RealGM

If you haven't heard the major announcement, here it is again:

Eric Maynor is OFF the board. And onto the Big Board. At # 26. Isn't that AMAZING? I thought that dude was still going to remain unpicked after pick # 30. Gaining my composure, now.

So, who gets "The Big Board Treatment " this time? A favorite, perhaps? Someone with a good motor? Crazy skills? Euro or Latin American? Team need or Best Playa Available? Get ready to take your best shot. Here comes the new nine! Tell us what you want!

The Taj Gibson bandwagon

starts

right

Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeere!

He's the very thing we need. A guy who played college ball in sunny So Cal, but is from Brooklyn, New York. Big enough to play the 4! Looked pretty good in the tournament.

And has a cool name!

Jermaine Taylor, this years Courtney Lee....

Casspi and Nick Calathes on deck.....

Danny Green

C'mon, I like Danny Green and all but he is not a 1st rounder.

Taj Gibson

BrotherDave wrote:C'mon, I like Danny Green and all but he is not a 1st rounder.

LOL at that when we're at pick #27. All of these guys would be first rounders only on a technicality.

Taj

Walt Cronkite wrote:

BrotherDave wrote:C'mon, I like Danny Green and all but he is not a 1st rounder.

LOL at that when we're at pick #27. All of these guys would be first rounders only on a technicality.

That technicality is that 1st round contracts are guaranteed. Why draft a player with who isn't particularly skilled in any one area in the 1st rd when he could easily be had for a non-guaranteed contract in the second round?

Because no one else on the list is a sure thing either?

Walt Cronkite wrote:Because no one else on the list is a sure thing either?

Mills, Collison, and Casspi are surer things to me than Green is, at least much more valuable. But we're splitting hairs here.

Two PGs that can't shoot and a physical international player... I mean, you pretty much proved my point. Any of these guys could be out of the league by the time their guaranteed contract has expired, but the same could be said for any first rounder ever. Late in the first you have few options: draft a project with good vitals, draft a prospect with sick athleticism, draft a proven, well-rounded player that was an important part of a dominant college program.

To be totally honest, I went with Green because he's always done well in Hollinger's draft rater. I voted for Calathes, but think it's unrealistic this late in the first round--he'd just stay in Greece or wherever he signed if he's taken so late and stuck in the 1st round rookie scale. He'd be my first choice when/if we get to rd 2.

Many are saying that Patty Mills could be the next Tony Parker, Collison is NBA ready in terms of PG skills, and Casspi is a pick that could be traded for value or kept overseas for cheap. Danny Green can't dribble, shoot, rebound, or really do any one area of specifically well. He's average in all skills, save hustle and NBA size. He's not a 1st round pick. Frankly, Jawad Williams was more NBA ready in his draft than Green is.

I don't watch College Hoops, I don't think I've ever implied otherwise. Sometimes I watch to see some prospect play, but I don't have the attention span to watch for long.

That said, my dad is maybe the biggest UNC homer on the entire planet. Hansbrough, Lawson, Ellington-- these were not the players he talked about being critical to UNC's success. Nor Ed Davis. The man he said UNC lived and died by was Danny Green.

I watched Mills last summer and thought he was a great prospect, but I was turned off by his college production this season. I still think he's a good pick, so I would be comfortable drafting him with a late first. I haven't seen Casspi play, ever... and I go out of my way to watch international basketball (my second favorite style of hoops to watch. I love me some FIBA.)

Players like Collison are a dime a dozen. Unexceptional pgs with a defensive mindset.

Casspi is more of a good business pick than a good basketball pick, at least right away anyway. Mills more than held his own against team USA a while back, so I think he'll be ok. As far as Collison vs Green goes, I've yet to find a mock draft with Green going in the first rd. I've seen Collison go in the 1st in most of them. I have to say that in this pg rich draft he'd be the last pg I'd draft but he's scrappy, and that goes a long way in the NBA. To me, Green is just a great glue guy/sixth man type of player. There is no reason to draft that type of player in the 1st rd. I could see him turning into a Trevor Ariza type player for a team but it's a stretch. He'd have to work on that ugly jumper of his. Maybe it's just my NC State bias.

Go State!

Looks like this one generated some real discussion. Walt and Dave, don't let me interrupt your debate, I just wanted to post the results of the poll, since we have run out of time on this one. You have elected.... building drama.....Someone whose last name begins with G.

Taj Gibson....... 3 votes
Danny Green .......3 votes

I have my 6 slips of paper, 3 for Taj, and 3 for Danny. May the best player reach our Big Board.

The draw......
Slip One- Danny Green
Slip Two- Taj Gibson
Slip Three- Taj Gibson
Slip Four- Danny Green...........Building more drama...
Slip Five- Danny Green........... And the last slip in the bag is...
Slip Six- WINNER- Pick 27- Taj Gibson of Southern California.

And if you are wearing your Carolina blinders, maybe another day! On to # 28!