Most pundits seem to like what the Washington Wizards did on Thursday night, and are therefore giving them high 2011 NBA Draft grades for their haul of Jan Vesely, Chris Singleton and Shelvin Mack. The highest grade of the bunch comes from ESPN's Chad Ford, who gives the Wizards an "A" and has them as one of the real winners of the draft.
This was a critical summer for the Wizards. Drafting John Wall was easy last year. This year the challenge was to surround him with players who complement his talents. Mission accomplished.
Vesely is one of the most athletic forwards in the draft and should be great flying up and down the floor with Wall. Singleton is also a terrific athlete and the best defender in the draft. Factor in Shelvin Mack as a solid backup guard at No. 34, and the Wizards came away more athletic and tougher. That's a great draft.
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The guys at Bullets Forever were a little less optimistic, giving the Wizards a B or B+. Still, most agree that the team had a very good draft.