Bayless: I will show the NBA

[Cruel_Ruin]

The reason Westbrook went over Bayless is defense. Westbrook is going to be elite, Bayless is going to suck.

Based on what? The opinion of a bitter Kings fan?

Short wingspan, lack of defensive IQ and instincts. He won't be a defender in the NBA

[EGame]

Were you talking about just defensivley he will suck or overall? Because I am going to have to disagree that he will overall suck. Defensivley, who knows.

[Cruel_Ruin]

Were you talking about just defensivley he will suck or overall? Because I am going to have to disagree that he will overall suck. Defensivley, who knows.

No, he's going to be a good scorer and shooter for sure, he's already proven that. He'll get abused defensively regardless. Terrific fit for Portland actually, since Oden can erase his defensive mistakes and Roy will cover playmaking duties, letting him be the natural scorer he is.

[thegreatblaze]

Were you talking about just defensivley he will suck or overall? Because I am going to have to disagree that he will overall suck. Defensivley, who knows.

No, he's going to be a good scorer and shooter for sure, he's already proven that. He'll get abused defensively regardless. Terrific fit for Portland actually, since Oden can erase his defensive mistakes and Roy will cover playmaking duties, letting him be the natural scorer he is.

Oh please, he's not that bad defensively. He's decent at the very least.

[Next Coming]

Don't know much about Bayless defensively but if Cruel_Ruin is right and Bayless isn't that good on the defensive side of things he found himself in a great situation with Brandon Roy who's shown he's a really good defender and Greg Oden who should own the DPOY award for the next decade.

It'll allow him to play the lanes and he certainly has the athletic ability to be a menace in this area.

His drop will be the best thing that has happened to him. Instead of going very high and possibly being the man in Charlotte, New York or the other L.A. team he landed in Portland where he's going to be playing 4th or maybe 5th fiddle to Oden, Roy and Aldridge.

Brandon Roy is a perfect backcourt mate for Bayless too. Roy will allow him to be the scorer he is while he learns how to better initiate the pro-offense.

Not to mention he'll be under the tutelage of Nate McMilian who knows something about playing the 1 position in this league.

[SabasRevenge!]

Short wingspan, lack of defensive IQ and instincts. He won't be a defender in the NBA

Where does elite speed and athleticism come into play? How about excellent body control, high confidence and aggression? He's smart and he's determined. I don't see why Bayless can't become a very good defender with some hard work.

[Flash3]

The only guys who made good on that "I'll prove everybody wrong for not picking me" promise were Gilbert Arenas and Paul Pierce. Everyone else proved the teams right. Bayless is wait and see.

Add Caron Butler to that list.

Players like Tskitisvilli, Wagner and a few others went ahead of him. And he's probably the 2nd/3rd best player from that draft; though I don't have the draft in front of me, I know Amare went 1 before him....

[Heat3]

The only guys who made good on that "I'll prove everybody wrong for not picking me" promise were Gilbert Arenas and Paul Pierce. Everyone else proved the teams right. Bayless is wait and see.

Add Caron Butler to that list.

Players like Tskitisvilli, Wagner and a few others went ahead of him. And he's probably the 2nd/3rd best player from that draft; though I don't have the draft in front of me, I know Amare went 1 before him....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2002_NBA_Draft

4 all stars in that draft

Yao #1
Amare #9
Caron #10
Boozer #34

[W_HAMILTON]

He should have "shown the NBA" by taking his sorry ass to teams and auditioning for them by accepting their offers to work out.

Instead, he turned several teams down, and he ended up dropping, including dropping by some of those teams he refused to work out for.

In a great fit of irony, Westbrook, who actually had the balls to go and work out for several teams all across the board, ended up skyrocketing and taking the spot around where Bayless had previously been projected.

I'm glad he learned the hard way. Also happy to see Lopez drop as well, and end up crying on draft night, because he pulled the same sort of crap.

[Rooster]

I'd be happy if I fell on draft night.

BAYLESS: "How dare you bad teams where I'd be a bad fit let me fall to a good team where I'll be a good fit!"

He'll make the lost funds back, plus many more, in his next contract.