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2001 NBA Draft GradesBy Gene Huh1. Washington Wizards - Kwame Brown (6-11 240 PF) Ater trying in vain to deal away their pick, the Wizards took the most gifted player in the draft. Brown is physically ready to play in the NBA and has the skills to develop into a great player. It is inherently risky to draft a player straight out of high school, but Brown has the talent to develop into an athletic and more physically fit version of a young Danny Manning. Grade: A- 2. Chicago Bulls (from the LA Clippers) - Tyson Chandler (7-0 225 F/C) Chandler is more even more athletic than Brown and possesses a very similar level of skill. However, Chandler does not have Brown's physique and there are some questions about Chandler's work ethic. However, as someone who has been living the glamorous life since he was in junior high due to his shady high school and AAU connections, Chandler will have no problem adjusting to the pampered lifestyle of an NBA baller. Was he worth Elton Brand? Maybe, if the Bulls want to rebuild for three more years. Grade: C 3. Vancouver Grizzlies (from Atlanta) - Pau Gasol (7-0 230 F) Gasol is a seven-footer who loves to roam the perimeter. If he were an American player, he would be vilified and compared to players such as Brad Lohaus and Brad Sellers. However, since Gasol is a Euro, he is compared to German superstar Dirk Nowitzki, a much bigger and tougher player. In terms of production, Gasol didn't exactly set the Spanish league on fire, so we shall see how good he really is. Was he worth Shareef Abdur-Rahim? Probably not, but there was no question that Reef was not good enough to carry a team by himself, so by picking up two very servicable players in Brevin Knight and Lorenzen Wright in addition to Gasol, the Grizzlies probably did not become any worse. Grade: D 4. Chicago Bulls - Eddy Curry (6-11 305 C/F) "Baby Shaq" showed he has a quick wit by throwing a subtle jab at Charles Barkley during TNT's television coverage of the draft. He also has very quick feet for such a gigantic human being. If Curry can avoid blimping out and becoming the next Robert "Tractor" Taylor, stardom awaits this gifted man-child. 300 pound widebodies with franchise center skills come around once every 10 years, so this pick was a no-brainer. Grade: A 5. Golden State Warriors - Jason Richardson (6-5 215 SG) Shocking pick. The Warriors passed on Shane Battier and Eddie Griffin to pick the top-rated shooting guard in the draft. Basically, this pick tells you all you need to know about what the Warriors think about incumbent shooting guard Larry Hughes. Richardson is an improving shooter who has superstar potential, but this pick is only a good one if Eddie Griffin turns out to be a psychopath and not a great all-around ballplayer. Grade: B- 6. Vancouver Grizzlies - Shane Battier (6-8 230 SF) Battier is a classy guy who will serve as a great ambassador for the game of basketball. Maybe someday he'll even follow Bill Bradley into politics. However, the Grizz now have no number one option on offense due to the departure of Shareef Abdur-Rahim and Battier is a second or third option at best. Battier is a great player to have on a good team, but is definitely not a guy who can carry a bad team like the Grizzlies. Grade: B- 7. Houston Rockets - Eddie Griffin (6-9 225 F) Griffin was talented enough to be considered the possible number one pick overall by some. However, his propensity for physically attacking teammates and the fact that his selfish offensive play destroyed Seton Hall's season probably had a lot to do with his slide to number seven. Rudy Tomjanovich has gotten a lot out of some previously questionable players such as Kenny Thomas and Cuttino Mobley, so don't be surprised if he can also help whip Griffin into shape. Griffin has great skills and could florish in an up-tempo attack led by the rising star Stevie Francis. He was definitely worth three lower first draft picks, if for the simple fact that now the Rockets do not have to sign three players to guaranteed contracts. Grade: A+ 8. Cleveland Cavaliers - DeSagana Diop (6-10 315 C) By picking Diop, the Cavs are basically conceding the fact that center Zydrunas Ilgauskas will probably never be healthy again and that Chris Mihm is a bust. Diop is raw and talented, but is definitely a cut below athletic high schoolers like Brown, Chandler and Curry. Plus, with the acquisition of Michael Doleac, the Cavs now have a collection of unproven or ineffective centers on their roster. Grade: C- 9. Detroit Pistons - Rodney White (6-8 240 SF) White was the best pure scorer in the draft and is polished enough to be an impact player from day one. He will most likely challenge Shane Battier and Joe Johnson for Rookie of the Year honors. Jerry Stackhouse now has scoring help, whether he likes it or not. This was a no-brainer of pick that resulted from the brain-less drafting by some of the teams in the top eight. Grade: A 10. Boston Celtics - Joe Johnson (6-7 225 F/G) Johnson is a talented player with offensive skills fairly similar to that of current Celtics swingman Paul Pierce. He'll be an immediate contributor at whichever position Pierce doesn't play, but will not solve the Celtic's problems at center or point guard. Grade: A- 11. Boston Celtics - Kedrick Brown (6-7 220 F) Brown is a total unknown, especially since he didn't work out for very many teams. He is reportedly a great athlete with three-point range. I'm not sure where he fits in on a team that will have Pierce and Joe Johnson. Since there were no big men left deserving of being picked this high, the Celts probably should have dealt this pick. Grade: C 12. Seattle Supersonics - Vladimir Radmanovic (6-9 230 F) If Radmanovic was a little taller, he too would be considered the next Dirk Nowitzki. However, since he is only 6-9, the comparisons are to Peja Stojakovic. If Radmanovic lives up to his billing as an athletic outside shooter with some muscle, his skills will basically be redundant with the skills of current Sonics small forward Rashard Lewis. Grade: B 13. New Jersey Nets (from Houston) - Richard Jefferson (6-7 220 F/G) A lot of people are punking the Nets for dealing away Eddie Griffin for three mediocre draft picks. However, I feel that Jefferson is a potential star with a terrific upside. He is a great athlete who absolutely destroyed the fifth overall selection in this draft, Jason Richardson, during the Final Four. If he works hard on his assertiveness, Jefferson could be a player, somewhere between Sean Elliott and Vince Carter in terms of production. Of course, if he continues to be content as a blender, he'll become nothing more than a Robert Horry or even worse, a Scott Burrell. Grade: A+ 14. Golden State - Troy Murphy (6-10 230 F) Murphy will probably never develop into a great player, but 6-10 forwards who can shoot the ball are valuable commodities. If Murphy can stay in decent shape, he will be better than your basic Don MacLean because Murphy is a tough kid and good rebounder. Grade: B- 15. Orlando Magic - Steven Hunter (6-10 225 F/C) Hunter was basically worthless for two seasons at DePaul before waking up and playing well in the pre-draft camps and workouts. If Hunter continues his post-college hustle, he can become a poor man's Marcus Camby, but if he slacks off again, he'll soon be playing in Turkey. The Magic are hurting at power forward as they only have Bo Outlaw, so Hunter will play a lot of minutes if he is willing to work hard. Grade: B- 16. Charlotte Hornets - Kirk Haston (6-8 240 F) This was hands down the worst pick in the entire draft. Haston is a nice shooter who would be a marginal pick even if he were a legitimate 6-10. However, at 6-8, Haston is worse than useless. The Keith Van Horn comparisons are way off as the better comparison would be to players like Matt Bullard. It was truly insane to draft Haston ahead of quality big men such as Michael Bradley and Zach Randolph. Grade: F 17. Toronto Raptors - Michael Bradley (6-10 230 F/C) Bradley was one of the most underrated players in the draft. He's a lot more athletic than people think and can actually post up effectively. Expect Bradley to be an immediate contributor for the Raptors, especially if Antonio Davis leaves via free agency. Grade: A 18. New Jersey Nets (from Houston) - Jason Collins (6-10 250 C/F) Collins is not a great athlete, but he is a skilled player with some bulk. If you throw out his disgraceful performance against Maryland in the NCAA tournament, Collins had a very good final season for Stanford. The Nets are seriously lacking in centers who can score more than a couple points per game, so Collins has a a chance at receiving significant PT. Still, superior big men such as Zach Randolph, Loren Woods and Brendan Haywood were on the board when this pick was made. Grade: B- 19. Portland Trailblazers - Zach Randolph (6-9 270 PF) Great. Just what the Blazers need, another power forward to go along with Rasheed Wallace, Dale Davis and the guy who used to be the Reign Man, Shawn Kemp. Randolph is a steal at the nineteenth pick, but he will have to play center in order to get playing time with the Blazers. He has great offensive ability and if he can keep himself in reasonable condition, he'll be a standout low post player for many years. Grade: A 20. Orlando Magic (from Cleveland) - Brendan Haywood (7-0 265 C) Usually, Carolina big men get drafted way higher than they deserve (Joe Wolf, Eric Montross, Serge Zwikker, etc.). However, Haywood is a lot more talented than the usual twentieth pick. He's not a good player right now, but he's still a legitimate 7-footer with mass and athletic ability. There is no doubt that Haywood will do a better job against Shaquille O'Neal than John Amaechi or Michael Doleac on their best days. It should also be noted that big men take much longer to develop than other players, so a gamble on the 21 year-old Haywood is a wise one. Grade: A- 21. Boston Celtics - Joseph Forte (6-3 190 SG) Strangely, we have back-to-back Tar Heels picked near the bottom of the first round. Forte is a quality player who can shoot and score effectively. Questions regarding his size and quickness pushed him down to the 21st pick, but make no mistake about it, Forte can play. However, the center-less Celts probably should have gone for a center with this pick, especially since they drafted Kedrick Brown and Joe Johnson with their previous two draft picks. Grade: C- 22. Orlando Magic - Jeryl Sasser (6-6 195 PG) Sasser is a true point guard with terrific size and limited shooting ability. Sasser reminds some people of Paul Pressey and Darrell Walker because of his combination of height, defensive skill and passing ability. If he Sasser can learn to shoot better, he'll provide the Magic with a solid backup for undersized starting point guard Darrell Armstrong. Grade: B- 23. New Jersey Nets - Brandon Armstrong (6-3 190 G) Armstrong is a scoring point guard with a very nice outside shot. He is quick and has very good size for a point guard. The question is whether Armstrong has the requisite quarterback mentality that a point guard needs to succeed in the NBA. I don't think the Nets drafted Armstrong to be anything more than a backup, so perhaps they are looking at him as more of a combo guard. It should also be noted that better point guards such as Jamaal Tinsley and Tony Parker were still on the board. Grade: C+ 24. Utah Jazz - Raul Lopez (6-0 180 PG) Lopez is reportedly a poor man's Steve Nash for his club team, Real Madrid. It may be couple of years before Lopez is allowed to come over to the States, so this is a very long-term pick. Hopefully for the Jazz, this pick turns out better than their previous attempts to acquire foreign talent. Grade: Incomplete 25. Sacramento Kings - Gerald Wallace (6-7 210 SF) Gerald Wallace probably wishes that he skipped college altogether, as he probably would have been a top ten pick after his senior year of high school last season. Wallace is an elite athlete who can make the plays only the great ones even attempt. If he can become a respectable midrange jump shooter, Wallace could develop into a true superstar. This pick was a very good gamble by the Kings. Grade: A+ 26. Philadelphia 76ers - Samuel Dalembert (6-11 230 C) Dalembert is truly a crude offensive player whose offensive arsenal consists of only the dunk. Of course, his true worth comes at the defensive end, where he is a monstrous shotblocking force. Dalembert is a very good athlete with speed and quickness, but he must dramatically upgrade his hands and post moves if he is to become an offensive threat. This was a good pick at this stage in the draft. Grade: B 27. Indiana Pacers (from Atlanta) - Jamaal Tinsley (6-1 200 PG) Tinsley is slow, looks overweight and shoots a set shot, but he has true point guard skills. In many ways, he is a lot like former Pacer point guard Mark "Action" Jackson. This is not a pick that will help the Pacers immediately since they already have Travis Best and Jalen Rose can also play point guard, but apparently the Pacers felt that Tinsley was too good to pass up. He had better be good, since he cost the Pacers a future first round pick. Grade: B+ 28. San Antonio Spurs - Tony Parker(6-0 180 PG) This was a superb pick for the Spurs. Parker can replace Avery Johnson and combine with Antonio Daniels to form a potent one-two punch at the point guard position. Parker is not overly creative with the ball, but he is a pure shooter with good ballhandling skills. He may not help the Spurs overtake the Lakers, but is definitely a solid addition. Grade: A Notable Second Round Picks 30. Chicago Bulls - Trenton Hassell (6-4 205 SG) Hassell is a quick athlete with a pure stroke from long-range. He absolutely dominated OVC competition and was highly regarded by most scouts. In all likelihood, he'll become a contributor for the talentless Bulls. 31. Golden State Warriors - Gilbert Arenas (6-2 200 SG) Arenas was downgraded because he lacks ideal size and is not a pure shooter. However, anytime you can get a player who was one of the top performers in college basketball last season in the second round, you're getting a steal. Arenas could find his niche in the NBA as an instant offense player off the bench, similar to the role that Tony Delk plays for the Suns. 32. Denver Nuggets - Omar Cook (6-0 190) I always question the trading of future first rounders for second round picks, but Cook is definitely a first round talent. The lack of a consistent jump shot is what allowed Cook to last this long, but he is unquestionably a true point guard. Cook could settle in nicely as Nick Van Exel's backup and eventual successor with the Nuggets. 34. Houston Rockets - Terence Morris (6-9 210) This was the steal of all steals. Morris stagnated after exploding on the scene as a do-it-all sophomore, but possesses the talent of a lottery pick. He has a smooth stroke from long range, a nice handle for a big guy and is a terrific athlete. If Rudy T can motivate him, Morris could develop into a solid NBA starter. 35. New Jersey Nets - Brian Scalabrine (6-9 250) The Nets were roundly ridiculed for dealing Eddie Griffin away, but Scalabrine is a first round talent who slipped into their laps. A poor man's Tom Gugliotta, Scalabrine has the inside/outside skills to provide solid support for both Keith Van Horn and Kenyon Martin. 46. Minnesota Timberwolves - Loren Woods (7-1 240) The T-Wolves must feel like they just regained one of the first round picks they lost in the Joe Smith fiasco. Woods is a lottery-level talent with height, smooth athleticism and fine offensive skills. If he was European, Woods would have gone in the top 5. Rumors about the condition of his back and questions about his toughness are what pushed Woods out of the first round, but if he can stay healthy the T-Wolves have just acquired a starting center. 47. Denver Nuggets - Ousmane Cisse (6-8 250) Cisse's decision to stay in the draft, despite suffering an ACL injury during the year has turned out to be a disaster. However, this warrior of a big man has the desire and athleticism to develop into a fine power forward. A first round talent, Cisse outplayed the bigger Eddy Curry fairly soundly during the camps last summer. 49. Miami Heat - Ken Johnson (6-11 230) Johnson is a nice athlete with devastating shotblocking skills. If he had any sort of offensive game, he definitely would have gone in the top 15. Unfortunately for Johnson, the previously unheralded Steven Hunter reportedly dominated him in workouts, knocking Johnson completely out of the first round. Still, Johnson has the talent to develop into a player in the Kelvin Cato or Theo Ratliff mold if he continues to work hard. Brian Scalabrine Loren Woods Ken Johnson Ousmane Cisse |
Features MJ is Hurting College Hoops Game Reviews Interview with Draft Analyst John D. Thompson Scouting Report: Tony Parker 2001-2002 Western Conference Preview 2001-2002 Eastern Conference Preview
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