2013 Draft Targets (#9, #26, #52, #59)

[Klomp]

I think I found a guy Adelman will love

http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/And ... rson-6505/

[dunkonu21]

JAMAAL FRANKLIN IS THE MAN

[Klomp]

Otto Porter Jr has a Kirilenko skillset to monitor through the season. 18 pts (6-10 FGs), 9 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals, 2 blocks tonight vs UCLA. Plays vs Indiana tomorrow. And he turned 19 in June, so he's a young sophomore. DX currently has him at #24 in its mock.

[Piecake]

Otto Porter Jr has a Kirilenko skillset to monitor through the season. 18 pts (6-10 FGs), 9 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals, 2 blocks tonight vs UCLA. Plays vs Indiana tomorrow. And he turned 19 in June, so he's a young sophomore. DX currently has him at #24 in its mock.

He looks good, and sounds like a player that Adelman would love

[[RCG]]

Getting Michael Snaer or Reggie Bullock to develop at the 2 spot would be nice. They each provide good defense with 3-pt range.

[moss_is_1]

Archie Goodwin....Tyreke Evans 2.0?

I think him and Rodney Purvis would be pretty sweet to add to this team. I'd prefer Pervis as he looks like he'll be a much better shooter, and still a pretty good defender.

[[RCG]]

I know there isn't a ton of talent in the draft but it appears that there could be a number of intriguing big man prospects littered throughout as well as some 2s to develop:

Zeller, Noels, Gobert, Austin, Withey
Muhammad, Goodwin, McCollum, BJ Young, Porter, Carter-Williams, Jamaal Franklin, Snaer, Bullock

That's 14 guys who have some upside at positions of need.

[MNister89]

I dont think Rodney Williams will turn into a good pro at all. He cant dribble, cant shoot, and basically uses his superior athleticism to score points in the paint. That wont work in the pros. Basically, he will be a worse Wes Johnson

I agree that we should definitely go after a wing. Either by drafting or trading the pick+assets to pick up a proven player.

Cant say I know much about the prospects in the mid first round since its a bit early, but Lebryan Nash sounds awesome. Combination of lebron + Bryant + Nash? Sign me up!

I think Rodney is going to be a steal. Yes i'm a Gopher homer and I fell for the Wes Johnson hype too, but Rodney is not the same player that Wes was. Rodney, first of all, is not afraid of contact and is MUCH more aggressive getting to the rim than Wes. Also, Rodney is a much more polished player on the defensive side and on the boards. Wes was attractive in part due to his nice shooting stats, but he was not the defensive stud many expected he'd be. Turns out that Syracuse's infamous zone defense did veil Wes' average fundamentals and elementary understanding of angles and help defense. Tubby has made Rodney his pet project over the last four years he has gotten a little better each year. Now he looks like one of the most versatile and useful players in the entire nation and the (Top 20) Gophers are officially his team.

Similarly, I think Rodney can shoot just as well as Wes (not saying much I know) has in the NBA and brings a much better mentality and attitude than timid old Wes J. Also worth noting is that Wes was a full two years older than Rodney is now when drafted and while that may seem trivial, it is a substantial difference from a developmental standpoint. Rodney also has embraced the role of glue guy and do-it-all freak which is something Wes never has done either in the NBA or college.

I think Rodney's best comparison is Jeff Taylor of Charlotte. Like Williams, Taylor was a senior wing with great athleticism and defensive skills. His four years at Vanderbilt saw him prove he was a very valuable two-way player who if anything lacked offensive upside. Rodney is very similar to Taylor but is a much more explosive athlete and is more comfortable playing inside than Taylor ever was.

Conclusion: Rodney Williams will be a consensus first-round pick by season's end, and if he isn't it will be either due to seriously bad play between then and now (always possible, especially for a Gopher) or because NBA teams, like with Taylor last summer, overlook the proven commodity in favor of the unknown upside pick. Rodney will make one NBA franchise very happy in the near future. Personally, I think learning from AK47 would be a blessing and might help Rodney finally start to make good on the seriously rare physical gifts he has. As an underclassmen, he was overrated as a prospect to the point where he is now criminally under-recognized and under-appreciated when it comes to his NBA potential. Hope Kahn scoops him up and lets Adelman turn him into the defensive freak we need behind AK on the wing.

[Klomp]

Speaking of Rodney

[The J Rocka]

Sick dunk. Mbakwe is manhandling those ND boys out there.

[Vindicater]

I don't know how he fits with us at all and I think he will be long gone before we pick but I love Mason Plumlee.

I see him as a good serviceable NBA big man for 10 years minimum. The type of guy who will be a winner for his whole career.

He is an elite level role-player I think.

[Klomp]

I don't know how he fits with us at all and I think he will be long gone before we pick but I love Mason Plumlee.

I see him as a good serviceable NBA big man for 10 years minimum. The type of guy who will be a winner for his whole career.

He is an elite level role-player I think.

Don't forget how badly we reportedly wanted his brother last year.

[Klomp]

We will probably be in the middle to end of the first. Guys I try to target, if they last that long, include:

Rodney Williams
Otto Porter
Sergey Karasev
Dario Saric
Adonis Thomas

[Esohny]

We will probably be in the middle to end of the first. Guys I try to target, if they last that long, include:

Rodney Williams
Otto Porter
Sergey Karasev
Dario Saric
Adonis Thomas

You want a guy who only plays well in college at PF, but will absolutely be required to move to the wing in the NBA to play?

[Klomp]

You want a guy who only plays well in college at PF, but will absolutely be required to move to the wing in the NBA to play?

As long as we don't make him play only SG...

I give you two cases. First is Thaddeus Young. I think that is exactly who Rodney reminds me of. Similar measurements. Great on defense. Great in transition. Those are the two areas where Williams will shine. Also add in the Ricky factor. And in the halfcourt, his shot is improving, and he is a very underrated passer.

Second is Andrei Kirilenko. No, I am not saying Williams will be Kirilenko. The reason I bring it up is that most say AK is better at PF, the same way people view Rodney. If Williams could learn for a year under Kirilenko, that would be great for his career.