Chicken Littles: Sky done fell! Draft Thread 2011

[closg00]

I noticed Coach K ran the same play about 3 or 4 times, a bubble screen or just a normal screen where Singler caught and shot the ball. Made about 3 in a row, at one point I think he scored 11 in a row? DX has him going 27th to the Heat. Sounds about right. He'll go around that range.

Singler would be terrible in the chickens with their heads cut-off offense that we run. We need athletes that can shoot and defend.

[Ruzious]

I noticed Coach K ran the same play about 3 or 4 times, a bubble screen or just a normal screen where Singler caught and shot the ball. Made about 3 in a row, at one point I think he scored 11 in a row? DX has him going 27th to the Heat. Sounds about right. He'll go around that range.

Singler would be terrible in the chickens with their heads cut-off offense that we run. We need athletes that can shoot and defend.

Ugg, he's a very good shooter with ridiculous range and a quick release. He moves without the ball better than anyone on the Wiz roster.

[mhd]

Man, is Derrick Williams impressive! Was going to youtube, and here is an excellent link showing every point in Zona's win over NC State back in December. TO those who say he's not athletic enough to be a SF, see the clip at 4:25

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRchOxFY3lo

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Wow!

He's definitely able to play SF. He's also PF height--closer to legit 6'9" if not a bit taller than below 6'8". Williams is a tremendous leaper and shooter. Outstanding touch and body control

The two-hand dunk was ridiculous. Great shotblock, too.

Derrick Williams looks like a future NBA superstar, mhd.

[mhd]

Honestly, I hope if we don't land the top pick, that we get close. Assume for arguments sake, that the lotto order is current standings:
1) Cleveland takes Irving IMO because they need a PG to lead the rebuild.
2) Minny takes Perry Jones because he'd fit in nicely next to Wes Johnson. No need for Williams with Love and Beasley in place.
3) Raps take Sullinger to be their solid low post PF next to Bargs' perimeter game.
4) Sac takes Derrick WIlliams as a PERFECT fit next to Cousins and Evans.

Right now, I'm on board for tanking to get as many lotto balls as possible. Derrick Williams is that good a talent to tank for. Plus, with Irving, Sullinger, Kanter, and Perry Jones, Williams isn't a lock to be #1 like Wall was.

[Dat2U]

Saw some of Derrick Williams tonight. Honestly he reminded me of Carmelo. Not a freakish athlete but explosive in space. Great finisher. Ultra skilled offensive player. He looked like he could potentially be a #1 option on an NBA roster. If he can be a legit SF, he's the #1 pick in the draft hands down. As a PF, I don't like him as much and he becomes more of a Michael Beasley / Antawn Jamison type prospect. An undersized stretch 4 with rebounding & defensive shortcomings.

[closg00]

I noticed Coach K ran the same play about 3 or 4 times, a bubble screen or just a normal screen where Singler caught and shot the ball. Made about 3 in a row, at one point I think he scored 11 in a row? DX has him going 27th to the Heat. Sounds about right. He'll go around that range.

Singler would be terrible in the chickens with their heads cut-off offense that we run. We need athletes that can shoot and defend.

Ugg, he's a very good shooter with ridiculous range and a quick release. He moves without the ball better than anyone on the Wiz roster.

Sing will be a decent player, I just don't think he'd be good on this team.

[barelyawake]

Note to the board: We don't have a "team." We have one player whom we need to build around. That is all.

[closg00]

Honestly, I hope if we don't land the top pick, that we get close. Assume for arguments sake, that the lotto order is current standings:
1) Cleveland takes Irving IMO because they need a PG to lead the rebuild.
2) Minny takes Perry Jones because he'd fit in nicely next to Wes Johnson. No need for Williams with Love and Beasley in place.
3) Raps take Sullinger to be their solid low post PF next to Bargs' perimeter game.
4) Sac takes Derrick WIlliams as a PERFECT fit next to Cousins and Evans.

Right now, I'm on board for tanking to get as many lotto balls as possible. Derrick Williams is that good a talent to tank for. Plus, with Irving, Sullinger, Kanter, and Perry Jones, Williams isn't a lock to be #1 like Wall was.

Irving could muck everything up by not coming-out this year, meaning the Cavs could take any of those top-5 guys.

I don't think the Raps take another PF, they, Ed Davis is coming along fine, plus they have that thug Dorsey.

Minny???? Who can predict what they will do?

SAC could take Irving also and move Evans to another position.

I don't want to see us drop another further than 3rd. With Booker and Seraphin on-board, Kanter looks to be the Wiz pick if I were betting today. (Picking 3-5)

[nate33]

Derrick Wlliams has freakishly long arms. I'm not quite sure if he has Jason Maxiell's non-human measurements (6-5 with a 7-3 wingspan), but I'd be willing to bet that he's 6-8 with a 7-2 wingspan. He should hold his own at PF. I also like that he has quick feet on D.

[Ruzious]

Man, is Derrick Williams impressive! Was going to youtube, and here is an excellent link showing every point in Zona's win over NC State back in December. TO those who say he's not athletic enough to be a SF, see the clip at 4:25

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRchOxFY3lo

Why don't they have youtube of all their misses?

If he does play PF, he can play pick and roll all day - he's just too quick and explosive for most PF's - there's a reason he draws so many fouls.

[theboomking]

Derrick Wlliams has freakishly long arms. I'm not quite sure if he has Jason Maxiell's non-human measurements (6-5 with a 7-3 wingspan), but I'd be willing to bet that he's 6-8 with a 7-2 wingspan. He should hold his own at PF. I also like that he has quick feet on D.

Derrick Williams was 6'9" with a 7'0" wingspan at the Lebron Skills academy.
http://www.nbadraft.net/lebron-james-sk ... demy-day-1

I don't want to see us drop another further than 3rd. With Booker and Seraphin on-board, Kanter looks to be the Wiz pick if I were betting today. (Picking 3-5)

Well, We're currently slotted at #5, so we'd have to do well in the lotto to pick 3rd. That being said, we have the same number of wins as Toronto, and only one more than Sacremento, and only two more than Minnesota. If we can keep losing, and the above teams grab a few wins, we could be as high as the second slot in the lotto. I don't see us being worse than cleveland this year. http://espn.go.com/nba/standings/_/group/1

Saw some of Derrick Williams tonight. Honestly he reminded me of Carmelo. Not a freakish athlete but explosive in space. Great finisher. Ultra skilled offensive player. He looked like he could potentially be a #1 option on an NBA roster. If he can be a legit SF, he's the #1 pick in the draft hands down. As a PF, I don't like him as much and he becomes more of a Michael Beasley / Antawn Jamison type prospect. An undersized stretch 4 with rebounding & defensive shortcomings.

I disagree. I think he is a pretty freakish athlete and that his combine numbers will be huge. Regardless, he plays like a freakish athlete. There is almost no alley oop he can't finish, and it doesn't seem that any PF can guard him off the dribble. He's too quick.

I still don't know if he's a 3 though. He penetrates off of one to two dribbles, I just don't see much handle. He also gets most of his perimeter shots because guys are afraid of his ability to penetrate and back off a bit. I haven't seen him create a jumpshot off the dribble, or take a lot of long contested two's, both of which seem to be Anthony's trademarks.

Im not worried about Williams leaving. I know im new here, but I do have my sources at UA.

Williams isnt leaving UA next year to be a 8-13 pick in a lockout year.

With that said, its going to be a calculated risk for some guys. John Henson, the Eruos, Kyrie Irving, Terrance Jones. All these guys can benefit greatly be declaring this year, because they arent going as high next year. At the same time, they all have a great shot at being top 5 picks.

As far as Williams, like I said being a mid to late lotto pick isnt going to get him to leave, when he has a shot at a FInal Four, NPOY, and gets to stay where he is happy (college).

Williams will go higher than 8. I think he's possibly the best NCAA player.

How can anyone be sure of a lockout?

I bet he leaves.

I completely agree. If the draft were held today, I'd be shocked if he didn't go top 3. He's not a perfect prospect, but he's got so much offensive ability combined with a high BBIQ and motor. He's the frontcourt player in this draft most likely to play in an NBA all-star game.

I agree with this. I have started hoping for Williams, Kanter or Jones, but am leading to moving Williams to #1 on my Wizards draft board. Jones may have more upside, but just hasn't shown the killer instinct or produciton yet, and wasn't a winner in HS even. Kanter has the possible knee issues which worry me. If Williams was 2" taller, he'd be a lock for the 1st pick, and I'm not sure his lack of height should hold him back. Williams' height is adequate if not ideal for a PF.

[nate33]

Derrick Williams was 6'9" with a 7'0" wingspan at the Lebron Skills academy.
http://www.nbadraft.net/lebron-james-sk ... demy-day-1

Hmm. HIs arms looked longer to me. I'm not so sure how much I trust those measurments.

Anyhoo, looking at that list, it's interesting to note that Kyle Singler is 6-9. I pegged him at 6-7 or 6-8. He has TRex arms though (wingspan of just 6-10). Guys with comparable height and wingspan measurements include: Shane Battier, Joe Johnson, Steve Novak, Matt Barnes and Donte Green, though I doubt Singler can match the vertical leaps of Johnson and Barnes (36.5" and 40.5" respectively). Physically, Singler is pretty much indistinguishable from Donte Green (who has a mediocre vertical of 31" and an unimpressive lane agility score of 11.2).

[theboomking]

Where do you guys project Kenneth Faried? I know some here really like him, but at 6'8" and 215#, he is pretty slight for a PF. Multiple sites I've read have said that Faried gets pushed around by big bodied PF's in the college game. Faried doesn't have the handle or the jumper to play the 3, for which he has the perfect measurements. We're also pretty stacked at PF.

We could Blatche, play Yi, McGee and Seraphin at the 5, and consider trying to add Faried and Williams if I thought Williams could play the 3. Although now that I'm looking at the lineup below, I just don't like it that much.

C:McGee, Seraphin, Yi
PF:Booker, Faried
SF:Wiliams, Thornton, Martin
PG:Wall, Shakur
SG:Young, Hinrich

Alternatively, if you had a big, but mobile 3, you could have Faried play PF on offense, and guard the 3 on defense.

[theboomking]

I need to watch more Kentucky games to see more of Terrence Jones. He certainly isn't the high riser or quick twitch athlete that Derrick Williams is, but watch the highlight video below. His passing and handle are just ridiculous, and even though Jones isn't too tall, his arms are very long. Watching that video, you can see why Jones is projected to go at #3 in so many mock drafts.

Jones is currently averaging:
17.9 ppg 9rpg 1.6 apg 1.9bpg 1.3apg 2.0tpg on .456 shooting .654 FT% .314 3P% 1.34pps PER 29.43 (19th)

Derrick Williams is putting up:
19.9ppg 1apg 7.7rpg 0.7bpg 0.9spg 1.9TO on .574 shooting .686FT% .686 3P% 2.15pps PER 34.79 (1st)

BTW Kenneth Faried is second in PER at 34.09 and Jared Sullinger is 6th at 32.29

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSFUlQzDOJc[/youtube]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSFUlQzDOJc

[go'stags]

I guess we just disagree on Singler. I don't think he is as great a shooter as others are making him out to be, and he hardly ever gets all the way to the basket and finishes. At his best he is getting into the center of the lane and shooting over 6'4 small forwards like Sean Mosely. I do not think he will stick in the NBA, and IMO there is absolutely zero chance he is the next Danny Granger. Absolutely fantastic college player, but not NBA caliber.

[closg00]

One executive believes the 18-year-old Valanciunas, a 6-11, 240-pound center with the Lithuanian club Lietuvos Rytas, will emerge as the top pick.
"He's the best thing I've seen out of that country since [Zydrunas] Ilgauskas," the executive said. "He has a very good basketball IQ, he's tough, he can score, and over the last two years he has made the kind of jump you're looking for. He can shoot, but he can also be a traditional back-to-the-basket center, the way you like centers to be. He's different from [the Raptors' Andrea] Bargnani in that he's a legitimate post player.''

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/w ... z1D86Lt89w
Some GM blowing smoke?

[pcbothwel]

One executive believes the 18-year-old Valanciunas, a 6-11, 240-pound center with the Lithuanian club Lietuvos Rytas, will emerge as the top pick.
"He's the best thing I've seen out of that country since [Zydrunas] Ilgauskas," the executive said. "He has a very good basketball IQ, he's tough, he can score, and over the last two years he has made the kind of jump you're looking for. He can shoot, but he can also be a traditional back-to-the-basket center, the way you like centers to be. He's different from [the Raptors' Andrea] Bargnani in that he's a legitimate post player.''

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/w ... z1D86Lt89w
Some GM blowing smoke?

I cannot repeat this enough...Janus is going to be an ELITE player in this league. I made a post like a week or two ago raving about him and D. Williams. I am hoping that P. Jones, Irving and Sullinger do enough to push him to us. Having an All-star player at the 1 and 5 spots means dynasty if our GM doesnt screw up that foundation.
Drafting him allows us to trade McGee or move him to the 4 and trade Blatche. If we could get Barnes, T.Jones, or D. Williams in that McGee trade I would damn near cry.

Wall
NY
Barnes
Blatche
Valanciunas

Either of those five players could score 20+ points, shut down D, and 8-10 rebounds(maybe not NY) on any given night

[mhd]

Following the boxscore, Derrick Williams just fouled out with 12 points (5-8) and 18 rebounds.

[Ruzious]

Following the boxscore, Derrick Williams just fouled out with 12 points (5-8) and 18 rebounds.

Too bad - it ended up being a triple OT game - he could have put up Love type numbers. But Perry Jones did make it through a single OT game with his best numbers of the season 27 and 7. He's looking like he still has the inside track at being the #1 pick. Watch for Terrence Jones' teammate and Brevin Knight's bro Brandon to climb up the charts if he gets more assists. He's another one of those scoring PGs.