Post by ashes on Apr 30, 2020 22:57:21 GMT -8
Grading the BBS Creation Draft First Round
1. Sacramento Kings - Kobe Bryant SG 22 6'7'' 210 A- B+ B- A C BThe first pick was a two-man race, and the Kings went with the younger option. Kobe Bryant is already a superstar and he is at the tender age of 22. He is an elite scorer that finishes inside with the best of them and shoots the ball at good percentages from the field and beyond the arc. That alone puts him in special company, but it does not end there. Kobe is also an elite defender capable of locking down opponents and getting a few steals a game. For a major shareholder of the rock out on the court, Bryant also manages to keep his turnovers to a respectable level. He goes to a Sacramento team not expected to burn up the standings anytime soon, so expect Kobe to put up some astronomical numbers this year.
2000-2001 Season Predictions: 31/6/5/2 / All-League 1st Team / All-Defensive 2nd Team
Grade: A+
2. Los Angeles Clippers - Tim Duncan PF 24 7'0'' 260 A- C B- A+ A- BThe other guy. Tim Duncan, like Kobe, is a superstar and still very young. The amount of game this man brings to the table is off the charts, and he is going to be an absolute terror on the blocks for years to come. Excellent scorer in the paint, with the ability to step out 14 feet and kiss the glass so softly your girl will get jealous. He creates opportunities for his teammates, and is one of the best rebounders in the league. To top it all off, he may be the best defender in the league. He contests shots, creates turnovers, and can challenge anyone in the paint man-to-man. Total package. Los Angeles has begun surrounding Timmy D with veteran talent that should be poised to make a deep playoff run on the back of the Big Fundamental. No-brainer pick, and could very well turn out to be the better overall selection than the #1.
2000-2001 Season Predictions: 28/13/4/1/3 / All-League 1st Team / All-Defensive 1st Team
Grade: A+
3. Cleveland Cavaliers (Traded to Denver Nuggets) - Shaquille O'Neal C 28 7'1'' 315 A+ F+ C A+ A CFrom the Big Fundamental to the Big Aristotle. Shaq is the most dominant player in the league. He is virtually unstoppable down low, and bigger than everyone else, too. There is no sense painting a pretty picture with words: He is going to block your shot, get the rebound, then dunk on you on the other end. It will happen. He will draw those double teams and create some openings for teammates, as well. He will lead the league in FG% but if you have to find some flaws in his game, he will also lead the league in missed free throws. He tends to be a little...cavalier with the ball as well. Get it? Surprisingly, Diesel was already traded to the Denver Nuggets for Kevin Garnett, Chris Webber, and a future 1st Round Pick. While Shaq is amazing, that is pretty good value for the big man. Denver has some work to do in order to be a true contender, but right now Shaq is set to feast.
2000-2001 Season Predictions: 32/14/4/1/3.5 / Most Valuable Player / All-League 1st Team / All-Defensive 2ndst Team
Grade: A+
4. Dallas Mavericks - Tracy McGrady SG 6'8'' 210 A- B B- C+ C ANow that the consensus top three players are off the board, there were several avenues for Dallas. The decided on the immensely talented, 21-year-old Tracy McGrady. T-Mac has the potential to become an all-around beast in the league, but is just now starting to blossom. With the right mix of star and future, Dallas hopes T-Mac can carry them in the future. Well, maybe. They did attempt to trade him already. Regardless, McGrady should put up good numbers for Dallas, but still has some polishing to do. Definitely not in the immediate superstar status, like the above three men, T-Mac is going to be a guy that gives opposing defenses fits. He can play the 3 or 2, and is going to be a great scorer, playmaker, and rebounder. He takes care of the ball surprisingly well, and should force some turnovers as well. Might be the most dynamic wing for the next 4-6 years.
2000-2001 Season Predictions: 24/7/4/1/1
Grade: A-
5. Boston Celtics - Allen Iverson SG 25 6'0'' 165 A- B+ B- A- C- BMoving on, we have the Celtics deciding to pick up undersized, but over-talented Allen Iverson. Iverson is a SG in a small PG's body, but he is an absolute monster scorer. He has no issues finishing over a league that is 98% taller than him, and he is strangely enough very efficient shooting-wise from anywhere on the court. Iverson is one of the better ball hawks in the league, so expect two or more steals from him every night. He can get a bit sloppy with the ball, so I'd imagine he'll rightfully spend his career at SG. Perennial contender for scoring champ.
2000-2001 Season Predictions: 30/6/4/2 / All-League 2nd Team
Grade: B+
6. Denver Nuggets (Traded to Cleveland Cavaliers) - Kevin Garnett PF 24 6'11'' 220 B+ C C A A- BNuggets select Kevin Garnett at #6, which was a bit lower than I expected. KG is incredible in most areas of his game. He can score inside and outside, and he is a fantastic rebounder. He is also a dynamic defender who is going create a lot of swings in games with his ability to block shots and nab a few steals at very high levels. However, you start to see why he might have slid down a little further in the draft when you look at his volume shooting and his turnovers. He needs to become more efficient from the field to truly be one of the elite big men in the league. For now, he's outside the top 3, with a decent gap in between.
2000-2001 Season Predictions: 21/12/4/2/2 / All-League 3rd Team / All-Defensive 2nd Team
Grade: B+
7. Indiana Pacers - Elton Brand PF 21 6'8'' 260 A- C- C- B B+ BElton Brand at 7 was a bit of a reach, but not by much. The Pacers stood firm by their pick to their credit. Brand is definitely no slouch, however, and he should put up good numbers for the Pacers. He is a strong, strong scorer in the paint, and has a pretty decent jumper to boot. He is a bit slow-footed and on the shorter side for a PF, but he makes up for it with bulk and a massive 7'5'' wingspan. Thanks to this, he boxes out pretty well and is very disruptive on the defensive end. So while he may not be the best on-ball defender, he is still going to produce some big defensive stops. He is on the cusp when it comes to protecting the rock, but overall he does a solid job. The big question when it comes to Brand is his ceiling, despite his young age. Has he reached it already or does he still have the potential to get better?
2000-2001 Season Predictions: 22/10/2/1/2.5
Grade: B-
8. Minnesota Timberwolves - Vince Carter SG 23 6'7'' 215 B+ A- C B C BSwooping in and grabbing a guy who dropped further than he should have, the Minnesota Timberwolves nab Vince Carter. Carter might have fallen a bit due to defensive concerns, but he is one of the top guards in the league at 23 years of age. Not quite as versatile as his cousin, Carter instead excels at pure scoring. He will finish over anyone in the league and has good range to his jumper. Don't expect him to create many open looks for his teammates, but he will be a dominant #1 option in the league. He rebounds well at the 2 but his defense is indeed a little lackluster, and he turns the ball over at a higher than desired rate. Still, with some improvement on the defensive-end of the court, he is right up there with the best guards in the league. The TWolves don't have major offensive firepower, so Carter is probably going to put up some big numbers.
2000-2001 Season Predictions: 28/7/3/1.5 / All-League 3rd Team / Slam Dunk Contest Champion
Grade: A
9. Indiana Pacers - Steve Nash PG 26 6'3'' 195 C A A C D+ BThe Pacers dealt their way into two picks in the 1st Round, and picked up Steve Nash with the second of the two. Fantastic pickup that balances out the potentially questionable early Brand pick. Maximizing the strengths of both players together is another issue, but continuing with Nash it is pretty straightforward. He is the best PG in the league. Remember when I said Shaq was going to lead the league in FG%? Well, Nash can actually give him a good run for him money. The man is a shooting god. He is going to carry the Pacers towards greatness. Scoring, court-vision, the occasional steal or two, and did I mention scoring? Yeah he does it more efficiently than anyone else. He also takes relatively good care of the ball by PG standards, so pretty much the total package. Probably the only real superstar PG in the league.
2000-2001 Season Predictions: 25/4/10/1.5 / All-League 1st Team / 3P Shootout Champion
Grade: A+
10. Toronto Raptors - Ray Allen SG 25 6'5'' 205 B- A B- B C- BContinuing with another strong shooter, the Raptors take Ray Allen at #10. Another strong scoring SG, but one that relies more on the outside factor of his game than the others. He will thrive in an outside-focused offense being one of the stronger 3P threats in the league. He pretty much does what the other top SGs do but at a lower rate across the board. However, he shines in protecting the ball and he'll still disrupt a few plays on defense occasionally. The only thing with Ray is that this is what he is going to always be, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. He will just need a little more cohesion and focus than the other elite. Still a solid pick.
2000-2001 Season Predictions: 25/4.5/4/1.5
Grade: B+
11. Houston Rockets - Shawn Marion SF 22 6'7'' 215 B C C A B+ BI was a big fan of the Marion pick here and still am, I thought he would go a little earlier, but I think the offensive limitations scared a few teams off. Marion bring a versatility to the PF/SF spot that can really cause problems on the defensive end for teams. He is a fantastic defender already at 22. I could see him passing up KG eventually in the sweet steal/block combo column. He is on the smaller end for a PF, for sure, but should be able to hang with some proper development. Scoring-wise, he's a project, but I could see him being a solid scorer in the future, though probably never going to be a 25+ a night guy. He is already a strong player in any line-up, and I feel like the upside is there for him to be great. Could be a deadly lockdown/rebounding SF if Houston goes that route.
2000-2001 Season Predictions: 14/10/2/1.5/2
Grade: A-
12. Golden State Warriors - Dirk Nowitski PF 22 7'0'' 250 B B+ C- C C+ AIt is difficult to say Dirk is raw, but he definitely is not ready either. The Warriors snag Nowitski here and I have mixed feelings on the pick only because of the glaring weaknesses a player like Dirk brings, especially with a few other guys still on the board. Dirk is a young, stretch scoring 4, who has a good shot be one of the top scorers in the league one day, but he has no defense to speak of and very suspect rebounding at a spot where defense and rebounding are paramount. He shoots the ball very well and will only get better, but it's hard to see him ever becoming anything more than a one-way player. That's not necessarily a bad thing, I just feel there were better options at this particular slot. Still, Dirk is young and full of potential, so he could end up developing into a more well-rounded player with proper care, or he could just be a dominant scorer, which is not too shabby either.
2000-2001 Season Predictions: 21/8/2/1
Grade: B-
13. Seattle Supersonics - Paul Pierce SF 23 6'7'' 220 B+ B+ C C+ C BSonics start their draft off taking Paul Pierce at lucky number 13. So I know I was down on Dirk for only being a scorer, but Pierce can play more forgivable positions and creates a little more turnovers, so bear with me for a bit here. Pierce is already a prolific scorer with as much upside as a scorer. His defense is not great by any stretch of the imagination, but there's more upside there too. He is an effective rebounder and has a better shot a becoming a complete player. He does struggle with turnovers though, which is a potentially big negative. Pierce still has some work to do to catch up with the other elite players at his position, but I think he is in a good position to succeed and be the focal point for the Sonics for years to come.
2000-2001 Season Predictions: 22/7/3/1.5
Grade: B+
14. Phoenix Suns - Baron Davis PG 21 6'3'' 210 B- C+ B B C ASuns kick it off by selecting young prospect, Baron Davis. Davis has all the tools to become a fantastic player in the league, but he has a long way to go. I think this may have been pretty early for Davis. He is going to struggle for awhile. He has to grow a lot as a scorer to be effective, and even further to be a playmaker. He rebounds the ball well for a 1 and definitely can force some mistakes on the defensive side of the ball, but he struggles at range and has sloppy handles. I'm not entirely sold on him becoming a star, but I think he can be a solid PG in the league that does a lot of stuff well, rather than spectacular. He's a project, so I'll be watching how he develops for sure.
2000-2001 Season Predictions: 12/5/7/1.5
Grade: C
15. San Antonio Spurs - Lamar Odom SF 20 6'10'' 220 B B B B B BThe Spurs select Lamar Odom at the middle pick of the round, and it is probably right around where he should go, but I am not a fan. I am not a big believer in Odom despite how enticing he looks. He shoots at a slightly subpar rate, and he cannot hang onto the ball to save his life. However, I do recognize his potential versatility so that is why I understand the pick here. He rebounds great at the 3, can make plays for others around him, and is a solid 1/1 defense guy. I think with some solid investment, he can be a very good starter, but he is always going to cough the ball up and I have questions on his ceiling. Just a gut feeling, really. If there weren't better guys after him, I think I would have liked this pick more.
2000-2001 Season Predictions: 19/8/5/1/1 / All-League 3rd Team
Grade: C+
16. New York Knicks - Jason Kidd PG 27 6'4'' 212 B- B- A A C+ BKnicks start their pretty impressive team building with Jason Kidd at #16. At first Kidd is the type of PG that I hate. Crazy turnover problem. However, look at him so more and there is a lot to like about him. While not super efficient, he can and will put up some points, but that isn't what makes him special. He brings high-level rebounding and defense at the point position, and you really do not see that anywhere else in the league right now. A lockdown defender who creates extra opportunities in his prime, not to mention the many triple doubles he will probably be posting as the season goes along. It is a shame his AST/TO ratio is going to be literal garbage, but if the Knicks can manage to surround him right, they can make a good run. I do they think they could have done better at this pick, though.
2000-2001 Season Predictions: 16/7/9/2.5 All-League 2nd Team, All-Defensive 1st Team
Grade: B
17. Detroit Pistons - Grant Hill SF 28 6'8'' 225 B+ B B+ C+ C+ CPistons start their draft off with Grant Hill, and while I do like Hill's balanced game, I'm not so sure this was the pick here. Hill can score relatively well, I expect him to put up good numbers, and I think the Pistons are a playoff team, but this pick seems like a missed opportunity given how the rest of the draft shaped up. Hill shoots at a good percentage, grabs boards, and gets a steal or two. Pretty solid. His playmaking ability is very nice, and I doubt he will be playing point, so I don't expect him to turn it over quite as much as advertised. All in all, not a whole lot bad to say about Hill himself, just think Pistons should have gone a different direction. He is in his prime, so they can get a good 3-4 years out of him if they want, which is nice.
2000-2001 Season Predictions: 24/7/4.5/1.5 / All-League 1st Team
Grade: B-
18. Denver Nuggets (Traded to Cleveland Cavaliers) - Chris Webber PF 27 6'10'' 245 A- C- C B+ B CHonestly, I feel like Webber and a few of these guys after should have gone earlier in the draft, so I think the Nuggets picked well here (not perfect) but then they promptly traded him in the Shaq deal. Either way, Webber is an outstanding scorer, probably second best PF scorer behind Timmy D. He rebounds very well and gets you a solid defensive stat split of steals and blocks. He is not the best at what he does in any category, but he is pretty damn good all around. At 27, there are plenty of good years ahead of him, so the main focus is to probably try to help his turnover problem a bit, if at all possible. There might be some wonky lineups in Cleveland, so it'll be interesting to see how he does this season
2000-2001 Season Predictions: 23/11/4/1/1.5 / All-League 2nd Team
Grade: B+
19. Atlanta Hawks - Steve Francis PG 22 6'3'' 193 B B B C C AChanneling their inner Phoenix Suns, the Hawks also select a raw, talented PG with their only first. Steve Francis seems to have a pretty good shot at being a nice scoring PG, but it'll take some time with some growing pains. He rebounds very well for his size and position. His outside game is very mediocre, and will need to grow if he wants to make an impact scoring the ball. He's good for some steals but that is about it on defense. I like his ceiling, maybe even more than Baron Davis. He is also selected at a better spot for both, in my opinion. Not bad. Could have been better.
2000-2001 Season Predictions: 14/6/8/2
Grade: B-
20. Milwaukee Bucks - Rasheed Wallace PF 26 6'11'' 225 B+ C C A- C+ BConsidering who is coming up next, this pick hurt me a little inside, but the Bucks select Rasheed Wallace, and it is not all bad. Sheed is a very interesting build. I feel like Sheed a lesser version of what Shawn Marion will become, and by my projections, that is still pretty good. He is not the most efficient scorer in the post, but he will still rack up some points on you. Defensively, he is impressive. A good on-ball defender along with a guy who will net you about one and half blocks/steals a game all year. He does a pretty good job of holding onto the ball, which is also nice out of the big man. His rebounding is not exactly what you would prefer to see at the 4, but he should still be a double-double guy. Value-wise, the Bucks just fall short here. Sure, Sheed is 26, but I think he would have done better with the next guy, whether that be winnings games or flipping him for assets later on.
2000-2001 Season Predictions: 20/10/3/1.5/1.5
Grade: C+
21. New Orleans Hornets - Alonzo Mourning C 30 6'10'' 261 A- C- C+ A B+ CAnd at #10 we have...wait what do you mean 21? The Hornets make out like bandits here and get the third best big man in the league at pick 21. Yes he is 30 years old. Who cares? He is a beast, and a lot of teams higher in the draft lose out here. He can score, rebound, and pass at very high levels, but he defends at an elite level. He also protects the ball well for a big man! The Hornets have put together a really solid team, and Mourning is the cornerstone that could possible see them make a deep run this season. Absolutely crazy he fell this far. They have a lot of options with him moving forward in the following seasons as well, because he is still going to be damn good. Nice job.
2000-2001 Season Predictions: 22/12/4.5/1/3.5 All-League 2nd Team / Defensive Player of the Year
Grade: A+
22. Miami Heat - Stephon Marbury PG 23 6'2'' 180 B B A- C C- BMiami tries to bounce back from their blind trade pre-draft, and select Stephon Marbury. The one positive here is this about where I would have liked to see Marbury, Francis, and Davis showing up. Marbury is clearly the more ready of the three, and I think he has a higher ceiling than Davis, less than Francis. But Francis has a lot of catching up to do. Marbury is a pretty solid scorer already, just slightly below the percentages I want to see him at, so I have no doubt he will get there. He is not a good defender, but as is the pattern, he will pick a few pockets a game. If he can get his turnovers down, then I think he will have a big impact. If not, he is a pretty good SG. Heat will invest heavy in him, so with the help of a good training camp in a year, he might be special.
2000-2001 Season Predictions: 17/4/8.5/1.5
Grade: B-
23. New Jersey Nets - Ben Wallace C 26 6'9'' 240 C+ F D- A A- BNets come the party with the spicy Ben Wallace chips and dip, and I love it. At 23, the Nets snag one of the best defensive/rebounding bigs in the league, which is pretty good value considering how important it is in the league. Big Ben is going to be the premier defensive specialist, and I expect his output to only improve over the next few years. It really is not even worth talking about his lack of offense, we all know it. We accept it. He is drafted with barely any hopes of slightly averaging a double-double. But that's okay. We still love you Ben. Even if you have tiny hands.
2000-2001 Season Predictions: 9/12/2/1.5/3
Grade: A-
24. Dallas Mavericks - Jermaine O'Neal C 22 6'11'' 226 B D+ D- C+ C+ ADallas comes up for the second time in the first round, and they select Jermaine O'Neal. Terrible pick...is what my initial reaction was, but it has marinated a bit. I do not hate it as much as I did before. O'Neal is about as raw as a big man prospect taken in the first round could be, but he has the tools to be a true big man. Looking at his hypothetical scaled stats, you will see there is a lot of potential upside here. He could very well be a major sleeper, and if so, he has some nice deceptive skills hidden deep. He should be a double-double guy, and looks to be a decent shot-blocker as well. If he has some sweet, sweet potential, he might just breakout in a few years. Still a gamble for the Mavericks, but if it pays off, it could be huge for them.
2000-2001 Season Predictions: 14/10/1/1/2
Grade: B
25. Chicago Bulls - Marcus Camby C 26 6'11'' 225 B- C- C A B+ BBulls finally get their turn and they choose a very solid player in Marcus Camby. Very similar to the Ben Wallace pick, I am a huge fan of this for Chicago late in the first round. Camby is a great rebounding/defensive big who should be a very good anchor for the Chicago frontline for years to come. He is going to get you 12 boards, a steal, and a couple of blocks a game, and that should only improve over time. He seems to be a more natural fit at PF, so we will see if he stays there or gets shifted back to C. Very nice overall.
2000-2001 Season Predictions: 9/12/2/1.5/2
Grade: A-
26. Utah Jazz - Allan Houston SG 29 6'6'' 200 B- A C+ C+ C- CAt 26, the Utah Jazz take Allan Houston and I am not sure how I feel about it. It seems a lot of teams were relatively high on this pick, but I am not one of them. There is no denying that Houston is a talented shooter and is going to put up points, but I question the ability to go much further than a playoff appearance with Houston this season, so the next few years are going to be crucial for the Jazz if they want to make good on the 29-year-old Houston. That being said, he does score really efficiently, which is always nice to see. He shoots a crazy high percentage and is smart with the ball. Outside of that, though, he is not much to look at. I am sure the Jazz are not looking to be a middling team the next few seasons, so it will be interesting to see how the roster comes together and what future moves are in store.
2000-2001 Season Predictions: 24/5/4/1
Grade: C
27. Cleveland Cavaliers - Keith Van Horn PF 25 6'10'' 250 B B D C B BThe Cavs sneak in and grab an under-the-radar Keith Van Horn with pick number 27, and I am a KVH fan. The guy can low-key score, and score well. He does not have the smoothest jumper out there, but he is right around the percentages I would like to see from him. Chances are he is going to be rocking the 3 spot this year in a big Cleveland lineup. He is a very strong rebounder, so that is going to be a nice advantage at SF. Defensively he is trash, but he is a low turnover guy and he has some pretty good defenders in the lineup with him. KVH landing in Cleveland might have been the best spot for him and I really like the pick overall. If he can improve a bit over the next few years, he might end up one of the better second half draft picks from this first round.
2000-2001 Season Predictions: 24/11/2/1 / All-League 2nd Team
Grade: A
28. Philadelphia 76ers - Antawn Jamison PF 24 6'9'' 223 A- C+ C C- C C+ BAntawn Jamison goes to Philly with the 28th pick. Jamison has great scoring potential in the right offense, but that is pretty much all there is to him. He is not a good rebounder, and he literally does not play defense. With higher usage, his turnovers might be a slight concern, but not a cause for panic. Unfortunately for Jamison, he looks like he will be playing the 4 this year, but I think he is better suited for the 3. His rebounding could be less of a liability there, and possibly his defense as well with SF being a relatively weaker position across the league in terms of superstar scorers. I will say that there were probably not a whole lot of better options at this pick if they wanted to keep it relatively young here, and since the 76ers were picking close to back-to-back, they clearly got their guy.
2000-2001 Season Predictions: 22/7.5/3/1
Grade: C
29. Orlando Magic - Antoine Walker PF 24 6'9'' 245 B+ C+ B- C B- BThe Magic go ahead and select pretty much the same player to end the first round. Pretty much everything I said about Jamison applies to Walker, though Walker is slightly better in everything besides scoring. Walker, like Jamison, should probably also play the 3, so I wonder what Orlando has planned for him other than tanking. I would say Walker has slightly more value than Jamison, so that is a tiny win for their GM. Both of these guys are going to need work to be long term value pieces. But I guess they are both 24?
2000-2001 Season Predictions: 18/9/4.5/1.5
Grade: C+
That wraps up the grades for the First Round of the BBS Creation Draft. I will be re-visiting this historic draft down the line to check on the progress of all these players and see how they stack up then!
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