Official 2013 Draft Thread - Part I

[gambitx777]

the point i am trying to get at is that there are more rounded big men in the draft that we can get my getting a later pick, which won't be hard. Austin and Olynyk have better skill sets than noel. IMO

How are the Wiz getting all these extra picks?

Austin is too skinny to play PF, much less center. He doesn't have the frame to add enough weight, imo. He reminds me of Anthony "Magic" Randolph - except even skinnier. Turn him sideways, and he disappears.

we have tradable pieces, NENE, okafur, crawfor, ariz. okafur and crawfors could net us some first round picks. plus if we get the first overall we could move back with a team between 2-5 with two picks and get them that way two. i have faith in this draft, that most people dont have i guess. i think we can take advantage of that.

JaVale McGee was skinny to, maybe not as skinny but look how hes playing now, if he was not a knuckle head he would still be on this team. I think austin could be a nice pick up at the right spot. Plus i do not feel that noel is the best player in the draft. he might go number one do to his upside and D but i do not think he will go down as the best player in the draft.

[Dr Positivity]

Well at least McLemore is athletic enough to get in the paint, which would indicate some upside in regards to slashing. He does create jumpshots with west/east dribbling and crossovers too, just not attacking the rim in the halfcourt that much. I would guess the team who takes him treats him like Paul George, early on mostly jumpshots and D, and then hopefully within a few years he figures out how to drive

[Ruzious]

Further thought on McLemore. Can someone give me a current or recent example of a successful NBA shooting guard that struggles to create off the dribble?

Richard Hamilton maybe. Not a great ball handler, always thrived in the pick and pop.

Orlando has a matching set - 1 white and 1 black - Redick and Afflalo. Portland has Wes Matthews and Batum.

[dandrews]

It's also important to remember that Nerlens should still be a high school senior. He has a ton of basketball maturation in front of him.

[Dat2U]

Further thought on McLemore. Can someone give me a current or recent example of a successful NBA shooting guard that struggles to create off the dribble?

Richard Hamilton maybe. Not a great ball handler, always thrived in the pick and pop.

Orlando has a matching set - 1 white and 1 black - Redick and Afflalo. Portland has Wes Matthews and Batum.

You've kind of made my point. The guys mentioned above... along with Kyle Korver (a true SF), Wes Matthews, Nicolas Batum (a true SF), etc.... These are not guys you draft with top 3 picks. The best name I heard mentioned is Rip Hamilton, and coming out of college, I seem to remember being much more of a shot creator than he is now.

What I've seen out of McLemore, if you put a much slower player on him, he can take one or two straight line dribbles and get to the rim... but he can't do much more beyond that.

I don't know how someone can be a top 3 pick or future NBA star if they are under 6-8 and can't create a quality shot off the bounce. It's too easy for NBA defenses to knock a shooter off their spots. You can run screens and picks to get a player a good look, but at that point your depending on a PG, a coach or a defense to give you the opportunity to get a good look. An elite perimeter player can create his own quality look when everything else breaks down. If a perimeter player cannot do that, he's a role player at best.

He can certainly have a role in the league... but real difference maker with his current skill set? I don't see how.

[AFM]

Dat, do you think Beal is good at creating his own shot? He seems best at coming off screens or burying the corner 3.

[Dat2U]

Dat, do you think Beal is good at creating his own shot? He seems best at coming off screens or burying the corner 3.

I think he is still developing his floor game but he's seems further along than McLemore. I don't know if I'd classify Beal as good at creating his shot yet but he's not just not a spot up shooter either.

I'm trying to figure out who can do more off the dribble. Harrison Barnes or Ben McLemore.

[tontoz]

Dat, do you think Beal is good at creating his own shot? He seems best at coming off screens or burying the corner 3.

I think he is still developing his floor game but he's seems further along than McLemore. I don't know if I'd classify Beal as good at creating his shot yet but he's not just not a spot up shooter either.

I'm trying to figure out who can do more off the dribble. Harrison Barnes or Ben McLemore.

Wow I haven't watched McLemore but Barnes was double face palm worthy off the dribble.

[Severn Hoos]

Well, I'm convinced that Noel is the best option in this year's draft. In fact, if we were to draft him, I'd probably hang on to Okafor at least through next year's Trade Deadline. I don't want to overvalue a younger player "learning from" an older player as if it happens by osmosis, but it seems to me that the things we would be looking for from Noel would be very similar to what we're now getting from Okafor. Even if Okafor never said one word to the kid, having him watch a professional (and go up against him in practice) would be a big help, IMO. Then, you can let Okafor walk in 2014 or trade him at the deadline, effectively giving the spot to Noel. Of course, we're sure to play ourselves out of a top 5 pick over the second half of the season...

If we're looking at a pick in the 6-10 range, I'd definitely be interested in Otto Porter. Slotting him between Beal & Nene would be very interesting - makes a long defensive combo with Wall on the perimeter, and if his shooting isn't a mirage, he should get a lot of good looks by playing with Wall. I'd agree with the other comments that we'd need someone as an additional SG/SF who can create (and make) shots for himself and others. And even then, I haven't given up entirely on Crawford, but would be nice to have someone else out there.

I'd be OK with Shabazz, but have to realize that he is what he is - a volume scorer with some creativity, but somewhat one-dimensional. Granted, it's a dimension we need, but he'd still be limited as a top-3 type pick.

I like McLemore, but the opportunity cost would be too great. When the Blazers had a star on the wings in Drexler and thus passed on Jordan, they've been mocked ever since. Well, the Wiz have a young SG in the fold and the BPA could be a SG when they draft. But Beal is not Drexler and McLemore is not Jordan. Plus, I don't think you can realistically play the two of them together (which the Blazers could easily have done with Drexler & Jordan), so I would pass on McLemore unless we had an absolutely incredible deal on the table for Beal, and even then I'd be a bit nervous.

Len & Zeller have me worried - just not sure how well they translate to the NBA. Should be nice players, in a Rik Smits / Sam Perkins kind of way, but not cornerstones of a contender.

Kelly Olynyk is a classic "Yes, but.." player for me. Having a great season? Yes, but... he'll be 22 in April. And this quote from nbadraft.net made me chuckle:

After red-shirting last year instead of playing behind Robert Sacre, Olynyk has exploded onto the NBA radar illustrating an intriguing offensive package.

Umm, if you redshirt instead of even fighting for PT behind Robert Sacre, are you really NBA material? Maybe they should measure how quickly he can jump off the bench and wave his arms after a dunk to see if he could replicate Sacre's NBA impact... OK, I kid, but really, if he was that good, he'd have made an impact before now. That said, as a late 1st - or even better, 2nd - rounder, he could end up as a nice contributor, but I don't see any way he becomes a star or worthy of a pick in the top 20.

Others I like include Dieng and Withey (if we don't pick Noel, obviously) - I'd move up into the late 1st to get one of them. Hardaway, McDermott, McCollum, and Wolters would all be intriguing role players. There just aren't many guys who I think will be stars - or even starters on a good team. This might be one year that even I support trading the pick, when all is said and done.

[Halcyon]

I've warmed up to Noel. Even though he might be incredibly limited on offense, and we NEED offense, a defense with Wall + Beal + Noel could be nasty. Like championship calibur nasty. That would leave us with having to acquire another efficient scorer at the 3, but those are easier to come by.

[bjack18]

Just want to throw this name out there as a possibility if we draft outside of top 8...Glenn Robinson III...GRIII make it happen EG, hopefully Witt immediately pulls GRIII after gruesome knee injury which is bound to happen given this teams luck...hell if LBJ signed with us in 2010 his career would be over by now but i digress...knowing EGs fondness for euros dont be surprised if the pick is Dario Saric

[stevemcqueen1]

He can certainly have a role in the league... but real difference maker with his current skill set? I don't see how.

I agree with you. I think McLemore lacks elite instincts for his position and his handles really look underdeveloped.

I think both are a function of him being a late blooming converted PF that came to the SG position late. He seems to see the floor pretty well but he doesn't really have an array of dribbles to easily get himself space on his shots. His off hand comfort level is low too.

And he also seems to have trouble making quick changes of direction with the ball in his hands. He rounds off his turns very wide and doesn't slow down and mix up his pace, doesn't use all of the hops, hesitations, and step backs that you see Beal use to move laterally and create space.

I don't like the way he tends to attack the rim when he doesn't have a clear path for the dunk either. He shoots these floaters all the time instead of going up stronger. His floater is good, but he needs to be trying to get to the rim and get himself to the FT line as often as possible. With his speed, there is no reason for him not to feast at the line. To me that's an issue with the scoring instincts and his comfort level attacking off the dribble. Seems like he's thinking rather than just having it all come naturally to him.

I think the raw instincts for the position really shows itself in his on ball D. Is he quick laterally? He should be but he gets burned too often.

I do think he's got a nice little one or two dribble mid range game though. I've seen him hit several of them in Big 12 play.

He's a breathtaking athlete with elite speed and leaping ability. He's a gifted shooter too that can spot up from anywhere on the court. He seems like a great teammate and is not selfish and plays very hard. A player like that will always have a place in pretty much any rotation. But I agree with you, a SG who can't defeat double teams and create offense for himself with his dribble is not a franchise player and is a #2 option at best. He will need good PG play and another primary scorer who takes defensive attention off him and occupies double teams. We should have those things eventually, but the guy we've tabbed as our future primary scorer is a SG too. One that's probably a better all around player than McLemore.

So where do you work McLemore in if we take him? At the 3 and just go with a 3 guard lineup? That could work pretty well on offense but then you've got defensive problems with mismatch McLemore and/or Beal would have on most 3s.

Spending a potential top 3 pick on a player that's going to come off the bench his whole career is not ideal.

So I think you draft McLemore and then turn around and trade him. Or else get really creative with the lineups to find a way to start both him and Beal.

[Upper Decker]

Len so unimpressive during ACC play. I don't know how he's anything in the NBA other than a major goon. I'm thinking Aaron Gray 2.0.

[queridiculo]

Add me to the Nerlens Noel bandwagon.

I'd love to have a player like Chandler, Ibaka, Noah or Sideshow Bob on this roster, and Noel certainly has the tools to become a player in that mold.

He strikes me as having the type of mindset I wish McGee would have had, a long athletic freak that can be a x-factor on defense, run the break and score outside of the flow of the offense by getting putbacks.

Not seeing much Bennett love around here, but damn, that kid balls like a man. Reminds me a lot of grandmama

[pancakes3]

I'm glad the Noel or bust bandwagon is filling up. I also just saw that we have 2 second rounders and a draft with a lot of decent prospects in the 2nd round. 2nd rounders of note:

Mike Muscala - Bucknell - Senior - C - 20ppg/11rpg/3apg/3bpg in the patriot league, leading Bucknell to a 16-4 record and almost beat Mizzou earlier this year. He's fundamentally sound and could be the Mozgov to Nerlen's McGee.

Patric Young - Florida - Junior - PF/C - "undersized" bruiser putting up 11/6. I think he's a victim of the system where Florida just jacks 3's and leaves Young to both get the o-board and hustle back on defense. He's a jacked 250 lbs and is basically the defensive version of Seraphin.

C.J. Wilcox - Uconn - Junior - SG - Others have talked about him and I like him also. Volume scoring on good percentages and legit size to boot. Super strong dude and really there's no reason he's a 2nd round pick other than the fact that he's a junior. He's going to be a steal a la Lillard.

Reggie Bullock - UNC - SF - Junior - The Danny Green of this year's draft except bigger, faster, stronger. He was injured his freshman season and got stuck behind the bigger name Barnes but he has the potential to be just as good if not better. He's a better shooter for one, and a better passer for another.

Doug McDermott - Creighton - PF - Junior - Underrated because of the color of his skin, the dude has back to back 20 ppg seasons. Pace adjust per 40 he's putting up 30/10 numbers. You look at the percentages and assume he's Kyle Korver but he's not. He's a scrapper who happens to shoot really well. He's pretty much Trevor Booker with unlimited range and no foot problems.

Erick Green - Virginia Tech - G - Senior - Hurts me to say this but he's really good. 20+ points in every game save 1 this season. Equally as impressive as McCollum to me. I think he's going to pan out as either a less ball-hoggy Jordan Crawford or an equally ballhoggy but more productive Jordan Crawford. As far as 3rd guards go, you can certainly do worse.

[TheKingOfVa360]

Add me to the Nerlens Noel bandwagon.

I'd love to have a player like Chandler, Ibaka, Noah or Sideshow Bob on this roster, and Noel certainly has the tools to become a player in that mold.

He strikes me as having the type of mindset I wish McGee would have had, a long athletic freak that can be a x-factor on defense, run the break and score outside of the flow of the offense by getting putbacks.

Not seeing much Bennett love around here, but damn, that kid balls like a man. Reminds me a lot of grandmama

I'm on the Noel bandwagon also. I think he would play great on our front line. A championship caliber 2 way big man

[nuposse04]

I don't understand the infatuation with McDermott. Someone tell me how he won't be a liability defensively. Would he be purely a situational stretch 4? He has great shooting %s but maybe it is just that I find DX's "best case" for him to be a bit comical. I mean i guess that's worth a late 2nd. I'd rather take a chance Kadji.

[Upper Decker]

Doug McDermott - Creighton - PF - Junior - Underrated because of the color of his skin, the dude has back to back 20 ppg seasons. Pace adjust per 40 he's putting up 30/10 numbers. You look at the percentages and assume he's Kyle Korver but he's not. He's a scrapper who happens to shoot really well. He's pretty much Trevor Booker with unlimited range and no foot problems.

I'm probably the biggest Booker hater on the board, but this is getting ridiculous. Booker's pre-draft measurements suggest was possibly the most athletic player in the 2010 draft. His 3 quarter court sprint was faster than John Walls. In addition, his jumping ability and agility tests were superb for his size. The problem with Booker is that he has no skills whatsoever, and he seems entitled to jack up jumpers, post up on the block, and drive to the hoop with his eyes closed whenever he wants to. McDermott is the antithesis of Trevor Booker.

[stevemcqueen1]

McLemore had a pretty good game today. Got some rebounds and scored with efficiency. He had a nice drive early in the game where he used a spin move to get space and then banked in a running hook. It looks like he's got a good command of that finish and that floater is pretty good.

One complaint I have from the game is that he's still getting burned too easily when he's playing on the ball and relying on Withey to bail him out.

Another complaint I've got is that he's not assertive enough on the offensive end. He'll just kind of get lost for long stretches without ever touching the ball on offense. He's the best shooter and scorer on his team. He needs to work to get open and demand the ball.

I think he's a skilled, super athletic #2 option. By temperament and skill set.

[fishercob]

WHat do people think of Jeff Withey. Strikes me as a Brendan Haywood type -- in a good way? Dat? Sev? Ruz? YODA?