It’s always an exciting night for hoop fans. Even if you are a follower of college & not professional basketball, this is a night for you to check up on your favorite players and follow guys from your alma mater. In fact, if you follow it like I do, the whole week was great. Draft preview shows on NBA-TV and ESPN, and great coverage from Chad Ford, John Hollinger, and the various sites that cover the draft, all good for a hoop junkie.
ATLANTA: I like Jeff Teague and Sergiy Gladyr is a 6′5 shooter who will stay in Europe a couple more years but has a chance.
BOSTON: Lester Hudson put up some serious numbers in college…at UT-Martin.
CHARLOTTE: Good job! I am high on both guys, Gerald Henderson is an athletic 2-guard and Derrick Brown is a steal that late in the draft, several teams missed on him, he’s 6′8 (with 7′2 wingspan) yet also strong (benched 20 reps x 185 at Chicago), can play 3 or 4, good athlete, improving stroke and well coached. Good get.
CHICAGO: I really like James Johnson for his size & skill, perhaps they could have done something different than Taj Gibson but he can block shots. I’d have diversified a bit from the Noah, Thomas, Johnson (SF/PF), mold instead of picking Gibson a slender 4-man.
CLEVELAND: One of those teams who really missed on the Pitt guys, Sam Young and DeJuan Blair. They are trying to win now and Christian Eyenga is an athlete but he’s on Ricky Rubio’s Junior-Varsity team still. Perhaps they wanted to save the money…Danny Green will help in a role.
DALLAS: I like their picks but the odd thing is that the most likely guy to make their roster is the last pick (#56) Ahmad Nivins. Rodrigue Beaubois (freak athlete) & Nick Calathes (great passer), both PG’s who I do like, will be in Europe next year.
DENVER: Great job picking up Ty Lawson. Good fit.
DETROIT: Forward heavy, Austin Daye, DaJuan Summers, Jonas Jerebko. Only Summers can help now, Daye is a looking at NBADL minutes.
GOLDEN STATE: Stephen Curry is going to be a solid pro in my book but will he be a Warrior? We’ll see after July Moratorium.
HOUSTON: Bought all 3 picks and came away with good players. GM Morey is high on numbers and these guys have good ones. Sergio Llull is a solid PG in Spain, Chase Budinger can really shoot, and Jermaine Taylor is a scorer.
INDIANA: I really like the idea that they’ve chosen to pick guys who have proven themselves and been productive in college. I think it translates and Tyler Hansbrough will be solid in my view, they may have been able to drop a couple spots to get him though. AJ Price was the leader of the show at UConn.
LA CLIPPERS: Easy pick, good pick, but an easy one.
LA LAKERS: DNP - GM’s Decision is what their stat line should look like. They basically said, “no thanks.”
MEMPHIS: Good draft. Although I’m not a huge Hasheem Thabeet fan, DeMarre Carroll is a high energy guy and Sam Young is a steal at this point in the draft, I had heard he was playing great in workouts and that he’d be a 1st round pick.
MIAMI: I don’t think either guy will make an NBA team.
MILWAUKEE: Solid, got a young Brandon Jennings at the Point and Jodie Meeks who can shoot it.
MINNESOTA: Take another Point Guard! Rubio may stay in Spain now…or they could get involved in another trade, perhaps NY? You cannot play Ricky Rubio & Jonny Flynn together.
NEW JERSEY: Terrence Williams is a good player and this is a nice pick.
NEW ORLEANS: Darren Collison will be a good backup to CP3 and Marcus Thornton will stick as a shooter.
NEW YORK: Good draft night in NYC. Jordan Hill will help and fits their system, Toney Douglas has great speed and quickness and is a defender. Curious to see if a trade is on the horizon involving Rubio or even Curry for that matter.
OKC: James Harden is a really good player and will do well for them. I’m not big on BJ Mullens as he couldn’t even start at Ohio State and got dominated in workouts, but he makes the all airport team at 7′1 so I guess you wait and hope he develops.
ORLANDO: DNP - GM’s Decision…they were involved in a big trade of course but I for one think Hedo Turkoglu was a key player on that team with his ball handling/Point Forward play. How will roles & chemistry change now?
PHILADELPHIA: Another young project pick here in Jrue Holiday. Didn’t score in double figures at UCLA but he’s a sure fire star in the NBA? I don’t get it.
PHOENIX: Great pick in Earl Clark, he has top 7 talent. Blake Griffin’s big brother?
PORTLAND: This is tough, because on one hand Victor Claver is very talented and in a couple years (if &) when he comes over from Spain the Blazers will have a nice player. But to pass on DeJuan Blair and Sam Young then trading Sergio Rodriguez and Jon Brockman for Jeff Pendergraph is confusing. And I happen to like Pendergraph. Dante Cunningham is a solid guy but where is he going to play? The pick of Patty Mills at 55 is a great one though, if you can get a guy that low who has the International experience he has (Olympics) and collegiate success and is still young, you’re in good shape. I think he sticks.
SACRAMENTO: Aiming for size and toughness? Tyreke Evans instead of a PG is curious and I don’t see him as a Point at all, but he is a big guard. Omri Casspi is tough & aggressive and Jon Brockman is one of the best rebounders in college basketball at 6′7 255.
SAN ANTONIO: There is a reason the Spurs are so good…they get it. Richard Jefferson, check. DeJuan Blair at 37, are you kidding me? Jack McClinton, small but a deadly shooter and Nando De Colo is a very skilled 6′5 guard from France who could be a nice player. Great draft Spurs.
TORONTO: DeMar DeRozan, potential. It’ll take some time but he could develop…I know this, the fans at Raptors Republic are happy.
UTAH: Eric Maynor is one of my favorite ’sleepers’ in the draft out of VCU. This gives the Jazz a solid backup PG for a few years. Goran Suton is a bit like Mehmet Okur, he’ll defend and rebound and is a nice shooter.
WASHINGTON: One of the smartest moves in the draft. Don’t like what the draft has to offer, trade down or in this case out of the draft and get players who’ll help you win NOW! At the rate that coaches turn over isn’t the point to try and win now?
-Chris Denker
Tags: basketball, calathes, Chad Ford, Clark, Daye, Denker, DeRozan, euroleague, Griffin, guards, Hansbrough, Henderson, Hill, Holiday, Houston Rockets, international, international basketball, Jonas Jerebko, july moratorium, Mullens, Nando De Colo, nba, nbadraft, Orlando Magic, Portland Trail Blazers, Rodrigue Beaubois, rubio, san antonio spurs, Scouting, Thabeet, toronto raptors, trade, Ty Lawson
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