The 2015 NBA Draft is done and dusted, and now, less than a day after the picks were made, we can begin the truly important work of assessing each team's haul of talent before most of the players are even formally introduced to the public. That's right: It's NBA Draft grades o'clock.
NBA Draft grades 2015: Heat lead Eastern Conference, while Sixers lag
Justise Winslow falling to Miami earned Pat Riley’s front office rave reviews.
Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
The Eastern Conference is basically 14 teams not featuring LeBron James and one that does, but some of those teams are still trying to catch the Cavaliers, and the Sixers also exist. Here's who passed and failed, according to the NBA Draft grades.
High marks
One of the true no-brainers of the draft was the Heat selecting the sliding Justise Winslow, an NBA-ready guard whose size prompted concerns a lot like the ones that once dogged some other guy the Heat have employed for more than a decade. Winslow slots into the role played by Dwyane Wade if Wade leaves Miami in free agency, and he spells the creaky veteran if Wade stays with the only franchise he's ever known. And then Miami added Josh Richardson, another shooter/scorer type, in the second round.
So the consensus is that the Heat aced this draft, receiving an A for Fit and a B for Opportunity for Winslow from SB Nation’s Kevin O’Connor, an A+ from CBS Sports’ Matt Moore for the Winslow pick, and an overall A+ from ESPN’s Chad Ford.
The centerpiece of Washington's two-player haul was Kelly Oubre, a lanky and athletic wing from Kansas who could develop into a fine complement next to John Wall and Bradley Beal, and might make fellow Jayhawk Paul Pierce somewhat expendable. And though the Wizards had to send two future second-round picks to the Hawks to move up four spots for Oubre, graders liked the move: Moore gave the pick an A, O'Connor handed out two Bs, and Ford gave the Wizards' draft (which also included Iowa forward Aaron White, who will be stashed overseas) an A-.
Carmelo Anthony may not like the additions of Latvian big Kristaps Porzingis and Notre Dame point guard Jerian Grant, but graders do. O'Connor handed out two As for Porzingis, Moore stamped one A of his own, and Ford gave their draft haul an A-.
Red ink
It's hard to knock the Sixers for taking Jahlil Okafor at No. 3, especially given that a) the player they coveted most at No. 3, D'Angelo Russell, was not available and b) Okafor's more NBA-ready than Porzingis, viewed as one of this draft's consensus four best prospects. But though the Sixers can't be blamed for missing out on Karl-Anthony Towns and Russell, while needing more scoring punch from guards and perhaps another big man to add to a mix after a flareup of injury concerns about Joel Embiid, general manager Sam Hinkie really only addressed the former need as Thursday night wore on. J.P. Tokoto is the only Philly draftee who could even play a wing position, and he's a small forward.
Moore’s A- for Okafor and O’Connor’s B/A assessment of the pick were the kind grades for the Sixers; Moore also tagged four players drafted by the Sixers in the second round with a grade of D or worse (though not all four will stay with Philly), and Ford’s B- is massively qualified.
Frank Kaminsky was, is, and will be a divisive prospect: Gifted at the offensive end, he lacks the sort of wingspan and athleticism that most good defenders have to have in the NBA, and his success in the league will likely depend on his offense more than making up for his defense. So the Hornets adding him to a roster that already had Cody Zeller — a slightly more athletic big who lacks some of Kaminsky's touch as a shooter — was received with a chorus of "Ehhh." O'Connor's C for Fit and B for Opportunity are the kinder words; Moore's C includes a damning "It's a fine pick, but far from great" note, and Ford's writeup of his C+ also notes that the Hornets passed on a "superior player" in Justise Winslow.
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