Draft Thread: Who do you want with the 13th pick? Stanley Johnson and WCS added..change votes if you want

[AtheJ415]

I won't count Morris bros as McD's types but I agree with you. McD is looking for raw players with big upside. It looks like a smart thing to do but most people on this board would probably prefer older, already developed players without any upside left that would lead us to a promised land of 8th spot.

I think there is zero truth to that and I've been reading this board for 5 or 6 years. The posters here value potential just as much as anyone.

They may value potential, but they refuse to see it in many of our players. I've seen people here clamor for trading half our team for Joe Johnson just this season. I also see the other half trading half our players for draft picks that, if you hit on, usually give you a worse player than the guy we'd be giving up. People are overly critical of our players, and easily overrate the potential of others but refuse to believe that our players will noticeably improve despite being very young.

[Damkac]

^ that's what I wanted to say

[bwgood77]

Wow, ballstreams suddenly has college games up. Love that.

[thamadkant]

I won't count Morris bros as McD's types but I agree with you. McD is looking for raw players with big upside. It looks like a smart thing to do but most people on this board would probably prefer older, already developed players without any upside left that would lead us to a promised land of 8th spot.

I think there is zero truth to that and I've been reading this board for 5 or 6 years. The posters here value potential just as much as anyone.

They may value potential, but they refuse to see it in many of our players. I've seen people here clamor for trading half our team for Joe Johnson just this season. I also see the other half trading half our players for draft picks that, if you hit on, usually give you a worse player than the guy we'd be giving up. People are overly critical of our players, and easily overrate the potential of others but refuse to believe that our players will noticeably improve despite being very young.

People here want Joe Johnson?
I think "person" would be more accurate... and that person got debated a lot.


Half the players for draft picks has more merit.
- Trade up in the draft (addition to the Suns pick)
- Additional first round picks
- Cap space

On a rebuilding team, picks are more like "cash", star players = gold, role players = personal items.

[dmastro32]

So as of tonight we are only 4 games up on the jazz! Any chance they catch us that would put us picking 12.

[No-Man]

Brandon Knight is going to be re-signed to whatever, even the max, and you have Goodwin, I dont get drafting a SG.

Bledsoe-Goodwin
Knight-Bullock
Tucker-Warren
Morris-Morris
Len

With basically this guys as the core coming back, with the 13# pick I will easily pick a Center, either Myles Turner, Jakob Poeltl or Cauley-Stein.

Poeltl is the prospect I like the most, but he shares some similarities with Len, whereas Cauley-Stein or Turner probably fit better as bench players that could offer something different.

With any of those 3 you have a good core of 10 guys to play your brand of basketball.

[bwgood77]

Brandon Knight is going to be re-signed to whatever, even the max, and you have Goodwin, I dont get drafting a SG.

Bledsoe-Goodwin
Knight-Bullock
Tucker-Warren
Morris-Morris
Len

With basically this guys as the core coming back, with the 13# pick I will easily pick a Center, either Myles Turner, Jakob Poeltl or Cauley-Stein.

Poeltl is the prospect I like the most, but he shares some similarities with Len, whereas Cauley-Stein or Turner probably fit better as bench players that could offer something different.

With any of those 3 you have a good core of 10 guys to play your brand of basketball.

Yeah, I don't think anyone here wants a SG. PF or C. The SG was just what Ford had in his mock.

[No-Man]

Also you have Bogdanovic who will probably come over in 2016.

[JMac1]

We need a PF and we need Bledsoe to stop turning the ball over! I like Knight, Len, Warren going forward and Bledsoe if he plays like he did against OKC CONSISTENTLY!!

[Frank Lee]

I think it highly probable one of Knight or Bledsoe is dealt. Both are starters. But neither is a true SG. I'd run with Goodwin at SG/back up PG, resign GGreen, and play Bullock. Back court settled. Get a top pick for Bled ??? would be hard to turn down if the package was right.

I am betting even money the MoBros go too.


Who are some dudes to watch coming up in tourney time.... ????

I've mentioned them before.... The two freshmen at NCST... Abu and Anya ... don't think they will come out, but who knows. Anya would be a first just on size/ potential alone. He has given MHarrell fits, as well as the other big boys in the ACC.
http://www.clubblazers.com/blazers-discussion/2014-draft-prospect-beejay-anya-wingspan-t4106.html

[kennydorglas]

Anya is sophomore... last year he played with almost 350lbs, was kinda disgusting to watch.
But he was a highly-touted prospect coming from HS, he has some elite physical attributes

He could be our Biyombo, for sure.

[bwgood77]

I think it highly probable one of Knight or Bledsoe is dealt. Both are starters. But neither is a true SG. I'd run with Goodwin at SG/back up PG, resign GGreen, and play Bullock. Back court settled. Get a top pick for Bled ??? would be hard to turn down if the package was right.

I am betting even money the MoBros go too.


Who are some dudes to watch coming up in tourney time.... ????

I've mentioned them before.... The two freshmen at NCST... Abu and Anya ... don't think they will come out, but who knows. Anya would be a first just on size/ potential alone. He has given MHarrell fits, as well as the other big boys in the ACC.
http://www.clubblazers.com/blazers-discussion/2014-draft-prospect-beejay-anya-wingspan-t4106.html

I don't think either of those guys will get dealt. McD wouldn't have given up so much for Knight if he wanted to deal him. Perhaps down the road they do, but at the very earliest, it would be mid season next year, but I doubt even that.

I'd watch Myles Turner if you can. Texas plays Butler at 2:45 ET tomorrow, so it might be tough to watch (and of course AZ is playing at the same time, and I happen to live in Austin and have to go to a sports bar on a late lunch to see AZ, but it may be hard to get a tv to put that one.....people are crazy for UT in Austin).

Anyway, Myles Turner has gotten limited playing time most of the season, but he is a C (or big PF) who is in our draft range...he is raw, but he might be worth watching, because there is probably a decent chance we take him. He has averaged 6.4 rebounds and 2.7 blocks in 22 minutes a game. Towns is at 2.3 blocks in 20 minutes, so Turner's block rate is a bit better (though I guess one could argue WCS takes away some of Towns' block opportunities).

With Len being injury prone, another center would be nice. Or maybe eventually they could even play together. He's only 18 right now, so he would probably have much more upside than someone like Harrell (and is much bigger) or WCS.

He has a 7'4 wingspan

http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Myl ... 850/stats/

nbadraft.net compares him to LaMarcus Aldridge. In his writeup there, which must be a bit dated, he was also shooting 40% from 3 pt range (now he is at 28%). He also at one point was shooting 89% from the line, but is now at 83%, which is still great for a big man.

http://www.nbadraft.net/players/myles-turner

[kennydorglas]

Texas lost to Butler. I really doubt that Turner will come back to his soph year.
If he's sitting in our pick's range, we better take him.

Would be an awesome buy-low... he's really a talented big. (Just like what we did with Goodwin)

[bwgood77]

Texas lost to Butler. I really doubt that Turner will come back to his soph year.
If he's sitting in our pick's range, we better take him.

Would be an awesome buy-low... he's really a talented big. (Just like what we did with Goodwin)

Yeah, he got in foul trouble and only played 16 minutes, but still got 10 rebounds.

D'Angelo Russell with a monster game. It will be interesting if they win here and play AZ, to see what he can do with TJ McConnell guarding him.

http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/boxscore?gameId=400785449

Also, this guy might be the most athletic white basketball player I've seen.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-d4vqiqSMOY#t=100[/youtube]

[kennydorglas]

Texas lost to Butler. I really doubt that Turner will come back to his soph year.
If he's sitting in our pick's range, we better take him.

Would be an awesome buy-low... he's really a talented big. (Just like what we did with Goodwin)

Yeah, he got in foul trouble and only played 16 minutes, but still got 10 rebounds.

D'Angelo Russell with a monster game. It will be interesting if they win here and play AZ, to see what he can do with TJ McConnell guarding him.

http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/boxscore?gameId=400785449

Also, this guy might be the most athletic white basketball player I've seen.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-d4vqiqSMOY#t=100[/youtube]

Yeah, Hezonja will be the next Hayward... I've been scouting him for a LONG TIME
He's really good.

D'Angelo is just too good to be true. Man, if he ends up in LA i'll be pissed.

[bwgood77]

Yeah, Hezonja will be the next Hayward... I've been scouting him for a LONG TIME
He's really good.

D'Angelo is just too good to be true. Man, if he ends up in LA i'll be pissed.

What makes the most sense is NY/LA getting Okafor/Towns and then Philly getting Russell and Minnesota getting Mudiay...though I wonder if they would take Hezonja to get a great shooter.

D'Angelo will probably also be guarded by Rondae and possibly Stanley at times. I hope Miller can finally beat his old boss, Thad, especially after the way their matchup ended two years ago....and then beat Xavier, his old team.

[starbosa10]

think we need a big at 13/14.

[AtheJ415]

I think there is zero truth to that and I've been reading this board for 5 or 6 years. The posters here value potential just as much as anyone.

They may value potential, but they refuse to see it in many of our players. I've seen people here clamor for trading half our team for Joe Johnson just this season. I also see the other half trading half our players for draft picks that, if you hit on, usually give you a worse player than the guy we'd be giving up. People are overly critical of our players, and easily overrate the potential of others but refuse to believe that our players will noticeably improve despite being very young.

People here want Joe Johnson?
I think "person" would be more accurate... and that person got debated a lot.


Half the players for draft picks has more merit.
- Trade up in the draft (addition to the Suns pick)
- Additional first round picks
- Cap space

On a rebuilding team, picks are more like "cash", star players = gold, role players = personal items.

We have enough "cash". The players people want to trade are not role players. For instance, Bledsoe. Bledsoe is what you get when you hit on one of those picks in a very good way.

Also, that person who wanted Joe was debated by me. I remember it quite well. There were also people wanting KG and to dump a good portion of our young talent to do it, which is not much different than wanting Joe aside from salary.

[Son of Ra]

[...]

Also, this guy might be the most athletic white basketball player I've seen.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-d4vqiqSMOY#t=100[/youtube]

I must...have Hezonja!

[Mulhollanddrive]

My guys in the draft, that I would trade up for and select:

Elite Pick:
- Dangelo Russell. Everything he does as a PG/SG is 10/10 and fits the prototype, hard to see him not being an All-Star and that's not even close to his ceiling.

Trade into top 10:
- Kristaps Porzingis. 7 Footer who shoots, has stand out factor and potential. Could be Bargnani/Milicic but could also be Nowitzki.
- Mario Hezonja. 6'8 SG, elite size and shoots 40% from 3, can get shots off due to height. Reminds me of Klay Thompson.

Middle First:
- Christian Wood. Like the others has standout attributes, 6'11 length of Brandon Wright on defense with offensive game of a tall shooting guard.

These are 4 guys to me that have high, high level attributes and potential, and would be great value. I'm only interested in star potential (most prone to boom/bust than safe, nice role player types), we have players 4 to 10 on a championship team, we need players 1-3. I'd trade up to get any of them.