2011 DRAFT blather goes here. Part 3...

[closg00]

Jonas is not going to be there. The more I think about it, the more I believe the draft will be:

1. Irving
2. Williams
3. Kanter
4. Jonas
5. Knight
6. ?

Agree^, Toronto will have their choice of Knight or Walker. If Walker is there for us at 6, I'd be strongly tempted to hold him hostage for a trade. Walker could net us a lottery pick next year in a trade.

[WizarDynasty]

Its really hard to see Minnesota picking up Williams. They already have a scorer that really doesn't play in defense in Beasley. Beasley has almost the exact same style as williams. Second they just pick up Wesley last year who also plays the small forward spot. They absolutely absolutely need a defensive center that complements Love and Enes is not the answer. Valuncias looks more likely for Minnesota that Kanter or Williams or they trade the pick and get a big defensive center to cover up Love, someone probably like Haywood.
They might pick Williams but immediately try to trade him or trade Beasley..because neither Wesley, Beasley, or Williams offer any kind of post presence defensively. They have Darko as their only shot blocking presence and Darko a step below McGee before McGee's light turned on.
So Valuncias is probably their pick unless they can get a better defensive center through a trade. their best fits are a shotblocker with post strength. Haywood, Okafor, Perkins..not many that are veteran strong shot blockers.
So i Irving, Valuncias--trade pick, It's hard to see Utah going with Enes because Jefferson basically gives them the same thing. Utah is looking for a defensive center or a point guard that has a better health record than Devin Harris that has the pure point guard mentality to run Slovan's disciplined passing offense. Knight is more of a shooting guard than a point guard--so they are in a tough position. they probably take Williams because they literally have milisap playing small forward for huge stretches and even putting up three point shots.
At four, Cleveland definitely takes Kanter as they don't have any skilled bigs on their squad.
At five Toronto is looking for defensive center and they are all gone, they are heavily looking for a big that will complement bargnani.
Toronto is really hard to tag because the two bigman are gone, they have calderon as their assist man with no defense and they have a glut of small forward projects and i don't think they take on another. Bismack is probably a huge reach for them. I say they try to trade the pick or go with Walker or Knight.

Then its our pick. we aren't taking the left over shoot first point guards. that leaves us with a huge post scoring need, and high iq excellent passing three and defensive perimeter player.
Draft drops off for our as soon as Valuncias and Kanter leave off the board.
I would go with Leonard but being that he is only 6'6 and not a great no step leaper..i have my doubts and him being physical enough and quick enough to stop dribble penetration. He doesn't seem to have a strong frame to match up on switches against p/f...but he is probably the small forward with the best combination of passing skills, shotblocking, and the ability to hit the 3 point shot. Singleton has extremely poor passiing skills and suggest and extremely low bbiq.
After leonard, you have have vesely, and energy guy but its hard to figure out how good he is at shooting off the dribble or if he has improved his ability to finish in traffic.
Biyombo, while a nice shot blocker can't guard centers and he doesn't have a strong lower base.
So he has no offense and his only real strength his help side defense which we already have with McGee.
Marcus Morris is a volume scorer with no lock down defensive ability. I don't see Morris being able to switch and guard any nba player with athleticism. He will be good as bench rotation guy but he doesn't have the footspeed to close out on the perimeter, he has small hands, and he doesn't have shotblocking lenght and poor jumping explosiveness. I would consider him late in the 1st but that's about it.
Everyone is vehemently opposed to Tyler but he is the only big left that can develop into strong post player offensively as well as anchor your defensive with post strength and shotblocking and high iq passing in the post. He has an ego problem but most highschool players that were unstoppable in highschool have confident swagger problems. If he is there at 18 we better get him, so as for 6th---i would look to just take Leonard and call it a day. We need a player with lockdown potential and high iq passing ability at the small forward position. Leonard has a way higher bbiq than singleton and on top of that Leonard is the best rebounding small forward in college and is still getting better with outstanding.
Its rumored that Toronto may take Leonard instead of a point guard--so then we are left with the uncertaintly of Vesely or trade down with a team that wants knight or Walker.
So now we identify the teams that are enamored with Walker and Knight. i would look to trade down and really strengthen our bench. I would make sure we secure Harper, Tyler, Singleton, and one of the morris twins. But i would not get a player shorter than 6'8--we don't have alot of size on our perimeter outside of Rashard Lewis who can't rely on because of his knee. Booker isn't a perimeter player. I would look for a perimeter players with standing reaches of at 8'11 or greater.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

I think our chances of trading up are basically drying up each day. I think the plan should be to sit at 6 and take whoever of Kanter or Valanciunas falls. If they are both gone someone will fall in love with whoever of Knight or Walker falls. while number 6 isnt an ideal spot, we need to be thankful that we are not 7th as that would leave nobody to draft and nobody left for another team to trade up for.

I maintain my stance that our best hope is JV. I think he becomes a guy that breaks another teams will with his motor and incredible rebounding ability. I think his shooting touch will make him and Wall a deadly P n' R combo for years.

BTW, what are everyones thoughts on JaJuan Johnson. He seems like he has the athleticism and size to be solid 4 in the NBA. he continues to fill out his frame which has allowed his interior game to mature a bit as well as his rebounding. He has worked hard on his shot and he has become quite consistent out to 17-20 feet and his 80% FT show he has a natural touch. I cant see how you can get a better prospect at 34. Thoughts?

Just got through posting about him before reading this. Johnson seems like a good bet to be a solid rotation player, if not a starter some day. I have a hard time seeing him fall down to 34. Somebody like Boston will snatch him up.

[sfam]

Jonas is not going to be there. The more I think about it, the more I believe the draft will be:

1. Irving
2. Williams
3. Kanter
4. Jonas
5. Knight
6. ?

You're not sold on Leonard going before 6? That's sort of my hope, and right now.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Jonas is not going to be there. The more I think about it, the more I believe the draft will be:

1. Irving
2. Williams
3. Kanter
4. Jonas
5. Knight
6. ?

I think Washington could draft Walker and trade with another team.

Otherwise, I think ? will end up being either Kawhi Leonard or Marcus Morris.

[sfam]

Jonas is not going to be there. The more I think about it, the more I believe the draft will be:

1. Irving
2. Williams
3. Kanter
4. Jonas
5. Knight
6. ?

I think Washington could draft Walker and trade with another team.

Otherwise, I think ? will end up being either Kawhi Leonard or Marcus Morris.

Again, that's hardly the worst draft possible if we end up with a solid SF prospect. We need SF and a Big - if we get one of them with the 6th, we can try for two shots on the other with the 18th and 34th.

[Ed Wood]

I could see the first five picks going that way, or one of three ways really (or I should say I see three combinations that occupy the balance of probability) and based on those scenarios I'm feeling fairly comfortable about the situation at six, assuming the team's valuations of players at six mirror my own. It's possible the team really considers Leonard or Vesely or another player as a top six value and would draft him regardless but right now I see it this way:

Irving, Williams and Knight are pretty much sure bets to be gone somewhere in that top six:

Two of Kanter, Valanciunas and Walker will also be gone, this is a case where the likely top six mirror my own valuations of the top six players, so Washington just takes whoever is left. If it's either Kanter or Valanciunas, great, the team winds up with a young big man who's already demonstrated the ability to produce against meaningful competition, if it's Walker great, Washington now has a trading chip a number of teams would probably pay dearly for.

I do have preferences among those scenarios but all are appealing to me, so regardless of the result I think the team winds up with something. Now the seventh pick, I'd hate to be the guy with that.

[jazzfan1971]

I see a little more depth than you do.

I'd be fairly content to come away with any of (for the Jazz)

Irving
Williams
Kanter
------------
Knight
Walker
Vessely
Biyombo
Jonas
-------------
More guys

So, I would think being as low as #8 isn't such a bad thing, but, I'd hate to be #9.

[closg00]

How badly do you think Utah wants Jimmer? We could offer to take Jimmer for Utah's 12 + a protected 2012 1st round pick? (assuming JV, Williams, & Kanter are gone)

[jazzfan1971]

Jimmer should be on the board at #12. If not someone better slid. I wouldn't be surprised if they could drop 4-5 slots and still pick Jimmer. I'm not terribly high on him myself, looks like a career backup PG to me. Not someone I'd give up a future pick for, not even remotely.

[popper]

At this point I hope Kimba falls to six so we can trade down. The only Euro I want is BB although I admit I have not seen much film on JV (also assume Kanter is gone). If EG decides not to go BB then lets trade down and double our round 1 picks. There are good players available later in the first round.

Once again, we are not going to compete for the championship next year. Load the team with promising, inexpensive young players, and see who performs. Next year we add the key veteran and pick up another nice player or two in the draft. At that point we should be a playoff team and able to compete with just about anyone.

[popper]

BTW, I want to mention that NY is one of the best pure shooters in the NBA. He can also get his shot off whenever he wants against anybody who defends him. There is no way we let him walk unless someone offers him max or close to max money. He can also play minutes at SF so, although I like Leonard, no possible way I take him at six.

[closg00]

BTW, I want to mention that NY is one of the best pure shooters in the NBA. He can also get his shot off whenever he wants against anybody who defends him. There is no way we let him walk unless someone offers him max or close to max money. He can also play minutes at SF so, although I like Leonard, no possible way I take him at six.

Very tempting to take Brooks on a rookie salary rather than pay Young 5-6+ million a year.

[SUPERBALLMAN]

Jonas is not going to be there. The more I think about it, the more I believe the draft will be:

1. Irving
2. Williams
3. Kanter
4. Jonas
5. Knight
6. ?

I think Washington could draft Walker and trade with another team.

Otherwise, I think ? will end up being either Kawhi Leonard or Marcus Morris.

Again, that's hardly the worst draft possible if we end up with a solid SF prospect. We need SF and a Big - if we get one of them with the 6th, we can try for two shots on the other with the 18th and 34th.

Let me pose this question...

If the ideal draft best case scenario if we keep the picks we have is Kanter with the # 6 and Singleton with the # 18... how much of a drop off is it to a more likely plan B scenario of Leonard (6) and Vucevic at 18 ??



From DX:

"The one area he does really hold his own defensively is on the glass, showing a good nose for the ball and using his length and size well. That's a major plus when evaluating his pro prospects, as players in his mold tend to project as below average rebounders. His wingspan, fundamentals and effort-level clearly help him a great deal here.

Looking forward, Vucevic's continued development with his perimeter shot is crucial for his stock, and the steps he's taken with his improved shooting, strength, and toughness this season are all very helpful. Continuing to work on his pick-and-pop game, becoming a better defender, and maximizing his strength and athleticism should be among his priorities. At just 20 years old with another season in college and seeing how he's improved each of his three seasons so far, he could certainly play himself into draft discussions with continued improvement, and he already has a nice foundation with his rebounding and perimeter shooting.

Players with his combination of size, length and skills aren't very easy to come by, which is why he'll surely be getting an extended look whenever he decides to go pro. The fact that he's reportedly a very high character individual who comes from a strong basketball background will surely help his chances."

From DraftExpress.com http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Nik ... z1ORvXiH4w
http://www.draftexpress.com


I mean we're looking for someone who can compliment McGee and form a solid 1-2 punch for our center rotation. Vucevic has alot of the same skillset as Kanter, but not as much athleticism. Leonard looks to be a lock down defender at the 3 with some skills.

If we got these 2 I'd love to take a flyer at 34 on PF Trey Thompkins as a guy who has the skill and potential to challenge 'Dray, which falls in line with our SF (at 6) and 2 shots at bigs with the 18 and 34 as sfam suggests. I think Thompkins could be a 2nd round steal, physically and skill-wise he reminds me some of McHale. I think I'd be pretty pleased if we came out of the draft with Leonard, Vucevic, and Thompkins.


Check out this clip of Vucevic:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hcgpIuD_JyQ

[jivelikenice]

BTW, I want to mention that NY is one of the best pure shooters in the NBA. He can also get his shot off whenever he wants against anybody who defends him. There is no way we let him walk unless someone offers him max or close to max money. He can also play minutes at SF so, although I like Leonard, no possible way I take him at six.

Very tempting to take Brooks on a rookie salary rather than pay Young 5-6+ million a year.

The the absolute right move to make. Brooks is a senior coming out so it should not take him long to get himself up to speed. We can't cripple our long-term payroll flexibility by signing too may players to these 5-7 M/ year contracts. Nick is a great shooter and can get his own shot off at will but he has flaws:

1. Very little attack the basket game
2. He's athletic, but isn't fast running the floor.
3. Doesn't do much else at all but score. Rebounding numbers should be much better
4. Mentality- The time with Agent Zero was not good for him. You cane get in his head just as Gil did when they went head to head. Also laying the jersey at halfcourt was pretty weak....He's not a winner IMO

The Blatche contract is also affecting my thoughts here. If we didn't give Blatche that extension, maybe I'd be more willing to pony up for Nick, but I don't want us to be saddled with two similar contracts for players who IMO will not be starters on a deep playoff team.

[SUPERBALLMAN]

I'd also love to get Nolan Smith at 34, he interviews great, and he's a player that would bring some needed intangibles to this team. I also like Harper, Parsons, Holiday and Hansbrough in the 2nd round. But Thompkins is that upside player that would be ideal to take a shot at in the 2nd round. He has low post skills we lack, good size, and can shoot, check out the PF/C shooting results from the combine: http://www.draftexpress.com/article/201 ... ults-3726/

He's a guy who can help us down low AND give Wall another shooter to dish it to.

[Dark Faze]

Nick is completely worth 5 million per. If we can keep him for 6.5 and under I'll be very happy.

[SUPERBALLMAN]

Nick is completely worth 5 million per. If we can keep him for 6.5 and under I'll be very happy.

I can definitely see Nick leaving. He seems to prefer being on the west coast for one thing. For another, he's real tight with Gil, and I could see him having a negative view of the whole Arenas fiasco and how it was handled by the team. I could see him wanting to go to a better team with a higher profile.

I do want Nick back. I like his ability to play both SG and SF for this team. I like his ability to knock down shots, I like his size and length, and I like the progress he made last year in his overall game. And I want to see him out there with his 'fro in the new Red White and Blues! Hopefully he will feel he is emerging here and won't want to leave for a new beginning somewhere else.

[Liverbird]

It would not surprise me if Minny picked Johnny V @2 considering their needs.

1. Irving
2. Johnny V
3. Williams
4. Kanter
5. Knight

Nothing @6 really intrigues me tbh. I'd certainly welcome a trade into 2012 plus a player in a position of need. For example a Batum deal with Portland if they're enamored by Walker. Then with Batum on the roster, I'd pick BPA @18 and my sleeper pick Jimmy Butler @34.

[mohammed10]

Jordan Crawford/Seraphin for Brad Miller?

Brad Miller/6th/18th for 2nd and Flynn?

You are aware that it is 2011, not 2004, right?