2012 NBA Draft

[pcbothwel]

Ugghh. Just get me Davis, Gilchrist, or Barnes already.

[Mr. Grundle]

Comparing Gilchrist to Wade in that fact that he is a do-it-all slasher who plays tough D. Not much of a shooter yet but just gets it done.

I'll be happy with Top 4.

1. Anthony Davis
2. MKG
3. Jared Sullinger
4. Harrison Barnes

I'm kind of hoping we don't end up with the #1 so we aren't forced to draft Davis due to his value. We need someone who can score.

[Ruzious]

+1.

No one dimensional players should be drafted with a top 5 pick.

You guys call him 1 dimentional as if he's beyond awful defensively - and btw, the Wiz have zero's dimensions - not even close to 1 dimension - but how do you explain that Ohio State is a very good defensive team - with him as their only big man?

Can't use college success to validate NBA success. Most schools don't have the size in the post to take advantage of Sullinger. He can dominate the 6-6 & 6-8 bigs of the world with his size & strength. The few times he faces legit size & talent, he struggles mightily.

This is not the draft to play it safe and go for the super smart, hard working, limited upside guy. Will Sullinger help a NBA team win games? Sure. Will he be a cornerstone for a team with championship aspirations, I have major doubts about that.

Maybe in the 2011 draft you could make a case for taking Sullinger very high because the draft was relatively weak at the top, but in 2012, there are a number of prospects that offer more long term than Sullinger IMO.

I don't agree with the presented facts. He's matched up against every team's biggest player, because he is the only big on Ohio State when he's playing. And major college teams don't go with 6'6 or even 6'8 guys at center. The only big man he's had trouble with this season is Cody Zeller, and he was playing with a foot injury and coming back from a back injury. Still, he got Zeller fouled out in 21 minutes. And besides, Zeller is a center prospect, while Sullinger is a PF prospect; he's not going to be guarding Zellers in the NBA. He's going to be guarding Patric Youngs and Mason Plumlees - guys who will be NBA 1st rounders and who he has outplayed this season. I saw the Duke game, and Plumlee was absolutely destroyed by Sullinger. Plumlee put up some numbers, but it was well after the game was already decided. Let's see how he does against 7'1 Meyers Leonard on Jan 10th and in his rematch with 7' Zeller on Jan 15th - both likely lotto picks - and revisit this.

I'm going to make an exaggeration here, so don't yell at me - it's to make a vaiid point. If the next Larry Bird was playing ball now putting up big numbers at Indy State, you and Nate would be saying - meh, he's a tweener; he can't guard anyone in the NBA - too slow to cover 3's - built like big bird. We can't afford to draft 1 dimensional players that high. Pass.

[fishercob]

Ted leonlose said that this is exactly where he thought the team would be. Im thinking he is all in for the tanking

You are happy about this right? You have begged for tanking for the better part of a decade.

[Ruzious]

Ted leonlose said that this is exactly where he thought the team would be. Im thinking he is all in for the tanking

You are happy about this right? You have begged for tanking for the better part of a decade.

We're at a stage below tanking. There's no official term for it, but I'd go with "raw suckage".

[fishercob]

This is not the draft to play it safe and go for the super smart, hard working, limited upside guy. Will Sullinger help a NBA team win games? Sure. Will he be a cornerstone for a team with championship aspirations, I have major doubts about that.

I'm not sure I agree with this. Part of me thinks we have to come out of this draft with someone who won't bust -- go the proverbial Battier over Kwame and Eddy Curry, even if it means limiting some upside.

I know Perry Jones has a huge ceiling, but we're halfway into his second season and I'm not seeing anything close to a can't miss prospect and couldnt say with any conviction that he won't turn out like Jonathon Bender or Tim Thomas. Same worry about Henson; I can't look at him and be sure he's not Hakim Warrick or Stromile Swift.

By the same token, the thought of ending up with that proverbial Battier instead of a Paul Gasol makes me a little sick to my stomach. So.... I dunno.

[fishercob]

when how someone does in an interview changes a game
outcome, let me know.

edit to add - if interviews are important to you, what's wrong with this?

http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Mic ... rist-5707/

That's a strange interview. That's the same kid from the HBO docu Prayer for a Perfect Season, right? I can only assume he's nervous as heck, but he didn't come across like a total weirdo in that documentary.

If you haven't seen it, check it out, if there's one thing you can tell, Gilchrist comes from a great family.

I watched this last night. Thanks for the rec. Gilchrist indeed seems like a great kid from a great family. These big time HS prospects live under such intense pressure, and for MK-G to go through loss, and travelling such distance to and from school every day. Very impressive young man. He'll overcome his shyness and be fine in interviews in time.

[7-Day Dray]

I think MKG might have a speech impediment. At least that's what I'm guessing from all the interviews I've seen. Don't know how he acts away from the spotlight though.

[VictorPage44]

The wiz are looking like the worst team in the league. That's actually a good thing cuz we need to get Andre Drummond. I think he can play the 4 and would be a decent fit alongside McGee. Drummond's high school highlight tapes seriously look like he's Lebron w/ Dwight's body. Because Drummond is so much younger, and imo will be better offensively (but a bit worse defensively), I would have a hard time trading him straight up for Dwight if the wiz were to land #1 in 2012. Anthony Davis and Jeremy Lamb make great consolation prizes, but Drummond is a franchise player.

He's a better prospect than Cousins was, even if he's not as complete offensively. His combo of size, athleticism, and coordination is better than any big that's come out since Amare, and that will translate well to the league. He's like a rich man's Derrick Favors. Drummond has quick hands and feet, can shoot a jumper out to the elbow, and can take his man off the dribble a la Amar'e Stoudemire.

on another note, UCONN is my pick to win the NCAAs this year. Drummond, Lamb, Napier, Boatright, Roscoe Smith, Oriaki, Olander that team is good as s#!+....

[pancakes3]

i don't think drummond is anywhere the prospect that davis is, and davis actually is an honest-to-goodness pf.

[daSwami]

I think MKG might have a speech impediment. At least that's what I'm guessing from all the interviews I've seen. Don't know how he acts away from the spotlight though.

I heard he's got chronic gingivitis, too.

[Ruzious]

I think MKG might have a speech impediment. At least that's what I'm guessing from all the interviews I've seen. Don't know how he acts away from the spotlight though.

I heard he's got chronic gingivitis, too.

That's too bad. If it was just a unibrow issue, he could clip it in the bud.

[queridiculo]

I like Drummond and Davis a lot, but for my money I'd take Kidd-Gilchrist. You can just tell how deep the fire burns with that kid. A backcourt featuring him and Wall, and with Singleton growing into the role of SF would be a sight to see.

Throw in Vesely at the 4 and McGee patrolling the lanes and we might see the sort of defense you can build a contender around.

That group will continue to struggle on offense, but that'll come with time.

[queridiculo]

I watched this last night. Thanks for the rec. Gilchrist indeed seems like a great kid from a great family. These big time HS prospects live under such intense pressure, and for MK-G to go through loss, and travelling such distance to and from school every day. Very impressive young man. He'll overcome his shyness and be fine in interviews in time.

Yeah, that's what's impressed me as well. The commitment at such a young age and just seeing the sort of support system he had around him was quite impressive.

Tragic for him to lose his father and father figure at such a young age.

[fishercob]

I think MKG might have a speech impediment. At least that's what I'm guessing from all the interviews I've seen. Don't know how he acts away from the spotlight though.

I heard he's got chronic gingivitis, too.

That cracked me up Swami. Thank you.

And Ruz with a great follow-up!

[The Consiglieri]

Can't use college success to validate NBA success. Most schools don't have the size in the post to take advantage of Sullinger. He can dominate the 6-6 & 6-8 bigs of the world with his size & strength. The few times he faces legit size & talent, he struggles mightily.

This is not the draft to play it safe and go for the super smart, hard working, limited upside guy. Will Sullinger help a NBA team win games? Sure. Will he be a cornerstone for a team with championship aspirations, I have major doubts about that.

Maybe in the 2011 draft you could make a case for taking Sullinger very high because the draft was relatively weak at the top, but in 2012, there are a number of prospects that offer more long term than Sullinger IMO..

May never have agreed more with anyone. There is absolutely no way, shape or form in which Sully makes sense for our squad. We have to get an elite difference maker out of this draft, HAVE TO, and Sully is highly unlikely to be that. I suspect he will be an above average pro, hopefully better than league average, but not much better than that, and after suffering through the past four seasons, this team absolutely must come out of it with at least two linch pin potential studs. Sully will not be that. He's a finishing touch guy at the next level, a guy who will help teams that need a last piece, he's not a foundation player.

We need a difference maker that other teams simply can't match up with on either end. That's what we need. At worst we'll probably pick 4 or 5 at this rate, and if we finish in the bottom 2 (which so far seems likely) i have a hard time seeing us with anything less than the 3rd or 4th pick. Got to aim higher in upside than Sully. Got to.

[Ruzious]

I think MKG might have a speech impediment. At least that's what I'm guessing from all the interviews I've seen. Don't know how he acts away from the spotlight though.

I heard he's got chronic gingivitis, too.

That cracked me up Swami. Thank you.

And Ruz with a great follow-up!

Glad we tweezed your funny bone. If you don't laugh enough, you end up like Tiger's ex and trash your $12 million mansion.

[dangermouse]

If we dont manage a top 2 pick and Davis and Drummond are off the board, I think i prefer MKG over anyone else, he has a winning attitude that rubs off on everyone, hopefully, and hes got the Kentucky connection with Wall.

But is he a 2 or a 3?

[Ruzious]

Btw, speaking of 1 dimentional PF's, Charles Barkley (lol) just insisted that Kevin Love is the best PF in the world, and Reggie Miller agreed with him. I want Sullinger (if we can't get Davis).

[dangermouse]

^who is better than Love at the moment?