Boston Celtics (47-26)
Outlook for the future:
The Celtics are an aging team that is making what will likely be their last push for an NBA title this season. They have money committed beyond this season to Rajon Rondo, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Rasheed Wallace, Glen Davis, and Kendrick Perkins.
With Pierce aging and really no other player to carry the scoring load, the Celtics should look to add a scorer at either shooting guard or small forward.
Projected draft pick(s): 23 and 53
Biggest draft need(s): shooting guard
Players to target: James Anderson, Willie Warren, Elliot Williams
James Anderson showed in his three years at Oklahoma State that he really knew how to put the ball in the basket. He was the focal point of their offense, scoring primarily off of multiple screens that allowed him to shoot open jump shots. Additionally, he showed this season that he could get to the rim and finish through contact, something he’ll have to night in and night out in the NBA. He’s got decent size for a shooting guard and could play next to Rondo in the backcourt. Anderson’s percentages aren’t ideal, but you need to take into account that entire defenses were geared towards stopping him. As a role player on an NBA team he should be able to knock down open looks and contribute right away.
Willie Warren disappointed in his sophomore year for the Sooners, but could be an excellent value later in the first round of this draft. In judging Warren as a prospect, it might be best to look at his freshman year when he was more of a complimentary player than one asked to carry the load offensively. He has a compact shooting motion with a quick release which allows him to get his shot off even when closely defended. That gift is also a curse because it gives him the confidence to take contested shots. On a Celtics team that spreads the ball around and runs their offense through Pierce and Garnett, he should get more open looks and return to the form of his freshman year.
Elliot Williams was voted Conference USA’s Best Newcomer after transferring from Duke for family reasons. If he decides to declare for the draft we think his absolute floor would be somewhere in the late first round, so the Celtics should have a shot at him. Williams’ outside shot is a mystery because it was terrible his freshman year, but greatly improved this season with Memphis. He’s best when shooting in space, which he’d have plenty of playing for Boston, and he’s an excellent finisher with his left hand. However, he needs to develop strength in finishing right handed to become a more dynamic player in half-court sets.
Toronto Raptors (36-37)
Outlook for the future:
The Raptors don’t really know what kind of shape they’ll be in considering the looming free agency of All-Star Chris Bosh. Bosh has made it clear in interviews that money isn’t the most important thing to him and that he wants to go somewhere he can win. Assuming Bosh leaves, which is the consensus around the league, the Raptors are left with a fairly bare cupboard.
If Bosh returns, their cap room is non-existent because they owe guaranteed money to Hedo Turkoglu, Jose Calderon, Andrea Bargnani, Reggie Evans, Jarrett Jack, Marcus Banks, DeMar DeRozan, and Marco Belinelli. The team, as currently composed, is probably one dynamic player away from contending if Bosh returns, but they’ll be back in the Stone Age if he leaves.
Unfortunately, they don’t even have a first round pick to reload the power forward position in a deep draft for that position.
Projected draft pick(s): 45
Biggest draft need(s): shooting guard or small forward
Players to target: Dominique Jones, Sylven Landesberg, Manny Harris
Dominique Jones was perhaps the best scorer in the Big East this season, which is quite the claim considering the depth of the conference. Jones has a strong body and decent size, but lacks the explosiveness of elite wing players. When attacking the rim he relies on floaters and leaner’s to finish, where most wings try and dunk everything in sight. When his feet are set Jones shows the ability to shoot from NBA three-point range, but struggles when shooting off the dribble. For the Raptors, that range is critical as they live and die by the three. We could see him fitting into a role similar to the one Morris Peterson previously occupied for the Raptors.
Sylven Landesberg surprised many when he announced he was entering his name in the 2010 NBA draft. He was named to the All-ACC Second team this season and performed at a consistently high level. His greatest appeal to NBA GMs is his ability to create his own shot and his athleticism. At 6-6, he would give the Raptors a lot of length and athleticism when paired with DeMar DeRozan. Sylven attacks the rim well, but needs to get stronger and work on finishing the attempts he creates for himself. If he can add the ability to finish at the rim to his array of pull-up jumpers, he could find substantial minutes on the Raptors.
Manny Harris showed the ability to carry a team offensively and make very difficult shots in big games in Michigan’s last-second loss to Ohio State in the Big Ten Tournament this year. Harris has good quickness and is an above average athlete, but lacks the strength to be dominant at the NBA level. His athleticism gives him the confidence to take seemingly impossible shots and still knock them down, no matter how ill-advised the shot may be. Defensively, he has shown the desire to get better, but finds himself slipping into bad habits. He needs to develop a consistent jump shot and smarter shot selection to stick in the league.
New York Knicks (26-47)
Outlook for the future:
Everything the Knicks planned for will either come to fruition this summer, or absolutely blow up in their faces. They offered a short term deal to their best player (David Lee), traded their lottery pick (Jordan Hill) to free up salary cap room, and only have four players guaranteed money next season.
They’re apparently building around Wilson Chandler, Danilo Gallinari, and Toney Douglas who were all drafted by the Knicks in the past three years. Beyond that, their hope is to land two marquee free agents.
Unfortunately for Knicks fans, they won’t be adding a lottery pick to the mix this year because they traded it to the Utah Jazz during the Isiah Thomas era.
Projected draft pick(s): 38 and 40
Biggest draft needs: best player available (non small forward)
Players to target: Sherron Collins, Jerome Jordan, Craig Brackins
Sherron Collins was one of the best college players in the country the last two years. He was the leader of a Kansas team that was favored to win the NCAA National Championship before falling to Northern Iowa in the second round. Collins, as a player, is well-known by most NBA GMs due to staying in college for four years. He’s known as a player who isn’t scared to take the big shot and someone who can lead a team. The young Knicks could definitely use a leader and another shooter in the backcourt with Toney Douglas. In order to really impress, Collins must commit to conditioning so he’s in great shape when individual workouts come around.
Jerome Jordan is another player whose body of work is complete due to a four year stay at Tulsa. The biggest thing Jordan has going for him as a prospect is his size. He possesses a big frame with a giant wingspan that has allowed him to block shots despite not being a great defender. His offense has come a long way from his early years at Tulsa and he’s added a bit of a face-up game this season. In order to get picked high in the second round he’ll have to show more awareness on defense and the ability to change the shots of penetrating guards.
Craig Brackins hurt his draft stock when he decided to return to Iowa State and now finds himself declaring in a draft class that is incredibly deep at power forward and center. Brackins was hampered by an ineffective team that required him to work for every shot which didn’t allow him many easy baskets. Despite that limitation, Brackins added a more reliable three-point shot to his repertoire, which may allow him to play more power forward than center. The struggles he had rebounding as a sophomore were put even more on display this year. He failed to fight for loose balls and at times disappeared as a rebounder, despite playing center. A lottery pick last year, Brackins has fallen to where he could be available for the Knicks at the top of the second round.
Philadelphia 76ers (28-48)
Outlook for the future:
There has been a lot of criticism in Philadelphia surrounding the decisions of General Manager Ed Stefanski. He committed big money to Elton Brand and Andre Iguodala in hopes of competing with the Celtics and Cavaliers in the East. Needless to say, that hasn’t exactly worked out as the 76ers find themselves in the lottery yet again.
The team actually has a strong nucleus focused around Iguodala and Thaddeus Young. Last year they were able to land Jrue Holiday, who was considered to be a lottery pick, in the middle of the first round and pair him in the backcourt with trigger-happy shooting guard Lou Williams.
The 76ers should be looking for the best player on the board when they go on the clock in June.
Projected draft pick(s): 7
Biggest draft need(s): best player available
Players to target: Greg Monroe, Al-Farouq Aminu, Wesley Johnson
Greg Monroe is probably the most skilled bigman in this draft, but his stock has taken a hit the last two years due to his lack of killer instinct. The 76ers should take a hard look at Monroe because they need a player who can play inside when they go small, or step out when they go big. Monroe can do both and brings the ability to pass and run the floor to the table as well. His rebounding improved significantly this year and down the stretch against Villanova he showed that he might be developing some of that tenacity scouts say he’s lacking. Overall, he’d be a great fit for the 76ers.
Al-Farouq Aminu actually helped his stock by returning for his sophomore season at Wake Forest. He has perfect size to play small forward in the NBA, but also uses his build to rebound effectively, allowing him to play power forward for a team that wants to push the pace. The 76ers are at their best when pushing the ball with Holiday, Lou Williams, Iguodala, Young, and another player at center. While Aminu may not have ideal size for the four, he could create a significant number of match-up problems with his ability to score going to the rim and creating his own shot in isolation.
Wesley Johnson burst on to the national stage when he transferred from Iowa State to Syracuse. Throughout his junior season, he showed a great ability to score in a variety of ways. The biggest improvement he showed was his ability to shoot the three (41 percent on the season). During the NCAA Tournament he tried to take the Orangemen on his back, averaging 22 points and 10 rebounds before their loss to Butler. If Johnson can add more weight to his frame and develop a more advanced ball handling ability, he could be the best player in the draft.
New Jersey Nets (10-64)
Outlook for the future:
Is it bad to just type “bleak?” Well, that isn’t entirely true, because the Nets have a young group of players that, if given the chance to grow together, could have them in contention in a few years.
Center Brook Lopez is an All-Star, Devin Harris is a year removed from the All-Star game, and Chris Douglas-Roberts and Terrence Williams give them athletic wings. If they add the number one or number two pick they could be a dangerous young team like the Thunder have been this season.
Projected draft pick(s): 1, 27, 31
Biggest draft need(s): best player available
Players to target: Gordon Hayward, Quincy Pondexter, Jarvis Varnardo
Gordon Hayward has definitely improved his draft stock by leading the Butler Bulldogs to the Final Four this year. “The Baby Faced Killer” has shown a consistent outside shot that he should be able to carry over to the NBA. When attacking the basket, he is limited but effective. The real strength of Hayward’s game is the fact he can bring so many things to teams on the offensive end. He runs well, spreads the floor, is a competent offensive rebounder, and is rarely out of position. The Nets could take him to go small and athletic at times, or put him with Lopez and a true power forward to give a bigger look.
Quincy Pondexter capped off a great career with the Washington Huskies by leading them to the Pac-10 Championship and the Sweet Sixteen. Pondexter is another versatile forward who could allow the Nets to go big, or small, depending on who they put him with. This year, he had career highs in points, rebounds, steals, blocks, field goal percentage, and free throw percentage. His mid-range game could use a little work, but he’s an effective scorer in the post. He would be a great addition to the Nets and could be a Leon Powe type front-court player to pair with Brook Lopez.
Jarvis Varnardo is a long athletic shot-blocker who terrorized the SEC for the last four years. He has only average size, standing 6-9, but his long wingspan allows him to block shots at a high rate. On the offensive end, he is still limited and would benefit from learning under a player like Lopez. If he can add bulk to his long, wiry frame, he could help his cause and move into the late first round of the draft where the Nets would be wise to scoop him up.
Note: Obviously, if the Nets get the number one overall pick they’ll select John Wall. If number two, they’ll take Evan Turner. If they slip to the third pick, Aminu, Wesley Johnson, and Derrick Favors are all possibilities.
Photo Credit: johnfreeborn.com and sportslogos.net
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