Marty Burns' 2003 NBA Draft Report Card The true success of the NBA Draft probably can't be measured in letter grades, but in the number of victories next season. Nevertheless, we decided to take a shot.  B  Atlanta Hawks Picks: 21, 37 Came away with: Boris Diaw (21), Travis Hansen (37) Considering the franchise is in disarray with a pending sale, interim GM Billy Knight did the best he could. The Hawks needed backcourt help and Diaw was the best prospect on the board. Second-rounder Hansen is a shooter with size, another area of need for the Hawks. But will Knight regret passing on point guard Leandrinho Barbosa?  A-  Boston Celtics Picks: 16, 20, 56 Came away with: Marcus Banks (13), Kendrick Perkins (27), Brandon Hunter (56) New GM Danny Ainge did the most with the picks he had. He traded up with the Grizzlies to get the point guard he wanted in Banks. Then he used the No. 27 pick on a prospect, which is all he was going to get with the No. 20 pick he gave to Memphis. Obviously it all depends on how good Banks turns out to be, but Ainge got what he needed.  C  Chicago Bulls Picks: 7, 36, 45, 53 Came away with: Kirk Hinrich (7), Mario Austin (36), Tommy Smith (53), future second-round pick from Raptors. They needed an athletic wing player, but the injury to Jay Williams and the Heat’s decision to take Dwyane Wade at No. 5 handcuffed new GM John Paxson. They also traded second-round pick Matt Bonner (45) to the Raptors for a future second-round pick. All in all, not much to get excited about.  A-  Cleveland Calvaliers Picks: 1, 31 Came away with: LeBron James (1), Jason Kapono (31) OK, so maybe it was a no-brainer. But James, the local high school star from Akron, could save this franchise. Even if he doesn’t pan out, there is no way anybody could blame the Cavs for taking him. Kapono, a big guy who can shoot, might stick. But did they make a mistake by passing on Luke Walton and Jerome Beasley?  D  Dallas Mavericks Picks: 29, 57 Came away with: Josh Howard (29), Xue Yuyang (57) They didn’t even try to address their issues in the frontcourt. Nor did they get a top-notch prospect with upside for the future. Howard might be a decent player, but it’s hard to see where he’s going to get much time with ironman Michael Finley around. Why not take Maciej Lampe and wait on him?  A-  Denver Nuggets Picks: 3, 46 Came away with: Carmelo Anthony (3), Sani Becirovic (46) They filled a glaring need for a scorer with a dynamite prospect in Anthony. Like the Cavs, they really can’t be second-guessed even if ‘Melo doesn’t pan out. Who knows about second-round pick Becirovic, a Slovenian guard who is coming off a knee injury? But GM Kiki Vandeweghe knows his international prospects and there wasn’t much else left on the board.  A-  Detroit Pistons Picks: 2. 25, 58 Came away with: Darko Milicic (2), Carlos Delfino (25) and Andres Gliniadakis (58) Given their need for help in the frontcourt, it’s hard to argue with Joe Dumars for taking Milicic over Anthony. If he is as good as advertised, the Pistons could be in the NBA Finals next season. Delfino, meanwhile, could be another Manu Ginobili when he finally gets to the NBA -- probably after next season.  C  Golden State Warriors Picks: 11, 40 Came away with: Mickael Pietrus (11), Derrick Zimmerman (40) Nothing against Pietrus, a good prospect, but the Warriors already have Jason Richardson. Meanwhile, they might lose point guard Gilbert Arenas to free agency. If Arenas leaves -- and Marcus Banks, Luke Ridnour or Reece Gaines becomes a star -- GM Garry St. Jean might never live this one down.  B  Houston Rockets Pick: 44 Came away with: Malick Badiane (44) With no first-round pick, and Yao Ming in the fold, they could afford to take a chance on a developing big man. Badiane, a 6-10 shot-blocker from Senegal, could be a decent player with a few more years of seasoning. Some draftniks had him going as high as 29.  C  Indiana Pacers Pick: 49 Came away with: James Jones (49) The nephew of Indians star Ricky Gutierrez, Jones is a 6-8 forward from Miami with a pure shooting stroke and decent defensive ability. But if some big international player drafted after him eventually becomes a star, this could be GM Donnie Walsh's own Indiana Tragedy.  C  Los Angeles Clippers Picks: 6, 34 Came away with: Chris Kaman (6), Sofoklis Schortsanitis (34) With Michael Olowokandi likely out the door, they filled a need at center by nabbing two of the top pivot prospects. However, recent NBA history is not kind to centers drafted past the top three. Couldn’t they have traded that high pick for a veteran? Oh, yeah, we forgot, it would have cost them more money.  B  Los Angeles Lakers Picks: 34, 32 Came away with: Brian Cook (24), Luke Walton (32) Coach Phil Jackson needed to add depth and these two guys are two of the top sleepers in the draft. Cook is a big man who can run the floor and shoot. Walton is the type of smart, unselfish player the Zen Master loves. Maybe L.A. should have used its picks on a developing guy who could help them years down the road, but Shaq & Kobe won’t be around forever.  D  Memphis Grizzlies Picks: 13, 27 Came away with: Troy Bell (16), Dahntay Jones (20) OK, we realize Jerry West and Hubie Brown are geniuses. But if Jerry Krause had done this, the NBA would have called in the FBI to investigate. Bell and Jones are both fine athletes, but they were projected as second-rounders. Couldn’t West have found a way to get them cheaper?  B  Miami Heat Picks: 5, 33 Came away with: Dwyane Wade (5), Jerome Beasley (33) Maybe they could have taken a chance on Kaman or Ford, or traded down for a veteran, but it’s hard to argue with the selection of Wade. He and Beasley are the kind of athletes the Heat have lacked in recent years. Pat Riley admitted before the draft that the No. 5 pick could dictate the future of the franchise. Clearly he’s going for it now.  C  Milwaukee Bucks Picks: 8, 35, 43 Came away with: T.J. Ford (8), Szymon Szewczyk (35), cash Either Ford is insurance in case Gary Payton leaves, or he’s trade bait for the Knicks (hello, Michael Sweetney!) when Michael Jordan takes over. That’s the only way the pick makes sense, given that the Bucks already have Payton and Sam Cassell. As a bonus Milwaukee also got some cash from Orlando for second-round pick Keith Bogans (No. 43). That should help ease the financial worries of owner Herb Kohl, who’s selling the team.  C  Minnesota Timberwolves Picks: 26, 55 Came away with: Ndubi Ebi (26), Rick Rickert (55) The T’wolves finally get a first-round pick and all that’s left on the board are high school kids and Euros who can’t help immediately. At least Ebi might be able to come in and block a few shots next season. But if Luke Walton turns out to be better, will GM Kevin McHale ever hear the end of it from his old Celtics pal?  B-  New Jersey Nets Picks: 22, 51 Came away with: Zoran Planinic (22), cash They didn’t really address their need for shooters. After all, they shot just 37 percent in the Finals. But Planinic is considered a real prospect, and it’s hard to argue with GM Rod Thorn. He did the same thing last year with Nenad Krstic, who is expected to come over this season and contribute. They also traded their second-rounder, Kyle Korver, to the Sixers for cash.  C  New Orleans Hornets Picks: 18, 48 Came away with: David West (18), James Lang (48) They needed a power forward in case P.J. Brown leaves, and they got a decent prospect in the aggressive, even if undersized, West. At 48 they got Lang, another of those high school centers who could turn out to be a monster -- or a dud. Considering the Hornets didn’t have a pick in 2002 and chose Kirk Haston in 2001, it’s progress.  B+  New York Knicks Picks: 9, 30, 39 Came away with: Mike Sweetney (9), Maciej Lampe (30), Slavko Vranes (39) They didn’t exactly need another undersized power forward, but Sweetney wasn’t a terrible pick here. He could be part of a future trade, or serve as insurance in case Antonio McDyess doesn’t make it back. The bigger coup for New York was getting Lampe, a lottery-caliber talent who needs a year or two of seasoning, and the 7-4 Vranes, in the second round.  B  Orlando Magic Picks: 15, 42 Came away with: Reece Gaines (15), Zaur Pachulia (42), Keith Bogans (43) Doc Rivers loves big guards, and the 6-6 Gaines fills a need for backcourt depth for the Magic. The only question is would they have been better off taking a big guy like Lampe, Cabarkapa or Perkins? However, they did get a steal in Pachulia, a 6-11 Turkish star, who was projected by some to go as high as 21.  C  Philadelphia 76ers Picks: 50 Came away with: Willie Green (41), Kyle Korver (51) It’s going to take more than this to move out from Larry Brown’s shadow, but give new president Billy King credit for doing something. Working deals with the Sonics and Nets, respectively, he added much-needed perimeter shooters in the 6-4 Green and the 6-7 Korver. Neither will probably make an impact, but at least King tried.  B+  Phoenix Suns Picks: 17 Came away with: Zarko Cabarkaba (17), Leandrinho Barbosa (28) With no NBA-ready center on the board, they did the wise thing and loaded up on the best prospects left. Cabarkaba, a 6-11 small forward from Serbia, is a face-up shooter in the Dirk Nowitzki mold. The Suns then worked a trade with the Spurs, giving up a future first-rounder for the rights to Barbosa, a 6-3 guard from Brazil who is considered a rising stud.  C  Portland Trail Blazers Picks: 23, 54 Came away with: Travis Outlaw (23), Nedzad Sinanovic (54) Outgoing GM Bob Whitsitt helped make the call, and it shows. Once more the Blazers opt for a high school kid with tremendous athletic ability, but no clue yet how to play the game. Insert your own "Outlaw joins Jail Blazers" joke here. Second-round pick Sinanovic is a 7-foot center from Bosnia considered a decent prospect at that spot on the board.  Inc.  Sacramento Kings Picks: None Came away with: Nothing The Kings had only a second-round pick as of last week, and GM Geoff Petrie traded it to Boston for the rights to Darius Songalia. The Kings then signed Songalia, who could be insurance in case Keon Clark departs as a free agent.  Inc.  San Antonio Spurs Picks: 28 Came away with: A future first-rounder Like the Kings, the defending champs didn’t need much help and certainly weren’t going to find it picking where they were. So GM R.C. Buford and coach Gregg Popovich shipped their selection, Barbosa, to the Suns for a future first-rounder. Until we know what that turns out to be, we’ll hold off on assigning a grade.  B-  Seattle SuperSonics Picks: 12, 14, 41 Came away with: Nick Collison (12), Luke Ridnour (14), Paccelis Moriende (50) and cash. They addressed their needs for a power forward who could score inside (Collison) and a point guard who can shoot (Ridnour). Both players lack athleticism, however, and only time will tell if guys like Banks, Gaines or Cabarkaba would have been better selections. They also traded their second-round pick, Green, to the Sixers for the rights to Moriende, a 6-2 French guard whom they hope can be half as good as Tony Parker.  B-  Toronto Raptors Picks: 4, 52 Came away with: Chris Bosh (4), Matt Bonner (45), Remon Van de Hare (52) Bosh could be a star someday, but it’s hard to see how the Raptors used this draft to get any better now. GM Glen Grunwald better hope Bosh, a 6-10 lefty with a sweet outside shooting touch, develops quickly. The Raps did work a trade with the Bulls to pick up an extra prospect in Bonner, another big man who can shoot, but will it make a difference?  B  Utah Jazz Picks: 19, 47 Came away with: Aleksandar Pavlovic (19), Maurice Williams (47) They needed to add scorers, and Pavlovic was too good to pass up. The 6-7 Serb is a high-energy guy and pure shooter who can fill it up when he’s on. He’ll need more seasoning, but the Jazz would rather wait on him than some high school hotshot like DeShaun Stevenson. With John Stockton retiring, the Jazz are looking for point guards and former ‘Bama star Williams was the best on the board at 47.  C  Washington Wizards Picks: 10, 38 Came away with: Jarvis Hayes (10), Steve Blake (38) Hayes was a good choice. With Michael Jordan gone and Jerry Stackhouse back in the fold, they needed a scoring small forward. But selecting Blake at 38, when there were big men prospects like Vranes and Pachulia still on the board? We know Blake played at Maryland, but geez ...