and with the #1 pick in the 2009 NBA draft the Kings select...

[nbrans]

@bajaden, the thing is, if you like Mills because of his skills as a shoot-first point guard who also does some passing, I don't see how you can argue that he's better at that than Teague. Teague shoots a higher percentage, at a higher level, against tougher teams, than Mills. He's bigger and more athletic.

And @steelvt, I'm not sure that ranking him below the guys I ranked him is necessarily that extreme. Flynn, Mills and Lawson are all pretty similar players in terms of size, quickness, and shooting. I tend to like Flynn the best of those guys because of his leaping and toughness, then Lawson because he's solid, then Mills because I think he's less of a sure thing because I think he has farther to go with his shooting consistency, which is going to be really important at the next level.

And @Massachusetts, I agree that Curry has the best shot and the best passing of the group I listed. But I really worry about his lack of athleticism, which could seriously limit what he can do.

 

[Sptsjunkie]

@bajaden, the thing is, if you like Mills because of his skills as a shoot-first point guard who also does some passing, I don't see how you can argue that he's better at that than Teague. Teague shoots a higher percentage, at a higher level, against tougher teams, than Mills. He's bigger and more athletic.

And @steelvt, I'm not sure that ranking him below the guys I ranked him is necessarily that extreme. Flynn, Mills and Lawson are all pretty similar players in terms of size, quickness, and shooting. I tend to like Flynn the best of those guys because of his leaping and toughness, then Lawson because he's solid, then Mills because I think he's less of a sure thing because I think he has farther to go with his shooting consistency, which is going to be really important at the next level.

And @Massachusetts, I agree that Curry has the best shot and the best passing of the group I listed. But I really worry about his lack of athleticism, which could seriously limit what he can do.

NBA, did any of these Mills games you did not like come before his hand injury? Those are very tough to recover from and shoot effectively. I think it shows toughness on Mills part to come back and play for his team. Remember last year Eric Gordon saw his draft stock plummet (relatively) because his shooting and overall numbers suffered after a similar injury. This year his impressive play serves well as a cautionary tale to focus on pre-injury statistics and observations.

 

[nbrans]

NBA, did any of these Mills games you did not like come before his hand injury? Those are very tough to recover from and shoot effectively. I think it shows toughness on Mills part to come back and play for his team. Remember last year Eric Gordon saw his draft stock plummet (relatively) because his shooting and overall numbers suffered after a similar injury. This year his impressive play serves well as a cautionary tale to focus on pre-injury statistics and observations.

I saw one half of basketball pre-injury, so yeah, take that into account when I'm saying what I'm saying. But he still wasn't shooting particularly well from outside even before the injury and he's alwasy been considered streaky, so I don't know how much the injury was really coming into play. He's just a streaky shooter right now.

And also, even if the shots Mills was taking last night would have gone in he had no business shooting them.

 

[Henkel]

Thabeet with another dominate game. 15, 15, 4 blks, and 1 pf while shutting down Purdue. With how many shots he challenged to have one pf is really impressive. If we can't land Griffin or Rubio i hope we take a long look at Thabeet.

 

[Henkel]

Watching Blair throughout the tournament makes me wonder if he has much a future in the NBA. He just try to overpower everyone inside and thats not gonna cut it against NBA bigs. He is impressive on the glass but i don't know if thats enough to warrant a first round pick.

 

[bajaden]

@bajaden, the thing is, if you like Mills because of his skills as a shoot-first point guard who also does some passing, I don't see how you can argue that he's better at that than Teague. Teague shoots a higher percentage, at a higher level, against tougher teams, than Mills. He's bigger and more athletic.

And @steelvt, I'm not sure that ranking him below the guys I ranked him is necessarily that extreme. Flynn, Mills and Lawson are all pretty similar players in terms of size, quickness, and shooting. I tend to like Flynn the best of those guys because of his leaping and toughness, then Lawson because he's solid, then Mills because I think he's less of a sure thing because I think he has farther to go with his shooting consistency, which is going to be really important at the next level.

And @Massachusetts, I agree that Curry has the best shot and the best passing of the group I listed. But I really worry about his lack of athleticism, which could seriously limit what he can do.

To be honest, Teague is just a gut thing with me. I'm just not sure he'll translate into a pt guard that I want running my team. I could be dead wrong about him. I also must admit that I've see Mills play a lot more games than Teague, so I'm sure that influences me. I'm convinced, rightly or wrongly, that Mills, Curry, Flynn, and Lawson have pt guard instincts and vision. I'm just not as comfortable with Teague. There's no denying that he's a great athlete. Curry isn't the athlete that the rest of them are, but he certainly has all the tools. I don't think anyone has a quicker release than Mills. He also has great form on his shot. His problem is that he takes too many three pt shots and doesn't use his great quickness to get into the lane.

Its hard to be too critical of Lawson. He's done everything he's been asked to do. He's a good athlete and a good playmaker. I question his size just as much as I do Mills, but its not as big a thing with me as it is with others, especially at the pt guard position. For whatever reason, Lawson just doesn't pop my balloon. I can't give you a good reason why.

One guy were leaving out of this discussion is Eric Maynor out of VCU. The kid needs to put on a few pounds, but he's a pretty talented pt guard. He doesn't have the athleticism or quickness of some of the others, but I think he's quick enough for the NBA. He has an ugly jumpshot, but, he shot around 46% from the floor. He has a great assist to turnover ratio, and pure pt guard skills.

Some, if not all of these guys will be better than Beno, in my opinion. Its reported that Flynn is returning to school. Rubio is the wild card, and Jennings, well, is Jennings. Its very hard to have an opinion on him, and I think he may have hurt himself by not going to college.

 

[nbrans]

Tyreke Evans sure has improved a lot this year. He's starting to look like the second coming of Brandon Roy.

 

[Henkel]

He still forces some bad shots but when he decides to go to the basket hes hard to stop.

 

[asakkings]

Tyreke Evans sure has improved a lot this year. He's starting to look like the second coming of Brandon Roy.

Yea that is what I was thinking, maybe we can trade up to get him in the late lottery.

 

[nbrans]

I wouldn't be surprised if Evans ended up being drafted before James Harden.

 

[Henkel]

He has more upside thats for sure. I don't know how much of Evans you have seen, but this up and down game is perfect for him. His decision making in the half court leaves something to be desired. That should improve as he matures considering his passing ability and improving jump shot. He is playing his best game of the season tonight and showing what he is capable of.

 

[nbrans]

He has more upside thats for sure. I don't know how much of Evans you have seen, but this up and down game is perfect for him. His decision making in the half court leaves something to be desired. Thats should improve as he matures considering his passing ability and improving jump shot. He is playing his best game of the season tonight and showing off what he is capable of.

I think the first time I saw him I said he looked more like an And1 player than a basketball player. He's improved a lot though, and yeah, a scrappy game in transition is where he's at his best. He really struggles with outside shooting, but if he can develop that he'll be tough to stop. Big if, though.

 

[Vlade4GM]

Evans seems too much like Larry Hughes to me.

 

[rainmaker]

I live about 15 min from St. Mary's, and have seen Mills play live on a number of occassions. While I do think he is a good nba prospect down the road, I don't think he is ready right now to make an impact on an nba team. His shot is very inconsistent, and he could improve his playmaking ability. That being said, when he is hot, he is one of the most dangerous pg's in college basketball, extremely quick, and can get his shot off anywhere on the floor. But his inconsistency is what bothers me, and if he is having an off night, he doesn't contibute that much in other ways. And this is the WCC, not exactly the toughest league in college basketball.

 

[Jespher]

Hasheem Thabeet = Marcus Camby. I say go for the gambit, and the front line will be set.

 

[Kingster]

Watching Blair throughout the tournament makes me wonder if he has much a future in the NBA. He just try to overpower everyone inside and thats not gonna cut it against NBA bigs. He is impressive on the glass but i don't know if thats enough to warrant a first round pick.

In this draft, I think he certainly warrants a lower first round pick. He's an unfinished product, like virtually everyone in this draft. He needs a consistent mid-range face up game. I think he definitely has more talent than Big Baby, who is not doing too badly with the Celtics.

 

[Kingster]

Go for Broke

I wouldn't be surprised if Evans ended up being drafted before James Harden.

I wouldn't either. Who in this draft has more potential upside than Evans? Evans could be a star in the NBA, just like Teague. I want Petrie to go for broke in this draft, not play it safe. Pick Teague, Evans, somebody who has star potential. Griffin, Thabeet and Harden are all "solid" with no star potential. We already have "solid" guys in Martin, Hawes and Thompson. We need a star.

 

[Oprostaj]

Hasheem Thabeet = Marcus Camby. I say go for the gambit, and the front line will be set.

Not due to skill, but due to size. Camby is a machine who knows where to be and how to get there before the play happens. Constantly underrated. He also has a more than servicable jump shot. Thabeet = Tall. Thats about it.

 

[kingsnation]

Not due to skill, but due to size. Camby is a machine who knows where to be and how to get there before the play happens. Constantly underrated. He also has a more than servicable jump shot. Thabeet = Tall. Thats about it.

Camby is also 35 years old and has been in the league for 12 years.

He knows where to be and how to get there because he's had the experience of playing in the NBA. Thabeet will average 2 blocks a game simply due to his height. When he develops those intangibles, which I believe he is not far from - he can easily put up way higher numbers.

 

[bajaden]

Hasheem Thabeet = Marcus Camby. I say go for the gambit, and the front line will be set.

Camby had more of an offensive game coming out of college. If he can be as good as Camby, I'd take him in a heart beat. There's no doubt that he has a huge upside, with emphasis on the up.

 

[sidney]

Not due to skill, but due to size. Camby is a machine who knows where to be and how to get there before the play happens. Constantly underrated. He also has a more than servicable jump shot. Thabeet = Tall. Thats about it.

No. Shawn Bradley is tall. Thabeet is incredibly athletic for that height, has incredible body control, and has the gift of shotblocking without being a foul machine. He completely changes what the other team is able to do inside and will continue to do that in the NBA. He's also showing himself to be a good rebounder, a nice passer, and decent FT shooter. He'll probably never average more than 15/a game and probably closer to 10, but who cares. His ceiling is much higher than Camby, IMO

 

[Oprostaj]

No. Shawn Bradley is tall. Thabeet is incredibly athletic for that height, has incredible body control, and has the gift of shotblocking without being a foul machine. He completely changes what the other team is able to do inside and will continue to do that in the NBA. He's also showing himself to be a good rebounder, a nice passer, and decent FT shooter. He'll probably never average more than 15/a game and probably closer to 10, but who cares. His ceiling is much higher than Camby, IMO

No. Shawn Bradley is useless. I never said Thabeet was not athletic. Body control? We going to draft him because he's coordinated? He's a twig that has been blessed with great lenght. He was MURDERED by Blair who is 6 foot ****ing 8 inches tall, and pushed around by stronger centers. Yes, he does change the game, but not due to his great skill. I'm just afraid that if he doesn't develop further, his role will be defensive specialist with a VERY limited offensive arsenal. I'm thinking taller and slower Tyson Chandler with better FT stroke. Not bad, but not #1 pick worthy. Throw in the fact that Chandler was not worth a damn until Paul showed up makes me wary of picking guys whose resumes are chock full of being big and nothing else and I'm not sold. It's one random guy's opinion. Maybe he all of a sudden becomes an awesome player that has a hookshot, he learns drop step moves, whatever. Or maybe he becomes Shawn Bradley. I just know I wouldn't pick him. You might be better defensively, but you are going to be playing 4 v 5 on offense.

 

[nbrans]

No. Shawn Bradley is useless. I never said Thabeet was not athletic. Body control? We going to draft him because he's coordinated? He's a twig that has been blessed with great lenght. He was MURDERED by Blair who is 6 foot ****ing 8 inches tall, and pushed around by stronger centers. Yes, he does change the game, but not due to his great skill. I'm just afraid that if he doesn't develop further, his role will be defensive specialist with a VERY limited offensive arsenal. I'm thinking taller and slower Tyson Chandler with better FT stroke. Not bad, but not #1 pick worthy. Throw in the fact that Chandler was not worth a damn until Paul showed up makes me wary of picking guys whose resumes are chock full of being big and nothing else and I'm not sold. It's one random guy's opinion. Maybe he all of a sudden becomes an awesome player that has a hookshot, he learns drop step moves, whatever. Or maybe he becomes Shawn Bradley. I just know I wouldn't pick him. You might be better defensively, but you are going to be playing 4 v 5 on offense.

"MURDERED" is not an accurate characterization of that game. Well, it started off with an attempted murder when Blair flipped him, but Thabeet struggled in that game due to foul trouble (and the flippage) and Blair did a lot of his damage when Thabeet was on the bench. Blair definitely got his share of points on Thabeet, but as the game went on Thabeet settled in and sent some back.

Advantage: Blair in that game, but let's at least be accurate about it. And in the next game it was far closer to a draw.

And do you really think a 7'3" center should be expected to guard a 6'7" power forward or that that situation will ever occur when Thabeet is in the NBA?

 

[kingsnation]

No. Shawn Bradley is useless. I never said Thabeet was not athletic. Body control? We going to draft him because he's coordinated? He's a twig that has been blessed with great lenght. He was MURDERED by Blair who is 6 foot ****ing 8 inches tall, and pushed around by stronger centers. Yes, he does change the game, but not due to his great skill. I'm just afraid that if he doesn't develop further, his role will be defensive specialist with a VERY limited offensive arsenal. I'm thinking taller and slower Tyson Chandler with better FT stroke. Not bad, but not #1 pick worthy. Throw in the fact that Chandler was not worth a damn until Paul showed up makes me wary of picking guys whose resumes are chock full of being big and nothing else and I'm not sold. It's one random guy's opinion. Maybe he all of a sudden becomes an awesome player that has a hookshot, he learns drop step moves, whatever. Or maybe he becomes Shawn Bradley. I just know I wouldn't pick him. You might be better defensively, but you are going to be playing 4 v 5 on offense.

Thabeet = Tall. Thats about it.

Actually, you said he was just tall.

He is a good rebounder. He can easily get 10 JUST on his size. That is another plus that he has w/o teaching.

Also, we do not need offense, we need an anchor on defense. Ben Wallace? Not a good offensive player. But he anchored Detroit's defense and changed the culture of that team.

With Thabeet, JT, Martin and a solid PG - the ingredients are there to be a good all-around team.

 

[Vlade4GM]

Hasheem Thabeet = Marcus Camby. I say go for the gambit, and the front line will be set.

Defensively he can be similar, poor man D, great help D. I still think his overall game will reflect Dalembert. I'm not convinced he's ever going to be a great rebounder or an overall defender, but like Dalembert he can provide very good shot blocking and decent rebounding (probably average about 8-9 at his peak). My biggest concern outside of his lack of core strength to gain position for rebounds and his positional defense is he doesn't have good hands, and his length isn't going to cut it as much on the NBA level as it is on the college level. Then there's always long term health concerns with him being 7'3 and having long skinny legs.

 

[KF8]

I wouldn't either. Who in this draft has more potential upside than Evans? Evans could be a star in the NBA, just like Teague. I want Petrie to go for broke in this draft, not play it safe. Pick Teague, Evans, somebody who has star potential. Griffin, Thabeet and Harden are all "solid" with no star potential. We already have "solid" guys in Martin, Hawes and Thompson. We need a star.

Sorry, but I disagree. Other than Thabeet, I think Griffin and Harden has as good of a chance to become a star. Assuming we get the first or second pick we'll have to go with either Griffin or Rubio. Although, I wouldn't mind if we took the chance on Evans or Teague if we had the third lotto spot or lower.

 

[Vlade4GM]

My top 4

1. Rubio
2. Griffin
3. Thabeet
4. Jennings

 

[Henkel]

I thought about making a top 5 prospects thread, instead ill just follow Vlades lead and throw it out here. It would be interesting to see where others are at right now as well.

1. Griffin
2. Thabeet
3. Flynn
4. Teague
5. Evan Turner

I need to see more of Rubio and Jennings before i can consider them.

 

[nbrans]

1. Griffin (although I'd prfer to trade down)
2. Teague
3. Thabeet
4. Brackins
5. Mullens

 

[Dime Dropper]

I don't really have a set list, but I would consider it a succesful draft if we came out with some combination of Griffin/Rubio with our first first, T. Williams/T. Evans/Brackins/Flynn with our second first (preferably Williams), and one of Casspi/Collison/Maynor/Price (incase any of them fall).