Analysis of Shawn Porter vs Kell Brook, Showtime Boxing(8/16/14)

Shawn “Showtime” Porter vs Kell “Special K” Brook  

This right here might be the most interesting fight of all summer. I guaransheed this is going to be a great fight no matter the duration. Well..if it ends in the 1^st or 2^nd not so much, but you get the point. This is a great stylistic matchup that offers many questions of both of these young (relative) boxers. Will Kell Brook’s relative inexperience play against him in this fight? Can Shawn Porter continue his dominating, leaping ways against a fighter like Brook who possesses good size and power? I think it’s fair to say an older above optimal division Julio Diaz gave Shawn Porter problems and a C fighter in Carson Jones gave Kell Brook the same issues in both of their 1^st fights but both individuals rectified that and more in the rematches. With every fight you come to a point where you just have to think about the styles and tendencies more than just purely overall performance in past fights. The relatively Micro over the Macro. 

The Positives:

Shawn Porter. Powerful. His strength is definitely his greatest asset. He fought at Middleweight in the amateurs I believe and it’s obvious that he has this strength advantage over most Welterweights. He can practically get inside and bull anyone. Excellent left hook. Good enough hand speed. Incredible tenacity and body work. 

Kell Brook: He’s tall, strong and has excellent punching power in the WW division. He also has a really crisp jab and pretty good fundamentals on his other punches. Definitely varies his attack to the head and body. He also has good movement when he’s focused early on in the fight.

The Negatives:

Porter is kinda undersized at the division but that hasn’t hindered him yet. My bigger issues remain with the lunging in and the wild swinging that he does often. At times it looks really good when he lands but in fights with Julio Diaz I it left him open and he got countered and hurt. In the Alexander fight you could see that as well but Devon doesn’t have much power so he got away with it. 

Brook hasn’t faced much in the way of competition. Senchenko was a good win. There are a couple other solid ones sprinkled through but this certainly is an issue. He also has some stamina problems as evidenced with the Carson Jones I fight, where he was winning pretty comfortably in the first half and let it slip away in the 2^nd.  

The Rundown:

I don’t believe Porter is the puncher people have come to believe he is ever since he iced Paulie a couple months ago. 2 Ko’s in his last 9 fights kind of validates that. I think the Alexander fight was a great win but Devon is a guy who likes to clinch a lot instead of using footwork to box and avoid. He also is just average defensively. He stood there and got hit then clinched instead of sliding away and jabbing. Brook is a big guy and probably does some of those things better than Alexander but his hand speed isn’t elite or even close to it. Some would say he looks just an ordinary fighter. We saw what happened in the Carson Jones fight where he was bulled and looked just decent in the 2^nd half. There is also no significant reach advantage with both of them being at 69”. So Brook may have the advantage in height but the reach which always tends to be more important is a draw. I think neither is a legendary talent but both have an opportunity to vault themselves into the elite with a win here. 

For Porter, he needs to keep doing what he’s doing and get inside on Brook and rough him up. We’ve seen that Porter can fight going backwards at times but he’s more comfortable being the aggressor. If he dedicates to the body then he can tire Brook out and that bodes well for the later rounds of the fight. He does need to limit the wild swings and lunges focus a bit more on defense when he’s coming forward. 

For Brook, I think boxing this guy and countering him is a good way to go. Porter likes to lunge and get wild a lot and leaves his chin exposed when he’s coming in so I know there will be plenty of opportunities for Kell to tag him. But he also needs to stay on the move and limit what Porter does when tie ups occur.  Switching rhythm on Porter is a good idea as well. You can box and move but also come forward and throw him for a loop. Make him think a bit more about his options. 

I like Brook in this fight if he can execute the gameplan well enough over 12 rounds. Brook +185

Sakio Bika vs Anthony Dirrell 2

The last time these 2 fought it resulted in a Draw and as you know, draws really do suck. Anyways, the last fight I thought the not as highly touted Dirrell brother did enough to win the fight but the judges disagreed. He did let Bika’s style get to his head and as Bika fights go(very ugly), it turned into a true mess. The fight was still pretty entertaining, though.

Bika, we know what he is at this point. He’s a physical, sloppy and some would say, dirty fighter, who has a great resume and has given everyone from Joe Calzaghe to Andre Ward a tough fight. He is up there in age so who knows how he looks coming out. 

Dirrell is the less heralded brother and less skilled(but still skilled) but probably possesses more power than his brother. He has good technical skills and speed and isn’t afraid to engage in a fight. 

The key for Bika is to…well..do what Bika does. Make it an ugly ass fight and annoy his opponent so much he gets off his game. He has good power but records can be a little deceiving based on the quality of opponent you face. If he can be Sakio Bika for 12 rounds then I think he can escape with a decision this time around.

Dirrell…you are the better technical fighter by far. Faster and better defensively. Keep the jab out there. Make sure you try to stay away from the clinches that Bika will ensure happens. Basically he needs to be first here at all times and avoid the lulls that led to him giving away rounds. Dirrell hurt Bika a couple times and even knocked him down once so we know his power is legit and a chance may be there again. 

Dirrell -200   Younger fighter, more to prove here. Bika has never been knocked out before but I could see it happening.

What I Learned from the 2014 NBA Summer League

Nothing much, to be honest. Some players looked good. Some players looked bad. Some players looked good and bad. Lot of players hunted for shots because this is their big chance to make the NBA. I read somewhere that a lot of these guys are paying for their own flights for the hope of making it. Anyways.  Some of the rookies like Jabari Parker

 had their moments. He showed off some of his shooting and ball handling skills that he showed throughout high school. His teammate Giannis looked like the best player on the team and possibly better than any wing prospect in the 2014 Draft. His ball handling skills and aggressiveness are just great to see. Looked like an improved shooter as well.

Andrew Wiggins had his moments. He showed off some of that amazing athleticism. Not gonna lie and pretend I really believe this guy's "potential". He really can't dribble at all and his shooting is just ok at this stage.  Anthony Bennett looked much improved from where he was last season but still way too jumpshot heavy for a guy of his physical talents. That should be worrying.

Noah Vonleh. 30% shooting in summer league! W!T!F?!

Nik Stauskas looked great. Basically what we saw from him in college. Great shooter, good ball handler. Can do a little bit of everything offensively. This might end up actually being a really good pick for Sacramento regardless of the defensive issues they failed to address. McLemore actually looked pretty bad the first couple of games but improved as things progressed. McCallum also was pretty good.


Marcus Smart looked strong. I guess. We already knew that, though. I don't remember his shooting % but it was low. Exum showed flashes of his quickness and playmaking abilities. Trey Burke looked alright.

God, I'm getting tired writing about this.

Zach LaVine actually impressed me. I was team LaVine for a couple months when he was at UCLA, then I kinda soured on him. Probably due to everyone calling this guy a point guard like we were still in high school. Regardless of that this guy still has a solid base of skills. Solid enough handle(though he mainly uses it to get his jumper), good jumper and INCREDIBLE athleticism. So why Andrew Wiggins rated higher than this guy? Eh, we'll never know.  Shabazz looked pretty good too but I expected that. But man..does this guy HUNT for shots. You can't hate the aggressiveness tho, especially when you have a guy as good on the offensive boards as he is. Dieng is Dieng. Beast. But he ain't 21 so NO P0T3NT1AL

The player that probably most impressed me was Elfrid Payton. I liked the pick when Orlando made it, but I didn't like them drafting Aaron Gordon at #4(and he really looked alright in SL). He was cool, calm, collected. Yukon or the lexus. He looked like the best point guard by far. A "pure" point guard. Smart enough to know his strengths and his limitations. Probably why that Rondo comparison works so well. The future is bright for Orlando.

Kentavious Caldwell Pope  KCP!  Looked great as well. lot of strides. Can't wait to see how he looks this year  in Detroit with more playing time. McDermott shot like a shooter should. Alliterations. Tony Snell did the same. Bulls gon win a lot of damn games. With or without Rose.

Digging deep in my memory banks....I just watched too much...I feel like if I continue I'm just gonna have to list everyone and I don't wanna do that. Alright Jarnell Stokes was a grown ass man, dog. Nick Johnson looked like a possible steal for Houston. Kyle Anderson really looked ok and I like the guy, but it's possible he'll do better in a more structured Spurs system.

Ah yeah. Shabazz napier. Never was that high on the guy. And then Miami traded away valuable picks for him for Lebron and Lebron dipped ANYWAYS! Yeah he looked ok for some stretches, pretty bad for others. James Ennis played pretty damn well. The Hamilton fellow had his moments as well. Miami should be fine.

Alright I'm tired. I'm sorry if I left anyone out, but NBA is done for a couple months. It's football time. CFB, NFL, MOE, DOA. Time to get this basketball out of my system for a while cause I know I damn sure won't be thinking about it once preseason hits. Alright. Bye.

Canelo vs Lara!! July 12th PPV Boxing Card

Saul “Canelo” Alvarez 43-1-1(31 KO)  vs Erislandy "The American Dream" Lara 19-1(12 KO)

This may arguably be the most intriguing fight in an action packed (I’ve said this too many damn times but I mean it!) summer. Mexico vs Cuba! The arguable top 2 fighters in the Junior Middleweight division square off on PPV and we shall see whose style prevails on July 12^th. This fight is one that many hardcore boxing fans have requested for a relatively long time and now we are almost here. The thing about this fight is that it most likely doesn’t occur if Lara doesn’t directly challenge Canelo and anger him enough to demand his promoter make the matchup.  

Recently, they both have faced off against the same opponents, which has prompted people to create what we know as the triangle theory.  Angulo knocked down Lara twice, so Canelo should easily be able to get to Lara and knock him out. Canelo had a tough contest with Trout and Lara easily beat Trout therefore Lara should easily outpoint and outbox Canelo. Well, we know from boxing history that the triangle theory really doesn’t hold any weight (Foreman should’ve annihilated Ali if that were the case) at all. Styles make fights. So let’s get into their styles. 

Canelo is truly a fighter people transfer their hopes onto. They want him to be that dynamic come forward all action fighter but he instead is actually more of a boxer-puncher type. He is a good combination puncher with power but he doesn’t exactly throw very many punches throughout fights. He has great speed and can be very dynamic at times but because of his stamina issues (he practically gasses in every fight), he chooses to sit back and expend less energy. I’ve also noticed that he doesn’t mix offense and defense very well; it’s one or the other for Mr. Alvarez.

Lara is a guy nobody watches for excitement really. He’s as technical a boxer as they come. Pure boxer. One thing you can say about Lara is that he always sticks to his gameplan. He’s always moving backwards no matter what you do (it’s why Trout looked so terrible against him), you must be the one to engage the fight. With that said, Lara has a very glaring weakness, which is his inside fighting. He has none whatsoever and this has been exploiting a couple times, but due to his good footwork and defense he hasn’t found himself in that much trouble in the pros. 

This fight really is going to come down to how much Canelo really wants to push the fight. He was really aggressive against a lethargic looking Angulo in his last fight and ended up stopping him. Angulo is no Lara, though. We know, from Lara’s history that he isn’t going to change his gameplan and is going to stay on the move and be a counterpuncher. I’ve seen enough to know that Canelo will still have his usual stamina problems and issues with managing offense and defense. There will be some opportunities if he’s willing to press the action and get inside like Angulo did, but I highly doubt he’s going to want to take as many punches as Angulo did last year. Lara is not going to stand in front of him and allow him to get off like Angulo and other lesser fighters he has faced previously. Can he cut the ring off and hurt Lara? I don’t believe so. I’m going with Lara here because I think he’s the better boxer and the more consistent fighter in a multitude of areas. 

Lara +155

Now here are some of the undercard fights. 

Johan Perez 19-1(13 KO) vs Mauricio Herrera 20-4(7 KO)

Coming off the loss to Danny Garcia. HAHAHHAAHAHHAHA. Just kidding. Everyone watching, even Puerto Ricans knew Garcia lost that fight to Herrera and only thanks to being the champion and the more marketable fighter does Danny Swift still have his belts.  Herrera really should be champ right now and that sucks, but he has to move on and just keep on winning. This fight with Perez would’ve been a good 1st title defense.

We know Herrera’s style. He has zero power but he’s a really good boxer and mover. He’ll stick that jab in your face for 12 rounds but he isn’t afraid to really mix it up, as evidenced in his fights with Garcia and Provodnikov. Perez has a good record but watching his fights, his punches are very wide and he has little to no defense. Herrera isn’t some juggernaut, he does have 4 losses, but to a style like this he should have little problem.

Herrera 12 round decision

Tomoki Kameda 29-0 (18 KO) vs Pungluang Sor Singyu 46-2 (31 KO)

For the WBO Bantamweight Championship of the world!!! I’d be lying to you if I said I actually watched much of these lower division fights. I honestly would say that my true cut off is probably 126 if anything, but this has the potential to be a really good fight. They have a common opponent in Paulus Ambundu. Ambundu took the WBO Bantamweight title off of Singyu right after he had won it, and Kameda won it from Ambundu a few fights later. One thing that struck me from watching each fighter is…wow is Kameda a big bantamweight. Almost 5’8” tall (Compared to Singyu who’s listed at 5’1”). And Singyu, I notice that he fights in a somewhat hunched style. Might be open for the uppercut if Kameda is willing to throw it. 

I actually feel like Kameda’s last fight with Immanuel Naidjala might be tougher than this one. They were similar in stature and Naidjala appeared to have the speed and boxing advantage. I don’t see that deficit here for Kameda. Singyu also doesn’t seem to possess the angles of Naidjala and seems to stand right in front of his opponent. I see a lot of body work and uppercuts from Kameda.

Kameda takes this.

Abner Mares vs Johnathan Oquendo

After coming off the shocking 1^st round ko against Jhonny Gonzalez, Mares needs a nice comeback here. Mares’ resume is far superior to Oquendo’s, and the 2 most notable fighters on Oquendo’s record(Wilfredo Vasquez Jr and Juanma) both ended in knockout losses. Plus my fingers are tired. 

Mares by decision.

Juan Manuel  “JuanMA” Lopez 34-3 (31 KO)  vs Francisco Vargas 19-0-1 (13 KO)

Juanma was on the fast track to greatness a couple years ago after winning a couple of titles, but that was halted by Orlando Salido by brutal KO. The rematch took place a year later and the same thing resulted. A superfight with Yuriorkis Gamboa was supposed to happen but because of these losses to Salido, the fight failed to materialize. Since then it’s been an up and down path for Juanma and he’s been knocked out again, recently, against star Super Featherweight, Mikey Garcia. He has power but gets carried away and caught because of the amount of errors he always makes forgetting defense. 

Francisco Vargas is a former Olympian and undefeated fighter who has recently stepped up in competition. Great body puncher, loves the hooks. I don’t really see defense with this guy but he does keep a high guard. He can be countered but apparently has a good chin at this juncture of his career. He has a high activity rate though so that somewhat offsets his lack of a real defense. I also don’t know if I really believe in his power, but his last 3 step up fights have been against guys who haven’t been ko’d yet or rarely have. 

We have to remember, Juanma’s only losses are to Orlando Salido(2x) and Mikey Garcia, 2 of the best fighters in his weight class. With that said, I think the errors Lopez constantly make rear their ugly head yet again in this fight and Vargas takes it with his activity.  Juanma has been hurt just too much throughout his career for me to believe in him.

Vargas by KO.

2014 NBA Draft: Grading the picks

Sidenote: These grades aren't a direct reflection of the players themselves, but teams selecting the best player available, a need they're filling, maximizing the value of their pick, and creativity.

Cleveland Cavaliers: Andrew Wiggins (1st), Joe Harris (33rd), Dwight Powell (45th from CHA)

The Cavaliers ended up taking Andrew Wiggins with the #1 overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft to no one's surprise. I'm not even sure what to say about him at this point because it's beating a dead horse and that dead horse is now horse pulp. It was the easy pick, but hopefully it pans out. At least he won't have to do much right away with Kyrie on ball control duty and a mobile big behind him in Varejao.

Joe Harris on the other hand who I didn't include in my other post is a senior from Virginia that can shoot the ball. Outside of that, there's not much that stands out about him. He'll play the 3 and we'll see if he can play defense at an NBA level to get some clock. I won't lie and act like I watched much of him because I didn't. I did see him play with my own two eyes though and he's meh. With Gee reportedly being moved, that's one less guy to beat out for a spot on the floor.

Grade: B

Milwaukee Bucks: Jabari Parker (2nd), Damien Inglis (31st), Johnny O'Bryant (36th), Lamar Patterson (48th)

Jabari fucking Parker. Great skill set.. Glad that CLE passed on him so that MIL could grab him up. Easily the most skilled SF and arguably player in the draft. Ready to score ASAP. Obviously he has work to do like everyone else, but if Larry Sanders can get his head on straight and John Henson can keep improving he'll be solid on the defensive end. Giannis may even be able to draw the tougher defensive assignments if need be. He'll be able to create for his teammates as well. Very excited to see what he does.

As for "the rest.." Damien Inglis is a foreigner from French Guiana. I saw a little of him at the Hoop Summit but that doesn't really mean anything. Very young and built very solid at 6'8.5" and 240 with a 7'3" wingspan. I'm not surprised at the Bucks taking him after they took a young unknown Giannis last year and he looks very promising. I like the pick. MIL starting to look like OKC by going for length and measurables. As cool as it would have been to see Giannis and Thanasis on the same team and knowing Thanasis can play with talent, I think you go for the fences and take a chance with Damien. Nothing to lose. Johnny O'Bryant who wasn't on my other list either is a 6'8" big and I don't really like the pick. Projected a PF/C and I don't think there's any way he survives as a 5 in the NBA. He'll have to get a lot better. Lamar Patterson is going to play the 2. Good IQ with a good AST/TO ratio. Don't remember him being a great defender, so we'll see if he can defend in the D-League first.

Grade: A-

Philadelphia 76ers: Joel Embiid (3rd), Dario Saric (12th from ORL), K.J. McDaniels (32nd), Jerami Grant (39), Pierre Jackson (Including Pierre because he was drafted, but never played in the NBA and was traded for Russ Smith), Vasilije Micic (52nd), Nemanja Dangubic (54th), Jordan McRae (58th from SAS)

The Tankers made the expected move and took Embiid. They couldn't really mess this pick up with Wiggins and Parker gone. Not like they can lose any more games and he's already the most skilled big they have. As of today (6/28) he's expected to be out almost a year. (Jesus Christ) but we'll see how he bounces back. He and Noel probably won't be able to share the court on offense but they have bigger problems anyway like not drafting a single shooter.

Dario Saric is overseas for 2 more years, so that's that.. K.J. McDaniels and Jerami Grant aren't bad 2nd round picks. Both can defend multiple positions and mostly hustle/transition players but I can't shake the feel that it almost feels like the 76ers tanked the draft too. One interesting thing is that McDaniels is a pretty good shot blocker at the 3.

I do like the Russ Smith for Pierre Jackson trade and I'm including him only because he hasn't played a minute in the NBA yet. Hopefully he'll get a chance in Philly. He balled out against pros in the D-League and had nothing to show while being stuck in his deal. Don't see him stuck behind any PGs in the rotation besides MCW. If there was one thing Philly needed besides a possible star, it's shooting and they didn't get any.

Grade: C- (The low grade isn't because Embiid is out, of course they had to take him but because they didn't address any of their shooting issues. Obviously they're tanking, but come on.)


Orlando Magic: Aaron Gordon (4th), Elfrid Payton (10th from PHI), Devyn Marble (56th)

Was pretty confused to see Aaron Gordon go 4th overall, and to Orlando. He's really raw, but they must believe that he'll be really special. I can see the logic in the move though. Everyone expected Exum to go, but being the mystery man he is they took an exciting, athletic kid in Gordon who loves to defend and do the dirty work. At worst, maybe he'll be an energetic 6th man. They then acquired Elfrid Payton who's similar in size and reminiscent in skill set of Exum, and we've actually seen this guy playing against NCAA competition. He's "shot up" charts in workouts but I've watched him all season so the workouts haven't really changed my perspective on him.

After having had time to think on it, I like what Orlando did. While I do like backcourts where both guards can defend, Gordon serves a better purpose in his ability to guard the 2, 3, and some small ball 4's. Elfrid's length should help him out and he can take some of that load off of Oladipo (who saw a lot of pressure last year) and his ball handling duties. They'll have to find shooting in the backcourt. HAVE to. I've seen Devyn Marble in MI in his HS years and he's projected to be a catch and shoot guy. He has good size for a 2 guard but we'll see what happens. I had questions yesterday, but now I see what ORL had up their sleeve.

Grade: A-


Utah Jazz: Dante Exum (5th), Rodney Hood (23rd)



Dante Exum and Rodney Hood. I'm probably being paranoid, but I'm not sure if Utah is low on Alec Burks or if they wanted another ball handler and a guy who could off set Trey Burke and take the tougher assignment on defense because of his size. Easy to see why Smart wasn't their guy, and not much to say here except Utah got good value on their picks. We'll see what Dante can do. Rodney Hood can put the ball in the rim and has done so at the college level for quite a while. It'll be fun to see if he can do it at the NBA level with bigger, faster, stronger opponents guarding him. He does tend to make the easy pass and I like that but there's nothing else really worth noting. He'll have to at least be a willing defender in the NBA.

Grade: B+


Boston Celtics: Marcus Smart (6th), James Young (17th)

I'm okay with the Marcus Smart pick for Boston because I don't think anyone is certain what's going to happen with Rondo. He can be their PG, and if not maybe he gets dealt. There's really no shooting with Rondo, Smart, and Bradley in a rotation so that's gonna be something to look for. Bayless isn't really consistent enough to make you look past those 3 and is more of a scorer than a shooter. James Young (SMH) who I'll set personal issues aside for is an alright pick up. He looks like a NBA player. Not sure why he's being called a shooter, but we'll see what he can make of himself. He definitely has a lot work to do. Guys are still tourney drunk off of Young, but he's not bad.. Especially after what Jeff Green has done to let us down.

Grade: B


Los Angeles Lakers: Julius Randle (7th), Jordan Clarkson (46th from WAS)

The Kobe Stan, Randle landed in L.A. All jokes aside, Julius looks really excited to be in Los Angeles and I think he'll be able to find some success. No question he'll be able to score and crash the boards, but he'll have to get much better at taking care of the ball in the post. He can maneuver his way around down low so I'm curious to see what he can do. Measuring at 6'9" at the combine really helped him out. He's not a great defender so he'll have to hit the boards even harder to hide some of that a la Kenneth Faried.

I didn't watch much of Missouri to see Jordan Clarkson but what I do know is that he likes to look for his own shot. He has pretty good size for a combo guard. He's actually not that bad on defense, but he's not a stopper by any means meaning you can see the effort. A little muscle would help him since he's not an extraordinary athlete. 

Grade: B


Sacramento Kings: Nik Stauskas (8th)

 

Not sure why Nik went this high but I hope this isn't a sign of things to come. We all remember the Jimmer issue, and while they aren't nearly the same player.. It just feels like it could end badly. With McLemore in Sacramento as well, this whole situation feels funny. I would't have taken Nik this soon, but enough of that. He'll shoot the lights out and open the floor a little. Don't let the picture fool you, dunking isn't his game but if he has an open lane he'll flush it. His PnR game is pretty solid, tight handle and he can do a lot of things out of it and all equally well but with Isaiah Thomas (?), Gay, and Cousins, he might not really get to show what all can do. He'll need someone to help cover him on defense and Sacramento surely isn't the place he'll find that. If there's one thing that a player will do in the NBA, it's get stronger. If JJ Reddick could turn himself into a serviceable player, I don't have any real doubts about Nik. Just.. Sacramento??? Really?? And they're supposed to have a new FO. Not off to a great start. Considering those left on the board..

Grade: C-


Charlotte Hornets: Noah Vonleh (9th), P.J. Hairston (26th from MIA)

Noah Vonleh falling all the way to 9th was a surprise to many. He'll be able to learn a few things from Al Jefferson. Since there are questions about his explosiveness he'll need a little smooth deceptiveness in his game, and they can both play on the block. Biyombo isn't a bad reserve to learn a few things on defense from either. A lot of people make a huge thing out of Vonleh and his shooting stretching out to the perimeter. He didn't shoot much from 3 in college, so the numbers are lying. I don't see him being a threat from there in the league. 

Trading Shabazz Napier for P.J. Hairston was a good move for Charlotte as well. Didn't really need another small PG in Shabazz behind Kemba. They needed shooting and I thought that they'd pick up Nik Stauskas. Obviously he was taken before, and if it's one thing P.J. can do, it's shoot the ball. He has just as much range as Nik and he's been ready physically. He and Nik were my top two SGs for 2014. His play in the D-League should translate to the NBA (not directly, don't be ridiculous) and he can help immediately. Only down sides are he can get a little shot happy and try to force things that aren't there. This can be kept under control now that he's under the structure of an actual NBA squad. As for Dwight Powell, he's a big body but a largely inconsistent shooter.

Grade: A-

Chicago Bulls: Doug McDermott (11th from DEN), Cameron Bairstow (49th)

We knew someone would take McDermott in the lottery and they (CHI) bit via trade. On paper, it looks good because he provides shooting at the 4. Honestly, they were one of the only teams I think that can hide him on defense. Can't escape the SF/PF tweener talk though. Who does he guard? Batum or Aldridge? Paul Pierce or KG? Paul George or David West? KD or Ibaka? These are obviously extreme examples but they're realistic. It's hard to think a team picks a guy in the lottery who can't guard anyone on defense. I'm not sure what Cameron Bairstow's skill is. Nothing really stands out but his size. We'll see if he sticks around

Grade: C


Minnesota Timberwolves: Zach LaVine (13th), Glenn Robinson III (40th), Alessandro Gentile (53rd)

 

Zach LaVine is every bit as much of an athletic freak as Wiggins. He has question marks though. And for the love of God, stop calling him a point guard. I'm all for pairing the kid who's supposed to be all upside with a great passing PG like Ricky Rubio and it should be exciting. Outside of that, their roster is pretty much comprised of guys who only play one side of the ball. Not really much going for them, they're going to lose Love so you might as well swing for the fences. As far as GR3, I'm not sure but he just hasn't gotten better to me. Maybe his progress was eclipsed by Nik Stauskas, and he was overrated playing with Trey but he has some tools. Just a really bland pick. Thinking he'll at least try on both sides of the ball though.

Grade: C+

Phoenix Suns: T.J. Warren (14th), Tyler Ennis (18th), Bogdan Bogdanovic (27th), Alec Brown (50th)

I thought the Bulls would nab up T.J. Warren since they were looking for scoring at the 3/4 spots, very very good scorer. It'll be fun to see him running in PHX. I like the pick with Channing Frye opting out as well so they'll get another front court shooter. Another thing to note is that despite not being an elite athlete, he can finish at the rim pretty well. We'll see if that stays the same. Tyler Ennis isn't a bad backup to have behind Bledsoe and Dragic either. He is what he is. Won't get to the rim well. People fell in love with the clutch shots, but outside of that he's not really a great shooter. We saw the last "floor general" PHX took in Kendall Marshall and we know how that ended up. Hopefully it won't be a repeat.

Grade: B-


Atlanta Hawks: Adreian Payne (15th), Walter Tavares (43rd)

I reeeeeeally really hope Adreian Payne takes note of Josh Smith's career and doesn't fall in love with those stupid long jump shots. It was really frustrating to watch in the tourny. He knocked a couple down, and then wouldn't stop shooting them. He won't end up like "Keith Benson" either. Way too skilled and athletic for that. Outside of that, he's one of the only guys who would have fit perfectly on any team. A 4 who can stretch the floor and protect the rim. The age scared teams off for some reason or another. We saw what Atlanta did to the Pacers and Pero isn't nearly as good a shooter as Adreian. With Milsap and Horford, they'll be a tough rotation. Weight room. Not much to say about Tavares except he's 7'3" with reportedly good footwork. He won't see the NBA for a while though.

Grade: A-

Denver Nuggets: Jusuf Nurkic (16th from CHI), Gary Harris (19th), Nikola Jokic (41st)

Jusuf Nurkic is a big that can score in the low post. Don't think we'll see him in Denver for a while and not sure if he can protect the rim. He has pretty good hands though. I did enjoy watching him and Mudiay during the Summit playing off of each other. Not sure how much of that was him because he got a lot of good looks set up for him. As much as Gary Harris' play irritated me at times during the season, I think Denver got a good pick with him. The uptempo play can free him up on offense and maybe hide him a little on defense. He's not a bad defender, but he'll have his hands full with the 1s and 2s of the NBA. Goes without saying that he can shoot and handle the ball a little but he plays really smart ball. Sometimes disappears. Behind Afflalo, he should be able to learn some things without too much responsibility.

Grade: B-

Toronto Raptors: Bruno Caboclo (20th), DeAndre Daniels (37th)

Bruno is the youngest player in the draft this year. Also, set's hold off on the Brazilian Kevin Durant comparisons. They're stupid. We don't really know anything about this guy and the first time I've ever heard his name is when Adam Silver announced it. One thing I do know is you don't really doubt Masai Uriji. If he ever makes it to the NBA, we'll go from there. DeAndre Daniels stepped his game up when it mattered most and that was in the tourny. He can shoot the ball, but doesn't really have a handle. Not a great defender. Not sure if he'll stick around even in Toronto.

Grade: C-

Oklahoma City Thunder: Mitch McGary (21st), Josh Huestis (29th), Semaj Christon (55th)

Mitch McGary will be Nick Collison's protege. Had a back injury and probably should have left school a year early. He does hit the glass hard for rebounds and get the garbage buckets. He'll have to be a hustle big and maybe work on his shot a little so he can pull the defense on PnPs. He can set a decent screen against college players, but we'll see how physical he is in the league. He landed in a good spot in OKC. I don't remember much about Josh Heustis outside of his effort where he sonned Wiggins on defense. If he can be a defensive stopper and sit down on guys with actual handles, he'll have a job on someone's bench. Maybe even develop as a catch and shooter. If you want to catch Semaj, it'll be in the D-League.

Grade: C+

Memphis Grizzlies: Jordan Adams (22nd), Jarnell Stokes (35th)

I like Jordan Adams when he isn't flabby and sick at 230 lbs. More skilled than LaVine and much much smarter but no where near the same upside. He isn't really that spectacular on defense, but he has a 6'10"-6'11" wingspan I believe and maybe that's why Memphis likes him. He'll have to start getting shots up now since Memphis needs shooting, but I'm not really sure about the pick.

Jarnell Stokes is a strange pick too. He's solid and can rebound, but he's a little smaller than we're used to seeing as a big in Memphis. He can't really shoot either. Memphis has missed on a lot of picks lately and I don't think this year is any different.

Grade: C-

Miami Heat: Shabazz Napier (24th from CHA)

I was actually surprised that Shabazz even went in the first round. Probably a ploy to keep LeBron. 2 National Titles but I don't think he'll be a great NBA player. He was good in the PnR in college, but he'll be hounded in the NBA. He couldn't make Drummond and Lamb look dominant in college, so he'll have to up his playmaking tenfold. Feels like a desperate pick and I think they'd have been better off keeping Hairston with Wade breaking down.

Grade: C-

Houston Rockets: Clint Capela (25th), Nick Johnson (42nd)

Outside of them both being big and black, I have no idea where the Serge Ibaka comparisons came from for Clint Capela. If he ends up half as good as Serge, he'd be a huge success. He won't be knocking down corner threes any time soon and while he's athletic, he's not as athletic as Serge. That being said, there's obviously potential here. I think he can be a really good PnR player if he can develop a jumper. Can be a good bench big one day. Nick Johnson is a decent pick since he can play off the ball, but he's a smaller combo guard. Defensively, he'll give all he's got unlike coughHardencough.

Grade: B


Los Angeles Clippers: C.J. Wilcox (28th)

This pick was pretty ridiculous in retrospect.. The Clippers desperately need to shore up their bench bigs. Not grab another shooter, and especially one who won't be a defensive stopper since they just tried to trade for Tony Allen.

Grade: D-


San Antonio Spurs: Kyle Anderson (30th)

No clue how this even happened. Kyle Anderson wasn't really in any set spot, but there wasn't a better spot he could have ended up. With this Finals series, everyone compared him to Boris Diaw, and now he'll be able to play behind him. Now the Spurs have another 6'9" ridiculously good passer. Very excited about this.

Grade: A


New York Knicks: Cleanthony Early (34th), Thanasis Antetokounmpo (51st), Louis Labiyre (57th from IND)

New York is counting on Melo to leave, so they're just grabbing SF's in the draft with possible good upsides. They won't match him, but Cleanthony can score the ball. I think the knocks on his age are a little unwarranted, but a good tournament did him some favors. Thanasis is Giannis' older brother and he's pretty much the opposite of Cleanthony. He's got the D-League experience, but where his hope lies is becoming a very good defender at the 3. He has the size and the energy. The field is wearing thin now, so they did pretty good. They'll both have the opportunity to get minutes and I like the Knicks drafting for both sides of the ball.

Grade: B+


Detroit Pistons: Spencer Dinwiddie (38th)

We could have done worse.. I'm not a big fan of Spencer Dinwiddie, but we did need to see what we can get at SG. Would have gone higher if not for his torn ACL and has good size for the 2. He can do a little bit of everything, but from what I saw he likes to dominate the ball and with Brandon Jennings that may or may not be tragic. Good pick for the Pistons though.

Grade: B+


Brooklyn Nets: Markel Brown (44th from MIN), Xavier Thames (59th from TOR), Cory Jefferson (60th from SAS)

Markel Brown is an athletic guard and ran the backcourt with Smart in college. They're similar in size which means Markel is going to be a very small shooting guard. He doesn't need the ball in his hands to get open and score, but he'll have to be a lights out guy to stick in the league since. Not sure that's what Brooklyn needs, but this late in the draft you just swing for the fences. Not really that big on Xavier Thames and don't know much about him except he went to SDSU. (Kawhi for MVP!) Cory Jefferson is a big body. Think Patrick Young. He was knocking down 3's in his workout, but I'm not sure that'll be a part of his game. It'd help if he could stretch the floor though. Not sure why he didn't get more attention than he did. Maybe he can stick at #60 like Isaiah Thomas did.

Grade: B-

New Orleans Pelicans: Russ Smith (47th from PHI)



A very fast PG with the ball in his hands and a ballhawk without it. I'm not sure why they traded Pierre in the first place because Russ isn't better but there were rumblings about wanting a "true PG." It's all bullshit. Russ should be pretty good in the PnR, just needs to get more consistent and up that range. For a small guard, he doesn't really get his shot off quick enough. Most likely gonna have to eat in the D-League for a while. He'd better have to after the Pierre nonsense.

Grade: C