Slather me, Lather me, Blather me - 2011 Draft Thread 5

[Kanyewest]

Blocks are OK but does Blair change shots like someone like KG, Aldridge, or Bosh. Probably not. And someone like KG can get away with a lot more physicality based on his all star reputation.

I agree that height isn't everything as you mention Chuck Hayes but from what I've seen, Blair isn't much of a post defender but maybe he can improve with more strength and experience. He's gets taken advantage of by guys in the post like Randolph or Gasol. Nor can he close out on big shooters such as Nowitzki or Channing Frye (when the Suns swept the Spurs).

At best Blair is an adequate defender, but pretty much any big on the Wizards would be (well maybe not McGee, he doesn't seem to listen to the coaches) with the Spurs. From an eye test, I would probably take Blatche over Blair defensively although we can argue that you wouldn't Blatche taking as many bad timed shots.

My displeasure from Blair comes from his field goal percentage which is only 50%. Even someone like Booker shoots 55% from the field. Although this may speak to a larger point of Tim Duncan declining and not creating as many open looks for his teammates especially since Blair was more efficient offensively in his rookie season. Or it could also be that teams have scouted Blair effectively as his career has progressed.

And its not like the Wizards would have a low post presence to detract attention. While Wall will likely overtake Parker in the near future, Blair certainly has played with more talent around him in every position that he would in a Wizards uniform.

Either way, Blair would have been a nice pickup in the second round or even in the late 1st round. But its easier said than done when we know for certainty how Blair did turn out. It was probably in Blair's best interest to end up in San Antonio than with the Wizards medical staff.

[rockymac52]

More 2012 Mock Draft fun.
http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketb ... o-disagree

Really can't wait haha.

Top 10 picks look great. 11-16 or so should be solid guys too, some of them with the potential to be great too, we'll have to wait and see.

Good news: Draft is deep. Draft is filled with forwards. Weakest position is PG, which obviously isn't a need for us. This means there are probably a decent amount of guys who are really good that also fill a need for us that will be available, should our pick be, say, 10th overall.

Bad news: We can't benefit from teams ahead of us in the draft taking PGs, allowing more guys at the other 4 positions to fall to us (think how most many mocks had Knight and Walker going before #6 this year).

[7-Day Dray]

More 2012 Mock Draft fun.
http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketb ... o-disagree

Really can't wait haha.

Top 10 picks look great. 11-16 or so should be solid guys too, some of them with the potential to be great too, we'll have to wait and see.

Good news: Draft is deep. Draft is filled with forwards. Weakest position is PG, which obviously isn't a need for us. This means there are probably a decent amount of guys who are really good that also fill a need for us that will be available, should our pick be, say, 10th overall.

Bad news: We can't benefit from teams ahead of us in the draft taking PGs, allowing more guys at the other 4 positions to fall to us (think how most many mocks had Knight and Walker going before #6 this year).

Yeah., this draft is going to be LOADED, especially if Andre Drummond declares! He's the best big man prospect since Oden. I think he's a Dwight Howard/Amar'e hybrid.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYlnK-kQuHA[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-79yUG1Lp4[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UH3_K4uIsxA[/youtube]

He's a BEAST!

But I really think we need to find a way to get 1st round pick in this draft, preferably in the lottery. How that's going to happen, idk.

[Nivek]

Depends on which Blatche you're talking about. If it's April Fool's Dray -- definitely. That guy is a good player at both ends. If you're talking about the Blatche we saw much of this season -- with the atrocious effort on the defensive end and the "I don't give a ****" attitude -- I'd take Blair over him on the defensive end.

Agree that others on that list likely affect a lot more shots than Blair does. Blair ain't exactly the most nimble guy, so closing out isn't going to be his strong suit.

Blair's shot distance breakdown is interesting.

Code: Select all

Rookie  FGA     FG%
RIM     70.6%   .610
3-9     18.6%   .435
10-15   4.7%    .478
16-23   5.7%    .357
3PT     0.4%    .000
               
Year 2  FGA     FG%
RIM     59.3%   .607
3-9     24.2%   .390
10-15   8.2%    .271
16-23   7.9%    .304
3PT     0.3%    .000



Pretty striking -- he went from 70% of his shots being at the rim to a shade less than 60%. Even if he'd shot the same percentages away from the rim as he did last season, his percentage would have dropped to ~.532. Those shots are simply less efficient.

At the rim, he was just as effective this season, but he took more shots from further away. I wouldn't worry about that dip from 3-9 feet -- that represents 6 additional misses over the entire season.

The increase in shot attempts on longer 2pt attempts might be a legitimate concern -- about 10% of his attempts as a rookie to about 16% last year. If coaches were encouraging him to take those shots because he was making them in practice, but he missed in games, I wouldn't be overly worried. If he's taking them on his own for some reason, I'd want him to either cut 'em back or improve that skill.

[rockymac52]

More 2012 Mock Draft fun.
http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketb ... o-disagree

Really can't wait haha.

Top 10 picks look great. 11-16 or so should be solid guys too, some of them with the potential to be great too, we'll have to wait and see.

Good news: Draft is deep. Draft is filled with forwards. Weakest position is PG, which obviously isn't a need for us. This means there are probably a decent amount of guys who are really good that also fill a need for us that will be available, should our pick be, say, 10th overall.

Bad news: We can't benefit from teams ahead of us in the draft taking PGs, allowing more guys at the other 4 positions to fall to us (think how most many mocks had Knight and Walker going before #6 this year).

Yeah., this draft is going to be LOADED, especially if Andre Drummond declares! He's the best big man prospect since Oden. I think he's a Dwight Howard/Amar'e hybrid.

He's a BEAST!

But I really think we need to find a way to get 1st round pick in this draft, preferably in the lottery. How that's going to happen, idk.

The speculation about whether 6-foot-10 Andre Drummond, the No. 1 player in 2012 (currently at St. Thomas More School in Middletown, Conn.), could end up playing in the fall at UConn is over. It's not happening. According to Drummond's representatives, including his mother, he will not be in college this fall but will instead go for a post-graduate year. That plan is St. Thomas More for now. There had been plenty of chatter about the possibility that Drummond could be ready for the Huskies in the fall, but that point is moot.

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketb ... uconn-2011

Not happening

[pancakes3]

a post-grad year at a prep school still counts for the NBA. that's what Blatche did and he was perfectly eligible.

[rockymac52]

Blatche also could have gone straight to the league after 4 years in HS back then.

TONS of college/NBA basketball players go to prep school for a year. It doesn't mean they can go to the draft.

2 years ago there were rumors that Wall would be eligible for a loop hole, but it wasn't a sure thing he'd be able to.

[hands11]

who else has he compared to KG in the past? racking my brain here

He brings up KG whenever he wants to talk about commitment, effort, intensity. He's compared Blatche to KG before, mostly unfavorably.

Then there is always the pissed down our legs comment he can pull out whenever someone forgets to pull it out before the pee.

[hands11]

It always seems a little like a guy talking about an ex-girlfriend he still wishes he could hook back up with. I can picture Flip sitting at home some nights, flipping through pictures of KG and him in Minnie. After a while he starts glancing at the phone, wondering if maybe now is the right time to call.

But it never is. It never is.

*sniffle*

man that is the saddest thing ever.

Flip we love you man!!!

Aw man. That was rough. Poor Flip. He does seem heart broken over this.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Seraphin has it in him to be an atheistic version of this kind of player.

I wish he'd renounced God before he was drafted. Development of young bigs is difficult enough as is.

I'm reading this in a library, trying desperately hard not to LOL. Tears are streaming down my face and the guy next to me has to be wondering.

Actually, I was already laughing. Some very attractive lady was having trouble at the copier. Yours truly sprang into action. I use the copier here all the time and really was just helping her out.

Funniest thing, no sooner could she say, "Thank you, sir" than a gentleman was standing next to her as if to say "Let's go, now!" I said, "Oh, you must be the husband. Good thing you came. Wise man." Shook his hand, smiled, and said, "This is actually kind of funny!" They left. He might not have thought it was funny. I meant no disrespect ...

Honestly, I had noticed how good she looked but I was just trying to help.

Of course I gave dude the "crush your hand" grip handshake, but that's just me...

[The Consiglieri]

The one thing that baffles me is the Barnes love. I like him too, but in the best draft since '03, is a small forward that plays passive is really the one to go #1? That's insane. He showed a lot down the stretch last year, and I like him, but everything I've seen suggests he's a great complemenary guy, not a #1 overall by any stretch,especially in a draft loaded with #1 option studs. I just don't get it. I feel good about us. I cannot see us being better than 8th worst next year, whch means a worst case scenario pick of probably 10th, and if the year is strike shortened i have a hard time seeing us finish any better than 5th from bottom. Barring something bizarre (like a lost season and a randomized lottery), i think we'll be sliding in somewhere between 4 and 8 pre-lottery, which will be fantastic for our first pick in this draft.

[SUPERBALLMAN]

The more I think about it the more I really like the direction of this team.

A movement to youth, effort, attitude, uptempo, and defense.

The past 2 drafts yielding Wall, Booker, Seraphin, Crawford, N'Diaye, Vesely, Singleton, Mack.

I also like the pickup of Jeffers, and the professionalism of Lewis and Evans.

[pcbothwel]

^^^ I think Barnes is going to simply dominate next year. Beyond his physical skills, IQ, and work ethic he has the 2 things I look for the most in a player. He is focused on being great...and he has amazing self awareness and professionalism in understanding how to mature and progress as a player.
An example of this is McGee. He seems to have decent work ethic, but he lacks the Self awareness and professionalism to identify what type of workouts he needs to do to get stronger on the block and play a more cerebral game.
Barnes is a great shooter and perimater defender. He needs to improve his ball handleing and ability to finish. So what does he do....He attends Chris Pauls camp FOR POINT GUARDS to improve his ball handleing and also strength/explosive plyometric work to become more explosive and finish at the rim stronger.... This guy simply has it.

[SUPERBALLMAN]

The more I think about it the more I really like the direction of this team.

A movement to youth, effort, attitude, uptempo, and defense.

The past 2 drafts yielding Wall, Booker, Seraphin, Crawford, N'Diaye, Vesely, Singleton, Mack.

I also like the pickup of Jeffers, and the professionalism of Lewis and Evans.

I mean as a fan that's what I want... a team with legitimate potential (on the rise), a team that plays hard and has pride and character. That's the kind of team I want to root for.

The roster overhaul with the uniform and logo overhaul really is a very positive move in the right direction. Ted really has delivered what the fans asked for in a big way.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Super, if the Wizards threw a max deal at Nene, and he accepted it, I'd absolutely positively recant any and all negative comments I've posted about the direction of the team. One low post guy who can score efficiently on the blocks, defend like nobody's business, and who plays unselfishly would make this team super competive. Nene is that guy.

How good would the Wiz be with Nene? Washington could add Nene and really make some noise.

As it is, I think he would complete the Magic next to Dwight Howard. Boston's getting old. Miami doesn't have the cap room, but he could lift them to the title, easily at C. My bet is he rejoins Carmelo in NY.

As this is the draft thread, I wonder if the Wizards could throw player(s) and future picks in a deal to get Nene?

[The Consiglieri]

The more I think about it the more I really like the direction of this team.

A movement to youth, effort, attitude, uptempo, and defense.

The past 2 drafts yielding Wall, Booker, Seraphin, Crawford, N'Diaye, Vesely, Singleton, Mack.

I also like the pickup of Jeffers, and the professionalism of Lewis and Evans.

I mean as a fan that's what I want... a team with legitimate potential (on the rise), a team that plays hard and has pride and character. That's the kind of team I want to root for.

The roster overhaul with the uniform and logo overhaul really is a very positive move in the right direction. Ted really has delivered what the fans asked for in a big way.

We should be very appreciative right now, if the Boulez luck had held to form, what we'd got from the pst two drafts would probably be what we have now, minus wall, and probably plus Gordon Hayward. Think about that, we were going to take Vesely at 6, but Vesely pulled out, and the only word I remember distinctly is that we liked Hayward. We should be very happy we actualy had luck, for once, and foresight to do the incredible Hinrich deal that has keeps giving.

We have garnered a ton of value and hope after our team completely imploded 18 months ago. We need a little bit more of both in te comng year and I think we'll get it.

There's seven guys i would absolutely love to land, and 11 that i think could help us a ton. A funky draft, top heavy as hell, but not as nice depth as this past one. I believe we're most likely going to have a pick between 3rd and 9th.



SG:
Austin Rivers (PG)
Jeremy Lamb
Brad Beal

SF/PF:
Michael Gilchrist
Jared Sullinger
James McAdoo,
Quincy Miller
Perry Jones
Terrence Jones


My dream is to land Anthony Davis, Michael Gilchrist, James McAdoo, or Austin Rivers (if Rivers can play the 2). After that I’d settle for the best among Lamb, Beal, Sullinger, the Jones’s and hopefully a healthy Miller (my ordering of them right now would be: Sullinger, Perry Jones (pending him getting a clue), Q. Miller, Lamb, or Beal).

Very exciting. I’m fairly certain we’ll be top 6 bad next year, which suggests for me, a pick likely to be between 6th-8th, and looking at the mocks, that would suggest the last of the guys I really like, or a pile among the guys I like in a second tier, hoping it’s the last of the first tier. It’s weird to be hoping for one more awful year, but I genuinely believe if we land a high enough pick, we will be a title contender by 2013-2014, if we don’t, I don’t believe we ever will with this group unless we sign the player as a FA.


Will probably need to trade/unload a forward or two over the next 20 months, unless we get Rivers, Lamb or Beal.

[tontoz]

Nene opted out so he is a free agent this summer. Next summer he is sure to be on a multiyear deal with another team.

[Severn Hoos]

Nene opted out so he is a free agent this summer. Next summer he is sure to be on a multiyear deal with another team.

If there's a season, that is...

Heresy alert: I could actually see an entirely lost season being beneficial to the Wiz. I know it sounds crazy, but think about it:

This year's FAs potentially drop into next year's class, making it very large with lots of possibilities. (Nene AND Dwight, for example)

Draft order based at least somewhat on this year's results. Probable (hopefully) top 5 pick in 2012.

One more ring that LeBron can't win. (OK, threw that one in there for fun, but it's not like the Wiz were going to challenge for it anyway)

Lost season probably tilts outcome toward the owners - more likely to have amnesty/hard cap, etc. - stuff that would put the Wiz in a comparatively stronger position for FAs.

Of course, and entire season of development lost would be more of an impact to a young team like the Wiz, but by comparison, older teams like the Celtics, Lakers, and Spurs come back yet another year older, so not sure who's hurt more by that.


Obviously not saying I want it to happen, but the Wiz might be better able to survive and thrive than other franchises.

[DCZards]

Of course, and entire season of development lost would be more of an impact to a young team like the Wiz, but by comparison, older teams like the Celtics, Lakers, and Spurs come back yet another year older, so not sure who's hurt more by that.

Obviously not saying I want it to happen, but the Wiz might be better able to survive and thrive than other franchises.

I think the older teams/players benefit from the lack of a 2011-2012 season. While these players may be a year older, they've also now gotten a full year of rest and recovery for their aging bodies.

[The Consiglieri]

At that point, it's no loner a help, players hit the wall eventually, and the short term gains are eventually overtaken by the long term negatives of getting older,and I think the Celtics are just too old. I will add that a shortened season would be the best case scenario with our draft slotting, but a worst case scenario for ticket holders who are impatient with losing. Considering I don't care about the latter and am only interested in the plan actually working long term, and after 30 years of hamster wheeling it, am sick of short cuts, a strike shotened ceiling definitely appeals to me in regards to both the Boulez and the Redskins (particularly the latter considering the bulk of the pathetic opponents on their fourth place schedule are in the first half of the season, and the ongoing Luck, Landry Jones, and Matt Barkley Franchise QB sweepstakes).