Post by IanBoyd on Aug 12, 2014 9:41:21 GMT -6
As the 3002 enter the final year of their rookie contracts, I'll put in my own :twocents: about how the draft class has performed thus far and where each prospect deserves to be ranked in the redraft.
1.
Lakers - Grant Hill SF 24 6'8'' 240 A- A- A- A- C+ B (originally drafted #1)
In back to back years, LA franchises took the #1 spot in the draft, with the Lakers taking Grant Hill #1 overall. Although it hasn't been a smooth first 4 years for the talented forward from Duke, having now played for 3 different teams in 4 years; something almost unheard of for a #1 pick, Grant has become one of the best young players in the last few TCs. Now playing SG for the Timberwolves, Grant Hill displayed some Gervin-esque shooting numbers in preseason action, putting up over 30 ppg in 50/90/40 type of shooting percentages. Though his turnover problems are well documented, Hill still deserves to be drafted #1 overall in the re-draft in my opinion.
2.
Bullets - Khalid Reeves PG 24 6'3'' 214 B+ A- A A- D+ B (originally drafted #12)
The first pick in the common draft era made by 4.0 rookie GM kn88 was a bit of a stumble to say the least. Originally having drafted Jalen Rose, the Michigan native hasn't lived up the the Fab Five hype (more on that later) and has been a below average small forward as well as turnover prone PG. Rose's stumble however, is another guard's opportunity; being overlooked despite 2.0 heroics, DJ Khalid has become one of the best young point guards in the league as well as receiving one of the biggest rises in the 3002 re-draft. Currently playing for the Miami Heat's offensive juggernaut of a squad, Khalid Reeves holds the key to perhaps the league's most potent offense, with his own contributions being an enormous part of it.
3.
Nets - Neon Boudeaux PF 22 7'0'' 284 A- C- C- B+ A- C (originally drafted #3)
Having had the league in awe of his inhuman luck, GM scatmanduse strikes gold for the 16th time in draft lotteries and moved up to the #3 spot before taking the talented blue chiper Neon "Fake Shaq" Boudeaux. With many GMs around the league questioning perhaps Neon's limited room for growth due to his C potential as well as league commissioner Odin hinting at not wanting to make fake players become the best players in 4.0, Neon has carved out a nice niche for himself playing alongside all world center Moses Malone similar to the 2.0 tandem of David Robinson and Shaq. Even though Neon hasn't done much improvement in the training camps as many in the league believed and hoped to be the case, his production as one of the best rebounding and shot blockers keeps his draft position at #3 in the re-draft.
4.
Magic - Glenn Robinson PF 24 6'7'' 245 B+ C+ C A- B- B (originally drafted #7)
Gm mj originally drafted the other member of the Fab Five in Juwan Howard in the actual draft, a player whose offensive production has more than lived up to the hype, scoring at around 20 ppg at over 48% FG. But his struggles on the defensive end and passiveness at protecting the rim (a career 0.7 blocks thus far) drops Juwan a bit further in the re-draft lottery. Enter Big Dogg Glenn Robinson, a player many marveled at how far he slid down the draft position and lit up the scoreboards during his rookie year. After taking a hit in the most recent Training Camp that saw Glenn taking a giant step backwards, Robinson was no longer in the discussion for the claim to the #1 spot but is still at minimum the 4th most talented player in the 3002 class.
5.
Bulls - Charlie Ward PG 25 6'2'' 205 C+ A- A A C- C (originally drafted #21)
Having drafted Donyell Marshall originally that saw the SF gain an immediately +2 defensive bump at PF, Marshall hasn't improved his big man skills enough to warrant a top 5 position in the re-draft (currently A- def in both PF and SF) with the honors now going to Charlie Ward, the biggest rise in the 3002 re-draft. Ward brings some much needed youth and talent to the back court of Chicago that has struggled to find much of either. With how crowded the Bulls front court have been over the last several years, Chicago Gm Bruns would have loved to been able to pick up Charlie and save himself the headaches of needing to trade for aging guards such as Pistol Pete or the pains of losing Foots Walker in FA (in a few sim years).
6.
Knicks - Donyell Marshall SF 24 6'9'' 238 B+ C+ C+ A- B- C (originally drafted #5)
Originally having drafted Jason Kidd to run the MSG offense, Kidd has been terrific as a distributor but have struggled to develop much of an offense. With the questionable deals paid out to mediocre SFs the last few years in free agency, skrouse would have loved to have been able to draft Donyell Marshall as the solution to his wing scoring problems. Playing behind a loaded front court for the Bulls that included Kareem/Caldwell Jones/George McGinnis, Marshall hasn't had the chance to showcase his abilities to the full extent, Donyell and the MSG stage would have been a perfect marriage.
7.
Nuggets - Jason Kidd PG 24 6'4'' 205 B- B- A+ A C B (originally drafted #6)
With no such luck getting Glenn Robinson to free fall to 7th in the re-draft, Nuggets gm jerry west would have preferred to draft a solid PG (to pass the ball to George Gervin in which he'll re-steal in FA in about 2 re-simmed days) to run his offense instead of relying on players like Slick Watts. Kidd brings A+ handling as well as A defense to the mile high city, a team in which he won't be asked to carry the scoring load (due to Nuggets again stealing Gervin) and would shine in the role best suited for him as a pass first defensive point guard.
8. Bulls (from Clippers) - Brian Grant PF 24 6'9'' 259 B C C A- B+ B (originally drafted #14)
With Charlie Ward now on the roster, the Bulls should pick up the overlooked Brian Grant with the 8th pick in the re-draft for a balanced offensive attack built around 2 youngsters. Though his numbers are likely inflated due to playing on a tanking 76ers squad, Brian Grant has been the PF that Juwan Howard owners wished he could have become; a career 20/10 big man with nearly 2 blocks a game and shooting over 80% from the FT line, the unheralded Brian Grant has a case to be made as the most polished and well rounded big man in all of 3002.
9.
Mavericks (from Grizzlies) - Eric Montross C 25 7'0'' 270 C+ D- D A- A- B (originally drafted #20)
With elite scorers like David Thompson and Larry Kenon on the roster, the Mavericks are in no need for more scoring help and have spent their last few seasons mostly just acquiring additional role players. Eric Montross brings the Mavericks some much needed size left by the departing Mark Eaton; though not much of a scorer, Eric doesn't take shots away from the elite perimeter scorers on the team and is a throw back hard nosed big man that sets screens, block shots and grab rebounds. Already more than a suitable replacement for Mark Eaton, should Montross improve his defense and rebounding to A or A+ levels, the fans of Dallas would collectively never think twice about Eaton playing for another division rival team.
10.
Pelicans (now Kings) - Eddie Jones PG 25 6'6'' 195 C+ A- B A- C A (originally drafted #9)
Perhaps the biggest surprise and the pick that will likely draw criticism for this article, the talented Eddie Jones, instead of moving up has dropped a spot in the lottery. Having done well in limited action as a starting PG, Jones was handed the keys to the Pacer offense this season with the intent of being their PG of the future. Unfortunately due to a bad TC that has sparked a brand new debate on PG eligibility, Eddie is left in limbo this season, which the ruling from the commissioner's office of a one year probation period to improve his handles to B+ in the upcoming year or lose his rights to play PG. Should Eddie Jones regain full time PG eligibility again, he could easily work his way up in the rankings of the 3002 class; but for now, like this position, much remains in doubt about Eddie's future.
11.
Colonels (now thankfully Raptors again) - Juwan Howard C 24 6'9'' 255 B+ C C B+ B B (originally drafted #4)
The biggest fall from any player that still remains in the lottery. Juwan Howard has struggled to learn the nuisances of playing defense as a NBA power forward with his lack of shot blocking being well documented (career 0.7 blocks per game as mentioned previously). As an undersized center that can't block shots, Juwan will be at a disadvantage against nearly every team with legitimate size in the front court. However, as the 11th pick, the Raptors can afford to overlook some of Juwan's shortcomings and focus on what he does well, which is scoring the basketball in the low post with high efficiency. A career 22 ppg scorer at over 46% FG, Howard is a nice value for a team picking outside of the top 10 instead of being labeled a disappointment as a top 5 pick.
12.
Heat - Carlos Rogers PF 26 6'11'' 220 A- D+ C- B B- B (originally drafted #19)
Without the gift of having the best PG in the draft free fall to the 12th pick in DJ Khalid, Miami will have to settle for drafting the next closest sure thing remaining in the 3002 class, the big man Carlos originally drafted by the Golden State Warriors. Carlos brings a double double on a nightly basis but is not as good of a defensive player compared to Brian Grant or as efficient on the offensive end compared to Juwan Howard. However, being stuck in Golden State would nearly ruin just about any player, with just about all of his upgrades remaining, Rogers is a workable prospect that can still have his shortcomings on defense or rebounding boosted up to respectable levels by a more active GM.
13. Colonels (now thankfully Raptors again) - Butch McRae PG 20 6'5'' 205 C+ B+ A+ B- C- B (originally drafted #10)
With Juwan on the roster, there's little need to draft another big man with shot blocking problems in Yinka Dare. With rise of players such as Khalid Reeves and Charlie Ward leaves the young Butch McRae as the last point guard in the lottery; being drafted at only 17 years old, Butch has made enormous improvements as a ball handler and distributor. However his struggles improving on the defensive side of the ball after 4 training camps sets off a bit of alarm bells, having only a B- displayed defensive grade despite over 85 in both perimeter defense and stealing points to a possible low strength and/or quickness. Regardless of the negatives, Butch is already an above average scorer and one of the best ball handlers in the league at only 20 years old, the value he brings far outweighs the negatives as he nabs the last lottery pick in the 3002 Re-Draft.
1.
Lakers - Grant Hill SF 24 6'8'' 240 A- A- A- A- C+ B (originally drafted #1)In back to back years, LA franchises took the #1 spot in the draft, with the Lakers taking Grant Hill #1 overall. Although it hasn't been a smooth first 4 years for the talented forward from Duke, having now played for 3 different teams in 4 years; something almost unheard of for a #1 pick, Grant has become one of the best young players in the last few TCs. Now playing SG for the Timberwolves, Grant Hill displayed some Gervin-esque shooting numbers in preseason action, putting up over 30 ppg in 50/90/40 type of shooting percentages. Though his turnover problems are well documented, Hill still deserves to be drafted #1 overall in the re-draft in my opinion.
2.
Bullets - Khalid Reeves PG 24 6'3'' 214 B+ A- A A- D+ B (originally drafted #12)The first pick in the common draft era made by 4.0 rookie GM kn88 was a bit of a stumble to say the least. Originally having drafted Jalen Rose, the Michigan native hasn't lived up the the Fab Five hype (more on that later) and has been a below average small forward as well as turnover prone PG. Rose's stumble however, is another guard's opportunity; being overlooked despite 2.0 heroics, DJ Khalid has become one of the best young point guards in the league as well as receiving one of the biggest rises in the 3002 re-draft. Currently playing for the Miami Heat's offensive juggernaut of a squad, Khalid Reeves holds the key to perhaps the league's most potent offense, with his own contributions being an enormous part of it.
3.
Nets - Neon Boudeaux PF 22 7'0'' 284 A- C- C- B+ A- C (originally drafted #3)Having had the league in awe of his inhuman luck, GM scatmanduse strikes gold for the 16th time in draft lotteries and moved up to the #3 spot before taking the talented blue chiper Neon "Fake Shaq" Boudeaux. With many GMs around the league questioning perhaps Neon's limited room for growth due to his C potential as well as league commissioner Odin hinting at not wanting to make fake players become the best players in 4.0, Neon has carved out a nice niche for himself playing alongside all world center Moses Malone similar to the 2.0 tandem of David Robinson and Shaq. Even though Neon hasn't done much improvement in the training camps as many in the league believed and hoped to be the case, his production as one of the best rebounding and shot blockers keeps his draft position at #3 in the re-draft.
4.
Magic - Glenn Robinson PF 24 6'7'' 245 B+ C+ C A- B- B (originally drafted #7)Gm mj originally drafted the other member of the Fab Five in Juwan Howard in the actual draft, a player whose offensive production has more than lived up to the hype, scoring at around 20 ppg at over 48% FG. But his struggles on the defensive end and passiveness at protecting the rim (a career 0.7 blocks thus far) drops Juwan a bit further in the re-draft lottery. Enter Big Dogg Glenn Robinson, a player many marveled at how far he slid down the draft position and lit up the scoreboards during his rookie year. After taking a hit in the most recent Training Camp that saw Glenn taking a giant step backwards, Robinson was no longer in the discussion for the claim to the #1 spot but is still at minimum the 4th most talented player in the 3002 class.
5.
Bulls - Charlie Ward PG 25 6'2'' 205 C+ A- A A C- C (originally drafted #21)Having drafted Donyell Marshall originally that saw the SF gain an immediately +2 defensive bump at PF, Marshall hasn't improved his big man skills enough to warrant a top 5 position in the re-draft (currently A- def in both PF and SF) with the honors now going to Charlie Ward, the biggest rise in the 3002 re-draft. Ward brings some much needed youth and talent to the back court of Chicago that has struggled to find much of either. With how crowded the Bulls front court have been over the last several years, Chicago Gm Bruns would have loved to been able to pick up Charlie and save himself the headaches of needing to trade for aging guards such as Pistol Pete or the pains of losing Foots Walker in FA (in a few sim years).
6.
Knicks - Donyell Marshall SF 24 6'9'' 238 B+ C+ C+ A- B- C (originally drafted #5)Originally having drafted Jason Kidd to run the MSG offense, Kidd has been terrific as a distributor but have struggled to develop much of an offense. With the questionable deals paid out to mediocre SFs the last few years in free agency, skrouse would have loved to have been able to draft Donyell Marshall as the solution to his wing scoring problems. Playing behind a loaded front court for the Bulls that included Kareem/Caldwell Jones/George McGinnis, Marshall hasn't had the chance to showcase his abilities to the full extent, Donyell and the MSG stage would have been a perfect marriage.
7.
Nuggets - Jason Kidd PG 24 6'4'' 205 B- B- A+ A C B (originally drafted #6)With no such luck getting Glenn Robinson to free fall to 7th in the re-draft, Nuggets gm jerry west would have preferred to draft a solid PG (to pass the ball to George Gervin in which he'll re-steal in FA in about 2 re-simmed days) to run his offense instead of relying on players like Slick Watts. Kidd brings A+ handling as well as A defense to the mile high city, a team in which he won't be asked to carry the scoring load (due to Nuggets again stealing Gervin) and would shine in the role best suited for him as a pass first defensive point guard.
8.
Bulls (from Clippers) - Brian Grant PF 24 6'9'' 259 B C C A- B+ B (originally drafted #14)With Charlie Ward now on the roster, the Bulls should pick up the overlooked Brian Grant with the 8th pick in the re-draft for a balanced offensive attack built around 2 youngsters. Though his numbers are likely inflated due to playing on a tanking 76ers squad, Brian Grant has been the PF that Juwan Howard owners wished he could have become; a career 20/10 big man with nearly 2 blocks a game and shooting over 80% from the FT line, the unheralded Brian Grant has a case to be made as the most polished and well rounded big man in all of 3002.
9.
Mavericks (from Grizzlies) - Eric Montross C 25 7'0'' 270 C+ D- D A- A- B (originally drafted #20)With elite scorers like David Thompson and Larry Kenon on the roster, the Mavericks are in no need for more scoring help and have spent their last few seasons mostly just acquiring additional role players. Eric Montross brings the Mavericks some much needed size left by the departing Mark Eaton; though not much of a scorer, Eric doesn't take shots away from the elite perimeter scorers on the team and is a throw back hard nosed big man that sets screens, block shots and grab rebounds. Already more than a suitable replacement for Mark Eaton, should Montross improve his defense and rebounding to A or A+ levels, the fans of Dallas would collectively never think twice about Eaton playing for another division rival team.
10.
Pelicans (now Kings) - Eddie Jones PG 25 6'6'' 195 C+ A- B A- C A (originally drafted #9)Perhaps the biggest surprise and the pick that will likely draw criticism for this article, the talented Eddie Jones, instead of moving up has dropped a spot in the lottery. Having done well in limited action as a starting PG, Jones was handed the keys to the Pacer offense this season with the intent of being their PG of the future. Unfortunately due to a bad TC that has sparked a brand new debate on PG eligibility, Eddie is left in limbo this season, which the ruling from the commissioner's office of a one year probation period to improve his handles to B+ in the upcoming year or lose his rights to play PG. Should Eddie Jones regain full time PG eligibility again, he could easily work his way up in the rankings of the 3002 class; but for now, like this position, much remains in doubt about Eddie's future.
11.
Colonels (now thankfully Raptors again) - Juwan Howard C 24 6'9'' 255 B+ C C B+ B B (originally drafted #4)The biggest fall from any player that still remains in the lottery. Juwan Howard has struggled to learn the nuisances of playing defense as a NBA power forward with his lack of shot blocking being well documented (career 0.7 blocks per game as mentioned previously). As an undersized center that can't block shots, Juwan will be at a disadvantage against nearly every team with legitimate size in the front court. However, as the 11th pick, the Raptors can afford to overlook some of Juwan's shortcomings and focus on what he does well, which is scoring the basketball in the low post with high efficiency. A career 22 ppg scorer at over 46% FG, Howard is a nice value for a team picking outside of the top 10 instead of being labeled a disappointment as a top 5 pick.
12.
Heat - Carlos Rogers PF 26 6'11'' 220 A- D+ C- B B- B (originally drafted #19)Without the gift of having the best PG in the draft free fall to the 12th pick in DJ Khalid, Miami will have to settle for drafting the next closest sure thing remaining in the 3002 class, the big man Carlos originally drafted by the Golden State Warriors. Carlos brings a double double on a nightly basis but is not as good of a defensive player compared to Brian Grant or as efficient on the offensive end compared to Juwan Howard. However, being stuck in Golden State would nearly ruin just about any player, with just about all of his upgrades remaining, Rogers is a workable prospect that can still have his shortcomings on defense or rebounding boosted up to respectable levels by a more active GM.
13.
Colonels (now thankfully Raptors again) - Butch McRae PG 20 6'5'' 205 C+ B+ A+ B- C- B (originally drafted #10)With Juwan on the roster, there's little need to draft another big man with shot blocking problems in Yinka Dare. With rise of players such as Khalid Reeves and Charlie Ward leaves the young Butch McRae as the last point guard in the lottery; being drafted at only 17 years old, Butch has made enormous improvements as a ball handler and distributor. However his struggles improving on the defensive side of the ball after 4 training camps sets off a bit of alarm bells, having only a B- displayed defensive grade despite over 85 in both perimeter defense and stealing points to a possible low strength and/or quickness. Regardless of the negatives, Butch is already an above average scorer and one of the best ball handlers in the league at only 20 years old, the value he brings far outweighs the negatives as he nabs the last lottery pick in the 3002 Re-Draft.
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