Sporting News: Blazers will take Beal and Zeller

[Shooter]

6. Portland Trail Blazers. Bradley Beal, SG, Florida. Beal’s numbers in one year at Florida were not great (he shot 44.5 percent from the field and 33.9 percent from the 3-point line), but scouts still like his basketball IQ, versatility and shooting form. Even if not enough of those shots went in.

11. Portland Trail Blazers. Tyler Zeller, PF/C, North Carolina. Zeller is a pretty safe bet—a good rebounder and adequate inside scorer who can contribute as a rookie. He’s not a future MVP candidate, but he figures to have a long and useful NBA career.

http://aol.sportingnews.com/nba/sto...hornets-bobcats-anthony-davis-thomas-robinson

 

[Natebishop3]

I really hope we don't waste a pick on Zeller.

 

[Eastoff]

I really hope we don't waste a pick on Zeller.

Seconded, after hearing HCP and Mm complain enough, I think he's a reserve C at best.

 

[Natebishop3]

Seconded, after hearing HCP and Mm complain enough, I think he's a reserve C at best.

Just have to look at history... how many white centers taken in the lottery have been good in the past 10 or 15 years?

 

[Eastoff]

Just have to look at history... how many white centers taken in the lottery have been good in the past 10 or 15 years?

Well that shouldn't be the determining factor. Maybe a hint, but not the evidence that convicts him of mediocrity.

 

[Natebishop3]

Well that shouldn't be the determining factor. Maybe a hint, but not the evidence that convicts him of mediocrity.

Sometimes you just don't mess with the gods. Maybe if KP had ignored all of the hype surrounding Oden and looked at our history, he would have chosen Durant over Oden.

 

[bigbailes]

Just have to look at history... how many white centers taken in the lottery have been good in the past 10 or 15 years?

this is on the same lines as MM not wanting Waiters because he's from the Cuse

 

[Natebishop3]

this is on the same lines as MM not wanting Waiters because he's from the Cuse

No it's not. Good players can come from any college, but seriously how many good white centers have been drafted in the lottery over the last 15 or so years? Przybilla? Bogut? How many have been All-Stars? Why waste a lottery pick on a guy who has almost zero chance of becoming a very good player?

 

[BBert]

Yuck. Next mock, please.

 

[THE HCP]

No thanks on Zeller. Heard he didn't wow many out at the PF. They won't waste a lottery pick on him. Imagine if this Zeller guy had gone to Syracuse?

 

[Sedatedfork]

No it's not. Good players can come from any college, but seriously how many good white centers have been drafted in the lottery over the last 15 or so years? Przybilla? Bogut? How many have been All-Stars? Why waste a lottery pick on a guy who has almost zero chance of becoming a very good player?

Kaman, Lopez, Gasol, and if you go into tall PF range too there are quite a few. I think there are a lot of good examples. What good Black centers have been drafted in the last 15 years? Dwight Howard, Hibbert, Bynum, and Shaq? It's not like there is a long list of them. How many whiffs have there been of Black centers or just centers in general? Now Zeller may not be the pick and could be the second coming of Eric Montross, but I don't think race is the issue. It's the athleticism.

 

[bigbailes]

No it's not. Good players can come from any RACE, but seriously how many good SYRACUSE PLAYERS have been drafted in the lottery over the last 15 or so years? FLYNN? WARRICK? How many have been All-Stars? Why waste a lottery pick on a guy who has almost zero chance of becoming a very good player?

sounds pretty similar to me

 

[THE HCP]

You have some Latin players in there my amigo.

 

[bigbailes]

No thanks on Zeller. Heard he didn't wow many out at the PF. They won't waste a lottery pick on him. Imagine if this Zeller guy had gone to Syracuse?

+1!

 

[Sedatedfork]

You have some Latin players in there my amigo.

I doubt it. Latins are only good at soccer.

Is Nene latin or black?

 

[Sedatedfork]

I think Dave Chappelle's draft would clear everything up

 

[THE HCP]

I doubt it. Latins are only good at soccer.

Is Nene latin or black?

latin

 

[crandc]

Isn't Carmelo Anthony from Syracuse?

With centers a lot of teams take the you can't teach height attitude. It seems any 7-footer with even minimal skills will get a look. So the Warriors preferred Todd Fuller to Kobe Bryant.

Pau Gasol is an international player so he wouldn't count as US white center.

Latin players? Mark Aguirre, Nene, Manu Ginobili (or do you count him as Italian), Luis Scola, Anderson Varejao, Thiago Splitter, Carlos Arroyo

If you count Spanish as Latino you get even more. Happy, HCP?

 

[Natebishop3]

White centers taken in the lottery since 1995

1995
Bryant Reeves #6
Cherokee Parks #12

1996
Todd Fuller #11
Vitaly Potapenko #12

1997
No white centers

1998
Raef LaFrentz #3
Michael Doleac #12

1999
Alek Redojevic #12

2000
Chris Mihm #7
Joel Przybilla #9

2001
Pau Gasol #3

2002
No white centers

2003
Darko Milicic #2
Chris Kaman #6

2004
Rafael Araujo #8
Andris Biedrins #11
Robert Swift #12

2005
Andrew Bogut #1

2006
No white centers

2007
Spencer Hawes #10

2008
Brook Lopez #10 (he's kinda white)

2009
No white centers

2010
Cole Aldrich #11

2011
Enes Kanter #3
Jonas Valanciunas #5

I tossed you a couple of bones by including Gasol and LaFrentz. Both of those guys have played PF and C so I included them. Other than that, there have been some real stinkers. I guess my point is that you don't waste a lotto pick on a guy who is going to (maybe) be a solid backup. There are plenty of those around. Obviously you wouldn't pass on a guy if he is the next Blake Griffin but he just happened to be white. The thing is, Zeller isn't the next Blake Griffin. He's the next Joel Przybilla if we're lucky.

 

[bigbailes]

i'm not saying you take zeller by any means, but discounting him purely because he is "white" is not the type of draft analysis i would want any team performing.

 

[Nikolokolus]

I tossed you a couple of bones by including Gasol and LaFrentz. Both of those guys have played PF and C so I included them. Other than that, there have been some real stinkers. I guess my point is that you don't waste a lotto pick on a guy who is going to (maybe) be a solid backup. There are plenty of those around. Obviously you wouldn't pass on a guy if he is the next Blake Griffin but he just happened to be white. The thing is, Zeller isn't the next Blake Griffin. He's the next Joel Przybilla if we're lucky.

It's not great, but honestly is the hit rate any worse for other lotto picks in that range? Somebody would have to do some kind of regression analysis to see if there's any statistical significance to whitey centers being a bust more than other players, but at first glance I'd say there probably isn't. Truth is we'll be lucky to get good starter out of both of our lotto picks.

 

[Mediocre Man]

i'm not saying you take zeller by any means, but discounting him purely because he is "white" is not the type of draft analysis i would want any team performing.

At some point you have to look at history. American white centers have not performed well overall

 

[Natebishop3]

i'm not saying you take zeller by any means, but discounting him purely because he is "white" is not the type of draft analysis i would want any team performing.

Fine. The professional term is "stiff". He's a stiff. You don't take a stiff in the lottery. You can call it what you want, but you simply don't do it.

 

[Nikolokolus]

And for the record, I don't actually want Zeller because I think he's going to be kind of a soft-stiff.

 

[bigbailes]

Fine. The professional term is "stiff". He's a stiff. You don't take a stiff in the lottery. You can call it what you want, but you simply don't do it.

call him what ever you want to call him but give me a better reason then "he's white" or "he's from syracuse"

i agree i see him being average at best and we should be shooting a bit higher but looking back over all the big men taken in that area and it really is a crap shoot, white or black. i don't think we get a game changer at #11, but if we can find someone that comes in and is a productive NBA player, then we will have won with that pick. #6 is where we could possibly really help out the team, but i'm thinking more and more that we will trade at least 6 and probably both to a team that is in love with this draft.

 

[Natebishop3]

call him what ever you want to call him but give me a better reason then "he's white" or "he's from syracuse"

i agree i see him being average at best and we should be shooting a bit higher but looking back over all the big men taken in that area and it really is a crap shoot, white or black. i don't think we get a game changer at #11, but if we can find someone that comes in and is a productive NBA player, then we will have won with that pick. #6 is where we could possibly really help out the team, but i'm thinking more and more that we will trade at least 6 and probably both to a team that is in love with this draft.

History shows, it's better to stay away from stiff white centers. Show me something that says otherwise.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

call him what ever you want to call him but give me a better reason then "he's white" or "he's from syracuse".

My reason would be that the general consensus has been that we need to shoot for home runs, not "safe" picks. High ceiling, rather than high floor guys. Zeller is the epitome of a "safe" pick, and that is mentioned in virtually every review of him.

We need talent, not comfort.

 

[bigbailes]

History shows, it's better to stay away from stiff white centers. Show me something that says otherwise.

so then it is the same as MM line of thinking on Waiters coming from Syracuse, cool.

i don't want zeller because he seems like a "safe pick" and a guy who won't be a star and i'd rather shoot for the fences.

 

[JfizzleBlazer]

I dont want zeller. Id rather sign freeland and take marsall with 11. Or draft a big at 6, and lillard, lamb, marshall, or waiters at 11

 

[Natebishop3]

so then it is the same as MM line of thinking on Waiters coming from Syracuse, cool.

i don't want zeller because he seems like a "safe pick" and a guy who won't be a star and i'd rather shoot for the fences.

How is it the same? Syracuse is a college that anyone can attend. Being tall, white, and unathletic is something they were born with.