| Blazers and Sonics rule the night They already were assured of having the best draft by simply making their first picks, but the Portland Trail Blazers and Seattle SuperSonics didn’t just settle on the fortunes of being the two biggest lottery winners. Besides making the obvious choices of Greg Oden and Kevin Durant, both also pulled off bold trades that further reshaped their franchises. In Portland’s case, the Blazers appear to be on the verge of being a Western Conference factor for the next decade or so, while the Sonics may have made the moves that should make the locals want to keep the team in Seattle instead of shuttling off to Oklahoma City. It’s often a knee-jerk reaction to state the winners and losers of the NBA draft, but fans want instant analysis. So with that in mind, Portland and Seattle were the big winners (at least on paper). More trades will come, but for now, the Trail Blazers and Sonics have lapped the field. Here are some of the big winners and some teams that may not have fared as well. It’s tough to call them losers, because nobody knows for sure. Remember, Utah was roundly criticized two years ago for selecting Deron Williams and that move has turned out OK. BIG WINNERS Portland Ohio State’s Oden will be the anchor that makes Portland a contender for many years once he and the rest of his young teammates gain experience. Portland then made a blockbuster trade, acquiring forward Channing Frye and former All-Star guard Steve Francis from New York for power forward Zach Randolph and guards Dan Dickau and Freddie Jones. Frye adds depth to what is now an incredibly young and athletic frontline. Randolph always produced numbers, but just as much controversy. Portland also acquired two other first-round picks, purchasing guard Rudy Fernandez from Phoenix, the 24th pick. In a trade with Philadelphia, Portland also acquired Finnish point guard Petteri Koponen with the final pick of the first round. The 19-year-old Koponen will likely stay overseas for some more seasoning. And if that wasn’t enough, the Trail Blazers drafted Duke 6-10 sophomore Josh McRoberts 37th, about 20 picks later than he was projected to go. And with another second-round pick, the Blazers chose point guard Taurean Green of two-time national champion Florida. Right now Portland has almost too many good young players, a problem that many teams would love to have. Seattle New general manager Sam Presti had the easiest pick in the draft taking Durant, who could play shooting guard in a big lineup or small forward in a smaller one. Either way, he should be making annual appearances in the All-Star Game in the not too distant future. Seattle then traded All-Star shooting guard Ray Allen to Boston for point guard Delonte West, forward Wally Szczerbiak and the No. 5 pick in the draft, which turned out to be Georgetown forward Jeff Green. If Seattle could re-sign Rahsard Lewis, and Robert Swift comes back from his injury, this will be an impressive frontcourt. West could also give the Sonics some needed depth at point guard. The Hawks had to come out of this draft with a point guard after passing on Chris Paul and Deron Williams two years ago. They took the consensus third best player in Al Horford, giving them a glut of forwards, and then got the most experienced of the elite point guards, Acie Law IV of Texas A&M. The Hawks may regret not acquiring a veteran point guard, but there is still time for that. This is a team that could be on the verge of challenging for an Eastern Conference playoff berth. Boston While some may criticize the trade with Seattle, Boston did acquire an All-Star in Ray Allen, who is one of the best shooters in the game. Paul Pierce made it clear that he wanted another veteran and didn’t want to see the Celtics continue to rebuild. Allen will turn 32 this month and missed 27 games last year with injuries, but it appears that if healthy, he could play at an All-Star level for at least three to four more years. In addition, the Celtics drafted a high-risk, high-reward player with the second round pick they acquired from Seattle, LSU power forward Glen “Big Baby” Davis. Since the college season, Davis has lost more than 45 pounds and if he keeps his weight down and intensity up, Davis could be a better than solid player.Underrated point guard Gabe Pruitt of USC offered good second-round value and could make his mark as a defender. The Bobcats shed their penny-pinching label at least for one night by acquiring guard Jason Richardson from Golden State. Richardson is an elite player, who comes with a big salary and scoring reputation. The Bobcats were looking for a veteran presence, but paid a steep price by shipping the No. 8 pick, North Carolina’s Brandan Wright to the Warriors. In addition, Charlotte drafted lunch-pail worker Jared Dudley of Boston College with the 22nd pick in the first round. Some see him as a tweener between small and power forward, but the ACC Player of the Year is simply a productive basketball player. Second-round forward Jermareo Davidson of Alabama is an extremely athletic big man who gives the Bobcats a potential solid rebounder off the bench. SOLID PERFORMANCE Even though the Bulls need a strong low-post scorer, the Bulls received good value by drafting Florida’s 6-11 Joakim Noah with the No. 9 pick. He will bring energy and defensive intensity. Noah will be much better on a good team where he doesn’t have to worry about anything else but defending and rebounding, than he would have been on a losing squad. Second-round choice Aaron Gray of Pitt is a seven-footer with a nice touch around the basket. The Bulls wanted to get bigger this draft and they succeeded. Guard JamesOn Curry was a decent value selection at No. 51 and could provide some perimeter shooting off the bench. The Knicks got rid of one problem (Steve Francis) and took on potentially another in Zach Randolph in the trade with Portland. If Randolph can avoid the off-the-court problems he had in Oregon, he could team with Eddy Curry to help form a strong frontline. Randolph averaged 23.6 ppg. and 10.1 rebounds and 20-and-10 players don’t grow on trees in the NBA. The Knicks also drafted DePaul’s Wilson Chandler, who may not be an immediate contributor, but gives them another young frontcourt player. The Pistons hedged their bets against not re-signing Chauncy Billups by drafting Eastern Washington guard Rodney Stuckey. With their second first-round pick, they drafted UCLA’s Arron Affalo, who might be the best defensive guard in the draft. In the second round, the Pistons added another guard, DePaul’s Sammy Mejia, so it wasn’t too difficult to see what part of the team Joe Dumars wanted to shore up. Utah Picking 25h, the Jazz got the best shooter in the draft, Rice’s Morris Almond. Utah needed another quality perimeter player and this was a very good value pick, although Almond has to improve defensively if he wants to stay out on the court. If Ukraine center Kyrylo Fesenko, who was acquired after being selected 38th by Philadelphia, comes around, that would be a bonus. First-round pick Corey Brewer of Florida will be the defensive stopper at either shooting guard or small forward that Minnesota needs. If his offensive game comes around, that will be welcomed. The Wolves were so impressed with Florida that they took another Gator, Chris Richard, a forward who didn’t even start, but could make the roster. Washington’s Spencer Hawes gives the Kings a player who could be a low post presence – although at 19, he may take a few years to develop. He is a solid passer and can score with either hand around the basket. Since he was their only pick, the Kings’ draft will be defined by Hawes’ production. Who’s to argue with the Spurs’ success with foreign players? They drafted forward Tiago Splitter, who is playing in Spain. Even if he doesn’t come to the Spurs this year, this seems to be a good value at 28. With the 33rd pick, the Spurs may have added more talent with Arizona 6-7 swingman Marcus Williams, who was considered a potential first-round pick but was hurt by an inconsistent sophomore season. INCOMPLETE GRADES The Bucks made a bold move by selecting 6-11 Chinese power forward Yi Jianlian even though his agent wouldn’t allow the Bucks to work him out and preferred he didn’t play in Milwaukee. This is the classic game of chicken. Milwaukee knows that Yi wants to play in the NBA. If he comes to Milwaukee, it should be a move that pays off handsomely for the Bucks. Philadelphia The 76ers were criticized for taking Georgia Tech freshman forward Thaddeus Young at No. 12, much higher than most had him rated. Yet Young has a promising upside, is the type of character players the Sixers are looking for and in a few years could be talked about as being a steal. For now, nobody is sure and for a team that needs immediate help, it was quite a gamble. Their second first-round pick Jason Smith fills a major need at power forward. But again, will he be able to contribute immediately? The Sixers got good value in second-rounders Derrick Byars of Vanderbilt and Herbert Hill of Providence, but there don’t seem to be enough roster spots for them. There is potential here, but with other bottom Atlantic Division teams Boston and New York making bold moves for talented players, one has to wonder if the Sixers can keep up with anybody in the division without acquiring a proven veteran. The Rockets, picking 26th, may have reached for point guard Aaron Brooks of Oregon, who was considered a mid-second round talent. Despite acquiring Mike James, the Rockets always seem to be looking for point guards and Brooks was one of the quickest players in the draft. Whether that translates to production remains to be seen. Brad Newley of Australia could be a situational shooter, but he’s no lock to make the team. Memphis It looks like a solid choice, taking Mike Conley Jr. with the fourth pick in the first round, but who knows for sure? Conley looks like he can direct a team, but he must improve his outside shooting markedly before NBA teams take him seriously from the perimeter. This was Memphis’ only choice in the draft, so all eyes will be on Conley, who knows how to run a team, but must also show he can withstand the physical grind of the NBA. Miami The Heat could have gotten a steal in Ohio State freshman guard Daequan Cook or somebody who doesn’t pan out. The 6-4 Cook has an NBA body and tested off the charts in individual workouts, but he only averaged 9.8 points per game and saw his playing time reduced late in the season. The drafting of Georgia Tech freshman point guard Javaris Crittenton was a gamble, but he has the potential to be a special player. Scouts rave about the NBA body on this 6-5 19-year-old, but he was inconsistent in his only year in college. If he pans out, then getting him with the 19th pick will be a great move, but we get the impression that Kobe Bryant wasn’t jumping up and down with joy at this pick. Center Marc Gasol (brother of Pau) of Spain could be a solid pick at 48, but again, nobody knows for sure how he will fare against NBA competition. The Clippers desperately needed a point guard, but passed on Crittenton in the first round, opting for a safe pick, Florida State small forward Al Thornton. In the second round, the Clippers drafted Marist point guard Jared Jordan, the best passer in the draft. If Jordan pans out and Thornton, who turns 24 in December, becomes a rotation player, then this will be considered an excellent draft. But for now, the jury is out. In first-round pick Julian Wright, the Hornets got one of the better athletes in the draft. Yet Wright is far from polished as an offensive player and must dramatically improve his shooting to be a factor at small forward. Shooting guard Adam Haluska of Iowa has been an inconsistent shooter, but attempted 192 free throws and shot 87 percent from the foul line as a senior. Both Wright and Haluska must be much more consistent to survive in the NBA. Golden State While securing Brandan Wright in the trade with Charlotte is a step in the right direction for the future, there is no telling how soon the North Carolina freshman forward will be ready to contribute. Many feel he could be a real find, but probably not this year. The Warriors also drafted Italian guard Marco Belinelli 18th. He had an inconsistent season but is just 21 years-old. Nobody knows for sure how his game translates to the NBA. Second-round forward Stephane Lasme of Massachusetts turned heads at the Orlando pre-draft camp for his athleticism, but is still raw offensively. Trading Jason Richardson to Charlotte could be a big gamble, especially if Wright is slow to develop. Marc Narducci covers the NBA for the Philadelphia Inquirer and is a regular contributor to HoopsHype.com Tell us what you think about this column. E-mail us at HoopsHype@HoopsHype.com
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