2008 NBA Draft Grades

Okay Mike, here are this year's grades. I'll leave Mike as the temporary arbiter of how the grades ultimately played out. Generally, I'll say I had similar grades (on players) as most NBA analysts did. I pegged Oden, Horford, Durant, Jeff Green, and Conley Jr. as potential stars - real tough there, huh - and guess what, it looks like the NBA generally got it right with those 5, although obviously the book is still out on Oden and Conley, they have time. Horford should've been co-ROY with Durant. I was right on some players drafted high being role-player types - Acie Law, Jared Dudley, Daequan Cook.

I was also very wrong on some others that I thought would not succeed - Carl Landry, Julian Wright, Al Thorton. Anyway, there is still time to go on that year's choices.

Using the same scoring system as always -

5 - future multiple All-Star/All-NBA (Kobe Bryant)
4 - Starter for just about every NBA team(Rashard Lewis)
3 - Solid "rotation" player, would make the top-7 on teams(Leandro Barbosa)
2 - Back of rotation player - 8th, 9th guy in the game (Jordan Farmer)
1 - end of the bench/total bust (Kwame Brown)

Away we go:

Atlanta (Inc.) - No picks. Bright future though for a team that took the eventual champion Celtics to 7 games in Round 1. Al Horford will be an All-Star.

Boston (C+) - Why not gamble on J.R. Giddens (2), Bill Walker (2), and Erden (1)? All huge on potential, small on actual contributions. Here's guessing none of those players ever actually make a difference for the Celtics - although they might on another team. I like how they bought the Wizards choice (Walker). But whatever, they won the title!

Charlotte (D-) - I hated this draft. D.J. Augustin (3) was the centerpiece of the draft, but I remember when they chose Augustin - when his name was Raymond Felton. Wow they gave up on him quick. And Alex Ajinca (1) is likely to be a total bust, but at least he was French and weight approximately 20 pounds more than me (while standing a foot taller). Kyle Weaver (2) is a more solid pick, but again, he is another PG on a team loaded with them.

Chicago (B) - How tough was it to chose Derrick Rose (5)? The guy isn't going to average 25 and 12, but I like the Jason Kidd comparison. He could be a 17-10-7 guy in 4 years, and you can build a team around that. Plus his attitude seems to be top notch. Lucky lottery for the Bulls. Omer Asik (1) and Sonny Weems (1) probably won't make the roster. This was a 1-person draft.

Cleveland (B+) - I liked the acquisition of J.J. Hickson (3). Some scouts project him out as a P.J. Brown - which would be great for Cleveland. They didn't need more toughness inside (they need scoring), but they got it anyway.

Dallas (Inc.) - Drafting only Shan Foster (1) doesn't warrant a grade.

Denver (Inc.) - No picks. Wow, are they really going to do the AI/Carmelo show again? What a recipe for a 1st round sweep!

Detroit (C) - Traded their 1st rounder for essentially 2 other second rounders, Walter Sharpe (2) and Trent Plaisted (1). I actually like Deron Washington's (2) skills, but I doubt there's any room on Detroit for him. I wouldn't plan on actually seeing any of these guys play for Detroit this year.

Golden State (F) - No player is more risk/reward in this draft than Anthony Randolph (2), who I think will be something in between. Still, this team has selected Patrick O'Bryant, Ike Diogu, Adonal Foyle, Brendan Wright, and now Randolph. At some point, the players you draft actually have to play, Chris Mullin! Richard Hendrix (2) will probably play more in the next 2 years than Randolph, and they'll play him millions less. Could Randolph turn into Chris Bosh? Maybe, but this is not the team that should be waiting to find out.

Houston (C-) - As the pattern shows, I don't think a lot of great players were in this draft. Donta Greene (2) won't ever reach his "potential," and Marty Leunen (1) was basically a "we-don't-want-to-make-this-pick-please" placeholder. Joey Dorsey (3) I believe could help improve Houston's interior play though.

Indiana (B) - I liked each pick individually, Brandon Rush (3) and Roy Hibbert (3), although I don't see either becoming stars or more than rotation players in the league. Rush will be the rare NBA player that doesn't shoot enough at first, although once he sees Mike Dunleavy putting up 30+ points a night he'll get the idea. Hibbert is tall, can shoot, and has good offensive moves around the basket. However, his lack of lateral movement and speed is really going to hurt him on defense. You can use him for 15-20 minutes a game to alter shots and maybe score on the inside. Not sure what type of team Indy is actually building here either.

LA. Clippers (F+) - I think Eric Gordon (2), for all his shooting prowess, is going to struggle in the league. Just a guess - obviously scouts loved him as much, if not more, than Derrick Rose before last season. Gordon has talent, but just never looked like he had the game under control. Likewise, DeAndre Jordan (1) was a great risk pick at 35, but it's hard to outweigh the albatross that a Gordon pick brings. Mike Taylor (1) might be in the D-League for a while.

L.A. Lakers (Inc.) - If Kobe makes a Shaq diss track, I'd give them an A. Right now, Joe Crawford (1) doesn't warrant a grade.

Memphis (B+) - I am not as big on O.J. Mayo (4) as others. I never saw that All-Star game that others did. Maybe he will be awesome. But I see Mayo as a proficient combo guard, maybe with a Gilbert Arenas ceiling, but with Randy Foye and Rashard McCants possibilities. It was a good thing he got traded away from those guys. Still, Memphis has a huge logjam at PG with Conley, Crittendon, and now Mayo - who has the potential to be a very good defensive player. I like Darrell Arthur (3) - I was hoping the Wizards would take him.

Miami Heat (A-) - This grade is not reflective of Michael Beasley (4), who I think we average 20-8 in his rookie year. I think Mario Chalmers (3) was a great fit for their team, allowing Dwayne Wade some freedom off the ball. I also like Darnell Jackson (2). Given their position, Miami maximized their choices. They could even swap Beasley for O.J. Mayo + Crittendon (with Memphis) or something if they really want to now.

Milwaukee (B-) - Everyone says Joe Alexander (3) is some freakish athlete. I'm on board with that, but plenty of freakish athletes have fizzled in the pros - Gerald Green, Harold Minor. Alexander seems like he will be a decent starter for the Bucks, but where? They just got Richard Jefferson and they play the same spot. Luc Mbah a Moute (3) can recognize his potential if he realizes that he should just focus on defensive until he's in his late 20's. Then he should start spotting up in the corner for 3's. That is the recipe for being the next Bruce Bowen.

Minnesota (B) - You wanted star power, but you went for the dependable power forward, Kevin Love (3). Love is a guy who doesn't look like a true power forward, but may be able to play it well. They talk about his outlet passes with reverence...but how is he guarding Tim Duncan, Carlos Boozer, Kevin Garnett, etc.? We'll see. Pekovic (1) is an oversees stashee.

New Jersey (C-) - To me, Brook Lopez (3) is Jason Collins redux. I don't see him making a huge difference with the Nets. Maybe Ryan Anderson (2) has a higher ceiling, but he's a couple years away. This team is just clearing cap space for the LeBron sweepstakes... but surprise, Chris Douglas-Roberts (3) is a very good player sitting there in the 2nd round. I think he'll be a 15 ppg scorer, sort of a instant offense guy, off the bench in 3 years.

New Orleans (Inc.) - Sold the #27 pick in the draft for $3 mil. Hey, if everyone else is doing it...

New York (C) - Gotta love the MSG "faithful." Yeah, let's boo our new player so his confidence is shattered before he even steps on the court! Everyone says Danilo Gallinari (3) is a star like Dirk - but I think people should stop looking for the next Dirk. He was on in a thousand.

Orlando (C-) - Bought into the hype that was Courtney Lee (2). Do they need a 2-guard? Yes. Is Lee going to instantly kick out Keith Bogans or J.J. Redick? If you have to think about the question, then it was a bad choice.

Philadelphia (B) - This is a team on the rise (assuming Igudola comes back), and being so young, they could afford to gamble on Mareese Speights (3). I give him a 10% chance of being a 20-10 guy, so they could've hit a home run with him. Still, he couldn't crack the Florida rotation as a freshman, so he needs time after an up-and-down sophomore year.

Phoenix (B-) - This grade is an automatic upgrade - they didn't sell the choice! Robin Lopez (2) projects as a back-up center. Are we now drafting back-up centers in the 1st round?? I actually think Malik Hairston (3) has a chance to do some things - played out of position his whole career at Oregon.

Portland (D) - I think picking up Jerryd Bayless (3) was a steal (although I don't think he's going to be the next Gilbert Arenas - obvious comparison). I just thought with their young team, they needed to trade for veterans, no matter how they got them. The team is well on its way - they just need to get another scorer to help out Roy, but not a freshman. Someone like Jason Richardson, Gerald Wallace, or Antwan Jamison would've made sense. Nicolas Batum (1) is never playing in the NBA.

Sacramento (B) - Okay, I thought Jason Thompson (2) from Rider was a HUGE stretch at #12. Talk about your workout warrior. However, they tempered that by taking 2 kids I think actually know how to play - Sean Singletary (3) and Patrick Ewing, Jr., both of whom could make an 8-man rotation for someone.

San Antonio (D-) - Unless the genius Spurs do something else, I'm assuming they are just throwing away these draft picks. George Hill (1) wasn't even in the NBA's 224-page draft guide. Goran Dragic (1) sounds like an assassin and won't play in the NBA, and Maryland's James Gist (1) is a phenomenal athlete destined for overseas play.

Seattle/OKC (B-) - So they're hogging all the choices! I like Russell Westbrook (3) as a player, but I just don't seem him being (a) a PG or (b) a star. With the #4 choice you should get one of the two. I think Westbrook will eventually be a lockdown defender, but will struggle to run the offense and get his own shots. Fortunately, Kevin Durant and Jeff Green are there to help. D.J. White (3) will help replace the Danny Fortson/Reggie Evans toughness they used to have. I think Serge Ibaka (1) is another pipe dream, Sasha Kaun (1) won't play in the U.S. (he's being offered more money), and DeVon Hardin (1) is another developmental prospect for a team that needs contributors now.

Toronto - (Inc.) - Traded T.J. Ford for Jermaine O'Neal - can O'Neal still play? If so, Jose Calderon is a great PG for them. Nathan Jawai (1) isn't making it in the league.

Utah (C) - As has been noted, if there is a tall white guy out there, Utah will make sure to draft him. Kosta Koufos (2) never struck me as a special player. Ante Tomic (3) I think is the better of the two, but he's a couple of years away, but I think people forgot the hype about Tomic. And Dragecevic (1) is joining the assassins' guild with Mr. Dragic. Watch out Kobe.

Washington (D) - Last, but not least, my hometown Wizards go chalk and choose JaVale McGee (2) from Nevada. Mike Wilbon likes the choice - I don't. I hope McGee proves me wrong, but if I'm Brendan Haywood or Andray Blatche I'm not exactly worried about my job right now. Big guys don't always add something - all Peter Ramos used to do was stare at the cheerleaders. Seriously.