NBA Draft Grades: Southeast Division

The NBA Draft is over and the Southeast Division was as busy as any.

Atlanta Hawks: 

Picks: Adriean Payne (15) | Walter Tavares (43)

Analysis:

They took an NBA ready power forward in Adreian Payne with the 15th pick which is expected value. Payne is an above-average athlete and should have no problem shooting from the NBA 3-point line. Payne provides a smart replacement for the potential loss of Elton Brand and Gustavo Ayon. At 43 they rolled the dice on Walter Tavares, a humongous man-child that will likely be stashed overseas. Atlanta has been the land of undersized centers for years and size is something Tavares has in abundance if they bring him over. He is raw but shows a strong work ethic and cleans the glass regularly.

Grade: B

Charlotte Hornets 

Picks: Noah Vonleh (9) | P.J. Hairston (26, from Miami) | Dwight Powell (45, traded to Cleveland) | Semaj Christon (55, from Miami)

• Traded the rights to Shabazz Napier w/ 24th pick for P.J. Hairston at 26, Semaj Christon 55, and cash considerations.
• Traded Dwight Powell to Cleveland along w/ Brendan Haywood for Alonzo Gee

Analysis:

The Hornets momentarily hit the pause button on their ‘win-now’ goal when B-tier prospect Noah Vonleh fell into their laps at nine. Vonleh is more raw potential than skill currently but shows flashes of being the long, athletic stretch 4 that slots in perfectly next to Al Jefferson. Charlotte made up for passing on McDermott for Vonleh by trading back with Miami and getting P.J. Hairston, a fairly athletic SG with deep range and good positional size. They also unloaded Dwight Powell along with Brendan Haywood to Cleveland for Alonzo Gee (likely waived) for cap relief, presumably. At the time of this writing, it is rumored that Semaj Christon has been traded to the Thunder but if not, he gives the Hornets a cheap, big point guard with solid upside.

Grade:  A-

Miami Heat:

Picks: Shabazz Napier (26, from Charlotte)

Analysis:

The Heat had to pay a little to trade up for him but Shabazz Napier is the guy LeBron James wanted the most and if you’re Pat Riley, you do whatever you can to appease your franchise star in hopes of resigning him. Napier gives the Heat another good shooter to surround LBJ with and a player that can be plugged into the system right away. Lacking the upside of players that were available, this pick looks much better down the road if it factors into the Heat reloading their roster with the Big Three plus help thanks to the value of Napier’s contract.

Grade:  B-

Orlando Magic:

Picks: Aaron Gordon (4) | Elfrid Payton (10, from Philadelphia) | Roy Devyn (56, from Denver)

Analysis:

The first surprise of the night was Orlando pouncing on the highly athletic Aaron Gordon. Gordon certainly has the potential to be a star but the lack of fit suggests the Magic are still assembling good pieces rather than figuring out how they fit. He might lack the size to play full-time at power forward but his athleticism could be a good complement to center Vucevic. The Magic also acquired point guard Elfrid Payton from the 76ers for Dario Saric and a 2017 first round pick. Payton joins Gordon as a great athlete that really struggles with shooting. Roy Devyn Marble is a solid late second round pick that can defend guards and forwards as well as bring good athletic ability and modest shooting. The Magic have a lot of young leapers to entertain but losing Arron Afflalo and future picks for this draft class sacrifices a lot of perimeter shooting and experience.

Grade:  C-

Washington Wizards:

No picks.

Analysis:

You could give the Wizards an incomplete grade here but without any draft picks to inexpensively improve their roster, they are really dependent on resigning free agents Marcin Gortat and Trevor Ariza, as well as practically every big on the roster not named Nene. The lack of picks in this draft could really hurt their chances of returning to the playoffs if they are unable to replace their major pieces and front court depth.

Grade:  F