'14 Draft Thread pt 2: vote again? VOTE AGAIN.

[WEFFPIM]

I'm avoiding Parker. Guaranteed he takes that 2 year Mormon Mission (per wire tap) if we draft him.

http://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/231423/Many-GMs-Would-Still-Consider-Jabari-Parker-No-1-Overall-If-He-Went-On-Mormon-Mission

Real conflict will be if Utah nabs him

[breakchains]

For Team Embiid, it might be best for Toronto to get #1 and Utah or Chicago to get #2, with the Bucks as #3. Would require a true tank job by Toronto though, because if they keep this team in tact they're going to the playoffs. Same with Chicago.

[VooDoo7]

I think it's about time we start talking about the second round! 31 is prime position to snatch up whoever slips this year.

Three guys I like:

Spoiler:

Wayne Selden would be awesome. Super athletic 6 "5 with a 6"11 wingspan. Probably will climb into the late teens, though:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jNvab69Yfg[/youtube]
Still impressed with Bogdan Bogdanovich, regardless of his hilarious name. Everyone can use another 3 and D guy in the second. Probably should aim higher than him though.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHuTnAFNJQM[/youtube]
People are still sleeping on Alex Polythress too. Definitely a tweener but can do a bit of everything and has smooth athleticism:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0DHj-MhGBjU[/youtube]

#31 would be a perfect place to grab our PG of the future, Deonte Burton

[youtube]https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=QKg4aRqAgy0[/youtube]

Not a big fan of older rookies. He'll be 23 at draft time.

[paulpressey25]

I'm avoiding Parker. Guaranteed he takes that 2 year Mormon Mission (per wire tap) if we draft him.

http://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/231423/Many-GMs-Would-Still-Consider-Jabari-Parker-No-1-Overall-If-He-Went-On-Mormon-Mission

There was a lot of talk of this on WSSP the other day. While some of this is overblown, I also think it needs to be taken into account when looking at Parker. It isn't the reason you pass on him, but if you're torn between two guys, it would be the deciding factor for me.

Right now he seems to be a great guy with a super head on his shoulders. But after the agents come into this, you don't know what happens. And we had a player (Dave Meyers) retire in his prime at age 27 to do religious work for Jehovah's Witnesses. It is a plausible scenario he feels called to do even a one year mission, which puts him back into the draft the following year.

[ChuckBros4Life]

I think it's about time we start talking about the second round! 31 is prime position to snatch up whoever slips this year.

Three guys I like:

Spoiler:

Wayne Selden would be awesome. Super athletic 6 "5 with a 6"11 wingspan. Probably will climb into the late teens, though:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jNvab69Yfg[/youtube]
Still impressed with Bogdan Bogdanovich, regardless of his hilarious name. Everyone can use another 3 and D guy in the second. Probably should aim higher than him though.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHuTnAFNJQM[/youtube]
People are still sleeping on Alex Polythress too. Definitely a tweener but can do a bit of everything and has smooth athleticism:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0DHj-MhGBjU[/youtube]

#31 would be a perfect place to grab our PG of the future, Deonte Burton

[youtube]https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=QKg4aRqAgy0[/youtube]

Not a big fan of older rookies. He'll be 23 at draft time.

And that's the only reason he won't be a lotto pick. He has NBA ready strength and athleticism. I don't mind his age because he won't need years to develop his game. He's an incredible talent.

[ChuckBros4Life]

Something I've noticed that concerns me (although ik it's irrational), has anyone else noticed that Wiggins vertical on his dunks doesn't seem to be what it was in high school? Is he just taking it easy or what?

[driese0824]

I'm avoiding Parker. Guaranteed he takes that 2 year Mormon Mission (per wire tap) if we draft him.

http://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/231423/Many-GMs-Would-Still-Consider-Jabari-Parker-No-1-Overall-If-He-Went-On-Mormon-Mission

Real conflict will be if Utah nabs him

if Utah is lucky enough to get the #1 pick and parker has already stated his intentions to do that mission thing I don't think even the thought of playing in a very Mormon state will deter him from going on that mission.Then again u never know Utah might be the only team he will play for without doing that thing

[Waukee Taukee]

Embiid: We shouldn't be drafting for need and Embiid has the highest ceiling. Worst case scenario, he becomes another Serge Ibaka, right? I like hearing that he has a bit of a nasty streak and it looks like with a little work his shot will command respect (i.e., good enough to pull defenders out of the lane).

Wiggins/Parker: Not terribly excited about either of these two. I heard Parker described as a fun-to-play-with Carmelo (i.e., a better passer) but all the talk about his limited upside puts a damper on him for me. On the flipside, Wiggins is all about upside but he hasn't yet shown any killer-instinct. I would like to see a bit more "alpha dog" from him at Kansas before I feel comfortable with him at No. 1 overall.

If we drop, I'm not distraught because I find Exum and Smart intriguing. Randle? -Meh.

Glad to have Hammond evaluating the options and making the decision. He shouldn't be fired as GM, he should be reassigned to head of scouting.

[Baddy Chuck]

While the league has moved away from emphasizing the center position, is that due to changes in the league or the lack of great centers?

I'm old school on this and look back to this lineage starting from the 1984 draft.....

Hakeem #1 overall
Ewing #1 overall
Robinson #1 overall
Daugherty #1 overall
Shaq #1 overall
Alonzo Mourning #2 overall (behind Shaq)
Duncan #1 overall

Those teams just seem to always in the conversation for conference finals appearances. Agreed there have been busts and guys that didn't measure up. It comes down to how you feel about Embiid. For me, he's going to end up being mentioned in that grouping above a decade from now.

I'd say he's closer to a Brook Lopez level prospect then any of those players.


Much closer.

[jakecronus8]

I don't see how someone could say Embiid has better upside than anyone else in the draft. I just don't see it. Above average at many things but elite at none.

[TroyD92]

The Embiid love on here is absolutely insane. I think he's clearly in the top 5 for players in the draft, but some of you are declaring him to be the next great big man in NBA history.

[Sherman Douglas]

I need someone to explain why Kansas is a fairly meh 11-4 if they have two NBA blue chip prospects in their starting 5? That is my concern with both of those guys.

I'm really starting to worry about the quality of this draft class.

[machu46]

#31 would be a perfect place to grab our PG of the future, Deonte Burton

[youtube]https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=QKg4aRqAgy0[/youtube]

Not a big fan of older rookies. He'll be 23 at draft time.

And that's the only reason he won't be a lotto pick. He has NBA ready strength and athleticism. I don't mind his age because he won't need years to develop his game. He's an incredible talent.

Eh, I wouldn't waste a 1st round pick on a 6'1" guy that can't really shoot or pass just because he's athletic.

Let's be honest. We probably aren't finding our PG of the future in the 2nd round, especially this year, where I feel like even the top PG prospects aren't very good (depending on if you think Smart and Exum are PGs or not).

[machu46]

I need someone to explain why Kansas is a fairly meh 11-4 if they have two NBA blue chip prospects in their starting 5? That is my concern with both of those guys.

I'm really starting to worry about the quality of this draft class.

1. Guard play seems to be huge for college success and their backcourt is among the worst in the nation IMO.
2. Even with their losses, they're ranked #2 in the country in RPI.
3. They can't shoot from outside, so teams are just zoning them so that Wiggins and Embiid can't carry the load as easily.

[skones]

I don't see how someone could say Embiid has better upside than anyone else in the draft. I just don't see it. Above average at many things but elite at none.

It's the foundation he has as a skill set which is extremely rare. At this age, and stage of development, you very rarely see guys that have that type of skill level. I believe, you're a Wiggins guy, so as far as being above average at many things, Wiggins is above average in terms of athleticism and defense (the same could be said for Embiid). Beyond that, he's not above average at anything.

There are a few very very impressive things with regards to Embiid. The first, is his jumper. While there's a relatively limited sample size, (29 attempts) he's shooting a very very impressive 41.4% from that range. Compare that to Wiggins, a wing player, who's shooting 29% from that range in 62 attempts. To put that into perspective, Embiid would have to go 6 for his next 33 attempts in that range to MATCH Wiggins shooting proficiency there. What's even more exciting about this, is that that ability to step out of the paint, creates space for a guy like Henson who operates in the post. That skill not only makes him an extremely intriguing prospect, but it also makes it much easier to find guys who are able to play next to him. It gives his respective team flexibility when it comes to roster fit. Given his footwork coupled with his ability to step outside, it makes the development of his face up game that much more lethal down the line.

[ChuckBros4Life]

Not a big fan of older rookies. He'll be 23 at draft time.

And that's the only reason he won't be a lotto pick. He has NBA ready strength and athleticism. I don't mind his age because he won't need years to develop his game. He's an incredible talent.

Eh, I wouldn't waste a 1st round pick on a 6'1" guy that can't really shoot or pass just because he's athletic.

Let's be honest. We probably aren't finding our PG of the future in the 2nd round, especially this year, where I feel like even the top PG prospects aren't very good (depending on if you think Smart and Exum are PGs or not).

Who says he can't shoot or pass? He's shooting 47.7% from the field and 33% from 3 while averaging 21.6 PPG and playing nearly every single minute (avg 38.5 mpg). That's impressive. He's only averaging 3.8 assists, but he can easily bump that up to 6 at the next level when he's no longer needed to score 20 a game. His athleticism and lane penetration will allow for a lot of pass out opportunities. He'll have the quickness to be a great defender and overall hustle player. Even if he doesn't end up turning into our starting PG of the future (he has a much better shot of that than Brandon Knight), he could be a great guy off the bench. I'm just saying that I don't think you'll find much better value than him in the 2nd.

[skones]

And that's the only reason he won't be a lotto pick. He has NBA ready strength and athleticism. I don't mind his age because he won't need years to develop his game. He's an incredible talent.

Eh, I wouldn't waste a 1st round pick on a 6'1" guy that can't really shoot or pass just because he's athletic.

Let's be honest. We probably aren't finding our PG of the future in the 2nd round, especially this year, where I feel like even the top PG prospects aren't very good (depending on if you think Smart and Exum are PGs or not).

Who says he can't shoot or pass? He's shooting 47.7% from the field and 33% from 3 while averaging 21.6 PPG and playing nearly every single minute (avg 38.5 mpg). That's impressive. He's only averaging 3.8 assists, but he can easily bump that up to 6 at the next level when he's no longer needed to score 20 a game. His athleticism and lane penetration will allow for a lot of pass out opportunities. He'll have the quickness to be a great defender and overall hustle player. Even if he doesn't end up turning into our starting PG of the future (he has a much better shot of that than Brandon Knight), he could be a great guy off the bench. I'm just saying that I don't think you'll find much better value than him in the 2nd.

If I'm targeting any point guard in this draft at that range it's Semaj Christon without a doubt.

[Waukee Taukee]

I don't see how someone could say Embiid has better upside than anyone else in the draft. I just don't see it. Above average at many things but elite at none.

It's the foundation he has as a skill set which is extremely rare. At this age, and stage of development, you very rarely see guys that have that type of skill level. I believe, you're a Wiggins guy, so as far as being above average at many things, Wiggins is above average in terms of athleticism and defense (the same could be said for Embiid). Beyond that, he's not above average at anything.

There are a few very very impressive things with regards to Embiid. The first, is his jumper. While there's a relatively limited sample size, (29 attempts) he's shooting a very very impressive 41.4% from that range. Compare that to Wiggins, a wing player, who's shooting 29% from that range in 62%. To put that into perspective, Embiid would have to go 6 for his next 33 attempts in that range to MATCH Wiggins shooting proficiency there. What's even more exciting about this, is that that ability to step out of the paint, creates space for a guy like Henson who operates in the post. That skill not only makes him an extremely intriguing prospect, but it also makes it much easier to find guys who are able to play next to him. It gives his respective team flexibility when it comes to roster fit. Given his footwork coupled with his ability to step outside, it makes the development of his face up game that much more lethal down the line.

Nailed it, IMO. Embiid's jumper looks good- he should be able to make that a tool at the next level.

You draft the best talent, not for need. Embiid creates a bit of a logjam on our roster but it will shake out alright (as long as Hammond is reassigned to director of scouting).

[Baddy Chuck]

If I'm targeting any point guard in this draft at that range it's Semaj Christon without a doubt.

Not a fan of point guards who don't play like point guards and can't shoot but man do I love Christon.

[WiscoKing13]

Wiggins at this point. Parker just doesn't seem to have that elite athleticism you'd look for at one and not to mention the entire year two years off. We don't have that kind of time.