How did your favorite team do in Thursday’s NBA draft?
Did they follow form or reach a bit? Did they fill a need or take the best player available?
Should they have traded the pick or kept it?
Are you tired of players being stashed in Europe?
We break it down below, and we are not grading on a curve.
Atlanta Hawks: C-plus
Picks: John Jenkins (23), Mike Scott (43)
The Danny Ferry Era began much as the Rick Sund Era ended: quietly, and still without a center. I will at least give props to Ferry for doing the least Hawk-ish thing ever and passing up on the oh-so-tempting Perry Jones III out of Baylor, whom Billy Knight would have had pinned up in his locker surrounded by candy hearts back in the day. Anytime you walk out with the best shooter in the draft, it’s tough to call your night a total failure, and Vanderbilt’s Jenkins is as deadly as anyone from the arc and an underrated scorer off the dribble. Scott’s production at Virginia netted him All-ACC honors, and while he probably won’t get much better, he could be in line for some minutes at power forward if the Hawks can’t add size this summer.
Boston Celtics: B-plus
Picks: Jared Sullinger (21), Fab Melo (22), Kris Joseph (51)
Whoever rolled out the trampoline to break Sullinger’s fall would be handsomely rewarded, and it just so happens Boston had one handy. If this draft is last year, Sully goes top five; if it’s last month, top 10. If Jared can eat fresh and shed a few, he’ll make most of the teams in the teens sorry they passed on him. The concerns with Melo, Syracuse’s 7-footer, are not related to his health as much as his work ethic after academic ineligibility sidelined him for the NCAA Tournament. Few playoff teams needed anything as badly as the Celtics needed rebounding; with Sullinger and Melo in the fold, the glass should be friendlier next season. Joseph is a willing defender and capable scorer who is at his best as a third or fourth option in space. That should bode well for Joseph in the NBA, where very few locker room chalkboards will be dedicated to locking down the former Syracuse small forward.
Brooklyn Nets: B
Picks: Tyshawn Taylor (41), Tornike Shengelia (54) Ilkan Karaman (57)
Taylor finally took a breath his senior year and played within himself; if he can do that on the next level and choose his gaps wisely, he will be a solid change-of-pace guard off the bench. Shengelia said he is like “a bigger Ginobili” in the press conference, but don’t be fooled; he’s no Manu. Tornike, accompanied at the draft by fellow Georgian Zaza Pachulia, is a forward (3 or 4? Jury’s out.), an incredible slasher, a solid boarder and he’s active as all get out on both sides of the ball. It’s a shame the Nets just moved to Brooklyn, because Karaman is an Ed Hardy shirt and some Aviators away from a Jersey Shore audition tape. The muscly, tattooed Turk loves to board and defends with vigor, two things which instantly make the 22-year-old a candidate for a roster spot.
Charlotte Bobcats: B-minus
Picks: Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (2), Jeff Taylor (31)
The Kentucky freshman certainly had his band of believers at No. 2, but Thomas Robinson would have been the smarter pick for Charlotte. Neither player moves them within range of a playoff push just yet (Did you laugh a little? I laughed a little.), but with Robinson, the Bobcats would at least have had a low-post scorer to complement the singularity of Bismack Biyombo’s game down low. MKG is still a sensational athlete and a hustler whose offense should catch up with the rest of his game; we just might need a few years before we see that take shape. Vanderbilt’s Taylor offers a similar package to Kidd-Gilchrist’s on the wing, and he was one of the best available prospects on the board with the first pick of the second round. They will need to address inside scoring in free agency or this draft score goes down a letter grade.
Chicago Bulls: A-minus
Picks: Marquis Teague (29)
With Derrick Rose’s ACL on the mend into next season, the Bulls needed someone that could break down defenses off the dribble while Rose is out and be a solid back up once the 2011 MVP returns. Teague is that guy.
Cleveland Cavaliers: F
Picks: Dion Waiters (4), Tyler Zeller (17)
For the second straight year, Cleveland mishandled the fourth pick in the draft. Last season, it should have been Lithuania’s Jonas Valanciunas rather than Tristan Thompson; this season, it should have been Thomas Robinson or Harrison Barnes. Waiters rode a speculative wave of intrigue into the top five despite skipping out on interviews, physicals and individual workouts with teams. His defensive struggles will soon be exposed once he’s plucked from Jim Boheim’s famed 2-3 zone. Waiters is one of the two best in this draft at getting to the rim off the bounce – Austin Rivers is the other – but one wonders how Kyrie Irving will co-exist with a guy who needs the ball to do the majority of his work. And although Zeller slipped farther than he should have, the Cavs didn’t need to package the rest of their draft (24, 33 and 34) just to save him and land Kelenna Azubuike, who’s played in three games since the end of the 2009-10 season. They leave Newark with two good players, but they could have fortified a creaky roster with so much more.
Dallas Mavericks: A-minus
Picks: Jared Cunningham (24), Bernard James (33), Jae Crowder (34)
Cunningham is a seamless blend of smooth and zing who should give Roddy Beaubois some healthy competition from his first day in camp. James is the best story in this draft and also owned the night’s coolest moment, as the 27-year-old Air Force veteran received booming “U-S-A!” chants during his marches to and from the podium. At 6-10 and 230 pounds, he is a defensive presence who led Florida State in boards and blocks this season. After serving in Afghanistan, Iraq and Qatar, a five-game road trip probably won’t throw him off stride. Crowder is an absolute animal who despite his tweener status should stick on a team that accepts who he is: a hard-nosed dude whose skills will surprise you if you let him breathe a little. It’s a shame they sold 55th pick Darius Johnson-Odom to the Lakers, though; DJO was an absolute steal anywhere outside the 30s.
Denver Nuggets: B
Picks: Evan Fournier (20), Quincy Miller (38), Izzet Turkyilmaz (50)
Fournier is a 6-7 Frenchman with a crafty midrange game, swagger for days and a spotty 3-ball. Few 19-year-olds in Europe assumed as large a role as he did last season with Poitiers, and in all likelihood he’s merely a season away from contributing regularly to an NBA club. Fournier should thrive under George Karl’s tutelage, and Denver’s revolving door at the scorer’s table will ensure that Fournier gets at least some burn if he comes over in 2012. Miller, a 6-10 small forward out of Baylor, should fit similarly into Denver’s deep bench, as the former No. 1 recruit s facing questions about his athleticism following a blown ACL in his senior high school season. If the trainers in Denver can patch him up, then Miller is an unreal bargain this late. Turkyilmaz is a 7-1 Turkish center who likely won’t see an NBA floor for a while but whose inclusion on last summer’s EuroBasket squad is a huge endorsement from a country who takes its big men very seriously.
Detroit Pistons: B
Picks: Andre Drummond (9), Khris Middleton (39), Kim English (44)
Drummond has had a hard time escaping criticism these past few months – he doesn’t want to be coached, he doesn’t love the game, and so on – but the Pistons would have had a hard time turning him away this late. All hopes are he develops into the type of rangy center that Greg Monroe needs to showcase his full bag of tricks. I was surprised to see Middleton go so high after people generally felt he left Texas A&M too early, but the selection of English was one of the best of the second round. He is as efficient as they come on the perimeter, rarely takes a bad shot and definitely doesn’t mind running, having played at Missouri. Still, this draft class depends on Drummond’s progression. If he is Andrew Bynum, it’s an A. If he is Kwame Brown, it’s an F.
Golden State Warriors: B-plus
Picks: Harrison Barnes (7), Festus Ezeli (30), Draymond Green (35), Ognjen Kuzmic (52)
With a healthy Stephen Curry (always a big if) to go with Klay Thompson and Dorell Wright in his contract year, Barnes adds to an already potent list of shooters. It might not address an immediate need such as a backup point guard, but Barnes was the best value on the board. With Andrew Bogut in tow, the annual search for a reliable center has slowed this summer. That said, Bogut is prone to injury, and after trading away Ekpe Udoh in the Bogut deal, Ezeli is a defensive weapon the Bucks could use in the post, even if he never becomes much more than that. Green should have gone in the first found, and the Warriors are going to love his winning approach. As for Kuzmic, I will have to see if he can make a dent with the senior club in Unicaja (Malaga, Spain) next season before making any claims about his NBA future. Frankly, the Warriors should have used the pick on Scott Machado of Iona, the nation’s assist leader who shamefully went undrafted.
Houston Rockets: A
Picks: Jeremy Lamb (12), Royce White (16), Terrence Jones (18)
With Chase Budinger in Minnesota now, the Rockets needed another shooter. In Lamb they get that – plus a chance for a whole lot more. White struggled with anxiety issues, but there is nothing about the point forward’s game that is anything less than top 10. Jones went into wallflower mode far too often at Kentucky, but as one of six Wildcats drafted, it’s a little easier to understand why.
Indiana Pacers: D-plus
Picks: Miles Plumlee (26), Orlando Johnson (36)
Plumlee had no business in the first round after a four-year Duke career that left the Crazies wanting. I can name a dozen players who would have made more sense here for Indiana. Johnson was a spectacularly physical scorer at UC-Santa Barbara, but he won’t be able to push opposing shooting guards around like that at the next level. He has trimmed down this summer and appears quicker, which should help.
Los Angeles Clippers: B
Picks: Furkan Aldemir (53)
The 6-9 Turkish center probably won’t play the pivot in the NBA, but there is something he will do from any position: rebound, rebound, then rebound some more. And a little more. Aldemir isn’t your European cliché; rather, he is a young, tough Turk who doesn’t want to shoot unless it’s from five feet and in. He stays in his lane, and that’s what makes him so valuable.
Los Angeles Lakers: B-minus
Picks: Darius Johnson-Odom (55), Robert Sacre (60)
Getting Johnson-Odom, one of the most undervalued scorers in this draft, at 55 for straight cash is pretty impressive. DJO is the truth. Last year’s Mr. Irrelevant, Isaiah Thomas of Washington, went on to do big things in the second half. I seriously doubt Sacre has anything half that interesting up his sleeve.
Memphis Grizzlies: B-plus
Picks: Tony Wroten (25)
With a 6-6 frame and a flair for the spectacular, a decent jump shot would have launched Wroten ahead of every point guard in this draft. His shot needs a lot of work, however. Although his size and skill set remind some of Tyreke Evans, Wroten’s pass-first mentality separates him from Evans in that regard, and his defense can be hellish against smaller guards. When you’re as big as he is, almost every point guard he faces will be a “smaller guard.” Memphis’ biggest need was and still is 3-point shooting, and drafting a guy who hit of 9-of-56 from the arc this season doesn’t really do much to pave over that pothole.
With their fingers freshly fitted for rings, the Heat could have rolled the dice on Perry Jones III with the 27th pick. If they wanted another ballhandler behind Mario Chalmers and Norris Cole, Marquis Teague was right there. Or they could have gone big, snagging either Arnett Moultrie or shot-blocking specialist Festus Ezeli. Instead, they made a cost-cutting move by trading the 27th pick to Philadelphia for a future first-rounder and the rights to Hamilton, a 7-footer who really had only one good year out of three at Louisiana State.
Ersan Ilyasova will leave a lot of offensive boards behind if he leaves via free agency, and Henson will be more than happy to pick up the slack. At the very least, the North Carolina product will block shots and rebound at least as well as Amir Johnson, his comparable floor. Henson’s Achilles heel comes at the stripe, where he is below 50 percent for his career. Lamb is a heady player who can stretch the floor and run an offense. With Brandon Jennings and Monta Ellis siphoning off shots in the backcourt, Lamb would be wise to get everyone involved if and when he sees playing time.
The Purdue forward has hit several injurious bumps in his road, but all Minny needs now is that shooting stroke to stay healthy and they will find a spot for him. The real move of David Kahn’s potential last draft was getting Chase Budinger from the Rockets for the 18th pick. While the Timberwolves could use some outside shooting, Budinger might not be any real upgrade over Wes Johnson or Martell Webster, the swingmen who roamed the Target Center last season.
Last year, coach Monty Williams yanked the Hornets’ defense out of the cellar. This year, GM Dell Demps has drafted the finest defensive specimen we’ve seen in the college ranks in over a decade. Even if Davis never averages more than the 14.3 points he put up in his lone season at Kentucky, he will be a star in this league and an instant force around the rim. And no, Eric Gordon’s presence in NOLA doesn’t make Austin Rivers redundant; if anything, Gordon’s incumbency at the shooting guard slot should allow Austin to hone his craft at the point, something Williams wouldn’t mind. Miller is a solid small forward and a Kentucky teammate of Davis’. Familiarity is always a plus.
The Greek forward lives on the baseline and slashes toward the basket – usually without the ball – to do his damage. Of the nine international players drafted, Papanikloaou is best prepared to put on an NBA uniform tomorrow and have an impact with substantial playing time. In Europe, he has defended both forward positions with encouraging results, but he is still figuring out the most effective ways to create his offense.
Red flags and all that nonsense don’t matter too much when you’ve just reached the NBA Finals and have an opportunity to select a guy who would have been a top-five pick last season. I would say “Sam Presti’s done it again!” but I’m afraid this one was just too easy.
With Ryan Anderson and Dwight Howard possibly on the way out, the Magic are going to need some help down low. Even if one or both stay, this year’s frontcourt could use some depth. St. Bonaventure’s Nicholson is immensely talented, while O’Quinn out of smallish Norfolk State is … immense. Neither are studs; at least Nicholson should prove useful.
Harkless was extremely busy as a freshman, playing more than 35 minutes a night for a discombobulated St. John’s team whose coach, Steve Lavin, missed a majority of the year due to health problems. Instability and all, Harkless emerged as a star-caliber player who could kill you a half-dozen different ways from either forward slot. Moultrie came over in a deal with the Heat. The Mississippi State big man’s defense and activity in the paint will be a welcome tempo switch from the effective yet increasingly slothful Elton Brand.
Phoenix cannot go into this summer expecting Steve Nash to re-sign. And whether he does or not, the Suns will eventually need a point guard, so they went and got the best one remaining. Three cheers for conviction.
Lillard is why I put the word “remaining” in Marshall’s write-up. He might not be the pure passer that Marshall is, but Lillard has a super handle and his stroke is up there with John Jenkins as the best in this draft. After the Raymond Felton disaster, Portland needs a point guard who can push the pace and shoot a decent percentage. Leonard is an athletic big man whose defense should complement LaMarcus Aldridge if he learns how to muster consistent effort. And why Barton was not a sure-fire first-rounder is completely inexplicable. The small forward from Memphis improved every facet of his game between a sturdy freshman season and a spectacular sophomore run.
Missouri to San Antonio seems like it would be a smooth transition for Denmon, and something tells me the Spurs plan on using him. However, it was strange to see R.C. Buford turn toward the college ranks when funny-looking international names were flying all over the place in the 50s.
When Kings fans saw Dion Waiters strolling to the stage with Cavaliers gear on his head, their hearts must have stopped. A team with pieces in place but no room for additional projects, Sacramento did not want to resort to taking Andre Drummond or stocking the wings with more shoot-first guards. Instead, the second-best player in this draft trickled to the Kings. He will pair perfectly with DeMarcus Cousins, especially if T-Rob can start icing those 12-foot jumpers on a more regular basis.
With Rivers and even Marshall dangling on the board, the Raptors opted for shooting and scoring on the wing over point guard help as they approach the last season of Jose Calderon’s contract. Ross hit 37 percent of his 3-pointers as a sophomore at Washington and used his 6-6 length and leaping ability to pull down 6.4 rebounds per game. Acy leaves Baylor with a reputation for two things: his dunks and his beard. Those high- percentage shots will help him gain coach Dwane Casey’s favor; the beard will keep him warm on those Ontario nights. Zubcic is a Croatian forward who can do a little bit of everything but never really does what you want when you want it. You won’t see him next year.
The 6-6 shooting guard out of Tennessee Tech 
After a month of being compared to Ray Allen – you know, the greatest shooter of our generation? It’s been a silly month – Beal’s ego must have used up the last couple rungs on its ladder when teams like the Thunder and Spurs were rumored to be jockeying for a shot at the Florida guard just days and even hours before the draft. With seemingly every team but the Hornets in the mix, the top of the draft stood still and the Wizards – who had openly coveted Beal and his Shuttlesworthian stroke – ended up with their man. What irks me most about the comparison to Allen is that it draws attention from one of Beal’s more lovable attributes: his rebounding. Measuring at just under 6-5, Beal pulled down double-digit boards seven times at a freshman and averaged 6.7 for the season. And he does have a lovely release on his jumper. As for Satoransky, don’t buy the hype about this 6-7 point guard. He has a chance to play in this league if he can start knocking down open jumpers and attacking the rim more often off pick-and-rolls, but nothing I saw this year in Spain leads me to believe he’s ready to do that. If and when he does come over, it will be as a shooting guard. Having Jan Vesely around (both from the Czech Republic, same agent) will make for a softer landing. Washington should have drafted some of the shot-blocking they lost it lost wehn it dealt JaVale McGee.
In the days leading up to the NBA draft, Joe Kotoch provided Sheridan Hoops with six mock drafts.
