Official Raptors 2012 NBA Draft Thread, Part 12

[McFurious1]

The problem is with Lamb it seems he just doesn't care. He even admitted he has to try harder and push himself on the court even when his shot isn't falling. Honestly, I don't want someone who needs to be pushed on the court. I can't imagine dwayne casey being too happy if we got lamb.

[Waylon Mercy]

I just wanna know if the same people that are complaining about Lamb supposedly not caring
or trying hard enough etc etc are adamant about not drafting Rivers because hes to cocky,
thinks hes better than he is, has tunnel vision and is to selfish.

[DG88]

So how you know Lamb isn't also genuinely excited to be going through this process and will undoubtedly work hard wherever he goes? Because his weird eyes dumb expression shows no excitement, is that why?

looks like a duck, quacks like a duck, swims like a duck... pretty good chance its a duck.

I not saying don't draft lamb, but if his interviews didn't raise red flags for you then you are being pretty obtuse.

if these duck facial expressions/duck verbal responses are the perceived red flags that you think will prevent him to showcast his skillset on the floor, then I say you are being pretty absurd.

I'm pretty sure all the GM's know about Lamb's skillset and he's got a good one, but the interview process is pretty much a job interview. The GM's are trying to find out what type of person they're dealing with here. They ask a variety of questions some straight forward others that may surprise you. For some GM's character is a big deal plus the talent. Other GM's put more stock just on talent alone. In Lamb's case there were red flags on his motor and laid back attitude. The interview process with GM's could highlight those red flags or diminish them. Lamb did nothing to diminish them, he pretty much confirmed that when his shot doesn't go down he doesn't find a way to stay revved up and that he needs to change that. It's similar to Perry Jones but not to his level of motor issues. Also with Lamb not being able to know any of the names from the Blazers roster and calling Nicolas Batum "the light skinned dude" is something that didn't help him.

[ATLTimekeeper]

I watched a bunch of interviews over the weekend. While I don't think these interviews in front of a camera mean too much, I always like to see who I'd want to be teammates with, or who, if they were our best player, I'd feel comfortable building around.

Barnes. Reminds me of BC. A lot of hype coming in, and now he's in FU mode. Always positive and polite, but you can see underneath he just wants to shut everyone up.

Rivers. Felt like he should be covering the draft as a reporter. Seems like the kind of kid some team is going to draft just off a good interview and shooting the lights out in a workout.

Drummond. Very likeable. It's hard to imagine him having the same emotional problems as Kwame, Kandiman and Darko. Those guys all seemed like they had a chip on their shoulders. Drummond seems more naive than anything.

Jared Cunningham. Get a good vibe from this kid. Seems confident in his abilities.

Robinson. Says all the right things, but too much campaigning.

Lillard. See Robinson.

Terrence Ross. Not getting a good vibe from his personality. Seems like a bright kid, but not someone that's going to go to war.

Lamb. I think he's a pretty bright kid, but he obviously has no camera presence. Sort of like Ed Davis.

[ATLTimekeeper]

Doug's usual insight:

If I had to come up with a list of guys the Raptors like an awful lot – and this is fluid and will be likely until June 28 – it’d be Dion Waiters, Damian Lillard, Austin Rivers, Harrison Barnes and Jared Sullinger.

First time Austin has been mentioned in the main group. Remember the Charlotte reporter said that he had a good interview. Lamb no longer there. Looks like a lot of high motor, competitive guys.

[FluLikeSymptoms]

Beal's not working out for teams below 4, per his agent. Seems TRob, MKG and Beal will go 2-4, in some order, if the machine is correct. Can't believe that Drummond could ever slip to #5, though, somebody is going to cough up for that Charlotte pick. He's meeting with everybody.

[Rhettmatic]

Beal's not working out for teams below 4, per his agent. Seems TRob, MKG and Beal will go 2-4, in some order, if the machine is correct. Can't believe that Drummond could ever slip to #5, though, somebody is going to cough up for that Charlotte pick. He's meeting with everybody.

Everyone seems pretty convinced that Barnes is going to the Cavs at 4, so I don't think this is a foregone conclusion.

[FluLikeSymptoms]

Beal's not working out for teams below 4, per his agent. Seems TRob, MKG and Beal will go 2-4, in some order, if the machine is correct. Can't believe that Drummond could ever slip to #5, though, somebody is going to cough up for that Charlotte pick. He's meeting with everybody.

Everyone seems pretty convinced that Barnes is going to the Cavs at 4, so I don't think this is a foregone conclusion.

Everybody? Feels like I'm hearing more Beal talk at #4, and listening to the combine guys they seem to feel 2-4 would be that group. But, either way, I'm having a hard time buying Drummond slipping to #5. A C prospect like that goes #2 in a better draft. I think that AD is the only foregone conclusion, and that Beal could very well be picked by a team which didn't work him out.

[Waylon Mercy]

New mock from Goodman on CBS this morning he seems really plugged in and gets
put over by Ken Berger a lot.

http://www.cbssports.com/nba/blog/eye-o ... valuations

[Rhettmatic]

Everybody? Feels like I'm hearing more Beal talk at #4, and listening to the combine guys they seem to feel 2-4 would be that group. But, either way, I'm having a hard time buying Drummond slipping to #5. A C prospect like that goes #2 in a better draft. I think that AD is the only foregone conclusion, and that Beal could very well be picked by a team which didn't work him out.

Well, Chad Ford, SI's Sam Amick, CBSSports' Jeff Goodman and Nate Jones have all said their sources strongly indicated Barnes is the pick at 4. Where have you heard all the Beal at #4 talk?

This from Sports Illustrated:

The Cavaliers are very high on the 20-year-old small forward and appear unlikely to let him slip past them at the No. 4 slot in the June 28 draft, according to sources. While this week's predraft combine in Chicago and subsequent team workouts could always change things, rival executives are planning for Barnes to be off the board by the time the fifth pick (Sacramento) rolls around.

"He's a pretty big deal to them," one such executive said.

Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/w ... z1xUwCyyzr

I know, smokescreens, yada yada, but of all the picks in the top 10 outside of AD obviously, I've personally heard the most noise about Barnes being a lock at 4.

[JamesNaismith]

I just wanna know if the same people that are complaining about Lamb supposedly not caring
or trying hard enough etc etc are adamant about not drafting Rivers because hes to cocky,
thinks hes better than he is, has tunnel vision and is to selfish.

I would be one of those posters as you know (in reference to Rivers not Lamb) lol but I can't even lie Lamb's interview really, really cooled me down on him for one key thing.....his SELF PERCEPTION. When asked who he modelled his game after or what type of player he thinks he can be in the league he likened himself to Jamal Crawford and that is a MAJOR red flag in my books despite all his talent.

A player's attitude 9x out of 10 carries them as far (or further) as they can go. With his skill level I still think he has everything it takes to be an elite SG but damn I hate that answer. The thing that stops a kid like DeRozan from being a Desmond Mason is who is modelling his game after and working so hard to become like. Of course it will never get him there but it's helping him to live up to most he can be as a player regardless of his many flaws. If your benchmark is so low it worries how hard will you push yourself on and off the court which sounds like it will 100% on the coach and his staff despite your immense talent to make you realize what your capable of....but at the same token Lamb is STILL the top scoring wing in the lotto so really a lot of hope can be there.

I still think Rivers is a 6th man on a truly good team BUT I can't lie its hard not being a sucker for some of the media attention and excitment the kid would bring and realistically we're not going to be a truly good team (but we will be better) for atleast a couple years or more. He also has to be near the top of the list for being least likely to bust and that's becoming a major advantage in my head as we near the actual draft day. I still have him behind Lamb and Lillard but Lamb scares me with his self perception and Lillard worries me in his level of competition....so he's gaining ground but not there yet for me. The biggest change (or admitted flip flop) is I'm not completely opposed to drafting him as I was just a month or two ago.

[FluLikeSymptoms]

Rhett- as I said, the combine guys most recently, plus DX, many like Beal as the best wing and have since the tourney. Also, his agent doesn't seem to think he'll get past them. Again, I don't buy it or care at this point.

[Indeed]

I am not surprised if we draft Rivers. Lillard would be another one we like.
Since Jonas is not good with English, I think Rivers knows how to handle the media well enough to take a spot at our team.

As for Barnes, most likely he will go 4th. And MKG could be the one who drops instead of Beal.

[JamesNaismith]

I am not surprised if we draft Rivers. Lillard would be another one we like.
Since Jonas is not good with English, I think Rivers knows how to handle the media well enough to take a spot at our team.

As for Barnes, most likely he will go 4th. And MKG could be the one who drops instead of Beal.

When you examine rosters....actually I think Beal is more likely to slide.

[FluLikeSymptoms]

BC is the mouthpiece for the Raps. Who cares about word talkin'?

[Marlo Stanfield]

I am not surprised if we draft Rivers. Lillard would be another one we like.
Since Jonas is not good with English, I think Rivers knows how to handle the media well enough to take a spot at our team.

As for Barnes, most likely he will go 4th. And MKG could be the one who drops instead of Beal.

When you examine rosters....actually I think Beal is more likely to slide.

That's wishful thinking James. There's no way Beal goes lower than 5th, but we can pray.

[Marlo Stanfield]

I really like Doron Lamb's game. He looks like that guy who makes daggers for NBA teams in big games.

[Rhettmatic]

Latest Raptors buzz from Chad Ford:

Harkless also appeared to make the leap this weekend, going from interesting prospect to potential lottery pick. He still has a ways to go as far as making his game translate to the next level, but the raw athletic ability and elite size for his position, combined with an excellent showing both on the court and in interviews seems to have really improved his stock. I've heard his name as high as No. 7 to the Golden State Warriors and No. 8 to the Toronto Raptors.

I believe Lillard's range starts with the Blazers at No. 6. I doubt he slips past the Phoenix Suns at 13. He's got workouts in Toronto on Monday as well as Sacramento and Phoenix this week.

We know that Syracuse guard Dion Waiters received a promise on Thursday. As we reported in my wrap of Thursday's camp, a team in the lottery locked up Waiters. A source close to Waiters said he will not workout for any more teams before the draft and did not participate in the athletic or medical testing over the weekend.

Raptors GM Bryan Colangelo denied he made the promise, but some sources claim that the Raptors might still take him if they keep the pick. The Portland Trail Blazers and Phoenix Suns are two other likely teams. I'm skeptical, however, that Waiters' agent, Rob Pelinka, would agree to shutting down Waiters if the pick was that low in the draft.

Also reports that GSW is very high on John Henson. So that means there are a few prospects who have been attached to the Warriors -- Henson, PJ3 and Terrence Jones -- who could create a very nice situation for us in terms of a higher-rated prospect falling. But we'll see.

[JamesNaismith]

I am not surprised if we draft Rivers. Lillard would be another one we like.
Since Jonas is not good with English, I think Rivers knows how to handle the media well enough to take a spot at our team.

As for Barnes, most likely he will go 4th. And MKG could be the one who drops instead of Beal.

When you examine rosters....actually I think Beal is more likely to slide.

That's wishful thinking James. There's no way Beal goes lower than 5th, but we can pray.

I'm not claiming it as fact but again look at some rosters I don't see how MKG slides that far....although personally I have Beal pegged going to WAS.

CHA: with Beal and Kemba could be considered a bit small in the backcourt and not that he's a big piece but Henderson who they like is already playing SG. MKG on the otherhand will be taking the place of Magette (an old vet who's contract they're just waiting to die out) and will help distribute since Walker is a chucker and MKG will certainly reinforce the defensive culture next to Biyombo...overall I just think he has more opportunity to make a larger impact on the team; not to mention MJ should love his fierce competitive attitude.

WAS: makes full sense to me why they would take Beal so this is the toughest one for me to imagine him passing but if he did then I could see the drop. He would great next to Wall imo but you never know if WAS is wanting to bring in high character guys let Young and Crawford continue to be there shooters (although streaky) and MKG mans the absolutely talent void SF position on their roster.

CLE: they say Barnes who's Kyrie's bff so I certainly think it would happen but who knows not like MKG wouldn't help bring everything he's known for there, help create a real tough, young team and he played HS school ball with Kyrie before

SAC: I believe there's no way Sacramento passes on him. He's a PERFECT fit for them. They already have talent but need a TOUGH GLUE guy...and that is MKG. They need a guy with a strong enough personality for DMC to respect and be willing to appeal to Reke. If they're lucky enough to have MKG fall to them expect SAC to finally start turning their franchise around

POR: They traded Wallace, haven't re-signed Batum which seems to be a pattern of liking tough defenders at SF and have Matthews at SG. They could basically get what Batum does for less plus MKG is actually a leader. Gilchrist's intangibles can't be stated enough. His hard work will certainly help POR get over the sting of Roy and Oden.

GSW: What's the one hole in their line up?! Small forward. I think management would be thanking the bball gods if by some fluke MKG fell right into their laps. They don't need more shooters and Klay is developing into a very solid SG himself.

[Marlo Stanfield]

I think you're reaching to find a way to allow Beal to drop. They are possible scenario's, but unlikely.