I was waiting a few days after the draft to give out my reaction, because I wasn't sure who was going where. Already, though, the free agency period is heating up. Baron Davis opted out of his contract, which surprised everyone, and hinted at the Clippers as a possibility. Now he might even have a deal in place? Argggh. I hate you, Warriors. You're ruining my summer.
See, my hope this summer was that the Clips would go cheap (just like the old days!), try to rebuild around theri young guys, let Magette and Brand go, and then Brand wouldn't have any choice but to look at the Sixers. Brand has been saying that he wants to stay, but he did opt out, so he might have been persuaded if they started dumping people. But now, if Davis comes, he'll almost certainly stay, and the Sixers will have to look elsewhere.
(It should be noted that they are getting together in inspiration of something like the Celtics, but they are doing it in the west. That's going to be tougher. It's also another reason I thought Brand would consider Philly. I mean, the Clippers have been spending more recently, but I didn't think they would try to jump back in the race with such a tough conference. I thought they would say f--- it, let their stars go, and slowly rebuild again. After wishing good vibes for the Clips fo so long, I should be elated that Dunleavy has finally convinced Sterling to spend some cash, but why now?)
This has already created new movement. Sources now report that the Sixers are looking at Josh Smith. Meh.... while I like him, and I think he's going to be a force, he's just way too much like the other guys they have. They can run with him, Thad, and Iggy, but that's about it. They need shooting, preferrably from a big man spot. That's why I was so keen on Brand, and I'm sure that's why they drafted Speights. Smith is a great player, but he's redundant in Philly. He's better off in Atlanta, where fans like him, he has a home base, and he's part of a rising group. Yes, they have a lot of other people to sign eventually, but he should be a priority. They can always let Childress and Marvin Williams go, but they need to keep him.
Now Golden State has a ton of space, though who knows if they'll use it. I don't entirely blame them for taking a conservative approach, when they just spent a lot and still missed the playoffs. Davis has a history of injury problems, and even though he was a catalyst for them, he's aging and they have some young guys coming up. Besides, the west just went from strong to ridiculous. Most importantly, they can say, they never gave up that much in the first place to get him. They had a good run, and while everyone in the bay is prboably very disappointed, at least they ended the playoff drought with a bang. Still.... this is not the way to entice maybe the most passionate fans in the league.
And you still ruined my plans. Damn you, Chris Mullin.
Anyway, onto draft thoughts...
ATLANTA - no picks. Like I said, I would re-sign Smith in a second. He, Horford, and Johnson deserve the big bucks. Everyone else is movable.
BOSTON - feeling great about their chemistry, they took some wild chances at wings J. R. Giddens and Bill Walker. I forgot about Giddens, who once showed much promise at Kansas. He's had problems but the talent is there. Walker had a weird route to college, but health issues are his only concern now. Risky, but maybe a great plan.
CHARLOTTE - while I like Augustin, I thought they could have used their first pick on a big man and their second on a point. Chalmers would still have been available. Instead, they may have to trade Felton, and while Ajinca is interesting, he's not going to help any time soon. For a team close to contending for a playoff spot, they could have done more.
CHICAGO - they bit for Rose. I'm sold if Del Negro is really thinking about going up tempo like his bosses in Pheonix. Now they have to see how to move people. Good luck.
CLEVELAND - for a team that needs help now, J.J. Hickson was a weird pick. He showed promise but will take a few years. I thought they were targeting Koufos, and he was available. This is not the way to make LeBron feel better. They did find a keeper late in Darnell Jackson, who can probably step in earlier.
DALLAS - they need to worry about free agents and trades. A change of philosophy is nice, so they'll start with that.
DENVER - they traded the pick away, thinking no one could have helped them. That's smart. They need a few trades, but probably nothing big.
DETROIT - they didn't like anyone at 29, so they traded for some second round chances. They have a good history with late picks, and I can see one or two of these guys contributing.
GOLDEN STATE - many have questioned taking Anthony Randolph with Brandan Wright there. I'm sure many will be even more angry now that Davis is likely gone. But they have a nice foundation. They seem to have a number of big guys now developing.
HOUSTON - I picked them to pick Greene, and they did, in a roundabout way. Why? Well, they picked up Joey Dorsey in the process. He might be too much like Chuck Hayes, but they can always use more big guys. I really like Greene for them. He can shoot, and they don't have depth on the wings. Great night.
INDIANA - did a lot of dealing, and came out with a completely new team. I guess I liek the direction they have now, although I didn't get the second deal. They gave up the higher pick but got back less, throwing Diogu away when I thought he was going to have more of an impact with JO gone. Also, I like Hibbert, but he has more value on a contending team that needed inside depth. I don't know if he fits in a rebuilding process. They could have gone for more potential there.
Of course, they're going to be in the lottery again next year. So maybe this is just a start.
LA CLIPPERS - had a solid night, picking up Gordon for guard depth and then landing DeAndre Jordan in the second round. He's a nothing-to-lose pick now, so that's big if he actually does something.
LA LAKERS - didn't do much, and don't need to.
MEMPHIS - is still puzzling. I think Love is solid, but they need more than that. Mayo can be their best two guard easily, and is a better pick. So I liked it from that end. They saved themselves by getting Arthur late; that could be a steal. But I chuckled at the fact that while they finally got rid of Brian Cardinal and his horrible contract, they picked up worse ones. At least they can try trading these guys.
They potentially got two starters, so that has to be considered a decent night... but are they going to ever keep any of these guys?
MIAMI - won big, even if Riley doesn't know it. Beasley was the best choice, and they stole Chalmers in the second round. Great picks.
MILWAUKEE - made it appparent that they are trying, and picked up some nice pieces. Jefferson is a good value for Yi, who never fit. I don't like them adding another scorer to a lineup full of them, but he can play some D as well. I don't know why they still drafted Alexander after the trade, but no one else was left. They should look for a defensive, bruising power forward to start and add balance. There may be more deals.
MINNESOTA - on the flip side of Memphis, I like their deals. Love and Miller give them two components, and they won't be hesitant to play there. They may be small, but Love fits with Jefferson and they needed a three who can score. It's a much better step for them.
NEW JERSEY - made it pretty clear that they're going all in for LeBron. There's no question. They added two offensive big guys to mix in with their defensive ones. Ryan Anderson thus makes less sense, but picking up CDR late was a huge steal. I like it, but of course it's all pending on the big prize in two years.
NEW ORLEANS - decided not to take anyone, despite CDR being on the board. Oh well. They'll try the open market.
NEW YORK - is taking it kinda slowly with Gallinari. I pushed for Bayless and Augustin, but I'll trust D'Antoni. He probably didn't want a rookie at the point. Gallinari may actually contribute sooner, and they can use him at several spots.
I have to give them credit. Isiah got hismelf into trouble by always going for the quick fix and the best guy at the moment. He always tried to spend and acquire people as soon as he could, without regards to long term effects. I think Walsh is going to be more patient. He knows he has some huge contracts expiring next year, and he will sit and wait until next year's trading deadline to get the deal he wants. That's a smarter way to work.
ORLANDO - Courtney Lee is solid and will get minutes at the two guard spot for a long time. They'll look at free agents up front.
PHILLY - Dear Mr. Speights,
I know that living in Philly presents a lot of temptations. Trust me, we've all been on board for that late night run to Pat's or Geno's or the Pretzel Factory or the South Street Diner and such. It's tough. But you have to get through it. You have a chance to start and contribute right away on a playoff team. How many middle round picks can say that? Do it for all of us who never could say no to a cheesesteak or a giant slice of pizza. You have a chance to be a big part of the future here.
Please?
PHOENIX - needed a backup point and a wing, and got neither. Robin Lopez is a nice role player, but they need to get more help and I don't know how much cap space they have.... or if they will spend much.
PORTLAND - did a million things and came out on top. I love Bayless next to Roy; he won't have to handle as much and can be a good scorer. They also picked up Diogu, who has some post moves and will add depth. Batum is likely bait for more trades. And they're adding two guys they drafted last year? Yowza.
SACRAMENTO - everyone is ripping them, but I don't think Thompson was a horrible pick. He can score and he doesn't have to be a savior; he just needs to form a decent tandem with Shelden Williams. None of the point guards they wanted were available, so they had to go big. They can probably re-sign Udrih and look at guards next year.
SAN ANTONIO - I have no idea who Geroge Hill is, but I guess they think he's a decent backup. They need wing help, but that may come in free agency.
SEATTLE - refuse to call them Oklahoma City until they're gone. I liked them picking up Westbrook, and they added some future and immediate help in the post. They're a two guard away from making a real turn. Too bad it will come in a weird place.
TORONTO - after the trade, they're looking nice. They need a backup point now, but that's not so hard to get. They did pick up Jawai, who might be a player in a few years.
UTAH - took another big guy. And one who doesn't really have D. I think they could have gone for a point (Chalmers) or someone else.
WASHINGTON - they were disappointed Hibbert was gone, because they could use some immediate help. With him and Lopez off the board, they decided to take another big guy project. It's the best they could do. Signing people is more important, and I'm sure they'll keep it together.
More once more news breaks.
BTW, I feel awful for you, Seattle. What a terrible move. Just an awful debacle, though one we should have seen coming (like Charlotte?)
