Grading the 2010 NBA draft

2010 NBA Top 10 Draft Picks Report Card:
-Andrew S.

1. Washington Wizards, John Wall, PG- The only top ten pick of this draft class that is actually contributing and succeeding. He is averaging 38 minutes a game with 17 points and 9 assists. He has been hurt a few times, but his play has been good enough to shine when compared to the rest of his class. Grade: A

2. Philadelphia 76ers, Evan Turner, SG- So far a disappointment in Philly. Averaging 24 minutes and 7 points a game. He is shooting an abysmal .167 from beyond the arc. I’m sure the Wiz are happy they didn’t stick with Agent 0 and bring in Turner. Grade: C-

3. New Jersey Nets, Derrick Favors, PF- What happened to playing Lopez and Favors together to form a formidable front line? He plays behind Kris Humphries. Who? Exactly. He is averaging 7 points and 6 rebounds a game, but only playing about 19 minutes a game. Grade: C

4. Minnesota Timberwolves, Wesley Johnson, SF- Averaging 9 points and 3 rebounds a game but has been very inconsistent. He is starting, something the two picks before him can’t say, and so I guess you can say Kahn made a steal here at number 4. Grade: B-

5. Sacramento Kings, DeMarcus Cousins, PF- Only thing he has going for him is his Rookie Camp Dougie Dance Off on YouTube. But seriously, he is actually playing well. He is bringing in 12 points and 7 rebounds a night. His minutes per game average are low, but that will increase as his conditioning and the season go along. Grade: B

6. Golden State Warriors, Ekpe Udoh, PF- Hard to judge and grade because he did have wrist surgery and has only played in 4 games. His scoring will never be very high, but his defensive presence will be. Grade: TBD

7. Detroit Pistons, Greg Monroe, PF- Just recently moved in the starting lineup. He is averaging 5 points and 5 rebounds in 20 minutes of work. Not a bad stat line, but on a struggling team, he should be doing more. Grade: C

8. Los Angeles Clippers, Al-Farouq Aminu, SF- Would think he is a better option that Ryan Gomes, especially for this team trying to find a W every now and then, but in his coaches’ eyes, he isn’t. Averaging 7 points and 3 rebounds in 17 minutes of play, shows this guy can score, but like many others in his class, just need to be more consistent. Grade: C+

9. Utah Jazz, Gordon Hayward, SG- Some had this kid projected as high as a top 5 pick; boy were they wrong. He is bringing home a minuscule 2 points and 1 rebound in 8 minutes of work. True he is behind AK47, who is out there to play D, so it will be hard for Hayward to find minutes there, but for a number 9 overall pick, these numbers are atrocious. Grade: D

10. Indiana Pacers, Paul George, SF- Trying to find minutes behind the Pacers best player and leading scorer just isn’t going to happen. George has only played in 8 games and is averaging 5 points and 3 rebounds. Hard to tell his impact on the team, but in his last 5 games he hasn’t seen the floor. Grade: D

I know the NBA Draft is usually full of more busts than super stars, but the 2010 draft has been brutal. Besides Wall and Cousins, the rest of the top 10 players are just stealing money from their team’s pay roll department. If I were these teams next year, which I assume more of them besides the Jazz will be in the lottery, I would trade down. There is a connection between teams like the Spurs and the Lakers always picking low and always being in the hunt come playoff time.