Official 2013 Draft Thread - Part I

[hands11]

I think we'll be alright if we come away with Zeller or Len. They are easy fits, fill fundamental needs, offer good value as BPA type picks, have a chance to get on the court by 2014 without us having to do anything else to the roster.

Still think Noel goes top 3 and is probably out of our reach.

And I still favor Zeller over Len. Better overall player. Len could certainly thrive with a PG like Wall, but Zeller is really an ideal match with Wall IMO.

Yeah, but Zeller is in the running to go number 1 so don't get to attached.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

I agree.

Smart has it. He does have star quality. He is a winner. Of all the players I have seen he is the one who imposes his will on games at both ends of the court. He's only 18 years old. I think he is going to be a star in the NBA.

I think it still makes sense for the Wizards to draft Smart as the best player available.

If we draft Smart with the intent to keep him, that means we're starting the rebuild over. I don't think that's necessary and I don't think it's the best course.

You don't take him to be a 6th man. He needs to have the ball in his hands and he needs to be heavily involved in the flow of the game.

I'd draft him if I could get a good deal for him in return.

And referring to your previous post, I don't think there is any way you can know whether Smart is a better leader than Wall from where we sit. If anything, Wall has already proven he's a capable leader at the NBA level.

I think Wall is a franchise player and I think his upside is still higher than Smart's. I don't give up on Wall for Smart. Just like I wouldn't give up on Kyrie for Smart even though Smart's defensive potential and his all around game dwarfs Kyrie's.

Smart won to Texas 5A high school championships. He won golds in international play. He is a great leader as a freshman because he does it at the defensive end. Wall has not won a thing in three years until now, and that is because of the players around him. My suspicion is Smart is better than Wall, though different.

I would draft Smart with the thought of playing him with Wall and waiting to see. Harden didn't start for OKC. It might be you draft Smart and eventually trade Wall, but I don't know.

[stevemcqueen1]

Smart won to Texas 5A high school championships. He won golds in international play. He is a great leader as a freshman because he does it at the defensive end. Wall has not won a thing in three years until now, and that is because of the players around him. My suspicion is Smart is better than Wall, though different.

I would draft Smart with the thought of playing him with Wall and waiting to see. Harden didn't start for OKC. It might be you draft Smart and eventually trade Wall, but I don't know.

OKC isn't necessarily an apt analogy. Harden was a tweener 2/3 and probably could have started at SG if OKC needed the offense on the first line and didn't have that need for second line scoring. Westbrook didn't block him and Durant didn't block him at the 2.

If we draft Smart, he would be blocked by both Wall and Beal. I don't think he can play SF and bumping Beal up to SF enough to get both him and Smart 34+ minutes isn't really ideal IMO.

Smart looks special but I can't figure out how to use him properly with our current construction. I think you draft him with the intention of trading him. That seems a bit risky to me. Seems difficult to get fair return for him after draft day/end up with something better than what we'd get from simply spending the draft pick on someone we could definitely use.

[dandrews]

Man just when you rule out Len, he does what he did tonight and completely dominate. Tonight is the reason why he'll be considered for first overall.

I seriously can't make up my mind who I want to draft.

Will Len get better playing with a real NBA point guard? Shabazz is a lights out scorer, but what's his ceiling if he can't do anything else? Speaking of ceilings, what is Otto Porter's if he's good at everything but not great at anything? Will Noel recover from his knee or end up down the career path of Shaun Livigston? And of he does will he be able to score in the NBA? Can Bennett overcome being severely undersized?

I can't remember having this many questions about a draft all these guys are equals to me in terms of draft value, and I'm not even including Smart or McLemore, who are on the same level but won't play a part in our draft plans due to Wall/Beal

Hopefully EG and company are doing their jobs this draft season

If I were in the Wizards' position I would look acquire another first round pick and I would draft Smart with one of the picks. Smart is competitive at both ends. He is a better leader than Wall.

The only assets we have that are worth first round picks are Wall and Beal, and they aren't trading either one, nor should they.

If you're taking Marcus Smart top 5 overall you better be damn sure he's as good or better than Wall and Beal because if he isn't he's playing 12 minutes a game and yet another pick will be flushed down the drain. It's a ballsy move that I don't think I'd make considering the equal amount of talent in the front court this year.

[dandrews]

Man just when you rule out Len, he does what he did tonight and completely dominate. Tonight is the reason why he'll be considered for first overall.

I seriously can't make up my mind who I want to draft.

Will Len get better playing with a real NBA point guard? Shabazz is a lights out scorer, but what's his ceiling if he can't do anything else? Speaking of ceilings, what is Otto Porter's if he's good at everything but not great at anything? Will Noel recover from his knee or end up down the career path of Shaun Livigston? And of he does will he be able to score in the NBA? Can Bennett overcome being severely undersized?

I can't remember having this many questions about a draft all these guys are equals to me in terms of draft value, and I'm not even including Smart or McLemore, who are on the same level but won't play a part in our draft plans due to Wall/Beal

Hopefully EG and company are doing their jobs this draft season

I would never make up my mind this early. Gotta see what people do in the tournament. Big time players step up on the big stage. Have to add that information to the mix.

Yeah you're right. Usually by this time though I'm no longer flip flopping on every possible top 10 selection.

[No-Man]

I like a lot the idea of Wall-Beal-Muhammad perimeter, Nenê down and you only need a good passing/rebounding/shooting PF to fit right in

[Floater]

If there was only some way to get one of Len/Noel/Zeller AND one of Shabbazz/Porter/Bennett...

[stevemcqueen1]

Yeah you're right. Usually by this time though I'm no longer flip flopping on every possible top 10 selection.

It's a really good top ten. Not necessarily any great prospects because everyone has some sort of flaw that keeps him from being clean. But A lot of really good ones.

In general, I think there are at least 14 guys in this class who have a strong chance of becoming good starters. That's a bit higher than the norm. Here is the list of guys and what I think their flaw is:

- Noel - knee injury, not a ton of offensive development (probably the most can't miss guy of the class though).
- Shabazz - versatility, passing and defense are questions, conditioning is a question. Length for his natural position of the 3?
- McLemore - creative offensive ability is a question, will to dominate?
- Smart - athleticism keep him from being elite? shooting is inconsistent, can you win built around just a combo guard?
- Carter-Williams - same, can you win around a combo guard? also inconsistent shooter.
- Zeller - length and rebounding/strength, jumper.
- Len - consistency and strength are big time questions.
- Austin - ditto plus FT shooting and what's his offensive niche? not as regular a performer on D, probably could benefit from going back to school
- Bennett - offensive skill set has a question mark because he needs a post game, but defensively, he's a man without an NBA position. Problematic, will it keep him from getting on the floor?
- Porter - lack of athleticism and coordination limiting his upside? can he beat his man 1 on 1? strength?
- Plumlee - very old for a prospect and his skills are still very raw, relies on athletic and strength advantage that will be negligible in the NBA, only has one go to shot, that baby hook.
- Oladipo - creative offensive player? more than just a 3 and D stopper? Inordinately benefiting from playing on such a superior team with guys like Zeller and Watford doing so much of the creating?
- Poythress - can he shoot from range? 3 or a 4? Coachable? Extremely raw, ready for the NBA?
- Goodwin - more than a slasher? Can he facilitate the offense better? Coachable? Again, raw, NBA ready?
- McAdoo - NBA body and athlete, but what's his go to offense? What's his NBA position? Can he substantially improve his mid range jumper? Can he add the 3 ball? FT shooting?
- Mitchell - freak athlete but IQ and motor are huge question marks. Big enough to damn him IMO. He's going to have to go to a great team late in the draft that'll kick his butt into shape.
- Olynyk - great skills but he's sooooo slow. Athletic enough for the NBA?
- Withey - same age as plumlee, old for a prospect, more than just a banger and six hard fouls guy?
- Burke - NBA size? Not a burner, athletic enough to have a good deal of upside in the NBA?
- McCollum - injured, can he facilitate? Can he score inside? Level of competition? Can he defend since he's not a top notch athlete?

I think all of those guys could turn into good NBA players. That's at least 20 players in the class worthy of a first round pick for most teams and systems and there are definitely more I'm leaving out.

At the top of my personal wish list are the true bigs: Noel, Zeller, Len. If we get those guys, we can bring them along a little slowly and plan for them to be our center as the Wall and Beal era matures. We don't have to make any trades to work them in the current roster by 2014 and it gives us the freedom to trade Seraphin or Okafor before next year's deadline.

If the BPA is clearly a guard, so be it. Although Smart necessitates a trade IMO and McLemore probably does too. Can Shabazz thrive starting at the 3? I see almost no scenario where Carter-Williams, McCollum, or Burke are the BPA when we pick.

If the BPA is a forward, that's a pretty clean fit but we might need to clear out room for him since we've got three young PF types on the roster already. Drafting Porter would mean we probably shouldn't extend Martell. Drafting Bennett or McAdoo means we need to move Booker, Ves, or Singleton most likely.

The class is high quality enough that I would try and trade for a second first rounder in the late lottery. I'd deal Vesely for Chicago's draft pick and probably deal Seraphin in the process. Seraphin will have value as a true big man that can score and that has a lot of upside left. Some team out there will want Crawford because people need a second line scorer. Singleton's value probably isn't particularly high and I can't see Booker having any real value beyond being a cheap contract with a couple years of team control. Ariza has value but I'd prefer to keep him myself. Oak will probably have a good amount of value as the deadline approaches, but I'd need a big offer to move him since we'll need the cap relief and we need a starting center.

[hands11]

I just watched the entire OK vs OKS game

Smart is an interesting college player for sure but it's not clear to me he is anything more then a back up PG in the NBA and as such, its not clear he would have the green light to play his game like he does in college. He does have a great motor. He is a great story. I like the fight in him and the nose for the ball but I also saw some floppy handles, I saw handles that didn't look very advanced, I saw a guy that is the leader of his team and that ran the offense but not someone who breaks down the defenses at the NBA level. I also saw some questionable early 3 shot jacking.

He is a great story and his combination on leadership, 3 ball range, hustle and strength make him a great college player. But nothing I saw said starting PG in the NBA. No way should the Wizards use their top pick to get him. At least from what I just saw. I think his value does get increased because of his will to win though. There is a lot of fight in that dog.

Aside from Smart, I saw several interesting players in that game. I heard Nash's named called constantly. Osby has a nice build and nice game as well. And Grooms has had really nice handles and a really nice game though it looks like he just had a really good game.

As for Smart. Interesting player but not for the Wizards. Not which their top pick. I would rather grab CJ McCullum later in the draft.

Anyway. Smart is fun to watch and I understand he is a freshman, but from what I saw, I wouldn't draft him with my top pick.

This is a draft class that you want to draft down and go for value. There are lots of player you can add depth to your team. Few if any starters.

[SUPERBALLMAN]

I think we'll be alright if we come away with Zeller or Len. They are easy fits, fill fundamental needs, offer good value as BPA type picks, have a chance to get on the court by 2014 without us having to do anything else to the roster.

Still think Noel goes top 3 and is probably out of our reach.

And I still favor Zeller over Len. Better overall player. Len could certainly thrive with a PG like Wall, but Zeller is really an ideal match with Wall IMO.

Barring a trade, things as they currently are, I'd like to see the Wizards get a big with their top pick, Len, Zeller, or Noel. As of right now, my preference is Len.

With their top 2nd rounder I'd like to go for a SF. Possibly Solomon Hill or Allen Crabbe, or maybe this guy: http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Ser ... asev-6118/

[Ruzious]

I think we'll be alright if we come away with Zeller or Len. They are easy fits, fill fundamental needs, offer good value as BPA type picks, have a chance to get on the court by 2014 without us having to do anything else to the roster.

Still think Noel goes top 3 and is probably out of our reach.

And I still favor Zeller over Len. Better overall player. Len could certainly thrive with a PG like Wall, but Zeller is really an ideal match with Wall IMO.

I think this is the time where people are figuring out who their favorite players are going forward to the NBA. and Zeller's really grown on me. It's so refreshing to see a big who just knows how to play basketball and has the skills and talent to do it. If Chandler Parsons was 3 inches taller, he'd be Zeller. He's the one guy in this draft that will step in from day 1 and be a very good player, imo.

[hands11]

I think we'll be alright if we come away with Zeller or Len. They are easy fits, fill fundamental needs, offer good value as BPA type picks, have a chance to get on the court by 2014 without us having to do anything else to the roster.

Still think Noel goes top 3 and is probably out of our reach.

And I still favor Zeller over Len. Better overall player. Len could certainly thrive with a PG like Wall, but Zeller is really an ideal match with Wall IMO.

I think this is the time where people are figuring out who their favorite players are going forward to the NBA. and Zeller's really grown on me. It's so refreshing to see a big who just knows how to play basketball and has the skills and talent to do it. If Chandler Parsons was 3 inches taller, he'd be Zeller. He's the one guy in this draft that will step in from day 1 and be a very good player, imo.

Which is why he very well may go number 1 to Charlotte.

[hands11]

I agree.

Smart has it. He does have star quality. He is a winner. Of all the players I have seen he is the one who imposes his will on games at both ends of the court. He's only 18 years old. I think he is going to be a star in the NBA.

I think it still makes sense for the Wizards to draft Smart as the best player available.

If we draft Smart with the intent to keep him, that means we're starting the rebuild over. I don't think that's necessary and I don't think it's the best course.

You don't take him to be a 6th man. He needs to have the ball in his hands and he needs to be heavily involved in the flow of the game.

I'd draft him if I could get a good deal for him in return.

And referring to your previous post, I don't think there is any way you can know whether Smart is a better leader than Wall from where we sit. If anything, Wall has already proven he's a capable leader at the NBA level.

I think Wall is a franchise player and I think his upside is still higher than Smart's. I don't give up on Wall for Smart. Just like I wouldn't give up on Kyrie for Smart even though Smart's defensive potential and his all around game dwarfs Kyrie's.

Smart won to Texas 5A high school championships. He won golds in international play. He is a great leader as a freshman because he does it at the defensive end. Wall has not won a thing in three years until now, and that is because of the players around him. My suspicion is Smart is better than Wall, though different.

I would draft Smart with the thought of playing him with Wall and waiting to see. Harden didn't start for OKC. It might be you draft Smart and eventually trade Wall, but I don't know.

We need a young big center more then we need Smart. Well have to see where we pick. Smart would be a good player for the Wizards to have added when they were in the position they were when they drafted Wall. That is the type of team he should go to. Maybe Phoenix.

[Ruzious]

I think we'll be alright if we come away with Zeller or Len. They are easy fits, fill fundamental needs, offer good value as BPA type picks, have a chance to get on the court by 2014 without us having to do anything else to the roster.

Still think Noel goes top 3 and is probably out of our reach.

And I still favor Zeller over Len. Better overall player. Len could certainly thrive with a PG like Wall, but Zeller is really an ideal match with Wall IMO.

I think this is the time where people are figuring out who their favorite players are going forward to the NBA. and Zeller's really grown on me. It's so refreshing to see a big who just knows how to play basketball and has the skills and talent to do it. If Chandler Parsons was 3 inches taller, he'd be Zeller. He's the one guy in this draft that will step in from day 1 and be a very good player, imo.

Which is why he very well may go number 1 to Charlotte.

Noel's probably going first, and after that - it's anyone's guess. If Zeller's arms measure as short as some say. he could slip out of the top 5.

[jmrosenth]

Dan Dakich made the point during the Purdue game, but Zeller has a tendency to hold the ball pretty low when he goes up for a shot, and I don't think it's a product of his arm length, just his tendency. As a result, he gets his fair share of shots blocked. He needs to work on that. He is working on a fadeaway post-move and jump hooks that should mitigate "arm length". Everyone should watch the IU-Michigan State tomorrow night. Two best teams in the country IMO playing for first place in the Big Ten, lots of smack talking on MSU's side, plenty of pro prospects - doesn't get much better. Hoo Hoo Hoo....Hoosiers.

[fishercob]

I'm no draft scout and I don't watch much college ball (because the quality of play is pretty poopy across the board), but dman if Alex Len wasn't impressive against Duke.

I don't know anything about his defense, and for me to invest my first rounder in him, I'd need to believe that he could develop into a true defensive anchor; you just don't see good defensive teams without good defensive bigs, ya know? But I also don't think centers need to be freak athletes (by NBA standards) to be great defenders. Hibbert, Marc Gasol and Duncan are anchoring the top 3 defenses in the league right now. Physically/athletically, I'm not sure I see why Len can be in that group. But how smart is he and how hard is he willing to work? If he's a blockhead, I probably pass. If he comes off as a real student of the game, then I would be much more inclined towards him.

[Liverbird]

Dan Dakich made the point during the Purdue game, but Zeller has a tendency to hold the ball pretty low when he goes up for a shot, and I don't think it's a product of his arm length, just his tendency. As a result, he gets his fair share of shots blocked. He needs to work on that. He is working on a fadeaway post-move and jump hooks that should mitigate "arm length". Everyone should watch the IU-Michigan State tomorrow night. Two best teams in the country IMO playing for first place in the Big Ten, lots of smack talking on MSU's side, plenty of pro prospects - doesn't get much better. Hoo Hoo Hoo....Hoosiers.

Go Sparty!

Zeller has historically struggled against players like Adrien Payne's length and athleticism so it will be interesting to see how's he can adapt. I'd hesitate to draft Zeller in the top 5. Mind you, he's a really good player with a really nice skill set, but I think he may struggle to be much more than an average big in the NBA IMO. I'd rather have his teammate Olapido on this carnation of the Wizard team.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Smart won to Texas 5A high school championships. He won golds in international play. He is a great leader as a freshman because he does it at the defensive end. Wall has not won a thing in three years until now, and that is because of the players around him. My suspicion is Smart is better than Wall, though different.

I would draft Smart with the thought of playing him with Wall and waiting to see. Harden didn't start for OKC. It might be you draft Smart and eventually trade Wall, but I don't know.

OKC isn't necessarily an apt analogy. Harden was a tweener 2/3 and probably could have started at SG if OKC needed the offense on the first line and didn't have that need for second line scoring. Westbrook didn't block him and Durant didn't block him at the 2.

If we draft Smart, he would be blocked by both Wall and Beal. I don't think he can play SF and bumping Beal up to SF enough to get both him and Smart 34+ minutes isn't really ideal IMO.

Smart looks special but I can't figure out how to use him properly with our current construction. I think you draft him with the intention of trading him. That seems a bit risky to me. Seems difficult to get fair return for him after draft day/end up with something better than what we'd get from simply spending the draft pick on someone we could definitely use.

I would draft him knowing he's 4 years YOUNGER than John Wall and believing in 4 years Smart is going to be MUCH BETTER than Wall.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

If I were in the Wizards' position I would look acquire another first round pick and I would draft Smart with one of the picks. Smart is competitive at both ends. He is a better leader than Wall.

The only assets we have that are worth first round picks are Wall and Beal, and they aren't trading either one, nor should they.

If you're taking Marcus Smart top 5 overall you better be damn sure he's as good or better than Wall and Beal because if he isn't he's playing 12 minutes a game and yet another pick will be flushed down the drain. It's a ballsy move that I don't think I'd make considering the equal amount of talent in the front court this year.

I would do my best to get two picks in this draft. I do agree you almost have to draft Len on potential or Zeller over Smart. You can draft Muhammed knowing he's going to score like a young Jerry Stackhouse. McClemore is going to be Hubert Davis/Allen Houston with more athleticism.

I have a strong feeling Smart is one of those very special players, like a Jason Kidd or Paul Pierce.

[Ruzious]

Smart won to Texas 5A high school championships. He won golds in international play. He is a great leader as a freshman because he does it at the defensive end. Wall has not won a thing in three years until now, and that is because of the players around him. My suspicion is Smart is better than Wall, though different.

I would draft Smart with the thought of playing him with Wall and waiting to see. Harden didn't start for OKC. It might be you draft Smart and eventually trade Wall, but I don't know.

OKC isn't necessarily an apt analogy. Harden was a tweener 2/3 and probably could have started at SG if OKC needed the offense on the first line and didn't have that need for second line scoring. Westbrook didn't block him and Durant didn't block him at the 2.

If we draft Smart, he would be blocked by both Wall and Beal. I don't think he can play SF and bumping Beal up to SF enough to get both him and Smart 34+ minutes isn't really ideal IMO.

Smart looks special but I can't figure out how to use him properly with our current construction. I think you draft him with the intention of trading him. That seems a bit risky to me. Seems difficult to get fair return for him after draft day/end up with something better than what we'd get from simply spending the draft pick on someone we could definitely use.

I would draft him knowing he's 4 years YOUNGER than John Wall and believing in 4 years Smart is going to be MUCH BETTER than Wall.

In 4 years, he's still not going to be anywhere near as explosive an athlete as Wall - and I think his position will be shooting guard - where he'll be under-sized. Also, notice the way he gets most of his steals - he keeps his right hand out and stabs at the ball. In the NBA, that's going to be scouted, and teams will adjust. I still think he's a heckuva prospect in a poor man's Dwayne Wade way, but I wouldn't act so sure that I know what he's going to be in the NBA. Quinn Buckner won everything as a heckuva leader and PG in HS and college. What kind of a pro did he become?
Edit - Buckner is one of only three players in history to have won titles at every level: high school, college, the NBA, and the Olympics. But his career in the NBA was rather modest.