ATLANTA HAWKS GRADE: B
Round 1: Jordan Crawford (27, obtained from New Jersey)
Round 2: Pape Sy (53)
Analysis: The Hawks had a lot of success last season with a fellow named Crawford. Jamal Crawford won the Sixth Man of the Year award as a volume scorer who often lit up opposing defenses. His namesake, Jordan Crawford, can do the same. He has deep range, will attack the basket and is always hunting for his shot. With Jamal in the last year of his contract, Jordan looks like he could be a nice replacement down the road.
As for Sy, let's just say that even by the low standards we have for international "stash" picks, this one caught us by surprise. Sy is a point forward with skills, but this pick felt like a reach -- even at No. 53.
BOSTON CELTICS GRADE: A-
Round 1: Avery Bradley (19)
Round 2: Luke Harangody (52)
Analysis: Celtics president Danny Ainge has shown an uncanny ability to find good players later in the draft. He isn't always right (remember Marcus Banks and J.R. Giddens?), but he's found a number of terrific players outside the lottery, including Rajon Rondo, Kendrick Perkins, Tony Allen, Ryan Gomes and Glen Davis, and I think Ainge may have done it again this year.
Just a year ago, Bradley was ranked as ESPNU's No. 1 college prospect coming out of high school. He has all the tools to be a terrific scorer but got stuck in a strange situation at Texas last season. He's not a pure point guard, but the Celtics already have one of those guys. He can slash to the basket and hit the midrange jumper, and what the Celtics really love is his terrific defense on the ball.
Getting Harangody should pay off. Harangody wouldn't make every team, but he reminds me of Brian Scalabrine, who found a measure of success in Boston. While he's far from a sure thing, he really knows how to play and he put up huge numbers at Notre Dame.
CHARLOTTE BOBCATS GRADE: F
Round 1: None
Round 2: None
Analysis: Charlotte traded this first-round pick in 2008 to the Nuggets for the draft rights to Alexis Ajinca, who has been a bust so far for the Bobcats (though they knew he would be a project). The Bobcats would have had the 16th pick in the draft this year and Luke Babbitt ended up going at No. 16. Given that many believe Babbitt could be a valuable rotation player, I'd say the trade didn't work out.
CHICAGO BULLS GRADE: Incomplete
Round 1: Kevin Seraphin (17, traded to Wizards; pending completion of deal)
Round 2: None
Analysis: The Bulls have a trade in place, according to sources who spoke with ESPN's Ric Bucher, that will send Seraphin and veteran guard Kirk Hinrich plus lots of cash to the Wizards (the deal can't be completed officially until July 8). The idea is to create more cap space to pursue two maximum-salary free agents this summer. A number of people around the league believe this trade would make the Bulls the odds-on favorite to land LeBron James and Chris Bosh.
If this deal means the Bulls end up getting LeBron and Bosh, or one of those players and another free agent, then the grading scale doesn't go high enough. Is there an A+++++?
CLEVELAND CAVALIERS GRADE: C+
Round 1: None
Round 2: None
Analysis: Cleveland traded this pick to the Wizards as part of the deal that brought Antawn Jamison to Cleveland. At first the trade seemed like a home run for the Cavs, but that was before Jaimson and the Cavs struggled in the playoffs. Now Jamison's contract looks like a serious impediment to the Cavs' attempt to rebuild for LeBron.
At No. 30, there isn't much talent left on the board. Still, if you asked the Cavs today whether they would rather have (a) the 30th pick and Jamison's cap room or (b) Jamison himself, I think they'd choose the former.
DALLAS MAVERICKS GRADE: B-
Round 1: Dominique Jones (25, obtained from Memphis)
Round 2: None
Analysis: I like that the Mavericks were aggressive and moved up into the first round to get Jones, one of the best scorers in college basketball last season. He's a creative slasher who thrives on getting to the basket.
On the downside, he is a bit undersized, isn't a lights-out shooter and is just an average athlete. Scouts have been divided on him, with some calling him the draft's sleeper and others a bust. The truth is probably somewhere in between.
I'm a little confused about fit, since Jason Terry and Rodrigue Beaubois play similar roles for the Mavs already.
DENVER NUGGETS GRADE: C
Round 1: None
Round 2: None
Analysis: The Nuggets haven't used their own first-round pick since 2005. This year's pick went to Minnesota a year ago for the draft rights to Ty Lawson, who had a very solid rookie season and looks like he could become an important fixture in Denver. It's very doubtful they would've found as much talent this year at No. 23.
DETROIT PISTONS GRADE: A-
Round 1: Greg Monroe (7)
Round 2: Terrico White (36)
Analysis: The Pistons started the night addressing a major need and ended the night swinging for the fences with one of the best young talents in the draft.
Taking Monroe at No. 7 wasn't the Pistons' original hope; they wanted DeMarcus Cousins. But Monroe was the second-best big man on the board, and he brings a lot to the table. He's the draft's best-passing big man, he competes on the boards, and he has some sophistication to his offensive repertoire. On the other hand, he doesn't have the elite athleticism or length the Pistons really desire.
With their second-round pick, the Pistons went the opposite direction. White isn't as skilled or fundamentally sound as Monroe, but he is one of this draft's best athletes and has the versatility to play both backcourt positions. If not for his off year, he would've been a potential lottery pick based on his physical tools, so getting him at No. 36 was a steal.
While Pistons president Joe Dumars certainly didn't solve all the team's problems in the draft, he did take another important rebuilding step.
GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS GRADE: D+
Round 1: Ekpe Udoh (6)
Round 2: None
Analysis: I like Ekpe Udoh and so do a lot of NBA scouts and general managers. But taking him at No. 6 seems like a major reach, especially when you consider the Warriors' current roster. In previous years, the Warriors have selected Brandan Wright and Anthony Randolph in the lottery -- and both are thin, athletic players like Udoh who can rebound and run the floor.
Udoh may be more polished than Wright and Randolph. He's an accomplished shot-blocker and rebounder, and he has a more sophisticated offensive game. But he's also already 23 years old, while Wright is just 22 and Randolph is only 20. Given all that, and given the uncertainty in the Warriors organization, Udoh looks like a classic candidate to disappoint.
HOUSTON ROCKETS GRADE: B
Round 1: Patrick Patterson (14)
Round 2: None
Analysis: The Rockets ended up selecting one of the most solid players in the draft. Patterson is meat and potatoes and never flashy -- a good rebounder who works hard and competes on both ends. The Rockets have had a lot of success with players like Patterson in recent drafts (see Carl Landry, Chuck Hayes). While Patterson may never be a star, or even a starter, I expect he'll be in the league a long time.
INDIANA PACERS GRADE: B+
Round 1: Paul George (10)
Round 2: Lance Stephenson (40), Magnum Rolle (51, obtained from Oklahoma City)
Analysis: For the past few years, Pacers execs Larry Bird and David Morway have not been swinging for the fences in the draft. Instead, they have tried for singles and doubles and, for the most part, they've connected -- the results have been solid, but not game-changing.
This year, with the Pacers in desperate need of elite talent, they took a different tack, really going for it with an upside pick. In fact, George has as much upside as anyone in the draft not named Wall, Favors or Cousins.
George reminds some scouts of Tracy McGrady, believe it or not -- just as T-Mac was, George is a great athlete with terrific size for his position who can shoot from range and really finish at the basket. At the same time, he hasn't consistently used those tools to dominate, which has led some scouts to compare him, less flatteringly, to Nick Young. George's two seasons at Fresno State were underwhelming. Watching him play can leave you exhilarated and frustrated at the same time.
You could say similar things about Stephenson. He isn't the terrific athlete or great shooter that George is, but he has an NBA body and a power game that's well-suited to the league. He too can dazzle you in moments and have you pulling your hair out at other times.
Rolle was a roll of the dice at 51. He's a terrific athlete and shot-blocker who seldom dominated in college the way his talent suggested he could.
If George and Stephenson get it, Bird and Morway have hit a couple of home runs in the draft.
LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS GRADE: A
Round 1: Al-Farouq Aminu (8), Eric Bledsoe (18, obtained from Oklahoma City)
Round 2: Willie Warren (54)
Analysis: There is no "A" in Clippers, but for the second straight year, I think they nailed the draft -- at least on paper. Blake Griffin never played a regular-season minute for the Clippers last season after a knee injury, and perhaps the curse of the Clippers will continue with this group. But on pure talent and upside, the Clippers had a great 2010 draft.
Aminu is a talented rebounder who runs the floor like a deer. His offensive game is developing, and as he continues to improve, he could be a "wow" player.
Bledsoe is also a great pick at 18. If he had gone to a school that didn't have John Wall as the starting point guard, I think he would've gone much higher -- he has more upside than, say, Jonny Flynn. With Baron Davis wearing down, it's the perfect time to start grooming his replacement.
As for Warren, I've never seen a player's stock fall so far so quickly. After being ranked in our top 10 at the start of the season, he plummeted into the late second round. But he has talent, and if he gets humbled by this turn of events and adds to his game, he could have a long career.
LOS ANGELES LAKERS GRADE: C+
Round 1: None
Round 2: Devin Ebanks (43), Derrick Caracter (58)
Analysis: The Lakers made the most of their two second-round picks, landing first-round talents late in the second.
Ebanks is one of the best on-ball defenders in the draft. He can guard four positions and often was assigned to shut down the other team's best scorer. On offense, his midrange game is solid, but he really needs to improve his outside shot. When you think of Ebanks, think of former Laker Trevor Ariza.
Caracter kept his nose clean after leaving Louisville for UTEP and put up great numbers. His personal issues caused his stock to drop, but if he turns it around, this is a terrific pick for L.A.
MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES GRADE: C
Round 1: Xavier Henry (12), Greivis Vasquez (28)
Round 2: None
Analysis: The draft didn't begin well for the Grizzlies, who had hoped that Fresno State's Paul George would slide to them at No. 12. When the Pacers took him at No. 10, Memphis went to its backup plan of Henry.
If Rudy Gay leaves as a free agent this summer, Henry may be his replacement as a wing who can step right in and spread the floor. While Henry is a bit undersized to play the 3 full-time, Memphis should be able to utilize him in a number of ways.
Vasquez is more of a mystery. He's a big point guard who is a fearless competitor, but his lateral speed is abysmal, with his feet appearing to be in quicksand when he's on the defensive end. So no matter how creative he is as a playmaker, whom can he guard?
MIAMI HEAT GRADE: B
Round 1: None
Round 2: Dexter Pittman (32), Jarvis Varnado (41), Da'Sean Butler (42)
Analysis: To understand the Heat's draft, you have to go back to their trade on Wednesday that sent Daequan Cook and the No. 18 pick to the Thunder for a second-round pick. The move cleared nearly $3 million from the Heat's projected payroll, furthering their efforts toward their goal of creating enough space to make a run at two max free agents this summer in addition to Dwyane Wade. While the team still wants to find a place to send Michael Beasley, they're moving in the right direction.
In the second round, picks are essentially cap neutral because the league fills empty roster spots with minimum "cap holds" and because second-round picks are considered minimum contracts under the cap until an actual deal is signed. So grabbing three second-rounders will help Miami fill out its roster.
Can they play? Somewhat. Pittman is a talented big man with a future if he can lose another 25 pounds. Varnado is the best shot-blocker in the draft. Butler would've been a first-round pick if he hadn't torn his ACL in his final college game.
@ this getting a B+. His whole review was just meh on everything
Chad Ford must have stayed up all night putting this together lol
i think the Jazz might have gotten two steals
