What an interesting last couple of weeks to lead into the 2014 NBA Draft. Contract opt outs, prospects injured, prospects retiring, prospects signing with European teams. All of these things have added interesting components to a draft that is honestly just as wide open as last year's, when a seemingly unknown Anthony Bennett was the top overall pick.
Biggest difference? This year is more talented and talented deep.
But those changes have made the draft different. Joel Embiid's injury changed the top 3 and quite possibly the first overall pick. Dario Saric's new European contract changed the top 10. Isaiah Austin's retirement changed the first round. The contract opt outs of Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James will have effects on the league, and therefore the draft, that remain unknown. But what we do know is that they will have an impact on this draft.
So without further pause, after weeks of redrafts, here is the official In All Directions 2014 NBA Mock Draft:
1. Cleveland Cavaliers: Jabari Parker - Duke
Why?: I think the exit of Embiid makes this one a no brainer. Parker fills far more of a need for Cleveland* (yes, that is an asterik) than Andrew Wiggins does. Should the Cavs keep this pick, Parker will slide nicely into the starting rotation. With Tristan Thompson in the middle and Kyrie Irving and Dion Waiters at the guard sports, the implementation of Parker as a power forward allows Luol Deng to move down the the 3-spot and give Cleveland a dangerous starting five.
*And here is the asterik: Absolutely the best trade package I have seen rumored so far would be Cleveland sending this pick and Jarrett Jack to Utah for No. 5, Derrick Favors, Alec Burks and possibly the 23rd pick. If this trade is on the table, I absolutely see it being made. My choice for #1 overall stays, but I believe that this is Utah's pick or at least being made for Utah. Parker, a mormon, would be an amazing poster child with the Jazz where he and Trey Burke could be this era's answer to Stockton and Malone for the Jazz.
2. Milwaukee Bucks: Joel Embiid - Kansas
Why?: I do not think a team takes long to gamble. Wiggins is basically another OJ Mayo and Exum is not needed when you have Brandon Knight and Ramon Sessions at the point. In fact, while I have seen a lot of draft boards with Exum here, it would be a downright stupid choice unless they move one of the other two point guards, specifically Brandon Knight. They have talent inside, but it is still one of the areas with less talent overall, so they will take the gamble on Embiid and hope that he heals quickly and well. I think its a bad move for anyone to make this pick in the top 10 and potentially in the lottery. I, if I were a GM, wouldn't take him in the first round. Yes, he has talent. But we've seen this story end before (Greg Oden?) and I don't see it worth the pick. However, I think the Bucks will see it or at least try to.
3. Philadelphia 76ers: Andrew Wiggins - Kansas
Why?: Philly has coveted Wiggins all along and I absolutely think he falls to them here no matter who goes #2 overall (unless there are trades in the top 2). Philadelphia needs all of the help they can get and plenty of draft picks to make that happen. Taking Wiggins is the best option, even if they weren't in love with him. He can be a dynamic scorer and will play well off of Michael Carter-Williams.
4. Orlando Magic: Dante Exum - Australia
Why?: When Embiid went down, Orlando cried. All of them. But I still think they also get their guy here in Exum. Jameer Nelson's time has ended and Exum completes a solid starting lineup and will create insane mismatches because of his length. It also frees Victor Oladipo up to stay strong at a natural 2-guard spot.
5. Utah Jazz: Julius Randle - Kentucky*
Why?: Whether this pick is for Utah (or as I suspect for Cleveland) they both covet a small forward. Unfortunately there is a bit of a drop off between the top guys who can play that spot (Parker and Wiggins) and the next highest rated one (probably Doug McDermott). So instead, you have to take the next best option, which is Randle, who is also a guy who can play a little swing forward or play natural power forward to free up Luol Deng (Cleveland) or Marvin Williams (Utah) to play their natural small forward position.
6: Boston Celtics: Aaron Gordon - Arizona
Why?: I'd love for Boston to get Randle, but even if he is available, they seem to have a love affair with Gordon. They see him as a Kevin Garnett-like big man who can move and scorer off the dribble. They better hope they are right.
7. Los Angeles Lakers: Marcus Smart - Oklahoma State
Why?: The Lakers need to pull the trigger on rumored trade to sent Steve Nash to the 76ers for draft picks. It gets them options and prospects and frees up the point guard position where change is needed. Smart can feed the ball to Kobe when he's healthy and be a score-first guy when Kobe isn't.
8. Sacramento Kings: Noah Vonleh - Indiana
Why?: About the only hole in the Kings lineup is at power forward. If they get Vonleh and he pans out, they should be a playoff team out west with a bevvy of young talent. If they aren't, this pick will be the one that everyone comes back and looks at. After all, Vonleh couldn't help his college team even make the NCAA Tournament, so why wouldn't he be the one to blame?
9. Charlotte Hornets: Adreian Payne - Michigan State
Why?: Especially if Josh McRoberts blots, Charlotte should covet another big man more than anything in this draft and that could help Payne jump a lot because of Dario Saric's new contract which will keep him away from the NBA for at least two years, even if drafted. That loss to the draft could be Payne's gain with the new look Charlotte organization.
10. Philadelphia 76ers: Zach LaVine - UCLA
11. Denver Nuggets: Dario Saric - Croatia
Why?: This is the first team that probably can gamble on Saric. He fills a need when (and if) he comes, but they have a lot of talent still without him. They may not make the gamble, but honestly they are the first team to come up with a pick that could have that option.
12. Orlando Magic: Tyler Ennis - Syracuse
13. Minnesota Timberwolves: Rodney Hood - Duke
Why?: With the likelihood of Love's loss, you really need to fill his shoes as best possible with this pick, even if you get a good return for him. Hood can't fill Love's shoes, but he can put on his socks. He is a long swing forward who can rebound well and shoot the ball with good consistency.
14: Phoenix Suns: Doug McDermott - Creighton
15. Atlanta Hawks: Gary Harris - Michigan State
16. Chicago Bulls: Jusuf Nurkic - Bosnia
17. Boston Celtics: James Young - Kentucky
18. Phoenix Suns: Nik Stauskas - Michigan
19. Chicago Bulls: Glenn Robinson III - Michigan
20. Toronto Raptors: Shabazz Napier - UCONN
21. Oklahoma City Thunder: TJ Warren - North Carolina State
22. Memphis Grizzlies: Kyle Anderson - UCLA
23. Utah Jazz: Bogdan Bogdanovic - Serbia
24. Charlotte Hornets: Elfrid Payton - UL-Lafayette
25. Houston Rockets: KJ McDaniels - Clemson
26. Miami Heat: PJ Hairston - Texas Legends (D-League)
27. Phoenix Suns: Jordan Adams - UCLA
28. Los Angeles Clippers: Jerami Grant - Syracuse
29. Oklahoma City Thunder: Cleanthony Early - Witchita State
30. San Antonio Spurs: Mitch McGary - Michigan
Showing posts with label Orlando Magic. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Orlando Magic. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 25, 2014
Tuesday, June 24, 2014
Redrafting the 2013 NBA Draft
Pick 1: Cleveland Cavaliers
Who they took: Anthony Bennett
Who they should have took: Michael Carter-Williams (11th pick)
Pick 2: Orlando Magic
Who they took: Victor Oladipo
Who they should have took: Victor Oladipo
Pick 3: Washington Wizards
Who they took: Otto Porter
Who they should have took: Tim Hardaway Jr. (24th pick)
Pick 4: Charlotte Bobcats
Who they took: Cody Zeller
Who they should have took: Trey Burke (9th pick)
Pick 5: Phoenix Suns
Who they took: Alex Len
Who they should have took: Mason Plumlee (22nd pick)
Pick 6: New Orleans Pelicans
Who they took: Nerlens Noel (traded to 76ers)
Who they should have took: Giannis Antetokounmpo (15th pick and keep the pick)
Pick 7: Sacramento Kings
Who they took: Ben McLemore
Who they should have took: Ben McLemore
Pick 8: Detroit Pistons
Who they took: Kentavius Caldwell-Pope
Who they should have took: Cody Zeller (4th pick)
Pick 9: Minnesota Timberwolves
Who they took: Trey Burke (traded to Jazz)
Who they should have took: Kelly Olynyk (13th pick and keep the pick)
Pick 10: Portland Trail Blazers
Who they took: CJ McCollum
Who they should have took: Steven Adams (12th pick)
Pick 11: Philadelphia 76ers
Who they took: Michael Carter-Williams
Who they should have took: Nerlens Noel (6th pick)
Pick 12: Oklahoma City Thunder
Who they took: Steven Adams
Who they should have took: CJ McCollum (10th pick)
Pick 13: Dallas Mavericks
Who they took: Kelly Olynyk (traded to Celtics)
Who they should have took: Ryan Kelly (48th pick and trade the pick)
Pick 14: Utah Jazz
Who they took: Shabazz Muhammed (traded to T-Wolves)
Who they should have took: Gorgui Dieng (21st pick and trade the pick)
Pick 15: Milwaukee Bucks
Who they took: Giannis Antetokounmpo
Who they should have took: Dennis Schroder (17th pick)
Friday, June 13, 2014
Redrafting the 2004 NBA Draft
2004 swung back away from the power of the playmakers and
back into a realm of which big man do you gamble on. While the only real
contender in the mind of the Orlando Magic, back at it with a number one pick,
were untested high schooler Dwight Howard and dominant college big man Emeka
Okafor, there were other less heralded but appealing options like foreign born
BYU seven-footer Rafael Araujo, another high schooler in Robert Swift and
Latvian Andris Biedrins.
For Orlando , it
was all about making that absolute right choice and sticking with it. In the
90’s, they made that top pick twice, both on big men and both were the right
pick, although they only kept one (Shaq) and the Chris Webber trade still
haunted them.
So who was the right post?
Pick 1: Orlando
Magic
Who they took: Dwight Howard
Who they should have took: Dwight Howard
Why: Howard was clearly the right choice, even if his career
at this point is often deemed a let down. He was never a let down in Orlando
and is really only considered one now because we as a society have deemed him
as an elite player and he probably really isn’t. He is, at the top of his game,
a physical dominant big man, as much so today as Shaq was in his prime to that
generation of the league. Does that mean Dwight ever was as good as Shaq? No.
But he was powerful in Orlando ,
clearly the league’s best post and even after the Dwight-cision that led him to
LA and Houston, this remains (11 years later) by far the best choice for Orlando .
Pick 2: Charlotte
Bobcats
Who they took: Emeka Okafor
Who they should have took: Andre Iguodala (9th
pick)
Why: With all of the talk being between Howard and Okafor
pre draft, you can see why the Bobcats made this pick. Also, Okafor was legitimately
strong in college at Uconn. The Bobcats picked who they thought would help them
win immediately. But as is often the case in Charlotte ,
they were wrong. Mostly because they weren’t going to win immediately, no
matter what. Knowing that fully now, Iguodala is the pick because he was NBA
ready. His game was on a professional level from the get go and he has become
the most overall prolific scorer from this draft, which would have been of a
high value to a team building from the complete ground up like these expansion
Bobcats.
Pick 3: Chicago
Bulls
Who they took: Ben Gordon
Who they should have took: Al Jefferson (15th
pick)
Why: If you look at Al Jefferson’s high school stats (as I
just did for the first time ever), it is so shocking to see that he fell to the
15th pick of this draft. His scoring average rose every year at
Prentiss (MS) High School, which is impressive since he scored 25 ppg as a
freshman. I understand that he was criticized in the pre-draft process for
being lazy and lacking effort, but if I am a GM I try to get or force effort
out of a guy who his senior year averaged (with no exaggeration) 42.6 points,
18 rebounds, seven blocks and four assists PER GAME. And he’s gone on to do
right in the league, scoring 21 and 23.1 ppg in his first two seasons in
Minnesota after being part of the Kevin Garnett trade. He was at the top of his
free agent class in 2010 and 2013 and has become the face of a suddenly viable
Charlotte Hornets organization.
Pick 4: Los Angeles
Clippers
Who they took: Shaun Livingston
Who they should have took: Luol Deng (7th pick)
Why: There were a lot of question marks about Deng that he
quickly erased. It was one thing for his uncanny understanding of the game at
its fundamental core to transfer from England
to Duke. But could he do the same in the league? After all, he was long and
thin coming out of one year with Coach K. He developed nicely in the league and
has increased his scoring and rebounding more seasons than not. Los
Angeles was looking for a long complimentary wing and
went with the guy who could also play point. Had Livingston
not suffered a horrific injury, he may still be the pick here. But he did, so
you take Deng, a 35+ minute a night guy with a high motor.
Pick 5: Washington
Wizards
Who they took: Devin Harris (traded to Mavericks)
Who they should have took: Josh Smith (17th pick)
Why: Josh Smith suffered in Atlanta
from being a guy stuck between positions. He was a natural three-man with a
height (6’10’’) and teammates (they took Josh Childress the same year) that
forced him to be a four and I really think that is what forced him to put on
weight to try play that position and ultimately to me, hindered his NBA
development. In Washington , they
had small guards and post players and Smith would have been able to slide right
into a natural position. And he had longevity. Imagine a Wizards team adding
John Wall if Josh Smith had still been around like he was in Atlanta ,
but at his natural position where he could give you more than 15 and 8 every
night.
Pick 6: Atlanta
Hawks
Who they took: Josh Childress
Who they should have took: Ben Gordon (2nd pick)
Why: Ben Gordon was projected to be a Joe Dumars like player
and it is a role that he really does fit into now as a veteran. Gone are the
days when teams (like the Bulls when drafting him) expect him to be a lead
guard and he can settle in as a role player. Detroit
used him right when they traded for him in 2009, but still expected more. While
his numbers were down, he was still filling a key role, but they already made
the mistake of paying him too much and later made that mistake Charlotte ’s
problem. With a clear path after a March release, I look forward to Gordon
proving his worth in a natural role finally.
Pick 7: Phoenix
Suns
Who they took: Luol Deng (traded to Bulls)
Who they should have took: Jameer Nelson (20th pick)
Why: Nelson’s draft stock fell because of his close
association with the story of his college team at St. Joe’s. They were pretty
highly touted, made an amazing undefeated run and then flopped in the NCAA
Tournament. For a lot of teams, the story of St. Joe’s was a cautionary tale
about drafting their star player Nelson. Also not working for Nelson was his
size, but what did work for him was an ability to score as his passing game
developed. It is hard to say Nelson struggled as he has consistently put up
good numbers in Orlando , but in Phoenix ,
he could have had more time to develop and not expected to immediately be a
high profile player as he was an accessory to Dwight Howard in Orlando .
Pick 8: Toronto
Raptors
Who they took: Rafael Araujo
Who they should have took: Devin Harris (5th
pick)
Why: Harris is another guy, like so many in this draft (see Gordon,
Ben or Nelson, Jameer) who has seen his production, role and value drop off
dramatically over the years. However, he was very viable early and often in Dallas
and later New Jersey and Utah .
In 2009-2009, he was a breath of fresh air for the Nets as an All-Star who
averaged over 21 ppg. That was his sixth year in the league and his numbers
climbed every year leading up to it. Sadly, they declined each year sense. But
if you look at what Harris did to start his career, he would have been a
revelation in Toronto during that
stage.
Pick 9: Philadelphia
76ers
Who they took: Andre Iguodala
Who they should have took: JR Smith (18th pick)
Why: With a solid, if not uninspired core of big men, Philly
needed a legit scorer and scraper with their pick to offset Allen Iverson. They
got the scorer part in Iguodala, but I feel like Smith would have been a great
fit as a scrapper. Smith made an immediate impact in the league, scoring 10 ppg
as a rookie in New Orleans and
could have added to a physical and intimidation driven demeanor in Philly
usually perpetrated by Iverson, Samuel Dalembert and Chris Webber.
Pick 10: Cleveland
Cavaliers
Who they took: Luke Jackson
Who they should have took: Anderson Varejao (31st
pick)
Why: The Cavs ended up with Varejao anyway after trading
away Tony Battie and 2 second rounders for a package that included the
Brazilian center. And it paid off as he has pretty quietly became one of the
better Cavaliers of the new millennium not named LeBron. He has even gotten
better with age, putting up career highs as recent as 2012-2013, including
surpassing 14 rpg.
Pick 11: Golden State
Who they took: Andris Biedrins
Who they should have took: Kevin Martin (26th
pick)
Why: Because Biedrins was a bust. There was a lot of high
hope for him to come in and be someone that the Warriors could build around and
he surely wasn’t that guy. Martin could have been. It is hard to imagine, but
he averaged just 2.9 points per game as rookie, the only time he has averaged
in single digits. As a matter of fact, he has averaged over 20 ppg as many
times (5) as he has averaged under (6). The only thing that keeps Martin from
being higher in this redraft is that he is mostly a one trick pony. He can
score, sometimes in droves, but he really isn’t diverse in much else. But when
it comes to building around a scorer, like Golden
State
Pick 12: Seattle
Supersonics
Who they took: Robert Swift
Who they should have took: Trevor Ariza (44th
pick)
Why: Seattle was
in a weird spot. They had a couple of great options, a couple of good options
and a lot of ‘eh’ options. They wanted to add someone and took a gamble on
Swift, a highly regarded high school center. He played in 16 games as a rookie
and scored 15 points. Ariza, not expected to be able to keep up at the NBA
level did much better than that, averaging almost 6 ppg while playing in 80 for
the New York Knicks. He adapted well over time to the NBA game and broke out
strong in Houston, while continuing to be a valuable provider ever since (he
had his second best year this past season in Washington).
Pick 13: Portland Trail Blazers
Who they took: Sebastian Telfair
Who they should have took: Tony Allen (25th pick)
Why: Allen was a defensive ball hawk during the Celtics’
most recent NBA title run and has become a must have player for the emerging
Memphis Grizzlies. His numbers may not always be the best, but he’s been part
of the NBA All-Defensive team for two of the past three seasons and is a shut
down player no matter where on the court his game takes him. Better yet, he’s
regained some of the explosiveness lost after a knee injury in 2007 and has
spent his four years in Memphis as four the best five offensive years of his
career to go along with that defensive prowess.
Pick 14: Utah
Jazz
Who they took: Kris Humphries
Who they should have took: Emeka Okafor (2nd
pick)
Why: Another time you have to use the word bust when he
really isn’t one. Was he the number two pick in reality now that we can look
back? No. But has Okafor Darko’d it up? Not close. He would have benefited
greatly to have been able to be brought along slow behind Carlos Boozer and
Mehmet Okur in Utah and would
have provided another real threat for a team who had talent but was still
lacking what could get them over the hump. Okafor’s still career high 15.1 ppg
as a rookie would have gone a long way to help the rebuilding franchise without
having to be THE guy to do so. While his numbers have slowly dropped off, he is
still a production guy off the bench who averaged a double-double for his first
five years in the league.
Pick 15: Boston
Celtics
Who they took: Al Jefferson
Who they should have took: Delonte West (24th
pick)
Why: You take Delonte West here because he is an enigma.
He’s not great, he’s not horrible. Delonte West is, at best, suitable when put
in the right roles. He provided a little boost as a rookie in Boston anyway and
then went on to post career best numbers his next two years before the
implementation of the Big Three left him out in the cold. He’s a streaky
shooter who can be very irritating to opposing offenses.
Tuesday, May 20, 2014
Redrafting the 1993 NBA Draft
The 1993 NBA Draft was a tale of two picks. Two picks that
were then inexplicably swapped. The trade of Chris Webber and Anfernee (Penny)
Hardaway has never made sense to me. The Magic only made the trade to do what
they did, which was attempting to rob Golden
State Golden
State
The traded ended up, with other pieces from other trades
between 1993 and 2000, Chris Webber for Anfernee Hardaway and Mike Miller.
Also for the noting, had the Magic just went ahead and kept
those three picks, they could have had Kobe Bryant in 1996 AND Carter or Paul
Pierce in 1998, all drafted at or after the picks they acquired and ended up
trading (in a roundabout way) back to Golden State.
If only this was the Re-GM blog, the Orlando Magic would
have entered the new millennium with Shaquille O’Neal, Anfernee Hardaway, Kobe
Bryant and Paul Pierce. Hmmm.
Pick 1: Orlando
Magic
Who they took: Chris Webber (traded to Golden
State
Who they should have took: Chris Webber (and not traded him)
Why: Look, the trade was great in 1993. After they decided
to use those picks not on their future but on other guys already in the league,
the trade looks like crap. Webber was a physical specimen and although Hardaway
helped Orlando make a title run,
the imagination runs wild with the thought of Shaq and Webber combining inside.
Would the Rockets have beaten them out in that title run? And how would
Webber’s career have been different in Orlando ?
Let’s not pretend that it was all smooth sailing in Golden
State Washington too. Webber is
probably an eventual Hall of Fame player anyway, but he would have been clear
cut had he not stumbled out of the gate, something that was done in a lot of
ways because of his trade to the Warriors.
Pick 2: Philadelphia
76ers
Who they took: Shawn Bradley
Who they should have took: Jamal Mashburn (4th
pick)
Why: Look, I get it. Shawn Bradley was 7-foot-7. That is a
hard fact to pass on. But he also looked like he weighed 136 pounds. Mashburn
however was a force coming from Kentucky
where he was the lynchpin in reestablishing that program under Rick Pitino. He
was proven and he was solid; quick enough to create on the drive and strong
enough to power around down low with the likes of Webber or Christian Laettner.
Pick 3: Golden State
Who they took: Anfernee Hardaway (traded to Orlando )
Who they should have took: Anfernee Hardaway
Why: Hardaway had a ton of talent, not often enough used. He
had a long career, even if it wasn’t as special as originally expected and also
scored over 10,000 points. He was expected to be THE guy somewhere, but ended
up being a quality fourth or fifth option throughout his career. At this point
though, you couldn’t pass on his skill set or his athleticism, even if it
didn’t pan out exactly how you wanted it to.
Pick 4: Dallas
Mavericks
Who they took: Jamal Mashburn
Who they should have took: Vin Baker (8th pick)
Why: There are very few examples of how you could go wrong
from here. Everyone from here on out mostly turned out to be serviceable guys
who would have decent career spans and would be helpful to the cause wherever
they were. Baker still just had the most upside looking back at it. It gets
forgotten that Baker was a four time All-Star and made appearances on the NBA 2nd
and 3rd teams while averaging over 15 and 7 with the Bucks and
Sonics (with later, less productive stops in Boston, New York, Houston and LA).
Mashburn was the second of the previously (see 1992 post) 3J trio, but since I
wouldn’t have picked Jim Jackson the previous year, we can go to complete
imagination land and paired Baker with Robert Horry.
Pick 5: Minnesota
Timberwolves
Who they took: Isaiah (JR) Rider
Who they should have took: Nick Van Exel (37th
pick)
Why: Because why not? The Wolves needed someone to
compliment Laettner and (it’s easy to say in retrospect) I do not know how in
the world they thought Rider was that guy. I think if they could go back, they
would take anyone by Rider, who proved too selfish to be helpful. There are
other guys in this draft who could go here (Sam Cassell?) and compliment what
Minnesota had (basically Laettner) but if you told me I could rely on Van Exel
(14.4 ppg, 6.6 apg) or Cassell (15.7 ppg, 6.0 apg), I am going with the better
playmaker and the more clutch shooter and that is Van Exel.
Pick 6: Washington
Bullets
Who they took: Calbert Cheaney
Who they should have took: Sam Cassell (24th
pick)
Why: To say the Rockets won the 1992 and 1993 drafts would
be an understatement. Horry and Cassell helped them win their titles and both
would go much higher in a redraft. Sam Cassell, who played all the way up to
2008 as part of the champion Boston Celtics, was exactly what Washington
wanted with this pick. They had their big (Tom Gugliotta) and they needed a
sustainable guard. At the time, Cheaney was the perfect pick. He was
intelligent, he could score, he could dish. But the pace of the game and
injuries made Calbert Cheaney a big bust. Cassell on the other hand would have
been the right guy to fill that same role that Washington
was looking for.
Pick 7: Sacramento
Kings
Who they took: Bobby Hurley
Who they should have took: Allan Houston (11th
pick)
Why: This was a point guard draft for the Kings and they
picked the right one. But again, this isn’t about who was right but who IS
right. Houston never did much for Detroit
(where he was drafted) but was such a key cog for the New York Knick resurgence
in the late 1990’s despite knee problems. He was key in their run to the 1999
NBA Finals despite the Knicks being an 8-seed, including a buzzer beater in
Game 5 of the first round to topple big time foe and #1 seeded Miami .
Pick 8: Milwaukee
Bucks
Who they took: Vin Baker
Who they should have took: Byron Russell (45th
pick)
Why: To look at Russell’s full body of work, you might be
skeptical. But if you give him a few years to develop and look at 1996-1997 to
2000-2001 and this is a clear pick. Once Russell’s game matched a NBA level, he
was a started and a ferocious defender for title contender Utah Jazz teams. He
came just shy of 2000 points in 1999-2000 and was probably the most valuable
piece in Utah behind John
Stockton and Karl Malone.
Pick 9: Denver
Nuggets
Who they took: Rodney Rogers
Who they should have took: Lindsey Hunter (10th
pick)
Why: Let’s say that Hunter was never more than a mediocre
journeyman. Well, that is better than most. He thrived in the league when he
was a Piston twice (1993-2000 and 2003-2008) and won a pair of titles. He was
never going to devastate you but was consistent, playing in all 82 games in 5
of his first 9 seasons. And he could do a little of everything. In 1996-97,
when he averaged a career high 14.2 ppg, he also had almost three rebounds, 2
assists and 2 steals per game.
Pick 10: Detroit
Pistons
Who they took: Lindsey Hunter
Who they should have took: Isaiah Rider (5th
pick)
Why: Sure, Detroit
got good again eventually. But they could have tried to do so sooner by just
going for broke and trying to reinvent a new ‘Bad Boys.’ And Rider would have
fit perfectly. But don’t get me wrong; while Isaiah (or JR depending on the
week) was a headache and a head case, he was also a freak athlete and
tremendous talent. Despite his run ins with the law, teammates, officials, etc.
he was an All-Rookie player, a Slam Dunk champ and averaged just less than 17
points per game over 9 years. He would have been a nice Rick Mahorn player with
a better scoring average.
Pick 11: Detroit
Pistons
Who they took: Allan Houston
Who they should have took: Bobby Hurley (7th
pick)
Why: Had Bobby Hurley worn his seatbelt, this all would have
ended differently. But he didn’t and it didn’t. An accident in his rookie
season in Sacramento forever
changed Bobby. He played again through 1998 but he was never the same player
that is still the all-time NCAA assist leader. Why take him here knowing how
his career turned out? Because Bobby Hurley was a Bad Boy. He and Laettner were
Duke’s Detroit Pistons. A Hurley and Rider combo would have been brash and
scary, at least while it lasted. And with his court vision and prowess, you
take a chance on him and hope he puts a seatbelt on while cruising the streets
of Michigan .
Pick 12: Los Angeles
Lakers
Who they took: George Lynch
Who they should have took: Shawn Bradley (2nd
pick)
Why: He was 7-foot-7 and the Lakers were a franchise known
for post dominance. Wilt, Kareem…eventually Shaq. Why not take a chance on this
massively tall man. Again, knowing how he played, Bradley probably wasn’t a
first round pick. But the chances you take, even knowing…Bradley had something
you wanted to see.
Pick 13: Los Angeles
Clippers
Who they took: Terry Dehere
Who they should have took: Bruce Bowen (undrafted)
Why: Bruce Bowen was one of the best pure defenders of this
generation. He didn’t just ride out 3 titles in San
Antonio , he helped punch their ticket with 5
All-Defensive First Team and 3 Second team honors. It’s even hard to not want
to take him earlier given what he was able to do despite not being drafted at
all. What keeps him this low? It did take him until 1997 to break into the
league after stops all over the globe, including with the CBA’s Fort Wayne
Fury. His debut season: 1 game, 1 minute and 1 block for the Miami Heat. But
the defender he turned into makes him go from a guy who nobody wanted to clear
lottery pick in 1993.
Pick 14: Indiana
Pacers
Who they took: Scott Haskin
Who they should have took: Calbert Cheaney (6th
pick)
Why: And the state of Indiana
(the Hoosier fans anyway) blows up. Cheaney’s prospects were huge and he
couldn’t fill the shoes or stay healthy, but he still averaged 9 ppg and 3 apg
during his shortened career. And in Indiana ,
he probably wouldn’t have had to shoulder the load that he did in Washington .
And let’s be honest, who wouldn’t be better than Haskin (1 season, 27 games, 2
ppg).
Pick 15: Atlanta
Hawks
Who they took: Doug Edwards
Who they should have took: George Lynch (12th
pick)
Why: Another freak defender in this draft, Lynch was
mistakenly though to be a stand alone player than the 6th man he
really was. He was still strong and still reliable.
Redrafting the 1992 NBA Draft
1992 is such pertinent place to start because, like in 2014,
the class was headlined by three guys who you could, conceivably do no wrong in
drafting. Those three (Shaquille O’Neal, Alonzo Mourning and Christian
Laettner) were the talk of all of the draft. The field behind them was just OK
in comparison, so most eyes were solely on those three, which is where it
differs from this year.
O’Neal and Mourning were, as was then and is still often a
draft trend, the biggest two. Although Laettner had the best college career and
was fresh off being part of the original Dream Team, the allure of quality
centers has always made for some of the drafts biggest decisions, steals and
blunders. And Shaq and Zo were certainly thought to be far from the highlight
reel of busts. And while Laettner had a pretty sweet resume, how his game would
transfer to the NBA was a mystery. He did pretty much just OK as part of a Team
USA squad that didn’t need him and his frame and position in the NBA were still
kind of unknowns.
Pick 1: Orlando
Magic
Who they took: Shaquille O’Neal
Who they should have took: Shaquille O’Neal
Why: Shaq will go down as one of the best big men to ever
play in the league. When Orlando
took him, they didn’t even have an idea how dominant he would be. As he got
bigger and better, he became even more of a threat that his early, rip tearing
down days. He also helped lead Orlando
to a Finals appearance. They would love one of those right about now. In
retrospect, they would try harder to keep him away from LA, but Shaq looms
today as far more the better choice even than he was then.
Pick 2: Charlotte
Hornets
Who they took: Alonzo Mourning
Who they should have took: Alonzo Mourning
Why: A fringe Hall of Fame talent, Mourning was absolutely a
top post player of this era. His size and footwork was stellar, and like any
good big man, he wasn’t afraid to play the physical role (see his tenure with
the Miami Heat vs. the Knicks). Again, Charlotte
would have liked to hold onto him longer, but with Shaq off the board, this
remains the right pick.
Pick 3: Minnesota
Timberwolves
Who they took: Christian Laettner
Who they should have took: Christian Laettner
Why: There are people who did go after Laettner who had more
productive (in ways) careers. While I wouldn’t label Laettner a bust by any
stretch, pro Laettner was no college Laettner. He made one All-Star appearance
(as a Hawk) and had an above average career. But even knowing all of what we
know now, there is no way the Wolves could have or should have passed on such a
talent here. He answered the questions about his size and position by putting
on weight and becoming a power forward, though he probably would have benefited
from not as much weight and playing as a stretch three.
Pick 4: Dallas
Mavericks
Who they took: Jimmy Jackson
Who they should have took: Robert Horry (11th
pick)
Why: While Jackson was the first part in the Mavericks’
eventual ‘3J’ plan with Jamal Mashburn and Jason Kidd, there is no way to
logically pass on ‘Big Shot Rob’ (who more than earned that moniker) here.
Horry was a critical part of many championships in Houston
and with the Lakers. Imagine if he could have helped do the same thing in Dallas
and made them a contender earlier than they were, bringing titles earlier than
their 2011 crown.
Pick 5: Denver
Nuggets
Who they took: LaPhonso Ellis
Who they should have took: Jim Jackson (4th pick)
Why: A win-win here for the Nuggets in keeping Ellis versus
taking Jackson, but the heart of me feels that a more up-tempo look from
Jackson would have benefited the Nuggets.
Pick 6: Washington
Bullets
Who they took: Tom Gugliotta
Who they should have took: LaPhonso Ellis (5th
pick)
Why: Knowing the injury woes that were on the way, Washington
needed another playmaker and Horry’s jump would allow them to pass on big man
Gugliotta here. Ellis would have helped a lot when Rex Chapman and Calbert
Cheany slowed with injuries in the next couple of years.
Pick 7: Sacramento
Kings
Who they took: Walt Williams
Who they should have took: Latrell Sprewell (24th
pick)
Why: I’m not sure. At this point, the Kings were a total
joke and not much was going to help. Sprewell was one of five future All-Stars
from this class and did a lot of good on the court in averaging over 18 points
per game in his career. His downside was clearly (mostly) off the court. The on
the court issue? Would he have still choked his coach in Sacramento ?
Who knows.
Pick 8: Milwaukee
Bucks
Who they took: Todd Day
Who they should have took: Tom Gugliotta (6th
pick)
Why: Gugliotta was a quality big who you were going to get
minutes and hard work from. He scored over 9,000 career points and had over
5,000 rebounds. Not a world breaker, but still sustainable numbers. And maybe
the Bucks could have kept him for the two years he eventually averaged over 20 points
per game in Minnesota . Day on the
other hand spent more time out of the league than in it.
Pick 9: Philadelphia
76ers
Who they took: Clarence Weatherspoon
Who they should have took: Clarence Weatherspoon
Why: In a draft of journeymen, Weatherspoon would be a
critical off the bench element. There was no 76ers of this era without him. The
right pick then remains the best choice for Philly.
Pick 10: Atlanta
Hawks
Who they took: Adam Keefe
Who they should have took: Doug Christie (17th
pick)
Why: After early struggles/mediocrity, Christie had a
tremendous career during the years 1996-2005 in Toronto
and Sacramento . He became the
Raptors all-time steals leader and was one of the lynch pins in the Chris
Webber led Kings teams that gave the Lakers a run in the West year after year.
Keefe’s nine year NBA tenure barely left him with better numbers than his four
years at Stanford.
Pick 11: Houston
Rockets
Who they took: Robert Horry
Who they should have took: Bryant Stith (13th
pick)
Why: If there was a Denver Nuggets Hall of Fame, Stith would
probably be the face of the 1990’s wing. He was a constant in a town without
much promise. Not to say that he had a great career, but Stith was loyal and
showed flashes of the ability that made him tough at the University
of Virginia
Pick 12: Miami
Heat
Who they took: Harold Miner
Who they should have took: Malik Sealy (14th
pick)
Why: Malik Sealy’s career and life ended too early and
tragically in 2000. His presence on the court was intimidating, especially in
years with the Clippers and T-Wolves. His face, his frame…Malik had athletic
ability for days, even if it didn’t always translate. He finished his career
just shy of 5,000 points (still a 10.1 ppg average) and could have been
valuable to the slow years in Miami
before Alonzo Mourning made his way to South
Beach
Pick 13: Denver
Nuggets
Who they took: Bryant Stith
Who they should have took: Anthony Peeler (15th
pick)
Why: Peeler was a sharpshooter who rarely found his accuracy.
In 2003-2004 he was on to the tune of 48.2 percent from long range. Drafting
him was taking a chance that he would be on more often than not. Sadly, the
Lakers found out he rarely was. Still he averaged almost 10 ppg and became the
first Laker rookie to average double digit scoring in nine years and also cleaned
up his off court issues.
Pick 14: Indiana
Pacers
Who they took: Malik Sealy
Who they should have took: Walt Williams (7th
pick)
Why: Williams was a NBA dud. His career at Maryland
was more than just strong, but he never found a beat in the league. Still, at
this spot, taking a chance on the 6-8 post was not going to hurt the Pacers. He
was an All-Rookie second team selection and put up over 1,000 points in that
first year, which would have been a boost for the Pacers off the bench.
Pick 15: Los Angeles
Lakers
Who they took: Anthony Peeler
Who they should have took: Harold Miner (12th
pick)
Why: Part of me says that this pick should have gone to
either Hubert Davis, Jon Barry or Tracy Murray, but I think even knowing what
we know, that you have to take the chance on “Baby Jordan.” The toughest thing
for Miner in that moniker (which has been often called the beginning of his
downfall) is that he was really the first person to have to carry the weight of
being the “next Michael Jordan.” That tag holds no weight anymore. Everyone
seems to be the next someone. And there have been plenty of other “next Jordans ”
like Grant Hill and Allen Iverson, but it didn’t sting anyone like it stung the
first. And perhaps he would have gotten more playing time and better work in LA
than he did in Miami, extending his (what would be) short career beyond just a
sideshow dunker.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)