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There has been talk about Bayless, Lopez, Mayo, but almost nothing about Kevin Love. How would you feel if we drafted him, and why?

Our lineup after the #4 pick with love would look as follows:

PG: Earl/Luke
SG:Durant/Wilkens
SF:Green/Griffen
PF:Love/Petro(trade either wilcox/collison. inevitable anyways.)
C: Sene/Swift (Look to draft big with late 1st.)

I'd prefer not to see Green at the PF, I dont think he is one.

You are wrong. There are lots of talks about Kevin Love. Few would hope to trade down and draft him. I would rather have Kevin Love than Bayless if Mayo is gone.

I doubt Love has the athleticism or size to thrive in the NBA. I think he will be a good rotation player and contribute, but it is unlikely he will be a star. I would rather have Bayless or Mayo, and at least one of them will be available.

Size? Buddy, he's good on size. Anthony Randolph is who you should be worried about with size.
As far as athletic, hes appearing to be much more athletic then people have assumed. Nick Collison is a much worse athlete, and about the same height, and he manages to do ok, doesn't he? This is Kevin Durants team, not Mayo's or Bayless's. He needs solid roll players not star studded players surrounding him. I think Love brings that.

Hm....

http://www.draftexpress.com/stats.php?sort=&league=NCAA&q=usage&year=2007%2F08&per=pergame&min=20&stage=all&pos=all&qual=sec2008

We have had this discussion, and it always comes down to Love's athleticism (or lack thereof). I think he will be an ok player. Seeing how he's had problems with taller, more active big men like Dorsey on Memphis, I question his value at #4. And when you say Collison does ok, you're right. He's ok. But I want a career starter with the #4 pick, not ok, and not even ok and then some.

To be honest with you, I'm very worried about this pick.

I, too am worried. Because you can make a mistake at this pick, but so could you with the 5th pick last year, but they chose Jeff Green, now he's still a sopohmore player, but so far so good. I think Love should be a player we acquire just not with the 4th pick, I've been saying at with the 10th or 11th pick, if we trade the pieces to get him. He will be a great role player, but every player should know from day one that this is Durant's team.

I think a core of...
PG: Jarred Bayless
SG: Kevin Durant
SF: Jeff Green
PF: Kevin Love
C: Whoever

It would be amazing.

Kevin Love is going to be a very good player in the NBA. He'll be a starter for sure. He's got plenty of athleticism... any of you guy ever record a 35" vertical? He's coachable & he'll lose 5-10 more pounds. But imo he's not as good or has as much upside as either OJ Mayo or Jerryd Bayless. Plus, the Sonics need a PG big time. They need another forward like they need another Bennett.

A 35 inch vertical means nothing more than that he has strong calves. Athleticism can't be measured by a vertical and I still think this guy is lacking it, I don't care what his agent wants us to believe.

And how do you figure he's more "athletic" than Collison? I'll take Collison, there's not enough difference for me to waste a high pick or trade down. If I'm wrong maybe you'll see us take him.

Edit: Everyone already knows it but if we take a big I much prefer Brook Lopez.

Collison is one of the least athletic guys in the league.

I feel like we need more length out or our front court guys. Love is another undersized PF. It is okay to have one of those but they cannot all be 6-9 PF's.

Hiphophead101 wrote: Collison is one of the least athletic guys in the league.

Just out of curiosity, here's some predraft measurements (found via Draftexpress ) for comparison:

Name------------------------Nick Collison----------Kevin Love----------Chris Wilcox
Height w/o Shoes----------6' 8.75"-----------------6' 7.75"---------------6' 8.25"
Height w/shoes-------------6' 10"-------------------6' 9.5"-----------------6' 9.5"
Weight-------------------------255----------------------255--------------------218
Wingspan----------------------7' 1.5"------------------6' 11.25"--------------7' 1"
Standing Reach--------------9' 0"--------------------8' 10"------------------8' 11.5"
Body Fat-----------------------17-----------------------12.9-------------------NA
No Step Vert-----------------28-----------------------29.5-------------------31
Max Vert----------------------33-----------------------35----------------------34.5
Bench Press------------------8------------------------18----------------------20
Lane Agility-------------------11.62-------------------11.17-----------------11.43
3/4 Court Sprint------------3.28---------------------3.22------------------3.16
Class Rank--------------------54-----------------------NA---------------------5
Drafted------------------------12-----------------------5-----------------------8

I'm down with drafting Kevin Love and trading Collison/Wilcox and more to make a run at Okafor.

E. Watson / L. Ridnour
K. Durant / M. Gelable
J. Green / K. Durant
K. Love / J. Petro
E. Okafor /R. Lopez

Good statistics, it looks like he can jump as high as wilcox on max? Is that what it said? And bench more then Collison, and right in the middle between collison and wilcox in 3/4 court sprit, but his lane agility is quicker then both. He looks pretty athletically sound to me.

OJ Mayo > J Bayless > K Love

Love = fool's gold

Anyone think that Minnesota will actually pick up Love at #3? The wiretap said that they were pretty impressed with him, and I think there was another article a couple weeks ago that said Mchale loved Love. If he goes at #3 who do we take Mayo or Bayless?

nwsports253 wrote:Anyone think that Minnesota will actually pick up Love at #3? The wiretap said that they were pretty impressed with him, and I think there was another article a couple weeks ago that said Mchale loved Love. If he goes at #3 who do we take Mayo or Bayless?

If McHale really does take Love at #3, then i'm all for Mayo to Seattle. Though, Presti might like Bayless(or even someone else) more then Mayo and could even select him, if Mayo is still available.

BTW: Just say no to Kevin Love. I'm just not sure if his game really translates into the NBA and i also don't know why we need another Power Forward, while we lack a realy Point Guard and Center.

Det the Threat wrote:
BTW: Just say no to Kevin Love. I'm just not sure if his game really translates into the NBA and i also don't know why we need another Power Forward, while we lack a realy Point Guard and Center.

If with you on all of that. I just dont know what center we could pick up at #24.

Okay, here's another of my random ideas. I think your question that "I'm not sure which center we could pick at #24" shows me that there really aren't any certainties that low in the draft.

So why not get a player that has at least shown he can play in the NBA? On the Nets board it has been suggested by some of their fans that Chris Wilcox is the low post scorer they are looking for. I countered that a young player like Josh Boone might be a good fit for Seattle( I suggested Sean Williams but I think they like him alot and want to keep him). He sure isn't the scorer Wilcox is but he so far has shown glimpses of becoming a pretty solid player inside.

New Jersey is in the win now mode while our Sonics are looking to rebuild. Aside from the tough situation of trying to match up salaries does it make sense to get a big man(Boone is 6'10" and around 240lbs.) with a little bit of experience, but is still young, over using a lower first round pick on a project? I think Boone is a better player than Petro.

Presti could then pick shooting guard/small forward Courtney Lee at #24 knowing he has his pointguard at #4 and his center by way of a trade.

(Bayless/Mayo/Westbrook)/Watson(Ridnour)
Durant/(Lee)/Wilkens(traded)
Green/Lee/Marshall
Collison/Green/(Hickson/DJ White/Hendrix)
Boone/Petro

Man, so many possibilities and options if the cards are played right.

I've never been a fan of Boone, I'd love to get Williams but they probably wont trade him.