Can someone post Ford's insider draft grades?
Posted: Fri Jun 24, 2016 9:15 pm
Thx!
Atlanta Hawks: B
Round 1: Taurean Prince (12), DeAndre Bembry (21)?
Round 2: Isaia Cordinier (44)
The Hawks netted an additional first-round pick by sending Jeff Teague to the Pacers in a three-way deal (No. 12, via the Jazz). The return wasn't overwhelming.
We had Prince rated as a bubble first-rounder. He's a 3-and-D wing who theoretically could find a role similar to that of DeMarre Carroll. But he's been more promise than production the past two years at Baylor. He was solid but never quite lived up to the talent teams saw.
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I'm much more bullish on Bembry. His old-school YMCA-type game is just fun to watch. Next to Ben Simmons, he might be the best passer in the draft.
Cordinier was good value in the second round. He's not ready for the NBA, but he is athletic and has a jump shot. As he gets stronger, he could be a real asset for the Hawks.
Boston Celtics: C
?Round 1: Jaylen Brown (3), Guerschon Yabusele (16), Ante Zizic (23)?
Round 2: Demetrius Jackson (45), Ben Bentil (51), Abdel Nader (58)
There are two ways to evaluate Boston's draft night.
Based on pure talent, I really like five of the six players the Celtics netted Thursday. Boston probably gets an A- to B+ in that category.
I had Jaylen Brown ranked No. 7 on my Big Board, but there's no question that he has a very high ceiling if he can consistently hit jump shots in the NBA. He wowed the Celtics in workouts. If that's the player that shows up for them, he's got a real shot to be an All-Star someday.
As my colleague Fran Fraschilla said, Yabusele is the French Larry Johnson. He is a beast in the paint, has a great motor and can step out and hit 3s. Zizic is one of the best rebounders in the draft and also has a terrific motor. Yabusele and Zizic can both be stashed overseas, which adds to their value.
In the second round I really liked the value they got from Jackson and Bentil. Jackson is a great athlete, plays hard on both sides of the ball and is an ideal backup point guard. Bentil is a scoring machine who can put up points from anywhere on the floor. I have no idea whether they can crack the roster for Boston, but I like the potential of both players.
Nader wasn't in our top 100, but with their sixth pick at No. 58 it doesn't affect their grade one way or the other.
The other way to grade the draft is on what we expected from the Celtics.
Here, they earn an F. The plan for all of these picks, as the Celtics have talked about on multiple occasions, was to package them (and players) to land a young All-Star.
The Celtics tried hard and got close on a few things, but in the end they didn't deliver. The assets Danny Ainge had just weren't as valuable as he hoped. For Boston and its fans, that's a big disappointment. Nothing that happened Thursday night will move the needle significantly for the Celtics for a couple of years, unless there is a trade that materializes later.
I averaged the two grades together to get a grade of C.
Brooklyn Nets: A-
Round 1: Caris LeVert (20)?
Round 2: Isaiah Whitehead (42)?
The Nets were aggressive and got into the first round by shipping Thaddeus Young to the Pacers for the draft rights to LeVert. I liked the move.
I'm a big LeVert fan. Had he not been stalled by injuries the past two seasons, he would've likely been a late lottery pick. Wings that can defend three positions, play the point and shoot the 3 are about as valuable as you can get. If he gets healthy, he will be able to show he was a very good value here.
Whitehead gives them one of the best scorers in the draft and has the ability to play both the 1 and the 2. Given that the team isn't going anywhere next year, making this move was an important step toward the future.
Add in their two first-rounders last year, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and Chris McCullough, and suddenly the Nets have a nice crop of young players who could be part of their foundation going forward.
Charlotte Hornets?: D
Round 1: N/A
Round 2: N/A
The Hornets traded away Malachi Richardson's draft rights to the Kings in return for Marco Belinelli. The team is a playoff contender and clearly wanted to add a veteran shooter to its backcourt. However, it's a highly questionable trade.
Belinelli is coming off a horrific season that saw him shoot 31 percent from 3 while posting a paltry 9.39 PER. Richardson is a lot more valuable, in my opinion.
Chicago Bulls: C
Round 1: Denzel Valentine (14)
Round 2: Paul Zipser (48)
The Bulls' big move happened Wednesday when they traded Derrick Rose to the Knicks in return for Robin Lopez, Jerian Grant and Jose Calderon. Keep that in mind when you look at what the Bulls did in the draft.
Adding Valentine gives them a guy who can play three positions on the offensive end -- including point guard. He's one of the most NBA-ready prospects in the draft and likely would've gone a few spots higher if concerns over his knees hadn't caused a few teams to back off. If he's healthy, he's good a fit for Chicago.
Zipser is an athletic wing who can score off the bounce. He was impressive at the Adidas Eurocamp in early June and is a good draft-and-stash candidate for the Bulls.
But what didn't happen was also interesting. As we know from reporting by ESPN's Marc Stein, the Bulls had a chance to get Kris Dunn from the Timberwolves (via the 5th pick), but ultimately decided to hang onto Jimmy Butler. A combination of Zach LaVine and Dunn for Butler was good value and could have jump-started Chicago's rebuild.
I think the Bulls erred in not selling high on Butler. It could come back to haunt them in a few years, especially if Dunn turns into a star.
Cleveland Cavaliers: B
Round 1: N/A
Round 2: Kay Felder (54)?
The Cavs moved into the late second-round to take a shot on Felder, a sort of Isaiah Thomas clone.
He's small, but he's tough and athletic and he can really score. Among short players, that seems to fit the profile for the ones that make it in the league.
I'm not sure he can live up to Thomas' All-Star status, but he could have a long career in the NBA.
Dallas Mavericks?: B-
Round 1: N/A
Round 2: A.J. Hammons (46)?
The Mavs traded their first-round pick to the Celtics in the Rajon Rondo deal. It essentially cost them the draft rights to Yabusele -- not the worst outcome ever.
Still, given the Rondo disaster and the state of the franchise, it would've been nice to have the pick. The Mavs actually really liked Yabusele and could've gotten him or another talented player (or traded the pick in a better trade).
In the second round they got a real talent in Hammons. He's a big, athletic, skilled center who slipped this far due to concerns about his work ethic. If the Mavs can maximize his potential, this will be a steal in the second round.
Denver Nuggets: A
?Round 1: Jamal Murray (7), Juan Hernangomez (15), Malik Beasley (19)?
Round 2: Petr Cornelie (53)
In a league where shooting comes at a premium, the Nuggets landed four impressive shooters. Murray and Beasley are arguably two of the three best shooters in the draft.
Murray's an especially impressive get. He can play both the 1 and the 2 and plays with swagger. I think he's the perfect backcourt mate for Emmanuel Mudiay.
Beasley is an elite athlete and has deep range on his jumper. I'm not sure where he fits in with Gary Harris also on the roster, but he was good value as well. Had he not suffered a stress fracture, I think he would've gone in the lottery.
Hernangomez and Cornelie are both stretch-4s. Hernangomez is very talented and could become a high-level starter in the NBA. He's more than just a shooter, he's also a playmaker. If the Nuggets can convince him to come to the NBA, I think he helps right away.
Overall, the Nuggets really loaded up on talent and I think added some balance to their roster.
Detroit Pistons: A-
?Round 1: Henry Ellenson (18)?
Round 2: Michael Gbinije (49)
The Pistons were opportunistic at No. 18 and landed a high-value player in Ellenson. He was ranked in our top 10 for most of the season before teams began to get concerned about his athleticism.
I'm not as concerned. He's super skilled, can shoot 3s, has a terrific midrange game and can also play center. I think he's a really nice fit next to Andre Drummond long term.
Gbinije would've gone 30 spots higher if he weren't already 24 years old. He's the sort of wing playmaker and shooter most teams were coveting in the draft.
Golden State Warriors: A-
Round 1: Damian Jones (30)?
Round 2: Patrick McCaw (38)
This was a strong draft for the Warriors. Jones is an athletic freak who slipped in the draft a bit because he tore his pectoral muscle in workouts. He doesn't always show up to play, but he has the physical tools the Warriors want in a big man. When he's on the floor, he's going to be the recipient of lots of lobs from the Splash Brothers.
McCaw is another sleeper that I thought was terrific value at No. 38. He's a playmaking wing who possesses most of the qualities the Warriors love in players -- high basketball IQ, the ability to play multiple positions, great passing abilities and an emerging jumper. Once again, the rich get richer.
Houston Rockets: C+
?Round 1: N/A
?Round 2: Chinanu Onuaku (37), Zhou Qi (43)?
The Rockets sent their first-round pick to the Nuggets as part of the Ty Lawson deal. The pick turned into Juan Hernangomez, a player the Rockets would likely have preferred to Lawson in the long run.
In the second round, Onuaku has a ton of value as a physical, athletic center who rebounds and plays with energy. He's not an offensive weapon -- and he shoots his free throws underhanded, by the way -- but he'll help defensively down the road.
Zhou is a fascinating prospect. He's highly skilled but very, very thin. The Rockets scout China as well as anyone -- if they can get the most out of Zhou, they got a steal. Our Kevin Pelton had him ranked No. 6 on his stats-based Big Board, assuming that he's actually 20 years old instead of, say, 23, which was a concern held by some teams before the draft.
Indiana Pacers?: B
Round 1: N/A
?Round 2: Georges Niang (50)
The Pacers punted on the No. 20 pick to get Thaddeus Young. Given where the Pacers are in refashioning their team, it made sense. Young will help a lot more than a rookie would have this season. Adding Young and Jeff Teague (also by trade) to the roster will allow them to play faster.
Still, the Pacers' moves make me wonder if Larry Bird is just building a solid fourth or fifth seed. Young and Teague probably won't make them a contender. Of course, the No. 20 pick wasn't doing that either.
Niang is one of the most skilled forwards in the draft, but his lack of athleticism hurt his stock. Given all the athletes the Pacers are fielding, maybe they can afford to have one skill guy coming off the bench.
Los Angeles Clippers: C
?Round 1: Brice Johnson (25)?
Round 2: David Michineau (39), Diamond Stone (40)
Johnson is one of the better rebounders in the draft. He's also a good athlete and has a nice midrange game. But I worry that he's a classic tweener who lacks the strength and shooting talent to be a modern NBA 4.
Stone seemed like good value in the second round. He's got a lot of talent, but slipped because teams were concerned about his work ethic. Michineau is a head scratcher, especially at No. 39. Not sure what the Clippers were thinking on that one. He wasn't ranked in my Top 100.
Los Angeles Lakers?: A
Round 1: Brandon Ingram (2)
?Round 2: Ivica Zubac (32)?
The Lakers got a young franchise cornerstone Thursday night. For that alone they deserve an A.
Ingram has a chance to become an All-Star. His shooting ability and the length to guard three positions on the floor make him an intriguing, versatile piece. If he can gain muscle on his thin frame, he's got the chance to be great.
The Lakers also got good value in the second round. Zubac is one of the most-skilled big men in the draft. He needs to become a better defender and get more experience, but he's got a real chance to stick in the league and that's all you can ask for here.
Memphis Grizzlies?: B
Round 1: Wade Baldwin (17)?
Round 2: Deyonta Davis (32), Rade Zagorac (35), Wang Zhelin (57)?
Baldwin was a polarizing prospect. He's got great size, athleticism and shooting touch for his position. But there were a lot of questions about his leadership ability on the court and in the locker room. If the Grizzlies can sort that out, he should provide some nice insurance if Mike Conley bolts in free agency this summer.
I love the Davis pick in the second round. He is an athletic freak with a great NBA body. Defensively he could become a monster. He slipped based on concerns about his feel for the game and NBA readiness, but I was surprised to see him slip this far. Some teams projected him as a lottery pick.
Zagorac and Wang are draft-and-stash options for Memphis. Zagorac is a huge wing and Wang is just flat-out huge. Neither is guaranteed to make it to the NBA, but both have a shot.
Miami Heat?: N/A
Round 1: N/A
Round 2: N/A?
The Heat traded this pick away years ago when they added LeBron James. It was eventually re-routed to the 76ers.
Considering LeBron brought two titles to the Heat, I think we'll give them a pass on this one.
Milwaukee Bucks?: A-
Round 1: Thon Maker (10)
?Round 2: Malcolm Brogdon (36)
Drafting Maker at No. 10 was probably the biggest surprise of the draft. I've heard a lot of criticism on the pick, but I actually liked it.
There was no guarantee that Maker was going to be around later in the draft. He's got terrific upside and Bucks GM John Hammond has gambled in the past and won. Maker is a couple of years away, but he's got the talent, work ethic and size to be worthy of this pick someday.
I preferred Dejounte Murray here personally, but can't really argue with taking a shot on Maker. No one knows if Maker will be a star or a bust. But I think he was worth the gamble in a lower-upside draft like this.
Brogdon is sort of the opposite of Maker. He's a proven college senior who can shoot the basketball. He's not the world's greatest athlete, but I think he could be a Jared Dudley type in the NBA.
Minnesota Timberwolves: A
?Round 1: Kris Dunn (5)
?Round 2: N/A
I love this pick for the Wolves. First, it gave them a legitimate shot at landing Jimmy Butler. The Bulls ultimately decided not to do a deal with the Wolves (and you have to wonder how much the bad blood between Minnesota coach-president Tom Thibodeau and the Bulls' front office contributed to that), but it gave the Wolves their best shot.
Since that didn't pan out, they should be thrilled to keep Dunn, the consensus No. 3 player on our Big Board. Thibodeau loves defense and Dunn is the best perimeter defender in the draft. He'll be able to come in and contribute right away. Offensively, he's still a work in progress, but the talent to be a bit like a bigger Kyle Lowry is there.
The move also gives them the ability to explore moving Ricky Rubio in a separate deal. All in all, it was another good night for the Wolves, who continue to build the best stable of young players in the NBA.
New Orleans Pelicans: A-
?Round 1: Buddy Hield (6)
?Round 2: Cheick Diallo (33)?
The Pelicans filled two big needs in the draft. With Eric Gordon heading into free agency, they desperately needed a shooter and Hield gives them an elite one. His work ethic and leadership should make him a great fit in New Orleans. I preferred Jamal Murray for them because of his relative youth and versatility, but Hield was a very good option.
And I really like Diallo at 33. He started the season ranked No. 11 on our Big Board, and had he stayed in school another year, I think he would've been a high pick next season. He's got one of the best motors in the draft. If he rebounds, defends and blocks, he can have a long career in the NBA. Anything he gives on offense is a bonus.
New York Knicks?: F
Round 1: N/A
Round 2: N/A
The Knicks should've had the No. 9 pick in the draft. However, they sent it to the Raptors as part of the awful Andrea Bargnani trade. We can't just let that go. (And they actually could've had the No. 7 pick for a chance at Jamal Murray, if not for the earlier trade in which they acquired Carmelo Anthony.)
Forfeiting the No. 9 pick cost them on the likes of Jakob Poeltl, Thon Maker, Malik Beasley and Denzel Valentine. Given the current state of the roster, that really, really hurts.
Oklahoma City Thunder: A
Round 1: Domantas Sabonis (11)
Round 2: Daniel Hamilton (56)
What a night for the Thunder. Not only did they move into the lottery to get one of the toughest, most skilled big men in the draft, but they also landed Victor Oladipo, a recent No. 2 pick in the draft. He will be their best 2-guard since James Harden. A Russell Westbrook-Oladipo backcourt could be devastating.
The cost was high. Serge Ibaka has been a key part of the team. But the way this trade sets the Thunder up both now and in the future earns OKC an A.
Hamilton is sort of a point forward who would've been a first-rounder had he ever learned to shoot.
Orlando Magic: B-
Round 1: N/A
Round 2: Stephen Zimmerman (41)
Landing Serge Ibaka would normally be considered a coup. But the price was very high for the Magic -- Victor Oladipo, Domantas Sabonis and Ersan Ilyasova.
It also costs them in another way. With Ibaka on the roster, he's likely to take away minutes from promising forward Aaron Gordon.
Ibaka fills a huge need. He can both stretch the floor and protect the rim and should be a great fit next to Nikola Vucevic. However, I wonder if the Magic became too impatient to top out as just a playoff team.
Zimmerman was good value in the second round. He has talent as a sort of stretch-5, but uneven play as a freshman at UNLV combined with some moderate injury concerns caused him to fall in the draft.
Philadelphia 76ers: A
Round 1: Ben Simmons (1), Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot (24), Furkan Korkmaz (26)
Round 2: N/A
When you land the best player in the draft, you get an A -- especially when that player has superstar potential.
Simmons has the ability to break traditional paradigms about what a point forward can be. He's really a point guard in a 6-10, 240-pound body.
Brett Brown is the perfect coach to get the most out of him. The Sixers have been tanking, patiently and infamously, looking for a superstar to build around. They got one Thursday.
Luwawu-Cabarrot and Korkmaz were good value late in the first, especially Korkmaz, who ranked No. 13 on my final Big Board. He's the prototypical 2-guard who is athletic, can shoot and can pass. He needs to get stronger and a buyout situation in Turkey may keep him there another year, but he can really help the Sixers eventually.
I'm less high on Luwawu-Cabarrot, though I acknowledge that others really do like him as a 3-and-D sort of player in the league. Regardless, the Sixers desperately needed wings and shooting and they got them.
Phoenix Suns: A
Round 1: Dragan Bender (4), Marquese Chriss (8)
Round 2: Tyler Ulis (34)
The Suns added an elite backcourt shooter last year in Devin Booker. This year they addressed a huge need at the 4 with two of the best shooting bigs in the draft.
Bender is very skilled, can guard multiple positions, protects the rim and plays with a great motor. If he were a more explosive athlete, he might have gone even higher.
Chriss is the freakiest athlete in the draft. It's rare to see a 6-foot-10 guy who can move the way he can. He's further away from putting it together than Bender, but I think he has the highest upside in the draft after Simmons and Ingram. I can also see scenarios where both Bender and Chriss can get on the floor together.
And adding Ulis in the second was great. If he were three inches taller, he would've been a top-10 pick. He should be great backing up Eric Bledsoe and Brandon Knight in Phoenix.
Things just got brighter in the Valley of the Sun. I'm bullish on the Suns again.
Portland Trail Blazers: C+
Round 1: N/A
Round 2: Jake Layman (47)
Portland gave up its first-round pick to Denver as part of the Arron Afflalo trade in 2015. If the Blazers could go back and do that again, I'm sure they wouldn't make the deal.
They did, however, get good value in the second round. Layman is an NBA-level athlete and shooter. But he lacked assertiveness on the floor at Maryland.
Sacramento Kings: C+
Round 1: Georgios Papagiannis (13), Malachi Richardson (22), Skal Labissiere (28)
Round 2: Isaiah Cousins (59)
The Kings had all of us scratching our heads when they traded away the draft rights of Marquese Chriss to the Suns for the right to draft Papagiannis and Labissiere. I actually had Labissiere (their 28th pick) ranked significantly higher than Papagiannis. The move even apparently got DeMarcus Cousins tweeting, "Lord, give me strength."
Papagiannis has great size and he's just 18, but the era of non-athletic big men ruling the paint has ended. Given that they passed on the most athletic big man in the draft for him, I can't give the Kings a good grade.
Labissiere is a better gamble. He's a huge risk, but at least he fits the modern NBA as a stretch-4 who protects the rim. He may never reach his potential, but if he does, he could have a Channing Frye-like career.
I liked the other deal the Kings did, sending Marco Belinelli to the Hornets for Richardson. Richardson is a long-term upgrade.
And I loved Cousins at No. 59. He's one of the most underrated players in the draft. Frankly -- and ironically -- he could end up as the best NBA player of this Kings draft class.
San Antonio Spurs: A+
Round 1: Dejounte Murray (29)
Round 2: N/A
The Spurs continue to find ways to solve the draft from low positions. Landing Murray at No. 29 was the steal of the draft and earned the Spurs my only A+ of the night.
Murray has a chance to be an All-Star-caliber guard. He's terrific off the bounce, getting to the rim and making plays for others. He's a great rebounder, he's tough and he has a flair for passing the ball. He needs to become a better shooter, but it feels like the Spurs just added another important piece to their quiet rebuild.
Tony Parker once went to San Antonio at No. 28, and this pick could have a similar outcome down the road.
Toronto Raptors: B-
Round 1: Jakob Poeltl (9)
Round 2: Pascal Siakam (27)
The Raptors got this pick from the Knicks as part of the Andrea Bargnani deal. They did just fine.
Poeltl will be in the league for a decade as a great backup or solid starter. He has soft hands, protects the rim and is very skilled. He doesn't have the highest ceiling, and he needs to get tougher and improve his jump shot, but he gives them insurance should Bismack Biyombo leave in free agency.
Siakam is a Masai Ujiri-type player all the way. He is tough, has a great motor, rebounds and blocks.
I wonder if the Raptors missed an opportunity to swing for the fences on players like Thon Maker, Skal Labissiere and Cheick Diallo. The picks they made were safer. I'm just not used to the Raptors playing it safe.
Utah Jazz: B+
Round 1: N/A
Round 2: Joel Bolomboy (52), Marcus Paige (55), Tyrone Wallace (60)
The Jazz traded away their first-round pick to the Hawks in a three-way deal that netted them George Hill. I thought it was a really good trade for the Jazz.
Dante Exum is their point guard of the future, but they needed to bring in a veteran mentor for him while making a serious push for the playoffs. I think Hill is the perfect fit for them on the court and off the court. Given the lack of elite talent at No. 12, this was a good solution for a team that already has a lot of young talent.
In the second round, I'm a pretty big Bolomboy fan. He's a great athlete and an elite rebounder who plays hard. I hope he makes the roster.
Washington Wizards: C
Round 1: N/A
Round 2: N/A
The Wizards sent their pick (which turned out to be No. 13) to the Suns as part of the Markieff Morris trade. I think that was basically a wash -- hence an average grade.
Perhaps they could've found a better player late in the lottery, and Morris has his weaknesses, but it was a reasonable swap given the relative quality of the draft.