SECOND ROUND
As Adam Silver graduates from his previous position as the Deputy Commissioner, where he presided over the second round of the NBA Draft for years, it is now Mark Tatum’s turn to receive ironic cheers from the New York fans who simply want anyone BUT the commish announcing the picks. We already got a good look at Tatum’s mug when this happened, so get used to it because he will be around for the long haul as Silver’s right hand man.
Although there have been some nice diamonds in the rough emerge from the second round of the NBA Draft (including one of the most sought-after free agents this summer, Indiana’s Lance Stephenson), the likelihood of getting even a roster player from picks 31 to 60 is pretty unlikely. As of now, 15 of the 30 picks in the second round of last year’s draft have yet to play in an NBA game. The most accomplished players from that round in a pretty poor draft were two point guards in Ray McCallum Jr. and Nate Wolters and a stretch four in Ryan Kelly.
However, many things bloom with time, and so do second round guys. The 2012 class included notable players like Draymond Green, Khris Middleton, Quincy Acy, Kyle O’Quinn, Mike Scott, Jeffrey Taylor, Quincy Miller, and Jae Crowder. I would bet we will see some progress this year, but with tempered expectations. So maybe by 2016, you’ll hear some of these names pop up again.
The teams with multiple second round picks include the Sixers (5), Timberwolves, Bucks (each with 3), Spurs, Raptors, and Mavericks (each with 2). The only teams that do not have any draft picks at all as of publication time are the Knicks, Nets, Blazers, and Warriors.
#31- Milwaukee Bucks- C.J. Wilcox, SG Washington
Even though he has a disappointing track record at Washington, I’ll give Lorenzo Romar credit for one thing: He knows how to get good players to go there. After the early departures of Terrence Ross and Tony Wroten in 2012, Wilcox became to go-to guard for the Huskies last season. Although U-Dub missed the tournament again, Wilcox showed great scoring ability and was a great set shooter. He is a poor man’s O.J. Mayo, only more coachable. It wouldn’t shock me at all if he went in the first round, so I have him going first in the second round.
#32- Philadelphia 76ers- Alessandro Gentile , SF Italy
This is the first of a whopping FIVE second round picks that the Sixers garnered through a variety of trades. You have to think some of these later picks will get bundled for a draft day deal (including possibly this one), but let’s assume Philly keeps all the picks for posterity’s sake. The Spurs’ international flavor on their way to a fifth NBA title has to be on the minds of some of these G.M.’s looking far down the line, so with so many late picks, Sam Hinkie will take a couple of international players for sure. Gentile here is a reach, but he might pay off if he continues to get better in Italy. While very raw, Gentile packs a punch as a scorer already with a multitude of jumpers and up-and-under moves at 6’7″. If he is as good as Marco Belinelli, another NBA player from Italy, this could work out in the coming years.
#33- Cleveland Cavaliers- Jordan Adams, SG UCLA
This is only other pick the Cavs currently have after the #1 choice. I see them taking potential at the top spot with Wiggins, so now you need a bulldog-type contributor. Adams seems like one of those players right off the bat. He was in the same UCLA recruiting class as Shabazz Muhammed and Kyle Anderson, but proved over time that he was the most tenacious player between the three. Anderson got by on measurements and LaVine did so on athleticism while Adams has neither. His combine measurements were laughably bad, so he has to prove he can play through the odds just like he did in college. I think he can be a good bench player who hustles all the time.
#34- Dallas Mavericks- DeAndre Daniels, SF UConn
No player helped themselves more with their NCAA Tournament performance than Daniels did on his way to helping UConn win the national title. He already had good FG% numbers and was their best athlete in the regular season, but it was in postseason play that Daniels wowed scouts with his spectacular length and pursuit all the way to Arlington. Napier and Ryan Boatright had hops of their own, but Daniels showed he could be special in big moments. Vince Carter and Shawn Marion are both free agents, and Jae Crowder is mainly a finesse player. Daniels would be a nice addition to help out Dirk Nowitzki.
#35- Utah Jazz- Markel Brown, SG Oklahoma State
The Jazz gave Alec Burks ample time to be the starting shooting guard for them, but it just hasn’t worked out. Burks was a Big XII product with mean game at the 2 position, and so is this player. Brown was a four-year player at Oklahoma State but has been doing eye-popping dunks since he was a sophomore. Many expected Brown’s stock to rise alongside teammate Marcus Smart’s when the Cowboys ascended to the top of the college basketball ranks. Clearly, that did not happen, and Brown’s season went largely unnoticed at shooting guard. His shooting is suspect and his ball handling is even worse, but good Lord, the jumpability! He did a 43.5″ running vertical at the combine, a half-inch less than Wiggins’ now-legendary Instagram at Peak Performance. The Jazz need some leapers in that starting lineup anyway to go with Trey Burke and restricted free agent Gordon Hayward, so here you go.
#36- Milwaukee Bucks- Nick Johnson, PG/SG Arizona
Johnson was recruited in Arizona as a point guard and stayed that way his three years there, but don’t be fooled by his 6’3″ frame. The Pac 12 Player of the Year can jump out of the gym and can make a 360 dunk in transition look routine. He is a solid defender because he can get his mitts on the ball easier than most point guards can, but the key will be whether he plays the 1 or 2. His shooting is abysmal and he is a bad free throw shooter, too. The Bucks lacked in everything, so getting a shooter in C.J. Wilcox and a combo guard in Johnson wouldn’t be a bad idea.
#37- Toronto Raptors- Jarnell Stokes, PF Tennessee
The Raptors got a quantum leap out of Jonas Valanciunas in his second year at power forward, but Amir Johnson and Patrick Patterson are free agents and Tyler Hansbrough is not an adequate replacement. While Valanciunas loves rim runs, Stokes is a throwback big man with a big backside who can rebound and pile up garbage baskets. He was one of the best rebounders in college, and that will translate in the NBA. With Stokes and Jeronne Maymon underneath, Tennessee was one of the best defensive teams in the country, and Dwayne Casey is a defensively minded coach at heart. Not an athlete like the rest of the Raptors, but a nice deviation in the paint.
#38- Detroit Pistons- Alec Brown, C Green Bay
Stan Van Gundy is now running the show as the head coach and team president for the Pistons. This is their only pick because of a trade involving Ben Gordon cost them their lottery pick to Charlotte. The one thing we all know about Stan is that he loves the three-ball, with the Magic shooting an intense volume of three-pointers under him. I thought Isaiah Austin out of Baylor was originally a good fit, but after combine doctors discovered a rare blood syndrome that causes enlarged arteries, Austin sadly had to retire after overcoming a prosthetic eye. The next best shooting big man is Alec Brown, a tall center out of the MAC with nice shooting touch. Green Bay missed the tournament, but I thought they were the second best mid-major in college hoops behind Wichita State thanks to Brown and guard Keifer Sykes. He played against small time competition, but Stan wants shooters, and this is a nice start.
#39- Philadelphia 76ers- Deonte Burton, PG Nevada
Burton went under the radar for years at Nevada, but he has been on the NBA’s radar since his sophomore year. He is a 6’1″ point guard, but what brings him to the dance is his sneaky ups. His 39.5-inch max vertical at the Draft combine surprised only those who haven’t followed him throughout his career, so he is similar in ways to Reggie Jackson or Russell Westbrook. He is also a good overall shooter, something that Philly definitely needs given their awful team FG percentage last season.
#40- Minnesota Timberwolves- Semaj Christon, PG Xavier
I would not be counting the days before he takes Ricky Rubio’s spot as the starting point guard for the Wolves, but Semaj Christon is an intriguing prospect. He has long arms, he can easily fit in as a 2-guard who dominates the ball, and he loves to get out in the open and run, which he couldn’t do too often while in college. Like Rubio, however, his shooting touch needs work as soon as possible.
#41- Denver Nuggets- Spencer Dinwiddie, PG Colorado
It was such a shame that Dinwiddie tore his ACL early in the season. While playing alongside future NBA players like Alec Burks and Andre Roberson, Dinwiddie was undoubtedly the leader of the Colorado Buffaloes for the past two seasons, near the top of every category for coach Tad Boyle. Had Dinwiddie not gotten hurt, his profile would be at a first round level. Denver has a lot of small guards already in Randy Foye and Aaron Brooks, but Dinwiddie is more of a facilitator in an offense that loves to dish out assists. I think he can be a dependable back-up in Denver.
#42- Houston Rockets- Walter Tavares, C Cape Verde
It’s hilarious to think that a Houston Rockets team with Dwight Howard and Omer Asik needs frontcourt help, but they do! Howard is still a defensive force when he feels like it, but the interior help and defensive philosophy are simply not there. Tavares from Cape Verde is definitely a project given that he has no post moves or offensive acumen. The upside? He is 7’3″, by far the tallest prospect in this year’s draft. And at over 260 pounds, Tavares is not a bad choice to protect the paint.
#43- Atlanta Hawks- Vasilije Micic, PG Serbia
Micic was not in anyone’s line of sight until last summer’s FIBA U-19 games. The U.S. team led by Marcus Smart, Aaron Gordon, and future top pick Jahlik Okafor and coached by Billy Donovan trampled every team in their path to a gold medal except for Serbia, whose top player was this 6’6″ guard. Serbia lost both times to the Americans, but Micic’s name was on the tongue of every scout who saw him. He does have a previously torn ACL and is not an explosive athlete in the first place, but his passing and court vision is above average. Think of him as a Serbian Ricky Rubio with less flair. The Hawks have a lot of shooters, but they do need a back up point guard for Jeff Teague. Micic might be the guy.
#44- Minnesota Timberwolves- Artem Klimenko, C Russia
Klimenko has gotten some looks going as high as the first round simply because he is a center in a center-starving draft class. A 7-footer from Russia, Klimenko started turning heads as a very young prospect at adidas Eurocamp back in 2012 and got better in the Russian league. Unlike Tavares and Nurkic, though, Klimenko is smooth at scoring under the rim and moving around with his 7’4″ wingspan. The Wolves obviously need a big after they eventually lose Kevin Love, so Klimenko being mentored by fellow Euro Nikola Pekovic would be a decent plan.
#45- Charlotte Hornets- Patric Young, C Florida
Young is interesting because he had been labeled as a potential lottery pick since being a highly touted recruit from high school. Even as recently as last summer, many draft boards had Young going first round even though that was bloated stock. He stayed all four years at Florida, leading them to the Final Four this year as one of the team’s many senior leaders. It is easy to see why he has slipped due to his awful shooting touch and lack of dexterity. However, he measured out in the combine as a legit 6’10”, a true center if you’ve ever seen one. He is also one of the strongest players in the draft, and Charlotte needs another big in case they give up on Bismack Biyombo. Young is basically a more polished but not as athletic version of Biyombo.
#46- Washington Wizards- James Michael McAdoo, SF/PF North Carolina
Along with Patrick Young, McAdoo was another player who got tons of hype upon arrival at North Carolina and the promise failed to materialize. While Young stayed all four years at Florida, McAdoo is checking out of UNC after three, but he almost became underrated in some ways after so many scouts gave up on him after a lackluster sophomore year. I thought his junior season was definitely his best one as a Tar Heel, and he showed improvement shooting and on defense. He can also slash decently if you leave him alone. With the Wizards possibly losing vets at the forward spot like Al Harrington and Drew Goodon, McAdoo would be able to move into that tweener spot at small forward/power forward.
#47- Philadelphia 76ers- Dwight Powell, PF Stanford
Powell has been a top player from Canada for some time and was a four year player at Stanford. But it was in the NCAA Tournament this year that Powell really impressed when he and Stefan Nastic convincingly overpowered New Mexico and Kansas on their way to the Sweet Sixteen. Powell might want to eat a cheeseburger or two given his light frame if he wants to play center in the NBA, but he has good touch shooting wise is quite tall at 6’11” with shoes. He might be a good clone of Spencer Hawes, whom the Sixers dumped in a trade late last season.
#48- Milwaukee Bucks- Melvin Ejim, SF Iowa State
This one is a stretch on my part just because I really like this guy’s game and he never stopped impressing me at Iowa State under rising coaching star Fred Hoiberg. Iowa State was one of the funnest teams to watch in college hoops last season, and Ejim was a big reason why. Ejim, like Stauskas, Ennis, Powell, and Wiggins, also hails from Canada, but his game is bipolar in a good way. While he is only 6’6″, he had no problem playing at power forward in college and relentlessly attacking the basket. He scored 48 points on TCU and nearly all of them were dunks on fast breaks or nifty post moves. He will not be able to rebound in the NBA like he did in college unless he can find a way to not get overwhelmed at the 4 spot, but he can also shoot the ball pretty well from outside. He lacks a true position, so he needs to find his way in the D-League probably, but I think Ejim will make it somehow.
#49- Chicago Bulls- C.J. Fair, SF Syracuse
Like McAdoo and Young, Fair was another guy who was getting a lot of way-too-early looks in the lottery as a sophomore in college. He did not have the pro potential of former teammates like Ennis, Michael Carter Williams, or Dion Waiters, but Fair had a terrific senior year at Syracuse. He is a lefty with a great shooting form without a hitch, which you rarely see. He listed at 6’8″, but he is not very strong and is not the most defensively aware guy either. He might have to play small forward and improve his quickness, but he is a finished product after four years playing big time schools in the Big East and ACC. The Bulls need shooting in the worst way, and Fair can provide that at the forward spot.
#50- Phoenix Suns- Thanasis Antetokounmpo, SF Greece & Delaware 87ers (NBA Developmental League)
Get ready for “The Greek Freak Part II”! The Bucks were impossible to watch this past season, but they may have found a diamond in the rough with Giannis Antetokounmpo, a 19-year-old 6’9″ rookie straight out of Greece. His numbers were not yowza, but like Kevin Garnett in his first year at Minnesota, you could tell that “The Greek Freak” was learning quickly and had a nice all-around game. Thanasis is Giannis’ older brother but he is only 6’6″ and his game is even more raw, which is scary. He has no offensive rhythm at all after playing for the Delaware 87ers in the D-League this past season, but he has a long wingspan for a guard and made his identity as a defensive stopper in the minors. Thanasis has to work on his offensive game, however, before the Suns even think about playing him. But then again, we said the same thing years ago about Gerald Green, who is now one of Phoenix’s best players.
#51- Dallas Mavericks- Bogdan Bogdanovic, SG Serbia
Do not confuse him with Bojan Bogdanovic, a Croatian slasher who was drafted in 2011 and almost signed a contract with the Nets last summer before going back to the Turkish League. This Bogdanovic is Serbian and had already won a silver medal at the U-19 World Championships two years before Vasilije Micic did. He has been playing for Partizan Belgrade in the Euroleague since he was 18 and really took a leap this past season as the team’s best player. He is 6’6″ and, while not exemplary at just one thing, does a lot of things well, including passing. Dallas might need a taller point guard to offset the lack of size with Monta Ellis and Shane Larkin and Mark Cuban is very patient with his prospects, which you would have to be with Bogdanovic.
#52- Philadelphia 76ers- Jordan McRae, SG Tennessee
McRae was one of the five key players on a Tennessee team that almost got the Elite Eight along with Stokes, Maymon, Antonio Barton, and 2015 prospect Josh Richardson. McRae, a senior, was by far the Vols’ best guard thanks to his towering 6’5″ height and versatility as a facilitator, scorer, and defender. He, like Michael Carter Williams, is almost gangly with the ball due to his longer arms and skinny frame and is capable of making tough shots. Imagine T.J. Warren with a little less scoring but a little more athleticism, and McRae is what you get. The Sixers could use some defenders in the backcourt, and he could play small forward at certain times if you need him to.
#53- Minnesota Timberwolves- Damien Inglis, SF France
I don’t know much at all about Inglis except that he played at the Nike Hoops Summit in Portland this year for the world team and he is a rising star in France at the forward spot. What has made him stand out is that he is 6’9″ with long arms, but is used often at the guard spot and as a ball handler. France, like Canada, Australia, and Serbia, has become a hotbed for pro talents over the past few years , and Inglis could be a nice player to stash away for a couple years. He might be the French Lance Stephenson, which could cause an international incident someday.
#54- Philadelphia 76ers- Khem Birch, PF UNLV
Birch got tons of hype when he signed with Pittsburgh as a decorated prep recruit out of (guess where?!) Canada, but he got a lot of red flags when he transferred out of Pitt almost immediately and wound up at UNLV. He wasn’t even the most heralded big man at UNLV thanks to Roscoe Smith, who was sixth in the nation in rebounding. He is 6’9″, runs the floor well, and can float between power forward and center with good rebounding and shot blocking skills. He is not a scorer in any way, though, so he will likely be limited to just being a big man who snags boards and gets garbage points.
#55- Miami Heat- Russ Smith, PG Louisville
Louisville has had a lot of pretty talented players in the last three years, especially the 2013 team that won the national championship. Peyton Siva and Gorgui Dieng got drafted last year and the 2014 squad was led by Luke Hancock, 2015 lottery hopeful Montrez Harrell, and senior leader Russ Smith. Smith has a lot of holes in his game from his short height to his poor shot selection to his erratic decision making as a point guard. But he is terrific at stealing the ball, has lightning quick speed, and opened the eyes of many in different workouts over the last month. The Heat need rebounding the most, but they also focus on stealing the ball to get easy transition buckets for LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, and Smith can do that. He just has to realize that he is not a volume shooter anymore in the NBA like he was under Rick Pitino.
#56- Denver Nuggets- Jabari Brown, SG Missouri
Brown, like his teammate Jordan Clarkson, was an athletic guard who transferred to Mizzou from another high profile school in Oregon. While Clarkson was able to do a little bit of everything, Brown was a pure scorer who could light it up from the outside and attack the rim against slower defenders. He doesn’t do much outside of scoring, though, which is one of the reasons is why Missouri probably failed to make the tournament along with Frank Haith being a failure in general. His stock got boosted when he measured at 6’4″ with a 6’8″ wingspan at the combine, a nice size for a any guard.
#57- Indiana Pacers- Jahii Carson, PG Arizona State
Lance Stephenson is a free agent, George Hill is slowly going downward as a point guard, and C.J. Watson can only do so much as a back-up. Carson is a true point guard at a measly 5’11”, but he is a mighty mite. He is incredibly fast, led Arizona State to their first tournament appearance in five years, and clocked in an unreal 43.5″ vertical at the combine, one of the best ever recorded. His defense has to get better as does his three-point shot if Frank Vogel is going to play him, but he can do it. If he has the muster, he could be a new version of Nate Robinson, which is definitely a compliment.
#58- San Antonio Spurs- Nikola Jokic, C Serbia
This would be the third Serbian to get picked in the draft if it happens, showing us how progressively that country has become in chugging out nice young players. The Spurs are fresh off of winning an NBA Championship with eight international players on the roster, the most for any champion. Tim Duncan, God bless him, can’t last forever, and R.C. Buford loves stashing foreign prospects in the later stages of the draft. Jokic is a 6’11” center but has very nice feel for the game is more mobile than some of the other Euros out there. I don’t accept to even hear his name in the NBA for another few years, though, so patience is a virtue for Jokic with the right team, and the Spurs definitely fit that bill.
#59- Toronto Raptors- Johnny O’Bryant, C LSU
LSU did not make the NCAA Tournament this year, but many scouts watched their game tape against Kentucky because the Tigers’ stacked front line gave Kentucky bigs like Randle, Willie Cauley-Stein, and Dakari Johnson fits in the three games they played against one another. My favorite (I’m an LSU fan) was Jordan Mickey, who went back to school, but the next best one for the Tigers was O’Bryant, a traditional back-to-the-basket big man with nice post moves and incredible offensive efficiency. His stock is low because at 6’8″ without shoes he is unlikely to play center in the pros, but he flourished against good competition. Against Kentucky, he averaged 22.3 PPG and 9.3 RPG. The Raptors might lose Amir Johnson and Patrick Patterson, so O’Bryant might be a nice plug-in at power forward or center.
#60- San Antonio Spurs- Joe Harris, SF Virginia
Who better to eventually replace Matt Bonner in the Spurs’ highly efficient three-ball-oriented offense than Harris? Former ESPN high school recruiting analyst Dave Telep is one of San Antonio’s key scouts now, so I have to think the Spurs will take an American in the second round, and Harris might be a steal. He was the leader of the Virginia Cavaliers and has a solid all-around game thanks to the defensive focus from head coach Tony Bennett. Harris’ key trait is that he is an excellent outside shooter, going 40 percent from three. His workouts over the past month have impressed many and has at least gotten him in second round talks after not even being considered up to a few months ago.
OTHER POTENTIAL PICKS
United States: Cory Jefferson (PF Baylor), DeAndre Kane (PG Iowa State), LaQuinton Ross (SF Ohio State), Devyn Marble (SG Iowa), Andre Dawkins (SG Duke), Josh Heustis (SF Stanford), Cameron Bairstow (PF New Mexico), Juvonte Reddic (PF VCU), Keith Appling (PG Michigan State), Aaron Craft (PG Ohio State), Jordan Bachynski (C Arizona State), Alex Kirk (C New Mexico), Roscoe Smith (PF UNLV), Talib Zanna (PF Pittsburgh), Fuquan Edwin (SF Seton Hall), Xavier Thames (PG/SG San Diego State), Lamar Patterson (SG Pittsburgh), Sean Kilpatrick (SG Cincinnati), Austin Hollins (SG Minnesota), Eric Moreland (C Oregon State), Scottie Wilbekin (PG Florida), Tarik Black (PF Kansas), Travis Bader (SG Oakland), Jakarr Sampson (PF St. John’s), Bryce Cotton (PG Providence), Sim Bhullar (C New Mexico State), Chane Behanan (SF Louisville), Aquille Carr (PG Delaware 87ers)
Internationals: Cristiano Felicio (PF/C Brazil), Ioannis Papapetrou (SF Greece), Rasmus Larsen (PF Denmark), Moussa Diagne (C Senegal), Nedim Buza (SF Bosnia), Dmitry Kulagin (PG Russia), Nemanja Dangubic (SG Serbia), Tomas Dimsa (G Lithuania), Ojar Silins (PF Latvia)
