2008 NBA Draft Review

Here is an overview of the first round of the 2008 NBA Draft, and possible sleepers from the second round of the 2008 NBA Draft.

1. Chicago Bulls - Derrick Rose, G, Memphis - The Bulls pick up the best pure PG entering the draft since Jason Kidd (apologies to Chris Paul and Deron Williams). He has a pro ready body and plenty of young talent surrounding him in Chicago to help ensure early success. Should be an All Star for years to come. Verdict: Thumbs up.

2. Miami Heat - Michael Beasley, F, Kansas State - There was much talk of Pat Riley making a move to pick up OJ Mayo or even Jerryd Bayless, but at the end of the day he couldn't pass up what many scouts think is the best player in the draft and the likely rookie of the year next year. Shorter than his 6'10" listing, he has a long wingspan and a nose for the ball. His arrival probably spells the end of the short layover for Shawn Marion (who will likely be moved for a veteran PG). Verdict: Thumbs up.

3. Minnesota Timberwolves - OJ Mayo, G, USC - As usual for Kevin McHale, things don't work out like he hoped. He desperately wanted Riley to have a brain camp and skip out on Beasley, but had to settle for the best player on the board even though his team is already heavy with guards. According to ESPN, however, McHale has turned lemons into lemonade, pulling off a nice trade with Memphis. The Timberwolves have traded Mayo, Marko Jaric, Antoine Walker, and Greg Buckner to the Grizzlies for Kevin Love, Mike Miller, Brian Cardinal, and Jason Collins. Nice deal for the Timberwolves as they get the big guy they needed and pick up a big upgrade in Mike Miller. Verdict: Thumbs up.

4. Seattle Supersonics - Russell Westbrook, G, UCLA - Defensive minded player will pair nicely with offensive minded rookie of the year Kevin Durant. Along with Jeff Green, they've developed a solid core but are still several years away in the tough West. Verdict: Thumbs up.

5. Memphis Grizzlies - Kevin Love, FC, UCLA - Back to back Bruins, Love is a polished offensive player ready to contribute immediately. As mentioned above, the Timberwolves have traded OJ Mayo, Marko Jaric, Antoine Walker, and Greg Buckner to the Grizzlies for Kevin Love, Mike Miller, Brian Cardinal, and Jason Collins . Memphis picks up a big time player in Mayo, but he does not fill a much needed hole currently plugged by draft bust Kwame Brown. The Griz also have a fair number of backcourt options. Verdict: Thumbs up for Mayo, thumbs down for the trade.

6. New York Knicks - Danilo Gallinari, F, Italy - Gallinari's father played with new Knick coach Mike D'Antoni so it's a family reunion. Gallinari's up tempo offensive game should translate well to D'Antoni's high octane offense, but his defensive shortcomings will be put on display. Steve Nash's defensive issues didn't really impair him though. Verdict: Thumbs up.

7. Los Angeles Clippers - Eric Gordon, G, Indiana - Gordon started his career on fire at Indiana, but then the coaching scandal and an injured wrist put a damper on the end of the season. Gordon has a pro ready body and a nice jumper. He will step right in to the starting lineup due to the Shaun Livingston injury. Verdict: Thumbs up.

8. Milwaukee Bucks - Joe Alexander, F, West Virginia - Great athlete, but the arrival of Richard Jefferson via trade makes this a questionable call. Not surprising considering the Bucks recent draft day record. Brook Lopez would have been a better fit here. Verdict: Thumbs down.

9. Charlotte Bobcats - DJ Augustin, G, Texas - Another curious decision. Augustin is a good player, but the Bobcats have a decent young PG in Raymond Felton. Augustin also measured out shorter than his stated 6 foot height. Again, Brook Lopez would have been a better fit. Verdict: Thumbs down.

10. New Jersey Nets - Brook Lopez, C, Stanford - The Nets really had their heart set on Gallinari, but receive a nice consolation prize in Brook Lopez. In some mock drafts, Lopez had gone as high as 3. The C spot has been a big hole for the Nets, so this is a nice pick. Verdict: Thumbs up.

11. Indiana Pacers - Jerryd Bayless, G, Arizona - According to ESPN, Indiana has sent Bayless along with Ike Diogu to Portland for Brandon Rush, Jarrett Jack, and Josh McRoberts. Bayless is a nice player also rumored to go as high as number 2 to Miami. They did not get much in return for him. Verdict: Thumbs down.

12. Sacramento Kings - Jason Thompson, F, Rider - Solid big man with a productive college career, albeit against lesser competition. Has a good motor and is more polished defensively than offensively, even though he averaged 20+ his last 2 seasons in college. Should be a good fit with the defensive minded Kings. Verdict: Thumbs up.

13. Portland Trailblazers - Brandon Rush, F, Kansas - Comes from a basketball family, solid but not spectacular numbers. Has a history with knee injuries. As noted above, he was packaged in the deal to the Pacers. Trailblazers come out way ahead on this deal and have a very good nucleus for the future. Verdict: Thumbs up.

14. Golden State Warriors - Anthony Randolph, F, LSU - Very athletic and even longer than his 6'10" frame. Was projected as high as number 9, good value here at 14 for the Warriors. They could use some help with big guys and he was probably the best on the board. Verdict: Thumbs up.

15. Phoenix Suns - Robin Lopez, F, Stanford - Brook's more defensive minded brother. A little smaller weight wise than his brother, but a very solid player. The Suns are in need of big guys since Freestyling Shaq won't last forever, so this is a good pickup. Verdict: Thumbs up.

16. Philadelphia 76ers - Marreese Speights, F, Florida - Another big guy in the mold of Al Horford from Florida, though not nearly as polished. Bulky yet athletic and quick. Not much range, but aggressive on the boards and an effective shot blocker. Good fit for the 76ers. Verdict: Thumbs up.

17. Toronto Raptors - Roy Hibbert, C, Georgetown - Hibbert's stock really fell, going from a potential lottery pick last year down to 17. Many scouts feel like he didn't dominate in conference play like he should have last year. The good news for Roy is he ends up on a pretty decent team. The Raptors just picked up fragile Jermaine O'Neal, so Hibbert should get plenty of playing time between filling in for JO and spelling superstar Chris Bosh. Verdict: Thumbs up.

18. Washington Wizards - JaVale McGee, C, Nevada - Having hometown product Hibbert go right in front of them was probably pretty frustrating for the Wizards management. They need a big guy, and he was probably the next best one, with Kosta Koufas probably getting consideration. McGee is hard nosed on the defensive end, which should compliment more offensive minded teammates such as Arenas (assuming he re-ups with the team), Jamison, and Butler. Verdict: Thumbs up.

19. Cleveland Cavaliers - JJ Hickson, F, NC State - King James wanted some help from this draft, and probably didn't get it. Hickson is a nice player, but a little short for the 4 spot. Hometown product Kosta Koufas would have been a better fit here considering Big Z is on his last legs (unless Cleveland has some home cooking information on Kosta). Verdict: Thumbs down.

20. Charlotte Bobcats - Alexis Ajinca, C, France - Getting the big guy they should have gotten at 9, Ajinca is another in a long line of Euro players who have lots of potential (see Darko and Andrea). I'm afraid Alexis will travel their same route. Verdict: Thumbs down.

21. New Jersey Nets - Ryan Anderson, F, California - The Nets need big guys, and they got one in Anderson. Anderson was a very productive player in a tough conference (led in scoring and third in rebounding), and has a high basketball IQ. Is not going to overwhelm people with his athleticism, but at this point in the draft is a good flyer. Verdict: Thumbs up.

22. Orlando Magic - Courtney Lee, G, Western Kentucky - Productive player in a small conference. Has good size and quickness with a variety of offensive moves (long range, pull up, driving). There wasn't a PG upgrade left in the draft, so this is a nice compliment to their roster. Verdict: Thumbs up.

23. Utah Jazz - Kosta Koufas, C, Ohio State - Jerry Sloan has a history of taking big guys with nice shooting touches. Kosta is more physical than Mehmet Okur, but doesn't have as long a range. Kosta is a good shooter however. Verdict: Thumbs up.

24. Seattle Supersonics - Serge Ibaka, F, Spain - Another player with great raw ability, but relatively unproven. The Sonics have dipped into the international pool before, only to end up under water. I'm not inspired by their international scouts. Verdict: Thumbs down.

25. Houston Rockets - Nicolas Batum, F, France - According to ESPN, Batum has been moved to Portland for Darrell Arthur and Joey Dorsey. Like Serge, he's relatively untested, and at 6-8, 190, is going to need to fill out. Great trade by the Rockets to pick up 2 polished, proven players. Verdict: Thumbs up.

26. San Antonio Spurs - George Hill, G, IUPUI - First player drafted from IUPUI, and really improved his stock with a good showing at the draft camp. A productive college player, a good flyer for the Spurs. Verdict: Thumbs up.

27. Portland Trailblazers - Darrell Arthur, F, Kansas - As noted above, he's been shipped to Houston. A kidney ailment caused his stock to drop, but he is a good, polished player who competed in a big time conference. Nice pickup for the Rockets. Verdict: Thumbs up for Arthur, thumbs down to Portland for the trade.

28. Memphis Grizzlies - Donte Green, F, Syracuse - A one and done player from Syracuse, he was productive in the tough Big East. He is a decent shooter and has a long wingspan. Good pickup here for the Grizzlies as they need some big help. Verdict: Thumbs up.

29. Detroit Pistons - DJ White, F, Indiana - A solid leader in a bad situation in Indiana. Good player with senior leadership, will come in more polished and ready to contribute than some of the Euro players and one and done guys. According to ESPN, this pick was traded to Seattle for 2 second round picks. Detroit has a similar player in Jason Maxiell, so deal provides a little depth. Verdict: Thumbs up on the pick, indifferent on the trade.

30. Boston Celtics - JR Giddens, G, New Mexico - Once viewed as a potential lottery pick, Giddens had some off court issues and was dismissed from Kansas. He resurrected his career in New Mexico, and elevated himself to the point he gets a guaranteed contract. No questions about his athleticism, but the off court character concerns remain. Good value for the spot. Verdict: Thumbs up.

Potential Second Round Sleepers:
Only the first round guys get guaranteed money, but as Carlos Boozer, Michael Redd, and Gilbert Arenas can attest to, there are diamonds in the rough to be found in the second round. Here are some guys that could step up and contribute:

Joey Dorsey, F, Memphis - Ends up in a good situation in Houston, Dorsey can be an absolute beast on the defensive end of the floor.
Mario Chalmers, G, Kansas - Another participant in the NCAA Championship game, the hero ends up in Miami, giving Pat Riley the PG he was looking for. Won't be an All Star, but is an effective leader with a decent jumper.
DeAndre Jordan, C, Texas AM - Only listed here because of his physical attributes. Was rumored to go as high as the top 10, but lack of production scared teams off. He goes to the Clippers where hopefully he can pickup the work ethic of Elton Brand.
Chris Douglas-Roberts, G, Memphis - There's a reason all Memphis and Kansas met in the Championship game, they were both loaded with talent. CDR was overshadowed by Rose at Memphis but is a very productive if unorthodox player.
Richard Hendrix, F, Alabama - Has an NBA ready body at 6-9, 260. Tremendous motor and intensity, but did not have much help surrounding him at Alabama. Ends up in a good situation in Golden State where Nellie has shown he doesn't care about player's entitlements, he will play the guy working the hardest and being productive. It will be hard to outwork Hendrix.