Official 2013 Draft Thread - Part VIII

[GhostsOfGil]

Lots of the same but in case you want more:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxo5cKzYIEA[/youtube]

[Dat2U]

I really think Porter is going to be a solid pro..

But I sometimes worry he's got a "Wesley Johnson" type bust factor. Hope I'm wrong though.

Truth be told, that Georgetown system really limits its players.

You know why Wesley Johnson is a bust? Because he's wing that can't dribble a lick.

Same goes for Xavier Henry. Little to no handles.

[stevemcqueen1]

Good predictions MD and wake. I agree with a lot of them and picked or was close to picking the same names myself.

Here are mine:

ROTY: CJ McCollum

Best player: Nerlens Noel

The Kevin Love: Cody Zeller

The Tristan Thompson: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope

The Russell Westbrook: Ben McLemore

The Kawhi Leonard: Shabazz Muhammad

The Avery Bradley: Myck Kabango

The Donatas Montiejunas: Reggie Bullock.

The Ekpe Udoh: Michael Carter Williams

The Paul George: Shane Larkin

The Jimmer Fredette: Steven Adams, "Oh yeah, he doesn't know how to play basketball."

The Fab Melo/PJIII: Mason Plumlee & Kelly Olynyk

The Bismack Biyombo: Lucas Noguiera

The Wesley Johnson: Trey Burke

The Rudy Gay: Victor Oladipo

The Nazr Mohammed: Gorgui Dieng

The Marc Gasol: Ray McCallum

The Scott Machado: Ryan Kelly

The Wesley Mathews: Tony Mitchell & Adonis Thomas

The Gordan Dragic: Grant Jerrett

The Nemanja Bjelica: Joffrey Lauvergne. There will never be an NBA player named Joffrey.

The Solomon Alabi: DeWayne Dedmon

The Morris Almond: Erik Murphy & Mike Muscala

[wake20]

Lots of the same but in case you want more:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxo5cKzYIEA[/youtube]

Trade Aaron A-follow!

[stevemcqueen1]

I love high effort guys self motivated. Bennett obviously isn't to me if your gonna score 20 who cares if you give up 15. Do you wanna win or look good?

Guys like Otto wins you games on hustle alone. That one hustle play is the difference in a lot of games. He is the guy who helps out a beaten teammate with a perfect rotation, saves a ball in bounds, taps a rebound to a teammate, dives on the floor. The guy who shows up every practice, every game ready to work.


Aaron Craft is another I love not a athletic freak but a worker, team first type who won't get no love. Just reading about him giving Kyrie Irving fits yesterday made me chuckle that kid works until he breaks you.

What if the lightbulb turns on for Bennett in terms of defense?

Then you've got a long term answer at PF.

Porter would be my pick too, but no matter how good he gets, you're still going to end up needing to find a PF or a C in the near future. How do we get that player?

[fugop]

The lightbulb is only half the problem on defense. He's too short. Guys with his stature will always have defensive difficulties.

[sfam]

My guess on the draft:

1. Otto Porter - I think Cleveland is blowing smoke
2. Oladipo - the Noel story from them was smoke too
3. Bennett
4. Zeller
5. Noel
6. Mclemore
7. CJ McCollum
8. Carter-Williams
9. Caldwell-Pope
10. Len

[Mizerooskie]

The lightbulb is only half the problem on defense. He's too short. Guys with his stature will always have defensive difficulties.

How do you know?

[Jay81]

the only guy really who I havent heard rumored go to Cleveland at 1 is Porter.

[GhostsOfGil]

the only guy really who I havent heard rumored go to Cleveland at 1 is Porter.

From a few weeks back:

"But there is a possibility that Porter, arguably the most NBA-ready player among the top prospects, might not be around when the Wizards pick third. A source with knowledge of the Cavaliers' thinking said Porter is under consideration to go No. 1."

[Sonny Carson]

I really think Porter is going to be a solid pro..

But I sometimes worry he's got a "Wesley Johnson" type bust factor. Hope I'm wrong though.

Truth be told, that Georgetown system really limits its players.

You know why Wesley Johnson is a bust? Because he's wing that can't dribble a lick.

Same goes for Xavier Henry. Little to no handles.

Porter's handles arent that great either...He struggled against Gulf Coast trying to get to the hoop..

Still I think he will be solid.

Also....I use to view these boards....A lot of people here were sold that Thomas Robinson was the "safest" and instant impact player..

Glad for the Wiz they choose Beal.

[wake20]

NBC Sports Radio ‏@NBCSportsRadio 13m
RT @sheridanhoops: Barring a trade, #Cavs will take Alex Len with No. 1 pick. #Magic expected to trade No. 2 pick.

Same guy who locked us into Bennett.

[Dat2U]

There's a big difference b/w having ok handles or so-so handles and being limited to a one or two dribble type of player. It's like people only assume you either can dribble or you can't. In reality, just like anything else, their are varying levels of skill dribble skill out there. If Chris Paul is a 9 or 10, then maybe John Wall is a 7. If Bradley Beal is about 5 or so then I'd say Paul George is in a similar range or notch below. When I see McLemore, I honestly see a 2 or 3. Oladipo looks to be slightly better but not quite at Beal's level. Porter has ok handles but lacks that explosive first step. He might be a 4 or 5. Of course, a player can improve their skill level but if your like McLemore, Henry or W. Johnson and your handles are very poor, it's unlikely that that they'll be significantly improved once in the NBA.

[tontoz]

NBC Sports Radio ‏@NBCSportsRadio 13m
RT @sheridanhoops: Barring a trade, #Cavs will take Alex Len with No. 1 pick. #Magic expected to trade No. 2 pick.

Same guy who locked us into Bennett.

I will probably faint if Len goes 1st, not that i would mind watching the Cavs blow their pick.

[Dat2U]

NBC Sports Radio ‏@NBCSportsRadio 13m
RT @sheridanhoops: Barring a trade, #Cavs will take Alex Len with No. 1 pick. #Magic expected to trade No. 2 pick.

Same guy who locked us into Bennett.

I will probably faint if Len goes 1st, not that i would mind watching the Cavs blow their pick.

That would be simply mind blowing. They must see a better version of Zydrunas Ilguaskas.

[Illuminaire]

Did anyone else watch the Otto Porter "job interview" with Simmons and Rose? Wasn't terribly interesting, except for one thing. Porter talked about how in high school he had always played center. He only transitioned to the wing in college, which is why he only really had a chance to work on his shooting and ball handling over the last year.

That explains why he has a half-decent post-up game - during most of his development, that's what he was asked to work on. I think that also gives credence to the idea that he has more of a ceiling than we might expect, since he's really only starting into training for wing skills.

[dobrojim]

I think to a certain extent the anti-Bennett crowd, at least if they reason the way I
have been on AB, is dismissing his elite-ness in ball handling and scoring inside
partly because while it may still be decent or above average at the next level, the fact that
he is a tweener and that he succeeded in college based on physicality
(he does have a pro body, except for length, an important characteristic)
but that he will have much greater difficulty in doing those same things
in the NBA where there are lots of big strong fast guys as well as great
team schemes for defending the interior.

I certainly won't root for him to fail if he is our pick
(I'm not a Republican, sorry couldn't resist)
but would be somewhat more anxious about what he might end up
doing for us.

This is a generic criticism that applies to every prospect. Every propsect will have to adjust to the jump in competition.

someone else may have already responded but just in case...

sure it applies to everyone, but it doesn't apply to everyone equally.
The folks that question AB @3 are clearly thinking it applies to him more than most.
And I think there are legit reasons for that. Those reasons may not turn out to be true.

[truwizfan4evr]

I think to a certain extent the anti-Bennett crowd, at least if they reason the way I
have been on AB, is dismissing his elite-ness in ball handling and scoring inside
partly because while it may still be decent or above average at the next level, the fact that
he is a tweener and that he succeeded in college based on physicality
(he does have a pro body, except for length, an important characteristic)
but that he will have much greater difficulty in doing those same things
in the NBA where there are lots of big strong fast guys as well as great
team schemes for defending the interior.

I certainly won't root for him to fail if he is our pick
(I'm not a Republican, sorry couldn't resist)
but would be somewhat more anxious about what he might end up
doing for us.

This is a generic criticism that applies to every prospect. Every propsect will have to adjust to the jump in competition.

someone else may have already responded but just in case...

sure it applies to everyone, but it doesn't apply to everyone equally.
The folks that question AB @3 are clearly thinking it applies to him more than most.
And I think there are legit reasons for that. Those reasons may not turn out to be true.

But why risk are third pick? Why not go with a safe pick like Porter instead of a guy with a lot concerns around him?

[MikeTheKid]

Anyone wanna watch the draft at a bar or something???

[dobrojim]

Will Dat cry if we select Porter? I haven't seen a grown man cry since I brought my last girlfriend home.

I think you meant Bennett?