1. Memphis Grizzlies: C Dwight Howard (19)
| Pre-TC | B- | D+ | D+ | C+ | B- | A |
| Post-TC | B | D+ | D+ | B | B | A |
Erbes was the worst team by a country mile, and it actually paid off. He won the lottery, and Dwight Howard did not disappoint. He worked on all facets of his game. Many scouts believe that Dwight might never have much of a post game, and that will certainly be something to keep an eye on. On the defensive side of things, Dwight checks all the boxes. He also will be a rebounding machine which is what Erbes and company saw in his very first TC of work. He went a +4 in totality which should make Erbes happy.
2. Cleveland Cavaliers (from Hawks): SG Andre Igoudala (20)
| Pre-TC | B- | C | C+ | B | C | A |
| Post-TC | B | B- | C+ | A- | C | A |
Iggy now is on the Raptors after a semi-controversial trade...only because Game didn’t block one of the best PGs in BBS. However, the early returns are certainly promising! Iggy went a +5! He is everything and more on the defensive end, and he will absolutely be a terror for opponents for years to come. The biggest key scouts wanted to see from Iggy was his ability to play an efficient game on the offensive end. Based on exhibition play, there is quite a bit of work for Iggy on the offensive end. However, a great start for Game considering all things!
3. Denver Nuggets (From Bulls): C Al Jefferson (19)
| Pre-TC | B- | C- | D+ | C+ | C+ | A |
| Post-TC | B | C- | D+ | C+ | B- | A |
Royal traded Melo for Al Jefferson straight up...I mean, yeah. I still don’t get it. Then he tried to trade Jefferson straight up for AI which would’ve been great, but our lord and savior Spence stepped in and put an end to those shenanigans. Let’s get back to the player here. Al went a +2 and improved on his ability to score close to the bucket as well as refine his rebounding ability, too. Solid player, but still don’t get the Melo swap.
4. Detroit Pistons: PF Josh Smith (19)
| Pre-TC | B- | C+ | C | B- | C+ | A |
| Post-TC | B | C+ | C | B | C+ | A |
Galo took Josh Smith with the 4th pick, and he’s such a raw prospect that it might take a couple of years before we see truly great production out of him. In saying all of that, he looked really solid in preseason and he will get playing time right away on the rebuilding Pistons. Anyway, Smith went a +2 and worked on his inside scoring as well as his defensive game. Solid camp, but nothing amazing for Galo here.
5. Golden State Warriors: SG Kevin Martin (21)
| Pre-TC | C+ | B | D+ | D+ | D+ | B |
| Post-TC | C+ | A- | C- | C- | C- | B |
Manas got to witness a really good camp for K-Mart as he worked on nearly all parts of his basketball game as he went a beautiful +5! K-Mart was scouted as a guy that can score at will, and boy did he show that in preseason play. He didn’t turn it over, and shot with such great efficiency. If I’m Manas, I’m concerned about the defense, but I’m super excited about the offensive abilities for the foreseeable future.
6. Utah Jazz: C Emeka Okafor (22)
| Pre-TC | C+ | D+ | D+ | C+ | B- | A |
| Post-TC | C+ | D+ | D | B- | B- | A |
Not the greatest camp for Jr. as Emeka was a net neutral for this TC. Many scouts still see a lotta potential, but they also are worried about his offensive capabilities and if he will be a negative on that side of the court going forward. However, Jr. does not care about that. He wants Emeka to be a force on the defensive side of things...and Emeka quite frankly looked really solid in preseason play. I think he’s going to be a really nice player.
7. Dallas Mavericks: SF Loul Deng (19)
| Pre-TC | B- | C+ | C- | C+ | C | A |
| Post-TC | B- | B | C | C+ | C | B |
8. New York Knicks (from Wolves): PG Shaun Livingston (19)| Pre-TC | C+ | C | C+ | B | C- | B |
| Post-TC | C+ | C | B- | A- | C | A |
Skillz made this pick, but has quickly moved on from this player and he is now on Manas’ squad. Livingston went a +4, but really impressed scouts with his defensive abilities as he made a strong impression on the Warriors coaching staff. He also improved his handles as well as his rebounding ability. Scouts even believe there is more potential for the player, but how good Livingston becomes as a player will strictly come down to the work he puts in on the offensive end for Manas going forward.
9.Detroit Pistons (from Sonics): PG Devin Harris (21)
| Pre-TC | C | B- | B- | B- | D+ | B |
| Post-TC | C+ | B | B- | B+ | C- | B |
One of my favorite picks of the draft was right here by Galo. He selected Devin Harris who some thought might’ve been a reach in the draft. Well, Harris put that to rest quickly. He went a +5 and worked on his ability to score from close distance and long-range. He also improved his defensive abilities immensely which matters when you are going up against the Tony Parker’s, the Gilbert Arenas’, and the Chauncey Billups’ of the world. Galos must be pleased!
10. Dallas Mavericks (from Bucks): SF Trevor Ariza (19)
| Pre-TC | C | B | D+ | B | C | B |
| Post-TC | C | B+ | D+ | B+ | C+ | B |
Well even though Mr. Deng didn’t quite blow up, I think Habes...I mean...Harold will really like this camp from Mr. Ariza. Trevor went a +3 as he practiced on all the things that scouts thought he would continue to refine and keep improving on as a “3 and D guy.” The concern? Ariza looked awful in preseason on the offensive end. This might be a case of...let’s just wait and see what he looks like in year 2.
11. Utah Jazz (from Magic): SG JR Smith (19)
| Pre-TC | C+ | B+ | C- | C | C- | A |
| Post-TC | B- | A- | C- | C | C- | B |
Jr. with the 11th pick takes the enigma JR Smith who only showed up to do one thing in TC...shoot the ball from all angles of the court. Besides that, JR didn’t do shit. He improved his inside and outside scoring (+2 total) and said the hell with the rest! Which prompted scouts to quickly change their stance on the type of ceiling they once believed in.
12. Washington Wizards: SG Ben Gordon (21)
| Pre-TC | C | B+ | C | C | D+ | A |
| Post-TC | C | A- | C | C+ | D+ | B |
Mark was able to land Ben Gordon in a deal with Jah...give me a hell yeah, Mark! Ben went a +2 as he worked on his long-range shot as well as his defense. I think the biggest question for scouts was Ben going to be able to be an adequate defender to really blossom into a dangerous player in this league. The early returns? He’s working on it, but some scouts are thinking no matter how hard he tries, he’s just not going to be a solid defender in BBS (A to B potential). Ben didn’t look so bad in his first set of games in exhibition play.
13. Phoenix Suns (from Celtics): PG Jameer Nelson (22)
| Pre-TC | C | C+ | B- | B- | D+ | B |
| Post-TC | C | B- | B- | B- | D+ | B |
Andrew was able to snag Jameer Nelson with the 13th pick, and Jameer really didn’t have a camp to write home about. He improved his outside scoring, but otherwise that was it. The Suns didn’t give him much action which tells you that he will be a guy that we will need to see in a couple of years to gauge what type of player he will be here in BBS.
