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... for more than twenty minutes of youtube footage ... I sure haven't.

I think you all are really sleepin' on Alec Burks.

I take him at four if after actually watching extended footage of Kanter I wasn't impressed.

I like Burks so much for the Cavs, I'd even consider pairing him with Derrick Williams insted of Irving if I thought they'd have more chemistry going forward.

Remember all of the people that had Darko Milicic rated higher than Bosh, Wade, and Anthony.

We shouldn't really talk good or bad about players that you haven't ever seen. That's all.

ALL HAIL wrote:... for more than twenty minutes of youtube footage ... I sure haven't.

I think you all are really sleepin' on Alec Burks.

I take him at four if after actually watching extended footage of Kanter I wasn't impressed.

I like Burks so much for the Cavs, I'd even consider pairing him with Derrick Williams insted of Irving if I thought they'd have more chemistry going forward.

Remember all of the people that had Darko Milicic rated higher than Bosh, Wade, and Anthony.

We shouldn't really talk good or bad about players that you haven't ever seen. That's all.

I completely agree with you, BUT I would take Kanter over Burks...IF Kanter is gone at #4 I absolutely wouldn't mind trading down to one of the teams that is high on Knight/Kemba and being able to get something else along with Burks too, since we'd be in the position of power and Burks isn't projected to go top 5. Kanter came with some RIDICULOUS body fat% (i think it was in the 6% region IIRC) and in amazing shape, so I would take the athletic skilled big man first, than the talented 6'6 2 guard...he is a great prospect though, and I personally have preached since day one about trading down and taking Burks if we miss Kanter... I'd rather have Burks than Valanciunas any day of the week

I like Burks as well although I still don't understand why his value has moved around so much. I don't however like him more than a few of the bigs.

Its so hard to find skilled bigs these days, when you can draft a skilled offensive big with some bulk and some ability to defend one on one its very hard to pass up. It is so much easier to find a serviceable wing in FA or via trade that or in the Cavs case with the TPE that I find it hard to pass up Kanter at 4 if he is there.
I havent seen much of him other than a few highlights, so I am relying on reading scouting reports and draft sights, but we have the first pick to get a sure thing in Irving and if the Cavs scouting dept does their job and picks Kanter so be it. We should be picking a player we think has the most upside at 4 regardless of position though. I believe Kanter is the best choice if available, but if the FO goes in another direction I will have to support it regardless of who it ends up being.

I think worst case scenario for Kanter is a slightly worse defending but better rebounding Bogut, but he'll probably be even better than that. All of the prospects that come from Turkey tend to be pretty good, Okur, Turkoglu, Ilyasova, etc. None of those guys had any hype and they ended up good players, Kanter is the first really hyped Turkish player. He was even recruited by Calipiari who has an eye for talent and only goes after the best. He owned all of the top US players at the Nike game a year ago. I think there are some players to be nervous about in this draft, Kanter isn't one of them. Whoever gets him it will be a home run pick.

I think Cavs should take him with the #1 pick, yea I said it. the league ss saturated with skilled point guards, but there is only a handfull of good big men. also, it would kind of mess with the minds of the other teams with lottery picks. i'd like to see what khan would do if another PG (irving) was available at 2. lol timberwolves would have used up 3 lottery picks in the last three years all on point guards.

There is no way the Cavs are taking Kanter with the #1 pick.. Just no way. I'd rather take Williams instead, with the first. However, Irving is still my pick.

I have no idea if Kanter is an good or not, however all of the rumblings about him remind me of all the talk about Darko.

Matter of fact, some of you all are saying some of the same things that Piston fans were saying before the draft when the subject of picking Wade or Anthony over Milicic came up:

"Athletic wings are easy to come by."

"You can't pass up on talented bigs."

He could very well be Al Horford. But most of us have absolutely no idea because we've never seen him in any REAL games.

I've seen Burks many times and was impressed. Likewise with Irving and Knight.

On a side note, all of the talk and discussion about Derrick Williams future position strangely reminds me of the talk surrounding Marvin Williams when he came out.

We're not going to pass on Kanter if he is there at 4. Kanter would no doubt be in contention for the #1 pick if he had played this season. I don't think he will make it to 4. Darko comparissons are pointless, though. Darko was drafted to a championship contender that could not properly develop him. The Cavs will have plenty of playing and give our young guys a great chance to show what they can do with little pressure.

Even championship contenders have time to develop talented players. Fact is that supposed talent that Milicic had wasn't actually there or it would have shown itself at some time since then. Viewing it any other way is just revisionist history. And there is no justification to say that the Cavs should take Kanter because all other turkish players have been good. That's just a silly argument to even make.

ALL HAIL wrote:I have no idea if Kanter is an good or not, however all of the rumblings about him remind me of all the talk about Darko.

Matter of fact, some of you all are saying some of the same things that Piston fans were saying before the draft when the subject of picking Wade or Anthony over Milicic came up:

"Athletic wings are easy to come by."

"You can't pass up on talented bigs."

He could very well be Al Horford. But most of us have absolutely no idea because we've never seen him in any REAL games.

I've seen Burks many times and was impressed. Likewise with Irving and Knight.

On a side note, all of the talk and discussion about Derrick Williams future position strangely reminds me of the talk surrounding Marvin Williams when he came out.

I think a lot more is known about Kanter than was known about Darko. He has a full year here in the States to get acclimated, a full year of top college coaching while working out with the national champion college hoops team. There have been plenty of opportunities for scouts here to see him play and the guy has dominated his age group against the US players as well.
And I said serviceable wings not "athletic wings are hard to come by", however there are more athletic wings to be had than talented big men, to deny that would be silly. As I watched the combine workouts I was surprised at Kanter's agility for a player of his size, so I think we can add athletic to skilled in the description of Kanter. If you havent seen the workouts they are on NBA TV if you have it, there is also some good converstation in regard to a lot of the players there by the 5 or so hosts. It was more interesting to watch than I thought it would be for sure.

^So ... have you seen him play in a REAL game?

All of what you said was cool but it means nothing if you haven't seen how he responds in REAL action.

As a Turkish fan I really didn't see him playing. When Okur, Hedo, Ilyasova, Erden, Asik and Zaza Pachulia went to NBA they were all well known players in Turkey.
He didn't play in Turkish League so much, We only read about his prep school and collage games. He is just a questionmark in my country.

He just might be a questionmark to everyone.

He could be the next Malone, or he could be the next Zaza.

I have ABSOLUTELY no idea because I have never seen him in REAL game action.

If real scouts have seen him against decent competition, and come away impressed ... take him.

If not, Alec Burks is the player for me that shows the best potential while being good already.

I made my thread without reading this one. Props to the OP. I agree with him. Solidify the backcourt with two players who absolutely are ideal tandems as a unit.

Irving + Burks

After considerable deliberation, this is where the Cavs should go. They would wreck favor for 10+ years. Kanter while skilled is not an impact defensively. That matters. And you ain't finding a Burks in next year's draft.

ALL HAIL wrote:He just might be a questionmark to everyone.

He could be the next Malone, or he could be the next Zaza.

I have ABSOLUTELY no idea because I have never seen him in REAL game action.

If real scouts have seen him against decent competition, and come away impressed ... take him.

If not, Alec Burks is the player for me that shows the best potential while being good already.

And also you guys have Erden. You didn't see much of him. He is not Malone but much better than Zaza

I believe Erden will have good numbers for Cavs as a backup C.

ALL HAIL wrote:He just might be a questionmark to everyone.

He could be the next Malone, or he could be the next Zaza.

I have ABSOLUTELY no idea because I have never seen him in REAL game action.

If real scouts have seen him against decent competition, and come away impressed ... take him.

If not, Alec Burks is the player for me that shows the best potential while being good already.

No, I havent seen Kanter play in a real game, just highlights like I said earlier. I havent seen Burks play in a real game either. I am relying on reputable (not self promoted) scouts and what they have written. Are they right about every player? No, absolutely not. But since I am not employed by an NBA club that would send me overseas to watch the Euros I can really only go by th clips, the pre draft workouts (which I did watch) and by scouting websites.
You can say the same thing about EVERY player that went straight to the NBA from highschool, we didnt see any of them in a real game either. At least Kanter played in a MENS professional league for several years before coming over here.
Like I said, if the Cavs prefer someone else I am fine with that, but from the little I have seen and from what I have read Kanter seems to be worthy of the 4th pick and I woul be happy to see the Cavs draft him. Most people posting here have seen little of pretty much all of the draft eligible players other than the players on the college teams they like to follow. I like most people just dont have the time to be a full time scout of draft eligible players.
Edit: typo....old keyboard.

^Understood.

But there are a long line of European players that have been drafted very high, only to flame out.

While, off the top of my head, I can only think of two Eros drafted high that amounted to anything (Gasol and Nowitzki).

Maybe he's just that good ... I don't know.

All those scouting websites had Darko, and Tskitizvili, and Bargnani, and whoever else I'm forgetting rated high as well.

But, again, notice how I never criticize Kanter ... why? Because I have no opinion on him.

I'll comment on players I've seen with the ball in their hands against real team defense and'or manning up against an opposing offense. Burks is a beast ... that's all.

I agree about the Euro flameouts, just say "Jiri Welsch" and some people around here start banging their head into the nearest hard object. But with what should be a sure thing with the first pick I am willing to see our team take a chance on a guy that they should have scouted well in Kanter.
I have read a lot of positives about Burks, but it seems that 4 is a bit high as far as the "experts" think, but if we take him at 4, then so be it. Either way it would seem we get a guy that can help out right away and should be a core piece for our rebuild.

If i'm Cavs, i'm taking Kanter with the #1, then taking knight with the #4. it is so much easier to build around a big than it is to build around a pg.