|
NBA Draft Rewind
July 1, 2008
By Brian Edwards VegasInsider.com
S ince we didn’t get everything covered the night of the draft, let’s pick up where we left off early Friday (morning). In no particular order, here are some random thoughts a few days after digesting the 2008 NBA Draft.
1-What was in the joint being passed around at Sonics headquarters on Draft night? I don’t care if Seattle did try to shop the pick (only to fail according to multiple reports). To take Russell Westbrook at No. 4 is mind-boggling. Yes, dude has great athleticism. He has the size to defend shooting guards and the quickness to defend point guards.
On the other hand, his perimeter jumper is a major question mark. More importantly, he’s not a point guard. Just because he can guard point guards doesn’t mean he can play the position. So basically, he’s a shooting guard who can’t shoot, yet the Sonics felt he was worthy of the fourth pick in the draft. Eric Gordon and Joe Alexander would’ve been much better choices.
With the 24th pick, the Sonics selected Serge Ibaka, an 18-year old that’s at least 25 pounds and three years away from wearing an NBA uniform. Bottom line: You don’t use a first-round pick on a project, especially going into the second year of Kevin Durant’s career.
With all that said, I like the acquisition of D.J. White (29th) for the No. 32 and No. 46 picks, and Davon Hardin is a decent call at 50. Hardin missed most of last season at Cal with an injury, but his size (6’11, 250) alone gives him a chance to be a decent player.
2-Woops, in the confusion of all the various trades, I missed that Portland actually traded Joey Dorsey to Houston. (I assume that happened after ESPN went off the air?) Therefore, it’s the Rockets that get props from me for getting Dorsey, whose game reminds me of Rick Mahorn. Like I said in the draft-night blog, every NBA team can use a Rick Mahorn clone.
3-Although I thought the Nets got worked in the Richard Jefferson trade, they got a major second-round steal with the selection of Chris Douglas-Roberts. CDR’s game is similar to Richard Hamilton’s. And that’s a huge compliment.
4-I love the Pacers’ acquisitions of Brandon Rush and Jarrett Jack. I’m not so sure about Roy Hibbert, but he will be a decent shot blocker who can contribute right away. We’ll see how the Jermaine O’Neal-for-T.J.-Ford deal turns out. If O’Neal can stay healthy, the Raptors get the better of the deal. If O’Neal can’t and Ford can, the Pacers get the better of it.
5-Getting Kosta Koufos at No. 23 is a monster score for the Jazz. Jerry Sloan is just the coach that the Ohio St. product needs.
6-Not even the Clippers could mess up the seventh pick. They got Eric Gordon, who I had as the third-best player in this draft. The only knock on him is that his production really went down in late February and March of his freshman season at Indiana. I ignore that, though. You just throw it out and forget it happened. First of all, he was playing hurt after suffering a wrist injury. Secondly, there’s no way any of IU’s players could be focused with the drama surrounding head coach Kelvin Sampson, who coached two games as a lame duck before taking the money and running.
7-Michael Jordan owns all-time exemption from criticism as a player. However, MJ is not exempt from denigration for his moves as the Czar of the Charlotte Bobcats. I just think Augustin is Jameer Nelson at best and that’s ok, but certainly not worthy of going ninth. All we know about Alexis Aijnca (20) is that he won’t be ready to play for the Bobcats for several years. Kyle Weaver at No. 38? Not when CDR was available. Another piss-poor draft for the Bocats under MJ’s direction.
8-Only time will tell who made the better trade in the Pacers-Trail Blazers deal, but I think Larry Bird schooled Kevin Pritchard in the deal involving Rush and Jerryd Bayless. I just can’t figure out why seemingly everyone in the NBA is so high on Bayless.
9-The Hawks were on the sidelines at this year’s draft, as the Suns had their first choice stemming from the Joe Johnson trade, while the Kings had Atlanta's second-round pick that they turned into Patrick Ewing Jr. Hawks new GM Rick Sund has two off-season priorities, signing restricted free agents Josh Childress and Josh Smith to long-term deals.
10-Best player undrafted: Gary Forbes from UMass. Brian Edwards can be reached at briane@vegasinsider.com.
|