NBA Draft Results 2013: Team-by-Team Selections and Grades

The 2013 NBA draft has concluded and it was one of the more exciting, hectic and downright confusing events in years.

You knew we were in for a wild ride when the Cleveland Cavaliers nabbed Anthony Bennett at No. 1 overall, turning the entire big board on its head.

Now that it’s finally over, let’s take a look at which prospects were drafted and how each team performed on a wild Thursday night.

*Draft order and trades courtesy of DraftExpress.com

 

Cleveland Cavaliers

1. Anthony Bennett, F, UNLV

19. Sergey Karasev, SG/SF, Russia

33. Carrick Felix, SG, Arizona State

With no clear No. 1 pick in the draft, the Cavs decided to shake things up and grab Bennett, a player they felt could plug a big hole and possibly make them a contender down the line.

While the decision to take the Rebels product No. 1 overall is certainly a controversial one, it could pay dividends if he can fill the major hole the team has at the small forward spot.

Karasev is a downright sniper with shooting skills that will translate immediately to the NBA. He’s not a Eurostash player on this club and should be in Cleveland before the season begins.

Second-rounder Felix could definitely make the roster and even log respectable minutes during his rookie season.

Grade: A

Orlando Magic

2. Victor Oladipo, SG, Indiana

51. Romero Osby, PF, Oklahoma

Oladipo may have the easiest pick in the draft, as he’s nearly guaranteed to be a solid contributor and possibly a major star. Although the team has more pressing needs at the point guard position, it couldn’t afford to pass up the Hoosiers product.

Osby was a bit of a reach, but could compete for a spot in the frontcourt on this rebuilding club.

Grade: A

Washington Wizards

3. Otto Porter Jr., SF, Georgetown

35. Glen Rice Jr., SF, NBDL

54. Arsalan Kazemi, PF, Oregon

Porter is a perfect pick for the Wizards, as his skill set at the wing meshes with the up-and-coming backcourt featuring Bradley Beal and John Wall.

Rice Jr. will provide insurance and should be Porter’s backup next season, although his D-League experience could mean he pushes the Hoya product for minutes.

Kazemi is an intriguing rebounder and may be a decent reserve in the depleted Washington frontcourt.

Grade: A-

Charlotte Bobcats

4. Cody Zeller, PF, Indiana

Michael Jordan’s club made the insane decision to draft Zeller while a number of elite prospects were still on the board, including Nerlens Noel, Ben McLemore and Alex Len.

It is simply an inexcusable pick for a franchise that has been mired in the league’s basement for years now and still has no light at the end of the tunnel after making this selection.

Grade: F

Phoenix Suns

5. Alex Len, C, Maryland

29. Archie Goodwin, SG, Kentucky

57. Alex Oriakhi, C, Missouri

The Suns have needs everywhere, meaning it would have taken a Bobcats-level mistake to botch this pick.

Fortunately for Phoenix fans, they went with Len, a surefire prospect who should be a starter in the desert in the near future. 

Goodwin has to improve his jumper and learn to play more in control, but could be a steal at No. 29 due to his immense upside and athleticism.

Oriakhi will be a summer league and training camp face, but likely won’t make the active roster.

Grade: B

Philadelphia 76ers

6. Nerlens Noel, C, Kentucky

11. Michael Carter-Williams, PG, Syracuse

42. Pierre Jackson, PG, Baylor

The Sixers shocked the world by trading Jrue Holiday for Nerlens Noel, then nabbing Carter-Williams to soften the blow of losing their starting point guard.

It was a bold and gutsy move by new GM Sam Hinckie, reshaping the core of the team and forming a nucleus to build around for years to come.

While it’s tough to grade right now, it’s looking like Philly is a winner on draft night.

Grade: B+

Sacramento Kings

7. Ben McLemore, SG, Kansas

36. Ray McCallum, PG, Detroit

The Kings rushed to the podium when McLemore was still available at No. 7, taking clearly the best prospect here.

Even though the roster is chock-full of shoot-first guards and forwards, none of them have the upside as a franchise player like this Jayhawks star.

McCallum could help this team’s ball movement, as he has pure point guard skills and is one of the better distributors in the class. 

Grade: A

Detroit Pistons

8. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, SG, Georgia

37. Tony Mitchell, PF, North Texas

56. Peyton Siva, PG, Louisville

The Pistons didn’t address any huge needs here, as KCP may struggle in the backcourt with Brandon Knight running point.

Knight is more an off-guard himself, which could expose the Bulldog product’s biggest weakness—his shaky handle.

Mitchell is a super-athletic, high-upside forward, but he can’t score that well. Considering the Pistons need someone to put the ball through the net, it wasn’t that great of a selection—even with the value factored in.

Siva isn’t much of a distributor, so his usefulness in Detroit could be limited.

Grade: B

Utah Jazz

9. Trey Burke, PG, Michigan

27. Rudy Gobert, C, France

The Jazz have needed a point guard and finally got a high-upside player at the position in Burke.

While he may not be the biggest or most athletic, he has winning intangibles and will be able to feed the up-and-coming bigs in what should be an overhauled Utah frontcourt.

Speaking of that overhaul, Gobert may be a part of that in the near future if the gigantic Frenchman is able to make enough progress in the gym to warrant playing time in 2013-14.

Grade: B+

Portland Trail Blazers

10. C.J. McCollum, G, Lehigh

31. Allen Crabbe, SG, Cal

39. Jeff Withey, C, Kansas

40. Grant Jerrett, PF, Arizona

45. Marko Todorovic, SF, Serbia

The Blazers made some interesting moves on draft night, starting with the acquisition of the best player left on the board at No. 10, C.J. McCollum.

He’ll be a solid sidekick to Damian Lillard, although he’s a bit undersized for an off-guard. Crabbe will also join that backcourt, as the volume shooter is likely to be one of the first players off the bench when the team needs even more offense.

Withey is a great shot-blocker and rim protector, with value far exceeding his draft position. Don’t be shocked if he’s playing big minutes at the end of the year.

Jerrett isn’t a lock to make the roster, but the stretch 4 does provide insurance for LaMarcus Aldridge. Todorovic has a lot of hours left to put in the gym and won’t be stateside for quite some time.

Grade: B+

Oklahoma City Thunder

12. Steven Adams, C, Pittsburgh

26. Andre Roberson, SF, Colorado

32. Alex Abrines, SG, Spain

The Thunder are going to take a stab at developing Adams, a gigantic New Zealand native with raw skills, especially on the offensive end. He could be the heir to Kendrick Perkins as the starting center, or a complete bust.

Roberson is a questionable pick, as he’s an undersized rebounding forward that can help on defense but not much else.

Abrines is a Eurostash player that could make a trip stateside in a few seasons and surprise us all. While it wasn’t a bad night for GM Sam Presti, he’s had better.

Grade: B-

Boston Celtics

13. Kelly Olynyk, PF, Gonzaga

The Celtics dismantled their roster on Friday night, trading Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce to the Brooklyn Nets in a blockbuster trade, as per Yahoo! Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski.

Now they are positioned for the future, which will likely include big minutes for stretch power forward Olynyk. He’s certainly not going to replace KG, but could show the C’s some promise going forward.

Grade: C-

Minnesota Timberwolves

14. Shabazz Muhammad, SF, UCLA

21. Gorgui Dieng, C, Louisville

52. Lorenzo Brown, PG, NC State

59. Bojan Dubljevic, PF, Serbia

The T-Wolves weren’t able to nab a player that would have been a great fit for them—Kentavious Caldwell-Pope—so they went out and made some deals to improve the roster all over the place.

Muhammad is a top-tier scorer that should start as a rookie, while Dieng can protect the rim and is one of the most underrated low-post passers in the draft.

Brown is capable of backing up Ricky Rubio, while Dubljevic can be stashed in Europe while he develops.

Grade: A

Milwaukee Bucks

15. Giannis Antetokounmpo, SF, Greece

38. Nate Wolters, G, South Dakota State

The Bucks took a chance on the “Greek Freak”, a prospect with superstar potential as a revolutionary, uber-athletic point forward.

Of course, he could become a bust that never makes an impact in the league, but Milwaukee has to take a chance since recruiting top-tier free agents is practically impossible.

Wolters is a nice grab at No. 38 and should eventually assume a big role in the team’s backcourt as an above-average scorer and facilitator.

Grade: B-

Atlanta Hawks

16. Lucas Nogueira, C, Brazil

17. Dennis Schroeder, PG, Germany

43. Ricky Ledo, SG, Providence

44. Mike Muscala, C, Bucknell

47. Raul Neto, PG, Brazil

Despite a reach for Nogueira and his afro, the Hawks did quite well in the 2013 draft.

Trading up for the Brazilian big man was a bit much, as he is too raw and inexperienced to make an impact at this juncture. Schroeder needs to develop his facilitating ability, but isn’t far off from becoming a real contributor in the Association.

Muscala is a huge center that should have gone earlier for his sheer size alone, while Neto will be kept in the international game until he’s ready to make the leap to American soil.

Grade: B+

Dallas Mavericks

18. Shane Larkin, PG, Miami

The Mavs abandoned their dream of acquiring cap space to pursue a major coup in free agency, but added a decent prospect that can help out at their much-maligned point guard position.

Grade: B-

Chicago Bulls

20. Tony Snell, SG/SF, New Mexico

49. Erik Murphy, PF, Florida

Snell is a freakish athlete with unlimited three-point range, but it remains to be seen if he’s going to play the 2 and help Derrick Rose in the backcourt or eventually take over for Luol Deng on the wing.

Either way, he has a lot of developing to do before he’s ready to play big minutes as a starter.

Murphy is a shooter that might play the role of a human victory cigar if he makes the league.

Grade: B-

Brooklyn Nets

22. Mason Plumlee, C, Duke

The Nets couldn’t care less who they drafted here after pulling off the megadeal to finally compete with the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference.

Plumlee will provide some depth and energy off the bench for this stacked squad, but won’t be playing much for this team come the 2014 postseason.

Grade: C+

Indiana Pacers

23. Solomon Hill, SF, Arizona

53. Colton Iverson, C, Colorado State

Hill plays the same position as some of the Pacers’ best players, which makes their decision to draft the projected second-rounder at No. 23 overall even more questionable.

He has a lot to prove and will only have limited minutes to do it, but keep an eye on him as Indy may have seen something the rest of us missed.

Iverson is a big body that can shoot, which is a reason he could make the roster as a backup to Roy Hibbert.

Grade: C

New York Knicks

24. Tim Hardaway Jr., SG, Michigan

J.R. Smith may be heading elsewhere in free agency, opening the door for the Knicks to bring in a shooter that can replace the Sixth Man of the Year’s production.

Hardaway Jr. has infinite range and the confidence to play right away, making this a home-run selection for the Knickerbockers at No. 24.

Grade: A+

Los Angeles Clippers

25. Reggie Bullock, SG/SF, North Carolina

The Clippers are loading up for a run at the Western Conference title and added another shooter to space the floor in Bullock.

With Grant Hill calling it quits, this swingman should be able to take the veteran’s minutes.

Grade: B+

San Antonio Spurs

28. Livio Jean-Charles, PF, France

58. Deshaun Thomas, SF, Ohio State

The Spurs always find a way to unearth a diamonds from the rough during the draft.

Whether the gem ends up being Eurostash prospect Jean-Charles or late second-round steal Thomas remains to be seen.

Grade: B

 

Golden State Warriors

30. Nemanja Nedovic, SG, Serbia

While the Dubs didn’t have a draft pick to start the day, they sure shook things up with a flurry of trades at the end of the first round.

They ended up with Nedovic, an elite athlete that can play both guard positions and should challenge for a roster spot this offseason.

Grade: B

 

Houston Rockets

34. Isaiah Canaan, PG, Murray State

Don’t sleep on Canaan, a small school star that led his team to greatness and found individual success despite being the main focus of opposing defenses.

He should be able to make the roster and improve the scoring in the already-great Houston backcourt.

Grade: B+

Memphis Grizzlies

41. Jamaal Franklin, SG, San Diego State

60. Janis Timma, SF, Latvia

The Grizzlies may have just nabbed a legit star at No. 41 overall.

Franklin is a jump shot away—one of the most teachable skills in the NBA—from becoming a quality starter, plus he possesses the non-stop motor and work ethic required to be great in this league.

Timma is a player who likely won’t ever step foot in the league, but Memphis will hold his rights.

Grade: A-

 

Los Angeles Lakers

48. Ryan Kelly, PF, Duke

It’s clear that coach Mike D’Antoni had some input on this pick, as this three-point shooting big man fits in perfectly with the system he prefers to run.

He should be able to make the team and contribute as a shooter off the pine.

Grade: B+

 

Denver Nuggets

55. Joffrey Lauvergne, PF, France

The Nuggets added a big with some upside, but the odds of seeing him in the U.S. within the next few years are slim-to-none.

Grade: C