Post by beatonz on Jul 26, 2023 12:34:48 GMT -6
Lets do it, another year and another great upcoming draft. And this one is real good... loaded with top end talent.
A lot of interesting talent in the 7-14 range and I look forward to seeing how it all pans out.
Draft Lottery Results:
Biggest Winners:
1. Indiana Pacers - Project at number 5, the Pacers jumped up to #2. This draft is a four man draft with the top three almost guaranteed to become all team players. Having the number 5 pick is great, but having the option to take one of Lebron, Wade or Carmelo... well that's better.
In a controversial trade at the deadline, the Pacers sent out all league 1st team center Moses Malone for a package of prospects (JO, Camby) and a 1st rounder (which projects to be a low 1st). This may have helped cement a higher 1st round pick, but maybe not, the team was bad already and likely could have avoided this trade still had a top pick. This team may have been able to turn their team into a playoff team in one off season, I see them back in the lottery next year now though. Regardless, they are the biggest winners of this draft.
2. Milwaukee Bucks - It's always great to be projected to own the number one pick in the draft, but very rarely does a team stay with the number one pick. Usually the Kings swoop in and get that #1 overall pick. With the Kings now firmly in the playoffs, the Bucks managed to hold on to the #1 pick.
Project #1 Pick Results in Lottery:
2005 - Suns #4 down from #1
2004 - Hornets #3 down from #1
2003 - Hornets #2 down from #1
2002 - Hornets #3 down from #1
2001 - Hornets #3 down from #1
This is the Lebron draft, holding on to the #1 pick is a massive win in its self.
Biggest Losers:
1. Golden State Warriors - The Warriors will still get a very good players, however they wont get one of Lebron, Wade, Melo or Bosh which are the true prizes in this draft. Getting bumped from the top four is rough, let's see how they respond.
2. Phoenix Suns - Coming into the lottery, they were looking good with the #2 projected pick. But this is the Suns we are talking about here and they are on the list of the biggest losers of the lottery every year. They have historically had some rough luck at the lottery always getting bumped down a couple of slots. In this years draft its not the end of the world. They will still get one of the big four but will miss out on the one of the bigger three.
Beatonz Top 10 Draft Picks
1. Milwaukee Bucks: LeBron James
This team is in complete shambles, only managing to win 12 regular season games. The Hornets were bad for a long time, but were they ever this bad?
In general, the Bucks don't have much to be excited about on the current roster, taking the best pick available is a must here and should be an easy selection.
Devin Vassell, was looking like an emerging start last season however, in 2005 he actually took a step back from his 2004 season which is a shame because he was looking like a cornerstone piece to help the Bucks out of this hole. Shareef Abdur-Rahim did emerge as one of this years top rookies, but many question what his ceiling is. Does he have the potential to develop into a reliable starter or is what you see now, is what you get for his career?
Despite Lebron sharing the same position as Vassell and Abdur-Rahim, Lebron is the pick. Next.
2. Indiana Pacers: Dwyane Wade
Jamal Mashburn looks to be the Pacers only reliable scorer on this roster after dealing Moses Malone away. The Pacers have always needed more scoring and now more than ever. There are two options here and either way, this team comes out with exactly what they need - Dwyane Wade or Carmelo Anthony.
For just about any other team, I like Carmelo here, but because of the SF position rules preventing SF moving down to play SG, the Pacers should be taking Wade. Having Carmelo and Mashburn on the same roster looks sexy on paper, but one will have to play PF, a position neither should be playing in this league.
Wade fits this team extremely well and brings a true back court star that Pacers have so desperately needed.
3. Philadelphia 76ers: Carmelo Anthony
Anthony falls right into the 76ers lap, a dynamic scorer who will immediately get an opportunity to chuck up shots on a team who struggled to score last season. The 76ers scored the third least amount of points and taking Carmelo here will help change this immediately.
If this is the selection at #3, I think Carmelo is the favourite for rookie of the year.
4. Phoenix Suns: Chris Bosh
This team just keeps getting screwed in the draft and it has hurt them in the past. Dropping from draft positions that would have them taking players who could change their franchise over night. They currently have a solid young core, but not true all star player - Kristaps Porzingis, Shawn Bradley, Bob Cousy. Cousy, developed nicely in his rookie season and is looking like a potential all star caliber PG. Porzingis took a step back but could develop into a Joel Embiid type player if managed correctly. Bradley, well I thought he was a stretch when they took him #4 overall, he is looking like a very solid bench player.
I think Bosh is the obvious pick here, he may not slot into the starting line up day 1 but you have to draft on what the player can become this high in the draft.
5. Golden State Warriors: David West
This is where the draft gets interesting. The big four are off the board and now we could see players start to slide or taken earlier than projected.
The Warriors have developed a nice little core of back court players in Allen Iverson and Allan Houston, both developing into great perimeter players who can shoot. I like this early build they have going here. With the backcourt secured, I like the Warriors going big here. If Bosh slides, he would be a perfect fit on this team but this is doubtful.
David West is a good option at this position. Good potential and solid starting inside scoring. Defense may be an early concern for West but this can be managed and developed through smart training camps.
6. Portland Trailblazers: T.J. Ford
The Blazers have only one players under contract for next season. So its safe to say this team will look completely different going into the season than now.
This is a great opportunity to get that first piece. Who will the Blazers be? This player will be the face of the franchise, so this pick has to be the right pick.
There are a number of solid bigs available at this spot, but no one wants to have their franchise player to be a big slow center, so they get the complete opposite. TJ Ford a quick little player who projects to be an all star and join the ranks of Lamelo Ball and Killian Hayes.
TJ is the best PG in the draft in my opinion and he has great starting attributes, I really like this pick and it will be exciting for fans.
7. Houston Rockets: Chris Kaman
What the Rockets have a first rounder? New ownership, bring new philosophies surrounding the draft. Old ownership would continuously deal valuable draft capital for mediocre talent. Times have changed.
This team is made up of a bunch of veterans who aren't good, with the exception of Joe Smith who put up a great season. But Smith has been shopped all season and likely doesn't have a future in Houston. This team needs young talent badly.
I think Chris Kaman could fit in nicely. He already has good scoring and defense/rebounding to play immediately. While I project him long term as a very solid starting center. Likely not an all star, but a player who can be relied upon year in and year out.
Maybe not the sexiest pick, but a safe pick to bring in a very good big man.
8. Orlando Magic: Darko Milicic
John Drew is desperate for help in Orlando, but the Magic and their lack of a front office shows no signs of wanting to help him.
Charlie Scott continues to be a decent side kick but the lack of any rebounding on this team needs to be addressed. I want to see Darko Milicic going at this position. A big man with potential and decent starting attributes. If training camp is kind to Darko in his rookie season, we could see a potential blow up with this 18 year old. I say take the risk and cross your fingers with him.
9. Washington Wizards (via LA Clippers): Kirk Hinrich
Its a shame the Clippers dealt this pick. I would have liked to see a couple of these remaining draft eligible players play for them.
Instead, the Wizards are selecting here. The Wizards have a solid core or Dwight Jones, Jabari Parker and Eric Money so getting a SG would be my priority at this pick.
Unfortunately for the Wizards there aren't any SGs remaining worthy of a top 10 selection here. But there are a coupld of PGs who could slide down to SG and learn from Money as they develop. Kirk Hinrich and Leandro Barbosa both seem like good options. I like Hinrich here, as he looks to be like the better player right away but Barbosa has the potential and may be better long term. Both options are solid.
10. Atlanta Hawks: Josh Howard
With an aging George McGinnis, I think the Hawks best option here is to look at potential replacements.
Howard would be great and benefit from a potential mentor camp from McGinnis before the Hawks blow this team up and start a true rebuild.
A lot of interesting talent in the 7-14 range and I look forward to seeing how it all pans out.
Draft Lottery Results:
Biggest Winners:
1. Indiana Pacers - Project at number 5, the Pacers jumped up to #2. This draft is a four man draft with the top three almost guaranteed to become all team players. Having the number 5 pick is great, but having the option to take one of Lebron, Wade or Carmelo... well that's better.
In a controversial trade at the deadline, the Pacers sent out all league 1st team center Moses Malone for a package of prospects (JO, Camby) and a 1st rounder (which projects to be a low 1st). This may have helped cement a higher 1st round pick, but maybe not, the team was bad already and likely could have avoided this trade still had a top pick. This team may have been able to turn their team into a playoff team in one off season, I see them back in the lottery next year now though. Regardless, they are the biggest winners of this draft.
2. Milwaukee Bucks - It's always great to be projected to own the number one pick in the draft, but very rarely does a team stay with the number one pick. Usually the Kings swoop in and get that #1 overall pick. With the Kings now firmly in the playoffs, the Bucks managed to hold on to the #1 pick.
Project #1 Pick Results in Lottery:
2005 - Suns #4 down from #1
2004 - Hornets #3 down from #1
2003 - Hornets #2 down from #1
2002 - Hornets #3 down from #1
2001 - Hornets #3 down from #1
This is the Lebron draft, holding on to the #1 pick is a massive win in its self.
Biggest Losers:
1. Golden State Warriors - The Warriors will still get a very good players, however they wont get one of Lebron, Wade, Melo or Bosh which are the true prizes in this draft. Getting bumped from the top four is rough, let's see how they respond.
2. Phoenix Suns - Coming into the lottery, they were looking good with the #2 projected pick. But this is the Suns we are talking about here and they are on the list of the biggest losers of the lottery every year. They have historically had some rough luck at the lottery always getting bumped down a couple of slots. In this years draft its not the end of the world. They will still get one of the big four but will miss out on the one of the bigger three.
Beatonz Top 10 Draft Picks
1. Milwaukee Bucks: LeBron James
This team is in complete shambles, only managing to win 12 regular season games. The Hornets were bad for a long time, but were they ever this bad?
In general, the Bucks don't have much to be excited about on the current roster, taking the best pick available is a must here and should be an easy selection.
Devin Vassell, was looking like an emerging start last season however, in 2005 he actually took a step back from his 2004 season which is a shame because he was looking like a cornerstone piece to help the Bucks out of this hole. Shareef Abdur-Rahim did emerge as one of this years top rookies, but many question what his ceiling is. Does he have the potential to develop into a reliable starter or is what you see now, is what you get for his career?
Despite Lebron sharing the same position as Vassell and Abdur-Rahim, Lebron is the pick. Next.
2. Indiana Pacers: Dwyane Wade
Jamal Mashburn looks to be the Pacers only reliable scorer on this roster after dealing Moses Malone away. The Pacers have always needed more scoring and now more than ever. There are two options here and either way, this team comes out with exactly what they need - Dwyane Wade or Carmelo Anthony.
For just about any other team, I like Carmelo here, but because of the SF position rules preventing SF moving down to play SG, the Pacers should be taking Wade. Having Carmelo and Mashburn on the same roster looks sexy on paper, but one will have to play PF, a position neither should be playing in this league.
Wade fits this team extremely well and brings a true back court star that Pacers have so desperately needed.
3. Philadelphia 76ers: Carmelo Anthony
Anthony falls right into the 76ers lap, a dynamic scorer who will immediately get an opportunity to chuck up shots on a team who struggled to score last season. The 76ers scored the third least amount of points and taking Carmelo here will help change this immediately.
If this is the selection at #3, I think Carmelo is the favourite for rookie of the year.
4. Phoenix Suns: Chris Bosh
This team just keeps getting screwed in the draft and it has hurt them in the past. Dropping from draft positions that would have them taking players who could change their franchise over night. They currently have a solid young core, but not true all star player - Kristaps Porzingis, Shawn Bradley, Bob Cousy. Cousy, developed nicely in his rookie season and is looking like a potential all star caliber PG. Porzingis took a step back but could develop into a Joel Embiid type player if managed correctly. Bradley, well I thought he was a stretch when they took him #4 overall, he is looking like a very solid bench player.
I think Bosh is the obvious pick here, he may not slot into the starting line up day 1 but you have to draft on what the player can become this high in the draft.
5. Golden State Warriors: David West
This is where the draft gets interesting. The big four are off the board and now we could see players start to slide or taken earlier than projected.
The Warriors have developed a nice little core of back court players in Allen Iverson and Allan Houston, both developing into great perimeter players who can shoot. I like this early build they have going here. With the backcourt secured, I like the Warriors going big here. If Bosh slides, he would be a perfect fit on this team but this is doubtful.
David West is a good option at this position. Good potential and solid starting inside scoring. Defense may be an early concern for West but this can be managed and developed through smart training camps.
6. Portland Trailblazers: T.J. Ford
The Blazers have only one players under contract for next season. So its safe to say this team will look completely different going into the season than now.
This is a great opportunity to get that first piece. Who will the Blazers be? This player will be the face of the franchise, so this pick has to be the right pick.
There are a number of solid bigs available at this spot, but no one wants to have their franchise player to be a big slow center, so they get the complete opposite. TJ Ford a quick little player who projects to be an all star and join the ranks of Lamelo Ball and Killian Hayes.
TJ is the best PG in the draft in my opinion and he has great starting attributes, I really like this pick and it will be exciting for fans.
7. Houston Rockets: Chris Kaman
What the Rockets have a first rounder? New ownership, bring new philosophies surrounding the draft. Old ownership would continuously deal valuable draft capital for mediocre talent. Times have changed.
This team is made up of a bunch of veterans who aren't good, with the exception of Joe Smith who put up a great season. But Smith has been shopped all season and likely doesn't have a future in Houston. This team needs young talent badly.
I think Chris Kaman could fit in nicely. He already has good scoring and defense/rebounding to play immediately. While I project him long term as a very solid starting center. Likely not an all star, but a player who can be relied upon year in and year out.
Maybe not the sexiest pick, but a safe pick to bring in a very good big man.
8. Orlando Magic: Darko Milicic
John Drew is desperate for help in Orlando, but the Magic and their lack of a front office shows no signs of wanting to help him.
Charlie Scott continues to be a decent side kick but the lack of any rebounding on this team needs to be addressed. I want to see Darko Milicic going at this position. A big man with potential and decent starting attributes. If training camp is kind to Darko in his rookie season, we could see a potential blow up with this 18 year old. I say take the risk and cross your fingers with him.
9. Washington Wizards (via LA Clippers): Kirk Hinrich
Its a shame the Clippers dealt this pick. I would have liked to see a couple of these remaining draft eligible players play for them.
Instead, the Wizards are selecting here. The Wizards have a solid core or Dwight Jones, Jabari Parker and Eric Money so getting a SG would be my priority at this pick.
Unfortunately for the Wizards there aren't any SGs remaining worthy of a top 10 selection here. But there are a coupld of PGs who could slide down to SG and learn from Money as they develop. Kirk Hinrich and Leandro Barbosa both seem like good options. I like Hinrich here, as he looks to be like the better player right away but Barbosa has the potential and may be better long term. Both options are solid.
10. Atlanta Hawks: Josh Howard
With an aging George McGinnis, I think the Hawks best option here is to look at potential replacements.
Howard would be great and benefit from a potential mentor camp from McGinnis before the Hawks blow this team up and start a true rebuild.