NBA First Round Draft Review
Looking back historically, in every draft, there have been tremendous whiffs and there have been tremendous steals. Thanks to varying degrees of extensive scouting and GM adeptness, high picks have sometimes yielded stiffs where lower picks found All Stars. In light of this, I have decided to give grades on all of the first round picks.
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1. New Orleans Hornets: Anthony Davis
Grade: A +
This one was a no-brainer. Davis is potentially a future franchise cornerstone and has almost no bust potential. He gives the Hornets a bright future. Any team would have made this pick here.
2. Charlotte Bobcats: Michael Kidd-Gilchrist
Grade: B+
Another great pick. Kidd-Gilchrist can be expected to bring a ton of energy from day 1, which should prove infectious towards the rest of the team. Kidd-Gilchrist does everything well, for a Bobcats team that needs help in every area. MKG and new coach Mike Dunlap look to tighten a sloppy Bobcats ship and help solidify a young core that should start turning things around soon enough.
3. Washington Wizards: Bradley Beal
Grade: A+
Beal is a perfect fit for Washington. He gives the Wizards a good shooter for John Wall to kick out to and great rebounding instincts for a guard. After the disasters of Nick Young and Javale McGee, Beal is just what the doctor ordered for Washington. He is a high character guy that plays both ends of the floor. Excellent pick.
4. Cleveland Cavaliers: Dion Waiters
Grade: C
Waiters was drafted extremely high for a guard that only averaged 12.6 points per game and didn’t start a single game last year. When were 6’2″ shooting guards ever highly regarded? I see the Dwayne Wade comparisons, but I don’t think that Waiters should have been picked here. Barnes would have been a better, complementary fit, who doesn’t need to over dribble to score.
5. Sacramento Kings: Thomas Robinson
Grade: A-
Robinson was projected to go at 2, so the Kings must have been elated to have him fall to 5. Robinson forms a young front court with budding star DeMarcus Cousins, which will be scary after a couple years of gelling. Robinson seems like a perfect complement to Cousins. Robinson is a great defensive rebounder, complementing Cousins’ offensive rebounding skills. TRob is also an extremely hard worker, which should challenge Cousins to keep working. All in all, a great fit. Either way, the Kings couldn’t lose here; after Davis, the next four prospects were all of similar talent.
6. Portland Trailblazers: Damien Lillard
Grade: B
Raymond Felton is a unrestricted free agent right now and with this pick, the Blazers can afford to let him walk. Lillard is an explosive scorer with tremendous speed and quickness, who was second in the NCAA in scoring at 24.5 points per game at Weber State. The only question mark surrounding this speedy guard is the level of competition that allowed him drop 24.5 points on a nightly basis. Lillard played in the Big Sky Conference, an ironically smaller conference with lower levels of competition. It will undoubtedly be a huge jump for Lillard, who also eschewed working out against other competition and opted to work out alone for his pre-draft showings. Hopefully, history will be on his side, as Rodney Stuckey, Kevin Martin, and Steph Curry all went to small schools and excelled in the NBA.
7. Golden State Warriors: Harrison Barnes
Grade: A
The Warriors saw Barnes, a top 5 talent, slip to them at number 7 and immediately snatched him up. Even the Warriors, notorious for their draft unreliability, weren’t able to botch this one up. This pick was a godsend for the Warriors, as it filled the positional need and gave them yet another shooter and underrated athlete. Barnes’ biggest problem is getting to the cup of his own accord
8. Toronto Raptors: Terrence Ross
Grade: C
Ross was projected as a mid 1st round pick, so this pick was a bit of a reach by the Raptors. Don’t get me wrong, Ross is a great player, with explosive athleticism and a nice stroke. However, I think that Jeremy Lamb has all that and is more advanced than Ross at this point. This was a reach at 8, and Lamb would have been a much more proven pick with more potential. Hopefully, Ross will turn out alright, as it is speculated that his production was hindered by undeveloped point guard Tony Wroten. Working with Jose Calderon will be a big step up, as Calderon is one of the best passers in the NBA.
9. Detroit Pistons: Andre Drummond
Grade: D+
At this point, Drummond had slid so far that it would be pure folly to pass him up. Although he has tremendous bust potential, seven footers with 280 frames and speed, quickness, and athleticism come once in a blue moon. If he can reach his full potential, he could be a tremendous physical complement to Greg Monroe’s more finesse game. However, I believe this was a terrible situation for both the Pistons and Drummond. Joe Dumars already has a very sullied record in his past couple years and has created a toxic environment for young players and a confused direction. This Pistons team is stuck in limbo and there is no way that this is beneficial to either party. Drummond was a risk for any team to take, but this is perhaps one of the worst scenarios.
10. New Orleans Hornets: Austin Rivers
Grade: D-
Okay, what??? This was an absolutely terrible pick for the Hornets. Rivers is not a pure point guard and too undersized to be a pure shooting guard. What Rivers can do is put the ball in the basket and provide a dynamic scorer. This would make sense for a team in need of scoring or a filler for the shooting guard position who can also play point guard. Instead, the Hornets already have Eric Gordon as a restricted free agent and have committed their future to Gordon. Rivers just does not fit in the picture as he does the same thing as Gordon, which is scoring. Right now, the Hornets point guards consist of Jarrett Jack and Greivis Vasquez, who is perhaps the most unathletic PG to ever grace this planet. I would have liked to see the Hornets nab Kendall Marshall and solidify their future with defined positions.
11. Portland Trailblazers: Meyers Leonard
Grade: D+
We all know how Portland Trailblazers centers turn out. That is all.
12. Houston Rockets: Jeremy Lamb
Grade: B
Lamb is certainly talented, but jeez, how many young, athletic wings has Houston had in the last couple years? Not many of their wings have blossomed to more than average, but Lamb has the potential to be a solid player. He has great athleticism and a pull up jumper. Honestly, I do not think that Daryl Morey plans on keeping this pick, as they have tons of young players waitintg in the aisles. If Morey truly intends to make a splash, this is a good pick and the best talent on the board.
13. Phoenix Suns: Kendall Marshall
Grade: B+
After spending the last 8 seasons in Phoenix, Steve Nash may finally cut his ties and go to a contender. In recognition of this, the Suns have decided to take Kendall Marshall, a player right in the mold of Nash. Management hopes Marshall can replicate Nash’s success if surrounded with the right pieces. Good pick, but I don’t know if this is necessarily the right move, as Nash never seemed to be able to get over the hump.
14. Milwaukee Bucks: John Henson
Grade: A-
Henson is long, rangy, athletic, and block a ton of shots. While the Bucks didn’t draft a center here, they already remedied that solution by trading for Samuel Dalembert, a solid defensive presence. Henson has great potential if he bulks up, but is too skinny to play real minutes in the NBA right now. This also solves the problem of having to overpay Ersan Ilyasova and Drew Gooden, who both had breakout years thanks to opportunities caused by injuries. Henson is very talented and can become a solid, if not exceptional player in years to come.
15. Philadelphia 76ers: Moe Harkless
Grade: D
Moe Harkless is a tweener at 6’8″ who is too small to play power forward but too slow and too raw to play small forward. He also can’t shoot. Sound like anyone you know? This was a terrible pick for the 76ers. Not only was it a little high for Harkless, who was expected around the 20s, but was also an absolutely TERRIBLE fit for the 76ers. They already have Thad Young, who is THE EXACT SAME PLAYER as Harkless. Absolutely terrible pick. A bad situation for Harkless as well; the Sixers have an All Star small forward in Iguodala and the same positional player in Thad Young. Harkless will not be able to develop unless he gets traded and the Sixers will not see the benefit of this pick.
16. Houston Rockets: Royce White
Grade: B
Again, Rockets don’t really need these picks and are probably going to try to make a splash for a superstar with these assets. White is very talented however, with great size, rebounding instincts and fantastic handles and passing ability for a power forward. The two biggest question marks in the draft however are his ability to handle flying and his passion towards the game.
17. Dallas Mavericks (Traded to Cleveland Cavaliers): Tyler Zeller
Grade: B+/B-
I gave the Mavericks a B+ for picking Tyler Zeller and a B- for the Cavs for trading for Zeller. Zeller was slated to go around the early teens and he slipped a little due to the Bucks trade. The Maverick made another shrewd move, turning Zeller into 3 picks. As for the Cavs, I am puzzled as to why the need Zeller. They already have Anderson Varajao and are paying him around 10 million a year. Zeller is no doubt talented, but his ceiling is not that high and I do not think he could be a starter on a good team.
18. Houston Rockets: Terrence Jones
Grade: B
Jones is another awkward tweener for the Rockets, joining Chandler Parsons, Marcus Morris, and Royce White. Jones is a great rebounder, help side defender, and has great handles for his size. Jones could have gone top 10 last year, so this is a great talent pick for the Rockets. It is not clear where Jones will play on the Rockets, as there are too many similar players. Again, look for a future move.
19. Orlando Magic: Andrew Nicholson
Grade: B
Nicholson is a beast down low and while he won’t convince Dwight Howard to commit long term, he can make an impact. He has incredible footwork and is the best shooting big in this draft. He played for a small school and only blossomed as a senior, but has good size at 6’10” and plenty of potential. Nicholson is picked right about where he is projected. On a related note, Nicholson did not do well in the interviews and sounded like a complete idiot.
20. Denver Nuggets: Evan Fournier
Grade: F
A huge head scratcher. Fournier is honestly nothing special and in no way warrants the a top 20 pick; he was projected more as a late late first round or second round. He won’t be ready for another couple of years and won’t have a chance to gel with this young core, which will lead to chemistry issues in the future. He has decent size for his position (6’7″ SG), but that’s about it. Not a good pick for the young, up and coming Nuggets, who don’t need a player to stash. It would have been better for Fournier to go to a stronger team, like the Bulls or Spurs.
21. Boston Celtics: Jared Sullinger
Grade: A-
A couple weeks ago, Sullinger was top 10 talent. After back problems were found, however, Sullinger’s stock dropped heavily. Sullinger may not be athletic or long, but has a developing outside game and a huge butt and frame coupled with great low post moves. Sounds similar to a certain current All-NBA forward…
22. Boston Celtics: Fab Melo
Grade: A-
Melo immediately becomes the best center on the Boston Celtics, as well as the only center. Melo has legit NBA size and shot blocking ability, but he needs to develop an offensive game and consistency. If KG stays, he can be a good tutor to Melo. Melo’s ceiling probably will be a fringe starter, but centers are very rare in this size starved league.
23. Atlanta Hawks: John Jenkins
Grade: C+
John Jenkins is the best shooter in the draft, but he can’t do much else. He is a prototypical shooting guard, as all he does is shoot. He will be a good back up for Joe Johnson, but is definitely nothing special.
24. Cleveland Cavaliers: Jared Cunningham
Grade: B-
Cunningham is a very smooth scorer and scored at a pace of 17.9 points per game at Oregon State, which also saw Brent Barry and Gary Payton as alumni. I don’t think Cunningham will surprise anyone, but he will be a decent 9th or 10th man, who can contribute some scoring off the bench.
25. Memphis Grizzlies: Tony Wroten
Grade: B
The Grizzlies found a backup for Mike Conley, but Wroten still has a long ways to go before he can be reliable. Wroten has tremendous athleticism and explosiveness, but is very much a project. Wroten also needs to overcome his selfishness and stay in control to succeed at the NBA level.
26. Indiana Pacers: Miles Plumlee
Grade: C+
Aaah… Yet another big white guy taken by the Pacers. The stereotypes abound in this draft. Surprisingly, contrary to the White Man Can’t Jump stereotypes, Plumlee is very athletic. He registered a 41″ max vert and repped 15 times on the bench press. He is legit 7 feet and should have strong fundamentals from Coach K. A bit of a reach on this pick though, especially seeing how Plumlee didn’t register great stats in college and was ranked much lower. A fitting last tribute to Larry Bird before he leaves, maybe, but Plumlee will not be NBA ready for another couple of years.
27. Miami Heat (traded to Philadelphia 76ers): Arnett Moultrie
Grade: B+
The 76ers got a great bolster to their front court with Moultrie. Moultrie is not necessarily a dominant scorer but is long and able to get rebounds and be a strong role player. The Heat on the other hand got a higher pick that they could stash for the future, when a need is more apparent.
28. Oklahoma City Thunder: Perry Jones III
Grade: A+
The. Best. Pick. Of. The. Draft. PJ3 was projected to go as high as 7 overall and is absurdly talented. GMs were wary of his bust potential and his apparent lack of passion for the game. Much of his passivity and failure to capitalize on his situation at Baylor could be credited to personal family issues and to coaching deficiencies. Jones has incredible physical tools and talent and can put it together in OKC’s tight knit team, which will keep him accountable and allow him to develop into a strong player, instead of floundering with no direction on a rebuilding team with no direction. My favorite pick.
29. Chicago Bulls: Marquis Teague
Grade: C-
Was Marquis Teague really the right choice? Sure, he was a projected first round talent and the Bulls just lost an MVP point guard in Derrick Rose, but there are mitigating factors which could have allowed them to pick a better player. John Lucas III and CJ Watson both played great last season replacing Rose, so the Bulls aren’t in dire need of another PG. Furthermore, I don’t think Teague is that good anyways. He was the weakest player on Kentucky’s starting five and only averaged 4.8 assists to 2.7 turnovers. Granted he shaped up going into the national tournament, but a defensive stopper like Jeff Taylor or a replacement for Omer Asik like Festus Ezeli would have been preferable.
30. Golden State Warriors: Festus Ezeli
Grade: B
Decent pick which provides a bit of insurance when Andrew Bogut gets injured next season. Ezeli is still a project, but bigs always take longer to develop. For some reason, I see Ezeli as one of those journeymen centers, like a Nazr Mohammed or a Joel Przybilla. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, I just don’t see him being that “good.” Still, he is big and you can’t teach height.
In total, that makes 8 A’s, 12 B’s, 5 C’s, 4 D’s, and a single F.
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