The Hawks don�t exactly have the best point guards in Davis and Vaughn so drafting a PG would be logical. They didn�t have a first round pick however so they traded a future first round pick to address the needs they currently have. Dickau seemed to be a lock for the first round and I thought he would go to the Wizards after they got the 17th pick in a trade. They did a good thing. Andersen is an Australian center, 6-10, and is a reasonable second round pick. He needs to add some muscles and probably won�t contribute to the team next year but with the often injured Ratliff another big body is always welcome for the Atlanta Hawks. Grade: A-
The Celtics did very well by picking up Songaila, a 6-9 power forward from Wake Forest. He averaged 17.9 ppg and 8.1 rpg while adding 2.6 apg. He has a reasonable mid-range jumper and is a solid back-to-the-basket player. Shoots 52% from the field and 85% from the free throw line. But he is pretty slow and averages a huge amount of turnovers and the NBA is faster then college basketball. But with a little work Songaila will turn out to be a very smart second round pick, especially that late. Grade: B+
There was no surprise in their first round pick. They picked Jay Williams, a player who, according to many experts, should once be a franchise player and who should lead the young Bulls team to a record closer to the play-offs then they had in years. Roger Mason is a great pick up in the second round. The 6-5 combo guard is a solid player. He isn�t great in anything but can do everything you want him to do. He is a great passer for someone his length, he averaged 4.1 apg, and is a nice player to get in the second round. Lonny Baxter is a beast, a worker. The 6-8 power forward from Maryland is always working hard. He has a nice medium-range jumper and a nice low post game but his size could be the problem as he, unlike Sam Clancy who is even smaller, is not a good rebounder for his size, which he should be to make the transition to the NBA. He may not be a franchise altering player but is a big body who is not afraid to bang inside, and that is always nice to get in the draft, especially in the second round. Grade: A
Dajuan Wagner is a 6-3 combo guard with amazing ball handling skills and quickness. Many draft experts compare him to Allen Iverson since Wagner also likes to shoot in what seems to be impossible situations but he also has the skills to make some of them. With Miller on his way out they want to have a combo guard to take his plays if he actually goes. But after Miller, who is a real team player, can the Cavaliers make the transition in playing styles? And if they play together then we just have to wait whether or not they are actually going to play together, and Miller probably won�t be the problem. Boozer, the 6-9 power forward from Duke, is a nice pick up in the second round. He is a nice rebounder and probably has the ideal body for power forward. But he needs to work on his shot and needs to work on his low post play and his ball handling but for a second round pick Boozer isn�t too bad. But both picks have too many question marks. Barnes is an average player and he isn�t going to help the team anytime soon. Grade: C+
This 6-8 shooting guard from Yugoslavia will probably stay in Europe for a while. Sekularac has a great range on his shot and is pretty large for a shooting guard so he will create a lot of mismatches. But will he be able to help the Mavs in a couple of years when he comes to the NBA? If he comes to the NBA. Obviously you can�t do much with a 2nd round pick that high so we will have to wait and see how he plays if he comes over. Grade: C
The Nuggets have been busy on draft night and I must say I am a secret admirer of Kiki Vandeweghe. McDyess is an all-star and Frank Williams could be the team leader in NY after several years, although I�m not a big fan of Williams. They get the often injured Camby, who can play very good if he is healthy, Mark Jackson, a veteran leader and Nene Hilario, a huge talent from Brazil. Hilario, a 6-9 power forward, is a very explosive player who can run, dunk and is pretty quick. He is also a good shot blocker and rebounder. He is still very young and needs to learn a lot but when he has learned all that he will probably be a great player, but it will take time. Tskitishvili is also a very young forward and he can shoot the ball very well, especially for someone his size, 6-11, and can hit the three-pointer with ease. He isn�t a real low post player and still very young and still needs to learn a lot but he is a great pick. Yarbrough, a 6-7 small forward, is a real slasher and a hard worker. A lot of hard workers make the team and he probably will as he posted decent numbers in college. There are a lot of question marks but I think the Nuggets did great on draft day, especially if both international draft picks learn quick and become both great players. Grade: A-
Most people thought that the Pistons would go for a point guard and with both Dickau and Williams still there it was a surprise to almost everyone that they took Prince. Prince, who is a 6-9 small forward, is pretty quick and uses his speed to slip around the defenders and he can go inside but can also shoot the jumpshot. But his outside shot is very streaky and his release is slow. He also needs to add some muscle. With Dickau and Williams still there I think drafting Prince wasn�t a great idea. Grade: C-
Although it is questionable that Dunleavy would have been taken by the Warriors if he wasn�t hyped up by the press he still is a great player who will prove to be a franchise player in the future. Dunleavy is a very smart player with a lot of basketball knowledge and you can�t teach that. They also needed a point guard and they got a very reasonable one in Steve Logan, who I projected to go late in the first round. He can score, has a nice shot and can drive to the basket, and can pass, he averaged 5.2 apg, and is a good defender. His size might be a problem until he finds a way to cover that up, which will happen sooner or later. Welsch is someone I hoped the Jazz would get. He is a combo guard with a good shoot and good ball-handling skills. He has great court vision and will help his team tremendously. This is a great draft for the Warriors. Grade: A
Everyone expected the Rockets to take the 7-5 center from China. He still needs to get stronger but he is a good shot blocker and when he gets the ball around the basket he will most likely convert it. It might be a big jump from China to America so he will have to learn the NBA and the country, which could take some time. But he is a great pick although there is always a chance he isn�t able to make the transition to the NBA. Nachbar is a 6-8 small forward from Slovenia who will help the team in his first year as he is completely NBA ready. He has a good medium range jumper and can take the ball to the basket. He might experience some trouble on the defensive end but he is completely ready offensively. Maddox, a 6-4 point guard from Fresno State, is a nice pick-up in the second round. He has good court vision but needs to work on his passing skills. His shot is a bit streaky but he is a nice pick up, although I would have preferred Logan. Grade: A-
Fred who? Or the Pacers know something we don�t or they are complete idiots. Most people thought Rush would go here, some said that Dixon or Jacobsen could be picked there but nobody thought about Fred Jones. Jones outside shot isn�t consistent but he can drive to the basket and is a pretty physical player. But not a player worth picking with the 14th pick. Grade: D
They have Elton Brand so using both first round picks, the eight and the twelfth, on two power forwards doesn�t make much sense. Chris Wilcox is understandable. The 6-10 power forward from Maryland is very athletic and his offensive game keeps developing. He also has great potential. Ely is also a very good power forward but why would they take him? Borchardt was still there for example and they still needed an insurance in case Olowokandi decides to leave and even if he stays they would have had a good and young center to play behind him. It never was so clear that the Clippers will make a trade this off-season but until the trade is made they get a low grade.
Grade: C-
The Lakers got an excellent shooter for an below average point guard and Chris Jefferies, who isn�t as good as Rush. Rush, a 6-6 shooting guard from Missouri who was projected to go to Indiana with the 14th pick, is one of the best shooters in college. He is also pretty quick but needs to get ready mentally. Note: He declined to work out for the Jazz as he expected to be taken earlier. Grade: B+
Gooden was the best player available so you can�t argue West picking him. Gooden, a 6-10 power forward from Kansas, is a good defender and a strong force on the offensive end. He has a nice shot but needs to add some muscle. He will probably contribute to the team right away. Archibald, a 6-11 center from Illinois, is a reasonable defender with reasonable low post moves and a reasonable shot. But was it worth to get him so early in the second round? Owens, a 6-8 forward from Texas, is a hard worker and a good rebounder and has a nice offensive game, which continues to develop. His injury didn�t help his draft status but he will be a nice addition to the team. Grade: C
Butler is as good as Dunleavy according to draft experts and the Heat will be very excited about getting him with the 10th pick. Butler is a 6-7 small forward from Connecticut and he can shoot and go inside. He isn�t afraid and he will get his points one way or the other. He will be a great player and Miami is lucky to have him. Rasual Butler, also a 6-7 small forward, will probably back him up and will do so nicely. Butler is a good pick, especially with the 53rd pick. Miami has done very well in this draft. Grade: A
The Bucks went big in this draft. Haislip is a 6-10 power forward/center and he is a workout junkie. He wasn�t able to really develop his game and the Bucks need to spend a lot of time and hard work in him if they want him to be worthy of being picked 13th in the draft. I�m not sold on this guy. But I really think that Dan Gadzuric, the Dutch center, will pay-off. He has to develop his game a little further as well but he is willing to learn and he learns very quickly. He is a steal this late in the draft. Ronald Murray is a point guard who could really contribute and I think that he too is a steal that late in this draft. He averaged 6.2 apg for example. They will also have to put a lot of hard work and time in Jamal Sampson but for the rights to Griffith he too is a steal in this draft. He is a power forward/center with a lot of potential and in 5 years he could very well be a very good center, but it will be a long and hard road and a wrong turn is made easily. The Bucks didn�t do very well in the first round but I think they got three steals in the second. Grade: B+
You all know the story about the first picks of the T-Wolves so I am not going to tell that one again. Taylor, a 6-3 guard from Michigan State, will probably serve the role as a scoring point but the problem is can he score at the point? He won�t be a pass first point guard as his decision making is shaky and his passing skills are nothing spectacular. Will be a back-up point at best but you can�t really get anything special with the 52nd pick. Grade: D
Nenad Kristic, a 7-0 center from Yugoslavia, is a surprise pick. Kristic is supposed to be a very nice center, the second Divac. He shoots the ball well, he has good range on his shot, and is a good ball-handler. He will probably stay in Europe for one year or more so we will have to wait and see. Slay, a 6-9 shooting guard, can score and has a height advantage over a lot of other shooting guards. But he isn�t that great of a scorer, although he is able to hit some shots, and probably won�t help the team in his first years, if at all. Grade: C
The Knicks had three average point guards and Williams could be the leader they wanted. But I�m not really a big fan of Williams. He is supposed to be a natural leader but his shooting percentages are very low. He is a great defender though so he will earn some praise for that but his shooting skills are not so great, his passing skills on the other hand are better. McDyess is an all-star forward and with Houston, Sprewell and him the Knicks could win some more games. But it is too bad they let Hilario go and who is going to play center? The Knicks got an all-star forward and a rookie point guard but will they bang their head against the wall later when Hilario becomes a star and when Camby stays healthy? Layden had to do something but the question is if this is going to help them in the long run. Grade: C+
They were smart enough to pick Borchardt at 18 to get an extra second round pick. They got a good prospect in Sampson but failed to do anything with the 19th pick they got as they selected forward Ryan Humprheys. Humphreys, a 6-8 forward from Notre Dame, averaged a solid double-double in his last year in college, 18.9 ppg and 10.9 rpg, and picks up things real quick. His rebounding keeps improving which is a good sign. According to scouts it remains to be seen if he can also score as easily in the NBA as he did in college. Griffith is supposed to be a star in Europe and maybe he comes over, maybe not. I don�t know a lot about him. Kasun, a 7-0 center from Croatia, is another mystery pick. At the moment there is too much fog around the Magic picks but I do know that they could have done more with the 19th pick they got. There were some very interesting players available, like Dickau and Frank Williams, who they should have picked. Grade: C
First of all, Clancy is a steal. Clancy, the 6-7 power forward from USC, got injured during a workout which hurted his draft stock immensely. He is a good low post player and a good rebounder and the only problem with him is his height, which is far from ideal for the PF position, and his injury. But he is a great pick up in the second round. Holcomb is a 6-9 forward who has skills, but scouts are not sure if he can be a good player in the NBA. He is athletic and a raw talent but it will take a lot of time and hard work before he will contribute. I would rather have seen the 76�ers keeping Welsch since he is a great combo guard but they decided to trade him for future picks. They however did get Salmons, a point guard with court vision but they really should have kept Welsch and Claxton because they are probably both better than Slamons But the second round picks make sure that the 76�ers have an above average draft. Grade: C+
Stoudamire is a high school talent with lots of potential and with Hilario and Wilcox gone this might
have been the right choice. But he still has a lot to learn and it will take him several years to be a good player. That is, if he has the patience and the willingness to learn which remains to be seen. He is a good athlete and a good rebounder. Jacobsen has the best shot in the draft and has an enormous range on his shot. He may not be a great athlete but he can drive inside and finish it of with a swooping toss. Two very good players who will help the team. A consequence of drafting Jacobsen is that either Johnson, a young shooting guard who came from Boston last season, or Hardaway will be on the trading block. But Jacobsen will be a reasonable player in the first three years and if Stoudamire has the patience and the willingness to learn then the Suns can look back on a great draft. Grade: B
Woods is a steal! Woods, projected to be a lottery pick by most draft experts, slipped all the way down to the 21st pick and the Trailblazers wisely picked him up. But beware! He is a problem child. But he is an athletic problem child who can score and has an inside and outside game. Jennings is a 7-0 center and is a nice pick up in the second round. He is not a great rebounder but has a nice back to the basket game and a soft touch around the basket. But he didn�t play very well in Chicago but he is another big body and with a bit of luck he will be an mediocre starter some day. And who is Kammerichs? During draft day nobody knew the answer. He is a 6-9 PF and is supposed to be a talent. We will have to wait and see but Portland did everything the team could do in the draft, and then some. Grade: A
Dickau to Atlanta for a future first round pick.
They had no need for Dickau so they traded him for a pick that will probably be higher then the 28th and the trade actually helped both of the teams. Edwards is a 6-9 forward from Central Conn. and his stock skyrocketed during Portsmouth. But he is nothing special and below average and even that late the Kings could have done better. The Kings got a future first rounder out of this draft and someone who will probably fail to make the team. And although the trade helped them a bit they failed to get better for next year. Grade: C
The trade seems to work for the Spurs as they trade Salmons, nothing special, Holcomb, who?, and Mark Bryant for the young point guard Speedy Claxton who will probably play behind Tony Parker. Luis Scola may need to play on a foreign team for a year or two but then he will be ready for the NBA. Scola, a 6-10 power forward from Argentina, is a good low post player and runs the pick and roll very well. He is also a pretty good passer for a big man but needs to work on his shot and he is a one-dimensional player. He also lacks speed but when he comes to the NBA in a few years he could be considered a steal this late in the draft. Grade: B
Who? Fehse is a 6-11 forward from Germany and is only 19 years old. He will need to stay in Europe for 3 years or so and maybe then he will be NBA material but now he isn�t and the question is will he ever be ready for the NBA? So the SuperSonics decided to get something for the future but they need to add a good and young player now. And it isn�t even sure if he will indeed be a good player in the future. Grade: D
Rush is worth more than this. They could have drafted Dickau or Williams to have a point guard for the future but they decided to take the veteran Hunter instead. Jefferies is a nice player but I doubt he is better than Dickau or Williams. They also could have kept Rush as he was considered a great pick up with the 20th pick. Grade: C
Borchardt is considered a steal this late in the first round. He is a good rebounder and shot blocker, a nice passer for a big man and has basketball smarts. He also has a nice shot and good range on it. But he had some problems with his feet and many people are thinking he will be the second Ostertag. But he is a great pick up although it did cost the Jazz their second round pick to move up one spot and Sampson is someone with a lot of potential. But if Brochardt stays healthy then the Jazz did the right thing by trading both of their picks to get him. Not the perfect draft but they were only one pick away from it. Grade: A-
Jefferies is going to be an incredible forward. Jefferies, a 6-10 forward from Indiana, can do everything very well but doesn�t really stand out in any of the categories. But when the day comes that he will stand out in some categories then he is going to be a great player in the NBA. Juan Dixon has an incredible shot but lacks height to play SG, he is 6-3, and lacks court vision and ball-handling skills to play the point. Jordan could have done better with the 17th pick. Rod Grizzard, a 6-8 guard from Alabama, doesn�t really have a good long range shot but can still score and he is a good defensive player. But he really has to work on his shot as it just isn�t good enough for the NBA, or any other league. Juan Carlos Navarro, the 6-4 guard from Spain, is a nice player who is able to play the point but can also play shooting guard. Navarro is a very good player in Spain but people in Spain doubt if he is able to play in the NBA. Nevertheless he is a nice pick up and worth a try. And with three other picks you can gamble a bit with the fourth right? Grade: B+
