Five Years Later: A 2004 NBA Draft Review

Back in the summer of 2007, the first year I started writing for Bleacher Report, I decided to do a series of draft recaps examining each draft class after three years in the NBA. I thought three years gave players enough time to develop and gave coaches enough time to best use the players properly. The first draft class was the Dwight Howard class of 2004.

I wrote the piece, submitted it to Ryan Alberti (articles weren’t published automatically until later that year), and afterwards thought, what about foreign players who wouldn’t play in the United States for a few years? What about players who needed more time to develop? What about players who burst on the scene but turned out to be mere flashes in the pan?

It was only fair for me to update the reviews. I decided that three, five, and ten year intervals would be the best chance to accurately judge a draft class. This put me on schedule to update the 2004 class this summer. Except that it inexplicably escaped my mind.

Until today.

While a draft review is a little bit out of place in the middle of January, it’s best not to hold this off for too long. It’s already six months late as is.

I will keep the language, lists, and rankings for the three-year review as is, adding current player and pick criticisms below the 2007 ones. The 2007 review will be in italics, while the current review will have a regular font.

As always, debate is encouraged.

Enjoy!

Most analysts agree that a draft can only be accurately judged three years down the road. That gives enough time for the players to develop their game and adjust to the league, while giving managers, coaches, and fans the chance to see what a player can do, what he can’t do, and what role he can serve on his team.

With that as an introduction, I present my analysis of the 2004 Draft. Overall the 2004 draft was nowhere near as superstar-laden as the LeBron, Carmelo, D-Wade draft of '03. Sure, the '04 draft had a number of talented players at the top, but it had little depth, only a few All-Stars, and unless you count Dwight Howard, no real franchise players.

Instead, the draft featured a substantial amount of bizarre, irrelevant trades. For example, the 42nd pick was traded three times through four different teams over a four year period for such legendary icons as Anthony Johnson, Yuri Welsch, and Monty Williams. The player selected with the pick was the immortal Viktor Sanikidze, who may or may never play a minute in the NBA. Perplexed? Welcome to the 2004 draft.

To give context of how each player turned out in relation to what number he was drafted, I’ve created a list of the top five players at each position and the top ten players overall based on impact on their team(s) to date, talent, and player potential, based in that order. And because of the inordinate number of trades, teams will be graded not only on their draft selections but the trades made that season involving the picks.

Top Five Centers (2007)

1) Dwight Howard
2) Emeka Okafor
3) Andres Biedrins
4) Robert Swift
5) Rafael Araujo

Top Five Centers (2010)

1) Dwight Howard
2) Al Jefferson
3) Emeka Okafor
4) Andris Biedrins
5) Robert Swift

Top Three Power Forwards (2007) * (Only three power forwards from the draft have significant NBA experience)

1) Al Jefferson
2) Anderson Varejao
3) Kris Humphries

Top Three Power Forwards (2010) * (Only three power forwards from the draft have significant NBA experience)

1) Josh Smith
2) Anderson Varejao
3) Kris Humphries

Top Five Small Forwards (2007)

1) Luol Deng
2) Andre Iguodala
3) Josh Smith
4) Trevor Ariza
5) Dorell Wright

Top Five Small Forwards (2010)

1) Andre Iguodala
2) Luol Deng
3) Trevor Ariza
4) Dorell Wright
5) Josh Childress

Top Five Shooting Guards (2007)

1) Ben Gordon
2) Kevin Martin
3) Tony Allen
4) Josh Childress
5) Kirk Snyder

Top Five Shooting Guards (2010)

1) J.R. Smith
2) Ben Gordon
3) Delonte West
4) Kevin Martin
5) Tony Allen

Top Five Point Guards (2007)

1) Devin Harris
2) Jameer Nelson
3) Shaun Livingston
4) Delonte West
5) Chris Duhon

Top Five Point Guards (2010)

1) Devin Harris
2) Jameer Nelson
3) Chris Duhon
4) Beno Udrih
5) Royal Ivey

Top 10 Overall Players (2007)

1) Dwight Howard
2) Emeka Okafor
3) Luol Deng
4) Ben Gordon
5) Andre Iguodala
6) Josh Smith
7) Devin Harris
8) Al Jefferson
9) Kevin Martin
10) Jameer Nelson

Top 10 Overall Players (2010)

1) Dwight Howard
2) Al Jefferson
3) Andre Iguodala
4) Josh Smith
5) Anderson Varejao
6) J.R. Smith
7) Devin Harris
8) Ben Gordon
9) Delonte West
10) Emeka Okafor

2004 NBA Draft table courtesy of Wikipedia


* Order of team grades will be determined by which teams had the earliest remaining pick. Grades will take into account players drafted and picks traded. A number in parenthesis indicates the number of the pick. A player in parenthesis indicates what player a traded pick turned into.*

Orlando Magic

Picks involved in: (1) Drafted Dwight Howard. (20) Traded their No. 20 pick in 2005 (Julius Hodge) to Denver for the rights to Jameer Nelson. (30) Drafted Anderson Varejao, then traded the rights to Varejao, Drew Gooden, and Steven Hunter to Cleveland for Tony Battie, the No. 44 pick in 2005 (Martynas Andriuskevicius), and the No. 54 pick in 2007 (Wound up in Houston as Brad Newley). (36) Phoenix traded this pick to Orlando for Donnell Harvey. Orlando then drafted Antonio Burks and sold his rights to Memphis for cash.

Players received: Dwight Howard, Jameer Nelson, Tony Battie, Martynas Andriuskevicius
Players lost: Julius Hodge, Anderson Varejao, Drew Gooden, Steven Hunter, Donell Harvey, Antonio Burks

2007 Review: Despite being very ragged defensively and raw offensively, Howard is a rebounding monster with explosive offensive skills and shot swatting capabilities.  With a competent head coach in Stan Van Gundy replacing the inept Brian Hill, Howard’s offensive arsenal and basketball IQ should blossom. Howard is the best player in the draft and the pick would get an A if not for the fact that it was such an obvious decision to draft Howard.

Jameer Nelson is a tweener. Not quite a point guard, not quite a two guard, he’s best suited to being a third guard in a rotation. Still, he’s a decent point maker, especially against opponents backups, and he’s much better than what would have become Julius Hodge, who has been riddled by injuries and awful luck in his brief NBA career.

The Varejao trade was an awful one. Tony Battie is a respectable backup, but Andriuskevicius is no longer on the team and No. 54 picks don’t generally last in the NBA. Drew Gooden has developed into a poor defender and decision maker, but is a decent scorer from the high post and will battle on the boards. When the refs are letting Varejao flop and hack, he’s one of the better defenders in the league (when the refs aren’t, Varejao ends up plagued with fouls), and his energy and rebounding are exceptional. Steven Hunter is a blocks-per-minute machine.

With Howard operating in the low post, wouldn’t Gooden be a nice fixture at the high post? Is Varejao worse than Tony Battie? Wouldn’t Steven Hunter be a better roster spot than a 54th pick or some European project who was abandoned within the month?

The Antonio Burks trade opened up a roster spot and some cap room for the team.

Orlando was one of the most active teams in the draft. Dwight Howard is the best player in the draft and I have Jameer Nelson pegged as the second best point guard in the draft. Those were excellent picks. Clearing up roster space and cap room instead of being tied up to a scrub was also a nice play. The Varejao trade is every bit as bad as the Nelson trade was good.

2007 Grade: B

2010 Review: Dwight Howard’s evolved into the best center in the game, yet alone the best player from the 2004 draft. There were some questions after the draft as to whether Emeka Okafor would’ve been the better pick, but Howard has taken those questions and dunked all over them.

Essentially trading Julius Hodge for Jameer Nelson was an outstanding decision. After struggling with his role for the better part of four seasons, Nelson is now the unquestioned point guard for the Magic, who provides toughness and clutch shooting to one of the best teams in the East. Hodge struggled with injuries, a lack of talent, bad fortune, and is now out of the league.

The Anderson Varejao trade looks just as awful now as it did in 2007. Martynas Andriuskevicius isn’t an NBA player, Tony Battie was an inconsequential backup, and the Magic’ draft pick wasn’t used on a player worthy of an NBA roster.

In effect, the Magic gave up Drew Gooden, a useful NBA journeyman whose shooting would’ve fit well in Orlando’s spread offense, Varejao, who has evolved into one of the NBA’s elite role players, and Steven Hunter, a player better than Andriuskevicius. In fairness though, Varejao may not have fit into Orlando’s offense because he isn’t a terrific shooter, Gooden has always been inconsistent, and Hunter is a career backup.

Drafting and trading Burks opened up some cap space and a roster spot.

The Magic deserve credit for Dwight Howard, but he was the first overall pick and a fairly obvious selection. The Varejao trade was a horrible decision, but acquiring Nelson for nothing limits that blow. Due to Howard turning into a superstar, Nelson’s elevated play, and the questions as to whether Varejao could succeed on a team like Orlando, the pluses far outweigh the minuses.

2010 Grade: A-

Charlotte Bobcats

(2) Traded their No. 4 pick (Shaun Livingston) and No. 33 pick (Lionel Chalmers) to the L.A. Clippers for the No. 2 pick (Emeka Okafor). Charlotte also agreed to select Predrag Drobnjak from the Clippers in the Expansion Draft. (45) Milwaukee traded the No. 45 pick (Bernard Robinson) to Charlotte for Zaza Pachulia.

Players received: Emeka Okafor, Predrag Drobnjak, Bernard Robinson
Players lost: Shaun Livingston, Lionel Chalmers, Zaza Pachulia

2007 Review: Drobnjak and Chalmers have had inconsequential careers. Zaza Pachulia is a decent backup center, while Robinson still hasn‘t found a niche in the NBA.

The big move was essentially deciding on Okafor over Livingston. While both have been stricken with injuries, Okafor’s are chronic while Livingston’s are career-threatening. Also, when Livingston was healthy, he never showed the ability to grasp the nuances of being an NBA point guard. In fact, Livingston’s best attribute was using his insane wingspan to swallow up opposing point guards trying to get around him.

Okafor, however, has shown the ability to be one of the best defensive centers in the league. His raw offensive game has also improved as he now shoots over 50 percent from the field.

If not for Howard, Okafor would easily be the best player in the draft. That gets the Bobcats an A.

2007 Grade: A

2010 Review: Drobnjak and Chalmers left no mark on the NBA, while the Bobcats lose points for swapping Pachulia, a respectable backup center, for Robinson, who is now out of the league. Trading up from Livingston to Okafor was a wise move in hindsight, as Livingston hasn‘t been the same since a horrendous knee injury, but did the Bobcats choose the best player available?

Okafor hasn’t improved much since his initial seasons, has serious questions about his love of basketball, is only a marginal offensive player, and isn’t the defensive standout he was expected to be. While he looked great two years ago, the rest of the draft class has caught up.

Instead of Okafor, the Bobcats could have had Ben Gordon, a scorer with range that the Bobcats have desperately lacked, or Al Jefferson, an authentic post scorer.

Okafor’s an example of a player who looks less and less impressive the more he plays.

2010 Grade: B-

Chicago Bulls

(3) Drafted Ben Gordon. (7) Phoenix traded the No. 7 pick (Luol Deng) to Chicago for the No. 31 pick (Jackson Vroman), cash, and a future pick. (38) Toronto traded the No. 38 pick to Chicago in 2003 for the rights to Matt Bonner. Chicago drafted Chris Duhon with the No. 38 pick.

Players received: Ben Gordon, Luol Deng, Chris Duhon
Players lost: Jackson Vroman, Matt Bonner

2007 Review: Easily the team that did the best during the draft. Chicago drafted Ben Gordon and stole Luol Deng. Those players are the third and fourth best players in the draft, and are two of the best young scorers in the NBA. In tandem, they are up there as one of the most dynamic wing combinations in the entire league. Matt Bonner is a useful shooter and a fan favorite wherever he goes, but Chris Duhon is one of the better backup point guards in the league. Chicago got the better end of that deal and pretty much built the core of their team with the '04 draft.

2007 Grade: A+

2010 Review: The 2004 draft looked great for the Bulls in 2007 and it looks great today. Deng and Gordon take hits, as the former has never expanded his range to the three-point line and is only average athletically, while the latter is a mediocre finisher who takes plays off defensively.

Either way, only the Bulls wound up with two of the top 11 players in the draft. Add in Chris Duhon, a capable starter/excellent backup currently spearheading the Knicks, and the Bulls get all A’s for the draft.

2010 Grade: A+

Los Angeles Clippers

(4) Traded the No. 2 pick (Emeka Okafor) to Charlotte for the No. 4 pick (Shaun Livingston) and the No. 33 pick (Lionel Chalmers). Stipulated that Charlotte select Predrag Drobnjak in the Expansion Draft. (35) Traded the No. 35 pick (Andre Emmett) to Seattle for Predrag Drobnjak.

Players received: Shaun Livingston, Lionel Chalmers
Players lost: Emeka Okafor, Andre Emmett, Predrag Drobnjak.

2007 Review: The Okafor trade looks much worse in hindsight than it did at the time. The Clippers figured that with Elton Brand, Chris Kaman, and Chris Wilcox, they wouldn’t have room for another big man and looked to pick up their point guard of the future.

Unfortunately, Kaman is unreliable, Wilcox never developed and was shipped out, and only Brand produces at a consistent clip. Shaun Livingston, meanwhile, never developed his offense and IQ to a point where he could pass Sam Cassell on the depth chart. After his gruesome knee energy, Livingston may never regain the quickness, speed, and agility to be the superstar many predicted he would become.

2007 Grade: C-

2010 Review: Shaun Livingston never developed his basketball IQ to the point where he could run the Clippers show, then blew out his knee. After the injury, Livingston hasn’t been able to crack a rotation. Okafor looks less and less impressive as time passes, but he’d still have been a much better pick than Livingston.

The selection is mitigated somewhat by the fact that the Clippers were stocked in their frontcourt at the time and are stocked in the frontcourt today. Plus, they couldn’t predict Livingston’s freak injury. Nonetheless, it’s doubtful Livingston would have had the career of some of the players picked below him.

2010 Grade: D+

Washington Wizards

(5) Drafted Devin Harris. Then traded the rights to Harris, Christian Laettner, and Jerry Stackhouse to Dallas for Antawn Jamison. (32) Drafted Peter John Ramos.

Players Received: Antawn Jamison, Peter John Ramos
Players Lost: Devin Harris, Christian Laettner, Jerry Stackhouse

2007 Review: The Jamison trade was one of those rare trades that benefited both teams involved. Despite being all finesse and no defense, Jamison is one of the more explosive scoring forwards in the NBA. Washington had Gilbert Arenas and Larry Hughes in the backcourt and needed a frontcourt scoring punch more than a speedy distributor and an aging and expensive wing scorer.

If the trade wasn’t made, Stackhouse would have trouble getting minutes with Harris, Arenas, and Larry Hughes/Caron Butler locking up the guard and wing spots. The Wizards also figured that Harris wouldn’t be strong enough to be a defensive presence, or as consistent as they would like, so they shipped him out and signed Antonio Daniels the following offseason.

2007 Grade: A

2010 Review: Stocked in the backcourt with Gilbert Arenas and Larry Hughes, Washington traded Devin Harris and Jerry Stackhouse to acquire Antawn Jamison. Jamison gave the Wizards more frontcourt firepower, while Harris, Stackhouse, Hughes, and Arenas would’ve been struggling to get minutes.

The trade was the right move at the time and has worked out for all parties involved.

2010 Grade: A

Atlanta Hawks

(6) Drafted Josh Childress. (17) Received the No. 17 pick from Milwaukee (Josh Smith), received Bobby Sura, and Zeljko Rebracca from Detroit, Chris Mills from Boston, and sent Rasheed Wallace to Detroit. (34) Drafted Donta Smith. (37) Drafted Royal Ivey.
(42) Drafted Viktor Sanikidze.

Players received: Josh Childress, Josh Smith, Bobby Sura, Zeljko Rebracca, Chris Mills, Donta Smith, Royal Ivey, Viktor Sanikidze
Players lost: Rasheed Wallace

2007 Review: The scrubby players in the Rasheed Wallace deal were simply contracts used to clear up space used on Joe Johnson. Essentially getting Josh Smith for Rasheed Wallace isn’t a terrible trade. Smith has freakishly long arms and an incredible vertical which he shows repeatedly with highlight dunks and blocked shots. Unfortunately, Smith’s offensive game (and immature ego) are nowhere near as advanced as his defensive skills are.

Josh Childress is one of the more enigmatic players in the league. Incredibly gifted athletically, but what is his role on a team? He's not dynamic enough to be a premier scorer, not intelligent enough to be a premier distributor, and not disciplined enough to be a lock down defender. When he figures out his niche, he’ll be able to utilize his athletic gifts to their full potential.

Chris Duhon is a better player than Royal Ivey, but Ivey has been able to stick around and Duhon has gotten in trouble with Scott Skiles’ a few times in his career. Immaturity is never something you want with such a young team.

2007 Grade: B

2010 Review: The mediocrities from the Rasheed Wallace trade turned into cap space for Joe Johnson, while the pick received turned into Josh Smith. Successes on both fronts, especially now that Smith has finally started to mature and refine his game. Josh Childress was an athletic swingman who never found a niche and now plays overseas. He was a useful player on the Hawks 2007-2008 team that made the playoffs, but in hindsight, the pick should’ve been used on somebody else.

Of the second round picks, Royal Ivey has carved a niche as a defensive specialist but Chris Duhon has emerged as a better overall player. Duhon should’ve been the selection.

2010 Grade: B

Phoenix Suns

(7) Traded this pick (Luol Deng) to Chicago for the No. 31 pick (Jackson Vroman), cash, and a future pick. (16) New York traded the No. 16 pick, along with Antonio McDyess, Charlie Ward, Howard Eisley, Maciej Lampe, Milos Vujanic, and a future first round pick to Phoenix for Stephon Marbury, Penny Hardaway, and Cezary Trybanski. Phoenix then traded the No. 16 pick (Kirk Snyder), Tom Gugliotta, and a future first round pick to Utah for Keon Clark, Ben Handlogoten, and cash. (36) Traded No. 36 pick (Antonio Burks) to Orlando for Donell Harvey.

Players received: Jackson Vroman, Antonio McDyess, Charlie Ward, Howard Eisley, Maciej Lampe, Milos Vujanic, Keon Clark, Ben Handlogoten, Donnell Harvey
Players lost: Luol Deng, Stephon Marbury, Penny Hardaway, Cezary Trybanski, Kirk Snyder, Tom Gugliotta, Antonio Burks

2007 Review: Forget about all the players gained in the Knicks trade. None of them played for Phoenix after the end of the year. Forget about Vroman, Clark, Handlogoten, and Harvey. They were just bodies. Forget about the discarded picks, even Luol Deng. The entire 2004 season and draft, for Phoenix was all about clearing cap space and roster space for Steve Nash. Since the Suns have taken off astronomically with Nash at the helm, (and it’s unlikely that Phoenix’ run-and-gun pace best suits Luol Deng’s game) the draft gets an A.

2007 Grade: A

2010 Review: The players involved in the 2004 draft mean nothing for the Suns. They were simply conduits for cap room used to sign Steve Nash. Considering where the Suns are with Nash, the Suns draft was a complete success. Even giving up Luol Deng was smart. Wings who can’t shoot murder spread pick-and-roll offenses because the teams running the offense can’t space the floor. The Suns wouldn’t have gained anything with him.

2010 Grade: A

Toronto Raptors

(8) Drafted Rafael Araujo. (38) Traded the No. 38 pick (Chris Duhon) to the Bulls in 2003 for the rights to Matt Bonner. (39) Drafted Albert Mirales. Then traded the rights to Mirales to Miami for the draft rights to Pape Sow and the No. 58 pick in 2005 (Uros Slokar).

Players received: Rafael Araujo, Matt Bonner, Pape Sow, Uros Slokar
Players lost: Chris Duhon, Albert Mirales

2007 Review: Chris Duhon is a better player than Matt Bonner and Toronto flat out blew their pick on Araujo. He was a bust in Toronto so they shipped him to Utah where he sits behind Jarron Collins in the depth chart. Considering Toronto could have picked up Andre Iguodala there is no way to give the Raptors any grade but an F.

2007 Grade: F

2010 Review: Araujo is the first flat-out bust of the draft, and a complete waste of a lottery pick. Matt Bonner is a serviceable shooter, but Duhon’s a decent shooter in his own right and a better overall player. The draft was a disaster for the Raptors.

2010 Grade: F

Philadelphia 76’ers

(9) Drafted Andre Iguodala.

2007 Review: A simple draft for Philly and an effective one. With Allen Iverson shipped out and Andre Miller brought in, Iguodala had a chance to blossom late in the year for the Sixers. Iguodala can run the floor, finish with power, assault lazy dribbles and loose passes for steals, and has become a smart passer, averaging almost six assists in 2006-07. Iguodala has a high upside for superstardom and no player drafted later would have suited the Sixers more than their new A.I.

2007 Grade: A

2010 Review: Andre Iguodala isn’t a classic scorer because his jump shot is iffy. As a result, good individual defenders or coordinated double teams hold him in check. However, he’s still a talented one-on-one scorer, and absolutely lethal in the open floor. He rebounds well, is a talented passer, and is one of the best wing defenders in the game because of his athleticism, strength, and anticipation in the passing lanes.

In short, Iguodala’s an outstanding two-way player and an outstanding pick.

2010 Grade: A

Cleveland Cavaliers

(10) Drafted Luke Jackson. (30) Traded Tony Battie, the No. 44 pick in 2005 (Martynas Andriuskevicius), and the No. 54 pick in 2007 (Wound up in Houston as Brad Newley), for the rights to Anderson Varejao, Drew Gooden, and Steven Hunter.

Players received: Luke Jackson, Anderson Varejao, Drew Gooden, Steven Hunter
Players lost: Tony Battie, Martynas Andriuskevicius

2007 Review: Cleveland stole their two power forwards on their Eastern Conference Championship team in this lopsided deal. While both Varejao and Gooden are flawed, each is a relentless rebounder. Gooden is a poor defensive player who can hit jumpers out to 20 feet, and has good face-up and turnaround skills. Varejao is limited offensively but is one of the better post defenders in the league and plays with all out intensity. Both players are better than Tony Battie.

Aside from a random 30 point, five assist, four rebound performance for Toronto in their last regular season game in 2007, Luke Jackson has been a complete nobody in the league, and a wasted pick.

2007 Grade: B

2010 Review: The 2004 draft had two parts for the Cavaliers. The first part involved the selection of Luke Jackson, a player not cut out for the NBA, and a busted pick. With Al Jefferson, Josh Smith, Jameer Nelson, Kevin Martin, and Delonte West available, any of those players could’ve been Cleveand’s. Instead, they chose Jackson and deserve an F for it.

The second part involved the Cavs essentially giving up Tony Battie and Martynas Andriuskevicius to get Anderson Varejao and Drew Gooden. While Gooden has his flaws, namely focus and consistency, he is a useful player who shoots well, rebounds, and defends some.

Varejao has evolved into one of the best defensive frontcourt players in the league. He’s an exceptional screen defender, a powerful post defender, an astute help defender, and has a terrific combination of strength, awareness, and fluidity. His offensive game is coming around, where he’s developed a competent short jump shot and some face up skills to augment his garbage man work.

Cleveland stealing two-thirds of the frontcourt rotation of its 2006-2007 Finals team earns an A. Weigh the Finals appearance more than the Jackson bust and the Cavs earn a solid B overall.

2010 Grade: B

Golden State Warriors

(11) Drafted Andris Biedrins.

2007 Review: It took awhile, but Biedrins finally blossomed under Don Nelson this year. Long and lanky, Biedrins still has a lot of work to do in terms of his free-throw shooting and his bulking up to be an anchor down low. His rebounding and shot blocking skills really emerged this year and were huge reasons why Golden State’s fast break was so effective down the stretch. Biedrins also runs the floor extremely well; perfect for Golden State’s game plan. Biedrins’ effectiveness would be hindered if he were with another team with a different system. Both Golden State and Biedrins got lucky.

2007 Grade: A-

2010 Review: A simple draft but a positive one for the Warriors as Biedrins has evolved into a useful rebounder and shot blocker who thrives in Golden State’s uptempo system. The pick earns bonus points for the fact that Biedrins probably wouldn’t be as effective in most other NBA systems, while many other players would struggle in Golden State’s chaotic uptempo gameplan.

Al Jefferson was still on the board and the Warriors get docked some for not choosing him, but it’s also difficult to imagine AJ lumbering down the court with how fast Golden State plays.

2010 Grade: A-

Seattle Supersonics

(12) Drafted Robert Swift. (35) The Los Angeles Clippers traded the No. 35 pick to Seattle for Predrag Drobnjak. Seattle then traded the pick (Andre Emmett) to Memphis for their No. 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

2007 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 enough to show what he can do? Mickael Gelabale has shown that at least he can get NBA minutes. David Young no longer plays in the NBA. I can’t give the Swift drafting more than a C until he proves himself. David Young gets a D- and the Gelabale trade gets a B. Not a very impressive draft.

2007 Grade: C

2010 Review: Robert Swift supposedly had potential but he never put together more than a promising half season in his NBA tenure. Most No. 35 picks don’t amount to too much, but the Sonics did parlay the pick into Mickael Gelabale who played decent minutes for a time. Al Jefferson was available. Instead the Sonics took Swift. A terrible decision in hindsight.

2010 Grade D

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 No. 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

2007 Review: Only two of these decisions were meaningful. One was the decision to unload Bonzi Wells. That was one of the many positive steps Portland took in purging their roster of punks and losers. Unfortunately, Sebastian Telfair’s basketball skills were over-hyped 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.

2007 Grade: C+

2010 Review: The Blazers used the 2004 draft to begin clearing away the malcontents from their misconstrued roster. While Bonzi Wells was traded for a bunch of stiffs, his departure was addition by subtraction. However, Sebastian Telfair has neither the speed, strength, or shot-making abilities to be a meaningful NBA player, to say nothing of his horrendous court awareness. Delonte West, Kevin Martin, even Beno Udrih would have been better selections than Telfair, who has become little more than a very poor backup on a very average team.

2010 Grade: C-

Utah Jazz

(14) Drafted Kris Humphries. (16) Phoenix traded the No. 16 pick (Kirk Snyder) along with a future pick, and Tom Gugliotta to Utah for Keon Clark and Ben Handlegoten. (21) Drafted Pavel Podzolkin. Then traded draft rights to Podzolkin to Dallas for a 2005 first round pick (ended up with Denver as Linas Kleiza). (48) Sacramento traded the No. 55 pick (ended up in Houston as Luis Flores), Keon Clark, and a future pick to Utah for the No. 48 pick (Ricky Minard)

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

2007 Review: Utah did a lot of things involving the 2004 draft but did nothing meaningful to improve their team. Humphries is little more than a body and is now on Toronto. Snyder is little more than a scoring guard, but there are far better scorers in the league than Snyder. His lack of versatility is the reason why he’s been on three different teams in three seasons. Utah could have had Varejao over Humphries, and could have had Jameer Nelson, Delonte West, Tony Allen, or Kevin Martin over Snyder. A failed draft.

2007 Grade: F

2010 Review : Kris Humphries has stuck around as a rebounder and mid-range jump shooter, but if the Jazz wanted rebounding, why didn’t they select Anderson Varejao who has more offensive skills and is a vastly superior defensive player? Kirk Snyder could have been Kevin Martin, Delonte West, and even Tony Allen. Not a very productive draft.

2010 Grade: D-

Boston Celtics

(15) Drafted Al Jefferson. (24) Dallas traded the No. 24 pick (Delonte West), Raef LaFrentz, Jiri Welsch, and Chris Mills to Boston for Antoine Walker and Tony Delk. (25) Detroit traded the No. 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

2007 Review: Boston traded a small forward who thinks he’s John Starks in Antoine Walker for a center who thinks he’s a small forward in Raef LaFrentz. That’s a wash. Mills was a has been while Welsch was a never-was. That’s a wash. Atkins and Hunter versus Delk and James is a wash.

However, with the picks they received, they did 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 2005 draft. Considering Boston got him at 17, that’s a steal.

Delonte West is best suited to being a backup, but is a decent guard, Tony Allen commits too many turnovers and is a poor shooter. Kevin Martin would’ve been a better pick, but Allen does have tremendous open floor skills and potential. If that potential gets tapped into, the Celtics grade goes from B+ to A.

2007 Grade: B+

2010 Review: Boston broke up their team in 2004 and built a nice nucleus with the pieces they gave up. Antoine Walker turned into Delonte West, an underrated player who can shoot, slash, post, pass, defend, and play tough hard-nosed basketball. Mike James turned into Tony Allen, an above-average defender with average offensive skills. The Celtics own draft pick turned into Al Jefferson, a premier offensive post scorer who is improving as a jump shooter and a passer. The Celtics did a great job of drafting good young talent.

2010 Grade: A+

New Orleans Hornets

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

2007 Review: New Orleans was the first team seduced by Smith’s phenomenal talent. If Smith were ever given a brain to match his talent, teams would go out of their way to dish out a max contract to him.

Instead we have a boy who breaks off plays in the crucial moments of playoff series’ so he can jack up threes. Instead we have a boy with no defense, no ball movement, and no conscious. Instead we have a boy who skips morning practices because he‘s “not a morning person.” Instead we have a boy who sits idly at the scorers table while his coach gives instructions to his team at their bench. Instead we have a boy who is too cool for any speed limit or seat belt and now has the blood of a friend on his hands.

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

2007 Grade: F

2010 Review: No player has come farther his last two seasons in the league than J.R. Smith. Two seasons ago, Smith was a disaster. A selfish miscreant of a player who didn’t take the game seriously and didn’t take his life seriously. Due to a tragic car accident that took the life of one of Smith’s friends, George Karl’s willingness to give second chances, and Smith’s own personal maturation, he’s changed his outlook on life and has improved exponentially as a player.

Instead of being a gunner who broke off plays to jack up shots, Smith has refined his game considerably. His shot selection is still questionable, but improved; his passing abilities are considerable, and he’s shown glimpses of being a lock-down defender.

All those traits are purification of the wondrous natural abilities Smith has. When his career is said and done, based on talent alone, he has a chance to be the second best player out of the 2004 draft.

New Orleans couldn’t reach through to him, but Smith needed that horrific car accident to allow himself to open up to others. Now he’s one of the most explosive players in the league, and a terrific choice at the No. 18th pick.

2010 Grade: A-

Miami Heat

(19) Drafted Dorell Wright. (38) Toronto traded the draft rights to Albert Mirales to Miami for the draft rights to Pape Sow and the No. 58 pick in 2005 (Uros Slokar). (53) Drafted Matt Freije.

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

2007 Review: Dorell Wright and a bunch of stiffs. For sure, Wright has talent, but coming out of high school he wasn’t prepared to play in the NBA his first several seasons. Given that the Heat were busy winning a championship, developing Wright was never a top priority. Last year was his first chance to see extended minutes and he proved to still be too raw for extended action. With the Heat looking to retool their supporting cast and 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), even if Dorell never develops, it’s hard to criticize the Heat for not selecting somebody else. Trevor Ariza is a run-and gun player while the Heat are a half court team, so you can’t even assume he’d be a better fit in Miami.

2007 Grade: C-

2010 Review: Dorell Wright has been a seldom-used bench player who has never evolved into more than a bit rotation player. The Heat didn’t need a shooting guard with Dwyane Wade in tow, so passing on Kevin Martin is understandable, nor did they need a defensive-minded frontcourt player with Udonis Haslem in tow, so Anderson Varejao would’ve been a bad pick.

Because of this, the Wright selection doesn’t quite look like an awful pick. Even Trevor Ariza’s open court skills wouldn’t translate as well to the grind-it-out Heat. It wasn’t an awful pick, just not a very good one.

2010 Grade: C-

Denver Nuggets

(20) Drafted Jameer Nelson. Traded the draft rights to Nelson to Orlando for their No. 21 pick in 2005 (Julius Hodge).  

Players received: Julius Hodge
Players lost: Jameer Nelson  

2007 Review: The Nuggets biggest need in the Carmelo era has been a quality shooting guard who can hit a jump shot. The Nuggets have been stuck with the ancient Voshon Lenard, the inept Demarr Johnson, and the brainless J.R. Smith.

Jameer Nelson would have been a nice addition playing along side Andre Miller and Carmelo. Even when Allen Iverson arrived this year, Nelson could have started at point guard. His warts as a decision maker would have been hidden in the Nuggets system because Allen Iverson has the ball in his hands so much anyway.    

Instead, the Nuggets picked up Julius Hodge a year later. Whether it be a result of injuries or bad luck, Hodge has seen more time in the developmental league than on the hardwood. The Nuggets got the worse player in the deal and missed out on someone who could’ve helped their team.  

2007 Grade: F

2010 Review: Jameer Nelson has turned into a steady hand, capable of making smart decisions on the fly, hitting clutch jump shots, and making up for average athleticism with smarts, toughness, and moxie. In other words, he was Chauncey Billups before Chauncey Billups.

In Nelson’s stead, the Nuggets drafted Julius Hidge who never turned into an NBA player. The Nuggets traded an All-Star for a scrub. That decision earns them an F.

2010 Grade: F

New Jersey Nets

(22) Drafted Viktor Khryapa. Then traded the draft rights to Khryapa to Portland for Eddie Gill and cash. (51) Drafted Christian Drejer.

Players received: Eddie Gill, Christian Drejer
Players lost: Viktor Khryapa

2007 Review: As a Florida Gators fan, I hold a hatred in my heart for Christian Drejer’s decision to quit on the Gators midway through the 2003-04 season to play professional ball in Europe. It’s no surprise that such a coward never played a single minute in the NBA. Rue Drejer for scorning the Gators and rue the Nets for drafting him!

2007 Grade: D

2010 Review: Christian Drejer never turned into an NBA-caliber player, while the Nets could have come away with more with the 22nd selection than Eddie Gill and cash. Anderson Varejao? Trevor Ariza? Kevin Martin? Even Sasha Vujacic would’ve been a more productive pick.

2010 Grade: F

Sacramento Kings

(26) Drafted Kevin Martin. (48) Traded the No. 55 pick (ended up with Houston as Luis Flores), Keon Clark, and a future pick to Utah for their No. 48 pick (Ricky Minard).

Players received: Kevin Martin, Ricky Minard
Players lost: Keon Clark

2007 Review: Sacramento got one of the steals of the draft considering how low they were picking, and they took a risk in picking somebody from Western Carolina. Instead of getting a nobody, they got a player who shows potential to put up 20 points a game for a long time.

Martin still has to bulk up his frame, be more consistent, and play better against better defenses—my guess is that achieving the first will help him achieve the next two. But Martin is the best player from the middle of the draft down. Great pick.

2007 Grade: A

2010 Review: Kevin Martin is one of the most overrated players in the game today—a soft, defenseless jump shooter who can only play on the perimeter. That being said, he’s still a talented shooter who can create his own points. At the 26th position in the draft, it’s hard to do much better, especially in terms of pure scoring. A terrific pick.

2010 Grade: A

Los Angeles Lakers

(27) Drafted Sasha Vujacic. (56) Drafted Marcus Douthit.

2007 Review: Sasha Vujacic can hit standstill threes with good accuracy, and isn’t a bad third string point guard. Chris Duhon would have been a better pick, as he could help take pressure off of Kobe much more than Vujacic can.

2007 Grade: C-

2010 Review: Trevor Ariza would’ve been a better pick than Sasha Vujacic, as Vujacic has been an embarrassment the past handful of seasons. He’s a respectable standstill shooter but he takes too many bad shots and plays overaggressive, but ineffective, defense. The only caveat is that he’s also a shooting guard, and the only backup shooting guard on the Lakers roster the past handful of seasons. No other shooting guard taken after Vujacic contributed much in the NBA.

2010 Grade: D+

San Antonio Spurs

(28) Drafted Beno Udrih. (52) Drafted Romain Sato. (57) Drafted Sergei Karaulov.

2007 Review: Chris Duhon’s penchant for partying too hard and missing team functions wouldn’t fly in San Antonio. Beno Udrih is steady as can be and helped the Spurs win a championship later the next season. Even with a late pick and an awful crop of players to choose from, the Spurs select a player that helps their team. That’s why they're the best run organization in the league.

2007 Grade: B

2010 Review: Beno Udrih’s steady play helped the Spurs win a championship, so that tilts the pick heavily in San Antonio’s favor. Only Anderson Varejao, Chris Duhon, and Trevor Ariza were selected after Udrih and still have prominent roles in the NBA. Varejao would’ve fit in perfectly, but Duhon partied too hard during the early portion of his career, and Ariza’s more of an open-court gambler than the disciplined defender Spurs coach Gregg Popovich wants his players to be.

Varejao may have been the better choice, but Udrih’s acquainted himself well as a mediocre starter/solid backup in his career.

2010 Grade: B

Indiana Pacers

(29) Drafted David Harrison. (59) Drafted Rashad Wright.

2007 Review: David Harrison is a stiff. Anderson Varejao would have been the right pick. Rashad Wright was the last pick of the draft so you don’t expect anything out of him. Still, the Pacers haven’t gotten much out of their first round pick.

2007 Grade: D

2010 Review: The Pacers got nothing out of their two draft picks whatsoever. The very next player chosen after Harrison was Anderson Varejao.

Oops.

2010 Grade: F

New York Knicks

(16) New York traded their No. 16 pick (ended up in Utah as Kirk Snyder), Antonio McDyess, Howard Eisley, Charlie Ward, Maceij Lampe, Milos Vujanic, and a future pick to Phoenix for Stephon Marbury, Penny Hardaway and Cezary Trybanski. (43) Drafted Trevor Ariza.  

Players received: Stephon Marbury, Penny Hardaway, Cezary Trybanski, Trevor Ariza Players lost: Antonio McDyess, Howard Eisley, Charlie Ward, Maceij Lampe, Milos Vujanic

2007 Review: As much as you criticize the Marbury trade, look at the players traded to get him. With the exception of Antonio McDyess, all those names disappeared when they left New York. Also, with the Knicks pathetic cap situation and abysmal talent base, there is no reason to believe superstars such as Gilbert Arenas and Steve Nash would have wanted to come to New York, and there is no reason to believe the Knicks would have had the cap room to sign them as free agents, or the resources to acquire them in any sign and trades.  

Trevor Ariza can run all over the court, defend, score in transition, finish above the rim, and provide energy off the bench. Ariza feuded with then-coach Larry Brown about Ariza’s desire to have more plays run for him on offense and about David Lee taking his minutes. With Ariza becoming a nuisance, the Knicks decision to trade him was justified. But why waste Ariza and an expiring contract in Penny Hardaway to trade for Steve Francis? What a horrible decision.  

But alas, that trade was in the future. The Knicks got one of the better point guards in the NBA and the best second round pick of the draft for a bunch of geezers and a couple of scrubs. That looks like a pretty good draft to me.  

2007 Grade: A-

2010 Review: The Knicks gambled on trading cap space for Stephon Marbury, a decision which haunted the Knicks throughout the middle of the 2000’s. Instead of tearing things down and starting afresh, the Marbury trade continued a wave of awful contracts and poor personnel decisions that will only finally be reconciled the offseason after this one.

On the positive side, Trevor Ariza was an absolute steal with the slim pickings in the 2004 draft. However, Ariza doesn’t do enough justice to the disaster of the Marbury era.

2010 Grade: D+

Memphis Grizzlies

 
(23) Traded the No. 23 pick (Sergei Monia) and Wesley Person to Portland for Bonzi Wells. (35) Seattle traded the No. 35 pick to Memphis (Andre Emmett) for the No. 48 pick in 2005 (Mikael Gelabale) and cash. (36) Orlando sold the No. 36 pick (Antonio Burks) to Memphis for cash.  

Players received: Bonzi Wells, Andre Emmett, Antonio Burks
Players lost: Sergei Monia, Wesley Person, Mikael Gelabale

2007 Review: Bonzi Wells has been a knucklehead everywhere he’s played. His habit of wearing out the patience of his coaches and teammates isn’t worth the scoring he provides. Mikael Gelabale looks to have a more promising career than Andre Emmett and Antonio Burks was a waste of a roster spot. The only good side to this draft was that Wells helped the Grizzlies capture a No. 8 seed in the playoffs. Big deal.  

2007 Grade: D  

2010 Review: Wells was sent packing from Memphis with little fanfare after a season and a half of tantalizing talent combined with maddening decision making. Nobody else involved in the draft has done anything notable from 2004 onwards. If helping achieve a No. 8 seed and a No. 6 seed are accomplishments, then Wells may have been worth the 23rd pick.

2010 Grade: C

Dallas Mavericks

(5) Traded Antawn Jamison to Washington for the No. 5 pick (Devin Harris), Jerry Stackhouse, and Christian Laettner. (21) Traded a 2005 first round pick (ended up in Denver as Linas Kleiza) to Utah for the draft rights to Pavel Podkolzine. (24) Traded the No. 24 pick (Delonte West), Raef LaFrentz, Jiri Welsch, and Chris Mills, to Boston for Antoine Walker and Tony Delk. (50) Drafted Vasileios Spanoulis.  

Players received: Devin Harris, Jerry Stackhouse, Christian Laettner, Pavel Podkolzine, Antoine Walker, Tony Delk, Vasileios Spanoulis
Players lost: Antawn Jamison, Delonte West, Raef LaFrentz, Jiri Welsch, Chris Mills  

2007 Review: With Dirk Nowitzki on the team, Antawn Jamison was expendable and sent packing. In return, Dallas got a lightning quick point guard who can blow past defenders at will and who can defend all but the stronger point guards in the league. Dallas also got Jerry Stackhouse, who's a streak scorer, and one of the most powerful wing players in the league.  

The other deals Dallas made were awful. Anybody would be a better Dallas Maverick than Pavel Podkolzine, and Antoine Walker never had the athleticism or the unselfishness to play Nellie Ball. Instead, Walker was content launching threes at his heart’s content.  

The first trade gets an A, the other two trades each get F’s. Add it all together, and the Mavs final grade comes out to a C.

2007 Grade: C

2010 Review: As long as Dirk Nowitzki was in Dallas, Antawn Jamison would always be a backup. Dallas smartly moved him for Devin Harris, Jerry Stackhouse, and Christian Laettner. Harris has evolved into one of the better point guards in the game today and both he and Stackhouse were key contributors to a Mavs team which ultimately made an NBA Finals appearance. The Jamison trade ultimately earns the Mavs an A.

The other decisions Dallas made didn’t work out. Pavel Podkolzine only played six NBA games and wasn’t worth taking a flier on. Antoine Walker spent his time in Dallas hoisting up threes to his heart’s content, while ignoring his teammates and the defensive side of the court. No doubt the pick would’ve been better off kept as Delonte West, who has evolved into a tenacious two-way player. Walker spent just a single ineffective season in Dallas before mercifully being moved on. Those two decisions earn F’s, averaging out to a C.

2010 Grade: C

Detroit Pistons

(17) Traded the No. 25 pick (Tony Allen), Chucky Atkins, and Lindsay Hunter to Boston. Traded the No. 17 pick (Josh Smith), Bobby Sura, and Zeljko Rebracca to Atlanta. Received Mike James from Boston and Rasheed Wallace from Atlanta. (54) Drafted Ricky Paulding.

Players received: Mike James, Rasheed Wallace, Ricky Paulding
Players lost: Tony Allen, Chucky Atkins, Lindsay Hunter, Josh Smith, Bobby Sura, Zeljko Rebracca

2007 Review: The draft essentially comes down to Rasheed Wallace versus Tony Allen and Josh Smith. Since Rasheed was the difference in Detroit winning an NBA Championship, the deal looks great at first. However, when you consider the fact that Rasheed has poisoned the next few Piston teams by being so temperamental, by taking the easy way out, and by blaming others (coaches, teammates, referees) for his own shortcomings, that the trade gets notched down to a C.

Tony Allen would be hard pressed to find playing time in Detroit, and the Pistons have a better version of Josh Smith in Tayshaun Prince. Not getting either of those two doesn’t affect the trade one way or another, so the grade remains a C.

2007 Grade: C

2010 Review: As maddening as Rasheed Wallace’s tenure in Detroit was—cowardly refusing to use his prodigious post talents to instead be a simple three-point gunner—he was still the main difference in Detroit’s 2004 championship. Of course had he played at a 2004-level over the rest of his career he may have earned more than one ring, but he was still the player who catapulted Detroit to that title. Regardless of how Josh Smith has developed, winning a title trumps everything else, especially as the Pistons had a solid run in the seasons following their title.

Because of this, while Wallace only played up to his potential for half a season and had a loser mindset his remaining seasons, the trade still deserves an A. I did not believe that principle in 2007 as I believe it now.

2010 Grade: A

Houston Rockets

(55) Drafted Luis Flores.

2007 Review: The Rockets had their only draft pick come extremely late in the draft. With the lack of talent available, they can’t be blamed for ending up with a scrub.

2007 Grade: C

2010 Review: Most 55th picks don’t turn into much, and Luis Flores was no exception. It’s hard to fault the Rockets for that.

2010 Grade: C

Minnesota Timberwolves

(58) Drafted Blake Stepp. *Minnesota also forfeited a first round pick due to salary cap violations involved in the signing of Joe Smith.

2007 Review: The T-Wolves got caught with their hands in the cookie jar with their illegal dealings with Joe Smith. The only thing worse than a cheater is a cheater who gets caught. If you’re going to break the rules for somebody, why Joe Smith?

2007 Grade: F

2010 Review: As a result of the shady dealings with Smith, Minnesota forfeited their 2004 first round pick. Tsk, tsk. Give the T-Wolves a failing grade for cheating.

2010 Grade: F

Milwaukee Bucks

(45) Traded the #45 pick (Bernard Robinson) to Charlotte for Zaza Pachulia.

Players received: Zaza Pachulia
Players lost: Bernard Robinson

2007 Review: Bernard Robinson has not found a role on a team yet. Pachulia has bounced around a little bit but at worst is a respectable backup big man. The Bucks got the better player.

2007 Grade: B

2010 Review: Bernard Robinson is now out of the league after failing to find a niche in the NBA. Zaza Pachulia is still in the league as a useful backup on the Hawks. Not a bad use of a No. 45 pick.

2010 Grade: A

2010 Grade Listings

Chicago: A+
Boston: A+
Washington: A
Philadelphia A
Phoenix A
Sacramento: A
Milwaukee: A
Detroit: A
Orlando: A-
Golden State: A-
New Orleans: A-
Atlanta: B
San Antonio: B
Cleveland: B
Charlotte B-
Dallas: C
Memphis: C
Houston: C
Miami: C-
Portland: C-
Clippers: D+
Lakers: D+
New York: D+
Seattle: D
Utah: D-
Toronto: F
Denver: F
New Jersey: F
Minnesota: F
Indiana: F