The 2008 NBA Draft is over with some surprises and some trades, but in the end, it was fairly predictable. Up until the Mayo/Love trade at the end of the night, the top 10 picks had all been logical picks by their teams and none of them had been traded. Below I have recapped each teams moves on draft night, briefly analyzed those moves, and graded them. Enjoy!
Atlanta Hawks
No picks. No trades.
An uneventful night in Atlanta. The Hawks proved they had some talent by forcing the Celtics to play 7 games, but this team is not ready for the big-time yet. Not sure if any teams are looking, but I would have liked to see Atlanta part ways with point guard Mike Bibby and try to get younger. There’s plenty of time for that to happen still over the summer.
Grade: C
Boston Celtics
Chose J.R. Giddens in 1st round (30th Overall)
Chose Semih Erden in 2nd round (60th Overall)
Acquired Bill Walker (47th Overall pick) for cash considerations and a future draft pick from Washington Wizards
Interesting night for the World Champions. I can’t find a way to explain choosing the trouble-laden Giddensover Chris Douglas Roberts. As a Celtic fan, I was crossing my fingers that CDR would be one the board at the 30thpick and he was, but Danny Ainge passed on him. Giddens may have talent, but he has had so many off the court issues that I can’t see him playing any pro ball. Plus, Ainge could have traded back 20 picks and still gotten Giddens. Having said that, I love the trade for Bill Walker. He is an extremely talented player and has huge possibilities if he stays healthy. I can’t say I know much about Semih Erden except that ESPN says that he has some work ethic issues as well. Seems like the Celtics were looking for players with issues in this draft. Continue reading “2008 NBA Draft Grades”
Danny Vinik 