2012 NBA Draft - Part II

[Dat2U]

I don't understand when people say MKG is bad fit for our team? A fit for what? Why are we even taking our dreadful roster into consideration? Hopefully the majority of these scrubs will be gone in a year or two. Other than Wall, no one else really matters. We are too talent deprived to worry about fit. Get talent now, worry about fit later.

[Ruzious]

Crowder would sell popcorn at halftime if they let him. Kid does everything. He just doesn't fit the mold of the tall slim athletic small forward. But as long as that doesn't stop him from doing everything well, why should anyone care if he doesn't quite look the part? And the kid comes to play every game. In the NBA, if you play your best on a consistent basis, ya got a leg up on the competition.

[Ruzious]

I don't understand when people say MKG is bad fit for our team? A fit for what? Why are we even taking our dreadful roster into consideration? Hopefully the majority of these scrubs will be gone in a year or two. Other than Wall, no one else really matters. We are too talent deprived to worry about fit. Get talent now, worry about fit later.

It's Wall that he doesn't fit with. If you ignore that, you make a huuuuuuuuge mistake, imo. If you can't be very confident that he's going to have an NBA jump shot, you can't take him with a top pick. And let's not make out like he's the next Clyde Drexler of someone of that ilk that could be a star without much of a jump shot. He's good, but he's not on that level.

[7-Day Dray]

I was most shocked that he had Cody Zeller 51st. He's got really good stats, is real young, just about 7 feet tall... what's not to like? Reading his reasonings, I get the impression he puts too much emphasis on shot-blocking stats.

Cody Zeller has a 6'8" wingspan (he's listed at 6'11").

[Dat2U]

I don't understand when people say MKG is bad fit for our team? A fit for what? Why are we even taking our dreadful roster into consideration? Hopefully the majority of these scrubs will be gone in a year or two. Other than Wall, no one else really matters. We are too talent deprived to worry about fit. Get talent now, worry about fit later.

It's Wall that he doesn't fit with. If you ignore that, you make a huuuuuuuuge mistake, imo. If you can't be very confident that he's going to have an NBA jump shot, you can't take him with a top pick. And let's not make out like he's the next Clyde Drexler of someone of that ilk that could be a star without much of a jump shot. He's good, but he's not on that level.

And I think it's a mistake to pigeonhole an 18 yr old prospect that has shown remarkable physical & mental tools thus far. The kid may not have the purest jumper yet but outside of that, there are minimal flaws in his game. Who knows if he's the next Iggy or Clyde. I just know I wouldn't put limits on what he may accomplish though.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

I don't understand when people say MKG is bad fit for our team? A fit for what? Why are we even taking our dreadful roster into consideration? Hopefully the majority of these scrubs will be gone in a year or two. Other than Wall, no one else really matters. We are too talent deprived to worry about fit. Get talent now, worry about fit later.

+1

To everyone who is worried that MKG can't shoot, take a look at Kawhi Leonard's stats from college and pros, side-by-side on realgm's player summary:

http://basketball.realgm.com/player/Kaw ... mmary/2256

Note: Leonard started out as a .205 NCAA 3-Pt shooter, but now he's hitting the NBA three at .333.

The reason I bring up Leonard is MKG is over 2 years younger and a similar player.

http://basketball.realgm.com/player/Mic ... mmary/9290

I repeat a familiar theme, Kidd Gilchrist is two years younger than Kawhi Leonard. Leonard lost his dad to a drive by and he's a similarly driven kid to MKG, whose father was also shot and killed. Both these guys have the drive to improve and are going to work hard. I don't see MKG's shooting as a cause for much concern, but I can see where if what you seek is a spectacular shooter he won't be your choice.

Personally, I believe MKG is a player the Wizards can depend on if they pick him.

[The Consiglieri]

This is EXACTLY why I want MKG. While he doesn't fit technical needs, he's a max fit for everything this teams lacks that contributes to winning. Attitude, desire, BBIQ, fire within, work habits, dedication. EVERYTHING. You can build a winner with Wall, MKG, and one other stud, EASY, you get a Barnes or a Robinson, and to be honest, I think you fill a need but you just blend in to the 3-6 area if you do everything else pretty right, you become a Hawks type team, nice parts, but not a great team. MKG is the type of ingredient that makes a good team great, or a bad team good. That's EXACTLY what we need. Getting a shooter id 100x easier than getting a player that is like MKG, and as you say, MKG is young as hell, there's plenty of time for him to improve his weaknesses, which are improvable, whereas his plusses tend to be assets that a player either has or does not have, and can't be taught. You can't teach motor, heart, desire and BBIQ. You either got that, or you don't. MKG has it.

I really like MKG and would be REALLY happy if we were able to draft him.
However, I think your bolded statement above ignores something pretty
important which is putting the ball in the basket. Getting great shooters may
be somewhat easy. Getting shooters who are also great players is a whole lot
harder. Quality (esp long range) shooters is unquestionably a serious deficiency on
this team.

My own admittedly naive draft preference -
AD - duh
MKG
TRob
Barnes
Sully
These last 2 with some reservations or certainly more hope than certainty
that they'll end up being really helpful.
then I have no idea...Beal? Zeller? Lamb?

The problem is, I'm with Dat, I think our team is total garbage and we need absolutely everything except a PG, a 10 cent head athletic center, and a few role players for the 3 and 4. So Shooting isn't a priority for me, talent is.

Here's an interesting piece on grantland about Sully:

Link: http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/766 ... 12-mailbag


"6. Ohio State

Is it just me or is Jared Sullinger seriously overrated? I think he has a good amount of low-post talent, decent foot work (at times), and knows how to use his body. But he is the most useless low-post defender I've seen at OSU in 6-7 years. Part of that is due to his lack of athleticism and the rest is just laziness. And since he's only 6'8"-ish, he's too short to get away with it down low. Most annoying of all, the guy whines like it's his job. He's an above average rebounder and scorer, but I can't really say he's elite in any category. Seems like a middling bench player in the pros to me. Am I off base?
—Jacob

No, you aren't off base, and I'm guessing most Ohio State fans share the sentiment. But I don't think it's quite as bad as you say it is. Sullinger's problem is that his freshman season set the bar way too high. He's never been a very good defender, but it didn't really matter last year because he was so dominant on offense. And so much of his offensive success last year was a result of the players around him. When he was surrounded by shooters and penetrators who spread the floor and prevented defenses from doubling, Sullinger was unstoppable. This season, Ohio State doesn't have a lights-out shooter like Jon Diebler and they don't have a slasher like David Lighty. This means defenses can double Sullinger without consequence. Also, because Ohio State's stagnant offense doesn't demand a ton of help-side defense, Sullinger's defenders rarely get pulled out of position down low. As a result, Sullinger has had a much rougher go at things this year, which has prompted his various outbursts. He's always been a guy who wears his emotions on his sleeve — it's just that last year it wasn't as obvious because his emotions were usually positive since the team was winning and he was playing well.

Anyway, it's fair to call him overrated, but that's because the bar was set impossibly high after last season, not because he's no longer one of the best players in the country. He's being asked to do more with less this season, which has caused his production to dip and made people think that his skills have regressed....."

[kirubel94]

I know some people on this board dont really like Perry Jones III but im one of his fans and reading this article even made me more of a fan. Its a MUST READ.
Some highlights

Jones tries to stay upbeat, but it's difficult. When Baylor loses, he said the criticism "goes through the roof" on Twitter -- the bathroom walls of the Internet. "I can't get on there without hearing about how soft I am," Jones said.

Two weeks ago, when Jones tweeted about his excitement over earning a B on an English paper, a "fan" responded that he should quit worrying about his grades and get back in the gym.

Less than a year removed from braces and acne medicine, Jones shakes his head. Last season he said he would've responded to such a comment.

"But now I'm more mature," Jones said. "I realize I don't even know who these people are. "And they definitely don't know anything about me."

. The people who believe he was getting money from Baylor during high school might feel differently if they knew Jones was homeless -- bouncing from one $95-a-week hotel room to another -- throughout much of his final prep season.

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketb ... basketball

I really hope he shuts up the critics and plays well this march, his talent is too tantalizing not to. He started of well today with 31pts and 11 rebounds, GO PJ3.

[truwizfan4evr]

kirubel94. I agree i never understand why people are so hard on Perry Jones I think he is a top 5 draft pick and can be real good in nba he is oozing with upside if wizards happen to get the 5 or 6 pick I would go after him.

[7-Day Dray]

When people criticize Jones, they aren't criticizing his character or behavior off-the-court. I think the majority would agree that he's a good kid. What he's criticized most about is his on-court attitude and demeanor. He has disappeared in too many big games for my liking. That's unacceptable for a player like him. Just look at his game logs, and you'll see quite a few games where he scores under 10 points. That's a big red flag to me.

[Dat2U]

As a top 5 pick PJ III has a lot of flaws. As a late lottery pick, he's a potential steal. He needs to go to the right situation. He needs to be coddled a bit. He's going to be a high maintenance player and I think his confidence wains a bit at times.

The thing I like about PJ III is that he appears to be coach-able. This guy is no malcontent, just a really good kid who's been through a lot and who needs to know that someone cares about him as much as he needs coaching.

The more I watch him the more I think he'll I think he'll flourish in an open court game. He just does things and moves like no 6-11 player can move. I watched all of the first half of the Kansas St game and if he can maintain that level of activity, then he's a guaranteed star.

I know many are skeptical about him. And maybe I'm getting to worked up about the so-called upside. But man, when PJ III plays well he really passes the eye test.

[Higga]

I could see PJ3 being like an Lamar Odom/Rasheed Wallace type, not playstyle wise but impact on the league wise. Both those guys had a ton of talent but didn't have the mindset of a #1. I think PJ3 could be a decent fit here as he wouldn't have to worry about being THE MAN, he'd just have to be Wall's sidekick.

Of course both Odom and Wallace had to go to a couple different teams each before really hitting their strides for championship teams.

[Ruzious]

I don't understand when people say MKG is bad fit for our team? A fit for what? Why are we even taking our dreadful roster into consideration? Hopefully the majority of these scrubs will be gone in a year or two. Other than Wall, no one else really matters. We are too talent deprived to worry about fit. Get talent now, worry about fit later.

It's Wall that he doesn't fit with. If you ignore that, you make a huuuuuuuuge mistake, imo. If you can't be very confident that he's going to have an NBA jump shot, you can't take him with a top pick. And let's not make out like he's the next Clyde Drexler of someone of that ilk that could be a star without much of a jump shot. He's good, but he's not on that level.

And I think it's a mistake to pigeonhole an 18 yr old prospect that has shown remarkable physical & mental tools thus far. The kid may not have the purest jumper yet but outside of that, there are minimal flaws in his game. Who knows if he's the next Iggy or Clyde. I just know I wouldn't put limits on what he may accomplish though.

That's not what I was saying. My point was that if you're picking him that high, you have to feel really confident that he can shoot, because he does have to be a good fit with Wall. It's a completely different standard than saying he definitely can't shoot.

And yes - I do know he's not the next Clyde - speaking as someone who vividly remembers when he watched Drexler for the first time when he was at the University of Houston - he was gifted beyond words. And remember - I really like his potential - I have from day 1. But you can't just ignore whether or not he's a good fit with Wall.

Edit - the Bullets 2 most glaring obvious draft mistakes were picking Kenny Green over Karl Malone and picking the other Malone over Clyde Drexler. There were others you can pick at with hindsight, but those were terribly obvious at the time.

[Ruzious]

I don't understand when people say MKG is bad fit for our team? A fit for what? Why are we even taking our dreadful roster into consideration? Hopefully the majority of these scrubs will be gone in a year or two. Other than Wall, no one else really matters. We are too talent deprived to worry about fit. Get talent now, worry about fit later.

+1

To everyone who is worried that MKG can't shoot, take a look at Kawhi Leonard's stats from college and pros, side-by-side on realgm's player summary:

http://basketball.realgm.com/player/Kaw ... mmary/2256

Note: Leonard started out as a .205 NCAA 3-Pt shooter, but now he's hitting the NBA three at .333.

The reason I bring up Leonard is MKG is over 2 years younger and a similar player.

http://basketball.realgm.com/player/Mic ... mmary/9290

I repeat a familiar theme, Kidd Gilchrist is two years younger than Kawhi Leonard. Leonard lost his dad to a drive by and he's a similarly driven kid to MKG, whose father was also shot and killed. Both these guys have the drive to improve and are going to work hard. I don't see MKG's shooting as a cause for much concern, but I can see where if what you seek is a spectacular shooter he won't be your choice.

Personally, I believe MKG is a player the Wizards can depend on if they pick him.

That's really supposed to be evidence to make us believe MKG is going to be a big-time shooter? Really?

[The Consiglieri]

I know some people on this board dont really like Perry Jones III but im one of his fans and reading this article even made me more of a fan. Its a MUST READ.
Some highlights

Jones tries to stay upbeat, but it's difficult. When Baylor loses, he said the criticism "goes through the roof" on Twitter -- the bathroom walls of the Internet. "I can't get on there without hearing about how soft I am," Jones said.

Two weeks ago, when Jones tweeted about his excitement over earning a B on an English paper, a "fan" responded that he should quit worrying about his grades and get back in the gym.

Less than a year removed from braces and acne medicine, Jones shakes his head. Last season he said he would've responded to such a comment.

"But now I'm more mature," Jones said. "I realize I don't even know who these people are. "And they definitely don't know anything about me."

. The people who believe he was getting money from Baylor during high school might feel differently if they knew Jones was homeless -- bouncing from one $95-a-week hotel room to another -- throughout much of his final prep season.

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketb ... basketball

I really hope he shuts up the critics and plays well this march, his talent is too tantalizing not to. He started of well today with 31pts and 11 rebounds, GO PJ3.

Posted that last week. What a great article. It underlined the thread many of us have suggested over the past year. Essentially that Jones has other priroities and is a bit of a beta in terms of temperment. After reading the article I'm not quite sure how toi classify him or his issues other than to suggest that there may be an issue of passion, priorities, and personality. He seems shy, soft spoken, introverted, and a kid who has his priroities straight but doesnt necessairly see the whole picture (how much difference success on the court could mean for his family and the lives of those around him).

I dont know what to think other than that his issues aren't about being an idiot or a jerk, but are about his personality and priorities and focus. I'm not sure any of this can be changed, but I do think he could be a star on a team with a definitive alpha dog and great chemistry and culture. That most definitely is not us.

Pity, as I think he may be one of the best value picks in the draft, depending upon where he lands, I just wish we could have been one of the teams that could bring the best out of him. Clearly we are not.

[7-Day Dray]

PJIII went 31 & 11 yesterday. While he has laid an egg in quite a few games, he has outright dominated when he's wanted too. He has all the talent in the world, the question is whether he'll change his mentality on the court.

[dobrojim]

consig,

I definitely have concerns about Sully. Maybe I shouldn't have included
him, even last, among the players on my list.

I'm struck by the contrast between Weiland's list and what
I've been looking at on DX. Clearly there is a lot that I don't
know given how little I've heard about many of the picks that
Weiland has above many of DX's top picks.

[The Consiglieri]

consig,

I definitely have concerns about Sully. Maybe I shouldn't have included
him, even last, among the players on my list.

I'm struck by the contrast between Weiland's list and what
I've been looking at on DX. Clearly there is a lot that I don't
know given how little I've heard about many of the picks that
Weiland has above many of DX's top picks.

I think he's just got his thing and is going against type. I tend to throw it out if the stuff Im hearing the scouts and GM's saying is nowhere remotely similar to the poster. I think some guys take it as a badge of honor to not buy the hype, like CCJ who loves to find the underrepped gems likely to go 15-55, and others who like to find the holes in the highly esteemed prospects, or the shine on the less esteemed ones.

Everyone has an axe to grind and a sort of temperment when it comes to evaluating prospects, and repping their views. For me, it's just simply draft building strategy, and that's it, but I loved to read about everyone elses ideas because I learn a little something knew about team building, or about how best to address weaknesses quickly. It's always interesting.

Weiland's views have no more water to me than CCJ's or Dat's, they're just a guys views, and the fact that they are so thoroughly off the grid tells me that he's both not clued into what the pereceptions are of the guys who actually do this for a living, but also suggests that there is some firm disagreement of where value, need, and talent and reputation dovetail.

[fishercob]

Finally got around to looking at Ed Weiland's update (from 2/17) on the 2012 draft. He has Davis at #1, of course. Then Tony Mitchell from North Texas. He has Barnes ranked 14th, MKG 6th, Perry Jones 17th.

http://hoopsanalyst.com/blog/?p=802

He has Robinson at 15 and Lamb at 49. Wow

He might be right about Lamb. He doesn't play with enough energy for my tastes. I was most shocked that he had Cody Zeller 51st. He's got really good stats, is real young, just about 7 feet tall... what's not to like? Reading his reasonings, I get the impression he puts too much emphasis on shot-blocking stats.

Robinson is a smarter and more skilled player than Jordan Hill.

Robinson might be more skilled and smarter than Hill. But doesn't it concern you that this guy says their numbers are reminiscent of one another's? If we come out of this draft with a rich man's Jordan Hill, it's a disaster.

[DCZards]

Weiland's views have no more water to me than CCJ's or Dat's, they're just a guys views, and the fact that they are so thoroughly off the grid tells me that he's both not clued into what the pereceptions are of the guys who actually do this for a living, but also suggests that there is some firm disagreement of where value, need, and talent and reputation dovetail.

Weiland lost me when he had Louisville's Deing (Ekpe Udoh 2.0) ahead of guys like T. Robinson, Perry Jones, MKG and T. Zeller, and had Austin Rivers at 41 and Kendall Marshall at 58.

Marshall may never average more then 10-12 pts. in the NBA, but he has an uncanny court vision and passing abilty that will make him a first round pick.