The 2012 NBA Draft: 6th & 11th picks, and some random 2nds.

[tester551]

My top 2 are Barton & Crowder.

I also like O'Quinn, Machado, & Gordon.

***EDIT*** Just came across this article on Barton.
http://nbadraft.net/will-barton-interview
I liked everything except the Crawford mention....

[fishnc]

That's a good list. I also like Darius Miller and Draymond Green if they fall.

[Sabzi]

Here's a question for you. After watching the Clippers/Grizzlies games I wondered about Eric Bledsoe and if he could be a better option than either Marshall, Lillard, or Teague? I know he had an injury this season but even when healthy he wasn't used much with Paul and Mo Williams, plus Chauncy Billups all getting the bulk of playing time.

My question is would you trade a first round pick for Bledsoe, and do you think the Clippers would consider it?

Not a first round pick but he'd be an upgrade to Nolan.

[JasonStern]

+1 on green and crowder. both seem to have high BBIQs which is big if you expect either of the 2nd round picks to get any playing time next season.

[Chanse503]

Sims, Joseph, and Sacre.

[DaVoiceMaster]

OK what happens in this scenario:

Let's say NJ gets top 3 pick this year. can they trade it this year (for example to Orlando in a Dwight Howard deal) even though they would then owe one next year to Portland? I think yes right?

If nothing else, the Nets could make the selection with the #3 pick and then do the trade with Orlando.

[Butter]

There is a lot of talk about Marshall, but what about Damian Lilliard?

I have never watched the kid play, but when I looked at his stats, I immediately thought of Stephen Curry:

Lilliard/Curry
All numbers are from their final year in college

Height: 6-2/6-3
Weight: 185/185

School: Weber St/Davidson

Stats
Games: 32/34
FG%: .467/.454
3p%: .409/.387
FT%: .887/.876
RB: 5/4.4
Blk: 0.2/0.2
ST: 1.5/2.5

nbadraft.net bio

NBA Comparison: Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf

Strengths: Made transition from SG to PG this year, but he is more of a combo guard that makes good decisions than a true PG ... Best scorer in the NCAA so far at 31.9 PPG ... Puts a lot of pressure on defense with his scoring ability and quickness ... Looks fearless on the floor and plays under control ... Can get any shot he wants and has great shot efficiency ... Teams are completely focusing on him defensively, rotating different players at him, so he's under pressure at all times and still finds a way to hit difficult shots every game ... Very confident shooter, especially when the game is on the line (vs. WV struggled the whole game and was not afraid to take over at the end) ... Curry can put the ball on the floor and create his own shot from anywhere on the floor and he doesn’t need much space to get his shot off (he will cross-over, trough the legs dribble, behind the back…) ... Gets defenders off balance using pump fakes and uses defenders overeagerness to his advantage ... Very difficult to guard because he possesses a quick and consistent release on his shot (on the move or under pressure as well) and has NBA range ... Moves well without the ball. Great footwork when coming off screens, always ready to shoot ... Curry is good at changing speed and direction and handles the ball well ... In the open court he can stop on a dime at full speed, with his feet in perfect position (under control) and separate from his defender for open jump-shot ... Great vision while driving to the basket and control with the ball ... Defensively Curry is crafty and a smart defender with good hands 2.9 STL (not a lockout defender); moves his feet well on defense and stays in front of his defender without gambling much ... Solid lateral quickness. Possesses a great will to win. Excellent free-throw shooter .874 ... Doesn’t show too much emotion, even keeled. Has been around the game his entire life which gives him an edge knowing what it takes ...

Weaknesses: Far below NBA standard in regard to explosivenes and athleticism ... At 6-2, he's extremely small for the NBA shooting guard position, and it will likely keep him from being much of a defender at the next level ... Although he's playing point guard this year, he's not a natural point guard that an NBA team can rely on to run a team ... Struggles defensively getting around screens ... Can overshoot and rush into shots from time to time (vs. WV) ... Hasn't had to deal with getting benched due to poor performance (shooting) which has allowed him to shoot through any slumps. Will have to adjust to not being a volume shooter which could have an effect on his effectiveness ... Doesn’t like when defenses are too physical with him ... Not a great finisher around the basket due to his size and physical attributes ... Makes some silly mistakes at the PG position. Needs to add some muscles to his upper body, but appears as though he'll always be skinny ...

http://www.nbadraft.net/players/stephen-curry

NBA Comparison: Jerryd Bayless/Lindsay Hunter
Strengths: One of the most prolific scorers in the nation ... Possesses ideal size for an NBA point guard, standing about 6'2" with a nice wingspan ... Uses his strong frame well to absorb contact around the rim ... Extremely confident shooter that is dangerous at mid-range or well behind the arc ... Won't hesitate to square up from 25-28 away from the hoop ... Needs very little space or time to get off a quality shot ... Highly efficient for a volume shooter (43.2% on 7.1 three-point attempts per game) ... Is able to create his own shot or spot-up off the ball effectively ... Handles the ball fairly well ... Uses quick, short dribbles and changes of direction/speed to keep defenders off balance ... Is able to get in the paint at will, and is a crafty finisher around the rim ... Aggressive in transition, always looking to make something happen ... Lives at the stripe, attempting an average of 8.0 free-throws a game (88.4%) ... Quality passer, that has the ability to create for his teammates by driving into the lane and kicking the ball out ... Can be an effective on-ball defender ... Good hands ... Likes to pick his opponent's pocket ... Strong leader with a competitive drive ...
Weaknesses: Not a true point guard ... Looks for his own shot first, which is expected for a player with his talent in the Big Sky, but will leave scouts questioning whether he'll be able to make his teammates better at the next level ... Has improved his decision-making over the last few years, but can get carried away and take questionable shots when he gets hot ... Has been dominating all season, but hasn't faced very strong competition ...Missed an entire season before his junior year, so some thought has to be made about injury concerns ...

Overall: Lillard has NBA talent, but like most mid-major prospects, he hasn't proved that he can consistently produce against elite-level talent ... A team looking for a scoring point guard could be willing to roll the dice on him, perhaps as soon as the mid/late-lottery ...

http://www.nbadraft.net/players/damian-lillard

[DeBlazerRiddem]

I would certainly give up something for Bledsoe... However, I absolutely wouldn't give up either lottery pick for him. If we don't think any of this years PG's will be better than Bledsoe, then we should pick a player at a different position.

[DeBlazerRiddem]

There is already a thread for this


In any case, Lillard could be pretty good, he is generally the #1 ranked PG in the draft. If the choice is between him and Marshall, Lillard has more star potential and I would not be disappointed if we took Lillard instead of Marshall.

[re49gb_2gho32fp]

What are the chances Blazers get a top 3 pick, obviously their own pick in the draft lottery?

Lower than 10%?

[Butter]

There is already a thread for this


In any case, Lillard could be pretty good, he is generally the #1 ranked PG in the draft. If the choice is between him and Marshall, Lillard has more star potential and I would not be disappointed if we took Lillard instead of Marshall.

Which thread, I'll start posting in that one?

[lukeyrid13]

What are the chances Blazers get a top 3 pick, obviously their own pick in the draft lottery?

Lower than 10%?

I think it's 3 percent

[Blaze01]

They should have tried to deal Crawford for him (Bledsoe)...

[portlandpilot]

Ive said it before, but I think Scott Machado is the man

[DusterBuster]

Really, we needed this stickied too? Can't we just have one draft thread?

[DusterBuster]

They should have tried to deal Crawford for him (Bledsoe)...

I'd rather have the pure cap space of Crawford opting out than Bledsoe eating up cap space. That guy is thoroughly unimpressive imo. Just another overhyped Roddy Beaubois-style SG in a PG's body.

[DeBlazerRiddem]

Scott Machado: Good passer with potential to be a good shooter as well.

Drew Gordon: Strong rebounder, hard worker, smart. Would be a good player to have learn under Kurt Thomas.


International:
Nemanja Nedovic: Big athletic guard with good basketball instincts, similar to Dragic.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9uS5u_FW_8E

[Norm2953]

Given Mike Rice's thoughts on how the Blazers think, how likely would it be if
Portland offered up 6,11 for a top 4 pick to ensure we get one of MKG, Robinson,
or Beal?

[Case2012]

Im completely torn between the two. If Lillard ends being a scoring PG like Westbrook I would be pretty stoked. If Marshall ended up being a Steve Nash type passer, I would also be very pleased. These are best case scenarios of course. Overall I think Lillard has the highest bust potential between them, Marshall's skill set will translate no matter what.

[Wizenheimer]

What are the chances Blazers get a top 3 pick, obviously their own pick in the draft lottery?

Lower than 10%?

much lower then 10%

might be under 2%, certainly under 3%