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NLL Insider - Nenjabin's Draft Grades Pt. 1

by Nenjabin, updated on Tuesday, July 14 2015, 04:45 am EST

So the draft for 2015 is run and done and all the teams that still had picks are running around the living room with their new toys preparing for a celebratory feast before going on a long holiday…my god, it really is like Christmas Ryan! I mean Draftmas…Draftmas.

Here is one man’s take on the way the draft played out and how your team fared. It is by no means gospel. – OKC News.

 

Atlanta

Round 1: Justise Winslow (Pick 6)

Round 2: Luka Mitrovic (Pick 60)

Trade: Dario Saric

Grade:  A+

The Hawks nailed draft day. They are a stacked team except for their small forward spot, which may just have been the reason why they fell agonisingly close to winning the East. They entered draft day with pick 2 in hand, a spot where they were expected to take the best player available as taking a wing here was considered too great a “reach”. GM Ryan did as expected and took D’Angelo Russell at 2, then waited patiently for his desired target to e taken, and a deal struck Justise Winslow, considered the drafts premier wing, was sent to the Hawks from the Clippers, along with the Rights to last years lottery stash Dario Saric.

Winslow immediately upgrades the Hawks at the small forward position and he fits perfectly with his glue guy style in a team full of offensive options. He works hard and does the little things, and in a team like this his slightly raw offensive game has time to grow and catch-up.

Saric is still only 21, and a highly touted international prospect. He won’t be over this year, and he may not be over next year as his European contract has no out clause, but he has already shown interest in making the trip over and will add to the Hawks big man depth.

Luka Mitrovic was Mr. Irrelevant this year, but the Hawks could have done worse. He’s a potential stretch 4 who plays hard non-stop and does the dirty work. He could fit in nicely in a couple of years.

 

 

Boston

Round 1: N/A

Round 2: N/A

Grade:  F….ree Agency – Points = bids!

GM JMac isn’t known for his drafting prowess, more-so his FA prowess, so it comes as no surprise that he sold the 2nd round pick he owned (New Orleans pick 46) days before the draft for 9 GM Points, and then also sold the 2nd round pick he received from Orlando in the Chalmers deal (Lakers pick 58) for a further 5 GM Points. His 1st? He sold that for 37 GM Points way back during the FA period of 2014/15 in pursuit of Pau Gasol and Lance Stephenson. Successful? Had Durant stayed healthy, we’d know exactly how much so! The points for the 2nds will be gearing up for another big FA period.

 

Brooklyn

Round 1: Tyus Jones (Pick 24)

Round 2: Cedi Osman (Pick 39)

Grade:  B+

Brooklyn won the lottery and turned that pick, and pick 23, into DeMarcus Cousins and pick 39. Solid move! So they were left with pick 24 and the 39. With only RFA Cory Joseph, UFA Austin Rivers and an aging Beno Udrih on the roster, the Nets addressed their point guard position with pick 24 taking Tyus Jones. Jones makes them better there, but likely still isn’t the answer long term with upside as a reserve, but he’s still a rock solid point guard.

Cedi Osman isn’t a bad pick at 39, he was touted to go higher, and he has a non-stop motor. He doesn’t excel at any one facet of the game, but he’s a good point forward and could be a versatile player when brought over, which won’t be this year. Looking from the outside, this would be the only gripe with this pick, he won’t be here this year. The Nets have no less than 9 free agents this summer and will likely struggle bringing some back, and enticing others to come.

 

Charlotte

Round 1: Mario Hezonja (Pick 5), Kristaps Porzingis (Pick 8), Myles Turner (Pick 11)

Round 2: N/A

Grade:  A+

The Hornets had a handful of picks, even leading into draft day, and there are too many trades to go into great detail here. They had picks 36 and 37, only 36 left by draft day, but ended up selling them both, incidentally both to Utah.

With 3 lottery picks, you can’t really get it all that wrong. Mario Hezonja is a great way to start too. 6’8 and can score from anywhere, with the length to play D at a high level too as he develops. He’s only 20 and his confidence is sky high, so we think he rewards the Hornets.

Kristaps Porzingis is the biggest question mark in this draft and he could have gone anywhere from pick 4 to 12 depending on how the drafter felt. At 8, he’s probably the best guy on the board so the risk is alleviated somewhat. He could be anything. He shoots like KD, he’s as long as Gobert and he weighs as much as a guard…can he put it all together and find a position?

Turner is who I believe was probably number 9 best player in the draft, assuming I had Zinger at 8…which I can’t say for sure if I did! He’s tall, long, super young and really knows how to play the game. The Hornets had a hole at the big man spots after last year, so adding two 7 footers is a big get. They traded up from pick 17, at the cost of 24 GM Points, but the move out of “the Point Guard” region of the draft to get a big makes a lot of sense.

 

Chicago

Round 1: Chris McCullough (Pick 26)

Round 2: N/A

Grade: B+

GM Daz had pick 16, but made it known he wanted to trade down and presumably Daz got his man. McCullough has potential lottery pick skills, but he’s torn his ACL and will miss the entire next season. Even if healthy, he was raw, so was probably going to take a bit to develop, so this pick isn’t without its share of risk. He’s long, athletic, can shoot and he’s a rim protector, so the upside is there.

Side note, Daz also got Patrick Patterson in the trading down, and the players at 16 were mostly point guards, and he has Curry, so the move looks good. This wasn’t factored into the grade on the draft however.

 

Cleveland

Round 1: N/A

Round 2: Juan Pablo Vaulet (Pick 45), Arturas Gudaitis (Pick 59)

Grade:  B

Admittedly when you’re the Cavs, have the 2nd best record in the league and your starting 5 are locked and loaded, despite having to make sure of a Lebron return for the 2nd year running, the draft isn’t really where you are going to be feasting. Cleveland again sold their 1st round pick to the hungry Thunder, but this year they had had two 2nd round picks to play with. Being the top of the league team, they had no interest in bringing in rookies to help compete, and went the stash route. I love Gudaitis at 59. He’s slightly undersized which might hurt his chances at coming over, but he’s a bull and a workhorse rolled into one with a boatload of passion. The Cavs lucked out here.

Vaulet, the young wing out of Argentina however, despite being the stash candidate with possibly the highest credentials left on the board, is extremely raw and flat out has no jumpshot. That’s a big red mark for a wing player. At 45 there were still some serviceable guys that could have contributed right away, as well as a couple of other stashes. Gudaitis here would still have earned a tick. That said, GM Alejandro is from Argentina himself and has likely swung for the countryman, which we’re all well within our rights to do!

Bottom line, the draft doesn’t help them at all right now.

 

Dallas

Round 1: Emmanual Mudiay (Pick 4), Trey Lyles (Pick 12)

Round 2: N/A

Trade: Doug McDermott

Grade:  A

Dallas got a much needed pre-draft gift when DeAndre Jordan announced he was actually leaning towards staying with them, and along with Danny Green, Zach Randolph and Thaddeus Young, the Mavs are loaded if they get them all to return. Pick 4 was probably the biggest question mark in the top 10 as no one knew what way GM Smokey was going to play it with the likely top prospect left being a Point Guard…of which is the only position he’s still loaded at for sure. You can’t really go wrong at 4 though can you.

Smokey did perhaps the surprising thing to some, but took another point guard in Mudiay, as he was who many perceived to be the best player available. Mudiay is big, strong, quick and aggressive and should thrive in the NLL. Great pick.

At 12, the draft starts to become a little more murky as the prospects become a little less sure to pan out. Likely with a plan for his pick 22, Smokey took again, probably the next best player available in Trey Lyles. Lyles isn’t a sexy pick, but he puts in work and will help all round the court. When you’re unsure who will be your frontcourt next year, why not sure it up?

Now the Mavs also owned pick 22, and in the opinion of this analyst they made the perfect draft choice taking an athletic defensive swingman who can slot in right now. But the questionmarks over Rondae Hollis-Jefferson’s ability to shoot had Smokey pull the trigger on a swap for last years swingman shooter, Doug McDermott. Doug hasn’t yet had a chance to shine in the NLL, but I’m not a fan. This move took away the plus from the grade, but I do hope I’m wrong for you Smokey!

 

Denver

Round 1: Montrezl Harrell (Pick 28)

Round 2: Larry Nance Jnr. (Pick 31), Norman Powell (Pick 50), Branden Dawson (Pick 51)

Grade:  A

From where the Nuggets were drafting they did remarkably well slotting in guys to play right now and try to offset the potential loss of both DeMarre Carroll and Paul Pierce. GM Rootsey has already given himself an A+, but we’re going to settle in with an A.

At 28, you just about couldn’t have got better than Harrell. He’s the junk yard dog type, possibly undersized, but he has a lot of Draymond Green written on him. Guys like him put in work and gel a team together. Really good pick.

Nance was touted a little higher, and this pick was actually potentially being sent off in a trade, but Rootsey decided he’d hold the pick and take the kid that he didn’t know a whole lot about. Nance has a high IQ and is long and skilled, but he’s lost a step already at this point of his career after coming back from an ACL injury. While this isn’t a bad pick, after taking Harrell, perhaps it wasn’t ideal.

Powell and Dawson are amazing value for down that far in the draft. Both could come in right off the bat and get some minutes, particularly if they lose Carroll and Pierce, and both bring some grit to the Nuggets wing position. With Young struggling, Porter showing signs of having watched too much JaVale McGee and Morrow and Gallinari in the final years of their current contracts, these guys could really help the Nuggets.

 

Detroit

Round 1: N/A

Round 2: Jordan Mickey (Pick 32), Aaron White (Pick 54)

Grade:  A

The Pistons after having traded what was projected as the #1 pick at the time for Eric Bledsoe, and then trading their other 1st round pick from Boston (pick 27) for Picks 32 and 54. Their goal was clear, get bigs to fill the hole at Power Forward, and they did just that. They got great value in Jordan Mickey at 32. He’s slightly undersized, but he plays with a great motor and is an elite shot blocker/rim protector. He’ll work hard on the boards and was even projected to potentially go as high as pick 20 in the draft, so he’s a great get.

Aaron White should help fill some depth at the PF spot, and he’s got a developing 3 point shot which could make him a bit of a steal as a stretch 4. He has a high IQ and hustles, but his skill level isn’t particularly high. That said, getting an active guy to contribute right now at arguably your weakest position down at pick 54 is still considered a win.

 

Golden State

Round 1: N/A

Round 2: Pat Connaughton (Pick 40)

Grade:  C

The Warriors were unfortunately the team that was neglected this year and it has stalled them harshly. GM Wallrus was content sitting back with his current roster and gliding through in a sort of middle ground with not a lot of prospects to get better or worse, and then he was fired by team management. GM Jim…something came in, replied to 1 PM, wrote 2 articles just before the Q4 deadline then proceeded disappear into the great abyss. Enter new GM MaiLo. He was instated only 2 days prior to the draft, and understandably couldn’t get to his inaugural NLL draft, not that it mattered too much with the Warriors only holding pick 40. He’s already shown me more activity than Jim…….____ ever did, and has even made a point of asking me a few things about the league on ICQ (I tend to message all new guys offering up my services if they ever require, in addition to their buddies), so positive signs!

Back on track…the Warriors didn’t really have a choice here due to not being there and they drafted Connaughton from a phone in list. He’s a good pick for the position with his shooting ability and athleticism, but like a few white shooters from past drafts, he struggles laterally and could therefore be a bit of a defensive liability. Pair that with the already “deep” guard rotation compared to zero bench bigs, and you’ve got yourself a little bit of a head scratcher, which I’m sure would have been alleviated had he been present.

Good luck MaiLo in turning the franchise around and have fun mate!

 

Houston

Round 1: N/A

Round 2: N/A

Grade:  Ungraded

The Rockets weren’t in this years draft, instead having shipped out their 1st round pick, and Boston’s 2nd rounder to bring in Carmelo Anthony, and shipping out their 2nd round pick in the deal bringing in Brandon Jennings. We can’t grade these moves yet as Jennings never suited up for the Rockets due to injury, and while Melo played 8 games, it was without both Jennings and Kobe, so all is still up in the air. They’ve already traded their 2016 2nd to get some defensive big man help, and they are looking solidly placed around their legit big 3.

 

Indiana

Round 1: Jarell Martin (Pick 30)

Round 2: Sir’Dominic Pointer (Pick 53)

Grade:  B

GM Sheed wasn’t in the draft until about 3? Days prior when he made a flurry of moves purchasing some 2nds. He then condensed those into pick 27, and a couple of guys to help him win now, and finally made a draft day trade out of 27 into pick 30 and 53…53 which he had previously owned…

Anywho, Martin was one of the top guys on the board at pick 30, and despite his tweener status, it probably made sense to move out of pick 27 to gain an extra prospect late. That said, Looney, whom went at pick 27 might have been a better fit? Regardless, Martin has as good a shot as anyone, and is more NLL ready than Looney and probably the other couple of PFs that were around in this range. Sheed fills out the frontcourt a little and that can’t be a bad thing.

Pointer was projected outside of the top 60 prospects in this years Draft, but brings an extremely versatile skillset to the table where he averaged nearly 2 steals and over 2 blocks per game despite being a 6’6 wing. This reminds me of KJ McDaniels from last year whom was drafted at pick 20, but he lacks the same crazy athleticism of McDaniels. He also has no jumpshot to speak of and seems more like a Power Forward trapped in a small forwards body. He could carve out a role as a low usage defensive stopper, but the value of guys whom only have the 3 or the D rather than both has been limited in the league of late.

 

Los Angeles Clippers

Round 1: D’Angelo Russell (Pick 2), Stanley Johnson (Pick 7), Devin Booker (Pick 10), Jerian Grant (Pick 17)

Round 2: N/A

Grade:  A+

The day the Clippers have been planning towards for nigh on 6 months finally came and they didn’t disappoint the fans. They cut salary and veterans all year to get themselves no less than 5 1st round picks in this draft, including 3 lottery, and then once it got here, they quickly turned pick 16 and 28 into 11, making it 4 lottery picks. They weren’t done there though, as the team without a name (Whiteside aside…he was a nice surprise) managed to still only land pick 7 (yep, 6 teams were worse), so on draft day they traded Pick 6 and last years lottery stash Dario Saric into pick 2, and also traded out of pick 11 again, to pick 17 for a wad of cash.

At pick 2, they took their projected superstar in the making, D’Angelo Russell. GM Andrew coveted Russell all year, and now he has him in hand. Russell has the highest projection to become a superstar (15%...how this is tallied is anyone’s guess) and should see a sizeable role right off the bat.

At 7 they took another wing to add to the collection in the well rounded Stanley Johnson. Johnson could be the best wing in the draft…though Winslow and Hezonja will be fighting that claim for the entirety of their careers, so he was a great selection. Like Winslow, he helps out on both ends and his motor is elite.

At 10 Andrew went with another wing. It was a bit of a surprise pick, but the draft notably takes a turn at around this point and with the likely return of Kevin Garnett, as well as solid young bigs in Whiteside, Ajinca and Capela, a lights out shooter like Booker isn’t a terrible choice. Shooting is one of the things the Clips don’t really have, and Booker was in a platoon system in college. Sink or swim? I’d vote swim for now.

Pick 11 is likely to be the more scrutinized choice of this draft for Andrew as he could have kept the pick and taken 1 of Turner (the eventual pick 11), WCS or Zinger depending on how the order would have played out, and with other wings and guards already on the roster, including the PG able Russell, it may not have been a bad choice. That said, he took Jerian Grant at 17 and I love this pick. Grant has size, speed, smarts, works hard and a real drive, as well as a great situation to flourish. I’d likely have taken this guy as high as 12 myself if I’d have been able to land a pick. He figures to fit nicely next to Russell, pushing him to SG, and now I guess Andrew looks to add to his big man department using the trading of some young wing players…and everyone is looking for wings!

Tick.

 

Los Angeles Lakers

Round 1: N/A

Round 2: N/A

Grade:  Ungraded

The Lakers were never in this draft having traded their 2016 1st with Nik Stauskas (Pick 11) to the Thunder during the 2014 draft for Noah Vonleh (Pick 7). The pick was lottery protected, which quickly meant nothing as the Lakers were up the top of the West all season, but the gamble didn’t really pay off. Vonleh didn’t pan out and was traded mid season in a deal which also saw their 2nd round pick leave them, bringing in contributors Gerald Henderson and Jarrett Jack who ultimately helped them win it all. I guess you could then grade that as an A+++, but realistically there’s a little too much turnover to suggest the oves couldn’t have been done without the initial move. Congrats again Greeny!

 

Memphis

Round 1: N/A

Round 2: Satnam Singh (Pick 48), Marcus Eriksson (Pick 57)

Grade:  C

GM Houndy’s big move came prior to the draft, where he sent Pick 13 with Lamb and McCollum for Chris Bosh. That left them with pick 43 and 57, and with a handful of free agents coming up, a few holes to fill. They opted to take Dakari Johnson at 43, but quickly shipped him to Portland for pick 48, Satnam Singh and cash considerations. Singh, like fellow giant Indian Sim Bhullar, is massive in every sense, but looks like he has feet of cement. It’s unsure if he’ll be available to play this season, but you can’t teach size. Skills you can teach…and they’d need to get cracking on him.

Eriksson is a stash pick, he won’t be over this year, and he missed last season with an ACL. He’s a sweet shooter from Sweden and could pan out eventually because he has size and a sweet stroke.

 

Miami

Round 1: N/A

Round 2: Marcus Thornton (Pick 49)

Grade:  B+

What does a team with 13 open roster spots require? Bodies. GM Proid is going to be working overtime during the free agent season to convince guys to come back, and to fill out a roster that will inevitably lose bodies and so with only one pick in the draft he went for a guy that is set to play now. Thornton can really play but his height has kept him low on draft boards which can be a bit of a misnomer when you see how productive guys like Isaiah Thomas, Earl Boykins and Pierre Jackson can be, and those guys are genuinely small, while Thornton is 6’3! He’s a solid get and could carve out a place.

 

Milwaukee

Round 1: Karl-Anthony Towns (Pick 1), Cameron Payne (Pick 14), Rashad Vaughn (Pick 19), Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (Pick 22), Delon Wright (Pick 23)

Round 2: N/A

Grade:  A+

What do you add to the leagues youngest team? Why 5 1st round draft picks of course! GM Badwolf laid it all out on the line here trading enigmatic, but possibly the best C in the game, DeMarcus Cousins effectively for pick 1 and 23. Cousins has the skills for sure, but he hasn’t translated properly so the trade off isn’t quite as scary as it would appear.

Towns was an obvious choice for number 1, particularly with Cousins out of the picture. He’s big, mobile, skilled, can shoot, defend and rebound…in fact, run him at the point. ‘Nuff said. Will he measure up to Cousins? I don’t think you really need to look at that for a right now grade. Perhaps for a future grading of this draft.

Rumour has it that Badwolf was after a swingman at 14 which kind of makes sense, but kind of doesn’t. It’s believed he ended up going with best player available and that was Cameron Payne. I’m not as sold on Payne as some, but he’ll have time to grow behind reigning league MVP Russell Westbrook and he has a tonne of upside.

Vaughn was a known target of Badwolf’s throughout the league, and he got his man at 19. He’s super young and already has a developed offensive game. I personally think he’s a candidate to put up 20-0-0-0 on any given night, but that’s still an elite 6th man! NLL will love this guy.

Wolf made what I think was his draft making move for pick 22 when he shipped out Doug McDermott for pick 22, and took Rondae Hollis-Jefferson. He may not have a game yet to create offense for himself, but guys like Michael Kidd-Gilchrist have carved out really solid NLL careers with that skillset from much higher picks. He’s an intangibles guy and an elite defender, and fits the Badwolf length and hustle mould perfectly.

And finally Delon Wright…whom is reportedly already on the block? Perhaps this was a “one pick too many” situation in the end, but Wright is still a talented point guard that should carve out a reserve roll in the league. He’s already 23 which limits his upside a little, and he’s the 4th PG on the roster, but he’s still solid value. It’s not like Wolf needed another forward or big, so BPA wins again.

 

Minnesota

Round 1: Justin Anderson (Pick 21)

Round 2: N/A

Grade:  C+

It’s not that I don’t like Anderson, the guy is a solid defender and athletic hard working wing, but GM Javi has known for a while now that he has a handful of wings and little else, particularly big men. Ideally I would guess Bobby Portis would have been his pick, but alas he went one pick before. Perhaps then you look to move down if you think reaching for a big here is a poor choice? Anderson could be a real value pick here if he shoots the 3 like he did last year, rather than for the entire rest of his life, but in terms of need and the general risk, perhaps this wasn’t the best choice. Javi is sure to now move some swingmen for a big or 2 to round out what should be a fun and competitive roster for the coming season.

 

New Orleans

Round 1: Jahlil Okafor (Pick 3)

Round 2: N/A

Grade:  A

GM Blackmajestic got his man. He made the trade of Bledsoe for the Detroit projected #1 pick back before the deadline at the time with every intention of taking Okafor at #1. Of course, things changed over the last few months and had he ended up with #1, he’d likely have changed that plan and taken Towns. Regardless, he was always after that big man and despite falling to pick 3, he got his man. Okafor immediately slides into the starting Power Forward slot, and as long as Nikola Pekovic can stay healthy, they have a fairly strong offensive frontcourt. With the wings and point guard slots already filled, the big man was the perfect choice and the Pelicans can now look to FA to fill out the bench swingmen spots.

 

New York

Round 1: Bobby Portis (Pick 20)

Round 2: N/A

Grade:  A

GM Dunadan was ecstatic to get his target, Portis, at pick 20. Portis makes a lot of sense for the Knicks whom were forced to give Charlie Villanueva big minutes at times last year…ain’t nobody got time for that. They’ll look to bring back Monroe and Millsap, and Henson/Portis make for a strong young bunch of bigs for the fabled Knicks. Portis brings size and length, and he does just about everything above average, without actually being elite at any one thing. Part of the reason I traded out of this draft was that I thought Portis would be gone in the high teens, so I love the value Dunadan got here.

 

Oklahoma

Round 1: Nikola Milutinov (Pick 29)

Round 2: Josh Richardson (Pick 34), Nikola Radicevic (Pick 42), J.P. Tokoto (Pick 46)

Grade:  C+

The Thunder have that perennial problem currently since GM Nenjabin took over that they wish the NLL roster size could be extended to 20. They had 14 draft picks in the last 2 drafts, and this year, they had 4 (after selling 2 late 2nd rounders and trading out 3 1st rounders during the season). With their roster fairly covered, they obviously set out to target some stash picks.

They once again bought the Cleveland pick, as they were enamoured with euro-stash Nikola Milutinov. They had hoped he’d be there at pick 34, and who knows, he may have been, but with a sudden draft projection jump to around pick 26 they decided they had to get higher to take him. Only time will tell if he will pan out.

At pick 34, the Thunder again reached, this time with aiding their more shallow guard slot, taking a combo guard with defensive skills and a growing offensive game. Richardson looks solid, and looks every bit of a Nenjabin type, but he wasn’t likely the best thing on the board.

At 42 the Thunder really reached. Sure you need roster spots, and so stashing is the way to go, but they probably realistically could have traded down from here to get Radicevic. Nenjabin must be paranoid! That said, Radicevic is a 6’6 crafty lefty point guard with shooting range that has drawn comparisons to Goran Dragic, so perhaps he will be worth the leap in a couple of years?

And finally the Thunder took what was again labelled a surprise and a reach in JP Tokoto at pick 46. Nenjabin broke his stash plan here to take the long defensive swingman, but as it turned out, had Tokoto not been taken here, GM Dazman had already secured a deal with the holder of the 47th pick to take Tokoto. Unbeknownst to Nenjabin, he took Tokoto and shortly after sent him to Chicago for cash.

Nothing here will bear fruit for a while.

 

Orlando

Round 1: Kelly Oubre (Pick 13)

Round 2: Richaun Holmes (Pick 44)

Grade:  A

GM Laddas traded his own pick very early on the piece in the deal to bring in Chris Bosh and Marcus Smart, but things went south and the pick ended up being #2. However, they still have a great piece in rookie of the year Marcus Smart. Bosh was moved just prior to the draft netting them pick 13, and with that selection they took the wing with huge upside in Kelly Oubre. He immediately slots in at the starting small forward slot you’d imagine with only Mo Harkless to beat out, and his length and defensive prowess should be of great benefit.

At pick 44 the Magic did great to snare athletic big man Richaun Holmes. Holmes is 6’10 with a 7’2 wingspan and possesses elite shot blocking skills and a high motor. He could immediately force himself into big minutes with Joel Embiid once again done for the year and could be a dark horse for rookie of the year if he does so.

 

Philadelphia

Round 1: RJ Hunter (Pick 25), Kevon Looney (Pick 27)

Round 2: Rakeem Christmas (Pick 33), Andrew Harrison (Pick 41)

Grade:  B+

What do you give the team that has it all? Why you give him a chance to refresh through the draft! And refresh GM VT did. He’ll bring back Leonard, and he’ll move heaven and earth to bring back Aldridge (though he’ll probably only need a couple of sheckles) and then he can plug the holes left by the departed oldies Luis Scola and Vince Carter, with a 19 year old long forward and a deadeye shooter. Hunter and Looney are great value for a team that is well and truly covered in all areas and they have the luxury of sitting back and taking their time to develop.

The 2nd rounders are a little less exciting with Christmas’ potential being locked as a career reserve big man, but he has size and does all you need from a big, and he’ll contribute right now. Harrison has nice size for a point guard, and a solid game to go with it, but his biggest enemy is his own head and he’ll need to learn to put his ego aside for the team if he wants to stick around let alone get on the court. If he can do that though, he’ll carve out a nice career as a reserve point guard.

 

Phoenix

Round 1: N/A

Round 2: N/A

Grade:  Ungraded

The Suns got out of this draft to bring in Monta Ellis and Omer Asik, pushing them deep into the playoffs. GM Penny will be more than happy with the way things panned out at the expense of what would have been late picks anyway and will look to bring the family back together next year. He did have a 2nd round pick right up until just before the draft, but sold it to help with the free agency. Good luck Penny!

 

Portland

Round 1: Terry Rozier (Pick 16), Sam Dekker (Pick 18)

Round 2: Dakari Johnson (Pick 43), Tyler Harvey (Pick 52), Dimitrios Agravanis (Pick 58)

Grade:  A

Portland started out with only Pick 11 in the 1st round but a couple of trades later and they had two solid picks in 16 and 18. They made the move to trade veteran scoring beast Joe Johnson, and picked up a couple of extra 2nd round pick there too.

First up at 16 they addressed a need bringing in a point guard in Terry Rozier. With what was on the board, he’d be my own personal 2nd choice, but that remains to be seen as to whether that’s the right call or not. Rozier is a hound on D and has a strong offensive game to go with it, with only his 6’0 height being called into question. He’ll challenge Sessions for the starting gig right off the bat for the rebuilding Blazers.

Sam Dekker makes some sense here too, though you might have to wonder if Portis was a better fit given the wings on board already? That said, he’s a highly skilled and high character small forward with size and he too will compete immediately for a starting role.

Originally with pick 48, the Blazers made a draft day deal with the Grizzlies to net Dakari Johnson rather than go with Satnam Singh, a good move in my book. Johnson looks to have much more capability and gives them a solid big man whom should carve out a niche in the NLL. At pick 53, you can’t go wrong when you snag a gifted scorer like Tyler Harvey. He lacks explosion, but that shooting stroke! At 58 they nabbed an intriguing euro stash stretch 4 in Agravanis whom likes to bang and can really shoot, but it’s anyone’s guess when he’ll make his way over the ditch.

 

Sacramento

Round 1: N/A

Round 2: Anthony Brown (Pick 38), Darrun Hilliard (Pick 47), Cady Lalanne (Pick 56)

Grade:  A

Talk about filling out a roster. The Kings only had the three 2nd rounders in this draft after a couple of deals but they got some great guys that should come right on in and replacing the potentially leaving Wes Johnson, Wayne Ellington and Gooden/Boozer. Anthony Brown has nice size for an NLL wing and can shoot the lights out, which makes him the perfect addition to any team. Coupled with that, the Kings were forced to keep their 47th pick after a deal with Chicago fell through, but they can’t complain with the addition of another scoring wing with genuine size in Hilliard. What can make these picks even better? Taking a 6’9 PF/C at pick 56 who can come right on in and contribute immediately off the bench as a defensive stopper big man. GM Carl set to push the West again.

 


Archive

· Merencio's Draft Grades, Pt. 2

· Merencio's Draft Grades, Pt. 1

· Nenjabin's Draft Grades Pt. 2

· Nenjabin's Draft Grades Pt. 1

· A Look at NLL Draft History

· Greenmig named GMOY

· Russell Westbrook named MVP

· The Real Show???

· NLL 2015 Mock Draft V1.0 Part 1

· NLL 2015 Mock Draft V1.0 Part 2

 

 

 

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