Official 2013 Draft Thread - Part I

[nuposse04]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0oekBTHJOL4[/youtube]

He's an intriguing player, DX has his wingspan at 7'1, 6'7 in shoes...I kind of get the feeling he's basically Booker with shooting touch, and the ability to stay healthy. I wouldn't be mad if we took him, but he seems like the type of player you really gotta do your HW on. I don't think he could play 3 in the NBA, not right away at least.

[go'stags]

I think Len has great defensive potential. He is quicker and more fluid than Hibbert, and hes just huge. Hibbert provides hope for what Len can become offensively, but keep in mind that Hibbert worked extremely hard to get where he is (or was. Hes been lousy this year). It remains to be seen if the same can be said for Len.

[willbcocks]

My stance on this draft is that if Noel is available when we pick (or if we can get him for our pick and anyone besides Wall/Beal), then we should choose Noel. The injury doesn't change that at all.

[dandrews]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0oekBTHJOL4[/youtube]

He's an intriguing player, DX has his wingspan at 7'1, 6'7 in shoes...I kind of get the feeling he's basically Booker with shooting touch, and the ability to stay healthy. I wouldn't be mad if we took him, but he seems like the type of player you really gotta do your HW on. I don't think he could play 3 in the NBA, not right away at least.

I think he's way more athletic than Booker. Bennett athleticism reminds me of a young Amare.

Those measurements scare me though. Gives me flashbacks to Derrick Williams. The upside for Bennett is that he is an elite finisher at the rim and has the early makings for a post game. Williams had neither of those things.

[stevemcqueen1]

Beasley wasn't really limited physically or talent-wise IMO. I think he could have been just as good as he wanted to be. But he is a knucklehead that just doesn't "get it." He doesn't have the intangible makeup to realize his potential. I don't think he really cares that much about basketball.

DWill was a bit physically limited though IMO. He's explosive leaping off two feet but I wouldn't really consider him a high flyer. He wasn't that fast but was fast enough to feast on college bigs and he could overpower college 3s. He didn't have a very good NBA body though. Pretty soft looking. I think Bennett actually has a better body than DW. And I think Bennett is a better ball handler and has a more creative face up game.

I still think DW could be successful though if he found himself a better situation. And I think Bennett can be successful too. There is a need for face up forwards who can run the floor and rebound and be a weapon on pick and roll and pick and fade plays.

I think Bennett will be good to go offensively. I think he can be a Paul Millsap type scorer once he refines his skills. Maybe a more athletic and forceful finisher around the rim. But I think there could be some defensive problems with Bennett. Who does he guard? You have to put him on a big man IMO. 7'1 wingspan suggests a solid standing reach and he's got a build that looks like it can get pretty strong. If he can get to where he can play strong positional D, then he'll be alright.

[stevemcqueen1]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eclOw60dITg[/youtube]

Really great stuff. He's pretty great for a freshman. He's not overly fast but he's got absolutely amazing body control and coordination. His hands are great. He's really strong. And he can get up and dunk off of two feet.

He's got the tools to be a special two way player. But what's his position? If only he were 6'7 instead of 6'4. I don't know, I think you just draft him and have him play at either guard spot.

His intangibles are so impressive. I think he's probably better than Alex Len and Isaiah Austin are.

[tontoz]

Re: Bennett vs Beasley vs Dwill

Beasley is an idiot. He is a career 35% shooter from 3 and finishes well inside which is what you are looking for in a stretch 4. However he loves contested 2 point jumpers and rarely drives. Plus he has had to spend a lot of time at the 3.

DWill hasn't had a lot of playing time at the 4 with KLove there but his numbers this year aren't that bad. he just isn't very quick and has a slow release on his shot. He really needs to have his feet set when he shoots. While he shot well from 3 in his second college season he only attempted 2 per game so the sample size was small, and he didn't shoot them hardly at all as a freshman.

I haven't seen any comments about Bennett being a low IQ player and i think he is definitely quicker than DWill with a quicker release on his jumper. Defense/measurements obviously remain open questions.

[Ruzious]

I think Bennett will be good to go offensively. I think he can be a Paul Millsap type scorer once he refines his skills. Maybe a more athletic and forceful finisher around the rim. But I think there could be some defensive problems with Bennett. Who does he guard? You have to put him on a big man IMO. 7'1 wingspan suggests a solid standing reach and he's got a build that looks like it can get pretty strong. If he can get to where he can play strong positional D, then he'll be alright.

I like that description. I think the major advantage he's got over DWill is that he's a forceful powerhouse around the rim. He's more aggressive. I think the best player to compare him to stylistically is David West - even though their measurements might not be similar.

[dandrews]

Re: Bennett vs Beasley vs Dwill

Beasley is an idiot. He is a career 35% shooter from 3 and finishes well inside which is what you are looking for in a stretch 4. However he loves contested 2 point jumpers and rarely drives. Plus he has had to spend a lot of time at the 3.

DWill hasn't had a lot of playing time at the 4 with KLove there but his numbers this year aren't that bad. he just isn't very quick and has a slow release on his shot. He really needs to have his feet set when he shoots. While he shot well from 3 in his second college season he only attempted 2 per game so the sample size was small, and he didn't shoot them hardly at all as a freshman.

I haven't seen any comments about Bennett being a low IQ player and i think he is definitely quicker than DWill with a quicker release on his jumper. Defense/measurements obviously remain open questions.

His standing reach measurement is going to be huge. He's got the athleticism and explosiveness to overcome a short standing reach, but there's a lower bound he's got to hit, and at 6'7", it's up in the air if he will do so.

[nate33]

I think he's way more athletic than Booker. Bennett athleticism reminds me of a young Amare.

...or at least a young Paul Milsapp.

I really like what I see. He's very athletic, but not quite a freak athlete like Griffin or Booker, but he's extremely skilled and fluid. He is undersized, but I don't think that's going to hurt too much in today's game. These days, lots of PF's get by with being undersized. His lack of size will hurt us in help defense, but I don't think it's going to hurt his man defense or his offense all that much. He looks like he's carrying a little extra weight. He could probably trim up a bit and be even more athletic.

My biggest question is the strength of competition. At UNLV, he's not exactly playing the nation's powerhouses. If he continues his production through the season against top tier competition, I'll be sold. I think he could have a real productive NBA career. His stats are terrific for a freshman and I really think his game will mesh great with our team. He's got the outside shot to be a stretch four, and he can create his own shot from a face-up position - those are our two biggest needs on offense.

[Knighthonor]

(BLEEP)!(BLEEP)!(BLEEP)!(BLEEP)!(BLEEP)!(BLEEP)!(BLEEP)! Gott (BLEEP) it! Noel down!!!!

[AFM]

I'm so confused over who to draft.
Another PG?
A SF?
A big to replace aging Nene/Okafor?

God....

I still like Shabazz. He fills our biggest gap (scoring). I also admit to not watching that much college ball this year, Props to CCJ Ruzious and Dat for dropping that knowledge.

[dangermouse]

I'd take Noel even with the knee.

Then probably Otto Porter. Or McLemore, why the hell not? Another SG I know, but he can fill it up and defend, it wouldn't hurt us. Plus, trade bait.

I need to see more of Bennett.

Shabazz, Shaschmazz. Completely soured on him. I don't think he is tough enough to play SF either. He can score but right now I don't think he is strong or athletic enough to where it is going to carry over to the NBA. I'd love to be wrong about the guy if he is our man, but I'd prefer Porter at the wing, who could be like a rich man's Ariza/Batum.

[stevemcqueen1]

I'm so confused over who to draft.
Another PG?
A SF?
A big to replace aging Nene/Okafor?

God....

I still like Shabazz. He fills our biggest gap (scoring). I also admit to not watching that much college ball this year, Props to CCJ Ruzious and Dat for dropping that knowledge.

You take the BPA. Which will hopefully be a big man. Long term, we're built around two guards. Pairing two guards with a high quality big man is a classic construction IMO. Very balanced. PG + big + do it all wing.

But the cards might not fall that way. I'm hoping the draft plays out the way Chad Ford has it ranked, so that the guys who help us the least all get taken and push the guys we need the most down into our likely range. McLemore and Smart are good but don't offer a great fit. Bennett is good but I'd rather let some other team take him early.

I would love it if Shabazz or Zeller are available when we draft. Their stock is dropping because the draftniks are overreacting to the events of the college season--and ironically, Zeller is actually having a great year. They are two of the best players in the class.

[stevemcqueen1]

I'd take Noel even with the knee.

Then probably Otto Porter. Or McLemore, why the hell not? Another SG I know, but he can fill it up and defend, it wouldn't hurt us. Plus, trade bait.

I need to see more of Bennett.

Shabazz, Shaschmazz. Completely soured on him. I don't think he is tough enough to play SF either. He can score but right now I don't think he is strong or athletic enough to where it is going to carry over to the NBA. I'd love to be wrong about the guy if he is our man, but I'd prefer Porter at the wing, who could be like a rich man's Ariza/Batum.

Shabazz is good. He's pretty strong and pretty athletic. I don't have physical questions with him. He's a lot better than Porter for me and I think depending on what teams each go to, he'll be better than McLemore. McLemore is going to need to end up on a team with a PG. Shabazz could go to any terrible team and work out.

[Ruzious]

I'm increasingly less impressed with Muhammad. It bothers me that his team under-achieves and that he doesn't do anything to stop that. He finally had a game where he did something other than score in last night's game, but he shot poorly, and his team was beaten easily. I know he loves to score, but what else? Meanwhile, Porter does everything else better, and his eFG% and TS% are both better - and he's taller and longer. Porter has passed Bazz.

[stevemcqueen1]

I'm increasingly less impressed with Muhammad. It bothers me that his team under-achieves and that he doesn't do anything to stop that. He finally had a game where he did something other than score in last night's game, but he shot poorly, and his team was beaten easily. I know he loves to score, but what else? Meanwhile, Porter does everything else better, and his eFG% and TS% are both better - and he's taller and longer. Porter has passed Bazz.

You're not drafting UCLA or Georgetown though. You're only drafting the player and the skills he brings to the table. Many Howland players have ended up better Pros too, I'm not sure UCLA is a good spot for the one and done set.

The only significant advantages Porter has over Shabazz are height and rebounding. Those are important, but they don't outweigh the advantages Shabazz has over Porter though. Namely, Shabazz is a much, much better athlete than Porter and he's a much more skilled scorer.

Shabazz has at least four elite scoring tools and Porter only has one, maybe two. Porter can catch and shoot and he can score around the basket, particularly on putbacks, but it's all below the rim stuff. He's a grounded player. Shabazz can also catch and shoot at a high level, especially from the corners and the FT line extended. That alone makes him a nice fit for us. But he can also score on dribble pull ups from mid range, drive the basket and finish strong, and he can score from the high post on a nice jump hook. He's the most gifted and complete inside-outside scorer in the class.

He's also got an NBA ready body and is powerful for his position like MKG was around 220+ pounds. He's fast and a good leaper. He's also got a great motor. A star player's motor and passion for the game. He's out there killing himself every possession working to get open all 35 seconds of the shot clock.

Porter will never be more than a high quality role player in the NBA IMO. He's not a good enough athlete and he doesn't have that top notch scoring tool kit to be a star wing man. He can be a glue man and a good starting SF/PF. Tayshaun Prince and Nic Batum are really nice projections for him. There isn't a team in the league that wouldn't love to have players like that. But Shabazz can be a star. Like a stronger and more athletic Manu, or a more athletic and aggressive (scoring-oriented) James Harden.

Bazz has had a rough year. He got hurt in the summer, then got declared ineligible, then he got the flu and lost a ton of weight. He's exactly the type of player that explodes in the NBA after underwhelming during the college season and everyone says, "damn, we had it right at the beginning of the year. He was a no-brainer, what were we thinking?"

[Ruzious]

Steve, no matter what team a player's on, he's gotta show he can help his team win - especially a player who's supposed to be a star. Muhammad hasn't done that by any stretch, and Porter has. Porter is more an above the rim player than Bazz. Bazz is shorter and not any more athletic than Porter. And if a player has these "4 elite scoring tools" compared to 1, prove it by scoring more efficiently. Bazz has scored LESS efficiently. You use the word passion for Bazz, but he hasn't shown even the slightest bit of passion for anything other than shooting. Unfortunately for you and other fans of his, basketball isn't just about shooting, and it's not a platoon sport, so he can't sit out on defense. It's ridiculous to say that Porter isn't a better defender than Bazz. There's no comparison - Porter is far better and actually shows passion on that side of the ball. Porter's also a better passer and understands how to use his length to create passing lanes. Bazz doesn't do passing. I don't know if I've seen a shot-creator who creates so little for his teammates. Even selfish players like Allan Iverson and Jerry Stackhouse would occasionally set up their teammates. And Bazz has shooters around him to pass to. I have no doubt that he score in the NBA, but guess what - scoring and doing nothing else won't cut it. You and I agree that BPA is the way to go, right? The P doesn't stand for Shooter or Scorer or even Platoon player; it stands for Player. And P stands for a long Paragraph. Sorry about that.

[DCsOwn]

I'm also very high on Porter (I'll add the qualifier that I'm a Gtown Law grad that grew up in the city and I've been a fan of the team since the early 90s, but I think most people can discern from my posting history that I'm not predisposed to preferring Georgetown players for the Wizards over any other program's player, at least not if there is an appreciable gap between the aforementioned group(s). I love my Hoyas, but I view the Wizards and Gtown bball program as two completely separate entities within my fandom and I'd be content with negligible intermixing unless is was mutually beneficial to both programs/organizations.) But as it pertains to Porter, I wouldnt be surprised at all if his athletic numbers at the Combine surprise a few people. He does play an under-control, highly efficient game that typically obscures his athletic prowess, but myriad times this season he's flashed very good leaping ability and above average speed in the open court. When you combine that with his height and length, he projects as a well above average prospect from a physical perspective imo.

What I really love about Porter though is his rapid rate of improvement. I watched him in the Jordan Brand classic prior to arriving at Gtown and he really struggled with the level of competition in that game. His struggles were mainly a function of not playing AAU ball and therefore not being acclimated to the elevated level of talent he faced that day, but he had a difficult day nonetheless. He had a solid freshman year and demonstrated enough that most people affiliated with the program saw the rudiments of a special player, but he's really taken off this season. He's improved in every area, quickly developed into the number one option on what'll likely be a top ten team next week if they beat Cincinnati tonight and both tangibly and intangibly, he's demonstrated a very complete game that he'll undoubtedly continue to burnish over time given his apparent work ethic. He's not perfect, but he's already improved so drastically that it wouldn't surprised me at all to see him develop into a 18-20 ppg scorer in the league with the ability to affect the game at the next level in every dept. He also has captain/team leader characteristics, and if he were united with Wall and Beal, it would give us a triumvirate of really talented, tremendously professional kids to build around going forward.

[tontoz]

I don't think Bazz is that athletic. He looks undersized for the 3 and doesn't do much other than score. I will be curious to see his combine numbers but right now i am definitely not sold on him.