2011 NBA Draft Discussion Thread (Lottery Tonight!)

[SonOfMars]

Everyone else I ask says Vucevic is very skilled, but immobile and slow...he draws comparisons to Big Z and Nenad Kristic....with our run & gun system, I dont see him being a fit...sounds like hes suited for a slower half court offense..

Ehh, imo, Their isnt a big man in this draft that'll be available at 17 that could help us...

I'll stick with my fav 4 of JFredette, MBrooks, KThompson, and DMorris

[Manhattan Project]

Well the question is what offense are we running? It's not like we are an 7SOL team anymore, that's long gone.

[mrpoetryNmotion]

Well the question is what offense are we running? It's not like we are an 7SOL team anymore, that's long gone.

Very legit question...aside from the needs that Faried and Markief can help fill, I would love to have a shooter like Klay Thompson, or the ghost of Andy Rautins, coming off screens in whatever offense we run. I haven't seen enough of that since D'Antoni has been here.

Bust honestly, I hope D'Antoni or whoever we have coaching next year decides to bring their A game because we have been an unstructured lot offensively and defensively for quite some time now. Our plays are rarely intricate and mostly are ineffective. This is where having STAT and Melo helps us but I'd like to be able to get other players involved as well and we don't do a good job of that.

[moocow007]

Well the question is what offense are we running? It's not like we are an 7SOL team anymore, that's long gone.

Yeah i think straight SSOL is out the window. However that doesnt necessarily mean that the same type of guys that would have worked before cant work now. A guy to expand the floor (Fredette, K Thompson) would prevent teams from collapsing on Amare inside and allow Carmelo to have some more room to work his inbetween game (despite how well he shot the ball from deep i really dont want Carmelo to start jacking 3's as part of his repetoire). A guy that can create and score in transition would help alleviate some of the burden placed on the Knicks big 3 to carry the load. A big that can rebound and operate from about 15 in will also pull defenders away from the paint.

[can o peas]

I'm sounding like a broken record now, but Jeremy Tyler is an average athlete at best. These are his numbers from last year's Adidas Eurocamp:

Code: Select all

No Step Vert          No Step Vert Reach       Max Vert       Max Vert Reach
27.2                  11' 5.83"                33.1           11' 11.73"


Now go compare those numbers with some of the other C's:

http://www.draftexpress.com/nba-pre-dra ... ll&sort=10

Almost exact same numbers as Brook Lopez, except Brook's no step vertical reach is better.

oh ok, I was wondering how you knew his results already. those aren't that bad- his max vert was almost 3 inches better than brook's. his no step and max numbers are closer to guys like lamarcus aldridge, javale mcgee and andrew bogut. centers usually don't have great athletic test numbers; deandre jordan's were terrible.

I probably still prefer Vucevic though. The team has got to like the fact that he's a low post player that can shoot the three. Do you have an opinion on him or did you ever hear about him or get to see him while he was still in Montenegro? I know his dad played for the Yugoslavian national team they say. We'll see what the athletic test results are though since that seems to be a knock against him.

Everyone else I ask says Vucevic is very skilled, but immobile and slow...he draws comparisons to Big Z and Nenad Kristic....with our run & gun system, I dont see him being a fit...sounds like hes suited for a slower half court offense..

We've gotten a lot slower now that we have Melo. Both Melo and Stat are iso players. We're more of halfcourt team now really (which is also why Fields might have struggled to adjust).

[can o peas]

maybe his vert has gotten much better because tyler is saying he thinks it'll come close to 40 inches (!)

• Jeremy Tyler continued to wow NBA teams on Friday with his athleticism, physical profile and defense. He measured out as the second-biggest player at the combine. He was 6-11, 260 with a huge 7-5 wing and a 9-2 standing reach. Tyler told me he believed he'll have a 40-inch vertical, which is a fantastic number for a player his size. His measurements are on par with Cole Aldrich's and just below DeAndre Jordan's. Tyler also scored very high marks from NBA teams on his interviews. His offensive game is still a work in progress and there are still some skeletons in his closet from his botched season in Israel. But on sheer physical upside, Tyler played himself into a possible first-round pick with his week here. A number of teams, including the Knicks, Nuggets, Rockets and Spurs, are giving him a look in the first.

• We're going to have to move USC's Nikola Vucevic into the first round of our next mock draft. Not only were teams very high on him in workouts, but he measured as the biggest player in the combine. He was a touch below 7 feet tall with a massive 7-5 wing and a 9-5 standing reach. Those are NBA center numbers all the way. In fact, based on the measurements, he may be the only true NBA center in the draft. He didn't always play like a center at USC, but if he can get stronger and more physical, he could have a bright future at the 5. A number of teams, starting with the Sixers at 16 and Knicks at 17, are interested.

http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/blog?nam ... id=6578427

here are the non-centers:

• Washington State's Klay Thompson had one of the most impressive weeks in Chicago. There were a number of great shooters in the combine this weekend, but Thompson had the best shooting performance of any of the prospects on both days. His ability to shoot off the dribble combined with his excellent size (6-7 with a 6-9 wingspan) are going to be very intriguing for a number of teams in need of a shooter. He also handled interviews well. Two NBA teams said Thompson brought up the charges of marijuana possession early in the interview, didn't make excuses for the mistake, and said it would never happen again. While NBA teams will continue to do their due diligence to get a better feel for how big a problem it was or might be in the future, they came away encouraged. Look for the Bobcats, Bucks, Jazz, Suns, Pacers, Knicks and Wizards to all give him a long look.

• Providence's Marshon Brooks turned heads with a strong combine performance. On Friday, the drills turned more competitive and Brooks made a number of spectacular plays. With a 7-1 wingspan, huge hands and scorer's mentality, he's now garnered serious interest in the first round. Two teams to watch with Brooks are the Wolves and Bulls. The Bulls, especially, seem to be enamored with Brooks but are concerned that he won't be there when they pick. "If he was two years younger or if his team had won more games, he'd be a lottery pick," one NBA GM said. "But as far as NBA scorers go, there aren't any guards in this draft that can get his own shot at the NBA level like him."

• Kansas guard Josh Selby also drew positive reviews for his quickness and interviews. "He's rough around the edges, but interviewed much better than we expected," one NBA GM said. "I don't think most of our guards in the league can stay in front of him. He's not a point guard, but the Monta Ellis comparisons are right on." From everything I can gather, I think the Knicks are his floor right now.

[camillepd]

Here are the latest on Selby:

Report:

http://swishscout.com/?page_id=497

Latest Video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YCDK...layer_embedded

He is my pick at 17. We got to get this guy.

[eviL]

• We're going to have to move USC's Nikola Vucevic into the first round of our next mock draft. Not only were teams very high on him in workouts, but he measured as the biggest player in the combine. He was a touch below 7 feet tall with a massive 7-5 wing and a 9-5 standing reach. Those are NBA center numbers all the way. In fact, based on the measurements, he may be the only true NBA center in the draft. He didn't always play like a center at USC, but if he can get stronger and more physical, he could have a bright future at the 5. A number of teams, starting with the Sixers at 16 and Knicks at 17, are interested.

It would be just our luck to have Vucevic pegged at 17, and have the Sixers grab him with 16..

[eviL]

Here are the latest on Selby:

Report:

http://swishscout.com/?page_id=497

Latest Video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YCDK...layer_embedded

He is my pick at 17. We got to get this guy.

Settles for the jumper way too often, launches 3’s outside the flow of the offense, streak shooter

Sounds like a perfect fit for D'offense

[EchelonNYK]

Another combo guard? When will Knicks fans learn....

[moocow007]

Hmmm..Im going to not include Singleton or Tristan Thompson in the new poll and instead include Jeremy Tyler. Seems like hes on the Knicks board.

[magnumt]

Hmmm..Im going to not include Singleton or Tristan Thompson in the new poll and instead include Jeremy Tyler. Seems like hes on the Knicks board.

- With Shelby (I bring him up since you're referencing the ESPN Insider Article Quoted above), he might remind the Knicks of a Ty Lawson type (quickness wise).

- They (Knicks) saw what having 2 quick Quards did to the opposition (with Felton and Douglas playing at the same time).

- They also don't want to get burned by the Lawson's, Augustins, Jennings, and Rose's of the World anymore by having their own guys who can run and keep in front of them until the trailers can get back on Defense.

Agree? Disagree?

--Mags

[ibraheim718]

Anxiously looking forward to the new poll.

[Falstaffxx]

Is it just the enjoyment of thinking about the possibilities talking, or is this a pretty strong draft in the mid to late 1st round? Seems as if there are a lot of intriguing prospects.

[eviL]

Is it just the enjoyment of thinking about the possibilities talking, or is this a pretty strong draft in the mid to late 1st round? Seems as if there are a lot of intriguing prospects.

You can't judge any draft until a few years down the line, but this doesnt seem like a very strong draft class at all. No one is a sure thing, tons of question marks. Outside of the top 5 (maybe even less) who the hell knows how any of these guys will turn out in the NBA?

[TwelvePac]

Here are the latest on Selby:

Report:

http://swishscout.com/?page_id=497

Latest Video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YCDK...layer_embedded

He is my pick at 17. We got to get this guy.

Settles for the jumper way too often, launches 3’s outside the flow of the offense, streak shooter

Sounds like a perfect fit for D'offense

I see Selby best case is Steve Francis. Yuk. I thought he was a decent shooter.

[TrueWarrior]

Fact is most of the dudes we're talking about picking at #17 were looked at as late 1st/eary 2nd rounders before alot of the top prospects pulled out. Jimmer is the only one who has basically hovered around our pick the whole time. Hes consistent like that.

So yea while its nice to warm up to some of these guys, the truth is they arent very talented in the grand scheme of things, which is why there are so many question marks and flaws with everybody. We just have to get a rotation player out of it.

All I know is from what Im gathering I really dont want Selby.

[Deeeez Knicks]

Is it just the enjoyment of thinking about the possibilities talking, or is this a pretty strong draft in the mid to late 1st round? Seems as if there are a lot of intriguing prospects.

I think its more about the enjoyment in talking about the possibilities and everyone talking themselves into certain players.

I actually don't think there's many quality starters in the entire draft. Some players who could possibly help in the rotation though. And the talent looks kinda close after the top few down towards the 2nd round.

I would def not expect a starter at #17. If we could just find a guy that can be a key part of the rotation I think we made out well.

Kinda why two of my top targets are Faried and Jimmer. I think they can really help fill some needs off the bench for us and contribute right away

If we swing for a homerun, a good chance we totatly miss at #17 especially if we're not willing to spend the time to develop him. We are really not in a good situtation for a young, inexperienced player. If he doesn't get it right away and can't help right away, I think he'll rot on the bench.

[moocow007]

Hmmm..Im going to not include Singleton or Tristan Thompson in the new poll and instead include Jeremy Tyler. Seems like hes on the Knicks board.

- With Shelby (I bring him up since you're referencing the ESPN Insider Article Quoted above), he might remind the Knicks of a Ty Lawson type (quickness wise).

- They (Knicks) saw what having 2 quick Quards did to the opposition (with Felton and Douglas playing at the same time).

- They also don't want to get burned by the Lawson's, Augustins, Jennings, and Rose's of the World anymore by having their own guys who can run and keep in front of them until the trailers can get back on Defense.

Agree? Disagree?

--Mags

Agreed...absolutely.

[Manhattan Project]

I honestly believe that to many people are drinking the Selby Kool-Aid to much, honestly I think some are just getting caught up in the HS hype. I honestly just don't much out of him that isn't Bayless really. Is he a nice project to have? Sure. Best fit for us? Absolutely not.