix (B-)
First Round: Markieff Morris
For everyone making fun of Phoenix for their affinity for continually drafting the crappy, “other,” brother (Taylor Griffin, Robin Lopez), I ask you this: Can you really tell the difference between the Morris twins? I say not.
Portland (B+)
First Round: Nolan Smith
Second Round: Jon Diebler
Honestly, I didn’t hate this draft for Portland nearly as much as everyone else.
The truth is, the Blazers were a playoff team, and played the future NBA Champs about as tough as anyone did this postseason. They’ve got a nice core with LaMarcus Aldridge, Gerald Wallace and Brandon Roy (if he can stay healthy), plus they upgraded at point guard with Raymond Felton. This team is already “good,” with the potential to be “really good,” and didn’t need to hit a home run in this draft. A couple solid singles up the middle would do.
And that’s exactly what they got in Smith and Diebler. Both are experienced players, come from good programs, have clean backgrounds and are winners. Each will contribute next year.
Sacramento Kings
First Round: Jimmer Fredette
Second Round: Tyler Honeycutt
Second Round: Isaiah Thomas
I wanted Jimmer on the Kings, and I got it. What more could I ask for? Now let’s just hope that Tyreke Evans, DeMarcus Cousins and the rest of the gang don’t corrupt him, which very well could happen. Honestly, I won’t even be surprised to see poor Jimmer on a season of Celebrity Rehab within the next few years.
On a different note, let me go on a quick tangent.
Every year there are always kids that, when they decide to leave college for the NBA, leave us as fans scratching our heads, and saying ‘what?’ This year, for the most part, those guys were Honeycutt, Selby, Malcolm Lee and Darius Morris. When each declared, everyone was kind of confused, and thought for sure they’d end up going in the second round. And they all did.
Look, I know that we’re going on almost two decades of bad early entry decisions here, but they never cease to amaze me. When it’s your life and your livelihood at stake, isn’t spending one more year on campus with the possibility of moving into the first round, better than having to fight for a roster spot, and maybe ending up in the NBDL or overseas instead? Isn’t Jimmer Fredette a perfect example of that? The dude spent one more year on campus, and went from the late second round to early first round.
Now, I understand that for some of these kids, going in the second round might be a better alternative than going back to college for another year. Someone like DeAndre Liggins from Kentucky has a family to support.
At the same time, it’s just disappointing to see kids at 19 or 20-years-old put so much of their futures at risk, and for everyone to see the potential harm except for them.
I wish Honeycutt, Lee, Selby and whomever else good luck going forward. I just wish that they’d either gotten better advice before the draft process, or had listened to the advice given to them.
San Antonio (A-)
First Round: Kawhi Leonard
First Round: Cory Joseph
Second Round: Davis Bertans
Second Round: Adam Hanga
I love, love, love the Leonard trade for San Antonio. For a 60-win team to get one of the seven or eight best players in the draft is incredible. What’s really incredible too, is how- despite drafting so late every year- this team continues to re-invent itself with young role players to compliment their veterans.
Every year we keep saying that the Spurs window is closing. And every year they find a way to keep it cracked for just a little longer.
Toronto (D+)
First Round: Jonas Valanciunas
Did you hear that loud sound around 8:20 p.m. EST last night? That sound was the thud, after a bunch of Raptors fans jumped out their windows and hit the ground when their team drafted Jonas Valanciunas in the first round.
Really Toronto? Another foreign player? Especially when your team needed toughness and defense and Kawhi Leonard, Kemba Walker and Bismack Biyombo were still on the board? And I’m not even going to mention the fact that Valanciunas won’t even be coming over to the NBA for at least another year. Are you serious?
Utah Jazz (A-)
First Round: Enes Kanter
First Round: Alec Burks
This grade really should be an incomplete, since no one has actually seen Kanter play. But if he’s as good as most seem to think he’ll be, the Jazz very well might’ve gotten the best player in this draft.
Now, how he fits in with Derrick Favors, Al Jefferson and Paul Millsap is another story.
Washington Wizards (A+)
First Round: Jan Vesely
First Round: Chris Singleton
Second Round: Shelvin Mack.
Forget the fact that I actually think Singleton and Mack will be really good players in this league.
Because let’s get real here for a second. Vesely, and the smooch he laid on his girlfriend stole the entire night. It was awesome. End of story, and end of this column.
Now, somebody just make sure and keep him away from JaVale McGee’s mom, ok?
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