NBA Draft First Round Grades

            We’ve graded each pick of the first round of the deepest NBA draft since 2003. These grades are loosely backed by statistics and actual evidence, so keep that in mind.

1. Andrew Wiggins, SG, Cleveland Cavaliers – Arguably the most overanalyzed college basketball player of all-time, Wiggins’ stock eventually ended up where it was at the beginning of the year. He’s a better fit for the Cavs than Parker, so kudos to them for actually getting it right. Grade = A+
2. Jabari Parker, SF, Milwaukee Bucks – It’s rare that an elite prospect actually wants to go to a place like Milwaukee, so it’s great to see Parker end up there. Him and the Greek Freak provide solid building blocks for the Bucks to build around. Grade = A+
3. Joel Embiid, C, Philadelphia 76ers – Embiid might not play this year, but when a dude’s ceiling is being the second coming of Hakeem Olajuwon, you don’t let that dude fall out of the top 3. Philly doesn’t appear to be interested in being good anytime soon, so they’ll be patient. Grade = A+
4. Aaron Gordon, PF, Orlando Magic – Instead of creating a potentially hellacious backcourt duo of Victor Oladipo and Dante Exum, Orlando instead opted for the relative safety of drafting a defensive monster in Gordon. He can guard multiple positions, and is capable of impacting a game without scoring a point. We like Gordon, but we’re grading the pick a bit lower because the ceiling isn’t as high as it wouldn’t been with Exum. Grade = B
5. Dante Exum, PG-SG, Utah Jazz – Utah chose the path Orlando ignored, but unfortunately Trey Burke isn’t the athlete Oladipo is, so the ceiling isn’t as high for Utah. Regardless, it could be argued that only Embiid has greater overall potential, so kudos to Utah for gambling on the largely unknown Australian import. Grade = A-
6. Marcus Smart, PG, Boston Celtics – For a team in complete flux, it made sense for the Celtics to add a player that gives them the flexibility to move Rajon Rondo. Grade = A
7. Julius Randle, PF, Los Angeles Lakers – When you can get a guy that was mentioned as one of the top-3 prospects before the college season, and then led his team to a national championship game appearance, at seven, you do it. Grade = A+
8. Nik Stauskas, SG, Sacramento Kings – The first pick that felt like a panic move (they had been linked to Marcus Smart in most mock drafts), we would’ve rather see them take another point guard or Noah Vonleh. We won’t be shocked if Stauskas is eventually moved, as they are hell bent on acquiring a veteran impact player. Grade = C
9. Noah Vonleh, PF, Charlotte Hornets – Vonleh fell into Charlotte’s lap at nine, and he’s a nice shot blocking compliment to Al Jefferson. If he develops long range shooting (which scouts think is possible), this is a franchise-changing pick for the Hornets. Grade = A+
10. Elfrid Payton, PG, Orlando Magic (traded from 76ers) – Payton has all of the physical tools needed to succeed at the NBA level, and Orlando was wise to target him after passing on Exum. The first round pick they sent to Philadelphia was an extra pick Orlando received in the Andrew Bynum trade, so that was a decent price to pay to solidify their backcourt. Grade = A-
11. Doug McDermott, SF, Chicago Bulls (traded from Nuggets – We thought McDermott needed to land in a near ideal situation to have success at the NBA level, and Chicago is one of the few teams that can offer it. He’s a better athlete than people give him credit for, and he’ll thrive jacking open jumpers created by Derrick Rose and possibly Carmelo Anthony. Grade = A
12. Dario Saric, PF, Philadelphia 76ers (traded from Magic) – Saric is going to spend the next couple of years in Turkey, but that’s just fine for a Philadelphia team clearly not interested in competing for the next year or two. He’s a dark horse candidate to end up being one of the top-3 players out of this draft class. Buy stock in the 2018 76ers. Grade = A
13. Zach LaVine, PG, Minnesota Timberwolves – LaVine is a project, which tells me that Kevin Love will definitely be gone before the calendar turns to August.
14. T.J. Warren, SF, Phoenix Suns – Warren was the leading scorer in the ACC a year ago, but we don’t forecast his quirky game translating to the NBA. Adreian Payne would’ve made much more sense here as a stretch four to potentially replace Channing Frye. Grade = D+
15. Adreian Payne, PF, Atlanta Hawks – Speaking of Payne, he went to a team hell bent on hoarding as many stretch bigs as possible. He’ll never be elite, but he has the tools to be a solid contributor on a contending team. Grade = B-
16. Jusuf Nurkic, C, Denver Nuggets (traded from Bulls) – We aren’t a fan of this pick, but with picking up a second first rounder in their trade with Chicago, they could afford to stash a first rounder overseas. Grade = C-
17. James Young, SF, Boston Celtics – Young was overshadowed by Randle and the Harrison twins, but the talent is there for him to blossom in the NBA like former Kentucky guard Eric Bledsoe has. Grade = B+
18. Tyler Ennis, PG, Phoenix Suns – The strength of the Suns is their backcourt, so we thought this pick on a low-upside point guard was a bit of a waste. Grade = F
19. Gary Harris, SG, Denver Nuggets (traded from Bulls) – Picked by most experts before the draft to land in the back part of the lottery, Harris was one of the notable players who slipped. It seems like Denver has 43 shooting guards and small forwards on their team (to that end, they just reacquired Arron Afflalo hours before the draft), so we won’t be shocked if Harris is eventually moved. Grade = B
20. Bruno Caboclo, SF, Toronto Raptors – We won’t pretend to know anything about Bruno, but this was the most mocked pick by the ESPN draft crew, so that warrants a low grade. It was a disappointing choice by an up and coming Raptors club. Grade = F
21. Mitch McGary, PF, Oklahoma City Thunder – The Thunder’s biggest issue against the Spurs was a lack of offensive firepower beyond Durant and Westbrook. McGary doesn’t help that, and there were other players on the board that could’ve. Grade = F
22. Jordan Adams, SG, Memphis Grizzlies – Not an elite shooter, but all he probably needs to do for Memphis next year is nail corner threes. Grade = C+
23. Rodney Hood, SG-SF, Utah Jazz – Hood could’ve gone anywhere from 14 on, so he’s a steal here. Down the line an Exum-Burke-Hood trio could make a solid three-guard lineup.
24. Shabazz Napier, PG, Miami Heat (traded from Hornets) – It’s fun that we’ll get the chance to see if a 22-year old small point guard will actually entice Lebron James to stay with the Heat. We’re not very high on Napier, as we predict him having a similar impact to the poop sandwich Miami rolled out at point guard last season. Still, kudos to them for making a move to appease King James. Grade = B+
25. Clint Capela, PF, Houston Rockets – We’re guessing Houston was trying to move this pick to save cap space, but instead opted to draft an overseas asset. Grade = C
26. P.J. Hairston, SG, Charlotte Hornets (traded from Heat) – Hairston had his issues at North Carolina, but is fortunate to get a chance to redeem himself in the same state. He has the talent of a top-10 player, so kudos to Charlotte for making a low-risk pick towards the end of the first round. Grade = A
27. Bogdan Bogdanovic, SG, Phoenix Suns – If he actually plays in the NBA, he’ll be in the running for having the most ridiculous name in the history of the NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION. Grade = C-
28. C.J. Wilcox, SG, Los Angeles Clippers – This pick only makes sense if the Clippers are trading some of their 2s and 3s, but until that happens we’re grading it accordingly. Grade = D
29. Josh Huestis, SF, Oklahoma City Thunder – Jay Bilas threw out a comparison to Bruce Bowen, which if he can hit open threes, would be a great find for the Thunder this late in the draft. Grade = B
30. Kyle Anderson, PF, San Antonio Spurs – Naturally, the Spurs have a Boris-Diaw clone fall into their laps with the last pick in the draft. The rich get richer.

 

10 Awesome Things That Happened This Weekend (3/7-3/9)

10. Rashard Mendenhall Retires From NFL
            This is noteworthy because Mendenhall is only 26, and at the very least could’ve been a productive goal line back for the next few seasons. Hopefully he’s banked plenty of money.

9. Cuban Free Agent Aledmys Diaz Signs With St. Louis

            Major League Baseball’s best-run organization makes it’s most dramatic foray into the international market with the inking of this year’s best international prospect. If Diaz kills it in Triple-A, he could be in the big leagues before July.

8. Wichita State Wins Conference Tournament, Will Enter NCAA Tourney 34-0

            Among a tournament field where the majority of the favorites are anchored by one-and-done freshmen, Wichita State could be the most complete team in the field. We’ll see how they do when they have to run through a slate of major conference opponents.

7. Two Ohio High Schools Share State Championship After Seven Overtime Periods
            Old school, Republican me says that Sylvania Northview and Cleveland St. Ignatius should have kept playing. New-wave, Democrat me says that it was ridiculous that high-school kids were even allowed to play what was the equivalent of over 3 regulation games in one night. Moderate me says they should’ve ended it with a shoot-out.

6. Henrik Lundqvist Pitches Shutout For Career Win #300

            There hasn’t been a more consistently dominant goalie in THE NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE post-lockout since King Henrik. Sunday’s blanking of the Red Wings puts him one win shy of the Ranger’s franchise record.

5. Jodie Meeks Goes Bonkers, Gives Lakers Reason to Celebrate

            Overcoming a triple-double from Kevin Durant, Meeks outscored Oklahoma City by himself in the third quarter on Sunday.

4. Creighton’s Doug McDermott Tops 3,000 Career Points

            To put this accomplishment in perspective, McDermott is only the eighth player in NCAA Division I history to surpass 3,000 points. Creighton could make some noise as a #3 or #4 seed, depending on how they perform in the Big East tournament.
      
3. Chicago Pulls Out Overtime Victory Against Miami
            Even with Derrick Rose injured, and Luol Deng shipped away in what was essentially a giant salary dump, Chicago still has themselves positioned as a major pain in the ass for the two time defending champions.
         
2. Jabari Parker Nets Career High 30 Against Tar Heels
            While most assume Parker is slated to be one of the prizes of the 2014 NBA Draft, he’s still claiming he hasn’t made up his mind yet about returning to Duke next year.

1. Junior’s Tank Runs Dry, Keselowski Wins at Las Vegas

            Anyone that had doubts about the new NASCAR format for the Chase this year can put those to bed. We wouldn’t of had Sunday’s dramatic finish without it.

10 Awesome Things That Happened This Weekend (1/3-1/6)

10. ESPN Reports Ridiculous Carmelo Anthony-Blake Griffin Story
            What happens when it’s a slow sports news weekend? ESPN floats a rumor about a trade that wasn’t even proposed by either team mentioned. Good work Chris Broussard.

9. Finland Wins World Junior Hockey Championships

            I have nothing bad to say about Finland, so good for them.

8. Kevin Durant Goes Bonkers, Leads Thunder Over Timberwolves

            Lebron is always the favorite for league MVP, and Paul George has taken a major leap this season, but there has not been enough love for Kevin Durant this season. Durant scored 23 of his 48 points in the fourth quarter to out-duel fellow All-Star Kevin Love.

7. #6 Oklahoma States Loses to Kansas State
6. Notre Dame Stuns #5 Duke
           Future top-5 picks in next year’s draft, unranked teams bottled up Jabari Parker and Marcus Smart. Parker looked human for the first time all year, only scoring seven points on 2-10 from the field.

5. Chargers Capitalize on Inept Andy Dalton, Top Bengals
            One of the more underreported stories in THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE has been the return to elite status by Philip Rivers. On the other side, Cincinnati has to be asking major questions about going forward with Andy Dalton as their starting quarterback.

4. Saints End Road Woes, Beat Philadelphia

            Nick Foles looked like a guy who was too scared to take a chance, as he took numerous sacks that derailed the Eagles offense. The Saints reward for there first ever road playoff win is a death sentence trip to Seattle.

3. 49ers Beat Packers and Bitter Cold

            Colin Kaepernick morphs into a right handed Steve Young whenever he faces the Packers.
         
2. Chiefs Implode, Andrew Luck Rallies Colts to Improbable Victory
            Andrew Luck virtually showed every learning curve of a young QB in this game, and in the second half showed why he could be the quarterback of the ‘10s when it’s all said and done. Meanwhile, Kansas City added to their misery with the second worst blown lead in playoff history.

1. Florida State Has the Ball Last, Wins Final BCS Title Over Auburn

            Down 21-3 and looking completely lifeless, a fake punt was all Florida State needed to kick-start their team. The comeback ended with Jameis Winston (who looked nothing like a Heisman Trophy winner for the first three and a half quarters of the game) leading a dramatic march down the field. Even more importantly, the SEC’s incredible run of consecutive national titles ends at seven. All in all, this should end up as the most memorable college football game of the decade.