Official Draft Thread Part 2

[azuresou1]

Hm didn't know he was 7'0, always thought he was 6'10.

I'd still rather have Goodwin or Glenn Robinson or McAdoo, Robinson especially based on how he's playing this tourney so far.

[tcorbin]

Robinson would be great. we need a legit SG/SF since our SG situation is undersized and Korver is +30yr. Robinson would just fit in so well in that San Antonio system (Robinson or McDermott).

[Geaux_Hawks]

Considering the fact that Houston will make the playoffs, we do have 2 picks. Both, Olynyk and Robinson could find their way here, and that would be a great draft for us. If Len gets overlooked, I would love to get him too.

[tcorbin]

if Plumlee is the Joakim Noah of this draft, then Olynyk is Spencer Hawes. Plumlee is the better player by far, and i wouldn't want to waste a pick on Olynyk who has horrible skill sets for a center, especially to pair up with Horford.

[Geaux_Hawks]

if Plumlee is the Joakim Noah of this draft, then Olynyk is Spencer Hawes. Plumlee is the better player by far, and i wouldn't want to waste a pick on Olynyk who has horrible skill sets for a center, especially to pair up with Horford.

This would be worth noting if Olynyk was a jump shooter like Hawes, and horrible skill set?! Never knew a guy like Olynyk with probably the best low post game in the past 5 years for a prospect has such a horrible skill set. He's very comparable to Brook Lopez as an overall player. Niether will dominate the boards, but will get a respectable amount and block some shots, while being a weapon on the low block.

[Jamaaliver]

if Plumlee is the Joakim Noah of this draft, then Olynyk is Spencer Hawes. Plumlee is the better player by far, and i wouldn't want to waste a pick on Olynyk who has horrible skill sets for a center, especially to pair up with Horford.

This would be worth noting if Olynyk was a jump shooter like Hawes, and horrible skill set?! Never knew a guy like Olynyk with probably the best low post game in the past 5 years for a prospect has such a horrible skill set. He's very comparable to Brook Lopez as an overall player. Niether will dominate the boards, but will get a respectable amount and block some shots, while being a weapon on the low block.

Gotta agree with Geaux_HAwks. Kelly's post game and BBall IQ are very high. Skill and size won't be issues at all. The real question is athleticism and defense, which is why he may fall to the teens. Brook Lopez is a good comparison.

But he's a guy that should avg 12 & 6 from day one in the NBA. On a good team, he should become a consistent contributor.

Also, who was th last player we had with a true, refined, effective post game in Atlanta?

Antoine Walker? Shareef Abdur Rahim?

It's past time for a replacement.

[gurpilo]

No, Ollynk is not Brook Lopez, neither Plumlee is Joakim Noah, they will be NBA bench players at best, perhaps Ollynk can find a starting spot on a bad team but that's it, they are below average players and there is better talent to be drafted there.

Robinson would be great but I doubt he is available when we pick.

[Jamaaliver]

No, Ollynk is not Brook Lopez, neither Plumlee is Joakim Noah, they will be NBA bench players at best, perhaps Ollynk can find a starting spot on a bad team but that's it, they are below average players and there is better talent to be drafted there.

I heard the same thing about Marc Gasol, Kenny Faried, Chandler Parsons, Isaiah Thomas, Avery Bradley, Taj Gibson, Omer Asik, Danny Green, Tiago Splitter.

All draft gems that were overlooked early in the draft but have gone on to contribute greatly on good (or even great) teams.

Coaching, player development, offensive/defensive systems will determine whether Plumlee or Ollynk have success.

I guarantee San Antonio would glady take either and make them key cogs on a team that regularly wins 50 games and competes for their division every season.

[theatlfan]

Eh, there are plenty of names of guys that people liked who never made in the NBA as well.

Now, I do like Olynyk and Plumlee, but I also see the risks in both. I could see Plumlee as an athletic C who can play the low block and has the athleticism for the perimeter; I can also see him as a guy whose game is probably better suited to C but doesn't necessarily have the measurables for the position. Olynyk could be a guy whose broad base of skills means that he could pull opposing Cs out of the lane on O while developing into a serviceable big on D, but I can also see his skills just not translating to the NBA game at all.

In all honesty, I'm hoping both are pegged before we're on the clock though. Just have the feeling with both of them that if they're still there, then someone knows something we don't.

[gurpilo]

As has been said, for a prospect that has success on a later pick wa can name 5 that were busts. The problem with these 2 guys is that I see more red flags than in other prospects, could they become good NBA players? Sure, but I think we will play safer with guys like Burke, MCW, McCollum, Goodwin, Robinson, Porter, Hardaway, Franklin... I think the return would be greater than with Ollynk and Plumlee. Even we could play safer with Whithey, I'm sure his game translates well to NBA or take the full risk with Gobert, but I don't like Plumlee or Ollynk and I also would like both to be gone by the time we pick.

[Geaux_Hawks]

Burke, MCW, & Porter won't make it to our picks, and as bad as you talk about Olynyk, McCollum, Hardaway, and Franklin aren't standouts imo either. Goodwin was suppose to be a top 5 pick at one point, but he has seen his stock fall. Robinson is probably the only obtainable guy of your list I would take, but we have 2 firsts, so Olynyk could still be a worthy risk, if that.

[parson]

The problem with Olynyk is his complete lack of anything superior in an athletic sense. He's not fast, not strong, not a good leaper, not long. He doesn't have great lateral quickness; doesn't have a long wingspan.

He DOES have good body control and nice skills but is he better than Zaza?

Plumlee? Maybe Ryan Anderson.

[gurpilo]

I saw yesterday the game and definately I would take Dieng or Withey over Plumlee or Ollynk with our lower pick, however I doubt Plumlee or Ollynk are avaialable but definately Dieng or Withey are better fits with Horford. The other I still would like to spend on Porter, Burke, Robinson, MCW, McCollum or Goodwin. I'm beginning to think that MCW will be available by the time we pick, MCW and Dieng would be a good return for this draft.

[theatlfan]

^ Funny how two people can watch games and come out with differing opinions - I have no idea how scouts do it. From the games I've seen, I've really liked Syracuse and figure that there's simply no way MCW falls out of the lottery - outside of the top 10, he's a steal. There are questions to his game, sure, but there are questions to everyone's game in this draft. (As an aside here, I also like what I've seen both Fair and especially Southerland and wouldn't mind picking up either in the 2nd.)

I was pretty lukewarm on Dieng. He'd be a fine pick for where we are, but I just can't see him as anything more than a 20 minute per game backup C in the NBA... which may be exactly what we need.

[gurpilo]

I agree with MCW, he should be a steal but for some reason he is falling on the mock drafts, now he is on the final four his stock could go up again.

About Dieng a big that can play 20-25 minutes and that can protect the rim would be awesome to have, we must remember this is weak draft, outside of the players I have listed I don't see any solid contributors, just role bench players at best, Dieng looks like a solid option if all are gone, I doubt 2 of that list are available to us.

[Geaux_Hawks]

The weak draft crap is overly stated. If you are calling it a weak draft for star talent, then I would agree, but this is a pretty decent draft to pick up an above average or low level All-Star talent like a Vucevic, Tobias Harris, Shumpert, DeAndre Jordan, McGee, Milsaps, Granger, Iggy, Ibaka, Dragic, etc. There are going to be a lot of good picks made after the top 5 are gone.

With that said, Steven Adams declared, and he is physically a monster with huge upside. Didn't overly impress at Pitt, but he was projected to stay at least 2 years if his family didn't need him to make the jump. He is solid on both ends currently, and will probably fall out the lottery because he didn't dominate at Pitt, which is good for us IMO.

To comment on MCW and Dieng, I love MCW, but I know he won't make it out of the top 10 without something utterly impossible happening. A 6'6 PG with great court vision and unselfish, with big time defensive potential would never slip by a team like the Suns, Magic, Piston, or Pelicans.

Dieng is a 2nd rounder that you trade up in the 2nd round for. He'll be available when the 2nd round comes, so no need to waste a first on him, when there is more talent to be had. I like him as well, but barring a last minute sky rocketing, There is no way he goes in the first unless a team really just wants a big body to block shots for 20ish minutes.

[gurpilo]

I also think we should go with Steven Adams at the first, he is and athletic big with tons of potential, high basketball IQ and improving at a high rate, definately better prospect than Dieng or Whithey at the long term.

I still think that Porter, MCW, Burke, McCollum or Robinson could be available by the time we pick at 17th. Before 17th pick, Norel, McLemore, Smart, Len, Bennett, Muhammad, Zeller, Oladipo, Ollynk and Plumlee. In total 15 picks, there are always 2-3 players that improve their stock on the final weeks, that could very well the case with Adetokunbo or Gobert, even Dieng if he wins tha final 4.

On the earlier 2nd could be found players like Goodwin, Austin or Franklin, I think we should trade our 2 2nds for an early 2nd.

[parson]

I agree that Adams has much more potential, but Withey gets it. What he brings would translate well to the NBA - now.

We could conceivably draft both.

[FCNATL85]

If we do not change draft position in a big way, Steven Adams is certainly more valuable than Whitney. Then the Greek SF Adetokoubo while getting rid of current or future second to secure the right draft position.
Both intriguing with a lot of upside, especially Adams.

Adams will finish ahead of Gobert that's for sure (it would not surprise me if he ends up in the top 10 even 8) and he is coming from a hard nose rugby country... hard worker and very coachable.
In a weak draft, he is a no brainer and 3 years from we could look back and finally think that we got a steal in the draft!

[gurpilo]

Robinson and Adams with the first round picks and trade our 2 2nds for 32-37th pick and draft Jamaal Franklin, that would be a dream draft. We have options to fill some needs, for me this draft is quite important for our near future.