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THE BEST IN ILLINOIS HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL RECRUITING!
MidStateHoops.com NBA Draft Grades 2007
by Brett McGee
July 2, 2007
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2007 NBA Draft The Hawks went the safe route by choosing Al Horford with the 3rd overall selection. He's definitely one of the more NBA-ready players in the draft, and he has low bust potential so it's a solid pick. He'll definitely upgrade Atlanta's front-line. I just feel that the pick could have been used in a better way. Horford is a solid player, but in my opinion doesn't have superstar potential. Players such as Yi Jianlian and Brandan Wright would have been riskier picks, but have higher ceilings than Horford. Horford was a solid selection, but at #3 in this draft, you have to come away with a player that has superstar potential, and the Hawks didn't do that. Acie Law was an excellent selection at #11. He needs to refine his point guard skills, but he has a great feel for the game and is NBA-ready. His selection can somewhat erase the memory of them passing on Deron Williams and Chris Paul a few years back. Selections: |
Atlanta Hawks Grade: B |
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Boston Celtics Grade: C- |
2007 NBA Draft The Celtics had a lot of quality players to choose from at #5 but ended up trading the pick for Ray Allen. That likely was a bad move since Allen is 32 years old and doesn't have many all-star type years left. They also had to give up a lot to get him trading the fifth pick which happened to be Jeff Green, in addition to Wally Sczerbiak, and Delonte West. The Celtics would likely have been better served to keep Green for themselves or select either Yi Jianlian or Brandan Wright. Gabe Pruitt was an excellent selection in the second round. He's not a pure point guard, but brings size, talent, and athleticism to the point guard position. Trading for Glen Davis could turn out to be a decent move, but he somewhat duplicates Al Jefferson and Kendrick Perkins.Selections: |
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2007 NBA Draft The Bobcats seemingly found gold when Brandan Wright fell all the way to their pick at #8 overall, and they seemingly made a great move by selecting him, but inexplicably traded him away for Jason Richardson. The Bobcats needed another post player to pair with Emeka Okafor and Wright or Florida's Joakim Noah would have been great fits, but the Bobcats ended up with neither. Jason Richardson is a quality player, but he's not a superstar, and he duplicates Gerald Wallace. The Wright for Richardson trade could go down as one of the worst in recent memory if Wright reaches his full potential. Acquiring the rights to Jermareo Davidson could turn out to be a good move. He's not as good as Wright, but does possess very good upside potential. The Jared Dudley selection at #22 was a head scratcher. He was considered to be a player that would be a candidate to be a second rounder or go undrafted. He has a chance to become a solid pro because of his great intangibles, but he duplicates the players the Bobcats already have and he's not talented enough to be a first round pick. The Bobcats had an unproductive draft considering the picks they had. Selections: |
Charlotte Bobcats Grade: D- |
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Chicago Bulls Grade: A |
2007 NBA Draft The Bulls turned in another great draft, and really there are only a few teams whose drafts were as productive or better than the Bulls. Joakim Noah is a polarizing player because of his somewhat raw scoring ability, but he's a better offensive player than people give him credit for being, and he's as athletic and competitive as any other post player in this draft. He has great upside, and he'll likely reach his ceiling due to the tremendous track record the Bulls have for developing players. They made the right move selecting him over Spencer Hawes because although Hawes would have given them a solid back to the basket center, Noah can bring more to the table because of his superior athleticism and versatility. He has a chance to become one of the top-5 best players to come from this draft, and getting him at #9 was somewhat of a steal for the Bulls. They also made great selections in the second round getting Aaron Gray and JamesOn Curry. Gray gives them another promising post prospect to develop and has a chance to become a solid NBA center. Curry is one of the best shooters and pure scorers in the draft and will be an upgrade over Chris Duhon. Can't really complain about anything the Bulls did on draft night.Selections: |
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2007 NBA Draft The Mavericks didn't have any first round picks but three second rounders and they did a nice job with their first one selecting Nevada big-man Nick Fazekas. Fazekas is one of the top offensive post players in the draft and will provide depth on the Dallas front-line. Trading for Reyshawn Terry could prove to be an excellent move. He brings size and athleticism to the Mavericks perimeter attack and excellent versatility. He gives the Mavericks yet another talented offensive player. It was potentially a strong draft for the Mavericks. Selections: |
Dallas Mavericks Grade: B+ |
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Detroit Pistons Grade: B |
2007 NBA Draft The Pistons potentially had a very solid draft and came away with three promising prospects. Rodney Stuckey played at a small school and is a combo guard, but is very highly regarded by scouts and will likely upgrade the Pistons backup point guard and shooting guard positions. Arron Afflalo was an excellent selection at #27. He's one of the most fundamentally sound and NBA-ready players in the draft, and should be an excellent understudy to Rip Hamilton. Their second round pick Sammy Mejia is a very versatile and talented player, and could have a legitimate shot to make the team. The Pistons substantially strengthened their perimeter attack in this draft.
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2007 NBA Draft Simply put, the Warriors had about as good of a draft as any team. Their trading Jason Richardson for the superlatively talented Brandan Wright could turn out to be one of the drafts true heists. Wright fits in perfectly with their up-tempo style and has franchise-player type upside potential. It's scary envisioning him on their front-line. Marco Bellinelli was another excellent selection. He had a somewhat disappointing season in Europe, but remains one of the top scorers and outside shooters in this draft. He also is a great fit for Golden State's up-tempo perimeter oriented attack. Stephane Lasme could turn out to be a solid second round selection. He could help improve the Warriors in the area they were weakest in last season, which is rebounding. At the very least, he gives them more depth on their front-line. Overall a great draft by Golden State.Selections: |
Golden State Warriors Grade: A |
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Houston Rockets Grade: A- |
2007 NBA Draft The Rockets likely raised some eyebrows with their selection of Aaron Brooks in the first round considering their team needs, but Brooks definitely raises the talent-level of their team, which they desperately needed to upgrade in the offseason. He's not a pure point guard and is undersized, but is as tough as any other player in the draft and was unstoppable going one-on-one in college. He can be groomed as the team's point guard of the future. Trading for Carl Landry was an excellent move. He doesn't possess great upside potential, but he's tough, skilled, and experienced and will be an upgrade over what they currently have at the power forward spot. The Rockets still have other holes to fill on their roster, but they likely had a very good draft.Selections: |
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2007 NBA Draft The Clippers desperately needed a point guard heading into the draft and likely would have selected Acie Law had he been on the board, but the Hawks snatched him up three picks before theirs. Instead they opted for Al Thornton, which could prove to be an excellent selection at #14. Thornton is one of the top scorers in the draft and will bring a dimension the Clippers didn't previously have with his offensive explosiveness. He gives them depth in case they decide to move Corey Maggette. Jared Jordan is an intriguing player, and could turn out to be a real find for the Clippers in the second round. It's uncertain if he's the long-term solution at point guard, but he's one of the top play-makers in this draft and he gives them depth at that position on the floor. That was a very solid selection considering where they were picking. Selections: |
Los Angeles Clippers Grade: B+ |
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Los Angeles Lakers Grade: B+ |
2007 NBA Draft The Lakers are likely just looking to stockpile assets to try to make moves to improve their roster and try to get more help for Kobe Bryant. Crittendon is a risky pick because of how raw he is at running the point, but he also possesses a lot of upside. He's the type of big point guard that Phil Jackson loves, and he should thrive in that system. Sun Yue is an intriguing talent due to the tremendous ball skills he possesses at his size. He may never be a big-time scorer, but he's a high intangibles player that could become a great role player in their system. Marc Gasol probably could have gone much higher in the draft and may turn out to be a solid second round selection. Selections: |
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2007 NBA Draft The Grizzlies had a number of needs heading into the draft, but point guard was likely the most glaring hole they had to fill. They were able to solidify that area of their team by selecting Mike Conley. Conley has a chance to become an excellent NBA point guard. The Grizzlies also could have went with post players such as Joakim Noah, Brandan Wright, or Yi Jianlian, but it's hard to argue with the selection of Conley. Selections: |
Memphis Grizzlies Grade: B |
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Miami Heat Grade: D- |
2007 NBA Draft The Heat took a player with a lot of talent in Daequan Cook, but he's very raw, and is an extremely risky selection. He's a boom or bust type of pick, with very little in between. They initially selected Colorado State's Jason Smith, who would have substantially upgraded the athleticism and talent-level on their front-line, but traded him for Cook who likely won't be able to contribute much for a few years. They probably should have held on to Smith. Acquiring Cook also seems precarious since he plays the same position as the team's superstar Dwyane Wade. The Heat were picking low in the first round, but they still should have come out of this draft with a better asset than Daequan Cook.Selections: #21-Daequan Cook-SG-Ohio State |
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2007 NBA Draft The Bucks did what Yi Jianlian and his handlers didn't want them to do and selected him with their 6th overall pick. No one is sure if Yi in Milwaukee will work, but on paper, it's a great pick by the Bucks. The only two players in this draft that have as much upside potential as Yi are Greg Oden and Kevin Durant. If Yi reaches his full potential he could become a more athletic version of Dirk Nowitzki. With all that said, he's very raw and is a ways away from making a significant impact. He'll need very good coaching and the team will need to take a patient approach with him for him to reach his full potential. In the end, if he stays with Milwaukee, he should prove to be an excellent selection for the Bucks. Ramon Sessions was a great pickup in the second round of the draft. He lacks great scoring ability, but he's one of the top play-makers in the field. He gives them insurance in case they allow Mo Williams to walk in free agency. Selections: |
Milwaukee Bucks Grade: B+ |
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Minnesota Timbewolves Grade: A- |
2007 NBA Draft The Timberwolves desperately tried to move Kevin Garnett before the draft but weren't able to accomplish that goal. For now it appears that they'll try to put the best team around him that they possibly can until a deal is reached. The team made an excellent selection at #7 taking Florida's Corey Brewer. Pound for pound, Brewer is arguably the best defensive player in this draft. He's a terror on the perimeter and can take on the role of defensive stopper. In time, he also has the potential to develop into a 20 ppg type of scorer. If they keep Kevin Garnett, Brewer is the perfect complement to him. Chris Richard was a solid selection in the second round. He's not flashy, but he's a space eater in the paint and isn't afraid to do the dirty work. He'll immediately upgrade the Timberwolves front-line. There's nothing wrong with taking two players off of last season's college basketball national championship team.Selections: |
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2007 NBA Draft The Nets likely raised some eyebrows by taking Boston College's troubled, albeit talented big-man Sean Williams. Some feel that Williams could have been a lottery pick if he had not been kicked off the BC team this past season. I just don't like this pick for the Nets. It's a high risk, low reward type of pick. Williams is a great defensive player, but he has virtually no offensive game and duplicates what they already have in Josh Boone and Mikki Moore. Even if he excels defensively, he'll likely never become a force offensively. When you add in the problems he's had off the court, it's too big of a risk taking him at #17. Colorado State's Jason Smith would have been a much better selection in my opinion, as he could have developed into a more athletic version of their own Nenad Krstic. Shooters such as Marco Belinelli and Rudy Fernandez also would have made excellent selections as their perimeter shooting abilities could have improved the team's floor spacing. It wasn't a horrible draft for the Nets, but it could have been better. Selections: |
New Jersey Nets Grade: D+ |
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New Orleans Hornets Grade: A- |
2007 NBA Draft The Hornets had a very solid draft after being able to pick up Julian Wright in the first round and Adam Haluska in the second. Wright is one of the top all-around talents in the entire draft. He excels in many facets of the game already, but also still has a lot of room for growth. He should thrive playing with Chris Paul and become a star. Haluska is a quality experienced player that could have a shot at making the roster due to the Hornets lack of depth at the shooting guard position. Selections: |
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2007 NBA Draft It became well known to those who followed the draft process closely that the Knicks were rumored to have promised their #23rd overall selection to Wilson Chandler. Chandler is a player who is raw and is a ways away from contributing, but is considered to have a lot of upside potential. He adds size and athleticism to the Knicks small forward position. It's uncertain if he'll become an impact player, but if you want to take a risk, you may as well do it where the Knicks were picking.Selections: #23-Wilson Chandler-SF-Depaul |
New York Knicks Grade: C |
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Orlando Magic Grade: D |
2007 NBA Draft The Magic traded away their first second round pick Reyshawn Terry to the Dallas Mavericks and aquired Rakovic in the deal. Terry could have become an excellent role player and complement to Dwight Howard so their trading him away is precarious. Rakovic is highly regarded, but somewhat duplicates their other frontcourt players.Selections: |
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2007 NBA Draft The 76ers had several picks in the draft this year, some coming from the Allen Iverson trade, and they made the most of it by having a great draft. Thaddeus Young was a gutsy pick at #12 overall. He's raw, and likely won't be able to contribute much right away, but he could turn into a real gem and it's scary envisioning he and Andre Iguodala on the wings in 2-3 years. They also may have made one of the drafts major heists by trading Daequan Cook for talented big-man Jason Smith. Smith has about as much upside potential as any other big-man in this draft outside of Greg Oden. He's a great athlete that possesses great size and excellent skills. Acquiring second round pick Derrick Byars was an excellent move and he should contribute right away for Philadelphia. This is now a team on the rise. Selections: |
Philadelphia 76ers Grade: A |
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Phoenix Suns Grade: C+ |
2007 NBA Draft The Suns came into the draft needing to add size and strengthen their bench. They weren't able to land a quality big-man, but they got a very good player at #29 in Alando Tucker. If Tucker fit a position in the NBA better, he would have been a much higher draft pick. He's an inconsistent perimeter shooter, but he has great strength, athleticism, and toughness. He can create mismatches on the perimeter and become a player similar to Bonzi Wells but with a better attitude. D.J. Strawberry was a good pickup in the second round, but it will be hard for him to make the roster since the Suns are deep at the guard position. I don't think trading away the #24th pick Rudy Fernandez was a good move as he would have fit perfectly into their system and would have potentially been an upgrade over Raja Bell. Getting Tucker still gave them a solid draft however. Selections: |
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2007 NBA Draft The Blazers likely had the best draft of any team due to their landing the top prospect in the field, Greg Oden. Oden has a chance to become the most dominant center in the NBA in three years. It's scary thinking of he and LaMarcus Aldridge on the same front-line together. They made the right move selecting Oden over Durant, because although Oden isn't as talented as Durant, he has more of an impact on the game due to his size and ability to dominate the interior. In addition to nabbing Oden, the Blazers made some other nice moves in the draft. They were able to make a trade to acquire the talented Spanish shooting guard, Rudy Fernandez. Fernandez somewhat duplicates Brandon Roy, but both are very versatile players and likely could play together due to Roy's ability to play some point guard. Josh McRoberts could prove to an excellent addition as he's a great complement to Oden due to his great passing ability and overall skill-set. Taurean Green potentially could become a solid backup point guard for them. Demetris Nichols was an excellent selection. He brings some size to their perimeter, and he has a premium skill, which is his great outside shooting ability. He could become a great role player with this team if given the opportunity. A tremendous draft for the Blazers. Selections: |
Portland Trailblazers Grade: A+ |
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Sacramento Kings Grade: A- |
2007 NBA Draft The Kings had a variety of needs heading into the draft and could have gone in a number of directions with their pick. They opted to take talented Washington freshman center Spencer Hawes. Hawes might be the most skilled post player in this draft and gives the Kings a nice building block for the future. He should become a better version of their own Brad Miller. The Kings probably had more pressing needs than center, but it's hard to argue their selecting a big-man with Hawes's type of ability.Selections: #10-Spencer Hawes-C-Washington |
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2007 NBA Draft The Spurs came into the draft looking to upgrade their bench, and they may have been able to do that with their first two selections. Tiago Splitter has a chance to become a more athletic version of their own Fabricio Oberto and could become an excellent complement to Tim Duncan in the post. Their second round selection of Marcus Williams could turn out to be one of the major steals of the draft. Williams is a top-10 pick type of talent, but struggled to distinguish himself from the array of talent surrounding him at Arizona. Although he and the team had a somewhat disappointing season, he remains one of the top talents in this draft, and if he's developed properly, has a chance to become a star. At the very least, he gives the team added depth and raises the talent-level of an already loaded team. A very solid draft for the reigning NBA champs. Selections: |
San Antonio Spurs Grade: A |
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Seattle SuperSonics Grade: A+ |
2007 NBA Draft The Sonics were able to land the draft's other prize in Kevin Durant. Durant has similar scoring ability as Kobe Bryant or Tracy McGrady, but what makes him unique is his size. He can do pretty much everything they can do, but he's 6'10 with a 7'5'' wingspan, and is a world-class type of athlete. He not only could win several scoring titles, but he could become a dominating defender and rebounder as well. He truly has a chance to revolutionize the game on the next level. Seattle was also able to acquire Jeff Green who isn't the best fit with Durant, but is one of the top talents in the draft. I really felt that Green was the second best player in college basketball last season to Durant, and now they're on the same team. Green combines great talent with excellent intangibles. He has the potential to develop into a special player on the next level. The Sonics also were able to acquire quality role players in Carl Landry, Delonte West, and Wally Szczerbiak. Wherever they end up playing, the future is very bright for the Sonic organization.Selections: |
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2007 NBA Draft The Jazz didn't have any high draft picks after a successful season, but were able to land two solid prospects in Morris Almond and Herbert Hill. Almond possesses a beautiful outside shooting stroke, and is one of the more gifted offensive players in the draft. He has a chance to eventually become the starting shooting guard beside Deron Williams. Fesenko is a project but likely worth the gamble considering where he was selected. Selections: |
Utah Jazz Grade: B |
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Washington Wizards Grade: B |
2007 NBA Draft The Wizards were able to bolster their already powerful perimeter attack by nabbing Nick Young with the 16th overall pick. Young fits perfectly into their style of play and gives Washington a very explosive perimeter trio with himself, Caron Butler, and Gilbert Arenas. I think selecting Young was a solid choice, but I think the Wizards should of instead addressed their porous front-line. Jason Smith would have been an excellent selection at #16. Dominic McGuire is considered to be a very versatile player, but may have a hard time making the roster with the Wizards' glut of wing players.
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