NBA Draft Recap

June 26, 2009 10:02am CDT

Draft day got off to an earth-shaking start with the news that Shaquille O'Neal was dealt to the Cavaliers. Before the draft even started, we also saw Jamal Crawford land in Atlanta and Vince Carter traded to the Magic.

Draft night did not bring any big trades, which was somewhat unexpected. But as usual there were plenty of interesting selections made. There also appear to be some clear winners and losers based on the early returns. Let's delve into some of the more prominent questions that emerged from Thursday's draft.

Which teams were the biggest winners?

Spurs: They didn't have a first round pick, but they walked away with a talent that was considered a lottery pick by many. Power forward DeJuan Blair fell all the way to the 37th selection due to concerns about his knees. However, he never once missed a game or practice in two years at Pittsburgh, and these knee operations occurred early in his high school career. He's a beast on the boards and a tenacious battler who can finish strong. The Spurs also picked up Jack McClinton, an explosive Eddie House-like shooter, with the 51st pick, and Nando De Colo, a 6-5 point guard that will probably wait in Europe for another season.

Nuggets: George Karl's crew did not have any draft picks, but they still walked away with perhaps the most NBA-ready point guard in Ty Lawson. The North Carolina star is very quick, can hit three-pointers, and he will be taking notes from one of the top veteran point guards in the game, Chauncey Billups. Anthony Carter is a free agent, and he won't likely be re-signed now that the team landed Lawson for a future first-rounder and cash. Lawson could develop into the Nuggets point guard of the future.

Grizzlies: Memphis landed a shot-blocker the likes of which we rarely see in a draft. No, Hasheem Thabeet is not a perfect fit as the team already has a promising young center in Marc Gasol, but he's a superior defensive player. What made them winners was landing DeMarre Carroll and Sam Young with the 27th and 36th picks respectively. Both players are warriors with loaded skill sets, and they are particularly strong on the defensive end. The Grizzlies have major questions at the forward position, and both of these players could find minutes with the young Grizzlies team as soon as their rookie season.

Bucks: They landed Brandon Jennings with the 10th pick and Jodie Meeks with the 41st. Jennings impressed Scott Skiles in their workouts, and even though he's at least a year away from making a significant impact, he should develop into a very good NBA starter. He's lightning quick, scores in bunches, and can create for his teammates. Meeks is a pick-and-roll jump shooter, not too different from another former second round pick, Michael Redd. He has a very good chance of sticking with the Bucks for the next few seasons.

Lakers: The defending champs left draft night with only the 59th pick, Chinemelu Elonu out of Texas A&M. What makes them winners is the fact that they scored over $4 million for Toney Douglas and Patrick Beverley. That cash will be used to help retain Lamar Odom and Trevor Ariza for the NBA champions. If the Lakers do only that this summer, they will score an "A".


Which teams were the biggest losers?

Kings: Sacto desperately needed a playmaking point guard with the No. 4 pick. They elected to go with Tyreke Evans, who played some point with Memphis last season, but he's clearly a scorer first. What makes this worse is that Ricky Rubio was still on the board, and his style of play would have thrived on this roster. I like Evans a lot, but this is a bad landing spot for him. The team did acquire point guard Sergio Rodriguez from the Trail Blazers in a trade, and he has a chance to be a special point guard... if he can find the playing time.

Cavaliers: They used their first-round pick on Chistian Eyenga, a long-term project out of Congo. Yes, he's a freak athlete, but the Cavs need to win now. If Eyenga ever makes it to the NBA, I'll be surprised. Danny Green in the second round was a solid pick, but they blew it with the 30th selection.

Hornets: It's not that Darren Collison and Marcus Thornton were bad picks, but they desperately needed help in their frontcourt. DeJuan Blair, Sam Young, Omri Casspi, and Derrick Brown were all possibilities with the 21st pick, but they elected to go with a sound backup point guard for Chris Paul. Thornton is a good scorer, but lacks athleticism, is a bit undersized, and doesn't fill much of a need for the Hornets.

Knicks: They were desperately hoping for Ricky Rubio, Stephen Curry, or Jonny Flynn, but they went with the three picks just in front of them. The Knicks still walked away with Jordan Hill and Toney Douglas, who are both good players. But it had to be painful to have their targets snatched up the way they were. It's a bit surprising that they passed on Jennings, but Hill fills a big need seeing how David Lee is likely on his way out of town.

76ers: With Andre Miller heading to free agency, the Sixers could not resist passing up on Jrue Holiday, a projected lottery pick, at the 17th slot. They should have. Holiday just isn't very good, at least not right now, and the team could have really used a true point guard. Ty Lawson and Eric Maynor were on the board and both would have been good fits in Philly.


What were the Wolves thinking?
The Timberwolves dealt Randy Foye and Mike Miller as part of a trade that landed them the fifth pick in the draft. They then had a total of four first rounders and two second rounders. The Wolves were very fortunate to land Rubio with the fifth pick, but they then picked Jonny Flynn over Stephen Curry at No. 6. GM David Kahn claims he will keep both players and thinks they can play simultaneously, with the six-foot Flynn playing off-guard. Is Rubio going to go for this? Or is he going to head back to Spain and save his money? The team then selected Ty Lawson with the 18th pick and sent him to the Nuggets in return for a first-round pick that originally belonged to the Bobcats. That's probably going to work out, and I think Wayne Ellington with the 28th pick was a solid move as well. However, they may have scared Rubio away with their mind-numbing pick of Flynn. The Spaniard is in a great position to demand a trade, and I think he'll get it.

Which picks are in the best situations to contribute right away?
James Harden (Thunder) has a mature game and should fit in flawlessly between Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant. The lefty could make an impact right away. DeMar DeRozan (Raptors) should also see a ton of minutes in Toronto as they lack wings, but DeRozan's game will have to grow up fast. Jordan Hill (Knicks), Gerald Henderson (Bobcats), Earl Clark (Suns), and Toney Douglas (Knicks) should also be good fits immediately with their new teams. Tyreke Evans will probably get a chance to start right away, but the Kings are already battling amongst themselves for shots.

Which picks were unnecessary reaches?
Unless a trade is made, I think Jonny Flynn was a poor choice following the Ricky Rubio selection. Stephen Curry seemed like a no-brainer, but the Timberwolves decided to select the two highest rated point guards instead. No. 15 overall selection Austin Daye has a chance to develop into a special player given his length and smooth shot, but at 192 pounds, his body needs a lot of work. The Pistons have big holes in the frontcourt, and Daye is unlikely to contribute there this season. Victor Claver was taken with the 22nd pick by the Blazers, but he would have likely been there at their next pick, No. 33. Claver has a lot of natural ability, but he's too soft to do much in the NBA, at least he is at this point. Taj Gibson (Bulls) was selected above a host of better forwards. Not only is he among the oldest players in this draft, but he's already had two knee surgeries. The 26th pick was way too high for him. And as previously mentioned, I really have no idea what the Cavs were thinking when they used there 30th pick on Christian Eyenga.

Who dropped the furthest?
I already talked about Blair (No. 37), who could become a Top-10 player out of this draft. Sam Young (No. 36) was another player that fell about 15 spots, and the Grizzlies called the pick "a gift." It was. Chase Budinger at No. 44 seems very low. Some had him going in the late teens. He's an extreme athlete with an excellent shot. The Pistons selected him, but flipped him to the Rockets for a future second rounder and cash. Finally, it's beyond me how a scorer like Patrick Mills fell to No. 55 to Portland. He's a hard worker, played very well in the Olympics, and is a dynamic player in the mold of Aaron Brooks.

What's up with all the internationals?
Rubio was the only international player taken with the first 21 picks, but then the flood gates opened. Four of the next eight picks were imports, and Omri Casspi (Sacramento) is the only one of those who may see playing time this season. Only two players (Sergio Llull and Jonas Jerebko) of the first 16 second rounders were from overseas, but then seven of the final 14 picks either played internationally or were born outside of America. Of all of them, I expect Rubio, Jerebko, Casspi, Rodrigue Beaubois, and Sergei Gladyr to be the only players we'll ever see in the NBA. I hope Patrick Mills finds a role somewhere, but Portland was a tough place for him to end up. In all, 14 international players were taken in the 2009 draft. The majority of them will never play in the NBA.

Last season may have been even worse. Thirteen international players were selected, led by Danilo Gallinari who was selected No. 6 overall. Gallinari appeared in just 28 games due to back problems. Nicolas Batum and Luc Mbah a Moute were the only two of the other 12 to make any kind of an impact last season.