2011 DRAFT blather goes here. Part 3...

[WizarDynasty]

rebounding is the ability to pin a man on your back with your leg strength and while he is trying to nudge you you out of position you are powerful enough to still keep your balance and attack the ball at its apex even if its not immediately above you. Those are the true rebounding specialists. All great rebounders that box out also had great lower leg strength and balance and were immovable even when being pushed from behind.

[7-Day Dray]

If this is true, and none of the teams in the Top 5 want to leave their pick overseas, this pretty much nixes any chance at Kanter:

The buyout in the contract of Jonas Valanciunas with Lietuvos Rytas will be raised to at least $3 million USD, confirmed agent Sarunas Broga to RealGM.

Valanciunas has widely been projected to become a top-five pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, but a more financially difficult buyout would surely impact his draft status.

Read more: http://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/21 ... z1NyUNRat5

Well, looks like it's either picking one of Vesely/Leonard/Biyombo or trading with a team that wants one of those guys.

Via DraftExpress

Valanciunas report from Lithuania is inaccurate. There is no set buyout amount yet. Negotiations ongoing. Both parties still holding firm. about 4 hours ago

I guess we'll have to wait and see.

[closg00]

Thank you CBS Sports for a very thorough scouting report on Kawhi Leonard.
http://www.cbssports.com/#!/nba/draft/p ... hi-leonard

[Hoopalotta]

^ Yeah, but he's not going to get it all at once. He'd essentially be playing his first year for free. Especially with a lockout, wouldn't it make sense for him to actually make money in Europe for another year and then come over when the buyout is more reasonable?

Givony wrote something for Yahoo about how the buyout would be staggered out over the course of Valentine's rookie contract rather than just being a singular lump sum.

[hands11]

Hmm

Jeremy Tyler Mix - #1 Player of Class of 2010

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SaJcyVNju4k

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdc9FLt1Ovc

Nice Draft X interview.

Watching these videos I saw a player he reminded me of. Who do you think ?


http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Jeremy-Tyler-1327/

Maybe not the right player for this team this year but I will be keeping an eye on him.

I just watched the interview again. He doesn't seem like a problem child at all. Maybe he made some mistakes but he doesn't seem stupid or immature.

Ok, here is how I thought he looked like in some of those videos. Some combo of Odem and Webber. Webber was a problem early in his career but he panned out ok.

In three years this kid should do doing some damage in the league.

[WizarDynasty]

After one year of battling with mcgee, blatche, and seraphin learning the play book and being held accountable by John Wall...i guarantee he will become our best future low post offense, best post defender and most dangerous weapon offensively on the block. After just one year of studying flips playbook and getting the defensive rotations down he will be light years better than Leonard, Vesely, Valauncias, Biyombo, Singleton, Seraphin and Booker.
I rank him just a few hairs below Kanter and with less injury risk. Joe Dumars is on his legs praying that EG thinks he will be available at 18.

[closg00]

The Spurs were so impressed with Vucevic’s performance in Chicago, they invited him to San Antonio for a second workout last week.

In the end, however, the impressiveness of Vucevic’s pre-draft camp might be the thing that keeps him from joining the Spurs. Relatively unheralded before he landed in Chicago, Vucevic is now being projected to go in the middle of the first round. If he falls to 29, however, he might make an intriguing choice for the Spurs.

http://blog.mysanantonio.com/spursnatio ... a-vucevic/

Will Vucevic last until 18? I don't think Ernie takes a big because he drafted Serpahin last year, so he's got to stick with him.

[Ruzious]

The Spurs were so impressed with Vucevic’s performance in Chicago, they invited him to San Antonio for a second workout last week.

In the end, however, the impressiveness of Vucevic’s pre-draft camp might be the thing that keeps him from joining the Spurs. Relatively unheralded before he landed in Chicago, Vucevic is now being projected to go in the middle of the first round. If he falls to 29, however, he might make an intriguing choice for the Spurs.

http://blog.mysanantonio.com/spursnatio ... a-vucevic/

Will Vucevic last until 18? I don't think Ernie takes a big because he drafted Serpahin last year, so he's got to stick with him.

He might not take a big who's similar to Seraphin, but of course he'd take a big if he thinks he's the best player. You need several bigs on the roster. Remember, they started last season with Armstrong and Yi on the roster - and they're gone.

Ftr WizNas, I bet Vucevic goes before Tyler.

[WizarDynasty]

The wizards have paid to price...and now this organization has the shortest learning curve to turning around a highly talented bigman who has faced public scrutiny and transformed them into dominant two way bigs when healthy. Tyler is alot more valuable to us that the team picking before us because they don't have the experience and structure to transform Tyler into what he should be. AFter Enes, the most talented post player by a wide wide margin is Tyler.
EG doesn't cave into media pressure, he has learned starting since last year with his Seraphin pick, how to recognize undervalued assets and get them before they get to expensive. Tyler is a 20 times better fit for this team and gives them things after just one season that we haven't had for a decade. a combination of high iq and loving physical contact in the post and excellent communication skills. Seraphin was a good pick but we always knew that it would take a few season for him to gain the communication skills and feel for nba play. Seraphin will be an excellent role player in about 2 season but comparing Seraphin to Tyler in term of fitting into wizards culture is like comparing AOL shares to Google shares. AOL was a trail blazer and taught us how to get to internet, after we got on the internet we realized we wanted more. Seraphin taught us how badly we needed physical toughness, he showed us that we warriors with size, strength, coordination, basketball iq, shotblocking, and not backing down from physical contact for our future. He made us realize why Tyler will be our 6th pick if Enes is gone. Google--focused on making the web useful, before Seraphin we knew we needed size but we didn't understand toughness--after Ted came we understood that we needed both--aka Seraphin and Booker---and the learning curve follows that we need toughness, size and basketball iq. A rare combination that if you don't have it on your team, you better scoop it up immediately either free agency or draft and Tyler combo isn't last until the middle of the lottery because there are alot of smart GM's out there that wished they were in our position but the cards just didn't fall right for them but did for us. Good times and I trust TEd won't let EG mess up getting a pick with low upside like a Vesely or Leonard.

[Nivek]

The Wizards should not pass on picking a big man for any reason to do with Seraphin. He might one day become a solid backup center, if he works hard enough. If they can take another big who projects to become a good pro, they should pick him and let him compete with Seraphin for minutes.

[NbdyBeatsTheWiz]

I'll file Tyler away at #18, but there's NO way I'd pick the guy who showed up with 13% body fat, averaged 9 fouls and 6 turnovers per 36 minutes last year, and makes Cousins' behavior look saintly in the lottery. And after rehashing all that I'd rather pass on him altogether in the 1st and let some solid contender like Boston select him where veteran leadership will keep him from acting out.

With Blatche and McGee already on our roster, you might as well gently roll a grenade in the locker room and call it a day.

I'm "on my legs" praying EG doesn't draft him with one of our top 2 picks.

[LyricalRico]

With Blatche and McGee already on our roster, you might as well gently roll a grenade in the locker room and call it a day.

Well said.

[queridiculo]

Seeing Vucevic in some of the combine drills was a bit of an eye opener. Was surprising to see him move as well as he did given his measurements. Moved very smooth, closed out on shooters and showed a great touch on his jumper.

Can't believe he's still flying under the radar given the derth of big men in this league.

If Kanter isn't available at 6, I'd love to see us turn 6 in 18 into 8 and 12 to pick one of either Singleton/Leonard and Vucevic.

The way I see it neither Blatche nor McGee should be counted on to be in this teams long term plans.

[Ruzious]

Seeing Vucevic in some of the combine drills was a bit of an eye opener. Was surprising to see him move as well as he did given his measurements. Moved very smooth, closed out on shooters and showed a great touch on his jumper.

Can't believe he's still flying under the radar given the derth of big men in this league.

If Kanter isn't available at 6, I'd love to see us turn 6 in 18 into 8 and 12 to pick one of either Singleton/Leonard and Vucevic.

The way I see it neither Blatche nor McGee should be counted on to be in this teams long term plans.

Me too about Vuc. If the Wiz don't get a big with the 1st pick, Vuc would be at or near the top of my list at 18. He can't jump, but when you're that long - it's not a crippling factor. He can certainly be as effective as Zaza.

[NbdyBeatsTheWiz]

Seeing Vucevic in some of the combine drills was a bit of an eye opener. Was surprising to see him move as well as he did given his measurements. Moved very smooth, closed out on shooters and showed a great touch on his jumper.

Can't believe he's still flying under the radar given the derth of big men in this league.

If Kanter drops isn't available at 6, I'd love to see us turn 6 in 18 into 8 and 12 to pick one of either Singleton/Leonard and Vucevic.

The way I see it neither Blatche nor McGee should be counted on to be in this teams long term plans.

A trade definitely is feeling more and more like the proper plan of action for draft night. And that's whether we trade UP for Kanter or DOWN like you proposed.

If we trade down I would like to see us take Leonard/Singleton and another solid big prospect in the 1st (Bismack if he drops to later in the lotto, Faried, a Morris, etc., or whoever shows and proves during the workouts)

And whatever big we draft it'd be ideal for them to fit next to McGee. I've all but washed my hands of Blatche, but haven't given up on Mcgee yet, I think with the right PF next to him we could make moves in the East.

[WizarDynasty]

you guys are the same GM's that think Demarcus Cousin was going to fall out of the first round or that sacramento would give him up for the 6th overall draft pick.

Probably the same GM's who would draft favors over cousin even after realizing that you can't find post players in free agency.

I guess i am the only one here who realizes that the wizards don't have a post presence and won't get one in free agency.

YOu don't pass on a potential once in a decade franchise big who is strong in the post, coordinated, with a high basketball aptitude just because he doesn't have a passive tim duncan personality.

He was upset with his playing time in Israel and got into it with the coaches because he needed playing time in order to get into the nba.

You can get Vucevic with a late first round...not interested in another soft big, with no leaping ability. He's good as change of pace tweener but he isn't going to solve our longterm problem of size, strength and basketball iq in he post. Tyler does and he was a number ranked highschool player who was recruited by the best colleges and changes the wizards just as bynum changed the lakers.

[LyricalRico]

And whatever big we draft it'd be ideal for them to fit next to McGee. I've all but washed my hands of Blatche, but haven't given up on Mcgee yet, I think with the right PF next to him we could make moves in the East.

Some say Kanter is that guy, but I'm not sure. I don't want McGee to have to guard PFs on the perimeter, taking him away from the basket (especially if the league adopts the FIBA goaltending rule). I think I'd prefer Biyombo because he seems athletic enough to be an Ibaka type of defensive PF.

My concern with a McGee/Biyombo combo would be scoring. Not so much a lack of scoring, but that we'd have to be too dependent on points from McGee. I don't want to create a monster and have McGee jacking up anything and everything.

[WizarDynasty]

you guys are the same GM's that think Demarcus Cousin was going to fall out of the first round or that sacramento would give him up for the 6th overall draft pick.

Probably the same GM's who would draft favors over cousin even after realizing that you can't find post players in free agency.

I guess i am the only one here who realizes that the wizards don't have a post presence and won't get one in free agency.

YOu don't pass on a potential once in a decade franchise big who is strong in the post, coordinated, with a high basketball aptitude just because he doesn't have a passive tim duncan personality.

He was upset with his playing time in Israel and got into it with the coaches because he needed playing time in order to get into the nba.

You can get Vucevic with a late first round...not interested in another soft big, with no leaping ability. He's good as change of pace tweener but he isn't going to solve our longterm problem of size, strength and basketball iq in he post. Tyler does and he was a number ranked highschool player who was recruited by the best colleges and changes the wizards just as bynum changed the lakers. Tyler is this years bynum. A skilled GM will see that and since we have 6th pick, we don't have as much expectation as someone in the top 3.

[dobrojim]

I would really want to give Seraphin another year before we dump him for a quick move. He might turn out to be a real brute inside - in a good way I mean.

Agreed. He has the physical tools and really started at a disadvantage because of the knee injury he had last summer. I was actually quite surprised that he contributed as much as he did.

I heard directly from a media person who I believe is likely to have
good/accurate information on the subj - His comment was that Wiz
mgmt was surprised as well with his improvement over the season.
They would have to really be enticed with someone else before
they unload KS after a single season.

[NbdyBeatsTheWiz]

I guess i am the only one here who realizes that the wizards don't have a post presence and won't get one in free agency.

YOu don't pass on a potential once in a decade franchise big who is strong in the post, coordinated, with a high basketball aptitude just because he doesn't have a passive tim duncan personality.

Yup, the rest of us are all completely sold on Blatche and McGee.
And its not like any of us are bangin a drum for a big man like Kanter because, well, we don't need a big man.
We're set there, I personally am hoping we trade the farm for another PG like Irving. He's like once in a century.