Portland Trailblazers- How do you go in to the draft looking for a point guard, you have the #13 pick, and you come out of the draft with a poing guard who should have went as high as #4? Simple. You trade your backup point guard and a future role player that you selected at #13 and there you go. Portland seems to be building a dynasty out there and I like the way they're building through the draft.
New Jersey- You get a player in Brook Lopez at #10 who was #3 on Jay Bilas' "best available". The one thing your team lacked was a skilled big man. Diop, Krstic, Williams, and Boone are all defensive minded big man (maybe with the exception of Krstic, but he's coming back from injury). I don't like Lopez, but you can't argue with the pick as he could have went as high as #3. To think NJ got a junior All-American at #40 blows my mind. Couldn't this guy have wen't as high as #19 to Cleveland or #22 to Orlando? The only pick I didn't agree with was Anderson at #21...but the other two picks more than make up for it.
Clippers- The other LA team did exactly what most people thought they would in picking high scoring guard Eric Gordon at #7. They filled their biggest need all while getting a player who can play big minutes for them and put up big points. I really like the pick of DeAndre Jordan at #34. This was a guy who in previous mocks had been a TOP 10 PICK. What happened I don't know. Getting him in the 2nd round allows him time to mature and improve his game all while not being in the limelight. Had he been chosen in the lottery and been a bust, people would have been on this guy to the extent of Kwame Brown. Pick him in the 2nd round, and who cares if he busts? He's a 2nd rounder! But pick him in the 2nd round and he's a role player, you've got a steal. Pick him in the 2nd round and he turns into a star, you look like a genius. It won't hurt him playing behind Kaman for a couple years.
Losers
Indiana- What are you doing? A player who could have went as high as #4 falls into your lap at #11, and you trade him for just a good role player in Brandon Rush? I understand you just traded for TJ Ford to run your point, but you could have gotten more value for this guy. Maybe you could have squeezed Travis Outlaw from Portland? How about the #27 pick? Who knows? Just seems you didn't get as much value for Bayless as you could have. Portland would have given up a lot more than Rush to get Bayless had he went top 7.
Charlotte- I love DJ Augustin's game, but you already have a rising star at the point in Raymond Felton. Not to mention Felton is a UNC boy, just like his new coach. I don't understand why at #9 you pick a guy who will be on the bench for your team next year, when you could have gotten guys that could start for you next year (Brook Lopez, Hibbert, Speights). Charlotte should have traded down for one of these guys and ripped a team off of a future pick or another player.
Sacramento- First you take Jason Thompson, who should have gone late 1st round, in the lottery. There were better big guys out there if you wanted to go big (Speights, Arthur, Randolph, Hibbert, Hickson) and even if you wanted to go smaller (Rush, Lee, Greene). Not sure how a guy from Rider gets himself into the lottery. They view him as a senior who can come in right away and contribute. There's not much upside with this guy and he's most likely a career backup. Mbah a Moute, who they got at #37, is someone I think should have went back to school. I really don't think he deserved getting drafted. He's a good defensive player, but he's a 6'8" guy who can't shoot, has declined in his 3 years at UCLA, and is offensively challenged. They also got Ewing Jr, who I like, but he seems like a more athletic Mbah A Moute.
Other winners- Chicago (Rose, Weems), Miami (Beasley, Chalmers at #34), Philadelphia (Speights), Orlando (Lee)
Other losers- Minnesota (Love from Memphis, traded Chalmers), Washington (McGee,traded Bill Walker), Phoenix (Lopez)
Last edited by Posterize246 : 06-27-2008 at 12:46 PM.
Indiana- What are you doing? A player who could have went as high as #4 falls into your lap at #11, and you trade him for just a good role player in Brandon Rush? I understand you just traded for TJ Ford to run your point, but you could have gotten more value for this guy. Maybe you could have squeezed Travis Outlaw from Portland? Who knows? Just seems you didn't get as much value for Bayless as you could have. Portland would have given up a lot more than Rush to get Bayless had he went top 7.
Good evaluation. But Indy could have gotten much more for Bayless. It seemed as if they played the trade like Portland had the power.
I agree, but too late for me to dwell on it now. I kept praying that when the 27th pick came out they'd announce it belonged to Indy and we'd take Arthur, but nope. I do think people are undervaluing Rush and overvaluing Bayless. Bayless obviously has more potential, but we know how that works out sometimes.
I agree, but too late for me to dwell on it now. I kept praying that when the 27th pick came out they'd announce it belonged to Indy and we'd take Arthur, but nope. I do think people are undervaluing Rush and overvaluing Bayless. Bayless obviously has more potential, but we know how that works out sometimes.
Oh don't get me wrong. I love Rush's game and think he was very much worth the 13th pick. I just don't think Indiana got enough for Bayless. Like you said, they could have also acquired that 27th pick. I really don't think they asked for enough. With Portland wanting a point guard from the beginning, I think they would have given more to get Bayless than they did.
Oh don't get me wrong. I love Rush's game and think he was very much worth the 13th pick. I just don't think Indiana got enough for Bayless. Like you said, they could have also acquired that 27th pick. I really don't think they asked for enough. With Portland wanting a point guard from the beginning, I think they would have given more to get Bayless than they did.
I guess Bird was just really high on Rush. I know they've been pursuing Jack for awhile, at least since last season. I wish they'd gotten more, at least waited a day or two to see what sort of offers they got, but ah well.
I guess Bird was just really high on Rush. I know they've been pursuing Jack for awhile, at least since last season. I wish they'd gotten more, at least waited a day or two to see what sort of offers they got, but ah well.
Indiana was picking for Portland, and vice versa. There was a pre-pick arrangement that if Augustin or Bayless were there at 11 a trade was going down.
Somebody actually agrees the Clippers did okay in the draft. In the Clipper forums, ppl are pissed about no Mayo.
I think we did okay w/ Gordon. He spreads the court w/ Brand and Kaman in the middle. No risk w/ Jordan. I like Mike Taylor, He can't pass but is way better than Dickau as a backup PG.
Somebody actually agrees the Clippers did okay in the draft. In the Clipper forums, ppl are pissed about no Mayo.
I think we did okay w/ Gordon. He spreads the court w/ Brand and Kaman in the middle. No risk w/ Jordan. I like Mike Taylor, He can't pass but is way better than Dickau as a backup PG.
You can't be upset with a guy who wasn't there when you were drafting.
Draft Winners and Losers
