Pacers Draft Board: #22

[cdash]

Stabbing in the dark is going with an inconsistent French guy who played mediocre ball in a mediocre league against mediocre players. Walker played well in college, he has good size, scoring ability, and talent. I really dont think he is an "underdog" pick. Its really just a matter of preference. I am on a completely opposite side of this argument than you: I think stabbing in the dark is going after guys with good physicals that havent performed in game yet. You think stabbing in the dark is an average college player.

Also, at this point in the draft, no one really has a high "bust factor". You arent expecting All-Stars and career starters here. Ask NBA scouts and GMs, there isnt a whole lot of difference between guys ranked 20-35, so it comes down to who likes who. Chad Ford's Big Board has Walker at 24 I think, so we really arent that far off from that either.

[PR07]

I wouldn't call Bill Walker an "average" college player, you are really downplaying his impact on Kansas State. It was Bill Walker who rescued K State on numerous occasions when Michael Beasley got into foul trouble. If you told Michael Beasley that Bill Walker was an average college player, he'd probably laugh in your face.

If anyone has a bust factor between Batum and Walker, it has to be Batum. He's less developed...and a bigger project which means higher risk.

As for Budinger, his Arizona team underachieved all year and couldn't even win a game in the tournament.

[mizzoupacers]

From watching him play in the Big 12, I think that Walker clearly has NBA talent and is going to be a steal for someone, if he goes late first round and if he can stay healthy.

For the Pacers, my concern would be whether he has any guard skills. He didn't really show that in the Big 12...he didn't really look like he could handle the ball all that well, and his outside shooting was pretty inconsistent. However, if he is erasing those doubts in workouts and whatnot, then maybe that is a part of his game that he can still develop.

[ahartleyvu]

So you guys disagree with me... but look at how horrible this big board is. Post it on the draft board and see what people think about it.

I like Walker... I've been reading about him since he was in high school. But not over Budinger or Batum.

[PR07]

I don't agree with the entire ranking of the Pacers Draft board, but I think all in all we've done a decent job. You have to remember that this is not the overall draft board, it is the Pacers' Draft board, as in the ranking for who we think the Pacers should draft based on need and talent.

[cdash]

Also, this thing has been a work in progress for a few weeks now. The overall group might have been swayed by a good workout report by a certain guy when it was around his time to be considered for the board. Besides, every team has a different Big Board. I am not a huge fan of it, but just because it doesnt resemble draftexpress or espn's big boards, doesnt mean it is terrible.

[P4CERS]

i have gone for Batum, and reading through a lot of the play-off team draft threads, they are hoping Batum is still around for them. i think 22 is way too late for him. Even the Lakers fans are hoping he is still around, as they feel he could be the Kobe replacement as a long term project.

[Scoot McGroot]

-= original quote snipped =-



Walker does have good tools but to be chosen ahead of Batum or Super Mario? Come on you can't be serious. Batum is a 100% Larry Bird type player too, alot of experts compare him to Rudy Gay. The guy can score 20ppg and be a top 5-7 defender in the NBA. He can be a difference maker and he's played against high US teams and held his own.

I don't know. Everything I've heard about Nicolas Batum is EXACTLY what I heard about Mikael Pietrus when he was in the draft. He was supposed to be the French Michael Jordan; a guy who could score 25 points a night easily while being a Defensive Player of the Year caliber player. However, I think Pietrus' many shortcomings and inability to adjust to the American game should possibly become factors in judging Batum as a prospect.

[Scoot McGroot]

I do know that he has never played without a superstar player dating back to his middle school He's also had some major knee surgery.

Batum, Budinger are more of a sure thing.

He was an immediate impact player without Michael Beasley at Kansas State in the 6 games he played when all the other guys in his draft class were still in high school. He graduated high school a semester early and was taking classes at K-State part time so he could start playing college basketball Dec. 16, 2006, for the second half of the 2006-2007 season. He only played 6 games before he had to have the knee surgery, and averaged almost 12 points and 5 rebounds a game (if you eliminate the game against Texas A&M where he was injured) when he should've been still playing high school basketball. I think he qualifies as a pretty serious talent, but one who can defer to superstars.

[APerna]

Mario.

[Scoot McGroot]

I voted for Batum, but would like to change my vote to Walker. For whoever is counting.

Factoring this in, I'm going to call this one a tie....GASP!!!! Shocking I know, but I'm going to allow a tie in this situation after all the voting, and we'll move on to #24 shortly (either tonight or tomorrow).


I imagine Batum will run away with the next one though, but I think the useful rotational guys like Roy Hibbert, Robin Lopez, et al, will start garnering more and more votes.