Pre-TC Lotto Grades
Oct 26, 2012 11:50:45 GMT -5
Post by Skillz on Oct 26, 2012 11:50:45 GMT -5
Pre-TC Loto Grades
We are so confident about our draft knowledge, that we're grading the lotto before TC! Let's see how clairvoyant we are.
1. Heat - Kevin Durant SF 6'9'' 215 19 B B+ C- C C A
This would have been a great pick, but Pig had a chance to set the Heat franchise straight for a decade and somehow couldn’t capitalize. I think it’s pretty clear Spence stacked Durant with 100 potential, and he’ll be a superstar for a long time. A- A C A- C+ are my expectations for him, with excellent production. Giving that chance away and trading for a flawed big man, and Young (who will be good, but has big flaws) seemed like an odd move.
Grade: D
2. Warriors - Al Horford C 6'10'' 245 21 B- C- D B B A
I doubt Horford has huge potential but he is so solid already it won’t matter. Al is the perfect piece to add next to Rondo, and if CC plays his cards right, Golden State should be a very good team for a long time.
Grade: A
3. Wolves- Marc Gasol C 7'1'' 265 22 B- C- C- C B- A
I think this was the pick GAME should have made here, so that is always good. GAME needed a game changer (pun intended), and I think Gasol offers the most potential to do so. He is already a really nice rebounder and inside scorer. If Marc has potential, this will prove to be a big addition for Minnesota.
Grade: B+
4. Hawks - Greg Oden C 7'0'' 250 19 C+ C D B+ B B
Something that has flown under the radar with Oden: if he does have huge potential, he is going to be a superstar. He has no flaws, and his oddly good midrange game to start seems like a sign that he is going to be a very valuable piece. Though it’s probably unlikely he does have hidden potential, he should still be a long-time BBS starter.
Grade: A-
5. Heat - Thaddeus Young SF 6'8'' 220 19 B C- C- B C A
Repole managed to get Kevin Durant out of a big who turns it over 3.5 times a game and a wing with C- outside scoring. Does it sound like I am bitter?
Grade: A+
6. Grizzlies - Mike Conley PG 6'1'' 180 19 C B- C+ C+ D+ A
Ever since the Grizzlies traded Baron Davis, they have struggled at the point guard slot. Conley is a safe pick and should be pretty good, but I don’t see him being a superstar. He will probably be in that 8-12 point guard range, of really quality starters who will never sniff an all-star. Regardless, at this point in a draft that wasn’t strong up top, it’s a good pick.
Grade: A-
7. Trail Blazers (from Kings) - Aaron Brooks PG 6'0'' 161 22 C A- C+ C D B
Wow, the Blazers must have felt horrible after seeing Conley drop right before Brooks. And wow, they must have been really desperate for a point guard. Brooks looks to me like a late 1st rounder at best, and I would not have picked him before 20. Anytime you can get a PG that can’t do anything besides shoot and has TO problems, you have to take him in the top 10!
Grade: D+
8. SuperSonics - Jeff Green SF 6'9'' 235 21 B- B- C+ C C+ B
Speaking of bad picks. Martinez isn’t in a good place going into the contract year, and he needed a significant piece here. I didn’t see Green had been picked in the lotto and was legitimately looking to acquire a 2nd round pick because I thought he hadn’t been drafted yet! Green’s notes indicated that he didn’t have serious strengths and had TO problems, hardly a player who should generate big interest from rebuilding teams. He should have looked at Wright or Yi.
Grade: C
9. Wizards - Brandan Wright PF 6'9'' 205 19 B C C B C A
JAH tends to be pretty good at drafting, so I trust this pick. He looks a little bit like Bosh—who didn’t pan out—but at this point in the draft, Wright is a pretty good risk considering he had solid notes. I don’t love his game, but I think he can be a solid SF in the right system.
Grade: A-
10. Blazers - Yi Jianlian PF 7'0'' 238 19 C+ C+ D+ C+ C+ A
Really liked this pick for Portland. If Yi has potential, I think he can be one of the best players in the draft. I also feel like we are due for a late-lotto stud, and Yi could be that guy! Also gotta give Jay some credit after I tore apart the Brooks pick.
Grade: A
11. Bulls - Javaris Crittenton PG 6'5'' 200 19 C+ C B- C+ C- A
Meh. After acquiring Kobe, Ashes has done very little to surround him with anything. Critttenton is tall, and that’s pretty much it. He’s going to have TO problems, he doesn’t rebound well for a tall guard, and he doesn’t score. I don’t see what people see in Crittenton. That said, high potential could erase anything I just wrote.
Grade: C
12. Bucks - Spencer Hawes C 7'0'' 245 19 B- C C C+ C+ B
Solid pick at this point in the lotto, but I think Splitter would have been a better addition. Jordan is kind of slipping by JAH-style and not really doing anything, and I think this pick supports that point. Hawes will be okay, but when you see a guy like Glen Davis getting picked late in the 1st round, it makes you question taking Hawes this early. Regardless, at 12 it’s fine value and we are looking at a borderline starter, so I can’t complain too much.
Grade: B
13. Nets - Tiago Splitter C 7'0'' 245 22 C+ C- D+ B- B- A
I like this pick a lot. Even though Splitter’s 22, I think Tiago will have some nice real potential—just seems like one of those guys. He had solid notes, and should be an interesting addition to the New Jersey front court. The Nets now have one of the best young cores in the league, as CP3-Ellis-Millsap-Splitter is an incredible way to build a potential title team.
Grade: A
1. Heat - Kevin Durant SF 6'9'' 215 19 B B+ C- C C A
This would have been a great pick, but Pig had a chance to set the Heat franchise straight for a decade and somehow couldn’t capitalize. I think it’s pretty clear Spence stacked Durant with 100 potential, and he’ll be a superstar for a long time. A- A C A- C+ are my expectations for him, with excellent production. Giving that chance away and trading for a flawed big man, and Young (who will be good, but has big flaws) seemed like an odd move.
Grade: D
2. Warriors - Al Horford C 6'10'' 245 21 B- C- D B B A
I doubt Horford has huge potential but he is so solid already it won’t matter. Al is the perfect piece to add next to Rondo, and if CC plays his cards right, Golden State should be a very good team for a long time.
Grade: A
3. Wolves- Marc Gasol C 7'1'' 265 22 B- C- C- C B- A
I think this was the pick GAME should have made here, so that is always good. GAME needed a game changer (pun intended), and I think Gasol offers the most potential to do so. He is already a really nice rebounder and inside scorer. If Marc has potential, this will prove to be a big addition for Minnesota.
Grade: B+
4. Hawks - Greg Oden C 7'0'' 250 19 C+ C D B+ B B
Something that has flown under the radar with Oden: if he does have huge potential, he is going to be a superstar. He has no flaws, and his oddly good midrange game to start seems like a sign that he is going to be a very valuable piece. Though it’s probably unlikely he does have hidden potential, he should still be a long-time BBS starter.
Grade: A-
5. Heat - Thaddeus Young SF 6'8'' 220 19 B C- C- B C A
Repole managed to get Kevin Durant out of a big who turns it over 3.5 times a game and a wing with C- outside scoring. Does it sound like I am bitter?
Grade: A+
6. Grizzlies - Mike Conley PG 6'1'' 180 19 C B- C+ C+ D+ A
Ever since the Grizzlies traded Baron Davis, they have struggled at the point guard slot. Conley is a safe pick and should be pretty good, but I don’t see him being a superstar. He will probably be in that 8-12 point guard range, of really quality starters who will never sniff an all-star. Regardless, at this point in a draft that wasn’t strong up top, it’s a good pick.
Grade: A-
7. Trail Blazers (from Kings) - Aaron Brooks PG 6'0'' 161 22 C A- C+ C D B
Wow, the Blazers must have felt horrible after seeing Conley drop right before Brooks. And wow, they must have been really desperate for a point guard. Brooks looks to me like a late 1st rounder at best, and I would not have picked him before 20. Anytime you can get a PG that can’t do anything besides shoot and has TO problems, you have to take him in the top 10!
Grade: D+
8. SuperSonics - Jeff Green SF 6'9'' 235 21 B- B- C+ C C+ B
Speaking of bad picks. Martinez isn’t in a good place going into the contract year, and he needed a significant piece here. I didn’t see Green had been picked in the lotto and was legitimately looking to acquire a 2nd round pick because I thought he hadn’t been drafted yet! Green’s notes indicated that he didn’t have serious strengths and had TO problems, hardly a player who should generate big interest from rebuilding teams. He should have looked at Wright or Yi.
Grade: C
9. Wizards - Brandan Wright PF 6'9'' 205 19 B C C B C A
JAH tends to be pretty good at drafting, so I trust this pick. He looks a little bit like Bosh—who didn’t pan out—but at this point in the draft, Wright is a pretty good risk considering he had solid notes. I don’t love his game, but I think he can be a solid SF in the right system.
Grade: A-
10. Blazers - Yi Jianlian PF 7'0'' 238 19 C+ C+ D+ C+ C+ A
Really liked this pick for Portland. If Yi has potential, I think he can be one of the best players in the draft. I also feel like we are due for a late-lotto stud, and Yi could be that guy! Also gotta give Jay some credit after I tore apart the Brooks pick.
Grade: A
11. Bulls - Javaris Crittenton PG 6'5'' 200 19 C+ C B- C+ C- A
Meh. After acquiring Kobe, Ashes has done very little to surround him with anything. Critttenton is tall, and that’s pretty much it. He’s going to have TO problems, he doesn’t rebound well for a tall guard, and he doesn’t score. I don’t see what people see in Crittenton. That said, high potential could erase anything I just wrote.
Grade: C
12. Bucks - Spencer Hawes C 7'0'' 245 19 B- C C C+ C+ B
Solid pick at this point in the lotto, but I think Splitter would have been a better addition. Jordan is kind of slipping by JAH-style and not really doing anything, and I think this pick supports that point. Hawes will be okay, but when you see a guy like Glen Davis getting picked late in the 1st round, it makes you question taking Hawes this early. Regardless, at 12 it’s fine value and we are looking at a borderline starter, so I can’t complain too much.
Grade: B
13. Nets - Tiago Splitter C 7'0'' 245 22 C+ C- D+ B- B- A
I like this pick a lot. Even though Splitter’s 22, I think Tiago will have some nice real potential—just seems like one of those guys. He had solid notes, and should be an interesting addition to the New Jersey front court. The Nets now have one of the best young cores in the league, as CP3-Ellis-Millsap-Splitter is an incredible way to build a potential title team.
Grade: A
