Official 2013 Draft Thread - Part VI

[stevemcqueen1]

we should keep our 2014 pick... trading future picks is stupid especially since we are a couple injuries away from being in the lottery again.

It's not that simple. If we're healthy, then we're going to make the playoffs and next year's pick will have very low value.

If you could turn next year's pick and some change into a player like Len, Zeller, or Bennett, then you have to consider it IMO.

[Dark Faze]

Of course Bennett looks good driving to the hoop. He's significantly stronger than most of those small PF's and centers in college, especially in that terrible conference.

You simply can't rely on overpowering guys in the NBA though. Guys are developed, stronger, a bunch of other things I've said countless times about why tweeners dominate the college game like prime Shaq did the NBA.

I mean, you could put Kawhi Leonard on Bennett and I don't think he scores on him. The SF's are that strong in the NBA. And Bennett doesn't have the handle or anywhere near the speed to drive past strong SF's like LeBron, Kawhi, Ariza, etc.

And he isn't going to overpower PF's like David West, Nene, Boozer..

That's my problem with Bennett. If he isn't overpowering guys then is his jumpshot good enough to cover his defensive woes? Probably not--As guys like Williams and Beasley have proven..

[sfam]

Good post. But if you look at everything, is Blake an ideal measure of comparison considering he's more of an outlier in terms of guys with his length translating to the next level? Blake Griffin IMO is a freak of nature athlete much in the LeBron James mold, but lacking comparable perimeter skills. Are we saying Bennett is in the same ballpark in terms of being in that rarified air as a athlete???

Blake's defense was also talked about at length at the time he was going through the process. It was a concern to many. I remember Blake and even his coach addressing it going so far as to say they needed him to stay in games and not risk foul trouble. For me and others, we gave him the benefit of the doubt because Blake's character seemed impeccable. No one ever questioned his maturity or work ethic. He was always held in high regard in terms of being the ultimate effort and energy guy. Can we say the same thing about Bennett? I don't think so.

Help me understand. Where is the evidence for questioning Bennett's maturity? I have seen nothing on this, yet somehow the perception that he's a potential bad egg in need of special care has perpetuated itself.

[verbal8]

we should keep our 2014 pick... trading future picks is stupid especially since we are a couple injuries away from being in the lottery again.

It's not that simple. If we're healthy, then we're going to make the playoffs and next year's pick will have very low value.

If you could turn next year's pick and some change into a player like Len, Zeller, or Bennett, then you have to consider it IMO.

Due to rawness and injury Len may essentially be a 2014 pick. I think he is a better idea than even a late lotto pick in 2014. Definitely a lot more upside than say Mitch McGary.

[sfam]

I don't think Bennett has a low BBall IQ. He finds the ball and he's got fantastic scoring instincts plus he's a very efficient offensive player. He just doesn't know how to play big man D yet and he is raw playing off the ball. The natural feel for the game is there though.

To me, Bennett has terrific BBIQ on the offensive end - like off the charts good. This combined with his athletics and size is what makes him such a unique prospect.

[montestewart]

Of course Bennett looks good driving to the hoop. He's significantly stronger than most of those small PF's and centers in college, especially in that terrible conference.

You simply can't rely on overpowering guys in the NBA though. Guys are developed, stronger, a bunch of other things I've said countless times about why tweeners dominate the college game like prime Shaq did the NBA.

I mean, you could put Kawhi Leonard on Bennett and I don't think he scores on him. The SF's are that strong in the NBA. And Bennett doesn't have the handle or anywhere near the speed to drive past strong SF's like LeBron, Kawhi, Ariza, etc.

And he isn't going to overpower PF's like David West, Nene, Boozer..

That's my problem with Bennett. If he isn't overpowering guys then is his jumpshot good enough to cover his defensive woes? Probably not--As guys like Williams and Beasley have proven..

Most players, even top picks, have a period of adjustment when they rise to the NBA and start regularly facing (as a group) the best, fastest, strongest, most athletic basketball players in the world. If the player isn't LeBJ, Duncan, etc., the question is how will that player adjust? I don't know the answer regarding Bennet, and that's part of my wariness regarding the Wizards drafting him so high, but it's not a given that he can't adjust.

[montestewart]

Dupe post

[sfam]

Of course Bennett looks good driving to the hoop. He's significantly stronger than most of those small PF's and centers in college, especially in that terrible conference.

You simply can't rely on overpowering guys in the NBA though. Guys are developed, stronger, a bunch of other things I've said countless times about why tweeners dominate the college game like prime Shaq did the NBA.

I mean, you could put Kawhi Leonard on Bennett and I don't think he scores on him. The SF's are that strong in the NBA. And Bennett doesn't have the handle or anywhere near the speed to drive past strong SF's like LeBron, Kawhi, Ariza, etc.

And he isn't going to overpower PF's like David West, Nene, Boozer..

That's my problem with Bennett. If he isn't overpowering guys then is his jumpshot good enough to cover his defensive woes? Probably not--As guys like Williams and Beasley have proven..

You're selling Bennett short. He absolutely scores on Leonard. Bennett's handle is terrific for his size, as is his first step. Against PF's he's going to be deadly. Its totally reasonable to be worried about the guy's injuries or D, but wow, if you don't think Bennett's offense doesn't translate to the NBA, you probably doubt everyone's offense.

[stevemcqueen1]

Everyone here is over thinking it. Fact is, Zeller(assuming his perimeter game is for real) will be a starting PF in this league for a long time. Bennett at worse is Jamison (look at his advanced stats from 2000-09 and tell me he sucks) and could even be a LJ/Melo hybrid. Porter is going to play 15 years in this league and probably find his way to 2-3 rings along the way while being highly efficient and smart. Even a wild card like Len will end being a top 10-15 center in the league easy. He is too big, nimble, and hardworking to bust. It just depends on if he is closer to 15...or 5.

EG really can't lose. I tell you though...I really believe one of them slips to 8. I'd love to do a trade built around the #3 and Nene to DET for #8 and monroe (other considerations added of course). Or even a 3 way with detroit taking on salary to get the 13 from the Mavs to then do #3 for #8 and #13..but we'll see. The pistons really need someone who can play with Knight, or a legit 3(Porter)

Well, we're the Wizards. We can ALWAYS lose.

Though I agree with your point that each of Len, Bennett, Porter, and Zeller could be a great pick for us. All of them have talent and fill a big need.

But I still worry more about Len and Bennett than Zeller and Porter. Len's foot injury is serious and Bennett has gotten dinged too. And I still think there could be some compatibility issues between Wittman and Bennett.

Though I personally prefer Porter and Zeller, if we get Bennett, I'll hope for the best and be genuinely excited about his talent. He's a ton of fun to watch. I enjoyed watching him play this season more than anyone else in the class. Same for Len and his foot, I'll hope he becomes the next Valanciunas and stays healthy. If someone else drafts him, I'll probably rag on him until he proves he's good.

[doclinkin]

^ Bennet definitely flash the Blatche, 'splay the Dray and might go full engulfed in Baltche from time to time.

Not selfish so much as doesn't know better.

Agreed, I've never really questioned his attitude. I have no idea about that. But what I do get is that he's a bit immature, really still a kid at heart. I do worry about how serious he is, especially considering his effort on defense last year but I definitely don't think he's a bad kid.

My opinion on drafting him won't change however until I get some clarity on his standing reach.

I also look at Bennett's slightly puffy appearance as both a positive and a negative. The fact that he could put up such good numbers despite a less than ideal physique suggest he could improve physically with a proper conditioning program. (It also suggests that he might not work hard enough on his body.)

He's young, if he's immature that's one of those things that is occasionally cured by time, and coaching. And he and Olynyk will likely earn time on Team Canada in the offseason, working on fundamentals for the international game. Defense especially.

His standing reach will measure pretty well. He's a torso-neck and I was concerned that his wingspan was more the width of his shoulders than arm length but rewatching carefuly you can see the ridiculous extension of his arms when he rises to dunk.

Truth is to me the greater concern than his height and even predilection towards or against defense is his asthma and injury history. This is what is suggested to me by his marshmallowy affect. He may not be ABLE to really dial in and force the issue on fitness because exercise induced asthma may be what holds him back. Similarly his inability to maintain effort and energy on defense may be because he is conserving his wind. If I'm running a team I'd have to have a brutally honest assessment of his lungs before I'd commit to a future with him, since the conditioning will also have a domino effect on preventing future injuries etc. He may not have the stamina to play at both ends, or to tune his body to prevent nagging injuries.

Love his talent, Rodney Rogers was mentioned as an antecedent and I like the comparison (not Corliss who was always a hard worker on defense) though this 'Tony Bennet of Las Vegas kid is a quicker more athletic version than RodRog. Rodney Rogers had a year or so averaging 15 and 6, and even sharing the ball with Wall and Beal I could see Bennet stringing together a few years at that level -- especially given the need for a ranged 4 in todays NBA. He would not be forced into a 6th man role in the way that Rogers was back in the era of 'Force basketball' to use Pat Riley's phrase. Rodney Rogers posts career per36 numbers of exactly that 15 and 6, he just rarely was on court for more than 25 minutes. If healthy I can see Bennet carving out more than that, consistently, given that his game gives John Wall more room to operate. He will earn the minutes --IF-- he is able to give basic effort on defense without crashing.

[WizarDynasty]

Of course Bennett looks good driving to the hoop. He's significantly stronger than most of those small PF's and centers in college, especially in that terrible conference.

You simply can't rely on overpowering guys in the NBA though. Guys are developed, stronger, a bunch of other things I've said countless times about why tweeners dominate the college game like prime Shaq did the NBA.

I mean, you could put Kawhi Leonard on Bennett and I don't think he scores on him. The SF's are that strong in the NBA. And Bennett doesn't have the handle or anywhere near the speed to drive past strong SF's like LeBron, Kawhi, Ariza, etc.

And he isn't going to overpower PF's like David West, Nene, Boozer..

That's my problem with Bennett. If he isn't overpowering guys then is his jumpshot good enough to cover his defensive woes? Probably not--As guys like Williams and Beasley have proven..

there is only one player in the nba who has the explosive first step, and handle with both hands, and size of bennett and that's carmelo anthony. I think it's safe to assume, Bennett is a top five pick. What do you with Bennett when he has to guard a 6'11 player in the post. He is going to have the same problems that booker has. I think bennett has better lower body strenth but the same problems we see with booker are what we will see with Bennett. The good is that Bennett will destroy his man on the offensive End and wear down the 6'11 eleven p/f trying to guard him out in space and force him to foul out. Bennett is going to win the overall battle at powerforward most nights and he will shift the balance against non offensive small forwards each night because i don't think even lebron jame has the footspeed to stop bennett after trying to challenge his three point shot on a john wall kickout. Once bennett has the angle to the basket, nudges are not going to knock him off balance. Porter has not shown explosiveness or the ability to absorb contact on drives.
Big issue with Bennett like everyone says is, injury history. the good thing is that the injuries aren't to his knees, feet, or ankles. Those are the red flags.

[theboomking]

EG really can't lose. I tell you though...I really believe one of them slips to 8. I'd love to do a trade built around the #3 and Nene to DET for #8 and monroe (other considerations added of course). Or even a 3 way with detroit taking on salary to get the 13 from the Mavs to then do #3 for #8 and #13..but we'll see. The pistons really need someone who can play with Knight, or a legit 3(Porter)

I love Monroe and #8 for Nene and #3. I don't think Detroit would go for it though. I think Detroit would much rather just do the #3 straight up with filler, rather than take on an older player on a bigger contract.

[Dat2U]

Help me understand. Where is the evidence for questioning Bennett's maturity? I have seen nothing on this, yet somehow the perception that he's a potential bad egg in need of special care has perpetuated itself.

He's 20 yrs old, many prospects still need to mature. I'm just saying he obviously is not as mature as some of the other prospects he's being compared to. The example I was giving was that Blake was on a different level maturity wise so it didn't make for the best comparison.

I've never called him a bad egg. That's other people. I just said in another post I don't think he's a bad guy. I've seen nothing that would indicate that. But his lack of effort on D is a red flag to me. At times he didn't even bother throwing a hand up on D or closing out on shooters. He didn't just rest on D, it looked like he didn't place any importance on it. To me that makes me wonder about his basketball character (not personal character mind you). How badly do you want to help your team win? I have to ask this question about him because he really dogged it at times.

[Ruzious]

I don't think Bennett has a low BBall IQ. He finds the ball and he's got fantastic scoring instincts plus he's a very efficient offensive player. He just doesn't know how to play big man D yet and he is raw playing off the ball. The natural feel for the game is there though.

To me, Bennett has terrific BBIQ on the offensive end - like off the charts good. This combined with his athletics and size is what makes him such a unique prospect.

One stat that gives at least a hint (though doesn't tell the whole story) of a player's BBIQ is assist/to ratio. It's an indication imo - as to whether a player makes good decisions and is careful with the ball. Bennett's was 0.9 assist vs 1.9 to's per game. Porter is a player with obviously high BBIQ. He got 2.7 assists vs 1.5 to's per game.

[sfam]

Help me understand. Where is the evidence for questioning Bennett's maturity? I have seen nothing on this, yet somehow the perception that he's a potential bad egg in need of special care has perpetuated itself.

He's 20 yrs old, many prospects still need to mature. I'm just saying he obviously is not as mature as some of the other prospects he's being compared to. The example I was giving was that Blake was on a different level maturity wise so it didn't make for the best comparison.

I've never called him a bad egg. That's other people. I just said in another post I don't think he's a bad guy. I've seen nothing that would indicate that. But his lack of effort on D is a red flag to me. At times he didn't even bother throwing a hand up on D or closing out on shooters. He didn't just rest on D, it looked like he didn't place any importance on it. To me that makes me wonder about his basketball character (not personal character mind you). How badly do you want to help your team win? I have to ask this question about him because he really dogged it at times.

Just as long as you knock the rest of the 19-20 year olds for maturity issues. Did you hit Beal up for this? Again, I get the concern with the D thing. That's a real issue. As a broader point though, meaning broader than responding to your post, I just think we're doing the kid a discredit by overstating the concern or adding potential reasons like immaturity without evidence.

[sfam]

If I could only become this marshmellowy...in my dreams


I think he's just built more like a tank than marshmellowy. He does have a doughy face, but he seems somewhat muscular to me. His athletics aren't a mirage based on poor conditioning.

[pancakes3]

I don't want to call these "red flags" but for me, these 3 questions about Bennett put Porter ahead. (note, preferring Porter is not the same as hating on Bennett.)

1 - How does a 5-star McDonalds all-American end up at "only" UNLV?
2 - Why is he a year older than he should be?
3 - Do you see him as a long-term solution at PF or SF?
a) if PF, moreso than Nene who's signed long term?
b) if SF, moreso than what Porter brings to the table with his superior perimeter skills?

[Dark Faze]

sfam, the reasons I doubt his offense transfers over is because of how much he relies on strength and speed that, while overpowering in the college game, will simply be okay in the NBA.

I don't think he's versatile enough offensively. The way guys just bounce off of him so he can get put backs and standing dunks right under the rim--no way that happens more than a couple of times a game against the NBA trees. In order to dominate with your strength as a PF you need either length (to finish over guys once you make the initial contact) ala Amare or skill (post moves) Carl Landry. Since Bennett is undersized without a post game I don't think the offense translates well outside of jumpshots (which is an unreliable statistic given the sample size).

I mean, he's not taller/longer than most PF's who guard him. Forget even if he can do squat defensively against them, but is he really stronger than Nene, David West, Duncan, Josh Smith, etc? I seriously doubt that. And for the longer guys that he IS stronger than--Garnett, Bosh, Gasol, can he really finish above their length with efficiency and consistency?

The only thing I'm certain that will translate with Bennett offensively is his transition abilities. He'll be amazing at running the floor. But I can't say that I see him being a good isolation guy. Basically Booker with a jumper.

[nuposse04]

I think when trying to gauge how much of a liability Bennett can potentially be...it would be wiser to gauge how he would fair against PF's of the future. I don't take into account guys like West because they should be non factors in 2-3 years when we should be able to make a legitimate run.

How many true low post PFs are in the eastern conference? There are a few...

T. Thompson. Monroe (although he shoots more I think). LBJ, melo. Maybe Horford as well depending on which direction ATL goes in.

I think the fact that the NBA is getting smaller helps both Bennett and Zeller. If you told me to pick between one of them...I'd probably go Bennett just cause he has better core strength IMO and I still see a rich mans Jason Smith in Zeller.

Personally, I think addressing Center is more pressing. I understand wanting a stretch 4...but there will be some outright dominant centers coming up IMO. Hibbert could be an issue for years to come, as will Drummond, Vucevic, Val, Noah, Lopez.

[AFM]

That's not fair. Booker with a jumper? Bennett has a great handle. Trying to remember the last time Bennett took a guy off the dribble.