2012 NBA Draft: Team By Team Draft Grades From Draft Night
The 2012 NBA Draft is in the books, which means it is time for some team draft grades. Sometimes had great drafts, other teams were not so good. Without further ado, let us get to it!
Atlanta Hawks: Taking John Jenkins at 23 is a bit of a stretch. Not exactly sure how he helps the team in the long run. Good shooting might get outweighed by never getting the ball. Mike Scott will be a great bench scorer off the bench. Grade: C+
Boston Celtics: Lot of teams shied away from Jared Sullinger, but this is a good value pick. Learning from Kevin Garnett will be good for the kid. Fab Melo might be a stretch, but I think Boston is a perfect place for him to play. Kris Joseph will be solid depth for the team. Grade: B
Brooklyn Nets: Tyshawn Taylor could be a good backup guard on this team. I honestly think Tornike Shengalia is a made up name. Same with Illken Karaman. Grade: D+
Charlotte Bobcats: The Bobcats simply needed players and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist is going to be a great fit on any team. His hustle should be infectious on this roster. Jeff Taylor fills another need that they have. Very solid draft from the MJ team. Grade: B+
Chicago Bulls: Picked up Marquis Teague to man the fort while Derrick Rose recovers. Very solid pick, but team still needs a shooter. Grade: B
Cleveland Cavaliers : Had the first real reach in the draft by taking Dion Waiters, but he should form a good backcourt for years to come. Trading up for Tyler Zeller was smart, but gave up way too much for him. Grade: D+
Dallas Mavericks : Didn’t love anyone at 17, so they traded down for more picks. Jared Cunningham will be good depth, but I would have went Perry Jones at 24. Bernard James and Jae Crowder will fill out the bench. Grade: B-
Denver Nuggets: Took Evan Fournier too high for my liking. Isn’t going to get a chance to get big minutes unless the team moves Wilson Chandler. Quincy Miller is going to be a nice bench player but nothing more. Izzet Turkyilmaz could be something in the future. Grade: C-
Detroit Pistons: A front court based around Andre Drummond and Greg Monroe could be devastating for years to come. Khris Middleton adds some good shooting for the team. Kim English will be a steady backcourt presence for the team. Grade: B
Here’s a video with more coverage of the Detroit Pistons from the 2012 NBA Draft.
Golden State Warriors : Harrison Barnes fell right to a team that needs a small forward. Should be able to step in and help right away. Festus Ezeli should be a solid backup center for years to come. Draymond Green was a steal in the second round. Ognjen Kuzmic is a simple draft and stash guy. Grade: B+
Here’s a video with more coverage of the Golden State Warriors from the 2012 NBA Draft.
Houston Rockets: Jeremy Lamb, Royce White, and Terrence Jones are all good pieces, but they will regret not being able to get Drummond. Furkan Aledmir is actually a pretty good foreign prospect. Won’t provide instant help, but could down the road. Grade: B
Here’s a video with more coverage of the Houston Rockets from the 2012 NBA Draft.
Indiana Pacers: The last thing the Pacers needed was another awkward looking white post player. Miles Plumlee could be okay but he could also be out of the league in three years. Trading up to take Orlando Johnson in the second round could work out. Grade: D+
Los Angeles Clippers: Did they even have a pick? Believe they traded their second rounder away, but could be more moves coming. Grade: N/A
Los Angeles Lakers: Darius Johnson-Odom should be good depth for a team in need of solid bench players. Robert Sacre is not a bad player for being taken with the last pick in the draft. Grade: C+
Memphis Grizzlies: I like Tony Wroten for the Grizz. Fits a need and should see some heavy minutes early on for a playoff team. Grade: B-
Miami Heat : Surprised they traded down with so many good prospects on the board, but wanted to save cap space. Justin Hamilton probably won’t ever see the floor, unless something bad happens. Grade: C
Milwaukee Bucks: Too many post players for my liking so I think John Henson was not a good pick. Can’t play four power forwards at one time. Doron Lamb can shoot the rock off the bench for this team. Grade: C+
Here’s a video with more coverage of the Milwaukee Bucks from the 2012 NBA Draft.
Minnesota Timberwolves : Robbie Hummel is a feel good story and the kid can play. Ability to play defense and shoot the three could keep him on the roster. Grade: B-
New Orleans Hornets: The Hornets added Anthony Davis, which is enough for a high grade as is. Adding another high quality player like Austin Rivers is just gravy. Should be a fun combo to watch for years to come. Darius Miller is a steal in the middle of round two. Grade: A
Here’s a video with more coverage of the New Orleans Hornets from the 2012 NBA Draft.
New York Knicks: Can’t do much with one pick. Kostas Papanikolaou could be a star once he makes his way to the league. Grade: B
Oklahoma City Thunder: Getting Perry Jones III at the bottom of the first round is an absolute steal. Could be a force for the team in the future. Grade: A
Orlando Magic: Prepping for the eventual exit of Dwight Howard by taking Andrew Nicholson. Good rebounder and should be a solid pro. Kyle O’Quinn will surprise people with how productive he is. Grade: B-
Philadelphia Sixers: They just drafted another version of Thaddeus Young in Maurice Harkless. Not a good pick in my book. Made up for it by trading up for Arnett Moultrie. Should be a solid rebounder for the team. Grade: C+
Here’s a video with more coverage of the Philadelphia 76ers from the 2012 NBA Draft.
Phoenix Suns: Love the pick of Kendall Marshall. Should be a Nash replacement. Wanted a shooting guard but the best ones were off the board. Grade: B-
Here’s a video with more coverage of the Phoenix Suns from the 2012 NBA Draft.
Portland Trail Blazers: I’m not as big on Damian Lillard as most, but he should be able to step right in and start at point guard. Meyers Leonard has potential but it is going to take some time for him to adjust to the league. Will Barton had first round talent and is going to be a good fit for the Blazers. Grade: B-
Here’s a video with more coverage of the Portant Trail Blazers from the 2012 NBA Draft.
Sacramento Kings: Rumored to trade down all week but the guy they loved fell right into their laps. Thomas Robinson is going to be a nightmare on the glass. Grade: A-
Here’s a video with more coverage of the Sacramento Kings from the 2012 NBA Draft.
San Antonio Spurs: Marcus Denmon could be a solid backup point guard for a team who is great at finding players late in the draft. Grade: C
Toronto Raptors : The Raps took Terrence Ross at 8, which seemed a bit high to me. Quincy Acy is going to be a good bench player for the team. Tomislav Zubcic will probably never play in the league. Grade: C-
Here’s a video with more coverage of the Toronto Raptors from the 2012 NBA Draft.
Utah Jazz: When you only have a second round pick, it is hard to do much. Kevin Murphy should be bench fodder for the team. Grade: C+
Washington Wizards: Bradley Beal certainly fills the hole at shooting guard. Could the team threaten to steal a playoff bid next year? Tomas Satoransky is friends with Jan Vesley and should provide good depth in the future. Grade: A-
And there you have it. Those are my grades for every team after the 2012 NBA Draft. Like how your team was graded? Think I’m an idiot? Let us know in the comment section.
For reaches and steals from the first round here, click here.
For first round winners and losers, click here.
Riley Schmitt is a writer for Rant Sports.
