2014 Draft Prospect Watch (Part III)

[tiderulz]

your opinion is based on media predictions?

now if you had said scouts, gm's, etc i could understand, but media?

Yes or No: Parker will be the best player to emerge from this draft? If your answer is No, then he is not the #1 pick.

that is another good point to make. But when you said

But I note that I have never read a media prediction that Parker will be the best player from this draft. As such, he should not go over-all #1.

what do media know? their job is to write, not scout, not build teams. I remember the media last year saying that Dipo couldnt shoot, dribble, all he was was a defender with limited upside.

[Orlwillbeback]

**** you chad ford,

show up 10 minutes late and leave two minutes early in his chat.
What a slacker.

[MagicFan101]

The latest CBA was supposed to make it harder to sign away free agents. We will soon see if that is the reality but Orlando isn't a top FA destination to begin with. So I'm not getting my hopes up about signing a super star in free agency. I really believe we need to build through the draft and compliment our picks with free agents. Our next max contract player should probably / hopefully be someone from this coming draft class. We don't want another Rashard Lewis situation.

seems to me that every time we have had major cap space we have done pretty well in FA

Other than the Tmac / Grant Hill summer (which didn't exactly work out as hoped) when have we done well?

We had to overspend to get Rashard Lewis. I'm at a loss for other great max free agent signings.

If you are so comfortable with our ability to sign a great max free agent to lead this team, share with us who that will be.

[j_n]

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFGl9ndbjZ0[/youtube]
Does anyone else see some Paul Pierce in Kyle Anderson, they both have that slow release and fade in their jumpshot, both move relatively slow but take long strides and sneak past the defense by changing speed.

Their measurments are very similar as well, Kyle is 6''8 with a 7'2 wingspan while Pierce is 6'7 with a 7'1 wingspan, not saying that Anderson is going to be another PP or even close to it but Pierce's long career and good play after 30 makes me more confident that Kyle Anderson is going to effective in the NBA and maybe even one the top players in this draft.

[Orlwillbeback]

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFGl9ndbjZ0[/youtube]
Does anyone else see some Paul Pierce in Kyle Anderson, they both have that slow release and fade in their jumpshot, both move relatively slow but take long strides and sneak past the defense by changing speed.

Their measurments are very similar as well, Kyle is 6''8 with a 7'2 wingspan while Pierce is 6'7 with a 7'1 wingspan, not saying that Anderson is going to be another PP or even close to it but Pierce's long career and good play after 30 makes me more confident that Kyle Anderson is going to effective in the NBA and maybe even one the top players in this draft.

my god hes slow. He'll be out of the league in 3 years.

[pogiro]

The latest CBA was supposed to make it harder to sign away free agents. We will soon see if that is the reality but Orlando isn't a top FA destination to begin with. So I'm not getting my hopes up about signing a super star in free agency. I really believe we need to build through the draft and compliment our picks with free agents. Our next max contract player should probably / hopefully be someone from this coming draft class. We don't want another Rashard Lewis situation.

seems to me that every time we have had major cap space we have done pretty well in FA

Other than the Tmac / Grant Hill summer (which didn't exactly work out as hoped) when have we done well?

We had to overspend to get Rashard Lewis. I'm at a loss for other great max free agent signings.

If you are so comfortable with our ability to sign a great max free agent to lead this team, share with us who that will be.

Well it's kinda hard to tell you when have we done well when you say "other than the Tmac/ / Grant Hill summer". When have we had the ability to sign a max free agent other than that summer and Shard's summer? What is going to attract free agents is money and a nice supporting cast. Bottom line. You downplay Shard's summer probably because it's overspending for Shard. But try and tell me that if the free agent pool would've been more stacked, that someone better wouldn't have jumped at the opportunity to play beside Dwight. Chris Paul sure would've. I don't care if you're L.A. or Milwaukee. Do some sites have a bit more of an advantage? Sure. But look at Dwight in Houston. Houston is not exactly the L.A., NY or Chicago type destination. But he went there because it was far and away his best option.

Some of y'all simply say "Orlando is not a top free agent destination"... That just seems like a cop out. It's an easy thing to say. I definitely think that with the top pick, Vuc, Harris, Oladipo, Harkless, K'OQ and Nicholson, we'll be up there.

[MagicFan101]

^^^ Nothing you said changes the fact that Orlando had to overpay for Lewis just to get him here.

Yes, I agree that if we had money at the time Chris Paul hit free agency he would have had interest in playing with Dwight. But there are two problems with this. One, he never hit free agency. He extended his rookie deal a year early which is something the league has made even more attractive in the new CBA. Two, Dwight Howard would have been finishing up his 3rd all-star season before Paul ever became a free agent. We will go into this summer and next with a young team of potential, not an established product.

So please try again. How about this time you look at the list of free agents for this summer and next and tell us who we can get. Lebron? Melo? Wade? Aldridge? Love? I doubt it, but I would love to be wrong.

[BaunceyChillups]

Orlando was the only team earnestly interested in Lewis that year, they overpaid because Otis is a clown who bid against himself not because Lewis wasn't going to come otherwise.

[pogiro]

^^^ Nothing you said changes the fact that Orlando had to overpay for Lewis just to get him here.

Yes, I agree that if we had money at the time Chris Paul hit free agency he would have had interest in playing with Dwight. But there are two problems with this. One, he never hit free agency. He extended his rookie deal a year early which is something the league has made even more attractive in the new CBA. Two, Dwight Howard would have been finishing up his 3rd all-star season before Paul ever became a free agent. We will go into this summer and next with a young team of potential, not an established product.

So please try again. How about this time you look at the list of free agents for this summer and next and tell us who we can get. Lebron? Melo? Wade? Aldridge? Love? I doubt it, but I would love to be wrong.

"Had to overpay" is implying too much. We overpaid. Yes.

Try again? I'm just saying Orlando can attract free agents no problem if we have cap space and a nice roster, which hopefully we're on our way to having. Where exactly did I fail, that I need to try again?

I'm not looking at this summer (I have Bledsoe in my Pipe Dream sig, but I'm not expecting it at all). I'm looking at next offseason. A lot depends on what we do with our draft so I'm not going to throw out specifics. A lot also depends on Miami's Big 3 and what they decide this summer. But just to list quality free agents in Summer 2015?

Rondo
Milsap
Al Jefferson
Jeremy Lin (I'm probably in the minority here, but I'd think he'd do well with our roster)
Marc Gasol
Dragic
Klay Thompson

[TNMagicFan]

The latest CBA was supposed to make it harder to sign away free agents. We will soon see if that is the reality but Orlando isn't a top FA destination to begin with. So I'm not getting my hopes up about signing a super star in free agency. I really believe we need to build through the draft and compliment our picks with free agents. Our next max contract player should probably / hopefully be someone from this coming draft class. We don't want another Rashard Lewis situation.

seems to me that every time we have had major cap space we have done pretty well in FA

Other than the Tmac / Grant Hill summer (which didn't exactly work out as hoped) when have we done well?

We had to overspend to get Rashard Lewis. I'm at a loss for other great max free agent signings.

If you are so comfortable with our ability to sign a great max free agent to lead this team, share with us who that will be.

well those are the only 2 times we have had major cap room dipstick The Hill/ McGrady signing didn't work out but it was a major coup at the time . We did over pay for Shard , but that signing made us a top team for a few years including a trip to the finals . When we signed Ho Grant that was pretty big for us too . We wanted Hill , we got him . We wanted McGrady , we got him . We wanted Shard , we got him .

[drsd]

^^^ Nothing you said changes the fact that Orlando had to overpay for Lewis just to get him here.

Lewis was a welcomed addition to the team. When he was inked it was assumed that Milicic would re-up (and improve) and play next to Howard, with Lewis starting at SF. When that fell through, Lewis adjusted his game and perfected the stretch-4 provisions he could offer. In the end, that took Orlando to the Finals.

At the end of his contract, things fell apart. And then, oddly, former-GM-Smith traded Lewis for Arenas. That added payroll and did nothing to hep Orlando stay elite. The whole idea that Arenas could play next to Nelson was, frankly, ridiculous.

..

[Next Gen Magic]

When I see how LMA ( even anthony davis) is owning the NBA right now, I'm warming up to the idea of taking Vonleh.

Stretch athletic 4 who can shoot and who is 18 ...can't pass on it.

[thelead]

When I see how LMA ( even anthony davis) is owning the NBA right now, I'm warming up to the idea of taking Vonleh.

Stretch athletic 4 who can shoot and who is 18 ...can't pass on it.

Except Vonleh doesn't really move like LMA or AD. He's seems a little slow footed to me and definitely not a great athlete. He's definitely not in my top 6.

[Next Gen Magic]

When I see how LMA ( even anthony davis) is owning the NBA right now, I'm warming up to the idea of taking Vonleh.

Stretch athletic 4 who can shoot and who is 18 ...can't pass on it.

Except Vonleh doesn't really move like LMA or AD. He's seems a little slow footed to me and definitely not a great athlete. He's definitely not in my top 6.

He's 18. I mean , at his age, I was still playing with my bogies.

HIGH POTENTIAL.

Watching how all those team failing' in postseason, I think we should not be in a hurry to get back to the playoffs...and draft potential

gotta look at the bigger picture

[Blue_and_Whte]

^^^ Nothing you said changes the fact that Orlando had to overpay for Lewis just to get him here.

Yes, I agree that if we had money at the time Chris Paul hit free agency he would have had interest in playing with Dwight. But there are two problems with this. One, he never hit free agency. He extended his rookie deal a year early which is something the league has made even more attractive in the new CBA. Two, Dwight Howard would have been finishing up his 3rd all-star season before Paul ever became a free agent. We will go into this summer and next with a young team of potential, not an established product.

So please try again. How about this time you look at the list of free agents for this summer and next and tell us who we can get. Lebron? Melo? Wade? Aldridge? Love? I doubt it, but I would love to be wrong.

"Had to overpay" is implying too much. We overpaid. Yes.

Try again? I'm just saying Orlando can attract free agents no problem if we have cap space and a nice roster, which hopefully we're on our way to having. Where exactly did I fail, that I need to try again?

I'm not looking at this summer (I have Bledsoe in my Pipe Dream sig, but I'm not expecting it at all). I'm looking at next offseason. A lot depends on what we do with our draft so I'm not going to throw out specifics. A lot also depends on Miami's Big 3 and what they decide this summer. But just to list quality free agents in Summer 2015?

Rondo
Milsap
Al Jefferson
Jeremy Lin (I'm probably in the minority here, but I'd think he'd do well with our roster)
Marc Gasol
Dragic
Klay Thompson

When Orlando has had the money they've been able to sign max free agents. I think you have to look at the correlation between having max free agent money and who was available at the time.

Otis didn't HAVE to overpay for Rashard, he chose to offer the max essentially bidding against himself. What other teams were lining up to sign Shard? Maybe Houston iirc. Also what player was worth the max at the time?

Either way there's nothing that proves orlando can't attract max free agents when they've had the money. Regardless of the one instance where Otis over paid. Bottom line...money talks...

[Darth Magic]

How do you guys feel about Adreian Payne with the 12th pick, or trading back and picking him in the late teens? He's a little older but he seems to have the skills we need at the 4.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8YXVRuDHqg[/youtube]

[MagicFan101]

^^^ Nothing you said changes the fact that Orlando had to overpay for Lewis just to get him here.

Lewis was a welcomed addition to the team. When he was inked it was assumed that Milicic would re-up (and improve) and play next to Howard, with Lewis starting at SF. When that fell through, Lewis adjusted his game and perfected the stretch-4 provisions he could offer. In the end, that took Orlando to the Finals
..

This has absolutely nothing to do with my point.

In oder for Orlando to get Rashard Lewis we had to overpay. This fact was wrapped and sealed before Lewis ever put on a Magic uniform. How well or not so well it worked out is irrelivent here.

In the previous case, Orlando had Tmac / Hill coming in with a high confidence that Tim Duncan was joining them for a big 3. They were coming to play together, not to play for Orlando.

We don't have a star on the roster to attract a super star this summer and it is unlikely that our draft pick will fully prove himself in one season in time for next season. We also lack the cap space to sign 2+ max free agents. Who want to form a big 3 of their own.

Our next franchise player will come from the draft, not free agency.

[MagicFan101]

It was reported a few months ago that Henny covets Luol Deng this summer. Deng is a nice player and a great leader but he isn't a superstar.

I suspect this idea goes out the window if we take Wiggins or Parker. If we get Exum, Deng would be a nice pickup.

[tranjSAIC]

Other than the Tmac / Grant Hill summer (which didn't exactly work out as hoped) when have we done well?

We had to overspend to get Rashard Lewis. I'm at a loss for other great max free agent signings.

If you are so comfortable with our ability to sign a great max free agent to lead this team, share with us who that will be.

You obviously don't know much about basketball...

Contracts were a tad bit longer back in the day, you don't have major capspace EVERY summer. Like other posters have already stated, WHEN we had money, we have done well in free agency. We landed G Hill, Tmac and Duncan that one summer (Duncan changed mind obviously), before that we got Horace Grant, after the Tmac years the next time we had major capspace we landed the top free agent. Sure we overpaid for Shard, but you can't deny, he was the top FA that year.

[tranjSAIC]

Orlando was the only team earnestly interested in Lewis that year, they overpaid because Otis is a clown who bid against himself not because Lewis wasn't going to come otherwise.

Houston was offering at Max as well, we just had a dumbass GM who offered to do a S&T to get him that extra yet.