The 2013 NBA Draft was a wild ride with more than a dozen of trades and numerous picks that seemingly came from out of nowhere. Here are my 2013 NBA Draft grades for the Western Conference teams.
Click here for my NBA Draft grades for the Eastern Conference teams.
Dallas Mavericks B+
18. Shane Larkin, PG, Miami FL
43. Ricky Ledo, SG, Providence
The Mavs flipped and flopped, moved back, moved up, and in the end wound up with two players. Dallas needs depth at guard since most of their backcourt players from last year are heading for free agency. Shane Larkin was a nice pickup at 18 and should be a solid backup in the league while the Mavs rolled the dice on Ledo in the mid-second round. Ledo is a wild card and had some red flags which is why he dropped that low, but he has lottery potential. He could really pay off for Mark Cuban in a year or two. Dallas also dumped the contract of last year’s first round pick, Jared Cunningham which frees up some more cap space.
Denver Nuggets C-
46. Erick Green, G, Virginia Tech
55. Joffery Lauvergne, F, France
The Nuggets dealt out of the first round by sending the 27th pick to Utah for 46 and cash. The Nuggets got a solid value with scoring combo guard Erick Green who was being dubbed as a late first round sleeper. I don’t see him cracking the rotation though. Denver then dealt Kosta Koufus to Memphis for Darrell Arthur and the 55th selection, Joffery Lauvergne who will probably never step foot on an NBA court.
Golden State Warriors D
30. Nemanja Nedovic, G, Serbia
Despite entering the night with no picks, the Warriors had a busy end of the first round. They sent cash and a 2014 second round pick to Minnesota for the 26th pick. Golden State then dealt back twice and ended up with the 30th overall pick which turned into Serbian combo guard, Nemanja Nedovic. That seems like a lot of jockeying for someone who was ranged as a mid-second round prospect.
Houston Rockets B+
34. Isaiah Canaan, PG, Murray State
The target with this pick was guard depth, which Canaan certainly provides. He is more of a scoring point guard but was rumored to be moving into the first round, so he is a nice early second-round grab as a potential backup to Jeremy Lin.
Los Angeles Clippers A
25. Reggie Bullock, SG/SF, North Carolina
When you are picking in the mid-20’s, your goal is to get a potential role player or guy with upside. The Clips achieved the former in getting a wing with good size who can knock down outside shots. With a hole at small forward, Bullock could see playing time right off the bat.
Los Angeles Lakers C
48. Ryan Kelly, PF, Duke
The Lake Show needs depth up-front with the reportedly likely departure of Dwight Howard since they don’t have a lot of size. Ryan Kelly is a stretch four which the Lakers don’t really have on their roster. I’m just not sure Kelly has the toughness or athleticism to stick in the league.
Memphis Grizzlies A-
41. Jamaal Franklin, SG, San Diego State
60. Janis Timmas, SG, Latvia
Jamaal Franklin was tabbed as a late teens/early twenties-type first round pick so grabbing him at 41 is a tremendous get. Memphis then dealt Darrell Arthur and 55 to Denver for Kosta Koufus who was their starting big man for most of last season. I think the Griz got the better part of that deal so overall a very nice draft night.
Minnesota Timberwolves C+
14. Shabazz Muhammad, G/F, UCLA
21. Gorgui Dieng, C, Louisville
52. Lorenzo Brown, PG, N.C. State
59. Bojan Dubljvic, F, Serbia
Flip Saunders received a lot of flack in Minnesota for his first draft with the Timberwolves but I don’t it was all that terrible. When their supposed target at #9, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was off the board, the T-Wolves swapped the pick to Utah for 14 and 21. With those picks, they added a wing scorer with good size (something they needed) and insurance at center since Nikola Pekovic. They then dealt the 26th pick and Malcolm Lee for a future second rounder and cash. Lorenzo Brown was a solid value at 52, albeit another point guard. My biggest problem with their draft is that they didn’t grab a true shooter on the wing which is a huge need for them and there were some capable role players available that they passed on.
New Orleans Pelicans B
42. Pierre Jackson, PG, Baylor
The team formerly known as the Hornets capitalized off Nerlens Noel’s slide and snagged him with the sixth overall selection. New Orleans then turned Noel around and dealt him to the Sixers for a young All-Star point guard in Jrue Holiday. However, the Pelicans also gave up a top five protected first round pick in the loaded 2014 draft. So now New Orleans has Holiday, Greivis Vasquez, and Pierre Jackson who they took at 42. That leaves them with a logjam at the point which isn’t a terrible thing. Until they move Holiday again or Vasquez, I can’t get any higher with this grade since that 2014 first rounder could be a huge asset.
Oklahoma City Thunder C+
12. Steven Adams, C, Pitt
26. Andre Roberson, SF, Colorado
32. Alex Abrines, SG, Spain
40. Grant Jerrett, PF, Arizona
I actually nailed three of these picks in my mock draft which I’m rather proud of. Adams has the potential to be the Thunder’s starting center in two years and was worth the risk at 12. I had Roberson as a mid-second round prospect but Sam Presti actually moved up to grab him which seems strange. Abrines might be a role player in a year or two as well while OKC acquired Jerrett who will need to spend some time in the D-League before he is NBA ready. While they got quality talent, they draft four “project/potential/upside” guys which doesn’t help them in the immediate future and holds back their grade.
Phoenix Suns C-
5. Alex Len, C, Maryland
29. Archie Goodwin, SG, Kentucky
57. Alex Oriakhi, PF, Missouri
I’m just not a Len believer. I know he is 7’1 but nothing he showed me at Maryland puts him as a top five prospect in my eyes, even in this draft. If Phoenix is patient, Archie Goodwin could be a solid steal with a few years of development. I don’t see Oriakhi making the team since the Suns already has Luis Scola and the Morris twins at power forward.
Portland Trail Blazers A+
10. C.J. McCollum, G, Lehigh
31. Allen Crabbe, SG, California
39. Jeff Withey, C, Kansas
45. Marko Todorovic, PF, Serbia
I love what Portland did. They added three experienced college players who should all be able to come in and play a role off what was the worst bench in the NBA last year. McCollum and Crabbe provide them needed outside shooters and I really like the Crabbe pick since I had him as a late-teens type prospect. At the very worst, Withey is a back-up center in the league and might replace Meyers Leonard as the second string center.
Sacramento Kings B+
7. Ben McLemore, SG, Kansas
36. Ray McCallum, PG, Detroit
The new management in Sac-town might have hit a homerun when McLemore fell into their laps at 7. It was really a no-brainer decision regardless of the concerns people have about some of his intangibles. He simply has too much talent to pass up at 7, especially in this weaker draft. I don’t love the McCallum pick since it seems to just clog up the depth at guard.
San Antonio Spurs A-
28. Livio Jean-Charles, PF France
58. Deshaun Thomas, SF, Ohio State
It’s hard to not like a Spurs draft since they always seem to draft guys who they can develop into solid role players or foreign prospects who end up being contributors in a few years. Jean-Charles was a solid grab at 28 while Thomas was a terrific value at 58 and will certainly have a chip on his shoulder for the very near future.
Utah Jazz A
9. Trey Burke, PG, Michigan
27. Rudy Gobert, C, France
I really like what Utah did by trading 14 and 21 to move up and grab Trey Burke who could very well be their starting point next season and possibly for the next decade. He’s already the early favorite to win NBA Rookie of the Year. Utah then dealt their second rounder and cash to re-acquire another first rounder and grabbed a young big guy with a lot of upside who could easily be a rim protector in a year or two and an even bigger contributor if his offensive game develops.
David Kay is a senior feature NBA Draft, NBA, and college basketball writer for the Sports Bank. He also heads up the NBA and college basketball material at Walter Football.com and is a former contributor at The Washington Times Communities. David has appeared on numerous national radio programs spanning from Cleveland to New Orleans to Honolulu. He also had the most accurate 2011 NBA Mock Draft and the most accurate 2012 NBA Mock Draft on the internet (Yup, repeat champ… #humblebrag.)
You can follow him on Twitter at David_Kmiecik.