'14 Draft Thread - Now With a Poll: VOTE OR DIE.

[Ayt]

Man Smart just has the best defensive hands I have seen in quite awhile. I like James Harden comparison for him only with better hands on D.

What? James Harden is a horrible defender with a great jumpshot. He's like a total opposite of Smart lol.

And Harden is a damn savant as a slasher and pick and roll player. Smart is very much a work in progress offensively despite his huge game tonight.

[drew881]

Haven't seen him play... Is smart a shooting guard at 6'4?

He's whatever Westbrook/Rose are, I think. At least today.

Thanks. Would be fun to see he and Giannis running the court

[Ayt]

Man Smart just has the best defensive hands I have seen in quite awhile. I like James Harden comparison for him only with better hands on D.

What? James Harden is a horrible defender with a great jumpshot. He's like a total opposite of Smart lol.

Harden D:

Kobe has made multiple All-D teams with defense like that.

[randy84]

From what I have seen so far, Smart's defense alone would put him in the discussion for top 6.

[Baddy Chuck]

Bigs and smalls.

Derrick Rose then.

Who hyped Rose as a generational talent?

You really need to get over that.

All I'm saying is there are always extremely talented players that have taken backseats at times on extremely talented college teams. Rose was one of the highest rated high school players this decade and went to college and didn't even score 10 points a game multiple times. And then he went in the draft touted as a franchise saving talent and won an MVP. The whole "passive superstar" thing is a ridiculously stupid argument to me on national champion level college teams. It's like saying that if Carmelo Anthony went to the Warriors that he shouldn't adjust his game. Wiggins stopping ball movement to get his 25 shots a game would be helping nobody on Kansas. He's playing a huge role on arguably the best team in the nation and scoring 20 points a game, the fact that people can look at what he's doing and scoff at his intensity level is hilarious to me.

[SupremeHustle]

Wiggins is falling for me. Long season, though.

[paulpressey25]

Kobe has made multiple All-D teams with defense like that.

In his prime Kobe could lock guys down and take over games with his defense. I watched him do it in person at a number of games against the Bucks over the years. Whether the scheme or the players, Houston has to work on things on D.

[Mikeylikesit]

Derrick Rose then.

Who hyped Rose as a generational talent?

You really need to get over that.

All I'm saying is there are always extremely talented players that have taken backseats at times on extremely talented college teams. Rose was one of the highest rated high school players this decade and went to college and didn't even score 10 points a game multiple times. And then he went in the draft touted as a franchise saving talent and won an MVP. The whole "passive superstar" thing is a ridiculously stupid argument to me on national champion level college teams. It's like saying that if Carmelo Anthony went to the Warriors that he shouldn't adjust his game. Wiggins stopping ball movement to get his 25 shots a game would be helping nobody on Kansas. He's playing a huge role on arguably the best team in the nation and scoring 20 points a game, the fact that people can look at what he's doing and scoff at his intensity level is hilarious to me.

Marvin Williams was passive too. Seriously get over yourself. There are examples that go both ways. Some scouts have said they worry about Wiggins too.

[Ayt]

That's a You Problem if you thought Wiggins was another LeBron. People who followed his game knew he wasn't that kind of player.

If this is in response to my post, I stated he has been considered a LeBron level prospect, not that he plays like LeBron. By that I mean he has been hyped as a generational type prospect; a once every 5+ years kind of prospect. "Best prospect since LeBron."

Personally, I argued on the draft board that it was a massive **** joke to compare him to LeBron as a prospect coming out of HS. I also argued that I thought Parker could very well end up going #1, and that was months before the NCAA season started and Parker was coming off a SR year when he was out of shape the entire season due to injury.

I see the massive potential in Wiggins. Still, if he is going to be a legit MVP caliber player in the NBA, he is going to need to be a dominant on the ball player offensively (creating for both himself and others). You'd think he'd be able to show much more of that in the modern, watered down NCAA.

[randy84]

Wiggins is falling for me. Long season, though.

Didn't get to see Wiggins, but Smart to me made a huge jump tonight. Not sure if that is his normal shooting night, but his defense is NBA ready.

[paulpressey25]

The beauty of this draft is that if you don't like Wiggins, there are at least 2 to 5 other super studs.

Reminds me of 1984 where the top five went Hakeem, Bowie, Jordan, Perkins, Barkley. You got four all-stars out of the top five.

Now Bucks apologists will immediately seize on the "failure" of Sam Bowie, but hell, three franchises got hall of fame players. Not sure you get any better than that.

[Ayt]

Derrick Rose then.

Who hyped Rose as a generational talent?

You really need to get over that.

All I'm saying is there are always extremely talented players that have taken backseats at times on extremely talented college teams. Rose was one of the highest rated high school players this decade and went to college and didn't even score 10 points a game multiple times. And then he went in the draft touted as a franchise saving talent and won an MVP. The whole "passive superstar" thing is a ridiculously stupid argument to me on national champion level college teams. It's like saying that if Carmelo Anthony went to the Warriors that he shouldn't adjust his game. Wiggins stopping ball movement to get his 25 shots a game would be helping nobody on Kansas. He's playing a huge role on arguably the best team in the nation and scoring 20 points a game, the fact that people can look at what he's doing and scoff at his intensity level is hilarious to me.

Your argument is with Mikeylikesit.

[Mikeylikesit]

The beauty of this draft is that if you don't like Wiggins, there are at least 2 to 5 other super studs.

Reminds me of 1984 where the top five went Hakeem, Bowie, Jordan, Perkins, Barkley. You got four all-stars out of the top five.

Now Bucks apologists will immediately seize on the "failure" of Sam Bowie, but hell, three franchises got hall of fame players. Not sure you get any better than that.

You don't have to go back that far. LeBron, Dwade, Bosh, Melo, Darko

4 of those guys ended up being multiple all-stars, with one bust.

[Ayt]

Kobe has made multiple All-D teams with defense like that.

In his prime Kobe could lock guys down and take over games with his defense. I watched him do it in person at a number of games against the Bucks over the years. Whether the scheme or the players, Houston has to work on things on D.

No doubt. I'm talking Kobe in the last couple years. Kobe, particularly mini-fro Kobe, was a bloodhound on D, especially in the playoffs.

[El Pooch Grande]

Where are all the Exum lovers after tonight's performance by Marcus Smart? Just from watching the game you can see that Smart plays very similar to Westrbrook/Rose. 26 points at the half, 36 now at last check. Ok St. ROLLING Memphis. Tremendous defender and facilitator potential.

Now with that said, I'm not an Exum hater, as I have him ranked #5 on the Pooch Grande Big Board. But I think there is a, how do I word this...well I think there is a better chance of Smart becoming a Westbrook/Rose than Exum becoming a 1995 version of Penny Hardaway.

Remember, we don't want to be the Pistons of 2003 (hello Joe Dumars and John Hammond) who got cute and took Darko in the loaded 2003 Draft just because he had the best "potential."

[randy84]

The beauty of this draft is that if you don't like Wiggins, there are at least 2 to 5 other super studs.

Reminds me of 1984 where the top five went Hakeem, Bowie, Jordan, Perkins, Barkley. You got four all-stars out of the top five.

Now Bucks apologists will immediately seize on the "failure" of Sam Bowie, but hell, three franchises got hall of fame players. Not sure you get any better than that.

You don't have to go back that far. LeBron, Dwade, Bosh, Melo, Darko

4 of those guys ended up being multiple all-stars, with one bust.

Guess which one our GM was a part of.

[Baddy Chuck]

Marvin Williams was passive too. Seriously get over yourself. There are examples that go both ways. Some scouts have said they worry about Wiggins too.

And Michael Beasley was an intense, alpha dog scorer. I don't know what I need to get over, I'm not the one chastising a player because he shot 3 shots in a half on way to a 20 point win. I understand the reservations, and I'm sure some scouts question it, but I sure as hell doubt they're using it to split a rift between him and Parker the size of the grand canyon like some of you are. It's laughable.

[randy84]

Where are all the Exum lovers after tonight's performance by Marcus Smart? Just from watching the game you can see that Smart plays very similar to Westrbrook/Rose. 26 points at the half, 36 now at last check. Ok St. ROLLING Memphis. Tremendous defender and facilitator potential.

Now with that said, I'm not an Exum hater, as I have him ranked #5 on the Pooch Grande Big Board. But I think there is a, how do I word this...well I think there is a better chance of Smart becoming a Westbrook/Rose than Exum becoming a 1995 version of Penny Hardaway.

Remember, we don't want to be the Pistons of 2003 (hello Joe Dumars and John Hammond) who got cute and took Darko in the loaded 2003 Draft just because he had the best "potential."

You have converted me, sir!

Although I have never seen Exum play, but I wouldn't feel bad at all if the Bucks came away from the draft with Mr. Smart.

[Ayt]

Where are all the Exum lovers after tonight's performance by Marcus Smart? Just from watching the game you can see that Smart plays very similar to Westrbrook/Rose. 26 points at the half, 36 now at last check. Ok St. ROLLING Memphis. Tremendous defender and facilitator potential.

Now with that said, I'm not an Exum hater, as I have him ranked #5 on the Pooch Grande Big Board. But I think there is a, how do I word this...well I think there is a better chance of Smart becoming a Westbrook/Rose than Exum becoming a 1995 version of Penny Hardaway.

Remember, we don't want to be the Pistons of 2003 (hello Joe Dumars and John Hammond) who got cute and took Darko in the loaded 2003 Draft just because he had the best "potential."

Can you not love, or like, both?

[Ayt]

The beauty of this draft is that if you don't like Wiggins, there are at least 2 to 5 other super studs.

Reminds me of 1984 where the top five went Hakeem, Bowie, Jordan, Perkins, Barkley. You got four all-stars out of the top five.

Now Bucks apologists will immediately seize on the "failure" of Sam Bowie, but hell, three franchises got hall of fame players. Not sure you get any better than that.

You don't have to go back that far. LeBron, Dwade, Bosh, Melo, Darko

4 of those guys ended up being multiple all-stars, with one bust.

Guess which one our GM was a part of.