2012 NBA Draft - Part V

[DCZards]

I’m warm to the idea of drafting MKG because I see him helping to turn the Zards into a tough, aggressive, defensive-minded team. But I’m still hot for Beal because he checks all the important boxes, imo:
Above average (maybe great) shooter.
Very good athlete.
Decent height and length.
Sturdy build.
Excellent motor.
Smart.
Not afraid to hit the boards for rebounds.
Gets after it defensively.
Hard worker.
Coachable.

I also see Beal having the versatility offensively to eventually take over games in much the same way that Westbrook did last night.

I’m not surprised to hear that some GMs also have the hots for Beal. I just hope he’s still there at 3 so that the Zards at least have a shot at drafting him.

[nate33]

I know will, it's just that I think TRob would be likely to be a disappointment for this team as a #3 pick in the draft. Personally, I don't see him cracking the top 10 of PFs in the near future, so using our one shot at a star to get a guy who I think will be a middle of the pack player (10-15 in the league) at his position would not represent value. And I get frustrated by the blanket assertions that he will be an all-NBA type of player, when I see no reason to believe that will be the case.

As far as the "he has shown some potential to space the floor with his jumper" - not trying to be too critical, but what do you base that on? I know Beal's percentages were not great overall, but he shot much better at the end of the season and in the tournamnets, plus we have the scouting from HS and - more importantly - international play. I don't see any similar evidence from Robinson, unless you count shooting jumpers in workout drills. And Robinson was one of the few big men who actually played alongside an NBA-caliber (and sized) Center for most of his minutes, meaning he was perfectly situated to show those skills. His 2P% was pretty bad for a big man. So while I think he might develop that mid-range shooting ability, I'm not willing to bet a top 3 pick on it.

Outside of that, the one thing that we keep coming back to is rebounding. And he will be awesome on the boards. But again - is that worth a top 3 pick?

Other than that, I agree with your other points, the size & lack of help defense should end any discussion in the Front Office of making him the pick.

He seems like a great kid. I hope he goes to a good situation and has a solid career. I'll certainly root for him to lay the wood on the Heat, Celtics, and Lakers, no matter where he goes. I just hope it isn't in DC....

While I agree that he isn't a great fit for this team, I think you are being overly harsh. Big men usually improve their jumpers when they hit the pros because it's the first time they're really asked to make a perimeter game a consistent part of their offensive repertoire. Robinson has good form and release on his jumper, and he's shown a pretty good touch at the college level. There is no doubt in my mind that he will hone his jumper so that it's reliable from 17 feet.

I figure, at worst, Robinson will be about as good as Drew Gooden with a brain, or David West with better rebounding. He'll rebound, nail midrange shots and work hard on defense (though perhaps not block many shots). That makes him a top 10ish PF. He could move into the elite range if he either develops a deadly slashing game like Bosh, or 3-point range like Kevin Love. I don't know if that will happen, but it's certainly possible.

[WizarDynasty]

Last night was prime example of why a superstar bigman is the most valuable asset in all of sports next to a top 3 qb. When crunch time comes in the playoffs, you need high percentage shots. You need a big who can is dominant physially on offense. Neither of these teams had that player so the next best thing was lebron james dominant physical prensence over anyone on the OKC's roster. Perkins used to be that player for the celtics.
seraphin and a nene sculpted drummond is a nighmare deep playoff matchup. If we ever plan on taking down on Lebron, Wade, and Bosh---you have to punish them in the post. Seraphin and "Nene sculpted" Drummond have the potential to be match up nightmare offensive and Nfensively against any team for the next decade. We have the perfect teacher who is at the end of his prime and can pass his invaluable intangibles and personality to Drummond. There two players combined with Wall are the wizards absolute best chance at winning multiple championships in the next decade. drummond will be a complete bust on any other team. Nene with his elite agility,and almost identical game to drummond is the perfect piece to match up. Drummond is the raw bigman that has all the physical tools of Nene in his prime plus more and Nene has the broken down body and Vast store of invaluable knowledge of how Drummond is suppose to use his mind and body. It's a perfect combination.
the wizards identity needs to be Athletic power bigs who have elite defensive agility against the pick and roll and who will pound you away in the 4th quarter with high percentage shots. crawford is just fine as we establish our post pounding offensive marked with high percentage shots from our bigmen. It's an identity that's guaranteed to conquer the east. We have one the most high basketball IQ bigmen in Nene to make it happen for the next four years.
That's my vision for the dynasty here in washington. Been waiting a longtime. If it doesn't happen, then we should take the biggest skilled high iq athletic perimeter player in the draft and call it a day.

[Severn Hoos]

nate - I think it's tough to predict whether someone will develop a shot or not, but agreed, it's a decent possibility. After all, no one thought you'd see the likes of Udonis Haslem or Chales Oakley or Antonio Davis develop passable - or even good - mid-range jumpers. But it also might not happen, so it has to be acknowledged that it's a bit speculative.

I also agree with the projection of David West, top 10-ish PF. But with that being the deepest position in the NBA, would he really be that much of an improvement over what they already have - or, more importantly, could reasonably acquire for less than the 3rd overall pick? Of course, West himself went at #18, so any thought of Robinson in the top 3 is, IMO, hugely overvalued. And while you say that's the worst-case scenario, I frankly don't see the jump to elite player - and it's even more speculative to think he'll develop skills along the lines of Love or Bosh. I think that unless he does develop that type of elite-level skill to go with his rebounding, he'd be a disappointment for any team picking in the top 3. And that disappointment would only be compounded by the fact that he'd also be a poor fit on this Wizards team.

I suppose I just need to take the next 10 days and treat any mention of Robinson the way I do posts in the Politics thread - just move along, no need to get worked up or respond, it's just a message board....

[dobrojim]

Sev: I think that's a little overboard! Having a strong rebounder is essential to starting the fast break, and Wall's a one man fast break anyway, so it's not critically important that we get people to catch up with him. Also, he has shown some potential to space the floor with his jumper, even if he doesn't have 3 point range.

The poor post defense alone makes me not want to draft him. If I were a GM, my number one rule would be don't sign big men who aren't solid post defenders. It is a significant handicap, and one that you often have to pay your budget for, as good offense poor defense bigs get paid more and have less impact than good defense poor offense ones.

We also already have 4 decent/potentially decent bigs and 0 decent/potentially decent wings. I'm honestly going to throw a fit if we draft anyone but Beal or MKG, because this draft has been handed to us on a silver platter.

I don't know if I'll throw a fit, but I'll be most please by a draft of one of those 2 guys.
I finally actually watched the vids posted above re Beal when he was here. I'll be
very happy with that guy. If this is what he is like at age not-quite-19, I'd love
to have him when he is 24-27 years old.

I think MJ will take TRob. If he takes Barnes, good luck with that.

[dobrojim]

I’m warm to the idea of drafting MKG because I see him helping to turn the Zards into a tough, aggressive, defensive-minded team. But I’m still hot for Beal because he checks all the important boxes, imo:
Above average (maybe great) shooter.
Very good athlete.
Decent height and length.
Sturdy build.
Excellent motor.
Smart.
Not afraid to hit the boards for rebounds.
Gets after it defensively.
Hard worker.
Coachable.

I also see Beal having the versatility offensively to eventually take over games in much the same way that Westbrook did last night.

I’m not surprised to hear that some GMs also have the hots for him. I just hope he’s still there at 3 so that the Zards at least have a shot at drafting him.

right on Zards

[jivelikenice]

Love Beal's attitude. Such a mature demeanor for a 19 year old:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btSTQuc6Ajw&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ib8Clfreyak&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]

Seems like a good kid. I'm still slightly concerned about how low his release point is and he doesn't get much elevation while setting up to shoot. I read he shot well in the workout vs. Barnes. It's too bad footage of that isn't available. I'd be really curious to see how he adapts when shooting over taller defenders....

[closg00]

DX has released their SG/SF rankings, happy reading.
http://www.draftexpress.com/article/By- ... Crop-3990/

[mg]

If EG has the wings graded fairly equally I certainly hope he picks one that can shoot at 3. Honestly I'll be a little disappointed if he waits until pick 32 to select one of the leftover shooters. That is not properly addressing the issue.

Is it asking too much to see Wall drive into the paint and dish out to a shooter on the wing? Having shooters around Rondo has made him into the player he is today. I would like to see the Wiz surround Wall with players that compliment his game.

[Illuminaire]

DX has released their SG/SF rankings, happy reading.
http://www.draftexpress.com/article/By- ... Crop-3990/

Huh. I didn't realize MKG's pace-adjusted rebounding was that high - or how good his FTA/possession were. I still want Beal more, but if we get MKG I'll still be pretty excited.

[Jay81]

Id like to draft MKG and sign Gordon i think

[DCZards]

Id like to draft MKG and sign Gordon i think

Signing Gordon is a real longshot. New Orleans will almost certianly match any offers he gets. Gordon was the key piece in the Hornets trade of Paul...I doubt that they'll let him walk after one season. If they do, it's a sign that the Hornets are concerned about Gordon's health...so the Zards should be as well.

[jivelikenice]

Id like to draft MKG and sign Gordon i think

Signing Gordon is a real longshot. New Orleans will almost certianly match any offers he gets. Gordon was the key piece in the Hornets trade of Paul...I doubt that they'll let him walk after one season. If they do, it's a sign that the Hornets are concerned about Gordon's health...so the Zards should be as well.

i think Gordon could be had, but you'd have to offer near a max deal. I don't think Benson (who is playing hardball with Drew Brees) will be ready to open the vault for Gordon considering he just finalized the purchase of the team and getting the #1 pick takes a little public pressure off of him. The question we'd have to face is can Gordon stay healthy. I have no doubts about him as a player, but can he regain that explosiveness? I don't know much about the injury so I'd need to know if its going to be a lingering issue or can he be counted on.

[jivelikenice]

A nucleus of Wall/Gordon/MKG with Nene and Serpahin up front could be a legit contender down the road. These finals have proven to me that to be successful, you have to have the ability to get to the free throw line. You won't win if you're relying on getting open jump shots. Miami is using their strength to push OKC around and get to the hoop offensivly, while crowding OKC's shooting space on the perimeter. If you can consistently get to the hoop, all you need is role players capable of knocking down shots to make the defense pay. That being said, Eric Gordon has the ability to get to the hoop and knock down the open J.

[Severn Hoos]

Id like to draft MKG and sign Gordon i think

Signing Gordon is a real longshot. New Orleans will almost certianly match any offers he gets. Gordon was the key piece in the Hornets trade of Paul...I doubt that they'll let him walk after one season. If they do, it's a sign that the Hornets are concerned about Gordon's health...so the Zards should be as well.

This is the problem with virtually every Restricted FA. If he's worth the contract, his current team will simply match. If you have to overpay to get him, then, well, you overpaid. And if it looks too good to be true, like if his current team declines to match a reasonable offer, then it probably is. They may know something about his physical condition, work ethic, maturity, etc.

The best way to acquire elite talent is: Draft, Trade, and Unrestricted FA, pretty much in that order. Chasing an RFA is a fool's errand.

[Ruzious]

DX has released their SG/SF rankings, happy reading.
http://www.draftexpress.com/article/By- ... Crop-3990/

Orlando Johnson really fills up the boxscore, doesn't he? I never heard of him before, but he sounds interesting. Negatives: very poor 2 point shooting %, poor FT%, questionable level of competition. But excellent 3 point shooter, gets to the line a lot, built like a stud NFL WR, 39 inch verticle, rebounds, steals, blocks, solid A/TO ratio, high body fat % may mean there's room to improve physically.

[TGW]

DX has released their SG/SF rankings, happy reading.
http://www.draftexpress.com/article/By- ... Crop-3990/

John Jenkins stands out in those rankings. He's not much of a passer or rebounder, but he is very efficient (2nd in TS%) and he doesn't turn the ball over. The kid looks like a player to me, and would be worth a flier in the second round.

[Severn Hoos]

Can we shut down this thread now that it's obvious Beal will be the choice?

[REDardWIZskin]

let me just start by saying that i ablsolutely love the trade. Omeka comes off the books in 14 right?

[REDardWIZskin]

let me just start by saying that i ablsolutely love the trade. Omeka comes off the books in 14 right?

sorry wrong thread, but i put it here b/c Beal is the guy i wanted and who I'm sure we'll get now