SHOREWOOD, Minn. — With the inaugural COMO Rookie Draft in the books, it's time to analyze what went down on Sunday night. It's up to you how much stock you put into these grades, but they're all we've got to go on until the games begin counting in late October.
RIO (A) SF Jabari Parker (No. 1 overall) SF/PF Noah Vonleh (No. 11 overall) We’ve been talking for a year about how talented this class is, and the Rainmakers’ draft night was a great example. Parker was the semi-obvious choice at No. 1 – he’ll contribute immediately and will probably be Rio’s starting small forward by season’s end. He’s the backbone of an exciting young roster that will certainly add a couple important free agents with an ass-ton of projected cap space. The real steal was Vonleh at No. 11. Given the way the COMO GMs have talked about him for most of the spring and summer, it’s crazy that he fell out of the first. Vonleh probably won’t make much of an impact this season, but he has as high of a ceiling as you can get for a guy in Round 2. General manager Brendan Halleron was gifted these studs, but draft night couldn’t have gone any better in Brazil. SHOREWOOD (A) Let’s take a look at the Show’s draft-night trade with the Player Haterzz. Assets given up: No. 10 overall (SF T.J. Warren) 2015 2nd Round Pick Assets gained: SF Trevor Ariza ($2 million) Also drafted: PG Elfrid Payton (No. 6 overall) C Dario Saric (No. 20 overall) Sunday was best-case scenario for the reigning league champions. They shored up the only serious hole on their roster (small forward) by trading for Ariza, a dirt-cheap starter who is projected for multiple 20-bone seasons. While No. 10 was a bit of a steep price in this year’s draft, Shorewood desperately needed small forward help in 2014-15, which wasn’t available at that point (and likely won’t be a strength in free agency). At No. 6, Payton helps another need (point guard depth) and will perhaps even be able to contribute by season’s end. Saric is a draft-and-stash guy who won’t count against the team’s high roster number until he signs with the NBA’s Sixers (likely next summer). Now, Shorewood will head into free agency with money for at least one top-shelf player on the market to add to their solid lineup. MINNESNOWTA (A-) PG Dante Exum (No. 3 overall) SF K.J. McDaniels (No. 13 overall) Minnesnowta is the only team that made off with two players who can help the squad this year. Exum will be getting serious minutes with the NBA’s Jazz. Ditto for McDaniels, a second-round NBA pick who will be given plenty of chances to pile up bones in Philadelphia. As we witnessed Sunday night, the top of the second round was full of great talent, and McDaniels is a perfect example. Call it lottery luck or simple draft positioning, but owner Matthew Taylor hit both picks on the head while shoring up depth at SF (a serious need). HOLLYWOOD (A-) SF Andrew Wiggins (No. 2 overall) PF Aaron Gordon (No. 12 overall) Wiggins was the obvious choice at No. 2, but that doesn’t mean he’s not an outstanding haul. If he is traded to the NBA’s Wolves, he will be able to play some minutes in Hollywood this year behind Gordon Hayward, and could even supplant Hayward in the starting lineup. Gordon fell into the Hornets’ lap on Sunday. He’s more of a long-term project, but his potential is outstanding for a second-rounder. General manager Curt Clauss fielded several trade offers for his picks in the weeks leading up to the draft, and he reaped the benefits of standing pat. NEWPORT BEACH (B+) Let’s take a look at the Grizzlies’ draft night trade with the Player Haterzz. Assets given up: PF/C Zach Randolph ($4 million) No. 16 overall pick (PF Adreian Payne) Assets gained: No. 7 overall pick (C Joel Embiid) 2015 2nd Round Pick *Note: Newport Beach also gave Minneapolis the right to swap first-round picks in either 2015 or 2016 (not both). Ever since dumping his team’s first-rounder in a February deal with Shorewood, owner Peter Mayer has been dying to get back into the first round. On Sunday, we found out why: He’s obsessed with Kansas product Joel Embiid, whose injury issues kept him from being the No. 1 overall pick. This was a risky trade, but not one that will bite Newport too badly if Embiid doesn’t pan out. The second-round picks are basically a wash, and the only upper hand Minneapolis has is if they are able to swap picks with Newport – essentially, the Grizzlies need to avoid a really high lottery position in ‘15 and ‘16 or they will get burned by Player Haterzz GM Dan Renfro. That’s contingent, of course, on Minneapolis continuing to be a contender – a likely scenario with LeBron James still on their books. In the end, the Grizzlies nab a player with more upside than any other without giving up an arm and a leg (Randolph will go back to the scrap heap after this year). KANSAS CITY (B+) PF Julius Randle (No. 4 overall) PG Shabazz Napier (No. 14 overall) This is a rare case where a team’s second-round pick might make more of an immediate impact than the first-rounder. Randle was a ceiling-based pick early in the draft. He had serious potential to win Rookie of the Year this season before the NBA’s Lakers signed Carlos Boozer to steal his starting minutes. But Napier was an excellent value pick in the second. He’ll be given almost every opportunity to play good minutes for the NBA’s Heat, and he will make a nice addition to a Monarchs roster that already includes young guns Damian Lillard and Trey Burke (who could be moving to shooting guard for the NBA’s Jazz this year if Dante Exum plays out of his mind). With Monta Ellis manning the two-spot, KC has one of COMO’s elite backcourts. CHASKA (B) SG Nik Stauskas (No. 9 overall) SF Cleanthony Early (No. 19 overall) The Moose still need some serious help at shooting guard. As the roster currently stands, Wes Matthews and Stauskas are the only options. And with Matthews ($3 million) likely on the chopping block come September, the Moose will likely need to explore other options until Stauskas starts getting more opportunities on the crowded Kings roster. Early isn’t exactly a long shot to make the roster thanks to a lack of depth at small forward after Andre Iguodala gets the ax. Chandler Parsons has that spot locked down, but Chaska will get into some serious trouble if he has injury issues this winter. DUVAL UNITED (B) PG Marcus Smart (No. 8 overall) PG/SG Zach LaVine (No. 18 overall) Rumor has it that Duval was very interested in Doug McDermott, and was taken aback when Doug E. Fresh flew off the board at No. 5. But Smart is not a bad consolation prize. The pick handcuffs him to starting point guard Rajon Rondo, and Smart could see huge NBA minutes this year if Rondo is hurt or traded. LaVine at No. 18 was a good find. He will likely make the roster given a complete lack of shooting guards outside Arron Afflalo. Don’t get it twisted, though; the rookie is not expected to make any sort of impact this season. But anytime a late second-rounder sticks into the winter, it was an excellent choice. COLORADO (B-) SF/PF Doug McDermott (No. 5 overall) PF Jarnell Stokes (No. 15 overall) PG Jordan McRae (No. 21 overall) Coming into the draft as an expansion team with zero players to its name, Colorado made a big splash with Doug McDermott at No. 5. That selection wasn’t poor, but McDermott isn’t likely to make much of an impact this year. The real curveballs came in Round 2. Drafting slots that he will need to help fill the final roster, owner Collin Atkinson reached for Stokes and McRae, two players who were not rated highly after the NBA Draft. This was a rather extreme method of grabbing flyers when other talent was still readily available (most notably Rodney Hood, who went No. 17). But McRae was especially good in Summer League (19.7 ppg), and will at least make the NBA’s Sixers with ease. Don’t call Atkinson crazy yet. MINNEAPOLIS (C+) First, let’s take a look at how the Player Haterzz’ two trades shaped their future. Assets given up: SF Trevor Ariza ($2 million – to Shorewood) No. 7 overall pick (C Joel Embiid – to Newport Beach) 2015 2nd Round Pick (to Newport Beach) Assets gained: PF/C Zach Randolph ($4 million – from Newport Beach) No. 10 overall pick (SF T.J. Warren – from Shorewood) No. 16 overall pick (PF Adreian Payne – from Newport Beach) 2015 2nd Round Pick (from Shorewood) Also drafted: SF Rodney Hood (No. 17 overall) From the outset, the combination of deals looks unfavorable for Minneapolis. Having Ariza (a no-doubt starter at one of the league’s shallowest positions) and Embiid (an A+ prospect who is a hangnail’s difference between a washout or a Hall of Famer) on the other side of the glass puts a lot of pressure on general manager Dan Renfro. But he knew what he was doing – he gets one year of frontcourt labor from Zach Randolph and then stuck his neck out for Warren at No. 10. That’s really the crux of the deal: if Warren pans out, everybody goes home happy. But that’s a pretty big risk considering the short-term production lost at SF and the loss of three slots between picks in the first round. Two bright spots: Rodney Hood at No. 17, who was leaps and bounds better than most of the other prospects in the back end of the draft. Second, the clause that allows Minneapolis to flip first-rounders with Newport Beach in '15 or '16 (but not both). That could be a real payday if the Grizzlies fall apart during one of those seasons.
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SHOREWOOD, Minn. — For Rio general manager Brendan Halleron, there was never a doubt that Jabari Parker would be wearing a Rainmakers jersey this season. Prince's squad took the Duke star No. 1 overall in Sunday night's COMO Rookie Draft, which didn't lack any drama after the first few selections were made. But Parker was the unquestioned choice at the top spot. "Compared to any other draftee, his situation, skill set, and motivation were far and away the best," Halleron said. "Wiggins could be great down the line. It was a tough decision. But I think Jabari possesses more now and could be as great or better than Wiggins. I feel this is very much a Oden/Durant situation. But I can't look at it as a bad decision. At this point in time, I made the choice I wanted to make and I have to live with it." A gruesome injury to starting small forward Paul George in a USA exhibition game this week means that Parker will be battling with Kawhi Leonard for the minutes this year. Halleron plans to give Leonard the reins until Parker shows he can handle being the man. "I planned on cutting George anyway to try and sign him for less," Halleron said. "His injury is unfortunate but I planned on him not being here. Leonard will start until Jabari is consistently putting up solid numbers." After Hollywood (Andrew Wiggins), Minnesnowta (Dante Exum) and Kansas City (Julius Randle) made safe choices during the next three picks, Colorado owner Collin Atkinson threw the first curveball of the night. Doug McDermott, the first official Hilltopper in team history, was drafted No. 5 overall out of Creighton. Just before the selection, Minneapolis traded Newport Beach the No. 7 overall pick in a deal that included Zach Randolph and his $4 million contract. Newport proceeded to use the selection on injured Kansas star Joel Embiid. "There's no chance he would have fallen if he was even moderately healthy," said Mayer, who offered a simple scouting report on the seven-footer: "GOAT status." The Player Haterzz weren't done making moves. Owner Dan Renfro sent Trevor Ariza ($2 million) to Shorewood for the No. 10 pick (used on T.J. Warren) and a 2015 second rounder. Later, they used back-to-back second rounders on Adreian Payne from Michigan State and Rodney Hood out of Duke. Atkinson continued to make bold moves in the back half of the draft. He selected Jarnell Stokes and Jordan McRae -- two players who weren't expected to be drafted -- at No. 15 and No. 21 overall. Here are the final draft results: 1.1 (1) RIO • Jabari Parker (Duke), Milwaukee
1.2 (2) HOLLYWOOD • Andrew Wiggins (Kansas), Cleveland 1.3 (3) MINNESNOWTA • Dante Exum (Australia), Utah 1.4 (4) KANSAS CITY • Julius Randle (Kentucky), Los Angeles Lakers 1.5 (5) COLORADO • Doug McDermott (Creighton), Chicago 1.6 (6) SHOREWOOD (From Newport Beach) • Elfrid Payton (Louisiana-Lafayette), Orlando 1.7 (7) NEWPORT BEACH (From Minneapolis) • Joel Embiid (Kansas), Philadelphia 1.8 (8) DUVAL UNITED • Marcus Smart (Oklahoma State), Boston 1.9 (9) CHASKA • Nik Stauskas (Michigan), Sacramento 1.10 (10) MINNEAPOLIS (From Shorewood) • T.J. Warren (NC State), Phoenix 2.1 (11) RIO • Noah Vonleh (Indiana), Charlotte 2.2 (12) HOLLYWOOD • Aaron Gordon (Arizona), Orlando 2.3 (13) MINNESNOWTA • K.J. McDaniels (Clemson), Philadelphia 2.4 (14) KANSAS CITY • Shabazz Napier (Connecticut), Miami 2.5 (15) COLORADO • Jarnell Stokes (Mississippi State), Memphis 2.6 (16) MINNEAPOLIS (From Newport Beach) • Adreian Payne (Michigan State), Atlanta 2.7 (17) MINNEAPOLIS • Rodney Hood (Duke), Utah 2.8 (18) DUVAL UNITED • Zach LaVine (UCLA), Minnesota 2.9 (19) CHASKA • Cleanthony Early (Wichita State), New York 2.10 (20) SHOREWOOD • Dario Saric (Croatia), Philadelphia* 2.11 (21) COLORADO • Jordan McRae (Tennessee), Philadelphia *Saric is not currently signed to an NBA roster. Shorewood will own his rights until he signs, and then he will be activated immediately. |
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