2014 Draft Thread

[DRK]

One player we should be targeting with one of our picks is Alex Poythress. I actually wanted him last season if we had the Lakers'Lotto Pick, but he didnt declare for the draft.

He's a great athlete, has a large wingspan and actually has an allright 3 point shot. Also he's a Kentucky guy and played with Goodwin last season. Lets see how he does this season. If he has a great season, I can probably see him hitting Top 10.

[Ryu]

The offense has been running really smooth so far this year. It is really painful to win these games as it hurts are chances of a good prospect but it's hard not to root for these guys. What do you guys think our options look like if we land in the 5-8 range?

Glenn Robinson or James Young.

And I wouldn`t be shocked at all if my boy Jabari Parker slip to 5-7 range. I can see NBA GM`s pick Wiggins/Randle/Exum/Smart/Embiid before him.

[bwgood77]

The offense has been running really smooth so far this year. It is really painful to win these games as it hurts are chances of a good prospect but it's hard not to root for these guys. What do you guys think our options look like if we land in the 5-8 range?

How can it be painful to win games? There will still be super talent at 5-8. November is also by far our easiest month of the schedule. We have yet to beat a projected playoff team. December is a little tougher. February and March are brutal.

Even if we finish with the 5th worst record we still have a reasonable chance at getting a top 3 pick.

But remember, guys like Olapido and McLemore, and even Len were not projected to be lottery picks at this time last year. So imagine if a few guys really surprise us in college this year and join the Wiggins/Parker/Randle/Exum/Smart group. I actually think the top tier talent already runs about 8 deep.

Do you want me to post more of Ford's mock? It talks in a little depth of each guy in the first round.

[Sundreamer]

I really don't think there is a point in a desperate tanking this season. It would be incredibly difficult to outtank certain teams such as Boston or Utah and as mentioned, even the 7th pick might end up as a quality player.
So, I hope the way the Suns started the season didn't cause a panic among the folks in charge of the franchise.

Damn, if only the West wasn't so overpowered...

[DirtyDez]

One player we should be targeting with one of our picks is Alex Poythress. I actually wanted him last season if we had the Lakers'Lotto Pick, but he didnt declare for the draft.

He's a great athlete, has a large wingspan and actually has an allright 3 point shot. Also he's a Kentucky guy and played with Goodwin last season. Lets see how he does this season. If he has a great season, I can probably see him hitting Top 10.

Apparently he lost his starting job to James Young. I can see him sticking around for 3-4 years....

[bwgood77]

One player we should be targeting with one of our picks is Alex Poythress. I actually wanted him last season if we had the Lakers'Lotto Pick, but he didnt declare for the draft.

He's a great athlete, has a large wingspan and actually has an allright 3 point shot. Also he's a Kentucky guy and played with Goodwin last season. Lets see how he does this season. If he has a great season, I can probably see him hitting Top 10.

Apparently he lost his starting job to James Young. I can see him sticking around for 3-4 years....

Here is what Mark Titus (who writes pretty good and funny college rankings on grantland) said about Poythress

Best College Player — Alex Poythress (Kentucky)

The truth is that Poythress won't even be the best player on his own team, let alone the best in the whole SEC. But since the five best players in the conference will probably all end up being Kentucky Wildcats, and since enough attention will be paid to UK's freshmen, I want to give some love to a guy who came back for a second year. Poythress was pretty inconsistent last season, which is something that could be said of every Kentucky player, really. But when he was on — man, was he good. Nerlens Noel was the big name in Lexington before he tore his ACL, and Archie Goodwin finished the season as the leading scorer, but there were plenty of times last year when I was convinced that Poythress was the best of the bunch. One of those times was against Duke, when he put up 20 points and eight boards on a top-10 team in just the second game of his career.

As a 6-foot-8, 240-pound forward who can put the ball on the deck a little bit and is a capable shooter, there's a lot to love about Poythress's game. He was a little careless with the ball at times as a freshman, probably because he was overthinking things, and he needs to work on giving a consistent effort every night. But considering that he was a first-year player in the midst of a train wreck of a season for his team, it's no wonder he struggled in two areas that trouble most freshmen. Now that he doesn't have an enormous amount of pressure on him, he's surrounded by a ton of talent (which will help take some of the workload off him while also giving him motivation to play well since so many guys are eager to take his minutes), and he has had his first full offseason with college coaches to work on the nuances of his game, look for Poythress's name to climb up the mock draft boards as the season progresses.

http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/990 ... lege-hoops

[bwgood77]

The 2013-14 freshman class is loaded -- and despite what those in Lexington might say, those freshmen don’t all wear Kentucky Wildcats jerseys.

The talent is so significant throughout the nation that we have opted to implement a weekly feature this season: the Freshman Tracker.

It will be a way to follow the best first-year players throughout the season. We’ll have updates on how they did on the floor, with quotes from those who saw them over the week (i.e. NBA executives, college coaches, scouts, analysts).

With many of these guys making their college debuts this weekend, here’s the first edition of the Freshman Tracker, looking at the 10 freshmen who likely will have the biggest impact on college basketball this season. Again, this is NOT a ranking of their status as NBA prospects, it's a ranking of performance. That said, let's get started.


1. Julius Randle, PF, Kentucky Wildcats
6-foot-9, 250 pounds

The Texas native is a big, strong power forward who is capable of dominating in the paint, but also has the ability to step out and make shots from the perimeter. Expect him to emerge as the most consistent and productive Kentucky player this season because of his high motor. He’s a potential double-double guy every night, and is a difficult matchup because of his strength, athleticism and versatility.

“He’s a very physical, aggressive force," an NBA executive said. "He must improve his perimeter shooting and diversify his post moves, but he will definitely challenge for the No. 1 draft spot.”


2. Andrew Wiggins, SF, Kansas Jayhawks
6-8, 200 pounds

He has been on all the magazine covers in the preseason and some even put him in the same sentence as LeBron James. From what I've seen and heard, I don't think he's on that level, but he is exceptionally gifted. The long and athletic Canadian can be one of the top defenders in the country this season. The keys for Wiggins will playing hard all the time (instead of picking his spots) and making shots from the perimeter. His numbers may not be eye-popping, but he’ll affect the game on both ends and is the front-runner to be taken with the No. 1 overall pick come June.

“He makes things look so easy at times, but disappears too often," an NBA source said. "If I had to bet on one player to be taken with the No. 1 pick, I’d take him. He makes plays that no one else can, but drifts for long stretches. He should be a very good defender in time, but isn’t yet. He needs to improve his outside shot, but he’s a high-level athlete.”


3. Jabari Parker, F, Duke Blue Devils
6-8, 235 pounds

The skilled forward was once considered the prize of this recruiting class prior to a foot injury that sidelined him two summers ago and Wiggins reclassifying into the 2013 class. Parker is more athletic than people give him credit for, but his skill level and basketball IQ are what stand out about the Chicago native. Parker can score from deep, midrange and also in the post -- and he’s also a quality passer.

“He may have as much of an impact as any freshmen in the country because of his feel for the game," an NBA executive said. "I wouldn’t count him out for the No. 1 pick, either. He can do just about everything on the court, and my guess is [Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski] will go to him when the game is on the line because he can do so many things. He’s so versatile and doesn’t really have any weaknesses.”


4. Aaron Gordon, F, Arizona Wildcats
6-9, 225 pounds

Think of a cross between Blake Griffin and Kawhi Leonard. The younger brother of former New Mexico standout Drew Gordon is a big-time athlete and plays exceptionally hard. The question, however, is whether he can be effective at small forward for Sean Miller and the Wildcats. Gordon will need to prove he can make shots from the perimeter and defend smaller wings. Regardless, Gordon will still have a major impact in Tucson, and NBA guys will have him near the top of their boards because of his athleticism and relentlessness.

“He never stops. He outworks everyone on the court at both ends on top of having a great base of skills," an NBA executive said. "He is a threat to score inside, outside and everywhere in between. His future is very bright at the NBA level because he understands the effort and work ethic it takes to be good.”

http://insider.espn.go.com/blog/jeff-go ... st?id=2175

[Miklo]

3. Jabari Parker, F, Duke Blue Devils
6-8, 235 pounds

The skilled forward was once considered the prize of this recruiting class prior to a foot injury that sidelined him two summers ago and Wiggins reclassifying into the 2013 class. Parker is more athletic than people give him credit for, but his skill level and basketball IQ are what stand out about the Chicago native. Parker can score from deep, midrange and also in the post -- and he’s also a quality passer.

“He may have as much of an impact as any freshmen in the country because of his feel for the game," an NBA executive said. "I wouldn’t count him out for the No. 1 pick, either. He can do just about everything on the court, and my guess is [Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski] will go to him when the game is on the line because he can do so many things. He’s so versatile and doesn’t really have any weaknesses.”

http://insider.espn.go.com/blog/jeff-go ... st?id=2175

Do we think Jabari Parker is going pro after his first year? I would have guessed at least 2 years, as my beloved Coach K has been trying to avoid one-and-dones as much as possible recently after being burned a couple times. Agreed that when he does go, he'll be a top prospect.

[bwgood77]

Do we think Jabari Parker is going pro after his first year? I would have guessed at least 2 years, as my beloved Coach K has been trying to avoid one-and-dones as much as possible recently after being burned a couple times. Agreed that when he does go, he'll be a top prospect.

He's definitely expected to. Anyone projected in the lottery is expected to, but then again, Marcus Smart stayed and he was probably a top two pick, so you never know.

I think we may end up getting like the 10th or 11th pick though, at this point, so we may end up choosing whoever falls between guys like James Young, Glenn Robinson III, Dario Saric, or Montrezl Harrel with our pick.

Check out where our picks would land if the season ended today (20th, 27th and 30th) http://nbadraft.net/2014mock_draft

[bigfoot]

Read and weep

http://www.azcentral.com/sports/suns/ar ... bunch.html

[bwgood77]

Ben Detrick: For loyalty-free basketball fans sent sailing off the careening Sixers bandwagon, your next temporary ride is already churning up gravel in Phoenix. See, the Suns were another young team supposedly bound for a dismal calendar year — the preseason trade of starting center Marcin Gortat was seen as a symptom of feverish tanking — but who are bizarrely looking like a fringe playoff candidate. They’ve beaten Portland, Utah, and New Orleans, played Oklahoma City tight, and last night gave San Antonio all they could stomach for 47.5 minutes.

By the bookkeeping, Phoenix has been a snarling defensive operation (top five in eFG% allowed) that attacks the offensive boards and generates some variance by hoisting up a gang of 3-pointers. But it’s the wild collection of characters in the desert that make this Western pulpy enough for a Yul Brynner cameo.

The sheriff is Eric Bledsoe, a breakout star freed from deputy duty behind Chris Paul. Bledsoe now drops 20 points and eight assists an evening, and his athleticism and fury on defense gave last night’s matchup with Tony Parker the energy of a knife fight between wolverines. Neglected Dukie Miles Plumlee, who played only 55 minutes all last season in Indiana, is averaging a double-double and torched Tim Duncan with bank shots pilfered from the Big Fundamental's handbook.

But there’s more! Did you know dunking-alien Gerald Green is flinging up nine 3-point attempts per 36 minutes? How about a heartwarming comeback story in Channing Frye? Would you like a pair of identical twins on the same team? Can you get behind dudes with names like Ish Smith and Viacheslav Kravtsov? By the way, if you’re still enamored with the tanking narrative, the Suns potentially have four first-round picks in next year’s draft. All aboard!

http://www.grantland.com/blog/the-trian ... g-the-pace

[jcsunsfan]

Who is the best shooter in this draft? Just curious. Of the primary prospects, is it Parker?

[gaspar]

Yes, Jabari and Doug McDermott.

[bwgood77]

Gary Harris and Mario Hezonja should be very good shooters too.

[Flying Colors]

silver will reward us for not tanking by giving us the 2nd pick, we draft parker, and manage to sign kevin love

pg- bledsoe
sg- archie
Sf- Parker
pf- Love
C- plumlee

[bwgood77]

Tuesday night....

no. 1 Kentucky vs. no. 2 Michigan State (ESPN, 7:30 p.m.); No. 4 Duke vs. no. 5 Kansas (ESPN, 9:30 p.m.)

Whoa. What a night in Chicago at the State Farm Champions Classic. First you have a dream clash between the top two teams in the country, then you have Jabari vs. Wiggins in a battle of the best freshmen in the sport.

http://www.grantland.com/blog/the-trian ... lege-hoops

Of course two other lottery picks play in the first game, one of which could also be the best freshman in the sport. Randle vs Harris

[bwgood77]

Randle with a MONSTER game in his first college game. Poythress with a great game too. Cauley-Stein also an interesting stat line.

http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/boxscore?gameId=400498440

Jabari Parker shooting well.

http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/boxscore?gameId=400502661

Wiggins and Smart having pretty quiet games so far.

[DirtyDez]

Randle with a MONSTER game in his first college game. Poythress with a great game too. Cauley-Stein also an interesting stat line.

http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/boxscore?gameId=400498440

Jabari Parker shooting well.

http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/boxscore?gameId=400502661

Wiggins and Smart having pretty quiet games so far.

If Randle's FT% is anywhere close to where he does tonight.

Also, Jabari Parker's range was on display as you said... 9-10 from the field and 3-3 from deep...

[nevetsov]

Heat tanking for Wiggins? Maybe they should keep Joel Anthony after all. They have proven tank commander Beasley as well


Sent from my iPhone using RealGM Forums mobile app

[bwgood77]

Randle with a MONSTER game in his first college game. Poythress with a great game too. Cauley-Stein also an interesting stat line.

http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/boxscore?gameId=400498440

Jabari Parker shooting well.

http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/boxscore?gameId=400502661

Wiggins and Smart having pretty quiet games so far.

If Randle's FT% is anywhere close to where he does tonight.

Also, Jabari Parker's range was on display as you said... 9-10 from the field and 3-3 from deep...

Randle with another great game....pretty good from the line too...http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/boxscore?gameId=400499025

I think we will have to luck out in the lottery drawing to get him though, that is, if we don't make the playoffs.