2009 NBA DraftPick-By-Pick Analysis of the First RoundMay 30, 2009
By Woody Hannes
ESPN.com Junior Writer
What follows is a run-down of all 30 draft picks made in the first round the other night. The 2009 Draft looks like it will be a strong one with Moses Chara leading the way in Sacramento; more on him in a second! There are a few guys who will step up right away and then there are even more who should develop over time. If you thought the 1996 and 2003 Drafts were the ‘big’ ones, then mark down 2009 for future reference because this one is another one of those deep ones.1.
Sacramento selects SF
Moses Chara (Duke)
Woody’s Take: This was a no-brain choice but there were rumours that if the Kings selected Donnell Lawrence, Chara would have slipped a fair way; probably to the Grizzlies at 5 due to his ‘attitude problems’. Expect Chara to win Rookie of the Year. He has also claimed that he has what it takes to make the All-Star team and lead Sacramento back into the postseason.
2.
Utah selects PF
Donnell Lawrence (Northwestern)
Woody’s Take: The second best player after Chara, Lawrence had the Kings thinking long and hard because of his upside. Everyone thinks Chara is as good as he will get at the age of 23 and his game looking very complete but Lawrence still has much growing to do. He is a great inside scorer and defender who could develop into an All-Time great big man. With Carlos Boozer leaving Utah, Lawrence will serve as more than competent replacement.
3.
Seattle selects SG
Reshawn Tyson (North Carolina)
Woody’s Take: Tyson’s upside had him as a lock to be the third pick, whether it was taken by Seattle, Charlotte, or any other team. His ability to flat out score as highlighted by his performance as a Tar Heel freshman in the 2008 NCAA tournament is what was appealing to many teams. Although his game was patchy during his sophomore year; it is a sign to show how highly regarded he was amongst scouts. Andrew Watson and Mark Moore are better players right now but the general consensus is that Tyson is special and will be in the future.
4.
New York selects C
Byron Brock (Georgetown)
Woody’s Take: The behemoth out of Georgetown is only 21 and looks like he will carry the hopes of a fallen franchise on his shoulders. The Knicks have been through a tumulus period in recent times and Brock’s drafting could help ease the pain. New York was competitive for a little while last season but after trading Eddy Curry away, they struggled. Brock is even bigger than Curry and fits in with New York’s plan. New York needed a big man who was tough and physical and this is what they have. Brock should start in New York where a new era of basketball has begun.
5.
Menphis selects PF
Martti Must (North Carolina)
Woody’s Take: The Memphis Grizzlies needed to fill in their PF position and they did it by drafting a player criticized for his lack of athletic ability. Must couldn’t outrun or out-jump anyone but his basketball smarts, mid and long range jumper, and length make up for that. The 21 year old has improved since his days as a European prodigy and it looks like he has landed in a good place to start his career, away from the spotlight. He will line up alongside Rudy Gay and OJ Mayo to form what should be an entertaining attacking trio.
6.
Chicago selects PF
Harvey Morrison (Georgetown)
Woody’s Take: The Bulls were hoping for Martti Must to fall to sixth but Memphis were one pick ahead of them. However, Chicago should be happy as they picked up the second Hoya to go in the first round. Harvey Morrison is a more proven college player than Must ever was and his game should fit the Bulls’ game plan better than Must would have. Morrison can play on both ends of the floor and also run, which is what Chicago is looking to do.
7.
Milwaukee selects PF
Sammy Carney (Boston College)
Woody’s Take: With Charlie Villanueva testing free agency, it opens up a starting spot and Sammy Carney was taken to perhaps one day take it. Although the pick was expected, one is to wonder why the Bucks did not take Barney Steele who would have been an instant upgrade at PG. At the end of the day though, Milwaukee got their man Carney whom they had been raving about for weeks leading up to this Draft. The 20 year old may not start right away but he looks like he could develop into a solid starter.
8.
New Jersey selects PG
Barney Steele (Baylor)
Woody’s Take: New Jersey officials couldn’t believe it when Steele’s name was on the board, especially since the Bucks desperately needed a floor general and not to mention that no one ever thought Steele was going to fall out of the top three. Steele is the best PG in the Draft as well as the third best player. He should come in and fill in Devin Harris’ shoes with the Nets with total ease.
9.
Charlotte selects SG
Mark Moore (Arizona)
Woody’s Take: Charlotte made the surprise pick of selecting Arizona sixth man Mark Moore ahead of his countryman Andrew Watson. Moore, 22, has plenty of upside and the Bobcats think that he will be a star one day. His endurance, jumping ability, and defensive tenacity were all traits that made the Bobcats believe they could make him a star on both ends of the floor.
10.
Denver selects SG
Andrew Watson (West Virginia)
Woody’s Take: Age and lack of potential hurt the 27 year old’s draft stock. Watson, passionately known as ‘The X’ by those who have played with him, would not surprise anyone if he came out averaging double digit scoring and starting every game this season. The Nuggets have Chauncey Billups who is not getting any younger and a squad that includes Carmelo Anthony, JR Smith, Nene, and Kenyon Martin – a team that could win now but was not going anywhere. With Watson, they get a player who can flat out shoot the ball but also help them win. Can Watson help the Nuggets become an elite team again? The answer could be yes.
11.
Toronto selects SG
Terrell Hicks (Oklahoma)
Woody’s Take: Hicks was selected a lot earlier than expected. Toronto is facing a mass exodus of players and it was expected the Raptors would select a player who could play right away. Hicks is a guy who can do that. He’s a player who does a bit of everything but doesn’t have any strength that stands out. He is a solid pick for Toronto.
12.
Phoenix selects PF
Junior Cardinal (Tulsa)
Woody’s Take: The 20 year old from Tulsa is a project that the Suns will work on and likely insurance for the team if Amare Stoudamire leaves the team. With Shaq also running out of gas, Steve Kerr and the Suns went with Cardinal who has the tools to be a solid NBA player.
13.
Philadelphia selects PG
Zoilo Resurreccion (Princeton)
Woody’s Take: Without a starting PG, little known Zoilo Resuerreccion was quickly scooped up by the Sizers. Touted as a top 5 talent by a handful of teams, the pass-first, pass-second PG out of Princeton was passed up because a lot of scouts didn’t know who he was. Resuerreccion recently drew comparisons to Tony Parker and was upset he fell this far. He will start in Philadelphia who traded away Andre Miller last season.
14.
Dallas selects PG
Stanley Mayo (Boston College)
Woody’s Take: Dallas were stoked to see Mayo drop this far, the 21 year old PG has a lot of potential and the New Jersey Nets were in love with him. With Jason Kidd looking like leaving Dallas after a short stint, Mayo should step right in and challenge Jason Terry for the starting PG spot.
15.
Portland selects SF
Quinn Person (Massachusetts)
Woody’s Take: The Blazers were always crossing their fingers that Quinn Person would fall this far and had their eyes set on him from the beginning. Person is arguably the second best SF after Moses Chara and at one stage, a lottery talent. Portland gets a player who is a beast on the glass and someone who literally plays above the rim. Person averaged 7 boards a game in his last year of college basketball and coming off the bench makes Portland a good fit for the rookie.
16.
Minnesota selects C
Derrick Caldwell (Texas A&M)
Woody’s Take: You know that this Draft is really deep once you see that Derrick Caldwell, a 22 year old stud from Texas A&M, falls to number 16. Caldwell and Al Jefferson are going to form a very scary C-PF combo one day. Caldwell stands 7’1” and can score with the best of them inside. Right now, we would rank Caldwell as the superior player to Byron Brock. Caldwell would have helped the Knicks a lot.
17.
Philadelphia selects SF
Jess Mercer (New Mexico)
Woody’s Take: Philadelphia used their second first round pick on Jess Mercer, a player with a solid all-around game. The Sixers did well in this Draft and drafted to their team needs and now have a solid roster to tinker with. All that is missing right now is another solid big man to back up Sam Dalembert.
18.
Atlanta selects SG
Shane Park (Utep)
Woody’s Take: We don’t know why Shane Park was selected here as the Hawks could have used a playmaker in Klemen Pirc although what bodes well with this pick is that Park is a very able playmaker. He plays the SG spot but was always more interested in setting up his teammates for open looks. His ball handling ability is not top notch and probably holding him back from being a full time PG. Perhaps he will one day become an Aaron Mckie-like PG.
19.
Washington selects PG
K Pirc (Slovenia)
Woody’s Take: Washington has a solid basketball team so they picked up a solid player in Pirc. Pirc is unhappy though as he was a star in Europe, leading his club team to another Final Four appearance in Euroleague. Pirc will have to make do for the moment as he prepares to play behind Gilbert Arenas.
20.
Los Angeles Clippers selects PF
Kyle Rogers (TCU)
Woody’s Take: The Clippers have been missing Elton Brand’s presence and picked up Kyle Rogers to help fill the big shoes of Brand.
21.
Golden State selects C
Wilson Craig (Arizona)
Woody’s Take: Wilson Craig can run the floor and shoot the J well for a big man which is exactly what the Warriors were looking.
22.
Cleveland selects SG
Hal Justice (Wyoming)
Woody’s Take: The Cavs liked Hal Justice for some reason that cannot be explained. A decent spot up shooter but lacking NBA three point range, will Justice really help the Cavs that much?
23.
Houston selects SF
Vincent Wilson (England)
Woody’s Take: Vincent Wilson is an interesting pick, the Englishman is just 19 years of age and has relied on his athleticism to take him this far. He has played with Luol Deng on the English national team and it was Deng who filled in scouts on his young team mate, leading them to start taking more notice. Wilson played in Europe for Spanish Club Barcelona but struggled to get much playing time there.
24.
Orlando selects PF
Irvin Lane (Seton Hall)
Woody’s Take: Everyone was expecting Orlando to take Lenny Peacock but they liked the 19 year old Lane enough to take him instead of the 21 year old Peacock who is more proven and polished at this stage. Lane doesn’t look like he will develop into much else while Peacock is touted as a future solid NBA forward. Lane will provide hustle and intangibles to the Magic but it doesn’t look like he will have much of a career.
25.
Boston selects C
Damien Bryant (Alabama)
Woody’s Take: The Celtics wanted a big man and they got one. Many thought they would select Rocky Akonnor out of North Carolina but that didn’t happen because they felt he was too raw; opting to select the more established Damien Bryant who had a successful senior year at Alabama.
26.
San Antonio selects PG
Tony Simpson (Missouri)
Woody’s Take: We thought Ciro Rojo (See below) would have been selected here to join countryman Manu Ginobili but the Spurs did a back flip and selected the younger Simpson.
27.
Detroit selects PG
Ciro Rojo (Argentina)
Woody’s Take: Rojo dropped a fair bit; he was meant to be a lottery pick but the experienced Argentinean currently starring in Europe must have scared off a lot of teams with his buy-out. Detroit is willing to wait on him if he is to make it across to the States. Now we will have to wait and see what happens with the 24 year old playmaker. If he plays, Rojo could be the steal of this Draft.
28.
Los Angeles Lakers selects SF
Tyler Person (Tennessee)
Woody’s Take: Lamar Odom’s departure forced the Lakers’ hand and they selected Tyler Person (No relation to Quinn Person). Person works hard on defense which is what the Lakers want out of their team.
29.
Miami Heat selects C
Melvin Garrett (Xavier OH)
Woody’s Take: Garrett is a great pick for the Heat who are lacking an inside presence. Garrett is a good defender in the paint and will help out on the glass. At 21, he is young and looks like he could start for the Heat one day.
30.
New Orleans selects PF
Lenny Peacock (Mississippi)
Woody’s Take: The NBA champions selected Peacock, a player with tremendous potential. Peacock slipped a lot of places and found himself selected luck last in the first round.
I was hoping to go higher...
(Eventhough you could have a younger Kidd in me 
I sure hope he's a superstar, as you've mortgaged some of your future on it....ah well, high risk, high reward they say....guess this re-affirms that this is Durant's team....
am interested to see how Chara will do....I love how you're using 'generics'....you just have to add back stories & they actually turn out better than the 'real' rookies
Although I have to say... ratings wise... from best to worst, Andrew (84), Mark (79), Tyson (77).
probably to do with my lack of potential & age 
