NBA Draft 2012 Grades: Teams That Made Mess of Their Selections
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist does almost everything well, but the one thing he isn't great at is the one thing the Charlotte Bobcats need the most.
MKG can't shoot. He shot only 25.5 percent from deep, and overall his offensive skills need work.
The Bobcats were the worst scoring team in the NBA last season, averaging 87 points per game. They needed a player that can put the ball in the basket.
In the second round, the Cats took another high-energy defensive player in Jeffery Taylor. The weird thing is, I love Taylor as well, but considering they didn't get a scorer with the No. 2 pick, this selection was a bit bewildering.
Don't get me wrong, I love these guys as players. They were two of my favorites in this draft, but MKG would have been better placed in Cleveland, or even Sacramento.
Taylor could fit in Charlotte, but there are still questions on offense.
I understand the Cats are trying to change their culture. MKG is an intangibles freak and Taylor is a awesome defender with great work ethic.
But at the end of the day, somebody has to score, and the Bobcats didn't address that. I would give the Bobcats a C+ grade for their selections.
There were two other teams whose picks left me wondering.
I agree conceptually with what the Cavs did at No. 4, but I just don't think Dion Waiters should have been selected that high. The Cavs needed a wing player, and they wanted Bradley Beal, who I also believe is overrated.
When Beal wasn't available, they turned to Waiters. Waiters has potential as an explosive scorer, but I worry about his conditioning and maturity.
He always appeared a bit fleshy to me, and that is something he'll have to keep an eye on throughout his career.
There were some issues between he and Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim, and depending on who you believe, Waiters may not exactly be the most pleasant player to coach.
I think Terrence Ross, Austin Rivers and Jeremy Lamb would have been better picks, and all of them were available.
Later in the first round, the Cavs traded Jared Cunningham to the Mavericks to land Tyler Zeller. It's not a horrible deal, but I really like Jared Cunningham, the player the Cavs moved to get Zeller.
Still, Zeller adds some size and possibly makes Anderson Varejao expendable.
The Cavs made some peculiar picks in the second round. I like the Bernard James pick; beyond producing the feel-good moment of the draft, he is a solid rebounder/defender.
James is a veteran of the armed forces. He's 27 years old, and the crowd began to chant "USA! USA! when he walked to the podium.
But they didn't even keep him—he is a part of the trade with the Mavericks.
James reminds me a lot of Udonis Haslem, but I don't get the Jae Crowder pick. He's a 6'6" power forward, and I'm not sure where he fits. Draymond Green was available, and that would have been a better pick.
I'd give the Cavs a C grade for the draft.
Houston Rockets
The Rockets picked up some quality talent, but they have a serious logjam at power forward. They have seven players that have played or exclusively play power forward on their roster right now.
It's no surprise that Luis Scola is reportedly available, this per Marc Stein of ESPN.
Even moving Scola doesn't clear the way for their No. 16 pick Royce White and No. 18 pick Terrence Jones. Both have some versatility, and they can play a little small forward, but there's even congestion in the versatility department.
The Rockets did take Jeremy Lamb with the No. 12 pick. That made sense in that he adds some athleticism and perimeter scoring, but it doesn't erase the weird collection of power forwards.
I'd give the Rockets a C- for the draft.
You can watch my entire draft recap below:
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