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Best and worst of Draft Night
Jeff Goodman FOXSports.com, Updated 4 hours ago
NEW YORK - We're going to give you the Best and Worst in the wake of Thursday night's NBA Draft, headlined by the guy who should have gone to the NBA two years ago.
Celebrating: New Jersey taking Sean Williams at No. 17. There just aren't guys like him around. He's a freak athlete who could turn into a better offensive version of Ben Wallace. Just imagine him in the middle with Jason Kidd with the ball and Richard Jefferson and Vince Carter on the wings.
Best Deal: Charlotte getting Jason Richardson, who put 36 and 12 up on Phoenix last season, in a deal for Brandan Wright. The former UNC forward has plenty of talent, but someone may want to tell Don Nelson that he won't be seeing much of it for a few years. Wright is a work in progress, while Richardson is 26 years old and shot 37 percent from long range last season.
Worst Deal: This is a tough call, but we're going with Danny Ainge and the Celtics on this one. Jeff Green is going to be a quality player in the NBA and he was dealt for a soon-to-be 32-year-old Ray Allen who is coming off two ankle surgeries. Unless Ainge makes another deal, this is a team that won't be able to stop anyone — and also won't have enough guys who make anyone better.
El Busto: Yi Jianlian — OK, Andrea Bargnani had a solid year — but the imports have been on a cold streak lately. Yi and his peeps don't want him in Milwaukee — and this is a kid whose been described as way too nice. Age is also in question here.
Slip Side: I hate to say it, but it's true. Duke's Josh McRoberts got what he deserved. All he thought about was the NBA this entire season. He should have stayed another year and worked on his ability to score, but he already had his mind made up and he slipped out of the first round.
Guy Who Should Have Stayed in School: Marcus Williams, Arizona — His stock dropped last season because the Wildcats struggled. It could have only gone up next season — and it would have resulted in a guaranteed deal. The smooth Seattle native slipped into the second round and will now have to battle for a job.
Guy Who Should Have Come Out Last Year: Josh McRoberts — Actually, he should have come out straight from high school and he would have been a lottery pick. Instead, teams saw terrible body language and a player who didn't want the ball when the game was on the line.
Guy GMs are going to regret they passed on: Derrick Byars — The former Vandy star has good size and can score. He's got experience, too, but he slipped all the way to early in the second round — and was dealt to Philly.
Second-Round Steal: Gabe Pruitt — The Celtics got a combo guard who will make fans in Boston forget about Delonte West. In fact, this is a guy who could take Rajon Rondo's job by the end of the year.
Rookie of the Year: Kevin Durant — With Ray Allen gone and Rashard Lewis on the way out, Durant is going to be in a similar situation that he stepped into in Texas. He'll be counted upon to carry the load from Day One.
Gator Bait: How about Chris Richard being taken ahead of Taurean Green. Where the heck was Lee Humphrey, anyway?
Worst On-Air Performance: Kudos to Mark Jackson, Jay Bilas, Andy Katz and most of the on-air talent. However, someone over in Bristol needs to get a clue and see if there's a trade available for a Stephan Smith with another middle initital.
Most Deserving of a Guaranteed Deal: Jared Dudley may have been the least athletic player taken in the first round, but he knows how to play the game. He extended his game in his four years at Boston College, plays with passion and isn't afraid to speak his mind.
Best Sight of the Night: After UMass' Stephane Lasme got drafted, a trio of UMass fans went berserk. They jumped around, hugged each other and basically acted as if the Minutemen went to the Final Four. The saddest thing is I think these guys were sober and one of them appeared to be clad in a Harper Williams jersey.
Best and worst of Draft Night
Jeff Goodman FOXSports.com, Updated 4 hours ago
NEW YORK - We're going to give you the Best and Worst in the wake of Thursday night's NBA Draft, headlined by the guy who should have gone to the NBA two years ago.
Celebrating: New Jersey taking Sean Williams at No. 17. There just aren't guys like him around. He's a freak athlete who could turn into a better offensive version of Ben Wallace. Just imagine him in the middle with Jason Kidd with the ball and Richard Jefferson and Vince Carter on the wings.
Best Deal: Charlotte getting Jason Richardson, who put 36 and 12 up on Phoenix last season, in a deal for Brandan Wright. The former UNC forward has plenty of talent, but someone may want to tell Don Nelson that he won't be seeing much of it for a few years. Wright is a work in progress, while Richardson is 26 years old and shot 37 percent from long range last season.
Worst Deal: This is a tough call, but we're going with Danny Ainge and the Celtics on this one. Jeff Green is going to be a quality player in the NBA and he was dealt for a soon-to-be 32-year-old Ray Allen who is coming off two ankle surgeries. Unless Ainge makes another deal, this is a team that won't be able to stop anyone — and also won't have enough guys who make anyone better.
El Busto: Yi Jianlian — OK, Andrea Bargnani had a solid year — but the imports have been on a cold streak lately. Yi and his peeps don't want him in Milwaukee — and this is a kid whose been described as way too nice. Age is also in question here.
Slip Side: I hate to say it, but it's true. Duke's Josh McRoberts got what he deserved. All he thought about was the NBA this entire season. He should have stayed another year and worked on his ability to score, but he already had his mind made up and he slipped out of the first round.
Guy Who Should Have Stayed in School: Marcus Williams, Arizona — His stock dropped last season because the Wildcats struggled. It could have only gone up next season — and it would have resulted in a guaranteed deal. The smooth Seattle native slipped into the second round and will now have to battle for a job.
Guy Who Should Have Come Out Last Year: Josh McRoberts — Actually, he should have come out straight from high school and he would have been a lottery pick. Instead, teams saw terrible body language and a player who didn't want the ball when the game was on the line.
Guy GMs are going to regret they passed on: Derrick Byars — The former Vandy star has good size and can score. He's got experience, too, but he slipped all the way to early in the second round — and was dealt to Philly.
Second-Round Steal: Gabe Pruitt — The Celtics got a combo guard who will make fans in Boston forget about Delonte West. In fact, this is a guy who could take Rajon Rondo's job by the end of the year.
Rookie of the Year: Kevin Durant — With Ray Allen gone and Rashard Lewis on the way out, Durant is going to be in a similar situation that he stepped into in Texas. He'll be counted upon to carry the load from Day One.
Gator Bait: How about Chris Richard being taken ahead of Taurean Green. Where the heck was Lee Humphrey, anyway?
Worst On-Air Performance: Kudos to Mark Jackson, Jay Bilas, Andy Katz and most of the on-air talent. However, someone over in Bristol needs to get a clue and see if there's a trade available for a Stephan Smith with another middle initital.
Most Deserving of a Guaranteed Deal: Jared Dudley may have been the least athletic player taken in the first round, but he knows how to play the game. He extended his game in his four years at Boston College, plays with passion and isn't afraid to speak his mind.
Best Sight of the Night: After UMass' Stephane Lasme got drafted, a trio of UMass fans went berserk. They jumped around, hugged each other and basically acted as if the Minutemen went to the Final Four. The saddest thing is I think these guys were sober and one of them appeared to be clad in a Harper Williams jersey.
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