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Monday, July 1, 2013

2013 NBA DRAFT DIARY: Part III

Hasan R

(Part II of Hasan's diary can be read here).

Pick 11, Philadelphia 76ers: Jrue Holiday is gone and they replace him with Michael Carter-Williams. Advanced metrics place Carter-Williams as a top guard in this draft and he provides Philly with size and a pure PG to throw lobs up for Noel. Throw in the 2014 first-round pick they also got (1-5 protected) and the 76ers came away with a killer haul and have set themselves up for a fantastic future rebuild.

Pick 12, Oklahoma City Thunder: Still reeling from losing James Harden, they need to find a sixth man who can play meaningful minutes behind Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant. Frankly, this team is pretty stacked and are smart at drafting so I trust their pick. Steven Adams is the announced pick and I’m ok with this. Adams is an athlete with tons of potential. Strong athlete combined with great size makes him a terrific defender, but needs to improve on the offensive side of the ball. Thankfully, offense is something OKC doesn’t suffer and provided that Adams can help them crash the boards and protect the rim would make him a good pick.

Pick 13, Dallas Mavericks: A TRADE! Mavs trade this pick to the Celtics for the no. 16 pick and two future second-round picks. The Boston Celtics in turn draft Kelly Olynyk, a stretch 4 who can catch the ball on the high post and drive to the basket. Definitely part of the rebuilding process for Boston, but by no means an impact pick.

Pick 14, Utah Jazz: Man, watching the draft is fun and exciting, but draining. There is so much dead airspace and ESPN scrambles to put it all together. But I wouldn’t have it any other way! Anyway, the Timberwolves select Shabazz Muhammad. Prolific scorer on the wings and a good shooters, Shabazz proves to be a good pick, especially this far down. Best part of his interview is the fact that he is being asked about the Wolves whilst wearing a Utah Jazz hat. Definitely a highlight in the draft.


Pick 15, Milwaukee Bucks: The Bucks select Giannis Adetokunbo. Whoa, try saying that three times fast. This dude can handle the ball, can shoot the 3 and has a crazy wingspan. Scouts peg him as not being NBA ready and we won’t really know if he can make the transition from Greece to the NBA. He will either be a home run or a bust, and we should know in a couple of years. 

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