Official 2013 Draft Thread - Part II

[DMVleGeND]

I got a warning from Google Chrome (Mac) not to proceed to the DX site because it contains known malware, anyone get this message or encounter any problems after visiting DX?

I got that message too. I haven't clicked on the site yet though.

[nuposse04]

So semi relevant thought here. The biggest knock against Porter is what appears to be a clear lack of explosive leaping ability. He doesn't seem slow laterally and has excellent length and a frame that seems could add weight.

In the game last night, Melo went up for a dunk, but it looked like to me...he got like a foot of air on that dunk. While Melo has an elite first step I think things like that should point to the fact you don't necessarily need absurd leaping ability to be an elite 3 in the NBA (or 4 depending on how they use melo).

While I don't think Porter will be the scorer Melo is, I do think he can be all around better player. He hits the boards well (something this team really needs with the amount of offensive rebounds we give up in critical situations) passes very well, and has pretty damn good offensive instincts.

I think I might be hyping myself up for this guy more than I ought to.

[stevemcqueen1]

I'm not saying he's the next Jordan. I'm just saying I don't wanna be the Portland Trailblazers and end up with Bowie over Jordan because I just drafted Drexler.

Do you really think Oladipo will be the next Jordan?

I doubt I'll ever see another Jordan for the rest of my life.

[stevemcqueen1]

So semi relevant thought here. The biggest knock against Porter is what appears to be a clear lack of explosive leaping ability. He doesn't seem slow laterally and has excellent length and a frame that seems could add weight.

In the game last night, Melo went up for a dunk, but it looked like to me...he got like a foot of air on that dunk. While Melo has an elite first step I think things like that should point to the fact you don't necessarily need absurd leaping ability to be an elite 3 in the NBA (or 4 depending on how they use melo).

While I don't think Porter will be the scorer Melo is, I do think he can be all around better player. He hits the boards well (something this team really needs with the amount of offensive rebounds we give up in critical situations) passes very well, and has pretty damn good offensive instincts.

I think I might be hyping myself up for this guy more than I ought to.

I think you are too. I'd be stunned if Porter ends up being as good as Melo, much less better. Melo is a superstar, one of the three best scorers in the NBA, a key Olympian, a perennial All Star starter, and a meal ticket player that can carry any team he's on to the playoffs every year of his career. Melo as a freshman was a much better collegiate player than Porter is as a sophomore. He led his team to a national championship and was one of the sensational freshman NBA prospects like Derrick Rose and Kevin Durant. He was NBA ready too, much stronger and more athletic than Porter, and a much better all around scorer. He was obviously the best CBB prospect that season and should have gone #2 overall in one of the top heaviest classes in history.

Porter is more like Shane Battier than Melo and this class is more like 2001 than 2003. Battier is an unspectacular player, but he's a winner who basically takes nothing off the table and every team in the league would like to have him. He rebounds, can spot up shoot, is unselfish, and defends multiple positions at a high level.

It's hard to say how good a defender Porter is going to be. He's got excellent length for the three but you can't tell how good he really is in Georgetown's zone D. He's not a great athlete and he's not strong but he's smart and can play passing lanes well. Ultimately, I'd be a little surprised if he gets as good defensively as Battier but I think he's a more natural scorer than Battier and has better upside on that side of the ball.

[AFM]

I was just goofing around on DX. Deuce Bello has a freakish body. 6 foot 3 with a 6 foot 11 wingspan.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7e_gbT1U0Cs[/youtube]

his mixtape is worth a quick viewing

Dude is SUPER raw though. He's an athlete learning how to play basketball. All he can do is dunk.

Yes, but enough about John Wall

[stevemcqueen1]

McLemore is going off. 19 first half points.

[Dat2U]

I don't think he's what you would call a one dimensional player. And I don't think he's as big a risk as you're making out. Of all the players in the class, he's the most readily translatable to the NBA. NBA ready body, clear NBA level athleticism, NBA ready offensive skills. You can't say the same about Porter for instance.

I don't think he's a one dimensional player. JJ Redick is a one dimensional player. Shabazz is multidimensional just in his scoring.

I also think this reputation of selfishness you see being batted around is undeserved. I think draftniks are talking themselves out of the guy who is pretty clearly the most NBA ready and translatable perimeter player in the class.

Clear NBA level athleticism? Uh, ok I guess. If Shabazz has clear NBA athleticism, so does Porter. To be honestly it's really debatable. But Shabazz doesn't wow me as an athlete. Shabazz also doesn't have a clearly defined position IMO. He seems like a 2/3.

I don't think Shabazz is a bust waiting to happen necessarily, I'm just not seeing an all-star or major difference maker. I'm seeing a high volume shooter/scorer on middlin' efficiency who can get you 15-17 a night if you give him enough shots. I'm not seeing a good defender or passer either. He's just a scorer... that's where the one dimensional comments are coming from.

[stevemcqueen1]

Deniz Kilicic (sp?) is a GOON! That guy has to be close to 300 pounds of solid muscle. I wonder where he's projected? Haven't heard a ton about him as a prospect so I have no clue. If he were to declare and be available in the second round, I'd definitely consider him. Maybe you're finding the next Nikola Pekovic or Kosta Koufos?

[stevemcqueen1]

Holy crap McLemore is having a great game! He is just having a huge impact all around. He could go for 40 if Self keeps him in the game.

[stevemcqueen1]

McLemore with 31 points on 13 shots now...



6 boards and 4 assists too. This is the most remarkable individual performance for any prospect I've seen this season by far.

[nuposse04]

So semi relevant thought here. The biggest knock against Porter is what appears to be a clear lack of explosive leaping ability. He doesn't seem slow laterally and has excellent length and a frame that seems could add weight.

In the game last night, Melo went up for a dunk, but it looked like to me...he got like a foot of air on that dunk. While Melo has an elite first step I think things like that should point to the fact you don't necessarily need absurd leaping ability to be an elite 3 in the NBA (or 4 depending on how they use melo).

While I don't think Porter will be the scorer Melo is, I do think he can be all around better player. He hits the boards well (something this team really needs with the amount of offensive rebounds we give up in critical situations) passes very well, and has pretty damn good offensive instincts.

I think I might be hyping myself up for this guy more than I ought to.

I think you are too. I'd be stunned if Porter ends up being as good as Melo, much less better. Melo is a superstar, one of the three best scorers in the NBA, a key Olympian, a perennial All Star starter, and a meal ticket player that can carry any team he's on to the playoffs every year of his career. Melo as a freshman was a much better collegiate player than Porter is as a sophomore. He led his team to a national championship and was one of the sensational freshman NBA prospects like Derrick Rose and Kevin Durant. He was NBA ready too, much stronger and more athletic than Porter, and a much better all around scorer. He was obviously the best CBB prospect that season and should have gone #2 overall in one of the top heaviest classes in history.

Porter is more like Shane Battier than Melo and this class is more like 2001 than 2003. Battier is an unspectacular player, but he's a winner who basically takes nothing off the table and every team in the league would like to have him. He rebounds, can spot up shoot, is unselfish, and defends multiple positions at a high level.

It's hard to say how good a defender Porter is going to be. He's got excellent length for the three but you can't tell how good he really is in Georgetown's zone D. He's not a great athlete and he's not strong but he's smart and can play passing lanes well. Ultimately, I'd be a little surprised if he gets as good defensively as Battier but I think he's a more natural scorer than Battier and has better upside on that side of the ball.

Well I don't think he'll ever be offensively better, although I think Melo is a bit overrated as a player. He's an OK defender, above average rebounder, average playmaker, fairly average athleticism outside of his first step. He has good strength though. I won't deny that melo was the more dominant collegiate athlete, but G-town's system doesn't exactly maximize Porter's offensive abilities IMO.

Shane Battier is an interesting comparison...he's arguably one of the best "glue" guys in modern NBA history, but I see that as kind of a slight to Porter. Although I hate Shane since he's a dookie and a flopper so I'd rather he not be associated with him.

Porter weighs 205 right now, I think he was 200 as a freshman, and he's still a teenager if I think right, I don't see why he can't fill out to be about 225 in a couple years. I haven't seen the clear lack of strength this year either, he goes and gets rebounds in traffic and plays damn good D when asked to guard 4s. I actually am not sure who would be a good modern day comparison, I wish I was a bit older than 25, or that I started watching basketball before 2000-01 cause I can't exactly put my thumb on who he resembles the most.

I see his floor being like a bigger Afflalo, with a ceiling of being a better shooting Paul George crossed with Batum(batum's passing is underrated around the league IMO) sans the hyper leaping ability.

[nate33]

Holy crap McLemore is having a great game! He is just having a huge impact all around. He could go for 40 if Self keeps him in the game.

Very impressive. He now has 31 on 10-12 shooting, 7-9 from the line, 4-5 from 3. But I'm even more impressed with him getting 5 assists on a night when he is shooting so well.

[nate33]

I see his floor being like a bigger Afflalo, with a ceiling of being a better shooting Paul George crossed with Batum(batum's passing is underrated around the league IMO) sans the hyper leaping ability.

Another name that comes to mind is Tayshaun Prince, only he'll probably fill out a bit more so he'll be a better rebounder. And he may already be a better 3-point shooter.

[nate33]

Holy crap McLemore is having a great game! He is just having a huge impact all around. He could go for 40 if Self keeps him in the game.

Very impressive. He now has 31 on 10-12 shooting, 7-9 from the line, 4-5 from 3. But I'm even more impressed with him getting 5 assists on a night when he is shooting so well.

Withey has 12 points, 8 rebounds and 8 blocks.

[stevemcqueen1]

Clear NBA level athleticism? Uh, ok I guess. If Shabazz has clear NBA athleticism, so does Porter. To be honestly it's really debatable. But Shabazz doesn't wow me as an athlete. Shabazz also doesn't have a clearly defined position IMO. He seems like a 2/3.

I think Shabazz is clearly a much better athlete than Porter. Bazz is a powerful player for his position with a great first few steps and explosive leaping ability. He can really get up off the floor and throw it down in impressive fashion. Porter isn't that kind of powerful presence, he's a little awkward looking, a little uncoordinated, and he's not a leaper. Bazz will be an above average athlete for his position in the NBA IMO.

I think a lot of people are sleeping on his athleticism because he's been slowed with some injuries and health problems this season. His body has fluctuated a lot this season after getting hurt in the summer and gaining a ton of weight then getting sick in February and losing a ton of weight. I still don't think he's quite right although he's been getting better recently. Look where he was last year though.

Also I agree he's a 2/3 tweener but I think there is a clear place for players like him in the NBA. James Harden, Joe Johnson, and Manu Ginobli are all recent examples of wings about the same size as him who have been All Stars playing a similar 2/3 tweener role.

His position is just as a pure wing, which is definitely doable in today's perimeter oriented NBA where the SFs are out on the 3 pt line a ton of the time. For our situation specifically, lineups would be kind of small with him and Wall and Beal but they'd be fast and athletic and very potent offensively.

I don't think Shabazz is a bust waiting to happen necessarily, I'm just not seeing an all-star or major difference maker. I'm seeing a high volume shooter/scorer on middlin' efficiency who can get you 15-17 a night if you give him enough shots. I'm not seeing a good defender or passer either. He's just a scorer... that's where the one dimensional comments are coming from.

What are the expectations here? A guy who can score effectively inside and outside from everywhere on the court, be a big weapon in transition or in ISO half court situations is a one dimensional player? Most of the NBA should be so lucky, and no other perimeter player in the class is as good and complete a scorer as Shabazz is. As for his passing, sure he's not a natural facilitator and is probably not going to be a 4 or 5 APG wing. Not many are though. He's a finisher and his passing isn't the weakness people are making it out to be. It's not like he throws it out of bounds every time he goes to pass it and it's not like every time his hands touch the ball he hoists up a shot.

I think your 15-17 PPG volume scorer projection is extremely conservative. I think he'll beat those expectations as a rookie if he gets starter's minutes. He's a future #1 option for a team that can be the featured scorer very early in his career because of how advanced his skill level already is. A player with his motor and his skills is going to score a ton of points and I think he's a safer bet to be a 20 PPG scorer than anyone else in the class.

[stevemcqueen1]

I think McLemore's day was over when he came out with about 5 minutes to go. 36 points on 15 shots. Ridiculous. I wish Self had let him get to 40.

He's a remarkable shooter pure and simple. He pretty much makes every open jumper he takes from everywhere on the floor.

The best part was how he got going early though. He was driving the ball inside and getting to the FT line.

And then the baseline drives for dunks and the alley oops are stunning displays of athleticism.

He looks like he's going to be really good. Like a Beal clone only an even better athlete and a more consistent shooter. Not the motor or all around impact Beal has though.

I don't think we could get the most out of him though since he'd have to come off the bench probably. Probably have to draft him and use him as trade bait.

[nate33]

I think McLemore's day was over when he came out with about 5 minutes to go. 36 points on 15 shots. Ridiculous. I wish Self had let him get to 40.

He's a remarkable shooter pure and simple. He pretty much makes every open jumper he takes from everywhere on the floor.

The best part was how he got going early though. He was driving the ball inside and getting to the FT line.

And then the baseline drives for dunks and the alley oops are stunning displays of athleticism.

He looks like he's going to be really good. Like a Beal clone only an even better athlete and a more consistent shooter. Not the motor or all around impact Beal has though.

I don't think we could get the most out of him though since he'd have to come off the bench probably. Probably have to draft him and use him as trade bait.

I'm rooting for him to continue to play well so he ends up as a #1 or #2 overall pick, knocking other top prospects down a slot so that we can draft them.

We are still sitting at 18 wins, 2 fewer than the 4th worst team with only 15 games to go. If Nene remains out, we might finish with the 3rd worst record. That'll mean we have a 46% shot at a top 3 pick, and an 83% likelihood that we pick somewhere in the top 5. If McLemore goes first and Smart goes second, we will have a real high likelihood of getting the guy we want (hopefully, Noel).

[DCsOwn]

I think McLemore's day was over when he came out with about 5 minutes to go. 36 points on 15 shots. Ridiculous. I wish Self had let him get to 40.

He's a remarkable shooter pure and simple. He pretty much makes every open jumper he takes from everywhere on the floor.

The best part was how he got going early though. He was driving the ball inside and getting to the FT line.

And then the baseline drives for dunks and the alley oops are stunning displays of athleticism.

He looks like he's going to be really good. Like a Beal clone only an even better athlete and a more consistent shooter. Not the motor or all around impact Beal has though.

I don't think we could get the most out of him though since he'd have to come off the bench probably. Probably have to draft him and use him as trade bait.

Great game for McLemore today, but you do realize that he's shot terribly recently (35 percent from the field over his last four games before today), and his coach was on record before today's game as being extremely frustrated with McLemore's unwillingness to step forward in crucial moments recently?

Also, I'm not sure it makes sense to call very many people on this planet a more consistent shooter than a kid shooting 50 percent from 3 point range in the NBA for better than two months with a 46% average from the field, certainly not a kid that has had struggles away from Allen Fieldhouse and hasn't proven his range from NBA 3 point distance.

[stevemcqueen1]

Well I don't think he'll ever be offensively better, although I think Melo is a bit overrated as a player. He's an OK defender, above average rebounder, average playmaker, fairly average athleticism outside of his first step. He has good strength though. I won't deny that melo was the more dominant collegiate athlete, but G-town's system doesn't exactly maximize Porter's offensive abilities IMO.

Shane Battier is an interesting comparison...he's arguably one of the best "glue" guys in modern NBA history, but I see that as kind of a slight to Porter. Although I hate Shane since he's a dookie and a flopper so I'd rather he not be associated with him.

Porter weighs 205 right now, I think he was 200 as a freshman, and he's still a teenager if I think right, I don't see why he can't fill out to be about 225 in a couple years. I haven't seen the clear lack of strength this year either, he goes and gets rebounds in traffic and plays damn good D when asked to guard 4s. I actually am not sure who would be a good modern day comparison, I wish I was a bit older than 25, or that I started watching basketball before 2000-01 cause I can't exactly put my thumb on who he resembles the most.

I actually think Melo typically gets underrated as a player considering he's pretty much been in the same class as Wade and Kobe his entire career as a player but rarely gets mentioned as such. That's a discussion for another thread though.

Battier isn't a slight on Porter. He was a 6th overall pick and a tremendous collegiate player. Porter probably won't come out with a resume as good as Battier's was unless he goes back for another season, but Battier played all four years. And he didn't seize a starring role for Duke until he was a JR whereas Porter is a year ahead of him.

I also think Battier has been a great Pro, but I think Porter will be a better offensive player. He's got a very good mid range game and he can hit the three ball too so he's not going to be just a three and D player like Battier typically has been. But he's also probably not going to be an elite level defender like Battier has been, especially in his prime in Memphis and Houston.

The glue man comparison is exactly what I wanted to make with Porter and Battier. Battier is a scrappy and super tough and smart player who defends much bigger players and he's a very timely rebounder, like Porter. Porter is a cerebral player like him who is cut from a similar cloth. They're almost exactly the same height and length though Battier is/was bulkier and stronger. But if Porter bulks up to the mid 220s like you predict, he'll probably have a near identical build to Battier.

I see his floor being like a bigger Afflalo, with a ceiling of being a better shooting Paul George crossed with Batum(batum's passing is underrated around the league IMO) sans the hyper leaping ability.

Paul George is longer than Porter and a head and shoulders better athlete. I think that makes any comparison of them kind of fruitless. So much of what makes George so special comes from his elite physical attributes. He's a natural SG that just happens to now be 6'10. There's nothing about Porter physically that stands out. And unlike Batum and George, who are more 2/3 tweeners, Porter is a pure forward.

Porter has gotten stronger and has decent functional strength, but he's still a beanpole without a ton of strength on him yet. He couldn't come in and play extensively at the 4 yet for example. And I don't think his excellent rebounding is indicative of him being a strong player. I think it comes from him having a nose for the ball that helps him come away with rebounds outside of his area in spite of his lack of strength. He's like Kyle Anderson at UCLA in that way. He's not out there clearing out space around the basket and controlling the lane like a physical big man rebounder. But I do think he can and will get stronger and be able to play minutes at PF eventually.

[nate33]

Porter looks extremely long for 6-8. His wingspan must be at least 7-0 and his arms sit up high on his torso which should give him a favorable standing reach.