Post by themouth on Jun 19, 2015 16:35:02 GMT
It's been four seasons since the 2035 rookies entered the league. Where are they now ? Are the best prospect from the draft now superstars ? Who are the busts and the steals ? Here's an article about all of them.
*** THE (SUPER)STARS ***
#4 Gary Payton PG 23 6'4'' 190 C+ B A A- D+ C
2038 stats with the Brooklyn Nets : 17.0ppg, 9.0apg, 2.7spg, .454 FG%
The 4th pick in the 2035 draft was a clear rookie of the year with an impressive first NBADSL year : 12.8ppg, 8.3apg, 2.5spg, .414 FG%. Payton improved a lot in offense the following year (17.7ppg, .470 FG%, .412 3P%) and is now one of the best point guards in the league : 4th in assists, 1st in steals, an almost perfect passing/defensive PG but who can score ! Every team with enough cap space is gonna offer him a max contract this summer, as he did not offer to resign in Brooklyn.
#7 Vlade Divac PF 24 7'1'' 260 B C+ B A- B C
2038 stats with the Philadelphia 76ers : 15.7ppg, 10.3rpg, 4.7apg, 2.2bpg, .440 FG%
Offensively, Divac has improved all his career : 6.2ppg as a rookie, 10.4ppg in sophomore year, 12.5ppg in 2037. As every classic big man, he's great in rebounds and blocks, but also in steals (1.0spg). And the rest makes him special, in a very similar way to Walton : he's very tall for a PF (7'1"), makes tons of assists (and loses only 2.5 balls per game), can shoot and even sometimes from behind the arc (.304 3P%) ! Yeah he's not an average big man. And the 76ers accepted to give him a max contract in just one second.
#8 Earl Manigault SG 28 6'3'' 221 A- C+ B+ B D+ C
2038 stats with the Charlotte Hornets : 19.4ppg, 5.0rpg, 4.4apg, 2.2spg, .481 FG%
Manigault was a steal being picked in 8th. He showed incredible offensive capabilities in his very first year with the Hornets : 15.9ppg, .454 FG%. He's a great scorer, almost a 20ppg one while being only a second option to the superstar Zhou Qi (27.7ppg), also very nice in steals (8th in the league) and a underestimated playmaker (2.6 assists/turnovers ratio). Not a youngster at 28 though, and he chose to stay in Charlotte for not that much ($85M on 6 years).
*** THE ALMOST STARS ***
#2 Alonzo Mourning C 23 6'10'' 240 B+ C D+ A- B- B
2038 stats with the Atlanta Hawks : 16.0ppg, 9.8rpg, 2.7bpg, .427 FG%
#3 Dikembe Mutombo C 24 7'2'' 250 B- D+ C A- B+ B
2038 stats with the Seattle Supersonics : 11.9ppg, 12.4rpg, 3.1bpg, .473 FG%
Big men start to dominate late in NBADSL. Maybe that's why neither Mourning or Mutombo are superstars now... but that does not explain why they had their best season two years ago ! Mourning (15.1ppg, 11.2rpg, 2.8bpg, .440 FG% in 2036) lost rebounding and handling abilities last summer, but a 16-10-3 center is always great to have and he's only 23, so there's no reason to think he won't dominate in the next years. The Hawks are not worried : they gave him a max contrat to keep him in Atlanta. Mutombo (11.9ppg, 12.7rpg, 3.9bpg, .460 FG% in 2036) was DPoY in his sophomore year but did not make it to a Defensive team since. His numbers are almost the same though, and he's a valuable defensive center. He chose to test FA, so he should be overpaid, if that's possible.
#5 Glen Rice SF 24 6'8'' 220 B- A- C- B C B
2038 stats with the Charlotte Hornets : 16.2ppg, 5.5rpg, 1.4spg, .463 FG%, .434 3P%
#6 Larry Johnson SF 23 6'7'' 250 B+ C C- B B- C
2038 stats with the Brooklyn Nets : 16.3ppg, 7.9rpg, .473 FG%
The two young small forwards are quite different, but they are at similare stages of their career. Rice had a difficult rookie season (9.8ppg, .429 FG%, .324 3P%, no award) before he exploded as a sophomore : 19.6ppg, .461 FG%, .461 3P% ! And since then ? Well his inside offense went down last summer... but he still averaged 16ppg while playing with Qi and Manigault. No doubt a team will pay him a lot in FA do run an outside focus. Johnson had a great rookie season (15.7ppg, 8.2rpg, .477 FG%), was named to the All-Rookie Team, and improved to a huge offensive 2037 season : 18.0ppg, .512 FG%. This year he had injury issues and played only 35 games, only 28.7ppg, so no worries. Too bad he resigned in Brooklyn for a ridiculous salary ($54M on 5 years).
*** THE "I GUESS THAT'S OK" PLAYERS ***
#9 Derrick Coleman PF 24 6'10'' 258 B C C B+ C+ C
2038 stats with the Sacramento Kings : 12.2ppg, 8.8rpg, 1.7bpg, .436 FG%
#13 Cedric Ceballos SF 23 6'7'' 225 B C+ D+ B- C C
2038 stats with the San Antonio Spurs : 6.1ppg, 3.4rpg, .459 FG%, .417 3P%
#14 Isaiah Madison C 24 7'0'' 226 B- C D+ C A- C
2038 stats with the Los Angeles Clippers : 8.8ppg, 8.6rpg, 1.0bpg, .370 FG%
Not a lot to say about these players. Coleman had a great sophomore year (15.9ppg, 9.1rpg, 1.8bpg, .459 FG%) but showed no improvement since. He still asked for a max contract but the Kings declined. Maybe a steal in the free agency. Ceballos is not that bad in offense (6.1ppg in only 18.2ppg) but clearly no star, the Spurs GM declined a $15M/3years resign so he may be another steal. Madison is an easy double-double player (he played only 23.7mpg this year) but can't defend and his percentages are horrible. The Clippers GM is wondering whether accept his $7M/2years cheap resign.
*** THE BUSTS ***
#1 Len Bias SF 23 6'8'' 210 B B- C- B B- B
2038 stats with the Minnesota Timberwolves : 12.3ppg, 7.6rpg, 0.9spg, .430 FG%
I know, I know, Bias is not a bust. But still, it would be exagerated to say that Bias is having a 1st pick career right now. He had a nice rookie year (15.9ppg, 9.1rpg, .427 FG%) but was only named to the All-Rookie 2nd Team. He didn't blossom since then and his defense even went down last summer. He's not a starter in the contending Wolves. Three SF were drafted in the 2035 top ten and the two others (Rice, Johnson) are currently better than him. Considering he was a unanimous 1st pick and showed huge promises (19 years old, B- C D+ B- B-, big potential), that's weak. Compare him to the 1st pick of the 2034 (Benji Wilson, A- B B- A- C B at 22) or 2035 draft (Michael Porter, 25.7ppg)...
#10 Tim Hardaway PG 23 6'0'' 195 C+ B B+ C+ D C
2038 stats with the Philadelphia 76ers : 8.2ppg, 7.0apg, 1.2spg, .432 FG%
Again, that may be harsh - but there's no real bust in this draft, and Hardaway is the closest player. He played 9mpg as a rookie, 13.8mpg as a sophomore and 12.5mpg in 2037. He showed absolutely no sign of improvement before a new GM came to Philly and tried to save him. Did it work ? His handles and defense went up, and his stats start to look decent. He's a very good passer who loses a little too many balls (2.7topg). But he's not efficient on offense, and far from the defensive level asked in the league. Free agency will be interesting, as it will be a bet to sign him.
#11 Hersey Hawkins PG 24 6'3'' 190 B- B- C- C+ D+ C
2038 stats with the Los Angeles Clippers : 7.2ppg, 3.3rpg, 1.3spg, .439 FG%, .396 3P%
#12 Mookie Blaylock PG 23 6'1'' 185 C C+ B- B- C- C
2038 stats with the San Antonio Spurs : 3.0ppg, 2.4apg, 0.8spg, .430 FG%
Hawkins is simply awful. C- handles and he has more turnovers (0.9topg) than assist (0.8apg) ! The worst PG in the league, he can't even score 10ppg or defend. Acceptable in steals though. Worst pick in the draft by far. Blaylock is slightly better. He plays in a near playoffs team (38-44 Spurs) and his stats are OK... considering he played only 13.2mpg. If he played 36mpg, they would be 8.2ppg, 6.5apg and 2.2spg. Not great. Weak on offense, mediocre on defense, and not that great on handling (1.6 A/T ratio).
#18 Felton Spencer C 24 7'0'' 265 C C- F+ C+ B C
2038 stats with the San Antonio Spurs : DNP
#19 Tyrone Hill PF 24 6'9'' 243 C+ C- D- C+ A- C
2038 stats with the Boston Celtics : DNP
Not a lot to say. Nobody likes to bench top 20 drafted players but neither the Spurs or the Celtics can play Spencer or Hill.
#27 Steve Henson PG 24 6'1'' 180 D+ A- C- C D+ B
2038 stats with the Chicago Bulls : 6.5ppg, 1.9rpg, 1.1apg, .424 FG%
#28 Thor McCloud SG 23 6'5'' 213 C C+ C C+ D- D
2038 stats with the Denver Nuggets : DNP
LOL at both these players. Really, a point guard with D+ inside and C- handles tries to play in the NBADSL ? Really, a guy with C C+ C C+ D- ratings was paid $2,038,637 this year ? OK they were at the very bottom of the first round, but still, that's funny.
*** THE STEALS ***
#17 Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf PG 24 6'1'' 168 C+ B+ C+ B- D D
2038 stats with the Sacramento Kings : 18.9ppg, 5.9apg, 1.5spg, .457 FG%, .410 3P%
Nice, isn't it ? Abdul-Rauf did not play a single minute in his rookie year, and then he went crazy as a sophomore : 19.6ppg, 5.6apg, 1.6spg, .447 FG% ! He did not improve since then and his ratings even went down last summer, but he's a quite valuable roleplayer. The Kings resigned him for $32M on 4 years. Not bad for a pick 17.
#22 Dee Brown PG 24 6'1'' 161 C+ B B B- C- B
2038 stats with the Memphis Grizzlies : 15.1ppg, 6.0rpg, 3.8apg, 1.7spg, .439 FG%
The Grizzlies tried everything they could to tank this season, and they went 40-42. Because of players like Brown who seemed harmless and then played very well ! Brown was already an interesting bench guy in 2037 (8.1ppg, 2.5apg, .475 FG% in 20.4mpg) and his ratings improved greatly last summer. He showed he can score at SG and should get a few offers, as he chose to test FA.
#26 Filiberto Martinez C 22 6'11'' 212 B C+ D+ B+ C+ B
2038 stats with the Brooklyn Nets : 9.3ppg, 8.7rpg, 2.8bpg, .410 FG%
Yeah, THAT is a steal. Martinez was one of the last picks in the 2035 first round, and he played very few in a his first three years in Brooklyn : a total of 26 games and 172 minutes... But his ratings started to look great and the Nets used him a lot this year, with an incredible success ! He's a huge shotblocker, potential 10rpg big guy with a lot of offensive talent, and he's only 22... He offered to resign for $27M/4years and that might even be a cheap price for him.
#8_Rnd2 Maximo Salazar SG 22 6'6'' 179 C+ A- C+ B+ C B
2038 stats with the Detroit Pistons : 4.8ppg, 3.1rpg, 1.2spg, .513 FG%, .453 3P%
Salazar would not really qualify as a steal because he started his career with the Bulls, who dumped him after a year. He was 20 and showed some promises so I took him in Detroit, as I was more trying to find young talents than winning. He played zero minute with the Pistons as a sophomore but offered to stay for almost nothing. I kept him and he started improving : in 2037 he scored 3.5ppg in 12.5mpg, but with huge percentages (.490 FG%, .538 3P%) and a good defense. $6M/2years seemed a good price for him last year, so I kept him again... and he went crazy in TC, jumping from B to A- in outside ! A great, great shooter with a good defense, tall, and only 22. It's gonna be harder to keep him next summer.
#24_Rnd2 Shaq Roland SG 22 6'4'' 195 C B+ D B- C- D
2038 stats with the Atlanta Hawks : DNP
OK Roland did not play a single minute this year and the Hawks declined a $3M/2years resigning offer. But a B+ shooter drafted in 53 is not common.
#26_Rnd2 Eric Murdock PG 23 6'1'' 190 C C+ B B D B
2038 stats with the Indiana Pacers : 6.4ppg, 2.5rpg, 1.7apg, .470 FG%
Murdock is not the best player in the league, barely a capable roleplayer, but that's still big considering he was the 55th player picked in the 2035 draft. He's a strangely capable scorer, not a great playmaler but a good defender. Some team will give him a min contract in the FA, no doubt about that.
*** THE PLAYERS NOBODY CARES ABOUT ***
#15 Rasmus Kucera SF 25 6'10'' 212 C+ B- D- B C B
2038 stats with the Utah Jazz : 4.2ppg, 3.9rpg, 0.8spg, 0.8bpg, .421 FG%
#16 Kendall Gill SG 24 6'5'' 200 C+ C+ B- B- C C
2038 stats with the Boston Celtics : 9.5ppg, 4.7rpg, 3.6apg, 1.9spg, .465 FG%
#20 Loy Vaught PF 24 6'9'' 240 B- D+ D B- C+ C
2038 stats with the Indiana Pacers : 9.6ppg, 6.9rpg, 0.8bpg, .426 FG%
#21 Dennis Scott SF 23 6'8'' 230 C+ A- C+ C C- D
2038 stats with the Indiana Pacers : 11.5ppg, 4.2rpg, 2.6apg, .473 FG%, .442 3P%
#23 Terry Mills PF 24 6'10'' 250 B- A- D C C F
2038 stats with the Denver Nuggets : DNP
#24 Jayson Williams PF 23 6'10'' 240 C C- D B B B
2038 stats with the Boston Celtics : 3.9ppg, 5.3rpg, 0.5bpg, .407 FG%
#25 Elden Campbell PF 24 6'11'' 230 C+ D+ F+ B B C
2038 stats with the Detroit Pistons : 3.3ppg, 4.7rpg, 0.9bpg, .374 FG%
#29 Duane Causwell C 24 7'0'' 240 B- D+ D- C+ C F
2038 stats with the Indiana Pacers : 5.7ppg, 4.6rpg, 1.0bpg, .410 FG%
