Glen Rice Jr.

[queridiculo]

Having had a chance to think this move over, I find myself more and more on board with the pick.

Seems like the high risk high reward sort of scenario, with the majority of the risk being whether Rice Jr. has truly been humbled during his DLeague stint.

There's absolutely no arguing with his talent. He's an elite athlete with good instincts with perhaps not the best decision making on and off the court.

With the knucklheads rooted out, and a core group of hard working driven youngsters in Beal, Porter and Wall, I don't see why he can't turn things around for himself and become the spark plug of the bench to spell both the SG and SF position.

The allure of the DC night life might well turn out to be Rice's biggest challenge.

[doclinkin]

Doc seems to like Rice because he gets "...a Nick Young vibe" off of him. I smiled at that!

Hah!

Nope. I like him because he's a player.

But I suspect he's got a learning disability because his body language reminds me of a guy like the Bean Burrito himself. Not a success as a student-athlete, maybe easily swayed by bad company and has a slow learning curve. Doesn't read as a thug to me, unless surrounded by thugs and bad actors. Then again Nick seems like a sweet kid, and not say, a rapist, so who knows the real truth...

Basically watching the interview video I don't come away with CCJ's angle that he's a stone cold criminal. Just a kid who made some bad decisions, but who may be vulnerable to future bad decisions unless he's surrounded by good people. Flipside, on this team we've got a good core of decent people, with a flotilla of older mentors in vets, nba 'uncles', and Georgetown Alumni in the offseason if he chooses to hang with his teammates. Hopefully he feels like he fits in and all these young guys get along.

Wall 22
GR2 22
Beal 20
Porter 20

I like that as a young core of players who can work together in the offseason and develop chemistry while learning each other's games. All are willing instinctual passers, rebounders and scorers. In Wall, Beal and Porter you have 3 hard workers, no idea about GR2 but if he's surrounded by that I suspect he's try to fit in. And evidence suggests he can learn to put in the wor and become a professional when he's backed agaisnt th e wall and faced with losing it all.

Love to add Aaron Copeland as a Stretch 4 who can tell another cautionary story.

[GhostsOfGil]

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

[popper]

How do second round contracts work? If we sign him for two years and he blows up in year two does he become a restricted free agent thereafter and would we have the right to match any offer?

[Higga]

Meh, I'm not gonna go too crazy over the Rice pick. How often do 2nd rounders make an impact anyway? The kid does have talent, but the character issues are a concern since we just rid our locker room of all our cancers. We took the safe bet in Porter in the 1st round so I'm okay with gambling in the 2nd.

[FAH1223]

How do second round contracts work? If we sign him for two years and he blows up in year two does he become a restricted free agent thereafter and would we have the right to match any offer?

Teams can only offer the MLE for first two years of a deal when he is a restricted free agent after year 2 or 3 depending on the contract

teams like Houston were able to pry away Asik and Lin because they offered a deal that had MLE money the first two years but were able to put in max money in year 3 so CHI and NYK wouldn't match.

[Liverbird]

In case you're still on the fence: http://www.bulletsforever.com/2013/6/28 ... draft-2013

The linked articles are nice as well.

[DCsOwn]

I said it earlier in the thread and I'll say it again, this kid is a big-time talent. He's a mid-first type of talent, especially if he sticks at the two, and he adds an extremely talented bench player to what's shaping up to be one of the two or three most talented young backcourts in the game.The kid has size, strength, athleticism, toughness, he can shoot it, he can pass it, he can drive it, he can post up twos, he can rebound and he is GREAT in transition. Barring injury or malfeasance he's making the team and I'm predicting right now that if this kid keeps his head on straight, this pick will be viewed as a steal in a few seasons. Very high on the kid.

[AFM]

I'm ecstatic.... didn't think the Wizards would go for a guy with his past but he's a late lottery talent IMO.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Most of the time I agree with you CCJ, but this time I like the picks. Yes like you I liked wolters but if I had the benefit of work outs would be open to other players.
In regards to noel. Five teams passed on him, sixth team picked him only to trade him. The suns with their medical know how passed on him. He has defensive potential but in the near I don't like him defensively in the post until I know he can have the weight and strength not to be backed down.. How long will that take? At 200 pounds his knees are fragile.. And 50 or something more pounds and it's disaster waiting to happen. He also will never ever be a scorer.. He'll only play one side of the game and this is why len who already has the weight required, already is a better scorer or shooter than noel with ever be went before him and rightly so. It wasn't an assessment made by us only but by others as well.

On the second round pick it guess we can squabble about it but we moved up for a player who showed exceptionally well in d league and I believe will be able to back up both wing positions. His combine numbers were good athletically with a 40 inch vert, good length. He shot a high clip from NBA three, not college three and was an efficient scorer.. He was top five in efficiency and was up there above lamb and next to almond. He is actually compared to almond who you loove.
I understand he has character issues and hope they have gone away. It seems to me that after he got those issues he did the right thing and went through the adversity without entitlement.. Like they didn't play him at first and prioritized others before him but when he got his chance he scored if I'm not mistaken 35 points and pulled down 15 rebounds (has to reconfirm) and was the best player in the finals.. Not a bad start for a second rounder who won't have any physical limitations.

I understand disappointment for not getting who we wanted but I'm not going to blame rice Jr

If you ignore his shooting issues, dismissal from the team, multiple suspensions, and the fact that many other teams passed then this pick is fine. Also ignore the associations of past teammates who also were involved in gun play, including Gilbert, who was arrested yesterday. Fine.

Fans hope the issues are okay. I say draft a worse player who doesn't demonstrate at best very poor judgement and unreliable behavior.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

...His dad was beating up his mom's BF around the same time Rice III was riding with a shooter.

This sentence gives me something to worry about -- it can be hard to ditch a family culture of violence. But...

...They passed over Muscala, Franklin, and others to get a potential gangster. Just great.

...you've got two things mixed together here. If you think "Muscala, Franklin, and others" (e.g. Wolters and maybe others too) are better players, better prospects, that's one thing. Please say which one you'd have picked. And if you think Kazemi is good enough that his availability at #54 seals the deal as a basketball mistake, say that too.

In fact, I agree w/ that pov. I was thrilled when we nabbed Wolters.

But calling Rice a "potential gangster" is a different matter altogether, CCJ. And I think it's going too far. Bad karma, if you know what I mean.

I'd rather see him as a kid w/ troubles and think about his "potential" as the idea of him getting over those troubles.

What the hell should I call anyone who gets suspended more than once by different coaches. He got thrown off the team for being in the car when a weapon was discharged.

I think the potential is there that this guys as much of a banger as Aaron Hernandez.

I have my opinion and I can be wrong but I'll be darned if I am not accurate -- dude has character issues and friends who fire guns. When I say better people I don't mean better basketball players. Give me someone worse than this guy who may well be a jackass at best. One more knucklehead from a GM who loves to draft shaky dudes.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

When these NBA GMs make their picks they don't get to pick four players. They pick one. It is easy to pick four players because your chances are 4 times higher that one of the four will work out. I think that all of you GM want to be should pick 1 player and let your reputation stand on that one selection.

So many of you throw out so many possibilities and when one or two of them hit you say that they were the ones that you would have picked. But, how about the other 8 that you mentioned who never did anything. Those are quickly forgotten and never mentioned again.

Thank you for expressing what I was trying to say in a much more concise manner.

It's so true, and I really hope my new thread idea catches on. You shouldn't be allowed to criticize our GM's moves if you aren't willing to publicly disclose your ONE pick at the time as well. CCJ has identified at least half the players in this draft as sleepers or future good players at one point in the last few weeks, it's kinda ridiculous.

I said Wolters. I hope by also saying Franklin, Jackson, Muscala, Iverson that wasn't too many for you to say that I'm not being concise.

You and others love the pick and I am being judgmental and incendiary with over-the-top criticism.

GR3 is the type of player who I would avoid. Players often have talented offspring. However, sometimes those kids deviate from being good people. Forget them being good players. This guy GOT SUSPENDED MORE THAN ONCE and then RIDES IN A CAR WITH A SHOOTER.

Just ignore that and attack me for being enthusiastic about LOTS OF OTHER PLAYERS.

I will say I don't think it's good to pick a bad seed and I will never feel too great about this kid. Great guy to bring in next to Beal and Porter. Great. Of all the dudes they could have drafted ...

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Doc seems to like Rice because he gets "...a Nick Young vibe" off of him. I smiled at that!

RockyMac -- CCJ *did* list his preferred players. Or, more important, he said he'd have *kept* Wolters and drafted Kazemi at #54 (where in fact he went). I would have done that as well. Time will tell us whether that would have been better than trading up for Rice.

Another question is whether it would have been preferable to pick Muscala in place of Wolters -- CCJ, would you have done that? Or prefer Wolters? Or 50-50 on the subject?

I didn't say I would have drafted Kazemi, but yes, I like him being picked at 54.

Wolters was the guy I wanted at 38 above every other player. I think he will produce like a top-15 pick, if not better.

Muscala will at least be a fine role player, but I expect he will become a decent stretch four. He would have also been an excellent, high-character pick at 38.

[DCZards]

What the hell should I call anyone who gets suspended more than once by different coaches. He got thrown off the team for being in the car when a weapon was discharged.

I think the potential is there that this guys as much of a banger as Aaron Hernandez.

I have my opinion and I can be wrong but I'll be darned if I am not accurate -- dude has character issues and friends who fire guns. When I say better people I don't mean better basketball players. Give me someone worse than this guy who may well be a jackass at best. One more knucklehead from a GM who loves to draft shaky dudes.

You really need to stop the hatin', ccj, it doesn't fit you, especially for a guy who claims to come from the streets of PG County. You must know guys who acted like fools as teenagers and ran with the wrong crowd yet turned their lives around. Give the kid a chance to continue to show he's a changed man. Plus he's on a team with solid vets (Okafor, Nene) and mature youngters (Beal,Porter) who will help him keep his head on straight.

Quite frankly, you're acting like a spoiled kid who didn't get his way because the guy you wanted (Wolters) got traded for another guy (Rice). Can't you just admit that at least talent and potential-wise this was a good pick by the Zards.

[Dat2U]

I'm all for giving guys 2nd chances. To me it looks like GR3 decided to make the most of his thus far with what he did last year in the DLeague. To me that's different than drafting a guy that's still a knucklehead or trading for one that still acts incredibly immature (cough, DeMarcus, cough).

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

What the hell should I call anyone who gets suspended more than once by different coaches. He got thrown off the team for being in the car when a weapon was discharged.

I think the potential is there that this guys as much of a banger as Aaron Hernandez.

I have my opinion and I can be wrong but I'll be darned if I am not accurate -- dude has character issues and friends who fire guns. When I say better people I don't mean better basketball players. Give me someone worse than this guy who may well be a jackass at best. One more knucklehead from a GM who loves to draft shaky dudes.

You really need to stop the hatin', ccj, it doesn't fit you, especially for a guy who clains to come from the streets of PG County. You must know guys who acted like fools as teenagers and ran with the wrong crowd yet turned their lives around. Give the kid a chance to continue to show that he's a changed man. Plus he's on a team with solid vets (Okafor, Nene) and mature youngters (Beal,Porter) who will help him keep his head on straight.

Can't you just admit that at least talent and potential-wise this was a good pick by the Zards. Quite frankly, you're acting like a spoiled kid who didn't get his way because the guy you wanted (Wolters) got traded for another guy (Rice).

Call me names. Attack me. Show your "class" and true colors. Tell me what I should do, how I should act, what I should believe, etc.

Bottom line is I don't like the pick and you're entitled to your opinions, DCZ.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

I'm all for giving guys 2nd chances. To me it looks like GR3 decided to make the most of his thus far with what he did last year in the DLeague. To me that's different than drafting a guy that's still a knucklehead or trading for one that still acts incredibly immature (cough, DeMarcus, cough).

How long was he in the D-League?

When was his court issue resolved, or has it been?

Chronologically, how long has he been making the best of it?

If Cousins had 34/20 in an NBA game, how is that not making the best of it? He's played 3 NBA seasons. GR 3 didn't play a full 3 months in the D-League.

Who was Cousins with that started shooting?

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

I said it earlier in the thread and I'll say it again, this kid is a big-time talent. He's a mid-first type of talent, especially if he sticks at the two, and he adds an extremely talented bench player to what's shaping up to be one of the two or three most talented young backcourts in the game.The kid has size, strength, athleticism, toughness, he can shoot it, he can pass it, he can drive it, he can post up twos, he can rebound and he is GREAT in transition. Barring injury or malfeasance he's making the team and I'm predicting right now that if this kid keeps his head on straight, this pick will be viewed as a steal in a few seasons. Very high on the kid.

Great word, malfeasance.

I hope I'm wrong. I remember Charles Barkley HATED Cousins as a draft pick. Charles generally makes good points about people but like all of us he gets it wrong.

I'm not saying I can't be wrong. On talent alone, I have said others are better players, but that could be wrong.

I HOPE you're right about this kid, DCsOwn. If he keeps his head right and plays great I will say I was wrong. I couldn't stand Wall's game for the longest and wanted him traded in the worst way. Then he proved me wrong. So, I hope this kid isn't a bad seed after all.

But just on principle I think the Wizards made a mistake. He fits the profile of just who you don't pick IMO.

[FAH1223]

PROS: NBA size, NBA range and beyond, above average shooter, ATHLETIC AS HELL

CONS: Mediocre Basketball IQ. Poor defense and shot selection. If you google Glen Rice, Jr. shooting, top results are not about his shooting.

http://www.thedreamshake.com/2013/6/1/4 ... on-rockets

[MDStar]

Wow CCJ, you're really spewing something serious at the kid.

John 8:7 - "All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!"

What's up with the judgement? He's 22 and had some issues in college. Which in this day in age is a red flag, but its not like he wasn't punished for it. He was kicked off the team, lost his schalorship, scrutinzed in the media, and almost lost his future in basketball. However, from all accounts, he's learned from his past and worked his butt off over the past year to get himself right. I commend him for that because there are so many others, who the story doesn't end as well.

Now I will never have the ability to predict the future, but I can say that Glen Rice Jr. is a very talented young man, who has earned the right to be drafted into the NBA. Everyone in the 2nd round has question marks, character, hieght, skill, strength, experience, etc. Some of those things can be addressed, some can't. I say all of that to say that as a man who has turned his life over to God over the past few years, people can change. Who I was at from 18-25, is not the person I am at 30. Thank God that he didnt judge me during those times, as you seem to be judging Rice.