Ranking the NBA Draft

Had The Best Draft Of All-Time

1. Portland Trailblazers
Drafted Greg Oden (1), Josh McRoberts (37), Taurean Green (52). Traded for the draft rights of Rudy Fernandez (24) and Petteri Koponen (30). Traded Zach Randolph, Dan Dickau, Fred Jones and the draft rights to Demetris Nichols to the New York Knicks for Steve Francis and Channing Frye.

When I say this was the best draft for any single team of all-time, I’m not kidding. Portland not only got the cornerstone to their franchise in Oden, but dealt Randolph, a shoot-first forward who wouldn’t have fit in with Oden and LaMarcus Aldridge, for one of the best point guards in the game. Of course, injuries have limited Francis’ production in the past few years, so trading a 24 and 10 forward to get him is a little risky. Though a lot of his poor play in New York was attributed to a bum knee, I think most of it had to do with the lack of chemistry between Knick guards and Francis’ lack of desire to remain in New York. For all we know, Steve Francis’ knee could be almost 100% by now.
The additions of Frye and McRoberts give them tremendous length and depth in the frontcourt. Frye will flourish as a back-up and McRoberts, a great value at #37, brings some finesse and passing skills to the dangerous Blazer frontline.
Fernandez is regarded as a Manu Ginobili-type scorer and should come over right away to contribute off the bench. Koponen is an 18-year old point guard prospect from Finland who has ideal height and skills, but is still very rough around the edges and will not be in an NBA uniform for a few years. Nonetheless, he’s a good project to stash away.
Taurean Green was a tremendous value at #52. He will have to compete for playing time in a very crowded backcourt, but Green is the heady leader and clutch performer that would fit beautifully with Portland’s stars. The only real mistake I would say Portland made is including Nichols, the 53rd pick, in the deal. He is a long-armed three-point specialist who has the ability to be a starter in the NBA. Nichols would have gotten a lot of open looks from behind the arc playing with double-team magnets Oden and Aldridge.

Had Very Good Drafts

2. Seattle Sonics
Drafted Kevin Durant (2) and Carl Landry (31). Traded Ray Allen and the draft rights to Glen Davis (35) to Boston for Delonte West, Wally Szczerbiak, and the draft rights to Jeff Green (5).

Pairing Durant with Green gives the Sonics a Michael Jordan-Scottie Pippen tandem for the next decade. Ok, maybe that comparison is to a lesser degree right now, but it wouldn’t surprise me if both players end up as perennial All-Stars. West is the piece of the deal that will go unnoticed. He is coming off a season in which he averaged a stellar 12.2. points, 4.4 assists, 3 rebounds, and 1.1 steals for the miserable Boston Celtics. Now he is in a better situation and should only improve upon those numbers as he takes the reigns from the inconsistent Luke Ridnour. Immediately following the draft, the Sonics made it clear that they planned to re-sign Rashard Lewis, but truthfully, it would be difficult to play Lewis, Durant, and Green all at the same time. If Seattle signs Lewis and is able to trade him for a big man of his caliber, they would jump at the chance to do so, especially considering Szczerbiak will be a more than capable reserve when healthy.
The Sonics drafted Landry a bit earlier than most mocks had projected, but he was more than deserving of the 31st overall pick. Landry is a bruiser who didn’t get a lot of attention at Purdue, but quietly dominated the Big 10 and scored 24 points in the Boilermakers matchup with Greg Oden and Ohio State.

3. Golden State Warriors
Drafted Marco Belinelli (18) and Stephane Lasme (46). Traded Jason Richardson and the draft rights to Jermareo Davidson (36) to Charlotte for the draft rights to Brandan Wright (8).

When the draft started, it appeared unlikely that Golden State would leave with a quality big man, the one glaring hole on their roster from a year ago. Five hours later, the Warriors had acquired NBADraft.Net’s #3 and #10 ranked prospects. Brandan Wright has as much potential as anyone outside of Oden and Durant. His length and athleticism will fit in perfectly in Golden State’s fast-paced attack. For the next few years, he’ll play the role that Andris Biendrins currently does. Once Wright develops a consistent jumpshot and some more strength, he could be a 20 and 10 guy in Nellie’s system. The selection of Belinelli gives the Warriors a deadly three-point shooter to replace Richardson. Assuming the team re-signs Matt Barnes and Mikael Pietrus, Golden State will still be stocked at the swingman positions and won’t miss Richardson all that much. Lasme, a shot-blocking big man from UMass, will contribute in ways similar to Adonal Foyle. The only exception is that Lasme won’t be getting paid $10 million a year to play eight minutes, block two shots, and then serve as a cheerleader for the rest of the game.

Made the Most of Their Drafts

4. Philadelphia 76ers
Drafted Thaddeus Young (12), Daequan Cook (20), Petteri Kopponen (30), and Kyrylo Fesenko (40). Traded the rights to Daequan Cook to Miami for the rights to Jason Smith. Traded draft rights of Petteri Kopponen to Portland for the draft rights to Derrick Byars (42).

The Sixers came out of the draft with three key pieces to their future. Thaddeus Young has the potential to be a 20 point scorer alongside playmaking small forward Andre Iguodala. Swapping Cook for Smith was a wise move. Philly picked up a polished big man to complement the defense and rebounding (and sub-par offense) of Sam Dalembert. The real wildcard of this draft is Byars. He came on strong during his senior season at Vanderbilt and has just about as complete a game a rookie can have. Byars might end up starting for Philly at shooting guard next season. Fesenko, the 38th pick, is going to remain in the Ukraine for at least two more seasons. He is a 7-footer who can step out and shoot, but he is hardly ready for the NBA at this point.

5. Los Angeles Clippers
Drafted Al Thornton (14) and Jared Jordan (46)

Thornton was perhaps the steal of the draft with the last pick in the lottery. He is a big-time athlete and scorer who will immediately step in and average 12-15 points per game for the Clips. Though the team was projected to take a point guard in the first round, Acie Law was already gone and Javaris Crittenton would have provided little immediate help to a Clipper team that is in it’s prime and cannot afford to wait for a lottery pick to develop. Drafting Thornton and leaning on Sam Cassell and Daniel Ewing (if Shaun Livingston’s knee isn’t ready for next year) was the best option for LA. Jordan, the two-time NCAA assist leader at Marist, is a boom or bust pick. He could end up being the next Steve Nash, or he could fizzle out of the league in a few years. Since late second rounders rarely ever make an impact, they all come at a relatively low-risk but few present the high reward that Jordan does.


6. Atlanta Hawks
Drafted Al Horford (3) and Acie Law IV (11)

No, the Hawks didn’t trade for Kobe Bryant or Amare Stoudemire, but they took care of business with the two picks they had. Atlanta grabbed the draft’s third best player in Horford and then added the most NBA-ready point guard in Law. The big knock on Law is that he doesn’t pass the ball as well as Conley and Javaris Crittenton, but much of that criticism stems from the fact that Law had to score in order for Texas A+M to win. Law will have much more talent around him in Atlanta than he did in A+M and will be able to showcase his playmaking skills as he runs the floor with Joe Johnson, Josh Smith, Marvin Williams, and Horford.

7. New Orleans Hornets
Drafted Julian Wright (13) and Adam Haluska (43)

Wright’s stock dropped in the week leading up to the draft, but the Hornets, who were rumored to be targeting Nick Young, were wise in snatching up the versatile former Jayhawk. Wright’s outside shooting needs work, but he brings New Orleans a great deal of unselfishness, length, and athleticism right away. Depending on the future of free agents Desmond Mason and Devin Brown and the health of Peja Stojakovic, Wright could find himself playing a big role for a fringe playoff team next season. Haluska is an interesting second-round prospect. He is an above-average athlete who can knock down three-pointers. The Iowa product was well worth a second-round flier.

8. Memphis Grizzlies
Drafted Mike Conley Jr. (4)

There were rumors that Memphis would draft Brandan Wright and attempt to make Kyle Lowry their starting point guard. Thankfully, that did not happen. In order to win, a team needs a good point guard and a center. Those are by far the two most vital positions in basketball. Though it is painfully obvious and was said about 50 times by Mark Jackson on draft night, that cannot be emphasized enough. Memphis now has a potentially dominant point guard in Conley to go along with a roster of talented big men and wing players.

9. Milwaukee Bucks
Drafted Yi Jianlian (6) and Ramon Sessions (56)

Milwaukee may not be the ideal market for Jianlian, but at the end of the day he is still making millions to play basketball for a fairly competitive team. Odds are he’ll be in a Bucks uniform next season. Jianlian will be a key cog in a potentially scary frontline that also boasts Andrew Bogut and Charlie Villanueva. If playing a major role for an exciting playoff team isn’t enough for Jianlian, he should seriously consider my idea for a reality TV show that would chronicle his adventures in the city of Milwaukee: Yi! True Hollywood Story.
Drafting Sessions 56th overall was a remarkable steal for the Bucks. He had late-first round talent, and if for whatever reason Milwaukee is unable to re-sign Mo Williams, Sessions will be able to give them some playmaking and defense from the point guard position. Though he could end up as a second-round gem like Williams, the Bucks should still try to re-sign their second leader scorer.

10. Orlando Magic
Drafted Reyshawn Terry (44). Traded the rights to Brad Newley (54) to Houston for cash considerations.

Prior to the draft, if you told the Magic that they would be able to select a starting-caliber small forward with the 44th pick, they would have been excited enough to forget about Billy Donovan for a minute. Low and behold, that is exactly what happened. Terry slipped a little bit and fell into Orlando’s lap in the middle of the second round. The four-year UNC player is certainly ready for the NBA from a physical perspective. He also possesses a diverse offensive game and has exhibited the ability to be a lockdown defender. There are questions about his desire and character, but at the end of the day, this is about as good a player as you are going to find in the second round.

11. Utah Jazz
Drafted Morris Almond (25) and Herbert Hill (55).

The Jazz won’t draw a lot of headlines for their draft, but they addressed two needs very effectively with low picks. Almond, the Conference USA Player of the Year out of Rice, can shoot from the outside, create his own shot, and defend at an NBA level. He and second-year pro Ronnie Brewer will give the Jazz some fresh legs behind the effective, but not overwhelmingly athletic combination of Derek Fisher, Gordan Giricek, and Matt Harpring.
Hill, the late bloomer out of Providence, is 6’11’’ and athletic. He will provide the team with the length and shot-blocking that undersized forwards Carlos Boozer and Paul Millsap do not.

12. Sacramento Kings
Drafted Spencer Hawes (10)

The Kings were expected to select either Al Thornton or Julian Wright, but looking back on it, Hawes was probably the best option there. He is probably the most skilled 7-footer to come out in a few years. As draft analysts have mentioned hundreds of times, unless you are Michael Jordan, you cannot win without a center. I hate to burst the bubble of Kings fans, but Kevin Martin isn’t quite at MJ’s level yet. Hawes might take a few years to fill out his body and become more agile, but once he does, Sacramento will have a very nice player. The Kings did a good job of following the #1 rule of the NBA Draft…if you have to choose between good small forward prospect and a good center prospect, always choose the center.

13. New York Knicks
Drafted Wilson Chandler (23). Traded Steve Francis and Channing Frye to Portland for Zach Randolph, Dan Dickau, Fred Jones, and the draft rights to Demetris Nichols.

The Knicks had another very busy draft. Unloading Francis’ contract was key. It didn’t hurt that they got Randolph, the burly forward who averaged 23.6 points and 10.1 rebounds per game last season, in return. Randolph and Eddy Curry will create some mismatches because of their size and power, but will also be exploited because of their lack of quickness and athleticism. Back-up PF David Lee isn’t much of a shot-blocker either, so expect the Knicks to add one that will come at a relatively cheap price. (Note to Isiah: Emphasis on the Cheap!).
Drafting Chandler at #23 was definatley a bit of a stretch, but last season Renaldo Balkman, the unknown #19 pick, turned out to be a solid acquisition. Chandler is a much different prospect than Balkman, however. He is 6’7’’ 230 pounds, very athletic, and capable of knocking down perimeter shots. If Isiah can max out his potential, that pick will pay big dividends.
Nicholas was a steal with the 53rd pick (acquired via the Portland trade). He is a lights-out three point shooter, and in today’s game, you can never have enough shooters. If he’s given the opportunity, Nichols will thrive on the perimeter because of the double-teams Curry and Randolph will draw.

14. San Antonio Spurs
Drafted Tiago Splitter (28) and Marcus Williams (33). Traded the draft rights to Giorgous Printezis (58) to Toronto for the Raptors 2008 second round pick.

The Spurs continued to add pieces around their championship team, filling in two major holes in the form of draft picks. Splitter is a high-energy player who will come in and give San Antonio the production that Fabricio Oberto gave them last year. Oberto is a free agent this offseason and his size and potential might entice some teams to give him a hefty contract. Marcus Williams isn’t the classic Spurs pick because he is undisciplined and often reckless on the court, but he has all the skills to become a starter in San Antonio. Williams is an exceptional ballhandler for his size and could play some point forward while Tony Parker is getting a rest. Trading Printezis for a future second rounder was also a wise move because they will essentially be trading the 58th pick in this years draft for a pick in the 40s of the 2008 draft.

15. Washington Wizards
Drafted Nick Young (16) and Dominic McGuire (41).

The Wizards had two big needs- shooting guard and center. It is hard to add a quality center when you have a mid-first round pick, so Washington opted to draft the super-athletic Young to take over for inconsistent starter DeShawn Stevenson. If Gilbert Arenas and Caron Butler both come back healthy and Young reaches his full potential, the Wiz might not need a center to make a deep run in the playoffs. They’ll have four legit 20 point scorers on the floor at once, and it will basically be a “pick your poison” scenario for opposing teams. McGuire is a fantastic athlete with long arms who has the potential to wreck havoc on the defensive end.

16. New Jersey Nets
Drafted Sean Williams (17).

Williams is a bit of a risk, but he comes with a huge upside. Williams is one of the most athletic centers to ever enter the NBA, and his offensive game is starting to catch up with his dominating defensive abilities. The Nets are set at point guard an on the wings (assuming they re-sign Vince Carter), so drafting a big man was essentially their only option. Not many people thought Williams would come off the board before Jason Smith, but Williams’ has far more upside and was well worth the risk for New Jersey.


17. Houston
Drafted Aaron Brooks (26).

Brooks is a lightning rod of a scorer who will give Houston some energy and point production off the bench. I wouldn’t expect him to overtake Rafer Alston as the team’s starting point guard, but Brooks will at least take some offensive pressure off of Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming.

Could Have Done Better

18. Minnesota Timberwolves
Drafted Corey Brewer (6) and Chris Richard (41).

The Wolves netted a terrific defender and all-around player in Brewer and also added some bulk to the frontcourt in the form of Richard. Brewer will start from Day 1 and ultimately upgrade the team, but Minnesota will probably still miss the playoffs in the ultra-competitive Western Conference. It’s time for Minnesota to enter a full-fledged rebuilding process and unload Garnett for some more young talent to surround Brewer and Randy Foye. The draft would have been an ideal time to do so, but the Wolves were unable to strike a deal for KG.


19. Miami Heat
Drafted Jason Smith (21) and Stanko Barac (39). Traded the draft rights of Smith to Philadelphia for the rights to Daequan Cook (20). Traded the draft rights of Barac to Indiana for the Pacers 2009 second-round pick.

Miami did a nice job by adding Cook in the late first-round. He will give them some scoring in the backcourt to complement Dwayne Wade and inject some youth to the oldest team in the NBA. Miami did not address their need for some young frontcourt players. Instead of drafting and trading a project like Barac, the Heat would have been wise to draft someone like Dominic McGuire, Reyshawn Terry, or even Marc Gasol.


20. Dallas Mavericks
Drafted Nick Fazekas (34), Renaldas Seibutis (50), Milovan Rakovic (60).

The Mavs only had one pick in which they had the opportunity to draft an impact player. Fazekas is the classic Dallas big man. He can shoot from outside, is a hard-nosed rebounder on the interior, but lacks the athleticism to dominate the way he did in college. Fazekas will serve as a poor-man’s Dirk coming off the bench. Seibutis and Rakovic are both developmental players who need more seasoning before being brought over.

21. Chicago Bulls
Drafted Joakim Noah (9), Aaron Gray (49), JamesOn Curry (51).

Noah is a hustle player who will a provide Chicago with even more defense and hustle. I like Noah as a player and think he will be a solid pro, but the Bulls did not need him in the first round. He is very similar to Tyrus Thomas and Ben Wallace in the sense that outside of getting put-backs off offensive rebounds, there are not many ways Noah can score in the NBA. The Bulls made an attempt to shore up the offense in the frontcourt by drafting Aaron Gray in the second round, but he probably doesn’t have the foot speed or athleticism to defend in the fast-paced NBA game. If anything, Curry will serve as a spot up shooter.

22. Boston Celtics
Drafted Jeff Green (5) and Gabe Pruitt (32). Traded Delonte West, Wally Szczerbiak, and the rights to Green to Seattle for Ray Allen and the draft rights to Glen Davis.

The Celtics are probably going to be a playoff team next season. Paul Pierce, Al Jefferson, and Allen are enough to make them somewhat competitive, so this appears to be quick-fix trade. Many people disagree with the move, but Allen and Pierce each have at least three good years left in them, and maybe Boston can put a run together and reach the finals sometime in the near future. The Celts really lost out on their two early second round picks. Pruitt is a major project who is too small to play forward but doesn’t handle the ball well enough to be a consistent guard. Davis is a wide-body inside, something they already have in Jefferson. Boston would have been better off going with an athletic forward instead of the slow-footed Davis.

23. Detroit Pistons
Drafted Rodney Stuckey (15), Arron Afflalo (27), Sammy Mejia (57).

Detroit got their point guard of the future in Stuckey, which was a major plus. After they drafted the Eastern Washington guard, the Pistons should have addressed the frontcourt with their next two picks. After all, Chris Webber, Antonio McDyess, and Dale Davis are all on the verge of retirement and Rasheed Wallace is no spring chicken either. Detroit could have picked up a big man such as Carl Landry, Josh McRoberts, or even Marc Gasol with the 27th overall selection.

24. Los Angeles Lakers
Drafted Javaris Crittenton (19), Sun Yue (40), Marc Gasol (48).

Crittenton was a nice value at #19. He has tremendous upside and could end up being the best PG in this draft. Unfortunately for the Lakers, Crittenton plays the same position as last year’s first-round pick, Jordan Farmar, and neither Farmar nor Crittenton will be ready to run the team by next season. To make matters worse, the Lakers reached for two HUGE projects in the second round when they could have drafted ready-made players like Reyshawn Terry or Derrick Byars. I’m sure Kobe is not happy about this draft.

25. Phoenix Suns
Drafted Alando Tucker (29). Traded the rights to Rudy Fernandez (24) to Portland for cash considerations.

Trading Fernandez was a mistake. The Suns continue to just give away draft picks for nothing and they are costing themselves some talented role players. Phoenix held on to their second pick and selected Tucker, an undersized, underwhelming athlete who struggles to make jumpshots. His game doesn’t translate well to the NBA, and it especially doesn’t translate to the Suns system. A back-up point guard such as Aaron Brooks (they would have needed to take him 24th because he went 26th to Houston) or Gabe Pruitt would have been a better fit than Tucker. As would Reyshawn Terry, Josh McRoberts, or even Jermareo Davidson.

26. Charlotte Bobcats
Drafted Brandan Wright (8) and Jared Dudley (22). Traded the rights of Wright to Golden State for Jason Richardson and the rights to Jermareo Davidson (36).

The Bobcats desperately needed some length and athleticism up front, so what do they do? Trade the longest, most athletic prospect in the draft for a shooting guard, a position in which they already have two reliable players in Adam Morrison and Matt Carroll. The acquisition of Richardson may mean the team plans to let leading scorer Gerald Wallace walk when his contract expires this summer. That would be a huge mistake.
Charlotte added to their questionable draft by selecting Jared Dudley 22nd overall. Dudley was a great college player, but his game doesn’t translate very well to the next level. That pick was a serious reach. Davidson could end up being a nice second-rounder, but this draft could have gone a lot better for MJ and the Bobcats.

Cleveland, Denver, and Toronto all did not have any picks in the draft. Indiana traded for one pick, Stanko Barac (40), but that pick honestly isn’t worth analyzing.