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http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/columns/story?columnist=ford_chad&page=DraftWatch-080922

"NBA scouts continue to offer dire warnings about the NBA draft class of 2009. After two stellar years, thanks to amazing college freshman classes, a draft drought may be on the way.

"Even if you assume everyone declares for the draft next June," one longtime NBA executive said, "you'll struggle to find much star power or depth next year. My scouts are walking around depressed already and it's September."

Sometimes things change over the course of the college basketball season, but scouts walked away from a number of summer events convinced that the NBA draft pool is in recession."

Just our luck, all of our picks are in this draft class

Well if we're as bad as everyone expects us to be, then we'll have a shot at least one of the decent prospects.

For instance, Ford predicts us to be bottom 5. That would land us in a pool with Rubio, Mullens, Griffen, Harden and DeRozen.

Then there are other favorites like Jennings and Thabeet. Others are bound to emerge.

I wouldn't be to depressed about it... scouts may have opinions one way or another, but in reality how many of them prove to be successful from year to year anyway?

I mean, look at all the past draft classes, there have been many more misses than hits. Good job scouts, good job.

what about trading them? I think if we have the #6 (our own one), #12 (miami), #24 (utah) and #30 (boston) we could package the last 3 to get a better pick like high lottery or a veteran for a spot we have no depth at. or package them with a player to give us a talent upgrade...

college basketball season hasnt even started and there all already duds

still watch out for Pat Mills ,i reckon he will be a top 10 player by the end of the season

wolves_fan_82au wrote:college basketball season hasnt even started and there all already duds

still watch out for Pat Mills ,i reckon he will be a top 10 player by the end of the season

If that is the case then all the doubters of next years class are going to be proved right.

LOL, seriously though, I'm not calling anything at this point. It may look one way now, but come March, people will be drooling over someone. It may not be at Beasley or Durant levels, but someone will show out.

I'm not worried yet. The draft is so filled with hype every year that once the college basketball season starts, players will emerge that will make fans and teams get excited. Projections outpace performance in so many of these players, that I think we'll hear what we always hear "its a deep draft!" by the time the NBA lottery rolls around.

I can't remember the last year when, at the time of the draft, people said it was shallow. You hear it before, and sometimes after, but not at the time.

I like the idea of using the picks to consolidate and move up. Nobody wants 4 1st round players next year.

I'll take four 1st rounders next year, lets see, I'd like to order 1 Rubio, 1 Thabeet, 1 Patterson, and 1 D. James.

Brandon Jennings is a star. I'm sure there will be others who will turn into stars. I wouldn't worry about it like everyone is saying. The talent pool in basketball is growing and growing I have a feeling there is going to be no more bad drafts for a long time.

Likely whoever we pick up isn't going to be a star their first year, and that's fine because they can make their jump in 2010 after we make a FA signing.

5 - Thabeet/shrink
4 - Jefferson/Love
3 - Miller/Brewer
2 - DeRozan/McCants
1 - Foye/Telfaire

Looks like a mighty fine line-up to me for 2009.

andyhop wrote:

wolves_fan_82au wrote:college basketball season hasnt even started and there all already duds

still watch out for Pat Mills ,i reckon he will be a top 10 player by the end of the season

If that is the case then all the doubters of next years class are going to be proved right.

not a fan of Mills ????

hes real under-rated on D too imo
i doubt nba guards would be able to stop him from getting into the lane and he can shoot the 3 as well
good passer

wolves_fan_82au wrote:

andyhop wrote:

wolves_fan_82au wrote:college basketball season hasnt even started and there all already duds

still watch out for Pat Mills ,i reckon he will be a top 10 player by the end of the season

If that is the case then all the doubters of next years class are going to be proved right.

not a fan of Mills ????

hes real under-rated on D too imo
i doubt nba guards would be able to stop him from getting into the lane and he can shoot the 3 as well
good passer

I'd like Mills in the 20's not in the lottery.

I just think he is going to end up as a change of pace PG not as a true starter.

His biggest attribute is his speed which will be partially nullified in the league apart from that there isn't anything too special about him.He doesn't finish well ,is an ok scorer efficiency wise and nothing special from 3pt range.

He isn't a great playmaker and on top of that is small in height and stature.

[/quote]

I'd like Mills in the 20's not in the lottery.

I just think he is going to end up as a change of pace PG not as a true starter.

His biggest attribute is his speed which will be partially nullified in the league apart from that there isn't anything too special about him.He doesn't finish well ,is an ok scorer efficiency wise and nothing special from 3pt range.

He isn't a great playmaker and on top of that is small in height and stature.[/quote]

Maurice Williams ????

Wasn't Shane Heal an Olympic legend, as well?

the_incredible_basti wrote:what about trading them? I think if we have the #6 (our own one), #12 (miami), #24 (utah) and #30 (boston) we could package the last 3 to get a better pick like high lottery or a veteran for a spot we have no depth at. or package them with a player to give us a talent upgrade...

I think we are more likely to acquire the 7th-10th pick because we will be better than NJN, NYK, Milwaukee, OKC, Sacramento, and Memphis. We might also be better than Indiana, Miami, and Charlotte.

Miami's pick is top 10 protected, so I think Miami would either make the playoffs spot (giving us a pick 15 or worse), or tank in order to keep their top 10 pick. They won't give us a pick in the 11-14 range so easily.

I'm sorry, do they not say this b4 almost every draft? And then once college basketball gets rolling and some people get TV cred they say it is deep? The majority of draft projections are wrong anyway.

Ricky Rubio
Brandon Jennings
Blake Griffin
DeRozan
Mullens
Harden
Holiday
Thabeet
etc,etc,etc

This draft is plenty deep.

john2jer wrote:Wasn't Shane Heal an Olympic legend, as well?

lol no andrew gaze was

i dont even think heal went through college in the states

revprodeji wrote:I'm sorry, do they not say this b4 almost every draft? And then once college basketball gets rolling and some people get TV cred they say it is deep? The majority of draft projections are wrong anyway.

Ricky Rubio
Brandon Jennings
Blake Griffin
DeRozan
Mullens
Harden
Holiday
Thabeet
etc,etc,etc

This draft is plenty deep.

I don't always trust scouts, but it doesn't make me feel too confident when they are saying the class is not nearly as strong as 2007 or 2008. I actually do like some of these prospects, but all I can say is we will probably will have a 7th-10th pick (I think that's a fair prediction), and the question is which players will be gone before than, and can we pick up a solid player with our pick.

Trade all the picks to move up and get Rubio/Jennings or Thabeast...Depending on what we see as a bigger need. (3 man big rotation of Beast/Al/Love is great)

cpfsf wrote:I don't always trust scouts, but it doesn't make me feel too confident when they are saying the class is not nearly as strong as 2007 or 2008. I actually do like some of these prospects, but all I can say is we will probably will have a 7th-10th pick (I think that's a fair prediction), and the question is which players will be gone before than, and can we pick up a solid player with our pick.

They were saying the exact same thing about last year's draft class in regards to the '07 class before Beasley and Rose blew up. From where things stand now, that looks to be wrong (although we have yet to see how the '08 class fares as pros). However, we can't expect every year to churn out the caliber prospects the last two years have, so we'll be reading about guys predicting the other shoe to drop until it actually does. That could be this year, it could be next year, it could be four years from now. Nobody knows for certain, since the draft is far from an exact science.