nate33 wrote:fishercob wrote:I'd be more interested in drafting that guy -- someone that can make the roster, but who can be inactive many nights and develop in the D-League if needed. I'd bring back Miller on a one year deal, too. At some point we're going to need to replace Miller, and ideally it would be with someone who can play with either Wall or Beal -- someone like Cory Joseph, Sweet Lou, CJ McCollum, Patty Mills, Devin Harris etc. A true combo guard.
That probably makes more sense than my idea.
The bottom line is that I'd like to add a youngish back PG and a youngish backup center, both on rookie contracts, before the 2016 free agency period. Dumping Webster's salary by then would be a big help as well because it'll allow us to keep Humphries. That'll leave us with 2 PG's, 2 wings, and 3 bigs already onboard when we try and acquire Durant. With Durant, that'll be a competent 8-man rotation and then we use the vet-minimum exception to fill out our depth.
If Webster comes back and plays well, I wonder if we'd be able to trade him for a crappy 2016 contract plus a late 1st or high 2nd round pick. Sharpshooting swing men are in demand these days. That extra pick could be used for a PG, and we use our own pick for a Gorgui Dieng/Jeff Withey type of defensive backup big man.
This discussion sent me over the
DraxtExpress and I came along a guy who really interests me named Delon Wright. Council of Draft Elders -- CCJ, Ruz, Sev, et al -- do you know anything about this kid and/or have an opinion?
A crafty Utah Ute with a funky jumper? Could he be the graduate TA to Professor Miller that could grow into a PhD for today's NBA?
While not exceptionally quick or explosive, Wright does a terrific job of getting to the rim and finishing, hitting an outstanding 66% of his shots around the basket in the half-court. He is extremely crafty with the way he creates offense on the perimeter, relying heavily on a variety of hesitation moves, fakes and fancy footwork to keep opponents off-balance. His combination of excellent size, long strides and smooth body control helps him get right into the teeth of the defense with regularity, and he finishes very creatively around the rim with soft touch and a knack for using the glass. Wright's slinky, herky-jerky style of play draws him plenty of fouls and helps him collect a good amount of points from the free throw line (converts 79%) every game.
What separates Wright from other non-shooting guards and makes him extremely unique is his ability to fill up the entire stat-sheet, as he's one of just 13 players in the DraftExpress database (spanning the last 30 years of college basketball) to average over 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals and 1 block per-40 minutes:
Wright doesn't have incredible length (he measured just a 6-6 ½ wingspan at the Nike Skills Academy this summer), an amazing frame or exceptional athleticism, but he does have a superb knack for being in the right place at the right time, which is a testament to his tremendous feel for the game. He has excellent size for his position and excellent lateral quickness, which allows him to put terrific pressure on the ball, draw charges on a regular basis, and defend either backcourt position equally well.
You won't find many prospects with a more extreme contrast between their strengths and weaknesses than Delon Wright, which is sure to make him one of the more controversial figures in this upcoming draft class. Many analytics models rate him as a sure-fire lottery pick, while traditional scouts seem to be split at the moment on whether or not he'll be able to carve out a role at the NBA level due to his lack of perimeter shooting and unconventional style of play. Making things even more complicated is the fact that Wright is a year old for his class, turning 23 in April. Nevertheless, this upcoming season should be very telling for Dorell's brother, as another strong year capped by a solid NCAA Tournament run would surely win over some of those decision makers that are still on the fence.
Obligatory highlight reel. Note the absence of jumpers.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bGLzGiX1ec[/youtube]
Actually reminds me of Otto a little bit. If he can develop that jumper, he could be a really good NBA player.
