Well, I never said they were identical. Bennett is a pretty good passer, but he does need to improve his ballhandling. Look, if Corliss Williamson can be converted to SF, I think Bennett can as well. He's certainly a good enough athlete, and maybe he's not as quick as Leornard, he's quick enough. But hey, if not, he wouldn't be the first 6'7" PF in the league. Adrian Dantely was a damm good player and he was around 6'7".
2013 Draft Prospects
- Thread starter Vlade4GM
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No, Bennett is not what we need in this draft. In this draft, we need Noel Nerlens, who's looking to maybe be a future DPOY winner or candidate. We can tank next year to get a SF. And it will indeed be a great one, as I look at suma da big names (Wiggins, Parker). And if not, well, there's always TBPA and then FAs. Gotta love dem FAs.
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I don't think anyone would disagree with you that we would love to have Noel. But the odds of us being in a position to draft him are slim and none. Basicly, we would have to win the lottery! We haven't been to successful at that recently. So a plan B might be a good thing. Also, this is a prospects thread! Because we discuss the merits of a player, that doesn't necessarily mean thats who we want to draft. I follow some of these guys from highschool on, and I like to follow their career in the NBA, even if their not on the Kings. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go light a candle at my win the lottery shrine..
SOLUTION: TRADE REKE IN A PACKAGE THAT INCLUDES US GETTING THE DRAFT RIGHTS TO TREY BURKE, DRAFT VICTOR OLADIPO (defensive shooting guard), TANK, AND HOPEFULLY GET WIGGINS OR PARKER.
This is our new starting lineup:
PG: Burke
SG: Oladipo
SF: WIGGINS or Parker
PF: Patterson
C: Cousins
IS THAT NOT DOMINANT????
This is our new starting lineup:
PG: Burke
SG: Oladipo
SF: WIGGINS or Parker
PF: Patterson
C: Cousins
IS THAT NOT DOMINANT????
Well, Marcus Smart got his ticket out of Oklahoma punched by Ducks. Not a March hero apparently. Kings look like they are going to continue a winning spree, so I would guess they are bound to pick at #9-#11 at this point. So if Smart is considered a guy who can't beat anyone off the dribble, finish or shoot (Givony), he will probably BPA, where Kings pick.
Muscala was asked to leave in a rude manner.
Muscala was asked to leave in a rude manner.
Well, if Smart is considered a guy who can't beat anyone off the dribble, finish or shoot, why would we want to draft him? Personally I think he'll still go top 5 and he won't be a consideration for us. And my gut tells me thats a good thing. Of course I'm hungry right now, so I'm not sure I can trust my gut. Burke and Wolters went at it, and they both negated each other. At least offensively. Michigan just had too many weapons for South Dakota St. My shocker of the day was Harvard beating New Mexico. Other than that, my brackets are still OK. I had Cal over UNLV, and that was an easy one to predict. Wichita St. over Pitt was a minor surprise, but not shocking. I was hoping for Bucknell to make it into the 2nd round, but when I saw they were playing Butler, I figured they were dead meat..
Hmmm! Kelly Olynyk, the 7 foot center from Gonazga had a very nice game. 21 pts and 10 boards. Doug McDermott had his typical game. Don't remember the exact numbers, but it was like 27 pts and 12 boards while shooting over 50% from the floor. Gorgui Dieng had one of his typical games playing very good defense. He never dazzles you with stats, but he's an excellent defender and a decent shotblocker. Mason Plumlee had a good game. I hate to admit it, but I think the dude can play in the NBA. Anthony Bennett played well in a loss to Cal. And finally, Khalif Wyatt, the 6'4" PG from Temple had a very good game while beating North Carolina St. Goodbye C. J. Ahhhh, almost forgot, Seth Curry also had a terrific game for Duke.
Okay, just updated myself with another round of games, and Nerlens Noel is back as the #1 overall pick despite getting injured. Almost #1 by default because Marcus Smart has slipped slightly, but he's still #2 in my board. Jordan Adams is #3 for me, and again he got injured, and I'd like to think that he would have made a huge difference against the Golden Gophers. Also high on his teammate Kyle Anderson still, and he's still #11 for me. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope has risen to #5 on my list. Andre Hollins, the Gopher who killed against the Bruins? 30th overall for me. He has a shooting guard mentality but he's still vastly underrated and has the chops. Also check out Clint Capela, this really athletic rebounding jumping jack out of Switzerland. He's a lottery pick and I like what I'm seeing. Also, shout out to AJ Hammons, the freshman 7-footer from Purdue, and Sam Dekker, a freshman from Wisconsin who reminds of Gordon Hayward. Those guys can really play, and both have late lottery pick potential. Also look at massive sleeper, James Ennis, out of Long Beach State. Sweet shooter and an athlete, and should be a late 1st rounder.
PJ Hairston has really risen on my board. Granted, I still had him in the late lottery, but I think he can be a future lottery pick. The guy's ability to catch and shoot is very good. Ben McLemore has fallen about seven spots into 9th with me. Jerian Grant (Notre Dame) and Spencer Dinwiddie (Colorado) move up into mid-1st round caliber types, and Nate Wolters (South Dakota) moves up into 26th. Rudy Gobert has played well with Cholet as of late, and is a late 1st rounder in my view.
Of the lottery picks in my past mock, Anthony Bennett and Alex Len have really fallen hard. Willie Cauley even to the 2nd round, needs another year. Glenn Robinson very hard, I've pretty much lost interest in his game and he's fallen into mid-2nd round territory. But the guy who's possibly fallen the hardest from lotto territory is Archie Goodwin. From lotto to late 2nd round in my view. His second half of the season was incredibly rough, and I'm not sure if he's really NBA caliber at all now. There's quite a few guys who have that game who haven't seen success in the league. Andre Roberson has also lost a ton of intrigue, as has Arsalan Kazemi, Devon Collier, Jamaal Franklin and Deonte Burton. There's going to be some controversy with Victor Oladipo. I want to like the guy, but for whatever reason I'm not super sold. He's on the bubble 1st round for me. Kelly Olynyk is another guy I'm somewhat skeptical about, but it's that past versus present argument all over again. They tend to be hit or miss. Was never high on Mason Plumlee, continue not to be high on him.
I haven't seen everyone, but this is just the rough mock-up I have right now.
PJ Hairston has really risen on my board. Granted, I still had him in the late lottery, but I think he can be a future lottery pick. The guy's ability to catch and shoot is very good. Ben McLemore has fallen about seven spots into 9th with me. Jerian Grant (Notre Dame) and Spencer Dinwiddie (Colorado) move up into mid-1st round caliber types, and Nate Wolters (South Dakota) moves up into 26th. Rudy Gobert has played well with Cholet as of late, and is a late 1st rounder in my view.
Of the lottery picks in my past mock, Anthony Bennett and Alex Len have really fallen hard. Willie Cauley even to the 2nd round, needs another year. Glenn Robinson very hard, I've pretty much lost interest in his game and he's fallen into mid-2nd round territory. But the guy who's possibly fallen the hardest from lotto territory is Archie Goodwin. From lotto to late 2nd round in my view. His second half of the season was incredibly rough, and I'm not sure if he's really NBA caliber at all now. There's quite a few guys who have that game who haven't seen success in the league. Andre Roberson has also lost a ton of intrigue, as has Arsalan Kazemi, Devon Collier, Jamaal Franklin and Deonte Burton. There's going to be some controversy with Victor Oladipo. I want to like the guy, but for whatever reason I'm not super sold. He's on the bubble 1st round for me. Kelly Olynyk is another guy I'm somewhat skeptical about, but it's that past versus present argument all over again. They tend to be hit or miss. Was never high on Mason Plumlee, continue not to be high on him.
I haven't seen everyone, but this is just the rough mock-up I have right now.
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I'm going to assume that this is how you would have them fall, and not how it will actually play out. Because if you think this is actually where these guys will be drafted, then your delusional. I have my favorites as well, but I'm also realistic about where they'll get drafted. Trust me, I'm not a big fan of Goodwin's, but he will go in the top 20 of the first round if he declares. I'am a big fan of Willie Cauley-Steins, and I still think he'll go in the top 20 as well, and not later than 25th. He's a big man with a lot of athletic ability and upside, and there just aren't a lot them in this draft. Glenn Robinson has a lot of holes in his game, but someone will take him in the first round on upside alone. I love Victor Oladipo, and I'm not sure why your sceptical of him. He's a lock down defender, and you seem to be penalizing him for improving from last year. Where's the logic in that?
I like Dinwiddie a lot, and not a lot of people have heard of him. I'd love for Wolters to make the first round, but my gut tells me he'll go top of the second round somewhere. McLemore will go top 5, and there's simply no question about that. There's no way on god's earth that P.J. Hariston is a lottery pick this year. You have to know that there's no way in hell that Adams is drafted number 3. I have him down around 24 or 25, and believe me, there's a good chance he goes at the top of the 2nd round. Smart has really fallen on my board, and I have him down at 11, but I know someone will pick him in the top 5. The dude can't shoot the ball. I've said this before, and I'll say it again, Trey Burke is the best PG in this draft. He knows how to run a team, and he hardly ever turns the ball over. He has the best assist to turnover ratio in all of college. And for a guy that handles the ball as much as he does, thats impressive. Don't be surprised if some team takes him in the top 10.
I know everyone is excited about Smart. But right now, Michigan is still playing, and Oklahoma St. is watching. Smart is all potential, and Burke is all results. 5 years from now that could be different. But if your dealing in the present, and need help at the PG position right now, I'd take Burke.
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Baja, of course my mock is based on my opinion, delusional as it may be. I'd like to think it goes against conventional wisdom. Because face it, scan through all the past drafts over the years, and there's always hits and misses. I'd like to think of this as an alternative way of thinking. Yeah, it will still have hits and misses, but having done this the past few years, it uncovers a few guys underneath the cracks and exposes a few guys as overrated as well. Of course it doesn't represent where they will be drafted. It just represents how much of a sleeper (or bust) they can be in the scale of all NCAA prospects. Jordan Adams reminds me of James Harden a little bit, and he's gotten those comparisons, and that's a huge upside such that even if he reaches half of it, he's still a surefire NBA starter. Yeah, he's in no one's mocks right now, and likely won't be in the lottery as the end result, but what this shows is that even if he's a late 1st rounder or early 2nd rounder, he might be a sleeper. Dinwiddie has zero name recognition, but he should. Again, he's a massive sleeper pick. Very polished offensive player. As for Oladipo, I like the guy, but I think Tony Allen--which is great, but I'm not sure how much beyond that he can take it. There's no doubt he'll be one of those cog guys who will be extremely valuable, but I'm not sure if that merits surefire lottery. We'll see though.
ETA: I like Trey Burke a lot too. At the worst, he's the 18th overall pick. Reducing for the clutter who likely won't enter the draft, he definitely should be in the lottery. Glenn Robinson seems too 1D for my tastes and has fallen whereas I was never high on Tim Hardaway Jr in the first place, so he's the only guy I really like on that team.
ETA: I like Trey Burke a lot too. At the worst, he's the 18th overall pick. Reducing for the clutter who likely won't enter the draft, he definitely should be in the lottery. Glenn Robinson seems too 1D for my tastes and has fallen whereas I was never high on Tim Hardaway Jr in the first place, so he's the only guy I really like on that team.
I was pretty sure that was the case. Look, I agree with you on Jordan Adams. If I had to vote on who was the best player on the UCLA team this year, he would get my vote. As you can see, I'm not much of a Muhammad fan. I lost count of how many games he's gone without one assist to his name. He never, never, never, passes the ball once he gets it. I think Oladipo has a chace to be Tony Allen, with a little more offense. He's done a good job this year of just taking whats there and not forcing it. And once again, after watching Burke yesterday, I'm convinced that he's the current best PG in this draft. It was a tough game for him because he was pressured and trapped just about everytime he had the ball. It took him a while to adjust, but he still got his assists. He had more turnovers in that game than he's had in the last 5 games combined. But credit the defense of VCU.
I can assure you that the scouts know who Dinwiddie is. I believe the reason some of these guys aren't on the draft boards is because its thought they'll stay another year. I was reading the Kentucky Wildcats college newspaper and it said there that Goodwin, Poythress, and Cauley-Stein have all agreed to return for another year. However, its rumored that the feedback they're getting from NBA people, is that they would better off financially if they were to come out this year, because next year is loaded with better talent, and a couple of them that would be surefire 1st round picks this year, might end up in the 2nd round next year. I have to agree with that advice. McLemore is a sure bet to declare because of the poverty in his family.
I can assure you that the scouts know who Dinwiddie is. I believe the reason some of these guys aren't on the draft boards is because its thought they'll stay another year. I was reading the Kentucky Wildcats college newspaper and it said there that Goodwin, Poythress, and Cauley-Stein have all agreed to return for another year. However, its rumored that the feedback they're getting from NBA people, is that they would better off financially if they were to come out this year, because next year is loaded with better talent, and a couple of them that would be surefire 1st round picks this year, might end up in the 2nd round next year. I have to agree with that advice. McLemore is a sure bet to declare because of the poverty in his family.
Whatever position we draft at, we take the best player available, regardless of position. PG is the last position I'm worried about. We have bigger holes at SF and backup Center/PF. Personally I'm tired of watching 6'6" John Salmons chase around guys that are just as quick, and two or three inches taller. If new management decides that Aldrich is a keeper, then thats fine and we have our backup center. But I'm still looking for an Anthony Davis or a Noel type to put next to Cuz. I'm amazed that some people like Alex Len and have him high on their boards, but don't particularly like Stein and have him much lower, when Stein has actually put up better numbers than Len. He's a better athlete than Len, and almost as tall. And, I think he has much better shotblocking instincts. Personally, if he declares, and he's there at 8 or 9 or where ever in that area were picking, I'm taking him. Unless of course Porter slides down to us.
Now if we end up all the way down at 10 or 11, and those guys are gone, and Burke is there, then yes, I might take him. But to be honest, even though both these guys would be a bit of a reach, I'd be tempted to make that reach. And I'm talking about Jeff Withey and Gorgui Dieng. I really want a big that can defend the basket, and also stay out of the way at the offensive end, except for the occasional putback or alleyopp. Both those guys fit that bill. They don't come with bells and whistles, but they could be an important part of putting together a good team.
Now if we end up all the way down at 10 or 11, and those guys are gone, and Burke is there, then yes, I might take him. But to be honest, even though both these guys would be a bit of a reach, I'd be tempted to make that reach. And I'm talking about Jeff Withey and Gorgui Dieng. I really want a big that can defend the basket, and also stay out of the way at the offensive end, except for the occasional putback or alleyopp. Both those guys fit that bill. They don't come with bells and whistles, but they could be an important part of putting together a good team.
If we can't agree on the player, then we can agree that his results are what we are looking for. Withey has improved a lot this year. And he's a much better athlete than people give him credit for. Two years ago I would have agreed with you. Last year, he was iffy. But this year he's been consistent all year long, especially on the defensive side. He's had 12 blocked shots in his last two games.
Biggest obstacle for college defensive anchors moving to the pros is they can no longer park in the paint plus three-point line if further outside, better spacing is available and they have to operate within a much bigger area. He's good in length department, but strength, quickness and agility are lacking, that's why I'm sceptical about his impact in the NBA.
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