NBA Draft Thread Vol. 2 (Merged)

[Fez Hammersticks]

*Harrison Barnes and Perry Jones are returning for their sophomore season. The top-half of the draft is now vastly weaker.

*One of the top HS guards, Texas bound, has possibly the greatest name ever!

Can you imagine the promos he'd get in Portland?

Myck "Bingo Bango" Kabongo

*Kawhi Leonard, a projected late-lotto pick, is the spitting image of Gerald Wallace:

[video=youtube;wAJh9CNbzx0]
[video=youtube;5hnxHnc5hNg]

*Donatas Motiejunas measured this season at 7'1.5" in shoes. My farvorite PF/C prospect in this draft. Chad Ford said he's the most talented scorer in the draft. Compared to Bargnani but Donatas has a very strong post game. Ford also said with his ability to play on the block and his range his ceiling is Pau Gasol.

 

[VanillaGorilla]

Re: NBA Draft Thread Vol. 2

Big Europeans are such a big risk to draft high. Well, all Europeans are.

 

[julius]

Re: NBA Draft Thread Vol. 2

Big Europeans are such a big risk to draft high. Well, all Europeans are.

The Blazers should draft Sabonis' sons. Although knowing Portlands luck, the skills will skip a generation like they did with the Barry Boys, Patrick Ewings son, Dolph Schayes son and Violet Palmer.

 

[Fez Hammersticks]

Re: NBA Draft Thread Vol. 2

Harrison Barnes made it official that he's not going to test the waters.

Chad Ford said today that this draft is "scary weak".

2000 Draft-weak?

 

[Nikolokolus]

Re: NBA Draft Thread Vol. 2

And we thought last year's draft class sucked balls? Wowsa. I wouldn't mind it if Markieff Morris slid to us at 21 (I think that's where we select?). He might be a half-way decent backup for LMA in a year or two.

 

[RR7]

Re: NBA Draft Thread Vol. 2

Except with this draft, he could go top 10.

 

[julius]

Re: NBA Draft Thread Vol. 2

What do you mean last years draft was weak!? We got THE Armon....Gilliam? What the hell is his last name again?

 

[julius]

Re: NBA Draft Thread Vol. 2

What do you mean last years draft was weak!? We got THE Armon....Gilliam? What the hell is his last name again?

lol! rep'd!

 

[VanillaGorilla]

Re: NBA Draft Thread Vol. 2

I like this dude: Tyler Honeycutt. If he can play the 2 in the NBA, we'd be scary long.

If we don't take a big with our first round big I will be very upset. I do like Honeycutt as well though.

 

[julius]

Re: NBA Draft Thread Vol. 2

I like this dude: Tyler Honeycutt. If he can play the 2 in the NBA, we'd be scary long.

only if we can call him BJ Honeycutt.

 

[Fez Hammersticks]

Re: NBA Draft Thread Vol. 2

The draft gets even weaker:

Nikola Mirotic has signed a contract that will keep him in a Real Madrid jersey until at least 2016. The deal included an opt-out clause that would allow him to leave for the NBA. The cost would be 3.5 million euros ($5 million)

Nikola is, or was, the Victor Claver of this draft. A lotto talent that would slip into the mid-late first due to a buy-out issues. A minimum five-year wait, as weak as this draft is shaping up I could see a team using their late-first and stashing him.

[video=youtube;B9ps32C3iM8]

 

[craigehlo]

Re: NBA Draft Thread Vol. 2

Nolan Smith if he fall anywhere as projected in DraftExpress. He did a solid job of playing PG for Duke this season when Irving went out.

 

[3RA1N1AC]

Re: NBA Draft Thread Vol. 2

a weak draft is the time to buy picks because nobody wants them, no harm in taking fliers on a few guys, except to pa's checkbook.

 

[RR7]

Re: NBA Draft Thread Vol. 2

a weak draft is the time to buy picks because nobody wants them, no harm in taking fliers on a few guys, except to pa's checkbook.

Interesting thought, for sure. I know KP always talked about trying to go against the grain in a similar fashion. If everyone's looking to free agency, go to the draft and vice versa. Although I really don't want to add that many more young guys, at the same time, I'd like to improve our overall talent level.

It'd also be a good time to try to get a 2012 pick, if possible, by taking on someone's unwanted salary potentially.

 

[Draco]

Re: NBA Draft Thread Vol. 2

It would probably be a good draft to trade a pick away for a vet.

 

[RR7]

Re: NBA Draft Thread Vol. 2

It would probably be a good draft to trade a pick away for a vet.

Except in a weak draft, the difficulty would be finding someone willing to move a vet for a low pick in a poor draft. Still, I am all for moving our pick if we are able to.

 

[3RA1N1AC]

Re: NBA Draft Thread Vol. 2

Interesting thought, for sure. I know KP always talked about trying to go against the grain in a similar fashion. If everyone's looking to free agency, go to the draft and vice versa. Although I really don't want to add that many more young guys, at the same time, I'd like to improve our overall talent level.

It'd also be a good time to try to get a 2012 pick, if possible, by taking on someone's unwanted salary potentially.

yeah, i bet there are some sleepers in this draft too, we just need to identify them. and looking at our contracts im not sure where we can add money, but we should still have that TE and cash is always coveted around the league.

 

[RR7]

Re: NBA Draft Thread Vol. 2

yeah, i bet there are some sleepers in this draft too, we just need to identify them. and looking at our contracts im not sure where we can add money, but we should still have that TE and cash is always coveted around the league.

Agree there will be some sleepers. Really, it seems like the last five years, they continue to say how weak a draft is. Every year, oh, there's a few good guys, but such a weak class. As if every year, they are expecting it to be like 2003 or 2005, with multiple "fraanchise" type of guys in the draft. But each of those drafts has had a number of quality players.
2006: Bargnani, Roy, Gay, Aldridge, Redick, Sefolosha, Rondo, Lowry, Farmar, Millsap, Powe
2007: (outside of the lottery) Stuckey, Nick Young, Jason Smith, Wilson Chandler, Jared Dudley, Rudy, Splitter, Afflalo, Landry, Big Baby, Sessions
2008: also outside of the lotto: Hibbert, mcGee, Ibaka, Batum, Geroge Hill, Darrell Arthur, Hickson, Courtney Lee, Ryan Anderson, DeAndre Jordan, Chalmers, Asik, Mbah a Moute, Dragic
2009aye, Jrue Holiday, Lawson, Collison, Casspi, Beaubois, Toney Douglas, Blair, Jerebko, Marcus Thornton, Budinger, AJ Price
2010: (obviously still way too early, but..): Landry Fields, Larry Sanders, Bledsoe, Seraphin, Vasquez, Crawford, James all are rotation players.

It's not a list of franchise STARS and superstars, and I know that's why drafts get called weak. But assuming we are going forward with Aldridge as our franchise star, I have no doubt there are rotation guys, role players+, guys that you could build with in every draft, if you identify them. Obviously, it's a lot easier to do in hindsight.

As for adding money, I was thinking something along the lines of moving a Camby or Miller, for someone else's longer salaried player.

 

[3RA1N1AC]

Re: NBA Draft Thread Vol. 2

im all for grabbing as many 7 foot athletic freaks as possible and hope for an ibaka

 

[RR7]

Re: NBA Draft Thread Vol. 2

im all for grabbing as many 7 foot athletic freaks as possible and hope for an ibaka

Lucas Nogueira, though I know he didn't impress a ton at the game in portland.
A couple of late 2nd types that might make for an intersting flyer could be Jeremy Tyler, HS kid who went to Israel, and now Japan, I think. And Michael Dunigan, formerly of the UofO who went over to Israel, as well, I think.

 

[RR7]

Re: NBA Draft Thread Vol. 2

Unfortunately, this draft seems to have an awful lot of small 2s, 2s, 2/3s, 3s, and 3/4s. Not a ton in the way of 1s and 5s.

 

[Blaze01]

Re: NBA Draft Thread Vol. 2

So Portland is at #21, and I think it is possible they could move up to #16 or so without paying a steep price. So a few names mentioned here already like Donatas Motiejunas, Markieff Morris & Kawhi Leonard look likely to go higher than that given the relative weakness of this draft. Not to mention I don't think POR needs to be looking at SF or SG in this draft UNLESS the upside is just too good to pass on. That being said here are some names that I think POR should be considering

Kenneth Faried - PF
http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Kenneth-Faried-5325/

Tristan Thompson - PF
http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Tristan-Thompson-5226/

Keith Benson - PF\C
http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Keith-Benson-5712/

JaJuan Johnson - PF\C
http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/JaJuan-Johnson-5307/

Josh Selby - SG
http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Josh-Selby-5682/

Shelvin Mack - PG
http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Shelvin-Mack-5858/

and in the 2nd round:
Isaiah Thomas - PG
http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Isaiah-Thomas-5678/

Jamie Skeen - PF
http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Jamie-Skeen-1214/

Xavi Rabaseda - SG\SF
http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Xavi-Rabaseda-5876/

 

[Fez Hammersticks]

Re: NBA Draft Thread Vol. 2

No. More. Combo. Guards.

Irving is the only PG in this draft.

 

[Fez Hammersticks]

Re: NBA Draft Thread Vol. 2

Brandon Knight, Terrence Jones, DeAndre Liggins and Klay Thompson declare for the draft.

Klay Thompson is Chad Ford's #2 ranked SG in this draft. Likely mid-first rounder.

[video=youtube;djehTM-u35I]

 

[BrianFromWA]

Re: NBA Draft Thread Vol. 2

I think this is a year where Uncle Paul's millions could do some work.

A lot of the "top headliners" of this draft (Sullinger, Barnes, etc) are staying until next year, which means that guys who would normally make it to us in the 20's are going in the mid-to-late lotto. They're going to be slated at the salary scale (if there is one?) for a player who's normally either much better or much lower risk.

There may be some ways that someone like, say, MIL, PHX, GSW says "screw paying lotto money to Kenneth Faried/Biyamba/etc...Portland will give me 3M to drop 10 spots? Why not?" Do some scouting, pick through the diamonds in the rough, use some of our guys to move up if possible...

Stockpile. The only way we can do that is with MLEs and draft picks. Stockpile. Sign Chris Johnson to a multiple-year deal on the cheap...young 6'11 guys who like to play D aren't exactly strewn all over the nBA right now.

It's been said, but Jimmer Fredette could do some pretty amazing things if he landed here. Not so sure anywhere else (except Utah, obviously).

Aside from the obvious top-5 or so picks, I like Faried and Terrence Jones. In the other draft thread I posted some more intriguing 2nd round prospects.

 

[Fez Hammersticks]

Re: NBA Draft Thread Vol. 2

UW's Isiah Thomas declared for the draft but wont hire an agent. Measured bigger than expected at the Nike Skills camp, he's an interesting prospect. A spark off the bench type.

Isaiah Thomas, 5-11, 189, 73 ½, Jr., Washington

[video=youtube;PySBqTB3ATU]

 

[Fez Hammersticks]

Re: NBA Draft Thread Vol. 2

David Locke with a quick scouting report:

[video=youtube;TS_-RMKoX9Y]

Brutal. You get a different feel watching him in real game situations rather than scouting reports from DX and ESPN. He's very robotic and has very, very slow feet. The way he moves he honestly reminds me of how Nedzad Sinanovic moves.

 

[oldmangrouch]

Re: NBA Draft Thread Vol. 2

It might make sense to just sell the pick for a pick in 2012 or 2013. Is this the draft for a rookie GM to be cutting his teeth on?

 

[Rastapopoulos]

Re: NBA Draft Thread Vol. 2

I like this dude: Tyler Honeycutt. If he can play the 2 in the NBA, we'd be scary long.

He seems like a poor man's Batum. What am I missing?

 

[Fez Hammersticks]

Re: NBA Draft Thread Vol. 2

Jimmer Fredette is now projected by many to go in the top-10.

This made me think, what if Luke Babbitt were in this draft, where would he go? His numbers coming into last years draft were very good.

6'8.75" | 6'11.25" Wingspan | 37.5" Vert

22 PPG | 9 RPG | 50 FG% | 40 3PT% | 90 FT%

This draft blows after the top-2 picks.