2004 NBA Draft Analysis: Picks 11-20

Grades consider players drafted and picks traded. A number in parentheses indicates the number of the pick. A player in parentheses indicates a player ultimately selected with a traded pick.

Golden State Warriors

(11) Drafted Andris Biedrins.

Review

It took awhile, but Biedrins finally blossomed under Don Nelson in 2006-07.

The lanky big man needs to bulk up and improve his free-throw shooting, but his rebounding and shot-blocking skills were instrumental in triggering Golden State's fast break down the stretch.

Biedrins also runs the floor extremely well—a perfect fit for Golden State's game plan. Biedrins' effectiveness would be hindered if he were in a different system. Both team and player got lucky.

Grade: A-

Seattle Supersonics

(12) Drafted Robert Swift. (35) The Los Angeles Clippers traded the #35 pick to Seattle for Predrag Drobnjak. Seattle then traded the pick (Andre Emmett) to Memphis for their #48 pick in 2005 (Mickael Gelabale) and cash. (41) Drafted David Young.

Players received: Robert Swift, Mickael Gelabale, David Young
Players lost: Predrag Drobnjak, Andre Emmett

Review

Robert Swift is a big question mark. Is he as good as Seattle's front office, coaching staff, and fans say he is? Can he stay healthy long enough to show what he can do?

Mickael Gelabale has shown that he can at least get NBA minutes. David Young no longer plays in the league.

I can't give the Swift selection more than a C until he proves himself. David Young gets a D-; the Gelabale trade gets a B. Not a very impressive draft.

Grade: C

  

Portland Trail Blazers

(13) Drafted Sebastian Telfair. (22) New Jersey traded the draft rights to Viktor Khryapa to Portland for Eddie Gill. (23) Memphis traded the #23 pick (Sergei Monia) and Wesley Person to Portland for Bonzi Wells. (46) Drafted Ha-Seung Jin.

Players received: Sebastian Telfair, Viktor Khryapa, Sergei Monia, Wesley Person, Ha-Seung Jin
Players lost: Eddie Gill, Bonzi Wells

Review

Only two of these moves were meaningful. The first was the decision to unload Bonzi Wells one of the many positive steps Portland took in purging their roster of punks and losers. Unfortunately, Sebastian Telfair's basketball skills were overhyped, and his first handgun incident didn t help Portland's image problem. At least the Blazers corrected their mistake and shipped Telfair out the first chance they got.

Grade: C+

Utah Jazz

(14) Drafted Kris Humphries. (16) Phoenix traded the #16 pick (Kirk Snyder) along with a future pick and Tom Gugliotta to Utah for Keon Clark and Ben Handlogten. (21) Drafted Pavel Podzolkin. Then traded draft rights to Podzolkin to Dallas for a 2005 first round pick (which ended up with Denver as Linas Kleiza). (48) Sacramento traded the #55 pick (ended up in Houston as Luis Flores), Keon Clark, and a future pick to Utah for the #48 pick (Ricky Minard).

Players received: Kris Humphries, Kirk Snyder, Tom Gugliotta
Players lost: Keon Clark, Ben Handlogten, Pavel Podzolkin, Ricky Minard

Review

The Jazz did a lot of things in the 2004 Draft—but accomplished nothing meaningful to improve their team.

Humphries is little more than a body, and is now in Toronto. Snyder is little more than a scoring guard—and there are far better scorers in the league. His lack of versatility is the main reason he has played for three teams in three seasons.

Utah could have had Varejao over Humphries, and Jameer Nelson, Delonte West, Tony Allen, or Kevin Martin over Snyder. A failed draft.

Grade: F

Boston Celtics

(15) Drafted Al Jefferson. (24) Dallas traded the #24 pick (Delonte West), Raef LaFrentz, Jiri Welsch, and Chris Mills to Boston for Antoine Walker and Tony Delk. (25) Detroit traded the #25 pick (Tony Allen), Chucky Atkins, and Lindsey Hunter to Boston for Mike James. Boston sent Chris Mills to Atlanta. (40) Drafted Justin Reed.

Players received: Al Jefferson, Delonte West, Raef LaFrentz, Jiri Welsch, Tony Allen, Chucky Atkins, Lindsey Hunter, Justin Reed
Players lost: Antoine Walker, Tony Delk, Mike James, Chris Mills

Review

Boston traded a small forward who thinks he's John Starks (Antoine Walker) for a center who thinks he's a small forward (Raef LaFrentz). That s a wash. Mills was a has-been while Welsch was a never-was. That s a wash. Ditto for Atkins and Hunter vs. Delk and James.

The Celtics did do a nice job forming the nucleus of their future with Jefferson, West, and Allen. Jefferson has slowly but steadily developed into a post presence, and is the second-best scoring big man in the entire draft. Considering Boston got him at 17, that's a steal.

Delonte West is most suited to be a backup, but he's a decent guard. Tony Allen commits too many turnovers and is a poor shooter—Kevin Martin would've been a better pick—but he does have tremendous open-floor skills and plenty of potential. If he taps it, the Celtics grade goes from B+ to A.

Grade: B+

  

New Orleans Hornets

(18) Drafted J.R. Smith. (44) Drafted Tim Pickett.

Review

New Orleans was the first team seduced by Smith s phenomenal talent. Too bad he doesn't have the brain to match.

If he could grow up and act like a man, Smith would be a star. Instead, we have a boy who breaks off plays in the crucial moments of postseason series so he can jack up threes. Who skips morning practices because he's "not a morning person." Who sits idly at the scorers' table while his coach gives instructions to the rest of the team. Who is too cool for any speed limit or seat belt and who now has the blood of a friend on his hands.

The pick gets an F, but J.R. Smith gets an F-.

Grade: F 

 

Miami Heat

(19) Drafted Dorell Wright. (38) Toronto traded the draft rights to Albert Miralles to Miami for the draft rights to Pape Sow and the #58 pick in 2005 (Uros Slokar). (53) Drafted Matt Freije.

Players received: Dorell Wright, Albert Miralles, Matt Freije
Players lost: Pape Sow, Uros Slokar

Review

Dorell Wright and a bunch of stiffs.

Wright has talent, but he wasn't prepared to play in the NBA his first several seasons out of high school. Given that the Heat were busy winning a championship, developing Wright was never a top priority.

Last year was Wright's first brush with meaningful playing time, and he showed he's still too raw for extended minutes. Still, with the Heat looking to get younger, Wright could be called upon to produce as soon as next year.

Given the dearth of small forwards selected after Wright (Trevor Ariza not withstanding), it's hard to criticize the selection. Ariza is a run-and-gun player, and the Heat emphasize half-court sets...so you can't even assume he'd be a better fit in Miami.

Grade: C-

  

Denver Nuggets

(20) Drafted Jameer Nelson. Traded the draft rights to Nelson to Orlando for their #21 pick in 2005 (Julius Hodge).  

Players received: Julius Hodge
Players lost: Jameer Nelson  

Review

The Nuggets' biggest need in the Carmelo Era has been a quality shooting guard who can hit a jumper. Jameer Nelson would have been a nice fit. With Allen Iverson's arrival, Nelson could have switched to point guard, where his warts as a decision-maker would have been hidden by Iverson's central role in the Nuggets offense.

Instead of getting Nelson in 2004, though, the Nuggets picked up Julius Hodge a year later. Thanks to injuries and bad luck, Hodge has seen more time in the D-League than he has in Denver. The Nuggets missed out.

Grade: F

 

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