Post by Contract Year on Jun 13, 2010 0:10:16 GMT -5
Where are they now? 2009 Draft Edition
With the class of 2009 (except for Rubio) set to hit the free agency market this season, I thought it would make a nice article to highlight the brief pro careers of these players. Well.. if there is anything to highlight that is...
Pick #1: Derrick Favors
Starting Team and Ratings: Minnesota Timberwolves, PF 6'10'' 246 18 B D D+ B- B- A
Current Team and Ratings: New Jersey Nets, PF 21 6'11'' 256 A- D C- A A- A
Just before the draft, a single, anonymous scout stated that Favors was the best prospect since LeBron James. This, as well as Favor's starting skill set was enough to land him the #1 overall spot. It would be hard to argue with this anonymous scout when you consider Favor's current ratings. The 21 year old power forward out of Georgia Tech has gained a total of +10 throughout his training camps and has recently regained the A scouted pot that he had coming in. A career 14 and 11 player, Favors has yet to have the dominant offensive season but he will always be value if he continues to rebound, block shots and chip in 14-15 points a game. Not really surprised with how Favors has developed. He has looked great from day 1 and you have to be pretty damn good if you're a main piece in a deal for Amare Stoudemire.
Pick #2: Evan Turner
Starting Team and Ratings: Charlotte Hornets, SF 6'7'' 210 20 B- B- B- B- B- B
Current Team and Ratings: Charlotte Hornets, SF 23 6'7'' 210 B+ B- B B B B
I personally felt Evan Turner was the best prospect since LeBron and the #1 overall draft choice at the time of the draft. With B- ratings across the board as well as good potential I thought he would easily develop into mini-LeBron and contend with the likes of Rudy Gay and Dirk Nowitzki for 2nd best small forward in the league. Now it's clear that he's more Lamar Odom than LeBron James. That's not a bad thing, but I was expecting Turner to be much more impactful by now. The do-it-all wing out of Ohio State has averaged 18 points, 8 rebounds and nearly 5 assists a game in his first 3 years. Those numbers, while good, have not been enough to carry an atrocious Hornets squad over the years. At 23 years of age, Turner is still young and he has yet to receive any outside improvement via articles and ITs. Hopefully the recently hired James takes care of that. Turner seems to have some potential left so the likelihood of Turner becoming a full-fledged star is still high.
Pick #3: Tyreke Evans
Starting Team and Ratings: Seattle Supersonics, SG 6'6'' 220 20 B C+ B C+ C A
Current Team and Ratings: Seattle Supersonics, SG 23 6'6'' 220 B- A- B+ A- C B
As the draft notes mentioned, Tyreke was simply a man amongst boys in his college tenure. His only true weaknesses coming (outside shooting and perimeter defense) have effectively been eliminated throughout the numerous training camps. The 23 year old combo guard out of Memphis is now a focal point of a very good Seattle Supersonics team. Averaging 16 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists in his first 3 years with the Sonics, Tyreke has been a good pro and he only seems to be getting better as noted by his recent handling improvement. One has to wonder if Tyreke is being used to his full potential at the 2 guard. Tyreke is an excellent passer and ball handler and at 6'6 220 points, he could be the LeBron James of the point guard position should he be moved there.
Pick #4: Brook Lopez
Starting Team and Ratings: Denver Nuggets, C 7'0'' 260 20 B+ C- D+ B C+ B
Current Team and Ratings: Cleveland Cavaliers, C 23 7'0'' 260 A- C C- B+ B B
Brook was said to be a starter with all-star potential from day one. With his amazing post scoring and his ability to knock down jump shots and free throws, it seemed likely that Brook would be a mainstay in all-star games. Any doubt of his all-star potential was thrown out the window as Brook went on to average nearly 22 points and 9 rebounds in his rookie year. Brook only managed to average 13 and 9 and 14 and 10 in his sophomore and third year seasons however. Now to be fair, the Nuggets had a lot more options in recent years and thus Brook's touches were cut down. He's pretty much remained at these same ratings for a while now and whether or not he can be a focal on offense with a legitimate team is still a big question. The Nuggets management must have already found the answer as they traded Brook for Emeka Okafor. Many people were not in favor of the deal for the Cavaliers and rightfully so when you consider how Brook has looked over the past few seasons. I think the deal will end up working out for both as I believe Brook still has a lot of development left in him. Time will tell.
Pick #5: Kevin Love
Starting Team and Ratings: Portland Trailblazers, PF 6'9'' 260 20 B- C B- C B+ A
Current Team and Ratings: San Antonio Spurs, C 23 6'9'' 260 B C B- C+ A- B
Love was a very intriguing prospect coming in because of an excellent combination of post scoring and passing. With his skill set and basketball IQ it seemed Love was going to be as sure a thing as Derrick Favors, Even Turner and Tyreke Evans. Unfortunately for the Spurs, Love is pretty much the same player as a rookie in spite of his +3 overall since then. The Blazers may have seen this coming as they jumped at the chance to ship out Kevin Love and others in exchange for Dirk Nowitzki. Love is still serviceable and could possibly develop into a good starter on a good team. However at the moment his slow development has been a disappointment.
Pick #6: Russell Westbrook
Starting Team and Ratings: Orlando Magic, PG 6'3'' 190 21 B C- C+ A C A
Current Team and Ratings: Dallas Mavericks, PG 24 6'3'' 190 B+ C+ A- A C C
Westbrook's ability to get to the cup and to also lock down opposing guards made. However that C- outside for a point guard is ridiculously ugly and I remember thinking that I would have personally traded out of the pick if it meant drafting Westbrook. Considering how Westbrook looks now, that may have been a poor choice. Westbrook has gone +2 in his outside shooting and is now sporting a C+. While that isn't excellent, it gives the Mavericks hope that Westbrook will be a very solid shooter one day. He has managed to maintain his tenacious defense is still there and he has come a long way as far as an overall scorer and handler. Westbrook averaged 20 points to go along with nearly 6 rebounds and 5 last year. His turnover problem will probably prevent him from being a full time point guard but that's ok as he's made a fine transition into the 2 guard position.
Pick #7: Brandon Jennings
Starting Team and Ratings: Atlanta Hawks, PG 6'1'' 169 20 C+ C+ B C D A
Current Team and Ratings: Minnesota Timberwolves, PG 23 6'1'' 174 C+ C+ A- B- D C
I believe I liked quite a few prospects ahead of Jennings, including Eric Gordon, Jonny Flynn and DeMarcus Cousins. Obviously the potential to be great was there but the notion of attitude problems really turned me away from Jennings. With little to no development from Jennings over the years, it soon became clear that he had no interest in tapping into his potential and being a good pro. He did have a very decent 11 point and 5 assist season as a sophomore, but Jennings now finds himself playing as a third stringer for the Minnesota Timberwolves. I don't think it will be too long before he's out of the league. Sad stuff.
Pick #8: Ricky Rubio
Starting Team and Ratings: Sacramento Kings, Unknown Ratings in 2009 - Ricky Rubio PG 6'4" 190 21 C+ C+ A- C+ D A
Current Team and Ratings: Sacramento Kings, PG 22 6'4'' 190 C+ C+ A+ B+ D B
The ratings of Ricky Rubio were unknown and in the Kings case, they had to prematurely end their rebuilding in order get a winning season under their belt to appease Rubio. With that, as well as his current ratings in mind, the Kings have made out pretty well. Rubio will always be a serviceable player in this league with his A+ handles and B+ defense. Should his scoring ability improve at all, he could end up being a great point guard in the league. Apparently Martinez has a soft spot for Ricky Rubio so I don't expect him to ever be traded.
Pick #9: DeMarcus Cousins
Starting Team and Ratings: Houston Rockets, C 6'11'' 280 18 B- D D C+ B A
Current Team and Ratings: Houston Rockets, C 21 7'0'' 290 B D+ D C+ B C
I really loved this pick for the Houston Rockets back then but it didn't turn out as well as I thought. Cousins has only managed a +2 improvement in ratings since his draft year and as possibly noted by his C scouted potential, he may very well be tapped out of any potential he had. His 11 point and 8 RPG rookie season probably made the Rockets think they had something which sucks. Should he hold on to his B inside and rebounding, Cousins will probably be able to always find a spot on someone's roster.
Pick #10: Eric Gordon
Starting Team and Ratings: New Jersey Nets, SG 6'4'' 215 21 B- B C C+ C- A
Current Team and Ratings: Golden State Warriors, SG 24 6'4'' 215 B- B- C C C- C
Eric Gordon at #10 seemed like a no-brainer to me. Hell I had him going higher than that. Gordon started with very excellent ratings and was said to be a good scorer and a solid defender. Well... going into his 4th year, Eric Gordon is a worse scorer and defender than he was as a rookie. Ouch. So much for the loads of talent. Luckily the Nets shipped him off to the Knicks before it was too late. He barely got any burn there and now as a part of the Warriors he is cheerleading at the end of the bench. If he is still in the league by next season, it's most likely as salary filler.
Pick #11: James Harden
Starting Team and Ratings: Minnesota Timberwolves, SG 6'5'' 218 20 C+ B- C+ C+ C- A
Current Team and Ratings: Minnesota Timberwolves, SF 23 6'5'' 223 C+ A- B- A- C- C
After multiple years of uneventful and down right disappointing training camps, James Harden has decided to finally show what many scouts thought he was capable of from the beginning. In this past training camp alone Harden has gained a total of +5 ratings between outside shooting, ball handling and defense. In one off-season, Harden went from being a player that would probably be out of the league to a guy that should be able to get minutes off the bench from any team. See what hard work (or a contract year) brings?
Pick #12: Demarr DeRozan
Starting Team and Ratings: Chicago Bulls, SG 6'7'' 220 20 B+ C C- C+ C A
Current Team and Ratings: Utah Jazz, SG 23 6'7'' 220 B+ C+ C B C C
This looked to be a solid pick up for the Bulls and as nice as Wang Zhi Zhi is, I thought the Jazz got a hell of a deal when they were able to pick up Demarr from him. Unfortunately for Utah fans, Demarr was all hype as he never really to anything other than a good dunker. His shooting and defense are both slowly but surely developing so he may end up being a decent 2nd stringer. Either that or a team poor team signs him in order to get some exposure in the Dunk Contest.
Pick #13: Jonny Flynn
Starting Team and Ratings: Houston Rockets, PG 6'0'' 196 20 B- C+ C+ C+ D A
Current Team and Ratings: Houston Rockets, PG 23 6'0'' 196 B- B- A- B D C
This was the steal of the draft to me. I thought very highly of Flynn and so did numerous scouts as the general consensus seemed to be Flynn having all the tools to become an elite point guard. While he is still a serviceable player, he has definitely been a let down for the Houston Rockets (and that would make 2 in this draft alone with DeMarcus Cousins). After a great first training camp, Flynn never really kept improving. If his production from last season (10 PPG, nearly 4 APG in 22 MPG) is any indication of how he'll perform for the duration of his career, he should always have a spot in this league as designated gunner.
Pick #14: Hasheem Thabeet
Starting Team and Ratings: Milwaukee Bucks, C 7'3'' 267 22 C+ D D A- C A
Current Team and Ratings: Milwaukee Bucks, C 25 7'3'' 282 C+ D D+ A C+ B
Thabeet can't score and he's a poor rebounder consider how damn big he is but he'll always play tough defense and that will keep him in the league. Thabeet needs to improve his rebounding if he wants to be the starting center of a contender. For now the Milwaukee Bucks are content with his superb shot blocking (Career 2.6 BPG in 33 minutes a game).
Pick #15: Bryon Mullens
Starting Team and Ratings: Atlanta Hawks, C 7'0'' 275 20 C+ C- C- C+ C+ A
Current Team and Ratings: Atlanta Hawks, C 23 7'0'' 275 C+ C- C- B C+ C
Assuming the Hawks wanted a big man no matter what, they took a gamble here as Cole Aldrich was still on the board. It's safe to say that they lost as Byron Mullens hasn't amounted to anything and will not amount to anything.
Pick #16: Cole Aldrich
Starting Team and Ratings: New Jersey Nets, C 6'11'' 245 20 B- C- D B- B- B
Current Team and Ratings: New Jersey Nets, C 23 6'11'' 255 B C- D+ B B- B
This was tied with the Jonny Flynn pick for steal of the draft in my opinion. Aldrich hasn't developed too much but with a few +1s in important categories, Aldrich remains a useful looking player. Whether he actually he a useful player or not has yet to be seen as the Nets have not played him much since his rookie season.
Pick #17: Terrance Williams
Starting Team and Ratings: Milwaukee Bucks, SG 6'6'' 220 22 B C C+ B C+ B
Current Team and Ratings: Milwaukee Bucks, SG 25 6'6'' 220 B B B A- C+ C
Clearly this pick turned out excellent for the Milwaukee Bucks. Terrance Williams has improved a cool +7 in the training camps throughout his career. The all-star potential that I once believed he had doesn't seem to be there any longer. However he should be a good starter on any team with his nice overall game. Unless Terrance commands a shit load of money I can see him as a Buck for long time.
Pick #18: Jrue Holiday
Starting Team and Ratings: Detroit Pistons, PG 6'4'' 199 19 C+ C+ C C+ D+ A
Current Team and Ratings: Dallas Mavericks, SG 22 6'5'' 199 C+ C+ C B- C- C
Jrue Holiday was an extremely raw prospect that never really panned out. From being drafted by the Detroit Pistons, to chilling down in Atlanta and now in Dallas, Holiday has yet to join a team that he could call home. It's safe to say he won't ever find that team.
Pick #19: Omri Casspi
Starting Team and Ratings: Phoenix Suns, SF 6'9'' 225 21 C+ B C- C+ C- A
Current Team and Ratings: Seattle Supersonics, SF 24 6'9'' 225 C+ B C B C- C
Not quite sure why Chipper thought it was a great idea to trade the Kings 2027 pick in exchange for Casspi. I understand the Israeli connection but Casspi should have been free lol.
Pick #20: DeJuan Blair
Starting Team and Ratings: New Jersey Nets, PF 6'7'' 265 20 B- D+ C C B+ B
Current Team and Ratings: Seattle Supersonics, PF 23 6'7'' 265 B- D C- C+ B+ B
Blair has pretty much remained the same player as he was his rookie year. He's a slightly better defender now and still sporting that nice B+ rebounding. He put together decent rookie and sophomore campaigns but nowadays he's lucky to get any burn.
Pick #21: DaJuan Summers
Starting Team and Ratings: Washington Bullets, SF 6'8'' 240 21 C+ C+ D+ C C+ B
Current Team and Ratings: Denver Nuggets, SF 24 6'8'' 240 B- C D C+ C+ C
Looks like he may have had a bit of potential to start but he’s just pure trash now.
Pick #22: Jordan Hill
Starting Team and Ratings: Denver Nuggets, PF 6'10'' 235 22 C+ D+ D+ B- C+ A
Current Team and Ratings: Golden State Warriors, PF 25 6'10'' 240 B D D B B- C
Jordan Hill was a nice looking pick for the Nuggets at 22. He hasn't amounted to anything serviceable but with +4 overall increase between inside scoring, defense and rebounding, Hill is a decent 3rd stringer.
Pick #23: Earl Clark
Starting Team and Ratings: Denver Nuggets, SF 6'10'' 225 21 C+ C+ C B+ C B
Current Team and Ratings: Denver Nuggets, SF 24 6'10'' 225 C+ C+ C B- C C
The Nuggets were able to grab another nice looking pick in Earl Clark at #23. Offensively he was raw but defensively he looked like he could be a force. Since then he's dropped down to B- defense and has remained the same in every other category. Yep.. he's a goner this free agency.
Pick #24: Darren Collison
Starting Team and Ratings: Cleveland Cavaliers, PG 6'0'' 168 22 C B B+ B C- C
Current Team and Ratings: Cleveland Cavaliers, PG 25 6'0'' 173 C B A- B C- C
Collison was one of the few rookies ready for UOSLR and he had shown it right away with some decent 2nd string play behind Captain Jack. Now with Jack gone, it's time for Collison to show what he's truly made of as he is getting the nod as the Cavaliers new starting point guard.
Pick #25: Toney Douglas
Starting Team and Ratings: Los Angeles Clippers, SG 6'1'' 225 23 C B+ C+ B D C
Current Team and Ratings: Washington Bullets, PG 26 6'1'' 225 C A- C+ B+ D C
After bouncing between both Los Angeles teams, Douglas has seemed to find his home in Washington. He's not an exceptional player by any means, but his combination of outside shooting, ball handling and defense should keep teams interested in him as a bench player.
Pick #26: Ty Lawson
Starting Team and Ratings: Cleveland Cavaliers, PG 5'11'' 195 22 C+ C+ B- B D B
Current Team and Ratings: Miami Heat, PG 25 5'11'' 195 C+ B- C B+ D+ D
Lawson was a great looking value pick at 26. He hasn't done much in training camps however and that is why he's currently withering away on the Miami Heat roster.
Pick #27: Wayne Ellington
Starting Team and Ratings: Charlotte Hornets, SG 6'5'' 202 22 C B C C+ D+ B
Current Team and Ratings: Charlotte Hornets, SG 25 6'5'' 202 C+ B- C C+ D C
In the same boat as Ty Lawson right now.
Pick #28: Victor Claver
Starting Team and Ratings: Seattle Supersonics, SF 6'9'' 224 21 C+ C+ C- C+ C- A
Current Team and Ratings: Orlando Magic, SF 24 6'9'' 224 B- C+ C B C- B
Well.. he looks about the same as Casspi and Shaun was able to land a first along with him. Good dealing.
Pick #29: Jonas Jerebko
Starting Team and Ratings: Washington Bullets, SF 6'10'' 235 21 C+ C- D+ C C+ A
Current Team and Ratings: Los Angeles Lakers, SF 24 6'10'' 235 C+ C D+ C+ C+ B
"Jerebko has tons of upside..Hopefully he can put it together."
Damn smh...
With the class of 2009 (except for Rubio) set to hit the free agency market this season, I thought it would make a nice article to highlight the brief pro careers of these players. Well.. if there is anything to highlight that is...
Pick #1: Derrick Favors
Starting Team and Ratings: Minnesota Timberwolves, PF 6'10'' 246 18 B D D+ B- B- A
Current Team and Ratings: New Jersey Nets, PF 21 6'11'' 256 A- D C- A A- A
Just before the draft, a single, anonymous scout stated that Favors was the best prospect since LeBron James. This, as well as Favor's starting skill set was enough to land him the #1 overall spot. It would be hard to argue with this anonymous scout when you consider Favor's current ratings. The 21 year old power forward out of Georgia Tech has gained a total of +10 throughout his training camps and has recently regained the A scouted pot that he had coming in. A career 14 and 11 player, Favors has yet to have the dominant offensive season but he will always be value if he continues to rebound, block shots and chip in 14-15 points a game. Not really surprised with how Favors has developed. He has looked great from day 1 and you have to be pretty damn good if you're a main piece in a deal for Amare Stoudemire.
Pick #2: Evan Turner
Starting Team and Ratings: Charlotte Hornets, SF 6'7'' 210 20 B- B- B- B- B- B
Current Team and Ratings: Charlotte Hornets, SF 23 6'7'' 210 B+ B- B B B B
I personally felt Evan Turner was the best prospect since LeBron and the #1 overall draft choice at the time of the draft. With B- ratings across the board as well as good potential I thought he would easily develop into mini-LeBron and contend with the likes of Rudy Gay and Dirk Nowitzki for 2nd best small forward in the league. Now it's clear that he's more Lamar Odom than LeBron James. That's not a bad thing, but I was expecting Turner to be much more impactful by now. The do-it-all wing out of Ohio State has averaged 18 points, 8 rebounds and nearly 5 assists a game in his first 3 years. Those numbers, while good, have not been enough to carry an atrocious Hornets squad over the years. At 23 years of age, Turner is still young and he has yet to receive any outside improvement via articles and ITs. Hopefully the recently hired James takes care of that. Turner seems to have some potential left so the likelihood of Turner becoming a full-fledged star is still high.
Pick #3: Tyreke Evans
Starting Team and Ratings: Seattle Supersonics, SG 6'6'' 220 20 B C+ B C+ C A
Current Team and Ratings: Seattle Supersonics, SG 23 6'6'' 220 B- A- B+ A- C B
As the draft notes mentioned, Tyreke was simply a man amongst boys in his college tenure. His only true weaknesses coming (outside shooting and perimeter defense) have effectively been eliminated throughout the numerous training camps. The 23 year old combo guard out of Memphis is now a focal point of a very good Seattle Supersonics team. Averaging 16 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists in his first 3 years with the Sonics, Tyreke has been a good pro and he only seems to be getting better as noted by his recent handling improvement. One has to wonder if Tyreke is being used to his full potential at the 2 guard. Tyreke is an excellent passer and ball handler and at 6'6 220 points, he could be the LeBron James of the point guard position should he be moved there.
Pick #4: Brook Lopez
Starting Team and Ratings: Denver Nuggets, C 7'0'' 260 20 B+ C- D+ B C+ B
Current Team and Ratings: Cleveland Cavaliers, C 23 7'0'' 260 A- C C- B+ B B
Brook was said to be a starter with all-star potential from day one. With his amazing post scoring and his ability to knock down jump shots and free throws, it seemed likely that Brook would be a mainstay in all-star games. Any doubt of his all-star potential was thrown out the window as Brook went on to average nearly 22 points and 9 rebounds in his rookie year. Brook only managed to average 13 and 9 and 14 and 10 in his sophomore and third year seasons however. Now to be fair, the Nuggets had a lot more options in recent years and thus Brook's touches were cut down. He's pretty much remained at these same ratings for a while now and whether or not he can be a focal on offense with a legitimate team is still a big question. The Nuggets management must have already found the answer as they traded Brook for Emeka Okafor. Many people were not in favor of the deal for the Cavaliers and rightfully so when you consider how Brook has looked over the past few seasons. I think the deal will end up working out for both as I believe Brook still has a lot of development left in him. Time will tell.
Pick #5: Kevin Love
Starting Team and Ratings: Portland Trailblazers, PF 6'9'' 260 20 B- C B- C B+ A
Current Team and Ratings: San Antonio Spurs, C 23 6'9'' 260 B C B- C+ A- B
Love was a very intriguing prospect coming in because of an excellent combination of post scoring and passing. With his skill set and basketball IQ it seemed Love was going to be as sure a thing as Derrick Favors, Even Turner and Tyreke Evans. Unfortunately for the Spurs, Love is pretty much the same player as a rookie in spite of his +3 overall since then. The Blazers may have seen this coming as they jumped at the chance to ship out Kevin Love and others in exchange for Dirk Nowitzki. Love is still serviceable and could possibly develop into a good starter on a good team. However at the moment his slow development has been a disappointment.
Pick #6: Russell Westbrook
Starting Team and Ratings: Orlando Magic, PG 6'3'' 190 21 B C- C+ A C A
Current Team and Ratings: Dallas Mavericks, PG 24 6'3'' 190 B+ C+ A- A C C
Westbrook's ability to get to the cup and to also lock down opposing guards made. However that C- outside for a point guard is ridiculously ugly and I remember thinking that I would have personally traded out of the pick if it meant drafting Westbrook. Considering how Westbrook looks now, that may have been a poor choice. Westbrook has gone +2 in his outside shooting and is now sporting a C+. While that isn't excellent, it gives the Mavericks hope that Westbrook will be a very solid shooter one day. He has managed to maintain his tenacious defense is still there and he has come a long way as far as an overall scorer and handler. Westbrook averaged 20 points to go along with nearly 6 rebounds and 5 last year. His turnover problem will probably prevent him from being a full time point guard but that's ok as he's made a fine transition into the 2 guard position.
Pick #7: Brandon Jennings
Starting Team and Ratings: Atlanta Hawks, PG 6'1'' 169 20 C+ C+ B C D A
Current Team and Ratings: Minnesota Timberwolves, PG 23 6'1'' 174 C+ C+ A- B- D C
I believe I liked quite a few prospects ahead of Jennings, including Eric Gordon, Jonny Flynn and DeMarcus Cousins. Obviously the potential to be great was there but the notion of attitude problems really turned me away from Jennings. With little to no development from Jennings over the years, it soon became clear that he had no interest in tapping into his potential and being a good pro. He did have a very decent 11 point and 5 assist season as a sophomore, but Jennings now finds himself playing as a third stringer for the Minnesota Timberwolves. I don't think it will be too long before he's out of the league. Sad stuff.
Pick #8: Ricky Rubio
Starting Team and Ratings: Sacramento Kings, Unknown Ratings in 2009 - Ricky Rubio PG 6'4" 190 21 C+ C+ A- C+ D A
Current Team and Ratings: Sacramento Kings, PG 22 6'4'' 190 C+ C+ A+ B+ D B
The ratings of Ricky Rubio were unknown and in the Kings case, they had to prematurely end their rebuilding in order get a winning season under their belt to appease Rubio. With that, as well as his current ratings in mind, the Kings have made out pretty well. Rubio will always be a serviceable player in this league with his A+ handles and B+ defense. Should his scoring ability improve at all, he could end up being a great point guard in the league. Apparently Martinez has a soft spot for Ricky Rubio so I don't expect him to ever be traded.
Pick #9: DeMarcus Cousins
Starting Team and Ratings: Houston Rockets, C 6'11'' 280 18 B- D D C+ B A
Current Team and Ratings: Houston Rockets, C 21 7'0'' 290 B D+ D C+ B C
I really loved this pick for the Houston Rockets back then but it didn't turn out as well as I thought. Cousins has only managed a +2 improvement in ratings since his draft year and as possibly noted by his C scouted potential, he may very well be tapped out of any potential he had. His 11 point and 8 RPG rookie season probably made the Rockets think they had something which sucks. Should he hold on to his B inside and rebounding, Cousins will probably be able to always find a spot on someone's roster.
Pick #10: Eric Gordon
Starting Team and Ratings: New Jersey Nets, SG 6'4'' 215 21 B- B C C+ C- A
Current Team and Ratings: Golden State Warriors, SG 24 6'4'' 215 B- B- C C C- C
Eric Gordon at #10 seemed like a no-brainer to me. Hell I had him going higher than that. Gordon started with very excellent ratings and was said to be a good scorer and a solid defender. Well... going into his 4th year, Eric Gordon is a worse scorer and defender than he was as a rookie. Ouch. So much for the loads of talent. Luckily the Nets shipped him off to the Knicks before it was too late. He barely got any burn there and now as a part of the Warriors he is cheerleading at the end of the bench. If he is still in the league by next season, it's most likely as salary filler.
Pick #11: James Harden
Starting Team and Ratings: Minnesota Timberwolves, SG 6'5'' 218 20 C+ B- C+ C+ C- A
Current Team and Ratings: Minnesota Timberwolves, SF 23 6'5'' 223 C+ A- B- A- C- C
After multiple years of uneventful and down right disappointing training camps, James Harden has decided to finally show what many scouts thought he was capable of from the beginning. In this past training camp alone Harden has gained a total of +5 ratings between outside shooting, ball handling and defense. In one off-season, Harden went from being a player that would probably be out of the league to a guy that should be able to get minutes off the bench from any team. See what hard work (or a contract year) brings?
Pick #12: Demarr DeRozan
Starting Team and Ratings: Chicago Bulls, SG 6'7'' 220 20 B+ C C- C+ C A
Current Team and Ratings: Utah Jazz, SG 23 6'7'' 220 B+ C+ C B C C
This looked to be a solid pick up for the Bulls and as nice as Wang Zhi Zhi is, I thought the Jazz got a hell of a deal when they were able to pick up Demarr from him. Unfortunately for Utah fans, Demarr was all hype as he never really to anything other than a good dunker. His shooting and defense are both slowly but surely developing so he may end up being a decent 2nd stringer. Either that or a team poor team signs him in order to get some exposure in the Dunk Contest.
Pick #13: Jonny Flynn
Starting Team and Ratings: Houston Rockets, PG 6'0'' 196 20 B- C+ C+ C+ D A
Current Team and Ratings: Houston Rockets, PG 23 6'0'' 196 B- B- A- B D C
This was the steal of the draft to me. I thought very highly of Flynn and so did numerous scouts as the general consensus seemed to be Flynn having all the tools to become an elite point guard. While he is still a serviceable player, he has definitely been a let down for the Houston Rockets (and that would make 2 in this draft alone with DeMarcus Cousins). After a great first training camp, Flynn never really kept improving. If his production from last season (10 PPG, nearly 4 APG in 22 MPG) is any indication of how he'll perform for the duration of his career, he should always have a spot in this league as designated gunner.
Pick #14: Hasheem Thabeet
Starting Team and Ratings: Milwaukee Bucks, C 7'3'' 267 22 C+ D D A- C A
Current Team and Ratings: Milwaukee Bucks, C 25 7'3'' 282 C+ D D+ A C+ B
Thabeet can't score and he's a poor rebounder consider how damn big he is but he'll always play tough defense and that will keep him in the league. Thabeet needs to improve his rebounding if he wants to be the starting center of a contender. For now the Milwaukee Bucks are content with his superb shot blocking (Career 2.6 BPG in 33 minutes a game).
Pick #15: Bryon Mullens
Starting Team and Ratings: Atlanta Hawks, C 7'0'' 275 20 C+ C- C- C+ C+ A
Current Team and Ratings: Atlanta Hawks, C 23 7'0'' 275 C+ C- C- B C+ C
Assuming the Hawks wanted a big man no matter what, they took a gamble here as Cole Aldrich was still on the board. It's safe to say that they lost as Byron Mullens hasn't amounted to anything and will not amount to anything.
Pick #16: Cole Aldrich
Starting Team and Ratings: New Jersey Nets, C 6'11'' 245 20 B- C- D B- B- B
Current Team and Ratings: New Jersey Nets, C 23 6'11'' 255 B C- D+ B B- B
This was tied with the Jonny Flynn pick for steal of the draft in my opinion. Aldrich hasn't developed too much but with a few +1s in important categories, Aldrich remains a useful looking player. Whether he actually he a useful player or not has yet to be seen as the Nets have not played him much since his rookie season.
Pick #17: Terrance Williams
Starting Team and Ratings: Milwaukee Bucks, SG 6'6'' 220 22 B C C+ B C+ B
Current Team and Ratings: Milwaukee Bucks, SG 25 6'6'' 220 B B B A- C+ C
Clearly this pick turned out excellent for the Milwaukee Bucks. Terrance Williams has improved a cool +7 in the training camps throughout his career. The all-star potential that I once believed he had doesn't seem to be there any longer. However he should be a good starter on any team with his nice overall game. Unless Terrance commands a shit load of money I can see him as a Buck for long time.
Pick #18: Jrue Holiday
Starting Team and Ratings: Detroit Pistons, PG 6'4'' 199 19 C+ C+ C C+ D+ A
Current Team and Ratings: Dallas Mavericks, SG 22 6'5'' 199 C+ C+ C B- C- C
Jrue Holiday was an extremely raw prospect that never really panned out. From being drafted by the Detroit Pistons, to chilling down in Atlanta and now in Dallas, Holiday has yet to join a team that he could call home. It's safe to say he won't ever find that team.
Pick #19: Omri Casspi
Starting Team and Ratings: Phoenix Suns, SF 6'9'' 225 21 C+ B C- C+ C- A
Current Team and Ratings: Seattle Supersonics, SF 24 6'9'' 225 C+ B C B C- C
Not quite sure why Chipper thought it was a great idea to trade the Kings 2027 pick in exchange for Casspi. I understand the Israeli connection but Casspi should have been free lol.
Pick #20: DeJuan Blair
Starting Team and Ratings: New Jersey Nets, PF 6'7'' 265 20 B- D+ C C B+ B
Current Team and Ratings: Seattle Supersonics, PF 23 6'7'' 265 B- D C- C+ B+ B
Blair has pretty much remained the same player as he was his rookie year. He's a slightly better defender now and still sporting that nice B+ rebounding. He put together decent rookie and sophomore campaigns but nowadays he's lucky to get any burn.
Pick #21: DaJuan Summers
Starting Team and Ratings: Washington Bullets, SF 6'8'' 240 21 C+ C+ D+ C C+ B
Current Team and Ratings: Denver Nuggets, SF 24 6'8'' 240 B- C D C+ C+ C
Looks like he may have had a bit of potential to start but he’s just pure trash now.
Pick #22: Jordan Hill
Starting Team and Ratings: Denver Nuggets, PF 6'10'' 235 22 C+ D+ D+ B- C+ A
Current Team and Ratings: Golden State Warriors, PF 25 6'10'' 240 B D D B B- C
Jordan Hill was a nice looking pick for the Nuggets at 22. He hasn't amounted to anything serviceable but with +4 overall increase between inside scoring, defense and rebounding, Hill is a decent 3rd stringer.
Pick #23: Earl Clark
Starting Team and Ratings: Denver Nuggets, SF 6'10'' 225 21 C+ C+ C B+ C B
Current Team and Ratings: Denver Nuggets, SF 24 6'10'' 225 C+ C+ C B- C C
The Nuggets were able to grab another nice looking pick in Earl Clark at #23. Offensively he was raw but defensively he looked like he could be a force. Since then he's dropped down to B- defense and has remained the same in every other category. Yep.. he's a goner this free agency.
Pick #24: Darren Collison
Starting Team and Ratings: Cleveland Cavaliers, PG 6'0'' 168 22 C B B+ B C- C
Current Team and Ratings: Cleveland Cavaliers, PG 25 6'0'' 173 C B A- B C- C
Collison was one of the few rookies ready for UOSLR and he had shown it right away with some decent 2nd string play behind Captain Jack. Now with Jack gone, it's time for Collison to show what he's truly made of as he is getting the nod as the Cavaliers new starting point guard.
Pick #25: Toney Douglas
Starting Team and Ratings: Los Angeles Clippers, SG 6'1'' 225 23 C B+ C+ B D C
Current Team and Ratings: Washington Bullets, PG 26 6'1'' 225 C A- C+ B+ D C
After bouncing between both Los Angeles teams, Douglas has seemed to find his home in Washington. He's not an exceptional player by any means, but his combination of outside shooting, ball handling and defense should keep teams interested in him as a bench player.
Pick #26: Ty Lawson
Starting Team and Ratings: Cleveland Cavaliers, PG 5'11'' 195 22 C+ C+ B- B D B
Current Team and Ratings: Miami Heat, PG 25 5'11'' 195 C+ B- C B+ D+ D
Lawson was a great looking value pick at 26. He hasn't done much in training camps however and that is why he's currently withering away on the Miami Heat roster.
Pick #27: Wayne Ellington
Starting Team and Ratings: Charlotte Hornets, SG 6'5'' 202 22 C B C C+ D+ B
Current Team and Ratings: Charlotte Hornets, SG 25 6'5'' 202 C+ B- C C+ D C
In the same boat as Ty Lawson right now.
Pick #28: Victor Claver
Starting Team and Ratings: Seattle Supersonics, SF 6'9'' 224 21 C+ C+ C- C+ C- A
Current Team and Ratings: Orlando Magic, SF 24 6'9'' 224 B- C+ C B C- B
Well.. he looks about the same as Casspi and Shaun was able to land a first along with him. Good dealing.
Pick #29: Jonas Jerebko
Starting Team and Ratings: Washington Bullets, SF 6'10'' 235 21 C+ C- D+ C C+ A
Current Team and Ratings: Los Angeles Lakers, SF 24 6'10'' 235 C+ C D+ C+ C+ B
"Jerebko has tons of upside..Hopefully he can put it together."
Damn smh...
