# NBA Draft Grades



## arasu (Jan 18, 2013)

*2015 NBA DRAFT GRADES*

These draft grades probably use the strictest grading curve you'll see: 6 teams for each grade, no incompletes. I think if you're gonna give everyone A's and B's, why bother?. Even if all the teams made great decisions, I would have to split hairs to assign these grades. Fortunately for me these were easy choices. The evaluation was based mostly on player projections, likely fit for the near future, and what the teams did with who was available, not on luck or past trades that involved current picks. Failure to acquire a meaningful selection resulted in an automatic F.



*--EXCELLENT GRADES--*


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T-WOLVES

Karl-Anthony Towns didn't get the kind of playing time and emphasis on offense that Okafor received, but he was the clear choice at #1 . The plus is for adding Minnesota native Tyus Jones to their bench, a smallish but steady PG with clutch shooting ability and a winning attitude. 

GRADE: A+ 


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BULLS

With their point guard targets already off the board, the Bulls went with possibly the best player available. Bobby Portis will probably be a good power forward in the NBA, maybe sooner than later. And with a beat up frontcourt, the extra depth at 4 could come in handy next season.

GRADE: A 


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JAZZ

This team went into the draft without any specific needs. The Jazz weren't especially deep at the 4/5 spots, so the talented and versatile Trey Lyles could be just the right selection. Hanlan can score and create and adds depth at guard.

GRADE: A 


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PACERS

Myles Turner didn't develop as anticipated in college, but he showed a lot of what made him a possible top five prospect a year ago. He could be a perfect fit for the direction the Pacers would like to go. Joseph Young can light it up. He should be a good fit also.

GRADE: A 


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THUNDER

Cameron Payne is considered the 3rd best PG in this draft. He has some star potential. With Westbrook's injury history, a backup of Payne's caliber could make a huge difference. The possibility that he could play well alongside Westbrook makes the selection even more intriguing. Johnson could turn into a solid backup C.

GRADE: A 


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NUGGETS

They pick up talented point guard Emmanuel Mudiay even though Lawson is still on the roster. It appears a trade may be in the works. The Nuggets were going nowhere, so a "changing of the guard" appears to be the right move. Radicevic may never play in the NBA, but at #57 that doesn't really matter.

GRADE: A- 



*--GOOD GRADES--*


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SPURS

LaLanne could actually turn into a real NBA player at pick #55 . Throw in fast-rising draft-and-stash big Milutinov, and the Spurs could have something a few years down the road.

GRADE: B+ 


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MAVS

He may have fallen into their laps, but Justin Anderson could be the perfect pick for a Mavs team with many needs. Project center Singh may contribute a few years from now, but probably not.

GRADE: B 


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HEAT

Justise Winslow's free fall to #10 was a stroke of luck for the Heat. There were still other solid prospects available on the board though. They could have messed this up by taking one of those.

GRADE: B 


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WARRIORS

Kevon Looney could be a huge steal barring injury. The NBA Champions may have gotten even better.

GRADE: B 


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LAKERS

The choice to take D'Angelo Russell instead of Okafor may appear risky to some, but the Lakers were going to be improved by either player. Russell may actually end up as the best player in this draft. Nance Jr. may be a bit of a reach, but his stock increased significantly during workouts, and the Lakers rolled the dice. Brown is a three-point specialist and will probably contribute some next season.

GRADE: B 


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SUNS

Devin Booker can flat out shoot and has all-around ability. Eventually he could become the Suns starting SG. With their PG depth, drafting and trading Harrison for an experienced stretch-four looks like a smart move.

GRADE: B- 



*--SATISFACTORY GRADES--*


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KNICKS

Despite the boos, Kristaps Porzingis could be the next great Knicks star. He is talented enough to fit in almost any system, though at this stage he is most effective in a pick-and-roll heavy offense. His ceiling is high enough, I can understand why the Knicks would take a risk on him. For all the talk about him not fitting "the triangle", he should do well in any movement based offense. Even though he isn't much of a post threat, he'll fit better with the Knicks offense than some would imagine. Jerian Grant has the size and defense Phil Jackson wants from a PG. If he can improve as a shooter, he could end up better than Mudiay. Hernangomez might be a draft-and-stash, but he eventually could be a real asset.

GRADE: C+ 


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MAGIC

Mario Hezonja could be just the right fit at SF. He could end up as the Magic's best scorer a few years from now. Harvey would be lucky to stick in the league.

GRADE: C 


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PISTONS

Stanley Johnson has the potential to play at an elite level. His two-way game should fit nicely with Stan Van Gundy's system. Hillards can shoot. If he can defend he'll stick.

GRADE: C 


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SIXERS

Jahlil Okafor was projected #1 for months and is clearly NBA ready on offense. But with Embiid on the roster, picking Okafor seems a bit odd. The Sixers clearly went with a best player available stretegy that could eventually sort itself out. If Embiid's foot issue causes him to miss more games, Okafor could end up starting next to Noel. A trade could clear up the logjam as well. If they keep all three bigs, and if all three are healthy, it could cost one of them minutes and lead to stunted development. The Sixers second round selections may or may not contribute one day. I'm leaning to the latter. As much as it could all work out, it appears this team has no plan outside of tanking another year. 

GRADE: C 


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ROCKETS

Sam Dekker could be the next Chandler Parsons and may turn out great for the Rockets, but I think Grant would have been a better fit. A PG who can distribute accurately to the Rockets' bigs and guard the best opposing guard would appear to be more perfect for their needs. Harrell could provide quality depth up front.

GRADE: C


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KINGS

The Kings appear to be a mess. Rumors of a Cousins trade swirled before the draft, but never materialized. They smartly chose not to do anything rash. Willie Cauley-Stein is a solid pick. He is mobile enough to play next to Cousins as a big 4, but also provides the opportunity to still trade Cousins if a great deal comes along.

GRADE: C- 



*--UNSATISFACTORY GRADES--*


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HORNETS

It's difficult to see what the Hornets are trying to do with all of these moves. Frank Kaminsky could end up as a very good player, but maybe not #9 good.

GRADE: D+ 


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BLAZERS

The Blazers first round pick got traded for Plumlee. Connaughton can shoot and jump. And Diez will be stashed. In the long run, they may have been better off keeping Hollis-Jefferson.

GRADE: D 


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HAWKS

The Hawks made some moves that netted Hardaway Jr. and some possibly useless second round guys. Hardaway could end up as their starting SG eventually, but they could have done better with their picks.

GRADE: D 


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NETS

McCullough and Hollis-Jefferson have potential to be solid starters down-the-line. Either way, the Nets are still a mess. With the injury-prone Lopez at center, trading away Plumlee seems unwise. Vaulet could turn into a decent player, but probably not the next Manu. They gave away two future picks for him, so if he doesn't contribute, it'll be a waste.

GRADE: D 


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WIZARDS

The Wizards spent future 2nd round picks to move up a few spots. Kelly Oubre has a lot of talent, but seems a little immature. If he puts in the work he could end up as a star 2-way wing player, but will he? The Wizards already have young players Bradley Beal and Otto Porter at the wing positions. If those guys continue to improve and take the lion's share of the minutes, Oubre may not develop. Aaron White is a combo forward with shooting ability. He could end up as a contributer, but reportedly will be stashed in Europe next season.

GRADE: D


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RAPTORS

Vasquez wasn't really working out, so dumping him for Norman Powell could end up as a plus, but with a frequently injured starting PG, the Raptors need a dependable backup. Can Delon Wright be that guy in his rookie season? With Amir Johnson and Lou Williams entering free agency, and with a few PF's and 3pt gunners with potential still on the board, maybe the Raptors should have gone one of those routes instead. 

GRADE: D- 



*--FAILING GRADES--*


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CAVS

Osman, Christmas, and Pointer all have some pontential, but RJ Hunter was still on the board at #24 , and I think he could have been a better contributer towards their upcoming championship run.

GRADE: F 


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CELTICS

This draft gives the Celtics a serious backcourt logjam. Their best guards are smallish and they need a wing who can score. Terry Rozier and RJ Hunter are solid prospects, but without a trade to clear things up, they could get lost in the shuffle. It seems as though they could have moved up to take Oubre who has the potential to fill the role of scoring wing.

GRADE: F 


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GRIZZLIES

Jarell Martin rebounds and dunks, but he is foul-prone and needs tons of work on his defense. The Grizzlies passed on several players with higher upside. Andrew Harrison has not improved as expected in college. He has a long way to go to compete in the NBA, probably too far.

GRADE: F 


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CLIPPERS

The Clippers gave up cash to acquire Dawson. There is a slim chance he could be the next Draymond Green, and a huge chance he could never play in the NBA.

GRADE: F 


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BUCKS

The Bucks are looking for a scorer, one who can create offense and possibly carry the team on that end for short stretches. Rashad Vaughn could become that guy, but if he doesn't improve significantly on defense, he may never get off the bench or even out of the D-League. At #17 it appears to be a desperate move about ten picks above projections. Norman Powell could have developed into a defensive ace off the bench for a defensive minded Bucks team, but now they will have to hope trading him for Vasquez was the right move.

GRADE: F 


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PELICANS

The Pelicans traded out of the draft entirely, which is an automatic fail.

GRADE: F 


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Feel free to pick this apart. I'm interested in what people think.


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## Marcus13 (Jul 17, 2002)

An A for the Pacers and a B for the Heat?

No. No, no, no


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## arasu (Jan 18, 2013)

Marcus13 said:


> An A for the Pacers and a B for the Heat?
> 
> No. No, no, no


Luck doesn't count.


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## Sir Patchwork (Jan 12, 2005)

arasu said:


> Luck doesn't count.


You gave Minnesota an A+ though?


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## arasu (Jan 18, 2013)

Sir Patchwork said:


> You gave Minnesota an A+ though?


Not for getting the top pick. Picking Okafor would have been a C or D grade. I tried to value not screwing up less as I went down the draft. I did consider the Heat for a higher grade, but I felt too much luck was involved, and they had no real decision to make.


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## Jamel Irief (May 19, 2002)

I predict the various Raptors, Grizzlies and Cavs homers on this board to come in a voice disapproval. BY THE WAY we have a draft board.


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## RollWithEm (Jul 16, 2002)

The whole concept of draft grades immediately after the draft has never made any sense to me. It makes much more sense to grade drafts several years after the fact. I might just give that try with the free time I know I have Sunday.

Hmmmm...


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## Nimreitz (May 13, 2003)

The Bucks just got a F for a 1-and-done McDonald's All American who averaged 18ppg with good size at a position where they could use an upgrade, but nevertheless already have a good defender in place with Middleton. A really good 18 year old shooter on a team that needs shooting. A kid that put up 21 points early in his freshman year as his team upset Arizona. This is a high upside pick for the Bucks. To be honest, if he didn't get injured last year he would have been gone a lot higher. I can't imagine how this is an F grade, if anything it's closer to an A. He's also from Minnesota, so more likely to resign after his rookie deal if he breaks out.


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## arasu (Jan 18, 2013)

Nimreitz said:


> The Bucks just got a F for a 1-and-done McDonald's All American who averaged 18ppg with good size at a position where they could use an upgrade, but nevertheless already have a good defender in place with Middleton. A really good 18 year old shooter on a team that needs shooting. A kid that put up 21 points early in his freshman year as his team upset Arizona. This is a high upside pick for the Bucks. To be honest, if he didn't get injured last year he would have been gone a lot higher. I can't imagine how this is an F grade, if anything it's closer to an A. He's also from Minnesota, so more likely to resign after his rookie deal if he breaks out.


Vaughn has had meniscus tears in both knees. The recovery time from meniscus surgery is short, but there could easily be long term knee issues for him. Add to that his lackadaisical defense, I can't see him as the steal of the draft as some might. Barring serious injuries, if Kidd can help him become at least adequate on D, Vaughn could develop into a scoring star, but as I see it that is a big if. I'd say giving the Bucks an F grade is the most controversial on this list. If he can stay healthy and improve on D, he'll make my grade look ridiculous, but I'll stick by my grade though.


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## Nimreitz (May 13, 2003)

He doesn't even have to be good on defense, the Bucks have plenty of long athletes who can play D. Vaughn can contribute immediately as a shooter. It was pick #17 ; a role player immediately who can fill a needed role for the team, with the potential to be a star, is pretty much a best case scenario for pick #17 .


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## arasu (Jan 18, 2013)

Nimreitz said:


> He doesn't even have to be good on defense, the Bucks have plenty of long athletes who can play D. Vaughn can contribute immediately as a shooter. It was pick #17 ; a role player immediately who can fill a needed role for the team, with the potential to be a star, is pretty much a best case scenario for pick #17 .


I'm not talking about good defense, I mean adequate. Some of the worst perimeter defenders in the league not only shoot lights out, but they put in more defensive effort than Vaughn has shown. Vaughn will need to do both to get minutes. Teammates can cover up a weak defender, but there are limits to that compromise.


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