DALLAS MAVERICKS
Who They Ended Up With: SG Maurice Ager, SG Danilo Pinnock
Comments: Whenever I watched a Michigan State game, for some reason I always focused on watching Ager play.  He’s a great perimter shooter, a finisher on the break, extremely athletic, and just an all-around scorer.  He reminds me of another MSU alumnus, Morris Peterson.  Ager is a bit undersized at the two spot, but is long.  He’ll need to play better defense if he wants to really do well in the league, but either way, at best he’ll be the sixth man off the bench for the stacked Mavs.  Pinnock has a solid overall game, but is a better defender.  If the Mavs could put Ager and Pinnock in one body, they’d have a potential All-Star player right now.  BUT that’s more Dr. Frankenstein theory before a pack of villagers come raiding my house, torches in hand.
Final Grade: B

HOUSTON ROCKETS
Who They Ended Up With: SF Steve Novak, F Lior Eliyahu, SF Shane Battier (trade)
Comments: Check this stat out about Novak - he’s only missed 18 free throws his entire college career and has higher lifetime free throw and three-point shooting percentages higher than J.J. Redick.  The boy can flat out shoot!  With Yao Ming down in the box and Tracy McGrady penetrating to the hole, Novak should see a lot of open jumpers going through nets all around the league when he gets time on the floor.  Mark my words now… Novak will win the 3-point shooting contest at this upcoming season’s All-Star Weekend.  Okay, I have to be honest, I thought it was dumb to trade Rudy Gay, a potential star player and we’re talking high-end here, for Shane Battier.  Don’t get me wrong, Battier has a great overall game and for those of you that play fantasy basketball know this, but we know what we get with Battier and the upside of Gay is worth a lot more.  However, that said, Battier will be a great complement to Ming and McGrady and should be a front-line defensive stopper for them.
Final Grade: C+

MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES
Who They Ended Up With: SF Rudy Gay, PG Kyle Lowry, PF Anthony Johnson, PF/C Stromile Swift (trade)
Comments: Well, Jerry West had to do something since the Grizzles My Nizzles were ousted in the first round of the playoffs… again.  So, he had to trade a great team player in Battier and take a chance on a retread (see: Stromile Swift) and a potential star in Rudy Gay.  Personally, I like the move as it should make the Grizz more athletic, and if they can keep Gay motivated to play consistently (and this is the one bad thing about Gay, having to keep him “up” to playing to the level he can) then Gay will be a superstar as he has a complete package physically - tall for a wing (6’9”), athletic, long arms, can shoot from outside, can penetrate, jump out of the gym, etc.  Gay is perhaps the most talented player in this draft.  Lowry is a tough, tough point guard that can make a difference, especially if Damon Stoudamire succumbs to injury again.  He’ll be a solid backup. 
Final Grade: B+

NEW ORLEANS HORNETS
Who They Ended Up With: C Hilton Armstrong, PF Cedric Simmons, SF Marcus Vinicius Vieira de Souza
Comments: The Hornets got big in this draft, landing bonafide shot blockers in Armstrong and Simmons.  Both are athletic down low and have motors.  Armstrong is as polished offensively as Simmons is, but that’s not why the Hornets drafted them.  All they have to do for head coach Byron Scott is rebound, block, rebound, block and that’s about it to keep Scott and the Hornets fans and organization happy.  De Souza is an above-average sized three and has a great offensive game, but absolutely stinks on D.
Final Grade: B+

SAN ANTONIO SPURS
Who They Ended Up With: No one as they traded their lone second-round pick.
Comments: The Spurs have no time to baby a rookie and considering that they were picking so low in a “weak” draft, not ending up with someone isn’t too bad of a thing.  Besides, their roster is pretty much built around a core of players - PG Tony Parker, SG Manu Ginobilli, and PF/C Tim Duncan - and they can be built around through free agency.
Final Grade: NA