Draft Fallout: Central Division
For as good as this draft was, it didn't really shift the balance of power much, even at the bottom of divisions. The Southeast, ilke the Atlantic and Central, didn't experience much of a shake-up after draft day.
1. Miami Heat: In my draft, I said that the Heat used the pick more on Dwayne Wade's future than their present. That is basically what happened. Daequan Cook is essentially the Gerald Green of this draft. He's a raw, athletic, talented player who can shoot the lights out. Cook has as much upside of most any player taken after #2 in the draft and could be a steal this late.
2. Washington Wizards: The Dominic McGuire pick makes more sense than the Nick Young selection. McGuire should fit in as a glue guy who can help the Wizards improve their defense. He can guard either forward spot or the shooting guard so he will be a great complement off the bench. Nick Young, on the other hand, seems like a bad fit. He was definitely the best prospect available but the Wizards don't need another shooter and being around Hibachi probably isn't going to help Nick's shaky shot selection. While he should be a useful player off the bench, Young needs to improve his defensive intensity if he ever wants to start alongside Gilbert and Caron Butler.
3. Orlando Magic: I don't like Nick Young in Washington, but he would have been a much better fit in Orlando. Young, Rodney Stuckey, Marco Belinelli, Javaris Crittenton or even Jason Smith would have fit nicely on the Magic roster. Instead, they have Darko Milicic, who four years in the league is still a huge question mark and is now looking like he good demand a fairly large contract. I don't care what Chad Ford says, I'm not sure rolling the dice on Darko for big money is better than getting one of these aforementioned players on a rookie contract.
4. Atlanta Hawks: After all of the rumors, the Hawks did what everyone expected them to do. They added the best player available and a much needed low post threat in Al Horford and grabbed a point guard at #11. The big winner, of course, is Phoenix because the Hawks are still young and I can't see them getting too much better next year. Still, it was a good draft for Billy Knight and he continues to build a talented team. Whether he'll be around in a couple of years when they start to come together is another question altogetherr.
5. Charlotte Bobcats: The Bobcats traded the #8 pick and turned down Sean May to the Nets for the #17 pick. Instead of Brandan Wright and Javaris Crittenton, they stuck with May and added the underrated but not spectacular Jason Richardson. They then reached for Jared Dudley with the #22 pick giving them a roster that currently doesn't have a legit shooter. Matt Carroll is a free agent and Adam Morrison is terrible. They need to make a run at Rashard Lewis or hope that Gerald Wallace re-signs and continues to improve his shot. In the end, instead of improving a lot tomorrow, the Bobcats improved a little today and still will likely be lottery-bound.
