In a draft in which I'm fairly certain does not contain a single player who I could see being the best player on a Championship contending team (I'm not sure how rare this is, but, for example, I would say that I can see Derrick Rose being just that), you really just take whoever strikes your fancy. So why not give my list of Likes and Dislikes for this year's draft, at least relative to where they are projected?
And, like any smart guy would do in a good news/bad news situation, I'm taking the bad news first.
Dislikes:
(In no particular order)
1. Jordan Hill - Arizona
He seems like a nice enough guy, but...
He has only played basketball for a couple of years, he's not as athletic as originally thought (according to workouts), he's not fundamentally sound, he doesn't have a well-developed mid-range jumper....I just feel like he played shockingly well and his stock skyrocketed (he's predicted in the top ten in most mock drafts and even in the top five in a few!!!) and we're going to look at him and be like, "Oh yeah, he's not really good at anything." He very well could be useful in the pros, but top five seems insane to me. Maybe in this draft, that's all anybody can even ask for.
2. Tyreke Evans - Memphis
More than length, athleticism...whatever, all I really ask for in a prospect is if I get the feeling that I can trust him. Give me the slightly worse athlete that knows how to play the game instead of the 6-6 "Point Guard" who has a ridiculous looking jumper and played for a coach who doesn't really coach anything.
Listen, let's be honest about something. This site is for my own enjoyment and nobody reads it. What I'm about to say might get me in trouble if I were a real person, but thank goodness I am not.
I look in the eyes of Tyreke Evans, and I just think, "Man, that guy looks like an idiot." I look at his jumper and his decision on what college to attend and, perhaps more importantly, how long to attend said college. I don't care how big you are, if you don't know how to play, you won't be good.
(Sidenote: Memphis is ALWAYS overrated. When you have guys like Chris Douglas-Roberts and Tyreke Evans, you can go undefeated in the regular season and the tournament will show how bad you are. The only year that didn't happen was two years ago with Derrick Rose, who was legitimately good. Remember how unimpressed you were with Memphis getting blown out by Mizzou in the tournament? You will be similarly unimpressed with Evans.)
3. B.J. Mullens - Ohio State
Do I really need to list this? I'd be willing to bet one of my future theoretical children that this kid is homeless by the time he's 30. Is that a good enough endorsement?
4. Sam Young - Pitt
This one I owe 100% to John Hollinger's Draft Rater. I can't link it because it now belongs to ESPN Insider. Somehow I got to read it in the morning while it was open to the public.
Hollinger brought up a good point. Sam Young is 24, which is interesting. You could take that as, "Hey, this guy's NBA ready!!" or, as Hollinger takes it, "Wow, this guy is 24 and still isn't that good." John's argument was basically that he is as good as he's going to get, and that's not good, and if there's anyone I listen to other than Bill Simmons and Brian Windhorst, it's John Hollinger.
5. All non-Ricky Rubio Foreigners
This does not include Nick Calathes. I like him. All I'm saying is that if my team drafts a guy who I've never heard of and whose name I can't pronounce, I'm pissed. It's really hard to translate foreign league stats to NBA stats, so why waste a pick on a 100% shot in the dark gamble? I hate it. If I hear, "...And with the 30th pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, the Cleveland Cavaliers select...Omri Casspi out of Israel," I'm going on a rampage. Why don't you just go draft yourself instead.
Likes
(Again, in no particular order...)
1. Stephen Curry - Davidson
I know, I know...he's going to be a lottery pick, how can he be such a good value? Frankly, I'm not sure that he isn't the best player in this draft. Steph Curry is the perfect example of what I love, speaking of which, I actually would compare him to Kevin Love.
It might sound a little odd, but they are similar. They are both legacies in that their fathers are former NBA players. They've grown up around the game and they just seem to know it better than anyone they are playing with or against. Love and Curry both have physical limitations, but being three steps ahead of everyone else is a good place to be.
2. Johnny Flynn - Syracuse
Another guy who is going in the top ten but still not high enough. In a draft like this, if you get a guy who I am pretty sure can run a team effectively and make as huge of plays as he'll ever need to, why pass on him? ...Ever?
You know what else? Johnny has a cool name. You cannot underestimate that.
3. DeJuan Blair - Pitt
You know what? Even I am surprised that I have him on here.
Blair is a big fat goofball with knee problems from a team I never root for. But while I was thinking about what type of player I would want to start a team that has no direction, I thought of this guy. He has a big personality and a toughness that people seem to respond to. I don't even really think Pitt was good last year, but they kept beating UConn, who was VERY good, because DeJuan Blair just manned up against Thabeet (who was on the brink of making my dislikes list).
Drafting DeJuan Blair gives your team an automatic identity, which might be the most important thing in the world.
4. Nick Calathes - Florida
Because I have only seen highlights of Ricky Rubio and not full games, I'm not sure I can be trusted in my opinion of him...he seems pretty good. With that said, I'm not sure what the difference is between him and Calathes. From what I've heard, he has unbelievable court vision and point guard skills, while being 6-5 and possessing a great jump shot. If you're a good team or a team with not much money or both, you can get an American Rubio at the millionth pick and not pay him for a year while he plays in Greece. Not bad.
5. Any UNC Guard
This includes Ty Lawson (who actually ranked as the number 1 college prospect in Hollinger's system), Danny Green and Wayne Ellington.
I mean really, why the hell not? This team won the National Championship. The Cavs traded for Darnell Jackson in last year's draft who didn't even start on the National Champion Jayhawks and he contributed in his first year. If you have to take a chance, why not take a chance on a winner?
That's all for now. I want to comment on every pick of the draft just to have on record of who I was right and wrong about. John Glenn might chime in as well. Enjoy the draft.
Alright Buddies I pretty much share the views you have on most issues but I'm going to have to disagree with your assessment of several players.
ReplyDeleteI obviously agree with your comments on B.J. Mullens but that is about where my agreement ends.
My biggest problem is with your rating of Tyreke Evans. Sure, he is most likely an idiot but so is WAY more than half of the NBA. Derek Rose, whom you seem to love, had to have someone else take the SAT for him so he could attend college. Evans is big enough to play either guard position, is athletic as hell, and was willing to move from shooting guard to point guard and score less for the betterment of his team. I actually LIKE him.
I don't dislike Stephen Curry but I definitely do not like him at the spot he will be picked. He is small limiting what he can do on defense. His 3P% dropped significantly this past year with the line moving back a foot and the NBA line is only further back. Lastly, he couldn't even get his team to the tournament playing in a shitty conference. I think he will be a better version of Boobie Gibson, which is to say I think he can be a back up that can play 20 minutes a game which is not what I am looking for in the top 10 even in this obviously terrible draft.
I will also say that I don't like DeJuan Blair because I see him as only a stronger version of Sean May. I would have also put Thabeet on my "don't likes" because I think he will be dominated by stronger NBA big men just as he was by Blair.
Alright, that is enough Buddies bashing for now but you better watch out on your complete draft analysis.