2nd Annual RealGM SlowForm Mock Draft (2010)

[dice]

i go board to board and get each team's pick

this year's draft thus far:

1. wizards - john wall
2. 76ers - evan turner
3. nets - derrick favors
4. wolves - demarcus cousins
5. kings - wes johnson
6. warriors - greg monroe
7. pistons - al-farouq aminu
8. clippers - paul george
9. jazz - cole aldrich
10. pacers - ekpe udoh
11. hornets - patrick patterson
12. grizzlies - xavier henry
13. raptors - ed davis
14. rockets - hassan whiteside
15. bucks - luke babbitt
16. wolves - james anderson
17. bulls - avery bradley
18. heat - solomon alabi
19. celtics - gordan hayward
20. spurs - ?

i'll hold the voting open as long as necessary (might take a few days on this board). feel free to notify of a vote change at any time. and given the likely lack of posts, please detail your reasoning

[co_laper]

Well, given that the wings i like and think could've help are gone, I think I have to go with a big guy here. Daniel Orton is still available and he's a nice addition to a team. I've only seen him play twice so i can't really be sure about him but if I go by expert analysis of his game, then he's a really good fit.

From NBADRAFT.NET

Strengths: An intriguing big with a next level body and an extremely long wingspan … He has a wide and developed frame and has the potential to add further mass … A deceptive athlete, he gets off the ground well and sneaks up on people thanks to his length … Physically, he has all the tools to be an inside force in the future … Off the catch, he powers his way to the hoop for strong finishes, he has the wide shoulders to clear space inside and convert against contact … Shows a fairly soft touch around the basket, he extends on his hook shot and is able to convert plays with finesse … Comfortable stepping out to midrange and knocking down spot up jumpers … His form is extremely smooth for a big, and he is able to get his shot off with good speed and rhythm … Has a lot of potential as a pick and roll big because of his ability to shoot the ball and set wide screens … Currently, most of his value is on the defensive end … He is able to keep defensive position because He is able to keep defensive position because of his size, but more importantly he blocks and alters a high percentage of shots thanks to his timing and length …

Well, he's got size, length, shotblocking, rebounding, and has the ability to shoot the midrange jumpshot.

Weaknesses: At this point, he is still a very raw player who has not performed consistently at a high level … Most of his intrigue lies in his potential, but over the last few seasons he has not produced much … Very careless with the ball, he makes poor decisions and throws it away very frequently … He tries to make passes that have no chance of finding the target … Has a bad habit of throwing outlet passes when he is off balance and when no one is looking for the ball … Missed the majority of his High School senior season due to surgery on his left knee … Whether it is the result of his injury or just his natural gait, his running and movements are not smooth and it seems like he is wasting too much energy while getting up and down the court … Needs to become a better shooter at the free throw line … Fell victim to the system that catered to other players at Kentucky, and was not able to get much game experience operating in the post on the offensive end … He lacks confidence in his scoring ability and does not look to establish good position on the block … Could have used another season of college to polish his game and prove that he can be effective as one of the featured players …

-Inconsistent. That's to be expected out of rookie bigs.
-Turnover proned. Not going to be a big problem given that we won't ask him to carry any offensive load. He's gonna be more of a pick and role player and either get dunks or shoot the jumper. It'll be weird If he turns the ball over doing dunks or shooting jumpers.

His weaknesses are easily correctable with age. As you age, I think you get more consistent, and you play smarter (cut down turnovers).

If Orton is the guy falling to our lap, I think we get Orton and sign Mike Miller with MLE. It wouldn't make sense if we get Orton, and have Duncan, Dice, Blair, and then use MLE to sign Splitter. We'd be 5 deep at PF/C while 4 deep at PG/SG/SF.

[dice]

seems reasonable. let's see if anyone else chimes in

[Mojo Risin]

Depending on whether anything eventuates with Splitter before the Draft, I would have to say we go for a big.

I'm liking Daniel Orton if he falls that far, and I think he has got some good upside. We could also go for Larry Sanders of VCU who has got a good offensive game.

If the Spurs decide to go in another direction, i believe they will select an athletic wing player. The best available at this point would probably be Damion James of Texas.

My Pick = Daniel Orton (Kentucky)

[batmana]

Well, the thing is we don't know if we're bringing Splitter over. I hope we are which makes drafting a big in the first round redundant (IMO). I think we will go with a wing. I also like Damion James from Texas and also think another good player might be Quincy Pondexter from Washington. With the way Jefferson has played for us in his first season, we might be looking to deal him and we need to find a replacement. I'd say I prefer Pondexter over James but either of the two will make me happy.

BTW, from what I've seen I can't believe people have Orton as a potential lottery pick solely on potential, that's how you draft busts. He was a backup for Kentucky and didn't even play big minutes. So if we decide to go big (knowing Splitter isn't coming over or whatever), I hope we pass on Orton and watch some other team make that colossal mistake. IMO, drafting Orton you draft a guy who's only good for 6-10 mins. (if he stays clear of foul trouble and proves he can play), and I think you get plenty of those guys in the 2nd round.

My pick - Quincy Pondexter (Washington).

[David_Robinson]

My pick if the Spurs stay at pick 20 and do not move up is Quincy Pondexter. He addresses the teams most immediate need at the Wing position and is a high character player who would fit in well with the Spurs. He played 4 years under Jim Calhoun at Uconn and developed into a great leader and primary scorer on his team. He is a great defender both man to man and in a team system. His long wingspan and great athleticism allows him to get to the him and clean up the boards. These traits also help him excel on the defensive end and he has the tool to be an elite defender in the NBA. Many draft experts think he will be a great value pick late in the first round because he is a senior and senior's tend to be picked later because they are fully exposed (similar situation to Darren Collison last year).

Here is his profile: http://nba-draft.com/QuincyPondexter.html

The next situational pick is dependent on whether the team signs Splitter. If the Spurs decide to go with a big in the draft Larry Sanders is most likely the best bet at the 20th slot. He is a very mature player with a good attitude and is coachable. Focuses on defense and rebounding and projects to be a double double bigman with great defense. He has a ridiculous wingspan at 7''5 on while standing at 6''10. An NBA assistant GM said on Sanders with regards to his physical tools, “if you can put 20 pounds on that kid, he [can] be an absolute force in the paint". He would bring an immediate spark on the defensive end and provide solid defense against opposing bigs (due to his wingspan) which Blair struggles with because his lack of height/wingspan. He also has a developing offensive game and though he is 21 he is fairly new to the game of basketball so he has room to grow.

Here is his profile: http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Larry-Sanders-5148/

P.S. I wish we could get but a late first round pick or one of these guys fall to second round so we could draft both because they are very intriguing prospects who project to fit in well with the Spurs.

[co_laper]

I don't think you were looking at the draft list here. Suggesting guys like Pondexter or Sanders when Orton is available is just flat out crazy. It's like you don't even know who was even drafted in this "Mock Draft" thread and just basing on who you think will be available instead of WHO IS STILL AVAILABLE.

You're probably aiming for the other thread titled "who should we draft".

[batmana]

I am talking only about myself - I'd draft almost ANY existing player with top 20 potential over Orton. I can't believe you can go through college as a bench player averaging 3 points and 3 rebounds over 16 mins. or something and be considered lottery talent. So I'd gladly pass on Orton.

[David_Robinson]

I don't think you were looking at the draft list here. Suggesting guys like Pondexter or Sanders when Orton is available is just flat out crazy. It's like you don't even know who was even drafted in this "Mock Draft" thread and just basing on who you think will be available instead of WHO IS STILL AVAILABLE.

You're probably aiming for the other thread titled "who should we draft".

Just because I do not support your pick of Orton doesn't make my suggestions of drafting Pondexter or Sanders invalid. In this mock draft they are still available so I do not see your point. In most mock drafts both players are projected to go late in the first round and have much better resumes and potential for success than Orton. For example Pondexter played four years under at U of Washington and developed tremendously, last year he averaged 19pts and 7 reb. and was the leader of his team. Orton has a history of knee issues already (red flag) looked very raw during his minimal playing time this year and has tremendous bust potential compared to Pondexter who has improved over 4 year in college and has already demonstrated an impressive game. Also you used nbadraft.net to evaluate Orton, the website grossly overprotects players and is one of the worst websites at analyzing the game of prospects. Why don't you actually watch tape on Pondexter and Sanders before you dismiss them as potential picks.

[RussellandFlow]

Actually Pondexter played at UW for four years under Lorenzo Romar, and would be a good pick for SA.

[David_Robinson]

Actually Pondexter played at UW for four years under Lorenzo Romar, and would be a good pick for SA.

Thanks for pointing that mixup up sorry about that and I am glad you agree he would be a good fit for the team.