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

VooDoo7 · Post #2841 » by **VooDoo7** » Tue Jan 7, 2014 4:46 am

As prospects, I'd take Embiid over Oden any day. Durant, not so much.

bizarro · Post #2842 » by **bizarro** » Tue Jan 7, 2014 4:49 am

StikWitEM wrote:Update

1. Embiid
2. Parker
3. Wiggins
4. Randle
5. LaVine

The more I watch of LaVine the more I like. Extremely athletic with a smooth jump shot.

I'm also starting to come around on Wiggins again. I was watching some old footage of Paul George at Fresno and he hardly dominated at the college level but still played well and had a tremendous athletic ability. I think if Wiggins gets to the NBA, he will be playing with guys that can set him up better and he will have more space to create for himself. Plus KU had seen a lot of zone this year and guys usually defend better at the college level. I'm becoming less worried about him flopping at the next level.

Mine is a bit different:

1. General Embiid
2. Captain Wiggins
3. Major Parker
4. Colonel Exum
5.

Spoiler:

I kid I kid. I don't have a 5 right now. I need more time. LaVine is definitely moving up my board, however. He's been continuing to do so. I just don't know if I can call him a top 5 pick at the moment.

Scoops · Post #2843 » by **Scoops** » Tue Jan 7, 2014 5:20 am

VooDoo7 wrote:As prospects, I'd take Embiid over Oden any day. Durant, not so much.

And yet Oden was the consensus #1.

VooDoo7 · Post #2844 » by **VooDoo7** » Tue Jan 7, 2014 5:25 am

Scoops wrote:
VooDoo7 wrote:As prospects, I'd take Embiid over Oden any day. Durant, not so much.

And yet Oden was the consensus #1.

No for me. What's your point? I guess I knew better than the consensus then, eh?

VooDoo7 · Post #2845 » by **VooDoo7** » Tue Jan 7, 2014 5:26 am

Any chance Semaj Christon falls to the beginning of the 2nd round? I'd love to get him, but I doubt he slips that far.

jakecronus8 · Post #2846 » by **jakecronus8** » Tue Jan 7, 2014 5:31 am

Durant had the best freshman season ever. I know I was as high on him as any prospect I've ever seen. Embiid doesn't even get me remotely as excited as KD did.

Post #2847 » by **ReasonablySober** » Tue Jan 7, 2014 5:38 am

jakecronus8 wrote:Durant had the best freshman season ever. I know I was as high on him as any prospect I've ever seen. Embiid doesn't even get me remotely as excited as KD did.

Michael Beasley had a better season a year later.

But neither was the prospect Oden was.

jakecronus8 · Post #2848 » by **jakecronus8** » Tue Jan 7, 2014 5:41 am

ReasonablySober wrote:
jakecronus8 wrote:Durant had the best freshman season ever. I know I was as high on him as any prospect I've ever seen. Embiid doesn't even get me remotely as excited as KD did.

Michael Beasley had a better season a year later.

But neither was the prospect Oden was.

Agree to disagree on both counts. Oden always looked stiff to me and a lumberer. Never thought he would be a great offensive player.

steger_3434 · Post #2849 » by **steger_3434** » Tue Jan 7, 2014 5:46 am

I agree with jake. Oden to me never had me thinking he was the next great player. This current draft is starting to worry me. I was all in on wiggins but he's really looked bad this year. Embiid has probably been the best but centers scare me because the nba is no longer a pf/c dominated league.

Scoops · Post #2850 » by **Scoops** » Tue Jan 7, 2014 5:48 am

VooDoo7 wrote:
Scoops wrote:
VooDoo7 wrote:As prospects, I'd take Embiid over Oden any day. Durant, not so much.

And yet Oden was the consensus #1.

No for me. What's your point? I guess I knew better than the consensus then, eh?

Point is...Durant and Oden were seen as equally good prospects. If Embiid is clearly a better prospect than Oden then I think it's safe to say that most people would take Embiid over Durant.

ampd · Post #2851 » by **ampd** » Tue Jan 7, 2014 5:49 am

I think Wiggins game is going to translate better in the NBA where he will have better court spacing than he does in college and face a lot less zone.

Embiid is really growing on me, you can tell he is working on his game and improving every night.

However, can we please stop comparing every center that makes more than one pivot to **** Hakeem Olajuwon?

The current version of Embiid reminds you of this? Really? Really really?

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXb7dn7yKWk[/youtube]

AussieBuck · Post #2852 » by **AussieBuck** » Tue Jan 7, 2014 5:49 am

Oden would've rag dolled Dwight Howard. He would've been 2-4th best in league. He beat up Horford and Noah with a sore wrist and would've won the championship if his teammates hit some jumpers. Come on guys it wasn't that long ago.

skones · Post #2853 » by **skones** » Tue Jan 7, 2014 5:50 am

I just don't understand the Paul George comparisons for Wiggins. Paul George was worlds better as a jump shooter.

jakecronus8 · Post #2854 » by **jakecronus8** » Tue Jan 7, 2014 5:51 am

Makes me nervous because the last 7 footer to deliver on all his promise was Duncan 16 years ago. I guess Dirk too.

bizarro · Post #2855 » by **bizarro** » Tue Jan 7, 2014 5:53 am

steger_3434 wrote:I agree with jake. Oden to me never had me thinking he was the next great player. This current draft is starting to worry me. I was all in on wiggins but he's really looked bad this year. Embiid has probably been the best but centers scare me because the nba is no longer a pf/c dominated league.

The Center position is definitely less valuable these days...but, make no mistake about it, Embiid has every ability to become a non-prototypical Center. He has amazing feet. Amazing hands. Amazing touch. Great court vision. Excellent athlete with literally almost an identical blueprint as Akeem pre-basketball. IF he continues his improvement trajectory in a bell curve fashion - i.e. when he hits 25-27 years of age - he could very well be the best Center in the game in the prime of his career. I fully expect him to develop a reliable 15-18 footer to open up his ability to drive to the lane and/or dish to the perimeter. IMHO, he is already twice the prospect of Oden due to his untapped but already more evolved offensive game and his equally impressive defensive game. And, all of this is from a young man who has only played for three years. I don't see bust when I watch Embiid, I see the sky is the limit.

AussieBuck · Post #2856 » by **AussieBuck** » Tue Jan 7, 2014 5:55 am

I'm not sure yet if Skones likes Wiggins. Can someone clear things up for me?

ampd · Post #2857 » by **ampd** » Tue Jan 7, 2014 5:55 am

skones wrote:I just don't understand the Paul George comparisons for Wiggins. Paul George was worlds better as a jump shooter.

He was worlds better as a jump shooter than Lebron coming into the NBA too. Just saying

bizarro · Post #2858 » by **bizarro** » Tue Jan 7, 2014 5:57 am

ampd wrote:I think Wiggins game is going to translate better in the NBA where he will have better court spacing than he does in college and face a lot less zone.

Embiid is really growing on me, you can tell he is working on his game and improving every night.

However, can we please stop comparing every center that makes more than one pivot to **** Hakeem Olajuwon?

The current version of Embiid reminds you of this? Really? Really really?

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXb7dn7yKWk[/youtube]

Remember, Akeem was once 18 years old. He was once very raw. What you see in this video is The Dream in his 11th NBA season. He's 33 years old in that video!! Imagine that. Seriously. If that is Embiid's ceiling...HE"S 18 YEAR'S OLD. Tell me, you wouldn't do everything in your power to draft that and get it in Milwaukee for its entire career. I certainly would.

bizarro · Post #2859 » by **bizarro** » Tue Jan 7, 2014 5:58 am

AussieBuck wrote:I'm not sure yet if Skones likes Wiggins. Can someone clear things up for me?

skones · Post #2860 » by **skones** » Tue Jan 7, 2014 5:59 am

jakecronus8 wrote:Makes me nervous because the last 7 footer to deliver on all his promise was Duncan 16 years ago. I guess Dirk too.

Yao Ming was certainly there IMO. If you pick a guy number 1 and get Pau Gasol or Demarcus Cousins with his head on straight, I see absolutely no reason to complain about either.

Who would you pick?