Official 2013 Draft Thread - Part I

[rockymac52]

It seems inevitable that this will be yet another year that the Wizards end up with a very high draft pick, and sure enough, it just happens to come in a year where there seems to be a lack of elite talent. Sigh.

With that said, TONY MITCHELL.

[MJ7]

I have a feeling we'll have a high enough pick to grab a decent player, but not good enough to get a franchise changing cornerstone.

[rockymac52]

The problem is there don't appear to be any elite can't-miss prospects in this draft, at least not yet. So while there's definitely several good players worth grabbing, the reality is that the teams that already have much more talent than us (and other bottom 5 teams) will also be adding these good players. So we don't gain any ground on them.

[DMVleGeND]

It seems inevitable that this will be yet another year that the Wizards end up with a very high draft pick, and sure enough, it just happens to come in a year where there seems to be a lack of elite talent. Sigh.

With that said, TONY MITCHELL.

What position do you think he'll play in the NBA, SF or PF?

[fishercob]

Can we turn this into the 2013 draft thread?

[rockymac52]

It seems inevitable that this will be yet another year that the Wizards end up with a very high draft pick, and sure enough, it just happens to come in a year where there seems to be a lack of elite talent. Sigh.

With that said, TONY MITCHELL.

What position do you think he'll play in the NBA, SF or PF?

Tough to say. He is in many ways your prototypical tweener. At 6'8" 235 lbs, with a 7'3" wingspan, coupled with freak athleticism, he has the size and physical abilities to play either position. But it's probably in his best interest to pick one and stick to it. Right now I'd say he's probably better off at PF.

He reminds of of Michael Beasley in a lot of ways, which I know, is not a good thing. But don't forget, Beasley was drafted 2nd overall, and for good reason. They both have several elite abilities, and you can easily envision them both becoming a true star player. It's hard to still look at Beasley in this light after we've seen him play in the NBA for several years and he's failed to live up to that star potential, but don't let that necessarily be a knock on Mitchell - they're not the same person, after all. And they have plenty of differences on the court, in the way that they play as well. I just can't help but think of Beasley when I watch Mitchell play. Maybe there's a better comparison out there, hell, there almost definitely is. But like I said, Beasley was just the first to come to my mind. But again, the comparison doesn't do him justice, at all.

The knocks on Mitchell will be his attitude and motor, and the fact that he's playing in the Sun Belt conference, where he honestly has no competition. It's a good sign that he is truly dominant in that conference, because if you're going to be a good NBA player, then you sure as hell better dominate the Sun Belt. But it could be troublesome, because he might not get as much experience playing against NBA-caliber talents. If Damian Lillard continues to excel this season, then his success will probably help Mitchell in this regard, but IMO, coming from a small conference is even more of an issue for a big man, where there simply aren't NBA-sized bodies down low in that conference. Mitchell isn't challenged in the Sun Belt at all, and he knows it. This has exposed him a bit, and has led to many scouts questioning his motor and drive. He appears lazy at times, jogging back on defense, and selfish, taking step-back 3 pointers with 30 seconds left on the shot clock. But then again, he's good enough to get away with it - he shot over 40% from 3 last season, and he's shooting 3s at a high rate. He definitely has range.

Hopefully he's so good that he'll lead North Texas to the NCAA Tournament single-handedly, and if we're lucky, we'll get to see him go head to head with an NBA caliber big man in the tournament.

He has legitimate star potential. There's going to be a ton of question marks around this kid no matter how well he plays this season, mostly because he's playing in the Sun Belt. He can rely on his freak athleticism at this point, but I think he has a lot more to his game than just that. I hope for his sake that he does have the drive to become a star at the NBA level, and that he isn't taking this year lightly because he doesn't have to work hard to be the best player in his conference by a mile.

Mike Schmitz, over at Draft Express, did a really great scouting video on Tony Mitchell if you'd like to check it out. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ... 6tNGmh3ieE

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

It seems inevitable that this will be yet another year that the Wizards end up with a very high draft pick, and sure enough, it just happens to come in a year where there seems to be a lack of elite talent. Sigh.

With that said, TONY MITCHELL.

He's up there among the top choices.

Creighton Bluejays, and their All American, Doug McDermott beat Mitchell's N. Texas State team.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/co ... story.html

I have not changed the way I feel about both players, who will each be in the NBA next season.

[jangles86]

Trade our first rounder for a unprotected 1st for 2014, and a solid back up pg.

[DMVleGeND]

Trade our first rounder for a unprotected 1st for 2014, and a solid back up pg.

I'd be all for that. Next yr's draft class looks insane.

[popper]

We are now the worst team in the league. Why would we trade our choice for next year's draft. We are setting up for a very high lotto pick this year.

[rockymac52]

Yes, it does look insane. And 2013 looks relatively weak. But don't forget that about a year ago people and experts were saying the 2012 draft would be historically strong, but by the time the draft rolled around, there didn't appear to be any sure-fire stars outside of Anthony Davis. So I'm a little bit skeptical.

I also think that just like with this past draft, other teams aren't going to be interested in trading their pick (especially unprotected) along with a quality backup (or without one, even) for our pick in this draft. They all know that this draft is supposed to be weak and next year's will be strong.

Even if a few teams don't believe that to be the case, or are interested in such a trade, chances are they aren't likely lottery-bound teams. Lottery-bound teams share one thing in common, they are below average. They want to get better. Maybe one team really likes the 2013 draft over the 2014 one, or they expect to make a huge improvement next year and not have a high 2014 pick, or something like that, but I doubt it. Nice idea, in theory, but I can't see it happening. At least, not in the form that you proposed. Maybe we get some 2014 pick of decent value in a much bigger trade, but who knows?

[MikeTheKid]

CCJ already posted about Len but I think with the added weight and the fact that his english is alot better and he can understand the play calls and can talk to the guys alot better I think hes going to have a huge season and if he keeps up his high performance play he may be looking at becoming a top 5 pick.

[Upper Decker]

He reminds of of Michael Beasley in a lot of ways, which I know, is not a good thing...[snip]...The knocks on Mitchell will be his attitude and motor

Aren't these the two knocks on Beasley? Don't get me wrong, Mitchell is a solid prospect, but based on what we've seen from prospects over the last couple drafts one of the highly desired characteristics is a never ending motor. Obviously thats not the end all be all becuase Vesely has a motor and sucks. But attitude and motor concerns scare me.

[MikeTheKid]

Trade our first rounder for a unprotected 1st for 2014, and a solid back up pg.

The question is would anyone be willing to make that trade unless we possibly pickup a top 2 pick in 2013 in which case I would be in for it if we can pickup a solid player and maybe dump Okafor in the trade.

[DCsOwn]

Can Shabazz play the three?

A big-time three and another shooter in the Korver mold would make this potentially a very good team.

[REDardWIZskin]

This teams needs length IMO. Id go Zeller if he was there.

[Upper Decker]

Can Shabazz play the three?

A big-time three and another shooter in the Korver mold would make this potentially a very good team.

I don't care if he can play the 2 or 3. I'm more concerned with his ability to get to the rim. Does he have the ability to be an elite dribble penetrating wing player? There are a zillion wings who can create their own shot, but very few who really excel at taking it to the cup. Beal's a solid player, but if the Wiz take another high lotto wing I'd prefer him to be exceptional at getting to the rack.

[BarnabyJones]

Beal's a solid player, but if the Wiz take another high lotto wing I'd prefer him to be exceptional at getting to the rack.

Alex Poythress, maybe?

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

CCJ already posted about Len but I think with the added weight and the fact that his english is alot better and he can understand the play calls and can talk to the guys alot better I think hes going to have a huge season and if he keeps up his high performance play he may be looking at becoming a top 5 pick.

Len is the one Euro I really want EJ to draft (I did like Motiejunas, actually, but not lotto). I know Alex Len will never be a Wizard for that reason--I like his game.

[mhd]

Alex Poythress looks really good. He's explosive and can guard multiple positions.