2009 NBA Draft Grades
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The 2009 NBA Draft is finally over and there was a surreal feeling that surrounded it. First off, most of the major deals took place before the 7:30pmET start time, taking some of the drama away from the choices.
Then there was the announcement of the death of Michael Jackson, approximately an hour before the start of the draft, which cast a pall over the proceedings. This was supposed to be a day of joy for the young athletes who were selected. Instead, it felt a bit shallow.
Earlier on Thursday, we learned that the Shaquille O’Neal trade to Cleveland had become official. The Cavs add Shaq for basically nothing from Phoenix (Sashsa Pavlovic and Ben Wallace) to complement last year’s MVP LeBron James. Is that enough to put them over the top? He wasn’t the missing piece in Phoenix, who won just one playoff game in two years with Shaq. Also don’t expect Boston and a healthy Kevin Garnett to roll over.
Orlando answered that trade by dealing Rafer Alston, Courtney Lee and Tony Battie for Vince Carter and Ryan Anderson. While Carter may be on the downside after a 10-year career, he’s still capable of scoring 20 points per game and is a huge upside over Lee or J.J. Redick.
Atlanta got into the trade circus by adding shooting guard Jamal Crawford from Golden State, dumping little-used guards Acie Law and Speedy Claxton. This acquisition serves as insurance in case they lose point guard Mike Bibby in free agency. Crawford, who averaged nearly 20ppg last season, can play either guard spot and play alongside All-Star guard Joe Johnson.
On Wednesday, Washington dealt away their fifth pick (which turned out to be Ricky Rubio), forwards Etan Thomas, Darius Songaila and Oleksiy Pecherov to Minnesota for guards Mike Miller and Randy Foye.
The only team to benefit from a major pre-draft deal out West was San Antonio. They added swingman Richard Jefferson from Milwaukee for Bruce Bowen, Kurt Thomas and Fabricio Oberto. Jefferson was owed $29.2 million in his final two years of his contract, so this was obviously a money deal.
Now let’s grade the NBA Draft and we’ll also include the trades that were involved prior to or during the draft.
Atlanta Hawks: B-
The Hawks traded for Jamal Crawford, an explosive scorer who doesn’t always fit into a team concept. There’s a reason the 29-year old has played for three teams prior to the Hawks. Atlanta drafted Jeff Teague, a point guard from Wake Forest, who is very athletic but was not a great leader for the Demon Deacs last season. Teague likely replaces Mike Bibby and has similar skills. They also drafted Sergiy Gladyr in the second round from the Ukraine. The 20-year old is an athletic 6-5 wing who will likely play a few more years overseas.
Boston Celtics: C-
The Celtics were rumored to be involved in trade discussions before the trade but they never materialized. The Celts were reportedly unhappy with star point guard Rajon Rondo, who apparently didn’t get along with coach Doc Rivers. The Celts only had a second-round pick to work with and they drafted Lester Hudson with the 58th overall selection. Hudson is a combo guard who can shoot and score, similar to Eddie House, who may leave in free agency (he has a player’s option).
Charlotte Bobcats: A-
Has Michael Jordan lost his mind? The North Carolina alum drafted a player from Duke in the first round, which was a good thing, because Henderson can play. They also needed a shooting guard, though Henderson is a defensive whiz and has to improve his jumper. In the second round, they grabbed Derrick Brown, a power forward from Xavier, who’s a tweener. Brown can play both forward positions, has long arms and is an excellent athlete. When you consider most felt he’d be taken in the late first round, grabbing Brown at 40 was a very solid move.
Chicago Bulls: C
The Bulls passed up on a talented guard in Jrue Holiday, but they had bigger needs up front. They chose James Johnson at 16, a talented forward from Wake Forest. Johnson was overweight during workouts and he really cost himself some money. He’s a lottery-type talent with good hands and a range on his jumper. Is he a power forward or a small forward? Does his skill complement Tyrus Thomas? In the 26th pick in the first round, they grabbed Taj Gibson, a forward from USC. That was a slight reach because Gibson is on the thin side and has similar skills to Thomas.
Cleveland Cavaliers: B-
The Cavs made their big move before the draft by acquiring Shaquille O’Neal, so we’ll give them a higher grade for that (They’d be a C- without Shaq). They took a chance on the 30th pick, by taking a young man from the Congo in Christian Eyenga, who is several years away from contributing. He’s being compared to Mickael Pietrus, which would make this a very strong selection if that materializes. But considering this is a team that is a step away from the title, it’s a strange selection. In the second round, they chose Danny Green, a defensive-minded wing, who should make the team. He also shoots the ball well and is a good athlete. They also traded to get Emir Preldzic, a 6-9 small forward from Slovenia, who they took with the 57th pick. He’ll be stashed away in Europe for a few years.
Dallas Mavericks: B-
Dallas drafted center B.J. Mullens with the 24th pick, but traded that pick for the 25th selection and a future second from Oklahoma City. With that selection, they took Rodrigue Beaubois, a super athlete from France, who is 6-2 and is still learning the game. There’s mixed feelings about whether Beaubois will develop into a NBA point guard, so they are taking a gamble. In the second round, they got a steal with the selection of Nick Calathes from Florida with the 45th pick. Calathes has a great feel for the game and has already signed with a team in Greece to play for one year. He needs to get stronger and improve his lateral quickness. With their final second round pick, they took Ahmad Nivins, a big man from St. Joseph’s. He’s an old school big man, who may surprise some people.
Denver Nuggets: B
The Nuggets did not have a choice coming into this draft, but they made the best of it by dealing a future first-round pick (from Charlotte) to Minnesota, who took point guard Ty Lawson from North Carolina. Lawson is a speedster, who can fly up the floor with the best of them. He won’t have to start since Chauncey Billups is the starter. He’ll be a good change-of-pace player until Billups leaves.
Detroit Pistons: B-
Detroit took Austin Daye, the thinly-built forward from Gonzaga. He resembles Tayshaun Prince, but at 190 pounds and at 6-10, he’ll have to play small forward. It will take him time to adjust to the physical play of the NBA. They had better luck in the second round when they took DaJuan Summers from Georgetown with the 35th selection and Jonas Jerbko (39th) from Sweden. Summers is a good shooter who can play either forward spot. Jerebko is a first-round talent and at 6-9, can also play either forward spot.
Golden State Warriors: B
The Warriors took Stephen Curry in the first round at #7, disappointing most New York Knicks fans. Curry is a combo guard, just like Monta Ellis. In Don Nelson’s system, he should average close to 20ppg as a rookie, but will that improve the club? The big question for Golden State is whether they make the rumored proposed deal to obtain Amare Stademire from Phoenix, which would involve Brendan Wright, Marco Belinelli, Andris Biedrins and Curry. That would certainly shake up a team that needs shaking up.
Houston Rockets: B
The Rockets entered the draft with no picks, but a lot of money to spend. So they bought three second-round picks and added Jermaine Taylor (32nd), Sergio Llull (34th) and Chase Buddinger (44th). The Buddinger pick was a huge steal for the Rockets, considering he was a first-round talent. Budding is on the soft side and lacks strength, but can shoot and jump out of the gym. Llull is a very athletic playmaker from Spain, who will spend a few more years overseas and come back to help the Rockets. Taylor is a big-time scorer from Central Florida, who is very atletic and can be a nice third guard off the bench.
Indiana Pacers: C-
The Pacers had the 13th pick in the draft and were coming off an injury-marred season. One of their bright spots last season-Troy Murphy-is a power forward the last time we checked. Murphy averaged nearly 12 rebounds per game last season, so what do the Pacers do? They draft Tyler Hansbrough, a power forward from North Carolina. Will they trade Murphy? Hansbrough will give them a lot of grit and power off the bench. Do you draft a bench player with the 13th pick? This was definitely a strange choice when you have guards like Lawson, Holiday and Eric Maynor available. In the second round, they took point guard A.J. Price from Connecticut, who will have to fight for time and to make the team.
LA Clippers: A
What a draft. They had one choice and even the LA Clippers couldn’t blow this one. Blake Griffin is going to be a star at some point because he has Hansbrough’s work ethic and a great first step. Mike Dunleavy has hinted that he may play some small forward because of the Clips glut of power forward. Nice. It’s time to ship out Marcus Camby and Chris Kaman to let the kid play right away.
LA Lakers: C
The Lakers gave up their picks for cash and future second-rounders. Could Toney Douglas and Patrick Beverley helped? Sure they could, but the Lakers were more concerned about trying to keep Trevor Ariza and Lamar Odom. They did draft Chinemelu Elonu with their 59th pick. He’s a big man from Texas A&M, who can block shots. Not a bad choice this late in the draft.
Memphis Grizzlies: B-
Hasheem Thabeet would have been a solid choice if he was taken in the mid-first round. If this was a solid draft, a top 10 pick is understandable, but Thabeet at number two is just a reach. But with Ricky Rubio not interested, the Griz felt they were limited in their decisions. They still could have traded down to get him. Instead, they took a player that will help out, even though Marc Gasol is a serviceable center. He’s a shotblocker who has a long ways to go as an offensive player. Some people forget that 6-6 DeJuan Blair just dominated him in the Big East. They did make up for it with their later choices. They took DeMarre Carroll with the 27th pick in the first round. Carroll is an underrated player from Missouri, who at 6-8, can play several positions. Sam Young was a steal with the 36th pick. Young was a first-round talent as the biggest strike against him is his age (24).
Miami Heat: B-
The Heat acquired Patrick Beverly (42nd) from the Lakers for a future second. They also their second-round choice at 43, Marcus Thornton, to New Orleans for two future picks. Beverly played in the Ukraine last season after playing his college career in Arkansas. He’s a very good athlete, who can defend and score. They also took Robert Dozier with the last pick of the draft. The thinly-built forward from Memphis is talented, but underachieved in college.
Milwaukee Bucks: B
Milwaukee took Brandon Jennings with their first pick (10th) in the draft. Jennings is a boom-or-bust type of pick, but if you’re a floundering franchise like Milwaukee, this is a pretty good choice. Fans will have to be patient, because he has Allen Iverson-type of quickness, but lacks a consistent jumper. He also had a cocky attitude, which can help or hurt him down the road. In the second round, the Bucks chose Jodie Meeks, the high-scoring guard from Kentucky, who was a bit of a reach as he’s undersized for a two-guard.
Minnesota Timberwolves: D
If you can give out an award for quantity, the T-Wolves receive an A+. They had six picks in the draft and traded away just one. They dealt the 18th pick to Denver and the choice turned out to be point guard Ty Lawson. Minnesota was attempting to trade their 6th and 18th or 28th pick to move up and take Ricky Rubio. Fortunately, Rubio fell to them at #5 and they took him. Here’s the problem. Rubio doesn’t want to play with Minnesota, has a huge buyout from his team in Spain and could end up staying there for at least one season. If that happens, at least they have insurance because they drafted Jonny Flynn with the sixth pick in the draft. That was a bit of a reach and considering they already drafted Rubio, this was a bizarre move. Flynn is 6-feet tall so he’s not big enough to play shooting guard. They drafted a shooting guard with the 28th choice, taking Wayne Ellington from North Carolina. Ellington is a very good open shooter and decent defender. In the second round, they chose Henk Norel, a 6-11 power forward from the Netherlands who is couple of years away from contributing.
New Jersey Nets: B-
The Nets just got rid of Vince Carter for scraps. Courtney Lee and Rafer Alston are bench players so they could wind up with a big-name after the 2009-10 season but will a Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh or LeBron James want to play with this cast of characters? They drafted Terrence Williams from Louisville with the 11th pick. Williams has great size and athleticism and can play three guard spots. But can he play them well? He should eventually be able to complement Devin Harris.
New Orleans Hornets: C
The Hornets drafted a back-up in the first round. It’s hard to get excited when you have the best point guard in the league in Chris Paul and you draft a guy who won’t be his replacement in Darren Collison. Collison is a scrappy point guard, who defends well and is a heady player. Not a bad pick but it shows you how weak this draft was. They also took Marcus Thornton from LSU in the second round. The shooting guard can really fill it up, but lacks great athleticism and size for a two-guard.
New York Knicks: B
The Knicks missed out on Ricky Rubio and Stephen Curry, despite attempts to trade up. They also made a minor deal, acquiring underachieving big man Darko Milicic from Memphis for Quentin Richardson. With their first pick, they took Jordan Hill from Arizona, an athletic big man, who will have to compete with David Lee and Al Harrington for playing time. That’s unless they unload Lee, though Hill should fit Mike D’Antoni system just fine. They also traded for the Lakers’ 29th pick, which turned out to Toney Douglas from Florida State. Douglas can flat-out shoot it and is a pretty good defender, despite being more of a combo guard.
Oklahoma City Thunder: B+
The Thunder had a very solid draft, not going for the big names, which is a good sign for GM Sam Presti. They took James Harden, the shooting guard from Arizona State, with the third pick in the draft. Normally, this would be a reach, but in this draft it was solid. Harden can fit in well with Russell Westbrook and is a player who can not only score-he has a solid hoops IQ. They switched picks with Dallas to take center B.J. Mullens with the 24th choice. This is another boom-or-bust pick, but at 24, there’s less risk. Mullens didn’t even start at Ohio State, so you’re talking very raw here, but the size and talent are there. He just has to do the work. Robert Vaden from UAB is another shooting guard who will have to fight to make this team.
Orlando Magic: B
The Magic had no draft picks, but they picked up Vince Carter and the underrated Ryan Anderson from the New Jersey Nets. This is a team that one of the weakest backcourts in the history of the NBA Finals, and now they’ll start All-Star Jameer Nelson with Carter next season. Anderson is an energy player off the bench and could play a lot more if they lost Hedo Turkoglu to free agency. Keeping Turkoglu will be the key to their entire offseason.
Philadelphia 76ers: B+
The Sixers may have taken Eric Maynor or Ty Lawson here had Holiday not been available. He’s a lottery-type of talent, who did not play point guard in college and will have to play that position in the pro’s. This is a bit of a risk, but Holiday is such a talent, he’s worth the risk.
Phoenix Suns: A-
What an off-season for the Suns and they’ve just started. GM Steve Kerr is trying to change the entire direction of the Suns and he started out by dealing away Shaquille O’Neal to Cleveland for two expiring contracts. Earl Clark, their 14th selection in the draft, is a tremendous talent, who can play multiple positions and should fit well in the up-tempo system. The big question is whether he has the motivation. Taylor Griffin, their 2nd round pick, is not as big as his kid brother Blake, but is actually tougher and could stick around as a energy-type of player off the bench. Now the big question is what Kerr will do with Amare Stoudemire.
Portland Trailblazers: B
Kevin Pritchard is normally one of the shrewder GM’s, but you have to wonder about this draft. A lot will depend on Victor Claver, a talented big man from Spain, who is on the thin side at 215 pounds. Claver is athletic and skilled, but why would you take a player with the 22nd pick, if he’s going to spend 2-3 years overseas and not try and improve the team right now? They also nabbed Jeff Pendergraph, a solid power forward from Arizona State and Dante Cunningham from Villanova in the second round. Both are solid rebounds, though Cunningham is a bit undersized. In their last pick, they stole Patrick Mills (54th pick) from St. Mary’s (CA). The Aussie point guard is lightning fast and can score the ball. He’ll need to improve his point guard skills to make an impact right away.
Sacramento Kings: B
This was a pretty good draft for the Kings, who needed a lot of help. They took a talented guard in Tyreke Evans from Memphis at #4, who they fell in love with in the workouts. Evans is not a true point, but he’ll have to be one with shooters Kevin Martin and Francisco Garcia on the wings. Rubio, who reportedly did not look good in their workouts, would still be a better fit. Late in the first, they grabbed Israeli forward Omri Cassp (23rd pick), who will likely play one more year overseas. He’s a physical slasher who can play either forward spot, but will need to add some more bulk to his 210 pound frame. Their 38th pick, which was acquired from Portland via the Knicks and Bulls was Jon Brockman. At 255 pounds and 6-7, Brockman doesn’t need to bulk up. He’s a rebounding specialist who doesn’t do a whole lot else.
San Antonio Spurs: A-
The Spurs strike again. First they nab wing Richard Jefferson in a deal. In the draft, with no first-round pick, they take DeJuan Blair with the 37th pick. Blair was a first-round talent taken late due to paranoia about his knees. He’s a rebounding machine and the closest thing to Paul Silas, in terms of a bulky forward without hops who just throws people around in the paint. In their 51st selection, they grabbed Jack McClinton, a gunner from Miami (FL), who is not afraid of taking a big shot (or any shot). With their final second round selection, they selected Nando De Colo (53rd) from France. He’s a smart wing player who lacks great athleticism.
Toronto Raptors: B
The Raptors had just one choice and they made a logical choice with the addition of DeMar DeRozan. The athletic wing from USC is a work-in-progress, but he’ll give them a very athletic group along with Chris Bosh and Shawn Marion. The problem is that he’s a little raw and will need work on his ballhandling and shooting. Considering this is a weak draft, he’s worth the gamble.
Utah Jazz: B-
The Jazz did not have a need for a point guard, so taking Eric Maynor from VCU at the 20th pick, made little sense. What did make sense was taking the best player on the board, who they could trade down the line for another player if he works out. Maynor will back up All-Star Deron Williams and should fit in well with the Jazz. They also added Goran Suton, a big man who played at Michigan State and has a similar game to Mehmet Okur.
Washington Wizards: C
The Wizards traded their first-round pick (5th selection) along with filler to Minnesota for guards Mike Miller and Randy Foye. This was their whole draft as they ended up trading away their second-round draft pick to Houston for cash. The additions of Miller and Foye made up for their lack of drafting a player at number five, even if that was Rubio. If they kept the pick, Rubio might have stayed overseas, so they wouldn’t have had a player to help right away. That’s the Wizards plan. They feel they can compete in the East with Miller and Foye, if they have a healthy Gilbert Arenas. Unfortunately, they don’t have a big man to compete with the elite of the East.
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