The 2014 NBA Draft is in the books. What a talented class. There weren't as many trades as I would have liked, but overall it was a good one and a fun first draft to see in person. So here I am, finally getting my draft grades up. Let me show you how it's done Chad.
Atlanta Hawks – Grade: B+
15th Pick: Adrien Payne
43rd Pick: Walter Tavares
48th Pick: Lamar Patterson
Adrien Payne was a solid pick here. It gives them another
big man that can shoot it from the outside, which is a great fit for the Hawks.
They are trying to emulate the Spurs, with the coach coming from that system so
this pick makes perfect sense. I really like him as a prospect and he is being
put in a great situation. He's going to be a Payne in the ass for PFs to cover...yes I just did that.
Walter Tavares is a nice second round flier. He’s a huge
dude who hasn’t been playing basketball long. Probably ends up getting stashed
for 2 years. Why not? He dwarfed Adam Silver. Would have made Stern look like Tyrion Lannister.
I don’t see Lamar Patterson doing anything in the NBA, but
that could be because I don’t know who the hell he is. I had to google him.
Apparently, he played at Pittsburgh. Should have gone with someone I knew. Patric Young!
Boston Celtics – B
6th Pick: Marcus Smart
17th Pick: James Young
I, personally would have preferred Randle here, but Smart
was a good choice with what was left on the board. He will be beloved in Boston
as a guy who works hard and puts it all on the line for wins. This means the
end of Rondo in Boston, which is sad. Smart will be a good player.
James Young I am less sure about. I thought he was a decent
pick with what was left on the board. I thought Gary Harris would have made
more sense for them as a two-way player who’s size disadvantage could have been
covered up on D by Smart who can guard both positions. Young has upside and can
shoot though. Celtics could use more shooters.
I was hoping the Cs got Embiid to slide down to them, but if
not I wanted Gordon, so when both of those things didn’t happen, it kind of
felt like they got robbed. They just tanked all season and didn’t get a
franchise player in a draft full of them. It’s not the Celtics fault they have
bad lottery luck, but it still sucks to see. At least now they have a backcourt
to build around. Smart and Young. MAHKUS SMAHT!
Brooklyn Nets – D
44th Pick: Markel Brown
59th Pick: Xavier Thames
60th Pick: Cory Jefferson
Props to the Nets for taking advantage of some cheap ass
teams and buying three second round picks. Looks like Billy King made these picks because they all suck. None of them will ever make an impact. Quite the offseason for Brooklyn. What a catastrophe.
Charlotte Hornets – B+
9th Pick: Noah Vonleh
26th Pick: PJ Hairston
45th Pick: Dwight Powell
55th Pick: Semaj Christon
I think this was a good draft for the Hornets. They get
outside shooting from both of their first round picks. Vonleh was a guy I
wasn’t very high on and I’m not surprised he slid, but getting him at 9 is
worth the risk. He had the most upside on the board.
Hairston is worth it that far back into the 1st
round. He has 3 and D potential.
The second round guys I have heard of. We’ll see how they do
in summer league.
Chicago Bulls – D
11th Pick Doug McDermott
49th Pick Cameron Bairstow
I really didn’t like this move by
Chicago. They traded the 16th and 19th pick for number 11
because they coveted Dougy McBuckets. This is stupid. This draft was loaded, and
to trade two picks in the mid first to move up 5 spots makes no sense. I think
McDermott will be a decent player, but question his fit in Chicago’s system as
a guy who isn’t known for his defense. I thought Gary Harris would have been a
great fit. I get that they wanted to shave payroll, but in this draft they
could have taken another person and potentially traded for a future 1st
rounder. I hated the trade.
Bairstow probably won’t ever play more than 10 minutes in a
game. He's white and he's not European. Later bra.
Cleveland Cavaliers – A-
1st Pick Andrew Wiggins
33rd Pick Joe Harris
Wiggins was the correct choice here. I think he will either
be the best or second best player in the draft behind only Embiid if he’s
healthy. He will be a great fit for the Cavs. Can we all agree that the Cavs should be disqualified from winning the 1st pick again for at least the next 30 years? Who's opposed to this??
Joe Harris is a good pick here. They drafted a guy like him
last year in the first round in Sergey Karasev, but he played so little I’m not
sure he didn’t fly back to Russia midseason.
Dallas Mavericks – N/A
No picks
Denver Nuggets – A-
16th Pick Jusuf Nurkic
19th Pick Gary Harris
41st Pick Nikola Jokic
Nurkic is a guy people like and think have potential. I’m personally
not a fan, but it makes sense to take a guy like this when you have another
pick in the first round.
Gary Harris is the biggest steal in the first round. Will be
a solid player in the league for many years. Don’t know why so many teams
passed on him.
Jokic is a guy my sources say could have gone in the first
round. Solid pick here (probably).
Awesome job by the Nuggets.
Detroit Pistons – B
38th Pick Spencer Dinwiddie
I think Dinwiddie is a good pick here. He is coming off a torn
ACL and really needs to recover 100% because he can’t afford to lose any athleticism.
The guy is already a below average athlete. I think Spencer has 3 and D potential though
with the ability to be a secondary ball handler. Also has great mustache swag. Good pick here.
Golden State Warriors – N/A
No picks
Houston Rockets – A-
25th Pick Clint Capela
42ns Pick Nick Johnson
I really like the Capela pick here. He has a lot of
defensive potential and is a big time athlete. Thought he should have went
about 10 spots higher. Also works for Houston because they can leave him
overseas for a year or two to hold their cap space. One of my favorite picks in
the draft.
Nick Johnson is another guy I like. Played well as the guy
for Arizona and may have gone much higher if the Cats didn’t lose that elite 8
game vs Wisconsin. Can be a decent energy guy/back up ball handler off the
bench of he continues to develop.
Indiana Pacers – F
Sold their only pick at 57 to the Knicks for cash. Cheap
bastards.
Los Anglees Clippers - D
28th Pick Chris Wilcox
Didn’t we already have a Chris Wilcox in the league? Anyway
I think this kid's a bust. They could have taken a serviceable big man to play
behind Blake like Patric Young. Reggie Bullock is supposed to play the shooter
off the bench role and he barely got minutes. What’s going to happen to a poor man’s
version of him?
Los Angeles Lakers – A-
7th Pick Julius Randle
46th Pick Jordan Clarkson
Randle was the best player on the board and is one of the
most NBA ready guys in the draft. He will fit in perfectly on this team. Can be
their go-to presence down low. Would have been a higher pick in a less loaded
draft so the Lakers picked a good year to suck. Great pick and fit.
Clarkson might make the roster seeing as how they have no
one else. He can’t shoot, but has some smoothness. Don’t know that he lasts in
the league for more than a few years unless he greatly improves that shot. Has
funky mechanics so it will take work.
Memphis Grizzlies – B-
22nd
Pick Jordan Adams
35th Pick Jarnell Stokes
I’m not really an Adams guy, but it’s not surprising that
Memphis took him here. He grades out well in analytical measures. I don’t think
his skills translate that well. Outside shooting is their major need and he’s a
mid-range guy. Maybe they took him purely for the nickname Grizzly Adams. Only works in Memphis. I respect that.
Stokes is a guy that is getting some sleeper buzz.
Definitely fits the role of an energy rebounder dude. Has a massive build and a
nose for the ball. Can be a DeJaun Blair type. Like this pick.
Miami Heat – A-
24th Pick Shabazz Napier
Solid trade for Miami. Shabazz is exactly the kind of guy
they need. And if it helps bring LeBron back, then that’s a bonus. Has steadily
improved every year and even though he is small, he will make an impact on this
team. Don’t know that he will ever be worthy of a starting position, but can be
an excellent backup and a great fit for Miami.
Milwaukee Bucks – A-
2nd Pick Jabari Parker
31st Pick Damien Inglis
36th Pick Johnny O’Bryant
Jabari wanted to go here and he’s a perfect fit for the
Bucks because nobody else ever wanted to go here. They had to take him. Embiid was too much of an injury risk and
Exum is too big of an unknown. Parker has a lower ceiling than those guys, but
will certainly average 20+ a game, possibly starting in year 1. His defense is
terrible to be nice, but with Giannis and Sanders there to cover up mistakes
with their condor-like wingspans, he will have a large margin for error. Bucks can
make a leap next year.
Inglis is a nice pick here. Just turned 19 a month ago. Has
no speakable offense whatsoever, but can be a wing stopper on D. I see him
right now as a less athletic poor man’s Iguodala and I really like the pick
here. Just stash him for a year or two and hope his shot develops.
Johnny O’Bryant sounds like a restaurant name.
Minnesota Timberwolves – B-
13th Pick Zach Lavine
40th Pick Glenn Robinson III
53rd Pick Alessandro Gentile
Lavine isn’t a guy I have a lot of faith in. I understand it
from Minnesota’s perspective. He’s a high upside player that can shoot from
outside. Not a lot of players want to play there (including him it seems), so
to find stars they need to take more risk in the draft. I just think he’s a
bonehead.
G-Rob 3 is a steal here. I can see him having a similar
impact to his former college teammate and NBA son Tim Hardaway Jr. He’s big, athletic, and has upside. I believe he will develop nicely.
Don’t know jack about Gentile. Weird name.
New Orleans - C
47th Pick Russ Smith
New Orleans traded Pierre Jackson to get this pick, which I
don’t understand. He seemed to be developing nicely in the D-league and
certainly would have been an upgrade to their back up PGs (Rivers, Brian
Roberts?) Either way, I like Russ Smith this late in the draft. He’s
undersized, but he’s a gamer. Could be a nice sparkplug off the bench.
New York Knicks – A-
34th Pick Cleanthony Early
51st Pick Thanasis Antetokounmpo
57th Pick Louis Labyrie
So fresh and so Cleanthony didn’t go as Early as people
thought. Probably because he’s already 23. That’s like 60 in NBA draft years
and 107 in celeb years. I like this pick for the Knicks. Early is one of the
best finishers in the draft. Big-time leaper who will do well with a team that
likes to run. Very solid pick here.
Thanasis should thank his brother because that’s what put
him on the map. He brings a lot of energy, athleticism and defense and will be
an excellent role player. I believe he has some untapped potential as well.
Another good pick.
I’d be lying if I said I knew anything about Louis Labia.
Phil Jackson just came in hot!
Oklahoma City Thunder – C
21st Pick Mitch Mcgary
29th Pick Josh Huestis
I don’t like doubting Sam Presti in the draft. He nailed
Westbrook and Harden and had a nice pick last year with the Big Kiwi Steven
Adams. Maybe they saw McGary as a replacement for Nick Collison. This was a guy
that was supposed to be a lottery pick last year after all. Not a bad spot for
him. Not my preferred pick though.
Huestis seems exactly like Roberson who they drafted last
year. They like their wing defenders and maybe this is supposed to be a
Sefolosha replacement down the road. Don’t think he was worthy of a 1st
round pick though. Too many other guys on the board with more upside.
Orlando Magic – B+
4th Pick Aaron Gordon
10th Pick Elfrid Payton
56th Pick Roy Devyn Marble
I thought for sure they were taking Exum here. Would have
been a perfect fit next to Oladipo. Instead, they break my heart and take
Gordon who I wanted for the Cs. I think Gordon will be an excellent player, but
I am not crazy about the fit. Orlando is loaded up with defenders, but lack
offense. Gordon would be their main rim protector though and I can’t fault them
too much for taking a guy I believe will have a great career.
Payton was another good pick and the Magic look to have
their PG of the future. It was a costly trade that loses them a future first
rounder to move up two spots, but Payton seems like a sure thing. Still,
without Afflalo, this team lacks offensive punch and really is devoid of
outside shooting. Will be the best young defensive backcourt in the game
though.
The only thing I know about Marble is that his ancestors
created a very nice Rye bread that causes public robberies of old women. That has to count
for something.
Philadephia 76ers – A
3rd Pick Joel Embiid
12th Pick Dario Saric
32nd Pick K.J. McDaniels
39th Pick Jerami Grant
52nd Pick Vasilije Micic
54Th Pick Nemanja Dangubic
58th Pick Jordan McCrae
They broke my heart. I suppose you either love Sam Hinkie or
hate him. Personally, I think he is doing an excellent job so far in doing
exactly what the NBA rewards, bottoming out and accruing high draft picks. He
took both guys I wanted for the Cs, which turned out to be a pipe dream for Boston (and me).
Embiid has the highest upside of anyone in the draft. I have
to believe the 6ers did their due diligence before selecting him at 3. I think
he was a pretty obvious pick here, but not everyone agrees. Could be a
franchise changer and would give Philly two mobile rim protectors with Noel
coming in this year.
Saric was another guy I really liked. Philly is just the
kind of team that can afford to wait the 2 years for him. I think he will be
worth the wait and will give Philly even more size, which they seem to have an
abundance of at every position. What a great move by Hinkie to take Orlando’s
guy Payton at 10 knowing they coveted him and trading him for their future
first round pick. World class gamesmanship there.
Too many second round picks. McDaniels and Grant have
potential and will get minutes right away. Big time athletes. Also, stashing a
couple guys makes sense.
I’ve heard of the Vaseline guy.
Philly will be a powerhouse in the East in about 3-4 years.
They are building a championship level team through the draft and with the
patience of a saint. This is the right move for the franchise.
Phoenix Suns – C-
14th T.J. Warren
18th Pick Tyler Ennis
27th Pick Bogdan Bogdanovic
50th Pick Alec Brown
I’m not a Warren guy so I hate this pick. Thought there were
several players still on the board that should have gone before him. I could be
wrong though, who really knows.
I don’t get the Ennis pick either. If there is one position
they are completely set at it is PG. I thought they should have addressed other
needs instead of drafting a guy they view as a backup. I like Ennis as a
player, but am not crazy about the fit.
Alec Brown will end up sliding out of this league like Alex
Mack when she turned into a puddle. I miss that show. At least he got drafted.
Portland Trailblazers – N/A
No Picks
Sacramento Kings – C-
8th Pick Nik Stauskas
Elfrid Payton seemed like the easy pick here with Isaiah
Thomas treated as a guy they don’t think can be a starting PG in this league.
Instead, they take a guy that can shoot the lights out. Like Ben McLemore. Same
position and everything. I don’t understand this pick. I don’t think Stauskas
was worthy of such a high selection in such a loaded draft. Yes, he can shoot
and can handle the ball a bit, but he was a bad defender in college. How is he
going to manage in the NBA? I have no idea what the Kings are doing. Doesn’t
look like their little crowdsourcing project worked very well. I didn't go to MIT, but I can tell you they will regret this one.
San Antonio Spurs – A
30th Pick Kyle Anderson
Talk about a perfect fit. Anderson will get to learn under
the best coach in the game who knows exactly how to utilize the strengths of
his players and mask the weaknesses. Anderson is a niche kind of player who can
be the main ball handler when Parker is on the bench. I really like this pick.
Toronto Raptors - B
20th Pick Bruno Caboclo
37th Pick Deandre Daniels
Yes, THE Bruno Caboclo! Everyone in the crowd was very
confused by this, including myself. Never heard of him, but I did watch some
grainy youtube videos and I have to say…I kind of get it! With the impact
Giannis had in his first year, this pick makes a lot of sense. This kid has a big
time upside and I’m actually surprised he didn’t get more coverage. There are
rumors both ways that there were teams that may have taken him before the
Raptors next pick and, perhaps, not at all. I don’t fault this pick though and
Masai is generally a guy who knows what he’s doing. Could pay off big in a few years.
Daniels is also a solid pick here who can be a rotation
piece.
Utah Jazz – A
5th Pick Dante Exum
23rd Pick Rodney Hood
They had to take Exum here, who will pair nicely with Burke in
the backcourt. He already has like 5 Foot Locker commercials. People are a
sucker for the Aussie accent. Perfect pick for Utah. He must hate that he's there though. Nobody really wants to ever go to Utah, the state of watered down alcohol.
Hood was a nice get this late in the draft as well. Shooting
is at a premium and Hood has one of the smoothest shots in the draft.
Utah just made themselves a force in the near-future.
Washington Wizards – F
Sold the 46th Pick (Jordan Clarkson) to the
Lakers for cash. Ted Leonsis (the owner) is a fucking moron. Nice fully
guaranteed 5 year deal for Gortat by the way ya dumb fucks.
And that's that. Hope I see some comments from some of you (looking at you Goldstein). The 2015 draft is less than a year away! Jahlil Okafor is looking like the next player teams may tank for. Let #ChokethForOkafor begin!
