NBA Draft analysis – the pros and cons of the picks

Casey thinks this cat is the best bargain of the NBA Draft.

By CASEY GISCLAIR, G-4-2 Sports Exclusive

OK, so the NBA Draft is over. I happened to watch the 2015 event’s festivities from the comforts of a blackjack table at the Paragon Casino.

To me, there were some good picks, some bad picks and some sleepers that could change contender’s fortunes for many years to come.

Who they are, you might ask?

Here you go.

Here are my three bargains, three busts and three sleepers from the NBA Draft.

THE STARS:

1. EMMANUEL MUDIAY – Maybe I am jaded. Maybe I am just crazy, but I love what I see on tape from Emmanuel Mudiay. I think he possesses that rare explosion and quickness that you only find in a select few players in the league. Is he raw? Yes, he is. But he’s less raw than most college players, because he has a full season of professional experience. I think when you combine those tangible assets with Mudiay’s vision, floor awareness and other playmaking abilities, I think he is the biggest bargain in the entire draft,based on the combination of talent + where he was picked. I’d have picked this kid in the Top 3. That he fell all the way to No. 7 bodes well for the Nuggets, who just got their replacement for Ty Lawson.

2. JUSTISE WINSLOW – I don’t think Winslow will ever be a star in the NBA. But I think he can be plugged into a starting five at this very moment and be a contributing player – the kind of guy who can average 12-18 points per game every season for the next decade. That’s the luxury the Heat now have – the team who plucked Winslow out of the draft with the No. 10 pick. He’s just a kid who I expect to be a solid, solid NBA player for a long time. At pick 10, you can’t ask for much more than that.

3. DeANGELO RUSSELL – I think Russell is the best player in the NBA Draft, and I don’t think it’s close. It’s very hard for collegiate guards to dominate the college game to the level that we see the pros do because of the hand-checking and zone defenses that we see in the college game. But Russell has the slashing skills and athleticism to be a guy who shoots 7-8 free throws a game like a James Harden or a D-Wade. I don’t mind either of the 2 top big men in the draft, but I just watched an NBA Finals where Andrew Bogut and Timofey Mosgov were the two centers. This followed up a Finals where Tiago Splitter faced off with Chris Birdman Anderson. You don’t need a big man in today’s game. You just don’t.

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THE BUSTS:

1. FRANK KAMINSKY – What the hell is Michael Jordan doing? No, seriously. What is he doing? In the past 3 seasons, Jordan has used Top 10 picks on Cody Zeller, Noah Vonleh and now Kaminsky. What do all three of these guys have in common? Two things. 1) They are all posts. 2) They all suck. Kaminsky was a good story in college, but he’s not nearly athletic nor strong enough to be a dominant NBA player. Sure, he can be a Big Baby Davis-type, but guess what? Big Baby Davis was a late pick, not No. 9 overall. Bust.

2. JAHLIL OKAFOR – Let me preface that when I call Okafor a bust, I don’t mean that he will be a Kwame Brown-type flop. I actually think there’s a really good chance that Okafor develops into a pretty good offensive post player. But for a guy that’s taken No. 3 overall at a position that’s bordering on extinct, I think he’s a reach. Defensively, Okafor is a liability and a fouling machine. He has polish on offense, but he can’t make free throws. I think his learning curve will be steeper than many expect.

3. STANLEY JOHNSON – I watched a good bit of Arizona basketball this season. That’s what happens when you’re a huge disciple of Bill Walton. I never was impressed with Johnson. To me, his storing ability at the next level is almost non-existent, and his defensive skills are good, but are they good enough to bottle up LeBron James, James Harden and the other great wings in the NBA.

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THE SLEEPERS:

1. JERIAN GRANT – I love his game. Going to be a solid, steady NBA point guard.

2. R.J. HUNTER – Knockdown shooter. He’ll help Boston right away.

3. MONTREZI HARRELL – Relentless effort, tenacious rebounding. Will mark the end of T-Jones’ run in Houston.