The Winners & Losers of the 2012 NBA Draft

Part 2 - The Losers

Cleveland Cavaliers - The Cavaliers came into this draft possessing no less than four picks (Nos. 4, 24, 33, 34), so it was no surprise that the were among the most frequent names mentioned in trade rumors. The Cavs were believed to be very high on Bradley Beal and were looking to make a deal with Charlotte for the No. 2 pick so as to select him ahead of the Wizards. It appears when this deal fell through they were still intent on taking a wing player and so reached for Syracuse sixth man Dion Waters. This was a very strange pick, and it's difficult to imagine why the Cavs chose to take Waiters at when they surely could have swung a deal to trade down a couple of spots, still select him and maybe even pick up an asset in the process. The Cavaliers other first round pick was Tyler Zeller, whose draft rights they received in a trade with Dallas. The trade involved the Mavericks receiving the 23rd, 33rd and 34th picks in exchange for the 17th pick, which the Cav's then used to select Zeller. I understand the Zeller dropped lower than expected, and that he is a solid big man who can run the floor, but if they had not made that trade the Cav's could perhaps have gambled on Perry Jones at 23, and then still had solid swingmen like Doron Lamb and Orlando Johnson on the board in the second round.

Damian Lillard

Portland Trailblazers - The Blazer came into this draft with two lottery picks, thanks to the Gerald Wallace trade they made with the Brooklyn Nets earlier this year. How they used those picks though is questionable. With the sixth pick, they took Damian Lillard from Weber State. Lillard is a two-tim Big Sky Conference MVP and does project to be one of the best point guards from this draft, but to pick him this high seems unnecessarily risky given the players who were still on the board. Lillard never plated against a top 25 team during his time in college, and his team never made the NCAA tournament. His very much untested against the best talent in college basketball, let alone the NBA. Harrison Barnes, Austin Rivers or even Drummond would surely have been better picks at this point. Given that the Blazers may lose current small forward Nicolas Batum in Free agency, Barnes would have been an excellent pick-up, and though Portland's history with centers isn't great¹, Drummond could have been a potential perfect front-court partner for LaMarcus Aldridge.

With the 11th pick, Portland selected Illinois center Meyers Leonard, an athletic big with some potential, but plenty of improving to do. This pick makes little sense considering the other big man options available - John Henson and Tyler Zeller. Even one of the Jones' - Terrence or Perry III, - would have been preferable in my opinion.

Terrence Ross

Toronto Raptors - At No. 9, the Raptors reached for wingman Terrence Ross out of Washington. Ross was a scoring machine in college - averaging 25 ppg, - but whether he can be half that at the pro-level remains a big question. He had been rising up team's draft boards in the final days of scouting but nonetheless he was not expected to go this high and there were opportunities for the Raptors to trade down² and still select their guy.

Miles Plumlee

Indiana Pacers - When you're selected where the Pacers were in a draft (No. 26), it's hard to get it wrong enough to make a 'draft losers' list, but this is exactly what the Pacers did by selecting Duke's Miles Plumlee. Sure, you're highly unlikely to find a franchise changing player this late in the first round, but there were so many guys left on the board who were either a) more talented, b) had much greater potential than Plumlee, or c) both. The Pacers already possess great front-court depth, so when Plumlee will even get to see playing time is questionable. A wasted pick by the Pacers.

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist - MKG has been widely praised as a youngster who possesses all the intangibles and winning credentials needed to be a quality player and leader on the NBA level. Let's just hope is personal development isn't hindered by the difficult situation he finds himself in. MKG is known for his defensive instincts, and while this can only help Charlotte they're going to need as much as he can possibly provide offensively as well. I loved this pick for the Bobcats, but I don't love it so much for Kidd-Gilchrist. Let's hope the Bobcat's can find him the help he needs and deserves sooner rather than later.

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1. Bill Walton, who the Blazers selected as the No. 1 pick in 1974 draft, led the team to the 1977 championship and won the 1978 MVP award before a serious of injuries cut short his career and caused him to demand a trade from the Blazers.

In 1984, the Blazers famously selected Kentucky center Sam Bowie second overall, ahead of future Hall of Famer Michael Jordan. Bowie went on to have a solid NBA career averaging 10.9 points and 7.5 rebounds a game, but was frequently troubled by injuries and never reached his original potential.

The next potential franchise center the Blazers acquired was Arvydas Sabonis, from Lithuania. Sabonis though, spent most of his career in Europe and did not arrive in Portland until he was 31 years old.

The Blazers more recently selected Greg Oden with the No. 1 pick in the 2007 draft, (ahead of Kevin Durant). In five seasons with the Blazers, Oden consistently struggled with knee injuries, and played a total of 82 games during that time, before Portland released him earlier this year.

2. Houston would almost certainly have pulled the trigger on a deal that sent Kyle Lowry and the No. 12 pick to the Raptors for their No. 8 pick. In that scenario, Terrence Jones is almost certainly still available at twelve, if Toronto was really that sold on him.

GAA: Saturday's Football Previews

Saturday

All-Ireland SFC Qualifiers: Round 1

This season's GAA Football Championship finally moves to a knockout format this weekend, while the provincial championships head towards their climax, with plenty of action around the country on both Saturday and Sunday. Here's a quick preview of each of Saturday's games, for Sunday's matches, have a look at Part 2.

London vs. Antrim, Ruislip, 13:00

Both of these teams come into Saturday's clash after narrow defeats in their respective provincial championships. London took Leitrim to the wire before falling by a single point, while Antrim ran Monaghan close in Ulster before ultimately coming up three points short. London should be able to put it up to Antrim at times and they'll fight this one to the death but ultimately Antrim's greater experience and scoring class should see them into the second round with 5 or 6 points to spare.

Wicklow vs. Waterford, Aughrim, 14:00

Not so long ago this would have been a closely contested match-up with little between these to bottom-dwelling counties. However times have changed and the strides Wicklow have made in recent years will stand to them in this one. Waterford looked very poor in their defeat to Limerick, and while Wicklow will have been disappointed not to push Meath that bit further in Leinster, they will have than enough here. Home advantage should only embellish their superiority and they'll win this one handily.

Westmeath vs. Louth, Cusack Park, 19:00

These teams haven't had to wait long for a rematch of their tightly contested Leinster first round clash. Westmeath feel they were robbed that afternoon with a last minute goal giving Louth the narrowest of victories. Very little has changed since then with Westmeath awaiting the qualifier draw while Louth were predictably pummeled by Dublin. It should go right down to the wire again today with both sides very evenly matched. Westmeath probably have better scoring potential in their forward line and they will be hungry to make good on last month's disappointment. Still, Louth should be able to get a foothold in midfield, and if they do they'll have enough to scrape through.

Tipperary vs. Offaly, Thurles, 19:00

Despite being eliminated by Kerry in Munster, Tipperary will draw some confidence from the way they made that match competitive. They'll be delighted with the opportunity the have to build on that performance with a home draw against a struggling Offaly. The Faithfulcome into this Saturday's game looking to regain lost pride following on from a humiliating defeat to Kildare in the Leinster Championship. Despite their struggles in Leinster in recent years Offaly do have some talented players and on occasion that has been enough to get them the odd qualifier win. That said, while this match will likely come down to the wire, home advantage and a greater desire to win should see Tipp into the draw for round two.

Laois vs. Carlow, Portlaoise, 19:00

After a devastating last gasp defeat to Longford on May 20th, Saturday evening's clash with Carlow looks like the perfect opportunity for Laois to begin building some backdoor momentum. Carlow look set to be without key forward Daniel St Ledger, and with captain Shane Redmond also doubtful, their hopes of producing a shock look small. Laois played Division I football this spring, and though they were relegated, that level of competition suggest they should be far superior to Division IV side Carlow. But, Championship football is rarely that simple and Carlow have been improving in recent years under the stewardship of Luke Dempsey. They'll play with heart and could make things uncomfortable for Laois at times but the O'Moore County will just have to much in the tank and should pull away as the second half draws on.

Longford vs. Derry, Pearse Park, 19:00

Arguably the most intriguing tie of the round, both teams would have been hoping to avoid such a challenge in round 1. Derry have a lot to prove after an extremely disappointing defeat at the hands of Donegal a couple of weeks ago. Given the talent the possess Derry really shouldn't be getting beaten that handily by anyone, and so there are serious questions about this teams ability to function as an effective unit and perform on a consistent basis. That being said, Derry have been consistent this year - consistently underwhelming. They had a very poor year in Division II and were somewhat lucky to avoid relegation in the end. On the other end of the spectrum, Longford have so far had a largely positive 2012. The emerged unbeaten as Division III champions in the spring and followed that up with an excellent hard-fought victory over Laois (a division I opponent) in the Leinster championship. Their inability to put away a spirited Wexford team they could well have beaten was disappointing but they'll be hoping to prove that was no more than a bump in the road. Derry have the superior talent here, here Longford are very well organised defensively and possess the forwards - in Sean McCormack and Paul Barden - to keep things close. If they can do that, a hungry home crowd in Pearse Park might just carry them over the line.

Ulster SFC semi-final

Tyrone vs. Donegal, 16:30

We're set for a real battle in Ulster on Saturday afternoon when Tyrone and Donegal go head-to-head in a battle that sees the province's former top dog - Tyrone -,  up against their potential successor - Donegal. The two sides met at this stage of the Ulster championship last year, when Donegal staged a heroic second-half comeback to de-throne 14-man Tyrone. With that in mind, a win for Donegal this weekend could be a pivotal nail in the coffin of Tyrone's provincial dominance. After last seasons impressive campaign, Donegal got off to a slow start this season finishing in the middle of the pack in Division I. But as the weeks have past and players' fitness has improved, they've begun rediscover the superb defensive intensity that was a staple of their success in 2011. What has been most impressive about Donegal though, is the attacking flair they've shown in their opening two championship games, in which they scored a combined 2-29. In the end though, this match will probably be a defensive battle and neither team is likely to rack up a huge score. Donegal defend with the kind of pathological intensity not seen since Tyrone's 2003 All-Ireland winning team and that will be what sees them through against this still solid Tyrone outfit.

Ronaldo's defining night

This was supposed to be Cristiano Ronaldo's night. His moment to shine again on the world stage and show football fans everywhere that the Ronaldo-Messi debate should still be ongoing. Instead we witnessed a dour match in which Spain - as they have done throughout this tournament - looked very much mortal, but Portugal were just not able to take advantage.

As soon as I saw Bruno Alves walking up to take that fourth Portuguese penalty the contest already felt over.¹ I understand that Paulo Bento had selected the order of his five penalty takers before the shootout started, but why was Ronaldo picked to take the last penalty? In a contest such as a penalty shootout where there is no guarantee you'll have a fifth kick, it makes no sense to 'save' your best player until last. Perhaps most will disagree but I always feel the fourth penalty is the most important one. By this point in a shootout there has nearly always been at least one or two missed kicks, and very often the fourth penalty is the 'win or go home' decider. The fact that Portugal elected to have a defender - one who never takes penalties for his club - take this crucial kick is severely flawed logic.

Whether Ronaldo actually would have scored his penalty is another thing altogether. He has been extremely impressive from the spot since his transfer to Real Madrid, where he is the number one penalty taker. During his professional career he has scored thirty-four of his thirty-eight spot kicks, a number obviously inflated in recent years given the integral role he has taken on for both Real Madrid and Portugal. However, as good as the those numbers may look, he has struggled somewhat in shootouts. As recently as April he missed a critical kick in Real Madrid's Champions League semi-final shootout defeat to Bayern Munich, and Manchester United fans will surely remember the shootout kick he missed in the final of the same competition in 2008, although his team ultimately won that night.

Regardless of what role he had in the decision to kick last on Wednesday night, footbal fans coming away from this game will be left with a feeling of disappointment. Ronaldo performed reasonably well but never seemed to take charge of a match that was crying out for someone to take it by the scruff of the neck. The Messi-Ronaldo debate may not be quite over yet, but despite his heroics earlier in the tournament, Ronaldo's inability to truly leave an imprint on Wednesday night's game, is certainly a missed opportunity to make the debate a more heated one, once again.

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1. Despite being told he was to take the fourth kick, Alves was so nervous that he mistakenly tried to walk up to take the third kick. He was chased down by the actual penalty taker, Nani, who proceeded to slot his penalty to the net.

The Winners & Losers of the 2012 NBA Draft

Part 1 - The Winners

Anthony Davis

New Orleans Hornets - Anytime you have the No.’s 1 & 10 picks, you’re likely to be among the drafts winners, but for the Hornets this meant so much more than just that. After losing franchise player Chris Paul at the beginning of last season, Hornets fans surely couldn’t believe their luck at having the opportunity to draft another once in a generation talent just 7 months later. In Anthony Davis the Hornets have an ideal centrepiece around which to rebuild their franchise. Davis’ elite defensive abilities and excellent shot blocking instincts should have an immediate impact at the professional level, and while he’s not your prototypical back to the basket big man on the offensive end, he can run the floor like few players his size¹ and makes great use of his elite athleticism on the offensive boards. Once he adds more muscle to his frame and develops a consistent jumper, Davis has the potential to be a dominant big man - especially defensively - along the lines of a Patrick Ewing.

Austin Rivers

With blossoming young shooting guard Eric Gordon²coming back from a long-term injury, to add to the mix, the Hornets look like a team with a really good future. With the No. 10 pick, the Hornets took Austin Rivers from Duke, a combo guard with an excellent shooting touch and an ego to match. Rivers was a top prospect coming out of high school but, despite a pretty steller year in college, his stock dropped as questions arose about his size, and his ability to handle the ball. Most scouts project him to be a shooting guard at the NBA level, so he will be a little bit undersized, but should be able to light up the score board in patches. Look for him to develop into a rich man’s Jason Terry, a great sixth man who could be an integral role player on a very good team. Let’s just hope his alpha-dog mind-set won’t get in the way of his development as a player.

Bradley Beal

Washington Wizards - After another abysmal - albeit hilarious³ - season for the Wizards, management has done an excellent job of turning their previous cast of clowns⁴ into a semi-respectable basketball team. Shipping out JaVale McGee for Nenê at March’s trade deadline, and getting Nick Young⁵ off the books was a solid start. Turning Rashard Lewis’ ridiculous contract into two solid, if overpaid, veterans (Emeka Okafor and Trevor Ariza) was another sign of progress.⁶

Bradley Beal, who they took with the No. 3 pick, is a pure-shooter with unlimited range, who compares favourably with a younger Ray Allen. He should be a great fit next to John Wall in a Wizards backcourt, that should now be able to space the floor well.

Harrison Barnes

Golden State Warriors - At No. 7, Harrison Barnes is a good value pick, who should be an excellent fit with the Warriors. Barnes’s stock has dropped since his High School days,⁷ but he still projects to be a very good player - maybe even a borderline All-Star player.⁸ He fills a position of need for Golden State and is a high character, hard working guy, with an excellent range and shooting ability. The selection of Vanderbilt center, Festus Ezeli, at No. 30, is also a solid pick-up for the Warriors, as he projects to be a decent back-up big man in the league. A player like that is always a good value flyer at the end of the first round.

Andre Drummond

Detroit Pistons - Probably the riskiest pick in the entire draft, Andre Drummond, who the Pistons selected at No. 9, is an athletic freak along the lines of Dwight Howard or Amare Stoudomaire. Drummond is easily one of the most athletic big men ever seen in NBA History, but there are critical doubts about his maturity and work ethic, which caused so many GM’s to pass on him in the high lottery. He could either be a Dwight Horward or a Hasheem Thabeet,⁹ depending on how he applies himself. That said, he was worth the risk for the Pistons at this point in the mid-lottery and, if he pans out, he would be a great partner for Greg Monroe in Detroit’s front-court.

Jeremy Lamb

Houston Rockets - The Rocket's may have failed in their attempts to trade for Dwight Howard but they made some great value selections with the three picks the acquired in that process. At No. 12, they gleefully chose Jeremy Lamb, the highly touted UConn guard. Lamb was ranked by most as the second best shooting guard prospect in the draft after Bradley Beal, so it was major surprise that he was still on the board at twelve. He should be a very good player at the next level and his selection frees up the Rockets to trade veteran guard Kevin Martin, whose contract will be an expiring deal next season. 

At No. 16, they reached for Royce White from Iowa State. White has a much publicised anxiety disorder which had turned some GM's off, but the Rockets apparently weren't deterred and White could be a steal at this point in the mid-first round. 

The Rocket's third first round pick came at No. 18 and again the found great value, with Kentucky swingman Terrence Jones surprisingly still available. Jones is a left-handed player with a solid inside-outside game who should be a solid starter in the NBA.  

Perry Jones III

Oklahoma City Thunder - The Thunder undoubtedly got the steal of the 2012 NBA Draft. Perry Jones III, who they selected with this pick, was projected pre-draft in the 10-15 range,¹⁰ but his stock dropped spectacularly due to a late rumour that he may need meniscus surgery on his knee. There are serious questions about his motivation and competitive drive - and now his health - but, at No. 28, this is a great, low-risk, high-reward pick for OKC. Although the Thunder’s roster is young, they came very close to winning it all this year and their young leaders (Durant and Westbrook) won’t tolerate anything but total commitment from their new rookie. This is a perfect situation for Jones to develop, and he could become the young, and inexpensive, replacement for James Harden or Serge Ibaka, should the Thunder need to trade either to avoid the luxury tax.

Marquis Teague

Chicago Bulls - The Bulls found a steal of their own at No. 29, with Kentucky point guard, Marquis Teague.¹¹ The Bulls couldn’t believe that Teague dropped to them at this pick, and hadn’t even worked him out pre-draft, believing he would no longer be available, by the time they were on the board. Teague is super-athletic and can create his own shot - something the Bulls desperately need, especially given the absence of Derrick Rose next season. Expect him to see plenty of minutes at the lead guard next season, with Rose out. However, it is likely that he won’t start, given that Coach Thibodeau tends to trust his veterans over young rookies.

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1. Think of a longer, more athletic Joakim Noah.

2. Gordon is a restricted free agent, but the Hornets are expected to match any/all offers.

3. Just type the name JaVale McGee into youtube.

4.  The Wizards' roster at the beginning of last season had quite possibly the lowest basketball IQ of any professional basketball team ... ever. Seriously, watch the games.

5. http://twitter.com/NickSwagyPYoung/

6. The key to this trade is that the Wizards will now still have their amnesty provision available to use on Andray Blatche.

7. He was the No. 1 prospect in his class coming out of high school and was widely earmarked as the next Kobe Bryant.

8. Think Luol Deng but with a more consistent stroke.

9. Thabeet was selected No. 2 overall by the Grizzlies, in 2009. To date he's been traded twice, and played for three teams in as many years, while struggling to crack the rotation anywhere.

10. Pre-season, some scouts had the Baylor forward pencilled in as a top 5 pick.

11. Marquis is the younger brother of Atlanta Hawks point guard, Jeff Teague.