Finally, eh? Just four days until this madness is over and then we get to start the next round of it. Right now, there’s so much information, misinformation and whatever else circling around, it’s hard to keep up. So forgive me if I don’t. I think for this week, I’m going to keep the Bolts live, so check back for any potential additional updates throughout the day.
Nick Prevenas of NBADraft.net looking at if this draft is all-time bad: “This year’s draft pales in comparison. It’s highly unlikely that it’ll match last year’s draft in terms of quality depth, and it will have an impossible time measuring up against any of the other terrific drafts of this era (the Durant-Oden 2007, the Roy-Aldridge 2006, the Paul-Williams 2005, the Dwight Howard 2004, and of course the James-Melo-Wade class of 2003). Twenty years from now, hoops scholars will look on that six-year stretch as one of the most pivotal eras in NBA history. The amount of quality talent came into the league during that stretch boggles the mind. Surely, the league was due for a down year eventually, right? Well, it appears as if this is that down year.” I always laugh when people talk about how “bad” this draft is. How do we really know? There could be 10 All-Stars in this class. Sure, on paper it doesn’t look so wonderful but can’t we let guys play out their career or maybe at least just one game before we label this the worst draft ever?
Sean Deveney put prospects on the spot with that question – Is this draft weak?: “James Harden, Arizona State: ‘Weak? I don’t believe that. I think there are a lot of underrated players who could wind up in the bottom of the first round, a lot of good players who aren’t really talked about enough. What matters is whether the guys who get drafted produce when they get to the right team. You can’t judge a draft before it even happens.’”
Report: Rubio’s contract will be reduced: ”The prospect of drafting Ricky Rubio is about to become less risky. A source close to Rubio said the $6.6 million buyout of the Spanish point guard’s contract with his current team, DKV Joventut, was likely to be reduced Sunday or today to an amount where “he knows he’ll be able to make the payments.” Such a resolution will, in effect, clear a major obstacle for teams considering Rubio as their first pick in Thursday’s NBA draft but that have concerns about the financial albatross to which he has been tied.”
John Rohde with a nice piece on Sam Presti: ”If you’re throwing a poker party, you had best steer clear of inviting Thunder general manager Sam Presti. He’d know what you’re thinking before you thought it yourself. He’d know everybody’s odds of winning and losing on every hand. He’d always have enough chips stacked in front of him to make you think twice. He’d know when to hold ‘em, when to fold ‘em, and would do so with little change of expression. Getting a read on Presti would be difficult because the man has no tell. Behind those chic eyeglasses is the ultimate poker face. The NBA Draft is just five days away, and we’re all wondering what Presti is thinking. Those who know Presti best have always wondered.”
Eric Musselman’s draft board: ”This year’s NBA draft is a great draft if a team needs a point guard. Five point guards could be selected in the top 11 picks. The wildcards in the lottery are two Pac 10 players — Arizona big man Jordan Hill and USC swingman DeMar DeRozen. Either could be drafted high or drop in the lottery (i.e. Paul Pierce), depending on team needs. Here is a look at my top prospects by position.”
A defense for Thabeet not working out and news saying he doesn’t like Memphis: ”Digging a bit deeper, though, it simply seems like (Hasheem) Thabeet just isn’t interested in working out for anyone at this point, since he does not feel like that setting is conducive to his strengths. “He’s not going to block shots in a workout, and that’s what he’s going to do in the NBA,” Udezue told us. “What are they going to do, have Hasheem shoot 3-pointers? Ricky Rubio is not doing any workouts either.” Speaking of Rubio, do we have a second player openly telling the Grizzlies that they aren’t interested in playing in Memphis? From what we can gather, it doesn’t seem like Thabeet’s camp is all that enamored with the direction Memphis is heading in, and there seems to be strong indications that he feels very good about his chances of being drafted by Oklahoma City, with one NBA source going as far as to say that the chances of him being picked there if available are “100%.” That would probably be news to Ricky Rubio, who Oklahoma City spent the last day and a half with in Los Angeles meeting with alongside his family.”
The green room invites, as reported by DX: “1. Blake Griffin 2. James Harden 3. Hasheem Thabeet 4. Ricky Rubio 5. Jordan Hill 6. Tyreke Evans 7. Stephen Curry 8. Jonny Flynn 9. Demar DeRozan 10. Jrue Holiday 11. Gerald Henderson 12. Brandon Jennings 13. Tyler Hansbrough 14. B.J. Mullens (potentially declining) 15. James Johnson (declining invite) 16. Eric Maynor (potentially declining)”
Chad Ford’s reason for Thabeet skipping that Memphis workout: ”Maybe the biggest news is about the workout that didn’t happen — UConn big man Hasheem Thabeet dropped out of a workout scheduled for Sunday with the Memphis Grizzlies. The official explanation was a sore shoulder. The unofficial explanation? Thabeet doesn’t want to play in Memphis and wanted to stay in Los Angeles to talk Oklahoma City Thunder general manager Sam Presti into drafting him at No. 3 … Rubio and Thabeet have said no to Memphis, and James Harden bombed a workout there, so who are the Grizzlies taking? I think it’s likely they still will take Thabeet. But I have no idea how Grizzlies owner Michael Heisley is going to react to this latest twist.”
Presti reportedly came away “intrigued” from Rubio’s interview: ”Presti didn’t conduct any workouts, but he sure was busy this weekend. He met with Rubio and family on Saturday and then Thabeet and Harden on Sunday, all in L.A. The Thunder GM got a chance to look at the results of Rubio’s physical, see his contract and meet the young guard, and he came away “intrigued” by the possibility of taking Rubio at No. 3. While Rubio isn’t the best fit in OKC, he looks like he might be the best player on the board. So what will Presti do? While Harden might be the logical choice in terms of fit, my gut feeling is Rubio goes No. 3.”
Tony Meija’s mock draft: “Oklahoma City – James Harden, G, Arizona State: The Thunder has a few solid young wings and drafted Russell Westbrook last year to run the point, so going Harden over Rubio seems like a declaration that they want to keep the keys in Westbrook’s hands. Rubio is a pretty intriguing prospect with great defensive instincts, so it wouldn’t be shocking if he’s their choice, but Harden seems to be the more natural fit.”
Nick Collison asks a great question I have been wondering as well: “For all those ages 30+..how did anything get done socially in college with no cellphones?Did everyone just run home to sit by the phone?”
Darnell interviewed Chad Ford: “What are your impressions of how Sam Presti has built this team thus far? CF: I think he’s one of the brightest, most intelligent GMs in the league. He’s innovative. He’s willing to experiment. He’ll look at different things rather than the way it’s kind of always been done. If you look at what he’s done in short order to teams in comparison to when he took over the Sonics, he went from a team that was just a disaster to a team that I believe is one of the best up-and-coming teams in the league and a team that’s going to be very well-positioned to be a legitimate title contender. And that’s not easy to do.”
Dime: “Meanwhile, Rubio seems to be slowly dropping down the board. On the night of the Lottery, he appeared a no-brainer for Memphis at #2. Then Memphis grew enamored with Thabeet, and Rubio looked like a lock for OKC at #3 despite Russell Westbrook already being there. James Harden jumped him, though, and lately it’s been Rubio-to-Sacramento as the seemingly obvious pick.”
Excellent story on the professionals who do mock drafts: “For 12 months, Givony – the president of DraftExpress.com – has been traveling, scouting, reporting and scurrying for information on every player who may be taken in the 2009 N.B.A. draft. What results is an exhaustively researched, finely tuned mock draft. That and a feeling of profound ambivalence. “It’s almost pointless to do a mock draft,” Givony said, grumbling. For the self-made draft experts, twisted emotions are implicit this time of year. The draft is Thursday. Fans are devouring mock drafts and player biographies and learning hard-to-pronounce European names. They are refreshing Web pages every few hours to read the latest insights from people like Givony, NBADraft.net’s Aran Smith and ESPN’s Chad Ford. It should be a glorious time. It isn’t. “I hate mock drafts,” Ford said. “I just think they’re a joke.”
In what’s got to be the first power poll of the year, OKC checks in at No. 17: “The Thunder made big strides late in the season, and with a high draft pick and free-agent money, more strides could be ahead.”
In last week’s ESPN the Mag, a representative from each team was asked to stand in as GM of the club and draft a player. Russell Westbrook put on his Sam Presti hat and took James Harden at No. 3 and B.J. Mullens at No. 25. Pretty nice work Russ.
Update: Chad Ford’s newest mock: “Thunder GM Sam Presti flew to L.A. on Saturday to talk to Rubio. He also got a chance to review Rubio’s physical and contract — two important pieces of the puzzle for whoever drafts him. Then, on Sunday, he met with James Harden and Hasheem Thabeet in L.A. And just to make things even more confusing, we hear Presti is now hot for Stephen Curry. Whom will the Thunder draft? I think this one is going down to the wire. I know Presti is a fan of all four players — Rubio and Thabeet have the upside, and Harden and Curry are the better fits. If Presti can get a couple of assets in return for the No. 3 pick, he won’t be afraid to pull the trigger on a trade, either. If the Thunder keep the pick, my brain says Harden is a perfect fit in Oklahoma City next to Russell Westbrook. The scuttle is that Curry is the hot name in the Thunder’s draft war room. And a few think Thabeet’s size will win the day. But I have to believe that Rubio, whom we’ve had here since the night of the lottery, will end up in OKC.”
Update #2: One of Brandon Jennings’ former Roma teammates on the Rubio vs. Jennings thing: “I was allowed to get a pretty good look at two premiere players, and potentially top ten NBA draft picks in Brandon Jennings and Ricky Rubio, playing along side Brandon Jennings and against him everyday in the practice setting, and then on one occasion against Ricky Rubio. Given the caliber of the two players playing the match-up in Barcelona last December between the two quickly turned into a prime-time type of show case. Scouts from all over came to see the game, and they even played the Euroleague game on NBA TV. In my opinion, within that game, both B.J. and Ricky displayed great talent and potential to be successful.”
Update #3: Not draft releated, but OKC’s Vegas Summer League schedule is out:
excellent commentary Crow
if we get Rubio (or even Curry), Durant HAS to start playing better off the ball - he gets a free pass way too much on offense because he is good enough to get away with it. Durant can always get his, the problem is that it stagnates the offense. Some other guy (sharper than me) figured out that Durant does little off the ball. I was watching defense so much that I didn't pick up on it. After that, I paid closer attention. He was right. When he went out with his injury, the offense was much better. Are we better without Durant? NO, but to be better Durant has to play much better without the ball.
the core "of" cores
On paper Harden could fit well with Durant. You have to guard him, he will score on the weaker wing. He will contribute passing. He has not been a super ball ball-hog.
Rubio? He creates for others, especially by driving the lane. How would that work with Durant? So far I'd say Durant likes to create for himself. Maybe Rubio drives can set Durant up for easy 3 point shots but Westbrook drives should do that too and that ain't so hard. Durant just has to take the 3s one way. any way, lots more (in addition to driving). Would Rubio make Krstic, Green, Weaver, Sefolosha and Westbrook better? He better. I don't think his 1 on 1 game is going to rock the league.
Will Rubio and Durant come to share or alternate time on the ball in an effective manner or will it end up being 2 different shows? The chances are better right now than they have been that we'll find out.
I don't particularly see title contender from that combo design but maybe I'll have to think about it further after all. We'll see.
Presti picks Rubio and that is either the beginning of success or the beginning of the end or at least of era 1.
How does Jeff Green make anything easier for Durant?
Does he force the other team to play the smaller forward on Durant? Nope. Easier to choose which guy to use as a defender than normal.
Is he high post and passing to a cutting Durant? Not much.
If he creating an inside game that makes life easier of the perimeter for Durant? Or vice-versa? I don't see much affect.
Is he a clearly better defender who can take the better forward opponent on defense and make a difference? I'd say not really.
Does Westbrook make anything easier for Durant? He can by driving and playing point D but it hasn't been a bonanza yet.
If Durant is the core or cores then everybody else, every "ball player" has to fit into some kind of position / role in relationship to Durant. They don't just get to be their best true self without any fitting or fitting concerns or efforts. They just don't.
There is a lot of one on one but there is a lot of team too.
should be
I don’t have a problem with best player available if it means best player available who can successfully play a role and position- "any" role and position.
Get a ball player who is half PG / half SG, it can still work of course but now all your other PGs and SGs have to some extent compensate for that.
Get a player who is half SF / half PF you affect what kind of center you can choose or succeed with. A jump shooting center does not seem the right compliment. A 7 footer does but you'd want an athletic / physical one.
"Presti will take whoever he believes is he best player available."
I don't have a problem with best player available if it means best player available who can successfully play a role and position- only role and position. Just being a or the best ball player doesn't mean enough to me, given the team game where positions and roles really exist though they are pretty flexible.
"Remember he took a small forward right AFTER he had selected Kevin Durant!"
Maybe he did. And though it is still early, I don't think that was very wise.
Presti will take whoever he believes is he best player available. People constantly say he took Westbrook to be "the point of the future"... nope, he took him just because he thought he was the best. I just don't see Presti taking Thabeet because of the glaring hole down low on this roster. He'll take whoever he feels is the most skilled ballplayer, even if we already have 1-2 other players who can play his position. Remember he took a small forward right AFTER he had selected Kevin Durant!
If it is hard because if you get this and only this pick you have to fit into Presti's previous choices and on-going system
Harden, Curry or trade down or out...
I'd take Harden if he's there (I think it is pretty likely he won't be)
if not I'd trade down if you could get something useful and still get Curry (or perhaps somebody else like Lawson or Hansbrough)
taking Curry at 3 is kinda steep
I am not really a big fan of building thru these particular recent drafts
to trade out it has to be pretty good. unlikely
thanks for the elaboration . . .
Crow I respect your opinion . . .
who do YOU take if Griffin and Rubio are off the board //
If you have already answered this elsewhere, I apologize in advance . . .
I don't mean to suggest like CDR so much...
though he had a good college career, has a versatile skill-set, can play 3 positions, defends better than some think, has good +/-, is probably cheaply priced, probably does noticeably better in year 2 or 3.
If you want good values sometimes you have to move a bit earlier than others to recognize it or guess about it.
For Presti to covet Salmons & make a pretty big offer to CJ Miles and bring in Sefolosha and Livingston and pass on CDR just seems a bit odd to me, but his choice.
Crow - why do you like CDR so much? I didnt see him play this year, but his stats where underwhelming (13 minutes and 5 pts per game in only 44 games)
I guess... then he trades for Sefolosha and picks up Livingston.
Ibaka loves the mid-range shot. Presti doesn't seem to hate it.
@Crow
we could have drafted CDR @ 24 last year, but took Serge Ibaka instead. I think Presti isn't that high on him.
Barcelona won the tile and had Ilyasova, D Anderson, Navarro, Vasquez, Santiago, etc.
That looks tougher.
I guess Elton Brown got fed up and moved overseas
Or Dwayne Jones, Rod Benson, David Noel, Richard Hendrix, Gary Forbes, Joe Crawford, Kasib Powell, Richie Frahm, Jared Jordan, etc.
D league all-stars (of guys stuck down there) could be
Will Conroy Derrick Byars Erik Daniels Elton Brown Lance Allred
Or add Blake Ahern, Marcus Williams or Courtney Sims
Pooh Jeter was 5th leading scorer in the league and Marcus Haislip was 6th.
Should be
Tau league regular season leader / playoff runnerup
Rubio's team finished 5th to that and went out 2-1 in the first round
Just making the issue more detailed-
Tau (league champ)
lead by Rakocevic in scoring a 6-3 180 lb SG.
A late 2nd round pick in 2000 who washed out after less than 250 minutes in the NBA. Don't know how good he is right now.
Splitter (picked 28th in 2007) A NBA bench level guy?
Teletovic Pete MicKeal and Will McDonald
I don't think that is so hot.
for those who really wanna now how is ricky's game you better watch RICKY RUBIO SIGNATURE MOVES clips on youtube..yes, these are commercials but they are real movements u can see in every game he plays...that eurostep move really kills people(..and by the way he has invented that move with 18 years)..Maybe some OKC fans may support Curry or Harden election (I supose nobody is supporting Hasheem Thabet election in these franchise, "a new brother for the Petro,Sene, Swift Foundation"), but for those who are OKC ticket holders electing Rubio is a no-discussion decison, expect CREATION for all of your 41 games you paid.
@Jax Raging Bile Duct
Actually, I'd say the average age on a good European team is around 27. Experience is huge over there. That's the same reason that no team outside of this year's UNC would stand a chance. NCAA teams simply don't have enough experience with each other or even in their own system. UNC is incredibly talented with guys who have played together for years. They might take a game or 2 in a seven game series, but I don't see them suddenly able to handle experienced men running a well oiled machine.
The D-League All Star team would be interesting, but can you even name a proper starter at each position in the D-League? It's not like you're even picking from first round talent in most cases (unless they are recovering from injury).
UNC Would be a joke in pro spanish league,obviously not about talent wise, but we are talking about pros competing against kids learning...and a TEAM properly constructed with D league all-stars? ..yes, I think they would beat most of the spanish PRO A LEAGUE teams but obviously not Spanish National Team (they lost by 8 against reeding team)..By the way most of the Spanish PRO A tems have a couple of nba o d-l former player..Rubio has played last 2 years with Rudy Fernandez, Jerome Moiso,Coby Karl, Mensah-Bonsuh, Bracey Wright...
The style of play is so different it's hard to say. There are a few elite NCAA teams that have a professional caliber player every year (NBA or otherwise). Just take UNC, Kansas, Kentucky, Duke and UCLA. A player can play for up to 4 years. During that time he'll play with a handful of other players on his own team that will eventually play on a professional roster in the NBA or in Europe. But any given year, it's extremely rare to have a roster 8 men deep, where all 8 will eventually be a professional player in any league. In fact, I would be surprised if it has ever happened.
I would also venture to say that the average age on an NCAA team is around 19. I would think that's probably a year or two younger than the average ages on a European team.
So just for those few things considered (style of play, talent, experience/age) I would say that any European team would win a 5 or 7 game series with any NCAA squad. The NCAA squad may win a game here or there on a good night, but probably not a series.
The D-League All Star team though... now that would be fun to watch.
Spain's top of pro league probably stronger by far than ncaa tourney teams in general but would UNC compete for a title there? I am asking. And men vs men, would a properly constructed set of D league all-stars beat the average Spanish A team? I'd guess yes but I don't know.
when I first saw Rubio he was 14, then I thought it will take him 3 years to be the starter PG in his team (top 4 team in the second league of the world, Coby Karl has only averaged 10 min.p game this year in Ricky's team). It took him one and a half.. When he was 16 I thought it will take him 4 years to be a top-3 NBA draft. It took him 2 years...Now I think it will take him 2 and a half years to be a star in the league(border all- star status at worse), so let's see...
welcome Toni - glad to hear from someone who's seen him for more than a handful of games. I think he's the third best player in the draft (I am biased towards Curry) but I would be very happy if we got either player . . .
thanks joe...i'm also a big curry fan, and he woulD be a nice fit for OKC,..but once again, Rubio is not even a prospect, he is a proved star in Spain (our pro league is stronger by far than ncaa), and I'm so excited about how Kd would be feed by Rubio that it seems to me a joke hearing about Harden (not so much about curry)..and I'm also convinced that he could fit with westbrook , who is really a hard-knock player, but he never will have the IQ you need for a PG if you want to compite with the elite teams of the league..you're passing Steve Nash with height and defense(OK without a shot) for Rich Man(at best)dswn stevnson?
Thanks Kev
If Presti wants a guy for his system I'd consider trading for Chris Douglas Roberts. Would join a crowd but I like his potential or at least potential / value.
Welcome from Spain Toni.
I agree with you in one regard, I think Rubio will be special. I'm glad your a fan. But I have to disagree with you about Harden. I think he will be a solid starter for years. Much better than a bench guy. He was hands down the most efficient scoring guard in the NCAA's last year. Better eFG and TS% than Curry. He also got to the line more. He's a legit player. In defense of Curry however, he was target #1 for every defense he faced and still was awesome.
@toni
Well wouldn't that be a treat for you.
i 'm from barcelona - spain, so i've seen play Rubio for years...he's my second favorite player OF THE WHOLE WORLD, and u know who is my first? KD.
IT WILL BE A DREAM COME TRUE seeing those two guys together.. anyway, i'm also a college follower and I'm impressed that somebody can compare rubio with harden, it's like compare Jkidd in his prime to deshawn stevenson. yeah, Rubio doesn't have his strike ready yet, but besides of that he's the total package as pg for a winner team, hall of fame passer , a machine on the steals, best IQ of the game by a kid I' ve ever seen(imagine) by far..and u are prefering a bench guy like harden?
good points, Crow. From what I've seen, Presti has done a decent job, but it's too early to crown him . . .
The Presti mystique vs. getting to the playoffs by Durant year 4 or 5 - and this is a fairly low standard...
If the second is not done, the first was way overdone.
Even if the second is done is getting a Durant lead team to the playoffs in 4-5 years anything special?
Durant to playoffs in year 3 would be a solid early job. Durant to second round by year 5 would be a solid mid-term job. Durant to playoffs in year 4-5? Eh. Anybody who can't do that is not a strong GM, in my opinion.
You guys are underrating Rubio. I think the only thing you have to wait on is his shooting. He will make an impact in his rookie year. He has excellent decision making and he's a great passer. Sadly, consistent great passing is rare in the NBA.
I'm with GAP. My biggest issue with Rubio is that I don't think people realize how long it will take him to be an effective NBA point guard. He's only 19, and going to be playing the toughest position in the league. It's realistic to be expect him to be not even above-average until his third season, and if you're expecting a top-5 point guard, you're likely going to have to wait until 2014. I think Westbrook is smart enough and athletic enough to get their sooner. And I think you get more for picking Rubio at 3 and trading him then you do getting Harden at 3 and keeping him (and, granted, I like Harden).
I would trade Rubio to the highest bidder and get Harden if he's still there or Curry and some change.
@MartzMimic
I am a Westbrook believer as well and I think just because Presti takes Rubio doesn't mean it's all over for him as a point guard. I think he's more naturally suited to be a combo guard that handles point guard duties and off-the-ball stuff at the same time. Maybe coupling him with a true point could produce fantastic results.
Who knows. I lean towards Presti keeping Rubio rather than trying to deal him. Maybe for Stephen Curry, but outside of that I don't see what he would go for.
If Presti selects Rubio, I am sure he will have gotten some assurance from Ricky that he will stay here and play. . . even if that wasn't the case, you have to take Rubio and trade him if he doesnt want to play here . . .
If Memphis would take Harden, do we take Rubio and keep him? I'm a big Westbrook fan, but I can't say I'd be disappointed.
It wouldn't be anticlimactic if we got a key player back from the pick . . . now if he traded it away (for futre picks - extremely unlikely) then that would be different . . .
@Duncan
Haha! Well said on both accounts. A man can dream, right?
How anticlimactic would it be to go to the Thunder draft party this Thursday and have them trade the third pick? It'd be like going to a wedding only to find out the groom didn't show. Personally I'm still hoping that somehow the NBA realizes how perfect Blake Griffin and the Thunder are together and that they run away together. Gawddammit women have their idea of the fairytale ending and men get theirs too...
It seems that no one wants to play for Memphis. Usually, I go for the underdog. But how can you feel sorry for Memphis? They unloaded Gasol (for cap reasons I guess) and now they are paying for it - no one wants to go there. That's on them.
Why bring this up? Well, I think this even more underlines the fact that they have to take Rubio and get what they can for him - why take a talent rated 5-10 at #2? That would make no sense. Chad Ford thinks that they still take Thabeet, that makes no sense based on the weekend's events.
I can't wait for Thursday either - bring it on, so we can discuss it at serious length thereafter . . .
@Kev
Nailed it Kev. It's like Thabeet's camp has admitted their guy isn't a top five talent. They say he can just block shots? Well that sounds like a guy I should take with maybe the 25 pick, not the three. I'm not going after a guy in the top five that can just deflect passes.
Thabeet is trying to hide an incredibly raw game and I think Presti is privy to it. I could see Thabeet dropping out of the lottery honestly.
TYPO ALERT
and I thought i proofread it - anyway, on comment #5 change "blcoking" to "be blocking"
@Mark!
we discussed that in a thread over the weekend . . .
you have to love the rumors - I can't believe that someone had the audacity to say that the chances that OKC will draft Thabeet is 100 percent - if we do (I dont think we do) I will apologize . . . reasons:
1) Every one has said that Presti runs an airtight ship with no leaks . . .
2) Like you mentioned, why is OKC wasting a day and a half in CA on Rubio if they were sold on Thabeet??
3) I refuse to believe that Presti is enamored with a guy that refuses to work out, while Griffin (who would go #1 even if he DIDN'T work out) has been doing nothing but work in the last month or so.
I love the Thabeet camp's rationale for not working out: " He won't blcoking any shots in workouts, and that is what he is going to do in the NBA". Really?? That's ALL you are going to do in the NBA? Are you going to rebound?? Play tough man to man defense BEFORE the shot? Are you going to touch the ball on offense at all?? What about a low post game??
Geesh, I know that this is a weak draft, but seriously, from all I've read this guy has bust written all over him - I think he will be the biggest bust of the draft . . .
Just a couple comments:
1) Is someone really trying to cast the 2006 draft as world beaters? I see a lot of similarities between that draft and this one. 3 stars (Aldridge, Roy, Rondo), some notable contributors (Thomas, Foye, Gay, Millsap, Bargnani), and a few solid role players (Powe, Sefolosha, Brewer, Lowry, Farmar.) I mean, I know Roy/Aldridge are great, but no one thought Roy was going to be amazing at the time; lots of analysts gave him a high bust potential or whatever. If this draft isn't at least comparable to 2006, I'll be surprised.
2) Did anyone else catch Bucher's tweet over the weekend that he thinks there may be a Camby -> Thunder trade in the works? (7.5MM expiring contract.)
Hey Royce, were there any fun names as representatives of each team in the Mag? For example, who would Beno Udrih pick at 4? Or who would Zach Randolph pick at 1? I'd love to see a draft drawn up by all the starters who are likely to be displaced.
Thursday can't get here fast enough.
@daniel
I guess that depends on perspective. I was counting today which was just getting started.