SI's Mock Draft using current NBA players

Copperhead · Post #1 » by **Copperhead** » Tue Jun 24, 2008 5:59 pm

Top 5

1. Chicago Bulls: LeBron James, SF, 23 years old. Scary as it sounds, James might still be years away from reaching his prime. Imagine James with slight improvements in his defense and perimeter game.

2. Miami Heat: Dwight Howard, C, 22. Shot-blocking, physically intimidating, attack-the-rim centers are hard to come by. Actually, outside of Howard, they are nearly impossible. As he proved this past season in Orlando, Howard is capable of dominating even with undersized help.

3. Minnesota Timberwolves: Kobe Bryant, SG, 29. Does Bryant inspire or intimidate? Who cares as long he gets the job done, which Bryant does with staggering success.

4. Seattle SuperSonics: Chris Paul, PG, 23. Ask Phoenix or New Jersey what an elite point guard can do for you. The probing Paul is Steve Nash circa 2005 and has seven or eight prime years still in front of him.

5. Memphis Grizzlies: Yao Ming, C, 27. Size? Check. Skills? Double-check. Aggressive personality? Check, check, check. He has shrugged off his passive demeanor and become fiercely competitive, perhaps the lone attribute that had stood between Yao and greatness. Well, that and better health.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/w ... ml?eref=T1

Malinhion · Post #2 » by **Malinhion** » Tue Jun 24, 2008 6:03 pm

5. Memphis Grizzlies: Yao Ming, C, 27. Size? Check. Skills? Double-check. Aggressive personality? Check, check, check. He has shrugged off his passive demeanor and become fiercely competitive, perhaps the lone attribute that had stood between Yao and greatness. Well, that and better health.

LMAO. What Yao Ming are they watching?

Copperhead · Post #3 » by **Copperhead** » Tue Jun 24, 2008 6:06 pm

Malinhion wrote:
5. Memphis Grizzlies: Yao Ming, C, 27. Size? Check. Skills? Double-check. Aggressive personality? Check, check, check. He has shrugged off his passive demeanor and become fiercely competitive, perhaps the lone attribute that had stood between Yao and greatness. Well, that and better health.

LMAO. What Yao Ming are they watching?

Cevap · Post #4 » by **Cevap** » Tue Jun 24, 2008 6:07 pm

will Kobe second time around still be a little primadonna and refuse to play for anyone except the Lakers?

rockybalboa11 · Post #5 » by **rockybalboa11** » Tue Jun 24, 2008 6:11 pm

Copperhead wrote:
Malinhion wrote:
5. Memphis Grizzlies: Yao Ming, C, 27. Size? Check. Skills? Double-check. Aggressive personality? Check, check, check. He has shrugged off his passive demeanor and become fiercely competitive, perhaps the lone attribute that had stood between Yao and greatness. Well, that and better health.

LMAO. What Yao Ming are they watching?

i suppose it may be the one that has been playing (or rehabbing) for the past two seasons?

Cybulski37 · Post #6 » by **Cybulski37** » Tue Jun 24, 2008 6:14 pm

Is this drafting them all over again as in when they came out? Or as of right now? If it's as of right now, I'd probably take Oden 3rd(based on EPIC potential, but behind Howard because Howard is only slightly worse right now than Oden hopes to be) and bump Kobe out of there(because of age). Also, Wade 4th, Paul 5th, if we're ignoring team needs.

A.J. · Post #7 » by **A.J.** » Tue Jun 24, 2008 6:19 pm

If age wasnt a factor, I would chose Kobe number 1.

And the Yao Ming they are watching is the one who has dominated centers for 2 years straight.

Copperhead · Post #8 » by **Copperhead** » Tue Jun 24, 2008 6:24 pm

Cybulski37 wrote:Is this drafting them all over again as in when they came out? Or as of right now? If it's as of right now, I'd probably take Oden 3rd(based on EPIC potential, but behind Howard because Howard is only slightly worse right now than Oden hopes to be) and bump Kobe out of there(because of age). Also, Wade 4th, Paul 5th, if we're ignoring team needs.

The article says right now, at their current age.

NetsForce · Post #9 » by **NetsForce** » Tue Jun 24, 2008 6:27 pm

Yao Ming isn't the weak wuss he was when he first came into the league, you guys can laugh about it all you want but try watching him play and you'll see what I mean.

mhd · Post #10 » by **mhd** » Tue Jun 24, 2008 6:42 pm

How in the world is KG above Duncan??? Its absurd what happens when winning a title while playing second banana does to your rep.

BiggieSmalls · Post #11 » by **BiggieSmalls** » Tue Jun 24, 2008 6:45 pm

well his list doesnt seem to take age into consideration, i would have roy and oden higher. oden will be better than howard, I GUARANTEE IT!

BiggieSmalls · Post #12 » by **BiggieSmalls** » Tue Jun 24, 2008 6:47 pm

mhd wrote:How in the world is KG above Duncan??? Its absurd what happens when winning a title while playing second banana does to your rep.

exactly why chris mannix is on crack! i hate the writers when they make ridiculous statements such as kg over duncan.

Post #13 » by **pillwenney** » Tue Jun 24, 2008 6:53 pm

Deron's a little low (should at least be ahead of Parker) and honestly Yao is probably too high--not because he's soft or anything, because I don't think he is. But if D-Wade gets knocked for his injury concerns, Yao needs to get knocked just as much.

NetsForce · Post #14 » by **NetsForce** » Tue Jun 24, 2008 6:54 pm

I'm just really surprised at how high Oden is...

Bank Shot · Post #15 » by **Bank Shot** » Tue Jun 24, 2008 7:01 pm

mhd wrote:How in the world is KG above Duncan??? Its absurd what happens when winning a title while playing second banana does to your rep.

I agree with you that Duncan should be before Garnett but lets get serious, KG was the man for the Cs. They didn't win because of an individual player's offense, they won because of their D and KG was the biggest reason for it being so good. Give the man his due, he just anchored one of the best defenses in the history of basketball. Was Bill Russell a second banana because he wasn't the go-to-guy down the stretch?

And I agree with Deron being too low. He has to at least be above Parker.

MagicFan149 · Post #16 » by **MagicFan149** » Tue Jun 24, 2008 7:16 pm

dbl post... my bad

MagicFan149 · Post #17 » by **MagicFan149** » Tue Jun 24, 2008 7:18 pm

BiggieSmalls wrote:well his list doesnt seem to take age into consideration, i would have roy and oden higher. oden will be better than howard, I GUARANTEE IT!

i hate the POSTERS when they make ridiculous statements ... like a guy that has never played a game in the nba is guranteed to be better than the all nba 1st team,olympic starting ,and all star starting center in howard....

i guarantee you are jumping the gun with youre statement

Farm Raid · Post #18 » by **Farm Raid** » Tue Jun 24, 2008 7:32 pm

Yao Ming at 5? The guy who can't get out of the first round with a All-NBA caliber wing? There's gotta be someone you can put up there better than that. I'd take KG with 5 years left over Yao with 10 at this rate.

LetItRain · Post #19 » by **LetItRain** » Tue Jun 24, 2008 7:41 pm

And the Oden overrating continues...

LetItRain · Post #20 » by **LetItRain** » Tue Jun 24, 2008 7:43 pm

MagicFan149 wrote:
BiggieSmalls wrote:well his list doesnt seem to take age into consideration, i would have roy and oden higher. oden will be better than howard, I GUARANTEE IT!

i hate the POSTERS when they make ridiculous statements ... like a guy that has never played a game in the nba is guranteed to be better than the all nba 1st team,olympic starting ,and all star starting center in howard....

i guarantee you are jumping the gun with youre statement

And a guy that is coming off microfracture surgery and has had wrist problems.