What If NBA Teams Could Do The Last Five Drafts Over?

http://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/2015/06/22/redrafting-nba-lottery-picks-from-last-five-years/wyAF8voVBMSxCrbJNkDT0N/story.html



What if NBA teams could do the last five drafts over?



If the Cavaliers had another crack at the No. 1 overall pick in the 2013 draft, they’d likely choose guard Victor Oladipo.

By Gary Washburn GLOBE STAFF  JUNE 23, 2015



With the NBA Draft on Thursday and teams scouring over scouting reports, workout reviews, and opinions from front office members about whom to select, we decided it would be a wonderful time to point out the draft mistakes made by lottery teams over the past five years.

Every player during predraft interviews stresses their love for the game and desire to improve, claims their weaknesses are overstated and their strength will make them a star. All of them say they will not take playing in the NBA for granted.


And many of them will be lottery picks.

There are a handful of prospects who will work hard but struggle with obvious flaws or physical shortcomings. They are too short or slow for their positions, not considered good enough defenders or shooters, or perhaps were exposed by playing too long in college.

And some of those players will turn out to be superstars.

View Story
Globe’s 2015 NBA beat writers mock draft
Writers in NBA cities were recruited to pick, in real-time, for the teams they cover.
2015 NBA Draft guide & pick order
Danny Ainge says Celtics are looking to move up in draft

So given the plethora of mock drafts floating around during this time, we decided to try something different. We redrafted in the lottery for the past five years, and the differences between what was done then and how it would be handled now show why some general managers and coaches were eventually replaced.

So let’s begin:

2010 DRAFT

This draft likely got a couple of GMs fired because of some poor lottery picks. The Wizards got it right by taking Kentucky guard John Wall No. 1 overall. And that’s about it for what went right.

The 76ers selected Ohio State swingman Evan Turner second, and while he has had his moments, in our redraft he drops out of the lottery, replaced at No. 2 by Fresno State’s Paul George, who originally dropped to No. 10 to Indiana.

At No. 3 the Nets took Georgia Tech freshman Derrick Favors. While he has been a solid starter in the league, he has never approached All-Star status. So he gets replaced by Kentucky’s DeMarcus Cousins, who was taken fifth by Sacramento.

Minnesota was fourth with Wesley Johnson, who is already on his third team and has never averaged more than 9.9 points in a season. Instead, the Timberwolves go with Butler’s Gordon Hayward, while the Kings take Georgetown center Greg Monroe.

Two names from this lottery that still boggle the mind are Ekpe Udoh (sixth to Golden State) and Al-Farouq Aminu (eighth to the Clippers). The Warriors instead take Eric Bledsoe, and the Clippers go with Favors. Lance Stephenson catapults from the second round to seventh overall to Detroit.

The rest of this lottery remains a challenge because it wasn’t a talented draft. Turner drops to ninth for Utah, the Pacers take Larry Sanders at 10, and Avery Bradley (originally 19th to the Celtics) goes 11th to New Orleans, replacing Cole Aldrich. Undrafted guard Jeremy Lin reslots at 13th to Toronto, which had selected Ed Davis.

It wasn’t a very good year.

2011 DRAFT

While the only two serious busts of this lottery group are Jan Vesely (sixth to Washington) and Jimmer Fredette (10th by Milwaukee for Sacramento), there was a group of serviceable players who should not have been selected so high.

Kyrie Irving was a big score for Cleveland at No. 1 overall, but it sinks from there.

If Minnesota had a second chance at No. 2, it would draft San Diego State strongman Kawhi Leonard, who was taken 15th by Indiana. Utah wouldn’t take Enes Kanter third overall. The Jazz would take Washington State’s Klay Thompson instead. And while Cleveland was happy getting Texas forward Tristan Thompson fourth overall, in a redraft the Cavaliers would nab USC’s Nikola Vucevic. Instead of taking Jonas Valanciunas fifth, the Raptors would switch to Marquette’s Jimmy Butler.

Also jumping up into the lottery would be Kenneth Faried (sixth overall to Washington), Tobias Harris (eighth to Pistons), Nikola Mirotic (13th to Suns), and Isaiah Thomas, the final pick of that draft who jumps to 14th for Houston.

2012 DRAFT

This was not a lottery filled with misses, but there would be a lot of switches after Anthony Davis was taken first overall by the Hornets. While Charlotte’s Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, drafted No. 2, has turned out to be a solid defensive player, the Bobcats would redraft with Weber State’s Damian Lillard, who was taken sixth by Portland.

The Wizards would certainly stick with Florida guard Bradley Beal at No. 3, but the Cavaliers would pass on Syracuse’s Dion Waiters and take UConn big man Andre Drummond fourth. Kansas’s Thomas Robinson has been a major disappointment in the NBA, so the Kings reboot and take Michigan State’s Draymond Green, last seen helping the Warriors win an NBA title.

The Blazers are left to take Ohio State big man Jared Sullinger, who fell to the Celtics at No. 21. Golden State may stick with Harrison Barnes at No. 7, but for debate purposes, let’s say it decides on Kentucky freshman Terrence Jones instead. Barnes drops to eighth for Toronto, instead of Terrence Ross.

Texas A&M swingman Khris Middleton, a second-round pick by Detroit, still goes to the Pistons but at No. 9 overall. Ross and Waiters drop to 11th (Blazers) and 12th (Rockets), respectively. Tyler Zeller (17th to Dallas) creeps up to 13 for Phoenix and the Bucks stick with North Carolina center John Henson at 14.

2013 DRAFT

This draft will always be remembered for the major miss at No. 1, as the Cavaliers, desperate to make a splash, decided on UNLV freshman Anthony Bennett. That didn’t work out. So who is the best player from this draft? Tough question, but Cleveland selects Indiana guard Victor Oladipo with the top pick.

Orlando takes Giannis Antetokounmpo second overall. Antetokounmpo is a star on the rise and perhaps the player with the biggest upside in this draft. He originally fell to 15th to Milwaukee. That season’s Rookie of the Year, Michael Carter-Williams, is now with his second team. In the redraft he moves up to third for Washington. The Wizards originally decided on Otto Porter.

Rudy Gobert jumps to sixth overall for the Pelicans and Kelly Olynyk goes ninth to Minnesota. Three late first-rounders jump into the lottery: Tim Hardaway Jr. goes 11th to the 76ers, Mason Plumlee goes 12th to Oklahoma City, and point guard Dennis Schroder goes 13th to Dallas.


2014 DRAFT

It’s been only 12 months, but some mistakes were made.

Would the 76ers take Joel Embiid third overall knowing more about his foot issues? Would the Kings take Michigan guard Nik Stauskas at No. 8? Would be Bulls acquire the rights to Doug McDermott (11th overall) from Denver?

Elfrid Payton jumps to third from 10th, Marcus Smart jumps from sixth to fourth, Zach LaVine jumps from 13th to fifth, and Jordan Clarkson catapults from 46th to ninth.

Several lottery picks haven’t gotten a full season to prove themselves because of injury, including Noah Vonleh, Embiid, Jabari Parker, and Julius Randle.


bob
MY NOTE: This copy-and-paste does not do justice to the piece. They let you pick before/after views, where they reshuffle the draft to look like what they think the draft would have looked like if they knew then what they know now. Go to the link and click on it to do this.


.