The Lottery - Tuesday, May 20th

[rmfc]

I just don't understand the Parker love -- his absolute upside is a Carmelo-ish game, and everyone knows Carmelo isn't a guy you can build a NBA Championship team around.

Yes...but everyone loves scorers. I'd love to land Parker if Wiggins is gone because we desperately need a scorer at SF. On the other hand, though, I wouldn't be surprised if even Exum becomes a better player than Parker in the NBA.

[joseph mamah]

I'll be seeing Alice In Chains instead.

What's that?

Im hoping thats sarcasm, otherwise im feeling pretty old. Theyre a rock band that was kind of big in the 90s.

[rmfc]

I'll be seeing Alice In Chains instead.

What's that?

Im hoping thats sarcasm, otherwise im feeling pretty old. Theyre a rock band that was kind of big in the 90s.

No idea.

I listen to Ke$ha.





Just kidding

[joeposh]

I just don't understand the Parker love -- his absolute upside is a Carmelo-ish game, and everyone knows Carmelo isn't a guy you can build a NBA Championship team around.

Yes...but everyone loves scorers. I'd love to land Parker if Wiggins is gone because we desperately need a scorer at SF. On the other hand, though, I wouldn't be surprised if even Exum becomes a better player than Parker in the NBA.

Right, the thing is SVG will at least get his D up to snuff and will keep him from chucking away like Melo is prone to do. On a rookie payscale with our anemic offense, I will happily take a young Melo type.

That said, Wiggins is still my clear #1.

[ADflight1]

I just don't understand the Parker love -- his absolute upside is a Carmelo-ish game, and everyone knows Carmelo isn't a guy you can build a NBA Championship team around.

I'd love to get a Carmelo Anthony out of this draft.

Carmelo might not be someone that you can "build a NBA Championship team around" but Andre Drummond is.

[mercury]

I just don't understand the Parker love -- his absolute upside is a Carmelo-ish game, and everyone knows Carmelo isn't a guy you can build a NBA Championship team around.

I'm with you on that... there's a lotta folks that don't care about the value of defense and team play.

[tmorgan]

If we somehow get lucky at win the lottery and pick Parker over Wiggins I'm gonna be pissed. Wiggins might even stay, too -- it's reasonably close to his home area and climate.

[irishfury6]

My first spin was #2
My Second Spin #1
We then kept the pick 3 Times #8.
We lost the pick
We got the #3 pick
We got the #1 pick
We kept #8 2 times

[wire28]

uh oh, my first time playing the lotto machine and the Cavs jumped to #2 and we don't have a pick.

Frigging Cavs....

They never win anything. ....yet they always get lucky in lotto.

you call it luck, i call it rigged. lebron left so they gave them 2 #1s as a "sorry! "

[The Penguin]

If we somehow get lucky at win the lottery and pick Parker over Wiggins I'm gonna be pissed. Wiggins might even stay, too -- it's reasonably close to his home area and climate.

Parker is from Chicago, I'm not worried about either guy ditching Drummond to pull a Lebron.

[Invictus88]

Brought in via the draft, you mean, I'm sure.

Yes. Monroe and Drummond were home runs. I have some hope for KCP. I think he will be fine if and when he starts to get "it". Knight was a flop, though. Kawhi Leonard (or Klay) would have made sooooo much sense but Dumars loved Tay way too much.

We haven't had a good rookie pick besides those two since Prince in 2002 (before he played too many games and looked like an old man). And even that is just law of averages -- pick enough players with long arms and one is bound to be good.

Here is the complete list of players that Dumars has drafted since Tayshaun:

Darko Milicic
Carlos Delfino
Andreas Glyniadakis
Rickey Paulding
Jason Maxiell
Amir Johnson
Alex Acker
Will Blalock
Rodney Stuckey
Arron Afflalo
Sammy Mejia
D.J. White
Deron Washington
Austin Daye
DaJuan Summers
Jonas Jerebko
Chase Budinger
Greg Monroe
Terrico White
Brandon Knight
Kyle Singler
Vernon Macklin
Andre Drummond
Khris Middleton
Kim English
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
Tony Mitchell
Peyton Siva

A blind man could have made the Monroe and Drummond picks. Both of them slid so far down that it was ridiculous they were still on the board when the Pistons' pick came around. Take those two off the list and there's virtually no one worth having on an NBA roster, let alone a starter. (excluding last year's class because the jury is still out due to the cluster**** that was last season).

Even those that you could make a case for (e.g. Afflalo, Middleton maybe?) were traded away.

Giving credit for the Pistons getting a top 3 pick this year would be like giving consolation ribbons away for participation at a science fair. The kids (in this case Dumars) clearly didn't do anything to earn an award besides showing up to the thing. And last time I checked the NBA Lottery wasn't something that was possible for a bad team to miss.

I think for context you just can't list "who", but need to add "when", as in "which draft pick were they?". Without this, it is hard to say if these were good picks or not. Amir Johnson? He was the 56th pick in the draft. That was an awesome pick. Stuckey, Afflalo, Budinger all seem like legit picks to me as well, and all are certainly worth having on an NBA roster.

The sample size is over a large enough span (since 2002) that you would expect to get at least a few quality players out of later rounds. Perennial playoff teams still find ways of developing talent found from sub-optimal playoff positions in order to restock talent on their teams. It's much more cost effective than free agency (which isn't much of an option if you are a good team trying to retain the talent you have).

I also made comments for some of the ones which he hit on but then traded away so they could have NBA careers elsewhere. Afflalo and Budinger are on that list -- as is Johnson. Stuckey has really been too inconsistent over his career to be anything more than a role player / bench player on a contending team. He has regularly started on our team because we really haven't been very good the last 6 years or so. And those players are the exception, not the rule when it comes to the last 10+ years.

[Snakebites]

I just don't understand the Parker love -- his absolute upside is a Carmelo-ish game, and everyone knows Carmelo isn't a guy you can build a NBA Championship team around.

Carmelo could win a title if paired with a big man of the level we project Drummond to be.

[ImHeisenberg]

I just don't understand the Parker love -- his absolute upside is a Carmelo-ish game, and everyone knows Carmelo isn't a guy you can build a NBA Championship team around.

Carmelo could win a title if paired with a big man of the level we project Drummond to be.

Funny enough, I think Melo really tried to make concessions to his game, to be more of a play maker for his teammates, but they were so unabashedly terrible he was forced back into "hero ball" mode almost every game.

The only other scorer on NY this year was JR Smith, and he was a steaming pile of horse excrement. Hardaway Jr played hard and was probably the second most reliable shooter for the Knicks. It was just a truly awful season.

As for the Parker hype- the kid is a winner. He won high school state championships, he came to Duke and proved he could score at an elite level there. He didn't just score by knocking down jump shots either. He faced-up, he could drive as well as post up. It's rare to see a player that young already showing so many facets of his offensive game.

So, that's where most of the hype comes from. Is it warranted? That's completely based upon an individual's opinion. But, that's where it's generated from.


And to contrast things: There is no LeBron or Durant in this draft. Wiggins had that hype, but it's long faded away. Embiid is the only prospect that projects to be as close to a lock to be a top 15 player as you can get with a draft pick this year.

[MotownMadness]

Parker is about as elite as you could hope for from a prospect on the offensive end. His defense could be a problem butI still think I take him #1.

[tmorgan]

There's a lot of guys you could pair with a (further developed) Drummond to win a championship. That's why we're all so excited about the kid.

Carmelo isn't a winner on the NBA level -- yes, he hasn't typically had the teammates, but that's at least partially because he eats a ton of cap, makes no financial concessions, isn't particularly likable, doesn't play much defense, doesn't really pass, is mostly an iso scorer, and doesn't seem to be a leader.

Would I be happy, considering the odds, if we managed to draft Parker? Of course! But if we pass on Wiggins or Embiid (despite the fit) to get him, I'll be pissed.

[tmorgan]

Anyway, back to my lottery results... 10 spins of the wheel

#8, Smart (nice!)
#8, McDermott
#1, Parker (nice, but stupid!)
Lost pick due to Pelicans leapfrog
#1, Parker (twice!)
#8, McDermott
Lost pick due to Cavs leapfrog
#8, McDermott
#8, McDermott
#8, McDermott

I can't believe we're going to draft Dougie Buckets, that'd just be incredibly stupid.

[kurtis48239]

Unfortunately, I won't be able to watch this live. Hopefully I can find a way to watch it on mobile.

I'll be seeing Alice In Chains instead.

To that note, I wrote a stanza about what it will feel like if the Pistons lose their pick to the tune of "Down In A Hole" by the aforementioned Alice In Chains.

"Down in a hole and I don't know if the Pistons can be saved.
See our logo, it might as well be Joe D's grave.
Oh, he didn't understand that draft picks you shouldn't trade.
When you're team is awful, it's draft picks you should save."

May the basketball gods be with us tonight.

It wont be the same without layne and star.One of the best voices in rock history.

[paQo the BAWSER]

Don't you think Carmelo could win the NBA playing next to Wade and Bosh? C'mon! (And I'm not comparing him to LeBron, LeBron is clearly better player but Melo is a killer without any help; was his fault too)

[kurtis48239]

I just don't understand the Parker love -- his absolute upside is a Carmelo-ish game, and everyone knows Carmelo isn't a guy you can build a NBA Championship team around.

Carmelo could win a title if paired with a big man of the level we project Drummond to be.

Funny enough, I think Melo really tried to make concessions to his game, to be more of a play maker for his teammates, but they were so unabashedly terrible he was forced back into "hero ball" mode almost every game.

The only other scorer on NY this year was JR Smith, and he was a steaming pile of horse excrement. Hardaway Jr played hard and was probably the second most reliable shooter for the Knicks. It was just a truly awful season.

As for the Parker hype- the kid is a winner. He won high school state championships, he came to Duke and proved he could score at an elite level there. He didn't just score by knocking down jump shots either. He faced-up, he could drive as well as post up. It's rare to see a player that young already showing so many facets of his offensive game.

So, that's where most of the hype comes from. Is it warranted? That's completely based upon an individual's opinion. But, that's where it's generated from.


And to contrast things: There is no LeBron or Durant in this draft. Wiggins had that hype, but it's long faded away. Embiid is the only prospect that projects to be as close to a lock to be a top 15 player as you can get with a draft pick this year.

Amen brother.

[bballnmike]