Team
NBA-DRAFT.COM 2012 Draft Grades - Winners and Losers
 
Atlanta Hawks

Grade: C-

Round 1: John Jenkins (23)

Round 2: Mike Scott (43)

Analysis: Right now, the Hawks have a little bit under $61 million committed to six players on the roster next season, so it's no surprise that the front office went after NBA-ready prospects. And by doing so, Atlanta passes on filling up depth and upside, including at point guard with Tony Wroten and Marquis Teague available at No. 23. 
Boston Celtics

Grade: B+

Round 1: Jared Sullinger (21), Fab Melo (22)

Round 2: Kris Joseph (51)

Analysis: With six players under contract for 2012-13 during the time of the Draft (and Kevin Garnett has since re-signed), it was important for Boston to get younger, but moreso talent in a hurry. And with back-to-back picks in the first-round, Danny Ainge explored the possibility of packaging to trade up or hold tight and see who might possibly fall. And in the end, his strategy of holding onto 21 and 22 worked out when Boston got a lottery-caliber player in Jared Sullinger, whose recent health concerns dropped him down 10-15 picks. Fab Melo's size, defense and shot-blocking are intriguing, but he is still a few years away. In the second-round, Kris Joseph gives good athleticism on the wing, but he failed to show much consistency in college.
Brooklyn Nets

Grade: D

Round 1: None

Round 2: Tyshawn Taylor (41), Tornike Shengelia (54), Ilkan Karaman (57)

Analysis: No matter what the Nets pulled off in the second-round, it was going to be nearly impossible to make up for the Gerald Wallace for the No. 6 overall pick. Harrison Barnes ended up going No. 7 and he could be a better player next season and he costs a small percentage of what Brooklyn had to re-sign Wallace for. This deal is one that could set them back even further in building a contender.

The pick of speedy, but turnover-prone Tyshawn Taylor in the second-round was a good pickup. There was some chatter that Taylor's size and quickness could net him a late-first round selection.
Charlotte Bobcats

Grade: A-

Round 1: Bismack Biyombo (7, acquired from Sacramento), Kemba Walker (9)

Round 2: No picks

Charlotte drafted some much-needed help at two critical positions. Michael Jordan loved Biyombo's workouts- he showed toughness and excellent defensive abilities and capable of finishing around the rim. His halfcourt offensive game may never reach an adequate high school level, but with his length, athleticism and motor, he will be able to contribute right away defensively.

Walker brings about toughness and an improvement to the point guard position, but his biggest impact will be as a scoring threat for the offensively-depleted Bobcats. He joins a fellow-undersized point guard DJ Augustin on the roster, but he is a proven winner and was the right choice for this team moving forward.
Chicago Bulls

Grade: A

Round 1: Marquis Teague (29)

Round 2: None

Analysis: Every single team personnel member we spoke to thought Teague would surely go higher in 2013 than he was projected to go in 2012 due to the inconsistencies in his floor play (turnovers, perimeter shooting). But with another seasoning under Coach Calipari at Kentucky, some felt he could have been a top-ten top-15 pick next season. So at 29, the Bulls got great value in landing the super-quick point guard.
Cleveland Cavaliers

Grade: B

Round 1: Dion Waiters (4), Tyler Zeller (17)

Round 2: None

Analysis: For the second-straight season, Cleveland reached for a player at No. 4, first, Tristan Thompson and now, Waiters. But Waiters has the scoring prowess that the Cavaliers needed in the worst way and went with the dynamic abilities of the Syracuse guard to score inside and out, as well as play some point, over the more-perimeter-oriented Harrison Barnes. We can't blame the Cavs for taking Waiters, but could have likely traded down a few picks to get him if there were any takers on the Thomas Robinson-front.

Cleveland then packaged No. 24, 33 and 34 to move up to 17 and select Tyler Zeller who was thought to go in the 7-14 range. Zeller has NBA size and strength and moves well on the floor and despite limited-athleticism, he is a serviceable spot-starter or first big off the bench.
Dallas Mavericks

Grade: C

Round 1: Jared Cunningham (24)

Round 2: Bernard James (33), Jae Crowder (34)

Analysis: Cunningham was a quiet-riser throughout the Draft process despite his inability to shoot the ball from the perimeter. But what he does offer teams are two elite skills: perimeter defense (91 steals, third in the NCAA) and relentless attack off the bounce (270 free-throws attempts, second in the country). But what Dallas really needed was a point guard to replace the gaining (and free agent) Jason Kidd and again, Wroten and Teague were on the board here.

In the second-round, the crowd loved the pick of Air Force veteran Bernard James to give the team some beef and toughness in the frontcourt. Jae Crowder of Maruqette with the following pick was all about the intangibles since the size and position isn't all defined for Crowder. With three more seasons of Brendan Haywood, but no depth on the roster, the James pick wasn't a bad one, but with Crowder, as good as his hustle and energy are, Draymond Green, Quincy Miller or Will Barton could have brought more upside and production.
Denver Nuggets

Grade: B

Round 1: Evan Fournier (20)

Round 2: Quincy Miller (38), Izzet Turkyilmaz (50)

Analysis: Denver had a solid draft, selecting first-round graded prospects with their first two picks and a European forward to stash overseas for a few years with their last pick. With ten players under contract at the time of the Draft and adding in the recent signing of Andre Miller, we understand why Denver went for Fournier at No. 20 and will keep him overseas for a year. He has good size and slashing abilities on the offensive end and really was the only international prospect worthy of a first-round selection.

In the second-round, the Nuggets got great value out of Quincy Miller, a top-20 player in the class. Had it not been for a knee injury as a senior in high school, Miller's only collegiate season likely would have been much more productive and thus we could have seen him as a top-ten or top-15 pick. That's the exact reasoning why scouts wanted to see him stay in school for another year, but at 38, there is little risk.
Detroit Pistons

Grade: A-

Round 1: Andre Drummond (9)

Round 2: Khris Middleton (39), Kim English (44)

Analysis: As good as the Draft went for the Pistons, their long-term grade could be even higher. At No. 9, Andre Drummond's potential reward as a franchise-big outweighed the risk of bust-potential. Not only was he one of our top five players on our Big Board, but he fits a need for Detroit, hopefully shoring up the frontcourt for years to come next to Greg Monroe, an emerging presence in the Eastern Conference.

Had he come out a year ago or avoided injury this season, Khris Middleton's smooth game as a solid all-around wing would have made him a late-first round pick. Kim English wasn't on many, if any, teams' Top 60 to start the season after his shooting fell off the face of the Earth as a junior, but he scorched the nets well enough as a senior to serve as an inexpensive replacement to the recently-traded shooting of Ben Gordon.
Golden State Warriors

Grade: A

Round 1: Harrison Barnes (7), Festus Ezeli (30)

Round 2: Draymond Green (35), Ogjen Kuzmic (52)

Analysis: Even though the Warriors' were fully entrenched in Draft rumors a few days before the Draft, they came away with two of the top players on their board given where they were picking as Harrison Barnes fell right into their laps at No. 7. The team was hoping for Dion Waiters and combine him with Steph Curry and Klay Thompson, but the addition of Barnes is potentially-better, as he adds better perimeter shooting to an already strong cast and much more size. At the end of the first-round, Golden State added even more depth to their frontcourt with a promising shot-blocking project, Festus Ezeli.

It was surprising that even with Draymond Green's limited athleticism and "tweener" size that he slipped into the second-round. He was one of the most versatile and productive college players the past few seasons.
Houston Rockets

Grade: B

Round 1: Jeremy Lamb (12), Royce White (16), Terrence Jones (18)

Round 2: Furkan Aldemir (53)

Analysis: Perhaps, if we didn't know Darryl Morey's end goal was to accumulate enough assets to trade for the most-dominant big man in the game i.e., Dwight Howard, he would of gotten an A for the talent he accrued. It was a bold move that appeared to fall just short as of now. But even still Houston was able to select three lottery-type talents that had slipped for various reasons (Lamb's ankle injury, White's anxiety, Jones' inconsistencies). Even if they are all solid players, White and Jones have similar skill sets as "tweener" forwards who can handle the ball some, score a bit from the mid-range and inside, duplicating the services offered to a lesser degree of Marcus Morris and Patrick Patterson.

We know Morey isn't happy sitting on the fence as a playoff team, so we anxiously await his next move, which will surely follow trend and be a bold move.
Indiana Pacers

Grade: D

Round 1: Miles Plumlee (26)

Round 2: Orlando Johnson (36)

Analysis: The only thing that saved this Draft from being an "F" in our book was taking Orlando Johnson in the second-round. It's not very common that the second-round pick is currently a better prospect and has more potential than a team's first-round pick, but that's just what the Pacers got. As enamored as teams were with Miles Plumlee's athleticism and ridiculous vertical leap, can we really look over four years of mediocre-at-best production at Duke? Especially, when much-higher-graded prospects like Perry Jones, Marquis Teague, and Arnett Moultrie were on the board still.
LA Clippers

Grade: C+

Round 1: None

Round 2: None

Analysis: Despite not having any picks (first-round pick was traded to the Hornets for Chris Paul and sold their second-round pick of Furkan Aldemir to Houston), the Clippers made significant buzz on Draft night by moving Mo Williams for Lamar Odom in a three-team deal.
LA Lakers

Grade: C

Round 1: None

Round 2: Darius Johnson-Odom (55), Robert Sacre (60)

Analysis: The Lakers bought a second-round pick off Dallas and ended up with Darius Johnson-Odom, a feisty scoring guard, albeit an undersized 2 that can't play any point. Robert Sacre is a 7-footer with a big wide frame who can play from 10 feet and in, using his bull-like strength to muscle his way around the paint, but didn't dominate collegiately like he could have. It's difficult to have a Draft that gets a good grade when you are picking this low.
Memphis Grizzlies

Grade: B

Round 1: Tony Wroten (25)

Round 2: None

Analysis: Based on potential-alone, Wroten could have been a top-five pick, but he was hammered by GMs for his lack of decision-making, which obviously includes turnovers (3.8 per game), but moreso an inadequate jump shot that he continued to shoot time and time again. But he has the size, strength and ability to see the floor, thread that pass through the heart of the defense and attack the rim to make this a solid risk/reward pick.
Miami Heat

Grade: F

Round 1: None

Round 2: Justin Hamilton (45)

Analysis: Miami traded their first-round pick to Philadelphia for a future-first and this year's second, but at No. 27 with both Arnett Moultrie and Perry Jones, two top-15 talents on the board, it was difficult to fathom them trading this pick away. Moultrie is in a similar mold of Chris Bosh, thin-frame but still a solid rebounder and strong perimeter shooter. Perry Jones possesses one of the highest ceilings in the Draft and at 27, the risk/reward is quite low. Miami had a chance to create even more separation between themselves and the rest of the league, but failed to do so in this Draft.
Milwaukee Bucks

Grade: B+

Round 1: John Henson (14)

Round 2: Doron Lamb (42)

Analysis: Milwaukee traded down in the first-round with Houston and still managed to get their hands on the prospect they desired- John Henson. The Bucks are enamored with long shot-blockers (Larry Sanders, Sam Dalembert, Ekpe Udoh), especially the lean ones, but Henson has more offensive potential than the previous three, showing some real nice, under-the-radar development in his mid-range game at North Carolina this last season. Doron Lamb is a solid pick in the second-round and was a borderline first-round prospect. He can play some point, play some shooting guard, but really shoot the ball.
Minnesota Timberwolves

Grade: C+

Round 1: None

Round 2: Robbie Hummel (58)

Analysis: Minnesota traded their first-round pick to Houston before the Draft in exchange for Chase Budinger to fill a void at shooting guard. Houston selected Terrence Jones with the pick, who has more talent and a higher ceiling, but still, Minnesota didn't need another perimeter-oriented 4 here. At No. 58, Hummel gives the team character and perimeter-shooting on the wing.
New Orleans Hornets

Grade: A+

Round 1: Anthony Davis (1), Austin Rivers (10)

Round 2: Darius Miller (46)

Analysis: Granted, when there's only one true-star in the Draft, it's going to be easy to get a high grade, but New Orleans added plenty of talent with Austin Rivers at No. 10 and Darius Miller in the second round. Davis is a franchise-changer, no doubt. Pairing him with combo-guard Austin Rivers, and hopefully the re-signing of Eric Gordon at shooting guard, gives this team an excellent young core. Darius Miller serves as a much less-expensive version of Trevor Ariza with his defensive versatility and better perimeter-shooting.
New York Knicks

Grade: B-

Round 1: None

Round 2: Kostas Papanikolaou (48)

Analysis: Houston had New York's first-round pick and with little cap room available, New York nabbed one of the top international players in the Draft in the second round. There was much intrigue surrounding Papanikolaou after he locked down former NBA-er Andrei Kirilenko in the Euroleague Final Four. It would have been interesting to see Royce White playing in this Knicks' system- he would have been a great fit.
Oklahoma City Thunder

Grade: A

Round 1: Perry Jones (28)

Round 2: None

Analysis: At least in the short-term, the Thunder end up with the "steal of the Draft" when a top-ten or so prospect fell all the way down to them at No. 28. Sure, there was a red-flag, but with Perry Jones, Scott Brooks can bring him along slowly, adding no pressure to the youngster. Pairing him up with a core of star players should give Jones the confidence he needs to rise up.
Orlando Magic

Grade: B

Round 1: Andrew Nicholson (19)

Round 2: Kyle O'Quinn (49)

Analysis: It's just a matter of time before that ticking bomb goes off and Orlando unloads Dwight Howard. While they weigh the different options, the Magic selected two solid four-year frontcourt prospects with size and the ability to step outside. However, it's unclear of what their role may be with Ryan Anderson locking down the starting job for years to come. Perhaps Orlando would have been better using one of the two picks on a point guard to serve as Jameer Nelson's eventual-replacement.
Philadelphia 76ers

Grade: B+

Round 1: Moe Harkless (15), Arnett Moultrie (27)

Round 2: None

Analysis: The one area Philadelphia really needed to improve was perimeter shooting and Moe Harkless was a horrendous perimeter shooter in his lone college season, but offers great upside in athleticism and the way he can really fly up-and-down the floor; he opens up the door for the Sixers to trade Andre Iguodala this season, but Harkless is still years away both physically and basketball IQ.

Trading for the No. 27 spot and selecting Arnett Moultrie was a great move as Elton Brand is in his last year with the team. Even with Thad Young, Nik Vucevic and newly re-signed Lavoy Allen on the roster, Moultrie brings about better perimeter shooting from the 4-spot and upgrades the overall athleticism of the group.
Phoenix Suns

Grade: B-

Round 1: Kendall Marshall (13)

Round 2: None

Analysis: It was looking bleak, even before this pick, that two-time league MVP Steve Nash would re-sign in Phoenix, so Kendall Marshall, possessing a similar high-level of court vision would give the Suns his eventual replacement. While Marshall isn't a great athlete, he can get out in transition and really thread the passes; his court-vision is already one of the five best at the NBA-level, it's just his outside shooting and defensive liabilities that put his stock in question.
Portland Trail Blazers

Grade: A-

Round 1: Damian Lillard (6), Meyers Leonard (11)

Round 2: Will Barton (40)

Analysis: The overwhelming theme to Portland's Draft was athleticism. Lillard out-performed Derrick Rose in terms of Combine numbers, Meyers Leonard moves so well for a 7-footer and has great explosiveness and Barton's dynamic abilities give him the ability to put up points in a hurry or grab all rebounds in sight. All three of these players could potentially start for the TrailBlazers in 2-3 years.
Sacramento Kings

Grade: A-

Round 1: Thomas Robinson (5)

Round 2: None

Analysis: It was speculated that if Anthony Davis, Bradley Beal, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Thomas Robinson were off the board before Sacramento hit the clock, they would have traded out of the spot to Houston. But Thomas Robinson fell right two them, giving them a tremendous offensive and defensive rebounder to pair with an already-strong DeMarcus Cousins in those two areas. His effort and motor could be what is needed to help turn Cousins' attitude around for the better.
San Antonio Spurs

Grade: B

Round 1: None

Round 2: Marcus Denmon (59)

Analysis: Denmon is a knockdown shooter and at 59, you couldn't ask for anything more than that. Knowing Denmon and the Spurs, he will surely be an impact player in the rotation for years to come. Good value. Good selection.
Toronto Raptors

Grade: C-

Round 1: Terrence Ross (8)

Round 2: Quincy Acy (37), Tomislav Zubcic (56)

Toronto needed help defensively badly and what they got was a big man, talented no doubt, but one who won't be playing in the NBA next season. Plus, he gave the worst interview probably in the history of the NBA Draft. Valanciunas is a long-term risk with other players like Bismack Biyombo and Brandon Knight on the board, both of whom the team liked a lot.
Utah Jazz

Grade: B

Round 1: None

Round 2: Kevin Murphy (47)

Analysis: Had the ping-pong balls fallen another way, Utah would have had Golden State's lottery pick and the ability to take Harrison Barnes to pair next to Gordon Hayward and a potent frontcourt. But even in the event that they didn't, leaving the Jazz with just a second-round pick, they still managed to add depth to the wing with a small-school prospect that they have had success with in the past.
Washington Wizards

Grade: A

Round 1: Bradley Beal (3)

Round 2: Tomas Satoransky (32)

Analysis: Washington needed shooting to open up the driving lanes for John Wall and anything was better than Nick Young was last season. At No. 3, the Wizards landed Bradley Beal, who some had pegged as the second-best prospect in the Draft in terms of potential behind Anthony Davis, but the comparisons to knockdown shooters were limitless. He was the best pick and fills a need.

Tomas Satoransky has had an up-and-down last few years, but at No. 32, he has no pressure to come over from Europe right now, and when he does, he will give the team depth on the bench.