This is basically going over every pick in this past NBA draft from last night and give you an idea of the rationalization of the picks. This will just be the first round since it's really a struggle at times to find out any real rationalization with the second round when you consider that many of those players won't even see playing time in the NBA. So here it goes:
1. LA Clippers - Blake Griffin
Could there be anything more obvious? Above and beyond the rest as far as talent goes.
2. Memphis Grizzlies - Hasheem Thabeet
With Marc Gasol there it's a little harder to understand this pick. Gasol's not a bad defender by any means, but by how they talked about Thabeet bringing down low defense to the Grizzlies you'd think that he was the worst defender at the 5 that the league has ever seen. Thabeet will bring little to no offense to the Grizzlies, but there is no doubt that he'll make it almost impossible for other teams to score down low, especially if he's on the floor at the same time as Gasol.
3. Oklahoma City Thunder - James Harden
With Russell Westbrook already there as your point guard of the future, passing up on the second best talent in the draft in Rubio. James Harden is an all-around point guard. He's someone who can hurt the other team in so many ways, through his defense, his shooting, his driving, or his passing. He'll always be able to give you whatever you need when you need it. As far as talent, yes, Rubio is better, but Harden is the better total fit and will make the team better than Rubio would.
4. Sacramento Kings - Tyreke Evans
Well, the Kings needed a point guard badly, and even though there was one with more talent available, they got a very good future point guard in Evans, even if he is more of a combo guard. However, I guess there's something in his style that Sacramento likes more, since he does have a different type of game than Rubio.
5. Minnesota Timberwolves - Ricky Rubio
This was beyond obvious at this point. Overdue for Rubio.
6. Minnesota Timberwolves -Jonny Flynn
This is a lot harder to justify. The Timberwolves said that they're planning on keeping both Rubio and Flynn, so it looks like they're expecting Rubio to go back to Spain for a year or two and will allow Flynn to grow into good trade bait during that time, or they're going to use Rubio as bait to trade to a team that needs a point guard. Either way, a trade will eventually go down, only that they're not saying it so that the players involved don't lose value.
7. Golden State Warriors - Stephen Curry
Immediate reactions has to be asking how Curry and Ellis will fit together, but when you look at how you score their points, Curry by shooting and Ellis by slashing, you realize that on offense it makes perfect sense. The Warriors have never cared about defense, so that's not an issue. Also, supposedly there's an Amare Stoudemire trade about to go down that Curry will have to be a part of, but there's also rumors that the trade is dead.
8. New York Knicks - Jordan Hill
The Warriors picking Curry actually saved the Knicks from making a bad pick here. While Curry is very good and would look very good in D'Antoni's offense, Jordan Hill will wind up being even better. He brings some defense to the 4 spot for the Knicks as well as a versatile offensive game that just needs to be refined some more. The Knicks are going to love having this guy in the future.
9. Toronto Raptors - DeMar DeRozan
This was an obvious pick at this point. DeRozan is loaded with potential and has drawn many comparisons to former Raptor Vince Carter. While he might never realize that potential, the potential that he does have is too high for him to not be picked here.
10. Milwaukee Bucks - Brandon Jennings
His attitude seems to be pretty immature still, there's no doubt about that, but there's also no doubt that the kid has pretty amazing talent. If he can just play with his head as well he could wind up being a superstar.
11. New Jersey Nets - Terrence Williams
The Nets struck gold last year with Brook Lopez. They also traded Vince Carter in what seemed mostly like a salary dump right before the draft. In the trade they picked up Courtney Lee, a draft pick by the Magic a year ago who has established himself as a strong perimeter defender and a solid offensive player despite being most known for missing what would've been a game winning lay-in during the finals. Either way, they picked up Williams likely to play the small forward spot, which was a horrible weakness last year after trading away Richard Jefferson.
12. Charlotte Bobcats - Gerald Henderson
The fact that Jordan was able to allow his team to pick a Duke player is amazing enough. Henderson brings almost the perfect guy to replace Raja Bell. A tough defender, but Henderson is better at driving and more athletic, so he may bring an extra dimension that Bell doesn't bring and could actually the the starting 2 by the start of next season.
13. Indiana Pacers - Tyler Hansbrough
Some fans gave a lot of heat to the Pacers front office for this pick, but Hansbrought gives them exactly what they need up front. They need energy and toughness up front, as Hibbert and Nesterovic provide neither right now and Murphy provides no energy and barely toughness. Hansbrough is going to breathe new life into that front line and he has the skill and drive to actually wind up starting in the future.
14. Phoenix Suns - Earl Clark
Tons of talent here, his potential is through the roof. The Suns took a home run swing here, and if it pays off they could, with the right moves otherwise, be right back to where they were only a few years ago within half a decade.
15. Detroit Pistons - Austin Daye
A bit of a surprise pick. Daye is very tall and long, but he's under 200 pounds. While due to length he can play power forward for most teams, for Detroit, a team that prides itself on it's rough and physical defense, he's not someone who you can play there. He's clearly a project there, and if he can wind up bulking up he might be able to play some 4 there, but he might be even better fit at the 2 than the 4. With Prince there you really don't put him at the 3. This could be a future trade move too.
16. Chicago Bulls - James Johnson
Getting a guy that could've gone 7 picks earlier, the Bulls got a steal here. Anyone complaining about this pick just simply do not make any sense. He's a player who can easily play either the 3 or the 4. He's very strong and brings both toughness down low and on the perimeter. He has developed himself a very good jump shot out to 3 point range and has a game that despite being physical, is silky smooth. Just take Andres Nocioni, a former favorite in Chicago. Add on plenty of athleticism and a more consistent jumper. Throw in a smooth game and more size to add to the physical style, and there you go. This was an excellent pick for the Bulls.
17. Philadelphia 76ers - Jrue Holiday
He didn't fall as far as he could have, but he did fall enough to draw some attention for falling in a draft that seemed to have falling as a common theme. Holiday has a ton of potential, but no one really knows why. He doesn't have much of a jumper, he plays like a combo guard, and his health is an issue. However, there's just something about him that makes teams think that he can wind up being really good, and there's a good chance that they can be right. Great pick by the Sixers, who may likely lose Andre Miller this offseason. Holiday will be no less than adequate for filling in.
18. Minnesota Timberwolves - Ty Lawson
Okay, not so fast. Yeah, it's a third point guard that the T-Wolves drafted, almost like they're trying to make history by drafting so many point guards, but this pick was traded to the Nuggets for a future first round pick. Supposedly the Wolves wanted James Johnson, but when the Bulls picked him they didn't want this pick anymore and that's why the trade was made. Lawson will be an excellent backup for the Nuggets and will provide a player that brings something different than what Billups brings, making him even harder to guard.
19. Atlanta Hawks - Jeff Teague
When they drafted Acie Law a couple of years ago you thought they wouldn't need to be targeting point guards anymore, but that didn't work out. So they traded for Bibby. However, Bibby's not young by any means and could very well be wanting more than what the Hawks can spend, so they go after Jeff Teague, a point guard who isn't entirely a true point guard, but who can shoot the ball. With the depth of this year's point guard crop, even though it's this low, Teague could be the guy who ends the pursuit for a while.
20. Utah Jazz - Eric Maynor
More of an all-around point guard, if Williams has any injury problems from here on out, the Jazz know that they have someone to back him up that won't allow the team to fall to mediocrity.
21. New Orleans Hornets - Darren Collison
Looking even worse without Paul than the Jazz looked without Williams, the Hornets had the same idea, making for the third point guard drafted in a row, but Collison is another very good one, bringing some very good defense along with a solid offensive game from all angles.
22. Portland Trailblazers - Victor Claver
A potential pick, he's a very athletic 3/4 type of guy. It's a good pick, because the Blazers are a pretty stacked team, and they can afford to pick a project. This is a guy who could have a high reward, but also could likely never really ever amount to much.
23. Sacramento Kings - Omri Casspi
This is a good pick in that it at least gives the Kings someone to challenge Francisco Garcia for the starting spot at the 3. Casspi is ready to play right now and will at least be able to back Garcia up very well.
24. Dallas Mavericks - Byron Mullens
Now he's Byron, not BJ. Either way, he's actually a member of the Oklahoma City Thunder right now. The Thunder already have what's looking to shape up as a scary lineup with Westbrook, Harden, Durant, and Green. With Kristic at the 5 they were looking good, but if Mullens can develop into the center that he has the ability to develop into, then the Thunder can just plain flat out be scary.
25. Oklahoma City Thunder - Rodrigue Beaubois
The other half of the Mullens trade, the Mavs get a future point guard. Both him and Mullens are players that are very high reward, but high risk. If Beaubois fills his potential out, then the Mavs have nothing to worry about when it comes to losing Kidd.
26. Chicago Bulls - Taj Gibson
He's drawn comparisons to guys like Joe Smith and Vin Baker. If he can play like those guys then this is a SERIOUS steal for the Bulls here. He's got a refined offensive game with good versatility on that end and can block shots like it's nothing on the defensive end. I can't think of much more you could ask for at this point in the draft. Sure, they could've gone for DeJuan Blair, but Blair is a very high risk player and his reward is not nearly high enough to go after him at this point. Those who bring up guys like Paul Millsap tend to forget that Blair has nothing that resembles a jump shot.
27. Memphis Grizzlies - DeMarre Carroll
He may have liver disease, but he can play. Drafted as a backup he could wind up being a very strong player off the bench for a very long time.
28. Minnesota Timberwolves - Wayne Ellington
It's not a point guard!!! It almost seems like Ellington is being brought in to fill Mike Miller's spot. Ellington is a great shooter that will be able to have a strong place for the Wolves as a backup shooting guard.
29. New York Knicks - Toney Douglas
He sort of is like a combo guard version of Chris Duhon. He's a very good defender who doesn't make a lot of mistakes, but he's more of a shooter than Duhon is. He's not going to give you a record number of assists, but he'll still be able to facilitate the offense.
30. Cleveland Cavaliers - Christian Eyenga
Tweener forward...okay, that's all that anyone really knows about him. A pick for the future for a team whose future is now. However, he's also got some solid trade value.
So there it is. Rather you agree with the picks or not, there's the actual logic that is behind the picks that every team made. In fact, that may not be their actual logic, but some logic that actually makes the picks not look so bad.
Showing posts with label LeBron James. Show all posts
Showing posts with label LeBron James. Show all posts
Friday, June 26, 2009
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Final Mock Draft
Here it is, the end of the first round of the draft is less than 24 hours away while moves are being made like mad. This is already looking like it will be a very interesting draft with all of the moves being made, so here is one final mock draft with several trades being made. The trades will be mentioned at the first draft spot they show up at. Without any further introduction, here is the final mock draft here:
1. Los Angeles Clippers - Blake Griffin
This is the obvious pick, no one comes close to the impact that Griffin is expected to have. When you throw in that the Clippers said that they were going with Griffin shortly after they won the lottery, and again, this is obvious.
2. Minnesota Timberwolves - Ricky Rubio
Minnesota has been trying hard to trade up for that #2 pick with the Grizzlies and the Grizzlies have been playing hardball. With the Grizzlies rumored to be trading away Darko Milicic, it would make sense for them to accept the #5 pick and Craig Smith for the #2 pick. The Timberwolves have realized at this point that Sebastian Telfair just isn't an NBA quality starting point guard. He's a guy who would be excellent in backup, but not a starter. With Randy Foye gone, that means that their other option is gone as well. The Wolves need to make sure to move ahead of the Kings in order to secure Rubio, and this could very well do it.
3. Oklahoma City Thunder - James Harden
This is a tough choice between Harden and Thabeet. In the end, Thabeet really seems like more of the Olowokandi type of player. Olowokandi was not drafted as the best player in the 1998 draft. He was simply seen as the best big man, and seeing as how the Clippers wanted a big man, they went with Olowokandi. Thabeet will likely be better than Olowokandi, especially since he is such a good defender, but he's really not as good as some of the other players available at this point, and one of those players is James Harden. Harden is a shooting guard, which is a position that the Thunder are thin at, who has great all-around skills. He will compliment the Thunder very well due to this. He's the best player available for the Thunder at this point.
4. Sacramento Kings - Tyreke Evans
While he's really more of a combo guard, Evans is at least someone with solid point guard skills that the Kings can put at point guard over Roko Ukic. Stephen Curry is another option at this point, but he would not compliment Kevin Martin very well at all. Evans brings great size for a point guard and a very well rounded game. He will be able to fill that void that the Kings have at point guard very well and is not a bad pick at this point in the draft.
5. Memphis Grizzlies - Jordan Hill
Wow, Thabeet has fallen this far? Despite teams seeming high on him, due to need he could really fall. The Grizzlies, like mentioned seem to be trading Darko Milicic. They're getting Craig Smith in the trade already, but since they were already thing at the 4 spot anyway, getting another 4 with high potential is a good move. Hill has the ability to be a Chris Bosh Lite type of guy. However, his defense is superior to Bosh's, even if his offense isn't quite as good as Bosh's.
6. Minnesota Timberwolves - Hasheem Thabeet
After an unexpected wait, Thabeet finally gets drafted to play in Minnesota. The Timberwolves are desperate for more size in their front court, and with Love and Jefferson already having good offensive games, they can afford to bring a defensive minded player with a very raw offensive game into their rotation up front.
7. Golden State Warriors - Stephen Curry
Monta Ellis has supposedly been vocal about not wanting the Warriors to draft a point guard, but Curry is more of a combo guard. Despite his size mixed in with Ellis' size, he could actually compliment Ellis very well in the back court. The Warriors are almost entirely offensive minded, and while Ellis is more of a slasher who likes to score by the basket, Curry is more of a shooter. They both could also benefit from their scoring skills and be able to find the other for easy scoring opportunities as well.
8. New York Knicks - Jonny Flynn
While it will be tempting for them to take Brandon Jennings here, especially because of his street ball style that is so popular in the city of New York, Jonny Flynn is the type of point guard who will thrive much more in Mike D'Antoni's style of offense. Having him with Chris Duhon at the point guard spot will really give the Knicks a more complete offense.
9. Toronto Raptors - DeMar DeRozan
The Raptors could use two things above all else. A physical big man and a good wing player. With DeRozan they get that wing. He is without a doubt a project, but his upside is way too much to ignore at this point in the draft, especially when he fills a need for your team.
10. Milwaukee Bucks - Brandon Jennings
The Bucks are in desperate need for a good point guard and this may be the one for them. While Jennings does have a bit of a street style, he still has the skills to be a good NBA point guard. At this point he is without a doubt a good player for the Bucks to take a chance on.
11. New Jersey Nets - James Johnson
The Nets could use a good small forward. With Johnson they get that and more. He's a small forward who is big enough to play the 4 as well. His tough and physical style of play will compliment both the front court and Vince Carter very well.
12. Charlotte Bobcats - Gerald Henderson
While Terrence Williams is the flavor of the week right now, in the end the Bobcats will go with the player who seems to be more of a safe pick. Henderson is a good slasher with a solid jump shot. He's got good size to play the 2 in the NBA, and he is a fundamentally strong player. The only thing that should really stop them from making this pick would be if Jordan just can't stand watching a Duke player get drafted onto his team.
13. Chicago Bulls - BJ Mullens
The Bulls have been showing interest in Mullens throughout the draft process, and after seeing that he is still available at this point they will pull the trade, giving up both their 16th and 26th picks for the 13th pick of the Pacers. Supposedly it's been a debate in the front offices of the Bulls rather they should go with Blair or Mullens. The bottom line is that Blair has knee problems at the age of 21, he's a very heavy person, he is very limited athletically, and his weight likely won't get much lower playing in a city that has the food that Chicago has. Mullens has his questions, but he's a skilled and athletic big man, which isn't common at all. With both the Pistons and Suns showing interest in Mullens, the Bulls will have to make this deal in order to get their man.
14. Phoenix Suns - Ty Lawson
Steve Nash is getting old and it's not sure thing that Goran Dragic will ever be what the Suns were hoping he would be when they traded for him on draft night last season. Lawson has a very good chance at being a very good point guard for many years in the league. The biggest questions that arrive with him are about his health. However, those questions tend to be highly exaggerated, and he can get over them. Nash is still the guy in Phoenix for at least another year, and in that time Lawson will be able to back Nash up along with Dragic during that time. When Nash is gone, Lawson will be a good option to take over for him.
15. Detroit Pistons - Earl Clark
With Mullens and Johnson gone, Clark is another guy that the Pistons have had their eye on. At 6'10" he is a small forward as far as style goes, but he's tall enough to play power forward, a position that the Pistons are going to have to address since they're losing a key big man in Rasheed Wallace, most likely, this offseason.
16. Indiana Pacers - Tyler Hansbrough
Hansbrough brings a level of toughness, hustle, and energy to the frontline of the Indiana Pacers that they desperately need. After the combine measurements were taken it was found that he's actually got plenty of size and strength to play the power forward position in the NBA. He likely won't bring huge stats, but as a backup power forward he will be more than adequate.
17. Philadelphia 76ers - Eric Maynor
The Sixers could lose Andre Miller this offseason, and if they do they could use someone to take his place. While he might not be a good starting point guard right away, Maynor has the skills and potential to eventually be a very good point guard. He's a complete package and can very well be very similar to Andre Miller withing a couple of years.
18. Chicago Bulls - Terrence Williams
With Minnesota having four first round picks, the Timberwolves may very well be willing to sell picks. The Bulls, after having traded away one of their two first round picks could be looking to buy this pick here, especially since bringing back Ben Gordon is clearly no sure thing. Williams is a shooting guard with great size for the 2 spot. He can also spend some time at the small forward spot as well, which would be nice if Deng is either traded or injured again. He's a very good defender and very athletic. He's a good slasher who should be able to put up adequate scoring numbers as well. His only question marks are his shooting ability and his mental maturity. Both of those can come around.
19. Atlanta Hawks - Jeff Teague
Bibby is possibly on his way out soon and it looks like Acie Law could be traded soon as well. This would leave the Hawks very thin at the 1, so picking a guard with Teague's potential would be a great move here, especially since he'll have a year to settle in. Teague is very athletic and quick, has a good jump shot and is a solid passer. His game will likely continue to develop, and if it does he can be a strong point guard for years to come.
20. Utah Jazz - DeJuan Blair
The free-fall for Blair ends here. After being favored to be a top 10 pick only a couple of weeks ago bad news about his standing vertical, him being shorter than expected, and the news about his knees have really killed his draft stock. However, with either Boozer or Millsap leaving soon they're going to need another down low presence, and is where Blair comes in. Also, it's hard to see Blair falling any further than this. If nothing else they draft him and trade him.
21. New Orleans Hornets - Chase Budinger
Stojakovic is still there with the Hornets for a bit, but when you have someone who can penetrate like Chris Paul can you really cannot have too many shooters. Having Budinger and Stojakovic at the wings gives Paul two very good options to pass the ball out to once he's able to get down low. Either guy can shoot the lights out from the outside. Budinger also brings very good athleticism and has been said to be a lot quicker than initially thought.
22. Portland Trailblazers - Austin Daye
This is more of a best player available type of pick for the Blazers here. Daye is a bit of a project, but he's almost 6'11" and can play the 3. He'll likely split time between the 3 and 4 due to his height, but the Blazers could use some depth at the 4 and having a player with as much potential as Daye is always nice to have.
23. Sacramento Kings - DaJuan Summers
A do it all, well rounded small forward. Not amazing at any one thing, but he'll be an excellent backup almost right away and a possible starter down the road.
24. Dallas Mavericks - Wayne Ellington
A great shooter, but Ellington doesn't bring a whole lot more. However, having another shooter out there on the floor is not a bad idea at all for the Mavericks who already have plenty of guys who play the more penetration style between the 1 and 3.
25. Oklahoma City Thunder - Darren Collison
Westbrook is an excellent point guard, make no mistake about it, but he isn't a true point guard. He still can more than hold his own as a starter in the NBA, but having a solid true point guard, especially one that plays very good defense is always a good idea for your rotation.
26. Indiana Pacers - Omri Casspi
A sub for Danny Granger. Casspi is ready to come in right away and will fill the role of backup small forward and possibly occasionally as power forward (though sparingly).
27. Memphis Grizzlies - Jrue Holiday
With Mike Conley and OJ Mayo already running the backcourt in Memphis, Holiday is a bit of a project, but a player who'll be able to really give the Grizzlies a strong rotation in their backcourt. Holiday is more of a combo guard, Mayo is more of a shooting guard, and Conley is purely a point guard. To be totally honest, having Holiday fall this far seems crazy, but GMs are beginning to realize that they're not sure what they really like with Holiday, so the doubt which have seen so many players tumble in the past may pick Holiday as their main victim this year.
28. Minnesota Timberwolves - Jonas Jerebko
Jerebko will feel right at home going from Sweden to Minnesota, despite the lack of fjords in Minnesota. He's a small forward with a world of potential. His all around game is strong with no glaring weaknesses.
29. Los Angeles Lakers - Taj Gibson
The Lakers like to go after the occasional local guy, and that's what they'll do with Gibson, giving some added depth at the power forward position.
30. Cleveland Cavaliers - Josh Heytvelt
The Cavs are going to need some added strength to their front line, and Heytvelt is a big body that can do just that. He's got solid skills for a big man as well as a good jumper that goes out further than most would expect to see.
Okay, there it is. The second round this season doesn't really seem to have any real rhyme or reason to it, so doing a mock for that is just something that really doesn't make much sense. Early second round picks will likely be Derrick Brown, Toney Douglas, Sam Young, Rodrigue Beaubois, Victor Claver, and Patrick Mills.
1. Los Angeles Clippers - Blake Griffin
This is the obvious pick, no one comes close to the impact that Griffin is expected to have. When you throw in that the Clippers said that they were going with Griffin shortly after they won the lottery, and again, this is obvious.
2. Minnesota Timberwolves - Ricky Rubio
Minnesota has been trying hard to trade up for that #2 pick with the Grizzlies and the Grizzlies have been playing hardball. With the Grizzlies rumored to be trading away Darko Milicic, it would make sense for them to accept the #5 pick and Craig Smith for the #2 pick. The Timberwolves have realized at this point that Sebastian Telfair just isn't an NBA quality starting point guard. He's a guy who would be excellent in backup, but not a starter. With Randy Foye gone, that means that their other option is gone as well. The Wolves need to make sure to move ahead of the Kings in order to secure Rubio, and this could very well do it.
3. Oklahoma City Thunder - James Harden
This is a tough choice between Harden and Thabeet. In the end, Thabeet really seems like more of the Olowokandi type of player. Olowokandi was not drafted as the best player in the 1998 draft. He was simply seen as the best big man, and seeing as how the Clippers wanted a big man, they went with Olowokandi. Thabeet will likely be better than Olowokandi, especially since he is such a good defender, but he's really not as good as some of the other players available at this point, and one of those players is James Harden. Harden is a shooting guard, which is a position that the Thunder are thin at, who has great all-around skills. He will compliment the Thunder very well due to this. He's the best player available for the Thunder at this point.
4. Sacramento Kings - Tyreke Evans
While he's really more of a combo guard, Evans is at least someone with solid point guard skills that the Kings can put at point guard over Roko Ukic. Stephen Curry is another option at this point, but he would not compliment Kevin Martin very well at all. Evans brings great size for a point guard and a very well rounded game. He will be able to fill that void that the Kings have at point guard very well and is not a bad pick at this point in the draft.
5. Memphis Grizzlies - Jordan Hill
Wow, Thabeet has fallen this far? Despite teams seeming high on him, due to need he could really fall. The Grizzlies, like mentioned seem to be trading Darko Milicic. They're getting Craig Smith in the trade already, but since they were already thing at the 4 spot anyway, getting another 4 with high potential is a good move. Hill has the ability to be a Chris Bosh Lite type of guy. However, his defense is superior to Bosh's, even if his offense isn't quite as good as Bosh's.
6. Minnesota Timberwolves - Hasheem Thabeet
After an unexpected wait, Thabeet finally gets drafted to play in Minnesota. The Timberwolves are desperate for more size in their front court, and with Love and Jefferson already having good offensive games, they can afford to bring a defensive minded player with a very raw offensive game into their rotation up front.
7. Golden State Warriors - Stephen Curry
Monta Ellis has supposedly been vocal about not wanting the Warriors to draft a point guard, but Curry is more of a combo guard. Despite his size mixed in with Ellis' size, he could actually compliment Ellis very well in the back court. The Warriors are almost entirely offensive minded, and while Ellis is more of a slasher who likes to score by the basket, Curry is more of a shooter. They both could also benefit from their scoring skills and be able to find the other for easy scoring opportunities as well.
8. New York Knicks - Jonny Flynn
While it will be tempting for them to take Brandon Jennings here, especially because of his street ball style that is so popular in the city of New York, Jonny Flynn is the type of point guard who will thrive much more in Mike D'Antoni's style of offense. Having him with Chris Duhon at the point guard spot will really give the Knicks a more complete offense.
9. Toronto Raptors - DeMar DeRozan
The Raptors could use two things above all else. A physical big man and a good wing player. With DeRozan they get that wing. He is without a doubt a project, but his upside is way too much to ignore at this point in the draft, especially when he fills a need for your team.
10. Milwaukee Bucks - Brandon Jennings
The Bucks are in desperate need for a good point guard and this may be the one for them. While Jennings does have a bit of a street style, he still has the skills to be a good NBA point guard. At this point he is without a doubt a good player for the Bucks to take a chance on.
11. New Jersey Nets - James Johnson
The Nets could use a good small forward. With Johnson they get that and more. He's a small forward who is big enough to play the 4 as well. His tough and physical style of play will compliment both the front court and Vince Carter very well.
12. Charlotte Bobcats - Gerald Henderson
While Terrence Williams is the flavor of the week right now, in the end the Bobcats will go with the player who seems to be more of a safe pick. Henderson is a good slasher with a solid jump shot. He's got good size to play the 2 in the NBA, and he is a fundamentally strong player. The only thing that should really stop them from making this pick would be if Jordan just can't stand watching a Duke player get drafted onto his team.
13. Chicago Bulls - BJ Mullens
The Bulls have been showing interest in Mullens throughout the draft process, and after seeing that he is still available at this point they will pull the trade, giving up both their 16th and 26th picks for the 13th pick of the Pacers. Supposedly it's been a debate in the front offices of the Bulls rather they should go with Blair or Mullens. The bottom line is that Blair has knee problems at the age of 21, he's a very heavy person, he is very limited athletically, and his weight likely won't get much lower playing in a city that has the food that Chicago has. Mullens has his questions, but he's a skilled and athletic big man, which isn't common at all. With both the Pistons and Suns showing interest in Mullens, the Bulls will have to make this deal in order to get their man.
14. Phoenix Suns - Ty Lawson
Steve Nash is getting old and it's not sure thing that Goran Dragic will ever be what the Suns were hoping he would be when they traded for him on draft night last season. Lawson has a very good chance at being a very good point guard for many years in the league. The biggest questions that arrive with him are about his health. However, those questions tend to be highly exaggerated, and he can get over them. Nash is still the guy in Phoenix for at least another year, and in that time Lawson will be able to back Nash up along with Dragic during that time. When Nash is gone, Lawson will be a good option to take over for him.
15. Detroit Pistons - Earl Clark
With Mullens and Johnson gone, Clark is another guy that the Pistons have had their eye on. At 6'10" he is a small forward as far as style goes, but he's tall enough to play power forward, a position that the Pistons are going to have to address since they're losing a key big man in Rasheed Wallace, most likely, this offseason.
16. Indiana Pacers - Tyler Hansbrough
Hansbrough brings a level of toughness, hustle, and energy to the frontline of the Indiana Pacers that they desperately need. After the combine measurements were taken it was found that he's actually got plenty of size and strength to play the power forward position in the NBA. He likely won't bring huge stats, but as a backup power forward he will be more than adequate.
17. Philadelphia 76ers - Eric Maynor
The Sixers could lose Andre Miller this offseason, and if they do they could use someone to take his place. While he might not be a good starting point guard right away, Maynor has the skills and potential to eventually be a very good point guard. He's a complete package and can very well be very similar to Andre Miller withing a couple of years.
18. Chicago Bulls - Terrence Williams
With Minnesota having four first round picks, the Timberwolves may very well be willing to sell picks. The Bulls, after having traded away one of their two first round picks could be looking to buy this pick here, especially since bringing back Ben Gordon is clearly no sure thing. Williams is a shooting guard with great size for the 2 spot. He can also spend some time at the small forward spot as well, which would be nice if Deng is either traded or injured again. He's a very good defender and very athletic. He's a good slasher who should be able to put up adequate scoring numbers as well. His only question marks are his shooting ability and his mental maturity. Both of those can come around.
19. Atlanta Hawks - Jeff Teague
Bibby is possibly on his way out soon and it looks like Acie Law could be traded soon as well. This would leave the Hawks very thin at the 1, so picking a guard with Teague's potential would be a great move here, especially since he'll have a year to settle in. Teague is very athletic and quick, has a good jump shot and is a solid passer. His game will likely continue to develop, and if it does he can be a strong point guard for years to come.
20. Utah Jazz - DeJuan Blair
The free-fall for Blair ends here. After being favored to be a top 10 pick only a couple of weeks ago bad news about his standing vertical, him being shorter than expected, and the news about his knees have really killed his draft stock. However, with either Boozer or Millsap leaving soon they're going to need another down low presence, and is where Blair comes in. Also, it's hard to see Blair falling any further than this. If nothing else they draft him and trade him.
21. New Orleans Hornets - Chase Budinger
Stojakovic is still there with the Hornets for a bit, but when you have someone who can penetrate like Chris Paul can you really cannot have too many shooters. Having Budinger and Stojakovic at the wings gives Paul two very good options to pass the ball out to once he's able to get down low. Either guy can shoot the lights out from the outside. Budinger also brings very good athleticism and has been said to be a lot quicker than initially thought.
22. Portland Trailblazers - Austin Daye
This is more of a best player available type of pick for the Blazers here. Daye is a bit of a project, but he's almost 6'11" and can play the 3. He'll likely split time between the 3 and 4 due to his height, but the Blazers could use some depth at the 4 and having a player with as much potential as Daye is always nice to have.
23. Sacramento Kings - DaJuan Summers
A do it all, well rounded small forward. Not amazing at any one thing, but he'll be an excellent backup almost right away and a possible starter down the road.
24. Dallas Mavericks - Wayne Ellington
A great shooter, but Ellington doesn't bring a whole lot more. However, having another shooter out there on the floor is not a bad idea at all for the Mavericks who already have plenty of guys who play the more penetration style between the 1 and 3.
25. Oklahoma City Thunder - Darren Collison
Westbrook is an excellent point guard, make no mistake about it, but he isn't a true point guard. He still can more than hold his own as a starter in the NBA, but having a solid true point guard, especially one that plays very good defense is always a good idea for your rotation.
26. Indiana Pacers - Omri Casspi
A sub for Danny Granger. Casspi is ready to come in right away and will fill the role of backup small forward and possibly occasionally as power forward (though sparingly).
27. Memphis Grizzlies - Jrue Holiday
With Mike Conley and OJ Mayo already running the backcourt in Memphis, Holiday is a bit of a project, but a player who'll be able to really give the Grizzlies a strong rotation in their backcourt. Holiday is more of a combo guard, Mayo is more of a shooting guard, and Conley is purely a point guard. To be totally honest, having Holiday fall this far seems crazy, but GMs are beginning to realize that they're not sure what they really like with Holiday, so the doubt which have seen so many players tumble in the past may pick Holiday as their main victim this year.
28. Minnesota Timberwolves - Jonas Jerebko
Jerebko will feel right at home going from Sweden to Minnesota, despite the lack of fjords in Minnesota. He's a small forward with a world of potential. His all around game is strong with no glaring weaknesses.
29. Los Angeles Lakers - Taj Gibson
The Lakers like to go after the occasional local guy, and that's what they'll do with Gibson, giving some added depth at the power forward position.
30. Cleveland Cavaliers - Josh Heytvelt
The Cavs are going to need some added strength to their front line, and Heytvelt is a big body that can do just that. He's got solid skills for a big man as well as a good jumper that goes out further than most would expect to see.
Okay, there it is. The second round this season doesn't really seem to have any real rhyme or reason to it, so doing a mock for that is just something that really doesn't make much sense. Early second round picks will likely be Derrick Brown, Toney Douglas, Sam Young, Rodrigue Beaubois, Victor Claver, and Patrick Mills.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Halfway Through, Team Grades!
Alright, we're at the halfway point of the season for most teams, or just about there, so I figured I'd take this time to give out grades to all the teams out there.
These grades are not necessarily based on the team's record or standing in relation to the rest of the league, but more based on the expectations that many fans and analysts had for the teams. In other words, it's where the team is based on where they should be (okay, so my expectations will have the largest influence).
Atlanta Hawks: B+
No one expected them to get out to such a quick start. They came right out of the gates going full force and took every team they played by storm. How Joe Johnson can be so far down on the all-star voting, I don't know, but then again, all-star voting has been known to be a joke for quite some time now. I expected the Hawks to be a little bit above a .500 team, and I think most people had them right around that mark as well. Since the quick start that's been about where they've been, but with that quick start they get their marks up quite a bit.
Boston Celtics: B-
They're the fourth best team in the league right now, but they were expected to be a top two team. However, with that run they went on earlier this year they really were going to be hard to knock down. The stretch after that run knocked them down quite a bit, but they seem to have broken away from that tough stretch and have won their last three again. While they're not doing as well as expected in relation to the rest of the league, they're still putting up a record about what you'd expect from an elite team.
Charlotte Bobcats: C-
I expected this team to at least be at a level of mediocrity at this point. They still have themselves down there among the poor teams in the league though. The Diaw/Bell for Richardson trade is one that I feel helped the team, and surely helped guys like Wallace and Okafor, but they still have a long way to go before they're the team that's winning at least 35-38 games like they should be.
Chicago Bulls: B-
No one expected Rose to be as good as he has been this year. That kid's been amazing, I don't care about the horrible ESPN Rookie Rankings that currently have him at #4, if you don't have him in your top 2 for this year, then you're completely nuts. However, the Bulls have been a different story. They got off to a solid start, dancing around .500 for a good portion of the first half of the season, but then they went on a rough run that knocked them down to 6 games below .500, which is clearly worse than expected. However, they've won their two games since then, a win on the road against Toronto and then a huge win at home against the team with the best record in the league at the time, the Cleveland Cavaliers. With Kirk Hinrich and Luol Deng returning the team's looked completely different, and this boosts the grade from a C to a B- just since they look so much better than they did just a short time ago just from having a few players return from injuries.
Cleveland Cavaliers: A
I know that most of us had the Cavs pegged as one of the best teams in the east and many of us had them as the top team in the Central Division. However, who had them pegged as the team with the best record in the league? Who said they could win around 10 games by something like 12 points or more for each game? LeBron has cemented himself as the best player in the league right now, as great as Kobe is, not even he can carry a team anymore like LeBron can now, it's almost Jordanesque right now, it's scary, LeBron is almost too good right now and he's doing it by taking his game so much above the stats that he puts up, which are already as good as anyone's in the league. Mo Williams has also been a great addition to the team, Ilgauskas is still being productive, Varejao is as annoying to other teams as ever, and Ben Wallace is having his best year in his recent career.
Dallas Mavericks: C
This team has been pretty weak this year. They got off to a horrible start, and that's the main reason for their low grade, especially since they've played very well since then, but that slow start really knocked them down hard and may have knocked them out for the count. They're only a game out of the 8 spot, but they're behind teams like Phoenix, Utah, and Houston who will all be very difficult to knock out of the playoffs. I don't know if many people had them being past the 7th seed or so this year, but most people still had them in the playoffs.
Denver Nuggets: A+
This is a team that I had winning something around 30-33 games this season. They're 3-6 wins from that spot now (depending on which number of expected wins you go by) with 27 wins. The biggest thing they've done this year is make moves. They looked like a team that would be nothing but offense before this season started, so they made some moves, the biggest one being the trade for Chauncey Billups, which has given them the boost to move back into being one of the top teams in the west. In fact, they're the #2 team in the west right now. They're really playing great right now in a year where they were expected to be very mediocre if not poor.
Detroit Pistons: B-
The Iverson trade has really been confusing for me when it comes to how much it's helped the team. At times they look great with him out there and other times they look miserable. It all depends on when you ask as to the answer you will get when you ask what that trade has done to the team. However, Iverson trade or not, the Pistons have gone this year from being the elite team in the east for the last half decade to being just another team in the league. Sure, the emergence of teams like the Cavs, Hawks, and Magic has had a lot to do with that, but the Pistons are starting to show signs of wearing down. Luckily players like Rodney Stuckey have kept a positive future in tact for the Pistons.
Golden State Warriors: F+
This has been a disaster of a year for the Warriors. No one's happy being on the team, the players are getting fed up with the coach, and they really just simply look terrible. The trade for Crawford has only given them another wing who throws the ball up too much. Of course, before the season things were not looking good after Baron Davis signed with the Clippers, but the pickup of Corey Maggette was seen as something that could help the team out. Since then Maggette's become a complete ballhog, and Stephen Jackson really hasn't gotten any better, shooting the ball way too much still without a reasonable reward for it. The fact that they have young prospects like Brandan Wright and Anthony Randolph give the team some hope along with Andris Biedrins, but if the team doesn't show something soon, both of those guys will do whatever it takes to get out of there like the rest of the team seems to want to.
Houston Rockets: C
True, we all knew this would probably happen, but still, when all of your star players start going down with injury it still really hurts the team. From the start Shane Battier was out, possibly the best glue guy in the league today, then Artest has some injury problems, and of course T-Mac's back problems continue to hold him down. The Rockets have a team that could possibly contend for the Western Conference title, but with how things are going right now it's not looking likely.
Indiana Pacers: C-
No one expected the Pacers to be a whole lot, and likely not a playoff team, but I think a lot of people have at least expected the team to be mediocre. However, despite beating some top teams this year, the Pacers have done next to nothing this year. Mike Dunleavy being out for so much of the year hasn't helped things, but with a star player like Danny Granger on the team you'd expect this team to at least be contending for a playoff spot right now.
LA Clippers: D
I don't think anyone really knew what to expect from this team this year. Would their moves, mainly the one for Marcus Camby, make them into a playoff team or would they be just a solid western lottery team? The answer is neither. The Clippers now sit down at the bottom of the league, tied for the fewest number of wins in the league. Chris Kaman's injury has hurt them, but the team as a whole just looks really bad.
LA Lakers: A-
It depends on who you would ask at the start of the season. Some Lakers fans I know even had brought up the word undefeated (although following it up with "probably not, but still..."). The return of Andrew Bynum really had Lakers fans riled up, expecting him to be a 16 and 12 type of guy "at worst". There's no denying that Bynum has been a huge influence on the Lakers and has brought them up quite a bit, but 12.6 and 7.8 is far from the 16 and 12 that Lakers fans had predicted. The Lakers themselves are doing better than I expected. I figured they'd be a team that would win 55-58 games this season, but right now they're at a pace to win about 63. While this isn't all that much above expectations, they started the year with a run that brought up the '95-'96 Bulls to some Lakers fans. They've been strong every since and are the team to beat in the west.
Memphis Grizzlies: C
They ended last year with some things to be excited about, mainly the play of the young Rudy Gay, who was starting to look like he could be a future star. Since then they've added an excellent rookie center in Marc Gasol and a future star shooting guard in rookie OJ Mayo to really give the team a great base to build on. The problem? There just isn't much else. They traded away Mike Miller along with draft pick Kevin Love in order to get a hold of Mayo, and their point guard spot is being run by a couple of guys who really are not starting point guard material in the NBA with Kyle Lowry (who's more of a 2 guard in a point guard's body) and Mike Conley (who's going to be good, but still has to figure things out). I expected them to be a little better at this point, but I guess I couldn't have expected much more out of them.
Miami Heat: B
I may take some "heat" for this one, but really, with how Wade played in the Olympics, having him return healthy, could you have expected anything less than this? It's just a rational look at things for the Heat. Having a healthy Wade pretty much guarantees a team to be above .500, especially when you have guys like Udonis Haslem, Shawn Marion, and #2 overall pick (who could've gone #1) Michael Beasley on the team. I'll say that I had them at a straight .500, especially since I knew they wouldn't be trying their hardest to tank this year (dishonorable on their part last year), they've beaten those expectations by a little bit.
Milwaukee Bucks: B
I didn't really expect the Bucks to be a .500 team, but they've still beaten my expectations in a similar way to how the Heat have. The Bucks have a healthy Michael Redd now along with guys like Andrew Bogut, Luke Ridnour, and Ramon Sessions. I also thought rookie Joe Alexander would be able to come in right away and at least be a solid player, although he's wound up being more of a project than expected. However, rookie Luc Richard Mbah a Moute has come in an has been a very effective player. Right away he was putting up excellent stats, and although those have gone down since his hot start, he's still managed to play above his stats, playing some great defense.
Minnesota Timberwolves: C
Until a few weeks ago this was a D- team. However, since the coaching change they've been much better. I thought that Kevin Love would bring a little bit more to the table than he has so far, but it looks like he's finally starting to figure some things out, regularly putting up good rebounding numbers and starting to put up solid scoring numbers. He has a very high basketball IQ and will likely get better as the season goes on. Mike Miller hasn't been as good as he can be either. However, Randy Foye has really caught fire, and Sebastian Telfair is looking like he's got himself together finally this year as well. Al Jefferson, of course, has been playing like an all-star.
New Jersey Nets: A-
I had them pegged as a lower third of the league team, and I knew people who thought they'd be the worst team in the league. However, Vince Carter has regained a lot of his old form, Devin Harris has suddenly had a resurgence, and rookie Brook Lopez has been a very pleasant surprise (not only falling that far in the draft, but playing like a top 3 pick). The Nets may be slightly under .500 and not quite in the playoffs at the current time, but they're playing so much better than anyone expected.
New Orleans Hornets: C+
This was many people's pick for the best team in the west. Not most, but there were many out there. However, things just haven't worked out as expected. The Hornets are still a team who could walk out of this season as the top team in the west, but they're taking a much tougher path right now than most people expected.
New York Knicks: C+
Well, as bad as they are right now, nobody expected them to get off to the start that they got off to, especially after realizing that Gallinari probably wouldn't be playing much at all this year. Now we're wondering if he'll play much at all throughout his career. However, they've made some big moves to set themselves up for the future, only at the cost of the team quality for today.
Oklahoma City Thunder: C-
Before the last week or so it was a straight D or worse. No one expected the Thunder to be anything this year, but Kevin Durant has suddenly shown that he is ready to be an elite player in the league. On top of that, Jeff Green has been nothing short of a stud this year while Russell Westbrook has suddenly come in and been playing very well himself despite low shooting percentages from the field. They still only have 8 wins, but considering that they were looking to set a league record for futility in winning just a month ago, things are suddenly looking much better for the Thunder.
Orlando Magic: A
This team took the next step perfectly. They didn't make any huge moves during the offseason, but now they're among the best in the entire league. Dwight Howard has cemented himself as a top of the top type of player in the league while the rest of the team has complimented him perfectly. The Magic can be the most dominant team in the league on any given night. I knew they'd be good this year, but not this good.
Philadelphia 76ers: B-
Well, they've been on fire lately, so I brought them up from about a D+ to this point just for the last couple of weeks of play. Before this they were looking really bad. Everyone expected them to push for 50 wins, and they were one of the poorer teams in the league up until recently.
Phoenix Suns: C+
1 ball and a host of big scorers has created a bit of a problem for Steve Nash. He went from having a lot of guys who would be happy to score with what they have to a bunch of guys who expect to be the guys to get the shot. It started with the trade for Shaquille O'Neal last year, then this year it took a whole new life when they gave up Raja Bell and Boris Diaw for Jason Richardson. Throw Amare into the mix and they have a lot of guys who want a lot of touches. While things have not worked perfectly, they've worked about as well as could be expected and the Suns are still a tough team.
Portland Trailblazers: B
They've beaten expectations despite Greg Oden struggling for the most part during his rookie year. Oden's struggles are somewhat encouraging though. While he's not putting up the numbers anyone expected, a lot of it has to do with the fact that he's getting into foul trouble, picking up very ticky tack fouls. After this year I can guarantee these problems will start to fall quickly, as he'll have more respect from the officials, and with the rest of the team being as strong as they are, things are only looking up for the team. However, this is based on right now, and the Blazers are looking very good. Brandon Roy has been amazing for them, and the rest of the team has been fitting together perfectly for the most part.
Sacramento Kings: D+
It's strange, because even as I see what the team's doing I keep thinking that they're a better team than they've really been. Brad Miller is still a good center and Spencer Hawes is coming in as someone who will be a great replacement for him. Francisco Garcia has been doing excellent since coming back from injury, and Kevin Martin is back now as well. Since Martin's been back he's been playing well, but the Kings still haven't been winning. For a team that I expected to put up about 35 wins this year, they're playing well below expectations.
San Antonio Spurs: B
You expect at least 50 wins out of the Spurs every year. However, this is an odd numbered year, so you expect a little more out of them, as they're supposed to be the champions this year. However, things didn't start off so great for the Spurs, as they had some big injury problems to deal with. They managed to pull through, and since those problems have been as good as anyone in the league.
Toronto Raptors: D
This is a team that was starting to look like a team that you could rely on to be in the playoffs year in and year out for quite some time now. However, suddenly they're looking like a weak team. They are not above .500 at home or on the road. They've just looked very poor this year and it doesn't look to be getting any better.
Utah Jazz: B-
They really have been good this year, especially with how they've managed to deal with injuries to both Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer this year, and they're playing very well as a whole. However, they're really not playing any different than expectations this year. I gave them an edge for dealing with the injuries, mainly due to the emergence of Paul Millsap.
Washington Wizards: F
Best for last? Far from it. The Wizards have been horrible this year. Sure, Gilbert Arenas has been injured all year, but they were still a playoff team without Arenas last year. Has the injury to Brendan Haywood taken them down that far? Really? I just really don't totally buy it and feel like that could be it. They're just really playing poorly this year, although they've given a lot of teams good fights, the bottom line is that they haven't been able to get the wins throughout the year, and that's what matters.
Okay, that's the league. If you don't like it, tough luck, you're not going to change my mind without a very good and well thought out response that has enough substance behind it to actually change my mind. However, feel free to comment, there's another half to the year, so who knows how things will change by then.
These grades are not necessarily based on the team's record or standing in relation to the rest of the league, but more based on the expectations that many fans and analysts had for the teams. In other words, it's where the team is based on where they should be (okay, so my expectations will have the largest influence).
Atlanta Hawks: B+
No one expected them to get out to such a quick start. They came right out of the gates going full force and took every team they played by storm. How Joe Johnson can be so far down on the all-star voting, I don't know, but then again, all-star voting has been known to be a joke for quite some time now. I expected the Hawks to be a little bit above a .500 team, and I think most people had them right around that mark as well. Since the quick start that's been about where they've been, but with that quick start they get their marks up quite a bit.
Boston Celtics: B-
They're the fourth best team in the league right now, but they were expected to be a top two team. However, with that run they went on earlier this year they really were going to be hard to knock down. The stretch after that run knocked them down quite a bit, but they seem to have broken away from that tough stretch and have won their last three again. While they're not doing as well as expected in relation to the rest of the league, they're still putting up a record about what you'd expect from an elite team.
Charlotte Bobcats: C-
I expected this team to at least be at a level of mediocrity at this point. They still have themselves down there among the poor teams in the league though. The Diaw/Bell for Richardson trade is one that I feel helped the team, and surely helped guys like Wallace and Okafor, but they still have a long way to go before they're the team that's winning at least 35-38 games like they should be.
Chicago Bulls: B-
No one expected Rose to be as good as he has been this year. That kid's been amazing, I don't care about the horrible ESPN Rookie Rankings that currently have him at #4, if you don't have him in your top 2 for this year, then you're completely nuts. However, the Bulls have been a different story. They got off to a solid start, dancing around .500 for a good portion of the first half of the season, but then they went on a rough run that knocked them down to 6 games below .500, which is clearly worse than expected. However, they've won their two games since then, a win on the road against Toronto and then a huge win at home against the team with the best record in the league at the time, the Cleveland Cavaliers. With Kirk Hinrich and Luol Deng returning the team's looked completely different, and this boosts the grade from a C to a B- just since they look so much better than they did just a short time ago just from having a few players return from injuries.
Cleveland Cavaliers: A
I know that most of us had the Cavs pegged as one of the best teams in the east and many of us had them as the top team in the Central Division. However, who had them pegged as the team with the best record in the league? Who said they could win around 10 games by something like 12 points or more for each game? LeBron has cemented himself as the best player in the league right now, as great as Kobe is, not even he can carry a team anymore like LeBron can now, it's almost Jordanesque right now, it's scary, LeBron is almost too good right now and he's doing it by taking his game so much above the stats that he puts up, which are already as good as anyone's in the league. Mo Williams has also been a great addition to the team, Ilgauskas is still being productive, Varejao is as annoying to other teams as ever, and Ben Wallace is having his best year in his recent career.
Dallas Mavericks: C
This team has been pretty weak this year. They got off to a horrible start, and that's the main reason for their low grade, especially since they've played very well since then, but that slow start really knocked them down hard and may have knocked them out for the count. They're only a game out of the 8 spot, but they're behind teams like Phoenix, Utah, and Houston who will all be very difficult to knock out of the playoffs. I don't know if many people had them being past the 7th seed or so this year, but most people still had them in the playoffs.
Denver Nuggets: A+
This is a team that I had winning something around 30-33 games this season. They're 3-6 wins from that spot now (depending on which number of expected wins you go by) with 27 wins. The biggest thing they've done this year is make moves. They looked like a team that would be nothing but offense before this season started, so they made some moves, the biggest one being the trade for Chauncey Billups, which has given them the boost to move back into being one of the top teams in the west. In fact, they're the #2 team in the west right now. They're really playing great right now in a year where they were expected to be very mediocre if not poor.
Detroit Pistons: B-
The Iverson trade has really been confusing for me when it comes to how much it's helped the team. At times they look great with him out there and other times they look miserable. It all depends on when you ask as to the answer you will get when you ask what that trade has done to the team. However, Iverson trade or not, the Pistons have gone this year from being the elite team in the east for the last half decade to being just another team in the league. Sure, the emergence of teams like the Cavs, Hawks, and Magic has had a lot to do with that, but the Pistons are starting to show signs of wearing down. Luckily players like Rodney Stuckey have kept a positive future in tact for the Pistons.
Golden State Warriors: F+
This has been a disaster of a year for the Warriors. No one's happy being on the team, the players are getting fed up with the coach, and they really just simply look terrible. The trade for Crawford has only given them another wing who throws the ball up too much. Of course, before the season things were not looking good after Baron Davis signed with the Clippers, but the pickup of Corey Maggette was seen as something that could help the team out. Since then Maggette's become a complete ballhog, and Stephen Jackson really hasn't gotten any better, shooting the ball way too much still without a reasonable reward for it. The fact that they have young prospects like Brandan Wright and Anthony Randolph give the team some hope along with Andris Biedrins, but if the team doesn't show something soon, both of those guys will do whatever it takes to get out of there like the rest of the team seems to want to.
Houston Rockets: C
True, we all knew this would probably happen, but still, when all of your star players start going down with injury it still really hurts the team. From the start Shane Battier was out, possibly the best glue guy in the league today, then Artest has some injury problems, and of course T-Mac's back problems continue to hold him down. The Rockets have a team that could possibly contend for the Western Conference title, but with how things are going right now it's not looking likely.
Indiana Pacers: C-
No one expected the Pacers to be a whole lot, and likely not a playoff team, but I think a lot of people have at least expected the team to be mediocre. However, despite beating some top teams this year, the Pacers have done next to nothing this year. Mike Dunleavy being out for so much of the year hasn't helped things, but with a star player like Danny Granger on the team you'd expect this team to at least be contending for a playoff spot right now.
LA Clippers: D
I don't think anyone really knew what to expect from this team this year. Would their moves, mainly the one for Marcus Camby, make them into a playoff team or would they be just a solid western lottery team? The answer is neither. The Clippers now sit down at the bottom of the league, tied for the fewest number of wins in the league. Chris Kaman's injury has hurt them, but the team as a whole just looks really bad.
LA Lakers: A-
It depends on who you would ask at the start of the season. Some Lakers fans I know even had brought up the word undefeated (although following it up with "probably not, but still..."). The return of Andrew Bynum really had Lakers fans riled up, expecting him to be a 16 and 12 type of guy "at worst". There's no denying that Bynum has been a huge influence on the Lakers and has brought them up quite a bit, but 12.6 and 7.8 is far from the 16 and 12 that Lakers fans had predicted. The Lakers themselves are doing better than I expected. I figured they'd be a team that would win 55-58 games this season, but right now they're at a pace to win about 63. While this isn't all that much above expectations, they started the year with a run that brought up the '95-'96 Bulls to some Lakers fans. They've been strong every since and are the team to beat in the west.
Memphis Grizzlies: C
They ended last year with some things to be excited about, mainly the play of the young Rudy Gay, who was starting to look like he could be a future star. Since then they've added an excellent rookie center in Marc Gasol and a future star shooting guard in rookie OJ Mayo to really give the team a great base to build on. The problem? There just isn't much else. They traded away Mike Miller along with draft pick Kevin Love in order to get a hold of Mayo, and their point guard spot is being run by a couple of guys who really are not starting point guard material in the NBA with Kyle Lowry (who's more of a 2 guard in a point guard's body) and Mike Conley (who's going to be good, but still has to figure things out). I expected them to be a little better at this point, but I guess I couldn't have expected much more out of them.
Miami Heat: B
I may take some "heat" for this one, but really, with how Wade played in the Olympics, having him return healthy, could you have expected anything less than this? It's just a rational look at things for the Heat. Having a healthy Wade pretty much guarantees a team to be above .500, especially when you have guys like Udonis Haslem, Shawn Marion, and #2 overall pick (who could've gone #1) Michael Beasley on the team. I'll say that I had them at a straight .500, especially since I knew they wouldn't be trying their hardest to tank this year (dishonorable on their part last year), they've beaten those expectations by a little bit.
Milwaukee Bucks: B
I didn't really expect the Bucks to be a .500 team, but they've still beaten my expectations in a similar way to how the Heat have. The Bucks have a healthy Michael Redd now along with guys like Andrew Bogut, Luke Ridnour, and Ramon Sessions. I also thought rookie Joe Alexander would be able to come in right away and at least be a solid player, although he's wound up being more of a project than expected. However, rookie Luc Richard Mbah a Moute has come in an has been a very effective player. Right away he was putting up excellent stats, and although those have gone down since his hot start, he's still managed to play above his stats, playing some great defense.
Minnesota Timberwolves: C
Until a few weeks ago this was a D- team. However, since the coaching change they've been much better. I thought that Kevin Love would bring a little bit more to the table than he has so far, but it looks like he's finally starting to figure some things out, regularly putting up good rebounding numbers and starting to put up solid scoring numbers. He has a very high basketball IQ and will likely get better as the season goes on. Mike Miller hasn't been as good as he can be either. However, Randy Foye has really caught fire, and Sebastian Telfair is looking like he's got himself together finally this year as well. Al Jefferson, of course, has been playing like an all-star.
New Jersey Nets: A-
I had them pegged as a lower third of the league team, and I knew people who thought they'd be the worst team in the league. However, Vince Carter has regained a lot of his old form, Devin Harris has suddenly had a resurgence, and rookie Brook Lopez has been a very pleasant surprise (not only falling that far in the draft, but playing like a top 3 pick). The Nets may be slightly under .500 and not quite in the playoffs at the current time, but they're playing so much better than anyone expected.
New Orleans Hornets: C+
This was many people's pick for the best team in the west. Not most, but there were many out there. However, things just haven't worked out as expected. The Hornets are still a team who could walk out of this season as the top team in the west, but they're taking a much tougher path right now than most people expected.
New York Knicks: C+
Well, as bad as they are right now, nobody expected them to get off to the start that they got off to, especially after realizing that Gallinari probably wouldn't be playing much at all this year. Now we're wondering if he'll play much at all throughout his career. However, they've made some big moves to set themselves up for the future, only at the cost of the team quality for today.
Oklahoma City Thunder: C-
Before the last week or so it was a straight D or worse. No one expected the Thunder to be anything this year, but Kevin Durant has suddenly shown that he is ready to be an elite player in the league. On top of that, Jeff Green has been nothing short of a stud this year while Russell Westbrook has suddenly come in and been playing very well himself despite low shooting percentages from the field. They still only have 8 wins, but considering that they were looking to set a league record for futility in winning just a month ago, things are suddenly looking much better for the Thunder.
Orlando Magic: A
This team took the next step perfectly. They didn't make any huge moves during the offseason, but now they're among the best in the entire league. Dwight Howard has cemented himself as a top of the top type of player in the league while the rest of the team has complimented him perfectly. The Magic can be the most dominant team in the league on any given night. I knew they'd be good this year, but not this good.
Philadelphia 76ers: B-
Well, they've been on fire lately, so I brought them up from about a D+ to this point just for the last couple of weeks of play. Before this they were looking really bad. Everyone expected them to push for 50 wins, and they were one of the poorer teams in the league up until recently.
Phoenix Suns: C+
1 ball and a host of big scorers has created a bit of a problem for Steve Nash. He went from having a lot of guys who would be happy to score with what they have to a bunch of guys who expect to be the guys to get the shot. It started with the trade for Shaquille O'Neal last year, then this year it took a whole new life when they gave up Raja Bell and Boris Diaw for Jason Richardson. Throw Amare into the mix and they have a lot of guys who want a lot of touches. While things have not worked perfectly, they've worked about as well as could be expected and the Suns are still a tough team.
Portland Trailblazers: B
They've beaten expectations despite Greg Oden struggling for the most part during his rookie year. Oden's struggles are somewhat encouraging though. While he's not putting up the numbers anyone expected, a lot of it has to do with the fact that he's getting into foul trouble, picking up very ticky tack fouls. After this year I can guarantee these problems will start to fall quickly, as he'll have more respect from the officials, and with the rest of the team being as strong as they are, things are only looking up for the team. However, this is based on right now, and the Blazers are looking very good. Brandon Roy has been amazing for them, and the rest of the team has been fitting together perfectly for the most part.
Sacramento Kings: D+
It's strange, because even as I see what the team's doing I keep thinking that they're a better team than they've really been. Brad Miller is still a good center and Spencer Hawes is coming in as someone who will be a great replacement for him. Francisco Garcia has been doing excellent since coming back from injury, and Kevin Martin is back now as well. Since Martin's been back he's been playing well, but the Kings still haven't been winning. For a team that I expected to put up about 35 wins this year, they're playing well below expectations.
San Antonio Spurs: B
You expect at least 50 wins out of the Spurs every year. However, this is an odd numbered year, so you expect a little more out of them, as they're supposed to be the champions this year. However, things didn't start off so great for the Spurs, as they had some big injury problems to deal with. They managed to pull through, and since those problems have been as good as anyone in the league.
Toronto Raptors: D
This is a team that was starting to look like a team that you could rely on to be in the playoffs year in and year out for quite some time now. However, suddenly they're looking like a weak team. They are not above .500 at home or on the road. They've just looked very poor this year and it doesn't look to be getting any better.
Utah Jazz: B-
They really have been good this year, especially with how they've managed to deal with injuries to both Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer this year, and they're playing very well as a whole. However, they're really not playing any different than expectations this year. I gave them an edge for dealing with the injuries, mainly due to the emergence of Paul Millsap.
Washington Wizards: F
Best for last? Far from it. The Wizards have been horrible this year. Sure, Gilbert Arenas has been injured all year, but they were still a playoff team without Arenas last year. Has the injury to Brendan Haywood taken them down that far? Really? I just really don't totally buy it and feel like that could be it. They're just really playing poorly this year, although they've given a lot of teams good fights, the bottom line is that they haven't been able to get the wins throughout the year, and that's what matters.
Okay, that's the league. If you don't like it, tough luck, you're not going to change my mind without a very good and well thought out response that has enough substance behind it to actually change my mind. However, feel free to comment, there's another half to the year, so who knows how things will change by then.
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