Observations from NBA draft
Number … Team … Player … Position … Height … Class … School … Heisler’s comment:
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CLEVELAND — Kyrie Irving G 6-1 3/4 Fr. Duke — Other teams focused on 2016 when he’s a free agent. Just kidding.
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MINNESOTA — Derrick Williams F 6-7 3/4 So. Arizona — Career tracking up dramatically, should make it or make it big.
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UTAH — Enes Kanter C 6-9 3/4 Fr. Kentucky — Jazz front line could be taller but now wide as mountain range.
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CLEVELAND — Tristan Thompson F 6-7 1/4 Fr. Texas — Surprise here but with his length, explosion, no way he misses.
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TORONTO — Jonas Valanciunas C 6-9 1/2 Lietuvos Rytas — Not ready but rare Euro center who’s not overgrown small forward.
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WASHINGTON — Jan Vesely F 6-9 1/2 Partizan — No scorer but admirers see bigger, less dizzy Andrei Kirilenko.
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SACRAMENTO (a) — Bismack Biyombo F 6-8 1/2 Fuenlabrada — Charlotte-bound. May be smaller Serge Ibaka, or Saer Sene.
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DETROIT — Brandon Knight G 6-1 3/4 Fr. Kentucky — Wanted Tristan/Bismack. Who said BK’s better than Stuckey, Bynum?
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CHARLOTTE — Kemba Walker G 5-11 1/2 Sr. Connecticut — With him on Augustin’s shoulders, would have one full-size point.
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MILWAUKEE (b) — Jimmer Fredette G 6-0 3/4 Sr. Brigham Young Sacramento-bound. — Fits with Tyreke … if he’s an NBA starter.
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GOLDEN STATE — Klay Thompson G 6-5 3/4 Jr. Washington St. — The player Jerry West was dying for drops in his lap.
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UTAH — Alec Burks G 6-5 Jr. Colorado — After passing on Knight, wanted point but that’s not how it went.
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PHOENIX — Markieff Morris F 6-7 3/4 Jr. Kansas — Pres. Babby, GM Blanks first to rank Markieff over twin Marcus.
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HOUSTON — Marcus Morris F 6-7 Jr. Kansas — Thanks, Suns: Higher-rated twin falls to Rockets.
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INDIANA — Kawhi Leonard F 6-6 Jr. San Diego St. — Trade to Spurs for George Hill shows how high Spurs are on him.
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PHILADELPHIA — Nikola Vucevic F 6-10 1/4 Jr. USC — Another dark horse. Dramatic improvement suggests he’s for real.
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NEW YORK — Iman Shumpert G 6-4 1/4 Sr. Georgia Tech — With one Knick over 6-8 1/2 barefoot, need more size than big point.
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WASHINGTON — Chris Singleton F 6-7 3/4 Fr. Florida St. — Billed as great defender but averaged only 6.8 rebounds.
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CHARLOTTE (d) — Tobias Harris F 6-8 Fr. Tennessee — Poor man’s Kawhi Leonard. Not gifted but a comer with game.
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MINNESOTA (e) — Donatas Motiejunas F 6-10 1/2 Benetton Treviso — Houston-bound. Here’s your basic Euro-overgrown small forward.
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PORTLAND — Nolan Smith G 6-1 1/2 Jr. Duke — Denver-bound with Miller as Trail Blazers land Felton.
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DENVER — Kenneth Faried F 6-6 Sr. Morehead St. — Somewhere between Dennis Rodman and Renaldo Balkman.
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HOUSTON (e, g) — Nikola Mirotic F 6-8 1/2 Real Madrid — Minnesota-bound, in 2016 when Euro deal’s up, for Jonny Flynn.
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OKLAHOMA CITY — Reggie Jackson G 6-1 1/2 Jr. Boston College — OKC, not Portland, gave him promise before he had knee scoped.
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BOSTON (f) — MarShon Brooks G 6-4 1/4 Sr. Providence — New Jersey-bound. Major scorer, yet to guard anyone.
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DALLAS (i) — Jordan Hamilton F 6-6 3/4 So. Texas — Big-time shooter, pain as freshman, got it together last season.
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NEW JERSEY (f) — JaJuan Johnson F 6-9 Sr. Purdue — Boston-bound. Good tab for team that needs to rebuild front line.
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CHICAGO (g, h) — Norris Cole G 6-2 Sr. Cleveland St. — Miami-bound as Pat Riley trades up for first piece in rebuilding.
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SAN ANTONIO — Cory Joseph G 6-3 Fr. Texas — As close as Spurs are to Texas, he’ll probably be George Hill Jr.
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CHICAGO Jimmy Butler F 6-7 Jr. Marquette — Well, it’s something: ESPN’S Bilas says “he’ll do no harm.”
TRADES: a-traded to Charlotte in a three-way trade with Milwaukee and Sacramento. b-traded to Sacramento in a three-way trade with Charlotte and Milwaukee. c-traded to San Antonio for G George Hill. d-traded to Milwaukee in a three-way trade with Charlotte and Sacramento. e-Minnesota and Houston traded selections. f-Boston and New Jersey traded selections. i-Dallas traded rights to Hamilton to Portland for Rudy Fernandez. h-Minnesota traded rights to Nikola Mirotic for the rights to G Norris Cole and the rights to the second-round (No. 43) pick.