UCLA Love and Westbrook and others misunderstood

DubaLakers · Post #1 » by **DubaLakers** » Sat May 24, 2008 2:17 pm

I honestly think there is a East Coast Bias here....

Love and Westbrook are incredibly good. I think Love is top 5. He is the smartest player I can remember, he just doesn't make mistakes. He's should go #3 in my mind, and if Beasley wasn't so gifted I would suggest 2, but I'm not going to go there. He can do it all. He lost 20 lbs as well. I can understand why a PG would be picked ahead of him, PG's are so crucial more than ever in todays NBA game, any other position no way he's the best outside of maybe Beasley. But Beasley has off the court questions, Love is basketball since birth 24/7 commitment to excellence, guaranteed slam dunk pick. #3 pick in a mock IMO.

Westbrook is just the most athletic player in the entire draft can play PG or SG, blindingly fast. A one man fast break, and really seems like a good kid that gets it. UCLA had little team speed, outside of him. At least that is the way they played all year. Westbrook made them a Champion contender. Uses his body well, especially when crowded near the basket.
And is a lockup defender.

I've never seen Bayless play so i won't discount him. But I've seen Buddinger play 3 or 4 times. Maybe Bayless was hurt I don't remember him. But Buddinger is way to high, Joe Alexander is a offensive stud even though he's a punk, Augustin should be top 5 IMO. Brandon Rush should be top 11 he's a Robert Horry player.

takin'over · Post #2 » by **takin'over** » Sun May 25, 2008 4:39 am

I'm interested to see how Love tests out at the combine. Westbrook is athletic but he's a combo guard with an average offensive skillset. Bayless is like Westbrook (not as long though) with more skills.

Augustin is too small to be a top 5 pick. He's a good player but he's no Chris Paul. High teens, low 20s is a good spot for Brandon Rush. Honestly, I'd rather trade down and grab Rush rather than Westbrook. Westbrook has the edge in upside but Rush could wind up as one of the best 4th or 5th options in the league.

GOOOGLEdotcom · Post #3 » by **GOOOGLEdotcom** » Sun May 25, 2008 6:08 am

Augustin is my favorite in the draft but like takin'over said he's too undersized to be a top 10 imo. I think he'll go around 11 like most people say.

I like Westbrook. Another one of my favorites in the draft. I don't think he has the skill to be the floor general in the NBA. He'll probably be a 2. Dude reminds me a lot of Monta Ellis with the quickness and everything.

Post #4 » by **PhilipNelsonFan** » Sun May 25, 2008 8:08 am

I think Love is top 5. He is the smartest player I can remember, he just doesn't make mistakes. He's should go #3 in my mind, and if Beasley wasn't so gifted I would suggest 2, but I'm not going to go there. He can do it all. He lost 20 lbs as well. I can understand why a PG would be picked ahead of him, PG's are so crucial more than ever in todays NBA game, any other position no way he's the best outside of maybe Beasley. But Beasley has off the court questions, Love is basketball since birth 24/7 commitment to excellence, guaranteed slam dunk pick. #3 pick in a mock IMO.

Love will not go top 5 but probably top 10. He can do quite a lot, but not all, and he'd have to have a strong center next to him to be most effective. The problem is, I don't think there's a single team in the top 10 outside of Charlotte that fits that bill.

Westbrook is just the most athletic player in the entire draft can play PG or SG, blindingly fast. A one man fast break, and really seems like a good kid that gets it. UCLA had little team speed, outside of him. At least that is the way they played all year. Westbrook made them a Champion contender. Uses his body well, especially when crowded near the basket.
And is a lockup defender.

The most athletic player in this draft? Michael Beasley takes offense. As do Derrick Rose, O.J. Mayo, Deandre Jordan...

Outside of that, for being the "lockup defender" people say he is, I think he benefited more than anything from being on a good team defense. He has a lot of tools but whether he can shut people down in one-on-one defense is a question mark.

The problem with Westbrook is that he has no outside shot for a SG and no ball skills or decision making ability for a PG. Collison was the brains behind the UCLA backcourt operation.

I've never seen Bayless play so i won't discount him. But I've seen Buddinger play 3 or 4 times. Maybe Bayless was hurt I don't remember him. But Buddinger is way to high

Budinger (why do people consistently spell his last name wrong??) is becoming very quickly overrated. His ceiling is around the 12th pick but his draft floor is around the 30th. He could not string two good games together in college for the life of him.

Augustin should be top 5 IMO.

I keep hearing a lot of Damon Stoudamire comparisons for Augustin. I like the kid, but people don't realize just how much of a crutch Damon Stoudamire was to the Blazers, particularly in his prime years. Augustin's actually a talented passer though. He should not go top 5, but he shouldn't still be on the board with Cleveland's draft selection.

Brandon Rush should be top 11 he's a Robert Horry player.

1. That comparison makes no sense.

2. Where does this sudden rush (pun intended) of love for Brandon come from?? He's torn an ACL, been a locker room distraction, and he's maybe the third best player on that Kansas team. How does that make him a lottery pick?? Before he was a high-risk, high-upside selection, but now I can't even see the upside. Someone clue me in.

DFolks · Post #5 » by **DFolks** » Sun May 25, 2008 4:11 pm

Rush is a 6'6 SG that is a very good shooter, very good ball handling, takes the ball to the hole strong, and can finish at the rim..Pretty good dunker.....He is not selfish and when the ball is in his hands, something good will most likely happen. If a pass is necessary for a better shot, he will pass the ball. He makes great decisions, simply put... And for the part about off-court issues and team chemistry, I think you are just lying so your argument on this topic would sound better. Everyone at Kansas thinks he is a good dude off the court and is an even better teammate.

Post #6 » by **NO-KG-AI** » Sun May 25, 2008 5:09 pm

Yeah I think Westbrook is way overrated, I wouldn't take him in the top 20 probably.

ISB · Post #7 » by **ISB** » Sun May 25, 2008 8:44 pm

DFolks wrote:Rush is a 6'6 SG that is a very good shooter, very good ball handling, takes the ball to the hole strong, and can finish at the rim..Pretty good dunker.....He is not selfish and when the ball is in his hands, something good will most likely happen. If a pass is necessary for a better shot, he will pass the ball. He makes great decisions, simply put... And for the part about off-court issues and team chemistry, I think you are just lying so your argument on this topic would sound better. Everyone at Kansas thinks he is a good dude off the court and is an even better teammate.

really?

I go to Texas, so I've seen 3 years of Brandon Rush in the big 12. Dude absolutely cannot handle the ball well, nor does he take it the rim with any regularity.

He's a lockdown defender with a good good jump shot when left open, which I think makes him a good pick late in the first. He's definitely not a lottery caliber player though. The comparison that I have said for the last 2 years is Raja Bell, which isn't bad by any means.

Post #8 » by **PhilipNelsonFan** » Mon May 26, 2008 1:56 am

DFolks wrote:Rush is a 6'6 SG that is a very good shooter, very good ball handling, takes the ball to the hole strong, and can finish at the rim..Pretty good dunker.....He is not selfish and when the ball is in his hands, something good will most likely happen. If a pass is necessary for a better shot, he will pass the ball. He makes great decisions, simply put... And for the part about off-court issues and team chemistry, I think you are just lying so your argument on this topic would sound better. Everyone at Kansas thinks he is a good dude off the court and is an even better teammate.

I'll take you at your word. So then, Brandon Rush is considered a borderline lottery selection when Malik Hairston, a similar player in every respect, isn't even a lock to be drafted. Show me the difference.

cdash · Post #9 » by **cdash** » Mon May 26, 2008 4:08 am

GOOOGLEdotcom wrote:Augustin is my favorite in the draft but like takin'over said he's too undersized to be a top 10 imo. I think he'll go around 11 like most people say.

I like Westbrook. Another one of my favorites in the draft. I don't think he has the skill to be the floor general in the NBA. He'll probably be a 2. Dude reminds me a lot of Monta Ellis with the quickness and everything.

Augustin is what, one inch shorter than Chris Paul? People are putting way too much into this height thing. It isnt a huge deal for point guards. If he can play, he can play.

takin'over · Post #10 » by **takin'over** » Mon May 26, 2008 6:29 am

Augustin is what, one inch shorter than Chris Paul? People are putting way too much into this height thing. It isnt a huge deal for point guards. If he can play, he can play.

Augustin can play for sure but because of his size, you won't find many teams willing to invest a high pick on him especially with such a premium on 6'2+ PGs. Augustin will be a good NBA player but he isn't as athletically talented as Chris Paul, isn't as gifted a playmaker and doesn't have the intangibles of CP3.