Final "Where You Stand" Draft Board

[LUKE23]

Just wanted to see where everyone stands three days before the draft. I'm essentially the same as I was a couple weeks ago, outside of souring more on Randolph given all the negative words about his workouts, the Hollinger draft article, along with Randolph testing out at 197 pounds, which is unfathomable for a guy his size.

Of the guys that at least have a shot to be there at 8:

Happy With:

Westbrook
Gordon
Alexander
Love (small shot I know, but just in case he slips)
Trading up to #3 or #5 without moving Bogut or Yi
Trading out of the draft but obtaining a player that is or has a shot to be better than Redd/Bogut in a package deal

Wait and see, but I have questions:

Randolph
Speights

Unhappy With:

Gallinari
Lopez
Augustin
Jordan
Arthur
Trading back in the draft and obtaining role guys, and missing out on Alexander/Gordon/Westbrook/Love in the process
Trading the pick all together for a player worse than Redd/Bogut

[ReasonablySober]

I'm gonna be fine with whomever the Bucks take so long as his last name isn't Augustin.

The only scenario where I'm dancing in the street is if the Bucks land Mayo at #3 and a big man (probably Lopez) at #8.

[LUKE23]

There is no way I'd be happy with Jordan, the guy is getting hyped for no apparent reason (even his athletic testing at the pre-draft was blah, and that was supposed to be his calling card). There were also a lot of questions on his workouts.

I also don't see how we are going to be able to do the second part of your post, landing Mayo and Lopez. No way we can really get the 3 without moving 8. If we take Lopez I'll probably vomit profusely.

[europa]

WHAT I WANT TO SEE
A trade either up or down. My preference would be to acquire no worse than a quality starter. I'd be thrilled if the Bucks could package the 8th pick and a player like Mo or Villanueva and get a SF like Jefferson or Prince. If the Bucks are going to trade for a rookie, my preference would be to target Kevin Love first and Mayo second.

I'LL BE HAPPY WITH
Drafting Kevin Love
Drafting Brandon Rush

I'LL BE INTRIGUED WITH
Drafting Joe Alexander.

I'll YAWN BUT WON'T BE UPSET WITH
Drafting Russell Westbrook.

I WILL PROJECTILE VOMIT IF
The Bucks draft Gordon, Randolph, Brook Lopez or Gallinari (though Gordon will make me vomit less than the other three).
The Bucks trade Redd to the Cavs for their crappy expirings and their first-round pick.
The Bucks trade Bogut for any rookie in this draft who isn't named Derrick Rose.

[ReasonablySober]

There is no way I'd be happy with Jordan, the guy is getting hyped for no apparent reason (even his athletic testing at the pre-draft was blah, and that was supposed to be his calling card). There were also a lot of questions on his workouts.

I also don't see how we are going to be able to do the second part of your post, landing Mayo and Lopez. No way we can really get the 3 without moving 8. If we take Lopez I'll probably vomit profusely.

I'm still holding out for a Bogut/#3 swap. Or Redd and a future pick.

Jordan isn't my first, second or sixth choice but I'd reserver judgment for a couple years.

[benultimate]

Randolph
Gordon
Westbrook


Love
B. Lopez
Alexander
Speights


Gallinari
Jordan
Rush
Douglas-Roberts


Augustin
Pretty much anyone else, unless we trade down

[LUKE23]

Well, they aren't going to trade Bogut for #3 (i'd bet my house on that). I just don't see any way I could even attempt to rationalize drafting a project center with very high bust potential at 8. I'll be absolutely shocked if we draft either of the centers.

[paulpressey25]

What I want from the 8th pick:
Love
Trade for Josh Howard or Prince
Trade up for Mayo or Love

What I'll be ok with:Gordon
Lopez

What I'll frustrated with but hope gets corrected after July 1st via other personnel moves to come:
Alexander
Westbrook
Jordan

What I really don't want at all:
Randolph
Gallinari
Augustin

[Badgerlander]

Trade Redd, Mo, and CV for picks. While it would be a youth movement, I think there are enough players at the top of the draft that are NBA ready that we would still be competitive this year. If we do this I'd want Love for sure. If we were able to get Greene, then I would be ok with Westbrook, athletes like him and Alexander are always intriguing. If not then I'd want OJ or Gordon. I'd yawn if we took Rush. I'm not a Randolph or Gallinari fan. I don't mind trading for a vet like Jefferson, Howard, or Prince but I don't want to give up the pick.

[LISTEN2JAZZ]

Good idea for a thread Luke. It'll be fun to have a reference thread if RealGM doesn't delete it a year from now. Here's my top 8 with a brief note of explanation for each:

#1. Beasley. Conventional wisdom has Rose going #1, but I think that may be an overreaction to the success of Chris Paul (similar to Darko and Tskitishvili going so high as an overreaction to Dirk). Beasley is a tweener, but I'm starting to think he'll be more often on the right side of matchup problems than on the wrong one. The fact that Glenn Robinson didn't have the work ethic to become great shouldn't be a knock against Beasley.

#2. Rose. Looks to have decent point guard skills, plus insane athleticism, good size, and a great scoring instinct. Even though he isn't as "pure" as Paul and Nash, he will be a top 5 point guard before the end of his rookie contract.

#3. Love. I'm nervous about putting so much stock in someone who is a bit short and fat for a PF, but boy can Kevin Love play basketball. I don't buy into the theory that it's "redundant" to have two big men with great IQs who play tough and unselfishly. I see flashes of Charles Barkley when I watch Love play. I don't yet know how he'll cover big PFs like Dirk and Duncan, but there are fewer question marks for Love than for any of the other prospects on the board.

#4. Mayo. Didn't have a great college season, but of all the undersized 2-guards at the top of this draft, he's the least undersized (as in only by .5 inches or so), and the most capable of playing some pg. Could become a great Billups-type scoring pg, and has all the strength and athleticism to play solid defense. If you need to use him at 2, he'll be one of the better passers at that position. Depending on the day of the week, I might have Mayo at #3 on my board.

---
After this the rankings get tough, as the "sure things" are gone. I'm pretty sure about my next four guys, but not at all sure about the order that I put them in. If all four were still on the board, I'm not sure how I would make my final choice. As such, I'm not putting numbers next to them.
---

Westbrook. Talented player, but his calling card is defense, and I don't know if I believe that he actually has the size to be a great defender at the 2. When you strip a defender of his defensive edge, you sometimes are left with Corey Brewer. But Westbrook may have the discipline to play PG, which at the very least makes him a nice combo guard off the bench.

Alexander. Nothing more than a role player, but I think he'll be a great one (like Battier or Prince). Plays hard, and can dunk it easily from any weird angle, which will help him maintain his fg% in the pros. His athleticism will make him a fan favorite. If Desmond Mason had another 2 inches, and a better jumper, he'd be a great player.

Speights. A talented, athletic big who can play 4 and 5, and produce for us? I can't think of a good reason not to take him in the high lotto. He was a great college player with all the size and strength to be a great pro. And if I believe what I hear, he does all this without even working that hard. Soon as NBA conditioning coaches get to him, he might get even better.

Lopez. I think Lopez is a high floor/low ceiling type player which isn't exciting for the fans, but he'll add a few wins to the team from day 1 (which is more than you can say for lots of the other guys on the board). The relationship between good backup big men and winning games is highly underrated by fans. I think if all 96 of our big men minutes were filled by good basketball players, we'd be able to get by with what we've got (plus a minor change in the backcourt) and see the playoffs right away. If Lopez becomes a starting center, then we've got a very tradeable asset.

[Licensed to Il]

First Tier of Semi Plausible Scenarios I am Hoping Go Down:

- Trade for Gerald Wallace
- Trade for Tashaun Prince
- Trade for Shawn Marion

Second Tier of Semi Plausible Sc...

- Trade for Devin Harris
- Draft Joe Alexander
- Draft Kevin Love
- Trade down with Portland in a deal that netted us J Jack and T Outlaw

Third Tier of..

- Trade with Chicago for Kirk Hinrich
- Trade with Phoenix for Barbosa and their first rounder

[smauss]

What I want from the 8th pick:
Love
Trade for Josh Howard or Prince
Trade up for Mayo or Love

What I'll be ok with:Gordon
Lopez

What I'll frustrated with but hope gets corrected after July 1st via other personnel moves to come:
Alexander
Westbrook
Jordan

What I really don't want at all:
Randolph
Gallinari
Augustin

Press, I agree with most of your positions but I will change some:

What I want from the 8th pick:
Love (He won't fall to 8 but...)
Trade for Josh Howard or Prince
Trade up for Love
Trade down and end up with Rush/DJ White or better yet both!

What I'll be ok with at #8:
Alexander
Westbrook
Gordon

What I really don't want at #8 at all:
Randolph
Gallinari
Augustin
Lopez

[JoeHova]

Guys I'd be between happy and ecstatic about getting:

Beasley
Mayo
Rose
Love
Alexander

none of the other guys really excite me. the top 3 on that list have no chance of reaching 8 and Love's chance is slim, so I guess I'm an Alexander guy. I'd be ok with drafting Gordon as long as a Michael Redd trade soon followed. I'd question Hammond's sanity and the direction of the franchise if Lopez, Hibbert, Jordan, Randolph, or Koufos have their names called at 8.

[JoeHova]

I should say that I do see a little Shawn Respert in Gordon, but taking him would mean getting Mike out of town and starting a new era, so that would be fine with me even though he has a high chance of being a bust or a low-efficiency player.

[Johnny Newman]

I say trade up with Miami. I say trade #8 and Mo for #2 and Blount.

[LUKE23]

I say trade up with Miami. I say trade #8 and Mo for #2 and Blount.

You're absolutely drunk if you think that's enough to move up to #2.

[aboveAverage]

Aside from beasley and rose, I would love to get
Mayo
Alexander
Rush
Bayless
Either of the Lopez brothers (it never hurts to have a talented 7 foot backup center, I don't care how much people hate on them)

That's about it.

Guys I would be OK but not happy with:
Randolph
Gordon
Love
Augustin

I wouldn't mind if we traded down and drafted Chris Douglas Roberts, Speights, McGee, Bill Walker and added a solid veteran player. That might work out better than drafting at #8.

I would hate:
Gallinari
Gallinari
Gallinari

[MikeIsGood]

What I Really Want:
Trade out (Howard or Prince)
Trade up (Mayo or Love)

What I'd Still Be Happy With:
Draft Alexander

What I'd Be Ok With:
Draft Westbrook
Draft Gordon
Trade down, depending upon who for

What I Will Not Be Happy With:
Draft Randolph
Draft Augustin
Draft Lopez


I really do not think I know enough about Gallinari.

[paul]

WHAT I WANT TO SEE
A trade either up or down. My preference would be to acquire no worse than a quality starter. I'd be thrilled if the Bucks could package the 8th pick and a player like Mo or Villanueva and get a SF like Jefferson or Prince. If the Bucks are going to trade for a rookie, my preference would be to target Kevin Love first and Mayo second.

I'LL BE HAPPY WITH
Drafting Kevin Love
Drafting Brandon Rush

I'LL BE INTRIGUED WITH
Drafting Joe Alexander.

I'll YAWN BUT WON'T BE UPSET WITH
Drafting Russell Westbrook.

I WILL PROJECTILE VOMIT IF
The Bucks draft Gordon, Randolph, Brook Lopez or Gallinari (though Gordon will make me vomit less than the other three).
The Bucks trade Redd to the Cavs for their crappy expirings and their first-round pick.
The Bucks trade Bogut for any rookie in this draft who isn't named Derrick Rose.

Actually I agree with pretty much all of that, although I don't mind Gordon as much from what I've seen which is limited.

If I had to put my preferences for #8 in order, I'd say -

1. Use it as part of a package to get a quality proven SF or PF - At SF Battier if available, Prince, GWallace, Artest (if his head is screwed on and he'd extend), Miller, Howard, Odom in that order. For PF package it in combination with Redd, Mo or Yi for Brand or Boozer (who there seem to be some whispers about)
2. Use it to get a very good PG - Billups (depending on what other moves happen, can't have a ridiculously young team with just Chauncey over 25), AMiller, Conley (?)
3. Move up using anyone except Bogut or preferably Sessions to get Love or Mayo (Or ideally of course Rose or Beasley)
4. Draft BPA - preferably Love, Westbrook, Alexandar, Rush, Gordon

What I won't like -

1. Draft Gallinari
2. Draft B Lopez
3. Draft R Lopez
4. Draft Jordan
5. Draft Randolph if the recent reports of his suspect attitude and conditioning prove correct.

What will make me foam at the mouth and go on some form of violent rampage -
1. Trade Bogut to move up, or for any reason other than getting a proven superstar.


Also a couple of guys late in the draft intrigue me - mainly CDR and Jawai.

[carmelbrownqueen]

I would be happy with Love or Alexander...

I would not be happy with Randolph or Gordon...

My strong suspicion right now is that we will get STUCK with Randolph.