First round draft pick 2007, Morris Almond driving hard to the hoop while Kosta Koufos posts for a pass.

19 year old Kosta Koufos rests after a hard foul.

Jerry Sloan and friends have high hope as they observe the future of the Jazz.

The Jazz need at least two years to see if this gentle giant can bang with the big boys. I was pleased to see that he didn’t look like another Ostertag. Kosta looked to have a great outside shot, quick drive to the basket but he did not seem to be a fully developed weapon like most of Sloan’s arsenal. He needs to work on some body strength and be willing to learn Sloan’s complex offense. After a few years he should be pretty good.

Actually, Morris Almond was the biggest surprise. He should after a successful year in the D-league. He is a great sharp shooter that the Jazz desperately need but lacks a few other fundamentals like passing and rebounding but the kid can shoot the lights out.

Read my article I wrote for the UVU newspaper about Koufos by clicking the link below.

http://media.www.uvureview.com/media/storage/paper982/news/2008/07/28/Sports/Utah-Jazz.Wrap.Up.Rocky.Mountain.Revue.With.Win-3396012.shtml

Western Conference – Southwest Division

New Orleans (56-26, #2 in conference and lost in seven games in the Conference Semifinals)
Cash considerations from Portland

Traded away the #27 selection in the draft, Darrell Arthur out of Kansas, to Portland for cash considerations.

Star contributors on the team in 2008-2009 are projected to be PG Chris Paul, SG Morris Peterson, SF Peja Stojakovic, PF David West, C Tyson Chandler, PG Mike James, SF Julian Wright, and SF Rasual Butler. Key unrestricted free agents include F/C Chris Anderson, PF Ryan Bowen, PG Jannero Pargo, and SF Bonzi Wells.

Report Card: Chris Paul is a great point guard, and they have one of the best starting lineups in the NBA with Peja, West, and Chandler. The only thing that worries me is that 2007-2008 seems like the ceiling for this group of guys, and Peja is not getting any younger. If they are to ever win an NBA championship, they will need Jannero Pargo to re-sign, and hope for continued improvement from Julian Wright. Their bunch is very weak, and an injury could push them back a slot or two in the conference in no time at all. For now, the median range for them is probably the #4 seed. Projection: #2 in Southwest Division, #4 in West, between 52-56 wins.

San Antonio (56-26, #3 in conference and lost in five games in the Conference Finals)
The #26 selection in the draft (George Hill out of IUPUI)
The #48 selection in the draft from Phoenix (Malik Hairston out of Oregon)
The #57 selection in the draft (James Gist out of Maryland)
A future second round pick from Phoenix
Cash considerations from Phoenix

Traded away the #45 selection in the draft, Goran Dragic out of Slovenia, to Phoenix for Hairston, a future second round pick and cash considerations.

Star contributors on the team in 2008-2009 are projected to be PG Tony Parker, SG Manu Ginobili, SF Bruce Bowen, PF Fabricio Oberto, C Tim Duncan, PG Roger Mason (expected to be signed away from Washington,) SF Ime Udoka, and PF Matt Bonner. Key unrestricted free agents include SG Brent Barry, SF Michael Finley, PF Robert Horry, PG Damon Stoudamire, G/F DeMarr Johnson, and C Kurt Thomas.

Report Card: You can never really argue against the Spurs. San Antonio will be a consistent powerhouse in the Western conference for several more years. Tim Duncan turned 32 in April, but is still a top-10 player in the league according to my rating numbers. Manu Ginobili is one of the most efficient players in the game, and played the least number of minutes per game out of the top 12 in my rating. Tony Parker attacks the rim consistently, and with Roger Mason backing him up, will be even more potent this coming season. Houston, and New Orleans have more upside, but San Antonio will always be there, waiting in the playoffs. Projection: #3 in Southwest Division, #5 in West, between 49-53 wins.

Houston (55-27, #5 in conference and lost in six games in the first round)
The #28 selection in the draft from Memphis (Donte Greene out of Syracuse)
The #33 selection in the draft from Portland (Joey Dorsey out of Memphis)
The #54 selection in the draft (Maarty Leunen out of Oregon)
Memphis’ second round pick in 2009

Traded away the #25 selection in the draft, Nicolaus Batum out of France, to Portland for Dorsey, and the #27 selection in the draft, Darrell Arthur out of Kansas. They then proceeded to trade away Arthur to Memphis for the #28 selection in the draft, Donte Greene out of Syracuse, and Memphis’ second round pick in 2009.

Star contributors on the team in 2008-2009 are projected to be PG Rafer Alston, SG Tracy McGrady, SF Shane Battier, PF Luis Scola, C Yao Ming, SG Luther Head, and PF Chuck Hayes. PF Carl Landry is a restricted free agent, while F Mike Harris, and C Loren Woods have limited salary protection.

Report Card: There is only one priority for the Houston Rockets this off-season, and that is to resign Carl Landry. Landry was one of the most efficient youngsters in the NBA last season, and should improve with additional playing time. A healthy Yao Ming is always dangerous, and this is the same team that pulled off a ridiculous winning streak to finish within two games of the conference regular season championship. Past post-season failures be damned, Houston will contend for the Western Conference title next year every step of the way. Joey Dorsey is a great value pick, and I can’t wait to see him, and Yao Ming on the court at the same time. Greene is a project, but is a nice long-term fit for the franchise. Projection: #1 in Southwest Division, #2 in West, between 54-58 wins.

Dallas (51-31, #7 in conference and lost in five games in the first round)
The #51 selection in the draft (Shan Foster out of Vanderbilt)

Star contributors on the team in 2008-2009 are projected to be PG Jason Kidd, SG Jason Terry, SF Josh Howard, PF Dirk Nowitzki, C DeSagana Diop (expected to be signed away from New Jersey), SG Jerry Stackhouse, and C Erick Dampier. Key unrestricted free agents include PF Malik Allen, SF Devean George, PF Juwan Howard, PG Tyronn Lue, C Jamaal Magloire, and SG Antoine Wright, while PG Jose Juan Barea (agreed to terms with Dallas) is a restricted free agent, and PF Brandon Bass has limited salary protection.

Report Card: Dallas was 35-18 (.660 winning percentage) without Jason Kidd last season, and 16-13 with him on the team (.552 winning percentage). In a tough Western Conference, without much youth, or upside to think of, I can’t imagine Dallas being in the playoffs. Their years of being a juggernaut are over, and I still cannot believe that they brought DeSagana Diop with their mid-level exception. Dirk Nowitzki, and Josh Howard are both rather talented NBA players, but Jason Kidd was the glue to this team for so long, and his departure sucked the life out of the Mavericks late last season. Portland, and Phoenix are clearly better, and I still think the improving LA Clippers have the edge currently over them as well. Projection: #4 in Southwest Division, #9 in West, between 40-44 wins.

Memphis (22-60, T-#13 in conference and twenty-eight games out of the playoffs)
The #3 selection in the draft from Minnesota (O.J. Mayo out of USC)
The #27 selection in the draft from Houston (Darrell Arthur out of Kansas)
PG Marko Jaric from Minnesota
F Antoine Walker from Minnesota
SF Greg Buckner from Minnesota

Traded away the #5 selection in the draft, Kevin Love out of UCLA, along with SF Mike Miller, PF Brian Cardinal and C Jason Collins, to Minnesota for Mayo, Jaric, Walker and Buckner. Traded away the #28 selection in the draft, Donte Greene out of Syracuse, along with their second round pick in 2009, to Houston for Arthur.

Star contributors on the team in 2008-2009 are projected to be PG Mike Conley, SG O.J. Mayo, SF Rudy Gay, PF Hakim Warrick, C Darko Milicic, C Marc Gasol, PG Javaris Crittenton, and PG Kyle Lowry. Key unrestricted free agents include PF Andre Brown, C Kwame Brown, and SF Casey Jacobsen, while PG Juan Carlos Navarro (agreed to terms with FC Barcelona) is a restricted free agent.

Report Card: Check out this link if you want to be shown how the Memphis organization is moving in the right direction. I don’t particularly care for that post, however, because I do not see how a team without an actual lineup will start improving this season. Yes, Mike Conley, O.J. Mayo, Rudy Gay, and one of other point guards are great pieces for the franchise long-term. Everyone else could be easily replaced, and until I see some actual evidence to show that those three can become All-Stars in the NBA, Memphis does not have a shot at competing. I have Seattle/Oklahoma as the #14 seed ahead of Memphis, because I like their frontcourt more in Collison/Wilcox, and they have a more regular looking lineup. Projection: #5 in Southwest Division, #15 in West, between 23-27 wins.

Projected 2008-2009 Western Conference Standings

Northwest Division
Utah (3): between 53-57 wins (54 wins, #4)
Portland (6): between 45-49 wins (41 wins, #10)
Denver (10): between 39-43 wins (50 wins, #8)
Minnesota (11): between 35-39 wins (22 wins, T-#13)
Seattle (14): between 25-29 wins (20 wins, #15)
Pacific Division
LA Lakers (1): between 58-62 wins (57 wins, #1)
Phoenix (7): between 43-47 wins (55 wins, #6)
LA Clippers (8): between 42-46 wins (23 wins, #12)
Golden State (12): between 33-37 wins (48 wins, #9)
Sacramento (13): between 27-31 wins (38 wins, #11)
Southwest Division
Houston (2): between 54-58 wins (55 wins, #5)
New Orleans (4): between 52-56 wins (56 wins, #2)
San Antonio (5): between 49-53 wins (56 wins #3)
Dallas (9): between 40-44 wins (51 wins, #7)
Memphis (15): between 23-27 wins (22 wins, T-#13)

All-Conference Awards
Most Surprising Team: Portland Trailblazers (jump from #10 to #6)
Most Disappointing Team: Golden State Warriors (fall from #9 to #12)
Most Valuable Player: Amare Stoudemire, Phoenix Suns (take this 25-and-a-half-year-old off the Suns, and they don’t win 35 games)
Rookie of the Year: Kevin Love, Minnesota Timberwolves (will be great alongside Al Jefferson for years to come. As Akron Aeros Director of Media Relations Rob Sinclair said, maybe Memphis ended the (Rudy) Gay-Love era way too soon.)
Most Improved Player: Chris Kaman, Los Angeles Clippers (with additional media exposure, and Baron Davis to pass the ball to him, this caveman of a basketball player will be a new sensation)
Most Likely to Be Overrated: Kevin Durant, Seattle Supersonics (if I told you the star of your franchise shot 43.0% from the field, while attempting 23.7 shots, having 4.0 turnovers, and 3.2 assists per forty-eight minutes, would you be concerned?)
Most Likely to Be Underrated: Chris Paul, New Orleans Hornets (one of the best point guards of the last twenty years, without a doubt in my mind)

Note: The total wins I have projected for the Western Conference in these very early projections, are equal to the total number of wins accumulated by the Conference last season. Last year, the Eastern Conference won 258 out of the 450 inter-conference games played (a winning percentage of 0.573). While I do believe that the Eastern Conference may in fact be a little better this year because of the developing talent on a lot of teams, in comparison to the aging talent on teams out West (such as Phoenix, San Antonio, Dallas, etc.,) the period for adjusting that will be when I do my in-depth projections of the NBA in October. June/July is way too early to definitively say the Eastern Conference will be improved, and thus the win total stays the same.

Western Conference – Northwest Division

Utah (54-28, #4 in conference and lost in six games in the Conference Semifinals)
The #23 selection in the draft (Kosta Koufos out of Ohio State)
The #44 selection in the draft (Ante Tomic out of Croatia)
The #53 selection in the draft (Tadija Dragicevic out of Serbia)

Star contributors on the team in 2008-2009 are projected to be PG Deron Williams, SG Ronnie Brewer, SF Andrei Kirilenko, PF Carlos Boozer, C Mehmut Okur, SF Kyle Korver and PF Paul Millsap. SG C.J. Miles is a restricted free agent.

Report Card: Utah is stockpiling on their European big men, as the addition of Koufos (Greek, 7-1), Tomic (7-2), and Dragicevic (6-9) to their already strong core of Kirilenko (6-9), and Okur (6-11) gives them the most international frontcourt in the NBA. Not like that really matters, unless the front office was just hoping, and praying one would turn out to be as successful as Cavaliers center Zydrunas Ilgauskas (chances are unlikely.) Utah had a great year last year as the trade for Korver helped them make an end of season surge to become the #4 seed. Brewer, and Millsap continue to get better, and the duo of Williams, and Boozer is up there for one of the best in the NBA. Projection: #1 in Northwest Division, #3 in West, between 53-57 wins.

Denver (50-32, #8 in conference and lost in four games in the first round)

The #39 selection in the draft from Chicago (Sonny Weems out of Alabama)
A future, protected first round pick from Charlotte
Traded away the #20 selection in the draft, Alexis Aijnca out of France, to Charlotte and their future, protected first round pick and traded away their second round pick in 2009 to Chicago for Weems.

Star contributors on the team in 2008-2009 are projected to be PG Allen Iverson, SF Carmelo Anthony, PF Kenyon Martin, C Marcus Camby, SF Linas Kleiza and PF Nene. Key unrestricted free agents include PG Anthony Carter, SG Yakhouba Diawara, and SF Eduardo Najera, while SG J.R. Smith is a restricted free agent, and SG Bobby Jones and PG Taurean Green have limited salary protection.

Report Card: I still do not understand how a team with so much talent did so miserable last season. Not like 50 wins, and a first-round exit to the eventual Conference Champions is that bad of a season, but you would normally expect a higher placement within the conference from the trio of Iverson, Anthony, and Camby. Their first need in the off-season is to re-sign J.R. Smith, their only promising young talent on their roster, and hope for the best. In a conference with a handful of up-and-coming teams (Portland, LA Clippers, and Minnesota) vying to make the playoffs in 2008-2009, it is hard to see this old team beating them out, despite all of the past success. Projection: #3 in Northwest Division, #10 in West, between 39-43 wins.

Portland (41-41, #10 in conference and nine games out of the playoffs)

The #11 selection in the draft from Indiana (Jerryd Bayless out of Arizona)
The #25 selection in the draft
from Houston (Nicolas Batum out of France)
F Ike Diogu from Indiana
LA Clippers’ second round pick in 2009
Two future second round picks from Chicago

Traded away the #13 selection in the draft, Brandon Rush out of Kansas, along with PG Jarrett Jack and F Josh McRoberts, to Indiana for Diogu and Bayless. Traded away the #55 selection in the draft, Mike Taylor out of the NBDL/Idaho State to the LA Clippers for their second round pick in 2009. Traded away the #27 selection in the draft, Darrell Arthur out of Kansas, and the #33 selection in the draft, Joey Dorsey out of Memphis, to Houston for Batum. Traded away the #36 selection in the draft, Omer Asik out of Turkey, to Chicago for two future second round picks, and traded away cash considerations to New Orleans to begin a series of trades involving Darrell Arthur.

Star contributors on the team in 2008-2009 are projected to be PG Steve Blake, SG Brandon Roy, SF Martell Webster, PF LaMarcus Aldridge, C Greg Oden, SF Travis Outlaw and C Joel Przybilla. Key unrestricted free agents include PF James Jones and SG Von Wafer.

Report Card: The Atlanta Hawks of the Western Conference failed to make the playoffs because average just doesn’t cut it anywhere but the East. Portland will get Greg Oden back in 2008-2009, and along with their trades for Bayless, and Batum, they add another handful of young weapons to an already potent lineup. Roy, and Aldridge have already developed into some of the best young players in the NBA, and adding first-round talent rookies (Oden included) will be just enough to propel this team into their first year of the playoffs in a long time. I think Diogu as well will be a nice frontcourt addition to a team that might need it, especially if efficient James Jones heads out of town. Projection: #2 in Northwest Division, #6 in West, between 45-49 wins.

Minnesota (22-60, T-#13 in conference and twenty-eight games out of the playoffs)

The #5 selection in the draft from Memphis (Kevin Love out of UCLA)
The #31 selection in the draft (Nikola Pekovic out of Serbia)
SF Mike Miller from Memphis
PF Brian Cardinal from Memphis
C Jason Collins from Memphis
Miami’s two second round picks in 2009
Traded away the #3 selection in the draft, O.J. Mayo out of USC, along with PG Marko Jaric, F Antoine Walker and SF Greg Buckner to Memphis for Love, Miller, Cardinal and Collins. Traded away the #34 selection in the draft, Mario Chalmers out of Kansas, to Miami for their two second round picks in 2009.

Star contributors on the team in 2008-2009 are projected to be PG Randy Foye, SG Rashad McCants, SF Mike Miller, PF Kevin Love, C Al Jefferson, SG Rashad McCants and SF Corey Brewer. Key unrestricted free agents include C Michael Doleac, SG Kirk Snyder and PG Sebastian Telfair, while SF Ryan Gomes, PF Craig Smith and C Chris Richard are restricted free agents.

Report Card: I still do not comprehend the trade that Minnesota and Memphis pulled off on draft night, as it seems to give a complete unfair advantage to the Timberwolves. After trading away Garnett last season, everyone knew that Minnesota would be in rebuilding mode. But after acquiring Mike Miller, and the most fundamentally sound prospect in years in Kevin Love, Minnesota might only be a year or two away from making the playoffs. They will need to keep some young guys around on the bench such as Gomes, and Smith, but I think they still will have a chance to win 15 more games this season. Projection: #4 in Northwest Division, #11 in West, between 35-39 wins.

Seattle/Oklahoma City (20-62, #15 in conference and thirty games out of the playoffs)

The #4 selection in the draft (Russell Westbrook out of UCLA)
The #24 selection in the draft (Serge Ibaka out of the Republic of the Congo)
The #29 selection in the draft from Detroit (D.J. White out of Indiana)
The #50 selection in the draft (DeVon Hardin out of California)
Cash considerations from Cleveland
Traded away the #32 selection in the draft, Walter Sharpe out of UAB, and the #46 selection in the draft, Trent Plaisted out of BYU, to Detroit for White. Traded away the #56 selection in the draft, Sasha Kaun out of Kansas, to Cleveland for cash considerations.

Star contributors on the team in 2008-2009 are projected to be PG Russell Westbrook, PG Earl Watson, PG Luke Ridnour, SF Kevin Durant, PF Jeff Green, PF Nick Collison, and PF Chris Wilcox. Key unrestricted free agents include SF Ronald Dupree, C Francisco Elson, and SG Mickael Gelabale, while C Robert Swift is a restricted free agent, and SF Adrian Griffin has limited salary protection.

Report Card: As a statistician, I hate Durant, I hate Green, and I hate Westbrook. Any other reason why I shouldn’t have Seattle/Oklahoma City towards the bottom of the Western Conference? Their first-round selections puzzle me more than Atlanta’s did a few years back. With a trio of solid, but not great point guards in Westbrook, Watson, and Ridnour, Seattle is clearly on the brink of making a trade. They currently have no shooting guards on roster, and their best chance at a center is unrestricted free agent Elson. Wilcox, and Collison are two solid, above average power forwards, but they might be the most efficient players on a roster that has no team players. Projection: #5 in Northwest Division, #14 in West, between 25-29 wins.

Western Conference – Pacific Division

LA Lakers (57-25, #1 in conference and lost in five games in the NBA Finals)

The #58 selection in the draft (Joe Crawford out of Kentucky)

Star contributors on the team in 2008-2009 are projected to be PG Jordan Farmar, SG Kobe Bryant, SF Lamar Odom, PF Pau Gasol, C Andrew Bynum, PG Derek Fisher, SF Luke Walton and PF Vladimir Radmanovic. Key unrestricted free agents include C DJ Mbenga and SF Ira Newble, while C Ronny Turiaf and SG Sasha Vujacic are restricted free agents and SG Coby Karl has limited salary protection.

Report Card: How can this team not be the top team in the NBA this coming season? By my rulings, Kobe Bryant may not be the most valuable player in the NBA, but the trio of Odom, Gasol, and Bynum makes him look pretty damn good. With these three sub-stars healthy, L.A. will be scary good in the Western Conference. Bynum was a top fifteen NBA player last year when healthy, Odom had a comeback year, and became one of the top forty players, while Gasol has consistently been in the top twenty-five. Add in the young talents of Farmar, Walton, and Vujacic (I hate him so much, but L.A. will need to resign him), and you have the best team in the league. Projection: #1 in Pacific Division, #1 in West, between 58-62.

Phoenix (55-27, #6 in conference and lost in five games in the first round)

The #15 selection in the draft (Robin Lopez out of Stanford)
The #45 selection in the draft from San Antonio (Goran Dragic out of Slovenia)
Traded away the #48 selection in the draft, Malik Hairston out of Oregon, along with a future second round pick, and cash considerations to San Antonio for Dragic.Star contributors on the team in 2008-2009 are projected to be PG Steve Nash, SG Leandro Barbosa, SF Grant Hill, PF Boris Diaw, C Amare Stoudamire, SG Raja Bell and C Shaquille O’Neal. Key unrestricted free agents include SG Gordan Giricek, SF Linton Johnson, C Sean Marks, SF Eric Piatkowski, and C Brian Skinner, while SG D.J. Strawberry has limited salary protection.

Report Card: Steve Nash is no longer a youngster (turned 34 in February), and this team was not very good after they made the trade for Shaquille O’Neal (turned 36 in March) towards the end of last season. Amare Stoudamire is the best player on this team, and it would be smart for Phoenix to actually play him superstar minutes (33.9 minutes per game last season.) Bell, Barbosa, and Diaw are quality players in the NBA, but without MVP-caliber Steve Nash, and the matrix Shawn Marion, these Suns will not be among the top teams in the Western Conference. Robin Lopez is a defensive prospect, and is certainly not as polished offensively as his brother Brook. Look for him to be a solid rotational player down the road, and a nice backup for Stoudamire. Projection: #2 in Pacific Division, #7 in West, between 43-47 wins.

Golden State (48-34, #9 in conference and two games out of the playoffs)

The #13 selection in the draft (Anthony Randolph out of LSU)
The #49 selection in the draft (Richard Hendrix out of Alabama)

Star contributors on the team in 2008-2009 are projected to be SG Marco Belinelli, SF Stephen Jackson, PF Al Harrington and PF Brandan Wright. Key unrestricted free agents include PF Matt Barnes, PF Austin Croshere, PG Baron Davis (agreed to terms with the LA Clippers), C Patrick O’Bryant, and SF Mickael Pietrus, while SG Kelenna Azubuike, C Andris Biedrins, and SG Monta Ellis are restricted free agents, and G C.J. Watson has limited salary protection.

Report Card: Baron Davis is projected to sign with the LA Clippers, and the Warriors are having serious problems bringing anyone else in to replace the perennial All-Star. Without their catalyst Davis, it is tough to see this team anywhere near where they were the last two seasons, in having a record over .500, and being either the #8 or #9 seed in the West. Even if the Warriors do manage to bring in a player like Atlanta Hawks forward Josh Smith, I think that Portland, LA Clippers, Denver and Minnesota will be better. The end of Nellie-ball is just starting to appear over in Oakland. Projection: #4 in Pacific Division, #12 in West, between 33-37 wins.

Sacramento (38-44, #11 in conference and twelve games out of the playoffs)

The #12 selection in the draft (Jason Thompson out of Rider)
The #42 selection in the draft (Sean Singletary out of Virginia)
The #43 selection in the draft (Patrick Ewing Jr. out of Georgetown)

Star contributors on the team in 2008-2009 are projected to be PG Beno Udrih, SG Kevin Martin, SF Ron Artest, PF Mikki Moore, C Brad Miller, SG John Salmons, and SF Francisco Garcia. Key unrestricted free agents include PG Beno Udrih (agreed to terms with Sacramento), PG Anthony Johnson, and C Lorenzen Wright.

Report Card: I really do feel for Kevin Martin, who is clearly one of the most underrated players currently playing in the NBA. The 25-year-old out of Western Carolina (and born in Zainesville, Ohio,) is one of the most prolific scorers in the league, putting up 31.24 points per 48 minutes (sixth best in the NBA last season.) Unfortunately for him, however, the Maloofs are putting no talent around him. Ron Artest is bickering about choosing to extend his player option, and any starting lineup that includes Mikki Moore is certainly not going to be contending for the playoffs. The selection of Jason Thompson in the first round was a definite stretch by all accounts, but he should be a solid pro. No upside on this team, and there are just too many average talents around to see them even doing what they did last year. Projection: #5 in Pacific Division, #13 in West, between 27-31 wins.

LA Clippers (23-59, #12 in conference and twenty-seven games out of the playoffs)

The #7 selection in the draft (Eric Gordon out of Indiana)
The #35 selection in the draft (DeAndre Jordan out of Texas A&M)
The #55 selection in the draft from Portland (Mike Taylor out of NBDL/Idaho State)
Traded away their second round pick in 2009 to Portland for Taylor.

Star contributors on the team in 2008-2009 are projected to be PG Baron Davis (expected to be signed away from Golden State), SG Cuttino Mobley, SF Al Thornton, PF Tim Thomas, C Chris Kaman, and SG Eric Gordon. Key unrestricted free agents include PF Elton Brand, C Paul Davis, PG Dan Dickau, PG Shaun Livingston, SF Corey Maggette, SG Smush Parker, and SG Quinton Ross, while PF Nick Fazekas, and F Marcus Williams are restricted free agents, and PF Josh Powell has limited salary protection.

Report Card: As long as the Clippers can resign Elton Brand, and actually sign Baron Davis away from Golden State, they will be back in the playoff contention. It was only two years ago now when the Clippers finished the season with 47 wins, and made the playoffs with the fifth best record in the Western Conference advancing to the Conference Semifinals. Taking away Davis from Golden State clearly makes them better than the Warriors, and they are not that old in comparison to Dallas, or Denver. Meanwhile, the collection of Kaman, Thomas, Mobley, and rookie Gordon will be enough to complement the stars in Davis, and Brand. This is a nice looking team, and if they can get improved production, and solid health from guys like Livingston, and Thornton, they could be a threat deep in the playoffs as well. Projection: #3 in Pacific Division, #8 in West, between 42-46 wins.

Eastern Conference - Southeast Division

Orlando (52-30, #3 seed and lost in five games in the Conference Semifinals)

The #22 selection in the draft (Courtney Lee out of Western Kentucky)

Key contributors for the team in 2008-2009 are projected to be PG Jameer Nelson, SF Hedo Turkoglu, PF Rashard Lewis, and C Dwight Howard. Key unrestricted free agents include PG Carlos Arroyo, SG Keith Bogans, PG Keyon Dooling, SG Maurice Evans, C Adonal Foyle, and PF Pat Garrity while C James Augustine is a restricted free agent and C Marcin Gortat has limited salary protection.

Report Card: Issue number one for the Orlando Magic this off-season is shoring up their backcourt. Once they do that, and hopefully resign players such as Keith Bogans, Keyon Dooling and Maurice Evans, the Magic will be just as good as they were this past season. That consistent approach, along with a freak of nature known as Dwight Howard at center, should help then win the division yet again.
Projection: #1 in Southeast Division, #3 in East, between 45-49 wins.

Washington (43-39, #5 seed and lost in six games in the first round)

The #18 selection in the draft (JaVale McGee out of Nevada)
The #47 selection in the draft from Boston (Bill Walker out of Kansas State)
Traded away cash considerations to the Boston Celtics for Walker.

Key contributors to the team in 2008-2009 are projected to be PG Antonio Daniels, SG DeShawn Stevenson, SF Caron Butler, PF Darius Songalia, C Brendan Haywood, SG Nick Young and C Andray Blatche. Key unrestricted free agents include PG Gilbert Arenas, PF Antawn Jamison and PG Roger Mason.

Report Card: Rumors have it that the Wizards are on the verge of resigning Antawn Jamison to a four-year, $50 million contract and resigning Gilbert Arenas to a six-year, $100 million contract. If this happens, the Washington franchise will be able to keep together the trio that has led them to the Eastern Conference Playoffs three years in a row in Jamison, Arenas and Butler. Those three are All-Star caliber players when completely healthy, but I do not see things working out all fine and dandy for the Wizards. An injury or two will happen, and most likely a trade will prevent all of these fat contracts from appearing on the same roster. I am way down on this team, especially in comparison to the promise of the other teams in this division.
Projection: #5 in Southeast Division, #14 in East, between 28-32 wins.

Atlanta (37-45, #8 seed and lost in seven games in the first round)

Key contributors to the team in 2008-2009 are projected to be PG Mike Bibby, SG Joe Johnson, SF Marvin Williams, PF Al Horford, C Zaza Pachulia, and PG Acie Law. Key restricted free agents include SF Josh Childress, F Jeremy Richardson, PF Josh Smith, SG Salim Stoudamire, and SG Mario West.

Report Card: Whenever I have started a dynasty anytime recently in a basketball video game, I have decided to start with the Atlanta Hawks. Sure, I dislike the fact Zaza Pachulia is their center, and the fact they had no draft picks this season, but I really like the young and emerging talent on this team. Al Horford should have been the Rookie of the Year this past year, Joe Johnson is on the Olympic team, Josh Smith is one of the most underrated players in the NBA, and Marvin Williams and Josh Childress are just starting to blossom. I think this team showed a lot of potential in their seven-game series against the Boston Celtics in the playoffs, and has nowhere to go but up.
Projection: #2 in Southeast Division, #6 in East, between 41-45 wins.

Charlotte (32-50, #12 in conference, five games out of playoffs)

The #9 selection in the draft (D.J. Augustin out of Texas)
The #20 selection in the draft from Denver (Alexis Ajinca out of France)
The #38 selection in the draft (Kyle Weaver out of Washington State)
Traded away a future, protected first-round pick to Denver for Ajinca.

Key contributors to the team in 2008-2009 are projected to be PG Raymond Felton, SG Jason Richardson, SF Gerald Wallace, PF Sean May, C Nazr Mohammed, and SG Matt Carroll. Key unrestricted free agents include SG Derek Anderson, PG Early Boykins and PF Othella Harrington while C Ryan Hollins and PF Emeka Okafor are restricted free agents.

Report Card: The acquisition of rookie D.J. Augustin from Texas practically assures that the Raymond Felton era in Charlotte is over, and is the first big move for the new Larry Brown tenure for the Bobcats. Just like the Atlanta Hawks from a year ago, there is way too much young talent on this team for them not to radically improve. It might be difficult to instantly make the playoffs, but I believe Larry Brown is the type of coach that will be able to build this team from the ground up to being playoff caliber within a year or two. Keeping Emeka Okafor is a must, and then continuing to give minutes to Richardson, Wallace, and May will be helpful to creating a system of success for the youngest franchise in the NBA.
Projection: #4 in Southeast Division, #11 in East, between 33-37 wins.

Miami (15-67, #15 in conference, twenty-two games out of playoffs)

The #2 selection in the draft (Michael Beasley out of Kansas State)
The #34 selection in the draft from Minnesota (Mario Chalmers out of Kansas)
A future second round pick from Cleveland
Traded away their two second round picks in 2009 to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Chalmers, and traded away the #52 selection, Darnell Jackson out of Kansas to the Cleveland Cavaliers for their future second round pick.

Key contributors to the team in 2008-2009 are projected to be PG Marcus Banks, SG Dwyane Wade, PF Michael Beasley, C Mark Blount, PF Udonis Haslem, and SG Daequan Cook. Key unrestricted free agents include C Earl Barron, SF Ricky Davis, SF Shawn Marion, and PG Jason Williams, while PG Blake Ahearn, PG Chris Quinn, F Kasib Powell and SF Dorrell Wright are restricted free agents and C Joel Anthony and F Stephane Lasme have limited salary protection.

Report Card: How can a team with Dwyane Wade, Shawn Marion and Michael Beasley not contend for the playoffs? That is the question the Miami Heat management should be asking going into this off-season. If they can continue to make all three stars happy in an up-and-coming atmosphere, with a brand new coach in Erik Spoelstra, the Heat should easily return to the playoffs very soon. I think Beasley will be better than Rose in the NBA eventually, as big men from the college have higher success rates of becoming stars than do smaller guards. Mario Chalmers will be a perfect fit over time, and besides that all they need is another free agent or two to be much more competitive this season.
Projection: #3 in Southeast Division, #10 in East, between 34-38 wins.

Projected 2008-2009 Eastern Conference Standings:

Atlantic Division

Boston (1): between 55-59 wins (66 wins, #1)
Philadelphia (4): between 44-48 wins (40 wins, #7)
Toronto (8): between 38-42 wins (41 wins, #6)
New Jersey (13): between 30-34 wins (34 wins, #10)
New York (15): between 26-30 wins (23 wins, #14)

Central Division

Cleveland (2): between 46-50 wins (45 wins, #4)
Detroit (5): between 43-47 wins (59 wins, #2)
Chicago (7): between 40-44 wins (33 wins, #11)
Indiana (9): between 36-40 wins (36 wins, #9)
Milwaukee (12): between 32-36 wins (26 wins, #13)

Southeast Division

Orlando (3): between 45-49 wins (52 wins, #3)
Atlanta (6): between 41-45 wins (37 wins, #8)
Miami (10): between 34-38 wins (15 wins, #15)
Charlotte (11): between 33-37 wins (32 wins, #12)
Washington (14): between 28-32 wins (43 wins, #5)

All-Conference Awards

Most Surprising Team: Philadelphia 76ers (jump from #7 to #4)

Most Disappointing Team: Washington Wizards (fall from #5 to #14)

Most Valuable Player: LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers (the most VALUABLE player in the league)

Rookie of the Year: Michael Beasley, Miami Heat (more productive in college, will contribute immediately)

Most Improved Player: Marvin Williams, Atlanta Hawks (will make job from sixth man, to second best player on team)

Most Likely to Be Overrated: Richard Jefferson, Milwaukee Bucks (don’t believe me? Check out this post by Dave Berri)

Most Likely to Be Underrated: Joakim Noah, Chicago Bulls (his 13.025 rebounds per 48 minutes mark was very impressive for a rookie)

Note: The total wins I have projected for the Eastern Conference in these very early projections, are equal to the total number of wins accumulated by the Conference last season. Last year, the Eastern Conference won 192 out of the 450 inter-conference games played (a winning percentage of 0.427). While I do believe that the Eastern Conference may in fact be a little better this year because of the developing talent on a lot of teams, in comparison to the aging talent on teams out West (such as Phoenix, San Antonio, Dallas, etc.,) the period for adjusting that will be when I do my in-depth projections of the NBA in October. June/July is way too early to definitively say the Eastern Conference will be improved, and thus the win total stays the same.

Happy Fiscal New Year, everyone! 

Along with the turn of the fiscal calendar, July 1 also represents the turn of the academic calendar.  This is particularly appropriate for hoopheads, as the NBA’s season has ended and the draft madness that dominated bandwidth for the last two months after the Mario Miracle has died down to a whimper (well, there’s always 2009, right?).  All there really is to look forward to until October is the Ego Known as Kobe Bryant’s attempt to restore American hegemony in the international (read: Olympics) hoops realm.  That comes in August. 

So now is as good a time as any to take a look back at the 2007-08 season and once again review how the NBA’s one-and-done rule worked out for the schools that enabled it.  You might recall that we took a look at this last year and concluded: Ohio St., UNC, Texas… good.  Georgia Tech, Washington… not so good.  We also mentioned that several schools - Stanford, Tennessee, Arizona and Kansas included - were hanging onto players who could have been one-and-dones, but weren’t.  With the exception of the often comatose Arizona team, the other three as a result had fantastic squads last year. 

To start it off, let’s refresh ourselves with who the Rivals Top 20 recruits were coming into 2007-08.  As you can see below, we added a few columns that outline the player’s freshman numbers (pts/rebs/assts or blocks) and his team’s record as well as whether he went into the draft or is returning next season. 

So was it worth it?  Our takes:

Kansas St.  - Well Worth It.    K-State rode the best.freshman.ever Michael Beasley and sorta-but-not-really one-and-done Bill Walker (he was a medical redshirt in 06-07) as far as it could, which included a third-place finish in the competitive Big 12, a second-round NCAA tournament appearance and the first home win in twenty-four years over its rival and eventual national champion Kansas Jayhawks.  In other words, K-State’s best season in a generation.  The important aspect of Beasley and Walker’s one-and-dones for KSU head coach Frank Martin is to capitalize on future recruiting from the good will and national notoriety mustered by these players while on campus.  If he does not do so, and it’s soon back to the bottom of the Big 12 barrel for K-State, then the potential positive impacts of these stars passing through Manhattan, KS, were missed. 

Memphis - Well Worth It.  This too is a no-brainer.  #1 overall pick Derrick Rose converted a competitive yet incomplete team that would consistently flame out prior to the Final Four against other elite teams into a team that probably should have won the national title.  Rose led Memphis to a 38-2 record and had the Tigers in the argument for the most dominant season in the post-Wooden era before its epic free-throw meltdown in the championship game.  Even only as a runner-up, a Memphis fan would be hard pressed to find much else wrong with the 07-08 season, and as such, the one-year stopover by Derrick Rose was well worth it. 

Memphis Would Take A Rose Every Year (AP photo/Seth Wenig)

UCLA - Worth It.  This was a tough one, because UCLA came into the 07-08 season already having been to the last two Final Fours.  Anything short of that measure was going to be a disappointment (although Bruin fans might argue anything less than a national title is a disappointment).  We’ll argue, however, that Kevin Love brought a toughness and star-quality to Westwood that had been lacking on Ben Howland’s previous teams.  Not to mention that UCLA last season at 35-4 was simply a better team than the ones led by backcourt players (Afflalo and Farmar).  More than anything, Love’s presence solidifed UCLA again as a marquee destination for top-notch recruits, as Howland has penned five of the Rivals Top 50 in the Class of 2008. 

Arizona - Worth It.  It’s quite possible that Jerryd Bayless last season saved Arizona from breaking its NCAA Tournament streak of 24 consecutive appearances.  Arizona certainly didn’t have a great year amidst all the Lute Olson divorce and feud with Kevin O’Neill turmoils, but with a final record of 19-15, you have to figure that Bayless’ fantastic freshman year was worth a few wins that put the Cats back into the field of 65.  But that’s about all it was worth.  It certainly didn’t make Arizona into a contender of any kind, and it’s doubtful whether there will be any residual effects from Bayless’ time in Tucson.   

Indiana - Worth It.  Eric Gordon’s arrival in Bloomington was worth it if for no other reason than it gave Hoosier fans something to be excited about for approximately three months (Nov-Jan).  Now that the wheels have come completely tumbling off of the Indiana program, we have to wonder just how long their fans will covet and remember the halcyon days when IU was 16-1 and ranked #7 in the AP Poll.  Of course, E-Giddy was partially responsible for Indiana’s subsequent collapse (18.2 ppg on 37.2% FG/25.3% 3FG shooting in the last 13 games (8-5)), but we put most of that on the ultimate dismissal of Kelvin Sanctions whereupon the entire team simply quit playing.  So in our view, this one-and-done represents the last great season that Indiana will have for a while.  Too bad it couldn’t have worked out better for everyone involved. 

Gordon Left More than a Bloody Tooth in His Wake (photo credit:  Bloomington Herald-Times)

USC - Not Worth It.    For a while during the season, it appeared as if the OJ Mayo one-and-done situation might just work out for Tim Floyd and the Trojan Nation.  Similar to K-State, USC hadn’t seen this much hoops attention in years - with Mayo as the headliner, USC played numerous national television games, beat UCLA at Pauley, and ended up tied for third in the rugged Pac-10.  Of course, the wheels came off when USC failed to show up to its hyped battle against K-State in the first round of the NCAAs and the propriety of Mayo’s eligibility was called into question by ESPN soon thereafter.  Throw in Davon Jefferson (a one-and-done from the Class of 2006 who went to prep school for a year before enrolling at USC) and his foolish decision to enter this year’s draft (undrafted) and we’re not sure just how successful USC can claim 2007-08 was.  After all, the 2006-07 edition of the Trojans, led by Nick Young and Gabe Pruitt, also finished third in the Pac-10 but had a better overall record (23-11) and played into the second weekend of March Madness (giving Carolina all it wanted in the process).  Finally, with another uber-recruit, Demar DeRozan, coming to USC next year, Floyd needs to be hyper-vigilant about those nefarious agents and runners in light of the Mayo debacle because more eyes will be watching.   

NC State - Not Worth It.  Hey, remember all the preseason talk about how NC State was the third best team in the ACC, and a definite NCAA Tournament team?  Yeah, we don’t either.  Actually, we do, and few of the pundits will own up to the fact that it was a terrible prediction.  For the record, NC State ended up 15-16, but the Wolfpack were 4-12 in the ACC (worse than the previous year’s 5-11 campaign that inspired such foolishness) and lost their last nine games.  So what did JJ Hickson’s presence in Raleigh bring to the team?  Other than team chemistry problems, of course?  It doesn’t appear that he brought much else than an ability to get himself drafted.  NC State will likely be significantly better without him next season. 

What Chemistry Problems? 

LSU - Not Worth It.  While we’re in the business of ripping bad teams with one-and-done players, we shouldn’t overlook the LSU Tigers.  LSU seems to have one of these guys about every other year anyway, so it probably doesn’t matter much in terms of long-term effects, but a 13-18 record with a loss at Tulane calls into question the value of Anthony Randolph’s tenure on campus in Baton Rouge.  Certainly the mail-it-in coaching style of Mr. Misty Champagne didn’t help things out much, but even with John Wooden coaching that team, we’re not sure how much Randolph could have lifted the Bayou Bengals.

Others.  These teams all had one-and-dones of questionable efficacy.  Put another way, these teams probably wouldn’t have been much better nor worse had these players gone elsewhere.  Exhibit A is Texas A&M’s DeAndre Jordan.  TAMU was a tourney team anyway, led by Joseph Jones and Josh Carter, and it’s doubtful that Jordan’s four double-figure points games and two double-figure rebounds games in the Big 12 had much of an effect on A&M’s successful season.  Not Worth It.  Syracuse fans may disagree with us here, but despite Donte Greene’s exceptional first-year numbers, we find it hard to believe that the Orange would have been any less average than they already were last year (21-14, 9-10 Big East).  After all, Jim Boeheim could take five schoolgirls and make them competitive - he just wouldn’t win the title with them (unless Carmela Anthony was on the team).  The question is whether Syracuse fans are pleased with a third-round NIT appearance, and we all know the answer to that - a resounding no.  For a school with multiple F4s and a recent championship banner, missing the NCAAs completely is a failing season, no matter the reasonable expectation.  Not Worth It.  Finally, we look at Ohio St., who took Kosta Koufos to replace last year’s one-and-donest, Greg Oden.  The answer here once again comes down to the question of expectation vs. reality of the situation.  Without Oden, Mike Conley and Daequan Cook, it wasn’t realistic for Thad Matta to make another run at the F4; but the bar has been raised so high at Ohio St. under Matta that a 24-13 season leading to an NIT championship must necessarily be viewed as less-than-stellar.  Winning the Capital One Bowl doesn’t match the Rose Bowl, does it, Buckeye fans?  We’ll call this one a Push.   

Final Thoughts.  With so many freshmen leaving this year from the top 20 Rivals list, we’d guess only Florida with Nick Calathes and Chandler Parsons returning may be a team to really watch closely next year.  Otherwise, keep an eye on UCLA, Wake Forest and UConn, each of which has multiple top twenty players coming onto campus next year. 

This is part one in a series of four parts recapping all of the transactions made in the NBA on Draft Day 2008, and making very early projections for the upcoming 2008-2009 season. Coming on Friday will be the Southeast Division along with the completion of the Eastern Conference.

Eastern Conference – Atlantic Division

Boston (66-16, NBA Champions)

The #30 selection in the draft (J.R. Giddens out of New Mexico)
The #60 selection in the draft (Semih Erden out of Turkey)
Traded away the #47 selection in Bill Walker out of Kansas State to the Washington Wizards for cash considerations

Key contributors on the team in 2008-2009 are projected to be PG Rajon Rondo, SG Ray Allen, SF Paul Pierce, PF Kevin Garnett, and C Kendrick Perkins. Key unrestricted free agents include PF/C P.J. Brown, PG Sam Cassell, PG Eddie House, C Scot Pollard, and SF James Posey, while SG Tony Allen will be a restricted free agent, and PF Leon Powe has limited salary protection.

Report Card: Still a great team as long as Allen, Pierce and Garnett are healthy. They really did not need to prove anything in the draft, and picked based on the best available player. As long as they are able to fill in the gaps this off-season by resigning a few guys like Posey and Howe, they will not miss a beat. No way they are not a top two seed in the Eastern Conference next season, 55+ wins is a given. Projection: #1 in Atlantic, #1 in East, between 55-59 wins.

Toronto (41-41, #6 seed and lost in five games in the first round)

PF/C Jermaine O’Neal from Indiana
Traded away PG T.J. Ford, C Rasho Nesterovic, and the #17 pick in Roy Hibbert out of Georgetown for O’Neal

Key contributors on the team in 2008-2009 are projected to be SG Anthony Parker, SF Jamario Moon, PF Chris Bosh, PF/C Jermaine O’Neal, PF Andrea Bargnani, and SF Jason Kapono. Key restricted free agents include PG Jose Calderon and SG Carlos Delfino, while C Primoz Brezec is an unrestricted free agent.

Report Card: I am not so sure what they were thinking in trading away Ford, and a budding prospect in Hibbert for the oft-injured O’Neal. The addition of him to the mix will be similar to the addition of Larry Hughes in Cleveland, and Toronto will not improve as much as they should next season with such a young roster. If they re-sign Calderon, I am guessing just a little bit better than last season, if not, they are in jeopardy of missing the playoffs. Projection: #3 in Atlantic, #8 in East, between 38-42 wins.

Philadelphia (40-42, #7 seed and lost in six games in the first round)

The #16 selection in the draft (Marreese Speights out of Florida)

Key contributors on the team in 2008-2009 are projected to be PG Andre Miller, SG Willie Green, SF Rodney Carney, PF Reggie Evans, C Samuel Dalembert, and PF Thaddeus Young. Key restricted free agents include PF Louis Amundson, PF Herbert Hill, C Shavlik Randolph, PG Louis Williams and SF Andre Igoudala while PG Kevin Ollie is an unrestricted free agent.

Report Card: As long as they can keep Igoudala, and Williams, I believe that this team is capable of performing just as they did in the second half of this past season. I really like the addition of Marreese Speights to the team, and he will be a great fit with Evans, Dalembert and Young. Might be able to surpass Toronto within the division, and might be in contention for first round home court advantage if they continue to improve. Projection: #2 in Atlantic, #4 in East, between 44-48 wins.

New Jersey (34-48, #10 in conference, three games out of playoffs)

The #10 selection in the draft (Brook Lopez out of Stanford)
The #20 selection in the draft (Ryan Anderson out of California)
The #40 selection in the draft (Chris Douglas-Roberts out of Memphis)
SF Bobby Simmons from Milwaukee
PF Yi Jianlian from Milwaukee
Traded away F Richard Jefferson to Milwaukee for Simmons and Jianlian

Key contributors on the team in 2008-209 are projected to be PG Devin Harris, SG Vince Carter, SF Bobby Simmons, PF Yi Jianlian, C Sean Williams and PF Josh Boone. Key unrestricted free agents include PG Darrell Armstrong, C DeSagana Diop, C Stromile Swift and SF Bostjan Nachbar, while PF Nenad Krstic is a restricted free agent and SF Keith Van Horn has limited salary protection.

Report Card: The rumors of New Jersey already planning to court LeBron James in the summer of 2010 must be true, as I see very little evidence that the Nets will be any better this coming season. Lopez and Douglas-Roberts should be solid players in the future, but I do not see them coming in and lifting this team into the playoffs. Vince Carter is way past his prime, and Bobby Simmons and Yi Jianlian cannot be relied upon to be the cornerstones of a playoff team. I would be shocked if they win more than 40 games. Projection: #4 in Atlantic, #13 in East, between 30-34 wins.

New York (23-59, #14 in conference, fourteen games out of playoffs)

The #6 selection in the draft (Danilo Gallinari out of Italy)

Key contributors on the team in 2008-2009 are projected to be PG Stephon Marbury, SG Jamal Crawford, SF Quentin Richardson, PF Zach Randolph, C Eddy Curry, PG Nate Robinson and PF David Lee. C Randolph Morris is a restricted free agent, while SG Fred Jones is an unrestricted free agent.

Report Card: Despite the chorus of boos from the Knicks fans at the Draft on Thursday, I believe that drafting the SF Gallinari will be a key boost for the long-term. However, with an already chaotic roster of players, I do not think he will be able to take over a starting position just yet. This team looks talented on paper, and with D’Antonio as the coach I can see them improving a little bit. They are one or two years away from making a run at the playoffs, but they are moving in the right direction with the selection of Gallinari. They are looking better, but may still be the worst team in the conference. Projection: #5 in Atlantic, #15 in East, between 26-30 wins.

Eastern Conference – Central Division

Detroit (59-23, #2 seed and lost in six games in the Conference Finals)

The #32 selection in the draft from Seattle (Walter Sharpe out of UAB)
The #46 selection in the draft from Seattle (Trent Plaisted out of BYU)
The #59 selection in the draft (Deron Washington out of Virginia Tech)
Traded away the #29 selection in D.J. White out of Indiana to the Seattle Sonics for Sharpe and Plaisted.

Key contributors on the team in 2008-2009 are projected to be PG Chauncey Billups, SG Richard Hamilton, SF Tayshaun Prince, PF Rasheed Wallace, C Antonio McDyess, SG Rodney Stuckey and PF Jason Maxiell. Key unrestricted free agents include SG Juan Dixon, SF Jarvis Hayes, PG Lindsey Hunter and C Theo Ratliff while SF Walter Hermann is a restricted free agent.

Report Card: Rumors are that the Pistons are shopping out one of their main four players in Billups, Hamilton, Prince and Wallace. If one of them is gone, I do not see this team improving much. They disappointed me against Boston in the playoffs after pulling off 59 wins in the regular season, and I called this dynasty dead after the Cavaliers beat them in the playoffs in 2006-2007. This will be the beginning of the end for streak of Detroit success, and I think this will be the first time in a while they will not make the Eastern Conference Finals. Projection: #2 in Central, #5 in East, between 43-47 wins.

Cleveland (45-37, #4 seed and lost in seven games in the Conference Semifinals)

The #19 selection in the draft (J.J. Hickson out of NC State)
The #52 selection in the draft from Miami (Darnell Jackson out of Kansas)
The #56 selection in the draft from Seattle (Sasha Kaun out of Kansas)
Traded away a future second round pick to the Miami Heat for Jackson, and traded away cash considerations to the Seattle Sonics for Kaun.

Key contributors for the team in 2008-2009 are projected to be SG Sasha Pavlovic, SF LeBron James, SF Wally Szczerbiak, PF Joe Smith, C Anderson Varejao, C Zydrunas Ilgauskas and C Ben Wallace. Key restricted free agents include PG Daniel Gibson, PG Delonte West and C Dwayne Jones, while SF Devin Brown is an unrestricted free agent, and PF Lance Allred and SG Billy Thomas have no salary protection.

Report Card: Yes, the Cavaliers desperately need a second option on offense alongside LeBron James. Yes, they desperately need to resign Delonte West, Daniel Gibson and Devin Brown and continue to exploit as much as they can out of these players. The good news however for Northeast Ohio fans is that this team is very young, and the acquisitions of Hickson and Jackson should help out the sketchy frontcourt. If the Cavaliers are able to acquire a consistent starting guard, then I think they will revert back to 50 wins this coming season. They hit that mark in the previous two seasons, before serious injuries brought them down to 45. Projection: #1 in Central, #2 in East, between 46-50 wins.

Indiana (36-46, #9 in conference, one game out of the playoffs)

PG T.J. Ford from Toronto
PG Jarrett Jack from Portland
F Josh McRoberts from Portland
C Rasho Nesterovic from Toronto
The #13 selection in the draft from Portland (Brandon Rush out of Kansas)
The #17 selection in the draft from Toronto (Roy Hibbert out of Georgetown)
The #41 selection in the draft (Nathan Jawai out of Australia)
Traded away F Ike Diogu and the #11 selection in Jerryd Bayless out of Arizona to the Portland Trailblazers for Rush, Jack and McRoberts. Traded away PF/C Jermaine O’Neal to the Toronto Raptors for Ford, Nesterovic and Hibbert.

Key contributors to the team in 2008-2009 are projected to be PG T.J. Ford, SG Mike Dunleavy, SF Danny Granger, PF Troy Murphy, C Jeff Foster, PG Jamaal Tinsley and SG Marquis Daniels. Key restricted free agents include C David Harrison, PG Andre Owens, while PG Flip Murray and SG Kareem Rush are unrestricted free agents.

Report Card: I really like the Jermaine O’Neal trade from the Pacers perspective. It enabled them to get Roy Hibbert, who should be a solid pro, and T.J. Ford, who is an above average starting point guard in this league. Brandon Rush was another great draft pick, and with a solid and young core of Ford, Dunleavy, Granger, and Murphy, I expect this team to drastically improve in the years to come. But I still find it hard for them to make it to the playoffs this coming year, because the Bulls will not be able to repeat what happened last year, and the Bobcats and Hawks will be much improved as well. Projection: #4 in Central, #9 in East, between 36-40 wins.

Chicago (33-49, #11 in conference, four games out of playoffs)

The #1 selection in the draft (Derrick Rose out of Memphis)
The #36 selection in the draft from Portland (Omer Asik out of Turkey)
Denver’s second round pick in 2009
Traded away the #39 selection in Sonny Weems out of Alabama to Denver for their future second round pick and traded away two future second round picks to Portland for Asik.

Key contributors for the team in 2008-2009 are projected to be PG Derrick Rose, SG Larry Hughes, SF Andres Nocioni, PF Drew Gooden, C Joakim Noah, SG Thabo Sefolosha and PF Tyrus Thomas. Key restricted free agents include SF Luol Deng, SF Demetris Nichols and SG Ben Gordon while SG Shannon Brown and PG Chris Duhon are unrestricted free agents and SG JamesOn Curry has limited salary protection.

Report Card: I still do not understand how a team with such promise and upside delivered a 33 win season. With Derrick Rose added to the picture, and probably a trade or two projected to happen within the coming months, Chicago should move right back on track into the playoff picture in the Eastern Conference. I am still not that big of a fan of their frontcourt, which lacks serious height, but I think their solid guard play in Rose, Hughes, Deng and Gordon should be enough as long as they stay together. Projection: #3 in Central, #7 in East, between 40-44 wins.

Milwaukee (26-56, #13 in conference, eleven games out of playoffs)

The #8 selection in the draft (Joe Alexander out of West Virginia)
The #37 selection in the draft (Luc Richard Mbah a Moute out of UCLA)
F Richard Jefferson from New Jersey
Traded away SF Bobby Simmons and PF Yi Jianlian to the New Jersey Nets for Jefferson.

Key contributors for the team in 2008-2009 are projected to be PG Maurice Williams, SG Michael Redd, SF Richard Jefferson, PF Charlie Villanueva, C Andrew Bogut, SG Charlie Bell and SF Desmond Mason. Key unrestricted free agents include PG Royal Ivey, C Michael Ruffin, and C Jake Voshkul, while SF Awvee Storey is a restricted free agent and PG Ramon Sessions has limited salary protection.

Report Card: Talking to my brother Sam, and to the only true Milwaukee Bucks fan I know in Akron Aeros Director of Media Relations Rob Sinclair, has led me to believe that the Richard Jefferson trade might be enough to bring the Bucks from lottery team to early exit playoff team. The only thing stopping that from happening is the mass amount of teams in the East that happen to be just above average, such as Charlotte, Toronto, Indiana, Chicago and Atlanta. All of those teams are better than Milwaukee right now, and only if Richard Jefferson can play like he did in the glory days of the New Jersey Nets can the Bucks make the playoffs. Projection: #5 in Central, #11 in East, between 32-36 wins.

Moments before the start of the 2008 NBA Draft, the Chicago Bulls had still not given any guidance as to the direction they were going with the #1 pick. Most experts agreed that Memphis G Derrick Rose would be the Bulls choice, but the Bulls did a great job of keeping Kansas State F Michael Beasley in the picture and when NBA Commissioner David Stern walked to the podium to announce the pick, I was uncertain who the Bulls wrote on the card in the commish’s hand.

In the end, Derrick Rose was the right pick for the Bulls for the following reasons:

1. The NBA is evolving into a more perimeter controlled game. Ballhandlers and penetrators are at a premium. Derrick Rose was the best of the perimeter players in this year’s draft. Rose can score, pass, rebound if needed, and play defense. He is unselfish almost to a fault. Rose can penetrate, get to the basket, and finish once he gets there. He still needs to work on his outside shot, particularly his 3-point shooting, and even Rose himself has acknowledged that, but his inside/outside game now is quite potent and will only get exponentially better with time.

2. Derrick Rose is the most competitive player in this year’s draft. His will to win is something not seen in Chicago Bulls basketball since Michael Jordan. In a recent Chicago Tribune article, Rose was asked to describe himself. His response: “An unselfish guard who’s willing to do anything to win. I mean, anything.” Very focused, very precise. His will to win is enormous. This is a kid that cried after losing AAU games. Willing to do anything to win and hates losing? These are qualities that are sorely lacking for anyone currently on the Bulls roster.

3. Derrick Rose’s work ethic and leadership is second to none. Rose has been heralded as the hardest worker in this year’s draft. Again, in a recent Chicago Tribune article on Rose, his work ethic has been described as follows:

“Last summer, shortly after Rose arrived at Memphis, Calipari received a report that Rose’s knee was hurting him. Why would his knee be bothering him already, Calipari wondered.

The answer: Rose was toiling in the gym for six hours at a time. It might have been the first time in recorded history that a coach asked an elite player to stop working so hard.”

Rose is willing to dedicate whatever time is necessary to be the best. All great leaders start by leading by example. Rose is soft spoken, but his actions will speak louder than words. Over time, the words will be there, but Rose may already be the hardest worker on the Bulls roster and he has yet to attend a practice, much less play a game.

4. The home town hero scenario was too good to be true - on the day of the NBA Draft Lottery, the Chicago Bulls had a 1.7% chance of winning the #1 pick. Fate ran it’s course and the Bulls somehow defied odds and were put in position to draft the most dynamic player in this year’s draft. That player so happened to be from Chicago, so a hometown hero in the making.

Many critics point to C Eddy Curry and his inability to succeed with the pressure of playing in your hometown as a reason why the Bulls should have bypassed Derrick Rose. That logic makes absolutely no sense to me. It has nothing to do with playing in your hometown. It has everything to do with heart and character, and Derrick Rose has more heart and character than Eddy Curry. That alone will make the difference. The question of Derrick feeling pressure playing at home was handled deftly on the night of the draft:

His mom Brenda downplayed the notion that playing in Chicago will put more pressure on her son, telling ESPN: ‘‘He’s used to playing in Chicago.’’

The Rose family has handled Derrick professionally with great foresight of the potential of playing in Chicago for the Bulls. They have taught Derrick to handle pressure. This is a support system that Eddy Curry lacked.

5. Derrick Rose’s heart is in Chicago - he will also be the heart of professional basketball in Chicago for years to come. One day, Mr. Rose will be known only as Derrick, like the other great Bull, Michael. The heart of a championship team has walked in the door of the House That Michael Built. If Derrick Rose continues to work his craft, to constantly and consistently work on improving his game, the sky’s the limit. He will one day wear a NBA championship ring, maybe multiple rings…..and I am not one to doubt that this will not happen.

If you still doubt that Derrick Rose is the right pick for Chicago, the Bulls will be playing in the NBA Summer League in Orlando, FL from July 7-11. You can watch a live video webcast of each game on www.orlandomagic.com.

#1 CHICAGO BULLS

SELECTION

DERRICK ROSE

ANALYSIS

Great moves by Chicago to improve their backcourt. Rose should start from day one and help push the tempo. The Bulls have frontcourt athletes like Jakim Noah, Tyrus Thomas to help run with Rose and should make Kirk Hinrich and/or Ben Gordan expendable. Rose has a chance to be anything from Jason Kidd, to Darron Williams.

#2 MIAMI HEAT

SELECTION

MICHAEL BEASLEY

ANALYSIS

The correct decision for Miami but a risky one. I think Beasley is the 2nd best player in the draft and Miami didn’t need to draft OJ Mayo this high (even if they would have traded down to the #5 pick). Beasley is a extremely talented player with the potential to become a top 10 player within 5-6 years. The only question remains his desire and maturity. Does he want to be great, or does he want to be Rasheed Wallace without the temper, Lamar Odom or this generations Derrick Coleman (aka satisfy with just being very good even though he has the talent to be great?

#3 MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES

SELECTION

O.J Mayo (Later traded to Memphis for Kevin Love)

ANALYSIS

TOO HIGH, TOO HIGH, TOO HIGH!!!I’ve been watching Mayo since he was a junior year in high school and my opinions about his game has diminished. From a character and maturity standpoint I believe he’s ready to be in the NBA and will not be a headache or problem off the court. I reservations are all about what he can do on the court and help Minnesota. He’s a jack of all trades and a master of none. He does a lot of things very well, but nothing that stands out. He can be a solid starter for a championship caliber team (which is not the Timberwolves) but not the type of player that you build you’re team around (which should happen when you draft #3).

TRADED TO MEMPHIS: Interesting move by Kevin McHale. The word was they wanted Love the entire time but thought that selecting him at #3 was too high. The frontcourt of Al Jefferson and Kevin Love won’t win any athletic contests and it will be interesting to see them try to guard the more athletic front lines in the league, but you do have two young guys who will complement each other well.

#4 SEATTLE SONICS

SELECTION

RUSSELL WESTBROOK

ANALYSIS

ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?!?!?  Seattle was looking to trade out of the pick, but Minnesota drafted the player they wanted in Mayo. But drafting Westbrook over Bayless? Westbrook is a player I’ve been touting as the best prospect on the UCLA team since January but to have Seattle draft him that high?  Westbrook played the point when success when Darren Collinson was injured last season, but he is not a classic point guard. Huge mistake in my opinion!!

#5 MEMPHIS GRIZZLES

SELECTION (Later traded to Minnesota)

KEVIN LOVE

ANALYSIS

Now, we just hope GM Chris Wallace doesn’t turn around and trade Love to the Boston Celtics for a future first, Scott Pollard and Big Baby Davis!! Will he be Wes Unseld, Brad Miller or Sean May? Arguably the most intelligent and fundamentally sound player in the draft. My question about Love? Will he be able to maintain his weight at a level where he won’t be developing back problems at age 23? I also question his athletic ability…He’s not as unathletic as advertised, but in the Western conference he will have problems with the Amare Stoudemire’s of the Western Conference.

TRADED TO MINNESOTA: Good news is the fact that Memphis got the better player in Mayo. I still think Mayo is overrated for going this high, but Memphis will improve with the trio of Mike Conley Jr at the point, Mayo at the shooting guard, and Rudy Guy on the wing.

#6 NEW YORK KNICKS

SELECTION

DANINO GALLINARI

ANALYSIS

WHAT IS GOING ON WITH JERRYD BAYLESS THAT WE DON’T KNOW ABOUT?? Gallinari is a guy who has been scouted for years and is no mystery to those in the know. The talent is there and Gallinari does present a package that new head coach Mike D’antoni can work with. I thought Blayless would be a better fit and has a better chance to be a star, but Dino is tall, rangy, skilled and talented. Another European player trying to prove his worth in the NBA…We’ll see.

#7 LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS

SELECTION

ERIC GORDON

ANALYSIS

A basketball player who plays like a football player. Strong, strong, strong!!! Over powered people in college and showed he can shoot the outside shot at Indiana. Will be unstoppable to stop once he gets you on his hip. Was injured in college and was in a bad situation down the stretch, but he is still a top five talent in this draft. Just don’t ask him to play the point.

#8 MILWAUKEE BUCKS

SELECTION

JOE ALEXANDER

ANALYSIS

Great story and I’m glad Alexander went this high. He has shot up the draft board with great workouts and should be ready to play in the NBA this season.People say Chase Budinger is a tremendous athlete (and he is), but Alexander is stronger, meaner and plays hungrier. A hard worker he went from being an afterthought his senior year in high school to being a lottery pick. Great story.

#9 CHARLOTTE BOBCATS

SELECTION

D.J AUGUSTIN

ANALYSIS

Thought the Bobcats might go big selecting Brook Lopez, but instead went with a great college point guard who will compete with Raymond Felton. With point guard teacher extraordinaire Larry Brown ready to break them down and build them back up, the winner of the Felton-vs-Augustin match up will be able to withstand the teacher/taskmaster, Larry Brown.

#10 NEW JERSEY NETS

SELECTION

BROOK LOPEZ

ANALYSIS

I like his brother Robin as a better NBA prospect, but Brook is no stiff. He is a legit seven footer with a huge wing span, can score inside, has a mean streak (I guess?!?) and has some intelligence (he did go to Stanford). My concerns are his lack of athleticism and how well he can adapt against the big, physical men of the NBA. But if your going to draft a dud, draft then big!!

#11 INDIANA PACERS

SELECTION

JERRYD BAYLESS(Later traded to Portland)

ANALYSIS

ABOUT DAMN TIME!!! Indiana just became the big winner in the first round. I thought Bayless is a top three talent (right behind Rose and Beasley) in this draft and think he will be an all star within 5 years. He’s a great athlete, hard worker, plays with heart and intensity, is intelligent and plays for a coach in Jim O’Brian who is a guards coach. Bayless and TJ Ford will make a small backcourt (anybody want a broken down point guard who constantly gets himself in trouble with the law? Jamal Tinsley just became available) but they will be exciting.

TRADED TO PORTLAND: I said it before and I’ll say it again. I think Bayless is going to be an all-star and future top 15 player in the league. Portland has done a great job the last two years getting great young pieces to build around. A team that features a starting five of Bayless, Brandon Roy, Travis Outlaw, LaMarcus Aldridge and Greg Odem should be competing for NBA championships within three years.

#12 SACRAMENTO KINGS

SELECTION

JASON THOMPSON

ANALYSIS

First senior taken in the draft, Thompson selected at #12 might have been a stretch. Thompson might be ready to play in the league sooner than the other big men who are projects, but how good will he be a few years down the road. Sacramento needed some inside strength (and no, Spencer Haws does not count for strength) and muscle along with a point guard, so with this selection, I put my trust in Geoff Petrie.

#13 PORTLAND TRAILBLAZERS

SELECTION

BRANDON RUSH (Later traded to Indiana)

ANALYSIS

If he stays, what does this say to Martell Webster? I hope you’re renting!! I can’t believePortlanddidn’t trade this pick because it seems that the entire roster is filled with young players. If Portland keeps this pick, Rush will provide depth at the shooting guard and small forward position.

TRADED TO INDIANA: Rush adds some athleticism to a team that will have Troy Murphy, Mike Dunleavy Jr. and Roy Hibbert. It don’t get much slower and unathletic as that. Rush can play the shooting guard and small forward position and should be the only player on the current roster that can keep up with newly acquired T.J Ford.

#14 GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS

SELECTION

ANTHONY RANDOLPH

ANALYSIS

STRANGE INDEED?!?Didn’t Golden State acquire a skinny yet talented post player with great athleticism last season in Brandon Wright? Randolph is a small forward trapped in a the height of a power forward. He has talent and potential to do very good things down the line but I wouldn’t be surprise if we’re not looking at this generations Brad Sellers.

#15 PHOENIX SUNS

SELECTION

ROBIN LOPEZ

ANALYSIS

Excellent selection by Phoenix. The Suns are trying to revamp their team to make it more defensive oriented and tougher and in Robin Lopez they had a great fit. Who cares that his offensive game is his weakness!! With Amare Stoudemire in the post, Robin doesn’t need to be an offensive threat (HE WOULDN’T GET THE BALL ANYWAY!!) and in playing with Steve Nash, just get to the rim and wait for the pass and DUNK IT!!Playing with Shaq also can’t be a bad thing either. He’ll get some minutes when Shaq takes his 20 games off because of injury.

#16 PHILADELPHIA 76ERS

SELECTION

MARREESE SPEIGHTS

ANALYSIS

Rollin’ the dice are the 76ers with this selection but the talent is there. He was a player who should have done better in college with the skills he possessed but let a freshman be the man this season in Nick Calathes.

#17 TORONTO (MAKING PICK FOR INDIANA)

SELECTION

ROY HIBBERT

ANALYSIS

My boy, big Roy is a big big man!! With the trade of Jermain O’Neal toToronto, the Pacers needs someone who can clog the middle and the 7′2 Hibbbert will do just that. I don’t think he has what it takes to be a starting center on a really good NBA team (even a mediocre one) and I wonder how he will fit in a backcourt with the speed of Bayless and Ford. Hibbert makes George Mikan look graceful but he is a hard worker who has improved every year.

#18 WASHINGTON WIZARDS

SELECTION

JAVALE MCGEE

ANALYSIS

COME ON ERNIE!!! JaVale McGee at #18 when Darrell Authur is still on the board!?!? McGee is still a few years away from being a  decent player, but the Wizards need someone now!!! When the college basketball season started McGee got some great pub when he played well against North Carolina and Tyler Hansbrough (Hansbrough, a marginal pro AT BEST!!) and throughout the season, but fell during the workouts for NBA teams.

#19 CLEVELAND CAVALIERS

SELECTION

J.J HICKSON

ANALYSIS

Has anybody gotten in contact with LeBron to see what he thinks about the trade? Cleveland needs help now but there are no real options at this selection to make them better next season.Hickson is an undersized power forward and I would have looked at improving my backcourt bydrafting Mario Chalmers. Of course with LeBron’s blessing!!

#20 CHARLOTTE BOBCATS (DENVER FUTURE PICK TO CHARLOTTE)

SELECTION

ALEXIS AJINCA

ANALYSIS

Played in the France pro A league and was not that productive. A true project with a 7′8 wingspan. Will probably have to spend another three years overseas (he’s only 20) before he is ready to make any type of impact. Worked out well for several teams.

#21NEW JERSEY NETS

SELECTION

RYAN ANDERSON

ANALYSIS

WHAT IS GOING ON WITH DARRELL ARTHUR!?!? Ryan Anderson is a nice player and can stretch the defense with his three point shooting, but what’s the difference between him and Nick Fazicias from Nevada last year? With every team that bypasses on Arthur, the better he looks. I can’t understand how Washington or New Jersey couldn’t find a place for him.

#22 ORLANDO MAGIC

SELECTION

COURTNEY LEE

ANALYSIS

The best player available where the Magic need to improve the most (even though I don’t know how much longer Rashard Lewis can play play forward). Lee is a player who will make any shooting guard on the Orlando Magic expendable. He’s strong, fundamentally sound and can provide outside shooting.

#23 UTAH JAZZ

SELECTION

KOSTA KOUFOS

ANALYSIS

A bigger version of Mehmet Ohur (along with longer and more athletic version). The great thing about this selection is Utah will be set with Okur, Boozer and Milsap for the next few years while Koufos matures, learns the game from the great Jerry Sloan and fills out. Koufos would have been potentially a lottery pick coming out of High School and would have been a top 5 talent if he would have stay another year at Ohio St.

#24 SEATTLE SONICS

SELECTION

SERGE IBAKA

ANALYSIS

I have no idea who this guy is, and neither does half the scouts in the league. A lot of mock drafts had Seattle selecting him, but for myself I don’t see why. In a few years this player could become a player but if your going to take a risk, why draft Ibaka and not Arthur?

#25 HOUSTON ROCKETS

SELECTION

NICOLAS BATUM(Later traded to Portland)

ANALYSIS

Houston is in need of some athleticism so I was surprised when Batum was traded to Portland. Yes, I realize he plays the same way as Tracy McGrady and he didn’t perform well these past few months, but I crave players who are excellent athletes with great potential.Batum is just 19 years old and could have spelled McGrady at least 10 minutes a game during the regular season to keep T-Mac more ready for the playoffs.

#26 SAN ANTONIO SPURS

SELECTION

GEORGE HILL

ANALYSIS

Well at least they didn’t draft a European player that would never step foot in the United States for the next five years. Hill should be an adequate back up Tony Parker in a few years and play the two position. I’m not going to say much about this pick because-#1 I don’t know that much about George Hill and #2-I didn’t know much about Tony Parker, and how did that turn out?!?

#27 NEW ORLEANS HORNETS

SELECTION

DARRELL ARTHUR (LATER TRADED TO MEMPHIS FROM HOUSTON AND PORTLAND)

ANALYSIS

It was the Kidneys that made Arthur fall so low!! New Orleans decided they didn’t need anyone in the draft this year so they kept no one. Arthur is a player who will be look upon in a few years as a steal if he can answer any medical question that caused him to fall.

#28 MEMPHIS GRIZZLES

SELECTION

DONTE GREEN 

ANALYSIS

Great value for this pick. Every year a player who everyone thinks is going to be a top 10-15 or 20 pick starts to fall and a good/ great team gets a player late in the draft. Now Memphis is not a great team and Green is not yet a great player, but hardly anyone thought Green would fall this far.

#29 DETROIT PISTONS

SELECTION

DJ WHITE (Later traded to Seattle)

ANALYSIS

White was traded to Seattle for theirtwo second round picks. My thinking is that President Joe Dumars is looking to make some huge moves through trades and wants as much space and flexibility to get it done. None of the players drafted in the 2nd round by Detroit (Walter Sharpe, Trent Plaisted and  Deron Washington) will probably wear a Pistons uniform for a while/ if ever.

#30 BOSTON CELTICS

SELECTION

J.R GIDDENS

ANALYSIS

Giddens has the athleticism and talent to be a player in this league. The only problem is he had serious knee injury at Kansas and couldn’t behave himself off the court. A decent gamble considering where the Celtics were drafting and the maybe the professionalism of Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett will have a positive effect on him.

 

The rush after the draft to award grades, decide who won and lost, etc., is my least favorite part of the whole process. Franchises spend millions on scouting and analysis and often get it wrong. I really don’t see how a journalist thinks he knows any better.

More useful, for purposes of looking back, is to record how I felt about these prospects going into draft day. So based on a mix of college games I watched, stuff I read, and general NBA consensus, here’s my impression of the 2008 draft class, broken down by categories that are probably similar to how most fans think about these guys (draft position in parentheses):

Franchise Saviors

Potential championship cornerstones

• Michael Beasley (2)
• Derrick Rose (1)

Could Be Great

Ceiling seems to be second or third best guy on a really good team

• Kevin Love (5)
• DJ Augustin (9) — a personal bias since I watched him so much and think he’s got the PG gene
• OJ Mayo (3)

Bust Alert

• Russell Westbrook (4)
• Eric Gordon (7)
• Anthony Randolph (14) — as a Warriors fan, this felt like the worst pick of the draft. Any of the bruising post players still available would’ve helped G.S. on the glass. Not this guy.
• Alexis Ajinca (20)
• Serge Ibaka (24)
• D’Andre Jordan (35) — back when he was slotted as a lottery pick

Intriguing But Risky

• Joe Alexander (8)
• Danilo Gallinari (6)
• Marreese Speights (16)

Could Go Either Way / Not Enough Info

• Jerryd Bayless (11)
• Kosta Koufos (23)
• Donte Greene (28)
• Nicolas Batum (25)

Why Aren’t People Higher on These Guys?

• CDR (40!)
• Darrell Arthur (27)

Quality Role Players

• Brandon Rush (13)
• Ryan Anderson (21)
• Courtney Lee (22)
• Mario Chalmers (34)

Serviceable Big Men

• Brook Lopez (10)
• Roy Hibbert (19)

The Giant Mess of 2nd Tier Bigs

• Jason Thompson (12)
• JJ Hickson (19)
• Javale McGee (18)
• Robin Lopez (15)
• Ante Tomic (44)

Others of Note

• Joey Dorsey (33) — seems like a guy this strong and coordinated will find a place in the league
• George Hill (26) — Another year, another “Who?” pick for the Spurs, but possibly this draft’s Rodney Stuckey. Deserves his own post.

With something like a 1.7% chance at getting the #1 pick in the 2008 draft, the Chicago Bulls surprised everyone in the NBA when they were selected to receive the #1 pick. Everyone was debating whether or not Michael Beasley or Derrick Rose would go first, but I think the decision was pretty clear. Derrick Rose is a Chicago native and is one of the nastiest guards I’ve seen in a while. The music on the mix sucks but the highlights are dope.

And a big OH DAMN! to the dunk at the :25 mark.