Countdown to NBA Draft: Prospect Talk

[DickGrayson]

I have a feeling Knicks will end up with Okafor and Towns will go to Minnesota. I've had many dreams of the ping pong balls working to where Minnesota will be the #1 overall pick and get Towns.

[god4gives]

ok4 is staying in college.

[Worst_to_First]

I have a feeling Knicks will end up with Okafor and Towns will go to Minnesota. I've had many dreams of the ping pong balls working to where Minnesota will be the #1 overall pick and get Towns.

I know this is wrong and will probably get slammed for this, but I am hoping under these scenarios KAT does a Jabari Parker in terms of sabotaging his workouts with the teams he does not want to end up with. Sixers, TWolves, Magic, Kings and Pistons are among teams that could draft him just to become their back-up center. I know some would say that probably being a backup in the early part of his career maybe ideal for Towns but I believe otherwise and that throwing him straight to the deep end would be the best for him. He is a guy that takes failures and learns from them well.

[kingquan316]

ok4 is staying in college.

He's an idiot if he does.

[Jkam31]

ok4 is staying in college.

0% chance he stays absolutely 0%. Even if he entertained the idea for even 1second he would be advised otherwise cause there will be a lockout the year he can't out if he stayed.


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[DickGrayson]

I have a feeling Knicks will end up with Okafor and Towns will go to Minnesota. I've had many dreams of the ping pong balls working to where Minnesota will be the #1 overall pick and get Towns.

I know this is wrong and will probably get slammed for this, but I am hoping under these scenarios KAT does a Jabari Parker in terms of sabotaging his workouts with the teams he does not want to end up with. Sixers, TWolves, Magic, Kings and Pistons are among teams that could draft him just to become their back-up center. I know some would say that probably being a backup in the early part of his career maybe ideal for Towns but I believe otherwise and that throwing him straight to the deep end would be the best for him. He is a guy that takes failures and learns from them well.

I think Towns also wants to be in the right environment. He picked UK for a reason, so hopefully Fisher/Jackson can make guys like Towns, Okafor, Mudiay, Russell, WCS and Hezonja feel comfortable.

I just don't know what Minnesota, Philadelphia and the other players in the lottery are offering. The lottery day will frighten me. I just don't want to do anything to jinx the Knicks, i feel like the more i talk about it the more ill jinx them, so let me stop.

[DickGrayson]

We have to consider the other prospects at 4-6. We're not guaranteed at 1,2,3.


Who do you like at 4-6? Beyond Okafor, Towns, Russell and Mudiay.

We have Hezonja, Johnson, WCS, Porzingis, Winslow, Turner.

[mpharris36]

We have to consider the other prospects at 4-6. We're not guaranteed at 1,2,3.


Who do you like at 4-6? Beyond Okafor, Towns, Russell and Mudiay.

We have Hezonja, Johnson, WCS, Porzingis, Winslow, Turner.

right now we can't get any lower than 4 why would we care what happens at 5 and 6 right now?

with our roster I don't see us winning many more games, but if we do we will cross that bridge when we get to it.

[Johnny Hoops]

We have to consider the other prospects at 4-6. We're not guaranteed at 1,2,3.


Who do you like at 4-6? Beyond Okafor, Towns, Russell and Mudiay.

We have Hezonja, Johnson, WCS, Porzingis, Winslow, Turner.

I think Phil will have it in this order --- Towns, Okafor, Mudiay, WCS, Porzingis --- then maybe Russell, Johnson, Hezonja.

[mpharris36]

We have to consider the other prospects at 4-6. We're not guaranteed at 1,2,3.


Who do you like at 4-6? Beyond Okafor, Towns, Russell and Mudiay.

We have Hezonja, Johnson, WCS, Porzingis, Winslow, Turner.

I think Phil will have it in this order --- Towns, Okafor, Mudiay, WCS, Porzingis --- then maybe Russell, Johnson, Hezonja.

no way Russell isn't in his top 4. And no way WCS is in his top 5.

Phil likes bigs that have an offensive game and can pass. WCS is nothing more than Tyson Chandler light. He might be the right fit for some teams, but I see no chance Phil picking WCS...none

[Deeeez Knicks]

imagine if we fell to #4 and Phil picked WCS? lol. that would pretty much be the worst thing to happen ever. i dont see any chance for that

[mpharris36]

imagine if we fell to #4 and Phil picked WCS? lol. that would pretty much be the worst thing to happen ever. i dont see any chance for that

not happening

[BeagleBoss]

Okafor @ 7pm on ESPN and Russell @ 8:30pm on ESPN2 tonight!

[TrueWarrior]

We have to consider the other prospects at 4-6. We're not guaranteed at 1,2,3.


Who do you like at 4-6? Beyond Okafor, Towns, Russell and Mudiay.

We have Hezonja, Johnson, WCS, Porzingis, Winslow, Turner.

Hezonja is the best fit with the most upside to me who should be able to play right away. Athletic with skill and size, and hes got some spunk too, so I go with him. Porzingis is a ways off and is scared of the paint. Turner is also scared of the paint while he runs like an old man and has the strength of a 12 year old. WCS is Tyson 2.0, which is great for some teams but clearly not what we need. Winslow, Johnson, and Oubre all look like solid starting role playing SFs down the line but they havent shown enough to be picked top 5. Looney is meh and a tweener. Harrell not worth a top 10 pick. Bobby Portis and Christian Wood seem a little underrated to me, but theyd be reaches. Kaminsky..... nah. Lyles Im not a fan of for us. The PGs Grant, Wright, Jones, and Dunn all look pretty good but we could get one of em with a later pick.

I still really like Russell but I question if he can get to the basket, finish, and defend in the pros. Plus I want to build around a big man, so we're going to need a top 2 pick if we want Towns or Jah. Picking past 4th will likely set this team back years. This rook needs to become a bonerfide stud. Yes bonerfide.

[Jeff Van Gully]

super mario would be good at #5. but mudiay at 4 would be a good worst-case scenario consolation.

[Johnny Hoops]

We have to consider the other prospects at 4-6. We're not guaranteed at 1,2,3.


Who do you like at 4-6? Beyond Okafor, Towns, Russell and Mudiay.

We have Hezonja, Johnson, WCS, Porzingis, Winslow, Turner.

I think Phil will have it in this order --- Towns, Okafor, Mudiay, WCS, Porzingis --- then maybe Russell, Johnson, Hezonja.

no way Russell isn't in his top 4. And no way WCS is in his top 5.

Phil likes bigs that have an offensive game and can pass. WCS is nothing more than Tyson Chandler light. He might be the right fit for some teams, but I see no chance Phil picking WCS...none

Your opinion - not mine. I still see Phil valuing size, defense, rebounding shot-blocking over what Russell and his sub-par athleticism & non-existent D would provide. WCS is obviously not a great offensive fit --- but his body is built for the NBA game. People always forget the type of player Phil was and that he values guys that do the little things.

I'm probably wrong on Russell -- if we take him I'll hope he's the second coming of Clyde or S-Curry but what I see is a sub-par athlete who can't finish around the rim and needs the high-screen to get people on his back.

[Johnny Hoops]

We have to consider the other prospects at 4-6. We're not guaranteed at 1,2,3.


Who do you like at 4-6? Beyond Okafor, Towns, Russell and Mudiay.

We have Hezonja, Johnson, WCS, Porzingis, Winslow, Turner.

Hezonja is the best fit with the most upside to me who should be able to play right away. Athletic with skill and size, and hes got some spunk too, so I go with him. Porzingis is a ways off and is scared of the paint. Turner is also scared of the paint while he runs like an old man and has the strength of a 12 year old. WCS is Tyson 2.0, which is great for some teams but clearly not what we need. Winslow, Johnson, and Oubre all look like solid starting role playing SFs down the line but they havent shown enough to be picked top 5. Looney is meh and a tweener. Harrell not worth a top 10 pick. Bobby Portis and Christian Wood seem a little underrated to me, but theyd be reaches. Kaminsky..... nah. Lyles Im not a fan of for us. The PGs Grant, Wright, Jones, and Dunn all look pretty good but we could get one of em with a later pick.

I still really like Russell but I question if he can get to the basket, finish, and defend in the pros. Plus I want to build around a big man, so we're going to need a top 2 pick if we want Towns or Jah. Picking past 4th will likely set this team back years. This rook needs to become a bonerfide stud. Yes bonerfide.

I agree with some of your points and I'm not advocating that we draft WCS over KAT or Okafor or even Porzingis (potentially) but when you say WCS is obviously NOT WHAT WE NEED. I don't get that at all. We are absolutely brutal on defense - our star player doesn't play defense and is a sub-par NBA athlete. We have no legit PF or C on the roster. We are atrocious at defending the pick/roll - we have zero rim protection and can't rebound.

WCS could easily help us defensively, rebounding and shot-blocking and we could fill in scoring needs via free agency.

Again not advocating WCS as top pick but there isn't any reason he couldn't come in here and start for the next 8-10 years.

[BeagleBoss]

We have to consider the other prospects at 4-6. We're not guaranteed at 1,2,3.


Who do you like at 4-6? Beyond Okafor, Towns, Russell and Mudiay.

We have Hezonja, Johnson, WCS, Porzingis, Winslow, Turner.

I think Phil will have it in this order --- Towns, Okafor, Mudiay, WCS, Porzingis --- then maybe Russell, Johnson, Hezonja.

Phil already got fined for making it public he likes Russell.

[alphad0gz]

I think Phil will have it in this order --- Towns, Okafor, Mudiay, WCS, Porzingis --- then maybe Russell, Johnson, Hezonja.

no way Russell isn't in his top 4. And no way WCS is in his top 5.

Phil likes bigs that have an offensive game and can pass. WCS is nothing more than Tyson Chandler light. He might be the right fit for some teams, but I see no chance Phil picking WCS...none

Your opinion - not mine. I still see Phil valuing size, defense, rebounding shot-blocking over what Russell and his sub-par athleticism & non-existent D would provide. WCS is obviously not a great offensive fit --- but his body is built for the NBA game. People always forget the type of player Phil was and that he values guys that do the little things.

I'm probably wrong on Russell -- if we take him I'll hope he's the second coming of Clyde or S-Curry but what I see is a sub-par athlete who can't finish around the rim and needs the high-screen to get people on his back.

Not as a top 5 or 6 pick for WCS. While he would help defensively, he would give Melo no scoring help and not make us attractive for FAs. With no pick next year, WCS would be a disaster if he was our pick. As a second pick, I'd be all over it.

[mpharris36]

Your opinion - not mine. I still see Phil valuing size, defense, rebounding shot-blocking over what Russell and his sub-par athleticism & non-existent D would provide. WCS is obviously not a great offensive fit --- but his body is built for the NBA game. People always forget the type of player Phil was and that he values guys that do the little things.

I'm probably wrong on Russell -- if we take him I'll hope he's the second coming of Clyde or S-Curry but what I see is a sub-par athlete who can't finish around the rim and needs the high-screen to get people on his back.

my views on this are. You don't use a top 5 pick on someone that does the little thing. Phil still is trying to find stars.

Remember phil was a 2nd round pick back in the day. He isn't trying to find Phil Jackson with his top pick. He is trying to find his Walt Frazier's and Willis Reeds.

And Russell has his flaws. But he has a lot less flaws than WCS. You get on Russell for being a sub-par athlete who struggles to finish when he is 18 years old.

He has time to develop his body and become a better finisher as Harden and Curry both did. Russell has the ability to play both guard positions with his size, shooting ability, and his ability to playmake for others.

Why aren't you concerned about WCS non existant offensive game (outside of dunks). He has no post game, he has no jump shot, he is a terrible FT shooter. And I wouldn't even consider him an elite rebounder for his position. He is a great athlete that is going to be a really good help defender in the NBA.

Also Russell just turned 19. WCS is about to turn 22. Huge difference in there development as players.