Chad Ford draft grades

[n_s_s31]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/draft2008 ... des-080627

Indiana Pacers Grade: A

Round 1: Brandon Rush (13), Roy Hibbert (17)

Round 2: None

Analysis: To evaluate the Pacers, you have to take a step back a day to see how everything unfolded. They traded the chronically injured Jermaine O'Neal and a second-round pick for T.J. Ford, Rasho Nesterovic, Maceo Baston and the No. 17 pick. That means they added a starting point guard coming off a career year, significant cap space in 2009 and a prospect.


Then Indiana swapped No. 11 and Ike Diogu for No. 13 and picked up a solid backup point guard, Jarrett Jack, and a local hero, Josh McRoberts.

So in the course of two days, the Pacers rebuilt their team in a way that improves it now and in the future. The Pacers should be much more exciting to watch with a Ford/Jack/Rush/Mike Dunleavy backcourt. The additions of Hibbert and Nesterovic give them some much-needed size. And with several major expiring contracts, including Nesterovic, Marquis Daniels and Jeff Foster, they'll have some significant trading chips at the trade deadline or real cap space in the summer of 2009.


Kudos to president Larry Bird and general manager David Morway for one of the most sophisticated rebuilding efforts I've seen.

[mr_merriweather]

we scored better than portland too.

[Orlock78]

This would make me feel better if I didn't already think Chad Ford was an idiot.

[Grang33r]

Pretty solid. After sleeping and working all day on almost no sleep, i do like the deal. I've thought about it alot, and i do like it. Rush can be a solid player. I think he can still improve alot. He gives us another option from scoring and him and Granger are going to be a great duo defensively.

[Grang33r]

This would make me feel better if I didn't already think Chad Ford was an idiot.

How about this then?

http://www.miamiherald.com/594/story/585067.html

WINNERS

• Trail Blazers: A team that already was deep, young and talented only enhanced that crop by executing deals to land two projected lottery picks in Arizona guard Jerryd Bayless and Kansas forward Darrell Arthur.

• Pacers: After shipping Jermaine O'Neal to Toronto, the Pacers found his apparent replacement in Georgetown center Roy Hibbert. A draft-night trade with Portland also landed pick Brandon Rush, guard Jarrett Jack and forward Josh McRoberts.

• Clippers: The Clippers also picked up two projected lottery picks, grabbing Indiana guard Eric Gordon seventh overall. They then picked up Texas A&M center DeAndre Jordan, who dropped into the second round.

LOSERS

• SuperSonics: Grabbing UCLA guard Russell Westbrook seemed to be a reach with the fourth overall pick. The Sonics then followed later in the first round by drafting another obscure project in power forward Serbe Ibaka from the Congo.

• Kings: The Kings used the 12th overall pick on Rider forward Jason Thompson, a prospect who would have been available had they traded down in the draft. Anthony Randolph, Robin Lopez and Marreese Speights were still on the board.

• Rockets: With an aging roster and a need to add depth at center behind Yao Ming, the Rockets instead gambled on small forward Nicolas Batum of France, who will be hard-pressed to find time behind Shane Battier and Luis Scola.

[FreeRon]

You know what's funny about the Seattle pick is that I think they thought they could easily trade down so they scouted some players projected at 7-14 and when they couldn't they had to go with a guy they knew a lot about, which is why they took Westbrook. It's really the only rationale I can think of. From everything I've read, though, we made the 11th pick for Portland so it's not like we knew Bayless would be there. I like the trade either way, though.

[Wizop]

the trade makes a lot more sense if you presume that Tinsley and Quis are both going to be actively shopped. Jack gives us the defensive 1 we need and Rush replaces Quis as the backup two/three.

[slamdunk]

Mike Kahn from Fox Sports wrote...
http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/8288054

Indiana Pacers

First round: Roy Hibbert, C, 7-2, 280, Georgetown
First round: Brandon Rush, G-F, 6-6, 210, Kansas

It's hard to know what the Pacers have with the pending trades. Jermaine O'Neal is reportedly headed to Toronto for T.J. Ford, Rasho Nesterovic and the rights to Hibbert. They reportedly have acquired Rush, Jarrett Jack and Josh McRoberts from Portland in exchange for the rights to the 11th overall pick, point guard Jerryd Bayless and forward Ike Diogu.

Grade: C-plus.

[Gremz]

I'd give the Pacers an A for the draft in relation to what we were before it, however with the Bayless deal going down i'd rate us a C simply for the fact that i think we couldv'e got the #27 pick or perhaps a couple of second rounders to go along with the deal

[23artest23]

I am quite surprised that Chad gave us an A. I was thinking more along the lines of B- or C.

[n_s_s31]

The guy from DraftExpress gave us a B+ http://www.draftexpress.com/article/200 ... Card-2956/

Indiana Pacers

Picks: Traded Jermaine O'Neal to Toronto for T.J. Ford, Rasho Nesterovic and the rights to Roy Hibbert (#17), traded Ike Diogu and the rights to Jerryd Bayless (#11) to Portland for Jarrett Jack, Josh McRoberts and the rights to Brandon Rush (#13)

B+

With their backs against the wall, the Pacers managed to land a sweetheart deal by packaging Jermaine O’Neal to the Raptors for T.J. Ford (filling their void at point guard), Rasho Nesterovic (filling their void at center), and the 17th overall pick. This gave them the flexibility to target the best overall player on the board in the draft, and pick up a very nice asset in Jarrett Jack to put alongside two proven and polished college players -- Roy Hibbert and Brandon Rush. All in all, this was definitely a homerun draft for Indiana. They are a better team, with better character in the lockerroom, deeper off the bench, and also more flexible financially to go out and continue to add pieces in their rebuilding process.

The one thing we wonder about is whether Jerryd Bayless may develop into enough of a talent to make the Pacers regret trading him after he shockingly fell right into their lap at #11. Taking Hibbert over Kosta Koufos is another one we’ll have to wait and see on.

[Lionel Messi]

u guys shoulda gotten more for bayless imo... really think he is gonna be a stud, now portland is stacked as hell and bayless is gonna be a great fit on that team. i really think u coulda pulled martell webster or something as well out of them because i think they really wanted a pg like him.

[Scoot McGroot]

I woulda been happier as well if we simply could've gotten more value out of Bayless; Darrell Arthur at the #27 pick would've been enough for me.

[Odonism]

I woulda been happier as well if we simply could've gotten more value out of Bayless; Darrell Arthur at the #27 pick would've been enough for me.

As a blazer fan I think this was a pre-arranged deal. Had INDY know Bayless been there at 11 they probably would have kept him or got more out of the deal. As it stands you got a solid backup PG and McBob who has some talent as well.

Bayless wouldnt have been such a great fit for you anyways. However, he will probably make you guys look silly in the future just because anyone with that skills set alongside Oden/Roy is going to be very successful.

[xxSnEaKyPxx]

I agree, it was probably a preset deal. I also agree that he wouldn't be a good fit for us.

I'm not even sold on him being a good fit for ya'll. He strikes me as a guy who needs the ball to be effective and the ball shouldn't be in his hands too often with Roy, Aldridge, and Oden on your team.