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NBA Draft 2016: Grades for every team

By Cody Williams

Jun 23, 2016; New York, NY, USA; A general view of a video board displaying all thirty draft picks in the first round of the 2016 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 23, 2016; New York, NY, USA; A general view of a video board displaying all thirty draft picks in the first round of the 2016 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports /
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WEST LAFAYETTE, IN – FEBRUARY 27: A.J. Hammons
WEST LAFAYETTE, IN – FEBRUARY 27: A.J. Hammons /

Dallas Mavericks

Pick: No. 46 A.J. Hammons

There were some incredibly strange values placed on big men throughout the 2016 NBA Draft. Obviously guys like Thon Maker going in the lottery and guys like Deyonta Davis and Skal Labissiere slipping as majorly as they did is a good indication of that. One guy who was exactly what we all thought he was going to be in regards to pre-draft value was A.J. Hammons out of Purdue.

After a long, productive career with the Boilermakers, Hammons was always going to be a second-rounder somewhere in the middle of the round. The big man would be able to block shots and score solidly at the next level at best, but the upside is limited given his age and everything else. Given that, the middle of the second round was a fair valuation and it’s also why I actually like the notion of the Dallas Mavericks taking him right in the middle of the round as much as I do.

Dallas is undoubtedly a bit thin in the frontcourt moving forward, especially if they lose Zaza Pachulia in free agency. So for them to get a player who should theoretically be able to produce for them sooner rather than later is a really good look for this team and really shows them maximizing the value of their one pick in this draft. Subsequently, they get solid marks from me for their draft performance.

Final Grade: B

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