Wizards Draft Review

Beal, above, was the obvious pick at number three. (Photo: wjla.com)

Last night, the NBA draft went exactly as predicted: Anthony Davis, then Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, and the Bradley Beal to the Wizards.

With the third overall pick in the NBA draft, the Wizards selected shooting guard Bradley Beal from the University of Florida. The Wizards had another pick in last nights draft, as well. With the 32nd pick in the draft, the Wizards picked Tomas Santoransky from the Czech Republic.

Bradley Beal (University of Florida)
Beal was exactly the player that the Wizards were hoping to select. Fortunatley for the Wizards, no late trades were made by that Bobcats that gave that pick to someone else. Beal was a great pick up that certainly upgrades the talent of the team.

Beal is a good shooter with a chance to become a great shooter. He's got great upside and some have even said he could shoot just as well as Ray Allen by the end of his career. He shoots very well off the screen and will compliment John Wall very well. While Beal doesn't create as well as other shooting guards, he can spot-up behind the arc and knock down a kick-out jump shot. Beal will battle with Jordan Crawford all season long for the starting 2-gaurd spot, but Beal has the ability to be the long term starter at shooting guard for the Wizards.

Player Draft Grade: B+ (a very high B+)

Tomas Santoransky (Czech Republic)
For me, Santoransky, who hails from the same homeland as Jan Vesely, was a bit of a surprise pick by the Wizards in the second round. With players like Quincy Acy and Kyle O'Quinn left on the board, I think the Wizards could have gotten themselves a more NBA-ready player.

With a little more TLC in the European Leagues, Santoransky could become a contributor to the Wizards line-up. The 6-7 gaurd (yep), is hardly NBA ready as of right now, but could become a solid backup for when John Wall, Jordan Crawford, or Bradley Beal needs a breather. According to the experts, he's a good passer and that helps since the Wizards take a pass first approach in their offense. His jump shot, and scoring ability in general, needs to improve before he is brought over from Europe. Don't look for Santoransky to even arrive in the states in the near future. The Wizards will most likely hold him in the European Leagues so he can improve.

Player Draft Grade: C

The Washington Wizards have quietly created a fairly decent team through trades and the draft. After acquiring Trevor Ariza, Emeka Okafor, and now Bradley Beal, the Wizards have upgraded positions that were lacking last season. My final Wizards draft grade takes into account both picks as well as the trade to acquire Ariza and Okafor (the Wizards included a draft pick in the package to New Orleans).

Wizards Draft Grade: A-