PROTECT THE PAINT » Toronto Raptors

NBA Trade Talk: Chris Bosh, Andrew Bynum, Tracy McGrady and more!

Adam Sedie — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 21:09:05 +0000

We are now only weeks away from the NBA trade deadline. Rumors are circulating, and the buzzing trade chatter is heavily amassing.

Some teams will be mortgaging young talent in order to take on expiring contracts in hopes of clearing cap space for the free agency fiasco in 2010.

Other teams will be looking to capitalize, and claim talent while dumping salaries. Other teams, realizing that their season is all but lost, will break up rosters that have not been able to achieve what management had originally envisioned.

Here are the teams with the most to lose/gain from the fiasco.

Portland Trail Blazers

Who can fill in for Oden/Pryzbilla for Portland? (Credit:picapp.com)

The Trail Blazers obviously need help in the paint. They have had the fortune of Brandon Roy willing his team to wins, but it is unlikely he can carry them all year. Juwan Howard’s body, at age 37, will likely not be able to secure the center position for the rest of the year before wear and tear takes its toll. The saying “You can’t teach height” must be racing through Kevin Pritchard’s head as he diligently investigates potential acquisitions to help the Blazers in the middle.

The Blazers have a wealth of depth in the backcourt, and a plethora of athletic, defensive-minded young forwards. The issue is Joel Pryzbilla and Greg Oden have contracts running past next season, so the Blazers brass must consider the adverse effects of another long term contract vs. salary cap space.

Sacramento Kings

Will Martin mesh with Tyreke? (Credit: picapp.com)

Kevin Martin might return to the floor as early as Friday after missing the last 32 games after suffering a fractured left wrist. He has been practicing, and now coach Paul Westphal has a blessing of a dilemma in discovering if Martin and super rookie Tyreke Evans will be able to coexist in the backcourt.

There is zero chance Tyreke Evans is dealt anywhere. If there are any hiccups between the two stars having any negative impact upon team chemistry, look for Martin to be shipped out immediately. Look for Martin to be sought after by teams with inadequacies at the shooting guard position. Phoenix and Dallas immediately come to mind. Both teams are looking for a chance at contention this season, and would be willing to trade prospects and draft picks in order to land Martin’s scoring skills.

Toronto Raptors

I hear the weather is always nice in Los Angeles. (Credit:picapp.com)

Chris Bosh rumors are surfacing aplenty, with recent chatter mentioning Bosh heading to Los Angeles in exchange for Andrew Bynum. This deal would be a huge gamble for the Lakers, but Bosh puts L.A. over the top in the Western Conference.

It is hard to imagine Bosh signing elsewhere after winning an NBA Championship and tasting the Los Angeles lifestyle. He might even put his All Star promotional video production skills to use and land himself work during the off season.

Bynum would find himself in Toronto as a focal point of a rebuilding franchise with Hedo Turkoglu, Andrea Bargnani, and Jose Calderon. Bosh is a weak interior defender, so adding Bynum would give the Raptors a long-term defensive solution. Bynum tends to disappear when Pau Gasol is playing, so in terms of his career thriving, this could be a dream come true.

Chicago Bulls

Does anyone want Hinrich? (Credit: picapp.com)

You would have to be living under a rock to not know the Bulls are trying to unload Kirk Hinrich. Everyone and anyone knows this, to the point of detriment to his trade value. Hinrich is a solid defender, outside shooter, and an all around decent NBA player. The problem is Hinrich has 2 years remaining on his contract after this season, worth $17 million.

Also not boding well on his value is the fact that he is shooting a career-low 37% from the field and 71% from the line this season. When your specialty is shooting, and you are not shooting well, it is hard to retain trade value. The Bulls have indicated that everyone on the roster except Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah to be available, as long as Hinrich’s name is included potential deals.

Houston Rockets

Iggy could do this for the Rockets, instead of against them. (Credit: picapp.com)

The Tracy McGrady saga is difficult as he has the largest contract in the league ($23,239,561). This is the ultimate situation for teams looking to dump contracts and create salary cap space for the free agency fiasco of July 2010.

The teams falling into this category are: the Washington Wizards, New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers, and Chicago Bulls. Of these teams, Philadelphia has the best package to offer Houston in terms of immediate roster help.

Philadelphia could package Andre Iguodala with Samuel Dalembert in exchange for McGrady. This is the most logical deal for the Rockets who are without Yao Ming for the season (if not longer) and in need of a center who can rebound and block shots.

Iguodala is an immediate impact player for the Rockets. This deal could put the Rockets into contention this season. The Rockets can assign Ariza, Battier, or Iggy on any teams top offensive threat. Adding Iggy to the offensive attack of Aaron Brooks and Carl Landry will make life hell for opponents during the 4^th quarter.

The Toronto Raptors: NBA Surrogate Euroleague team?

Adam Sedie — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 08:56:36 +0000

NBA fans everywhere take note: The European basketball feel is coming soon to an arena near you! Ball movement, unselfish play, and all the things the league used to stand for are about to experience a long awaited revival.

The Marco Belinelli trade adds yet another piece to the European conglomerate that is the Toronto Raptors.

Why do European Players prefer to play in Toronto anyway?

I will see this bench only if I am injured in Toronto! (Credit:picapp.com)

Look at this international roster:

Italy: Andrea Bargnani and Marco Belinelli

Spain: Jose Calderon

Turkey: Hedo Turkoglu

England: Pops Mensah-Bonsu

Croatia: Roko Ukic

Ljubljana (Slovenia): Rasho Nestrovic

Las Vegas: Marcus Banks

This Raptors team is capable of the best ball movement and unselfish play we have seen for quite some time. The shooting ability of the Italian duo will spread the floor, allowing Chris Bosh and the super-athletic DeMar DeRozan to terrorize the paint.

Calderon has a huge shot, if he stays healthy, of leading the league in assists.

"This is how Euro style is done son" (Credit: picapp.com)

The Raptors have a huge chance of hosting a first round playoff series in the East.

Kobe could be the only one–we know Danilo Gallinari won’t be on the court– understanding the dialogue between Belinelli and Bargnani.

Maybe Kobe will ask them for recommendations for good Italian food in Toronto. Then maybe he’ll drop 81 on them.

It will be very interesting to see if Belinelli breaks out in Toronto. He has proven to be a capable offensive weapon in decent stretches of minutes, which he should see in Toronto.

"Ersan, Hedo is turkish too. Come to Toronto! (Credit:picapp.com)

Another question is whether his presence will have a positive impact on Bargnani.

Early on, all signs point toward a big ‘yes’.

Calderon, Jarrett Jack, Belinelli and Roko Ukic fill out a deep guard rotation.

Toronto is poised for a deep run into the Eastern Conference Playoffs this season.

NBA Salaries vs. The Concept of Winning

Adam Sedie — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 08:13:15 +0000

The free agent signings of Jason Kidd, Hedo Turkoglu, and Trevor Ariza beg the question: What’s up with NBA players turning their back on winning for money? Especially guys that have already had monster contracts. We’ll give Ariza a bit of a break because he won a ring with the Lakers last month and had yet to score the monster payday, but Kidd and Turkoglu are different stories, especially Kidd.

Kidd has earned $158 million in salary alone over the course of his career. $158 million. How much more freakin’ cash does he need? Does he live that “high on the hog” he’d go for the scratch instead of a real chance at winning? Does he drive a fur-lined Countach? Seems like a future Hall of Famer would like to close out his career with some hardware. Is this guy feeding all of his hometown of Oakland? And Latrell Sprewell’s family? Could be the alimony payments to Joumana.

Turkoglu has earned $35 million over the course of his career. The difference between the Blazers offer ($50 million) versus the Raptors offer ($53 million) is more than most of us will ever make, but he traded a great opportunity for team success in Portland for keeping his wife happy in Toronto.

If you analyze any other career in the world you will notice that compensation is performance based. If you fail to perform you inevitably fail to retain your position. It is a sad state of affairs within the NBA when players can go to a team with no chance of winning simply to make more money. It should go against the ideology of being a professional athlete.

Magic and Bird are true professionals by definition. (Credit: vurbmoto.com)

Have they any pride? Isn’t a professional athlete’s job supposed to be winning? Seems like it’s become more about the groupies and hangin’ in the champagne room of whatever strip club in whatever city they happen to be in that night. And why are guys on opposing teams so buddy-buddy with each other? That’s truly nauseating. Watching dudes hug and giggle with one another in the midst of a game isn’t supposed to happen. Magic Johnson and Larry Bird had tremendous respect for one another, but were the fiercest of enemies on the court. This is not a bromance after all. It is basketball.

The game has devolved into what is often simply entertainment instead of fierce competition. It’s just not about winning for the vast majority of players in this league which has to make you wonder why fans allow this. Are they too hypnotized by $10 beers, the beats blaring from stadium loudspeakers, and fat guy dance troupes?

By today's standards, Bird and Magic would make less then the mid-level exception. (Credit: usinflationcalculator.com)

And since we referenced Magic and Bird, Protect the Paint decided to research how much money Magic and Bird made during their careers. Yes, it was a much different time, but the money these guys made didn’t render the concept of winning and losing obsolete like it so often does today.

Magic earned around $46 Million, with $15 million of that in his final two seasons. Deduct the $15 million from the $46 million and you have $31 Million over the first 15 years of his career.

Magic got his payday as a reward for winning NBA titles. (Credit: basketball-reference.com)

That averages out to roughly $2 million per season. Kidd will average $8.3 million for 3 years, and has but a minuscule chance at winning a championship. Obviously one could argue about inflation, and how their salaries would inflate to something near that, but it is hard to imagine either Magic or Bird leaving for the money when they were in a situation to win it all.

Even adjusting for inflation, these guys didn’t come close to making what dudes make today.

Larry Legend made an approximate total of $26.5 million during his ENTIRE career. That is $1.5 million more than Jason Kidd will make over the next three years.

Bird knew winning required making less money. (Credit: basketball-reference.com)

Larry Bird made $1.5 million in 1990-91 (a million less than Robert Parish), and didn’t care that he wasn’t the highest paid guy on the squad.

Star Players shared what little wealth they had in order to win. (Credit: Basketball-reference.com)

In the same 1990-91 season, Magic earned $2.4 million which was the most on the team, but he wasn’t obsessed with who made what.

Bird and Magic were true professionals from a bygone era. No one today compares. Not the Michael Jackson-mourning Kobe, not LeBron (especially after what happened when King James got dunked on in a pick-up game), not anyone.

They wanted to be on the best team, and be the best player on that team. They wanted to play against the best team, and beat them, no matter what the cost. If they were to make less money, that was okay. It wasn’t the point. They were already making over a million bucks for a game they would most likely have played for nothing.

They won. They did not allow their salary to interfere with the number one goal of their sport which was bringing home the title. The only greed in these guys had was the greed of winning more and more. Not money.

Realistically, how much money does someone deserve for playing the game basketball? Yes, we get the concept of supply and demand, but too many guys today play for the wrong reasons.

It’s sad when ridiculous salaries blur the concept of competition.

2009 Free Agency Recap and Potential Signings

Adam Sedie — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 08:12:44 +0000

This past week we have seen Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva join Detroit.

Ron Artest took a pay cut and is hoping to get his first ring playing for the world champion Lakers.

Hedo Turkoglu reneged on a Portland offer, selecting the Raptors instead.

Rasheed Wallace is now alongside Kevin Garnett in Boston.

Trevor Ariza maxed out his contract value and is Houston-bound.

And Finally, Jason Kidd is staying in Dallas instead of going to New York.

The free agent signings become official today, the first day that players are allowed to ink their verbal agreements. There are more deals to come involving free agents, and it is going to be interesting to see where everyone ends up.

We here at Protect the Paint will list some of the rumors/moves involving the available free agents.

REMAINING FREE AGENTS

Lamar Odom

Odom might be hugging members of the Blazers soon. (Credit: daylife.com)

Lamar Odom doesn’t seem to be thinking repeat. Instead he and his agent want to be shown the money in the neighborhood of $10 million per season. Odom appears to be going the Trevor Ariza route, cashing in elsewhere now that he has the ring. He sacrificed his stats to win and now wants to sign with a team that could offer him a starting position and big bucks. Should have a different address in 2009-10. The Blazers are reportedly interested. Championship experience on an up and coming squad never hurts.

Andre Miller

Looks like Miller is heading to Portland. Gives the Blazers the floor general they lacked last season and gives Miller a chance to win. Good match all the way around.

Brandon Bass

Bass would make a mistake going to Detroit. (Credit: ocregister.com)

Bass could be staying in Dallas, heading to Orlando, or possibly ending up in Detroit. It makes absolutely no sense for him to sign with the Pistons. With rumors circulating of Carlos Boozer being shipped there for Rip Hamilton, and Charlie Villanueva signing a 5-year deal, he would essentially be the third option at power forward. The Magic need help up front. Orlando would be a good fit.

Antonio McDyess

McDyess could get a ring if he heads to San Antonio. (Credit: ugplay.com)

McDyess is leaning towards San Antonio in the most recent rumor involving the veteran which would provide more depth in the Spurs front court. He’s a solid shooter and depenable on the glass averaging 9.6 ppg and 9.8 rpg last year for the Pistons. The Spurs would have a solid 1-2 post punch with McDyess and Tim Duncan giving them the size to contend with the Lakers huge frontline.

Marcin Gortat

Marcin Gortat is going to get paid big bucks this summer. (Credit: mlive.com)

Most likely headed to Dallas. We’ll see how he responds to more minutes and more responsibility. This is a huge loss for Orlando who now have lost the majority of their front line not named Dwight Howard–Tony Battie via the Vince Carter deal, Hedo Turkoglu to free agency, and Gortat. The Magic better hope Ryan Anderson is as good as Pat Williams thinks he will be.

Grant Hill

Hill should go to a contender rather than a pretender. (Credit: offsideswithfletcher.com)

There are rumors of Hill heading to the the Knicks. Finally healthy, his game resurfaced playing with Phoenix. He appeared in all 82 games for the Suns last season. It’s unfortunate that he would want to make the move to New York, especially when he could most likely ink himself onto another team with better chances of winning a title. Seems like he and fellow 1994 co-ROY Jason Kidd have more in common then we thought: Take the money, not the chance for a championship ring.

Channing Frye

Frye could play minutes that matter for the Cavs. (Credit: nike.com)

Frye is very interested in signing with Cleveland. The guy has been marred with the “wrong place, wrong time” syndrome during his career. He was buried behind David Lee in New York and then behind LaMarcus Aldridge in Portland. If Cleveland loses Anderson Varajao, Frye will have an immediate chance for big minutes at power forward for the Cavs. This is a good opportunity for both sides. Frye has showed he has a lot of game and could be a late bloomer if given the chance.

NBA Trade Market Review

Adam Sedie — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 07:11:47 +0000

Trade rumors involving Carlos Boozer, Rip Hamilton, Andre Miller, and CJ Miles are circulating throughout the league.

With substantial free agent activity about to ensue, trades will be made by both cash-strapped teams and ones hoping to clear cap room for next summer. Historically it has been proven that teams will make trades out of desperation (i.e. Jason Kidd for Devin Harris to the Mavs). What teams are on the verge of making moves they will one day regret.

Protect the Paint will now look at some of the trade rumors floating around the league:

RUMORED TRADES

Carlos Boozer in exchange for Rip Hamilton

Boozer might be headed to Detroit for Rip Hamilton. (Credit: scorereport.com)

It is obvious Hamilton needs to be shipped elsewhere as Ben Gordon and Stuckey are the back-court of the future/now. It’s rare a guy is awarded $50 million or more to be the 6th man. It is curious though as Boozer and Charlie Villanueva essentially play the same position. By trading for Boozer, what purpose was there in signing Villanueva? With free agency rumors involving Brandon Bass, one must wonder why Joe Dumars is trying to stockpile power forwards.

Andre Miller to the Portland Trailblazers

Andre Miller: heading to Portland via sign and trade? (Credit: slamonline.com)

Miller appears to be on his way to Portland via the sign and trade. We mentioned this possibility here last week. This is a sensible move for the Blazers who lacked experience at the point especially evident in the post-season. Brandon Roy will thrive with a good decision maker running the show. Portland may trade Rudy Fernandez–rumored to be unhappy even after Hedo Turkoglu decided not to come to the team–which may be a move general manager Kevin Pritchard ends up regretting. Expect Travis Outlaw to be a part of the deal.

CJ Miles to Toronto Raptors/Boston Celtics/New Jersey Nets

CJ Miles is heating up the trade talks. (Credit: blog.tribphoto.com)

There are many teams (possibly six) rumored to be closing in on C.J. Miles. Miles is young (22), a capable shooter (46% FG in 2008-09), and has played within Jerry Sloan’s strict system. Boston, Toronto, and New Jersey could use his outside shooting, and it is a safe assumption he would thrive in a system outside of Utah, as other players have (see Mo Wiliams). New Jersey has the most talent to offer. Miles would see an increase in minutes in Toronto or New Jersey, resulting in a chance to realize his potential.

Shawn Marion to the Dallas Mavericks

Marion: Heading to Dallas, but will it do any good? (Credit: daylife.com)

This would be a sign and trade deal in which Marion comes to Big D with Jery Stackhouse heading a package of players headed north of the border. This move would give the Mavs some athleticism and a good rebounder. The nucleus of Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Kidd, and Marion with Jason Terry and the possible addition of Marcin Gortat improves the roster. Whether it places them among the upper echelon teams of the Western Conference is up for debate. This roster appears to be a work in progress.

Hedo Turkoglu picks Toronto: Pros and Cons

Adam Sedie — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 07:45:25 +0000

This past Thursday, Hedo Turkoglu–who opted out in Orlando after vastly improving his stock during the Magic’s run to the finals–announced he would sign a fat deal with the Portland Trailblazers, good for $50 million over 5 years. Sounds good.

Then on Friday, Turkoglu reneged on this agreement to come to the pacific northwest and decided to head about as far north as you can go in the NBA to the Toronto Raptors for $53 million over 5 years. Either way, these two offers for Hedo dwarf the Orlando offer ($35 million over 4 years).

The $3 million more Toronto is offering–which is nothing to sneeze at–may have more to do with placating Mrs. Turkoglu than anything else?

In Portland, Hedo would have joined All-Star Brandon Roy on the up and coming team in the super-competitive Western Conference. Instead, Hedo opted to join a far weaker Toronto Raptors team as part of Bryan Colangelo’s last ditch effort to retain Chris Bosh past 2010. Winning doesn’t appear to be priority number one for Hedo.

Hedo is joining a weaker team in a weaker division for $3 million more (Credit: streetball.com)

In being outbid for Hedo by teams with more cash to spend, and opting to allow Courtney Lee go in the deal that brought Vince Carter to Florida, Orlando has now lost two vital cogs in the rotation that got them to the finals. As a result, the Magic become slower and older. Rarely the elixir for NBA success.

Protect the Paint will now view the pros and cons of Turkoglu selecting Toronto over Portland.

PROS

Hedo's passing skills will be useful for Toronto (Credit: sportsagentblog.com)

Hedo is an amazing passer/ball-handler for a guy his size. There are very few 6’10” players who can drop in 20 points and 10+ assists on any given night. Hedo is one of the few.

Turkoglu will instantaneously make life easier on Chris Bosh. The floor spacing of Hedo, Jose Calderon, and Andrea Bargnani should allow Bosh to have more of an impact late in games when it really matters. Look for a huge spike in production and desire out of a rejuvenated Bosh. No one knows if this will this be enough to keep in him in Canada for years to come, but you have to give the Raptors’ front office and A for effort.

Turkoglu is one of the best at finishing games and his play in the 4th quarter should dramatically help Toronto in close games.

Brandon Roy almost had Turkoglu at his side (Credit: nike.com)

CONS

Adding Turkoglu to the team almost certainly results in Toronto not being able to retain Shawn Marion–a tireless rebounder and full of hustle. This results in the Raptors becoming a much weaker rebounding team.

Boozer started the trend of breaking verbal agreements (Credit: nike.com)

Turkoglu’s reputation takes a hit here. Hedo is now the latest to pull off a Carlos Boozer. It’s not quite the same scenario. Boozer was let of a deal and then hosed the Cavs. Hedo opted out. He’ll say he didn’t use the Blazers offer as leverage for something better. We’ll never know for sure.

Hedo will take extra money and justify it by saying he can be in a more international, multi-cultural city. Although there may be a Turkish community up there, there is no Championship-caliber basketball team. This indicates where Hedo’s head and heart are, or maybe better put, where they’re not–not concerned with winning. If they were, he would choose Portland by a landslide. Gotta keep the wife happy though.

SYNOPSIS

Hedo’s arrival in Toronto will result in a 7-8 playoff seed. That’s better than last year, but it is doubtful they will go any further as they will lose Marion, Anthony Parker, and possibly more in order to pay his salary, in addition to stockpiling the money needed to resign Bosh. The Raptors are now good enough to get in the playoffs, but will be ‘one and done’ once they get there as rebounding and tough defense keeps you alive in the post-season.

Bosh will have 1 year with Turkoglu to decide to stay in Toronto (Credit: cbcnews.com)

Bosh will not be able to carry this load. He will be frustrated his team won’t advance past the first round, and sign elsewhere (in America) in 2010. At least Hedo will have his international city, and Turkish community, and oh yeah, the $53 Million. That kind of coin always helps ease the sting of losing.

Seems like Portland managed to dodge the bullet of signing a player more focused on money and living situation over winning.

Click here to vote for the best free agent move of the summer!

2009 NBA Draft Review: The Lottery Gets Graded

Adam Sedie — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 08:23:41 +0000

The 2009 NBA Draft is in the books begging the question: What teams added the piece that will help them out of the lottery and into the playoffs next year? The Bulls, Heat, and Blazers—lottery teams from 2008—made the playoffs, replaced this year by Phoenix, Toronto, and Washington (who traded their pick to Minnesota). Below is Protect the Paint’s grades for what this year’s lottery teams did with their lottery pick and a prediction of their lottery-status for next season.

Blake Griffin should start immediately (Credit: ESPN)

#1 Los Angeles Clippers Blake Griffin Grade: A

No surprise here. Look for the Clippers to make some roster moves to insure Griffin a starting spot and get rid of some locker room headaches. NEXT YEAR: they’ll be better, but the Western Conference is stacked, so back to the lottery.

Can Thabeet develop an offensive game? (Credit: ESPN)

#2 Memphis Grizzlies Hasheem Thabeet Grade: B

The next Dikembe Mutombo? Thabeet should be an immediate impact player on the defensive end. Luckily for him, Rudy Gay and OJ Mayo will be taking most of the shots. Lookout if he develops an offensive game. He should be in the league for his D alone for years to come. NEXT YEAR: back to the lottery.

James Harden might be the best player of the draft class (Credit: ESPN)

#3 Oklahoma City Thunder James Harden Grade: B

The Thunder eliminated their biggest weakness and gave Russell Westbrook a running mate in the backcourt. The combination of Westbrook, Harden, Jeff Green, and Kevin Durant is downright frightening for what the future has in store for the Thunder. Look for this team to dramatically improve their win total (23) from last year. NEXT YEAR: much improved, but back to the lottery.

The Kings surprised everyone by selecting Evans over Rubio (Credit: ESPN)

#4 Sacramento Kings Tyreke Evans Grade: D

This was a shocker. It seemed every mock draft, rumor, or news report had Ricky Rubio coming to Sac-town. Evans has flaws in his overall game. He is raw, but there is an abundance of raw, young talent in Sacramento. In three years, one must question where Evans will be in comparison to Rubio. Low grade is for not selecting Rubio. The kid displayed abilities and poise years beyond his age in the Olympics against the redeem team. NEXT YEAR: back to the lottery.

Ricky Rubio will likely be dealt or play next season in Europe (Credit: ESPN)

#5 Minnesota Timberwolves Ricky Rubio Grade: B
The T-Wolves got their man with Rubio. Flynn (see 6th pick) is an athletic, charismatic type player whom will lift his teammates on and off the court. However, he is one of 5 guards selected by Minnesota. We here at Protect the Paint envision Rubio emerging as a superstar in this league. Look for multiple moves in the near future from Minnesota. A good question is if Rubio even plays in the NBA this year. NEXT YEAR: back to the lottery.

Jonny Flynn has the talent to star in Minnesota for years to come (Credit: ESPN)

#6 Minnesota Timberwolves Johnny Flynn Grade: B-
Guard #2 of 5 selected by Minnesota. It will be very interesting to see who is dealt and who is kept. With Minnesota’s luck, it is a safe bet the guy dealt experiences greater NBA prosperity. Right now, Rubio has far more trade value. NEXT YEAR: back to the lottery.

Stephen Curry: NBA Rookie of the Year? (Credit: ESPN)

#7 Golden State Warriors Stephen Curry Grade: A+
The Warriors high-octane offense just acquired a serious scoring threat. Scouting reports knocked his defense and decision-making. Sounds like a perfect fit for the Bay Area. The only disclaimer in Oakland: the brass told Monta Ellis they would not select a PG. If the two can get along, the Warriors could be quite dangerous when going small. NEXT YEAR: back to the lottery.

Hill is the Knicks consolation prize after Curry was taken at 7. (Credit: ESPN)

#8 New York Knicks Jordan Hill Grade: C+
The Knicks lost out big time by not being able to draft Stephen Curry but are satisfied with Hill. Hill provides immediate relief if David Lee leaves. Pundits believe he will thrive in Mike D’Antoni’s run and gun style of play. Will the Knicks ever be good again? NEXT YEAR: back to the lottery.

Can DeRozen make Chris Bosh reconsider leaving Toronto? (Credit: ESPN)

#9 Toronto Raptors DeMar DeRozan Grade: A-
This is possibly the best pick the Raptors could have hoped for. DeRozen is freakishly athletic. Will be a key piece in forcing Chris Bosh to consider staying, If Bosh leaves, Toronto has a solid component to build around for the future. NEXT YEAR: if they keep Chris Bosh, this should be a playoff team in 2010.

Brandon Jennings appears poised to excel for the Bucks (Credit: ESPN)

#10 Milwaukee Bucks Brandon Jennings Grade: B-
It will be interesting to listen, watch, and read about how coach Scott Skiles and his new point guard get along. It could be like dynamite and nitro glycerin. With Richard Jefferson gone, and rumors of Luke Ridnour being on the block, Jennings and Ramon Sessions will form the nucleus of a young Bucks backcourt. NEXT YEAR: back to the lottery.

Terrence Williams joins a crowded backcourt in New Jersey (Credit: ESPN)

#11 New Jersey Nets Terrence Williams Grade: B
Williams will fit into a young backcourt rotation of Devon Harris, Chris Douglas-Roberts, and Courtney Lee now that Vince Carter is headed to Orlando. If he learns to be consistent as a pro he will be fun to watch. It is a safe bet New Jersey might hold a higher pick in next years draft with their youth movement officially set in motion. NEXT YEAR: back to the lottery.

Michael Jordan drafted archrival school Duke's Henderson (Credit: ESPN)

#12 Charlotte Bobcats Gerald Henderson Grade: C-
Wow, Michael Jordan drafted a Dukie. At least he didn’t draft fellow UNC alum Tyler Hansbrough (see next pick). Henderson is super-athletic a very good defensive player. Will need to develop more of an offensive game or he could become the next Bruce Bowen (minus the corner three). Weird pick with Earl Clark still on the board. NEXT YEAR: they’ll be a better team, but back to the lottery.

Indiana failed heinously selecting Tyler Hansbrough (Credit: ESPN)

#13 Indiana Pacers Tyler Hansbrough Grade: F*
Hansbrough might be a tough guy—a blue-collar worker whom Indiana fans will appreciate—but he appears to be a man without a position in the NBA. Lacks the foot speed and athleticism to succeed at this level. Indiana blew it. This organization already misses Donnie Walsh. NEXT YEAR: back to the lottery.

*F grade due to who was selected at pick #14.

Brandon Jennings stepped in late on behalf the 14th pick Earl Clark (Credit: ESPN)

#14 Phoenix Suns Earl Clarke Grade: A
The Suns are obviously in a rebuilding mode. Earl Clark is a shooting guard in a big man’s body and will give the team versatility. Good ball handler for his size (like a right-handed Lamar Odom). Needs to improve his range. If the rumors about his lack of work ethic prove unfounded, Phoenix could have the steal of the 2009 NBA Draft. NEXT YEAR: back to the lottery.

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