Post by 2 years left on Apr 30, 2020 18:42:09 GMT -8
Zo is where he belongs and possibly leading the winners of this division.
Once again we will only be looking at the first five rounds for every team. If you added a steal at #168 well you're lying.
Atlanta Hawks
Dalibor Bagaric C 20 7'1'' 255 C+ C C B- B- B
Stephen Jackson SF 22 6'8'' 215 B- C+ C C+ C A
DerMarr Johnson SF 20 6'9'' 200 C+ B C C+ C B
Jonathan Bender SF 19 6'11'' 202 C+ C- C- C+ C A
Steve Francis PG 22 6'3'' 193 B B B C C A
The first change in management came quick with chipper being fired for not being on to make his first pick. New management decided to go young early and often with no player over the age of 22 on their roster. Steve Francis has received some hate around the league just like Marbury has for Miami, but I see them as basically the same player. Francis has potential to be a franchise player and in a league with very few top PGs that is good value in the late teens. When it comes to the rest of their draft I am less of a fan. Stephen Jackson is a nice SG prospect and DerMarr is okay for taking a flier on but most likely a bum. I do not see much value in Bagaric or Bender. Would have preferred dealing off the picks used on them for futures but it is not that big of a deal. They should be able to tank easily and have at least one long-term starter already so it could have been worse.
Grade: C+
New Orleans Hornets
Alonzo Mourning C 30 6'10'' 261 A- C- C+ A B+ C
Karl Malone PF 37 6'9'' 256 A- C C+ C+ B+ D
Anthony Mason PF 33 6'8'' 270 B C- B A- B- C
Bryon Russell SF 29 6'7'' 225 B- B C B+ C D
Jerry Stackhouse SG 25 6'6'' 218 B+ B+ C C+ C- B
Terrell Brandon PG 30 5'11'' 173 C+ B B B C- D
The Central has a few teams that I see as contenders to take the division and the Hornets are the first one. They may have the best chance thanks to having three players who can be 20 ppg scorers for them. The Zo pick was the steal of the draft as many have said. He fell because he is 30 but I'll take five seasons of a 20/10/3 big thanks. I am not a fan of the Stackhouse pick. He is a talented scorer but the turnovers really hurt and I think there were a few better options on the board. Terrell Brandon and Byron Russell are great role players. Seeing where Karl Malone would go was one of my biggest questions heading into the draft and I think he was great value where they got him. His handling is good and he can still score and rebound even at 37. If they can get more than 1 year out of him it would be a big win. The best part is they can still be competitive even after he retires, especially if they put the work in and find a way to fix Stackhouse's handling.
Grade: A-
Chicago Bulls
Marcus Camby C 26 6'11'' 225 B- C- C A- B+ B
Jerome Moiso PF 22 6'10'' 235 B- C C A- C+ B
Juwan Howard SF 27 6'9'' 250 B+ C B- B+ C B
Bruce Bowen SF 29 6'7'' 200 C B- C A+ C- B
Michael Finley SG 27 6'7'' 215 B B C B C C
Courtney Alexander SG 23 6'6'' 210 B- B- C C C B
Howard Eisley PG 27 6'2'' 180 C B B C+ D- C
William Avery PG 21 6'2'' 180 B- C+ C C+ D+ A
As the only team in the league with two official GMs, it was expected that they would have a solid draft. I love the Marcus Camby and Michael Finley picks. They are both still pretty young and with no real flaws. Obviously Finley needs some camps to max out his scoring, but he already has a good base to work with. I also like Juwan as a SF even if his rebounding could be a bit better. Jerome Moiso needs to work on boxing out but he also showed promise as a potential 2 bpg guy who does not turn it over much. They did not fully commit to win-now which is somewhat surprising. I just feel like this team is missing one more scorer which would take them from a potential first round spoiler to a team that should have homecourt. No idea who William Avery is but his ratings are pretty interesting so maybe he can become that scorer in a few seasons. Still a good draft, just wish they would have found that extra scorer.
Grade: B
Cleveland Cavaliers
Raef LaFrentz C 24 6'11'' 240 B- C+ C- B B C
Kevin Garnett PF 24 6'11'' 220 B+ C C A A- B
Chris Webber PF 27 6'10'' 245 A- C- C B+ B C
Keith Van Horn SF 25 6'10'' 250 B B D C B B
Latrell Sprewell SF 30 6'5'' 190 B B C A- C C
Darrell Armstrong PG 32 6'1'' 180 C A- B C+ C D
What a wild few days for my fans in Cleveland. Went from trying to piece depth together around Shaq to dealing him a few hours later for two star bigs. After blowing it by not drafting Mutombo at #30 overall I just did not see a path forward to building the team I needed around Shaq. The plan is to try Webber at SF and see if we can just dominate the glass against almost every team. If it fails, we have Sprewell as an option at SG. My dream was drafting Charlie Ward in the third but after he went I traded up for Raef who shows potential as a starting big long-term. Darrell did not do much in the test sim but with his outside game I think I can get enough production out of him. I won't lie and say I love my draft, but I think it was solid overall.
Grade: B
Detroit Pistons
P.J. Brown C 31 6'11'' 240 C+ C C A B- C
Elden Campbell PF 32 7'0'' 255 B C- C A- C+ D
Vin Baker PF 28 6'11'' 250 B C C+ C+ B C
Grant Hill SF 28 6'8'' 225 B+ B B+ C+ C+ C
Anfernee Hardaway SG 29 6'7'' 215 B B B C+ C C
Sam Cassell PG 30 6'3'' 185 C+ B A- C+ D C
It is good to see Grant Hill back in Detroit. At first I was a bit surprised by the pick, but then I saw he was only 3 turnovers a game as a PG in the test sim. Love him at SG and he can hold his own at SF as well. I also like the Penny Hardaway pick that gives them a very solid wing duo. When it comes to the alien at PG, I am less impressed. Feel like they could have gotten an equal player much later on. Also not a fan of Elden Campbell after seeing his lack of handling the ball well in the test. PJ Brown is solid. Vin Baker can backup the 3 and 4. I am just not sure two players is enough to carry them. It will be interesting to see what direction they go if their first season is mediocre.
Grade: C+
Indiana Pacers
Hakeem Olajuwon C 37 7'0'' 255 B D+ C+ A- B- B
Vlade Divac C 32 7'1'' 260 B C- C A- B D
Elton Brand PF 21 6'8'' 260 A- C- C- B B+ B
Corey Maggette SG 20 6'6'' 218 B+ C D C+ C B
Steve Nash PG 26 6'3'' 195 C A A C D+ B
Somehow the Pacers were able to pull off the dream and ended with two top 10 picks. I know the Brand pick has received some but it was solid. Would I have taken Vince Carter? Well, probably. Were Ray Allen and Steve Nash a potential dream duo? Yeah. But Brand is one of the best young bigs in the league. It was hard to mess these picks up. Unfortunately, they only had one more pick in the top 100. In a way I basically forced them nto picking Corey Maggette and I still like the pick. He is a bit raw but is a few camps away from A- C+ scoring as a 20 year old guard. He also showed great handling in the test sim. Good value in the third round. The Vlade Divac pick was also great value. He could do a better job of handling the ball but a big with those ratings who can block a bit at #108? Yeah I'll take it. For some reason the Nuggets then traded them Hakeem for a 5th round pick which was also great value. All these great picks yet it is still hard to see them taking the central without adding another proven scorer. Luckily for them, Maggette may just grow into that player within a few seasons. This draft could have been better but it was still pretty good.
Grade: A-
Milwaukee Bucks
Rasho Nesterovic C 24 7'0'' 248 B- C- D B C+ B
Rasheed Wallace PF 26 6'11'' 225 B+ C C A- C+ B
Rashard Lewis SF 21 6'10'' 215 C+ B+ C- C+ C B
Chucky Atkins PG 26 5'11'' 160 C+ B- C+ B D B
Earl Boykins PG 24 5'5'' 133 C- B+ B- C F+ B
I did not hate the Rasheed Wallace pick but I also did not like it. Just do not like drafting a C+ rebounding big that high who is already 26. The next two picks were Alonzo Mourning and Stephon Marbury, both better picks for either trying to win-now or build for the future. Rasheed is in the middle of that and that is not where you want to be. Rashard Lewis is another young wing that shows some potential, but the lack of rebounding and defense as well as raw inside scoring is not great. Chucky Atkins had a solid test sim but is still only C+ B- scoring. Obviously the base is pretty good, but he needs some camp love. Rasho's nearly three turnovers are enough to turn me completely off of him where he was picked in the draft. Boykins is a solid backup PG but nothing more with that rebounding unless his handling somehow becomes elite. I feel like they kind of went the tanking direction, but they drafted Rasheed so I'm not sure why you would tank with him? Another team I wish would have committed to a direction.
Grade: C
Toronto Raptors
Michael Olowokandi C 25 7'0'' 269 B- D+ F+ B+ B- C
Antonio Davis PF 32 6'9'' 230 B C- D+ B B+ D
Scottie Pippen SF 35 6'7'' 228 B- B- B+ A- C+ D
Ray Allen SG 25 6'5'' 205 B- A B- B C- B
John Stockton PG 38 6'1'' 175 C B+ A+ C D+ D
The Raptors draft was definitely interesting. I loved the Ray Allen pick. He is just a perfect SG that you can still camp. They lost me with the Scottie Pippen pick, especially with Finley going right after him. Obviously they are trying to win but why pick a player eight years older who is worse? I know a C rebound SF goes against everything I have said before but in this case you are trading a rebound a game for better scoring from a much younger player. Easy choice. Antonio Davis is decent. Olowokandi is decent. John Stockton was pretty great value in the fifth. I would feel better about this team if they had dealt a first or two for an extra pick or two to add some depth to the roster. Also if they had picked Finley that would have been nice as well! Unfortunately they did not and they will be stuck in no man's land when Stockton and Pippen retire. For this season, they may surprise and make a push for homecourt if they can find some depth and make the right DC. More likely they just round the bottom of the playoffs.
Grade: C+
