Official Raptors 2011 NBA Draft Thread, Part 2

[Fairview4Life]

According to a lot of sources most of these guys will stay another year in college to avoid the lockout. In college they get a free ride (tuition, residence, spending cash) but if they go for the draft and there isn't a draft i don't think any of these guys are down to work at McDonalds flipping cheeseburgers and asking if you would like fries with your sandwich.

Or their agents float them some cash. Or they get a loan. A high lotto pick flipping burgers because there's a lockout is laughable.

[JN]

According to a lot of sources most of these guys will stay another year in college to avoid the lockout. In college they get a free ride (tuition, residence, spending cash) but if they go for the draft and there isn't a draft i don't think any of these guys are down to work at McDonalds flipping cheeseburgers and asking if you would like fries with your sandwich.

There agents would give them loans.

Players don't get spending cash in the NCAA< (or most of them anyway)

[bboyskinnylegs]

If we happen to get unlucky in the lottery, then Im all for taking a shot at Barnes.

If we miss out on either P.Jones or Irving, then I take a Euro and leave him overseas.

Draft positioning for 2012 should start as soon as possible. There are probably 2 or 3 game changing/franchise type talents available and would be absolutely crushed if out lotto luck was used up for this draft.

Who are these game changers for next year?

Quincy Miller, Austin Rivers, Michael Gilchrist, and Myck Kabongo all have very high ceilings and could significantly impact the teams they land on

[Kaizen]

Miller is a reach considering he is still recovering from a torn ACL that caused him to miss his entire senior year. Anthony Davis is said to have the most "potential" in his entire class so unless he is a complete bust he will probably come out.

[Reignman]

There's also Andre Drummond and LeBryan Nash. Fairly raw prospects with unlimited ceilings.

[Kaizen]

Drummond is 2012. I was going to mention Nash but I do not know that much about him.

[ItsDanger]

Fredette looks more like a shooting version of Aaron Brooks rather than Curry. Style is an undersized 2. Defence will be an issue. Wouldnt mind taking him with the 2nd 1st if still available for instant offense off the bench.

[dagger]

There's also Andre Drummond and LeBryan Nash. Fairly raw prospects with unlimited ceilings.

The unlimited ceiling thing is grossly overused cliche. Maybe when we're talking about 12 year olds, but by 17 you can only say that about the handful of once-of-a-generation prospects that aren't in every draft.

Drummond in particular seems to have major motivational issues.

[dagger]

Fredette looks more like a shooting version of Aaron Brooks rather than Curry. Style is an undersized 2. Defence will be an issue. Wouldnt mind taking him with the 2nd 1st if still available for instant offense off the bench.

I think he's going to be much better than that. He's being marked down for the "white senior" thing, but his ability to penetrate and hit floaters and off-balance mid-range shots off the dribble is distinguishes him from quite a few other guards. I see him as a PG on a team with a SG who is a good ball handler. And I think his D will be average, but not bad. The kid has a motor, and someone who throws himself into the game like he does, can at least be adequate on D. In this draft, I suspect he can go as high as DraftX is now projecting - thirteen. He might even make it as high as eight or nine with a good tournament.

[Reignman]

Fredette looks more like a shooting version of Aaron Brooks rather than Curry. Style is an undersized 2. Defence will be an issue. Wouldnt mind taking him with the 2nd 1st if still available for instant offense off the bench.

I think he's going to be much better than that. He's being marked down for the "white senior" thing, but his ability to penetrate and hit floaters and off-balance mid-range shots off the dribble is distinguishes him from quite a few other guards. I see him as a PG on a team with a SG who is a good ball handler. And I think his D will be average, but not bad. The kid has a motor, and someone who throws himself into the game like he does, can at least be adequate on D. In this draft, I suspect he can go as high as DraftX is now projecting - thirteen. He might even make it as high as eight or nine with a good tournament.

From what I've seen of Fredette over the last two years he's going to be a future off-the-bench combo guard AT BEST. If someone takes him in the lottery they are going to regret it. Take him in the top 10 and you've officially blown your pick.

I think he'll have an Eddie House type of role in the NBA.

[5DOM]

Yeah part of it's gotta be the white senior thing.

[ansoncarter]

his ability to penetrate and hit floaters and off-balance mid-range shots off the dribble is distinguishes him from quite a few other guards.

that's the single best skill to have imo. If you could pick one thing to have, it has to be that. Like if bayless had an ounce of it he'd be an allstar. Or if bargnanis had it, and wasn't a mechanical shooter, he'd be able to make way more out of his fakes and moves and actually be dirk part2.

if this guy has it, i'll be ok with us drafting him. This league is made for guys like that, since you can get a reasonably decent look almost at will, even slow guys with weak moves. If a guy is a specialist at hitting off the dribble or off balance shots, draft him please

[Rhettmatic]

A bit of the latest draft buzz from Chad Ford:

We're hearing that we may have Ohio State's Jared Sullinger and Arizona's Derrick Williams a bit too low. Looks like we've got UNC's Harrison Barnes a bit too high. We've adjusted that on our Big Board, but the Mock Draft is more about who teams might pick instead of just a ranking of the top players.

But the message is clear: It sounds like NBA teams are valuing production more than upside right now. That tends to change when players get into individual workouts -- but for now, Sullinger and Williams are getting big bumps for having great seasons.

BTW, here's what Ford's updated Big Board looks like:

1. Perry Jones
2. Kyrie Irving
3. Jared Sullinger
4. Enes Kanter
5. Terrence Jones
6. Jonas Valanciunas
7. Harrison Barnes
8. Kemba Walker
9. Derrick Williams
10. Jordan Hamilton
11. John Henson
12. Jimmer Fredette
13. Donut

[DreamTeam09]

Before the season or earlier on my raptors boards was this.
Kyrie
Perry Jones
Barnes
Terrance Jones
Kember Walker
Knight
Selby

now that we have a real chance of landing 1 of the top two...

Kyrie Irving
Perry Jones
Terrance Jones
Harrison Barnes
Kemba Walker

I think anyone of these players would be game changers for us, i'm growing more confident that we'll get 1 of the 3 players that we really want.

[dagger]

Barnes keeps falling. Players to watch:

Derrick Williams
Kawhi Leonard

Both are better small forwards than Barnes right now, significantly better in multiple aspects of the game.

Neither were projected for the lottery. Now, they both have a crack at the top 10.

My board right now would likely be

Irving
PJones
Valanciunus
Leonard (trade down)
Walker (trade down)

People got all caught up in Fredette's performance, but Leonard was still 22 and 15, and had been taking fluids on an IV drip on game day because of a bad stomach flu.

[Cool-Hand-Luke]

Barnes keeps falling. Players to watch:

Derrick Williams
Kawhi Leonard

Both are better small forwards than Barnes right now, significantly better in multiple aspects of the game.

Neither were projected for the lottery. Now, they both have a crack at the top 10.

My board right now would likely be

Irving
PJones
Valanciunus
Leonard (trade down)
Walker (trade down)

People got all caught up in Fredette's performance, but Leonard was still 22 and 15, and had been taking fluids on an IV drip on game day because of a bad stomach flu.

Depending on who's left after 8 on the board, I would dangle Amir Johnson in front of Gstate, Indiana, Memphis, Houston.

I'd also dangle Jose & Amir in front of Sacramento before they pick (if Irving is off the board).

[Rapsobsessed7]

Before the season or earlier on my raptors boards was this.
Kyrie
Perry Jones
Barnes
Terrance Jones
Kember Walker
Knight
Selby

now that we have a real chance of landing 1 of the top two...

Kyrie Irving
Perry Jones
Terrance Jones
Harrison Barnes
Kemba Walker

I think anyone of these players would be game changers for us, i'm growing more confident that we'll get 1 of the 3 players that we really want.

That's my board too. I think we end up with one of the top 4. If not I'd trade down to get Walker + pickup a asset

[fredericklove]

Yeah, these chicken-little "they won't declare" people need to stop. Top 10 picks aren't going to risk injury or risk their draft stock by returning, it makes absolutely no sense. The 2012 draft is stacked, there's maybe only 1 or 2 guys in this draft that could comfortably say they'd be a top 10 pick in 2012. If they love school they can go back during the lockout (they just can't play).

The only guy I can see possibly going back is Barnes because of what's happened. A guy almost guaranteed to go #1 pre-season is now pegged at #9 and falling. He's the only guy I can see going back to polish his game and trying to recover his draft position. I still think it's a huge risk for him; however, he's still the only guy that might risk it.

If we could package our Miami pick with Jose/Amir/ to a team in the 6-9 range I would do it. Gives us a shot at Barnes.

It would be quite the successful draft if we ran away with Irving/Kanter + Barnes. Grand larceny.

Irving/Bayless
DeRozan/Weems
Barnes/Kleiza
Davis/Alabi
Bargnani/Dorsey

^^ still bad enough to tank another year but the age and talent level would be on par with a proper re-build.

You wish buddy haha, no one wants to take on Jose's big fat contract and the Miami pick.

[DreamTeam09]

Barnes keeps falling. Players to watch:

Derrick Williams
Kawhi Leonard

Both are better small forwards than Barnes right now, significantly better in multiple aspects of the game.

Neither were projected for the lottery. Now, they both have a crack at the top 10.

My board right now would likely be

Irving
PJones
Valanciunus
Leonard (trade down)
Walker (trade down)

People got all caught up in Fredette's performance, but Leonard was still 22 and 15, and had been taking fluids on an IV drip on game day because of a bad stomach flu.

Is Derrick Williams an NBA SF?? Isn't his post game THAT much better than his face up game. I don't think he has handles for the wing or the outside jumper does he? That K.leonard looks like a player we can trade down for & target.

[Tulipsandroses]

Man this draft class is weak.