Kaminsky, Hardaway, Cauley-Stein add spice to lackluster Draft Night
Here are a few off-the-cuff observations from Thursday's NBA draft, an over-hyped event that, relatively speaking, offered more surprising picks than monumental trades:
1. I watched the first half of Round 1 at a restaurant with some media friends. And one radio guy, in particular, swore the Hawks would either snag-and-stash a European big man -- like Serbia's Nikola Milutinov (No. 25 to the Spurs) or Spain's Guillermo Hernangomez (No. 35 to the 76ers) -- or trade out of the opening round altogether.
Technically, my friend was incorrect, as the Hawks initially traded down four spots (swapping picks with the Wizards, who landed Kansas wing Kelly Oubre) and then executed a rookie-for-veteran swap with the Knicks at the No. 19 slot -- surrendering Notre Dame guard Jerian Grant and adding Tim Hardaway Jr. (headed into third NBA season).
This mini-stanza isn't to degrade the Hawks' trade for Hardaway, who dutifully averaged 11.5 points with the wretched Knicks last season. For what it's worth, he averaged 24 points in his final two outings -- including 23 points and five assists against Atlanta on April 13.
Here's my beef with how things went down: From a pound-per-pound perspective, this year's draft seemingly has more blue-chippers and greater depth than the last two drafts.
And just 24 months ago, Hardaway was merely the 24th choice in a draft class full of supporting members -- not All-Star standouts.
Doing the math: If Hardaway had an uneven campaign last year (seasonal averages of only 1.8 assists/2.2 rebounds), and Knicks fans were all too happy to part with him early on, then how could the Michigan product be the equivalent of the 19th pick in Round 1 this year ... from a more-loaded draft?
(From a metrics standpoint last season, Hardaway apparently ranked 94th out of 100 shooting guards in "defensive plus-minus.")
Obviously, the point guard-heavy Hawks have been twice blessed with quality floor generals (Jeff Teague and Dennis Schroder), signifying that Jerian Grant wasn't an essential piece of the club's long-range vision.
But if Atlanta was so determined to save some money with this year's draft class, in hopes of earmarking more funds for July free agency (LaMarcus Aldridge? Jimmy Butler? Tyson Chandler? Re-signing Paul Millsap and/or DeMarre Carroll?) ... then why did the Hawks opt to swap first-round selections with the Nets before the draft -- as part of the Joe Johnson trade from a few years ago?
It's mathematically better (duh) to be drafting 15th than 30th. But at 30, Atlanta could have traded out of the first round altogether -- bypassing on any guaranteed salaries involving the 2015 rookie class -- and still exercised its "swap" option with Brooklyn before next year's draft.
After all, it's hard to envision the Nets making the playoffs in 2016. Especially now that Mason Plumlee has become property of the Portland Trail Blazers (Thursday trade).
Here's one stat that might offer more wisdom into the Hardaway acquisition:
For April 13 and 15, his final two games in a Knicks uniform (including one outing against the Hawks), Hardaway buried a total of 16 field goals (eight three-pointers) -- his most prolific two-game output for the entire season.
Perhaps the Hawks' brass (led by president/coach Mike Budenholzer and GM Wes Wilcox) believe that two-game run of shooting brilliance will carry over to the new season ... in a new environment.
2. It's clear the Sacramento Kings don't understand the concept of value at the top of drafts.
Yes, Kentucky big man Willie Cauley-Stein has the potential to be a shot-blocking force in the NBA; and yes, he may also serve as a great complement to All-Star center DeMarcus Cousins in the Kings' frontcourt.
But the No. 6 slot -- especially in a loaded draft -- isn't the proper time to invest in one-dimensional talents ... especially amid whispers of down-the-road foot/leg problems.
Obviously, it takes two to tango with trades. But I have trouble believing that impatient clubs like the Celtics (lots of young players, multiple first-rounders in 2016), Thunder, Pacers and Rockets had zero interest in genuinely trading up to the No. 6 slot.
Not with Emmanuel Mudiay (7th to the Nuggets), Stanley Johnson (8th to the Pistons), Justise Winslow (10th to the Heat), Devin Booker (13th to the Suns) and Frank Kaminsky (9th to the Hornets) still on the proverbial board.
Bottom line: Cauley-Stein at 11 or 12 makes sense. But a top-6 selection for a guy who may never average double-digit points or rebounds seems exorbitant. And that rationale holds true ... even if Cauley-Stein avoids Sam Bowie Disease (it's not a real illness) early in his NBA career.
3. Speaking of Kaminsky ... in a vacuum, I like the inside-outside additions of Kaminsky (the NCAA player of the year) and Nicolas Batum (a sharpshooter acquired from the Blazers) from the previous 48 hours.
But that doesn't completely absolve the Hornets from bypassing on Justise Winslow at No. 9 -- or at least holding a public auction for his services while Charlotte was on the clock.
And before anyone screams, These clubs only have five minutes to make a decision!, I would counter with the following:
NBA front offices spend countless hours talking to other clubs leading up to Draft Night, getting their ducks in a row for possible trade scenarios, depending on how the draft falls.
During that prep work -- which includes countless mock drafts -- I would hope that someone from the Hornets (either GM Rich Cho or a low-level intern) conceived the possible conundrum of Charlotte choosing amongst Winslow, Kaminsky, Kentucky's Devin Booker (possibly the draft's best shooter) and forward Trey Lyles.
If that occurred, did Kaminsky rank first (among the four) in every scenario? And at any point, did a club holding the 10th (Heat), 11th (Pacers), 12th (Jazz), 13th (Suns), 14th (Thunder) or 15th picks (Hawks) offer enough quality assets to cement a trade?
Like any aspect of roster construction, including every team sport, good drafting is all about getting great value at every turn. That certainly was the case two years ago ... when the Hornets took a giant leap of faith on Cody Zeller at No. 4 overall.
4. The Raptors should be lauded for pulling off the best heist of Round 1, landing Utah guard Delon Wright (career averages: 15.0 points, 5.8 rebounds, 5.2 assists) at No. 20 overall.
For my money, Wright (6-foot-6, 181 pounds) is a physical clone of Dwayne Wade, with point-guard skills.
And very soon, he'll become a dynamic fixture in Toronto's rotation -- perhaps displacing starters Kyle Lowry (point guard) or DeMar DeRozan (shooting guard) ... or motivating the Raptors coaches to routinely ride a three-guard set during crunch time.
5. NBADraft.net, one of the better pre-draft Web sites in the marketplace, has already posted a mock draft for 2016. And of the top 11 prospects listed -- highlighted by LSU incoming freshman Ben Simmons (6-foot-10 combo forward) -- only one player has any college experience (Michigan's Caris LeVert).
And yet, that likely won't stop me -- and countless millions -- from tuning in to next year's draft ... oddly thanks to a one-and-done rule that hardly serves a long-term purpose for college hoops fans.
