The 2012 NBA Draft: 6th & 11th picks, and some random 2nds.

[The Sebastian Express]

Six days!

[Fitz303]

Just played the Realgm draft simulator and the Blazers got #1 on the first try, as well as the Blazers getting #7. For just a few seconds, I thought it was real.

[DusterBuster]

I really don't have a good feeling about the lottery.... I honestly think the Nets are going to move up, no conspiracy theory, just a gut feeling.

[Downtown]

Has anyone else read the latest wiretap story on Dion Waiters? One GM says he's the only other player in the draft besides Anthony Davis to have superstar potential and compares him to Dwayne Wade?

I realize there's always smokescreens in the press with the draft but where the heck has this come from?

I do like Waiters attitude when he says he's ready to destroy Lamb, Rivers, and Ross in workouts. But we'll see if he's all talk or not.

[The Sebastian Express]

I liked what I saw of him in the tournament. I thought he had some shifty moves ala Brandon.

[Walton'sBeard!]

I liked what I saw of him in the tournament. I thought he had some shifty moves ala Brandon.

Man, my eyes did not see that word as "shifty". I kept wondering how you got that word past the censors. Mod priveleges?


Waiters looks like the real deal. Any SG that put average nearly a 2/1 assist to turnover ratio has my full attention. But SG can be such a tough position to project.

[Chanse503]

I disagree, and find him rated well behind the likes of Wroton.
Shoot I would venture as far as projecting J.Jenkins and D.Lamb as a better option!

[fishnc]

I really don't have a good feeling about the lottery.... I honestly think the Nets are going to move up, no conspiracy theory, just a gut feeling.

I'm also getting that feeling. I'm trying to ignore it, but it keeps coming to the forefront of my thoughts. Goddamn brain.

[GeraldWallace3]

im thinking Damian Lillard and Dion Waiters if we can swing it would be an excellent draft

[Chanse503]

im thinking Damian Lillard and Dion Waiters if we can swing it would be an excellent draft

Pretty sure they could swing it quite easily with 6 and 11, but WTF are you serious?

[Brandon-Clyde]

We need big men. Big men are always a major piece of any championship puzzle. We must use at least one ,if not both, of our picks on a big

[GeraldWallace3]

except for most of the big men are either power forwards, projected too high, or their name is Tyler Zeller or Jared Sullinger, both of whom i don't think will be very good. Also we need a point guard and Damian Lillard has the potential to be a star. And if you havent been following it, Dion Waiters stock has been rising a lot lately, with some saying he and Anthony Davis are the only two potential superstars in this draft(with Davis being much more certain). You gotta take a chance on that kind of potential. And I hate drafting big men, because they turn out to be busts much more than other players. Look at free agents for bigs I am thinking.

[DeBlazerRiddem]

Lol, Orlando GM name drops Waiters and now he's the hot thing?


I think there is so much smoke at this point, I don't know where Waiters has any more superstar potential than the other top 10 projected picks.

[Brandon-Clyde]

except for most of the big men are either power forwards, projected too high, or their name is Tyler Zeller or Jared Sullinger, both of whom i don't think will be very good. Also we need a point guard and Damian Lillard has the potential to be a star. And if you havent been following it, Dion Waiters stock has been rising a lot lately, with some saying he and Anthony Davis are the only two potential superstars in this draft(with Davis being much more certain). You gotta take a chance on that kind of potential. And I hate drafting big men, because they turn out to be busts much more than other players. Look at free agents for bigs I am thinking.

Have you seen the bigs available in free agency this year? There are only a few that I would even say are starter worthy and no realistic options that would be starter quality on a title team. It is the same every free agency as quality bigs tend to be overpaid by their own teams in efforts to keep them. The only real way to get those bigs is to take a risk in the draft.
BTW Portland has for several years picked mainly guards and sf's and had little luck. Since 2001 Portland has selected 3 pf-c players in the 1st rd and 2 of those 3 have become all stars in their careers. Portland has actually done better drafting big men than guards

[Walton'sBeard!]

Lol, Orlando GM name drops Waiters and now he's the hot thing?


I think there is so much smoke at this point, I don't know where Waiters has any more superstar potential than the other top 10 projected picks.

Waiters has been getting hot for a few weeks by my count. Chad Ford has him as the 8th best player in the draft. I disagree, but he is very interesting. A SG that can shoot, pass and get to the rim is worth some hype.

[Butter]

We need big men. Big men are always a major piece of any championship puzzle. We must use at least one ,if not both, of our picks on a big

Do you remember Oden vs. Durant?

[DeBlazerRiddem]

Lol, Orlando GM name drops Waiters and now he's the hot thing?


I think there is so much smoke at this point, I don't know where Waiters has any more superstar potential than the other top 10 projected picks.

Waiters has been getting hot for a few weeks by my count. Chad Ford has him as the 8th best player in the draft. I disagree, but he is very interesting. A SG that can shoot, pass and get to the rim is worth some hype.

I am not saying he isn't interesting, and he has been mentioned as a darkhorse or draft-day riser for some time now. Going in the lottery, I guess would not surprise me.

I am more referring to the statement "only two players have superstar potential" made by Orlando and recently parroted by GW3.

From what I can tell, he looks undersized and average athletically. It is very hard for a SG to make the all-star game with those two traits working against them. I would say he will probably be an improvement on Matthews long-term, but a solid all-around player is closer to what I expect than an all-star or go-to NBA scorer which is really what we need from our SG position.

So what I am saying is that what Orlando's GM said was smoke. I would imagine he is probably targeting a few other players more likely to drop to him if someone picks Waiters before them. Maybe he is looking at Ross or Wroten? In any case, that is generally how I interpret statements made by GM's about prospects during this time of the year.

[Brandon-Clyde]

We need big men. Big men are always a major piece of any championship puzzle. We must use at least one ,if not both, of our picks on a big

Do you remember Oden vs. Durant?

Do you remember Faried vs Nolan Smith?
Victor Claver vs Dejuan Blair?
Jerryd Bayless vs Roy Hibbert?
Sebastien Telfair vs any of Al Jefferson,Kris humphries or anderson Varejao?
Martell Webster vs either Andrew Bynum or David Lee?
Just because one big failed to pan out does not change the facts.High quality big men are needed on any team that wants to win a title. To get high quality big men is very difficult except through the draft. High quality bigs in free agency command huge contracts and high quality bigs require a great deal of assets to accquire in trade

[DeBlazerRiddem]

I don't think you pick a big over a more talented player...


but for equally talented players, I think you go with size over fit.

[popper]

Wizards fan here --- what do most of you think about trading your 6 and 11 for our 2 or 3?