A Trip Back In Time: A Comprehensive Breakdown The 2006 NBA Draft

Washington Wizards

(18) Drafted Oleksiy Pecherov. (48) Drafted Vladimir Veremeenko

Review: Oleksiy Pecherov’s best attribute is his three-point range as a seven-footer. While he hasn’t developed yet, the Wizards could’ve afforded to draft a project in 2006 considering how their roster was set with Gilbert Arenas, Antawn Jamison, Caron Butler, and Brendan Haywood. It’s doubtful whether Vladimir Veremeenko will every play in the NBA.

Grade: C

Sacramento Kings

(19) Drafted Quincy Douby. (50) In 2005, traded the pick to Charlotte for Jason Hart. Charlotte then drafted Ryan Hollins.

Players Received: Quincy Douby, Jason Hart

Players Lost: Ryan Hollins

Review: Quincy Douby is a poor-shooting slasher that hasn’t been much more than roster filler in his young career. Jason Hart is the quintessential NBA journeyman while Ryan Hollins has become an adequate energy big off the bench. Sacramento needed athleticism from the draft and failed to acquire it.

Grade: D

New York Knicks

(20) Traded Antonio Davis to Toronto for Jalen Rose, and the pick. Then drafted Renaldo Balkman. (29) Drafted Mardy Collins.

Players Received: Jalen Rose, Renaldo Balkman, Mardy Collins

Players Lost: Antonio Davis

Review: By trading away Antonio Davis’ expiring contract, the Knicks got stuck with Jalen Rose’s enormous salary on the books for a year. Despite being booed on draft night, Renaldo Balkman gave the Knicks a talented defender—a rare commodity during Isaiah Thomas’ tenure as Head Coach and General Manager.

Mardy Collins lacks the talent to be a serviceable player, but there weren’t too many options out there besides Daniel Gibson.

Grade: D+

Phoenix Suns

(21) Atlanta traded the pick, the No. 15 pick in 2008 (Robin Lopez), and Boris Diaw to Phoenix for Joe Johnson. Phoenix then drafted Rajon Rondo and traded him, and Brian Grant to Boston for the No. 24 pick in 2007 (Rudy Fernandez). (27) Drafted Sergio Rodriguez, then sold him to Portland. (57) Traded the pick to Minnesota for Nikoloz Tskitishvilli. Minnesota then drafted Loukas Mavrokefalidis.

Players Received: Boris Diaw, Robin Lopez, Nikoloz Tskitishvilli, Rudy Fernandez

Players Lost: Joe Johnson, Brian Grant, Sergio Rodriguez, Loukas Mavrokefalidis

Review: Though Phoenix did acquire the draft pick that eventually became Rudy Fernandez in the Joe Johnson deal, he doesn’t really count as part of the trade since he was traded on draft day 2007. So in trading Johnson, all the Hawks received were Boris Diaw and Robin Lopez.

Diaw thrived for Phoenix in 2005-2006, filling in for an injured Amare Stoudemire with his unselfishness and passing ability opening up the Suns' full-throttle offense. However, Diaw alone doesn’t make up for Johnson’s talents, and Robin Lopez looks like a total bust.

Phoenix could have had their backup point guard in Sergio Rodriguez, and their backup wing in Rudy Fernandez but didn’t hold on to either. Rajon Rondo’s inability to shoot wouldn’t fly in Phoenix, but the Suns didn’t get anyone of note by trading him.

Instead of filling their team needs, the Suns played cheapskate and got rid of a star in Johnson and a host of young talent to save their bottom line. No wonder, with the Suns more concerned with saving money than winning, they suffered disappointing ends of seasons the past three years.

Grade: F

New Jersey Nets

(22) Drafted Marcus Williams, (23) Drafted Josh Boone, (54) Drafted Hassan Adams.

Review: Team after team passed on Williams during the draft, leading the Nets to believe they stole the pick. Three years later, we now know what made teams so hesitant to select Williams. He simply doesn’t have the court IQ to run a professional team, to say nothing of his lack of talent and aversion to playing defense.

Josh Boone has mastered the art of being a garbage man, and his rebounding, defense, and screen-setting are professional grade. Too bad he can’t make a free throw, let alone have any semblance of an offensive repertoire. Hassan Adams never amounted to anything, but as a late second round pick, it’s hard to fault the Nets.

Grade: C

Memphis Grizzlies

(8) Traded Shane Battier to Houston for the rights to the No. 8 pick Rudy Gay. (24) Drafted Kyle Lowry. (45) Traded the #33 pick in 2008 (Joey Dorsey) to Portland for the rights to the No. 45 pick Alexander Johnson. (53) In 2005, traded the pick and the No. 31 pick in 2007 (Carl Landry) to Seattle for the rights to Lawrence Roberts. Seattle drafted Yotam Halperin.

Players Received: Rudy Gay, Kyle Lowry, Alexander Johnson, Lawrence Roberts

Players Lost: Shane Battier, Carl Landry, Joey Dorsey, Yotam Halperin

Review: Consider Memphis’ draft as the minor league of the Houston Rockets.

With the Grizzlies in full salary-shedding mode, they were forced to trade the veteran Shane Battier and look to the future with Rudy Gay. While Gay is little more than an inefficient open-court scorer, he certainly has the talent to be a fixture in Memphis, and he’s the clear second best wing in the draft.

Kyle Lowry is a tough point guard who’s found his niche since leaving Memphis for Houston. Carl Landry is the third player involved in the Grillzlies draft that found his way in Houston, and he has turned out far better than Lawrence Roberts.

Even a 2008 draft pick shipped out by Memphis turned into Joey Dorsey, where he found his way onto Houston’s roster. Though neither he nor Alexander Johnson has NBA staying power, Dorsey is younger.

Give the Grizzlies high marks for picking up Gay and Lowry, and penalize them for missing a chance to grab Landry.

Grade: B-

Cleveland Cavaliers

(25) Drafted Shannon Brown. (42) Traded an unexercised draft pick to Philadelphia for Lee Nailon and the pick. Then drafted Daniel Gibson. (55) Drafted Ejike Ugboaja.

Review: It took three years and three extra teams to realize it, but Shannon Brown is a useful NBA player, while Daniel Gibson’s shooting and defense were important attributes in Cleveland’s 2007 Eastern Conference Championship.

Grade: A

Los Angeles Lakers

(26) Drafted Jordan Farmar. (51) Drafted Cheikh Samb, then traded him to Detroit for Mo Evans. (58) Traded the No. 50 pick in 2007 (Renaldas Seibutis) to Dallas for J.R. Pinnock.

Players Received: Jordan Farmar, Mo Evans, J.R. Pinnock

Players Lost: Cheikh Samb, Renaldas Seibutis

Review: The pick that became Jordan Farmar actually came over from Miami as the final chapter of the Shaquille O’ Neal trade. Farmar is a talented backup point guard in a position in the draft where talent is scarce. Mo Evans never fit in with the Lakers, while Samb, Pinnock, and Seibutis won’t have impact careers for an NBA team.

Grade: A-

Dallas Mavericks

(28) Drafted Mo Ager. (58) Drafted J.R. Pinnock, then traded him to the Los Angeles Lakers for the #50 pick in 2007 (Renaldas Seibutis).

Players Received: Mo Ager, Renaldas Seibutis

Players Lost: J. R. Pinnock

Review: Mo Ager has been a bench warmer for the Mavs and Nets, and doesn’t appear to be anything more than an end of the bench player. Seibutis and Pinnock aren’t NBA players so that deal washes out.

Grade: D+

Los Angeles Clippers

(34) Drafted Paul Davis. (52) Drafted Guillermo Diaz.

Review: The Clippers actually lost their first round pick in 2000 when trey traded it to Orlando for Corey Maggette and Keyon Dooling. The pick eventually became Marcus Williams. Paul Davis was a mediocre center who flashed fleeting glimpses of NBA talent before tearing his ACL in 2008. Guillermo Diaz hasn’t turned into a productive player, but few late second round picks do.

Grade: C

Milwaukee Bucks

(15) Traded the pick and Desmond Mason to New Orleans for Jamaal Magloire. New Orleans then drafted Cedric Simmons. (39) Drafted David Noel. (59) Traded the #33 pick in 2007 (Marcus Williams) to San Antonio to the rights to #59 pick Damir Markota.

Players Received: Jamaal Magloire, David Noel, Damir Markota

Players Lost: Desmond Mason, Cedric Simmons, Marcus Williams

Review: Jamaal Magloire came over for the 2005-2006 season and helped Milwaukee earn a postseason berth, teaming with Andrew Bogut to provide a respectable frontcourt tandem. Desmond Mason was replaced by Bobby Simmons, who turned in one successful and one unsuccessful year in Milwaukee. None of the picks either taken or given up by Milwaukee have amounted to anything of note.

Grade: B-

Denver Nuggets

(49) Drafted Leon Powe. Then traded him to Boston for the #49 pick in 2007 (Wound up in Chicago as Aaron Gray).

Players Received: None

Players Lost: Leon Powe

Review: The Nuggets lost their first round pick in 2004 when they acquired Kenyon Martin from New Jersey. They drafted Leon Powe, but in a cost-cutting move, traded him for a future draft pick they didn’t even hold onto. Powe is a tireless defender and rebounder who also has an accomplished post up game, something the Nuggets frontcourt stable the past three years—Marcus Camby, Kenyon Martin, Nene, Chris Anderson—has lacked.

Grade: F

San Antonio Spurs

(59) Drafted Damir Markota, then traded him to Milwaukee for the #33 pick in 2007 (Marcus Williams).

Players Received: Marcus Williams

Players Lost: Damir Markota

Review: The Spurs gave up their first round pick when they gave up Malik Rose and his enormous contract to the Knicks. They didn’t need a draft pick in 2006-2007 as they won the title that year. And while neither Damir Markota nor Marcus Williams have done anything as pros, Williams has been a D-League standout and has offered glimpses that he can actually play. Not a bad play considering how they had the second to last pick of the draft.

Grade: A-

Detroit Pistons

(51) Traded Mo Evans to the Los Angeles Lakers for the rights to #51 pick Cheikh Samb. (60) Drafted Will Blalock.

Players Received: Cheikh Samb, Will Blalock

Players Lost: Mo Evans

Review: Evans has been a late bloomer in the NBA, where his tough defense and powerful driving ability have given him a career. However, because of attitude problems and a lack of focus, he’s often worn out his welcome and has bounced around the league as a result.

Because Detroit’s needed more bench production from their wing positions, they needed him more than the project big Cheikh Samb. Will Blalock actually had a cup of coffee in the NBA, a rarity for last picks of the draft.

Grade: D+

Miami Heat

(56) Traded the pick, the No. 38 pick in 2008 (Nikola Pekovic), Qyntel Woods and Albert Mirales to Boston, Eddie Jones to Memphis, and Rasual Butler to New Orleans. Received Antoine Walker from Boston, James Posey, Andre Emmett, and Jason Williams from Memphis, and Robert Duenas from New Orleans. The pick wound up in Toronto as Edin Bavcic.

Players Received: Antoine Walker, James Posey, Andre Emmett, Jason Williams, Robert Duenas.

Players Lost: Edin Bavcic, Qyntel Woods, Albert Mirales, Eddie Jones, Rasual Butler

Review: You can’t fault the Heat for trading away two second round picks, Eddie Jones, and Rasual Butler considering how Antoine Walker, James Posey, and Jason Williams helped the Heat win the championship in 2006. While it did leave the cupboard bare, winning a title supersedes everything.

Grade: A+

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