Official Raptors 2012 NBA Draft Thread, Part 7

StringerBell · Post #1361 » by **StringerBell** » Tue Mar 13, 2012 2:59 am

The base is there for Drummond to become a beast. Despite having a limited offensive game, he seems to have good hands and great footwork. You combine that with his athleticism and explosiveness it's hard not to see him develop into a great low post player. Once he learns to use his size when establishing position in the paint, it could be game over.

All that said, still think another year at UCONN can only help improve his game.

dbenalal · Post #1362 » by **dbenalal** » Tue Mar 13, 2012 3:00 am

If we draft anthony davis will the management ask him to remove his unibrow?

Man of Steel · Post #1363 » by **Man of Steel** » Tue Mar 13, 2012 3:08 am

dbenalal wrote:If we draft anthony davis will the management ask him to remove his unibrow?

don't think they're aloud to make requests of that nature but I'm sure if he felt the pressure to do so, he would have by now.

StringerBell wrote:The base is there for Drummond to become a beast. Despite having a limited offensive game, he seems to have good hands and great footwork. You combine that with his athleticism and explosiveness it's hard not to see him develop into a great low post player. Once he learns to use his size when establishing position in the paint, it could be game over.

All that said, still think another year at UCONN can only help improve his game.

If they lose the appeal (likely) then UCONN can't participate in the tournament, where he would face all the best competition so he'd just have the regular season. Granted he could use a year of development but his body is NBA ready and the skills we want him to develop are things he needs to do over bigger bodies, as opposed to now where he gets by and dominates with size and strength.

Edit: When I brought up Shaq, I was specifically referring to his passing, not his offense in general.

StringerBell · Post #1364 » by **StringerBell** » Tue Mar 13, 2012 3:08 am

Indeed wrote:I haven't watched any of his game, but just some highlights, but I don't see Shaq. I don't think Drummond is those overpower type of player, he doesn't force his way like Shaq nor Barkley. I see him using some intelligent to finish his play (passing or use his skill). More like David Robinson to me, coming out behind the net when everyone moved up.

I agree, don't really see Shaq. Shaq pplayed with brute force. Drummond hasn't deveopled that mentality yet. If he reaches his potential I can see him as a better version of Andrew Bynum

Los Manos · Post #1365 » by **Los Manos** » Tue Mar 13, 2012 3:12 am

Of course Drummond has quite high bust potential but the thought that stops me from jumping right off his bandwagon is how poorly he is used in the UConn offense. I've seen a handful of their games this year and I can't understand Calhoun's approach at all. You would think with Lamb and Drummond you would be setting high screens over and over and letting Lamb create off the screen with Drummond flashing into the post. No doubt whoever drafts him will use him there where you hope his awareness and passing skill can be utilised if the help defense shifts in the paint. If they're late then he has all the physical tools you would ever want in a big man to go strong to the hoop. Instead I see both bigs at UConn just standing in the post so passively while the guards pass it back and forth aimlessly around the perimeter by design. In that 3 minute highlight reel posted, there is only one high screen set by Drummond.

So I hold onto some hope for Drummond in that he is so rarely used offensively how he most likely will be early on in his NBA career which is maddening and leaves the door open that if he drops a few spots outside the top 2 he could be a huge steal.

Rapsfan07 · Post #1366 » by **Rapsfan07** » Tue Mar 13, 2012 3:16 am

Yeah the interview with the organization and him will be huge. And his work habits will be just as huge as well. He has everything it takes to become a main piece on a contender. The question is: is he willing to put the work in watching tapes and doing the hours to get better.

Drummond has a lot to learn about the game of basketball ball and this what tends to happen with guys who are born with physical gifts. They go through high school and some times even college powering their way through but in the NBA, where you can't impose your will as easily, it'll take some intelligence and craftiness to score. He desperately needs to learn how to become involved when he doesn't have the ball in his hands and like I said earlier, he needs to work on some go-to moves.

He's got all the physicals but does he want to be great and is he willing to work to become great? As posted above, the player who are great (Kobe and Howard for example) become that way by putting in the work in the gym and watching the tape.

That said, the potential is too great to pass up if he's still on the board at #4 and Barnes, Davis and Beal are all gone.

StringerBell · Post #1367 » by **StringerBell** » Tue Mar 13, 2012 3:17 am

luisnani wrote:If they lose the appeal (likely) then UCONN can't participate in the tournament, where he would face all the best competition so he'd just have the regular season. Granted he could use a year of development but his body is NBA ready and the skills we want him to develop are things he needs to do over bigger bodies, as opposed to now where he gets by and dominates with size and strength.

True, physically he is NBA ready, but in my opinion he lacks so much fundamentally, I think it'd be best for him to stay. I don't know, just think it would serve him better in the long run if he stays and plays 30 min/game(even if it is against lesser competition) and works on fine-tuning his game, than playing 15/game in the NBA.

fredericklove · Post #1368 » by **fredericklove** » Tue Mar 13, 2012 3:21 am

dbenalal wrote:If we draft anthony davis will the management ask him to remove his unibrow?

Wth are you talking about? All the management staff and the fans will campaign the unibrow and sport a unibrow of their own to make it a 2012-2013 style trend. You can even see Bieber, Drake, Kanye and even Rihanna styling a unibrow too. Cmon son, don't you know about the fashion trends nowaday? :-?

Post #1369 » by **Undefeated** » Tue Mar 13, 2012 3:35 am

Dr Mufasa wrote:I'm not seeing any of this man. Post moves? More skill than out of HS Sullinger and PJIII? Drummond's one move resembling skill is that little 3ft jumper thing, that's as ugly fundamentally as anyone's in the league, + decent passing. Otherwise it's all size and power and rawness.

I mean, his post moves out of high school. His footwork already seems advanced since he knows how to create opportunities inside like a drop step or a one dribble jump stop for a jump hook. But I'll reserve judgement of Drummond as this raw prospect because he was severely under utilized at UConn. The only time he had the ball was when he would race down the floor and have his man pinned underneath the basket where he simply turns around and flushes for a one-handed or two-handed dunk. You don't see UConn giving Drummond any post touches at all where he'll easily command the double-team and revert the ball back out to the perimeter for a clean look for their guards or run the high/side screen-and-roll. All UConn does is reverse the ball side-to-side with no point of attack whatsoever. Half the time Lamb and Drummond are froze out of the offense.

Al_Oliver · Post #1370 » by **Al_Oliver** » Tue Mar 13, 2012 12:06 pm

Marlo Stanfield wrote:Even more than Davis, Drummond oozes superstar potential. If this guy hits his peak he's Amare Stoudamire/Dwight Howard just like his projections out of high school told us. Amare offense, Dwight size and defense. Correct me if I'm wrong, but that's the best big man in the league. We're in no position to pass on a guy like this. The last guy we drafted that had close to this much potential was either VC or T-Mac, and both of them were guard/forwards, not rare Centers.

With all of that said, I still acknowledge his high bust potential along with his SUPER high ceiling.

it's possible, but all I see is another Stanley Roberts... and remember at one point, he was considered the better of the two at LSU, with Shaq being the other

N1QUE24 · Post #1371 » by **N1QUE24** » Tue Mar 13, 2012 1:09 pm

I'm not impressed with Drummond... he's far too raw. Potential is there, but I just can't see us developing two bigs at once. I'm hoping for a swingman like Beal if we don't get Anthony Davis.

Kevin Willis · Post #1372 » by **Kevin Willis** » Tue Mar 13, 2012 2:35 pm

If Drummond doesn't have the personality and ability to dominate in college why would anyone think he could do so in the NBA? I've watched UConn for Lamb and had to watch him as a by-product and he doesn't dominate. No-one can say it's because he has a talented team because look at Kentucky with Davis who are more talented. Now picture JV on UConn and I think we should not be discussing Drummond as much as we are now. JV would make UConn the best in the nation.

Los Manos · Post #1373 » by **Los Manos** » Tue Mar 13, 2012 6:57 pm

Kevin Willis wrote:If Drummond doesn't have the personality and ability to dominate in college why would anyone think he could do so in the NBA? I've watched UConn for Lamb and had to watch him as a by-product and he doesn't dominate. No-one can say it's because he has a talented team because look at Kentucky with Davis who are more talented. Now picture JV on UConn and I think we should not be discussing Drummond as much as we are now. JV would make UConn the best in the nation.

I'm not a Drummond bandwagoner at all and I question whether he will ever find the will to dominate but if you put JV on Uconn a year ago and refused to let him set any high screens with the ball handler then he would struggle to provide any more impact offensively than Drummond is. And I'm as big of a JV believer as there is.

Forget Calhoun's reputation, that team is poorly coached and he hasn't adjusted to exploit he talent that he has in Lamb and Drummond.

Post #1374 » by **FluLikeSymptoms** » Tue Mar 13, 2012 7:29 pm

Drummond showed flashes of dominance though it's definitely a concern. But that team was a mess, no doubt.

I think we have a big asset in Casey. I don't think I would trust any prior Raptor coach with Drummond.

fredericklove · Post #1375 » by **fredericklove** » Tue Mar 13, 2012 7:30 pm

Los Manos wrote:
Kevin Willis wrote:If Drummond doesn't have the personality and ability to dominate in college why would anyone think he could do so in the NBA? I've watched UConn for Lamb and had to watch him as a by-product and he doesn't dominate. No-one can say it's because he has a talented team because look at Kentucky with Davis who are more talented. Now picture JV on UConn and I think we should not be discussing Drummond as much as we are now. JV would make UConn the best in the nation.

I'm not a Drummond bandwagoner at all and I question whether he will ever find the will to dominate but if you put JV on Uconn a year ago and refused to let him set any high screens with the ball handler then he would struggle to provide any more impact offensively than Drummond is. And I'm as big of a JV believer as there is.

Forget Calhoun's reputation, that team is poorly coached and he hasn't adjusted to exploit he talent that he has in Lamb and Drummond.

Without high screen and roll, it'd be true that Val wouldn't able to put too much offensive output but he plays a tough hard nose basketball in the paint which guarantees him points, look at the freaking guy he's playing with right now (w/ rice, prolly bigger ball hog than napier), from a college ball standpoint, Val will definitely destroy the offensive glass due to his unrivaled length and motor, from there he will definitely get at least a fair share of points and don't forget his high % FT. With that FT sums up to the total (offensive putbacks, alley-oops etc), he can score at least 11+ points and definitely avg 12+ reb imo, these are far better overall impact than Drummond will ever have for Uconn, if not statistical offensively better but definitely offensively more consistent than Drummond's on or off night.

nahom1319 · Post #1376 » by **nahom1319** » Tue Mar 13, 2012 8:18 pm

Lets not forget Jonas has a developing post game. Whenever he gets the ball in the low post he just finds a way to score.

God Squad · Post #1377 » by **God Squad** » Wed Mar 14, 2012 2:54 pm

FluLikeSymptoms wrote:Drummond showed flashes of dominance though it's definitely a concern. But that team was a mess, no doubt.

I think we have a big asset in Casey. I don't think I would trust any prior Raptor coach with Drummond.

I agree. Really liking Casey. I can actually see the difference in our defense. (Help D, Rotating, exc)

God Squad · Post #1378 » by **God Squad** » Wed Mar 14, 2012 2:59 pm

1. A.Davis
2. Barnes/MKG
3. A. Drummond
4. Beal/PJ3

Not sure about Lamb and Miller. I think Qmill should come back next year.

God Squad · Post #1379 » by **God Squad** » Wed Mar 14, 2012 3:03 pm

What confuses me is, DX has Terrence Jones listed at SF/PF. Yet Pj3 is listed as PF? Why is that? I think PJ will do a much better job at SF. Not only his lateral quickness, but because he has rage out to the 3pt line. Just not sure about Tjones..at all. I do have love for lefty's though.

JN · Post #1380 » by JN » Wed Mar 14, 2012 3:32 pm

FluLikeSymptoms wrote:Drummond showed flashes of dominance though it's definitely a concern. But that team was a mess, no doubt.

I think we have a big asset in Casey. I don't think I would trust any prior Raptor coach with Drummond.

Almost all coaches get tuned out at some point after a few years and it comes down to system and strategy, rather then improvement via motivation. Not as much of a problem if you have players that are self driven, but a major issue for those that need a kick in the ass.

I would never draft a player because "Casey" can get to him.