'14 Draft Thread - Parker Declares. List your top 4

[emunney]

Most lotto guys only do the measurements. I'm surprised about McDermott, Ennis and Stauskas.

Ehh, that depends. In 2012 the only lotto guys who didn't do drills were Anthony Davis, Royce white, and dion waiters. 2013 basically all lotto guys did drills. 2011 most guys did drills too. This year is more an aberration with all the lotto projected guys not competing.

In 2012, I thought that Barnes, Beal, Drummond, Lamb, Rivers, and MKG also sat out the drills. Most guys do the measurements (biometric and athletic) and only skip the athletic tests if they're injured. The rest typically at least show up and interview.

It really is weird that guys are skipping it altogether. If nothing happens to them (and what would, really?), it'll probably happen more and more.

[Ill-yasova]

I am hoping that vert is one of the measures Exum does? I wonder what a +40" vert would do to people's value on Exum...

I think you're going to be disappointed with his vertical leap. He's really only got horizontal athleticism unfortunately.

Yep. Not a leaper at all, it's one of the things that worries me a little about him.

[emunney]

I'll be surprised if those three don't go in the lotto.

It wouldn't surprise me either way. None of them are locks.

[breakchains]

Just watched a little Kristaps Porzingis and am intrigued. Looks like a lottery pick to me.

[Licensed to Il]

I suppose the downside of not participating in the combine (for say McDermitt) is that some international guy comes in and becomes a late sensation. There is something to "recency bias" in this process, and it is (to some degree) in the best interest of the mid tier lotto guys to use every promo tool to their advantage. Obviously it won't impact the top 4 guys.

[theFireBlanket]

Just watched a little Kristaps Porzingis and am intrigued. Looks like a lottery pick to me.

His lack of rebounding hurts his stock, which is why I'm not sure he'll have a chance of being taken in the lotto. But I got excited about him after seeing film last week. That said The first round is going to be really interesting this year. *Definitely seems as if it's going to be unpredictable, as last year's lottery was but the workouts could change that.

[Baddy Chuck]

Just watched a (insert little known foreign 7 footer) and am intrigued. Looks like a lottery pick to me.

[M-C-G]

I am hoping that vert is one of the measures Exum does? I wonder what a +40" vert would do to people's value on Exum...

I think you're going to be disappointed with his vertical leap. He's really only got horizontal athleticism unfortunately.

Yeah, sorry, to clarify, I don't think he will have that kind of number, but rather if he did, was curious how that would impact how people viewed him.

[paulpressey25]

It really is weird that guys are skipping it altogether. If nothing happens to them (and what would, really?), it'll probably happen more and more.

NBA needs to collectively bargain attendance at this into the CBA. I'm not sure how they legally approach the issue, but I'd have to think it can be done.

Otherwise the pre-draft camp now becomes like the Portsmouth tourney, where you only have DaVante Gardner types showing up, who want to play themselves into the first or second rounds.

[sidney lanier]

It really is weird that guys are skipping it altogether. If nothing happens to them (and what would, really?), it'll probably happen more and more.

NBA needs to collectively bargain attendance at this into the CBA. I'm not sure how they legally approach the issue, but I'd have to think it can be done.

Otherwise the pre-draft camp now becomes like the Portsmouth tourney, where you only have DaVante Gardner types showing up, who want to play themselves into the first or second rounds.

I agree there should be something to induce attendance, but I'm not sure a CBA provision would fly. Maybe you make it show up and at least get measured or you don't get a ticket to be in the hall June 26th.

[skones]

It really is weird that guys are skipping it altogether. If nothing happens to them (and what would, really?), it'll probably happen more and more.

NBA needs to collectively bargain attendance at this into the CBA. I'm not sure how they legally approach the issue, but I'd have to think it can be done.

Otherwise the pre-draft camp now becomes like the Portsmouth tourney, where you only have DaVante Gardner types showing up, who want to play themselves into the first or second rounds.

There's no real reason for this. It sucks that fans don't get official measurements, but I would think teams do all of this on their own anyway during workouts.

[sidney lanier]

There's no real reason for this. It sucks that fans don't get official measurements, but I would think teams do all of this on their own anyway during workouts.

The reason is marketing, not metrics. The NFL has shown the NBA how to turn the most un-telegenic events into must-see TV, and how to keep fans engaged. The NBA needs to make the most of these fan touchpoints, and allowing this one to become Scrub-O-Rama 2014 is probably not the best approach.

[yoshii8]

With the guys in the Bucks basketball operations looking to impress the new owners and save their jobs, they decide to bring in Jake Thomas and Ben Brust for the first official draft workout. Nice job fellas, very impressive haul.

I look forward to actual professionals running our organization sometime soon.

[paulpressey25]

There's no real reason for this. It sucks that fans don't get official measurements, but I would think teams do all of this on their own anyway during workouts.

It is both marketing, as Sidney notes above and also important for bad teams to see what these guys are made of.

If you read Frank's story from the other day, let's say the Bucks get the 3rd or 4th pick in the lotto. Now the top four guys all decide not to work out for Milwaukee, not provide medical records, nor agree to be measured. That means the Bucks are screwed at getting important needed data.

http://www.brewhoop.com/2014/5/12/57076 ... go-combine

If the Bucks get the #1 overall, I'm sure all four will come into Milwaukee, as being the top overall pick has a lot of cache. But if the Bucks get 3rd or 4th? All four of these guys could shut us out.

[LUKE23]

I highly doubt that people would skip a workout for us at #4, and even if they did, it would be irrelevant to me in terms of selecting them.

[skones]

There's no real reason for this. It sucks that fans don't get official measurements, but I would think teams do all of this on their own anyway during workouts.

It is both marketing, as Sidney notes above and also important for bad teams to see what these guys are made of.

If you read Frank's story from the other day, let's say the Bucks get the 3rd or 4th pick in the lotto. Now the top four guys all decide not to work out for Milwaukee, not provide medical records, nor agree to be measured. That means the Bucks are screwed at getting important needed data.

http://www.brewhoop.com/2014/5/12/57076 ... go-combine

If the Bucks get the #1 overall, I'm sure all four will come into Milwaukee, as being the top overall pick has a lot of cache. But if the Bucks get 3rd or 4th? All four of these guys could shut us out.

It's just not as big of a marketing draw as the NFL given the sheer amount of attendees and the actual drills that typically take place. Nevermind the NFL being a league that brings in far more money and the overstatement of the combine as "must see TV." The crux here is how in depth the actual medical examinations go. Regardless of what would be reported at the combine, I would assume teams who were refused workouts would have those same looming questions without getting a look up close.

[paulpressey25]

I highly doubt that people would skip a workout for us at #4, and even if they did, it would be irrelevant to me in terms of selecting them.

That is partly because your top four is set. For some, Smart or Randle might be part of a look there.

More importantly is the number 3 slot. I'd like to know the exact measurements of Parker, Embiid and Exum along with all their medical files. All those guys could stiff the Bucks on that information should they want to go to the team picking fourth.

[LUKE23]

Honestly, the gap for me between the top 4 and the rest is so big that I don't really think anything measurement or workout related would change it. I don't think you should put a ton of stock into workouts when selecting a player anyway. If two guys are a dead heat on your board, then yeah, maybe. But if we didn't have Randle/Smart in our top 4 based on the game tape, and then changed that based on one non-game workout, I'd have a major issue with that. The team would be able to get these guys measurements even if they didn't come to Milwaukee as well, they will be all over the internet.

Players not working out for us/leaving early is something I'm honestly just not that concerned about.

[Badgerlander]

I think the only reason a player wouldn't workout for us is if we are #4 and their agent gets assurances from a team above us that they will be picking them higher, or if the Lakers have #5 and assures them etc. Of course that hasn't stopped us from picking them before.

[sidney lanier]

It's just not as big of a marketing draw as the NFL given the sheer amount of attendees and the actual drills that typically take place. Nevermind the NFL being a league that brings in far more money and the overstatement of the combine as "must see TV." The crux here is how in depth the actual medical examinations go. Regardless of what would be reported at the combine, I would assume teams who were refused workouts would have those same looming questions without getting a look up close.

It's true that on the face of it weighing and measuring a ton of prospects seems like the opposite of a marketing draw. But with the right approach any event, even something as boring as someone stepping on a scale, can be turned into something that engages fans.