Pre-Draft Thread / Workout Updates

[Devilzsidewalk]

DX has us taking Jamal Franklin at 26....I like

dont know anything about him, but a story online says he's a "ferocious defender". Good enough for me!

[theGreatRC]

Beal knows both Porter and Bennett but deferred to the front office on the decision. Wall didn’t make a specific choice but has repeatedly stated his desire to have a “stretch four” or “pick-and-pop” big man to spread the floor and create space. Bennett would appear to be the meet that criteria with his sophisticated offensive game and ability to score from all parts of the floor.
“We’ll see how that whole thing works out,” Grunfeld said, when asked about Wall’s request. “There’s always different ways to get certain players and we have players probably on our roster that can play that position or play in that role going forward. But we’re going to take everything into consideration, look at everything. We have a lot of work ahead of us, not only with the draft but after the draft in free agency.”

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wiz ... nba-draft/

Derrick Williams. baby.

[theGreatRC]

DX has us taking Jamal Franklin at 26....I like

dont know anything about him, but a story online says he's a "ferocious defender". Good enough for me!

Think of him as another Jimmy Butler. Franklin has a wingspan of almost 7 feet and he's 6'5.

Worse of an offensive player than Butler who already came into the league pretty damn raw himself even though Butler was an efficient scorer in college.

[Krapinsky]

Yes, he did have bad teammates, but shooting a contested step-back jumper with 15+ seconds left on the shot clock is never a good idea, and that is what KCP has been doing for the last year. I have questions about his D as well and I don't think he will be a good pick for us.

Who knows about any prospects in this draft though. KCP might adapt and listen to Adelman draining 3's off screens and playing solid or good D, but I have my doubts. We will likely get a vet SG alongside this pick anyway, so I don't even see KCP starting with Rubio which is obviously where his fit is.

On his team it actually was a good idea. It was a statistically superior play than running the offense. He was onee of the most efficient SG's in college basketball, despite having to make shots on a bad team with a high degree of difficulty. Despite opposing SEC defenses loading up against him, he was able to score in double digits everygame and single handedly win games for his team. What's more, is he's not going to have to do carry a team in the NBA where he's a third or fourth option offensively and has a point guard in Ricky Rubio and a coach in Rick Adelman to run an offense that can get him open shots.

[Krapinsky]

I don't love Zeller for this team, but I really think Zeller > Bennett in just about every thing at the PF position. I think Bennet might be so bad defensively that a team won't be able to keep him on the floor. He played with sporadic energy and effort in college and now he's got another 20 lbs to lose. I think Bennett's shoulder and the fact that he's a freshman has give him a free pass from some of the tough scrutiny facing other top of the draft prospects. Why a team would take him at 1-4 and not rather have Williams + 9 is beyond me.

[FinnTheHuman]

WHAT HAVE I EVER DONE TO YOU

I liked your post actually lol, I just fail to say what I mean from time to time, since English is not my 1st language. xD

[Dewey]

I don't love Zeller for this team, but I really think Zeller > Bennett in just about every thing at the PF position. I think Bennet might be so bad defensively that a team won't be able to keep him on the floor. He played with sporadic energy and effort in college and now he's got another 20 lbs to lose. I think Bennett's shoulder and the fact that he's a freshman has give him a free pass from some of the tough scrutiny facing other top of the draft prospects. Why a team would take him at 1-4 and not rather have Williams + 9 is beyond me.

Imagine both DW and Bennett on our team after Bennett falls ... Flip will panic and bingo ...

[theGreatRC]

I don't love Zeller for this team, but I really think Zeller > Bennett in just about every thing at the PF position. I think Bennet might be so bad defensively that a team won't be able to keep him on the floor. He played with sporadic energy and effort in college and now he's got another 20 lbs to lose. I think Bennett's shoulder and the fact that he's a freshman has give him a free pass from some of the tough scrutiny facing other top of the draft prospects. Why a team would take him at 1-4 and not rather have Williams + 9 is beyond me.

Imagine both DW and Bennett on our team after Bennett falls ... Flip will panic and bingo ...

I'd rather cut off my pinky as a sacrifice to the basketball gods than have Bennett on this team.

[phonzadellika]

I don't love Zeller for this team, but I really think Zeller > Bennett in just about every thing at the PF position. I think Bennet might be so bad defensively that a team won't be able to keep him on the floor. He played with sporadic energy and effort in college and now he's got another 20 lbs to lose. I think Bennett's shoulder and the fact that he's a freshman has give him a free pass from some of the tough scrutiny facing other top of the draft prospects. Why a team would take him at 1-4 and not rather have Williams + 9 is beyond me.

Imagine both DW and Bennett on our team after Bennett falls ... Flip will panic and bingo ...

We'd have to take Beasley back at that point so we could trot out a frontcourt of SCB/Bennett/Williams

Their nickname would be 'The Hydra'

[Saltine]

KCP has nice advanced stats;
http://hoopsanalyst.com/blog/?p=1018

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Georgia: Caldwell-Pope’s prospect case suffers from bad timing as much as anything. One of the big stories of this draft season has been McLemore and Oladipo. McLemore has been at or near the top of the mocks all year and Oladipo joined him there in May. Caldwell-Pope, despite having numbers that would have made him the top SG prospect in any of the 3 previous drafts, has been eclipsed by those two and has had trouble getting on the radar because if it.

His numbers have been stellar though. He’s a good scorer with great defensive numbers. That’s the starting point for star NBA SGs. Here are the comps. These are former sophs from major colleges who topped 22.0 P40 and 11.0 RSB40 as Caldwell-Pope did this past season...

[Saltine]

I'd rather cut off my pinky as a sacrifice to the basketball gods than have Bennett on this team.

I have an Axe!

[big3_8_19_21]

DX UPDATE!

#9: KCP
#26: Gorgui Dieng
#52: Trevor Mbakwe
#59: Peyton Siva

Not bad! KCP is a solid pick at 9, Dieng would be great at 26 and Mbakwe has a good a chance as anyone to carve out a role at 52.

[Saltine]

That would be a fine draft

[Klomp]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/flip_saunders/status/350123973457096704[/tweet]

[Klomp]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/samamicofso/status/350101590163718144[/tweet]

[Saltine]

The numbers don't work for a three way unless more guys are involved.

[Klomp]

Let's move to the draft day thread