Official #2 Pick Thread - Ford #7: Parker

[jakecronus8]

We have said nothing about Wiggins yet. We won't until draft day. We know Philly wants him. We know Philly has the assets to easily attain the number 1. My prediction is the first we hear of Andrew is when the bucks call his name at No. 2

#smokescreen
#justaprediction

[Newz]

We have said nothing about Wiggins yet. We won't until draft day. We know Philly wants him. We know Philly has the assets to easily attain the number 1. My prediction is the first we hear of Andrew is when the bucks call his name at No. 2

#smokescreen
#justaprediction

GOAT movie scene.

[Treebeard]

I'm just saying if the Bucks draft Exum over Parker or Wiggins( potential allstars) I'm going to lose my sh#t. We can't afford to blow the #2 pick on potential, we need a player right away or else Seattle will get our team.

If this were pre Lasry & Edens, I might agree. I worry less about the Seattle hook now.

I really beleive the Bucks have to swing for the home-run again (mixing sports metaphors....)

I've wavered back and forth a number of times on what my preferred pecking order is, but I think Reasonably Sober accurately laid it out earlier:

My tiers are still:

1 - Embiid



2a - Wiggins
2b - Exum

4 - Parker

[jakecronus8]

We have said nothing about Wiggins yet. We won't until draft day. We know Philly wants him. We know Philly has the assets to easily attain the number 1. My prediction is the first we hear of Andrew is when the bucks call his name at No. 2

#smokescreen
#justaprediction

GOAT movie scene.

Great scene, but I gotta go with

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NqpNQ9AJYgU[/youtube]

[Bucksfan28]

We have said nothing about Wiggins yet. We won't until draft day. We know Philly wants him. We know Philly has the assets to easily attain the number 1. My prediction is the first we hear of Andrew is when the bucks call his name at No. 2

#smokescreen
#justaprediction

[tranjSAIC]

I'm just saying if the Bucks draft Exum over Parker or Wiggins( potential allstars) I'm going to lose my sh#t. We can't afford to blow the #2 pick on potential, we need a player right away or else Seattle will get our team.

I'm not a Bucks fan but I don't agree with that, I think you take the guy with the highest upside regardless. Plus you guys have a high upside guy in Giannis who is years away from his prime.

[M-C-G]

I won't be surprised if the Bucks leak they are incredibly impressed by Wiggins workout to get Philly thinking about giving up that 10 to get him. That would actually show me this is a new era of Bucks management.

Let the games begin.

[MiltownHawkeye]

It would be positively hilarious if the Cavs were targetting Parker. He's the worst fit for them by leaps and bounds.

[crkone]

I won't be surprised if the Bucks leak they are incredibly impressed by Wiggins workout to get Philly thinking about giving up that 10 to get him. That would actually show me this is a new era of Bucks management.

Let the games begin.

The best thing would be for Wiggins' camp to come out and cancel any remaining workouts immediately after ours. And still have Exum come in tomorrow. That would confuse the hell out of Philly.

[Rockmaninoff]

I'm just saying if the Bucks draft Exum over Parker or Wiggins( potential allstars) I'm going to lose my sh#t. We can't afford to blow the #2 pick on potential, we need a player right away or else Seattle will get our team.

Exum isn't a potential All-Star? Here is Australian NT teammate (and future NBA player) Joe Ingles on Exum:

Do you think one NCAA semester could hurt Exum's stock?

"Going to the NCAA for one semester will not hurt his stock. People don't realize that Dante is just a kid. He still looks likes a kid and acts like one too, but he's a special kid. He's got plenty of options and can pick from basically any college program. He can also choose to sit out for a year and still be a top five draft pick. Whatever he does he will be a NBA superstar because he has the work ethic."

What impressed you most about Exum?

"His work ethic. Dante is very talented. He's quick, fast and plays great defense. Shooting is probably his biggest weakness at the moment, but I've seen him in the gym before and after every practice for 30-45 minutes just working on his shots. He's going to continue to improve because he has the work ethic it takes to become a great player."

Here is shooting coach David Nurse tearing up Exum's jumpshot, but concluding that he'll be a star:

It’s easy to see why NBA execs and GM’s get more excited than a contestant on the Price is Right when you look into the crystal ball of his potential and skill set. Exum is extremely smooth and fluid with unbelievable body control, allowing him to dissect defenses by getting into the lane at ease in the flow of the offense and weaving in and out of defenders like a Porsche in the open court.

His ability to get out in transition and speed with the ball in his hands is top 10 in the NBA right now. There are a lot of players with great speed, but Exum’s ability to cultivate that speed with the ball in his hands is what makes him so dynamic in the open floor. If his world-class speed wasn’t enough, Exum is able to shift gears and change speeds very effectively making him an extremely tough player to defend in transition.

The toughest players to defend aren’t always the quickest and most athletic players, it is the players who are able to constantly change speeds and always put pressure on the defense. This is where Exum’s personal analysis of himself really does draw comparisons to Manu Ginobli; shifty and unassuming.

A great skill set ability that more NBA players need to realize the importance of – deceptiveness. Exum has harnessed this skill set at young age and with his high level ball control and natural feel for the game, he is able to utilize this craft to create for his teammates. Hence, why I have labeled him as neither a point guard or a two-guard, but instead simply as a playmaker.

All of these weapons in Exum’s arsenal are great and extremely tantalizing to an NBA franchise. And I haven’t even mentioned his explosive first step, rebounding range for a guard, and ability to draw fouls at the rim.

But the single most telling factor of why I am convinced that a player this skilled but still less seen to the public than a UFO sighting in a cornfield will be highly successful at the next level is his basketball IQ and maturity. Maturity and 18-year-old kid are not often seen in the same sentence or anywhere close for that matter. But that is not the case for Exum. He is mature beyond his years and has a basketball IQ and natural feel for the game that makes it appear like he was born to play basketball. Well, I guess he was.

[bebopdeluxe]

It is also interesting the rumors of PHI wanting to move up to #1. I wonder if they are worried that CLE wants Wiggins or worried that we want Wiggins at #2.

I feel as confident as someone who knows little about Sam Hinkie as most of us do can feel in saying that Hinkie will stay at 3...unless 3 + 32 (and something like Wroten or Sims can move the needle) moves him to 1.

Embiid...Parker...Wiggins...Exum.

At 3, Hinkie has his choice of at least TWO of those guys. He ain't giving up 10 to move up to 1...and I don't even think he gives up Thad (I think he would use Thad with 10 to move up to 7 or 8 to get one of Vonleh/Randle/Gordon).

This is such nonsense, Philly fans acting like they and their front office doesn't care who falls to them at #3. You're telling this to fans of a team worried as heck that the right guy won't fall to 2. It's nice to step back and say that we can't go wrong since we're guaranteed one of our top two on the board no matter who those 2 players might be. But the truth is we're still worried sick that only one of these guys might be a legit franchise player and we just might miss out on him.

Bottom line: If Sam Hinkie has a clear no. 1 guy on his board, he sure as heck is trying to formulate a way to ensure that he gets that player. He won't play his cards (#10 pick) until he has to. He'll wait right up until the moment he knows his guy isn't going to make it to #3. And that very well might not be fully apparent until draft day. Until then he's not going to lose leverage and let it be known that he values one player above all others. Now he may or may not have one player head and shoulders above all others. But I can assure you of two things:

1- If Hinkie has 1 player alone at the top, in a tier of his own, the 10th pick is definitely worth parting with to him

2- No one, not Hinkie or any GM, scout, owner, coach, etc. has the top 3 players of the draft rated equally. Everyone has a favorite. It's just a matter of to what degree.

You are certainly entitled to your opinion, but a team that is as bereft of talent as the Sixers are right now is in NO position to give up a top 10 pick in a LOADED draft just to move up a slot or two. In addition, giving up the #10 pick in this draft to simply be able to choose ANY of the four players mentioned goes against EVERYTHING that Hinkie has said since he has been Sixers GM and much of what he did when he was in HOU. ESPECIALLY if the Cavs take Embiid - which they likely will - why would the Sixers give up the NUMBER TEN pick in the draft to move up ONE spot?

The Sixers have Noel. Giving up a pick that could be Gordon or Randle (either at 10 or in a trade with Thad) simply to pick Embiid makes ZERO sense from a VALUE perspective. Now, if Embiid falls to 3, that is another matter entirely...but there is ZERO in Hinkie's background that would suggest that he would do that. Would he give up 3 + 32? More likely...but probably not enough - CLE would be idiots to take that package instead of simply taking Embiid.

And if Hinkie is unlikely to trade 10 to move up TWO spots, he sure as hell isn't doing it to move up one slot. Frankly, I think it is more likely that he would trade DOWN with UTA (taking #5, 23 and other goodies) so they could take Parker than trading up (and, based on what is coming out of ORL, it sounds like there is a fair chance that Exum could be there at 5). Giving something up like the NUMBER TEN pick in THIS draft - to insure that they get Wiggins, makes absolutely ZERO sense - especially since there is a better-than-zero chance they get him at 3 anyway.

Sorry about that.

[jwill535]

ESPN Cleveland ‏@ESPNCleveland 2h

.@TheRealTRizzo: Sources tell me Joel Embiid's physical w/ the #Cavs did not go well. Enough red flags that they won't take him #1 overall.

Probasketballdraft ‏@Probballdraft Jun 11

News is positive in Cleveland after Cavs examine Joel Embiid's back and see no longterm concerns, according to a source.


So there you go, clear as mud.

[chonestown]

Dante Exum sounds like he has the it factor, but does he have the charisma and impeccable dinner table etiquette that would position him as the possible choice at #2?

[M-C-G]

Good read on Exum...he is firmly my #4 and would like him IF we traded down to collect another lottery pick, if we weren't enamored with the big 3.

I think you need to take the people interviewed in context somewhat, but great read all the same.

For what it is worth, his 3/4 sprint time is good, but not elite...I get they were mentioning him with the ball, but I highly doubt he is top 10 in speed....

Better PG sprint times ( a few examples from scanning the list that I think are still in the NBA today)
Shumpert
Farmar
Teague
Tyreke Evans
Nolan Smith
Trey Burke
Kemba Walker
Goudelouck
OJ MAYO (who also had a 41 inch vert...forgot what a stud he was suppose to be out of college)
Isiah Thomas
Jameer Nelson
John Wall
Phil Pressey
Lawson
Wilbekin (put up a really impressive combine measures)
Stuckney
Hinrich
Conley Jr
Wade
Larkin
Westbrook
Bayless
George Hill
Agustin
Knight
Rose


Granted some of those guys were years ago...but that doesn't scream ELITE...it screams pretty damn good.

[M-C-G]

ESPN Cleveland ‏@ESPNCleveland 2h

.@TheRealTRizzo: Sources tell me Joel Embiid's physical w/ the #Cavs did not go well. Enough red flags that they won't take him #1 overall.

Probasketballdraft ‏@Probballdraft Jun 11

News is positive in Cleveland after Cavs examine Joel Embiid's back and see no longterm concerns, according to a source.


So there you go, clear as mud.

Screams power play to get Philly to give up 3 and 10 and then try to snag Embiid at three?

[bebopdeluxe]

I won't be surprised if the Bucks leak they are incredibly impressed by Wiggins workout to get Philly thinking about giving up that 10 to get him. That would actually show me this is a new era of Bucks management.

Let the games begin.

Never happen. If Wiggins is the Bucks guy, they should just pull the trigger and take him. I think the chances of Hinkie giving up the NUMBER TEN pick in this draft (a pick that should be able - either on its own or in a trade with Thad - to get us one of Vonleh/Gordon/Randle) - just to INSURE that they get Wiggins are just about zero. I think that there is a better likelihood that the Sixers trade DOWN with UTA (to get 5, 23 and other stuff) so they can take Parker, than giving up THE NUMBER TEN PICK IN THIS DRAFT to move up ONE slot.

Good luck with WIggins and Giannis.

[Bernman]

Screams power play to get Philly to give up 3 and 10 and then try to snag Embiid at three?

It screams far from that exactly, because if they really liked Embiid, they wouldn't risk needing him to drop to 3.

Hell, all it screams is either that's how they feel, or they are trying to rationalize to their base a win now move to lure LeBron, especially w/ how things are going south in Miami. Although for that to be the case they'd have to know one or more teams they've been talking with are really keen on Wiggins or Parker, because they are tanking Embiid's value.

[Mr Anonymous]

You are certainly entitled to your opinion, but a team that is as bereft of talent as the Sixers are right now is in NO position to give up a top 10 pick in a LOADED draft just to move up a slot or two. In addition, giving up the #10 pick in this draft to simply be able to choose ANY of the four players mentioned goes against EVERYTHING that Hinkie has said since he has been Sixers GM and much of what he did when he was in HOU. ESPECIALLY if the Cavs take Embiid - which they likely will - why would the Sixers give up the NUMBER TEN pick in the draft to move up ONE spot?

The Sixers have Noel. Giving up a pick that could be Gordon or Randle (either at 10 or in a trade with Thad) simply to pick Embiid makes ZERO sense from a VALUE perspective. Now, if Embiid falls to 3, that is another matter entirely...but there is ZERO in Hinkie's background that would suggest that he would do that. Would he give up 3 + 32? More likely...but probably not enough - CLE would be idiots to take that package instead of simply taking Embiid.

And if Hinkie is unlikely to trade 10 to move up TWO spots, he sure as hell isn't doing it to move up one slot. Frankly, I think it is more likely that he would trade DOWN with UTA (taking #5, 23 and other goodies) so they could take Parker than trading up - and giving something up like the NUMBER TEN pick in THIS draft - to insure that they get Wiggins...especially since there is a better-than-zero chance they get him at 3 anyway.

Sorry about that.

And I'm sorry that you decided to felt it necessary to come to the Buck's forum to tell us that your GM won't trade the 10th pick or any other asset of value (Young) to move up to #1 or #2. The reality is that if Hinkie feels as though he won't get "his guy" at 3, he sure as hell will use an asset to move up to get him. The only gray area, is not whether he'd be willing to do it, its what would it take. Since we all know bench fodder, mediocre starters, and 2nd round picks won't get it done, it brings the #10 pick into the picture.

The #10 pick is most definitely being discussed by the Cavs and the Bucks. If they were even thinking of dropping back a spot or two, it's one of the relatively few assets that would be discussed.

Again the only question is, and I can't stress this enough as there is no gray area here. Since Hinkie absolutely does not rate his top 3 on his board equally, who does he have at the top and by how much. I don't care if the only player on the 76ers roster was Jason Richardson, if Hinkie has a clear no. 1 who he feels will alter the fate of the franchise for the better over the other two, he will absolutely be willing to part with pick 10. That isn't even a question. Only Hinkie knows if his No. 1 target is head and shoulders above the others on the board. If Hinkie's no. 1 is that only player he feels is a franchise changer, he'd use pick 10 to make it happen.

To try and tell us that pick 10 is off limits is a waste of everyone's time. And I'm really not sure what purpose it serves to declare that here.

[4hitter]

I know this goes against popular opinion but has anyone promoting the smokescreen theories ever stopped to consider we might not have as much interest in Wiggins as you do? Not everything in life is a conspiracy theory, though I do get your points that teams do conduct themselves in public to do so at times. Just saying it could also be that we just aren't as high on him as everyone on here is...

For the record, though I prefer Parker, I'll be celebrating whoever becomes a Milwaukee Buck on Draft night!

[M-C-G]

For the record, though I prefer Parker, I'll be celebrating whoever becomes a Milwaukee Buck on Draft night!

I second that!! Whoever we get is my new second favorite player.