Friday, June 29th, 2007 at 11:00 am  |  133 responses

Links: Draft Wrap-Up

A day later, trying to make sense of a busy night…

by Lang Whitaker

And then they rested. It’s been a marathon month, between the Conference Finals, the NBA Finals, a lot of posts on SLAMonline (I’ve done 34 posts on The Links since May 29, and that includes the voluminous NBA Finals Diary) and then Draft week and the Draft. Oh, and we produced an entire issue of SLAM somewhere in there, too. And I’m done. Tired. Wrung out. So after this post I’m out until after the Fourth of July. Heck, you guys probably need a break from me, too.

But before I close my laptop and glue it shut for a week, we’ve got a lot of business to cover.

• The Hat Winner
A couple of weeks ago I announced your chance to win every NBA team’s Draft hat, courtesy of our friends at adidas. I just closed the commenting on that thread with 329 entries, which is pretty damn impressive. A bunch of people correctly guessed the answer to the question: Name the player who will be the 30th pick in the first round.

The answer is Petteri Koponen, who was playing in Finland for a team called the Honka Playboys. (I know.) I randomly selected a winner from the names of everyone who correctly guessed the answer was…(drumroll)…reader D. Which is fitting because he was also the first person to post a comment. D, shoot me an email with your address and we’ll get your hats out to you. Hope you like hats. You’re about to be inundated.

On to the actual Draft…

• I want to begin by giving ourselves some props. ESPN had over a dozen reporters last night all assigned to figure out what was going on behind the scenes at the Draft, and there were plenty of other outlets there last night with multiple employees trying to report whatever secrets were there. And SLAMonline beat all of them on that Knicks/Blazers trade. Point being, if you were following along on our liveblog, you knew the truth way before the worldwide leader. And that’s always fun.

Anyway…let’s break the Draft down. Which teams did well? Which teams did poorly? I’m going to go through a few teams here and make comments. No grades, just observations…

• PORTLAND TRAILBLAZERS — So the Blazers went out and picked up about ten players last night. From Greg Oden to Rudy Fernandez to James Jones to Petteri Koponen to Channing Frye to Steve Francis, the Blazers made a lot of moves last night. They jettisoned Zach Randolph, and I’d guess Steve Francis never plays a game in Portland. I like their aggressiveness, although with such a young team I wonder if they weren’t a little too aggressive there.

• BOSTON CELTICS — Some people will surely find a positive spin to the Celts getting Ray Allen, and I sort of get it. They gave up a lot — Jeff Green, Delonte West, Wally Sexyback — but they get back Ray Allen, who demanded he be traded to a city with another WNBA franchise. Ray is a great player and he’ll fit in perfectly in Boston, but is this a team that can win a title? No. So is it worth trading three young guys for a 32-year-old with bad ankles who is good but not good enough to put you over the top? Probably not.

• ATLANTA HAWKS — I’m pretty disappointed by the way the Hawks ended up handling this Draft. First of all, it became obvious that there is a divide between the remaining owners and the front office. The owners wanted to take a chance and draft Yi Jianlian, while Billy Knight wanted to play it safe and take Al Horford, who plays power forward just like Josh Smith and the guy BK drafted in the first round last season, Shelden Williams. And then with the 11 pick he took Acie Law, which is a solid pick as well. So why am I upset? I just wanted them to be willing to take a chance. Making two safe picks is great if you’re a good team, but this is the slowest rebuilding project I’ve ever seen. And my patience is running thin.

One thing I do like about Law is that he had “LAW IV” on his jersey at Texas A&M. I don’t think they let you put numbers in your name in the NBA, and Law’s jersey number at Texas A&M, 1, is already taken by Josh Childress. So I think Law should get number 4.

• SEATTLE SONICS — Love what they did. They moved their All-Star two guard, but they picked up the best scorer in the Draft (Durant), a great small forward (Green; I was told Durant might play at the two!), two young vets (Mr. West and Wally Sexyback). I’d guess they’ll re-sign Rashard Lewis and come into the season young and ready to run. Now the fans in Seattle need to get crazy about this team and make it impossible for them to move.

• NEW YORK KNICKS — Zach Randolph might be crazy, but he also can put up 20/10 every night. Isiah continues his string of adding guys who are skilled but not necessarily complementary pieces. And he didn’t give up much of anything, considering Channing Frye was having trouble getting playing time last season. If money isn’t an issue, which it isn’t for the Knicks, this is a great trade.

• PHILADELPHIA 76ERS — Actually, I’ll pass on this and let Khalid answer it in the comments.

• CHARLOTTE BETCATS — I like the big move they made, trading Brandan Wright for Jason Richardson. Air Jordan realized any player who is good in the West becomes great in the East. And now the BETcats have a veteran explosive 2 guard to go with their myriad young post players. I think they just leap-frogged the Atlanta Hawks.

• GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS — Not such a big fan of what they did. BWright will need a little time to develop, and moving JRich to clear room for Monta Ellis makes sense down the road, but it reeks of a decision driven by finances. And that’s never good.

• DETROIT PISTONS — Maybe I shouldn’t read anything into this, but did anyone else notice the Pistons drafted three guards (Stuckey, Afflalo, Mejia)? They wouldn’t be preparing for Chauncey to walk, would they?

• MILWAUKEE BUCKS — Why would you ever go and get a player who does not want to be on your team or in your city? This is like Orlando demanding Billy Donovan stay and coach. I hope Milwaukee can either trade him or convince him to stay, because Yi was looking like Eli Manning up there on the stage.

How did your team do? Holler back below. And I’ll catch you guys next week…

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  • http://fruss.com Yi Jian Lian

    Hey Russ – f you, f your team, and f America too. Bitch. Love, Yi.

  • slim

    Randolph + Curry + Richardson = Some frontcourt…damn…

    whereas：West, Lewis, Durant Collison and Wilcox the starters w/ 6th man jeff green and defense off the bench earl watson…lewis has to lead this team…I look forward to great things from this team.

    Bosh + Bargniani = Best eastern frontcourt
    Oden + Aldridge = Best western frontcourt

    Randolph and Curry will fail to bond as Isaiah Thomas can’t seem to blend a bunch of stars once again…

    Yi vs. Villanueva…Baldy vs. asian…Villanueva has the upper hand now, but I think Yi will take it. Milwaukee does have the stones to keep Yi. Just don’t think Yi has the stones for the NBA…I respect him tho cuz I’m Chinese =P

  • MOMONEY

    Any chance the Warriors try to trade Wright, Harrington and some others for KG??

  • Fredo

    On the Hornets: I like Julian Wright’s athleticism. Given that they’re going to lose Dez Mason, he was a need. And given the lack of true guards who can score, there was no one else left. Wright will blossom with Chris Paul feeding him.

    Other draft thoughts:
    - The Celtics have passed on Brandon Roy and either Yi Jianlian or Corey Brewer to have Sebastian Telfair and Ray Allen. Those are the moves of a team on the cusp of a title, not one rebuilding.

    - Drafting Javaris Crittenton is more a move of a team stocking young talent like Jordan Farmar and Andrew Bynum than one looking for a return trip to the Finals, Kobe.

    - What will happen if the Bucks don’t trade Yi Jianlian? Will the Chinese send Shaolin monks to battle for him?

    - Lang, the moves of the Hawks were the right ones. They were so right they higlight how wrong the last few have been. But here’s a crazy idea: Trade Joe Johnson, Shelden Williams or Marvin Williams for Kobe Bryant.

  • Vince

    I’m honestly not sure how NYK fans are keeping this up. Curry the best center in the East? Although he isn’t healthy all the time, give me Okafor anytime.

    How many TO’s does Curry have? Blocks, rebounds? Does he keep other centers in check?

    He scores. That’s it. And not even 20+. I bet evn Howard will be a better scorer this season too.

    Also this frontcourt of Randolph and Curry: They’re scary on offense. But what else do they bring? 1.5 blocks between the two. Loads of to’s. Almost 17 or 18 rebounds. Combined. Be prepared to see Randolph launch a few more 3pt attempts this season.

  • David

    Wow.I don’t get what the Sonicc are doing.They drafted two young SF’s.Then you talk about them resigning Rashard who ‘s a “SF”.Maybe they should have drafted a SG maybe?You think.

  • The Other Slim

    Damn, my name’s been usurped! Anyway, Patrick, do the words “potentially fatal heart condition” ring a bell. Pax stepped up big and made a strong ethical call that Isiah didn’t give a f*!k about. Dude was probably thinking: “Hey man, I might lose my job and it’s not my life getting risked.” Props to Pax.

  • pete

    i heard durant may play sg for seattle.

  • http://www.fortheloveofgodgivespurstheringalready+lakersdosomethinganddoitnow=.com Jay

    Dear Patrick, & all the sorry ass Knicks fans
    The only person Isiah did dirty is the one who is suing him for it, if you know what i mean. Dont get it twisted but us bulls fans still love him for what he did for us, if thats what you call dirty, then i like it that way. and yea we are not smiling, we are laughing at you and your pathetic squad. for the love of god, stop pretending that you got the best of it, when it is pretty obvious that you didnt. & yea congratulation on gettin` Zach, see you next year, not in the playoffs. Peace & Love
    -You already Know.

  • Joel O’s

    @slim: Like you said, picking Yi was weird for Milwuakee. Doesn’t his skills overlap somewhat with Charlie V’s? Both are good inside-out players and pretty much play the same position. And they’ve already got Bogut at the 5. Maybe they’re giving up on Charlie V, but anyone who saw his rookie season when he was healthy knows that he can be really, really good – a CWebb kinda player.

  • slim

    @ The Other Slim: Sorry man, my name is my name…its on my license lol

    @ Joel: As an asian, I can tell you Yi will NOT stay in Milwaukee. Yao is good enough to bring chinese people to Houston, Yi isn’t that good to bring chinese people to Milwaukee. I can picture Yi going to the clippers, Toronto or even Houston. He’s not gonna stay do Yi’s gone. I bet Yi’s gonna have a bad year, then breakout once he leaves Milwaukee.

  • matt

    could russ b. be any less overt in his raacism?

  • markakapryce

    steal of the night: sean williams
    the nets did it again 2 years in a row a lottery prospect falls to the Nets wow im completely ecstatic about this pick hes like ben wallace but could become much much much better then ben on the offensive end

  • Clevelandite

    Danny Ferry is half retarded not to trade away amon ones (no D, no J) and Marshall for a second rounder!

  • seljak

    you guys have to do a feature on Oden and McRoberts! I was reading Oden’s blog and he was saying that the two were good mates. Not only did they play on the same AAU team (possibly the greatest ever; mike conley, eric gordon, daequan cook, mcroberts and oden!) but both hail from Indianapolis, and they were both drafted by Portland. Please make it happen

  • nothin _personal

    1. Word out of Blazers camp is that Steve Francis will never pull a Portland uniform over his head as his contract will be bought out.
    2. Darius Miles has STILL not recovered from microfracture surgery. Word here in Portland is that he will be asked to sign an agreement in which he formally agrees to never play in the NBA again (medical reasons) and the Blazers will contine to pay him the rest of his contract, which will not count against the salary cap.
    3. In a trade that can’t be completed for at least 10 days after the draft, the Blazers will be bringing in another veteran SF via trade. Kevin Pritchard was not able to go into specifics regarding the trade, but did confirm that it was nearly a done deal.
    f this happens, and if the veteran SF is GWall (G Shock thy a$$), while unloading Przzzzzybilla to Charlotte, then I’m jumping on the bandwagon NOW!

  • nothin _personal

    Plus, will the Knicks try to get Artest? I mean, why not? Things can’t go worse!!! Say goodbye to David Lee, Knicks fans!

  • http://www.mrc-cbu.cam.ac.uk RedRum

    I am still trying to recover from seeing the words “Ainge” and “genious” next to each ohter in a a Mannix article in SI….

  • alex fraknoi

    Amen Lang,
    I am devastated to hear that J-rich is gone. He is not only an explosive and athletic highflyer, but he is my role model and has won the warriors community service award multiple times. Every night i watched him and sat there in front of the TV in awe. J-rich is not the guy you trade away for cap room….hes the guy you clear cap space for. Unless Mulli is putting on some mysterious scheme to get Garnett, this trade is (as Stephen A would say) stupid. The guy that has waited and fought through 6 years in Oakland finally gets into the playoffs, and what do we do? trade him so he has to start over again in Charlotte. He was not only a scorer and dunk champion, but the heart and soul of the team and the queit, yet passionate leader. J-rich, I am going to save up to buy a ticket to the game Charlotte comes to town, and I will see you destroy the Warriors, so they can get a taste of their own medicine. Sincerely, Alex Fraknoi

  • willis

    @Kobe Berg , did u just say morrison is a 3….and since when does atlanta not have a 2…ever heard of joe johnson?

  • BHS_Basketball

    Can I talk about the wizards for a second? I know no one else cares, but i thought Nick Young was a good pick (how much longer can DeShawn Stevenson last at the 2?) until i read on the Links that he didn’t want to come to DC at all, hopefully that is untrue. Also in the second round, Stephen Lasmane from UMASS was selected 46th, one pick ahead of the wizards who selected a guy out of fresno state. I think Lasmane would have been a great pick as he is athletic, can rebound and block shots (something the Wiz have been lacking with Brendan Haywood and Etan(although i love etan, he is not a starting center) If the Wiz don’t sign a bigman this year or next i am gonna be really upset(which i suppose doesn’t really count for anything) Any Comments?

  • #21=Top50,1stballot

    I feel you on the Hawks lack of inspiration with their picks. That said however Horford will indeed be the interior beast that we need. He is 6’10-ish and wide bodied so he is more than center capable(not a ton of 7 footers at C anyway) I do not see him detracting from Smoov or Marvin much at all. If anything it gives them some relief when Marvin’s cold (which pretty much happens after 1st qtr) or Smoov gets in foul trouble (which he wont as much with another shot blocker to challenge the middle with).
    Law will also work out because he gives us a “shooter” that can relieve Joe on the perimeter. He knows this isn’t his team to lead and doesnt strike me as one to just gun.
    We will still Rise UP!!!!

  • hoopshypeisbetterthanslam

    I like the way the Knicks fans seemed to love the Randolph trade. Listen unless Isaiah plans to lock this guy in the basement of the Garden like Sloth in the Goonies only to unleash him to play basketball this is going to be trouble. This guy got in trouble in the thriving metropolises of Marion, Indiana and Portland, Oregon what do you think this guy is going to do in New FN’ York?

  • Mongoose

    This was a good draft for the hawks. Sure you have Josh Smith, but don’t you think you can play Smith and Horford at the same time? This is the East, what center do they have to worry about? Besides, low post presence is one of the most difficult pieces to get, and they got that in Horford now. Just because they wasted a pick on Shelden Williams last year doesn’t mean you should pass on the guy that was the 3rd best player in the draft. I don’t think it could have turned out much better for the Hawks.

  • Mongoose

    While we are talking about the hawks, I never understood the hate around Belkin. He rejected the Joe Johnson trade right? Joe Johnson was a free agent and it was a sign and trade, but why do a sign and trade for him? He wanted to sign straight up, but phoenix tricked the hawks to a sign and trade and gets a 1st round pick out of it. Yes, it is embarrasing for the franchise to have the owners fighting, but I think Belkin was right to not want the trade, and just sign him as a free agent.

  • #21=Top50,1stballot

    It was more complicated than that. As a Hawks fan, the moment a free agent of worth expresses interest in coming to the A, the franchise needs to make all attempts at acquiring said player. Joe wanted to come to ATL, but Phoenix had leverage by extending him an offer. The only way we could get Joe was sign and trade. Was is a bluff- obviously, but the franchise could not afford to try to call. The problem with Belkin arises due to the fact that you hire a GM to make those type of maneuvers. I am probably one of BK’s most ardent critics but he made a good move with Joe. To that point Diaw had not shown much and we figured that the acquisition of a player “on the verge” would help to push us into playoff contention. NBA picks past 12 or so are generally useless unless you strike gold (which can happen of course). We figured by giving away future worthless picks and a worthless frog it wouldnt hurt us. I still think that it wont. Phoenix continues to sell off picks so they gain no advantage, and we have our first all-star since ‘Reef. It was about making a bold move- the kind Lang and everyone else wanted to see on draft night. I think its a miracle (or neumonic opposite) that BK and Woody have a job still, but the Joe move was actually a good one. F Belkin! We coulda had Amare…….

  • Mongoose

    I am just saying, you can tell from the Suns selling off draft picks and shopping core players (Marion and Amare) that they are cheap. There was no chance in hell they would have ever paid Joe Johnson anywhere near what the Hawks paid him. I would have called their bluff because no other team had cap money to sign him either. I really think Atalnta will be happy with Horford and Law.

  • nothin _personal

    From what I hear, the Garnett deal couldn’t be completed without four teams being involved. perhaps the reason the Suns are amssing trade exceptions and cash, is to be able to make that deal go through. Trhere is no other explanation as to why they didn’t draft Rudy and stash him away like Portland will do.

  • #21=Top50,1stballot

    Not to keep going back and forth, but if my memory serves me correctly, the Suns did sign him to the offer sheet (now to quibble about whether they still would have is irrelevant). The Hawks extended the offer and the Suns matched as they said they would. How about this, as bad as the Hawks are now, where would they be without the Joe trade? We still have a good amount of cap (nobody still wants to sign here), would have had a #20 something pick, another F in Diaw(not an all-star or starter mind you. Smoov is better and Marvin will prove to be so). So THAT is the reason it was a good trade. GM’s take chances when they are there, not when they think they might be there. You have to, especially when you want to make up ground. No use lamenting a move that made you better, faster- even if only marginally.

  • Paolo

    The Sixers will regret passing on Al Thornton

  • Mongoose

    I understand what you are saying about the hawks going from terrible to exciting and terrible and taking the chance to improve, but for the Suns it was really the rich getting richer. It is good to hear from hawks fans though, because I am not, but I think they will turn the corner this year and be really exciting to watch.

  • owen

    What happened to steivie francis? why wont he be playing for portland? they need a point guard

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