Dallas Mavericks
Grade C+
The Mavericks ended the 2013 NBA Draft on a decent note. Point guard was their biggest need and they walked away with Shane Larkin. Larkin was one of the most athletic players in the draft, and he could possibly be the point guard of the future for Dallas. They also received two future second-round picks from Boston, as well as Giannis Antetokounmpo, a raw forward who will stay in Greece to mature. Dallas’ draft was based solely on creating cap space to make a run at Dwight Howard, which seems futile because an aging Dirk Nowitzki is not a big bargaining chip. The Mavericks could have gotten away with a lot more, but the addition of Larkin is a plus.
Houston Rockets
Grade: B+
Houston is clearly the favorite to land Dwight Howard, so it made sense they didn’t take on too many rookies via the NBA Draft. The Rockets did land Isaiah Canaan who has a chance to be one of the most successful draftees out of this class. Canaan is a phenomenal shooter and can serve as a good back up for Jeremy Lin at point guard. Canaan does have the ability to play shooting guard as well. He’ll provide consistent scoring off the bench.
Memphis Grizzles
Grade: C+
The Grizzlies got Jamaal Franklin at pick No. 41 when Franklin was once projected as a first round pick. Franklin is a good defender and will provide some athleticism off the bench. They got Kosta Koufos from Denver, who will be a good back up to Marc Gasol. Koufos is an average NBA center. He’ll rebound consistently and make the occasional 15-foot jump shot. Memphis also got Janis Timma who was drafted just to fill space. Memphis needed outside shooting and didn’t fulfill that. They missed out on an opportunity to draft a stretch forward.
New Orleans Pelicans
Grade: A
It was a bitter-sweet draft for the Pelicans. They traded for Jrue Holiday from the Sixers, who will serve as their starting point guard for years to come – providing Greivis Vasquez doesn’t have anything to say about that. New Orleans also landed Pierre Jackson, who has a Nate Robinson type of feel to his game and can provide spark off the bench. The big question mark is the Holiday trade because of what the Pelicans gave up. New Orleans surrendered Nerlens Noel and a 2014 first-round pick for Holiday when they had Vasquez coming off a career year. Ultimately this trade is a high-risk, high-reward scenario. Holiday was an NBA All-Star last year, but Noel could have been the second half of a dynamic duo with Anthony Davis. Considering the 2014 draft class is supposed to be stacked, New Orleans might have come out on the short end of that deal.
San Antonio Spurs
Grade: A
The Spurs don’t have many holes to fill, but they did a good job in filling the ones they had. San Antonio is notorious for international scouting – their entire big three are from overseas. Livio Jean-Charles will stay in France to develop, but when he comes to the U.S. he could slide into Greg Popovich’s rotation as a role player. Deshaun Thomas was rated higher than Jean-Charles on many draft boards. Thomas could end up being another Bruce Bowen role player, providing three-point shooting from the corner.
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