It’s the day after the draft and that means it’s time to take stock of what happened on a hectic Thursday night.
NBA Draft grades 2016: 76ers have great night, Celtics disappoint
Philadelphia had a dream night, while the Celtics and the Bucks made some questionable decisions, according to the experts.
The 76ers picked first and seem to have found a potential franchise player, while the Celtics once again failed to make a trade for a star and were forced to make unimpressive picks. The Bucks, meanwhile, made one of the biggest reaches of the draft and could regret passing on more NBA-ready prospects.
Those are the most noteworthy picks of the night but there was plenty more action, including big trades. Some teams have clearly improved while others failed to used this opportunity to add talent. With the East as competitive as it’s been in a while, what happened on Thursday night could have an effect on the playoff picture next season. General managers will be judged by how well they handled their assets on draft night, so they better hope they got things right.
Here are the hauls every Eastern team ended up with and some draft grades from the experts.
The best grades
Philadelphia 76ers
The 76ers did what everyone expected them to and picked Ben Simmons with the No. 1 overall pick. Yet, as great value as Simmons was, Bryan Colangelo also managed to find some very intriguing wings later in the draft. With the 24th pick, they selected Timothe Luwawu, and with the 26th pick, they drafted Furkan Korkmaz. If they make the jump this season, they could provide some athleticism and shooting for a team that needs both.
Everyone liked the night the 76ers had. The lowest grade was a B+ on the Simmons selection by The Vertical.
The Pistons watched Henry Ellenson, a big man who can stretch the floor, slide all the way down to 18, where they snatched him. He could be a good fit next to Andre Drummond, despite questions about his defense. In the second round they selected Michael Gbinije, who could make the team thanks to his shooting ability.
Everyone loved the Ellenson pick. Sports Illustrated gave them an A for it, ESPN an A- and CBS Sports and The Vertical a B+.
Good grades
The Hawks received the No. 12 pick in the trade that sent Jeff Teague to Indiana and used it on Taurean Prince, who should provide versatility at the wing. They also added DeAndre' Bembry at 21 as insurance in case Kent Bazemore leaves in free agency and took a flyer on French shooting guard Isaia Cordinier in the second round.
The reception to the picks was mixed. The Vertical and CBS Sports were both lukewarm about it, both giving them a C. ESPN liked their haul and gave them a B, while Sports Illustrated gave the Prince pick a B+ and the Bembry pick an A.
The Cavaliers bought their way into the late second round and selected Kay Felder, a small scoring point guard out of Oakland. It's unclear whether he will even make the team, but ESPN and CBS Sports liked the move and gave them a B.
The Bulls had the No. 14 pick and decided to go with a battle-tested prospect in four-year wing Denzel Valentine. There are concerns about his knees and he lacks the athleticism to be a star, but he could be a solid role player. In the second round, they selected German combo forward Paul Zipser, who also has role player potential.
The consensus is that they had a good draft. ESPN gave them a C because they failed to trade up for Kris Dunn, but CBS Sports gave them an A- and the rest a B.
Indiana Pacers
The Pacers were more interested in adding established players than a rookie, so they traded the 20th pick to the Nets for Thaddeus Young. In the second round, they picked 23-year-old forward Georges Niang. But this week was all about getting better in the short-term for Indiana, which also traded for Jeff Teague.
The bold moves were well received, with ESPN giving them a B and CBS Sports an A-.
Mixed and lukewarm grades
The Nets traded Thaddeus Young for the 20th pick in the draft and surprised everyone by picking Caris LeVert, a talented but oft-injured wing from Michigan. If his feet hold up, he could end up being a good selection. They also added Isaiah Whitehead in the second round, who should provide some guard depth.
ESPN and Sports Illustrated liked the LeVert pick, giving it a A- and a B+, respectively, but CBS Sports and The Vertical weren't so optimistic and gave them a C and a C+.
The Magic made the biggest trade of the night, as they moved Victor Oladipo, Ersan Ilyasova and the 11th pick (Domantas Sabonis) to the Thunder for Serge Ibaka. Ibaka seems like a great fit next to Nikola Vucevic but that was a steep prize to pay. They also added more size in the second round by selecting center Stephen Zimmerman.
The jury is out on things will turn out. CBS Sports and ESPN gave the trade cautiously optimistic grades.
The Raptors picked up a good backup center at No. 9 overall in Jakob Poeltl. He should be able to contribute as a rookie and provides nice insurance in case Bismack Biyombo leaves in free agency. With the 27th pick, they reached on Pascal Siakam, a big man who produced in college, but whom many believe could struggle in the NBA.
No one was impressed with the Raptors' conservative picks, but everyone agreed that they were solid. ESPN and CBS Sports both gave them a B-.
Bad Grades
Boston Celtics
The Celtics were stuck picking third in a two-man draft, so they picked the raw but talented Jaylen Brown third overall. They then went with two stashes with the 16th and 23rd picks, using them on Guerschon Yabusele and Ante Zizic, respectively. They also added Demetrius Jackson, Ben Bentil and Abdel Nader in the second round and received a 2019 pick from the Clippers.
It’s hard to be excited about the Celtics’ night and the grades reflected it. They got a D+ from CBS Sports and a C from ESPN. The Vertical didn’t like any of their picks. Sports Illustrated liked the Brown and Zizic picks but it’s fair to say that the consensus is that Boston disappointed.
The Hornets traded out of the draft, sending the 22nd pick to the Kings for Marco Belinelli. They didn’t have a second-round pick.
Considering the Pacers landed a much better player in Thaddeus Young for the 20th pick, it doesn't seem like a good trade. Both ESPN and CBS Sports gave them a D.
Milwaukee Bucks
The Bucks made the most surprising pick of the night when they selected Thon Maker 10th overall. Maker was considered a fringe first-round pick at best. He's completely untested, but general manager John Hammond loved his potential. Milwaukee also added a more NBA-ready player in Malcolm Brogdon in the second round.
Most experts didn’t like the Maker pick, with The Vertical and Sports Illustrated giving it a D and C-, respectively. ESPN, on the other hand, surprisingly loved it and gave it an A-.
Incomplete
The Knicks, Wizards and Heat had no picks and didn’t trade or buy one, so they got an incomplete.
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