It's early, but anybody have a draft wish list yet?
- Thread starter bluntsnbball
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Yeah, I agree on the mocks. Draftexpress is the best. I constantly change my own mock, and then I'll check theirs to see how far apart we are. I can safely say that mine and Draftexpress's are fairly close. But I was stunned when I saw NBADraft had us picking Moultrie at number 6. I'd take Festus Ezeli at 6 before Moultrie. And I wouldn't take him there either.
I don't have Ross going nearly that high. I think I have him going around 16 or 17. Very athletic player, but at times inconsistent. My biggest problem is that I'm not sure what he is. A SF or a SG. I think his best position might be at the SG position. I'd take Jeffery Tayor before him. I'll admit that I'm somewhat biased when it comes to Taylor. I've liked him for a long time, and he's having a great year.
Beal has the ability to be a star in the NBA. He's had some very good games throughout the year. He kind of reminds me of a cross between Mitch Richmond and Eric Gordon. He's a deceptive athlete. I'm curious to see how he measures out at the combine. His stock will rise if his true height is 6'4" or above. Very difficult to tell on TV. He's probably moved around more on my draft board more than anyone else. I've had him as high as 4, and as low as 10. I currently have him at 8. But hey, I had Gilchrist at 11 at one time (wishful thinking on my part), and now have him at 4.
Not that anyone cares, but at some point I'll post my mockdraft. Still too early!
I don't have Ross going nearly that high. I think I have him going around 16 or 17. Very athletic player, but at times inconsistent. My biggest problem is that I'm not sure what he is. A SF or a SG. I think his best position might be at the SG position. I'd take Jeffery Tayor before him. I'll admit that I'm somewhat biased when it comes to Taylor. I've liked him for a long time, and he's having a great year.
Beal has the ability to be a star in the NBA. He's had some very good games throughout the year. He kind of reminds me of a cross between Mitch Richmond and Eric Gordon. He's a deceptive athlete. I'm curious to see how he measures out at the combine. His stock will rise if his true height is 6'4" or above. Very difficult to tell on TV. He's probably moved around more on my draft board more than anyone else. I've had him as high as 4, and as low as 10. I currently have him at 8. But hey, I had Gilchrist at 11 at one time (wishful thinking on my part), and now have him at 4.
Not that anyone cares, but at some point I'll post my mockdraft. Still too early!
I would say at this point outside of top pick there's no clear separation. I think you replace Ross with Barnes in Washington and suddenly Harrison is without Kendall Marshall and top-3 frontline in college. I bet he wouldn't look so hot. Yes, Barnes seems to have physical advantage but Ross has a nice frame to put weight and get stronger so in the end all the difference will only be an inch or two in reach. I don't think he has a shot at top-5 but as I said at 7-10th pick range he might be the best player. As for Taylor vs Ross I think Ross has sizable advantage in handles though his handles are average at best. At the next level Taylor will be defending spot-up shooter with good transition game. Ross I think can be a third option.
Also I think if Drummond slips to you at number 5-6 you take him and run. He just had so much going against him this season: Calhoun's illness left the team with little coaching and more importantly his woes at free throw line shot down his confidense offensively. His teammate and coach didn't trust him and all his offense came from offensive rebounds where he often threw some quick junk shots to avoid being fouled. He was very good defensively for a freshman.
Moultrie reminds me of Mareese Speights so I don't rate him very high. At #20 probably why not but not in the lottery.
Also I think if Drummond slips to you at number 5-6 you take him and run. He just had so much going against him this season: Calhoun's illness left the team with little coaching and more importantly his woes at free throw line shot down his confidense offensively. His teammate and coach didn't trust him and all his offense came from offensive rebounds where he often threw some quick junk shots to avoid being fouled. He was very good defensively for a freshman.
Moultrie reminds me of Mareese Speights so I don't rate him very high. At #20 probably why not but not in the lottery.
Last year I would have agreed with you on Barnes. But this year he's been an entirely different player. Number one, he's been consistent, something he wasn't last season. He's also been very aggressive, but taking whats there at the same time. He has a beautiful jump shot. His defense has for the most part been good. He puts in the effort. I will admit that having a great PG next to him is extremely helpful. Although, both Ross and Barnes have similar stats, I think Barnes is the better shooter. I'll admit that Ross finished the season strong.
As I said, I'm biased when it comes to Taylor. But he's more than just a spot up shooter. He's very good at turning the corner off screens. His ballhandling has improved this year. But neither Ross or Taylor should get into a bragging contest about their ballhandling. None of them hold a candle to Gilchrist in that dept. Right now, Taylor is the better defender of the two, and is just a good an athlete as Ross. Neither of them has a wingspan to brag about. Another area where Gilchrist is superior, with his 6'10" wingspan. Taylor is the best percentage shooter of them all, shooting 50% overall and 43% from the three.
My biggest knock on Taylor, is that too many times, if he gets off to a bad start, he lets it affect his confidence, and disappears. He's been much better this season, but every once in a while, it rears its ugly head. I still think that Barnes and Gilchrist are the cream of the crop.
I agree it would be hard to pass on Drummond if were sitting there at 6, and he's staring us in the face. He still scares me. He's loaded with talent, and I have no doubt he'll be at minumun, a decent to good player. But he has the talent to be a superstar in the league. Terrific athlete with great size. But, he's made little progress this season, for whatever reason. If the rumors are true about him returning to UCONN for another season, we won't have to worry about it. If not, he's one of those players that could go top three, or slide down to 10 or 11.
As I said, I'm biased when it comes to Taylor. But he's more than just a spot up shooter. He's very good at turning the corner off screens. His ballhandling has improved this year. But neither Ross or Taylor should get into a bragging contest about their ballhandling. None of them hold a candle to Gilchrist in that dept. Right now, Taylor is the better defender of the two, and is just a good an athlete as Ross. Neither of them has a wingspan to brag about. Another area where Gilchrist is superior, with his 6'10" wingspan. Taylor is the best percentage shooter of them all, shooting 50% overall and 43% from the three.
My biggest knock on Taylor, is that too many times, if he gets off to a bad start, he lets it affect his confidence, and disappears. He's been much better this season, but every once in a while, it rears its ugly head. I still think that Barnes and Gilchrist are the cream of the crop.
I agree it would be hard to pass on Drummond if were sitting there at 6, and he's staring us in the face. He still scares me. He's loaded with talent, and I have no doubt he'll be at minumun, a decent to good player. But he has the talent to be a superstar in the league. Terrific athlete with great size. But, he's made little progress this season, for whatever reason. If the rumors are true about him returning to UCONN for another season, we won't have to worry about it. If not, he's one of those players that could go top three, or slide down to 10 or 11.
One thing I really like about Ross is despite not being big and strong like Taylor right now he finishes well through contact which means he has very good body coordination. And he's good at using the glass when shooting inside. I only saw a couple of games of Ross but I got an impression that much more of his long range shots were pull-up jumpers unlike Barnes who shoots much better with his fit set when Marshall gives him the ball than on the move.
Around 40% of Ross's shots are jumpshots. He shot a good percentage, but he tends to be a bit streaky. Barnes has turned into a good off the dribble shooter, something he didn't do as much last year. He's also very good at turning the corner on the pick and roll, as is Ross. The thing I liked about Barnes game this year was his ability to put the ball on the floor and attack the basket, where many times he'll stop and pop. Barnes also has a very nice floater that he uses around the basket. He also added muscle in the offseason, which has helped him around the basket. Don't get me wrong, I like Ross, and I like his teammate Tony Wroten. I might like Wroten better, because of his complete skillset. I still can't believe that Washington didn't make the tournament. Too much talent on that team.
Wow, sorry, I don't see Stuckey when I watch Wroten. I guess its in the eye of the beholder. I'm not going to get into a stats battle here. I'm just telling you what my eyes have seen watching games this season. I've probably seen Kentucky and North Carolina play as much or more than any other team. Not necessarily by choice, but because their on more. So a lot of what I say is based on gut. You get a feel for a player after a while. I will admit that I haven't seen Ross play nearly as many times as I have Barnes. Maybe ten times or so. But, based on what I've seen, I'd take Barnes over Ross.
Now that doesn't make me right. Ross may end up being a superstar for all I know. It is after all, just my opinion, and I've been wrong plenty of times. I think stats are important, but they never tell the whole story. If you just looked at Cousins stats, you could be quite critical of parts of his game. But they don't tell the whole story of how he impacts the team. That you have to see with your eyes.
Now that doesn't make me right. Ross may end up being a superstar for all I know. It is after all, just my opinion, and I've been wrong plenty of times. I think stats are important, but they never tell the whole story. If you just looked at Cousins stats, you could be quite critical of parts of his game. But they don't tell the whole story of how he impacts the team. That you have to see with your eyes.
We'll see. When your projected as a top 5 pick, maybe number 2, there's a tendecy to rethink that decision. Come out now, and you have big money in the bank. Wait a year, and maybe you suffer a knee injury, or, your jumpshot doesn't develop as much as scouts would like, and now your number 14 in the draft. A few top players last season stayed for another year. But the main reason was the looming lockout, and the potential of not playing at all if the season was cancelled. So I guess we'll see. It would make Calapari happy.
Norfolk St. shocked everyone, including me, and screwed up my bracket, when they beat Missouri. My home state by the way. But perhaps it was the beginning of a star being born. For those that didn't watch the game, a player most aren't familiar with, Kyle O'Quin, a 6'10", 240 pound C/PF grabbed the spotlight. He put up 26 pts, 14 rebounds, and 2 blocked shots. He also made the winning basket.
An abberation? Well, perhaps not. He averaged 16.2 PPG, 10.5 RPG, and 2.8 BPG during the regular season, and was named defensive player of the year in the MEAC . Is he now a lottery pick? Of course not, but he may have moved him self from not being drafted at all, to being a mid second round pick. He plays again today against Florida at 3PM on TNT. Its now a must see game for me. Another upset, and another big game, and O'Quinn will get everyone's attention.
He was measured at 6'9.75" at Norfork St. He appears to have a very big wingspan, and is a pretty good athlete. He was 5'11" as a freshman in highschool, and didn't play basketball until his junior year of highschool when he had grown to 6'7". So he's played around 5 or 6 years of orginized basketball. Todays game could be a life changer for him. Personality wise, he'll remind you a little of Cousins. He wears his emotions on his sleeve, and all of his expressions relay exactly whats going on in his mind.
He's someone the Kings might take a look at in the second round, or invite to camp, if undrafted. Give him a look.
Another game I recommend is the Creighton/North Carolina game at 2pm. I think its on ABC. It'll be fun to see what Doug McDermott does against his old highschool teammate Harrison Barnes. Two entirely different players. McDermott plays PF at 6'7" and around 215 pounds. He'll have to play SF in the NBA. But he's amazingly effective in the post with his quick moves to the basket. He somehow manages to get up shots in a crowd and score at a high rate. But its his outside shot that sets him apart, shooting well over 50% from beyond the arc. You don't want to leave him open. He's shooting around 63% overall..
An abberation? Well, perhaps not. He averaged 16.2 PPG, 10.5 RPG, and 2.8 BPG during the regular season, and was named defensive player of the year in the MEAC . Is he now a lottery pick? Of course not, but he may have moved him self from not being drafted at all, to being a mid second round pick. He plays again today against Florida at 3PM on TNT. Its now a must see game for me. Another upset, and another big game, and O'Quinn will get everyone's attention.
He was measured at 6'9.75" at Norfork St. He appears to have a very big wingspan, and is a pretty good athlete. He was 5'11" as a freshman in highschool, and didn't play basketball until his junior year of highschool when he had grown to 6'7". So he's played around 5 or 6 years of orginized basketball. Todays game could be a life changer for him. Personality wise, he'll remind you a little of Cousins. He wears his emotions on his sleeve, and all of his expressions relay exactly whats going on in his mind.
He's someone the Kings might take a look at in the second round, or invite to camp, if undrafted. Give him a look.
Another game I recommend is the Creighton/North Carolina game at 2pm. I think its on ABC. It'll be fun to see what Doug McDermott does against his old highschool teammate Harrison Barnes. Two entirely different players. McDermott plays PF at 6'7" and around 215 pounds. He'll have to play SF in the NBA. But he's amazingly effective in the post with his quick moves to the basket. He somehow manages to get up shots in a crowd and score at a high rate. But its his outside shot that sets him apart, shooting well over 50% from beyond the arc. You don't want to leave him open. He's shooting around 63% overall..
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On another note, my appreciation of Kendall Marshall is growing each time I see a full game of his. He's a true floor general and does an excellent job of orchestrating offense of excellent athletes. It seems he can shoot after all and defense is not the most important trait of your PG...if you have your paint protector though.
Marshall is the best pure point guard in college. He could always shoot the ball, he just chose not to. I don't think he'll struggle on defense as much as some might think. He's a very smart player, with better lateral movement, than end to end speed. He's also very good at playing the passing lanes. I guess we'll see...
Well, there's a lot of talent on that team, so it all doesn't fall on Barnes. They better hope that Henson doesn't re-injure that wrist. I feel sorry for Marshall, and the whole team. To make it this far, and then lose the heart of the team is tough.. I guess we'll see what they're made of. Especially Barnes.
This draft is wide open outside of first pick. So cultivating team culture of unselfishness and team play is more important. Anyway the finish of the season is much harder than this home stretch so 7-10 pick is still the prognosis. Portland is in full tanking mode and GS lost last 4 though so 9th or 10th is more probable.
If we can't win with the players we have, a few spots in the draft means nothing. We need to build a winning tradition or at the least a bust our gut every game tradition. Fans can hope for whatever they wish but teams have to try to win. If we ever want to become a respected team in the NBA, we need to win. Tanking to acquire high draft picks is not the way to do it. I think we have enough good young players anyway and it's time to let them mature. Our team will improve no matter who we draft. If we go on a winning spree, we may end up with a John Henson type player who is a defensive minded power forward. I don't think we can go wrong no matter how this works out.
Let's not be the Clippers of the last few decades. If we don't win, the players we have already drafted won't want to stay.
Let's not be the Clippers of the last few decades. If we don't win, the players we have already drafted won't want to stay.
Yeah, I agree! You never know for sure whats going to happen. What they're building is still fairly fragile, so they could just as easily lose three in a row. But building a winning culture is very important. We'll get a good draft pick regardless. Who knows, we might luck out and win the lottery.
This is Bajaden by the way. I'm on Uncia03's computer. Up here for the NCAA tourney.
This is Bajaden by the way. I'm on Uncia03's computer. Up here for the NCAA tourney.
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