Grading the 2018 NBA Group Mock Draft Several Years Later

Today, I decided to look back and review my and my friends' picks in the 2018 NBA Mock Draft that we did online several years back, as this was inspired by the old Usenet mock drafts.  12 people including took part in drafting for teams, and it was a fun, yet hectic event.  The trades were fast and furious, and it turned out that one trade slipped in under our noses in which one person traded as two different teams in the same trade, which probably shouldn't have gone through in retrospect, but since so many trades were made on mock draft night, it did anywayas.

Keep in mind that this is not how the actual 2018 NBA Draft went, but this is how it went in our group mock draft on this night.  Anyways, here is a look at how all the people and the teams they ran did on this day.  

Also, all of the 29 NBA teams that participated had their grades adjusted to the 2.85 college grading scale.  Since, I rated each handling of each NBA team equally, the way I judged the 2018 mock draft was slightly different, so a person would get punished more if they didn't do so well with one particular team.  Here are how I graded each person and the teams they handled. 

(Adding to this, there were so many moves made here.  So this article might get pretty long.)

A look at who was in the 2018 NBA Draft.
(Photo: Getty Images, via NBC Sports)

1. Ashwin Kamath - Dallas Mavericks, Toronto Raptors

Unlike the 2017 NBA Mock Draft, he didn't make nearly as many moves or picks on this night, and he took on a more passive, less is more sort of role in the 2018 NBA Group Mock Draft Night.  Just like the year before, Ashwin did very well, and he came away with having made the best moves of the night in 2018.  In last year's 2017 NBA Mock Draft, he earned the unofficial silver medal in the look back, behind Eric Bette.  In this year's 2018 NBA Mock Draft, he takes home the gold.

Here were the moves he made for the Dallas Mavericks:

Drafted:
3. Jaren Jackson Jr.. F-C, Michigan State

He's been a solid, athletic big man that can shoot the basketball, and he's been a very good pick and roll partner with Ja Morant, as he's helped the Grizzlies on both ends of the floor. 

Grade: B+

Ashwin's Trade #1 with Atlanta (Alan):

Received:
Jaren Jackson Jr. (3rd OVR Pick)

Traded Away:
5th OVR Pick (Rights to Marvin Bagley III)
Jonathan Motley
54th OVR Pick (Rights to Rawle Alkins)

Analysis:
Ashwin received the best player in this deal in Jaren Jackson Jr., and while Bagley was a very productive player at Duke that was very young and had upside, Bagley has not played very well in the NBA so far.  Also, neither Motley nor Alkins ended up contributing much in the NBA. So this deal is a definite win for him.

Trade Grade: A

Ashwin's Trade #2 with Miami (Patrick):

Received:
Hassan Whiteside

Traded Away:
Wesley Matthews
J.J. Barea
33rd OVR Pick (Rights to Aaron Holiday)
2019 1st Rd Pick (Numerous protections included in the deal*)

Analysis:
The Dallas Mavericks traded a couple of solid role players and a future first round pick to get a then solid defensive center and shot blocker in Hassan Whiteside to help shore up the interior.  He's since tapered off very recently, but Whiteside had played very well for quite awhile in the NBA.

Trade Grade: B+

Ashwin's Dallas 2018 Mock Draft Night Grade: A-  (4th out of 29 NBA Teams)

He took a sound, rational, less is more approach, and it paid dividends for him.  He played it smart, and came away with a very good draft night.

Here were the moves he made for the Toronto Raptors:

He made no moves, and had no picks with them.

Ashwin's Toronto 2018 Mock Draft Night Grade: I (Incomplete)

Ashwin's 2018 Overall GM Draft Grade: A- (1st Place)
Ashwin's 2017 Overall GM Draft Grade: A- (2nd Place)

2. Taylor Jarl - Los Angeles Lakers, Cleveland Cavaliers

He was a newcomer that was an avid Los Angeles Lakers fan, and he was an active trade player.  He wasn't nearly as active in the draft, but his suave maneuvering of trades earned him high scores and marks with both teams.  His shrewd moves earns him the equivalent of a silver medal in the 2018 NBA Group Mock Draft.

Here were the moves he made for the Los Angeles Lakers:

Drafted:
47. Bruce Brown, G, Miami (FL)

It took Bruce Brown a bit to adjust to the NBA, but now he is a solid defensive player on a very talented Brooklyn Nets' team.  He also was the starting point guard on a lowly Detroit Pistons' team, so Brown is well-suited to playing nearly any role that is thrown at him.  He is a tough, hard-nosed combo guard that can also play power forward for spot minutes as an undersized rim runner, and his tough, gritty defense has won over NBA coaches in this league.

Draft Grade: A-

Here was the trade he made for the Lakers in a three-team deal with Portland (Ian) and Indiana (Ameer):

Taylor's Trade #1:

Received:
C.J. McCollum
Myles Turner
Bojan Bogdanovic

Traded Away:
Brandon Ingram
Lonzo Ball
Luol Deng
2020 1st Round Pick (Top 5 Protected)
25th OVR Pick (Rights to Jalen Brunson)

Analysis:
He had to give up to get, and Jalen Brunson has became a solid player in this league, but considering that people were down on Ingram and Ball, receiving two All-Star caliber players in McCollum and Turner, as well as a good role player in Bojan Bogdanovic is a good haul.  

Trade Grade: B

Taylor's LA Lakers 2018 Mock Draft Night Grade: B (9th out of 29 NBA Teams)

Here were the moves he made for the Cleveland Cavaliers:

Here was the trade that he made with Miami (Patrick) and Denver (also Patrick). 
(This was the self-trade that one person made as two different teams that slipped under our nose, but we didn't know it at the time.  We had a rule that a person couldn't trade as two or more different teams within themselves, but this one went through somehow.) 

Taylor's Trade #2:

Received:
Jamal Murray
Mason Plumlee
Trey Lyles
Josh Richardson
Dion Waiters
2019 2nd Round Pick (via Washington)
2019 1st Round Pick (via Dallas - Has numerous protections*)

Traded Away:
8th OVR Pick (Rights to Mikal Bridges)
Kevin Love
J.R. Smith

Analysis:
Considering that Taylor was able to receive a very good, scoring point guard in Jamal Murray, received numerous role players, as well as multiple draft picks, one of whom ended up being a first round pick, this turned out to be a very good trade for him.  Mikal Bridges has been a very good player in this league, but Kevin Love ended up falling off a bit before rebounding to be a solid role player off the bench for the Cavs this year, and J.R. Smith ended up having a few solid seasons in the NBA before retiring to become a college golfer.  That Taylor managed to get Jamal Murray, some solid role players, and a couple of draft picks makes it the cherry on top for his draft night here.

Trade Grade: A

Taylor's Cleveland 2018 Mock Draft Night Grade: A (1st out of 29 NBA Teams)

Taylor's 2018 Overall GM Draft Grade: B+ (2nd Place)

3. Ameer Helmi - Philadelphia 76ers, Miami Heat, Houston Rockets

He was a newcomer to our meet-ups, and he quickly proved himself to be a shrewd drafter and trader by making shrewd moves throughout this event.  He was a very active participant, and his very high quality moves earned rave reviews pretty much across the board.  His shrewd moves, especially with the 76ers earns him the equivalent of a bronze medal in the 2018 NBA Group Mock Draft.

Here were the moves he made for the Philadelphia 76ers:

Drafted:
34. Kevin Huerter, G-F, Maryland - Draft Grade: A
56. Devonte' Graham, G, Kansas - Draft Grade: A

Both Hurter and Graham have been very good role players in the NBA, and Huerter has been a useful, versatile player on an Eastern Conference Finals team in 2021 with the Atlanta Hawks.

Draft Grades: As for both the Huerter and Graham picks

Here were the trades he made for the Philadelphia 76ers:

Trade #1 with San Antonio (Danny):

Received:
Kawhi Leonard
Derrick White
Brandon Paul

Traded Away:
Markelle Fultz
Robert Covington
Justin Anderson
10th OVR Pick (Rights to Kevin Knox)
2020 1st Round pick (top 3 protected)

Analysis:
Ameer managed to get Kawhi Leonard, and another solid player in Derrick White.  Kawhi's a legendary, future Hall of Famer that has won 2 NBA titles with the 2014 San Antonio Spurs and the 2019 Toronto Raptors.  I think this was the trade of the night, and he came away as a big-time winner here.

Trade Grade: A

Trade #2 with Charlotte (Richard):

Received:
Malik Monk

Traded Away:
Furkan Korkmaz
Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot
26th OVR Pick (Rights to Anfernee Simons)
2022 Conditional Swap (Numerous Future Protections Included*)

Analysis:
If there was any one move that may have put a damper in Philadelphia's great mock draft night, it may be this trade here to get Monk.  There were numerous suitors for Malik Monk, and the word is that the Washington Wizards (Alan) also wanted the services for him, but were turned down, because they refused to offer a first round pick or include one in the deal.  Ameer gave up quite a bit to get Monk though, and Monk didn't end up becoming the NBA shooter people thought he would be until the 2020-21 NBA season, when it was a make or break year for him.

Meanwhile, Korkmaz is a solid role player that can shoot and score off the bench in the NBA, Luwawu-Cabarrot has had a few good years, and those picks have been quite valuable.  Charlotte didn't end up holding on to the 26th overall pick in our mock draft, which would've made that trade even better for the Hornets, because Anfernee Simons is a very good player that is on the rise right now.

Trade Grade: C

Trade #3 with Golden State (Richard):

Received:
Cash Considerations*

Traded Away:
60th Overall Pick (Allonzo Trier)

Analysis:
We'll never truly know what the cash considerations transpired to be, but Ameer came away really pleased with what he received in return, so we'll take his word that this trade turned out great for him.

Trade Grade: A

Trade #4 with Atlanta (Alan):

Received:
Kevin Huerter (34th OVR Pick)

Traded Away:
38th OVR Pick (Rights to De'Anthony Melton)
39th OVR Pick (Rights to Isaac Bonga)

Analysis:
Rumors have it that the Atlanta Hawks (Alan) had previously traded to get a whole bunch of picks, and they had just drafted Kevin Huerter at 34, only to suddenly feel that he and Gary Trent Jr. (whom they drafted at 19 in this mock draft) basically play the same position, and both would play similar roles as shooting, 3 and D type of specialists at the two-guard position.  Atlanta (Alan) then auctioned off this pick by offering to trade him to the first one on the horn, and Philadelphia jumped it by offering the 38th and 39th overall picks to acquire the rights to Kevin Huerter.  Good for Philly to do so.  While Melton has turned out to be a very good role player in the NBA, so has Huerter, and both teams made out well in the process.

Trade Grade: B

Ameer's Philadelphia 2018 Mock Draft Night Grade: A- (5th out of 29 NBA Teams)

Here were the moves he made for the Indiana Pacers:

Drafted:
18. Robert Williams, F-C, Texas A&M - Draft Grade: A-
33. Aaron Holiday, G, UCLA - Draft Grade: C+
50. Chimezie Metu, F-C, USC - Draft Grade: B+

Analysis:
He came away with solid picks, as he drafted two very good, per minute big men in Robert Williams and Chimezie Metu, and drafting Metu at 50 has turned out to be a steal.  Aaron Holiday has been a decent backup point guard in the NBA.

Trade #1 with Los Angeles Lakers (Taylor) and Portland (Ian):

Received:
Lonzo Ball
Josh Hart
Luol Deng
25th OVR Pick (Rights to Jalen Brunson)

Traded Away:
Myles Turner
Bojan Bogdanovic
Darren Collison

Analysis:
It seems they gave up quite a bit, but Lonzo Ball and Josh Hart have been solid role players, and the 25th overall pick helped them move up in the draft, as they were able to swing another trade after that.  Luol Deng didn't play very well after the 2018 season, but absorbing that contract probably helped him land some of the players and picks in this deal.

Trade Grade: B- 

Trade #2 with Miami (Patrick):

Received:
18th OVR Pick (Robert Williams)
33rd OVR Pick (Aaron Holiday)

Traded Away:
23rd OVR Pick (Rights to Khyri Thomas)
25th OVR Pick (Rights to Jalen Brunson)

Analysis:
While Jalen Brunson has become a very good player in the NBA, drafting Robert Williams at 18 has turned out very well, and Williams has become a very underrated, defensive-minded, energy big man in this league.

Trade Grade: B

Ameer's Indiana 2018 Mock Draft Night Grade: B (15th out of 29 NBA Teams)

Here were the moves he made for the Houston Rockets:

Trade #1 with Atlanta (Alan):

Received:
2019 2nd Round Pick (top 50 Protected)

Traded Away:
Ryan Anderson
46th OVR Pick (Rights to Alize Johnson)
2019 1st Round Pick (top 3 Pick)

Analysis:
It sounds like a lot, but it gets rid of the Ryan Anderson contract off the books, so that it would free them up to have more cap space.  It will seem like a generous grade, but it is what it is.

Trade Grade: C+

Ameer's Houston 2018 Mock Draft Night Grade: C+ (23rd out of 29 NBA Teams)

Ameer's 2018 Overall GM Draft Grade: B+ (3rd Place)

4. Danny Sear - Chicago Bulls, San Antonio Spurs

He had previously participated in the 2017 group mock draft, and he had come away as someone who had finished in the middle of the pack back then, as his moves were generally met with mixed reviews.  He did much better this time around, especially with his favorite NBA team, the Chicago Bulls.  This earned him a fourth place finish as of the time I'm writing this.

Here are the moves he made with the Chicago Bulls:

Drafted:
7. Collin Sexton, G, Alabama - Draft Grade: A
26. Anfernee Simons, G, IMG Academy (USA - Altamonte Springs, FL) - Draft Grade: A
44. Rodions Kurucs, F, FC Barcelona (Latvia) - Draft Grade: C+

He drafted very well with all of the selections here.  Sexton is a very athletic, scoring point guard that has proven to be a good offensive player when healthy, and same for Anfernee Simons, as the latter won the 2021 NBA Slam Dunk Contest.  Kurucs started off well initially, and he looked to be a potentially energetic and promising scorer and defender that looked even better than how he appeared heading into the draft, but he started to lose favor with his coaches and teams, and he bounced around and ended up being out of the NBA.  

Here were the trades he made with the Bulls:

Trade #1 with Detroit (Alan):

Received:
Ish Smith
Dwight Buycks

Traded Away:
Cristiano Felicio
Future 2nd Round Pick

Analysis:
This was an extremely minor and unnecessary trade that reeks of minutiae, and this was one of the many trades made on mock draft night that probably need not have been made.  It's not certain if either person really benefits greatly out of this trade.  That said, he was able to get out from under the Felicio contract, and Ish Smith has been a serviceable backup point guard in the NBA.

Trade Grade: C

Trade #2 with Charlotte (Richard):

Received:
26th OVR Pick (Anfernee Simons)
Jeremy Lamb
Willy Hernangomez

Traded Away:
Omer Asik
22nd OVR Pick (Rights to Moritz Wagner)
2021 2nd Round Pick

Analysis:

Considering that he was able to get rid of the Omer Asik contract, added a solid role player in Jeremy Lamb, and ended up hitting big by being able to select Anfernee Simons at 26, this was a stroke of genius on Danny's part here, and this was his best trade of the night here.

Traded Grade: A

Danny's Chicago 2018 Mock Draft Night Grade: A- (6th out of 29 NBA Teams)

Here were the moves he made for the San Antonio Spurs:

Drafted:
10. Kevin Knox, F, Kentucky - Draft Grade: C-
22. Moritz Wagner, F-C, Michigan - Draft Grade: C-

Both seemed like reasonable picks at the time, with Knox being a tall, athletic forward that can shoot and score the basketball, and he just seemed to ooze of having talent and upside.  Moritz Wagner was a very productive big man that also can shoot and score the basketball, and his ability to stretch the floor looked to be a major plus.  Unfortunately, Wagner's college success didn't quite translate, and Knox has been a disappointment in the NBA, as he's really struggled to be a consistent shooter or to earn playing time.  Moritz's brother, Franz Wagner is playing well in the NBA, but his brother was in the 2021 draft.

Here were the numerous trades he made for San Antonio:

Trade #1 with Philadelphia (Ameer):

Received:
Markelle Fultz
10th OVR Pick (Kevin Knox)
Robert Covington
2020 1st Round Pick (Top 3 Protected)
Justin Anderson

Traded Away:
Kawhi Leonard
Derrick White
Brandon Paul

Analysis:

Keep in mind that Kawhi Leonard wanted out of San Antonio at this stage of his NBA career in real life, so that affected things in our group mock draft.  At the time, it seemed like a real haul on both sides, especially with Markelle Fultz being the great unknown and potential reclamation project after having the yips (not being able to shoot his rookie year) and missing most of his rookie season due to injury.

But trading away Kawhi Leonard was always going to be tough to get just as much in return, especially since he's a legendary player and all-time great.  Fultz has continued to struggle with his jump shot and injuries, and he has never been the outside shooter he was in college, as he's never really gotten comfortable with the NBA 3-point line.

Robert Covington has been a solid 3 and D vet in the NBA, though his defensive reputation may be a bit overstated at times.  Still, he's turned out to be the best player Danny received on his end of this deal for San Antonio.  Kevin Knox has not played nearly as well as expected, Justin Anderson ended up being out of the league shortly afterwards after showing some early initial promise as a potential 3 and D wing.  The 2020 1st Round pick might have been the salvaging piece of this were to have continued on, but we'll never know for sure.

Trade Grade: C-

Trade #2 with Miami (Patrick):

Received:
Goran Dragic
Justise Winslow
Rodney McGruder

Traded Away:
Patty Mills
Pau Gasol
18th OVR Pick (Rights to Robert Williams)
49th OVR Pick (Rights to Malik Newman

Analysis:

He gave up plenty, as he gave up two solid role players in Patty Mills and Pau Gasol, as well as two picks, but Goran Dragic has been a very good player in the NBA.  Winslow hasn't quite played as well as expected, although he's shown flashes as a very athletic 3 and D player at times when healthy.  McGruder is a steady, end of the bench veteran that can occasionally come off the bench to provide some shooting.

Trade Grade: B-

Trade #3 with Washington (Alan):

Received:
22nd OVR Pick (Moritz Wagner)
Markieff Morris
Marcin Gortat

Traded Away:
LaMarcus Aldridge

Analysis:

Apparently, Danny had really wanted to trade away LaMarcus Aldridge, and he started offering him to various teams in the mid to late first round range, with numerous teams including Atlanta (Alan) having turned him down, as Atlanta had the 19th pick and wanted to keep the pick due to being in the rebuilding phase.  But eventually, to some people's amusement, the same guy who once turned down a trade offer from him few picks earlier (involving Aldridge) would later accept a trade offer to get Aldridge as a totally different NBA team.

As luck had it, since the Washington Wizards (Alan) were unable to trade John Wall due to his massive, exorbitant contract. as he had just signed a super-max contract (although rumors have it that they desperately wanted to trade Wall if they could, but weren't due to both rules and no interest), they figured that they might as well push their chips in for another playoff run, as they also had Bradley Beal, and that is where San Antonio found a suitor for LaMarcus Aldridge.  Rumor has it that Washington had been considering to draft either Omari Spellman or Moritz Wagner at 22 if the trade had not been made.

As for the trade itself, the Spurs gave up a quality starting center, and while their draft pick didn't quite land, it made sense at the time, and they received a subtly solid piece in the deal in acquiring Markieff Morris.  At the time, Washington was adamant in not including Otto Porter in the deal, so they offered Morris and Gortat along with the first round pick instead, and the two sides agreed to make the trade.  Back then, it looked to be at best a bold move on San Antonio's part.  While it hasn't exactly ended up being a home run for them, it wasn't a complete miss, either.

Trade Grade: B-

Danny's San Antonio 2018 Mock Draft Night Grade: C+ (26th out of 29 NBA Teams)

Danny's 2018 Overall GM Draft Grade: B+ (4th Place)
Danny's 2017 Overall GM Draft Grade: C (8th Place)

5. Arjun Dubashi - Brooklyn Nets, Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Clippers

He was a newcomer that generally made sound draft and trade moves, although a few of them did raise some eyebrows.  He didn't make many trades or flashy moves.  Some of them didn't end up having immediate dividends, but nearly all of the moves he made were defensible, and he landed on most of them.  He ended up doing fairly well for himself, as he was a steadily, solid mock draft GM for all three of the teams.

Here were the moves he made for the Brooklyn Nets:

Drafted:
40. Grayson Allen, G, Duke - Grade: B
52. Jarred Vanderbilt, F, Kentucky - Grade: B

Depending on your outlook, this was a solid draft for him, especially if he were to have ended up keeping them past their first couple of seasons.  Both of them struggled a bit coming out of the gates, but both of them have found their footing as solid role players on playoff-caliber teams.  Allen is an athletic, energetic 3 and D type of role player off the bench, and he's proved to be a solid rotation player and a pesky nuisance for the opposition.  Vanderbilt is a very athletic, energetic role player that is the consummate hustle player for the Timberwolves right now.

He made one trade with the Nets in the 2018 NBA Group Mock Draft.

Trade #1 with Detroit (Alan):

Received:
Reggie Jackson

Traded Away:
29th OVR Pick (Rights to Chandler Hutchison)
Allen Crabbe

Analysis:
At the time, this trade raised a few eye brows, but he ended up with the best player in this trade in acquiring the very athletic, scoring point guard in Reggie Jackson.  Jackson has been a journeyman, but he's also provided a potent scoring punch for the Clippers recently.  Crabbe was on his last legs and was basically used as a means by Detroit to accumulate an extra first round pick, but they didn't end up quite landing on their 29th overall selection.  This trade looks to be a win for Brooklyn on this one.

Trade Grade: B

Arjun's Brooklyn 2018 Mock Draft Night Grade: B (12th out of 29 NBA Teams)

Here was the move he made with the Milwaukee Bucks:

Drafted:
17. Donte DiVincenzo, G-F, Villanova

Did you know that the Milwaukee Bucks drafted Donte DiVincenzo at 17 at this exact same spot in real life?  Sometimes they say, great minds think alike.  It certainly seemed to be the case here, and DiVincenzo has been a solid role player that has provided shooting, scoring, and athleticism for the defending champions over the years.

Draft Grade: B

Arjun's Milwaukee 2018 Mock Draft Night Grade: B (13th out of 29 NBA Teams)

Here were the moves he made with the Los Angeles Clippers:

Drafted:
12. Miles Bridges, F, Michigan State - Draft Grade: A
13. Elie Okobo, G, Cholet Basket (France) - Draft Grade: D

Analysis:
Drafting Miles Bridges at 12 was a good move then, and it is a definite win now.  Bridges has been a superb player for the Charlotte Hornets, as he's provided strong shooting, defense, and he is an athletic, All-Star caliber player for them out in the East.  That turned out to be a major win for him there.  

But drafting Okobo at 13?  It looked to be a reach then, and it looks really bad now, especially with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander still on the board.  Okobo didn't end up playing well in the NBA, and he is no longer in the league.  Their mock draft night could've been a major win for the Clips, but maybe it still is, as they still came away with drafting Miles Bridges at 12, which was a steal then, and a definite steal now.

Arjun's LA Clippers 2018 Mock Draft Night Grade: B- (16th out of 29 NBA Teams)

Arjun's 2018 Overall GM Draft Grade: B+ (5th Place)

6. Patrick Keane - Sacramento Kings, Denver Nuggets, Miami Heat

He was a diehard Sacramento Kings fan that was a newcomer to this event, and in real life, he really wanted the Kings to draft Luka Doncic.  They did not end up doing so, which riled him up, and the Kings would later come to regret not picking him.  He also ended up slipping a self trade by trading as two different teams he had in a three-team deal with Taylor that slipped in under our noses, but that aside, he ended up making a lot of moves and creating havoc that generally worked in his favor.

Here were the moves he made for the Sacramento Kings:

Drafted:
37. Gary Clark, F, Cincinnati 

Gary Clark is an athletic, high-motor forward that has played several years in the league, and while he is currently a fringe player that hasn't quite stuck his landing, he's made a favorable impression as a glue guy that has fought to earn minutes in the back half of rosters in the NBA.

Draft Grade: C

Patrick also made one trade, a blockbuster deal with Nick Peara, and jaws dropped when Boston ended up trading Jayson Tatum to get the 2nd overall pick in the 2018 NBA Group Mock Draft, especially when it had been long rumored that Phoenix (Ian) would select Luka Doncic with the first overall pick in the mock draft.

Trade #1 with Boston (Nick):

Received:
Jayson Tatum

Traded Away:
2nd OVR Pick (Rights to DeAndre Ayton)
Justin Jackson

Analysis:
Sacramento received by far the best player in this deal, and so this was a big win for Patrick, both then and now.  Almost no one seemed to think this was a trade that should've been made by Boston, and Patrick came away with a franchise player as he clearly won the trade here.

Trade Grade: A

Patrick's Sacramento 2018 Mock Draft Night Grade: A- (3rd out of 29 NBA Teams)

Here are the moves he made for the Miami Heat:

Drafted:
8. Mikal Bridges, G-F, Villanova - Draft Grade: A
23. Khyri Thomas, G, Creighton - Draft Grade: C-
25. Jalen Brunson, G, Villanova - Draft Grade: B+
49. Malik Newman, G, Kansas - Draft Grade: D

Mikal Bridges and Jalen Brunson have turned out to be strong picks for Patrick here, but selecting Khyri Thomas and Malik Newman turned out to be duds that didn't pan out.  Still, there were more positives to be taken away from the solid picks he made at 8 and 25 here.

He also made a ton of trades as the mock draft GM for Miami.

Trade #1 with Dallas (Ashwin):

Received: 
Wesley Matthews
J.J. Barea
2019 1st Round Pick (Numerous Protections*)
33rd OVR Pick (Rights to Aaron Holiday) - Later Traded Away

Traded Away:
Hassan Whiteside

Analysis:
He received a couple of decent role players, and some solid draft picks that allowed him to move up in the draft.  He did trade away Whiteside to do so, he was able to extract plenty of picks and players in this deal.

Trade Grade: B+

Trade #2 with San Antonio (Danny):

Received:
Pau Gasol
Patty Mills
18th OVR Pick (Rights to Robert Williams) - Later Traded Away
49th OVR Pick (Malik Newman)

Traded Away:
Goran Dragic
Justise Winslow
Rodney McGruder

Analysis:
He gave up a very good score first combo guard in Goran Dragic, but he received two solid players in Pau Gasol and Patty Mills, as well as a first round pick that would allow him to maneuver in the draft.

Trade Grade: B

Trade #3 with Indiana:

Received: 
23rd OVR Pick (Khyri Thomas)
25th OVR Pick (Jalen Brunson)

Traded Away:
18th OVR Pick (Rights to Robert Williams)
33rd OVR Pick (Rights to Aaron Holiday)

Analysis:
Well, he did give up a solid pick in 18 to move back, and while drafting Khyri Thomas proved to be a bust, drafting Jalen Brunson at 25 was a shrewd move for him.  This turned out to be a win-win for both Miami and Indiana.

Trade Grade: B

Trade #4 with Denver (himself) and Cleveland (Taylor):

Received: 
8th OVR Pick (Mikal Bridges)
J.R. Smith

Traded Away:
2019 1st Round Pick (Numerous Protections*)
Josh Richardson
Dion Waiters

Analysis:
He gave up a first round pick that could've been quite valuable in the future, as well as a couple of role players, but he did come away with the best future player in this deal in Mikal Bridges.  While it might have been quite a bit to get this pick, he ended up making a very good pick, so all is good on Miami's end of the deal here.

Trade Grade: B

Patrick's Miami 2018 Mock Draft Night Grade: B (14th out of 29 NBA Teams)

Here are the moves he made with the Denver Nuggets:

Drafted:
6. Michael Porter Jr., F, Missouri

Porter is a very athletic, talented forward that on his best nights looks like a franchise player, but he's been riddled with back problems and occasional inconsistent play that have plagued him over the years.  He recently signed a gigantic extension, but then ended up having another back injury that caused him to miss the remainder of this season.

Draft Grade: B

Trade #1 with Charlotte (Richard):

Received:
Kemba Walker

Traded Away:
Kenneth Faried
14th OVR Pick (Rights to Zhaire Smith)
43rd OVR Pick (Rights to Trevon Duval)

Analysis:
Kemba Walker was a very good, scoring point guard that had made NBA All-Star teams, and while it seemed like it was plenty to get him, it turned out to be a good move for Denver to get him, as Charlotte ended up essentially whiffing on the multiple draft picks that they accumulated in this deal, though they seemed like good, bold picks at the time.  Faried, though he was a solid, energetic role player in the NBA, ended up being a fringe player and he is now currently out of the league.

Trade Grade: A

Trade #2 with Orlando (Nick):

Received:
Jonathan Isaac
6th OVR Pick (Michael Porter Jr.)
Terrence Ross
Bismack Biyombo

Traded Away:
Nikola Jokic
Paul Millsap
2020 1st Round Pick (Numerous protections, with it being unprotected in 2022*)

Analysis:
Trading away Jokic was a major head scratcher back then (especially for that trade package), and it looks really bad now.  He did take a big swing to get Isaac and Porter, but both of the tall, very athletic forwards have had injury problems, and Jokic is now an MVP in the NBA.  He also gave up a 2020 1st round pick in addition to trading away Jokic.  While it was a bold trade to describe it generously back then, it looks really bad now.

Trade Grade: F

Trade #3 with himself (Miami) and Cleveland (Taylor):

Received:
Kevin Love

Traded Away:
Jamal Murray
Mason Plumlee
Trey Lyles

Analysis:
I'm not sure what he was thinking here.  Maybe he wanted to replace Jokic with Love, but trading away Murray and two other players to do so for an aging star player on the decline on a very expensive contract is not a good move at all.  This was a major head scratcher, both then and now.

Trade Grade: D

Trade #4 with Memphis (Peter):

Received:
Cash Considerations

Traded Away:
58th OVR Pick (Rights to Arnoldas Kulboka)

Analyis:
This wasn't a huge needle mover either way, so this trade has turned out to be a nothing burger so far.

Trade Grade: C

Patrick's Denver 2018 Mock Draft Night Grade: C (27th out of 29 NBA Teams)

Patrick's 2018 Overall GM Draft Grade: B (6th Place)

7. Kyle Henderson - New York Knicks, New Orleans Pelicans, Oklahoma City Thunder

He had recently taken part in the 2017 NBA Mock Draft.  He was a veteran podcaster and an avid NBA fan, and he was the leader of our meet-up group.  He also was an avid Russell Westbrook fan, and had followed his exploits wherever he went.  He did really well in making moves for the Knicks in the 2018 mock draft night, but his score ended up taking a bit of a hit, because he was in a really tough position to make moves as the Pelicans and the Thunder, due to their very low picks they had in the draft.

Here are the moves he made for the New York Knicks:

Drafted:
4. Trae Young, G, Oklahoma - Draft Night Grade: A

36. Jacob Evans, G-F, Cincinnati - Draft Night Grade: D

Analysis:
Drafting Trae Young at 4 was considered bold, and it also paid huge dividends for Kyle in this draft.  Young is a superstar for the Atlanta Hawks in real life, and he is a tremendously gifted scoring point guard that can shoot, score, and make plays with the ball in his hands.  Evans however, was expected to contribute as a 3 and D role player in the NBA, but he quickly fizzled out after failing to adjust to the rigors of the league.

He also made one trade, which helped him get Trae Young in this mock draft.

Trade #1 with Memphis (Peter):

Received:
4th OVR Pick (Trae Young)

Deyonta Davis

Andrew Harrison

Traded Away:
9th OVR Pick (Mohamed Bamba)

Frank Ntilikina

Analysis:
It was a bold trade and a bold pick at the time, but he really reaped the rewards of making this trade when it was all said and done by getting the definitive best player in the deal.  Young is a multi-All-Star point guard and is a franchise player, and no one else in the deal has come close.  Well, maybe Bamba, who is just now a decent NBA starting center, but Trae Young has become one of the best players in the NBA game today.

Trade Grade: A

Kyle's New York Knicks 2018 Mock Draft Night Grade: A (2nd out of 29 NBA Teams)

Here were the moves he made for the New Orleans Pelicans:

Drafted:
51. Jevon Carter, G, West Virginia - Draft Grade: B-

Analysis:
He is an NBA journeyman, backup point guard that has bounced around from team to team.  He came in with a strong defensive reputation, but his lack of dynamic offensive skills and inability to guard taller players makes him a defensive specialist only when he guards point guards, so his lack of versatility hurts him a bit.  Still, he is a decent option for NBA teams to have at the back end of their rosters, especially if they need a point guard to fill in for them.

Kyle's New Orleans 2018 Mock Draft Night Grade: B- (19th out of 29 NBA Teams)

Here were the moves he made for the Oklahoma City Thunder:

53. Ray Spalding, F-C, Louisville - Draft Grade: C
54. Rawle Alkins, G-F, Arizona - Draft Grade: C

57. Tony Carr, G, Penn State - Draft Grade: D

Analysis:

Spalding and Alkins played sparingly in the NBA, and neither were given much of a chance to stick around long in this league.  That's too bad, because both could have developed as athletic, energetic defensive specialists in the association.  Tony Carr had a fairly solid collegiate career at Penn State that culminated in him winning the NIT, but he has never played a regular season game in the NBA.

Trade #1 with Atlanta (Alan):

Received:
54th OVR Pick (Rawle Alkins)
Isaiah Taylor

Traded Away:
Terrence Ferguson

Analysis:
This trade ultimately didn't work out in his favor, but Rawle Alkins seemed to be a perfectly good project player to take a chance on, and he was a very athletic, gritty swingman that had an impressive Combine showing prior to the 2018 NBA Draft.  Unfortunately, he went up undrafted, and though he did play in the NBA, he didn't end up sticking in the league for very long.

Trade Grade: C

Kyle's New York Knicks 2018 Mock Draft Night Grade: C- (28th out of 29 NBA Teams)

Kyle's 2018 Overall GM Draft Grade: B- (7th Place)
Kyle's 2017 Overall GM Draft Grade: C (12th Place)

8. Alan Lu - Washington Wizards, Detroit Pistons, Atlanta Hawks

He had been a participant in the 2017 NBA Group Mock Draft, and he is an NBA draft analyst who watches a lot of college basketball games.  That year, he had made a lot of moves as three different teams (one of whom had been the Atlanta Hawks), which were generally met with mixed reviews.  

Ironically, the team he managed the best in 2017, the Atlanta Hawks, ended up being the team that drags his grade down here in 2018, perhaps for obvious reasons.  He has taken a lot of swings over the years, and there have been some hits and some misses, but he isn't afraid to take them, even if some of them end up backfiring.  If anything, he seems to be pretty good at finding second round picks in the drafts.

Here are the moves he made for the Washington Wizards:

Drafted:
32. Troy Brown, G-F, Oregon

Analysis:
Word is that Danny was wondering why Troy Brown was falling so far and so fast in this mock draft, and this came to Alan's attention.  He had Brown and Huerter high on his board early in the second round, and another player he had coveted for Washington, Omari Spellman had been taken off the board at 31 by Phoenix, as he had wanted to pair Wall and Beal with a stretch big.

Perhaps this was for the better, and while Brown was up and down during his time with the Wizards, he flashed his potential and versatility as a skilled swingman that flashed some point forward abilities in his tenure with them before being dealt to the Chicago Bulls, where he is now a rotation player on a very good, playoff-bound NBA team.

Draft Grade: B+

He also made numerous trades with the Wizards.  Here they were:

Trade #1 with Charlotte (Richard):

Received:
Cody Zeller
Frank Kaminsky
Dwayne Bacon

Traded Away:
Ian Mahinmi
44th OVR Pick (Rights to Rodions Kurucs) - Later Traded Away
Conditional Pick Swap (Numerous Protections*)

Analysis:
Word is that Washington really wanted both Malik Monk and Frank Kaminsky.  After Monk had been agreed to be dealt to another team in this mock draft, the Wizards decided they wanted to trade their 44th overall pick to try to get Kaminsky.  They also were willing to take on Cody Zeller's contract, as well as a flyer on Dwayne Bacon in the process.  Zeller and Kaminsky have been decent, end of the rotation big men in the NBA since, and Bacon was a starter for the Orlando Magic last year before winding up out of the NBA.

Trade Grade: B

Trade #2 with Charlotte (Richard):

Received:
22nd OVR Pick (Rights to Moritz Wagner) - Later Traded Away
32nd OVR Pick (Troy Brown)

Traded Away:
15th OVR Pick (Josh Okogie)

Analysis:
Rumors had it that both Charlotte and Washington had ranked Josh Okogie very high on their draft boards, whom had been a productive, young scoring guard that put up strong numbers in the ACC and had done extremely well in the athletic testing and in the combine scrimmage games, but Charlotte was willing to package two picks to get the 15th overall selection to take him in the middle of the first round.  The Wizards felt they needed to address multiple needs, and so they decided to part ways to get the deal done, as they had planned on acquiring both a very athletic swingman and a stretch big to try to fill their needs.  Later that night, they ended up throwing the 22nd overall pick into a package deal for LaMarcus Aldridge.

Trade Grade: B

Trade #3 with San Antonio (Danny):

Received:
LaMarcus Aldridge

Traded Away:
22nd OVR Pick (Rights to Moritz Wagner)
Markieff Morris
Marcin Gortat

Analysis:
Right up to the pick, the Washington Wizards thought they were going to make the pick, and they were deciding on whether to select either Omari Spellman, Moritz Wagner, or Mitchell Robinson right as they were offered the trade by San Antonio.  They then assessed that Aldridge would be a major upgrade over whomever they would otherwise have picked, and both teams started avidly discussing a framework to quickly get this deal done.  The Wizards didn't want to include Otto Porter, but the 22nd overall pick was essential to making sure this trade would be finalized, so they ended up parting ways with Markieff Morris and Marcin Gortat.

LaMarcus Aldridge was a star center in the NBA, and he continued to have a couple of more solid seasons in this league before health issues and the aging process arose.  This turned out to be a very good move that Washington made, and Aldridge was a significant upgrade over the players they traded away back then.

Trade Grade: A

Alan's Washington 2018 Mock Draft Night Grade: B+ (7th out of 29 NBA Teams)

Here were the moves that he made for the Detroit Pistons:

Drafted:
24. Mitchell Robinson, C, N/A (USA - New Orleans, LA) - Draft Grade: A
27. Dzanan Musa, G-F, Mega Vizura (Bosnia and Herzegovina) - Draft Grade: D
29. Chandler Hutchison, G-F, Boise State - Draft Grade: C

Analysis:

Detroit (Alan) was extremely high on Mitchell Robinson, and in the process to commit to a rebuild had rated him really high on their draft boards, so they were ecstatic when he fell to them at 24 after acquiring this pick from Portland.  He has since turned out to be a very solid, rim running big man that can finish plays around the basket, rebound, block shots, and defend, and he's been a very productive, per minute center in the NBA that also has upside.

They swung and missed hard on the Dzanan Musa selection, who was a 6-9 Bosnian guard with scoring skills and had played well in the modestly tough Adriatic League, but had very questionable shot selection, and inconsistent jump shot, and struggled defensively there.  His propensity for taking very difficult shots made things worse for him, and he never developed a jump shot or shot selection in the NBA.  Chandler Hutchison was viewed as a safe pick, and he appeared to be an athletic, polished scorer coming from the college ranks.  However, he too didn't pan out, and he didn't get much playing time nor shoot nearly as well as expected in the league.

Here were the trades he made:

Trade #1 with Portland (Ian):

Received:
24th OVR Pick (Mitchell Robinson)
Evan Turner
Meyers Leonard

Traded Away:
Andre Drummond

Analysis:
Many had felt this to be a curious move back then, as Detroit was trading away an All-Star center only to take back two albatross contracts and a late first round pick, so it seemed like they were selling low, especially since they initially targeted a move to get C.J. McCollum, which was rejected by Portland.  

As chance would have it, the move turned down by Portland turned out to be the very thing to get Detroit to decide to move in a different direction altogether.  Before, they were cautiously looking to make a playoff push while keeping an eye for the future with the rebuilding option as a definite possibility.  As they were turned down for the proposed McCollum trade and as Blake Griffin was coming off an injury-plagued year, they decided to strip and tear the team down instead for a rebuild shortly afterwards.

They then turned a question mark into a positive by using the selection to draft Mitchell Robinson, who would essentially fill a similar role to Drummond, but was much younger and cheaper than the player they previously had.  Therefore, this trade turns out to be a win for Detroit.

Trade Grade: B+

Trade #2 with Boston (Nick):

Received:
Gordon Hayward
27th OVR Pick (Dzanan Musa)

Traded Away:
Blake Griffin
42nd OVR Pick (Hamidou Diallo) 

Analysis:
This was one of the great, could have been deals that didn't quite turn out the way it looked on paper.  It was initially a lauded move for Detroit, but both Hayward and Griffin ended up struggling with injuries shortly afterwards.  Hayward was able to put together some good years with Boston, but Griffin had one monster year with Detroit before declining quickly, and Hayward did not appear to be the same All-Star caliber player with Boston as he had looked with Utah.

As for the draft picks, it could have been so much better for Detroit, but they swung and missed hard by drafting Musa at 27, and Boston actually came away with the better pick by drafting Diallo at 42.  The Musa pick looked like an enticing and bold, yet also curious pick, only now that it's looked as a curious move at best, as he never became the player people thought he'd be in the league.

Trade Grade: C+

Trade #3 with Chicago (Danny):

Received:
Cristiano Felicio
Future 2nd Round Pick

Traded Away:
Ish Smith
Dwight Buycks

Analysis:
This was an extremely minor move that reeks of minutiae, and it didn't move the needle at all.  If anything, it was a questionable move at best, because they were willing to take on such a below average center on a multi-year contract for the prospect of adding another draft pick.  But none of the players in this deal are major players in the NBA right now, so at best it's a wash, and this is most likely an absolute nothing burger that wasted everyone else's time (that didn't participate in the deal).

Trade Grade: C

Alan's Detroit 2018 Mock Draft Night Grade: B- (20th out of 29 NBA Teams)

Here were the moves he made for the Atlanta Hawks:   (There were so many!)

Drafted:
5. Marvin Bagley, F-C, Duke - Draft Grade: C

19. Gary Trent Jr., G-F, Duke - Draft Grade: B+

30. Melvin Frazier, G-F, Tulsa - Draft Grade: D
38. De'Anthony Melton, G, USC - Draft Grade: B+
39. Isaac Bonga, G-F, Fraport Skyliners (Germany) - Draft Grade: C
46. Alize Johnson, F, Missouri State - Draft Grade: C
59. Trevon Bluiett, G-F, Xavier - Draft Grade: D

He made a lot of draft picks, but while there were a few hits, the one major draft clunker starts at near the top, when he decided to make a trade down move to deal the 3rd overall pick for the 5th overall pick, Isaiah Taylor (whom he would trade away), and the 54th overall pick (whom he would also trade away).  

But Bagley had been ranked 3rd on his overall board due to his youth and strong production at Duke, and he had missed the year before by taking Josh Jackson over Jayson Tatum, whom went to his brother instead at 6.  So he decided that it was time for him to start snagging Duke players in this draft, even though he had significant defensive concerns about both Bagley and Trent, though Trent's strong play in the combine had alleviated his concerns by then.  While the Trent pick has turned out to be pretty good, he likely overcompensated in selecting Bagley with the fifth selection.

He was torn about the idea of taking Bagley, Jaren Jackson Jr., Mo Bamba, or Michael Porter Jr., whom the latter was a very talented and gifted forward that was coming off a back injury, only to stumble and turn in two bad games towards the end of the college basketball season.  Trae Young had been very impressive, but seemingly faltered in the Big 12 play, and he was ready to lean on Dennis Schroder, whom he had traded away in the 2017 NBA Mock Draft (also another person would end up taking Trae 4th overall after he made the 3 for 5 and others trade).

So, he ended up making a trade with Dallas (Ashwin) to trade down from 3 to 5, and it seemed that he was committed to take Bagley regardless, as he ended up taking him at 5, and he most likely would've taken him at 3 if the trade was not made.  He rated Bagley higher as an overall player, but he also felt Jaren Jackson Jr. and Michael Porter Jr.'s games were better fits for the modern NBA, but he took Bagley regardless.  While he really liked Mo Bamba's defensive skills, he questioned his offensive skills and he was only seriously going to consider him if both Bagley and Jackson were off the board.

Bagley ended up not playing nearly as well as expected in the NBA, and he has bounced around as a journeyman big man in this league that has disappointed.  Trent and Melton have been solid role players in the NBA, and Melton is playing very well as an athletic scorer and defender for the Memphis Grizzlies right now.  Bonga had one decent season in his second year in the NBA with the Washington Wizards in real life before disappointing once again, and is now a fringe roster player in this league.  Alize Johnson has shuttled back and forth between the NBA and the G-League, and he hasn't been able to translate his tremendous G-League production into NBA production.  Bluiett had a tremendous Summer League showing in his rookie year that netted him a two-way deal, but he never ended up playing in the NBA.

He also made a lot of trades in this draft as the mock draft GM as the Hawks.

Trade #1 with Dallas (Ashwin):

Received:
5th OVR Pick (Marvin Bagley)
Johnathan Motley

54th OVR Pick (Rights to Rawle Alkins) - Later Traded Away

Traded Away:
3rd OVR Pick (Jaren Jackson Jr.)

Analysis:

Marvin Bagley didn't turn out to be the dominant player people expected him to be, or anywhere close to that, and Jaren Jackson Jr. has been a solid player on the Memphis Grizzlies.  So this is a major win for Memphis, and a big swing and a miss for Atlanta here.

Trade Grade: D

Trade #2 with Oklahoma City (Kyle):

Received:

Terrence Ferguson

Traded Away:

54th OVR Pick (Rights to Rawle Alkins)

Isaiah Taylor

Analysis:

He wanted to take a chance on Terrence Ferguson, a very athletic, young shooter that struggled in his rookie season with Oklahoma City Thunder, and so he made a small deal to get him.  Ferguson had one decent season in the NBA, which was his second year, but his shooting and offensive struggles, combined with his lack of willingness to shoot plagued him, and he is now out of the league.  Meanwhile, Isaiah Taylor is also out of the NBA, and the athletic, energetic, defensive-minded swingman, Alkins had basically a cup of coffee in the NBA before winding up out of the league as well.

Trade Grade: C+

Trade #3 with Houston (Ameer):

Received:
Ryan Anderson
46th OVR Pick (Alize Johnson)
2019 1st Round Pick (top 3 Pick)

Traded Away:
2019 2nd Round Pick (top 50 Protected)

Analysis:
He took on the sizeable contract of Ryan Anderson to be able to accumulate those extra picks.  He was thinking to use the 39th pick on Chimezie Metu, on the idea of drafting Melton and Metu 38 and 39 back to back would be the USC connection, but he then backtracked to take a chance on the intriguing and very athletic, but raw point forward in Isaac Bonga.  He then seemed to forget that Metu was on the board, and he ended up accidentally passing on him to take Alize Johnson, an undersized stat stuffing big man that had played well in the Combine scrimmage games.  On the plus side, that future first round pick that was included in the deal looks really good for him.

Trade Grade: B+

Alan's Atlanta 2018 Mock Draft Night Grade: C+ (24th out of 29 NBA Teams)

Alan's 2018 Overall GM Draft Grade: B- (8th Place)
Alan's 2017 Overall GM Draft Grade: C (7th Place)

9. Richard Lu - Golden State Warriors, Charlotte Hornets

He is an NBA draft analyst that served as a consultant for the Phoenix Suns and Chicago Bulls, and he also took part in the 2017 NBA Group Mock Draft.  He made strong draft and trade moves in the 2017 group mock draft for Orlando and Indiana, which earned him the equivalent of the bronze medal for his efforts then.  He made a lot of both solid and bold choices in the 2018 mock draft, and while some of his moves didn't quite pan out, others did, and there is very solid rationale in terms of why he made each move.

Here are the moves he made for the Golden State Warriors:

Drafted:
28. Shake Milton, G, SMU - Draft Grade: B+
60. Allonzo Trier, G, Arizona - Draft Grade: C+

Shake Milton has been a solid, scoring guard off the bench that can shoot, pass, and score, and he's been an integral role player for the 76ers that has packed a good scoring punch for them.  Allonzo Trier had a very good rookie season for the New York Knicks, and he looked to be a promising up-and-comer on the rise, but he quickly fell off after that.  Reports about his selfishness and lack of willingness to do the team things in his second season that had earned him praise as a rookie had given him a bad rep, and he is now out of the NBA.

He made one trade as the Warriors.

Trade #1 with Philadelphia (Ameer):

Received:
Allonzo Trier

Traded Away:
Cash Considerations*

Analysis:

We may truly never know what the cash considerations turned out to be.  As for Trier, had a very good NBA rookie season, as he looked to be a very promising scorer and defender for the Knicks that had tremendous athletic ability.  Unfortunately, that has turned out to be the pinnacle of his brief NBA career, and years later, he was unable to play well even in the NBA G-League for the Minnesota Timberwolves' affiliate, the Iowa Wolves.

Trade Grade: B-

Richard's Golden State 2018 Mock Draft Night Grade: B- (17th out of 29 NBA Teams)

Here are the moves he made for the Charlotte Hornets:

Drafted:

11. Wendell Carter, F-C, Duke - Draft Grade: B
14. Zhaire Smith, G, Texas Tech - Draft Grade: D
15. Josh Okogie, G, Georgia Tech - Draft Grade: B-

43. Trevon Duval, G, Duke - Draft Grade: D
55. Landry Shamet, G, Wichita State - Draft Grade: A

Analysis:

His draft night moves were met with a lot of praise, and he hit had a decent share of his picks.  Carter has been a productive big man that can score and rebound in the paint, and drafting Landry Shamet at 55 was arguably the steal of the draft, especially since Shamet is one of the best young shooters in the NBA right now.  Josh Okogie has been an athletic, energetic defender, though he's struggled with his jump shot in the NBA.  Zhaire Smith had a rapid rise to the lottery, but after having a severely allergic reaction in real life, it really altered his course unfortunately, as he struggled in the NBA and is now out of the league.  Trevon Duval never reached his full potential in the NBA, and he too is out of the league.

He also made many trades as the Hornets.  Here they are.

Trade #1 with Denver (Patrick):

Received:
Kenneth Faried
14th OVR Pick (Zhaire Smith)

43rd OVR Pick (Trevon Duval)

Traded Away: 
Kemba Walker

Analysis:
This was a lofty trade aimed for a rebuild, and it definitely could have landed if the 14th overall pick had panned out.  Unfortunately, Smith ended up having a short career in the NBA, and Faried ended up being the best player the Hornets got in return, which pales in comparison to what Walker has contributed to the NBA over yhe years.

Trade Grade: C-

Trade #2 with Philadelphia (Ameer):

Received:
Furkan Korkmaz
Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot
26th OVR Pick (Rights to Anfernee Simons) - Later Traded Away
2022 Conditional Pick Swap (* So Many Conditions!!!)

Traded Away:
Malik Monk

Analysis:

The Hornets were able to get a solid role player in Korkmaz, who can shoot and score, and in bunches, and Luwawu-Cabarrot had some solid seasons in the NBA.  They also received a first round pick here and a conditional pick swap, all out of Malik Monk, who didn't turn in a good NBA season until last year during the 2020-21 NBA season.  So it seems the Hornets made out very well here.

Trade Grade: A

Trade #3 with Washington (Alan):

Received:
44th OVR Pick (Rights to Rodions Kurucs) - Later Traded Away
Conditional Pick Swap (Numerous Protections*)
Ian Mahinmi

Traded Away:
Frank Kaminsky
Cody Zeller
Dwayne Bacon

Analysis:

They were able to make a conditional pick swap and cleared cap space by trading away three veterans to the Washington Wizards.  The 44th overall pick was later traded away in a bid for another pick, as he then moved up yet again to get the 15th overall pick in the 2018 mock draft.

Trade Grade: B+

Trade #4 with Chicago (Danny):

Received:

22nd OVR Pick (Rights to Moritz Wagner) - Later Traded Away
Omer Asik
2021 2nd Round Pick

Traded Away:
Jeremy Lamb
Willy Hernangomez

44th OVR Pick (Rights to Rodions Kurucs)

Analysis:

They took on a sizable contract in Omer Asik, and traded away a couple of solid role players mainly to get the 22nd overall pick, which they then packaged with an early second round pick (32) to get the 15th overall pick in this mock draft.  The pieces itself may not look great on paper, but through clever maneuvering, he was able to move up all the way to nearly add another lottery pick when it was all said and done.

Trade Grade: C+

Trade #5 with Memphis (Peter):

Received:
32nd OVR Pick (Rights to Troy Brown) - Later Traded Away
Chandler Parsons
Ben McLemore

Traded Away:
Dwight Howard

Analysis:

After Atlanta (Alan) was completely unable to trade Dwight Howard in the 2017 mock draft (due to an extreme lack of interest and underwhelming offers), Charlotte (Richard) had managed to accomplish the feat that was not foreseen possible.  He took on an albatross contract in Parsons, took a chance on a reclamation project in Ben McLemore, and also was able to get the 32nd overall pick, whom he was able to package in a deal with Washington to move up to 15 shortly afterwards.

Trade Grade: C+

Trade #6 with Washington (Alan):

Received: 
15th OVR Pick (Josh Okogie)

Traded Away:

22nd OVR Pick (Rights to Moritz Wagner)

32nd OVR Pick (Rights to Troy Brown)

Analysis:

He was able to package a couple of picks later in the draft to move up to one spot out of the lottery to secure a draft selection to get Josh Okogie at 15.  Okogie has been a serviceable role player who can defend in the NBA, but still will need to significantly improve his jump shot in the meantime.  Troy Brown has also been a serviceable role player recently for Chicago, but Moritz Wagner has been a fringe NBA player in this league.

Trade Grade: B

Richard's Charlotte 2018 Mock Draft Night Grade: B- (18th out of 29 NBA Teams)

Richard's 2018 Overall GM Draft Grade: C+ (9th Place)
Richard's 2017 Overall GM Draft Grade: B+ (3rd Place)

10. Nick Peara - Boston Celtics, Orlando Magic

He was a first-time mock draft GM, and he made plenty of moves that were intriguing and bold here.  He shook a lot of things up and he made a lot of bold and brave moves, although some moves raised quite a few eyebrows and turned out to be real head scratchers.  In this mock draft, his moves may have been the straw to stir the drinks, but his best move was the trade he made as Orlando to acquire Nikola Jokic, who would become the future 2021 NBA MVP.

Here were the moves he made for the Boston Celtics:

Drafted:
2. DeAndre Ayton, C, Arizona - Draft Grade: B

42. Hamidou Diallo, G-F, Kentucky - Draft Grade: B

Analysis:
Ayton has been a solid starting center for the Suns, although he did trade away Jayson Tatum to get him.  He hasn't quite been close to the caliber of a player that Doncic is, but Ayton may arguably be the second best player to come out of this draft.  Hamidou Diallo has been a serviceable role player on numerous rebuilding teams in the NBA.

Here were the trades he made:

Trade #1 with Sacramento (Patrick):

Received:
2nd OVR Pick (DeAndre Ayton)

Traded Away:
Jayson Tatum

Justin Jackson

Analysis:
His move to get the 2nd overall pick, but in trading away Jayson Tatum was poorly conceived back then, and it still doesn't look great now.  Tatum had a very good rookie year, and he was well on his way to NBA superstar-dom, while Ayton was considered a very good prospect, but not quite a sure thing.  Right now, Ayton is a good player in the NBA, but Tatum is an NBA superstar.  So, that may not make things look any better for him both back then or now in hindsight.

Trade Grade: D

Trade #2 with Detroit (Alan):

Received:
Blake Griffin

42nd OVR Pick (Hamidou Diallo)

Traded Away:
Gordon Haward

27th OVR Pick (Dzanan Musa)

Analysis:
This is one move that ended up looking alright for him.  This was another move that other mock draft GMs seemed to lambast back then, only that Blake Griffin ended up having a monster season during the 2018-19 NBA season.  He then had injury problems and shooting woes shortly afterwards, but for that one season, he looked really smart with this trade.  Even more so, Hamidou Diallo has turned out to be a much better pick than Dzanan Musa, and the other mock draft GM must be steamed about how he could've missed that hard at 27.  So, Boston did pretty well with this trade.

Trade Grade: B

Nick's Boston 2018 Mock Draft Night Grade: C+ (21st out of 29 NBA Teams)

Here were the moves that he made for the Orlando Magic:

Drafted:
35. Jerome Robinson, G-F, Boston College - Draft Grade: D+
41. Kostas Antetokounmpo, F-C, Dayton - Draft Grade: D

Analysis:
Robinson was a major reach in the lottery in real life, but he did show flashes of potential as an athletic 3 and D swingman back at Boston College.  Kostas Antetokounmpo was a very raw, athletic big man that could block shots at Dayton, but needed a lot of work and development.  Kostas ended up winning a title as an end of the bench player with the 2020 Los Angeles Lakers, but both players are now out of the NBA.

Trade #1 with Denver (Patrick):

Received:
Nikola Jokic
Paul Millsap

2020 1st Rd Pick (Numerous Future Protections*)

Traded Away:
Jonathan Isaac

6th OVR Pick (Rights to Michael Porter Jr.)

Terrence Ross

Bismack Biyombo

Analysis:
He received the future 2021 NBA MVP in Nikola Jokic, an uber-skilled center with dynamite passing skills and is a tremendous offensive force currently for the Denver Nuggets, and he received extra assets on top of that.  All he gave away were two vastly athletic and talented combo forwards who have been incredibly injury-prone, a savvy veteran in Terrence Ross, and a backup center in Biyombo.  Score this as a major win for Nick as the Orlando Magic's mock draft GM here.

Trade Grade: A

Nick's Boston 2018 Mock Draft Night Grade: B (11th out of 29 NBA Teams)

Nick's 2018 Overall GM Draft Grade: C+ (10th Place)

11. Ian Barrett - Phoenix Suns, Portland Trail Blazers, Minnesota Timberwolves

He had recently participated in the 2017 NBA Mock Draft, and his maneuvering on draft night would have everybody on edge.  He had shaken up the Golden State Warriors in the 2017 mock draft, and he took on a mad scientist approach that wreaked havoc, sometimes for the better, sometimes for worse.  Although he is a Timberwolves' fan much like Ashwin, Ian's lackluster picks for Minnesota ended up really dragging his grade down which would've been an otherwise top-notch draft night for him, as he ended up having the best player, and arguably the worst player all in the same draft.

Here are his picks for the Phoenix Suns:

Drafted:
1. Luka Doncic, G-F, Real Madrid (Slovenia) - Draft Grade: A
16. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, G, Kentucky - Draft Grade: A
31. Omari Spellman, C, Villanova - Draft Grade: C

Analysis:
He had a very good and shrewd draft.  While others were looking to get Ayton, he kept his eyes on the prize and went away from the conventional pick of drafting a center, and simply took the best player available in Luka Doncic, which turned out to be the best pick of the night.  He also made another terrific pick of the night in selecting Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, a smooth pick and roll dynamo who is looking like a future All-Star guard.  Omari Spellman however, had a couple of decent NBA seasons, but questions about his mobility and defend may have led him to earn the ire of coaches, and he is now out of the league.

Trade #1 with Atlanta (Alan):

Received:
Future 2nd Round Pick

Traded Away:
59th OVR Pick (Rights to Trevon Bluiett)

Analysis:

This was essentially a frivolous, nothing for nothing trade, so no one really won or lost anything.  This trade was an absolute nothing burger.  This pretty much wasted everyone's time (that weren't involve din the deal), and no one really stood to gain from this trade having been made.  

Trade Grade: C

Ian's Phoenix 2018 Mock Draft Night Grade: B (10th out of 29 NBA Teams)

He made two terrific picks with Phoenix, but he didn't quite fully land on the 31st pick, and he made a throw-away trade with another team that made a throwaway trade that only served to get people to scratch their heads.  That may have put a slight damper, but overall it was still a tremendously successful night for Phoenix there, as that would give them two really strong building blocks and star players to work with.

Here are the trades he made for the Portland Trail Blazers:

Trade #1 with Detroit (Alan):

Received:
Andre Drummond

Traded Away:
24th OVR Pick (Rights to Mitchell Robinson)
Evan Turner
Meyers Leonard

Analysis:
He received a solid starting center in Andre Drummond, but he ended up trading a pick that really landed for Detroit.  This turns out to be a win-win for both Portland and Detroit here, especially since Portland absolves themselves of two albatross contracts that had set them back.

Trade Grade: B+

Trade #2 with LA Lakers (Taylor) and Indiana (Ameer):

Received:
Brandon Ingram
Darren Collison

2020 1st Round Pick via LAL (top 5 Protected)

Traded Away:
C.J. McCollum

25th OVR Pick (Rights to Jalen Brunson)

Analysis:

He received a very good young player in Brandon Ingram that went on to become a star player in the NBA, as well as a first round pick.  Collison decided to have an early retirement after having a solid NBA career.  He also traded away C.J. McCollum, a star in his own right, as well as the 25th pick, which became Jalen Brunson, but this turned out to be a very good trade for Portland.

Trade Grade: B+

Ian's Portland 2018 Mock Draft Night Grade: B+ (8th out of 29 NBA Teams)

Here were the moves he made for the Minnesota Timberwolves:

Drafted:
20. Lonnie Walker, G, Miami (FL) - Draft Grade: C+
48. LiAngelo Ball, G-F, Vytautas Prienu (USA - Chino Hills, CA) - Draft Grade: D

Drafting Lonnie Walker at 20 turned out to be a decent, if not spectacular move, and he's been a scoring combo guard that has provided some shooting for the Spurs over the years, though his team has slipped in recent years.  

Also, drafting LiAngelo Ball at 48 was a real head scratcher, especially back then, and while he can capably shoot and make spot-up threes, he had enormous defensive concerns combined with questions about his ability to create his own shot.  He was also not even on the draft board of 125 players that was devised up and given to all particpants, but was deemed an eligible pick, since he was eligible to be selected in the 2018 draft.  Ball has shot the ball well in the G-League in limited minutes, but he is still not in the NBA yet.

Ian's Minnesota 2018 Mock Draft Night Grade: D+ (29th out of 29 NBA Teams)

Ian's 2018 Overall GM Draft Grade: C+ (11th Place)

Ian's 2017 Overall GM Draft Grade: B (6th Place)

If Ian only had managed Phoenix and Portland, his strong maneuvering in the draft and in trades would've landed him a 3rd place finish here, which would've been good enough for the equivalent of a bronze medal here.  But because he made some questionable picks as Minnesota, especially at 48, he gets penalized as the mock draft GM of the T-Wolves, so he ended up placing in the latter half of the 2018 mock draft night.

12. Peter Wong - Memphis Grizzlies, Utah Jazz

He took part as a participant in the 2017 mock draft, and he is also an avid Memphis Grizzlies fan.  He made sound rational moves in the 2018 mock draft, too, but some of the moves didn't pan out as hoped, but they were totally out of his circumstances.  Unfortunately, someone had to rank last amongst the 12 participants here, and although all of his moves were sound and rational, they just didn't quite pan out as well as hoped in real life.

Here were the moves he made for the Memphis Grizzlies.

Drafted:
9. Mohamed Bamba, C, Texas - Draft Grade: B-

58. Arnoldas Kulboka, F, Orlandina Basket (Lithuania) - Draft Grade: C

Analysis:
He swung a trade and managed to get Bamba at 9, which back then appeared to be the definitive steal in the draft.  Atlanta was considering drafting him at 5, especially if Bagley and Jaren Jackson Jr. were both off the board.  Unfortunately, Trae Young ended up being on his way to NBA superstardom, and Bamba is just now becoming a decent NBA starting center.  In real life, his former coach, Steve Clifford really made things difficult for Bamba by not playing much early in his career, and he was also behind former All-Star Nikola Vucevic on the depth chart.  Because Bamba got off to a very slow start in his NBA career and also dealt with injuries, his score gets hurt a bit here.  

Also, Kulboka is now in the NBA on a two-way contract with the Hornets, but he hasn't played much.  He's an athletic, promising 6-10 jump shooting forward, but time will tell to see if he will be a regular rotation player in this league, and if he can succeed in the NBA.

He also made numerous trades as the Grizzlies.

Trade #1 with Charlotte (Richard):

Received:
Dwight Howard

Traded Away:

32nd OVR Pick (Rights to Troy Brown) - Later Traded Away
Ben McLemore
Chandler Parsons

Analysis:
He unloaded a sizable contract by being able to trade away Chandler Parsons, and he received a solid center in Dwight Howard in the process.  He had to trade away a couple of mildly intriguing assets, but it seems to be worth it here.

Trade Grade: B

Trade #2 with New York (Kyle):

Received:
9th OVR Pick (Mo Bamba)

Frank Ntilikina

Traded Away:
4th OVR Pick (Rights to Trae Young)
Deyonta Davis

Andrew Harrison

Analysis:
It seemed like a perfectly reasonable trade at the time, but little did we know the career paths that would follow.  Trae Young is now a two-time NBA All-Star and is one of the best players in the league, and Mo Bamba is just now becoming a decent NBA starter.  This trade looked very good back then, but it doesn't look quite as good now, and Steve Clifford has a lot to blame for his mishandling and inability to coach Bamba in his younger years.

Trade Grade: C

Trade #3 with Denver (Patrick):

Received:
58th OVR Pick (Arnoldas Kulboka)

Traded Away:
Cash Considerations

Analysis:

It was an interesting move to draft a project player here at 58.  It wasn't going to pay huge dividends right away, so there's no immediate payoff, but it could accumulate, especially if Kulboka develops into a reliable, Davis Bertans-like role player in the NBA someday (which is in all likelihood, his upside).  Kulboka right now is an end of the bench player in the NBA, but this could be worth looking back into someday, especially if he significantly improves in this league.  In five years, who knows?  Maybe this grade will look too low by then.

Trade Grade: C

Peter's Memphis 2018 Mock Draft Night Grade: C+ (22nd out of 29 NBA Teams)

Here were the moves he made for the Utah Jazz.

Drafted:

21. Keita Bates-Diop, F, Ohio State - Draft Grade: C

52. Svi Mykhailiuk, G-F, Kansas - Draft Grade: B-

Analysis:
Both of the players have been end of the rotation players that have had their moments in the NBA, but neither have seemed to make a tremendous impact on the league so far.  Both of them are bench players that can shoot, and both of them are vying to try to stay in rotations in the NBA thus far.

Peter's Utah 2018 Mock Draft Night Grade: C+ (25th out of 29 NBA Teams)

Peter's 2018 Overall GM Draft Grade: C (12th Place)
Peter's 2017 Overall GM Draft Grade: C (9th Place)

Unfortunately, someone had to finish last in this, and it didn't turn out to be someone I expected here.  I thought everyone made solid moves, and some of us made some curious moves that we probably would like to take back.  It does seem like maybe Ian was rated too low, but he would've placed higher if he made better moves as Minnesota's mock draft GM.  I also thought maybe Richard and Peter were rated too low here, but others had made fantastic moves that looked great then and in hindsight.  That 2.85 grading curve can be pretty harsh, especially for the people that rated close to the top but may not quite have finished there.  Everyone can have down years, even the best of us.  In all, we had fun making these picks.

 

Next time, we'll maybe look back at the 2019 NBA Mock Draft that was conducted amongst three people, myself (Alan), Richard, and Ameer.  That will be a fun one.  Anyways, thanks for reading.

Here are my 2021 NBA All-Star Selections and Who I Voted For

Today is considered to be the last day to vote for NBA All-Stars.  It was pretty tough to debate amongst myself to decide who I should take.  Debates included such as do I take Rudy Gobert or Nikola Jokic as my starting center in the West, Bradley Beal or Kyrie Irving as my starting point guard in the East, and how much should I value the standings in making picks.  Also things I debated in my head, do I pick a starter on a bad team?  Do I pick a player that has been injured (Kyrie Irving), or is currently injured (Anthony Davis)?  All things to consider.  Here is what I decided to go with.

Who would make my 2021 NBA All-Star team?

I went on NBA.com to make my picks.  After much deliberation, here is who I voted for:

My West Starting 5:
C Rudy Gobert, Utah Jazz
F LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers
F Kawhi Leonard, Los Angeles Clippers
G Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers
G Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors

My East Starting 5:
C Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers
F Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks
F Kevin Durant, Brooklyn Nets
G Bradley Beal, Washington Wizards
G James Harden, Brooklyn Nets

I mostly went with very good players that were on winning teams, but I made an exception in Beal's case, who is currently the scoring leader this season.  Perhaps a controversial decision, but I went with it.

Here would be my reserve picks:

My Eastern Conference Reserves:

G Kyrie Irving, Brooklyn Nets
G Trae Young, Atlanta Hawks
G Zach LaVine, Chicago Bulls
F Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics
C Domantas Sabonis, Indiana Pacers
F Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics
G-F-C Ben Simmons, Philadelphia 76ers

My Western Conference Reserves:

G Chris Paul, Phoenix Suns
G Donovan Mitchell, Utah Jazz
G-F Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks
G-F DeMar DeRozan, San Antonio Spurs
C Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets
F Zion Williamson, New Orleans Pelicans
r-F Paul George, Los Angeles Clippers (replacement)*

Injured player: F-C Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers

The head coaches would be:
Eastern Conference HC: Doc Rivers, Philadelphia 76ers
Western Conference HC: Quin Snyder, Utah Jazz

So in review, my picks for the 2021 NBA All-Star teams would be:

Now that you know who I voted for and who my reserves would be, go out and vote!  Make your picks!  Choose your own All-Star team!  And let's tune in together to see who actually makes the NBA All-Star team weeks from now.

So there you have it.  Thanks for reading.

Thoughts about Episodes 7 and 8 of the Last Dance Documentary

Emotions were riding high on these episodes.  Knowing where the year of 1993 was going to take us, I knew we were going to be ready for a bumpy, roller coaster ride.  

Michael Jordan (on the right), with his dad (left) in better times in 1993.
(Photo: Popsugar, via Hedy Phillips' article on Popsugar.) 

The aftermath of the 1993 season was rough.  Michael Jordan lost his dad, as his father, James Jordan was murdered late July of that year, and amidst Jordan’s tumultuous dealings with the press, and the constant barrage of questions about his gambling habits, I think Michael Jordan losing his father combined with already having won 3 titles culminated with his decision to retire from the game of basketball.

Jordan retired for the first time on October 6^th, 1993.  That was a tough day.  When I was re-watching the events that were unfolding, I was immediately filled with sadness.  I knew the 1993-94 season wasn’t going to be easy for the Chicago Bulls, and I think Jordan mentally needed to step away from the game of basketball to take a break and to relieve himself from the burdens of all the things that had happened.   It was a bittersweet moment for Jordan, because he was able to live a childhood dream of his and also fulfill a dream of his father's, which was to play baseball, but the tragic events that happened in 1993 were ultimately what led Jordan to step away from the game of basketball.

The greatest of all time, Michael Jordan giving baseball a try.
(Photo: Sports Illustrated, via Ted Keith's article.)

Michael Jordan also decided to play baseball for the Chicago White Sox’s organization, and in 1994, he suited for their minor league team, the Birmingham Barons, whom was a AA-baseball team.  I thought it was an interesting venture for Jordan to go into.  I thought at the time that it wouldn’t nearly as easy for him as basketball came to him, but I felt he was going to give baseball his all when he was there, and before he played baseball, I felt he would find a way to make it to the majors.  I wasn’t so sure if I was ready to see him play baseball, but I was intrigued, and my curiosity was piqued.

Chicago Bulls' legendary forward, Scottie Pippen was named the 1994 NBA All-Star game MVP.
(Photo: Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)

Scottie Pippen became the leader and the primary superstar for the 1993-94 Chicago Bulls’ team, and I trusted that team to go far, as I felt that they had a chance to win it all once again.  Pippen had a remarkable season that year individually, and he was also the All-Star Game MVP.  

Toni Kukoc had a very good rookie season, and he truly impressed me with his versatility, dynaming playmaking skills, and he could throw down some mean dunks above the rim. The Steve Kerr signing was also a brilliant move on the Bulls’ part, and he would later prove to be a key piece to their later three-peat from 1996-98.  

Chicago Bulls' star forward, Toni Kukoc made the game-winning shot in Game 3
of the 1994 playoffs against the New York Knicks.
(Photo:John Biever /Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)

Toni Kukoc would get one of his biggest moments of the 1994 season, as he made a heroic, game-winning shot to get the Chicago Bulls the win.  But it was hard for me to re-watch the moment where Pippen chose to sit on the bench with seconds remaining in Game 3 of the 1994 playoffs against the New York Knicks. 

From there, Pippen was left answering why his pride got in the way when he was told that the play wasn’t going to be drawn up for him to go for the game-winner, and that moment seemed to drive a wedge into the team.  The Bulls played the Knicks tough, and they nearly won the series in the 6^thgame at home, but they ultimately lost in 7 games on the road. It was clear that while the Bulls were still a very good team without Jordan, and that they had incredible ball movement, and operated very cohesively on offense, that they needed Jordan, someone who could dominate on both ends, take over with his scoring ability, and also be another player to bring shut down defense to their team.

Michael Jordan meanwhile started out strong at AA as he opened the season on a 13-game hitting streak. But then, word got out that he had trouble hitting breaking balls, and he went into a massive slump as a hitter. It got so bad that at one point, Sports Illustrated surprisingly bagged on him with a very mean-spirited cover.  Jordan to this day it seems, has not forgiven SI for that.

He ended the year hitting .202, and with only 3 home runs to come with that despite playing a full season, but Michael Jordan did manage to steal 30 bases at that level, and showed potential as a rangy center fielder.  Also, most minor-leaguers don't immediately start out at AA, as most players start their minor-league careers in rookie or A ball, and some players never make it to AA.  The jury is out if Jordan would’ve made it to the majors if he had stuck with baseball, I’d like to think he still could’ve reached the majors, if primarily as a defensive specialist that could be a 4^thor 5^thoutfielder in the majors.

Scottie Pippen rockin' the Air Jordan X Chicago in 1995.
(Photo: Sneaker Files, via Brian Betschart's article.)

In 1995, there was the baseball strike, and baseball teams were trying to get minor-leaguers to cross the picket line to play for them.  Jordan refused to go against the players’ union, and this turned out to be a great day in basketball history.  His then teammate, B.J. Armstrong invited him to play one-on-one, and the rest was history.  Jordan decided to return to the Chicago Bulls, with a simple statement declaring, “I’m back.”

The 1994-95 season had not gone too well for the Chicago Bulls, as they had been floundering in mediocrity with a 34-31 record as they lost several key members, most notably Horace Grant, a strong, athletic power forward that provided strong inside scoring, rebounding, and defensive skills.

Michael Jordan was back, as he returned during the middle of the season,
but WAIT....you ask, is that him wearing the number 45?!
(Photo: BRIAN BAHR/AFP via Getty Images)

Michael Jordan came back, but showed some rust as his team lost in his first game back against the Pacers. Also what was notable was that he wore the number 45 this time, and not 23.  It took him a few games to get back up to speed, or so it seemed, as he dropped 55 points against the New York Knicks a few games later to get his team the win on the road in the regular season.

The Chicago Bulls hit their stride, and found their groove, but they suddenly ran out of gas when they squared off against the Orlando Magic in the 1995 playoffs.  Michael Jordan was tired towards the end of most games in that playoff series, his conditioning was not nearly at the peak level that we’re accustomed to seeing.  Nick Anderson stole the ball away from him as the Bulls lost Game 1, and the Bulls would end up losing to Horace Grant, Shaq, and Penny Hardaway that year in 6 games. That was a crushing series defeat, but I knew Michael Jordan would come back ready and prepared in 1996.

Michael Jordan and Bugs Bunny filmed the movie, Space Jam together.
(Photo:  SGranitz/WireImage, via Getty Images)

In the 1995 offseason, Michael Jordan started filming for the movie Space Jam, and he played in a bubble where he invited other athletes to train with him and play pick-up basketball with him.  He was more motivated than ever, and he suddenly got back into peak physical condition to start the 1995-96 season.

Well done, Jerry Krause.  The much maligned executive made the best trade of the season,
and of the 1990s decade, as the Chicago Bulls were ready for another three-peat
by acquiring future Hall of Famer and rebounding extraordinaire, Dennis Rodman.
(Photo: Steve Woltmann/NBAE via Getty Images)

 Also, what was notable, was that Jerry Krause made the biggest trade of the decade, and his best trade of his career, he was able to acquire future Hall of Famer, and pound for pound the best rebounder of all-time, Dennis Rodman, while only trading away role player and backup center, Will Perdue to the San Antonio Spurs. Immediately, the Bulls filled the hole of needing a power forward, as Rodman provided them with newfound energy, and with the rebounding, defense, and ball movement that they were lacking from that spot the year before.  

Will Perdue was all the San Antonio Spurs got after trading Dennis Rodman to the Chicago Bulls.
(Photo: Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images)

As for The San Antonio Spurs, the Spurs don’t make many bad moves, but then executive-Gregg Popovich made an incredibly foolish trade with the Bulls.  I thought San Antonio’s side of the deal was bad then, and it looks really bad for them now.  The Spurs did not even get one single draft pick out of that, are you kidding me? Ha!  I'm not anti-Spurs or anything like that, and Gregg Popovich is now one of the greatest coaches of all-time along with Phil Jackson, and I truly respect Popovich as a person and coach, but here is my opinion of San Antonio's side of that deal.....

My thoughts of San Antonio's end of the Rodman-Perdue trade then and now,
as the Spurs didn't even get other players or draft picks
in the legendary trade that sent Rodman to Chicago for the 1995-96 season.
(Photo: GIPHY)

As a Chicago Bulls fan, I loved this move to acquire Rodman, and I regard this as one of the best moves that Jerry Krause has ever made.  To get the best rebounder, and a tremendous defensive player at such a bargain like that, I had no doubt that the 1996 Chicago Bulls were absolutely going to win their fourth title.  I was for sure certain that the Bulls were going to steamroll over their opponents to get the championship in 1996.  And for the most part, they did, they went 72-10, and they did go on to win their fourth NBA title.

In the then-present, in the 1998 playoffs, The Chicago Bulls were able to sweep the New Jersey Nets, and Scott Burrell shined in Game 3 of the first round of the 1998 series.  B.J. Armstrong ended up on the Charlotte Hornets, and he had a game of his own, as the Hornets surprisingly stole Game 2 away from the Chicago Bulls.  But his bragging in Chicago would ultimately doom the Hornets, though Chicago was the much better team anyways, and the Bulls ended up winning the second round series in 5 games, 4-1.

Interestingly enough, B.J. Armstrong gives a tale of his own, where he gives an amusing tale of a 1993 game where the Bulls played against the Washington Bullets.  2nd-year guard, LaBradford Smith scored 37 points in his team's surprising road win over Chicago, and supposedly says, "Nice game, Michael."  Michael Jordan then takes it upon himself to dominate and humiliate the kid, as Jordan scored 36 points in the first half alone against the Bullets in the next game in Washington D.C., and Smith was mentioned as having a terrible first-half as the Bulls go on to get a lopsided win.  Unfortunately for LaBradford Smith, Smith only went on to play one more season in the NBA after that.  Even more twisted, it is suggested that Michael Jordan made up LaBradford Smith's "Nice game, Michael" part of the anecdote just to give himself a greater edge to defeat a lowly Bullets team that only won 22 of 82 games in 1993.

The 1995-96 Chicago Bulls got off to a tremendous start, and they ended setting a then-record for the most wins in the regular season, as they went 72-10 to close out the regular season.  The Bulls breezed past the Heat and the Knicks.  In the 1996 Eastern Conference Finals, Michael Jordan was out looking for revenge against the Orlando Magic, and he got it.  They easily handled the Orlando Magic in 4 games, as they swept them.

Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls squared off against
a feisty, Seattle SuperSonics' team in the 1996 NBA Finals. The Bulls would win the series in 6  games.
(Photo: Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty Images)

The Chicago Bulls would go on to face the Seattle SuperSonics in the 1996 NBA Finals.  The Sonics were a very good team in the own right, but their chances to win the title were laughed off by many (including myself at the time), and it was thought that the Chicago Bulls would sweep them and then immediately be crowned as best team of all-time.

The 1996 Bulls almost did exactly that.  After George Karl snubbed fellow North Carolina alum, Michael Jordan in a handshake line in the pre-game, Michael Jordan took it upon himself to dominate, and the Chicago Bulls won their first 3 games of the series.  Then, Gary Payton took it upon himself to guard MJ, and the Sonics won two in Seattle, with the Payton to Shawn Kemp connection really working, and Payton was giving MJ some fits defensively.  Shawn Kemp was throwing down alley-oop dunks, and Jordan was getting annoyed with Payton’s pesky defense.  The tactical adjustment combined with being able to play in Seattle, and with the Bulls perhaps playing like they were bored, allowed the SuperSonics to steal two games in this series.  But the Bulls were primed and ready for Game 6, and they made it their mission to close it out at home to win the series once and for all.

Michael Jordan with the Larry O'Brien Trophy after the 1996 Chicago Bulls won the NBA Finals.
(Photo: Scott Cunningham/NBAE via Getty Images)

Game 6 came and went that year, and it was a breeze for the Chicago Bulls.  The SuperSonics were no match for the Bulls in that game as they looked worn down, and Michael Jordan took over with his tremendous play on both ends of the floor.  This game was on Father’s day, and Michael Jordan dominated that game, as the Chicago Bulls won their 4^thtitle, and were able to stake a claim as arguably the greatest team in NBA history.  

In 1998, the Chicago Bulls easily handled an over-matched Charlotte Hornets team in the 2^ndround of the NBA playoffs, as the Hornets were torched after giving the Bulls a surprisingly stinging defeat in Game 2.  But leave it to Reggie Miller to be the villain of another documentary, and the 1998 Chicago Bulls would face their toughest test in their quest for another three-peat.*

(*Side note: The 1997-98 Indiana Pacers were a formidable foe to the 1998 Chicago Bulls, as they ended up taking it to 7 games before the Bulls won a close one in the Eastern Conference Finals.  To me, that was the hardest playoff series that the 1998 Bulls played in, and they were nearly knocked out by the pesky Pacers.  Also, another side note, I had rooted for the Pacers during the 1994 and 1995 seasons, as I had enjoyed watching Reggie Miller play against the New York Knicks in those tough playoff games.  And who could forget Reggie's memorable 8 points in 8.9 seconds to get the Pacers a stunning comeback win over the Knicks in Game 1 of the 2nd Round of the 1995 playoffs?  Miller also was an expert in trash talking in addition to being a tremendous shooter and scorer, and his ability to pester his opponents made him a tough cover and match for his opponents.)

Other moments in this documentary included Michael Jordan’s intense practice habits and demands as a player and teammate, we get to see him engage in playful banter with Scott Burrell during practices, and we get the story of the Michael Jordan-Steve Kerr fight that happened prior to the start of the 1995-96 season, and that they bonded afterwards.  In 1998, we see some moments where Jordan is egging on Scott Burrell and gives him a hard time, though it is asserted that Jordan is giving his teammates tough love to make them better players so that they can go on the majestic journey together of winning championships.

Hope you enjoyed reading my sort of recap and thoughts.  If you want, feel free to follow me on Twitter at @AlanLuSTL.