Atlanta Hawks-Atlanta didn't have a pick in this year's draft thanks to the Joe Johnson trade, and that's worked out pretty darn well for them so I doubt they are regretting it. Atlanta is coming off one of their best seasons in years, making the playoffs and pushing the eventual NBA champion Boston Celtics to seven games in the 1st round. They are a young and athletic team full of slashers and deadly swingmen, and all of their inexperienced players are emerging and starting to come into their own. Josh Smith is developing into an all-around star if he can keep playing hard and improving, while Johnson is the established leader and main scorer. Bibby seems to have solidified the point guard spot with his scoring ability and proven clutch leadership, while Josh Childress and Marvin Williams also provide some explosive scoring threats. They need to play more disciplined, with more consistency, and better overall defense, but the talent is there and these are all things they can work on.

Boston Celtics-The NBA's most legendary franchise and 2008 world champs had the last picks in the 1st and 2nd rounds, tough spots to get immediate contributors. THey definitely landed a hit or miss player in New Mexico's JR Giddens, an incredible athlete and scorer with a bevy of off-the-court issues that he managed to put behind him last year, when he had a great season. A stabbing incident caused him to leave Kansas, but hey, maybe he can fit right in with Paul Pierce. In all seriousness, maybe all the great character vets and leaders on this Celtics team will have a positive influence on Giddens and he can become a valuable bench scorer/shooter, sort of like an Eddie House role. This would be the best case scenario for Boston. They already have their veteran superstar core and the right number of role players, but an explosive offensive player off the bench would be nice and Giddens could be that guy if he gets his act together. If he doesn't, it's definitely not going to be the end of the world for Beantown. They picked up some Turkish guy with the last pick of the draft, but apparently he has some of the most polished skills of any second-round Euro and he could potentially take over Brian Scalabrine's role as 12th man!!

Charlotte Bobcats-The new Larry Brown-coached Bobcats made some questionable picks in this draft, but these are picks that have the potential to pay off down the road. SOmetimes I just wonder about Micheal Jordan's competence as a general manager; his draft picks just have never been good ones since he's been running teams, starting with Kwame Brown in Washington. That just happened to be the worst number 1 pick in NBA lore. But Larry Brown is one of the most proven coaches in league history, and also one of the biggest mercenaries. If he succeeds in rebuilding Charlotte, I'm sure he will bolt, and while it may be tough to construct a championship team out of this squad it is not a huge stretch to say they can make the playoffs in the generally weak East. With their top pick the Bobcats selected DJ Augustin, point guard from Texas. Augustin has phenomenal talent, with a Steve Nash-like control of the court and similar moves and style of play, but there questions about his size and how he will fare on defense. I have no question his playmaking and scoring are up to NBA levels however, and I think they have found a good one here. This might mean the end of the Raymond Felton era in Charlotte as well, which is kind of puzzling because I thought he showed some promise in running the fast pace that Charlotte wants. Larry Brown must have wanted a new point to run HIS team though, and it looks like he got it. Also in the 1st round, they got Alexis Ajinca, a super-tall Frenchman who reminds too many people of the guy Vince Carter dunked on in the 2000 Olympics. Not a good thing. He has a lot of versatile skills and a lot of teams see potential with his size and overall game, but he hasn't put up the numbers on the court yet in his French league and he may not have it all together just yet. Charlotte got themselves a big man project, but they do need more depth and size in the paint. I like their second round pickup of Kyle Weaver, a long and athletic guard from Washington State. Not much of a shooter, but a smart player and a great athlete who will able to provide some depth and brains for this fast paced team. A less beastly Gerald Wallace.

Chicago Bulls-You definitely can't get mad at the Bulls for taking advantage of their number 1 pick and selecting point guard Derrick Rose out of Memphis, the most NBA-ready point guard in the draft and someone with the game/maturity to step up and lead a team right now. Chicago has always had a need for more post scoring, so Beasley might have been a great choice here as well, but Rose gives the franchise stability and a big name to lead the new charge with Vinny Del Negro at the head coaching spot. The Bulls already had a nice point guard with Kirk Hinrich, but apparently the Bulls management didn't think he had control of this team or the ability to lead them to that next level. That, and the Bulls had a crappy season last year. Rose has incredible speed and athleticism, along with a body/size built for driving in the NBA and playmaking ability in all areas of the court that rival any point guard in the NBA. Some people question his shooting ability, but they did the same with Chris Paul and look where he is at. The Bulls needed organazational stability and a face of the franchise, and they got it in this hometown boy. Rose should be able to be the point guard here for a long time. Their second rounder, Omar Asik, apparently is a high-energy, tough-nosed big man in the same vein as Anderson Varejao, but contract issues will make it hard for him to get over here and play in America. There's little risk with a pick like that in the 2nd round though.

Cleveland Cavaliers-This one man army got some fairly nice help for Lebron, especially in the post providing replacements for Joe Smith and more big men depth. None of their selections really stood out, and I doubt anybody is going to be proclaiming that Lebron's supporting cast is exemplary or anything like that, but they got some potentially impact players. JJ Hickson, an athletic power forward from NC State, was their 1st round selection. Hickson has a lot of raw athleticism and finishing ability around the rim, with the potential to be a long-term power forward to take over for Smith. Darnell Jackson, power forward from Kansas, is a potential second round sleeper as well. He is big strong body who can finish around the rim, rebound, and do the dirty work to help the team win. He could be a very valuable role player. Sasha Kaun, center from Kansas,is a high energy banger at best who would be able to spell Big Z occasionally, but he will probably be playing in Europe.

Dallas Mavericks-Dallas may be cleaning up their team a little bit, giving them a new look after a couple years of hitting the wall in the playoffs. Can Dirk lead this team back to championship level like they were a few years ago before the collapse against the Heat?? I'm not sure this team has the mental toughness or chemistry to get back to that level, and the 2nd round selection of Shan Foster isn't going to change anything. Foster is a fantastic shooter from Vanderbilt, but Dallas has a wealth of guards and athletic swingmen type of players and he isn't even likely to make the team. Dallas still has plenty of talent but it will be interesting to see if they keep their whole team intact.

Denver Nuggets-The Nuggets are full of talented athletes and explosive one-on-one scorers, but they've hit the 1st round wall of the playoffs for a couple of years in a row now and their inability to play as a team or play any semblance of defense has been their Waterloo. It's amazing a team with Melo and AI can't get out of the 1st round, but stockpiling scorers apparently isn't a formula for success. The Nuggets didn't see any immediate impact player left on the board, so they waited until the 2nd round to fulfill their selection of Sonny Weems, another explosive athlete from Arkansas who should fit right in the Nuggets' high octane offense. I doubt his impact will be felt much though

Detroit Pistons-Detroit had 3 second round picks, so at best they are building up their bench with future depth. The savvy veteran Detroit core has been there for awhile, and after winning their championship they have been on a slow decline and it seems as if they have maximized their potential for success with the current group and it may be time to rebuild in a different direction. Walter Sharpe, out of UAB, is a great athlete who could be a great contributor and high energy scorer off the bench or a total bust who never sees the court. Detroit picked him pretty high in the 2nd round so I guess they thought it was worth the risk. Trent Plaisted, center out of BYU, is a pretty solid, unflashy pick. This guy will probably play in the D-league or something like that, but then again Detroit needs more big bodies with Rasheed Wallace and Antonio McDyss playing center. Their last pick was Deron Washington out of Virginia Tech, an incredible leaper who is one of the most "Youtubed" athletes of all time. He has thrown down some crazy dunks and plays with a lot of energy, but his game may be too raw for the NBA.

Golden State Warriors-Not sure about their pick of Anthony Randolph, the super-skinny power forward with a Chris Bosh-like skill set out of LSU. Randolph has loads of potential to be a superstar-caliber player with his length, athleticism, and all-around game but it is going to take him a year or 2 of development and the Warriors already got a similar player/project in Brandan Wright last year. If one of them pans out Golden State will have a perfect big man for their run and gun system. I really like their pick of Richard Hendrix in the second round, a power forward out of Alabama who could be a great role player with his athleticism and defensive ability.

Houston Rockets-My hometown team's major needs were an athletic backup slasher for T-Mac and a big strapping post-up player in case the injury-prone Yao Ming has foot problems again. THey pulled off a mind-numbing series of trades to nab Donte Greene out of Syracuse, Joey DOrsey from Memphis, and Marty Leunen out of Oregon. I actually really like their draft, I just don't understand why they didn't draft Greene right away, unless they thought they couldn't get Dorsey without a possible trade. Greene averaged about 18 points a game as a freshman last season, heaving up threes at a stunning rate but showing off his range and his wide yet undeveloped skill set along with his 6 foot 9 size. Greene could develop into a perfect backup for McGrady because he is athletic, he has the size, and he can shoot, but he just must develop better decision-making for his game and not shoot so many threes, working on other areas of his talent. Dorsey might play right away; he has intimidating size and athletic ability, and he is the quinessential dirty work player. He grabs boards, blocks shots, and can finish easily around the rim. If he can get his act together he will make either Chuck Hayes or Carl Landry expendable. Leunen is a good shooting big man but there is probably no room for him on this roster.

Indiana Pacers-Larry Bird and the Pacers took a big step in their re-building process and in defining the identity of their team right before the draft, when they traded away Jermaine O'Neal's corpse for ultra-fast point guard TJ Ford and Rasho Nesterovic, along with another pick and a European player. They also traded away oft-injured post scorer Ike Diogu for a backup point guard, the very solid Jarrett Jack, and former Duke star Josh McRoberts. To top it all off, they ended up landing Kansas star swingman Brandon Rush (his sharpshooting brother Kareem already plays for Indiana) and Georgetown 7-footer Roy Hibbert. Indiana looks like they have a team built for versatility and fast-breaking, playing a breakneck pace reminiscent of Nellie-ball. The addition of Ford essentially makes the injury-prone zombie of Jamaal Tinsley expendable, and Ford will be the key to Indiana's fast tempo with his electric speed and playmaking ability. Jack played very well for Portland last season and has the body and decision-making to spell Ford without making many mistakes, but neither guy is much of a shooter or offensive juggernaut. McRoberts might get some burn because of his athleticism and ability to run the floor for easy buckets, while Rasho is a plodding big man who provides a rare big body down low. Brandon Rush has all the athleticism and versatile talent of a superstar player, but he was often too unselfish in college during his career and he deferred to his teammates instead of taking over games. Rush can play multiple positions and with his skill set he should be able to find a great fit here. Hibbert is big and strong and he can score in a variety of ways all around the rim, but he can be slow in his moves and getting up the court and I'm not sure how he fits the up-tempo system. They need more post players in Indiana though and I thought Hibbert was really underrated in college, not getting the ball enough from his teammates. Overall I thought a really good, refreshing draft/makeover for Indiana.

Los Angeles Clippers-The poor Clips will always be looked upon as a second-tier team not only in their own city but in the NBA. Even when I thought they were going places with guys like Elton Brand and Shaun Livingston and Corey Maggette a few years ago, Livingston ends up tearing his knee into a gazillion pieces, Elton Brand gets hurt, Maggette wants out, and the Clippers are right back where they were before. They did have a very solid draft, however, that can do nothing but help this apparently cursed franchise for the future. They could have really used a point guard in case Livingston's career is over, but instead they took Indiana shooting guard Eric Gordon. This is the only real gripe I have with their draft, even though Gordon is a phenomenally talented player. He has a beautiful stroke, athletic ability, and perimeter scoring skills out the wazoo but his mental game really got flipped upside down last season when the coach resigned and they had all that mess at Indiana. That really hurt his development and messed up the great year he was having, but he has all the offensive skills to be a talented guard in this league. It would be even nicer if he could grab some point guard skills as well, since he will more than likely be labeled as a tweener if he sticks at the 2. L.A. picked the best player available, but DJ Augustin might have fit a more pressing need. In the second round they landed Texas A&M big man DeAndre Jordan and former Iowa State guard Mike Taylor, who played with the Idaho Stampede last year. Jordan is a 7-footer with crazy length, quickness, and leaping ability for his size, but he didn't play consistently hard or good besides the occasional jaw-dropping dunk and in turn his minutes were reduced significantly as the year wore on, to the point where he only played 5-6 minutes in some contests. It has to raise some concerns when a guy plays that little, but Jordan has a lot of potential to be scary-good player and taking him in the second round is good because there is no risk for his talent. Taylor was a talented combo guard back in college who could shoot and fill it up in a hurry, but take away the athleticism and the scoring ability and there were a lot of off-the-court issues that got him kicked out of Iowa State. He also had some questionable decision making and three point heaving on the court as well. It appears as if he tuned up his game and attitude in the D-league last year though and if he can keep it up this guy could be a serious sleeper pick and factor at one of the guard spots for the Clippers next season.

Los Angeles Lakers-This year's Finals runner-ups didn't land any impact players in the draft because they traded their 1st round selection to get Pau Gasol; he admittedly played like a complete pussy in the Finals but his offensive skills down low played a huge role in LA even getting there, so I have to give the Lakers credit for that one. In the 2nd round they picked up Joe Crawford, the leader and top scorer from last year's average Kentucky Wildcats squad. He could probably make a good NBA role player with his shooting ability and unselfishness but there is really no place for him on this team right now so he is D-League/Europe bound.

Memphis Grizzlies-These dudes are in serious rebuilding mode, just clearing out as much as possible in order to create cap space and build around some young stars. They have absolutely no fanbase and a ridiculously incompetent GM running things, but they did land some damn good players in this year's draft who should go a long way to making the Grizzlies a relevant team again. They needed a big man so trading away Kevin Love maybe wasn't the smartest move ever, but I'm still not so sure he is going to make a good pro anyway. I am sure that OJ Mayo, guard from USC, is a certified stud and that he can do all the things NBA guards are expected to do. He has crazy athletic ability, he plays tough defense, and he has all the offensive skills. Along with Rudy Gay, these two form quite the star scoring duo, and with Gay already here Mayo can be more of a complimentary player, which I think is perfect for his skill set. They also landed Darell Arthur, power forward from Kansas, fairly late in the draft and after a brutal series of trades thanks to concerns about his kidneys. Arthur has lottery-type talent, with great athleticism and scoring ability down low, along with clutch theatrics and an unselfish winners attitude that he displayed as Kansas went on to win the NCAA championship last year. It's amazing he fell this far and he is going to have to play right away in the post for Memphis. The Grizz also got ride of sharpshooter Mike Miller and the abysmal contract of perenially bald Brian Cardinal just to get Mayo, but they also landed the equally abysmal contract of Marco Jaric in the process. Jaric was a serious bust who hasn't done anything since his contract year, but Memphis is so overloaded at the guard spots right now that I would be shocked to ever see this guy play in a Memphis uniform. Still don't know why they accepted another bad contract when their whole goal is purifying themselves of those. That's Chris Wallace for you.

Miami Heat-The Miami Heat also had a fantastic draft, and much of that thanks can go to Micheal Beasley, Kansas State phenom, at number 2. The Heat aren't as far out of the Eastern title picture as people believe, especially if second round pick Mario Chalmers out of Kansas can develop into the point guard they want him to be so they can finally get rid of White Chocolate and Smush Parker. Miami's roster of D-leaguers and washed up vets at the end of last season was laughable, an NBA version of The Replacements. They were playing their asses off just to score 60 a night. But if you look at who they have coming back and factor in the injuries from last season, these guys still have a top-5 player in Dwayne Wade, who just 3 years ago put up one of the best Finals performances ever, Shawn Marion, and now Beasley, three superstar players. They need the ultra-clutch, hard-nosed Chalmers to develop into the point guard of the future fast and they could really use a big man and some more depth, but star talent is here for the Heat to win right now and at least get back in the Eastern playoffs if everyone can stay healthy. The only concerns everyone keeps harping on with Beasley is his off the court lifestyle, and if he's going to lose focus and just party his ass off on South Beach. The guy has done nothing wrong except go to one too many high schools, and his talent level and versatility is off the charts. His stats are so unbelieveable from last year that he actually put Durant to shame. He is so smooth for a guy his size, can score in so many ways, rebound, shoot the three, and when he decides to play defense, which he doesn't always like to do, he can be a deadly defender as well. Just an all-around superduperstar and if he can keep his head on straight he will be a serious player for Miami and a great inside complement to Dwayne Wade. This could be a really fun team to watch next year, and they went a long way to getting back on the road to contending.

Milwaukee Bucks-These guys obviously have a win-now approach with the big trade they made before the draft, getting rid of the average Bobby Simmons and fresh Chinese swingman Yi Jianlian for veteran Richard Jefferson, a great athlete and do-it-all player who should be able to score 15-20 a game here and provide another consistent offensive force opposite Micheal Redd. But then they go and draft Joe Alexander from West Virginia, who plays the exact same position. Alexander is a fantastic player with crazy athleticism, a sweet shot, and competitive juices that just flow through his veins and should make him a hungry NBA player. Too bad he'll probably have to start the year off wowing crowds with his workouts and playing off the bench to back up Jefferson unless the Bucks want to go with an undersized lineup, which is a possibility. Love the player, not sure how it all fits in with the new trade. Then they go and draft another small forward in the second round with Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, from UCLA, a great athlete with lockdown defensive skills and a raw offensive game whom some are comparing to Bruce Bowen. That's great and all, but how much is he going to see the floor?? A definite logjam at the position, and it's hard to tell if the Bucks are thinking about the present or the future here.

Minnesota Timberwolves-I really like this draft for them; Al Jefferson was an absolute beast last year and showed that he can carry this team as a star, and the Wolves really went a long way toward getting the right players to plug the right holes and rebuild this team in the new KG-less era. They ended up drafting OJ Mayo and then trading him away for essentially Kevin Love, big man from UCLA, and MIke Miller from the Grizzlies. Miller is definitely an underrated pickup here, a fantastic shooter who will complement the other Wolves' players well and put up points right away. Love gives Jefferson a partner down low, a big body to draw double teams, knocking down open shots and finishing strong around the rim while also grabbing plenty of boards. I don't know if Love has the speed or athleticism to be an NBA star but he has quite the inside partner in Jefferson so he doesn't have to be relied on for everything in the paint and can just focus on all of his skills and the things he does well, like starting all those fast breaks with his fearsome outlet passes. Love/Jefferson is an undersized frontcourt, but one with a lot of toughness and size so I don't think Wolves fans should be worried. If Randy Foye and Rashad McCants can keep improving than this could be a sleeper team in the near future. In the 2nd round the Wolves grabbed Nikola Pekovic, apparently one of the best/toughest players in Europe. He is locked up in a messy contract with his Euro team though and he won't be making any impact over here for a long time.

New Jersey Nets-The Nets really made some good moves in the draft as well (really a great common sense draft for everyone), along with making the big trade of Richard Jefferson to clear cap room for the big Lebron sweepstakes in two years. There is a ton of speculation that with the Lebron-Jay-z friendship and the big media market in Brooklyn that Lebron will come here in 2010, and New Jersey is making no secret of their lust for him with this big cap-clearing trade. Let's just if they don't land Lebron when the time comes, they are gonna be kicking themselves in the head in Brooklyn. They ended up landing Bobby Simmons, a good defender and average body off the bench, and granting Yi Jianlian his wish to play in a bigger market and chance to play right away at small forward. They drafted Brook Lopez (the good one) out of Stanford, and he should definitely fit their everlasting need for a big man. He is obviously tall at over 7 feet, and he can score down low with the best of them. Should be able to step in right away and play, and they're really hoping that this big Walt Disney obsessed goofball can put his nerdy hobbies aside and become a star basketball player in the NBA. I think he has the size and talent to do it. In the 1st round the Nets also took Ryan Anderson out of Cal, one of the most underrated players in the draft and a deadly scorer who can fill it up. The only problem is Anderson plays the same position and style of basketball as Jianlian, so he may have to wait his turn for a little while off the bench. I really love their second round pick of Chris Douglas-Roberts, the star slasher from Memphis with all the quirky crossovers and stutter-steps. CDR has an array of funky moves to get his buckets, but he can fill it up with his scoring and should provide an athletic option in the high-octane offense the Nets are going to want to run. He should be a great option off the bench.

New Orleans Hornets-The Hornets sold their pick for cash in this draft, with most speculation turning towards them signing a big time free agent guard to come off the bench like Ben Gordon. The Hornets are young and talented, already set with their corp and not really in need of any more young talent that needs time to flourish on the bench. They honestly have what they need and just need another bench scoring option or two to push them to that championship contender level.

New York Knicks-Much to the chagrin of the crowd, the Knicks took Italian product Danilo Gallinari, whose dad played with coach Mike D'Antoni, but if everything the scouts say about this guy is true he has the chance to be a big time stud. He fills a position of need on the Knicks, a versatile froncourt star/small forward, and he brings a lot of toughness and experience from playing in one of the toughest Euroleagues. None of the good point guards in the draft were available for New York, so this was the best option they had in my opinion. If he can put on more strength he easily has the tools to be the next Euro star.

Orlando Magic-Great selection of Western Kentucky star Courtney Lee. May not be the flashiest pick or a real household name, but the Magic are in desperate need of a two (JJ Redick is essentially done and Keith Bogans is simply a bench player) and Lee has a lot of skills and he can stroke the three, which appears to be a must for the Magic these days. Not a star player by any means and probably not the best player left, but if he shows the same talent that he did in college than he will solidify a definite point of need on the Magic.

Philadelphia 76ers-With news of the Elton Brand signing just recently breaking on ESPN, the 76ers selection of Marreese Speights from Florida is a tad bit less exciting. Speights was selected to provide a wide body down low to give the team some post scoring, something they severely lacked with shot-blocker Samuel Dalembert and rebounding machine Reggie Evans down low. Now that 20-10 wizard Brand is with the team, all the questions about Speights' conditioning and work ethic can be put to rest, as Brand is essentially the pinnacle of what poor Marreese can hope to be. The high-energy Evans is sure to still get his minutes as well, so I'm not sure where this leaves Speights, but Philadelphia definitely settled their need for a halfcourt, offensive post presence with Brand and this draft did nothing to hurt their cause.

Phoenix Suns-The Suns are a team in transition, basically losing their championship window and not sure where they are going or what they want to do. They still have a seriously talented squad that shouldn't be taken lightly however, and in a shocking, unprecedented move they actually didn't trade their picks away for cash like usual and selected Robin Lopez (the average one) out of Stanford. Lopez fills their need for a defensive-minded, athletic big man who can run the floor and get transition buckets off the bench...he can spell Shaq, and is obviously in much better fast-breaking shape than the Diesel. Good value pick. In the second round they picked up European Goran Dragic, supposedly a nice pick. Dragic could be a good role player someday here, but like most cats from overseas the Suns are going to have to wait a little while before they reap the benefits.

Portland Trail Blazers-Portland once again made an array of brilliant, dizzying trades to land two players they wanted, Jerryd Bayless from Arizona and Nicolas Batum from France, getting rid of point guard Jarrett Jack in the process seeing as Bayless makes him expendable. Portland has built themselves quite a talented young team, one that should be competing game in and game out for many years to come. Bayless is a very strong, talented combo guard in the Chauncey Billups mold who can score in bunches, shoot the triple, and take over the point guard duties from Jack. He should be able to focus less on his scoring with guys like Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldrige to pass the ball to, easing his transition into full time point. Batum is a player with a ton of potential to be star, with great length, athletic ability, and flashes of scoring supremacy. But he didn't score a ton of points in Europe and his talent is still very unproven, thus making him a slight gamble, but the tantalizing snippets of skill seen on tape and the fact that Portland is already stocked with young talent makes this pick a lot less risky.

Sacremento Kings-The Kings made the big surprise move of the draft, taking the ultimate sleeper with the 12th pick in Jason Thompson out of tiny Rider. I know it must be an adrenaline rush to play the rebel and take the workout wonder from a small college, but I really wonder how this is going to pay off. From what I've seen Thompson is a big man with loads of talent and an inconsistent work ethic, and the Kings have a lot of young, improving talent that could just use another vet alongside Ron Artest to make them playoff regulars again. Thompson could be a nice surprise and step in and play well right away, but I just think there are better players they could have gotten here. In the second round the Kings picked up Sean Singletary of Virginia and Patrick Ewing Jr. from Georgetown. Singletary is tiny guy but he did huge things for Virginia, scoring loads of buckets while playing with a ton of heart. He has the skills and drive to earn minutes for an NBA team, especially one with the small amount of guard depth that Sac-town does, but with his size he is going to have a tough time guarding anyone in the league. Ewing is a great athlete who can do a lot of things well, but not one thing well enough to really be considered a legit NBA player. If anything he could provide some defensive energy off the bench, grabbing a few steals here or tipping a pass there.

San Antonio Spurs-The wily veterans made some smart, outside-the-box moves once again, keeping opponents on their toes while maintaining their image of the crafty think-tank that they are. They took IUPUI guard George Hill in the 1st round, a talented player who did it all for his team with lots of talent. I'm not sure he gives them the point guard depth that Mario Chalmers would have though, and this is one of those that makes it look like the Spurs were outthinking themselves. Still a good young player who should find a nice role on this crusty old team. In the second round the Spurs took Malik Hairston out of Oregon and James Gist from Maryland. Hairston could be a nice spot-up shooter and offensive force off the bench for San Antonio, who lacks in both the youth and bench scoring category, while Gist is a high-energy athlete who will have a tough time seeing the floor behind the rash of talented big guys SA employs.

Seattle (or Oklahoma City) Supersonics-The poor team in transition, much more literal than figurative, has a strong need for big men who can play NOW instead of these skinny projects they keep landing, and a point guard that they can commit to instead of having to jumble between Luke Ridnour and Earl Watson. They addressed their guard needs right away with the 4th pick, Russell Westbrook from UCLA. This may be a little high for talent level, but he is the player they wanted and the player they needed the most. Westbrook is an awesome athlete with loads of speed and tenacious defensive ability. He was one of the top 3 defenders in college hoops last season and the energy he will bring to the Sonics on that side of the ball is worth this high of a selection in itself. He is quick (as I've stated) and can push the ball in transition; he proved he can handle point guard duties as well when Darren Collison was out with an injury at UCLA last year. It looks like they found their guard of the future here, but he still needs to improve his shooting and overall offensive skills. The Sonics also picked up Serge Ibaka, one of 17 brothers and sisters from the Congo, DJ White from Indiana, and DeVon Hardin from California. Ibaka is a great athlete and defender, like seemingly every other African product, but didn't they get the same type of dude in Mohammed Saer Sene last year? They don't need another big man project!! Don't know how many times you have to say this. White gives them someone who could play right away, a tough and scrappy post player who competes with a reckless energy and should be able to grab boards and get some buckets down low. Hardin has defensive-stopper potential with his size and athleticism...God knows the Sonics need all the defense they can get.

Toronto Raptors-Toronto made a big decision (and also the right one) in getting rid of injury prone TJ Ford and finally committing to fan favorite Jose Calderon, the skilled Spainard, at point guard and also landing the half-dead Jermaine O'Neal in the trade. If O'Neal can re-discover his game and his passion for it, than he is one of the most talented low post players in the game and would be a fantastic inside complement to the slippery midrange game of Chris Bosh. That is a big if, however, and I don't know if Jermaine still has it in him. If he he does Toronto will have one seriously unguardable frontcourt. They still needed inside beef, however, and for immediate depth they grabbed Nathan Jawai out of Austrailia, a big strong player (quite a contrast to Andrew Bogut) who should provide some muscle off the bench right away.

Utah Jazz-The Jazz fulfilled their traditon of taking big stiff white guys by drafting Kosta Koufos of Ohio State, a pretty offensively skilled (and slow) big guy in the same vein as Mehmet Okur. He has the talent to play right away and back up Okur with similar skills, so this was actually a good selection if you can look past the laughable predictability of it. Ante Tomic of Croatia is a skilled yet thin Euro they took in the 2nd round, another young man from overseas who needs seasoning and American food in his belly before we can really judge him, and Tadija Dragicevic, the MVP of a smaller Euroleague who seems to have the talent, but like most Europeans, he is unproven. So no real risk in the second round for Utah, just some Euros who may or may not develop down the road.

Washington Wizards-The last team on my list is the Wizards, and since they couldn't hire a hitman to kill Lebron they took Javale Mcgee from Nevada instead. McGee has the potential to be a scoring star but he will likely ride the pine in Washington with all the superstars stars they have, which can only hurt his development. He showed flashes of star ability in college but he probably came out too early and I'm not sure if Washington has a place for this guy just yet.