Sam Farber, who writes for the D-League's official site, calls the Armor's pick of ex-Warrior Chris Taft "one of the great thefts of the D-League Draft."

"At 6-foot-10, 265 pounds, Taft is a physical specimen who combines size and strength with athleticism," writes Farber in a summary of the Draft's eight rounds. "In fact, Taft was headed for a potential NBA career before injuries derailed him three years ago. With renewed health, Chris Taft could evolve into one of the NBA D-League’s most dominant big men".

Scott Schroeder of Ridiculous Upside liked the Taft pick as well, calling him "a potential steal" but added, "the rest of their draft consisted of players that seemed like reaches. In fact, their selection of Marshall's Jonathan Thomas with their first pick drew quite a bit of befuddlement from rival coaches talking to Ridiculous Upside".

In a tweet Thursday, Taft expressed his gratitude. "Wanna thank the Springfield Armor for selecting me in the d league draft I'm excited and can't wait to play ball. God is good," then added, "I'm excited about this month and me playing basketball again its been a long journey." Training camp begins next weekend.

• NBA Development League: A Team-by-Team Analysis of the 2011 D-League Draft - Sam Farber - NBA Development League
• D-League Draft Grades Part 2: Good Teams Make Decent Decent Picks - Scott Schroeder - Ridiculous Upside