You know people give teams grades and count second round picks? Instead of giving out grades to teams, I figured, why not just give each 1st round pick it’s own grade? It allows us to touch upon the picks in a volume, I don’t want to talk about Malcolm Lee at 43 to Minnesota, or Jeremy Tyler at 39 to Charlotte because I don’t know if those guys truly matter in the grand scheme of the team yet. First round picks? They matter, so here’s the first fifteen picks in the NBA draft and their draft grades.
Cavaliers- Kyrie Irving (A)
– No brainer here. The Cavaliers are looking to take the best player on the board, and I think they succeeded. While Baron Davis and Ramon Sessions are there, neither are long term options. While Irving only played 11 games, he was a huge difference maker. I believe for Irving and Cleveland, the next idea is to build around him. J.J. Hickson should be the ideal player Irving makes better, but only time will tell.
Wolves- Derrick Williams (A-)
– Again, I can’t hate this pick at all. Minnesota could have gone with Enes Kanter, but right now, Williams is the best player on board and while he doesn’t fit a need, who does in Minnesota? Williams can play both forward spots, similar to a Lamar Odom. The biggest questions are what is his role to this team and can he defend small forwards. I believe Williams could play a similar role to Evan Turner last year for Philadelphia.
Jazz- Enes Kanter (A+)
– LOVE this pick for Utah. I watched Kanter play at 16 years old, I always thought he was a player with star potential. He can shoot that mid range, while he can play the post like a monster. While some would compare him to Andrew Bogut, I always saw a Paul Millsap/Al Horford kind of guy. With Derrick Favors there, he and Kanter could be a interesting combination for the next decade. What scares people is the fact he had knee issues in the past, and he hasn’t played this year.
Cavaliers- Tristian Thompson ( B)
– Wow. From a underrated, undersized post player, to the 4th overall reach. In terms of picking, they probably took the 8th best player, but in a weak draft, it means nothing. Thompson is a classic low post player: Back to the basket, gritty rebounder and he can block a shot from time to time. His offensive game isn’t the greatest, but with a point guard like Kyrie Irving, he can get it to his sweet spots. Think Rick Mahorn but smaller.
Toronto- Jonas Valaniucs (A+)
– Don’t be shocked, the Raptors made the best pick in the top five to me. The Raptors took the best player on the board, as well as gave themselves a deadline to trade Bargnani. If I’m Toronto, next season is a dead season to me. I allow DeRozan to develop, I trade Bargnani for a future 1st round pick in 2013 or 2014 and just grab guys in the 2012 draft.
Washington- Jan Vesely ( A)
– My favorite player in the draft. I kinda got upset I didn’t think of the Tom Chambers comparisons first, but to each it’s own. I think with John Wall, who loves to run the point at light speed, you need a runner to go with him. Vesely can do that and then some. I think he’s going to be a great athlete for Wall. I think he’s going to be a alley oop monster. The issue? Dude cannot shoot at all.
Charlotte- Bismack Biyombo ( B)
– The Atheltic Ben Wallace. High risk high reward. If Biyombo can hit? He could be the next Ben Wallace, and that’s scary because Charlotte has offensive pieces already there, with a defensive minded coach. If he doesn’t hit, I think he’s Theo Ratliff, a solid big man who can have some solid seasons and that’s about it.
Detroit- Brandon Knight ( A)
– I love this pick. The Pistons haven’t had a decent point guard since the Billups trade. While he hasn’t shown he’s a complete point guard, Knight has shown the ability to run a offense, which is a start. I’m more curious if Knight can help guys like Austin Daye and Jonas Jerebko develop.
Charlotte- Kemba Walker (B)
– Jordan loves scoring point guards and huge scores from college. Kemba Walker fits both. While I don’t like the next pick, I’m content with this pick. I think eventually Walker could prove to be the best scoring point guard on Charlotte. The biggest thing is can Charlotte find a guard who can compliment him as he comes off the bench as a rookie.
Sacramento- Jimmer Fredette (D)
– I don’t hate Jimmer in the mid first round. In the top 10? I think it was a terrible pick. I think Jimmer is a good backup guard in the mold of Eddie House or the Dallas Mavericks’ version of Steve Nash. The issue is he cannot defend, and he hasn’t exaclty shown he can play point guard at the next level.
Golden State- Klay Thompson (C)
– Klay Thompson isn’t a terrible player, in fact, he’s a good player. The problem here is Thompson probably isn’t a small forward and the issue is Monta Ellis is still on the roster. This could hurt his playing time. On his skills, Thompson is a great shooter who could be able to slash and put the ball in the basket.
Utah-Alec Burks (B)
– Thanks to the Sacramento Kings, the Utah Jazz did not have the issue of picking here with Jimmer on the board. Burks, who’s stocked was rumored to be dropping late, fell right into Utah’s lap. At Colorado, he’s developed a solid slashing ability, as well as a rebounding ability. I think he could also play some point guard at times.
Phoenix-Markieff Morris (B)
– Shocked, but not shocked at the same time. Markieff Morris is a power forward. He’s big enough to be a solid big man and he’s going to get rebounds. Not the same could be said for his brother. The Suns could use a brusing power forward who can stay low in the paint while Channing Frye shoots, and Morris fits the bill.
Houston-Marcus Morris (C)
– Morris was the toughest guy to project and honestly, Houston confuses me by picking him. Morris is a hybrid forward who lacks a position. What’s the difference between Marcus Morris and Patrick Patterson? This seems more like a player Houston wants to move down the road, so only time will tell what happens with Marcus Morris, but I still don’t like the pick.
Indiana- Kawhi Leonard (B) (Sent to San Antonio)
– I love the pick for the Pacers, but I even LOVED it for San Antonio. For the Spurs, the team is getting older and Leonard could help that youth movement. At 6-8, he could defend and even rebound well. I think right now, he backs up for Richard Jefferson, but I wouldn’t be shocked if he can get a start, and allows Jefferson to come off the bench to be the scoring 6th man.