Eastern Conference Grades

Toronto Raptors: A (9- DeMar DeRozan)
I usually don't like the one player draft, but I can make an exception. This pick was fabulous! The team has a good lineup already (Bosh, Bargnani, Calderon) but needed a flashy scorer to fill it out. Enter DeRozan. He is not polished yet, and needs some time to reach his potential. But watch out when he does. He has the chance to be a great playmaker from a combo spot in the NBA.

Atlanta Hawks: A- (19- Jeff Teague [PG], 49- Sergiy Gladyr [SG])
The Mike Bibby era is over, but there are ample replacements now. Jamal Crawford will get his chance to finally play in the playoffs, but Jeff Teague was a guard that I thought was as good, if not better than, Rubio, Flynn, or Jennings. He has amazing quickness, and you can barely keep him out of the paint. Watch for floating alley-oops to Josh Smith in the near future. Team his slashing with Smiths and Joe Johnson's shooting, and this is a tough team. Gladyr is a project, but looks to be a good Euro prospect. Give him a few years and he should be on the bench in Atlanta.

Philadelphia 76ers: A- (17- Jrue Holiday [PG])
Another one pick draft that I love. Holiday had fallen because of some shoulder injury concerns, which keeps this out of an A grade. But, like Danny Grainger some time back, he goes 17th and is ready to show the world he can make it. The 76ers could not have been happier how this played out. Andre Miller is no longer a huge priority, and the 76ers have a PG to team with Iguodala and Brand to make a run this year, and the PG for the future too.

Charlotte Bobcats: B+ (12- Gerald Henderson [SG], 40- Derrick Brown [PF])
This was a good draft from a team that has been missing that for some time. Henderson gets to watch his clone, Raja Bell, and learn how to make it in the NBA as a slashing defender with not a lot of shooting ability. That said, there are a lot of worse things to become (like Adam Morrison). And Brown has a big future, assuming he develops into the player he can be. As a future grab, he bumps the score up because of his ability to contribute now.

Detroit Pistons: B+ (15- Austin Daye [SF], 35- DaJuan Summers [SF], 39- Jonas Jerebko [SF])
Three wings would usually warrant a lower grade, but these are three different styles. Daye is a 6'11" three point specialist that will back up Tayshaun Prince but needs to add bulk to move to PF. Summers, considered at the 15th pick, is a bigger player with a developed game that could play PF in a pinch. Jerebko is an asset, left in Europe to develop into a trade piece later or a contributor. Three players that play the same position that contribute in completely different ways.

New Jersey Nets: B+ (11- Terrence Williams [SG])
Despite one pick, I think the Nets did a lot to help the future of the team. After moving Vince Carter, this team had a lot of questions with no true direction. Devin Harris, Courtney Lee, and Brook Lopez will be fixtures, and now Williams should join that group. A top 5 athlete, he is tall for a guard (6'6") and can flat out jump. Look for him to become a terror on defenses because he is too big for a SG and too fast for a SF or PF.

Cleveland Cavaliers: B (30- Christian Eyenga [SF], 46- Danny Green [SF], 57- Emir Preldzic [SF])
The Cavs turned an average drafty one notch higher by getting Danny Green so far down. Green is the kind of player that can help the Cavs now, as opposed to the other two. Both Eyenga and Preldzic need two or three years of international seasoning. But Green is a solid passer and shooter, and can be a great rotation guy for the Cavs. To find that in the middle of the second round is a good thing. There score would have been lower after having taken Eyenga when DeJuan Blair and Sam Young, both immediate contributors, were on the board.

Indiana Pacers: B (13- Tyler Hansborough [PF], 52- A.J. Price [PG])
This is the definition of a draft designed to build a team that can compete in the diluted Eastern Conference. Needing to get a physical presence, the Pacers grabbed Hansborough, perhaps the player with the best projected game in the draft. Not a star, he will be a workhorse in the paint. I think of Jeff Foster with an offensive game. Next, they wanted a point early, but grabbing Price in the second round is insurance. He can be a solid backup point guard, but won't wow anyone. He can be a good third guard option to season to replace Jarrett Jack, assuming he re-signs.

Miami Heat: B- (42- Patrick Beverly [PG], 60- Robert Dozier [SF])
The Heat arrived without a first round pick (thanks Pat Riley; was Ricky Davis worth it). But they had their eye on Beverly, an interesting player that played in Ukraine last year after leaving school. Now he is going to come in as a rotation player, being a solid option off the bench for a team of playmakers. Dozier has the talent to be one of those playmakers, but has never lived up to it. He'll have a shot, not in the NBA, but somewhere, to show he has the tools to match his talent.

Milwaukee Bucks: B- (10- Brandon Jennings, 41- Jodie Meeks [SG])
I give the Bucks credit for standing tough and getting the guy they wanted in their slot. But I think Jennings will be a huge disappointment in the league. A guy that can't get into college has the intelligence to manage the game in the NBA? I don't know. If he does manage to make it, he could be the best in the draft. Meeks is a big-time scorer that lacks athleticism. I question his ability to create his own shot, which on the Bucks, a player must do without a slashing type player now that Richard Jefferson is gone.

New York Knicks: B- (8- Jordan Hill [PF], 29- Toney Douglas [SG])
The Knicks went into the draft hoping and praying to get Stephen Curry. When he left the board right before them, it became apparent that Hill was their only choice. Don't get me wrong; I think Hill will be a terrific contributor in the NBA. But they desperately needed a passing point, and saw Rubio, Flynn, and Curry leave all three picks in front of them. Now the Knicks are stacked in the post (Hill, David Lee, Milicic) with still no guard options. This might indicate that the team is leaning towards moving David Lee to clear payroll for a run at LeBron.

Boston Celtics: C+ (58- Lester Hudson [SG])
The Celtics get slightly below average because the player is a long shot from coming through. But what can you expect from the second to last pick in the draft. Hudson is out of Tennessee-Martin, a tiny school, and has had no real competition. He can flat out ball, but he is also old (24). He might be a replacement for Eddie House down the road, but he has a lot of developing to do, something that is hard for a 24 year old.

Chicago Bulls: C+ (16- James Johnson [PF], 26- Taj Gibson [PF])
The Bulls signaled their intention to place Tyrus Thomas on the trading block by picking Johnson. He is almost the same player, with the ability to guard a SF or PF. He is still a work in process, but has moments of brilliance, much like Thomas. I think he is the replacement for him, which may even be this season. But how many lanky post players can one team have? Never too many, according to the Bulls, who added to the glut with Gibson. A project player, I think they already had enough of the. A low post scorer or replacement for a most-likely-departing Ben Gordon would have been better.

Orlando Magic: INC (no picks)
The Magic went in without a pick and left without a pick. The team is pretty content after making the Finals, losing Turkoglu and Lee in the offseason. Turkoglu was a huge blow, but Vince Carter should help ease their pain. Look for them to move Rafer Alston at some point to get another wing defender to pair with Rashard Lewis.

Washington Wizards: INC (no picks)
Unlike the Magic, the Wizards went in with a pick but traded it to Houston for cash. This is a decent move, considering they moved the 5th overall pick for two solid veterans (Mike Miller and Randy Foye). With them in the fold, the Wizards become a viable team again, with Miller adding shooting to Arenas slashing, and Foye manning the point if Arenas needs to move over. Teamed with Jamison, this team looks like a playoff team in the East.