General (Non-Wiz) Draft Discussion

[doclinkin]

...oh and IBTL or IBTM

Oh great someone merged the ji thread, now the entire draft is tainted. Shoot, where's pine, he always knew to slap a lock on any and every pointless thread our boy ever posted. Jeez...

[closg00]

Not a surprise, but Ernie will have some stiff competion when it comes to trying to package any draft-day trades.

The Griz are armed with three draft picks and more money to spend under the salary cap than 90 percent of their NBA competitors. Indications are that their summer dealings won't simply come down to whether they win the draft lottery next month. They are slotted sixth in the draft, and also own Orlando's 27th pick in the first round and will have the 35th selection in the second round. But the Griz could also have $15 million to $20 million to spend in free agency, giving the franchise the most flexibility it's enjoyed since joining the league in 1995. In short, Memphis has more resources than ever to get better. Just add good judgment and stir. Don't rule out the Griz packaging draft picks or absorbing an established NBA player and his salary with their cap space on draft night. That's what Charlotte did two years ago when they acquired Jason Richardson from Golden State. Veterans, though, most likely will come through free agency.

[nate33]

Not a surprise, but Ernie will have some stiff competion when it comes to trying to package any draft-day trades.

I don't see "stiff competition". I see "trading partner".

[closg00]

Not a surprise, but Ernie will have some stiff competion when it comes to trying to package any draft-day trades.

I don't see "stiff competition". I see "trading partner".

Also true. I suppose every team will be offering-up their garbage sweetened with picks etc.

[Ruzious]

I think the Philly/Orlando series is instructive as to how important it is to have a player who can create offense. Orlando is the more talented team, but in a close game, Philly has the advantage, because they have Iggy. Orlando - especially without Nelson - doesn't have a player like that. Hedo and Lewis are great scorers, but they get their points in the flow of the offense.

We obviously have a player like that in Arenas, but if he goes down we're dead at the end. Assuming we don't get a top 2 pick, that's a reason to go after either Curry or Lawson. My preference is Lawson because his speed, strength, penetrating, and natural play-making ability set him apart from Curry.

[nate33]

I think the Philly/Orlando series is instructive as to how important it is to have a player who can create offense. Orlando is the more talented team, but in a close game, Philly has the advantage, because they have Iggy. Orlando - especially without Nelson - doesn't have a player like that. Hedo and Lewis are great scorers, but they get their points in the flow of the offense.

We obviously have a player like that in Arenas, but if he goes down we're dead at the end. Assuming we don't get a top 2 pick, that's a reason to go after either Curry or Lawson. My preference is Lawson because his speed, strength, penetrating, and natural play-making ability set him apart from Curry.

I agree with all of this, except I don't think it makes sense to design a team that could endure the loss of Arenas. If we lose Arenas, we're dead in the water anyway. With that in mind, I'd rather have Curry who would be better playing alongside Arenas.

[nate33]

If we trade away our pick for the #15 and salary relief I'm going to get out my pitchfork and torch and set a bunch of couches on fire in the middle of the verizon center.

Consider the alternative. It's not like there's a great player waiting for us at #5. Is the difference between Tyreke Evans and, say, Gerald Henderson, enough to make you grab a pitchfork and torch?

I've got no problem trading down for salary relief if we're picking 3rd or lower.

Dumping, say, Stevenson and Etan would save $22M this year and another $8M next year. That's $30M! I don't think the upgrade from Henderson to Evans is worth $30M. Do you?

[Ruzious]

I think the Philly/Orlando series is instructive as to how important it is to have a player who can create offense. Orlando is the more talented team, but in a close game, Philly has the advantage, because they have Iggy. Orlando - especially without Nelson - doesn't have a player like that. Hedo and Lewis are great scorers, but they get their points in the flow of the offense.

We obviously have a player like that in Arenas, but if he goes down we're dead at the end. Assuming we don't get a top 2 pick, that's a reason to go after either Curry or Lawson. My preference is Lawson because his speed, strength, penetrating, and natural play-making ability set him apart from Curry.

I agree with all of this, except I don't think it makes sense to design a team that could endure the loss of Arenas. If we lose Arenas, we're dead in the water anyway. With that in mind, I'd rather have Curry who would be better playing alongside Arenas.

I think our disagreement lies in the abilities of Curry and Lawson. Either of them could play effectively with Arenas. I think Lawson has much more NBA potential than Curry does.

[ZonkertheBrainless]

If we trade away our pick for the #15 and salary relief I'm going to get out my pitchfork and torch and set a bunch of couches on fire in the middle of the verizon center.

Consider the alternative. It's not like there's a great player waiting for us at #5. Is the difference between Tyreke Evans and, say, Gerald Henderson, enough to make you grab a pitchfork and torch?

I've got no problem trading down for salary relief if we're picking 3rd or lower.

Dumping, say, Stevenson and Etan would save $22M this year and another $8M next year. That's $30M! I don't think the upgrade from Henderson to Evans is worth $30M. Do you?

Well, I forget what the original parameters of the trade are now. How would we dump Stevenson and Etan? Wouldn't we need to take on contracts of similar magnitude in return? What's the point of that? Or are you talking about trading with a team with salary cap space? Why would that team be interested in such a move? Is the difference between Henderson and Evans worth taking on $15 M of essentially useless salary?

We have a ONE YEAR luxury tax problem. I would MUCH RATHER just pay the tax for ONE YEAR for a starting quality, veteran two guard who's got at least three or four good years left. That's worth $10M one year. We might have to trade our pick plus an asset that actually has value, like N1 or Blatche (or both) to get it. But I'd much rather use the pick in a package to get a decent two (NOT VINCE CARTER!!!!) then just give it away in a fire sale. A decent two means we have a chance at a championship, that means four rounds of playoff exposure and revenue, plus probably a few more years of long playoff runs. With your fire sale approach you're condemning us to MAYBE advancing to the second round once or twice in the next few years, assuming N1 and Blatche continue to lag behind their potential and Stevenson is done, and the team continues to play lousy defense, which is what appears to be the most likely scenario. Is that worth a $10 M price tag?

[Dat2U]

Consider the alternative. It's not like there's a great player waiting for us at #5. Is the difference between Tyreke Evans and, say, Gerald Henderson, enough to make you grab a pitchfork and torch?

I've got no problem trading down for salary relief if we're picking 3rd or lower.

Dumping, say, Stevenson and Etan would save $22M this year and another $8M next year. That's $30M! I don't think the upgrade from Henderson to Evans is worth $30M. Do you?

I do. Dumping Etan means nothing to me. If Abe is willing to spend the money then just cut him. He won't be around next year anyways. Stevenson makes $4 mil plus. I want him gone too but not at the cost of upgrading our roster. Upgrading this team's talent is more important imo than dumping a MLE sized contract with two years left on it.

There's a big difference IMO b/w Evans, Curry or Lawson as opposed to a guy like Henderson or T. Williams. I'm not a Henderson fan. The guy had an indifferent college career and played well for about 2 months and then proceeded to stink it up in the tourney. Sure he's got talent but he's a naturally passive player. I'd rather have one of those first three, then save a few million and have middlin' prosepct.

That's our problem. We have plenty of young talent, but only McGee projects as a potential diference maker. Adding Henderson only adds more of the same. A talented but flawed prospects who will likely be too inconsistent to be anything more than a role player. Frankly, this draft would be an abject failure if we come out of it with another guy in the Nick Young, Andray Blatche, Javaris Crittenton mold.

[Dat2U]

I think our disagreement lies in the abilities of Curry and Lawson. Either of them could play effectively with Arenas. I think Lawson has much more NBA potential than Curry does.

I guess we'll disagree as well, but just on Curry. I like both as prospects. In fact I think they are two of the top five prospects in a weak draft. I'd have no problem with Lawson. I love his speed and his decision making & jumpshot has improved ten fold. He's certainly better than Ray Felton, a guy I had compared him to at the beginning of the college season.

As for Curry, I see him as a legit PG. I think his b-ball IQ court vision and is on an elite level. He's also tough as nails and has a killer instinct. He's not an elite athlete but he's got sneaky athleticism, sorta in the Brandon Roy mold. There's no wasted motion there. He's also still growing, doctors told him that he may have another 2 inches to go. He's currently 6-4. Not to mention his pure jump shot, range and shot creation abilities. I'd rate Curry just behind Tyreke Evans as the 4th best prospect in the entire draft. I may be alone on this but I've yet to find a more impressive prospect after Griffin, Rubio & Evans.

[closg00]

I think the Philly/Orlando series is instructive as to how important it is to have a player who can create offense. Orlando is the more talented team, but in a close game, Philly has the advantage, because they have Iggy. Orlando - especially without Nelson - doesn't have a player like that. Hedo and Lewis are great scorers, but they get their points in the flow of the offense.

We obviously have a player like that in Arenas, but if he goes down we're dead at the end. Assuming we don't get a top 2 pick, that's a reason to go after either Curry or Lawson. My preference is Lawson because his speed, strength, penetrating, and natural play-making ability set him apart from Curry.

I agree %100, this is why as-much as I like Crits progress, if prefer that we have as Gilbert's back-up, players that can do exactly what you described. Crit can drive to the hoop, but he has to be forced to take shots. Agree on Curry & Lawson, both are proven winners that I would trust (unlike Young)
After Griffin & Rubio are gone the rest of the top-ten picks are all about reach, so why-not reach for a winner?

[ZonkertheBrainless]

If we get #1, we pick Griffin.
If we get #2, we pick Rubio.
If we get #3, we pick Thabeet and swap with #4 or #5, whoever gives us a better offer, and pick the best SG available.

If we get #4 or #5 we pick the best SG available.

I don't think we're going to do much else.

[nate33]

As for Curry, I see him as a legit PG. I think his b-ball IQ court vision and is on an elite level. He's also tough as nails and has a killer instinct. He's not an elite athlete but he's got sneaky athleticism, sorta in the Brandon Roy mold. There's no wasted motion there. He's also still growing, doctors told him that he may have another 2 inches to go. He's currently 6-4. Not to mention his pure jump shot, range and shot creation abilities.

2 inches to go?



If that's the case, then he's the 3rd best prospect in this draft. A 6-5 or 6-6 Stephen Curry is the next Ray Allen - only with more PG skills.

If that doctor's opinion is confirmed, then my new best-case scenario assuming we don't land the #1 is to trade down from 2/3 to 5/6, dump Stevenson in the process, and draft Curry.

[yungal07]

Curry definitely not 6'4. More like 6'2 although he claims he's 6'3. And I doubt he grows anymore.

[Dat2U]

2 inches to go?



If that's the case, then he's the 3rd best prospect in this draft. A 6-5 or 6-6 Stephen Curry is the next Ray Allen - only with more PG skills.

If that doctor's opinion is confirmed, then my new best-case scenario assuming we don't land the #1 is to trade down from 2/3 to 5/6, dump Stevenson in the process, and draft Curry.

I was a bit off Nate. Here's the article:

http://aboverim.blogspot.com/2009/02/st ... owing.html

Davidson guard Stephen Curry is not done growing.

That was one good thing that came out of Saturday’s sprained ankle; the doctor reading his X-rays told him that his bone growth plates show that he will get taller.

“I’m actually still growing,” said Curry, a junior and the nation’s leading scorer. “I’ve got at least an inch to go so we’ll see how that works out.”

Curry has been a late bloomer in the height category. As a prep junior, he was lightly recruited because he was 5-foot-8. Then he took off.

“As a senior I was about 5-11, closing in on 6 feet,” he said. “I’ve grown every year since then and obviously am still growing. That’s good news. I was about 6-1 as a freshman and have grown an inch a year, so I’m a solid 6-3 now.”

Curry has good genes in that category. Dad Dell, the former NBA player, is 6-5, and mother Sonya is 5-8.

Brother Seth, a freshman at Liberty, also sprouted in high school and is already 6-3. And younger sister Sydel is tall for her age, according to Stephen.

And rumor has it that Curry was high-fiving the folks in the doctor’s office after his X-rays.
“(The doctor) said he would have to get an X-ray on my hand, but he predicted at least one inch, and who knows after that? So I’m trying to catch my dad,” Curry said.

[doclinkin]

Stef Curry not done growing. Link.

That was one good thing that came out of Saturday’s sprained ankle; the doctor reading his X-rays told him that his bone growth plates show that he will get taller.

“I’m actually still growing,” said Curry, a junior and the nation’s leading scorer. “I’ve got at least an inch to go so we’ll see how that works out.”

Pretty sure I said as much early in the last thread.

[nate33]

Articles about Curry's late growth:

http://aboverim.blogspot.com/2009/02/st ... owing.html

http://www.soconsports.com/ViewArticle. ... LID=776883

He was 5-11 as a senior in high school, 6-1 as a freshman, 6-2 as a sophomore, and 6-3 as a junior. He had X-rays on his foot in February associated with a sprained ankle and he claims that the doctor says he has at least another inch to grow. If those measurements are in socks, and he does grow that extra inch, he could be listed at 6-5 in the NBA.

[nate33]

LOL. Dat2U wins the google-fu contest.

[Samuels]

We agree on the top 4 Dat but not in order i got..

1-Griffin

2-Evans- I think will be the best player from this draft a definite allstar. A great fit in the Larry Hughes mold being a combo guard who can take the rebound and go.

3-Rubio

4-Curry

I think Curry has that IT factor i'd love to have him in a Wiz uniform. He might be our best bet if we fall outta the top 3. He can shoot off of screens,3 balls,drive and is a underrated defender. With the attention a healthy Wiz team would get Curry would get wide open looks all game.