July 1, 2007

Jonathan Givony of draftexpress.com
Rivals.com College Basketball

This report card was based off three things:

I: How well the team satisfied its needs or filled gaps on the roster with the hand they were dealt.
II: How much value teams received from the picks they had.
III: Subjective opinions on the player(s) they landed and how well they fit with the team's style of play, the direction they are headed and what we know about the organization.

Draft Grades Methodology:

A: The team probably could not have done any better considering the situation.
B: The team did well in filling their needs, getting fair value from their pick and getting a prospect that fits their system and the direction the franchise is heading.
C: The team had an average draft, not great - but also did not embarrass their fans.
D: The team should have done a better job with the picks they made.
F: The team did a terrible job and their fans have every reason to be angry.

Central Division:
Chicago Bulls | Cleveland Cavaliers | Detroit Pistons | Indiana Pacers | Milwaukee Bucks

Chicago Bulls

Draft Grade: A+ The rich get richer. Joakim Noah is a proven winner with the best motor in this year's draft. He's the perfect big man for Scott Skiles' style of play, and they somehow managed to snatch him all the way down at No. 9. Noah is ready to contribute right away, and should become a crowd favorite at the United Center. Many are questioning whether he fits their need for a low-post scorer, but the Bulls don't have three years to wait on Spencer Hawes. If Noah had a great back-to-the-basket game, he obviously would have been long gone by the time the Bulls picked. Noah will pick up 12-14 points a game just by running the floor and hitting the offensive glass every night. At No. 49, the Bulls got fantastic value with a player that probably would have gone in the top 20 (likely to Washington at No. 18) had he kept his name in last year's draft. Instead, he stayed in school and became a better player. The Bulls snatched him up in the late second round to help fill a need at the center position. He should develop into a solid backup center. At No. 51 the Bulls got a Jannero Pargo clone in JamesOn Curry. Anything they get out of him will be pure gravy at this point in the draft.

Rd

Sel#

Player

Pos

School/Organization

1.

9.

Joakim Noah

F

Florida

2.

49.

Aaron Gray

C

Pittsburgh

2.

51.

JamesOn Curry

G

Oklahoma State

Cleveland Cavaliers

Picks: None The Cavaliers apparently tried to get into this draft (they conducted at least a couple of workouts from what we were told), but in the end decided to stand pat.

Detroit Pistons

Draft Grade: B Rodney Stuckey at No. 15 was the worst kept secret of the entire draft. The Pistons' promise was reported on DraftExpress three weeks ago. Regardless, he is a solid fit here position-wise, as well as in terms of his personality and style of play. The same can be said for Arron Afflalo, who many (including us) had falling to the second round because of his limited athleticism and upside. He makes sense here because of his ability to defend and knock down shots?and do so from Day One. Combo guard Sammy Mejia is going overseas for the time being and might not be heard from in a while.

Rd

Sel#

Player

Pos

School/Organization

1.

15.

Rodney Stuckey

G

Eastern Washington

1.

27.

Arron Afflalo (from Miami)

G

UCLA

2.

57.

Sammy Mejia (from Miami)

G

DePaul

Indiana Pacers

Draft Grade: C The Pacers came into this draft with no second-round pick after trading away three last year to draft James White - who they promptly cut in training camp. They sorely needed a point guard, and had quite a few sitting there at No. 39 that could have helped them (Taurean Green, Zabian Dowdell, Ramon Sessions). Instead, the Pacers decided to draft a European center that won't join the team anytime soon. The Pacers won't be drafting in the second round anytime soon either at this rate.

Rd

Sel#

Player

Pos

School/Organization

2.

39.

Stanko Barac (from Miami)

C

Siroki Prima, Bosnia

Milwaukee Bucks

Draft Grade: Incomplete There is really no way to evaluate this pick at this early juncture. We don't know how Yi Jianlian's camp will react to him being drafted by Milwaukee in spite of their wishes. The Chinese player's representatives were hoping to go to a much bigger media market. If all goes well, this could look like a decent pick in a few years. It makes a lot of sense basketball-wise for him to start as a backup in a smaller market, where he won't have as much pressure on him. At No. 56, the Bucks got very good value in Sessions. Some people had him slotted as high as the late first round. He fills a distinct need and has the talent to develop into a solid backup point guard.

Rd

Sel#

Player

Pos

School/Organization

1.

6.

Yi Jianlian

C

Guangdong Tigers

2.

56.

Ramon Sessions

PG

Nevada