So the NLL 2014 draft has come and gone and what an exciting day it was.  The once in a generation draft class all have new homes including household names like Wiggins, Parker & Randle.  Most teams seemed to have a good showing and gm’s have high hopes for a brighter future.  The draft, went smooth and generally as expected although there were still some controversial picks.  So lets take a closer look and see how the teams faired as we assign some draft grades.  Grades are given taking into consideration team needs as well as giving consideration to talent available on the board at the time of the pick relative to the NBA draft.

Disclaimer:  This is one man’s opinion, written for entertainment purposes, not to be misconstrued as a statement of fact in anyway and quite unlikely to reflect any form of future reality.  No offence is intended or should be taken.

Atlanta Hawks – Grade A

With Kyle Lowry on the outs the Hawks clearly needed a PG to bolster their backcourt.  Selecting with pick 5 in this draft there was a great chance of landing a potential future starter in Smart or Exum.  With Exum off the board gm houndy played it smart, selecting Marcus.  With pick 29 he reached slightly selecting Glen ‘Big Dog’ Robinson III.  But he gets  a guy with lottery level talent in the late first round.  Excellent work.

Boston Celtics – Grade B

The Celtics selected KJ McDaniels with pick 20.  He fits well with the team need of more depth behind Durant and by all accounts this guy is an elite level athlete – making him at the least capable of being an excellent defensive player.  He was selected in the second round in the NBA making it somewhat of a reach here although considering who was left on the board at SF, this is a solid selection.  McDaniels is also likely to stick and may even end up getting major minutes on a barren NBA 76ers roster.

Brooklyn Nets – Grade C

The GM-less Nets selected SG Jordan McRae.  McRae may actually stick since he was selected by the NBA 76ers.

Charlotte Hornets – Grade B-

Gm digeze had two lottery picks at 9 and 10.  He selected guards at both slots in Elfrid Payton and Gary Harris.  The Hornets roster is quite well balanced however their biggest need was probably PG depth so the selection of Payton makes sense and would have received an A Grade by itself.  Gary Harris on the other hand is a bit of a head scratcher since he is somewhat of a similar style player albeit more of SG / combo guard – especially when you already have Iman Shumpert on your team too.  Harris also slid quite far in the NBA draft and was taken at pick 19 by Denver – a team stacked with small-ish guards.  Perhaps, a better selection here would have been a pure SG such as Nik Stauskas – to replace an expensive Eric Gordon or some PF depth especially with Adreian Payne still on the board.

Chicago Bulls – N/A

Cleveland Cavaliers – N/A

Dallas Mavericks – Grade C

At pick 58 the Mavs selected Xavier Thames.

Denver Nuggets – Grade B+

The Nuggets selected James Young with a lottery pick 13.  Although projected earlier in the season as a lottery pick he slid to 17 in the NBA.  The team is very deep and young with no real needs so can’t really argue here.  He should get decent playing time in NBA BOS and has all the physical tools to perhaps turn into a ‘2K glitch type’ player.  They also picked up Mitch McGary at pick 26 and Josh Huestis with what could turn into a potential steal at pick 43 since Huestis was a first rounder in the NBA.  A good mix of players and all should stick.  Good job.

Detroit Pistons – Grade A-

With only 4 players under contract the Pistons came into this draft with plenty of holes to fill.  And they did a nice job of it.  With pick 25 they selected PG Tyler Ennis a guy who was projected to go earlier in most mocks and then with pick 27 they selected Cleanthony Early, a Senior SF out of Wichita State.  Early was perhaps taken a little soon although most scouts feel he has first round level talent and is quite likely to stick in NBA NY – especially if Melo leaves town.

Golden State Warriors – Grade B

It’s hard to tell how things will go for the gm walrus and his Warriors since all his picks where second rounders.  However I graded him B since they were all taken significantly earlier in the NBA, Clint Capella was even a first rounder, (pick 25) but was taken by GS at pick 35.  So full marks to walrus for taking the ‘best talent available’ on the big board at every pick.  He also ended up with a good spread of two bigs and two smalls which should add to a fairly balanced roster.

Houston Rockets – Grade C-

Selecting with pick 6 in this stacked draft, it was a chance for a barren Rockets roster to improve with a stud player in a position of need.  They took Aaron Gordon.  Gordon, is an all-world athlete, a guy who has been likened to Kenneth Faried, Shawn Marion.  So he is somewhat of a tweener SF/PF type of guy.  He is very raw though with no real offensive game besides dunks.  Of course the kid has great upside and the pick itself is fine but why it is slightly puzzling is that only 3 days earlier gm tbf24 traded for Thomas Robinson – who is arguably the same type player – a hustle tweener guy who dunks a lot and can’t shoot! So considering the team need and with plenty of other more rounded talent still left on the board this pick was a slight surprise.

Indiana Pacers – Grade C

The Pacers selected Dwight Powell and Nick Johnson with picks 38 and 39.  A deep team neither of these guys figure to make much impact and may not even make the team.

LA Clippers – Grade C

The Clips picked up some guy call Semaj in the second round.  Some parents should be shot.

LA Lakers – Grade B

The Lakers selected Noah Vonleh at pick 7 and whilst it is difficult providing a non-bias self-assessment, most analysts would agree that Vonleh, (although taken at 9 in the NBA draft) was the highest ceiling PF in the draft – with a skillset and tools to contribute right away.  Considering the Lakers cap situation and the possibility that starting PF, Carlos Boozer will either be amnestied or worst case bought out this selection makes sense and gives the Lakers the cap flexibility to make a splash in free agency.

Memphis Grizzlies – Grade B+

Gm bacthemac and the Grizz addressed their biggest need selecting PF Adreian Payne with pick 19.  Payne was selected earlier in the NBA and appears to be ready to contribute right away so this was a very nice pickup and a possible candidate for steal of the draft.  Their grade would have been an A however with their second 1^st round pick bacthemac pulled his best Masai Ujiri impression and swung for the fences on Brazilian unknown Bruno Caboclo at pick 22.  Many experts have said that Caboclo is not even worthy of a second round pick and ESPN’s Fran Fraschilla suggests that this guy is two years away from being two years away.  I guess the figure it’s worth the gamble.

Miami Heat – Grade A-

Gm proid must have been slightly surprised when Julius Randle fell into his lap at pick 8.  Most predict Randle will be a starter and possible All-Star in this league for many years.  The only reason the grade is an A- is because the Heat’s best player is Zach Randolph – arguably a guy with the same skillset.  Although this does give the Heat, who are likely to have some cap issues an option to perhaps offload Zach.  Considering the Heat don’t have any real glaring holes in their starting 5, at pick 8, if he is available - you have to take Randle.

Milwaukee Bucks – Grade B+

gm badwolf, despite saying he wouldn’t this year, once again made a late run at the draft acquiring 2 additional 1^st rounders.  He addressed a major team need in shooting with the selection of McDermott at pick 12.  Given he lacked roster spots he used one pick on a euro-stash in Nurkic – another solid move and then swung for the fences with a high upside guy in LaVine – a guy who has been compared to Russell Westbrook.  The grade would have been slightly higher but perhaps the LaVine pick could have been used on another stash guy or even another shooter – although its not a bad pick considering the guy’s upside.

Minnesota Timberwolves – Grade C+

Picking up Saric, (an NBA lottery pick) with pick 15 was a pretty solid move for gm javijoe.  He was the best talent available on the board at the time and whilst an argument could be made for other players, after the recent David Lee trade the pick looks even better.

New Orleans Pelicans – Grade B-

With a pretty balanced and full roster there were no real positional gaps to fill perse’ so the Pelicans and recently fired gm fabiano selected Bogdan Bogdanovic with pick 44.  Not bad for a guy who was a 1^st rounder in the NBA.  They also selected SF DeAndre Daniels at pick 36.

New York Knicks – Grade C

With pick 59 the Knicks selected some guy called Corey Jefferson.  He probably won’t make the team.

Oklahoma City Thunder – Grade A

Gm nenjabin and the Thunder did a great job on draft day.  He fulfilled a major team need in shooting with the selection of Nik Stauskas at pick 11 and CJ Wilcox at pick 30 – both guys who can really shoot the lights out.  He then selected 5 second rounders of which 4 of them appear to be euro-stash picks.  Given this is a rebuilding team which lacks roster space this is a smart move to collect future assets.

Orlando Magic – Grade A

gm laddas did a great job too draft day.  As stated in my mock when your C’s are called Gobert, Ezeli and Kuzmic and Joel Embiid, (albeit injured) falls to you at pick 4 then you need to take him.  He was also able to pick up TJ Warren at pick 18 – addressing another potential need at SF with Luol Deng likely to walk.

Philadelphia – Grade A+

Once again this guy seems to always get it right.  I guess it’s not hard when you have pick 2 and Jabari Parker on the board.  But gm vt was also able to grab Napier with pick 21 and Jordan Clarkson at pick 41 addressing perhaps the only ‘team need’ at backup PG.  Can everybody please stop helping Philly?

Phoenix Suns – Grade A

It seems most gm’s did a pretty good job this year.  Gm pennywise nailed his team biggest needs with scoring and shooting by taking Rodney Hood with pick 16 and Markel Brown at pick 42.  Perhaps Hood was a slight reach but he had been projected higher on many a mock draft and should deliver with plenty of run in NBA Utah.

Portland Trailblazers – Grade C+

Picking up PJ Hairston at pick 24 is pretty solid however it was a tad surprising that gm djdrew didn’t take a PG, (arguably a positional need) especially since Tyler Ennis was still on the board.

Sacramento Kings – Grade A-

The Kings did a great selecting another lights out shooter Jordan Adams at pick 28, (a candidate for steal of the draft) – just what the rest of the league needed – more shooters for the Kings.  They then addressed their biggest need by selecting the only two C’s available in the 2^nd round in African giant Walter Tavares and Aussie Cameron Bairstow.

San Antonio Spurs – Grade B+

With a stacked roster, (13 players under contract) and no cap space the Spurs somewhat surprisingly split a 1^st rounder into two seconds.  But then gm leeroy made the most of his picks selecting two players with 1^st round level talent at picks 32 and 34 in Spencer Dinwiddie, (poor guy – what a name) and Jerami Grant.   It remains to be seen how leeroy manoeuvres now to make space for these guys as they are both likely to make the team.

Toronto Raptors – Grade C+

 The Raps don’t have a SG under contract so perhaps they should have looked at one here although they did land Kyle Anderson who was rated the best passer in the draft by many an expert.  A bit of reach at 23 but this guy just looks like he can play and make a difference in multiple positions.  A nice pickup.

Utah Jazz – Grade A

The Jazz drafted Andrew Wiggins at pick 1.  You really can’t go wrong here, for a rebuilding franchise to take the highest upside guy makes 100% sense.  Picking up a Jarnell Stokes a PF at pick 31 also addresses a positional need so a nice bonus.

Washington Wizards – Grade C

With pick 45 the Wizards picked up a PG called Russ Smith.

by greenmig 01/07/14