Draft Thread Continued. 2011 part two...

[willbcocks]

Why trade a high pick for Evan Turner? Aside from not being a good player, he's not a good fit with Wall and he makes a lot of money. If we had to keep him and couldn't just use him to get value, I'm not sure I'd trade the 18 for him.

[SUPERBALLMAN]

I'm almost as excited about what we do with the ATL as I am about the 1st pick. I think we are looking really good there with Nolan Smith, Chris Singleton and Markieff Morris as legit possibilities. In general I usually like players from big time programs. They are just more well known, and usually better talent than players from mid-majors or euros. Look at the Bulls with Noah, Deng, Rose, Boozer all from big schools for example. I am also interested however in Kenneth Faried and Justin Harper. Watching some clips on Harper, one thing I notice about him that I really like... when he makes a shot, there is no celebration, he immediately races back on D. Every time, every shot I saw, no matter how great... immediately runs back to the opposite end of the court. If we get any of these 5 guys I will be very happy, I like every one of these guys and they all bring an aspect we need.

With our 2nd rounder, I do like Tyler Honeycutt. I also really like Ben Hansbrough. Big East POY, plays all out, plays smart, and would be a guy who can come in when Wall needs a rest, bring some intensity and hustle, and hit some 3's. Shumpert, who draftexpress has us taking, seems too similar to what we already have in Jordan Crawford.

I REALLY want Derrick Williams, like most others on here. I just think he's a perfect fit for this team. For his sake, it's a pretty good situation also. He'd be the #2 guy to Wall, and has a solid vet to mentor him in Rashard Lewis. If he goes to Cleveland, he's the #1 guy and immediately expected to fill Lebron's shoes. If we miss out on Williams, I'd probably be looking Kanter.

I suppose my ideal draft would be Williams, Markieff Morris, Hansbrough.


But I'd be happy with any of the following scenarios...

1st pick - Williams, Kanter, Barnes

Atl pick - Markieff Morris, Singleton, Harper, Smith, Faried

2nd round - Hansbrough, Honeycutt, Singler

[hands11]

I really hope that harrison is smart enough to realize he'll be a top 5 pick this year and not next year, and come's out.

I do like the theory that the longer he waits, the more likely the chance he declares for the draft.

And yeah, I think he'd be ideal for the Wizards (as I've said on many occasions). A great 2nd option who is also a good defender, clearly wants to get better and hasn't really grazed his full potential. Yes please.

Also, he's a legitimate small forward, not a tweener like Williams. That's not to say I don't like Williams or wouldn't take him before Barnes but there's something to be said for someone with a defined position rather than one the player has to grow into.

I have a pretty strong gut feeling that Barnes will not be on this team. There are to many other ways for EG to play this better then drafting Jarvis Hayes with the 4th pick.

If we get the top pick, EG will do one of those trade downs and he will still get Williams.
If we are farther down, he will take Enes

If you want 3 pt shooter, you take Harper. That is, if you still can after the workouts. DraftX has his at #24. I doubt that lasts. Remember how low Curry was.. He ended up 5th.

Just because he didn't play for a NC or Duke means nothing. 6-10 sharp shooter. No one is going to bother that high release shot anyway. This is the type of player EG will likely target.

http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Justin-Harper-6341/
Richmond star has posted marks of 59% shooting from 2-point range and 47% from beyond the arc, percentages that rank him among the likes of Jon Diebler and Derrick Williams as one of the most efficient players in college basketball.

While he certainly isn't on the same level as Kevin Durant, it's easy to make the argument that no college player has so closely resembled the current NBA star since he left the University of Texas four years ago.

Harper has shown off an advanced skill set throughout the season, but may have only scratched the surface of what he is capable of from a skills perspective, meaning he could further impress when it comes time for individual workouts.

“When I get to those individual workouts people are going to see that I'm not just a spot-up shooter, but I can score pretty effectively with my back to the basket as well,”

Barnes isn't worth any more that Jimmer

Reminds me of that dweeb from Fresh Prince.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kgdL0xWBGU&feature=related[/youtube]

[SUPERBALLMAN]

Also just to mention... Jordan Williams does intrigue me with the 2nd rounder. I am a bit biased being a MD fan I really want him to return to school, and strongly feel it's in his best interest to do so.

To be honest, Kanter interests me with our 1st pick if we miss Derrick Williams. But he is an X factor, and I have so little to base a judgment on him. Just watching the video clips, and based on height/weight and style of play, I'm not sure I see a whole lot of difference between Kanter and Jordan Williams. I can only go by the mocks and supposed draft experts who all seem to have Kanter at least top 10 and J.Williams in the low 2nd round to assume there must be a big disparity in talent.

Kanter for the most part seems to remind me most of Rony Seikaly. I can also see the comparisons to Ruland, Big Country, Bogut, etc. But for example, Draftexpress lists both as centers with Kanter at 6-10 250 and Jordan Williams 6-10 260.

[hands11]

If I absolutely fall in love with a draft prospect, I'm normally spot on. I have fell in love with BRANDON ROY, DERRICK ROSE, and BLAKE GRIFFIN in the past. I have that same love for DERRICK WILLIAMS this year. I pray we get this guy!!
*side note*.....I would be in love with JORDAN WILLIAMS next year, if he stayed at Maryland another year!!

** "In Love" means - with their game ** No homo!!

Dude. You are spot on. Blake and Rose were both #1 picks.

Now if you told me you were calling for Rondo that year, that would have been impressive.

I wish the Wizards would have taken Ryan Hollins with the 18th pick second round instead of Vladimir Veremeenko

That was the year they took OP with the #18 pick. But the big men were pretty bad that year. Armstrong went 12th.

[FAH1223]

Also just to mention... Jordan Williams does intrigue me with the 2nd rounder. I am a bit biased being a MD fan I really want him to return to school, and strongly feel it's in his best interest to do so.

To be honest, Kanter interests me with our 1st pick if we miss Derrick Williams. But he is an X factor, and I have so little to base a judgment on him. Just watching the video clips, and based on height/weight and style of play, I'm not sure I see a whole lot of difference between Kanter and Jordan Williams. I can only go by the mocks and supposed draft experts who all seem to have Kanter at least top 10 and J.Williams in the low 2nd round to assume there must be a big disparity in talent.

Kanter for the most part seems to remind me most of Rony Seikaly. I can also see the comparisons to Ruland, Big Country, Bogut, etc. But for example, Draftexpress lists both as centers with Kanter at 6-10 250 and Jordan Williams 6-10 260.

Jordan Williams is 6'8' not 6'10... and his standing reach isn't as high as Kanter.

Kanter is 6'10 and will probably be 6'11 once he is done filling out.

[keynote]

*side note*.....I would be in love with JORDAN WILLIAMS next year, if he stayed at Maryland another year!!

** "In Love" means - with their game ** No homo!!

Whew. Thanks for the clarification. For a second, I thought your support of the local university's top basketball player in a Draft Thread on a basketball forum meant that you like to have sex with men. But thanks to your heady save, your internet status as a presumed heterosexual remains secure. Kudos.

[Hoopalotta]

*side note*.....I would be in love with JORDAN WILLIAMS next year, if he stayed at Maryland another year!!

** "In Love" means - with their game ** No homo!!

Whew. Thanks for the clarification. For a second, I thought your support of the local university's top basketball player in a Draft Thread on a basketball forum meant that you like to have sex with men. But thanks to your heady save, your internet status as a presumed heterosexual remains secure. Kudos.

"No Homo" is always better when it's mixed with a blatantly homo remark that is removed from any and all ambiguity. Like, I still remember last year that J-Wiz said:

I want to have Mike Miller's babies!

No Homo.

That was awesome. It's like a cowboy hat with a communist pin - it just messes your whole head up.

[closg00]

Also just to mention... Jordan Williams does intrigue me with the 2nd rounder. I am a bit biased being a MD fan I really want him to return to school, and strongly feel it's in his best interest to do so.

To be honest, Kanter interests me with our 1st pick if we miss Derrick Williams. But he is an X factor, and I have so little to base a judgment on him. Just watching the video clips, and based on height/weight and style of play, I'm not sure I see a whole lot of difference between Kanter and Jordan Williams. I can only go by the mocks and supposed draft experts who all seem to have Kanter at least top 10 and J.Williams in the low 2nd round to assume there must be a big disparity in talent.

Kanter for the most part seems to remind me most of Rony Seikaly. I can also see the comparisons to Ruland, Big Country, Bogut, etc. But for example, Draftexpress lists both as centers with Kanter at 6-10 250 and Jordan Williams 6-10 260.

Jordan Williams is 6'8' not 6'10... and his standing reach isn't as high as Kanter.


Kanter is 6'10 and will probably be 6'11 once he is done filling out.

6'8, 6'9, 6'10??? I guess we'll find out after the measurements. If Williams were around with our 2nd round pick and he is 6"10, not 6'8, It would be tempting to take him, at-least he will fricken box-out....might be able to play some C in a few years.

[pancakes3]

i think jordan williams is pretty swell myself. i have no idea why he's ranked so low. if he really is slipping to the bottom of the 2nd, the spurs have a decent shot at another dejuan blair darling. i hope we take him with our 2nd rounder.

also, where did you (FAH1223) get the info that he's 6'8? he certainly LOOKS 6'10 out there. someone who's 6'8 260 would look a lot closer to the aforementioned dejuan blair than the "chubby chandler" look JW's got going.

[Ruzious]

Anyone else here watch Biyombo vs the U.S. Team? I didn't see any offensive game, dunks against a smallish U.S. team.

Yeah, he played well - getting a trips dub, but as you alluded to, he's much more physically developed than any of the US "bigs" with all due respect to Anthony Davis and young McAdoo. It would have been nice to see how he'd have done against an 18 year old Amare or Shawn Kemp type. Biyombo is one impressive physical specimen. And I also saw basically no offensive game - not even the jump hook that Seraphin has.

Kentucky is going to have another amazing frosh class. Davis and Gilchrist are top 3 pick type talents. I'd compare Davis to Bosh, and Gilchrist seems to be able to do whatever he wants on both ends - he's a potential 1st pick in the draft. Unfortunately, Duke's backcourt is going to continue to be best in the country. Rivers is everything he's been hyped up to be, and the other guard they got looked like an excellent shooting PG. Everything about Rivers is impressive - especially his demeaner - he is a winner.

[dangermouse]

It's like a cowboy hat with a communist pin - it just messes your whole head up.

....Is it O.K. if i borrow this one day? That is awesome.

[Hoopalotta]

It's like a cowboy hat with a communist pin - it just messes your whole head up.

....Is it O.K. if i borrow this one day? That is awesome.

Yeah, I actually saw someone who had one, so it's not even my idea to "borrow", actually. I say go ahead. Make one; even better.

Edit --> Actually, what I came up with thereafter was the idea of Lefty Pinko, the collectivist cowpoke. Left handed with red hair, he's a loner that serves the party's glorious Siberian frontiersmen outside of politburo channels. Very misunderstood.

To get on topic, we should totally spend a second rounder on him.

[Wizardspride]

i think jordan williams is pretty swell myself. i have no idea why he's ranked so low. if he really is slipping to the bottom of the 2nd, the spurs have a decent shot at another dejuan blair darling. i hope we take him with our 2nd rounder.

also, where did you (FAH1223) get the info that he's 6'8? he certainly LOOKS 6'10 out there. someone who's 6'8 260 would look a lot closer to the aforementioned dejuan blair than the "chubby chandler" look JW's got going.

Fwiw, Chris Knoche (MD play by play guy) has said on several occasions that Jordan is actually closer to 6'8" than he is to 6'10".

[theboomking]

Just watched my DVR of the Jordan Brand Classic. I found Gilchrist a bit disappointing. He is a great athlete, but just looks out of place on offense. I think he stays in college for two years, or is not a top 6 pick next year.

Davis looked quite good, as everyone knows. Co-MVP with McAdoo, but was just very business like out there. Very slim, but great hands on offense. No showboating, unlike McAdoo, who missed a 360 dunk, travelled, and seems like he will be a very talented me-first player.

Wroten had a lot of tremendous passes.

Beal was very impressive. Apparently, he's known as a shooter, but he showed tremendous athleticism and strength finishing at and above the rim. He won the NPOY, which factors in character and academics, was very well spoken in his interview, was noted by Billy Donovan to have a tremendous internal motivation to improve his game. He's not as long as Young, but I think he'll be more efficient, and I wouldn't mind if we took a flier on him if we're picking later in the lotto next year and Beal is BPA.

Barnes was there, and when interviewed, said that he had made no decision, praised the NC commits when specifically questioned, but wasn't over the top in praise and didn't reference playing with them next year. I think Barnes declares for the draft this year. I'm posting some David Thgorpe analysis below, and I agree, and think Barnes would comlement Wall very well.

Apr 7 Update: I ended up liking Barnes' upside more than just about any other player's in this draft by season's end. He scored 16 or more points in the Tar Heels' last 11 games (nine were wins), 20 or better in five of them, and had the 40-point outburst on 17 shots in a tight win over Clemson, while adding eight rebounds.

But it wasn't just the points that impressed me, it was his assertiveness. In fact, Barnes wasn't very efficient in many of those games, but great players often have to crawl before they walk. And that has to be focus No. 1 for Barnes -- building on his assertive play in March and becoming more efficient in the process.

Few NBA players need to be able to create their own shot to be drafted, but if Barnes wants to be a top-4 selection, which is certainly possible, looking like a No. 1 or 2 scoring option going forward is necessary. That's where efficiency must come in, as just being a gunner is not enough. The two areas he needs to improve upon in that category are getting more free throws and making a higher percentage of his 3-pointers. It's that simple.

Learning how to use his big body like a sledgehammer on drives or early post-ups will translate into more fouls drawn, which will help him project as a legit scorer in the NBA. He made 31 of his last 82 3-pointers, good for 37 percent, a nice number for sure. If he can just keep it there or raise it some, he's golden. But if it falls to 32 percent or worse, then it will be fair for scouts to question his overall shooting talent. And for a player who is not an elite level athlete, that can be problematic in his attempts to get into the talk for the top spot. -- By David Thorpe

http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/draft/results/players/news/_/id/19461/harrison-barnes

To keep things balanced, here is what Thorpe said about Williams.

Apr 13 Update: Williams declared for the 2011 NBA Draft today. He won't hire an agent, preserving his college eligibility. Williams was one of the four or five best players in the country this year. He's become a true inside/outside threat as a scorer. He's aggressive, makes smart decisions and will really attack the rim. Some scouts are worried he's a tweener, but other teams have him No. 1 overall on their Big Board. He's a very likely Top 3 pick.

Mar 28 Update: Derrick Williams has been steadily rising in our rankings all year. He began the season ranked No. 26 on our Big Board. In late December he cracked the lottery. In January we moved him into our Top 10 and in February we moved him all the way to No. 4 on our Big Board and we raised the possibility of Williams being the No. 1 pick in the draft.

This weekend Williams did his best to show that he was worthy of being the top pick in the draft. Williams was flat out beastly against both Duke and UConn. His 32 points and 13 boards against the Blue Devils was one of the best performances by a big man we've seen all year. Williams had everything going. He connected on five 3-pointers, had two Blake Griffin-esque dunks and dominated the paint for Arizona. His strength, explosion around the basket and smooth perimeter game made him look like an NBA All-Star in the making. Against UConn, things didn't quite work out as well. He had 20 points and five boards, but missed a few critical shots for Arizona down the stretch.

This weekend we raised him another two spots to the No. 2 position on our Big Board. Based on feedback from NBA scouts and GMs, we now believe Williams is in serious consideration for the No. 1 pick along with Duke's Kyrie Irving and North Carolina's Harrison Barnes. With all three players now out of the tournament, there should be a lively debate based on team needs and workouts about who is No. 1.

http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/draft/re ... k-williams

Also, Wall was at the game watching and the commentators said that Wall commented that he expects a lockout and that players won't be able to leave the team facility. Wall wants to find a place to work out with Derrick Rose and others. Love that guy.

[DMVleGeND]

Just watched my DVR of the Jordan Brand Classic. I found Gilchrist a bit disappointing. He is a great athlete, but just looks out of place on offense. I think he stays in college for two years, or is not a top 6 pick next year.

Davis looked quite good, as everyone knows. Co-MVP with McAdoo, but was just very business like out there. Very slim, but great hands on offense. No showboating, unlike McAdoo, who missed a 360 dunk, travelled, and seems like he will be a very talented me-first player.

Wroten had a lot of tremendous passes.

Beal was very impressive. Apparently, he's known as a shooter, but he showed tremendous athleticism and strength finishing at and above the rim. He won the NPOY, which factors in character and academics, was very well spoken in his interview, was noted by Billy Donovan to have a tremendous internal motivation to improve his game. He's not as long as Young, but I think he'll be more efficient, and I wouldn't mind if we took a flier on him if we're picking later in the lotto next year and Beal is BPA.

Barnes was there, and when interviewed, said that he had made no decision, praised the NC commits when specifically questioned, but wasn't over the top in praise and didn't reference playing with them next year. I think Barnes declares for the draft this year. I'm posting some David Thgorpe analysis below, and I agree, and think Barnes would comlement Wall very well.

Apr 7 Update: I ended up liking Barnes' upside more than just about any other player's in this draft by season's end. He scored 16 or more points in the Tar Heels' last 11 games (nine were wins), 20 or better in five of them, and had the 40-point outburst on 17 shots in a tight win over Clemson, while adding eight rebounds.

But it wasn't just the points that impressed me, it was his assertiveness. In fact, Barnes wasn't very efficient in many of those games, but great players often have to crawl before they walk. And that has to be focus No. 1 for Barnes -- building on his assertive play in March and becoming more efficient in the process.

Few NBA players need to be able to create their own shot to be drafted, but if Barnes wants to be a top-4 selection, which is certainly possible, looking like a No. 1 or 2 scoring option going forward is necessary. That's where efficiency must come in, as just being a gunner is not enough. The two areas he needs to improve upon in that category are getting more free throws and making a higher percentage of his 3-pointers. It's that simple.

Learning how to use his big body like a sledgehammer on drives or early post-ups will translate into more fouls drawn, which will help him project as a legit scorer in the NBA. He made 31 of his last 82 3-pointers, good for 37 percent, a nice number for sure. If he can just keep it there or raise it some, he's golden. But if it falls to 32 percent or worse, then it will be fair for scouts to question his overall shooting talent. And for a player who is not an elite level athlete, that can be problematic in his attempts to get into the talk for the top spot. -- By David Thorpe

http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/draft/results/players/news/_/id/19461/harrison-barnes

To keep things balanced, here is what Thorpe said about Williams.

Apr 13 Update: Williams declared for the 2011 NBA Draft today. He won't hire an agent, preserving his college eligibility. Williams was one of the four or five best players in the country this year. He's become a true inside/outside threat as a scorer. He's aggressive, makes smart decisions and will really attack the rim. Some scouts are worried he's a tweener, but other teams have him No. 1 overall on their Big Board. He's a very likely Top 3 pick.

Mar 28 Update: Derrick Williams has been steadily rising in our rankings all year. He began the season ranked No. 26 on our Big Board. In late December he cracked the lottery. In January we moved him into our Top 10 and in February we moved him all the way to No. 4 on our Big Board and we raised the possibility of Williams being the No. 1 pick in the draft.

This weekend Williams did his best to show that he was worthy of being the top pick in the draft. Williams was flat out beastly against both Duke and UConn. His 32 points and 13 boards against the Blue Devils was one of the best performances by a big man we've seen all year. Williams had everything going. He connected on five 3-pointers, had two Blake Griffin-esque dunks and dominated the paint for Arizona. His strength, explosion around the basket and smooth perimeter game made him look like an NBA All-Star in the making. Against UConn, things didn't quite work out as well. He had 20 points and five boards, but missed a few critical shots for Arizona down the stretch.

This weekend we raised him another two spots to the No. 2 position on our Big Board. Based on feedback from NBA scouts and GMs, we now believe Williams is in serious consideration for the No. 1 pick along with Duke's Kyrie Irving and North Carolina's Harrison Barnes. With all three players now out of the tournament, there should be a lively debate based on team needs and workouts about who is No. 1.

http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/draft/re ... k-williams

Also, Wall was at the game watching and the commentators said that Wall commented that he expects a lockout and that players won't be able to leave the team facility. Wall wants to find a place to work out with Derrick Rose and others. Love that guy.

I agree with most of the stuff you say. Gilchrist has the ability to be a great defender at the next level, but he's not a sure bet on offense. He needs to fix his shooting mechanics ASAP. He's a jack-of-all-trades, master-of-none type player.

Davis is a very intriguing prospect and DraftExpress was raving about him during the game. They say he's the best prospect in terms of sheer upside in the class and that he'll be a defensive monster at Kentucky. And he has wide shoulders, and a good base, so he will definitely fill out

DX was also raving about Brad Beal. They say he's a "sure bet" and the safest player out of this class. They had this to say about him. "If I had to bet on ONE 2011 HS class player who is guaranteed to have a great career, it would be Bradley Beal. He's a stud, on & off court."

And I think you're going overboard on McAdoo. It's an all-star game, and he was just trying to give the fans something to get excited about, even though he failed miserably. And DX likes him too. They say he's the 2nd "safe bet" They say "Think a 6-8 version of Tim Duncan. Smooth, smart, skilled, fundamental. The entire package."

[Ruzious]

Just watched my DVR of the Jordan Brand Classic. I found Gilchrist a bit disappointing. He is a great athlete, but just looks out of place on offense. I think he stays in college for two years, or is not a top 6 pick next year.

Davis looked quite good, as everyone knows. Co-MVP with McAdoo, but was just very business like out there. Very slim, but great hands on offense. No showboating, unlike McAdoo, who missed a 360 dunk, travelled, and seems like he will be a very talented me-first player.
while adding eight rebounds.

I'll put it this way - If Gilchrist were eligible for this year's draft, I think he'd be the 1st pick. He's a ridiculously good defender, and his shot is nowhere near the disaster people want to make it out to be.

James McAdoo is the one of them that's overrated. He's a good solid prospect, but he's nothing compared to what Bob was. And he's a tweener forward.

[FAH1223]

I've seen Jordan Williams on campus many times, this guy is not 6'10...

[closg00]

I've seen Jordan Williams on campus many times, this guy is not 6'10...

What about 6'10 in shoes? Seriously, I don't see why he's coming-out now...but .net has him going in the teens, DX has him going in the 2nd round.

[Halcyon]

Yeah Williams is not 6'10. He also struggled against stiff bigmen in the college game who were simply just taller than him. I don't think he has nearly the reach of some guys like Blair.