2011 DRAFT blather goes here. Part 3...

[closg00]

David Locke tweet:

Conclusion around the league the two names that helped themselves the most this week were Klay Thompson, WSU and Nikola Vucevic, USC

Vucevic is going to be drafted in the teens or possibly earlier, Houston and Philly could take him before us....Detroit also.

That quote's not real specific... could mean he was thought to go 2nd round and has worked his way into the 1st?

DX has him at 21:
http://www.draftexpress.com/

Nbadraft.net has him at 40:
http://www.nbadraft.net/2011mock_draft

Bleacher Report has him at 45:
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/7166 ... ke/page/17

SI.com also has him out of the 1st round:
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/w ... =hp_t12_a2

All of the next mocks will have probably him in the 1st round, every team needing a big has an article like this in their paper. This Oregon article is one of the better ones.
http://www.oregonlive.com/blazers/index ... cevic.html

[theboomking]

The NBA draft is now less than three weeks away, and teams are deep in the midst of draft workouts. Here's the latest from around the league:

• The Minnesota Timberwolves got their man -- 2009 lottery pick Ricky Rubio -- to agree to a contract this week. I wrote about what it means to the Timberwolves and Rubio on Thursday. But how will it affect their draft plans?

I think it's safe to say that with the Wolves' pick at No. 2 you can now totally rule out the chance of them drafting another point guard. David Kahn won't make that mistake again. But I think it's better than 50-50 that they won't be drafting at No. 2 at all.


That won't be Minnesota's public stance, by the way. I've been told multiple times by Wolves sources that they are keeping the pick. The last thing they want is to give the impression that there's a fire sale happening. So no, Kahn won't just be giving the pick away -- not by any stretch of the imagination.

However, I still believe there's a good chance they'll trade the pick by draft night. The team knows it has to improve its win total this year in a significant way -- 21 or 22 wins isn't going to do it.

What would it take for Minnesota to move the pick? If the Lakers offered Pau Gasol, if the Warriors offered Monta Ellis, if the Jazz offered Derrick Favors, if the Wizards offered JaVale McGee or even if the Cavs offered Anderson Varejao along with Cleveland's No. 4 pick, the Wolves would seriously have to consider trading the pick.

http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/blog?nam ... id=6622187

So if we could trade McGee for Williams straight up, and keep our 6th pick...Williams at 2, trade from 6 to 12 for Singleton, Jordan Hamilton at 18, #34 and cash for Justin Harper, Nene in FA, resign NY. We could run with a young core of:

(PG)Wall/Crawford
(SG)Young/Crawford
(SF)Singleton/Hamilton/Harper
(PF)Williams/Blatche
(C)Nene/Seraphin

That is actually a really offensively talented team that could probably do a little damage in the East. I don't think we trade McGee, and I don't think we pursue any big FA this year. The possibilities are certainly interesting however.

[nate33]

We don't have cap room for Nene. Not this summer.

[gesa2]

I could see the first five picks going that way, or one of three ways really (or I should say I see three combinations that occupy the balance of probability) and based on those scenarios I'm feeling fairly comfortable about the situation at six, assuming the team's valuations of players at six mirror my own. It's possible the team really considers Leonard or Vesely or another player as a top six value and would draft him regardless but right now I see it this way:

Irving, Williams and Knight are pretty much sure bets to be gone somewhere in that top six:

Two of Kanter, Valanciunas and Walker will also be gone, this is a case where the likely top six mirror my own valuations of the top six players, so Washington just takes whoever is left. If it's either Kanter or Valanciunas, great, the team winds up with a young big man who's already demonstrated the ability to produce against meaningful competition, if it's Walker great, Washington now has a trading chip a number of teams would probably pay dearly for.

I do have preferences among those scenarios but all are appealing to me, so regardless of the result I think the team winds up with something. Now the seventh pick, I'd hate to be the guy with that.

This.

The bit about Dx and Lee quoting different sources about whether the Wiz move up or not - We can't trust anybody this time of year, least of all sources from our own front office. I'm more likely to believe the opposite of whatever Lee is being told than to see it as reliable, given how Ernie has operated in the past. So maybe we're moving up, maybe we're not. I'm just hoping that if we don't, somebody likes Walker enough to give us something of value for him, since I think he's the most likely to drop to us.

[nate33]

I think Lee is pretty good with these things. He's usually accurate when he debunks other rumors.

[SUPERBALLMAN]

I am coming around on Vucevic at pick 18 also only if Tyler isn't there. I look at Tyler legs strength and his ability to do backward hopstep at 260 lbs, that's just freakish. Vucevic looks to have alot of the same game as Kanter so I think Vucevic is our guaranteed big if the other two are gone by pick 18.

Tyler is a guy I would seriously look at if still on the board at 34. He could turn out to be a Demarcus Cousins type. I think given the nature of this draft, I'd like to see us nab some solid role players in the 1st round, and take a flyer based on upside with the 34. With that in mind I like Trey Thompkins, Justin Harper, and I'd have to put Jeremy Tyler in that group, depending on who's left and what we do with the 1st 2 picks. If those guys are gone I'd revert back to more role player types like a Nolan Smith, Parsons, Holiday, or Hansbrough.

I mean for all the doom and gloom regarding this draft I am psyched about our opportunities and seeing how it all shakes out. I would like to see us mix it up with our picks in terms of variety, positions and skillsets.

Some potential draft scenarios that I like along those lines...

Kanter, Singleton, N.Smith

Leonard, Vucevic, Thompkins

Vesely, Harris, Tyler

Valenciunas, Faried, Harper

[doclinkin]

I'd take Vucevic at 18.
I'd take Tyler at 34.

Vucevic is a legit Big from a basketball family. His dad was a pro player for 24 years, mom also played for the national team. He's got lifelong fundamental skills and for all that he's tagged as soft he showed up large against Big Time competition. With his face-up game he'll earn minutes in Flip's offense and help provide room underneath for John Wall et al. to slash.

Jeremy Tyler is a prettyboy big who expected to succeed without effort, but learned a few hard lessons in lesser pro leagues. He'll have to earn his spot in the NBA but has the physical bonafides to be a true upside guy, worth a risk with a 2nd round slot instead of throwing it away for cash. Our team will succeed in part by making smart gambles on developing players. Tyler at 34 is a raffle ticket for a possible two-way Big.

Wouldn't be unhappy with either selection on draft day.

[SUPERBALLMAN]

I guess my main point is I like this draft and where we are picking, and don't really see the need to panic and trade to move up. For one thing, we have so many needs.

If we get Kanter at 6 great! If not, let's fill another need and take the best SF on the board, be it Leonard, Singleton, Morris, and shoot to boost the center spot at 18 with Vucevic, or at 34 with Tyler. If we take Kanter at 6, we can go SF at 18, maybe Singleton or Harris, and PF at 34, maybe Thompkins or Harper. If Markieff drops to 18 lets take him and fill PF, and take a SF at 34 like Parsons, or a G like N.Smith.

It's actually a pretty deep draft, and with our various needs mixed with our variety of picks, we really have alot of good options and directions we can go.

[SUPERBALLMAN]

We actually have a decent top 7 with McGee, Blatche, Booker, Lewis, Young, Crawford, Wall.

If we can get a couple solid players that can challenge the starters, especially at 6, and at the least solid role players off the bench.

If we get Kanter, Valenciunas, Vucevic, or Tyler to work into the center mix with McGee and Seraphin.

If we get Leonard, Singleton, or Harris to back up Lewis.

If we can get Vesely, Thompkins or Harper to mix in with Blatche and Booker at PF.

If we can add a 3rd pg behind Wall and Crawford, such as Nolan Smith or Hansbrough.



We are a young and rebuilding team, but we actually do have a foundation in place so there isn't that pressure of having to draft a savior. We just need to add some solid pieces, and this is a good draft for that.

[Dark Faze]

I guess my main point is I like this draft and where we are picking, and don't really see the need to panic and trade to move up. For one thing, we have so many needs.

If we get Kanter at 6 great! If not, let's fill another need and take the best SF on the board, be it Leonard, Singleton, Morris, and shoot to boost the center spot at 18 with Vucevic, or at 34 with Tyler. If we take Kanter at 6, we can go SF at 18, maybe Singleton or Harris, and PF at 34, maybe Thompkins or Harper. If Markieff drops to 18 lets take him and fill PF, and take a SF at 34 like Parsons, or a G like N.Smith.

It's actually a pretty deep draft, and with our various needs mixed with our variety of picks, we really have alot of good options and directions we can go.

The fear is that the "don't panic" method of rebuilding tends to lead to situations like the Raptors and Pacers--teams that never get good enough draft picks, have to overpay to bring in good talent, and are typically built with 2nd round playoff aspirations at best.

The good news for the Wizards is that we do have an advantage with Wall--great point guards tend to attract talent, but otherwise as of right now this team doesn't have a single dominant player--including Wall (until he progresses).

In this instance I think moving up to get Williams will probably prove too costly if not impossible right now so I would like to get a player that will be a starter during our eventual playoff run, and I don't know if Leonard is that. I could see Biyambo or Kanter at PF during our first run, the latter in which would probably be worth moving up to get provided its not too costly. I also don't mind Valanciunas but we can only let him stay overseas for maybe one year...we can't afford to not have him gelling with us almost immediately. If it doesn't look like thats a reality then pass.

[thinker07]

I think Lee is pretty good with these things. He's usually accurate when he debunks other rumors.

And, Lee has indicated a number of times that the Wiz would like to get DWill and he he has written about the notion of the Wiz trading up for him. All he said is that the Wiz haven't been actively talking to Minnesota YET. So the two stories aren't necessarily that contradictory.

[keynote]

I guess my main point is I like this draft and where we are picking, and don't really see the need to panic and trade to move up. For one thing, we have so many needs.

If we get Kanter at 6 great! If not, let's fill another need and take the best SF on the board, be it Leonard, Singleton, Morris, and shoot to boost the center spot at 18 with Vucevic, or at 34 with Tyler. If we take Kanter at 6, we can go SF at 18, maybe Singleton or Harris, and PF at 34, maybe Thompkins or Harper. If Markieff drops to 18 lets take him and fill PF, and take a SF at 34 like Parsons, or a G like N.Smith.

It's actually a pretty deep draft, and with our various needs mixed with our variety of picks, we really have alot of good options and directions we can go.

The fear is that the "don't panic" method of rebuilding tends to lead to situations like the Raptors and Pacers--teams that never get good enough draft picks, have to overpay to bring in good talent, and are typically built with 2nd round playoff aspirations at best.

The good news for the Wizards is that we do have an advantage with Wall--great point guards tend to attract talent, but otherwise as of right now this team doesn't have a single dominant player--including Wall (until he progresses).

In this instance I think moving up to get Williams will probably prove too costly if not impossible right now so I would like to get a player that will be a starter during our eventual playoff run, and I don't know if Leonard is that. I could see Biyambo or Kanter at PF during our first run, the latter in which would probably be worth moving up to get provided its not too costly. I also don't mind Valanciunas but we can only let him stay overseas for maybe one year...we can't afford to not have him gelling with us almost immediately. If it doesn't look like thats a reality then pass.

Trading up isn't about panicking, it's about consolidation. If the Wizards have an opportunity to consolidate multiple middling prospects into one superior prospect, they should take it.

[7-Day Dray]

I guess my main point is I like this draft and where we are picking, and don't really see the need to panic and trade to move up. For one thing, we have so many needs.

If we get Kanter at 6 great! If not, let's fill another need and take the best SF on the board, be it Leonard, Singleton, Morris, and shoot to boost the center spot at 18 with Vucevic, or at 34 with Tyler. If we take Kanter at 6, we can go SF at 18, maybe Singleton or Harris, and PF at 34, maybe Thompkins or Harper. If Markieff drops to 18 lets take him and fill PF, and take a SF at 34 like Parsons, or a G like N.Smith.

It's actually a pretty deep draft, and with our various needs mixed with our variety of picks, we really have alot of good options and directions we can go.

The fear is that the "don't panic" method of rebuilding tends to lead to situations like the Raptors and Pacers--teams that never get good enough draft picks, have to overpay to bring in good talent, and are typically built with 2nd round playoff aspirations at best.

The good news for the Wizards is that we do have an advantage with Wall--great point guards tend to attract talent, but otherwise as of right now this team doesn't have a single dominant player--including Wall (until he progresses).

In this instance I think moving up to get Williams will probably prove too costly if not impossible right now so I would like to get a player that will be a starter during our eventual playoff run, and I don't know if Leonard is that. I could see Biyambo or Kanter at PF during our first run, the latter in which would probably be worth moving up to get provided its not too costly. I also don't mind Valanciunas but we can only let him stay overseas for maybe one year...we can't afford to not have him gelling with us almost immediately. If it doesn't look like thats a reality then pass.

Trading up isn't about panicking, it's about consolidation. If the Wizards have an opportunity to consolidate multiple middling prospects into one superior prospect, they should take it.

Exactly. Why wouldn't we jump at the opportunity to trade middling prospects for a very good prospect, especially when we're a terrible team.

[theboomking]

Superball, you are proposing to build this team as an NFL franchise should be built. Prudent use of draft picks, trading back to obtain more picks, filling holes and adding depth. Those things are necessary, after you have your superstars. You are proposing exactly what Dark Faze said, to build a team with a ceiling as high as that of the Pacers.

As good as next year's draft is currently looking, I'm starting to think that we ought to just package that pick and move up. Assuming we stay at 6, and that pick doesn't contribute a lot next year. How high do you guys think we are likely to be in the draft lotto order? 8th? That sounds about right to me. Given our lotto luck, the Wall pick notwithstanding, where does that put our chances of moving up? Pretty poor.

There are a lot of advantages to moving up this year. We currently seem to have some franchise momentum. At least one highly desired big man has stated that we are his preferred destination. Trading up to add Williams, without giving up McGee, might make us quite the attractive FA destination, just in time for Dwight Howard. It would also leave us with some valuable trade commodities in McGee, Williams and Crawford, should we need them to obtain a bona fide superstar.

[SUPERBALLMAN]

Superball, you are proposing to build this team as an NFL franchise should be built. Prudent use of draft picks, trading back to obtain more picks, filling holes and adding depth. Those things are necessary, after you have your superstars. You are proposing exactly what Dark Faze said, to build a team with a ceiling as high as that of the Pacers.

As good as next year's draft is currently looking, I'm starting to think that we ought to just package that pick and move up. Assuming we stay at 6, and that pick doesn't contribute a lot next year. How high do you guys think we are likely to be in the draft lotto order? 8th? That sounds about right to me. Given our lotto luck, the Wall pick notwithstanding, where does that put our chances of moving up? Pretty poor.

There are a lot of advantages to moving up this year. We currently seem to have some franchise momentum. At least one highly desired big man has stated that we are his preferred destination. Trading up to add Williams, without giving up McGee, might make us quite the attractive FA destination, just in time for Dwight Howard. It would also leave us with some valuable trade commodities in McGee, Williams and Crawford, should we need them to obtain a bona fide superstar.

I concede Derrick Williams is the one guy I'm interested in moving up for. I guess my point was regarding moving up for Kanter and giving up the 18 in the process. Is Kanter that much of an upgrade over Vucevic for our needs (if we can get him at 18) to give up Leonard, Singleton, or whoever else we could get at 6.

Williams is a different story. He is a true building block to pair with Wall, and a potential star. That game against Duke was flat out ridiculous. Even he has some question marks regarding his "tweener" status. About the only conceivable deal in my mind initially is Blatche with the #6. Blatche is the guy I want moved, and with his age and size and the numbers he's able to put up he is probably one of our most movable assets. The question is would Minnesota want him and a player available at 6 to give up Williams, who probably is not the best fit for their team?

I would definitely do that deal. If we could come away from the draft with Williams and Vucevic at 18, I'd fall out of my chair!!

[Ed Wood]

Williams to me looks much more like a sure bet than a player I'd expect to become a first division star. To me he resembles a player like Danny Granger as a best case, a very good scorer with solid efficiency who isn't really great or even good at anything else but is respectable across the board. Now Danny Granger would be wonderful to have, and I'd prefer to have Williams rather than any other player in this draft because the relative confidence with which I can project him as a very useful NBA player isn't something I can say about very many guys this year.

On the other hand saying that it's imperative to mortgage the team's future to any significant degree in order to add him because the team can't afford to fall back into first round exit purgatory is a little off in this case because I don't think Williams is a sure bet to accomplish that, and wanting to avoid Indiana's fate specifically is problematic if I'm looking at him as a analog for their best player. Packaging current players (outside of Wall and probably McGee) or picks this year to move up I could get behind, but I'm very leery about packaging future picks on a bad team and with so much uncertainty regarding the NBA as a whole in the near future.

The NBA might be a league of stars but I'm not in love with anyone in this draft and I think I'd prefer to eliminate the team's reliance on bad players (Yi, the backup center rotation, small forward as a position, possibly another guard, kinda Blatche) rather than take a less sure shot at finding a great player and risk falling short and plugging only one of those holes. The team needs to do both, the former seems like the sure bet in this situation.

Basically it seems to me that the best and best run organizations in the NBA have both stars and a lack of scrubs on the roster and particularly in the rotation. I don't think there's much to do about the first but steps can be taken towards the second, and both need to be done.

[popper]

i'm still in a trade down mode. We might be able to double our first round picks if Kemba or another sought after player drops to us. Who is to say that Shumpert, Biyombo, Brooks, Vecuvic, etc. won't become superstars. There are quality players later in the first round. With 4 round one picks we could get 1 superstar, 2 quality role players and 1 miss. I'd rather role the dice in this fashion rather than go all in for a single first round pick. There are no sure- fire superstars in this draft.

[spaceman_E]

Well, there are no superstars in this draft boom, and I don't see a way we can get #2 without losing Mcgee.

[SUPERBALLMAN]

Williams to me looks much more like a sure bet than a player I'd expect to become a first division star. To me he resembles a player like Danny Granger as a best case, a very good scorer with solid efficiency who isn't really great or even good at anything else but is respectable across the board. Now Danny Granger would be wonderful to have, and I'd prefer to have Williams rather than any other player in this draft because the relative confidence with which I can project him as a very useful NBA player isn't something I can say about very many guys this year.

On the other hand saying that it's imperative to mortgage the team's future to any significant degree in order to add him because the team can't afford to fall back into first round exit purgatory is a little off in this case because I don't think Williams is a sure bet to accomplish that, and wanting to avoid Indiana's fate specifically is problematic if I'm looking at him as a analog for their best player. Packaging current players (outside of Wall and probably McGee) or picks this year to move up I could get behind, but I'm very leery about packaging future picks on a bad team and with so much uncertainty regarding the NBA as a whole in the near future.

The NBA might be a league of stars but I'm not in love with anyone in this draft and I think I'd prefer to eliminate the team's reliance on bad players (Yi, the backup center rotation, small forward as a position, possibly another guard, kinda Blatche) rather than take a less sure shot at finding a great player and risk falling short and plugging only one of those holes. The team needs to do both, the former seems like the sure bet in this situation.

Basically it seems to me that the best and best run organizations in the NBA have both stars and a lack of scrubs on the roster and particularly in the rotation. I don't think there's much to do about the first but steps can be taken towards the second, and both need to be done.

Yes, well put! That's what I've been saying. This being a weak draft, with no real sure fire superstars, but deep, really falls in line with where are picks are.

We have way too many holes, lack of depth, and relied way to much on Dleaguers and players like Yi and Armstrong to plug and fill gaps last year. We need to strengthen the foundation and depth of this team. If we can add 3 quality role players in the draft (Singleton, Harper, N.Smith for an example), I am fine with that... basically priming the team with a solid base, so that when we can add another star to the mix to pair with Wall, either through free agency or in next year's draft, we will be ready to take the next step. And that will help attract a big time FA, to sell that we have everything in place... a top pass 1st pg, a solid roster with depth and role players, and we just need "YOU" to get us over the hump!

Especially with the potential lockout, I don't think it's a bad way to go. Build the base this year with some young depth. Next offseason draft a player with more "star" potential like a Harrison Barnes, and make a big push for a major FA.

[closg00]

See ya in Part 4