Post-Draft Analysis & Updated Depth Charts for Every NBA Team
June 26, 2009 by Evil E
By adding Richard Jefferson and DeJuan Blair, the Spurs improved their team immensely this week. Find out who the other winners and losers are, and view updated depth charts for every single team.
In addition to the 2009 NBA Draft, several blockbuster trades were made recently. As a result, many teams look very different than they did a week ago.
While free agency has yet to officially begin, it’s still worthwhile to analyze all of the recent draft picks and trades, while also examining the current rosters and depth charts for all 30 NBA teams.
The teams are listed in alphabetical order below, with their recent pickups shown first, my post-draft overnight analysis in the middle, and their projected depth chart afterwards. At the very bottom, I’ll list my Top 5 Winners and Losers for Draft Week 2009. Enjoy.
Atlanta Hawks
DRAFTED: Jeff Teague (PG), Sergiy Gladyr (SG)
TRADED FOR FOR: Jamal Crawford (G)
The Hawks decided to address their point guard position by trading away two guys who never contributed (the oft-injured Speedy Claxton and the unproven Acie Law), and replacing them with high-scoring combo guard Jamal Crawford and promising point man Jeff Teague. They do have some extra cap room to re-sign Mike Bibby, but more likely, they’ll use that money to try and bring back Flip Murray and Zaza Pachulia. And don’t forget that they still own the rights to Josh Childress if he decides to return to America. Gladyr is supposedly an elite prospect from Ukraine, but given Atlanta’s lack of frontcourt depth, perhaps they should have chosen a big man in round 2. Both Crawford and Teague are explosive scorers, but neither player is a true point guard, which could ultimately be their downfall.
PG: J. Crawford / J. Teague
SG: J. Johnson / S. Gladyr
SF: M. Williams / M. Evans
PF: J. Smith
C: A. Horford
Boston Celtics
DRAFTED: Lester Hudson (G)
Boston’s 1st rounder went to Minnesota as part of the KG trade, so with their only draft pick, the Celtics chose Tennessee Martin guard Lester Hudson #58 overall. The bad: Hudson turns 25 in August, he faced inferior competition in college, he’s only 6′1 with shoes on, and he isn’t a true point guard. The good: he’s a chiseled 195 pounds, he has a 6′9 wingspan, and he averaged 27.5 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 2.3 steals per game in college. At the end of round 2, Hudson was worth a gamble. Of course, Boston has also been mentioned in several trade rumors. I think the idea of moving Rondo is ridiculous, but Ray Allen’s expiring contract is a definite possibility. Eddie House has yet to exercise his player option and Glen Davis is a restricted free agent, but there’s a good chance that both players will return. If not, the Celtics will have one of the worst benches in the league.
PG: R. Rondo / E. House? / L. Hudson / G. Pruitt
SG: R. Allen / T. Allen / JR Giddens
SF: P. Pierce / B. Walker
PF: K. Garnett / G. Davis? / B. Scalabrine
C: K. Perkins
Charlotte Bobcats
DRAFTED: Gerald Henderson (SG), Derrick Brown (PF)
TRADED FOR: cash
I like how Charlotte addressed their needs in this draft, as Raja Bell is aging and they’ve been desperate for a power forward ever since Sean May first hurt his knee. Larry Brown supposedly loves Gerald Henderson, who I liken to Dahntay Jones with better offense. Now that they have his replacement, there’s a good chance that Raja Bell will get traded. Not surprisingly, Derrick Brown is also a promising defensive player, and he gives the Bobcats some athleticism alongside Gerald Wallace. If they can stay healthy, Charlotte could be a much-improved team next season.
PG: R. Felton? / DJ Augustin
SG: R. Bell / G. Henderson
SF: G. Wallace / V. Radmanovic
PF: B. Diaw / D. Brown / A. Ajinca
C: E. Okafor / D. Diop / N. Mohammed
Chicago Bulls
DRAFTED: James Johnson (F), Taj Gibson (PF)
With two 1st round picks, Chicago selected two athletic forwards in Johnson and Gibson. Johnson has the size and versatility to play both small forward and power forward, and he’s excellent insurance in case Luol Deng isn’t 100% healthy. Meanwhile, Gibson only weighs 215 pounds, but he’s an excellent shot-blocker and offensive rebounder. Of course, so is Tyrus Thomas, which makes you wonder if the Bulls are ready to trade him. Even more likely to be moved is Kirk Hinrich, who is supposedly headed to Portland. However, without Hinrich and Ben Gordon (assuming they don’t re-sign him), the Bulls are going to have very little depth in their backcourt.
PG: D. Rose / K. Hinrich
SG: J. Salmons
SF: L. Deng / J. Johnson / Ti. Thomas
PF: Ty. Thomas / T. Gibson
C: J. Noah / B. Miller / J. James
Cleveland Cavaliers
DRAFTED: Christian Eyenga (G/F), Danny Green (G/F), Emir Preldzic (SF)
TRADED FOR: Shaquille O’Neal (C)
The Cavs made headlines this week by trading for Shaq, a deal that overshadowed almost everything. When you factor in his low-post scoring ability, his excellent passing skills, his size and strength to defend Dwight Howard, his leadership abilities and experience, his fun-loving attitude, his expiring contract, and the fact that Cleveland gave up very little to get him, it was a win-win move for the Cavs. Of course, they still needed a versatile and defensive-minded forward, and they tried to address that problem in the draft. Eyenga was probably the biggest 1st round surprise, but they made up for it by taking Danny Green in round 2. Green doesn’t have ideal size to guard someone like Rashard Lewis, but he has a 6′10 wingspan, is a terrific perimeter defender, can knock down outside shots, and has oodles and oodles of experience (North Carolina’s all-time leader in games played). If his transition goes smoothly, Green could be playing key minutes come playoff time. Will Anderson Varejao exercise his player option?
PG: M. Williams / D. Gibson
SG: D. West / C. Eyenga
SF: L. James / D. Green / E. Preldzic
PF: A. Varejao? / JJ Hickson / D. Jackson
C: S. O’Neal / Z. Ilgauskas
Dallas Mavericks
DRAFTED: Ahmad Nivins (PF)
TRADED FOR: Rodrigue Beaubois (PG), Future 2nd round pick, Nick Calathes (PG)
Dallas wants to bring Jason Kidd back for another year or two, but that didn’t stop them from drafting a potential replacement. Beaubois is just 6′2 with shoes on, but he has a freakish 6′10 wingspan and is incredibly quick. Physically, he’s very similar to Leandro Barbosa, expect Beaubois is supposed to have better point guard skills. It might take him awhile to adjust to the NBA, but he could be an impact later down the road. The Mavs also picked up Calathes, who slipped in the draft because he’s already signed to play in Greece, but has excellent size, passing, and spot-up shooting skills. I’ve never seen Nivins play, but he was the Atlantic 10 player of the year and he put up some eye-popping stats: 39.2 minutes, 11.8 rebounds, 1.8 blocks, 8.1 free throw attempts, 61.2% FG, 78.7% FT. If Brandon Bass and Ryan Hollins sign elsewhere over the summer, Nivins may have to contribute sooner rather than later.
PG: J. Kidd? / JJ Barea / R. Beaubois
SG: A. Wright / J. Terry / M. Carroll
SF: J. Howard / S. Williams / J. Stackhouse
PF: D. Nowitzki / A. Nivins
C: E. Dampier /
Denver Nuggets
TRADED FOR: Ty Lawson (PG), cash
Denver didn’t have a 1st round pick, but they traded a future 1st rounder to land Ty Lawson, and they dealt away their 2nd round pick for some extra cash. As a 3-year starter for North Carolina, Lawson has plenty of experience running a talented team, and he should be an excellent backup/understudy for Chauncey Billups. This past season, Lawson attempted 3.1 threes per game and made a whopping 47.2% of them, so his outside shot is clearly an upgrade over Anthony Carter. Now the Nugz will focus on re-signing Chris Andersen, as their frontcourt depth will be lacking if they don’t bring the Birdman back.
PG: C. Billups / T. Lawson
SG: JR Smith / S. Weems
SF: C. Anthony / L. Kleiza?
PF: K. Martin / R. Balkman
C: Nene / Birdman / J. Petro / S. Hunter
Detroit Pistons
DRAFTED: Austin Daye (SF), DaJuan Summers (F), Jonas Jerebko (SF)
TRADED FOR: Future 2nd round pick, cash
Despite Rip Hamilton being 31 and in the last year of his contract, and despite Kwame Brown being their only legit center, the Pistons chose to draft 3 forwards in this year’s draft. Most likely, they’ll address those needs via free agency. At 6′11 and 190 pounds, Austin Daye’s frame is very similar to Tayshaun Prince’s, and that’s who he’ll be backing up. Daye is a much better shooter than Prince, but he still has a long ways to go before realizing his potential. DaJuan Summers can play both forward spots, but unless they sign Boozer, Summers will be needed at the 4. Since they didn’t draft a shooting guard or center, it wouldn’t surprise me if they’re going after Ben Gordon and Marcin Gortat.
PG: R. Stuckey / W. Bynum
SG: R. Hamilton / A. Afflalo
SF: T. Prince / A. Daye / J. Jerebko
PF: J. Maxiell / D. Summers
C: K. Brown
Golden St. Warriors
DRAFTED: Stephen Curry (PG)
TRADED FOR: Acie Law (PG), Speedy Claxton (PG)
With no trade leverage thanks to Don Nelson, the Warriors were forced to move Jamal Crawford to Atlanta for Speedy Claxton’s insurance policy and Acie Law. Neither player is likely to contribute, but at least they got rid of Crawford’s contract. With the 7th overall pick, the Warriors chose Stephen Curry over Jordan Hill, a decision that could lead to several different results: A) Monta Ellis is going to be traded, B) Curry is going to be traded, C) they’ll cramp each other’s style and Ellis will eventually demand a trade, or D) they’ll thrive alongside each other and Golden State will average 133 points per game. While option “D” is more likely than some people think, I’m extremely worried about their lack of size on defense, as bigger guards will be exploiting them night in and night out. The Amare Stoudemire trade rumors are hot right now, and the Warriors could land him without having to give up either Ellis or Curry. Hold on to your seats…
PG: M. Ellis / S. Curry / A. Law
SG: S. Jackson / A. Morrow / M. Belinelli
SF: K. Azubuike / C. Maggette
PF: A. Randolph / B. Wright
C: A. Biedrins / R. Turiaf
Houston Rockets
TRADED FOR: Jermaine Taylor (SG), Chase Budinger (G/F), rights to Sergio Llull (PG)
With no draft picks to speak of, the Rockets were still very active, trading “cash considerations” to land 3 interesting prospects. Taylor is a super-athletic scorer with an NBA-ready body, Budinger is an excellent outside shooter who should thrive in transition, and Llull is a Spanish prospect who will likely stay overseas to develop. The fact that Houston targeted two swingmen tells us that the Tracy McGrady trade rumors are very real, and that Von Wafer (an unrestricted free agent) may be on his way out as well. With Yao Ming “out indefinitely” and Ron Artest also a free agent, Houston GM Daryl Morey has some big decisions to make.
PG: A. Brooks / K. Lowry
SG: T. McGrady / J. Taylor / B. Barry
SF: S. Battier / C. Budinger
PF: C. Landry / C. Hayes / B. Cook / J. Dorsey
C: L. Scola / Y. Ming (until Yao gets healthy)
Indiana Pacers
DRAFTED: Tyler Hansbrough (PF), AJ Price (G)
In my All-White American Team article, I suggested that the Pacers purposely go after white American players because their state population is approximately 90% white. Many people scoffed at this notion, but last year they had Troy Murphy, Mike Dunleavy, Jeff Foster, Travis Diener, and Josh McRoberts on their roster, and now they’re adding Tyler Hansbrough. The all-everything forward from North Carolina will bring much-needed toughness to the Pacers, and I’m sure a slight boost in ticket sales won’t hurt either. The selection of AJ Price means that either TJ Ford is on his way out, or Jarrett Jack won’t be re-signing. And yes, Jamaal Tinsley is still a Pacer, but since he’s not white, they don’t want him. (Note: that was a joke, and while I’m not saying there is anything right or wrong with a team’s decision to acquire certain types of players to appeal to their fanbase, I’d simply like someone to acknowledge that yes, this may be happening).
PG: TJ Ford / AJ Price / T. Diener
SG: B. Rush / M. Dunleavy
SF: D. Granger
PF: T. Murphy / T. Hansbrough
C: R. Hibbert / J. Foster
L.A. Clippers
DRAFTED: Blake Griffin (PF)
Taking Blake Griffin #1 overall was a no-brainer for the Clippers, but now the real fun begins. With five quality big men on their roster, the other LA team has to find a way to trade at least one of them. Since Kaman has a large contract and DeAndre Jordan is an intriguing prospect, this means that Camby and/or Randolph are the top candidates to get traded. If the Clippers pull off a nice trade, they could put themselves in a good position to make the playoffs. They were absolutely awful last season, but the Clips could be one of the more interesting teams to watch next year.
PG: B. Davis / M. Collins / M. Taylor
SG: E. Gordon / R. Davis
SF: A. Thornton
PF: B. Griffin / Z. Randolph
C: C. Kaman / M. Camby / D. Jordan
L.A. Lakers
DRAFTED: Chinemelu Elonu (PF)
TRADED FOR: 2 Future 2nd round picks, cash
The Lakers want to bring BOTH Odom and Ariza back, which means they need as much money as possible. So on draft day they traded away two picks for future 2nd rounders and some cap space. With the 2nd to last pick in the draft, they kept it and chose Elonu, a big man who averaged 7.3 boards in just 23.8 minutes last year. Have the Lakers done enough to re-sign both Odom and Ariza? As a non-Lakers fan, I’m hoping that someone offers Odom a contract that’s too juicy to resist, so with that in mind…
PG: D. Fisher / J. Farmar / S. Yue
SG: K. Bryant / S. Vujacic
SF: T. Ariza / L. Walton / A. Morrison
PF: P. Gasol / C. Elonu
C: A. Bynum
Memphis Grizzlies
DRAFTED: Hasheem Thabeet (C), DeMarre Carroll (SF), Sam Young (SF)
TRADED FOR: Quentin Richardson (G/F)
With the #2 pick, the Grizzlies drafted Hasheem Thabeet to man the middle for them. Personally, I don’t like this pick (I would have traded down), because they already have Marc Gasol and I’m not sold on Mike Conley being an above average starting PG. Nonetheless, Memphis will give it a go and see how it turns out. DeMarre Carroll and Sam Young give them two very athletic forwards to run the floor with Mayo and company, and I like the Young pick especially. In other news, the Grizz rid themselves of Darko Milicic, but had to take back Quentin Richardson in return. Since Q-Rich isn’t exactly a veteran leader, I don’t like this trade for Memphis.
PG: M. Conley / M. Jaric
SG: OJ Mayo / G. Buckner / Q. Richardson
SF: R. Gay / S. Young
PF: H. Warrick / D. Arthur / D. Carroll
C: H. Thabeet / M. Gasol
Miami Heat
DRAFTED: Robert Dozier (F)
TRADED FOR: Patrick Beverley (PG), 2 Future 2nd round picks
The Heat drafted Marcus Thornton #43 overall, but parlayed him into 2 future 2nd rounders by sending him to New Orleans. They acquired Beverley from the Lakers, a player who honed his game in Ukraine last year after being suspended by Arkansas. Lastly, Miami used the very last pick in the draft to select the long and athletic Robert Dozier. I’m not a fan of Dozier and I don’t know much about Beverley, but Miami did very little to improve their team this week, while many of their rivals got a lot better. Surely this has to worry Dwyane Wade and Pat Riley.
PG: M. Chalmers / C. Quinn / P. Beverley
SG: D. Wade / D. Cook / Y. Diawara
SF: J. Moon? / J. Jones / D. Wright
PF: M. Beasley / U. Haslem / R. Dozier
C: J. O’Neal / J. Anthony? / M. Blount
Milwaukee Bucks
DRAFTED: Brandon Jennings (PG), Jodie Meeks (SG)
TRADED FOR: Amir Johnson (PF), Kurt Thomas (PF/C)
The Bucks were invoved in the 1st major trade of the summer, sending Richard Jefferson to San Antonio for Kurt Thomas, Oberto, and Bruce Bowen. They immediately sent Oberto to Detroit for perennial prospect Amir Johnson, and they’ll likely release Bowen. So they lost some talent there, and they didn’t get immediate help from their 1st round pick, as Brandon Jennings is far from a polished product. Milwaukee picked up some offensive firepower in round 2 by selecting Jodie Meeks, but don’t they already have Michael Redd at that position? Even if they re-sign Sessions or Villanueva, I’m not sure what the Bucks are thinking.
PG: L. Ridnour / B. Jennings
SG: M. Redd / J. Meeks / C. Bell
SF: L. Moute / J. Alexander
PF: A. Johnson / K. Thomas / M. Allen
C: A. Bogut / D. Gadzuric / F. Elson
Minnesota Timberwolves
DRAFTED: Ricky Rubio (PG), Jonny Flynn (PG), Wayne Ellington (SG), Henk Norel (F)
TRADED FOR: Future 1st and 2nd round picks, D. Songaila (PF), E. Thomas (C), O. Pecherov (C)
Minnesota’s new GM (David Kahn) has been very active since taking over. He let go of Kevin McHale, traded away Randy Foye and Mike Miller before the draft, and acquired future 1st and 2nd round picks during the draft. Their decision to select both Ricky Rubio and Jonny Flynn was rather strange, but perhaps they’re holding Rubio hostage and waiting for the Knicks to call. It makes sense for Minnesota to rebuild, but fans will likely have to suffer another losing season.
PG: R. Rubio / S. Telfair / J. Flynn / B. Brown
SG: W. Ellington / C. Brewer
SF: R. Gomes / B. Cardinal
PF: K. Love / D. Songaila / C. Smith / M. Madsen
C: A. Jefferson / E. Thomas / O. Pecherov
New Jersey Nets
DRAFTED: Terrence Williams (SF)
TRADED FOR: Courtney Lee (SG), Rafer Alston (PG), Tony Battie (PF)
In a move with all kinds of 2010 implications, the Nets traded away Vince Carter and Ryan Anderson to the Magic for Courtney Lee, Alston, and Battie. The latter two players have expiring contracts, while Lee is good friends with some guy named LeBron James. In case they don’t land LeBron in 2010, the Nets drafted a talented young forward in Terrence Williams. By getting rid of Anderson, there is now a lot of pressure on Yi Jianlian to produce. If he doesn’t step up, New Jersey will likely be in the lottery again next year. However, they’ve positioned themselves very well for the future, as Devin Harris is their only major long-term contract.
PG: D. Harris / R. Alston / K. Dooling
SG: C. Lee / C. Douglas-Roberts / T. Hassell
SF: T. Williams / J. Hayes / B. Simmons
PF: Y. Jianlian / T. Battie / E. Najera
C: B. Lopez / J. Boone / S. Williams
New Orleans Hornets
DRAFTED: Darren Collison (PG)
TRADED FOR: M. Thornton (SG)
When you already have the best point guard in the NBA, should you really use your 1st round pick on an undersized backup point guard? Maybe if you have strong depth and a lot of draft picks, but that wasn’t the case for New Orleans. Despite glaring weaknesses at several other positions, Hornets GM Jeff Bower decided to use the #21 overall pick on Darren Collison, a 165-pound backup point guard with little upside. Last year they missed bringing in instant offense off the bench with combo guard Janerro Pargo, so they decided to replace him with local LSU product Marcus Thornton. Thornton is a big-time scorer who should sell more tickets, but they had to give Miami two 2nd round picks to get him. They also failed in another attempt to move Tyson Chandler, and now they almost HAVE to trade him. I feel kind of bad for CP3.
PG: C. Paul / D. Collison / A. Daniels
SG: R. Butler / M. Thornton / D. Brown / M. Peterson
SF: P. Stojakovic / J. Posey
PF: D. West / J. Wright
C: T. Chandler / H. Armstrong
New York Knicks
DRAFTED: Jordan Hill (PF)
TRADED FOR: Toney Douglas (G), Darko Milicic (PF/C)
They wanted Curry, but Hill is a nice consolation prize. Mike D’Antoni has compared him to Amare Stoudemire, and depending on what happens, he can either replace or play alongside David Lee. Despite being the 29th overall pick, the Knicks gave the Lakers $3 million + a 2nd round pick in 2011 for Toney Douglas, so they clearly like the combo guard a lot. My guess is that Douglas will replace Nate Robinson and they’ll do their best to bring back Lee. Meanwhile, New York also picked up Darko Milicic, and considering he has an expiring contract and they got to unload Q-Rich, it was a terrific deal for them (watching New York fans boo after every trade got old a long time ago, so can we please move the draft to California?).
PG: C. Duhon / T. Douglas
SG: L. Hughes
SF: W. Chandler / D. Gallinari
PF: A. Harrington / J. Hill / J. Jeffries
C: D. Lee? / D. Milicic / E. Curry
Oklahoma City Thunder
DRAFTED: James Harden (SG)
TRADED FOR: BJ Mullens (C), Robert Vaden (SG)
Oklahoma City chose James Harden with the #3 overall pick, and while they can certainly use his outside shooting, I think that Thabeet would have been a much better fit. They could use a defensive-minded center who can block shots and start fast breaks, but instead of going after Thabeet, OKC decided to gamble on BJ Mullens. Mullens is more of a finesse big man, so I don’t like this pick either, which is surprising because I think Sam Presti is one of the best GMs in the league. Vaden is supposed to be a fine shooter, but he shot just 34.6% 3P and 74% FT last season, and he has very little versatility, so I don’t understand this pick either.
PG: R. Westbrook / S. Livingston / C. Atkins / E. Watson
SG: J. Harden / K. Weaver / R. Vaden
SF: K. Durant / T. Sefolosha
PF: J. Green / DJ White
C: N. Collison / N. Krstic / BJ Mullens
Orlando Magic
TRADED FOR: Vince Carter (SG), Ryan Anderson (PF)
Orlando didn’t have a single draft pick this year, but they still made plenty of noise on the trade front, sending Alston, Lee, and Battie to New Jersey for Vince Carter and Ryan Anderson. They’re suddenly a much better offensive team, but their guard depth and defense might suffer. At the age of 32, one has to wonder how much Carter has left in the tank, but with Cleveland and Washington making major deals, you can’t blame them for trying to keep up. Not many people are going to talk about Ryan Anderson, but he’s a great complement to Dwight Howard, as he’s an active big man who can knock down outside shots. Of course, Orlando still has to re-sign Turkoglu and find a decent backup center to replace Gortat.
PG: J. Nelson / A. Johnson
SG: V. Carter / JJ Redick
SF: H. Turkoglu? / M. Pietrus
PF: R. Lewis / R. Anderson
C: D. Howard
Philadelphia 76ers
DRAFTED: Jrue Holiday (PG)
With Andre Miller being an unrestricted free agent, Philly had to draft a point guard, and they got a good one in Jrue Holiday. At #17 overall, I’m a HUGE fan of Holiday, as he has all of the tools to be an excellent player. However, he just turned 19, so if the 76ers can re-sign Miller or find another veteran PG, they should probably do that. Just as important, they need to decide if Brand can play center for them, and if so, Samuel Dalembert has gotta go. And in case you missed it, the 76ers FINALLY addressed their glaring outside shooting weakness by trading Reggie Evans for Jason Kapono.
PG: J. Holiday / L. Williams
SG: A. Iguodala / W. Green
SF: T. Young / J. Kapono
PF: E. Brand / J. Smith
C: S. Dalembert / M. Speights
Phoenix Suns
DRAFTED: Earl Clark (F), Taylor Griffin (F), Emir Preldzic (SF)
TRADED FOR: Ben Wallace (PF), Sasha Pavlovic (SF), cash
Not too long ago, the Suns were one of the best teams in the league. Now they’re in rebuilding mode, and I’m surprised that Steve Nash wants to stick around for that. Getting rid of Shaq saves them some money and allows Stoudemire to move back to center, but it sounds like they’re ready to trade Amare as well. Again, shouldn’t they just send Nash to a contender while they’re at it? They drafted Earl Clark in round 1, and while he’s supposed to be an excellent talent, DraftExpress compares him to Marvin Williams, and that’s more bad than good in my eyes. The Suns need all kinds of forward help, so hopefully Griffin or Preldzic pans out. Unless they strike a killer deal for Stoudemire, it could be a long season for Suns fans.
PG: S. Nash / G. Dragic
SG: J. Richardson / L. Barbosa / A. Tucker
SF: E. Clark / S. Pavlovic / E. Preldzic
PF: L. Amundson / J. Dudley / T. Griffin
C: A. Stoudemire / R. Lopez
Portland Trail Blazers
DRAFTED: Victor Claver (SF), Dante Cunningham (PF), Patrick Mills (PG)
TRADED FOR: Jeff Pendergraph (PF)
Claver is a top Spanish prospect, but he’ll likely spend a couple of years overseas before coming to the NBA. The Blazers made an interesting move in round 2, sending their #38 pick and Sergio Rodriguez to the Kings for the #31 pick, where they selected Arizona St. big man Jeff Pendergraph. Cunningham is another power forward, and their additions mean that Channing Frye is likely history. A very interesting rumor is that Kirk Hinrich has told friends he’s heading to Portland, and while the Blazers would love to have him, they drafted Patrick Mills and still have Jerryd Bayless around. By the way, is Martell Webster still alive?
PG: S. Blake / J. Bayless / P. Mills
SG: B. Roy / R. Fernandez / M. Webster
SF: N. Batum / T. Outlaw
PF: L. Aldridge / J. Pendergraph / D. Cunningham
C: G. Oden / J. Przybilla
Sacramento Kings
DRAFTED: Tyreke Evans (PG), Omri Casspi (SF)
TRADED FOR: Sergio Rodriguez (PG), Jon Brockman (PF)
Tyreke Evans was the “safe” pick at #4 overall, as he has excellent size, and can handle the rock and play defense. However, if the Kings had taken Stephen Curry, I can’t even imagine how teams would have tried to stop both Curry and Kev-Mart. Picking up Sergio Rodriguez for practially nothing was a nice move however, and many people are raving about this Casspi kid. Brockman stands just 6′7 and can’t block a shot to save his life, but he pulled down 11.5 boards (4.2 offensive) per game in college and is a banger.
PG: T. Evans / B. Udrih / S. Rodriguez
SG: K. Martin / R. McCants?
SF: F. Garcia / O. Casspi / D. Greene
PF: J. Thompson / A. Nocioni / J. Brockman / K. Thomas
C: S. Hawes
San Antonio Spurs
DRAFTED: DeJuan Blair (PF), Jack McClinton (G), Nando De Colo (PG)
TRADED FOR: Richard Jefferson (SF)
Somehow, the Spurs didn’t have a single 1st round pick in this year’s draft, but they still managed to improve their team by leaps and bounds. They landed Richard Jefferson without having to give up very much, giving them a very formidable small forward. Then they picked up the beefy DeJuan Blair at #37 overall, after he was a consensus Top 20 pick less than a month ago. If that wasn’t enough, they also landed the sweet-shooting Jack McClinton, who attempted 7 threes per game while making 45% of his shots from beyond the arc, making the Eddie House comparisons sound legit. De Colo is a top PG prospect from France, but since they don’t need his immediate help, he could stay overseas (where Tiago Splitter is also improving his game). The Spurs could use another experienced big man, but San Antonio looks like a title contender once again.
PG: T. Parker / G. Hill / J. McClinton
SG: R. Mason / M. Ginobili
SF: R. Jefferson / M. Finley?
PF: D. Blair / I. Mahinmi
C: T. Duncan / M. Bonner
Toronto Raptors
DRAFTED: DeMar DeRozan (SG)
With Anthony Parker likely leaving via free agency and Jason Kapono no longer in town, the Raptors were desperate for a swingman with star potential, and they found that in DeRozan. He’s still quite raw, but DeMar has an NBA body and is supposed to be a very hard worker. Given Toronto’s lack of depth, he may have to start for them even if he’s not ready. It sounds like Carlos Delfino is returning to Canada, and he could start as well to give the Raptors a 3-point shooting threat. If Toronto lets Shawn Marion sign elsewhere, who will they sign to replace him?
PG: J. Calderon / R. Ukic / M. Banks
SG: C. Delfino?
SF: D. DeRozan / J. Graham
PF: C. Bosh / R. Evans / K. Humphries
C: A. Bargnani / P. O’Bryant
Utah Jazz
DRAFTED: Eric Maynor (PG), Goran Suton (PF/C)
Eric Maynor was a very accomplished college player, and since the Jazz don’t have as many holes as the Hornets do, selecting a backup for Deron Williams wasn’t a bad idea. However, I don’t like their selection of Goran Suton, because his game is very similar to Okur and Koufos. Jerry Sloan obviously loves big men who can shoot the ball, but Utah could really benefit by adding a high-energy big man who plays above the rim. I’m assuming that both Millsap and Okur will re-sign, but if they don’t, Utah will be in trouble.
PG: D. Williams / E. Maynor
SG: R. Brewer / K. Korver
SF: A. Kirilenko / CJ Miles / M. Harpring
PF: P. Millsap / G. Suton
C: M. Okur? / K. Koufos / K. Fesenko
Washington Wizards
TRADED FOR: Randy Foye (G), Mike Miller (G/F), cash
Washington started with picks #5 and #32 overall, and they ended up with Randy Foye, Mike Miller, and some extra cash, getting rid of some unwanted contracts in the process. I admire the trade that they made, because they recognize that Jamison, Butler, and Arenas aren’t getting any younger, so they may as well try to win now. It’s a risky move, but if Arenas can stay healthy, the Wizards could do some damage next season. Foye gives them a combo guard who can either play behind or alongside Gilbert, and Miller gives them even more depth and versatility. It will be interesting to see what Flip Saunders can do with this squad.
PG: G. Arenas / R. Foye / M. James
SG: M. Miller / N. Young / J. Crittenton
SF: C. Butler / D. McGuire / D. Stevenson
PF: A. Jamison / A. Blatche
C: B. Haywood / J. McGee
Evil’s Biggest Draft Week Winners
1. Spurs
2. Cavaliers
3. Wizards
4. 76ers
5. Knicks
Evil’s Biggest Draft Week Losers
1. Bucks
2. Hornets
3. Suns
4. Grizzlies
5. Timberwolves (if they don’t trade Rubio or Flynn)
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Who are YOUR biggest winners and losers?
E, great run down. I needed it. When are we going to see some trade breakdowns with fantasy impacts? We know 80-90% of the rookies will not have a fantasy fart.
Re-Run N Gun Suns V2.0.09.10 Catchy? I think trading Shaq is the best move Steve Kerr has made as a GM. caveat: With the intention of clearing space to keep Amare and Nash. With the full reinstallation of 7 seconds or less. If not…they are dumb. Why would they trade Amare for Andres Biedrins. 2 guys both making monster contracts. Actually 1 making a monster 11 million a year. And Amare about to clear 11 million a season. This does not make sense to me. Suns better get a 1st rounder in the deal.
Let me say. Everybody called out Memphis and the Lakers for making a one side trade for Pau Gasol. Which is false btw. Memphis has come up roses from that deal. Lets please call out Cleveland and the Suns for trading Shaq for what exactly. A box of peanuts and a second round pick. Wow.
The Bucks are dumb. Clippers mid-west if you will. To this day I don’t understand why they resigned Charlie Bell. Keeping him away from Pat Riley and the Heat. Its a very expensive joke. The real joke is Mike Redds contract.
Is it just me or is Minnesota new GM David Kahn odd. Odd in the sense he may not have much BBall IQ. He understands numbers but may be out of touch to evaluate players with the eyeball test. I think the trade is was wack for them. Great for the Wizards. I think he hedged his point guards. If Rubio were to stay overseas. Jonny Flynn becomes the de facto pg. Done. I do like the Lawson trade for a late 1st rounder.
Losers/Winners: What are the Nets doing? Waiting for a big free agent? Here come the New Jersey Tankers of 09-10 & 10-11. Brett Ratner needs as much money as possible to build his brooklyn stadium and retail development. Actually gaining Courtney Lee and trading VC is huge for the nets. VC is going to tear it up in Florida his home state. VC is going to show alot of energy making the trade look terrible for the Nets. Which it shouldn’t. Remember this when your fantasy team is loving VC…His motivation is directly related to his lifestyle. He didn’t like NY and NJ. So he sandbagged it. He is a small town kind of person.
Losers: Hornets, other than David West, Dimestore(cp3) and …. they have nothing. Every other contender in the league is loading up while NO is sitting on their 07-08 laurels. They are looking more like a one-hit wonder with each move they don’t make. West and CP3 are being wasted on a great team.
Sixers getting Jrue Holliday was amazing. The kid seriously blossomed late in UCLA’s system. F’in Ben Howland. Ego and System are hurting his credibility with fans. The NBA knows he has an eye for talent. But doesn’t know how to use it. So he forces them to play defense and constricts them on offense to maintain their defense 1st mentality. How does the analagy go…good coaches adapt to their players. Something Ben Howland will not do.
Something similar happened with my sisters Varsity team this past year. She is a starting shooting guard. Relate her to an Allan Houston with better defense. Great long range shooter, some handles, good passing and driving skills. They played mediocre game after another all season long. With tons of potential ready to burst. The final 3 games and 1 playoff game they were a team possessed playing NBA style ball. Playing multiple sets. Typical offense 1 time down the court. Iso the next. Pick and roll the next. The Iso and pick and roll was phenomenal. Forwards and guards once constricted on the block turned into 1 on 1 beasts. Something the 20 year coach lost didn’t see in here player. “Believe in the offensive system.” she says. In their one playoff game…my sisters team was killing the highly ranked team. Because of the new look offense and new look defense. Destroying them in their own beautifully packed gym Up by 12! 2nd half the coach inexplicably reverted back to the typical offense. And went away from the 1-3-1 defense strangling the other team back to a 3-2 zone. And as any basketball fan with a brain knows. 1)constricted offense leads to less points. 2) Soft spot in a 3-2 zone is the high-low offense. With a forward popping up to free throw line to shoot short jumpers or pass down low. End of story. The forward was killing us jump shot after jumpshot. Coach never adjusted she shat there with her hand on her chin. Like Tim Donaughy with a whistle in his mouth. Wow…i am still pissed.
Let me step back on the Bucks for a second. Just noticed the Jody Meeks pick. Bucks lack offense and defense and serious pg. Jennings could fill those spots. Meeks can play serious offense.
Draft wise: Bucks came up.
Trade front: Jefferson was the lone bright fantasy spot on this team. Now what?
So you agree with most of my winners & losers except for the Bucks? Lemme ax you this: are they going to re-sign Sessions or Villanueva? Up to this point, most people said Sessions, and that made sense since he’s a PG (more important position), is 2 years younger, and has more potential to become a great player.
But if they’re bringing back Sessions, then why did they draft Jennings? And if they intend to play Ramon a little at shooting guard (quite possible) and Redd is also a shooting guard, and the knock on Meeks is that he doesn’t have ideal size (can’t play small forward), then why would they draft Meeks?
And if they plan on bringing back Villanueva… is that really a smart move? Sure, he can put up numbers, but is he really a great player?
And I haven’t seen much of Jennings, but I get the sense that he’s more of an uptempo PG rather than a halfcourt guy. Meanwhile, I consider Bogut and Redd to be better halfcourt players. So what style of play are they embracing?
With all those questions, Milwaukee is my #1 loser. But I’m curious to see what they do next…
yeah i agree mostly with your winner and losers.
Session will NOT be resigned by the Bucks. The team has a hard on for Ridnour. Why sign Sessions to be a backup again? The Bucks are in rebuild mode. Or they are hoping to catch a pair of lightning bolts in a bottle.
Again they are Losers overall using your term “draft week losers”. Their draft “day” grade is high.
Micheal Redds trade value? Does he have any? Huge $17 & $18 million left on his contract. Plenty of teams need killer shooters.
I personally don’t think he goes anywhere.
But I could see both Meeks and Redd on the court at the same time. Meeks might find his defensive stride increasing his pt.
Bucks could replicate his small lineup jump shooting teams. He can’t do anything else.
http://myespn.go.com/blogs/truehoop/0-42-91/You-Know—–Ummm—–Brandon-Jennings.html
Bucks Summer League Update
E, Any updates to Amare falling into your teams lap?
Well, I’ll be pretty pissed if they have to give up Biedrins AND Curry, but if it’s Biedrins + Wright + Azubuike, then I’m all for it. New rotation w/ Amare, after Curry has gotten used to the NBA, and assuming they bring back CJ Watson:
PG: Curry / Watson / Law
SG: Ellis / Morrow / Belinelli
SF: Jackson / Maggette
PF: Amare / Randolph
C: Turiaf /
That starting lineup of Curry + Monta + S-Jack + Amare would dominate on offense, while Jackson and Turiaf would hold it down as best they can on D. They’d need a backup center to replace Biedrins, but other than that, I’d enjoy watching. Seriously tho, Biedrins and Azubuike are 2 of my favorite players, and giving up Stephen Curry is way too much considering how much other teams like him.
E a great piece of evaluation in such short time , you certainly do live and breathe basketball, I think we’ll all be pissed if you ever land a GM’s job
Indiana has to have a white policy it is just far too coincidental with the latest addition.
I was also somewhat surprised that Patrick Mills slipped so far given his performance at last years olympics for Australia , but I guess it comes down to ‘what have you done for me lately’
As a big time Kentucky fan I will be closely following the Bucks roster situation. I do believe that Jodie Meeks will make the opening day roster. In fact, I don’t think it’s out of the question for Meeks to emerge as a starter on this team as the season unfolds, especially now that they have dealt Jefferson. Skiles could experiment with Redd at the 3 and Meeks at the 2. His playing time will primarily depend on whether he can prove himself to be a capable defender (which I think he will because he is a very underrated defender). Other than Bogut who went No 1 overall, this team is all about giving second round picks a shot, is it not? Last year Skiles did not hesitate to give Luc Richard Mbah a Moute the starting gig at the 4 after Villanueva went down with injury and inconsistency. Then you’ve got Redd and Sessions who were former second rounders.
So assuming these rumors are true that Ridnour could be traded, I see Sessions and Jennings sharing time at the 1, Meeks at the 2 (by January or so after Skiles settles on a rotation and decides that there aren’t any better options since Bell is more of a journeyman…. hey, it pays to give the young players a chance to see what they can do!), Redd at the 3 with again Alexander getting 10 to 15 off the bench in wing minutes, Mbah a Moute and Villanueva battling for 4 minutes, then Bogut plus journeymen bigmen at the 5. Let’s go Jodie!
A few more words on Meeks…. It’s remarkable how far he has come in his development. Freshman year at Kentucky, he did not have an outside shot, Period. Clank clank clank. Sophomore year we barely saw him because he was hurt most of the time. Then all of a sudden this past season, it became evident that the guy had spent the last year cultivating his skill from the perimeter, living in the gym. It was a night and day transformation! Everyone tends to focus on the game at Tennessee where he hit 10 3 pointers and scored a school record 54 points, but he had several games like this where he was unstoppable. I could see him filling a similar role as Courtney Lee did for the Magic the past year, another rookie at the 2 who played his college ball in the state of Kentucky! Lee is better off the dribble though, but after seeing the leaps and bounds in improvements Jodie made from his frosh and soph years to year 3, you just cannot underestimate Meeks’ capacity to grow and improve his game. I think he will figure out the pro game and be a solid contributor and will further develop the ball handling skills. He would have been a great pick for Cleveland at 46 had he still been there (not to knock Danny Green who can also probably help the Cavs). But what the heck were the Cavs thinking about at No. 30???? Everyone knows they are in win now mode, yet Ferry elects to pick some overseas guy who they MIGHT see in a couple of years??? You’ve got both players from Pitt still on the board, and strong shooters like Chase Budinger and Meeks. I’m still scratching my head on that one. I think Ferry got a little too cute with that pick.
Thanks for the inside look.
I think that the biggest moves that will ultimately determine the winners and losers of this offseason haven’t happened yet. For starters, your Warriors would be bigtime winners if they can pull a Stoudemire deal off.
I could not believe what Minnesota did. Trading two key guys for a pick and then drafting two players that will not be able to play together? You had to have been thrilled to see Curry still on the board. I agree that Biedrins/Curry is too much to trade for Stoudemire, but on draft day it seemed like it was pretty much a done deal without Curry involved. If the Warriors can pull that off you have to consider them bigtime winners. Ellis/Curry/Capt Jack/Randolph/Amare? All of a sudden that is a really good team. If they can’t pull it off it’d be a mild letdown, but I’d still be real happy if I were a Warriors fan that Curry fell to 7.
What kind of rookie year do you predict for Curry? I really think OJ Mayo’s rookie year is a possibility. Going to either New York or Golden State was going to do wonders for his fantasy value and I’m glad he went to one of those offensive juggernauts.
The other team along with Golden State that could walk away as a major winner with one more move is Orlando. I am very excited to see Vince Carter on a good team for the first time in his career and I expect him to reestablish himself as one of the league’s best players. He is really, really good and I feel like he’s been kind of a forgotten star playing on these bad teams. The thing about Orlando is, you know there is someone on their staff right now saying “Umm, guys, you realize if we make Hedo a slightly better offer we’d be trotting out Nelson/Vince/Hedo/Rashard/Dwight..”
You look at the size and length of the contracts of Orlando’s main guys are you immediately think “no way, impossible.” However, Orlando’s owner happens to be the 119th richest man in the world with an estimated net worth of $4.4 billion.. Everyone is talking like Hedo is out the door but it isn’t often that teams have a squad that good and own the Bird Rights to another all-star player. If Orlando trades for Vince and brings back Hedo, they are bigtime winners.. Seems like no one is even talking like this is a possibility.
As for the actual draft picks, I hated Tyreke Evans at #4. I started reading a lot about this guy after I saw that Ray Allen for a pick rumor (with the caveat that Danny was eyeing Tyreke) and I did not like what I saw. For example, in your rundown of college ballers to watch in the tourny you basically said that Tyreke won’t be able to play PG in the NBA. His A:T ratio is 1. He is a turnover machine. If I remember correctly, they even moved him to SG in the tourny because it just wasn’t working out. Yikes!! Why would Sacramento want to team up their ball-hogging SG with a ball-hogging PG? Additionally, Evans’ shooting percentages are terrible. I read all of his scouting reports and I feel like I could’ve just done a find+replace for his name with Tony Allen’s name. I’d have gone with Rubio. Really, even if he stays in Europe for a year the Kings would probably have added another top 3 pick and then just been outright dangerous in a couple years.
I think Curry is a steal, I bet if he was 6′6″ he’d have gone #2. I was thinking ‘Sota was about to have an incredible draft scoring Rubio and Curry and then he fell right into GSW’s lap. I still can not believe that the T-Pups didn’t trade one of those guys. I’m just in awe. For me the the highlight of the draft comes down to two moments, it’s between a) Jennings showing up and going on stage after the 14 pick, or b) That minute or so before they announced the Lawson trade where I thought Minny actually drafted 3 PGs. I mean I don’t like Telfair either but this is ridiculous!!
I think Hansbrough ended up on a good team for him. I think he can basically be Jeff Foster V.2. I like Denver trading for Lawson, I think he’s one of the more NBA ready players in the draft and considering they were right on the cusp of the NBA Finals this was a wise pickup.
As terrible as the Flynn pick was, I did like the Ellington pick at 28. He looked pretty good to me in the tournament and I was surprised about some of the guys that went ahead of him. You did say that you have heard good things about Casspi so I’ll withhold judgement until I see him, but when I was watching the draft I questioned the logic of selecting an Israeli kid who averaged 8ppg in Europe over a guy like Ellington who did a lot of damage for UNC.
Another intriguing player is Jeff Teague. I remember before the college basketball season he was being projected as a top 5 pick in this draft and then Wake started the season real well and he looked great. Then what happened? What happened to Wake and to him? Is he just not what he thought he was or was there a reason for his disappointing year? I mean, if he had an injury or some family problems or something Hotlanta might have just snagged a top 5 player at 19.
Overall, good rundown, very informative.
Psycho T will be this years Kevin Love with less passing ability.
Interesting thoughts. I’d forgotten what I said about Tyreke (when I just hear “Tyreke” without the Evans, I think of the “Mad Real World” skit from Chappelle’s Show). I think what NBA teams love about Evans is his size, defensive potential, and playmaking abilities. But yeah, his game lacks a lot of polish, and like I said, I would have LOVED to see Curry and Kev-Mart in the same backcourt. They could have become the most unstoppable scoring backcourt in the league, but I think the Kings really focused on defense and toughness in the draft. Smart move? Time will tell.
From a personality standpoint, I like Teague a lot more than Jennings.
It will be interesting to see if Murphy and Hansbrough can play on the floor at the same time…
Yo E,
I’ve just read your draft evaluation, and as usual, your stuff is great reading. I was considering your comments about the W’s. What if GS could work a trade w/ the Clips where MONTA, B.WRIGHT & BELINELLI went south for BARON,RICKY DAVIS & maybe a future #1. Would such a trade improve the W’s? Is there any way current GS management would consider such a trade? Keep up the good work. It’s only 3 months to camp. BRUIN22
Thanks BRUIN22. Haven’t seen you comment in awhile.
That’s an interesting trade proposal, and if I were GM of either team, I would at least consider it.
I do think Baron is a better backcourt fit with Curry, since Baron is much stronger than Monta and thus is able to better defend big guards. Obviously, he’s also more of a pure point and would still be a fan favorite in the Bay. And while Belinelli and Wright are talented, they’ve fallen behind Morrow and Randolph in the rotation, so they wouldn’t be missed. If G.S. could get a 1st rounder from the Clips, I would probably do that, because the Warriors need to win NOW.
Meanwhile, Monta is much younger and thus he’d be able to “grow up” and peak with Griffin and Gordon. Eric and Ellis in the backcourt would be pretty unstoppable, and Gordon is capable of handling the rock to take some pressure off of Ellis. I’m sure LA would also love to get rid of Ricky, but not at the expense of giving up a 1st rounder.
I also think that the Clippers need to give Baron another year to prove himself. Now that they have uber-prospect Blake Griffin, they need a veteran leader to run the team, and that’s where Boom is going to help immensely. If Davis can stay healthy and play like he’s capable of, LA will make the playoffs next season. So I don’t think the Clips should do that trade.
In other news, these depth charts are already outdated, but I have an Excel spreadsheet that I’m updating daily. Most teams have their “top 10″ rotations set now, but what the hell are the Knicks and Suns doing?
After the rest of the top free agents sign, I’m not sure if I’ll post updated depth charts on my site or not. After all, this is valuable information we’re talking about. Instead, I might send them out for free to all of my draft guide customers from last year as a special bonus. What do you guys think?
http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=ys-mdaniels071709&prov=yhoo&type=lgns
Daniels to Boston, too? Oh man… Watch out NBA!! E correctly noted that if Davis and House skipped town Boston would have one of the worst benches in the league. I agreed, the thought of Scalaburine and Tony Allen logging heavy minutes with Danny’s “projects” such as Giddens and Pruit was turning my stomach. However, if this Daniels signing becomes official this offseason has been an A+ as far as I’m concerned. Celts now have legitimate insurance if KG gets hurt (Wallace) or if anything happens to Pierce or Ray (Daniels).
My main question at this point is can Daniels handle some PG duties? I know that Don Nelson when coaching the Mavericks loved this guy and inserted him into the starting lineup for a Mavs playoff run and he played well. This actually got me super stoked about him for fantasy purposes and I got burnt, but that’s besides the point. I’m thinking if Daniels can handle the ball in lineups with Eddie then Boston doesn’t necessarily have to sign some random scrub PG.
Either way, I’m stoked.
Yeah, Marquis will be a nice pickup for the C’s. He complements House well, but what about Big Baby?
If Davis signs an offer sheet at significantly less than the MLE, I’d fully expect Boston to match it and bring him back. Full MLE, who knows.
A lot of his potential suitors have already addressed their needs, such as Orlando and Utah. ESPN just reported that Detroit is no longer interested in Davis and Miami probably doesn’t want him on their books for next years FA splash. I think Portland will end up making an offer now that they missed on Millsap and I could see Dallas getting involved, too. I think the Celts are hoping he’ll fall back into their laps. I’d understand if they let him go if his offer sheet was too rich, he is a nice backup player but he’ll have limited opportunity for minutes on the Celts.