JJ Hickson @ 6'9, 242 lbs vs Derrick Williams @ 6'8, 240 lbs

[Baseline Runner]

Right now I'd rather have Williams than Irving. I'm sure Irving will be a good player but Williams has the chance to be something special. His explosiveness is just off the charts. I don't think the league has seen a player like this since Barkley, someone with a combination of guard skills and relentless, basket attacking inside game.

[tidho]

Right now I'd rather have Williams than Irving. I'm sure Irving will be a good player but Williams has the chance to be something special. His explosiveness is just off the charts. I don't think the league has seen a player like this since Barkley, someone with a combination of guard skills and relentless, basket attacking inside game.

While I too would rather have Williams than Irving in my case its because I believe they're comparable talent, and that Williams can play SF. Given that he's just a wildly better fit for us.

I don't see the guard skills though. On some level he lacks small forward skills, because he's not going to be a terror in isolation outside and he doesn't create for others. He is a finisher and he's got range. With his athletisism, that's going to make him a tough matchup.

[Baseline Runner]

Yeah, he is not exactly Pippen with the ball in his hands but he is a lot better than someone like Hickson who I cringe every time I see him get the ball 10 feet from beyond the basket. I'm really liking this Kanter kid too, he looks like he has all of the tools to be a dominant center. I'm starting to hope we get Williams or Kanter, I have some doubts about Irving for some reason.

[gflem]

I am hoping we end up with two of those three Baseline. We will have to get really lucky with the Clips pick though for any chance of that.

[drivewayball]

I was reading a thread in the player comparison forum the other day. I was amazed at how similar Kobe Bryants stats are to Derrick Rose. I don't know why I was surprised though, their games are eerily similar and they are both terrific point guards.

Kobe and Rose's numbers are queerily similar to Monta Ellis' numbers too.

[the_warden]

Hickson freshman stats @ NC State: 14.8/8.5/1.0/1.5/.7. 59% shooting

Williams freshman stats @ Arizona: 15.7/7.1/.7/.6/.6 57% shooting

because, as an Arizona fan, I died a little when I saw this obvious, obvious attempt to cherry-pick stats, here are Williams' stats @ Arizona last season:

19.5/8.3/1.1/.7/1.0 59.5% shooting, 56.8% from three

I'd love to see him go #1, but I doubt it happens. Just cringed when I saw "freshman stats."

[Smooth32]

I really don't think Hickson should have any bearing on what we do in the draft.

[HEAT33]

You talking about this Hickson who wants a max contract when he is in free agency lol

[Cleveland Fan]

You take the better talent in the NBA draft period. I'm not saying who that is, but if Williams is the more talented player then that's who you take. Otherwise you put yourself in a position of being a complete idiot like the Blazers when they (supposedly) passed on Jordan because they already had a talented player playing that position.

+1
You take him and let the play decide who wins. If they fit together, good, if not, trade one.

+2
The way to build a succesful franchise is to aaaaaaalways take BPA. This is what the head coach is for. Its his job to take the talent on the team & get the best he can out of it. If this means you have more talent at 1 position than the others, great coaches find ways to make it work. In the NBA teams play 8-10 player rotations so more than 1 player at a certian position should be a plus. So at #1 we should take the BEST in the draft.... With #4 we should take the BEST play left on the board (hoping Minn or Utah don't take BPA when they pick). If at #4 the BPA plays same position as player taken at #1 then we should look at other options if possible. Not taking BPA when your OTC because you already have a player at that position isn't what succesful franchises do.

[Baseline Runner]

What's interesting about the 84 draft is that The Rockets were going with the BPA in drafting Hakeem. They already had a stud center in Ralph Sampson, they could have easily drafted Jordan who everyone knew would be good yet they went with the BPA as Olajuwon was thought to be at that time (and that view wasn't too far off). Portland failed miserably as Jordan and Drexler were both so good that they could easily have played PG, SG or SF. Jordan could have been the best SF of all time if that was the position he was assigned to, likewise Drexler was extremely versatile and could have played PG, SG or SF. I don't know if Williams is in that category and Irving is thought to be the best player at the moment, but we certainly take him at four if he is there. I certainly wouldn't mind trading up to get him either.

Hickson really isn't an issue in this draft. Either he adapts to and learns to play with whomever is drafted, he becomes better than them or he is traded. It's survival of the fittest. Hickson is nowhere near being that good where we make every decision based on that player (and we saw where that got us with Lebron).

[cavsfan_osiris]

Yikes. The quality of threads on the Cavs boards are pathetic compared to other boards. You can make the argument about Derrick Williams as SF of PF, but to list ppg, rebs, etc.. then say QED like that proves Williams should be a NBA PF is ridiculous.

IMO WIlliams doesn't' have a position in the NBA and will not last long in the association.

[mcfly1204]

You do not think Williams will last long in the league?