Official Raptors 2012 NBA Draft Thread, Part 3

[Serious_P]

Just going through some highlights of this guy and I've liked him seeing him on my team in college his freshman year has been UNC. He posses everything we need top scorer, can create his own shot, high basketball IQ, very clutch, and can pass the ball. Check out these videos and feel free to post more.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDbzH4HQf7I[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tI3cDCcuOV8[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2AJFWX-yLgY[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Qbf2P2AzLg[/youtube]

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

[Crazy-Canuck]

MKG has shown more this season than PJ and Barnes have shown in their college careers.

[Rhettmatic]

MKG has shown more this season than PJ and Barnes have shown in their college careers.

Agreed. I have nothing against PJ or Barnes, but from what I've watched first-hand, MKG looks like far and away the best wing prospect in the draft.

For a freshman who won't turn 19 until months after the draft, he's just been outstanding.

[JunkYardSubs]

College careers do not always equal NBA performance. I like MKG but he can't shoot the ball like Barnes. Last thing we need is another wing who can't shoot

[Rhettmatic]

College careers do not always equal NBA performance. I like MKG but he can't shoot the ball like Barnes. Last thing we need is another wing who can't shoot

Putting aside specific players, I think it'd be a huge mistake to evaluate draft prospects based on what we have on our roster right now.

Our roster right now is basically a messy collection of assets, some worth more than others, but no player on our team would be as valuable as a top 5 pick in the upcoming draft. Drafting someone because you think he'd be a fit next to DeRozan/Bargs/Davis/whoever would be folly, IMO.

Rather, I hope that whomever we draft is good enough that we can start worrying about how to arrange the rest of the team to fit around him.

[augustine]

I really don't see how Anthony Davis is third in our poll. He is clearly a franchise type player, who affects the game in multiple ways. His current averages per game: 12pts, 10rb, 4.6blk, 1.5steals, .631FG%. That is unbelievable. Why would anyone prefer Harrison Barnes (17pts, 5rb, .4blk, 1steal, .483FG%). Barnes' numbers are average and one dimensional. We already have lower percentage scorers who contribute little else (Bargs, DD, etc...). Someone please explain the fascination with Barnes or Gilchrist? Please don't say 'because we already have a 4'. Clearly Anthony Davis is a better prospect than AB, Ed and Amir, so you draft Davis and expect the minor pieces to accomodate or move on. Heck, Davis' numbers are better than Bosh's were in his college year.

[marcwagz]

im not after adavis cause there aint a chance in ell we pick first

[DemarEvolution]

Are there any good games today, featuring good prospects? And does any1 have any links?

[bboyskinnylegs]

Are there any good games today, featuring good prospects? And does any1 have any links?

UNC plays at 3pm, Duke at 5pm, Syracuse at 5pm.

[fredericklove]

I really don't see how Anthony Davis is third in our poll. He is clearly a franchise type player, who affects the game in multiple ways. His current averages per game: 12pts, 10rb, 4.6blk, 1.5steals, .631FG%. That is unbelievable. Why would anyone prefer Harrison Barnes (17pts, 5rb, .4blk, 1steal, .483FG%). Barnes' numbers are average and one dimensional. We already have lower percentage scorers who contribute little else (Bargs, DD, etc...). Someone please explain the fascination with Barnes or Gilchrist? Please don't say 'because we already have a 4'. Clearly Anthony Davis is a better prospect than AB, Ed and Amir, so you draft Davis and expect the minor pieces to accomodate or move on. Heck, Davis' numbers are better than Bosh's were in his college year.

Polls are just polls, we're all talking about barnes, MKG, Lamb here cos we all discussing on who we pick outside of top 2. If you look back at the entire draft thread part2 and the early pages of part3 we all agree on the fact that AD23 is a franchise type player and none of us will hesitate to take him if we were drafted 1st or 2nd. So I think you're silly if you think you're the only one here who thinks AD23 should be taken before all the wings.

[gerrit4]

im not after adavis cause there aint a chance in ell we pick first

Why not? Do you think the draft lottery is fixed?

[jsmith]

We have to land a top 5 pick in this draft. Any top 5 player is gonna make our team beastly in the future I think:

Either we fill our small forward with Gilchrest or Barnes which leaves us with a really good frontcourt or we get a top 2 pick and grab one of the best bigs to come through in a few years. Can't miss really.

[fredericklove]

If we can somehow trade our asset for Kendal Marshall, idk if he's gonna play bad defense, his passing ability is just too good to ignore!

[fredericklove]

We have to land a top 5 pick in this draft. Any top 5 player is gonna make our team beastly in the future I think:

Either we fill our small forward with Gilchrest or Barnes which leaves us with a really good frontcourt or we get a top 2 pick and grab one of the best bigs to come through in a few years. Can't miss really.

I think even after 2012 draft, you can't guarantee we make the playoff right away considering we will have 2 rookies in the lineup, let's say we make improvement and finish 9th or 10th place. We still get another shot at the draft for a good prospect too but I wonder if there's gonna be any good pg prospect going 11th - 15th in 2013 draft tho.

[Man of Steel]

With the way our games are going, barring breakout seasons from our players and a lot of luck, I'm fairly certain we will be picking top 7.

If we end up snagging one of Drummond, Davis, Gilchrist, Barnes, Miller, or Jones III, I'm sure fans would be satisfied.

To pull a real home run, I'd relish the prospect of trading a package of Ed Davis and Leandro Barbosa to a fringe playoff team for a first round 2012 pick and a bad contract, using the pick to obtain one of the point guards (Kabongo, Wroten, Marshall).

[OAKLEY_2]

I'm down for Lamb.

[CunningLinguist]

College careers do not always equal NBA performance. I like MKG but he can't shoot the ball like Barnes. Last thing we need is another wing who can't shoot

Putting aside specific players, I think it'd be a huge mistake to evaluate draft prospects based on what we have on our roster right now.

Our roster right now is basically a messy collection of assets, some worth more than others, but no player on our team would be as valuable as a top 5 pick in the upcoming draft. Drafting someone because you think he'd be a fit next to DeRozan/Bargs/Davis/whoever would be folly, IMO.

Rather, I hope that whomever we draft is good enough that we can start worrying about how to arrange the rest of the team to fit around him.

This is the problem though. Unless we have a very high pick and get a chance at a potential franchise changer like Drummond, we're likely going to choose from a group of players that likely will never be a top banana. If that's the case, fit with the existing players that are viewed as part of the future becomes important.

[CunningLinguist]

If we can somehow trade our asset for Kendal Marshall, idk if he's gonna play bad defense, his passing ability is just too good to ignore!

The problem with Marshall is that he's a great passer but brings nothing else to the table. He doesn't have the quickness to penetrate, he can't shoot, and he doesn't play D. I think he should stay in school and work on his deficiencies, lest he turn out like Marcus Williams or Ed Cota.

Personally, I'd prefer Shabazz Napier, who has a much more well-rounded game.

[dagger]

College careers do not always equal NBA performance. I like MKG but he can't shoot the ball like Barnes. Last thing we need is another wing who can't shoot

Putting aside specific players, I think it'd be a huge mistake to evaluate draft prospects based on what we have on our roster right now.

Our roster right now is basically a messy collection of assets, some worth more than others, but no player on our team would be as valuable as a top 5 pick in the upcoming draft. Drafting someone because you think he'd be a fit next to DeRozan/Bargs/Davis/whoever would be folly, IMO.

Rather, I hope that whomever we draft is good enough that we can start worrying about how to arrange the rest of the team to fit around him.

This is the problem though. Unless we have a very high pick and get a chance at a potential franchise changer like Drummond, we're likely going to choose from a group of players that likely will never be a top banana. If that's the case, fit with the existing players that are viewed as part of the future becomes important.

Unfortunately, the top bananas in the league have had the luck to draft a true MVP-level superstar, and not every draft has even one of those. You had Griffin in 2009, Durant in 2007, Paul in 2005. John Wall was consensus Number 1 in 2010 but in his second season Washington is as bad as ever.

And even when there is a Durant level prospect in a draft, it doesn't mean the worst team gets him.

So you can't stop building. Indiana has done a good job the past two years slowly improving through some good trades, drafting and free agent signing. David West, Paul George, Darren Collison look like good moves. In a deep draft, they might score another quality player, and West's deal is only for two years, so they have flexibility to either re-sign him or revisit free agency in a big way after improving the asset base further through the draft. They don't have a superstar, but I can make the argument they could put together a really tough team in the next 3-4 years if they continue to make productive moves.

I suspect that absent a major superstar landing in our lap, we will follow a similar course. A high pick last year, a high pick this year, and we might need another lottery pick in 2013 because our young talent isn't going to coalesce overnight into as mid-tier playoff team. But when we accumulate enough young talent, it does open up trades and does make us more interesting to all but the top tier of free agents overly focussed on certain big markets.

[fredericklove]

If we can somehow trade our asset for Kendal Marshall, idk if he's gonna play bad defense, his passing ability is just too good to ignore!

The problem with Marshall is that he's a great passer but brings nothing else to the table. He doesn't have the quickness to penetrate, he can't shoot, and he doesn't play D. I think he should stay in school and work on his deficiencies, lest he turn out like Marcus Williams or Ed Cota.

Personally, I'd prefer Shabazz Napier, who has a much more well-rounded game.

heck we might even have a shot at Napier with the late 30-35th ranged pick so we don't have to give up asset. He might be gone in late 20s but even a guy like Aaron Craft could be found in late 1st to 2nd round (if he declares).