In case you are wondering, the absence of Derrick Rose or Michael Beasley on the lists is not a commentary on the picks being good or bad. Both teams wisely picked them one and two respectively. But this list is about getting the best bang for your buck in the cases of 'Best Selections' and making a unwarranted move in the cases of 'Worst Selections.'
Best Selections
1. #11 Overall - Jerryd Bayless, Guard - Traded to Portland Trail Blazers
Adding a 6'3" guard that can attack the rim, when you have Oden in the middle and Roy who is already unstoppable at times is big. The Portland Trail Blazers just got scarier. The Blazers' starting line-up will include Jerryd Bayless and Brandon Roy on the wings to go with big men LaMarcus Aldridge and Greg Oden.
2. #9 Overall - DJ Augustin, Point Guard - Charlotte Bobcats
Gerald Wallace is a great athlete and has turned himself into one of the best scorers in the league. But it has come at a cost. He scores while the rest the team watches. The problem can be fixed by a point guard that is ready to completely run the offense. Felton has not consistently been the involved. With Adam Morrisson's second season in the NBA he may actually get some open looks with Augustin opening up the floor.
3. #23 Overall - Kosta Koufos, Center - Utah Jazz
He is the 7'1" big man with the skills. If Mark Eaton had any type of shot, the Jazz may be sitting on two or three championships right now. Koufos does have a bit of a shot and would have been a lottery pick if he had stayed in school another year.
The Jazz can bring him along while Mehemet Okur resumes the reigns at center. He also adds to an impressive front court pressence that already include Andrei Kirilenko and Carlos Boozer. Also, this is a little insurance if Boozer leaves after this season.
4. #10 Overall -Brook Lopez, Center - New Jersey Nets
Centers in the NBA get an unfair shake. Lottery picks are expected to average 20 points and 10 boards or their soft. Lopez likely will be the 13 points and 8 rebounds guy. I was happy to see the Timberwolves not pick him with the third pick. He would have had to have been subjected to unfair comparisons to the 2005 Draft #1 overall pick, Andrew Bogut
Bogut is a solid center and is coming along at 14.3 points and 9.8 rebounds last year (his third year) on a team that inexplicably ran little of their offense through him. Just as Bogut has to defer more than necessary to Redd, so will Lopez have to defer too much to Vince Carter.
Lopez is a center that reminds me of a Vlade Divac type of player. He has great range for a big man and great passing skills. He's also a little taller, so he has great shot blocking potential.
5. #38 Overall - Kyle Weaver, Point Guard - Charlotte Bobcats
The Bobcats got a 6'6" point guard that plays the game the right way. Drafting their second point guard, even one like Weaver that needs to develop his jumper, showed the rest the league that Raymond Felton is on the trading block.
Shaun Livingston of the Clipper had to develop a mid range game before he could be one of the top 15 point guards in the league. Livingston developed a nice 14-17 foot shot but then he decimated his knee; becoming the first athlete ever to ever completely tear all three ligaments in the knee on one play. Once Weaver develops he could be a top tier guard and the Bobcats would feel good about playing Augustin and Weaver together.
6. #15 Overall - Robin Lopez, Forward/Center - Phoenix Suns
Dock points for not trading down and drafting with,about the 20th selection, but the Suns got the big man they needed. Shaquille O'Neal is a 50-60 games a season player and he's about a 25-35 minute a game player in the playoffs. The Suns needed another big that could defend and rebound. It's an added bonus that he should be able to improve his mid range game to fit in more with the Steve Nash style of basketball.
7. #27 Overall - Darrell Arthur, Power Forward - Traded to Memphis Grizzlies
Kidney problems can really slow a player down. What is worse, is it can slow a player down and he is not even aware or the 10-25 percent it is robbing him from his game. So I do not blame teams for passing up on him.
But by the time you get to the 27th overall pick and one of the best players is on the board, you have to think about going for it. Arthur is a leader on the court and his composure and ability to score were essential in the Kansas Jayhawks 2008 title run.
8. #29 Overall - D.J. White, Power Forward - Traded to Seattle Supersonics
The Sonics will not win with Kevin Durant jacking up shots every night. If it did not work with Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis, then there's no reason to think it will with Durant. White gives the Sonics a needed low post scorer. Next the Sonics need to upgrade the point guard combo of Luke Ridnour and Earl Watson.
9 #35 Overall - DeAndre Jordan, Center - Los Angeles Clippers
Benoit Benjamin was not a bad center for the Clippers. But the fact that he was drafted third overall ahead of guys like Karl Malone, Chris Mullin and Joe Dumars in what was not a very weak 1985 draft was still hurts for Clippers fans to remember. Lesson learned though, as this time the Clippers got the serviceable center with the 35th overall pick.
10. #57 Overall - James Gist, Power Forward - San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are victims of their own success. Every year they have to use their late first round pick on a Ginobili or a Parker that someone overlooked and then try to get a big man to help Duncan down low on the block. His speed allows him to get out and run with Parker and Ginobili and make sharp cuts to the basket when Tim Duncan gets double teamed.
11. #40 Overall - Chris Douglas-Roberts, Small Forward
I heard that Douglas-Roberts is going to say all 39 of the players that were drafted ahead of him. That's a parody (joke) as Paul Pierce is said to have done that for the 10 people that were drafted ahead of him.
Douglas-Roberts would have unquestionably been a lottery pick if he had showed more respect for the game. His Detroit streets attitude caught up with him. But sadly, he probably will not see it that way. But it is so. I have a hard team believing that teams really wanted to draft Joe Alexander or Jason Thompson ahead of him if he had a great attitude.
But for the Nets to take Douglas-Roberts at #40 after showing Richard Jefferson the door is a savvy move. He has already displayed NBA quickness and a quick striking game that will make it harder for teams to run away with games against a young team that will already have a hard enough time staying in games.
Worst Selections
1. #4 Overall - Russell Westbrook, Shooting Guard - Seattle Supersonics
Westbrook's shot looked anemic during most of the tournament. He threw up so many flat bricks I could scarcely watch. His ball-handling is also below average. He is being drafted this high based on speed and potential. It shows that as "deep" as this draft is, there is probably a lack of future superstars in it.
Someone in Seattle needs to be fired. I guess that's what you get when you hire your general manager, Sam Presti based on one accomplishment. As an assistant GM, is credited for picking Tony Parker. That was enough for the Sonics to hire him after six years serving in the Spurs front office.
2. #3 Overall - O.J. Mayo, Guard/Forward - Traded to the Memphis Grizzlies
He'll likely end up averaging between 12 and 21 points in his NBA career. But he does not have great court vision. Worse, his selfish attitude is not what championships are made of. What is worse than that is that the Grizzlies will have had to give up the fifth pick overall, Kevin Love and established NBA scorer Mike Miller to find this out.
3. #39 Overall - Sonny Weems, Small Forward - Chicago Bulls
The Bulls already have a hard time getting minutes Tyrus Thomas and Thabo Sefolosha who are backing up for Luol Deng. Why they felt the need to get another small forward that struggles with shooting consistency, I do not know.
Weems is supposed to be one of the better athletes in the draft and the school of thought is to just go with whoever works out the best. The strategy could work. Look how it worked out for Isiah Thomas.
4. #30 Overall - J.R. Giddens, Shooting Guard - Boston Celtics
I am just not for drafting the players with "character issues." Sometimes labels are unfair or in other cases players mature and advance. But more often then not the issues rear their ugly head at the worst time and GMs end up with egg on their face. I think Danny Ainge is buying into the hype that he can do no wrong.
However, Ray Allen will probably be the first of the Big Three to expire. Giddens is a good shooter and could be the replacement they need. For that reason, I did not want to put Giddens on the 'Worst Picks' list. But I still had to with guys like Chalmers and Weaver available.
2008 NBA Draft Coverage
Expect the Chicago Bulls to take Derrick Rose over Michael Beasley
ShotsHeard top three draft values, hold the Mayo
Best and worst selections
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