Post by Newcastle on Apr 6, 2016 16:10:59 GMT
RIO DE JANEIRO - The Rio Times. After all the hype and talk about the 2004 ABCA draft and the dust has all settled we are going to take a look at who we think came out of this draft looking very good indeed as well as some later picks who we think could turn out to be good value picks.
Bamberg Brose Baskets
Dwyane Wade (#5), Darko Milicic (#22), Zaza Pachulia (#38)
We start with Bamberg Brose Baskets headlined by their #5 overall selection Dwyane Wade. It was was surprising to see Dwyane Wade fall to #5 as he has all the tools to make an impact right off the bat here in ABCA. He is a great athlete and already has great scoring ability on top of great defensive potential, I'm sure all the fans in Germany are going to be very happy with this pick. Another player than came into the draft with alot of hype especially in Europe was Darko Milicic, no one really knew where he was going to be selected with mock drafts having him go between 16-19. Darko is a little big of a unknown but Bamberg must of liked what they saw in their private workout before the draft, our European expect and Rio head scout Fran Fraschilla likes his game but warns Bamberg fans to be patient with him saying "There is no doubt that Darko Milicic has alot of potential but the kid is very raw, he is a year away from being a year away." Darko is a risk reward kind of pick but at #22 he could very well be end up being a steal if he can reach his full potential. Lastly Bamberg picked up another International big man in Zaza Pachulia early in the 2nd round which was no doubt a good value pick and he is more ready now than his fellow rookie Darko. He has the no no-sense type of bruising game that the fans will love.
Minnesota Timberwolves
Billy Cunningham (#9), Willie Cauley Stein (#16)
Next up are the current ABCA Champions Minnesota Timberwolves. It is not often that you see a Championship team with two lottery picks but we had that this year. Some expected the picks to of been moved but the Timberwolves decided to hang onto them and made great use of them. First up is Billy Cunningham who is a perfect fit for them. The 6'6 small forward is a 22 year old rookie which tells you he is coming into to the league ready to make a impact straight away. He has a good all round game especially offensively as well as being a great athlete. His versatility will make him a great sixth man for the Timberwolves behind the likes of Kevin Garnett, Andrew Wiggins and Marcus Smart. At pick #16, the Timberwolves selected Willie Cauley Stein who again is a great fit. Cauley Stein is a little raw but with Greg Ostertag hitting free agency he could be the ideal long term replacement for him as their games are very similar, being a good post defender, shot blocker and rebounder. A great value pick.
Piraeus Olympiacos BC
Tal Brody (#10), Jerry Sloan (#15), 8 Second Round Picks
Piraeus Olympiacos BC are a team who had a great draft selected two players who I was very high on personally coming into the draft in Tal Brody and Jerry Sloan, both guys are very talented and should be a great backcourt partnership for Olympiacos for a long time to come. Firstly Tal Brody is the best pure point guard in the draft and has all the tools you would want in a point guard. Jerry Sloan at #15 is a great pick, he is a great all round shooting guard with elite defensive potential on top of being a great jump shooter. Both guys are 22 years old aswell so neither guy is too raw and are ready to help straight away. Olympiacos also found themselves with 8 second round picks which must be some time of record, drafting the likes of Josheph Young, Willie Green, Luke Walton, Mike Sweeney, Tyus Jones, Travis Outlaw, Keith Bogans and Brian Cook. Time will tell how many of these guys will be on the roster come the start of the season but if a couple of them turn out to be solid bench players they will be happy.
Chicago Bulls
Dick Van Arsdale (#11), Emmanuel Mudiay (#13), Myles Turner (#25)
Chicago Bulls are another team that made great use of their picks. Dick Van Arsdale is a player with great defensive ability with potential to be a decent scorer in the league aswell. A similar player to Jerry Sloan who went 4 picks later, I'm not sure if I like Van Arsdale over Sloan personally but with both players defensive ability I'm sure they will both make an impact in ABCA. Emmanuel Mudiay is a player who I was interested to see where he would go, I'll admit I was expecting him to fall a little lower but he is a player with a great upside. The worry is he is very raw, especially offensively but he has great size for the point guard position and is a great athlete. If he can reach his potential offensively and the Bulls general manager has a track record of getting the best of his young players then they have a great player on their hands. My favorite pick of the three though is Myles Turner are #25, I was very surprised to see him fall out of the lottery and he could very well end up being one of the steals of this draft class. He has all the tools to succeed in the league and has a great jump shot for a 6'11 big man, pair that with his shot blocking ability and you have a unique talent on your hands. I'm sure 2/3 years down the line some general managers will be kicking themselves on passing on him.
San Francisco Warriors
Gail Goodrich (#7), Trey Lyles (#40)
Lastly it's the San Francisco Warriors. Gail Goodrich is a player who I really like and think his game will translate to the ABCA with ease. His scoring potential is off the charts and I'm sure it won't be long before you see him among the league leaders in points per game. He isn't your stereotypical point guard but the Warriors don't need that out of him, they are missing that go to scorer and no doubt that is who they have here. The Warriors also picked up Trey Lyles in the second round, who I think is a first round talent. He has an all round game which will make him a ideal sixth man in this league at the very least, and great value pick in the second round.
Noteable Picks
CSKA Moscow - Boris Diaw (#20)
Auckland Breakers - Kyle Korver (#29)
New York Knicks - Flynn Robinson, Devin Booker (#31, #32)
Vancouver Grizzlies - Mario Hezonja (#33)
Seattle Supersonics - Mickael Pietrus (#37)
Istanbul Anadolu Efes - Nick Collison (#41)
Here was take a look at some later picks which we liked and thought we good value. Firstly Boris Diaw going #20 to CSKA Moscow. Boris Diaw has a unique skillset of someone his size, I would liken him to Draymond Green from the Fubon Braves, think he is a great pickup at #20. Next up is Kyle Korver who slipped all the way to #29 to the Auckland Breakers. Most mock drafts had him going in the lottery even as high as #12, I guess teams were a little wary how his game would translate to the ABCA level but there is no doubting his shooting ability and at #29 he was a great pickup.
Next up is back to back picks from the New York Knicks, not home run picks but I think both guys were a little under the rader heading into the draft. Flynn Robinson has the potential to be a good combo-guard is this league and Devin Booker is a little raw but is a good shooter. Again good value picks where they were drafted. Mario Hezonja is another guy who was touted as a potential lottery pick so the Vancouver Grizzlies picking him up at #33 has to make them happy, he has the potential to be a good player in this league down the line.
Lastly is two second round picks in Mickael Pietrus and Nick Collison. Mickael Pietrus went #37 to the Seattle Supersonics and although he is raw offensively he has the potential to be an great defensive talent in this league and to get that early in the second round is good in anyone's books. Istanbul Anadolu Efes drafted Nick Collison #41 overall and he is another player who is a first round talent, he has all the tools to be a decent backup big man in this league and on top of that is a great hustle type of player than fans and fellow team mates love to have around.
That is it for our recap of all things draft related. Let us know below in the comments section who's draft you liked, or who you thought was the steal of the draft.
