Xist's Live(ish) Draft Coverage
Posted: Mon Jan 15, 2024 11:25 am
After a lengthy period of rest and recover for all, the draft is finally here! Labeled as a mediocre draft, there my be some action at the top as GMs look to secure the few blues in this draft. Drafts like this can actually be more interesting and active than "deep" ones, because GMs feel more pressure to go out and get their player. When everyone is roughly on the same level, it's a risky play indeed to gamble on that player dropping to you. So, without further ado, let's get to it.
Action: The Bride, Actually - Jazz take Benny "Hernaen Blanco" Bridesmaid #1
Reaction: Despite the shock of Doering not going 1st, this was really the only option for the Jazz. Why? Because they already have their point guard in Scottie S. Sanders , meaning someone would have to make the jump to the 2. Doering, while extremely talented, is not much of an offensive threat - a general requirement for shooting guard. While Scottie S. Sanders is, he's 6'1", making that position not an option for him at all.
Fortunately, Bridesmaid is a fast big with #1 potential and ability, certainly more than fellow fast big Booger Smith, who now will probably find his way back to small forward. I just really hope digiskunk can stay engaged enough to help Bridesmaid along with his training. Sanders/Smith/Bridesmaid could be the core that catapults the Jazz back into contention some day.
Action: Heat Make Money, Magic and Mavs Make Moves
For the Magic though, this signals something. Moving up from #9 to #7 guarantees them the last blue potential piece on the board if the the draft goes as scheduled. This is a pretty big deal given the drop-off in talent after the last blue comes off the board, especially in the wing market. This also gives the Magic the pick of the litter if they choose to go in another direction. They also get off of Jordan Poole's massive deal, giving them much more freedom for their rebuild. A solid move all-around.
It's a similar deal for the Mavs, who, from purely a "talent added" standpoint, are the winners of this trade. Not only do they get the best pick (#5), they get the best player as well (Jordan Poole), a player who fills a major hole for them. The pick, strangely enough, is the odd one, as they have absolutely no need for anything available in that range that wouldn't still be there at their original position at #7.
Still, this is a great deal for all involved, even without the added clarity that will come once actual selections have been made.
Action: Nets Double Up, Draft Jordan "Edison Doering" Hawkins #2
Reaction: In what's both the opposite of the pick prior and a repeat of the #1 pick last season, the Nets now have two promising point guards on their roster. Fortunately, current point guard Supreme Cook has the offensive attributes to either move over to shooting guard full-time or come off the bench as a combo guard. Hawkins is raw, so it's not a problem that needs solving now, but it's good to know that there's a ready-made solution in place and that a future trade may not be needed. Cook's athleticism is quite poor outside of his elite QKN, so the "bench combo guard" option might end up being the best one - though potentially expensive.
Other than that, there's not much to say, as Hawkins was a clear #1 pick who fell to #2 because Team 1 drafted for fit. Team 2 probably would've rather had Bridesmaid as well, as their need was similar to the Jazz, but c'est la vie. The talent is evident, and the Nets got a good one.
Action: Celtics Get A Surprise At #3, take Lew "Granville Williams" Alcindor
Reaction: The Celtics proved to be the recipients of the coveted "draft lotto boost," jumping all the way to #3, where they picked up Alcindor. Now, as we all know from my last article, I am not a fan of Alcindor. However, this is probably the best possible situation he could've landed in, and massively improves his chances at fulfilling the potential the simputer thinks he has. The Celtics already have a top-level talent in Antonio Gates, as well as maturing talent in Daniel Johnson, Brittany Griner, and Sanford Benfield. Alcindor will never be asked to do more than what he's best at (scoring), and not having much training for other players to focus on means that most points made can be funneled towards making sure Alcindor hits 4-A offense potential. This is also a pretty complete roster, making Alcindor's weaknesses much, much less damaging. If Alcindor had to be picked this high, this is pretty much as good as it gets.
Action: Grizzles Take Tennessee "Vern Sheridan" Rainwater at #4
Reaction: Tennessee Rainwater is the best damn name in the league, bar none. I'm a little surprised that K-100, who is also in the tax, didn't follow Mike Lowry's lead and seek out a point haul. Rainwater is absolutely the type of prospect you want to start working on ASAP, especially if you're hoping to have him be the face of your franchise moving forward. Leaving Rainwater to develop on his own isn't really making the most of his potential, and I think there were better talents left on the board that would've been better fits for this situation (Cottrill comes to mind). Still, Rainwater was clearly the best player available (imo), and I'll be rooting for K-100 to get that bill paid off as soon as he can so that he can get to work on building Rainwater up.
Action: Mavs take Caitlin "Tyrell Ahern" Clark at #5
Reaction: This is why I was scratching my head at this part of the earlier blockbuster three-way. I like Clark as a prospect, and this still a good trade, but... there's no team in the league that doesn't need another wing like the Mavs. Between Dominitrix Johnson, Angel Reese, Scoot Henderson, Candace Parker, and now Jordan Poole, there's absolutely no room for a 6'4" shooting guard with no ballhandling skills to grow. I suppose Parker could always not be re-signed or just get moved for a big, but that's dependant on who bids on her in RFA. Obviously the Mavs will have the points available to spend on Clark's training, but why? She's not going any further than a 6th woman role here. This is a classic case of "love the move, like the player, hate the fit."
Action: Raphael Cottrill Goes To NO at #6
Reaction: As this team is currently awaiting an owner, this is probably the best possible autopick possible in this situation. Cottrill could use more development, but everything he needs to be a solid player is already there. He should end up as a G/G scorer at worst, which makes him a positive asset, if not a selling point for a new owner down the line. Depending on what the stewards decide to do in the meantime, he may get an opportunity to show off his talent sooner than later.
Action: Magic End Up With Naji "Gene Joy" Marshall At #7
Reaction: And just like I'm sure NickMalone planned it, the Magic take the last blue potential player in the draft at #7. Marshall is an interesting player to add to the duo of Robert Hannon & Hershal Gilmore, as he brings some interior toughness to their largely perimeter-focused abilities. He compliments Gilmore especially well, but I wonder if this is just Nick stacking the deck and hedging his bets in case someone gets overpaid or doesn't pan out.
Action: Heat Keep Picking Up Points & Picks
Action: Wizards Draft Maci "Lanny Garcia" Currin at #8
Reaction: A classic Xist pick, Currin is 6'10" with 80 JMP and 47 QKN. That's an insane combo of size and athleticism, but her skillset leaves a lot of questions. There's really nothing about her potential that immediately makes her destined position clear. She could be anything from a finesse center to a shooting guard with a massive size advantage, but the amount of work that has to be put into her development depending on position and role varies so much that it may be hard to pick a direction and stick with it. Fortunately, the Wizards' current young players don't really need much additional development, so Currin will probably be the sole training focus for the foreseeable future.
Action: Heat Keep #9, Draft Amida "Glen McAlister" Brimah
Reaction: Alright, so take Maci Currin, swap some athleticism attributes around, and make it a little clearer where they can excel at, and we have Amida Brimah. Brimah isn't as impressive offensively, but having a B in BLK makes it much easier to say "Okay, so Brimah's an athletic big, got it." There's some potential for Brimah to end up at small forward, but that would require a level of training that might not be possible depending on how quickly Lowry can get out of the tax and start using points to train again. While the lack of rebounding ability is worrisome for a post player, on a basic level, with no TC boosts, Brimah should be able come off the bench, score inside, and provide defensive energy and hustle. A solid pick.
Action: Edwin Krause Goes To The Hawks At #10
Reaction: The Hawks are a team that's been left parked in neutral. An attempt to go all-in and capitalize on Phil Smith and Justin Amos' primes didn't pan out, and the subsequent backtracking left the team unable to truly compete and seemingly lacking the energy to try. Krause does fill a position of need down low, but it seems that if the plan was to try and get things back on track, the older (22), more NBA-ready William Lindsey would've been the selection here, not the raw 19-year-old Kraus. Now, Krause is undoubtedly the better prospect and will be the better player in the future. He's a DRB training away from being a flawless big man prospect, and there's even potential to become an offensive hub with his ability to both handle and pass the ball. I like this pick, but I do think that this could mark the beginning of the end of the Amos & Smith era in Atlanta.
Action: Wizards Retreat And Recoup, Magic Regain A Lost Pick:
Action: Magic Draft Ritchie "Ivan Phillips" Lynch No. 11
Reaction: I...kinda don't get this. Lynch is a decent prospect, but he's just another wing with little ballhandling skills. The Magic already have 3 of those, 4 if you want to include Tiki Roberts. I'm not really getting the logic of jumping back in just to pick up another wing, especially with the post talent left on the board. It's a good idea to load up, but at some point, it does become hoarding.
Action: Lotto Ends Almost As It Began - With The Heat Doing Something (This Time Drafting Usman "John Kimball" Garuba
Reaction: The best thing about Garuba is how NBA-ready he is. He can step onto a court right now and immediately provide average to above-average post defense. He projects to excel in that specific area, meaning that the Heat may have found a high-level role player that can flourish without any training. His lack of rebounding ability is concerning given that Brimah also isn't a good rebounder, making Jackson-Davis solely responsible for making sure their frontline isn't getting massacred on the boards. This is still a solid pickup though.
Action: Kings Trade For Talent, Raptors Reset A Little
For the Raptors, this is them coming to the realization that their run might be over, and gaining cap flexibility to choose how they want to proceed is a better move than pretending that they're one acquisition away from being back in it. Getting something back for Looney now is also very smart, as now was probably the peak of how easy it'd be to move him. His expiring status also meant that if no deal was found, he would probably have ended up leaving for nothing. He was too valuable an asset to let that happen.
Action: Raptors Draft William Lindsey At #13
Reaction: This makes the previous trade better for the Raptors. I've mentioned before that Lindsey's more of a "contribute now" kind of prospect. Low ceiling, but can be a productive player right away. Drafting him keeps the door open for the Raptors to use their cap space to field a competitive roster instead of going full tank.
Action: Magic Make Me Look Stupid, Blazers Make A Money-Saving Move
Action: Magic Double Up, Draft Jeffrey Krause And Guy Moseley Back-To-Back
Reaction: Ah, here's the young big! Krause is an incomplete big man who at least has very high potential to excel in some areas. At 19, there's plenty of time to improve into a more well-rounded player. Moseley is a young PG with excellent size, great athleticism...and no actual passing ability. Huh. So we've reached that point in the draft.....
NON-LOTTO LIGHTNING ROUND!
Heat Draft Edward Graham - Slow and old, but has a lot of Cs and 82 JMP. Could become a solid role player
Suns Take Henry Widener - Green potential at #17, might be a steal? Will almost certainly be an excellent scorer and rebounder, if nothing else
Eric Hubert Goes To Detroit - Old, but has elite QKN for 6'7", any height, really. Has an outside shot at becoming a big 3&D PG
Wolves Draft Robert Yi - Basically an older version of Currin and Brimah who trades more JMP for more STR. Could be solid, but has less time to develop
Chauncey Wisner Goes To Portland - Remarkably unremarkable big man prospect, old and unathletic
Bulls Draft Harlan Halvorson - Green potential at #21, but it's not hard to see why he fell this far. Very raw defensively with a big hole in his rebounding ability
Pacers Draft Leonard McDonald - Unimpressive old prospect. Can shoot the 3, but other than that, nothing that indicates a long career
Charles Giles Goes To Denver - Has the skillset and potential of a wing, but the athleticism of a big? Would've been a quality pickup if the skills and athleticism matched up
Heat Take James Summerlin - There's a lot of older rookies in this draft. There's not much to get excited about with this one
Nuggets Draft Robert Rex - Traded potential and any hint of talent for a cool name. Probably should've rethought that
Spurs Make Willian Robichaux Mr. Irrelevant - He can score some, but is too unathletic to do it on an NBA level
-Fin-
Action: The Bride, Actually - Jazz take Benny "Hernaen Blanco" Bridesmaid #1
Reaction: Despite the shock of Doering not going 1st, this was really the only option for the Jazz. Why? Because they already have their point guard in Scottie S. Sanders , meaning someone would have to make the jump to the 2. Doering, while extremely talented, is not much of an offensive threat - a general requirement for shooting guard. While Scottie S. Sanders is, he's 6'1", making that position not an option for him at all.
Fortunately, Bridesmaid is a fast big with #1 potential and ability, certainly more than fellow fast big Booger Smith, who now will probably find his way back to small forward. I just really hope digiskunk can stay engaged enough to help Bridesmaid along with his training. Sanders/Smith/Bridesmaid could be the core that catapults the Jazz back into contention some day.
Action: Heat Make Money, Magic and Mavs Make Moves
Reaction: This is a doozy, with a lot to unpack. Once again, the Heat come away with a massive haul for their pick - 20 points and three picks, two of which can easily be traded away for more points if he so chooses. Mike Lowry put on a masterclass on how to get maximum value from your pick while in the tax, and it's good to see that continue. In what most would probably describe as a weak draft, getting this kind of value for #5 is impressive.Mike Lowry wrote: Mon Jan 15, 2024 5:30 pm Heat send:
#5 pick (Mavs)
Mavs send:
#7 pick (Magic)
2058 1st (Magic)
Joseph Morelock (Magic)
Gary Payton II (Heat)
10 points (Heat)
Magic send:
Jordan Poole (Mavs)
#9 pick (Heat)
#12 pick (Heat)
#24 pick (Heat)
10 points (Heat)
For the Magic though, this signals something. Moving up from #9 to #7 guarantees them the last blue potential piece on the board if the the draft goes as scheduled. This is a pretty big deal given the drop-off in talent after the last blue comes off the board, especially in the wing market. This also gives the Magic the pick of the litter if they choose to go in another direction. They also get off of Jordan Poole's massive deal, giving them much more freedom for their rebuild. A solid move all-around.
It's a similar deal for the Mavs, who, from purely a "talent added" standpoint, are the winners of this trade. Not only do they get the best pick (#5), they get the best player as well (Jordan Poole), a player who fills a major hole for them. The pick, strangely enough, is the odd one, as they have absolutely no need for anything available in that range that wouldn't still be there at their original position at #7.
Still, this is a great deal for all involved, even without the added clarity that will come once actual selections have been made.
Action: Nets Double Up, Draft Jordan "Edison Doering" Hawkins #2
Reaction: In what's both the opposite of the pick prior and a repeat of the #1 pick last season, the Nets now have two promising point guards on their roster. Fortunately, current point guard Supreme Cook has the offensive attributes to either move over to shooting guard full-time or come off the bench as a combo guard. Hawkins is raw, so it's not a problem that needs solving now, but it's good to know that there's a ready-made solution in place and that a future trade may not be needed. Cook's athleticism is quite poor outside of his elite QKN, so the "bench combo guard" option might end up being the best one - though potentially expensive.
Other than that, there's not much to say, as Hawkins was a clear #1 pick who fell to #2 because Team 1 drafted for fit. Team 2 probably would've rather had Bridesmaid as well, as their need was similar to the Jazz, but c'est la vie. The talent is evident, and the Nets got a good one.
Action: Celtics Get A Surprise At #3, take Lew "Granville Williams" Alcindor
Reaction: The Celtics proved to be the recipients of the coveted "draft lotto boost," jumping all the way to #3, where they picked up Alcindor. Now, as we all know from my last article, I am not a fan of Alcindor. However, this is probably the best possible situation he could've landed in, and massively improves his chances at fulfilling the potential the simputer thinks he has. The Celtics already have a top-level talent in Antonio Gates, as well as maturing talent in Daniel Johnson, Brittany Griner, and Sanford Benfield. Alcindor will never be asked to do more than what he's best at (scoring), and not having much training for other players to focus on means that most points made can be funneled towards making sure Alcindor hits 4-A offense potential. This is also a pretty complete roster, making Alcindor's weaknesses much, much less damaging. If Alcindor had to be picked this high, this is pretty much as good as it gets.
Action: Grizzles Take Tennessee "Vern Sheridan" Rainwater at #4
Reaction: Tennessee Rainwater is the best damn name in the league, bar none. I'm a little surprised that K-100, who is also in the tax, didn't follow Mike Lowry's lead and seek out a point haul. Rainwater is absolutely the type of prospect you want to start working on ASAP, especially if you're hoping to have him be the face of your franchise moving forward. Leaving Rainwater to develop on his own isn't really making the most of his potential, and I think there were better talents left on the board that would've been better fits for this situation (Cottrill comes to mind). Still, Rainwater was clearly the best player available (imo), and I'll be rooting for K-100 to get that bill paid off as soon as he can so that he can get to work on building Rainwater up.
Action: Mavs take Caitlin "Tyrell Ahern" Clark at #5
Reaction: This is why I was scratching my head at this part of the earlier blockbuster three-way. I like Clark as a prospect, and this still a good trade, but... there's no team in the league that doesn't need another wing like the Mavs. Between Dominitrix Johnson, Angel Reese, Scoot Henderson, Candace Parker, and now Jordan Poole, there's absolutely no room for a 6'4" shooting guard with no ballhandling skills to grow. I suppose Parker could always not be re-signed or just get moved for a big, but that's dependant on who bids on her in RFA. Obviously the Mavs will have the points available to spend on Clark's training, but why? She's not going any further than a 6th woman role here. This is a classic case of "love the move, like the player, hate the fit."
Action: Raphael Cottrill Goes To NO at #6
Reaction: As this team is currently awaiting an owner, this is probably the best possible autopick possible in this situation. Cottrill could use more development, but everything he needs to be a solid player is already there. He should end up as a G/G scorer at worst, which makes him a positive asset, if not a selling point for a new owner down the line. Depending on what the stewards decide to do in the meantime, he may get an opportunity to show off his talent sooner than later.
Action: Magic End Up With Naji "Gene Joy" Marshall At #7
Reaction: And just like I'm sure NickMalone planned it, the Magic take the last blue potential player in the draft at #7. Marshall is an interesting player to add to the duo of Robert Hannon & Hershal Gilmore, as he brings some interior toughness to their largely perimeter-focused abilities. He compliments Gilmore especially well, but I wonder if this is just Nick stacking the deck and hedging his bets in case someone gets overpaid or doesn't pan out.
Action: Heat Keep Picking Up Points & Picks
Reaction: While this is really just another example of the Heat's impressive ability to use whatever assets they have to get more points and picks, there is an interesting point to make from the Wizards' side. Chauncey Banks was a player acquired in last season's FA period to team with Remy Martin. Once it was revealed that Martin wasn't going to re-sign, Banks instantly became dead weight. This frees up a substantial amount of present and future cap space for the Wizards, adding a lot of flexibility to their options for a rebuild.Xist2Inspire wrote: Tue Jan 16, 2024 11:17 am Wizards Receive:
•Heat '59 2nd
Heat Receive:
•Chauncey Banks
•#16
•5 points
(viewtopic.php?f=15&t=85&p=110964#p110964)
Action: Wizards Draft Maci "Lanny Garcia" Currin at #8
Reaction: A classic Xist pick, Currin is 6'10" with 80 JMP and 47 QKN. That's an insane combo of size and athleticism, but her skillset leaves a lot of questions. There's really nothing about her potential that immediately makes her destined position clear. She could be anything from a finesse center to a shooting guard with a massive size advantage, but the amount of work that has to be put into her development depending on position and role varies so much that it may be hard to pick a direction and stick with it. Fortunately, the Wizards' current young players don't really need much additional development, so Currin will probably be the sole training focus for the foreseeable future.
Action: Heat Keep #9, Draft Amida "Glen McAlister" Brimah
Reaction: Alright, so take Maci Currin, swap some athleticism attributes around, and make it a little clearer where they can excel at, and we have Amida Brimah. Brimah isn't as impressive offensively, but having a B in BLK makes it much easier to say "Okay, so Brimah's an athletic big, got it." There's some potential for Brimah to end up at small forward, but that would require a level of training that might not be possible depending on how quickly Lowry can get out of the tax and start using points to train again. While the lack of rebounding ability is worrisome for a post player, on a basic level, with no TC boosts, Brimah should be able come off the bench, score inside, and provide defensive energy and hustle. A solid pick.
Action: Edwin Krause Goes To The Hawks At #10
Reaction: The Hawks are a team that's been left parked in neutral. An attempt to go all-in and capitalize on Phil Smith and Justin Amos' primes didn't pan out, and the subsequent backtracking left the team unable to truly compete and seemingly lacking the energy to try. Krause does fill a position of need down low, but it seems that if the plan was to try and get things back on track, the older (22), more NBA-ready William Lindsey would've been the selection here, not the raw 19-year-old Kraus. Now, Krause is undoubtedly the better prospect and will be the better player in the future. He's a DRB training away from being a flawless big man prospect, and there's even potential to become an offensive hub with his ability to both handle and pass the ball. I like this pick, but I do think that this could mark the beginning of the end of the Amos & Smith era in Atlanta.
Action: Wizards Retreat And Recoup, Magic Regain A Lost Pick:
Reaction: Pretty straightforward commentary here - the Wizards no longer had any players left that they wanted and decided to recoup the points that they lost from offloading Banks onto the Heat, and the Magic saw a chance to jump back in and pick up a player they probably scouted before their earlier trade was developed.NickMalone77 wrote: Tue Jan 16, 2024 12:47 pm Magic send: 7 Points, 2057 & 2059 Second Round Magic Picks.
viewtopic.php?f=15&t=12495&p=104418#p104418
For
Wizards send: Pick #11.
Action: Magic Draft Ritchie "Ivan Phillips" Lynch No. 11
Reaction: I...kinda don't get this. Lynch is a decent prospect, but he's just another wing with little ballhandling skills. The Magic already have 3 of those, 4 if you want to include Tiki Roberts. I'm not really getting the logic of jumping back in just to pick up another wing, especially with the post talent left on the board. It's a good idea to load up, but at some point, it does become hoarding.
Action: Lotto Ends Almost As It Began - With The Heat Doing Something (This Time Drafting Usman "John Kimball" Garuba
Reaction: The best thing about Garuba is how NBA-ready he is. He can step onto a court right now and immediately provide average to above-average post defense. He projects to excel in that specific area, meaning that the Heat may have found a high-level role player that can flourish without any training. His lack of rebounding ability is concerning given that Brimah also isn't a good rebounder, making Jackson-Davis solely responsible for making sure their frontline isn't getting massacred on the boards. This is still a solid pickup though.
Action: Kings Trade For Talent, Raptors Reset A Little
Reaction: Y'know, I know SuperDog got a lot of flack for riding Killian Hayes until the wheels fell off (and the same is arguably being done for Rockwell), but this is a really good move and textbook example of how to use cap when you have an upcoming RFA. Looney is a proven positive talent coming off his best year, pairs very well with Ndefo, and is an expiring - same as Rockwell. Whereas the Kings were looking at being nearly capped out with nothing new added, now they're kinda like the Suns last year - a complete roster hoping a youngster (Hollis or Jones in this case) can fill their one obvious gap. And all it took was a non-lotto pick in a fairly weak draft.pennpanther1 wrote: Tue Jan 16, 2024 1:49 pm Toronto Raptors trade
Kevon Looney
5 points viewtopic.php?f=15&t=12059&p=109972#p109972
Sacramento Kings trade
Sacramento 2057 1st Round pick (#13)
Woodrow Lucky
For the Raptors, this is them coming to the realization that their run might be over, and gaining cap flexibility to choose how they want to proceed is a better move than pretending that they're one acquisition away from being back in it. Getting something back for Looney now is also very smart, as now was probably the peak of how easy it'd be to move him. His expiring status also meant that if no deal was found, he would probably have ended up leaving for nothing. He was too valuable an asset to let that happen.
Action: Raptors Draft William Lindsey At #13
Reaction: This makes the previous trade better for the Raptors. I've mentioned before that Lindsey's more of a "contribute now" kind of prospect. Low ceiling, but can be a productive player right away. Drafting him keeps the door open for the Raptors to use their cap space to field a competitive roster instead of going full tank.
Action: Magic Make Me Look Stupid, Blazers Make A Money-Saving Move
Reaction: Ah, so this is why Lynch was drafted...Roberts was getting shipped out. My bad, Nick. So yet another pick to replace the ones that were sent out, plus a quality player to generate points for the youngsters...this has suddenly turned into a very active draft for the Magic, and a near-complete roster overhaul. For the Blazers, this is a much-needed financial reset. This is a promising team with nearly all of their young talent locked up, being as far over the cap as they were just wasn't going to cut it. Getting some - any - relief is very good.NickMalone77 wrote: Tue Jan 16, 2024 12:39 pm Magic send: Tiki Roberts
For
Portland sends: Ned Lomax & #15
Action: Magic Double Up, Draft Jeffrey Krause And Guy Moseley Back-To-Back
Reaction: Ah, here's the young big! Krause is an incomplete big man who at least has very high potential to excel in some areas. At 19, there's plenty of time to improve into a more well-rounded player. Moseley is a young PG with excellent size, great athleticism...and no actual passing ability. Huh. So we've reached that point in the draft.....
NON-LOTTO LIGHTNING ROUND!
Heat Draft Edward Graham - Slow and old, but has a lot of Cs and 82 JMP. Could become a solid role player
Suns Take Henry Widener - Green potential at #17, might be a steal? Will almost certainly be an excellent scorer and rebounder, if nothing else
Eric Hubert Goes To Detroit - Old, but has elite QKN for 6'7", any height, really. Has an outside shot at becoming a big 3&D PG
Wolves Draft Robert Yi - Basically an older version of Currin and Brimah who trades more JMP for more STR. Could be solid, but has less time to develop
Chauncey Wisner Goes To Portland - Remarkably unremarkable big man prospect, old and unathletic
Bulls Draft Harlan Halvorson - Green potential at #21, but it's not hard to see why he fell this far. Very raw defensively with a big hole in his rebounding ability
Pacers Draft Leonard McDonald - Unimpressive old prospect. Can shoot the 3, but other than that, nothing that indicates a long career
Charles Giles Goes To Denver - Has the skillset and potential of a wing, but the athleticism of a big? Would've been a quality pickup if the skills and athleticism matched up
Heat Take James Summerlin - There's a lot of older rookies in this draft. There's not much to get excited about with this one
Nuggets Draft Robert Rex - Traded potential and any hint of talent for a cool name. Probably should've rethought that
Spurs Make Willian Robichaux Mr. Irrelevant - He can score some, but is too unathletic to do it on an NBA level
-Fin-