Draft Review: Atlantic Division

Boston Celtics
In a deep draft, the Celtics were in a great position to get value with back-to-back picks in the 20s and hey did a decent job of it. With Jared Sullinger of Ohio State (pick 21), the Celtics once again showed they weren't afraid to take a risk. To be clear there, the risk is all because of the back injury, not because of his game on the court. Sullinger may not be a great athlete, but he's strong, smart, skilled, and the best low post scorer in the draft. Plus, with their experience with Glen Davis, Boston knows how to use players like Sullinger, though Sullinger is better than Davis. With their second first rounder, Boston again bolstered their frontcourt with Syracuse's Fab Melo. Melo is far from a finished product offensively, but he can be a game changer on defense with his size, length, and timing. Melo should be a good rebounder, you can't read too much into his rebounding numbers at Syracuse, who play a 2-3 zone, because the center in a zone rarely puts up high rebounding totals. With their second round, and final pick (51), Boston took Melo's Syracuse teammate Kris Joseph. Joseph is an athletic wing who has improved his shooting each season and has a good chance to make the team, but not much more than that. Presuming the Celtics resign Jeff Green and Kevin Garnett, Boston should have a deep frontcourt, but need to find one or two more shooters.

Projected depth chart
PG: Rajon Rondo/Bradley
SG: Avery Bradley/E'Twaun Moore
SF: Paul Pierce/Jeff Green*
PF: Jared Sullinger/Green
C: Kevin Garnett*/Fab Melo

Brooklyn Nets
The Nets traded their first round pick for Gerald Wallace and didn't have any other first round picks. They did end up with three 2nd round picks, including the 41st pick with which they selected Tyshawn Taylor. Taylor is very explosive and a good defender, but can also make some terrible decisions and is turnover prone. Still, he's got the skills to play in the NBA and should be a good backup combo guard for Brooklyn. With the other two second round pick, the Nets selected two International prospects, including  athletic, slashing wing Tornike Shengelia (54) from Georgia (the country), who could make the team this season and a project big man in Turkey's Ilkan Karaman (57). New Jersey is still the favorite to sign Deron Williams and  will most likely bring back some, if not all, of Wallace, Brook Lopez, Kris Humphries, and Gerald Green.

Projected depth chart
PG: Deron Williams*/Tyshawn Taylor
SG: MarShon Brooks/Anthony Morrow
SF: Gerald Wallace/Gerald Green
PF: Kris Humphries/Wallace
C: Brook Lopez/Jordan Williams

New York Knicks
The Knicks didn't have a first round pick and only had one pick in the second round. With that pick, they grabbed Greek wing Kostas Papanikolaou, who despite the reaction from ignorant Knicks fans, is a really good prospect and got some looks in the late first. In fact, if Perry Jones hadn't fallen to them, I think the Thunder would have taken him. Papanikolaou is a smart, high effort wing play who could see minutes immediately for the Knicks or stay in Europe if the Knicks want to roster spot. The only other player the Knicks could have targeted that might have been better was Scott Machado, but Machado went undrafted so the Knicks could get him anyway. The Knicks have a lot of work to do in free agency despite not have a lot of flexibility.

Projected depth chart
PG: Jeremy Lin*/Toney Douglas
SG: Landry Fields*/J.R. Smith*
SF: Carmelo Anthony/Steve Novak*
PF: Amare Stoudemire
C:  Tyson Chandler/Josh Harrellson

Philadelphia 76ers
At 15, the 76ers got about average value and took a player in Maurice Harkless (St. John's) who duplicates what Thad Young does as an athletic slasher and plays the same position as Andre Igoudala. However, given the Sixers struggles to get shots at the rim, Harkless' ability to finish in the paint should help them out. My main issue with Harkless is his lack of defensive effort, but perhaps as a backup with less responsibility, he'll be able to play a little harder. However, the Sixers second pick, Arnett Moultrie, which they acquired from Miami was a great value that filled a big need. Moultrie is the king of big, athletic forward Philadelphia hasn't had for a while and should provide rebounding and decent shooting right away. The Sixers did give up a second round pick this year (45) and a lottery protected 1st next year to the Heat, but given how weak next year's draft is, it wasn't a bad move. Especially, because Philly is expected to amnesty Elton Brand this summer.

Projected depth chart
PG: Jrue Holiday/Lou Williams*
SG: Evan Turner/Williams
SF: Andre Igoudala/Maurice Harkless
PF: Elton Brand/Arnett Moultrie
C: Nikola Vucevic/Lavoy Allen

Toronto Raptors
The Raptors were hoping for Damian Lillard, Harrison Barnes, or Dion Waiters to fall to them at 8 but ended up not having any of them on the board so they went with who they must have thought was the second best swing man on the board. I like Ross, I would have taken Jeremy Lamb, but I like Ross here. It might have been a little bit of a reach, but unless there was a big trade being offered, there isn't ton of difference between the 8th pick and the 12th pick, where no one would have blinked if Ross was taken. Ross allows DeMar DeRozan to move to small forward and will gives Toronto shooting from the 2 guard spot. The rest of the draft didn't go so well for the Raptors, in the second round they drafted Quincy Acy (37), an undersized, athletic power forward who's offense comes mostly from dunks and a skilled Euro big man in Tomislav Zubcic (56). So why was that disappointing? First, the Raptors have a clone of Acy in Amir Johnson already on their roster, (not to mention that they passed on Quincy Miller to take him) and Zubcic is an underachiever who hasn't improved or produced in quite some time.


Projected depth chart
PG: Jose Calderon
SG: Terrence Ross/Gary Forbes
SF: DeMar DeRozan/James Johnson
PF: Andrea Bargnani/Ed Davis/Amir Johnson
C: Jonas Valanciunas/Bargnani


*Currently unsigned