Chicken Littles: Sky done fell! Draft Thread 2011

[DMVleGeND]

These are my 2011 draft comparisons.

Derrick Williams - David West

Harrison Barnes - Luol Deng meets Danny Granger

Terrence Jones - Marvin Williams

Kyrie Irving - Chris Paul (less quickness)

Jordan Hamilton - Stephen Jackson

Perry Jones - Andray Blatche

Alec Burks - Josh Childress

Jared Sullinger- Elton Brand

Enes Kanter - Al Horford

Trey Thompkins - Channing Frye

Kawhi Leonard - Gerald Wallace

William Buford - Daequan Cook

Tyler Honeycutt - Landry Fields

Brandon Knight - Jason Terry

Tristan Thompson - Ed Davis

Kemba Walker - Jonny Flynn

Marcus Morris - Tyler Hansbrough

Kyle Singler - Luke Walton

Markieff Morris - Jonas Jerebko

Chris Singleton - Luc Richard Mbah a Moute

Marshon Brooks - Manny Harris

Klay Thompson- Matt Carroll

Tobias Harris - Ryan Gomes

Jordan Williams - Al Jefferson/Nazr Mohammed

Jimmer Fredette - Stephen Curry (less passing skills)

David Lighty - Gary Neal

Kris Joseph - Richard Jefferson/Sonny Weems

Nolan Smith - Mario Chalmers

Jon Leuer - Matt Bonner

Demetri McCamey - (when in shape) Andre Miller

JaJuan Johnson - Ed Davis

Cory Joseph - Brevin Knight

E'twaun Moore- Less athletic Flip Murray

Jeffery Taylor - Devin Ebanks, but at best Thabo Sefolosha

John Henson - Brandan Wright

Jeremy Tyler - Marreese Speights

CJ Leslie - Julian Wright

John Jenkins -Wayne Ellington

Keith Benson - Jason Thompson

Ravern Johnson - James Jones

Aaric Murray - Hassan Whiteside (less shot-blocking)

Renardo Sidney - Derrick Coleman

Thomas Robinson- Julian Wright (less passing skills)

Travis Leslie- Desmond Mason

LaceDarius Dunn -Reggie Williams

Scotty Hopson- Von Wafer

Tyler Zeller- Jason Smith

[RickRoll_inDC]

I've been one of the most skeptical people about Harrison Barnes this year. I'm definitely coming around. So much so that I think he's the perfect fit at the 3.

- He doesn't need the ball in his hands
- He has range out to the 3
- He can catch and shoot
- He can slash

And then Nolan Smith or Kemba with the Hawks pick.

[nate33]

I've been one of the most skeptical people about Harrison Barnes this year. I'm definitely coming around. So much so that I think he's the perfect fit at the 3.

- He doesn't need the ball in his hands
- He has range out to the 3
- He can catch and shoot
- He can slash

And then Nolan Smith or Kemba with the Hawks pick.

I don't think Kemba will last that long, but I'm on board with this plan.

It would be nice to get a big in this draft, but you reach for something that's simply not there. Perhaps the best move is to be patient with our front line and hope that at least one of Booker, Blatche or McGee pans out to be a quality starter. At least this way, we're pretty set in our backcourt with Wall/Smith at PG, Young/Crawford at SG, and Barnes/Lewis at SF.

[Kanyewest]

I caught Ryen Rusillo's interview of David Thorpe on the NBA Today Podcast today. Thorpe was suprisingly upbeat about many of the pro prospects. While ceding that there's no Blake Griffin or Lebron James in the draft, he went through the five or six top candidates and made it sound like all of them would be quality pros rather than question mark tweeners.

A couple of points:

* Rusillo said that multiple GM types would take Irving #1 overall regardless of whether or not he plays in the tournament.
* Thorpe loves Barnes. Called him another Paul Pierce.
* Thorpe said that the people who know Perry Jones call him a "good kid". Seemed to imply that there was no real attitude problem but he might need to be put on the right team and get the right kind of guidance.
* Rusillo considers Derrick Williams a power SF but Thorpe says he's more likely a "stretch 4". He wasn't too worried about his defensive footspeed because of his length, but either way, he was sure Williams would score with ease in this league.
* Thorpe didn't think Sully's weight was a problem. Says that most guys who are kind of big for most of their childhood end up losing that "baby fat" in their late teens and early 20's. They compared him to Blair - only bigger and with more offensive ability outside of 5 feet. Neither Thorpe nor Rusillo mentioned any concerns about Sully scoring against bigger NBA competition.
* The only other NCAA player that should be "in the conversation" about a top pick is Henson.

I just listened to that conversation too. It made me wonder if Flip is the right guy long term especially since the system could determine. Barnes, although I'm struggling to put the blame on Saunders for Blatche and McGee; I guess could turn into an effective catch and shoot player. Certainly players like Arenas, Miller, and Livingston played better here than they have anywhere else while someone like Butler struggled. Continuity with the system would be a positive although I'm not a beliver in Flip's offense dominated by the pg (seems to have changed a bit) and the zone defense; although it may work better if guys like McGee actually rotated or if John Wall stayed in front of his man.

[tontoz]

* Rusillo considers Derrick Williams a power SF but Thorpe says he's more likely a "stretch 4". He wasn't too worried about his defensive footspeed because of his length, but either way, he was sure Williams would score with ease in this league.

At this point i would prefer Kanter or Barnes but i am definitely open to drafting Williams. We already have guys who i believe will mature into good interior defenders that could match up on someone that Williams can't handle. Having him as a stretch 4 would make it easier to give minutes to Seraphin and open up the interior for Wall's drives.

[nate33]

* Rusillo considers Derrick Williams a power SF but Thorpe says he's more likely a "stretch 4". He wasn't too worried about his defensive footspeed because of his length, but either way, he was sure Williams would score with ease in this league.

At this point i would prefer Kanter or Barnes but i am definitely open to drafting Williams. We already have guys who i believe will mature into good interior defenders that could match up on someone that Williams can't handle. Having him as a stretch 4 would make it easier to give minutes to Seraphin and open up the interior for Wall's drives.

I'm not sure who I like the most in this draft, but I must admit that Thorpe's optimism has me breathing a sigh of relief. It really looks like most of the guys in the top 5 would help us quite a bit. I still don't trust Perry Jones and I don't think you can win with Sullinger, but I'd be happy with Barnes, Williams, Kanter or Valanciunas. Several of those guys will be on the board when we pick.

(I say this knowing virtually nothing first hand about the Euro's. I'm assuming they're roughly as good as advertised.)

[theboomking]

* Rusillo considers Derrick Williams a power SF but Thorpe says he's more likely a "stretch 4". He wasn't too worried about his defensive footspeed because of his length, but either way, he was sure Williams would score with ease in this league.

At this point i would prefer Kanter or Barnes but i am definitely open to drafting Williams. We already have guys who i believe will mature into good interior defenders that could match up on someone that Williams can't handle. Having him as a stretch 4 would make it easier to give minutes to Seraphin and open up the interior for Wall's drives.

I'm not sure who I like the most in this draft, but I must admit that Thorpe's optimism has me breathing a sigh of relief. It really looks like most of the guys in the top 5 would help us quite a bit. I still don't trust Perry Jones and I don't think you can win with Sullinger, but I'd be happy with Barnes, Williams, Kanter or Valanciunas. Several of those guys will be on the board when we pick.

(I say this knowing virtually nothing first hand about the Euro's. I'm assuming they're roughly as good as advertised.)

Why do you like Williams better than Sullinger? He is certainly more explosive, but I don't believe Williams is taller than Jared. I don't think he will defend any better, and he doesn't rebound as well.

I've been watching a lot of Sullinger, and he really does all of the little things. Everyone knows how well he rebounds, but he is also a bruiser setting picks, boxes out, goes to the floor for loose balls, and is a good passer. I actually think that Jared will be a better scorer in the NBA than in college, because he'll have the chance to show more of his mid-range game. In short, I have less questions about how well Sullinger will translate than I do Derrick Williams. Sullinger isn't my favorite player in the draft, but I still think he's a legit top 5 player.

Regarding Kemba Walker, where would we play him? I just don't think he's the natural PG we could use to back up Wall. I'd rather move up just a bit and target Knight, who could back up the PG and SG spots, or just draft Faried or Singleton.

[tontoz]

I'm not sure who I like the most in this draft, but I must admit that Thorpe's optimism has me breathing a sigh of relief. It really looks like most of the guys in the top 5 would help us quite a bit. I still don't trust Perry Jones and I don't think you can win with Sullinger, but I'd be happy with Barnes, Williams, Kanter or Valanciunas. Several of those guys will be on the board when we pick.

(I say this knowing virtually nothing first hand about the Euro's. I'm assuming they're roughly as good as advertised.)

I also feel more comforable about the players available in this range than i did not long ago. I think several of these guys will be good players.

I have watched some of Perry on the link posted by Ed. Granted i have only watched some of his late-season play but i think some of the negativity is a little overdone.

Defensively they play zone almost all the time and Perry is on the back line so most of the time he will be just watching the action. He does make the effort to box out when a shot goes up but sometimes in a zone box out assignments get mixed up. He is skinny but doesn't seem weak and handles contact reasonably well. I dont think he is as soft as guys like Blatche and McGee.

Offensively he spends most of his time fighting for position in the post and rarely getting the ball. He actually looks pretty physical at times but it has to be frustrating to get the ball so rarely.

I think he definitely has the speed/quickness and ball handling ability to play the 3. I am not sure about his shot though. He has good form but shoots them so rarely it is hard to tell what he can do. I think the workouts will be key for him.

He doesn't seem to be a dumb player. He is not selfish and has no attitude issues that i can see. If anything he looks too willing to defer, similar to Wall early in the season. I don't know if that is his natural attitude or if he is just showing respect to the upperclassmen. their guards are definitely shoot first players.

If the Wizards get screwed in the lottery and wind up picking him i won't be too disappointed. He is no higher than 4th on my draft board though. To me he is similar to JV in that he could be a good player but there is some bust potential there.

[Ruzious]

I caught Ryen Rusillo's interview of David Thorpe on the NBA Today Podcast today. Thorpe was suprisingly upbeat about many of the pro prospects. While ceding that there's no Blake Griffin or Lebron James in the draft, he went through the five or six top candidates and made it sound like all of them would be quality pros rather than question mark tweeners.

A couple of points:

* Rusillo said that multiple GM types would take Irving #1 overall regardless of whether or not he plays in the tournament.
* Thorpe loves Barnes. Called him another Paul Pierce.
* Thorpe said that the people who know Perry Jones call him a "good kid". Seemed to imply that there was no real attitude problem but he might need to be put on the right team and get the right kind of guidance.
* Rusillo considers Derrick Williams a power SF but Thorpe says he's more likely a "stretch 4". He wasn't too worried about his defensive footspeed because of his length, but either way, he was sure Williams would score with ease in this league.
* Thorpe didn't think Sully's weight was a problem. Says that most guys who are kind of big for most of their childhood end up losing that "baby fat" in their late teens and early 20's. They compared him to Blair - only bigger and with more offensive ability outside of 5 feet. Neither Thorpe nor Rusillo mentioned any concerns about Sully scoring against bigger NBA competition.

Good stuff. Did they say anything about the Euro's, or were they just going over Americans? I still need to see Barnes actually do more than shoot to feel comfortable about him potentially being the Wiz pick - even if he just helps out getting the ball upcourt (which UNC is going to need if teams are smart and presure them in the backcourt). Finish in trafic; set up a teammate off a dribble drive; make a quick swich on defense - coming up with a steal or a block; out-hustle someone for a long rebound; make the extra pass that gives your teammate a better shot; set a pick freeing up Henson or Zeller for a dunk - make me believe he's a winner.

[DMVleGeND]

I'm not sure who I like the most in this draft, but I must admit that Thorpe's optimism has me breathing a sigh of relief. It really looks like most of the guys in the top 5 would help us quite a bit. I still don't trust Perry Jones and I don't think you can win with Sullinger, but I'd be happy with Barnes, Williams, Kanter or Valanciunas. Several of those guys will be on the board when we pick.

(I say this knowing virtually nothing first hand about the Euro's. I'm assuming they're roughly as good as advertised.)

I also feel more comforable about the players available in this range than i did not long ago. I think several of these guys will be good players.

I have watched some of Perry on the link posted by Ed. Granted i have only watched some of his late-season play but i think some of the negativity is a little overdone.

Defensively they play zone almost all the time and Perry is on the back line so most of the time he will be just watching the action. He does make the effort to box out when a shot goes up but sometimes in a zone box out assignments get mixed up. He is skinny but doesn't seem weak and handles contact reasonably well. I dont think he is as soft as guys like Blatche and McGee.

Offensively he spends most of his time fighting for position in the post and rarely getting the ball. He actually looks pretty physical at times but it has to be frustrating to get the ball so rarely.

I think he definitely has the speed/quickness and ball handling ability to play the 3. I am not sure about his shot though. He has good form but shoots them so rarely it is hard to tell what he can do. I think the workouts will be key for him.

He doesn't seem to be a dumb player. He is not selfish and has no attitude issues that i can see. If anything he looks too willing to defer, similar to Wall early in the season. I don't know if that is his natural attitude or if he is just showing respect to the upperclassmen. their guards are definitely shoot first players.

If the Wizards get screwed in the lottery and wind up picking him i won't be too disappointed. He is no higher than 4th on my draft board though. To me he is similar to JV in that he could be a good player but there is some bust potential there.

+1

I keep hearing people saying he has a bad attitude, but from everything I've read about him, he seems like a good kid. He grew up in a religous family and it seems like his mom has raised him well.

And like you said, I think he has the quickness and ball-handling ability to be a 3 full time, but he hasn't been able to showcase most of it at Baylor. Baylor is playing him at PF/C, and he's being used as a post player, but he has all the skills to play SF. And he has a decent jumpshot, but his attempts have been limited this season. His shot has been very inconsistent, but he has excellent mechanics, and I don't see why he can't develop into a very good jumpshooter in his career. Just look at this video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=quxsxSe1YTo

Granted it was HS, that's still some amazing stuff he's doing at 6'11". He's the biggest boom-or-bust prospect in the draft, but I'll be very happy if the Wizards call his name during the draft

[Dat2U]

Also, it's going to be pretty hard to be completely disappointed on draft day. The Wizards will very likely get a top 5 pick and in that space, we're going to have a lot of players who fit nicely with this squad.

Sullinger
Barnes
Jones
Williams

I'd be good with any of them, and it's almost cemented that Kyrie Irving will be a top-5 pick so one of our competitors will undoubtedly use their pick on him, securing us one of the above players if we so choose.

I slightly disagree. I personally think this draft is filled with pitfalls and disappointments. Maybe none of these guys will be out-and-out busts, but I think a number of the lottery picks aren't going to live up to their lofty draft standing.

Both Williams & Sullinger will be effective to an extent. Sullinger on the boards and Williams as a face up 4. If Sullinger really develops that mid-range game than he may turn out to be pretty solid but defensively both are going to give up a lot of baskets. Neither looks to have the ideal length to contest shots on the next level. I'm not sure you can win with either as starter on your front line. Both of the euro guys are shots in the dark right now. Neither is an elite athlete or has outstanding length. Jonas doesn't appear to have a ton of skill either. Jones who I like the most, even in my own opinion is the ultimate bust or boom prospect.

Personally I'm not sure I'd want a top 3 pick in this draft unless we use it to trade down. Because there is no top three talent in this draft IMO. There's decent lottery talent but this reminds me of alot of the Kwame draft.

[fishercob]

* Rusillo considers Derrick Williams a power SF but Thorpe says he's more likely a "stretch 4". He wasn't too worried about his defensive footspeed because of his length, but either way, he was sure Williams would score with ease in this league.

At this point i would prefer Kanter or Barnes but i am definitely open to drafting Williams. We already have guys who i believe will mature into good interior defenders that could match up on someone that Williams can't handle. Having him as a stretch 4 would make it easier to give minutes to Seraphin and open up the interior for Wall's drives.

I'm not sure who I like the most in this draft, but I must admit that Thorpe's optimism has me breathing a sigh of relief. It really looks like most of the guys in the top 5 would help us quite a bit. I still don't trust Perry Jones and I don't think you can win with Sullinger, but I'd be happy with Barnes, Williams, Kanter or Valanciunas. Several of those guys will be on the board when we pick.

(I say this knowing virtually nothing first hand about the Euro's. I'm assuming they're roughly as good as advertised.)

I'd like to agree, but Thorpe has lost a lot of credibility in my eyes after his glowing review of Yi from over the summer. After working with Yi, I get the sense that Thorpe sees what he wants to see with prospects, not what may necessarily be there:

“I thought that he really had no idea how to play,” Thorpe said. “I thought that he was a guy who thought he could really shoot the ball, and that became kind of the center of his universe. And he really had no understanding of a way to impact the game other than 19-foot jumpers…
…In our gym he blew us away. We were told by his agent, Fegan, that we would be shocked by how athletic he was and we were. All my players in the gym were shocked. All the coaches were shocked. And I think he shocked himself.”
He was dunking everything, and beating guards down the floor, and stripping guards, and making plays full-court in transition with the ball in his hands. His strength coach, who is with him full-time, said he’s never seen him do that kind of stuff before. All of a sudden, his personality came out, and he became a fun guy to be around. He brought spirit to practice. He was just a different guy.”

This was part of a larger "watch out for Yi, he's a sleeping giant" undertone. And I don't know if anyone here has thought about or discussed the topic, but Yi sucks.

[DeBlazerRiddem]

I think Williams would be the best fit next to Wall. Granted, I think after picking him you would have to try and package McGee and Blatche to find a defensive center like Nene, Chandler, Okafor ect. Williams seems to have a bit of that explosive "Blake Griffin" element and a pretty decent looking IQ. His length, quickness and strength means he isn't giving up too much on defense, but without a real game changing big man defender in this draft, I think Williams would fit better than Sullinger or Jones. Jones has high risk (very high reward) written all over him, and is better for a team like Cleveland to try and build around, rather than trying to combine him with another ball dominate playmaker. Sullinger is much better in isolation, and would work better on a team playing like the Spurs (through their bigs), whereas Williams could be that explosive element with enough off-ball and finishing abilities to really complement Wall (being both a "pick and roll" AND "pick and pop" threat)

[FAH1223]

Also, it's going to be pretty hard to be completely disappointed on draft day. The Wizards will very likely get a top 5 pick and in that space, we're going to have a lot of players who fit nicely with this squad.

Sullinger
Barnes
Jones
Williams

I'd be good with any of them, and it's almost cemented that Kyrie Irving will be a top-5 pick so one of our competitors will undoubtedly use their pick on him, securing us one of the above players if we so choose.

I slightly disagree. I personally think this draft is filled with pitfalls and disappointments. Maybe none of these guys will be out-and-out busts, but I think a number of the lottery picks aren't going to live up to their lofty draft standing.

Both Williams & Sullinger will be effective to an extent. Sullinger on the boards and Williams as a face up 4. If Sullinger really develops that mid-range game than he may turn out to be pretty solid but defensively both are going to give up a lot of baskets. Neither looks to have the ideal length to contest shots on the next level. I'm not sure you can win with either as starter on your front line. Both of the euro guys are shots in the dark right now. Neither is an elite athlete or has outstanding length. Jonas doesn't appear to have a ton of skill either. Jones who I like the most, even in my own opinion is the ultimate bust or boom prospect.

Personally I'm not sure I'd want a top 3 pick in this draft unless we use it to trade down. Because there is no top three talent in this draft IMO. There's decent lottery talent but this reminds me of alot of the Kwame draft.

which means take the foreign born player

we shoulda took Pau in 2001 and we should take Kanter in 2011

[Benjammin]

I hope both Kanter and Jonas V are significant enough prospects to consider them as serious options. As for the college guys, hopefully Irving comes out and is either good trade bait or allows another player to drop to the Wizards. If Barnes has a good run in the tournament he would be a solid pick. Right now I'm nervous about Perry Jones because of his low level of production, although I'm not concerned about his character. I don't think that Sullinger is as long or athletically gifted as Brand or Boozer and that makes me nervous. Which leaves Derrick Williams, with my concern that he is somewhat tweenerish. But I would still likely take him over Perry Jones or Sullinger right now.

[no D in Hibachi]

Doesn't this sort of talk happen around this time every year?

Up until about March all draft prognosticators say "terrible draft" and "no blue-chippers," but tourney time hits and the same guys flip the script and now every player gets touted as ''potential lottery guy'' or "in the right system he'll be a star.''

Total chumps like Cole Aldrich, Gordon Hayward, Luke Babbitt, and Xavier Henry (all players with questionable NBA potential) suddenly become highly desirable commodities.

It seems like every year I fall into the trap of believing the hype given by Thorpe and, to a lesser extent, Chad Ford. Not this year, I'm firmly with Dat in that this draft is "is filled with pitfalls and disappointments." There are about 5 potential impact players and all have serious questions about their ability to be contributers on championship caliber teams. Thorpes analysis doesn't make me feel any better about tanking this season.

[dangermouse]

Williams = our Westbrook?

Both athletic as hell. Both were called tweeners coming out of college. OKC took a risk drafting him hoping he would become their PG, it worked out. We draft Williams hoping he will become our SF? He seems quick enough to play the position.

[Dat2U]

Doesn't this sort of talk happen around this time every year?

Up until about March all draft prognosticators say "terrible draft" and "no blue-chippers," but tourney time hits and the same guys flip the script and now every player gets touted as ''potential lottery guy'' or "in the right system he'll be a star.''

Total chumps like Cole Aldrich, Gordon Hayward, Luke Babbitt, and Xavier Henry (all players with questionable NBA potential) suddenly become highly desirable commodities.

It seems like every year I fall into the trap of believing the hype given by Thorpe and, to a lesser extent, Chad Ford. Not this year, I'm firmly with Dat in that this draft is "is filled with pitfalls and disappointments." There are about 5 potential impact players and all have serious questions about their ability to be contributers on championship caliber teams. Thorpes analysis doesn't make me feel any better about tanking this season.

Cole Aldrich - unathletic, not a lot of skill. Stiff
Gordon Hayward - tweener, not a great athlete. Doesn't do anything at a very high level
Luke Babbitt - another tweener. Poor defender. But also stuck behind a position loaded with vets.
Xavier Henry - not an elite athlete. Limited ball handling skills for a wing. Not a pure shooter.

I missed on Henry although Memphis fans will tell you he's contributed in other ways. Babbitt, Hayward & Aldrich were predictable busts IMO.

Last years draft was littered with potential busts, this years draft seems to have a bit more depth but there's no Wall.

It's not a horrible draft, unless you've got a top 3 pick IMO.

If we get a top pick, I'd probably try to leverage it to get an unprotected 2012 pick and trade down slightly.

There's a few things I'm absolutely certain about this year:

Kyrie Irving is a relatively safe pick. May not be a superstar but will be a very solid PG in time.

Kemba Walker is not a combo guard. He's a lead guard and is the closest thing to a prime Gilbert Arenas I've seen. He's not Ben Gordon and people who say he's not a PG don't know what the hell they're talking about.

Sullinger & Williams will be solid NBA contributors and both may be in the running for ROY. But if you draft them too high, expect to be at least slightly disappointed. Sullinger may be one of those, "what you see is what you get types".

Faried is an absolute steal outside the lottery.

Brandon Knight is underrated and worthy of a late lottery pick IMO.

Looking more and more at Tristan Thompson, there's no reason he shouldn't be in the conversation for a lottery pick.

PF is the strongest position in the draft by far. SG & C are both incredibly thin this year.

[miller31time]

Also, it's going to be pretty hard to be completely disappointed on draft day. The Wizards will very likely get a top 5 pick and in that space, we're going to have a lot of players who fit nicely with this squad.

Sullinger
Barnes
Jones
Williams

I'd be good with any of them, and it's almost cemented that Kyrie Irving will be a top-5 pick so one of our competitors will undoubtedly use their pick on him, securing us one of the above players if we so choose.

I slightly disagree. I personally think this draft is filled with pitfalls and disappointments. Maybe none of these guys will be out-and-out busts, but I think a number of the lottery picks aren't going to live up to their lofty draft standing.

Both Williams & Sullinger will be effective to an extent. Sullinger on the boards and Williams as a face up 4. If Sullinger really develops that mid-range game than he may turn out to be pretty solid but defensively both are going to give up a lot of baskets. Neither looks to have the ideal length to contest shots on the next level. I'm not sure you can win with either as starter on your front line. Both of the euro guys are shots in the dark right now. Neither is an elite athlete or has outstanding length. Jonas doesn't appear to have a ton of skill either. Jones who I like the most, even in my own opinion is the ultimate bust or boom prospect.

Personally I'm not sure I'd want a top 3 pick in this draft unless we use it to trade down. Because there is no top three talent in this draft IMO. There's decent lottery talent but this reminds me of alot of the Kwame draft.

But we don't need the player Kwame was supposed to be. Don't get me wrong, it'd be damn nice if that's who we got but out of this draft, I'm looking to add a legitimate 2nd option to help Wall out. I don't see "1st option potential" out of these players (with the possible exception of Barnes) but I see a whole bunch of prospects who pan out to be good "Robins to a team's Batman".

[The Consiglieri]

I caught Ryen Rusillo's interview of David Thorpe on the NBA Today Podcast today. Thorpe was suprisingly upbeat about many of the pro prospects. While ceding that there's no Blake Griffin or Lebron James in the draft, he went through the five or six top candidates and made it sound like all of them would be quality pros rather than question mark tweeners.

A couple of points:

* Rusillo said that multiple GM types would take Irving #1 overall regardless of whether or not he plays in the tournament.
* Thorpe loves Barnes. Called him another Paul Pierce.
* Thorpe said that the people who know Perry Jones call him a "good kid". Seemed to imply that there was no real attitude problem but he might need to be put on the right team and get the right kind of guidance.
* Rusillo considers Derrick Williams a power SF but Thorpe says he's more likely a "stretch 4". He wasn't too worried about his defensive footspeed because of his length, but either way, he was sure Williams would score with ease in this league.
* Thorpe didn't think Sully's weight was a problem. Says that most guys who are kind of big for most of their childhood end up losing that "baby fat" in their late teens and early 20's. They compared him to Blair - only bigger and with more offensive ability outside of 5 feet. Neither Thorpe nor Rusillo mentioned any concerns about Sully scoring against bigger NBA competition.
* The only other NCAA player that should be "in the conversation" about a top pick is Henson.

Im sure they ignored Kantner and the Euro because it was kind of pointless, the podcast was likely a marketing piece of the NCAA Tourney talk deal. Why talk about two guys who wont sniff the tourney and who there is almost know publicly available video of?

Very interesting notes though.