2011 NBA Draft Grades: Grading out the Performances of All 30 Teams

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The draft is over, and it's time to grade each team's picks, simple as that.

This draft was one of the most controversial in recent memory with picks moving constantly. 

Some teams got potential franchise guys, and some teams reached for players before it was their time to go. Grading performances isn't easy, and it is very opinion-heavy, so we'll see how this turns out. 

This is a quick recap, so I may not get to every international prospect taken in the 50's, but I'm going to get right to the point with the important picks.

Cleveland Cavaliers: B-

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I can't drop the Cavs too low because they got the best player in the draft, but they really reached for Tristan Thompson at No. 4. Thompson was considered a late lottery guy by many, and isn't a guy that can start immediately for the Cavs. I really don't like that pick.

Then in the second round, the Cavs pick Justin Harper, which I thought was a good pick and proceeded to trade him for two second round picks from a contender in the East. Not a good idea. They picked up a guy late in the draft from Europe that probably won't be over for a few years now. 

Overall, not too bad, but it definitely could have been better. I would have given Williams, Knight, and Harper an A, but unfortunately for Cavs fans, it didn't work out that way. 

Minnesota Timberwolves: A-

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The Wolves draft was all over the map. They made a ton of deals. They ended up with Derrick Williams, a future first rounder, Brad Miller, cash for Houston's second-rounder, cash for Bojan Bogdanovic, Malcolm Lee, and some guy from Qatar.

I'd say the Wolves came out pretty good in my completely biased opinion. I wrote this piece yesterday to explain exactly why the Wolves need to draft and keep Derrick Williams, and they might actually do it. 

To think they got all the rest of those assets with just Jonny Flynn, and the No. 20 pick I'd say they did well. It could have been better, but they got a lot of nice pieces. 

Utah Jazz: B-

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The grade of a C+ may seem far too low for the Jazz, but in reality I think it's just right. If you look at the pieces they got, they could have done a lot better. Kanter doesn't fill a need at all at No. 3.

The Jazz already have Okur, Favors, Jefferson, and Millsap, they simply don't need another big man. I know you draft for talent, but I would say Kanter and Knight are fairly equal, and he would have been a way better pick. I don't know how they find minutes for Kanter.

With their second pick, I think the Jazz should have taken Kawhi Leonard or Chris Singleton. Both players make sense. Singleton is basically AK-47 and Leonard can do a variety of things and would have been a great value at No. 12. The Jazz got talent, but they could have done much better with what they had.

Toronto Raptors: B-

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I'd like to start off by saying Valanciunas' interview was by far the worst. It was a struggle right from the beginning. 

Talent-wise, the Raptors got a pretty good player in Valanciunas, but he isn't coming over for at least a year, and they probably reached for him. 

The Raptors are going to have to decide which combination of Valanciunas, Ed Davis, and Andrea Bargnani they are going to go with heading into the future.

I think Brandon Knight would have been a much better pick, but I think they made it clear they want to get rid of Bargnani.

Washington Wizards: A

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The Wizards did an excellent job of drafting this year. They got great value, and really made the most of their picks. 

At No. 6, the Wizards chose Jan Vesely. I believe he has an outside chance of winning Rookie of the Year. He is falling into the perfect system for his talents in Washington.

Playing with John Wall and JaVale McGee will make them the most exciting team in the league. I think I may have to jump on the Wizards bandwagon.

At No. 18, the Wizards got Chris Singleton, who was a top-10 talent. Singleton is excellent defensively and should add a defensive presence for the Wizards right away. He will also fit into that system. At that point in the draft, Singleton was far and away the best player available. 

With their last pick at No. 34, the Wizards took Butler guard Shelvin Mack. Taking a flier on Mack in the second round is an excellent idea, as he is a really strong player. I like this pick a lot. 

Overall, the Wizards made three really good picks, and their fans should be very excited about the team's future.

Sacramento Kings: C-

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I like the Jimmer pick, let me get that out of the way. I think he will put fans in the seats, and plays fairly well in Sacramento. 

I also like Tyler Honeycutt. He's a solid player who will be an NBA rotation guy. Adding Isaiah Thomas at the end makes sense too. 

So it's natural to ask, how could a team with three solid picks get a C-? 

I'll tell you why. They traded away the No. 7 pick for nothing, and Brandon Knight shockingly slipped that far. I know it might not be fair, but the Kings could have landed a franchise point guard, and instead they got Jimmer.

A decent player, yes, but he's nowhere near Knight. Because they would have gotten Knight, I have to give them a C-.

Detroit Pistons: A-

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Let's get this straight right off the bat. The only reason they get an A- is because they got Brandon Knight at No. 8. I don't think Singler is a good fit for this team, and I don't think Macklin will be any good. Knight however, is a potential franchise point guard. 

Knight is just like Rodney Stuckey, so they'll have to trade him, but Knight could end up as a star one day, so the Pistons did a good job. They didn't really fill any needs, but they struck gold with Knight. 

Charlotte Bobcats: C-

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This draft was definitely an interesting one for Charlotte. They had the No. 7 and 9 picks, and they also got Corey Maggette from the Bucks. While Maggette's contract is more of a liability than an asset, they got him nonetheless.

They traded away the No. 19 pick, Stephen Jackson, and Shaun Livingston; losing those guys probably isn't something to get too upset about, though.

It's who they got with those picks that I really have a problem with. With their first pick they got Bismack Biyombo, the mystery man from Congo. Michael Jordan could very well make the same mistake twice with the young mysterious big men.

Biyombo has defensive potential, but he's similar to the player they just locked up in Tyrus Thomas. If those two started alongside each other, there would be no offensive production from the frontcourt entirely. This pick just doesn't make sense for this team.

Their second pick, Kemba Walker, makes even less sense. With Kawhi Leonard still on the board, they take Walker who really doesn't fit in anywhere on that roster.

DJ Augustin and Gerald Henderson are the Bobcats' two most promising players, and taking a combo guard like Walker over Leonard just doesn't make sense. I know you draft for talent, but is Walker really better than Leonard? I don't get this pick at all.

Overall, it seems like the Bobcats took a Timberwolves-esque approach to this draft: acquiring pieces instead of building an actual team. All in all, the Bobcats did a pretty poor job on draft night.

Milwaukee Bucks: B-

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Milwaukee didn't do a bad job, they just didn't excite me. At all. They dumped Maggette and Salmons, but they took back Udrih and Jackson. I like Jackson as a scorer on that team, and he should be solid next to Jennings, but he's only around a couple more years. 

As a prospect, Tobias Harris doesn't excite me all that much. He's solid and he has upside, but ultimately, he's not all that great. Milwaukee just drafted Larry Sanders last year, and they play a similar position, although Harris may play some small forward in the NBA. 

Leuer is okay, but with the No. 40 pick, I'm not sure anyone really that good was available. The Bucks did all right, they just didn't do anything that made me think there team is substantially improved, so they get a B-.

Golden State Warriors: A-

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I really like the things the Warriors did with their picks. They could have done better, but I would say they came out pretty good. 

At No. 11 the Warriors took Klay Thompson. Most people thought he was a top-10 guy and the Warriors were able to snag him at No. 11. He can really stretch the floor with his deep range, and he is a very smart player. 

At No. 44, the Warriors got one of the biggest steals in the draft in Charles Jenkins. Most people thought the electrifying scorer would go in the mid-late first round, but it turns out he was a mid-second round pick. Jenkins is a combo guard who can really light it up. 

The Warriors also bought the draft right to Jeremy Tyler. He's a very raw player, but for a little cash he's well worth the risk.

With the Warriors drafting not one, but two shooting guards, Monta Ellis is likely going to be traded by the time the season starts.

We don't know what the Warriors will be asking for, but it seems like they just picked his replacements. I would have liked to see the Warriors take a small forward, but the players they did get were solid. 

Phoenix Suns: B-

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The Suns may have reached a little for Morris. Markieff is a good player, but he probably isn't a legitimate lottery guy.

The Suns said they would emphasize defense, but this seems a little bit extreme. Their starting center, Marcin Gortat, isn't a great scorer, and to go with two rebounder/defenders in the front court can get a little dicey.

I think this is just a little bit too big of a change too quickly for the Suns, who still have Steve Nash running the offense. It's going to be awkward on the court when Nash wants to get out and run, and his big men are walking down the floor. It's going to be an adjustment for Nash.

Overall, I think Markieff is a solid long-term player, and he has a defined role in the NBA. He'll develop into a solid power forward in time, but in the short term, it's probably not the best pick, so I'll give it a B-.

Houston Rockets: B

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Although Marcus Morris brings good value to the table at No. 14, I think the Rockets would have been better off going with a center like Nikola Vucevic with this pick. Morris is good and all, but there were better options available for them. 

They also picked up Donatas Motiejunas in a trade with the Wolves in which they also got Jonny Flynn, but had to give up a future first-rounder, Brad Miller, and a second-rounder (which they got back).

Flynn could be a decent point guard some day, and Motiejunas shows promise, but now they really don't have anyone at center, and they had to give up a valuable future first-rounder along with No. 23. I'm not sure this trade makes sense for them.

At No. 38, Chandler Parsons isn't bad, but I don't think he brings a lot to the table as far as potential goes. 

Ultimately, I can't give the Rockets higher than a B, because they had a chance to address their greatest need and didn't. They needed a center badly, and when they had a chance to take Vucevic, they passed.

To make things worse, they traded their best (only) playable center for next season. We'll see how that whole center thing works out for them. 

Indiana Pacers: B

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The Pacers came into the draft with two picks and the rights to Erazem Lorbek. They came out with George Hill. 

The Pacers started off strong getting great value at No. 15 with Kawhi Leonard, but then traded him to San Antonio along with some foreign guys. The Pacers just traded for Darren Collison last season, and trading for George Hill won't reassure him.

They already have their point guard of the future, so I'm not sure why they got Hill instead of going after a power forward, something they desperately needed. 

George Hill is a really good player, but they didn't address any of their needs in this draft and came out with another solid point guard, it doesn't make much sense to me. They get a B because Hill is a very talented player. 

Philadelphia 76ers: B+

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I think Lavoy Allen is a career scrub, but they get a B+ because I think Vucevic is a really good player.

He was the biggest player in this draft class and he is a skilled big man underneath. He is still developing on both ends of the floor, but he has the physical tools to be a really good player.

At No. 16, I think Vucevic is about as good as they could have done, so I give them props for that. 

New York Knicks: D+

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In my opinion, picking Iman Shumpert was a terrible decision for the Knicks, especially with Chris Singleton still on the board. I know Shumpert can play defense, but I honestly don't see how he fits in New York at all.

That offense is based on a run and gun point guard that can push the ball and make good decisions. Shumpert can't do either of those things. 

The Knicks offense creates opportunities for the point guard to score, as Billups averaged almost 18 points per game with the Knicks, but Shumpert won't be able to take advantage of those opportunities because he's such a terrible shooter. This pick really feels like a bad one to me.

Portland Trail Blazers: C

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The Trail Blazers finally parted ways with Rudy Fernandez, which is probably a good thing for the franchise. The way I see it, the Blazers traded Andre Miller, Fernandez, and a future second rounder for Raymond Felton. That seems like a pretty good deal to me.

The Blazers needed a younger point guard and they found one in Felton. 

The Blazers drop here because of their actual picks. With the No. 21 overall pick, the Blazers took Nolan Smith which was a huge reach. They might have been able to trade into the second round for him.

He is a huge tweener, and is not really an upside guy as he played four years at Duke. I'm not sure why the Blazers took him here, but I guess he does bring leadership and scoring to the table.

In the second round, they took Jon Diebler. I'd be shocked if he made the roster; he doesn't have any defined skill besides shooting. 

Overall, the trade boosts them a little, but the picks were really bad. I give them a C overall.

Denver Nuggets: B-

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The Nuggets did a decent job in this year's draft. They traded Raymond Felton who they didn't really need for essentially Andre Miller and Jordan Hamilton, who is a guy I really like.

As he continues to mature, he could develop into a really good NBA player. The problem is, with Gallo and Wilson Chandler, I'm not sure where he finds minutes on this team.

With the No. 22 pick, the Nuggets took Kenneth Faried, a high motor guy who can rebound and block shots. He's undersized, but he makes up for it with his athletic ability and effort. He is a specialist in the NBA, and at No. 22, I think he brings good value. 

I think both moves they made on draft night were decent, but nothing spectacular. I think a B- is a pretty fair grade overall.

Oklahoma City Thunder: C+

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Reggie Jackson was thought to have a promise from Miami, but GM's sniffed that out right away.

The Thunder are taking a chance on Jackson, but it could pay off if he's their point guard of the future. Russell Westbrook is probably going to end up playing off the ball, and Jackson could be their point guard. 

My problem is, I'm not sold on the fact that Jackson can be a successful starter in OKC, and if he is it certainly won't be right away. For now he's behind Maynor and Westbrook.

There are also injury concerns surrounding Jackson. I don't think this is the right place for Jackson to succeed, and I don't think this was a great pick by the Thunder. I'll give it a C+ because of Jackson's talent.

Boston Celtics: C+

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I'm not sure I like what the Celtics did here. I think it's the perfect scenario for the Purdue teammates, but I'm not sure if they were the right choices.

E'Twaun Moore seems like a good risk at No. 55, but at No. 27, I'm not sure Johnson is the right guy. 

JaJuan Johnson is a talented player, but he's a huge project. He needs to gain at least 20 pounds, and even then it's unclear whether or not he'll be a good NBA player. I think they would have been better off keeping Brooks. I'd put the chances of Johnson succeeding pretty low. 

The Celtics didn't do anything all that bad, but they didn't do much good either, I'm going to give them a C+.

Dallas Mavericks: B

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I'd say the Mavericks did pretty well for themselves in this draft. The only real notable thing they did was acquire Rudy Fernandez. For the No. 26 pick, this has to be considered a victory.

Fernandez has proven he has the skills to be a rotation guy in the NBA, while the chance of a late first-round selection becoming a solid contributor is significantly less than 50/50.

Essentially, they guaranteed themselves a role player with the pick. You can't ask for anything more than that. They get a B, for instantly improving their team through the draft using the No. 26 pick.

New Jersey Nets: B-

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The Nets did a pretty good job in this year's draft. They got two proven college players in the middle of the draft that have a decent chance to be good NBA players.

The Nets traded No. 27 and a future second-rounder for Brooks, who was taken two spots earlier. This trade was a good one for the Nets. Brooks was one of the best and most efficient scorers in the nation and has the skills to play in the NBA. 

Williams on the other hand, was a beast on the boards in college, but is likely too small to play center in the NBA. He's a talented player, but he isn't a good athlete. He does have upside though, especially as a second-rounder.

Overall, the Nets did pretty well with both of their picks. Neither is a star, but both will have a chance to be a contributor at the next level, so the Nets earn a solid B-.

Chicago Bulls: B+

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The Bulls got two players in this draft. The first was Nikola Mirotic, who they traded the No. 28 and No. 43 pick for. Mirotic isn't coming over for a couple of years, but once he does, he'll have a chance to be a really good player.

Scouts say he would be a top-10 pick if he would come right away. The Bulls can afford to wait for this guy to come to the United States.

With their other pick at No. 30, the Bulls took Jimmy Butler from Marquette. Butler was the feel-good story of the draft, and he's a solid NBA prospect.

He won't be a star, but he has good size and can defend multiple positions on the floor. His versatility and toughness will be appreciated by the Bulls.

In this draft, the Bulls got one potential role player with versatility and a great work ethic, and with the other they stashed a potential star overseas. Overall, I'd say it was a very successful draft for the Bulls, I give them a B+.

San Antonio Spurs: A-

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To be honest, I have no idea what to give the Spurs in this draft. I guess overall I like what they did. George Hill is really good, but I think the pieces they got for him could also end up being very good.

Kawhi Leonard is definitely a guy with potential, and we all know the Spurs do their homework when it comes to the draft.

Not only did the Spurs get Leonard, but they also got a couple of international guys they can stash away. The Spurs are so good at picking these foreign players that I have to imagine one of them will turn out to be a pretty good player.

The Cory Joseph pick doesn't really make much sense to me, but they do need a point guard. They probably could have waited a while for him.  

Since this draft doesn't pass the eye test, I can't give it an A, but because I trust the Spurs, I'm going to give it an A-. It could very well end up being a very good year for the Spurs.

Miami Heat: B-

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The Heat didn't get Reggie Jackson like they were hoping, but they did get Norris Cole, who many people think is better than Jackson.

Cole can really fill it up and he is lightning quick. Plus, he has a sweet haircut.

While they only got one player, and it wasn't the one they wanted, the draft didn't turn out too bad for Miami.

Los Angeles Clippers: F

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There are absolutely no redeeming qualities about this draft for the Clippers; they gave away Kyrie Irving. There's no way they could've known that, but they could have had No. 1. 

They did end up with two second rounders. With their two picks they took Georgia teammates Trey Thompkins and Travis Leslie. Leslie is pretty much exclusively an athlete, and Thompkins' skill set probably isn't transferable to the NBA.

I don't see either player making much of an impact. This draft can be chalked up as yet another failure for the Clippers.

New Orleans Hornets: Incomplete

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They had one second-round pick. They draft Josh Harrellson and immediately sold him to the Knicks. What else is there to say?

Los Angeles Lakers: B-

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The Lakers did well with what they had in this draft. They end up with Darius Morris, Andrew Goudelock, and Ater Majok. Morris is thought to have been a potential lottery pick had he waited a year, and Goudelock has unlimited range.

Both guys have potential to be decent NBA players. Majok is a project, but he could one day be decent. It's a longshot, though.

Overall, the Lakers did pretty well, but it's also possible none of these guys play in the NBA next season. I give them a respectable B-.

Atlanta Hawks: B-

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I give the Hawks a B-, the same grade as the Lakers simply because I believe Benson has more upside than anyone else the Lakers drafted.

Benson isn't ready for the NBA yet, but once he gains some weight, he can definitely have an impact on the court for the Hawks.

Memphis Grizzlies: C

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The Grizz only had one pick in this draft, and they took the troubled Josh Selby from Kansas.

He has upside, but he isn't nearly as praised as he was going into his freshman season.

Another year at Kansas would have helped, but the Grizzlies get good value at No. 49.

Orlando Magic: C+

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I don't think Liggins has the all around potential of Benson, but the Magic come out ahead of the Grizzlies because he is more likely to be an NBA rotation player than Selby.

He'll never be a star in the league, but Liggins will always have a spot on an NBA roster because of his lock down defense.

He is versatile on the floor and while he struggles on offense, he is worth taking because of his ability as a defensive player. Good pick here by the Magic.

They also picked up Harper for two future second rounders. While he's talented, I'm not sure he's a good fit for the Magic because they already have Ryan Anderson, but he's still an asset.  

Be sure to follow me on Twitter @MaxMinsker and check out my weekly podcast here, it's a good time. New episode reviewing the NBA draft coming out tomorrow afternoon, check it out.