2008 NBA Draft Review

I’m not one to start giving out draft grades, so I’m going use a basic formula for each team’s performance: How would I feel as a fan, today, if this was my favorite team (note: I have omitted the 2 teams without a pick, ATL and NO, and the 3 that only had a 2nd round pick, LAL, DEN and DAL). I’m going to put each team into 1 of 4 categories: Pumped, Ticked, Bored and Confused. I will also have the teams ordered from top to bottom ranging from how strong the emotion would be. Wow that last sentence sounds stupid. Oh well, I’m hungover, the Phillies are sucking, what do you want from me. Let’s do this:

Pumped

Portland Trail Blazers - All they needed was a PG, but at the 13th pick, it didn’t seem likely that one of the top prospects at that position would fall to them. Enter evil-genius Kevin Pritchard who managed to use the 13th pick to get the 4th best player on his draft board (Jerryd Bayless) without giving up anybody in particular. Now their opening night line-up will be Bayless, Webster, Roy, Aldridge and Oden with Frye, Outlaw, Przybilla, Blake and Rudy Fernandez (first year over from Spain) coming off the bench. What a collection of young talent. It may not be this year, but the sky is limit for that crew.

Miami Heat - You have Michael Beasley and he’s not going anywhere. Mayo and Bayless have both already been traded and won’t be traded again. I have my doubts about Beasley, but if he’s on my team right now, I’m thinking about the people who say he’s a HOF caliber talent, not those saying he’ll party too much in South Beach. The topper was getting Mario Chalmers, who could have gone as high as #12 without people being surprised, in the second round. They needed a PG, and Chalmers will be a perfect fit on a team like this with 2 big-time scorers carrying the load.

Minnesota Timberwolves - Looking at their roster, the Wolves really aren’t THAT far behind the Blazers in the up-and-coming team category. Next year they will send out a line-up of Foye, McCants, Miller, Love and Jefferson with a bench including Telfair, Brewer, Gomes and Craig Smith. Probably won’t make the playoffs next year, but could REALLY do some damage in a couple years. Impressive turnaround by the much-maligned Kevin McHale (Kevin Love could not be in better situation with constant access to McHale, by the way).

Toronto Raptors - If I’m a Raptors fan right now, I am absolutely drinking the kool-aid and and telling myself that Jermaine O’Neal is going to be motivated to return to all-star form (he’s only 29) and that Jose Calderon at the point the whole year will make us the 3rd best team in the East.

Chicago Bulls - Whenever you have the first pick in the NBA draft and you don’t totally screw it up, you can’t not be excited as a fan. It’s been said a kajillion times at this point, but his leadership and drive is exactly what this team needs. That, and to do some kind of 3 for 1 trade to upgrade their roster, they currently have 12 rotation guys on their team. That’s too many.

Los Angeles Clippers- They needed a 2-guard and they got a great one with a very high ceiling in Eric Gordon. Add him to a line-up with Maggette, Brand, Thornton and Kaman, and the Clips could re-create some of that ‘06 magic. They also stole DeAndre Jordan, who I wanted no part of, but is much better than a mid-second round talent.

Houston Rockets - Donte Green and Joey Dorsey are both guys that can come in and contribute next year to their already solid bench.

Boston Celtics - They just won the championship, all their fans could just sit back and enjoy watching the other teams try to catch up. That must be nice.

Orlando Magic - Courtney Lee HAS to be better than J.J. Redick. Right?

Utah Jazz - Kosta Koufos, Ante Tomic and Tadija Dragicevic. They are going to have to give out sunglasses every game due to the blinding white-ness radiating from the court at Jazz games.

Ticked

Seattle Supersonics - It was bad enough that they took Russell Westbrook when they DESPERATELY need another scorer to compliment Kevin Durant, NOT a PG version of the guy they drafted last year, Jeff Green. But then, after the news of the O.J. Mayo trade broke, every Sonics fan must have been thinking “you mean, if we had drafted Love, we could have traded him for Mayo?” Then, with several decent prospects on the board (Donte Green? Mario Chalmers?) they take their 4th project (read: crappy) big man in 5 years. So instead of a DREAM pairing of O.J. Mayo and Kevin Durant, they get Kevin Durant and 4 guys who can’t score so he’s going to get qua-triple-teamed every play. As a basketball fan, not a Sonics fan, this ticked me off. Mayo and Durant would have been phenomenal to watch together for years to come. I feel cheated. Also, extra points to Sonics fans for the fact that their pathetic-excuses-for-human-being owners are moving to team because they feel like it.

Charlotte Bobcats - Michael Jordan and Larry Brown had the 9th and 20th picks in this draft and managed to not improve their team one bit for next year. I didn’t think that was possible. They drafted Augustin, who at best, will be slightly better than Raymond Felton and they drafted Ajinca, who at best, will be a back-up center with energy. D.J. Augustin and Alexis Ajinca or Mario Chalmers and Brook Lopez. Hmmmmm….

Cleveland Cavaliers - Well, they picked up my man J.J. Hickson at 19, so I should love their draft if I am Cavs fan right? No - and there are 2 reasons why. One, the only thing on Cavs fans’ minds should be getting another big-time talent to play with LeBron - any move short of that will result in more of the same next year. Two, the moves the Nets made (more on this later) essentially started the countdown for the day LeBron leaves town before winning a title. That day will absolutely crush the spirits of every Cleveland fan. I mean CRUSH. I mean CRUSH. Every time he does something amazing for the next 2 years, all they will think about is that he will be gone soon, probably be remembered for the team he plays for next, and that you will never, EVER, get an opportunity to get a player like him again. I fully expect that Cleveland’s Alcoholics Anonymous meetings will have to be held at Jacob’s Field starting in 2012 to support the amount of people attending.

New York Knicks - If I’m a Knicks fan, I’m ticked for 2 reasons. One, because I would have preferred Eric Gordon or Jerryd Bayless instead of a high-risk, high-reward player (I don’t hate the Gallinari pick, but I don’t see him making any kind of immediate impact). And two, I’d be embarrassed to be a Knicks fan a be associated with those that booed their new draft pick, because they think it’s funny and they are expected to, not because they have any knowledge of the game. Frankly, I hope Gallinari tears it up and then signs with another team the second he can followed by “Gallinari getting booed” replacing “McNabb getting booed” as the most overplayed sports clip ever. (Note: I’m aware I’m from Philly - but I don’t boo draft picks. I wait till they suck to boo them).

Washington Wizards - I’d rather have an undersized PF with kidney problems than a skinny center who hasn’t learned how to play yet.

Bored

Detroit Pistons - I’m willing to bet that no Pistons fan has seen both Walter Sharpe and Trent Plaisted play. I’d also be willing to bet that they never will.

San Antonio Spurs - Tim Duncan was the last time the Spurs had an exciting draft. And he’s the greatest boring player ever. More than any other team, it will be extremely weird to see them in the lottery one day. Can you imagine them taking a player like O.J. Mayo?

Sacramento Kings - Jason Thompson’s name is even boring. They didn’t get their guy (Augustin) and should probably have traded out of the first round.

Philadelphia Sixers - My guy (J.J. Hickson) was there. My 2nd choice (Kosta Koufos) dropped further than we thought. Either of these guys and I’d be really excited and then……. Marreese Speights. Both Dannie and my reaction? “Meh.” Our reaction to us not giving up 2 second rounders to get Mario Chalmers, or trade back into the first to get Darrell Arthur? “Meh.” Dannie will have much more on the Sixers draft, but I’m not sure it could have been more dull for us. That’s 2 “r’s,” 2 “e’s” and 1 “s” in Marreese, by the way.

New Jersey Nets - Thought about giving these guys and the Cavs their own category called “scared to death.” Essentially, the ownership has said that they are mailing in the next two years under the pretense that LeBron will sign with them because he’s friends with Jay-Z. In the meantime, you’ll have to watch the exhilarating games of Brook Lopez, a half-trying Vince Carter and Bobby Simmons. Oh - and if LeBron doesn’t sign, you’ve just lost 2 years of your life.

Phoenix Suns - Excited that you drafted SOMEONE, I guess. But considering the coaching change, potential disaster Shaq trade, and the window clearly closing on this team, it’s hard to get excited about someone who’s ceiling is Anderson Varejao.

Confused

Memphis Grizzlies - If you are a Memphis fan right now, what on earth is going through your head? On the one hand, you’ve got to be delighted you ended the night with O.J. Mayo and Darrell Arthur. On the other hand, you’ve spent the last couple weeks watching Pau Gasol in the playoffs, hearing that you will sell this pick to the highest bidder to save cap space and that your owners want to cut salary even though they are under the cap. THEN - you go ahead and acquire a horrendous contract in Marko Jaric and include your second best player, Mike Miller, in the Love/Mayo deal. Do you want to win? Do you want to save money? You couldn’t trade one of your THREE young PG’s instead of Miller? Do you have ANY SORT OF PLAN HERE? (Sidenote: If you don’t have enough money to run a professional sports team, then DON’T BUY AN EFFING PROFESSIONAL SPORTS TEAM. Go buy a yacht or a house in Milan and pay peasants to let you spit on them. OK, I feel better now.)

Milwaukee Bucks - I’d want to be ticked, but the team improved, so I’ll settle for confused. How do you pick Joe Alexander when you just traded for Richard Jefferson and Jerryd Bayless and DJ Augustin are staring you in the face as a upgrade to Mo Williams at PG. Essentially what they said is that their #8 overall pick is not going to start for 3 years or so. Get excited Milwaukee.

Indiana Pacers - Indiana fans this morning: Uhhh… are we good now? I can’t tell. Including the O’Neal trade, the Pacers have SIX new players on their squad. They are now a deep team, with no #1 guy, who will be impossible to project next year. Added to this was trading the gift-wrapped Jerryd Bayless (great option when T.J. Ford gets hurt) for Brandon Rush and only picking up Jarrett Jack as a bonus. Here is their rotation next year: Ford, Jack, Dunleavy, B. Rush, Granger, Daniels, Murphy, Foster, Hibbert and Nesterovic. They could win 25 games or 45 games. I have no idea.

Golden State Warriors - Didn’t we just draft Anthony Randolph last year? Does this mean Brandan Wright isn’t any good? Is it bad that our two PF’s weigh a combined 250 pounds? Richard Hendrix would excite me as a great 2nd round pick-up though.

Looking to 2009: Ok, so Dannie and I clearly have an unhealthy interest in the NBA draft. No, I’m not about to throw down a mock draft for 2009. BUT, I am going to throw a name out for you if you haven’t heard it before to remember for 2009: Ricky Rubio.

Here are some Rubio facts:

- He is a 6′3” PG from Spain that looks like Pete Maravich
- He was the youngest player to ever play in Spain’s ACB (their NBA) at age 15
- At 16, he led the Euroleague in steals (3.45) despite playing only 18 minutes a game
- This season, at 17, his club team, Joventut Badalona, won the ULEB cup. His teammate and future TrailBlazer, Rudy Fernandez won the MVP. Rubio, the youngest player in the team’s rotation by 3 years, averaged 7.6 pts (on 53% shooting), 4.5 apg, 3.4 rpg and 2.4 spg in 20 minutes.
- Pepe Sanchez said of Rubio: “I think he’s a freak of nature — being so young and being so skilled and also so cool all the time. You can see that he knows what he’s doing. He’s not playing out there with pros based only on his talents. He knows the game and he can only improve.”
- And my favorite Rubio fact. In 2006, Rubio led the U-16 Spanish National Team to the FIBA Europe Championship. During the tournament, he had 3 triple-doubles and 1 quadruple-double. His line for the championship game against Russia? 51 points, 24 rebounds, 12 assists and 7 steals. He also hit a buzzer beater from half-court to send the game into over time. Needless to say, he won the tournament’s MVP after leading it in points, rebounds, assists and steals.

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