ESPN Draft Grades

[bigfish22]

This is the link to the rest of the ESPN draft grades: http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/draft2...tGrades-080627

Does anyone still have the links to previous draft years reports cards? Its funny to see how totally useless and flawed these day after report cards can be. I think we got a C- when we drafted Manu in 1999, but Minny got an A for picking Wally. If anyone has a link to any year, please post below.

[NZ Spurs]

Google is your friend.

Spurs D The Spurs are world champions, and they landed two players from the other side of the world -- dealing for Croatian guard Gordan Giricek and Italian guard Emanuel Ginobilli. We'll admit we don't know a whole lot about these guys because the boss won't spring for scouting trips to Europe.

T-Wolves A Wally's world will be a very happy place, especially with the high-scoring Szczerbiak teamed on the frontline with the explosive Kevin Garnett. Then, the Wolves added Duke's William Avery with the 14th pick, providing either a backup to Terrell Brandon or much-needed insurance if Brandon should leave town.

http://espn.go.com/nba/draft99/features/01332714.html

[SPURSGOAT]

Google is your friend.

Spurs D The Spurs are world champions, and they landed two players from the other side of the world -- dealing for Croatian guard Gordan Giricek and Italian guard Emanuel Ginobilli. We'll admit we don't know a whole lot about these guys because the boss won't spring for scouting trips to Europe.

T-Wolves A Wally's world will be a very happy place, especially with the high-scoring Szczerbiak teamed on the frontline with the explosive Kevin Garnett. Then, the Wolves added Duke's William Avery with the 14th pick, providing either a backup to Terrell Brandon or much-needed insurance if Brandon should leave town.

http://espn.go.com/nba/draft99/features/01332714.html

Goes to show you that these draft grades don't mean !

[bigfish22]

I found the draft homepages for each year on ESPN (just change the number in the URL) but it says that you have to be an inSIDER in order to view the draft grades. I was wondering if you inSIDERS could just post the previous grades we've gotten in the drafts. What did we get in 2001?

[Dex]

http://espn.go.com/nba/draft2001/s/draftgrades.html
2001 Draft Grades

Spurs

Grade: B-
PG Tony Parker, 6-0, France
PF Robertas Javtokas, 6-10, Lithuania
SF Brian Bracey, 6-7, Sr., Oregon
The Spurs aren't a young team, and they ended up getting three players from this draft, two of them from Europe. At the point, Parker could be a solution fast. The last first-round pick, Parker needs to prove himself on the NBA level, but the Spurs are willing to take a look and will pay first-round money to see it. Javtokas actually played eight games for Arizona in 1999-00, and went to high school in Ohio and North Carolina, but he's Lithuanian. Bracey isn't foreign, but the final player drafted is a long shot to stay on this team. Three players, but maybe no impact this upcoming season.

Hawks

Grade: A
SF Shareef Abdur-Rahim, 6-9, 5th year
Well, it was a great night for the Hawks even before the draft began, as soon as they acquired Abdur-Rahim from the Grizzlies for the No. 3 pick, Lorenzen Wright and Brevin Knight. Atlanta can now put a 20-10 guy like Shareef up front with Theo Ratliff and Toni Kukoc -- not bad at all. Atlanta didn't get any other players, even though the point guard need could have been filled with the 27th or 34th pick. The Hawks took one of the top ones around, Jamaal Tinsley, at 27, but dealt him to Indiana for a future first-rounder, then took Terence Morris at 34 and sent him to Houston for the same thing. Still, a successful night.

Wizards

Grade: A
C Kwame Brown, 6-11, Glynn Academy HS (Ga.)
SF Bobby Simmons, 6-7, DePaul
Michael Jordan had the top pick in the draft, and took the guy he wanted. Say whatever you want about the first high schooler ever taken this high, but Jordan got the chance to put his stamp on the franchise, and he did. Brown impressed everyone with his ability in recent workouts, becoming a consensus top choice. He's not just big, he can play the floor game and is a solid athlete. Is he ready to play 30 minutes a night right away? Not likely, since he's all of 18, but most observers agree he has a nice future. Simmons came from Seattle for the rights to a player from Belgrade that Washington selected when Jordan was winning championship No. 5. They won't miss him and Simmons is ready to play right away.

Or Tony could end up being the starting point guard like five games into 2002, and turning into an All-Star caliber player?

But, these are the sports experts, after all.

[baseline bum]

Or Tony could end up being the starting point guard like five games into 2002, and turning into an All-Star caliber player?

But, these are the sports experts, after all.

LMAO...

They gave Golden State a B for drafting Jason Richardson, Troy Murphy, and Gilbert Arenas in that draft... and Houston got an A- for trading Richard Jefferson, Jason Collins, and a scrub pick for Eddie Griffin.

[baseline bum]

More ESPN expert talk:

Detroit Pistons
Round 1: Darko Milicic, F, Serbia-Montenegro (No. 2)
Round 1: Carlos Delfino, G, Italy (No. 25)
Round 2: Andres Gliniadakis, C, Greece (No. 58)
How many teams with the best record in their conference end up with the best big man in the draft and a draft-night steal in Carlos Delfino? By now, you know about Darko, but Delfino will also be important down the road. He's tough, a strong shooter and plays aggressive defense. He reminds me a lot of Michael Finley. He could play an immediate role on the Pistons if he stays here next year. Gliniadakis was a nice pickup at the end of the draft. He's a 7-footer who can actually play. The Pistons will leave him in Greece for a few years and bring him over when he's ready.
Grade: A+

[baseline bum]

More Chad Ford gems

New York Knicks
Round 1: Mike Sweetney, F, Georgetown (No. 9)
Round 2: Maciej Lampe, F, Poland (No. 30)
Round 2: Slavko Vranes, F, Serbia-Montenegro (No. 39)
Drafting Sweetney, another undersized power forward on a team filled with them gets a C, even if we do like the Georgetown product. But landing the other guy you thought about taking at No. 9, Maciej Lampe, was a huge draft steal. I've seen Lampe play enough to know that his slide wasn't warranted. Lots of teams dropped the ball on him. If he can work out his contract issues with Real Madrid, he'll make Knicks fans happy. Slavko Vranes, at 7-foot-6, is the perfect round two gamble.
Grade: A-

[baseline bum]

Cleveland Cavaliers
Round 1: Dajuan Wagner, 6-3, G, Memphis (No. 6)
Round 2: Carlos Boozer, 6-9, PF, Duke (No. 35)
Clearly the Cavaliers are paving the way for an Andre Miller trade with the selection of Dajuan Wagner. Teams are queuing up around Gund Arena waiting to get their hands on Miller. You'd think that would give Cleveland a clue. Still, Wagner will give them the explosive scorer they've coveted the past few years.
Grade: D

[baseline bum]

BULLS: A

C Eddy Curry, 6-11, Thornwood HS (Ill.)
C Tyson Chandler, 7-1, Dominguez HS (Calif.)
SF Brian Skinner, 6-9, 3rd year
SF Sean Lampley, 6-7, Sr., California
Wanna get younger? Apparently the Bulls did. A few years of losing and rebuilding did nothing because the Bulls parted with the top pick from two years ago, Elton Brand, to get Chandler. Of course, now Tim Floyd has two big men to mold. Chandler, who the Clippers drafted No. 2, isn't the strongest low-post player, as his 225 pounds suggests. But he can block shots and take his game outside. He'll play small forward while Marcus Fizer is the starter at the four-spot. Curry, meanwhile, is big in every way, should be a rebounding machine right away, and like Chandler, is a bit raw. Brand was 20 and 10 every night, but he's not a center, he's 6-8. These new kids are centers. Also acquired in the deal was Skinner, who has played 93 games in three years and has excellent rebounding-per-minute numbers. He might be playing a lot of minutes here. Lampley led the Pac-10 in scoring, but he might not stick around here.

[baseline bum]

PISTONS: B+

PF Rodney White, 6-9, Fr., Charlotte
PF Mehmet Okur, 6-11, Turkey
Based on how much Rodney White's stock seemed to rise recently, the Pistons got a steal at No. 9. White can play both forward spots and figures to be a scorer, which is great news for a team that allowed Jerry Stackhouse to hoist up what seemed like half his team's shots. White could find himself playing a lot real soon. Then there's Okur, who didn't do much scoring or rebounding in Turkey. He originally tried to get drafted last season and withdrew his name. Not too many more people know his name now

The grade seems about right, but for picking the guy he didn't talk about instead of the perennial Michael Jordan favorite turned spectacular bust (see Kwame Brown, Darius Miles).

[baseline bum]

Wolves: B

C Loren Woods, 7-1, Sr., Arizona
One of the great mysteries of the draft was watching poor Woods slip in the draft. The NBA took away Minnesota's top pick, but in Woods this team really gets a first-rounder, or a guy who has that kind of ability. Woods went at No. 46. Amazing. Now he isn't Shaq by any means, but he's also sure to make a squad which relied upon Reggie Slater, Rasho Nesterovic and Dean Garrett in the paint. Yuck.

[T Park]

Hahaha he was right about the Wolves center stiffs though.

[IronMexican]

you guys swear you know everything before the draft, we all knew that boozer was gonna be a star, we all knew parker was gonna be a star, it takes some great scouting and luck.

[baseline bum]

you guys swear you know everything before the draft, we all knew that boozer was gonna be a star, we all knew parker was gonna be a star, it takes some great scouting and luck.

The Spurs did know Parker would be a star. It was pretty well known the Spurs were falling all over themselves to draft him. They tried to trade up into the 12-15 range to get him, and couldn't believe it when he fell to them. If they didn't know how good he was, then why did they turn down a trade with Seattle 2-3 weeks later for an in his prime Gary Payton that featured Parker as its centerpiece?

Anyone who followed the team closely knew the Spurs were taking Parker if available while watching the draft. Back then their draft wants weren't the big secret they are now. They didn't start throwing a lot of misdirection until New Jersey swooped in and took Nenad Krstic a couple of picks before the Spurs in 2002, based on the knowledge that the team loved him.

[ata]

The Spurs did know Parker would be a star. It was pretty well known the Spurs were falling all over themselves to draft him. They tried to trade up into the 12-15 range to get him, and couldn't believe it when he fell to them. If they didn't know how good he was, then why did they turn down a trade with Seattle 2-3 weeks later for an in his prime Gary Payton that featured Parker as its centerpiece?

Anyone who followed the team closely knew the Spurs were taking Parker if available while watching the draft. Back then their draft wants weren't the big secret they are now. They didn't start throwing a lot of misdirection until New Jersey swooped in and took Nenad Krstic a couple of picks before the Spurs in 2002, based on the knowledge that the team loved him.

Is that why Spurs FO tried so hard to bring Kidd in?

[baseline bum]

Is that why Spurs FO tried so hard to bring Kidd in?

They wanted to play Kidd and Parker together. Next.

[angelbelow]

espn also employs stuart scott and steven a smith, they always chose the lakers to win ir 5 or 6.

[MavDynasty]

lol sports experts

[Spurtacus]

Kwame Brown = A

[MavDynasty]

Kwame Brown = A

hes not even in his prime yet!

[Spurtacus]

hes not even in his prime yet!

He's almost there...by there I mean D-league.

[Gino]

AWESOME THREAD!!!!

Los Angeles Lakers
Round 1: Brian Cook, F, Illinois (No. 24)
Round 2: Luke Walton, F, Arizona
They got two very talented, veteran college players who should step right in and contribute. Cook is a good fit in the Lakers' system. He's got a lottery-pick game and if he can convince Phil Jackson to actually play him, he could replace Robert Horry. Walton is the smartest player in the draft and you know what Jackson thinks of smart players. He could end up playing point forward for the team in year one.
Grade: A-

Orlando Magic
Round 1: Reece Gaines, G, Louisville (No. 15)
Round 2: Zaur Pachulia, F, Turkey (No. 42)
Round 2: Keith Bogans, G, Kentucky (No. 43)
Deals: Acquired Bogans from Milwaukee for cash considerations.
This is the best draft the Magic have had in years. Gaines was the guy they wanted at No. 15 and he's a perfect fit in Doc Rivers' system. Landing Zaur Pachulia in round two was another big coup. Pachulia has the size and back-to-the-basket game the Magic have coveted for a while. If I'm Orlando, I do whatever it takes to get "Za-Za" over now. The quicker he starts playing in the NBA, the quicker he'll be ready to contribute. Keith Bogans was also a nice late-round pick-up. There's a pretty good chance he makes that team in Orlando.
Grade: A

Phoenix Suns
Round 1: Amare Stoudemire, 6-9, PF, Cypress Creek H.S., Fla. (No. 9)
Round 1: Casey Jacobsen, 6-6, SG, Stanford (No. 22)
It was a strange draft for the Suns. Stoudemire might be the Antonio McDyess replacement they've pined for the past few years, but he's a long way away. Jacobsen may be the next Thunder Dan, but the Suns backcourt will be awfully crowded with Joe Johnson and Penny Hardaway also back there.
Grade: B-

[Gino]

Boston Celtics
Round 1: Al Jefferson, PF, Prentiss (MS) (No. 15)
Round 1: Delonte West, G, Saint Joseph's (No. 24)
Round 1: Tony Allen, SG, Oklahoma State (No. 25)
Round 2: Justin Reed, SF, Mississippi (No. 40)

I'm not sure how you could call this draft by the Celtics a success. They lost out on the guy they wanted, Robert Swift. They did get another guy they had ranked highly in Al Jefferson. Danny Ainge must have felt they needed size, considering Mark Blount is likely gone, and they didn't have anyone else to play in the paint. After that, though, the West, Allen and Reed picks are a little weird. West I can understand, because if he turns into a real point guard, he could be special. Allen was one of the best defenders in college basketball. He's got a great body and he's a very good athlete.

However, I'm not sure how two undersized guards are going to help a Celtics' backcourt that already is size-challenged. The stuff about having Allen and West ranked as the second-best two guard and point guard in the draft is either some serious after-the-fact spin, or everyone in their scouting department needs to be fired. That's ridiculous.
Grade: C+

HERES THE REAL KICKER:

Orlando Magic
Round 1: Dwight Howard, PF, Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy (No. 1)
Round 1: Jameer Nelson, PG, St. Joseph's (No. 20)
Round 2: Anderson Varejao, PF, Brazil (No. 30)
Deals: Acquired Nelson from the Nuggets for a future first-rounder. Traded rights to Antonio Burks to the Grizzlies for a future second

Why Howard over Okafor? Two things stand out. One, now that the Magic are pretty certain they are trading T-Mac, they want to start rebuilding. Many teams think Howard has the most upside in the draft and can become a franchise player down the road. Fewer people believe that about Okafor. Two, the back issue, however minor it was, spooked the Magic. After going through the Grant Hill fiasco, they couldn't afford to have their building block come up lame. Still, I believe the Magic should've taken Okafor. I think Howard has all the skills to be a great player, but does he have the heart? Nelson and Varejao are both very solid. Nelson can come in right away and help Orlando. Varejao could too, as an energy guy, though it's likely he'll stay in Spain another year or two. Not a bad draft, but I think they'll regret not taking Okafor.
Grade: B+

San Antonio Spurs
Round 1: Beno Udrih, SG, Slovenia (No. 28)
Round 2: Romain Sato, SG, Xavier (No. 52)

The Spurs did as well as they could considering where they picked. Udrih was the star of the Chicago pre-draft camp and wasn't a surprise here. We thought it would be either him or Anderson Varejao. The Spurs really needed help backing up Tony Parker. Udrih, at 22, is actually older than Parker and appears to be very steady. This is a solid pick at No. 28. Sato was a steal at No. 52. With his athleticism and great defense, chances are he'll makes the Spurs next season. They needed help in the backcourt, and I think they really got it in this draft.
Grade: A

BOSTON CELTICS
Round 1: Gerald Green, SG, Gulf Shores Academy (No. 18)

Round 2: Ryan Gomes, SF, Providence (No. 50)

Round 2: Orien Greene, PG, Lafayette (No. 53, from Sacramento)

Analysis: Danny Ainge pulled off one of the best drafts of 2004, but he topped himself this year -- and he got two guys named Green/Greene to boot.

Gerald Green should have been a top six pick in the draft based on his talent and potential. Al Jefferson from last year's draft and Green from this year's draft could be superstars down the road.

Gomes was a guy the team seriously considered with the 18th pick and should become a big part of their young core, along with Delonte West and Tony Allen.

Grade: A+

[nsrammstein]

9. Milwaukee Bucks | Dirk Nowitzki | PF | Germany
*Pick traded with No. 18 overall selection to Dallas for rights to No. 6 pick Robert Traylor.

“Winners: The Bucks
After trading away No. 4 draft-pick Stephon Marbury last year, the Bucks get it right in '98 by stealing the marketable and talented Robert Traylor from the Mavs for an overhyped foreign prospect.”— Shanoff