Will Wyc?: Quick Reaction
This draft seemed like it was going to be hopelessly lost in the shadows. The talent pool wasn't all that intriguing, the trade of Vince Carter earlier in the day (along with the Shaq deal the day before) was the big news and then the world learned that the King of Pop Michael Jackson had passed away.
But then something strange happened. Actually a few things strange happened.
The Minnesota Timberwolves had five picks and drafted four point guard. DeJuan Blair plummeted along with a few other recognizable prospects. And the Celtics drafted a guy who somehow played D1 ball despite never being able to graduate from high school or junior college.
I'll write a longer post this weekend or maybe later next week but here are my quick thoughts.
- Memphis made the least out of the first round and the most out of the second. Still, there's nothing about a Thabeet/Gasol, Carroll/Arthur, Gay/Young, Mayo, Conley lineup that makes me think playoffs.
- OK City had a great draft. They added a perfect fit between Westbrook and Durant in Harden and then were able to roll the dice on BJ Mullens with their late first round pick. It would have been hard to draw up a better draft for them.
- The Timberwolves might have had a weird looking draft night but it turned out OK. They got the best trade asset in Rubio, the PG they wanted in Flynn, and possible future lottery pick for #18 Ty Lawson. Wayne Ellington might not have been my first choice but he was a solid pick. Their second round pick was a bit of a whiff but all in all, they are heading into the offseason with a new point guard, a guy who might replace Foye (or could just be another McCants), and a great trade piece in Rubio.
- The Golden State deal acquiring Amar'e Stoudemire seems like they are giving up a lot. I'm a fan of Brandan Wright and think Biedrins is also a very talented big man. Stoudemire should love Nellieball but I don't think anyone can really gauge a Stoudemire/Randolph/Jackson/Curry/Ellis lineup until they actually see it. It'll probably be fun to watch but will they win?
- Phoenix has to be thrilled to get so much for Amare but Biedrins/Wright/Earl Clark is a very skinny frontcourt. They're going to need to move Ben Wallace's deal for some bulk. It also should be interesting to see what they do with Steve Nash's expiring deal.
- Toronto must love the Amare deal because it helps them ask for more in return for Chris Bosh. Houston could give up T-Mac, Scola, and Brooks for Bosh and Calderon or the Heat could deal Beasley and some filler for just CB4. The question is: where does Chris want to go? I have to believe that David Stern is hoping he heads to Miami to give Dwyane Wade some help.
- On the other hand, why did the Nets hold out for so long when it came to dealing Vince? Were they really getting no offers? Any team with an expiring deal and any hope of winning should be ashamed of themselves right now. The Nets essentially moved down a spot in the 2008 draft (moving Ryan Anderson who they picked over Courtney Lee) and added a couple backups for their best player. They then added Terrence Williams who is an interesting pick but also seems best suited for SG. On the bright side, they will have a talented team and likely a high lottery pick next year to go with the cap space. I just can't believe that Houston, the Clippers or a number of other teams didn't make a better offer.
- The only draft that I think I hated more than the Wizards' was the Knicks. They could have had Brandon Jennings and DeJuan Blair and ended up with Jordan Hill and Toney Douglas. They are supposedly making a run at Rubio but I'm not sure how they get that done without giving up Wilson Chandler.
- I really don't get the Hansbrough pick for Indiana. Yeah, he might be able to help out immediately but is he better than Troy Murphy and Jeff Foster? The young trio of Hibbert, Rush, and Psycho T is interesting but Danny Granger is going to have to do a lot of heavy lifting.
- Detroit had a decent enough draft although I wish they had kept Budinger. I'm not convinced that Austin Daye will make it in the pros but they hedged their bet by landing Dajuan Summers later in the draft. Not to shabby.
- Really, Chicago? You couldn't have made a better offer for Vince Carter?
- Jrue Holday could be a great pick but it's a long term move and this team needs a point guard right now. Can they move Brand for a point guard? Ty Lawson seemed like a perfect fit; an up-tempo PG for an up-tempo team. I'm also not sure if Holiday is a great fit since Andre Iguodala handles the ball so much.
- If the Hawks expect Jamal Crawford and Jeff Teague to replace Mike Bibby, they should expect to lose Joe Johnson next season. Bibby's not the greatest but the Hawks just lost a key player and added two question marks. Teague could be a nice pick but he's probably not ready to contribute next year. I still think that the Hawks need to seriously consider dealing Joe Johnson so they don't lose him for nothing.
- The Blazers rolled the dice on Claver and then added three more rookies who seem to duplicate what they already have. They need to make a trade but I'm really not sure what they can get without giving up a core piece.
- Not that the Mavericks were going to shake up their lineup on draft night but Dirk's personal life isn't the only thing he should be worrying about right now.
- Danny Ferry drafts another project instead of someone who might actually help LeBron. Luckily, Danny Green fell to their second round pick and could supply a solid backup.
- As bad as DeJuan Blair's night must have seemed, he might be the big winner since he's joining the Spurs.
- The Bobcats had a solid draft with Gerald Henderson and Derrick Brown. But they still need to make a trade or two to get them out of lottery limbo.
There were a few undrafted prospects that I hope the C's can nab like Dionte Christmas or Josh Heytvelt but Lester Hudson seems like an interesting story. The release on his shot seems to be a bit slow but I'll gladly let him take over the Gabe Pruitt spot in the lineup.
