<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (FOMW @ May 22 2008, 09:29 PM)
<{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (ghoti @ May 22 2008, 07:39 PM)
<{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>You've never seen Michael Beasley? He's not exactly obscure.
Did you consider Kevin Durant "can't miss" last year when you didn't see
him play?</div>
I don't watch college ball. I did catch the final 4 this year and about 30 minutes of other games during the season (mainly Florida). So I don't consider any prospect anything except based on what I read from people who DO watch, as I stated. Based on those assessments of his skills, attitude, and (especially) questions about his character, he doesn't appear to me to be as safe a choice as, for example, a Greg Oden or Kevin Durant (or several others taken in the top 4 or so the last 10 years).</div>
What specifically concerns you about Beasley's character? Because I have to tell you, based on his play, these concerns would have to be pretty severe for those things to affect his value. Remember, NBA teams have actually seen him play.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>No undrafted rookies have played in a "single NBA game". That has nothing to do with their value at all.</div>
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Totally disagree. The value of any prospect, when intelligently weighed, accounts for the fact that you won't know
for certain how they will perform -- mentally, physically, skill-wise, etc. -- against NBA competition until they FACE NBA competition regularly. If this thing were a science, you wouldn't have players like Sam Bowie, or even Hakeem Olajouan, being picked ahead of Michael Jordan, nor would you have a bright GM like Joe Dumars picking Milicic ahead of Carmelo Anthony, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh. There's a gamble in EVERY pick, it's just that some are much more risky than others, and you never will know if a guy that's really talented is going to be a true franchise changer/anchor until he hits the floor and has a chance to expand or contract under the higher pressures of professional sports.</div>
The fact that a player has not played in the NBA certainly does not affect the value of a draft pick. It is a given. That in itself doesn't make the pick any more or less valuable. This is so obvious I feel bad explaining it.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>And let's be realistic. If Riley assessed Beasley as being a "can't miss" player that would produce like an Amare or Garnett, there's no way he would be willing to trade the pick (and for all we know, he may not be, as this stuff is subject to so much press manipulation). If he IS willing to talk trade, he is obviously (to me) not convinced that Beasley is "can't miss" as that caliber of player.</div>
Finally! You got there! Miami isn't trading this pick for freaking RJ. That's exactly what I said.