Lex qestion

Dexmor · Post #1 » by **Dexmor** » Tue Jan 6, 2009 8:30 pm

Why did we draft a 40 pound center? Does this guy have potential and if so in what? What is he good at?
Why didnt they draft Hibbert? I don't get it. I know we wanted a Center because they almost drafted Lopez, have been linked to BMiller and got Lex but he clearly not ready to play for the next 3-5 years and I can't see him doing anything.
Wouldnt of Hibbert been more of A Brown guy.

Post #2 » by **BigSlam** » Tue Jan 6, 2009 8:42 pm

#1 - Because he has a very high ceiling and unique skill set for someone his size.
LB was on record as saying he felt that if Lex was in the draft the following year he'd be a top 5 consideration

#2 - He has a very nice mid-long range J and is stupid long which will help with shot blocking.
Plus, he's only a kid. Give him a chance to add some weight/work his body out.

#3 - Because Hibbert had already been drafted.
That's like asking "why didn't we draft Rose?"

Bassman · Post #3 » by **Bassman** » Tue Jan 6, 2009 9:01 pm

Because we passed on Lopez, even though (according to a recent interview with his agent) we told them at the time of the pick, during the draft, that the Bobcats would be picking him!! We end up drafting DJ, who will become a good but not great PG. Suddenly we had to go big at 20 and the frenchman was still there (imagine that??).

Ajinca would be a great pick late lottery for a playoff team who has time to develop him without hurting their current squad. He should be in the d-league but LB shows disdain for the teaching aspects of the minor league designed by the NBA to do that very thing.

Yes, it's not quite halfway in the season, but I will continue to point out the possibilities had we followed my draft picks that fateful night (Lopez at 9, Chalmers at 20). Their production on this squad cannot be firmly estimated, but given their demonstrated abilities and stats while STARTING for their respective teams, I dare say the Cats screwed up AGAIN!

Dexmor · Post #4 » by **Dexmor** » Tue Jan 6, 2009 9:26 pm

I know Lopez hurts but it is the closest thing to they have ever came to not completley dropping the ball. Every draft was terrible except this one and the Mek doesn't count because everybody would have made that pick.
For some reason I thought he was drafted at 21.
Lopez and Chalmers would have been good but nobody really thought he would be this good i don't think.

Lex's body will not get bigger imo. When guys are that skinny like keon Clark they usually don't gain weight. Like Prince and many players. He is a tooth pick.

spectre_ · Post #5 » by **spectre_** » Tue Jan 6, 2009 9:34 pm

Lopez and Chalmers would have been good but nobody really thought he would be this good i don't think.

Not to re-visit the draft (I don't go back in time), but you'd have thought if anyone knew Chalmers' potential it would have been Larry Brown. I seem to remember LB talking about Arthur and how he was so familiar with his game because he was from Kansas. As Chalmers was their PG it would stand to reason LB would have known all about him.

Dexmor · Post #6 » by **Dexmor** » Tue Jan 6, 2009 10:07 pm

I hope they don't become like the Thunder and just a bunch of Center projects that clearly are never gonna work. See Swift, Sene, Petro.

coordinator0 · Post #7 » by **coordinator0** » Tue Jan 6, 2009 11:13 pm

Chalmers is having success because he's not the primary ball-handler on his team, Wade is. I also wanted Lopez at the time, and I think he would be a bit of an upgrade over what we have now. Looking back at it now, I think that Koufos would have been a better pick at 20 than Ajinca was. He was already big and brought the same skill-set as Ajinca does, although he's not as long or as athletic.

Post #8 » by **BigSlam** » Tue Jan 6, 2009 11:29 pm

Dexmor wrote:Lex's body will not get bigger imo. When guys are that skinny like keon Clark they usually don't gain weight. Like Prince and many players. He is a tooth pick.

That is a legit concern - but it's not like he was ever pegged to be a banger type. He's an outside big so it's not like he's going to be fighting for position in the post.

Dexmor · Post #9 » by **Dexmor** » Wed Jan 7, 2009 12:03 am

He would have been a better pick but I would have still picked quite a few other players.
When is the last time a euro big man project has worked out? Or the last time some skinny project center from anywhere has worked? Yao Ming wasn't a project so he doesn't count.
10 years ago Dirk was a steal and ever since then teams have been throwing away picks trying to get the next Dirk. Raptors fans know this.
Dirk was at least strong enough to play in the nba.
If I can out power a guy he shouldn't be a C in the league. Also a jump shooting 180 pound center coming from another country doesn't seem like an LB guy. Doesn't seem like a guy for anybody.
If a project Center why not DeAndre Jordan?
The thing that kills me is there were obvious picks better, not surprises like the Spreights guy but obvious like Arthur and Batum and Ryan Anderson.

I really hope Im wrong but what the hell is anybody gonna do with a Center that is that skinny? Sene had at least a 8'5 wingspan or something insane like that but that should have been an example.

Dexmor · Post #10 » by **Dexmor** » Wed Jan 7, 2009 12:10 am

NY chants fire Isiah (they did) We need to chant hire Isiah. We need a MJ for Isiah swap when it comes to drafting. Not total keys to the castle and maybe we don't tell Larry Brown and keep it a secret but that guy is out there and we draft like we close our eyes and pick one of the players on the top 60 mock draft.
Isiah would have never picked Morrison or Lex, ever. He calls busts and picks gems no matter were he picks. Imagine what he could do for us?

coordinator0 · Post #11 » by **coordinator0** » Wed Jan 7, 2009 12:44 am

Dexmor wrote:NY chants fire Isiah (they did) We need to chant hire Isiah. We need a MJ for Isiah swap when it comes to drafting. Not total keys to the castle and maybe we don't tell Larry Brown and keep it a secret but that guy is out there and we draft like we close our eyes and pick one of the players on the top 60 mock draft.
Isiah would have never picked Morrison or Lex, ever. He calls busts and picks gems no matter were he picks. Imagine what he could do for us?

For that to happen we would need to fire LB, which i don't think we want to do right now. Isiah and LB probably couldn't co-exist, for obvious reasons. I'd like to get him, but I don't see it happening.

Post #12 » by **BigSlam** » Wed Jan 7, 2009 12:59 am

Dexmor wrote:If I can out power a guy he shouldn't be a C in the league.

Power to you if you can defend a footer with a sweet J. If he can pull opposing bigs out of the paint we'll be better of for it.

Also a jump shooting 180 pound center coming from another country doesn't seem like an LB guy.

Yet LB lobbied hard for him.

If a project Center why not DeAndre Jordan?

Did you even see him play in college?

I really hope Im wrong but what the hell is anybody gonna do with a Center that is that skinny? Sene had at least a 8'5 wingspan or something insane like that but that should have been an example

You know that Lex has the biggest wing span in the history of recorded draft measurements - right? Not only that, but he actually has a jump shot with range and a high BBIQ, something that guy like Sene will never have, yet was taken 10 spots higher in his draft class.

Post #13 » by **BigSlam** » Wed Jan 7, 2009 1:00 am

Dexmor wrote:Isiah would have never picked Morrison or Lex, ever. He calls busts and picks gems no matter were he picks. Imagine what he could do for us?

How's Balkman working out these days?

doc.end · Post #14 » by **doc.end** » Wed Jan 7, 2009 3:38 am

I'm tired of these uneducated threads (not the replies - those justifiable although I wouldn't bother).

Dexmor · Post #15 » by **Dexmor** » Wed Jan 7, 2009 4:48 am

Your tired of the threads are ya? Come on the is not exactly a whole lot to talk about. I was hoping to get info on why he was selected. Why we did what we did. Some people like the conversation.

As for Balkman, come on how many studs to duds does Thomas have? Best drafter in hisory. .

Post #16 » by **BigSlam** » Wed Jan 7, 2009 2:17 pm

Dexmor wrote:As for Balkman, come on how many studs to duds does Thomas have? Best drafter in hisory. .

He traded away a slew of picks for Eddy Curry - who can't even see the court.
He drafted Frye #8 when he could have had Bynum, Granger, Ellis or even Blatche
He took Balkman instead of someone like Rondo.

And all the while he put the Knicks in a salary capped tail spin by giving mediocre players big contracts and making crazy trades.

Dexmor · Post #17 » by **Dexmor** » Wed Jan 7, 2009 2:48 pm

First off I said he needs to be our drafter not our front office manager. I said he should just draft.

As for Frye we picked Felton and May over all those guys you mentioned.

He drafted Lee witht the 29th pick
Ariza with the 48th
Damon with the 13th
Camby
Tmac

The list goes on and on I just can't think of any more.

You don't know Isiah is the best drafter? I have to argue this? It's well known league wide you know.

e4Nf6 · Post #18 » by **e4Nf6** » Wed Jan 7, 2009 3:12 pm

First of all, Long term I think Lex's real position is PF. He is a bit slow to guard the quicker 4's but he will be significantly taller than all of them. Also I think much of his "slowness" is more attributable to his mind than his feet. In my dream world we trade Boris for a stud in a couple years when Lex is ready.

As far as drafting him where we did, it was good value. In hindsight Koufus would have been a decent pick too, but maybe we would be kicking ourselves in a couple years when Lex blows up. I don't understand people freaking out over players like Chalmers\Arthur\Hibbert who in my mind will never be more than decent.

Dexmor · Post #19 » by **Dexmor** » Wed Jan 7, 2009 3:23 pm

Well Im not freaking out over it because it was pick #20. I just don't get it. Lex might play the 4 because he is to freaking skinny for a 5man period. Maybe with Mek as a help defender if they keep Wallace to they can get away with it. I just can't imagine any center seeing himself being guarded by Lex and not lick his chops and score 10 points in a quarter.

As for Isiah I forgot Chandler to. What a great pick Wilson Chandler was.
They need Isiah drafting for them. Some team is gonna pick him up and it's gonna be to late.

Diaw might get us a stud this year. If they were gonna do that now would be the time because DIaw is playing his best ball. I love Diaw here but I would also understand a trade because our only aggressive scorers are Felton and wallace and Felton can't shoot.

Post #20 » by **BigSlam** » Wed Jan 7, 2009 3:26 pm

Dexmor wrote:As for Frye we picked Felton and May over all those guys you mentioned.

You weren't taking about what we had done, you were talking about Thomas being can't miss when it comes to drafting, which is obviously isn't.

You don't know Isiah is the best drafter? I have to argue this? It's well known league wide you know

KP says hi.