This past Thursday's draft was one of the deepest in recent years with good players being passed on, and falling lower than expected, big trades galore, and drama. It also saw many difference making moves, and next years NBA season will be better for it. When I look at this draft, I am only going to look at it from a 1st Round perspective, and general moves, and utilization of their draft opportunities.
The top 3 picks went as many expected with Derrick Rose, Michael Beasley, and O.J. Mayo going in order, and then there were surprises to follow. This draft was filled with more trades than you would usually see, and especially involving the first round players. I am excited as the highly competitive Western Conference got stronger, and the Eastern Conference added some potential stars.
The following is a list of the players selected or obtained by each team:
- Atlanta Hawks: None
- Boston Celtics: J.R. Giddens, Bill Walker (via Washington), Semih Erden
- Charlotte Bobcats: D.J. Augustin, Alexis Ajinça, Kyle Weaver
- Chicago Bulls: Derrick Rose, Ömer Aşık (via Portland)
- Cleveland Cavaliers: J.J. Hickson, Darnell Jackson (via Miami), Sasha Kaun (via Seattle)
- Dallas Mavericks: Shan Foster
- Denver Nuggets: Sonny Weems (via Chicago)
- Detroit Pistons: Walter Sharpe (via Seattle), Trent Plaisted (via Seattle), Deron Washington
- Golden State Warriors: Anthony Randolph, Richard Hendrix
- Houston Rockets: Donte Greene (via Memphis), Joey Dorsey (via Portland), Maarty Leunen
- Indiana Pacers: Brandon Rush (via Portland), Roy Hibbert (via Toronto)
- Los Angeles Clippers: Eric Gordon, DeAndre Jordan, Mike Taylor (via Portland)
- Los Angeles Lakers: Joe Crawford
- Memphis Grizzlies: O.J. Mayo (via Minnesota), Darrell Arthur (via New Orleans, Portland, and Houston)
- Miami Heat: Michael Beasley, Mario Chalmers (via Minnesota)
- Milwaukee Bucks: Joe Alexander, Luc Richard Mbah a Moute
- Minnesota Timberwolves: Kevin Love (via Memphis), Nikola Peković
- New Jersey Nets: Brook Lopez, Ryan Anderson, Chris Douglas-Roberts
- New Orleans Hornets: None
- New York Knicks: Danilo Gallinari
- Orlando Magic: Courtney Lee
- Philadelphia 76ers: Marreese Speights
- Phoenix Suns: Robin Lopez, Goran Dragić (via San Antonio)
- Portland Trail Blazers: Jerryd Bayless (via Indiana), Nicolas Batum (via Houston)
- Sacramento Kings: Jason Thompson, Sean Singletary, Patrick Ewing Jr.
- San Antonio Spurs: George Hill, Malik Hairston (via Phoenix), James Gist
- Seattle SuperSonics: Russell Westbrook, Serge Ibaka, D. J. White (via Detroit), DeVon Hardin
- Toronto Raptors: Nathan Jawai (via Indiana)
- Utah Jazz: Kosta Koufos, Ante Tomic, Tadija Dragicević
- Washington Wizards: JaVale McGee
The biggest "Loser" of them all was the Seattle Supersonics, and the 6 picks they went into the draft with. If you told me that a team went into the NBA Draft with 10% of the picks, I would assume they would come out with a can't miss talent, and several support players. Instead the Sonics chose to reach on Russell Westbrook with #4 pick, which was one of the biggest surprises of the draft. It is hard for me to believe that a team could pick a player that has no true position. Westbrook is an incredible athlete, but the Sonics needed a point guard, and they picked him in the hopes that he "might be able to play the position." Man, I don't have words for how badly I think that situation will turn out. In addition to Westbrook, the Sonics picked up D.J. White, Devon Hardin, and an international player. I like the selection of D.J. White because he is a hard nosed player, but Hardin is a fringe NBA player that is just tall(6'11"). And my opinion of international players, is no opinion, I need to see them compete in the NBA at the highest level to believe in them. I hope Kevin Durant has his shoes laced up tight next year, because they are going to need all they can get from him whether the team plays in Seattle or Oklahoma City.
The "Consummate Loser" that is the New York Knicks disappointed once again. They will face the repercussions of letting Isiah Thomas run their team into the ground for years to come. They had one pick to help their team out, and the selected international player Danilo Gallinari. The kid is a project, and really there is nothing else to it. I personally felt bad for him as the New York fans booed him at the draft, but that comes with the territory, and the season will not be much better. He is just not going to be given much of a chance to succeed, especially on the NY Knicks roster currently stands. So the move itself did not surprise me, I just thought that the new regime had more sense than that, but maybe I should have known after they passed on Mark Jackson as their coach.
The next "Loser" is the is Golden State Warriors who drafted Anthony Randolph and Richard Hendrix. Randolph is a wire thin 6'11" power forward who looks eerily similar to Brandan Wright who the Warriors drafted last year. Just as Wright was a non-factor last year, Randoph is most likely to sit next to him on the bench this year. Last time that I checked, Don Nelson still coached this team, and I don't anticipate him changing his style after 32 years of coaching. An although Hendrix is a strong post-man with nice moves, good footwork, and the ability to rebound, he simply does not fit on this team. The Warriors big men get touches from rebounds of long 3-point shots, not through plays and getting dump downs, Andris Biedrins will testify to that.
This next draft "Loser" may come as a surprise to some, but 4-time NBA champion, San Antonio Spurs are on the list. Yes, I said it, the same area that has led them to dominate the Western Conference in the last 10 years, has faltered. In the draft the Spurs got George Hill, and Malik Hairston. Yes I know that the Spurs pick selectively, and sometimes based on character rather than talent, but I don't know what they plan to do with their future. But what I do know is that the Spurs roster currently holds the maximum 15 players, and they have no free agents. So what does that mean? It means someone who was seldom used last year will be seldom used again, or replaced by another seldom used player. In the 2008 NBA Playoffs the Spurs looked slow, and old against a young New Orleans Hornets team. Unless the Spurs are hiding the fountain of youth in the Riverwalk, it is going to be tough sailing from here on out.
The "Sentimental Loser" is the Charlotte Bobcats as they drafted D.J. Augustin, Kyle Weever, and an international player. I absolutely love Augustin without a doubt and think he is a can't miss talent, but the Bobcats did not need to draft a back-up point guard this high. They really had needs that involved getting a front line player with some offensive talent. I am a little easier on them because they are an expansion team and still need to massage out the kinks. But to have 2 high draft picks invested at point guard is asinine. Better luck to them next year in the 2009 Draft Lottery again.
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