Marty Burns' 2004 NBA Draft Report Card

By Marty Burns, SI.com

By trading up for the draft's second selection, Charlotte netted Emeka Okafor, who will be the team's focal point on and off the floor. Terrence Vaccaro/NBAE via Getty Images

Grading the NBA Draft is always difficult. This year, with so many picks being based on potential, may be even tougher than usual. In some cases it will be two or three years down the road before a true evaluation can be made. But since it's become as much a part of the draft night tradition as natty suits, Dickie V. ranting on TV about the flood of underclassmen and Russ Granik getting the Jerry Springer treatment from the New Yawk crowd, we're going to give it a try.

Obviously, teams are being graded here on what they had to work with. The Pistons, for example, shouldn't be flunked because they didn't have a pick. Also, in general, we're going to give higher marks to teams that drafted the best players available instead of trying to fill positions. Time after time we've seen teams get burned while trying to draft for need instead of pure talent. Think Portland and Sam Bowie. At any rate, here's a mid-term draft night report card, with the final real grades to be issued in about 2006:

B  Atlanta Hawks Picks: 6, 17, 34, 37, 42 Came away with: Josh Childress (6), Josh Smith (17), Donta Smith (34), Royaly Ivey (37) They couldn't swing a deal for the No. 1 pick and the chance to draft homeboy Howard. Nor could they get one of the three stud point guards. But Childress should be a solid pro, Josh Smith is an intriguing talent, and Donta Smith was projected by many to go late in first-round.  B  Boston Celtics Picks: 15, 24, 25, 40 Came away with: Al Jefferson (15), Delonte West (24), Tony Allen (25), Justin Reed (40) They reportedly wanted Robert Swift and Dorell Wright, but like the Hawks they had to settle for adding the best available players. Jefferson could be another Amare Stoudemire someday, while West and Allen are hard-nosed athletic guards who can score.  A  Charlotte Bobcats Picks: 2, 45 Came away with: Emeka Okafor (2), Bernard Robinson, Jr. (45) They beat out several other suitors for the chance to trade up to the No. 2 spot and get Okafor. And all it really cost them was a second-round pick. A bold, smart move for an expansion team, and Okafor should give them a ready-made defensive star around which to build.  B+  Chicago Bulls Picks: 3, 31, 38 Came away with: Ben Gordon (3), Luol Deng (7), Chris Duhon (38) They probably needed to make a trade for a veteran, but GM John Paxson at least got two stud prospects in Gordon and Deng. The only way this comes back to haunt Paxson is if Deng busts and the Suns (who traded Deng to the Bulls) wind up with Chicago's lottery pick next season.  B+  Cleveland Calvaliers Picks: 10 Came away with: Luke Jackson (10) GM Jim Paxson hasn't had great success drafting in the 5-10 range the past few years (see Dajuan Wagner, DeSagana Diop, Jamal Crawford-for-Chris Mihm), but Jackson was a solid choice at No. 10. He was the best player available, and he happens to fit a need.  A-  Dallas Mavericks Picks: 50 Came away with: Devin Harris (5), Pavel Podkolzine (21), Vasilis Spanoulis (50) They were aggressive, trading for two first-round picks which they turned into Devin Harris and Pavel Podkolzine. Yes, it cost them Antawn Jamison (to the Wizards) and a future first-round pick (to the Jazz). But they now have assets for the future -- or for a big trade. Nicely done.  A-  Denver Nuggets Picks: 20 Came away with: Future first-round pick from Orlando Instead of using the No. 20 pick in a desperate stab to try to fill some specific need, GM Kiki Vandeweghe took the best player available in Jameer Nelson and then traded him to the Magic for a future first-round pick. It's moves like this that has made Denver one of the league's rising stars.  INC  Detroit Pistons Picks: 54 Came away with: Rickey Paulding (54) They didn't have a first-round pick, having sent one to Atlanta for Rasheed Wallace and the other to Boston in the Chucky Atkins cash-saving deal that enabled them to get 'Sheed and still have money left over to re-sign Mehmut Okur. We doubt anybody in Motown is complaining.  B  Golden State Warriors Picks: 11 Came away with: Andris Biedrins (11) With centers Erick Dampier and Adonal Foyle possibly leaving as free agents, new president Chris Mullin could have tried to fill a need by tabbing high school center Robert Swift. But he went with Biedrins, the best player available, and that's usually the right decision.  INC  Houston Rockets Pick: 55 Came away with: Luis Flores (55) They gave up their first-round pick to the Jazz last season as part of the Glen Rice trade and tabbed Luis Flores, a 6-foot-1 guard from Manhattan, in the second round. Yawn. But as Tracy McGrady and Carlos Beltran prove, Houston is a town that doesn't need to bother with drafts.  C  Indiana Pacers Pick: 29, 59 Came away with: David Harrison (29), Rashad Wright (59) They get this year's all-talk-and-no-action award. After making waves about wanting Luke Jackson, they stayed at No. 29 and took 7-foot center David Harrison. It's hard to argue with their choice, unless Anderson Varejao or Jackson Vroman turns out to be a star.  B  Los Angeles Clippers Picks: 4, 33 Came away with: Shaun Livingston (4), Lionel Chalmers (33) With a crowded frontcourt, they passed up a chance to select Howard or Okafor and traded down to No. 4. There they filled a need at point guard by selecting Shaun Livingston. But if Livingston bombs, and Okafor becomes a star, GM Elgin Baylor might never live it down.  B  Los Angeles Lakers Picks: 27, 56 Came away with: Sasha Vujacic (27), Marcus Douthit (56) As they showed in the Finals, they need shooters. Vujacic has a nice stroke to go with solid passing skills. Even if he stays in Europe, he's a solid choice at this spot. In the second round, they took a Providence forward who could be good someday but we doubt.  B  Memphis Grizzlies Picks: 49 Came away with: Andre Emmet (35), Antonio Burks (36), Sergei Lishouk (49) They didn't have a first-round pick (courtesy of the Bonzi Wells trade), but GM Jerry West engineered trades for second-rounders Andre Emmett and Antonio Burks, and tabbed 6-11 Russian Sergei Lishouk with his own No. 49 pick. If they're good enough for the Logo, they're good enough for us.  B  Miami Heat Picks: 19, 47, 53 Came away with: Dorell Wright (19), Pape Sow (47), Matt Freije (53) They needed a point guard, but Pat Riley bypassed Jameer Nelson to take a flier on Wright. A 6-6 shooting guard, he's considered an amazing athlete with tremendous potential. Whether or not Wright makes it, the Heat can't be blamed for taking a chance on this kid.  INC  Milwaukee Bucks Picks: None Came away with: Zaza Pachulia via trade The only team without a pick in either the first or second round. They gave their No. 1 to the Hawks as part of the long-ago Anthony Mason acquisition, and they traded their second-rounder to the Bobcats for second-year forward Zaza Pachulia.  B+  Minnesota Timberwolves Picks: 58 Came away with: Blake Stepp (58) No first-round pick again (forfeited as part of the Joe Smith fiasco), but they used their second-rounder on Gonzaga's Stepp. He's a heady point guard with an outside chance to make it as an NBA backup, something the T'wolves might need if Troy Hudson bolts as a free agent.  C  New Jersey Nets Picks: 22, 51 Came away with: Christian Drejer (51), cash They dealt their No. 1 pick to the Blazers for reserve point guard Eddie Gill. GM Rod Thorn apparently felt he couldn't find a better backup for Jason Kidd at No. 22. In the second round they took a flier on Drejer (pronounced Dryer), but the former Florida Gator is still under contract in Europe.  B  New Orleans Hornets Picks: 18, 44 Came away with: J.R. Smith (18), Tim Pickett (44) With David Wesley slowing down, and Jamal Mashburn possibly on the trade market, new coach Byron Scott is going to need some perimeter scorers. Smith is an amazing athlete with a 44-inch vertical, and three-point range, but is he ready to make the jump from preps to pros?  B  New York Knicks Picks: 43 Came away with: Trevor Ariza (43) They gave up their No. 1 pick in the Stephon Marbury trade, much to the chagrin of the draft crowd, which would have loved to boo somebody. In the second round they tabbed Ariza, a good athlete who can rebound and defend on the perimeter. Solid, but not spectacular.  A-  Orlando Magic Picks: 1, 30, 36 Came away with: Dwight Howard (1), Jameer Nelson (20), Anderson Varejao (30) New GM John Weisbrod better hope Howard is more Kevin Garnett than Kwame Brown. If not, Okafor could make him look real bad -- especially if Orlando also loses Tracy McGrady. Still, Howard, Nelson and Varejao make up a nice haul for one night.  A-  Philadelphia 76ers Picks: 9 Came away with: Andre Iguodala (9) They needed outside shooters and big men, but Iguodala was too good to pass up. The versatile small forward, often compared to Scottie Pippen, was expected to go as high as No. 3. His shot needs work, but he's a true stud athlete who should nicely complement Allen Iverson.  B  Phoenix Suns Picks: 7 Came away with: Jackson Vroman (31), future first-round pick from Chicago, cash After unearthing gems in Shawn Marion and Amare Stoudemire in recent years, maybe they didn't want to press their luck. Or they just wanted to clear more cap room. So they traded their No. 7 pick to the Bulls for cash, a future first-rounder and a decent prospect in Vroman.  C+  Portland Trail Blazers Picks: 13, 23, 46 Came away with: Sebastian Telfair (13), Viktor Khryapa (22), Sergey Monya (23), Ha Seung-Jin (46) New GM John Nash hauled in a quartet of good prospects in Telfair, Khryapa, Monya and Jin. But Telfair went a bit high at No. 13, and he joins a team that already has a pint-sized point guard in Damon Stoudamire. Meanwhile, the Russians might need more seasoning.  B  Sacramento Kings Picks: 26, 48 Came away with: Kevin Martin (26), Ricky Minard (48) With Doug Christie getting older, GM Geoff Petrie used his first-round selection on a similar type of player in Martin. In the second round he got a strong prospect in Minard at No. 48. Given where they were drafting, it's hard to find fault with either pick. /span>  B+  San Antonio Spurs Picks: 28, 52, 57 Came away with: Beno Udrih (28), Viktor Sanikidze (42), Romain Sato (52), Sergei Karaulov (57) They've never been afraid of going the international route (Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, et al.), and this year was no exception. They got four good foreign prospects, though Karalov and Sanikidze will likely remain overseas. Udrih could turn out to be a steal as Parker's backup.  B  Seattle SuperSonics Picks: 12 , 35, 41 Came away with: Robert Swift (12), David Young (41) They needed a center, and Swift is a nice prospect. But it's always dangerous to draft for need, and how many centers picked after the top five really become impact players? Meanwhile, they passed on potential studs Kirk Snyder and Jefferson. Bold gamble by GM Rick Sund.  C+  Toronto Raptors Picks: 8, 39 Came away with: Rafael Araujo (8), Albert Miralles (39) Araujo could turn out to be decent, but he doesn't have the upside of Swift and was projected more as a mid first-rounder. If he doesn't pan out, new GM Rob Babcock (like Sund) could be criticized for drafting on the basis of need instead of on the best player available.  B  Utah Jazz Picks: 14, 16, 21 Came away with: Kris Humphries (14) Kirk Snyder (16) They didn't want to keep all three first-rounders, so they traded one to the Mavs (No. 21) for a future first-rounder. They used the other two on Humphries and Snyder, both of whom are rugged players who fit the Jazz mold. Snyder, in particular, could be a real sleeper.  B  Washington Wizards Picks: 5, 32 Came away with: Peter John Ramos (32) They parlayed the No. 5 pick for Sixth Man winner Antawn Jamison, while also getting rid of Christian Laettner and Jerry Stackhouse. Then they got a decent center prospect in Peter John Ramos at No. 32. Solid moves by new GM Ernie Grunfeld.

Marty Burns covers pro basketball for SI.com.