NBA Draft Discussion: Wizards #1

[theAlaskanBear]

The lottery just ended tonight, and the Wizards wound up with the number one pick! The 76ers grabbed number two. Both teams moved up significantly in the draft.

The New Jersey Nets, with 25% chance to win the number one, dropped to number three.

This has to be a glimmer of hope and some positive Karma for the Wizards fans who endured this dismal last season. And another bonus, Jordan wont be able to select the next Kwame Brown! The ghost of Abe Polin strikes back!

Here is the list of the lottery portion of the draft:
1. Washington Wizards
2. Philadelphia 76ers
3. New Jersey Nets
4. Minnesota Timberwolves
5. Sacramento Kings
6. Golden State Warriors
7. Detroit Pistons
8. Los Angeles Clippers
9. Utah Jazz
10. Indiana Pacers
11. New Orleans Hornets
12. Memphis Grizzlies
13. Toronto Raptors
14. Houston Rockets

[cspan37421]

all the talk is that Wall is back to being the #1 pick. Seems to me that in the tourney many were saying Turner had eclipsed him. What has happened since then to change this?

Many familiar faces in that first 14.

Does anyone think that LeBron hurt his attractiveness through his play in his last 3 games? Will it just be attributed to injury? Is there something missing - leadership? Drive?

[Huh?]

Will Wall and Arenas play together?

[FireOgilvie]

all the talk is that Wall is back to being the #1 pick. Seems to me that in the tourney many were saying Turner had eclipsed him. What has happened since then to change this?

Many familiar faces in that first 14.

Does anyone think that LeBron hurt his attractiveness through his play in his last 3 games? Will it just be attributed to injury? Is there something missing - leadership? Drive?

Turner was never going to go over Wall.

LeBron won the MVP and definitely didn't hurt his attractiveness... he hurt his elbow. LeBron would be smart to get out of Cleveland and get some new faces around him.

[Newton_14]

Will Wall and Arenas play together?

Nope. Which is why Agent 1 just left the building. He has played his last game as a Wizard imo. This is the perfect excuse for them to send him on his way.

[sagegrouse]

Will Wall and Arenas play together?

Will Arenas ever be more than a shadow of his former self?

sagegrouse

[studdlee10]

Nope. Which is why Agent 1 just left the building. He has played his last game as a Wizard imo. This is the perfect excuse for them to send him on his way.

The Wiz have to get rid of Arenas and start over with Wall. The Nationals were in the same position last year with Strasburg. They HAVE to take the best player and potential PG savior instead of letting Arenas hold them hostage. If they don't, they risk losing their fan base.

[Big Pappa]

IMO this takes the Nets to the back of the line (if not out of the running) for landing Lebron. He is buds with Wall and I think he really wanted to play with him. If they weren't already, this makes Chi-town with Rose the favorites.

[D.C. Devil]

Nope. Which is why Agent 1 just left the building. He has played his last game as a Wizard imo. This is the perfect excuse for them to send him on his way.

To where? They declined to void his contract and so he's virtually untradeable.

[hurleyfor3]

Wow, what a lottery for the I-95 corridor.

[greybeard]

Arenas will not be a shadow of his former self, not close to a shadow. He will probably be in DC, however, which means that if I were running LeBulletz, and let's hope it ain't Ernie when the time to chose comes, I move the number one to the Nets, and take either the kid from Georga Tech or Cousins, perhaps even the big out of Kansas.

I would not take Wall. I cannot say this enough but I definitely, absolutely, would not take Wall--I trade down, definitely, and assuming I want to sign a rookie for salary reasons, not to mention to have him around awhile, I take one of the bigs available. The Nets would have to give up much more than the 3 to get the one-pick. I am not sure what that would be, perhaps a one next year and a protected one the year after. Why the heavy price? With Wall and a coach they might be in the running for LeBron.

Wall, especially if he plays in DC, will in my opinion get creamed and go down with an injury, how serious, anybody's guess. But, given how little they have, he would be the proverbial duck in the barrell and in my opinion Leonsis ain't gonna sign him to put on no carnival.

[Newton_14]

Arenas will not be a shadow of his former self, not close to a shadow. He will probably be in DC, however, which means that if I were running LeBulletz, and let's hope it ain't Ernie when the time to chose comes, I move the number one to the Nets, and take either the kid from Georga Tech or Cousins, perhaps even the big out of Kansas.

I would not take Wall. I cannot say this enough but I definitely, absolutely, would not take Wall--I trade down, definitely, and assuming I want to sign a rookie for salary reasons, not to mention to have him around awhile, I take one of the bigs available. The Nets would have to give up much more than the 3 to get the one-pick. I am not sure what that would be, perhaps a one next year and a protected one the year after. Why the heavy price? With Wall and a coach they might be in the running for LeBron.

Wall, especially if he plays in DC, will in my opinion get creamed and go down with an injury, how serious, anybody's guess. But, given how little they have, he would be the proverbial duck in the barrell and in my opinion Leonsis ain't gonna sign him to put on no carnival.

Just out of curiousity, would you not take Wall because Arenas can't be moved? Because your argument for trade makes a lot of sense there. But if you would not take Wall no matter which team went first, I can't go with you on that one.

Wall is the real deal. I have no doubt about that. I don't worry about the injury part. He is a tough kid. He will learn when he can venture into the lane and when not too. But I do think he is a star in the making. If he ever gets a consistent jumper he will be close to unguardable.

[TheBrianZoubekExperience]

Agree with Big Pappa that this probably eliminates Lebron to Nets talk. I actually think Favors is a good fit there but I do think they would have been more attractive to Lebron with Wall.

I don't think Arenas is ever back to his prime but I don't see why he couldn't play with wall as a SG. Sure, they both dominate the ball but Gilbert is a good shooter for Wall to kick out to and Wall provides enough size and athleticism to play next to Gilbert. If they can get something good for Arenas, then sure I'd trade him but I don't see why they couldn't play together as a backcourt.

I don't think Turner ever really passed Wall. He had a great year and its boring to keep saying Wall will go number one so there was some talk of him going number one but not really in recent weeks. Plus, Wall is going to shine in workouts a lot more than Turner IMO. I don't think theres any way Wall goes number 2.

The Nets trading up for Wall would be interesting but I don't think it happens. With Wall as a pretty much consensus pick and possible star, I don't see the Wiz passing on that.

Very interested to see what Minny does. They are supposedly down on Cousins so not sure what they do. They have to be bummed they didn't land at top 3 pick.

[theAlaskanBear]

I actually don't think that the Nets are that hurt by this draft. They have the opportunity to draft Favors or Cousins to form a formidable front-court with Brook Lopez! Also, the 76ers are guard heavy, so if there is a chance they wont take Turner....giving the Nets a shot at him at the #3. I mean, they already have a good point guard...is Wall going to be better than Harris? In the long run, certainly, but for the next 2-3 years its probably a scratch.

Also, don't be surprised if we see some European players start to sign with the Nets. The new owner talked about building a global brand.

[moonpie23]

cousins might be the better pick....

[ElSid]

The wizards have a ton of depth at guard. Including four point guards?

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/teams/roster?team=was

Still, I think they gotta take Wall.

[TheBrianZoubekExperience]

I would not take Wall. I cannot say this enough but I definitely, absolutely, would not take Wall--I trade down, definitely, and assuming I want to sign a rookie for salary reasons, not to mention to have him around awhile, I take one of the bigs available.

So do you just think his value is too high and you can get a better package by trading or do you just really not think Wall will be a good pro? If you couldn't trade the number one pick and had to pick at number one, how many/which guys would you take over Wall?

[studdlee10]

cousins might be the better pick....

IMO, Cousins is the riskiest pick in this draft. He dominated in college because he was bigger than everybody else. That won't be the case in the NBA. Favors, while not dominant in ACC play, at least has upper level athleticism. Cousins doesn't. Plus, the kid is already a bit pudgy at 19. What's he going to look like at 24-26 after a couple million dollar contracts? I'd stay away from Demarcus Cousins.

There are no indispensable players on the Wizards. Because of that, you draft Wall, the best player with the most potential in the draft.

[TheBrianZoubekExperience]

The wizards have a ton of depth at guard. Including four point guards?

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/teams/roster?team=was

Still, I think they gotta take Wall.

Well, I don't really think they have much depth there. Looking at that roster:

Boykins is 33, 5'5 and pretty much a career backup anyway. Livingston has had major problems since his knee injury. Arenas has obviously had his problems. And Crittendon might not be in the NBA next year. But yeah, I agree that they probably take Wall.

[jsw12]

I think they can play together. I would hope Arenas would come in a little humbled by the last 10 months and would be willing to play off the ball. Wall is 6-4 with a long wingspan, enough to guard the 2 in the NBA. He can also create on offense, thus taking a lot of pressure off of Arenas to dominate the ball.

This may mean that Arenas role will shift a little more to jump shooting. But with his knee, that may be where he is most useful anyway.

As a Wizard fan, this good news is very welcome amidst a dreary season (nba only). Perhaps I'm being overly optimistic, but this seems like it could work.

[hedevil]

The word on the street was that if the Nets got pick #1 they would have a legitimate chance at landing Wall and convincing Lebron to go to NJ. (Maybe and maybe not). There's no chance at that now it looks like. As a Bulls fan, I hope the Knicks can give James an offer he can't refuse.

For anyone who doesn't know already, I don't like Lebron, as mentioned in another thread. I don't wish to further that discussion please, so bottom line, this is not welcomed news for me. :mad:

As for Washington, congratulations!

[greybeard]

Just out of curiousity, would you not take Wall because Arenas can't be moved? Because your argument for trade makes a lot of sense there. But if you would not take Wall no matter which team went first, I can't go with you on that one.

Wall is the real deal. I have no doubt about that. I don't worry about the injury part. He is a tough kid. He will learn when he can venture into the lane and when not too. But I do think he is a star in the making. If he ever gets a consistent jumper he will be close to unguardable.

Just like Chris Paul unguardable, which is to say injured badly and often. His game exposes him to too much punishment and I do not see players like that make a lasting impact because they cannot regularly last a season. Perhaps on a team that is loaded, aka the Celtics, and perhaps with someone like LeBron to take the heat, maybe.

But players who occupy the ball are all nice and stuff but they go down, ever more frequently these days. On a team with nothing much around him, I think that Wall would be an injury waiting to happen year in and year out and that you won't have to wait to long.

Teams that make investments without regard to this factor I believe are making huge misstakes. Arenas lasted longer than I'd expect but he is actually more compact and better put together than the longer Wall and look where Arenas is now. Look where Paulus is now. Heck, look where Williams is now. Injured, almost every season and significantly.

Nice on paper.

I think that you need a team that has a real coach, which the Zards had in Edie until Ernie forced him to play three-man ball on offense instead of the five-man pro version of the Princeton. Then you need some players with some smarts, some generosity of spirit, and you can construct a team that will be entertaining to watch and will make some noise. As long as there are superstars and some stacked teams like the Lakers and Celtics who have exceptional coaching and come up with a meaningful concept around which synergy can happen, those are the only teams with a real chance.

But the other teams can entertain. I only think that Wall will not be durable enough to entertain except in an environment much richer in talent and coaching than the Zards. I'd pass and get more players--the Zards need a lot of them, and a skinny kid who likes to occupy the rock and get to the rim and finish and dish can get them some.

Sorry, Wall, We Hardly Knew Ya.

[Dukefan4Life]

Although i am not a wizard fan, I am from the metro area and the wizards better take wall! this guy will be a top player for years to come

[Rudy]

I think they can play together. I would hope Arenas would come in a little humbled by the last 10 months and would be willing to play off the ball. Wall is 6-4 with a long wingspan, enough to guard the 2 in the NBA. He can also create on offense, thus taking a lot of pressure off of Arenas to dominate the ball.

This may mean that Arenas role will shift a little more to jump shooting. But with his knee, that may be where he is most useful anyway.

As a Wizard fan, this good news is very welcome amidst a dreary season (nba only). Perhaps I'm being overly optimistic, but this seems like it could work.

As a Bullets (aka Wizards) fan, I hope you're right. Arenas was never much interested in playing defense, so a move to SG for him would be a defensive liability unless Wall can take the opponent's SG.

BTW, Jamison was never much interested in defense either, as continued to be evidenced by his play in Cleveland. Back in the heady days of peak performance of Arenas/Jamison/Butler (about a half season, I think) they had enough offensive firepower to win without defense.

[UrinalCake]

I wonder if LeBron has enough pull to convince the Nets to trade up and get Wall as a contingency for signing with them. Maybe the offer the #3 pick and Brook Lopez to the Wizards for the #1. Then the Nets would have LeBron and Wall, and the Wizards would have a pretty good core with Arenas, Lopez, and someone like Cousins.

[Mal]

Very interested to see what Minny does. They are supposedly down on Cousins so not sure what they do. They have to be bummed they didn't land at top 3 pick.

Side note: T-Wolves have now been in the lottery 13 times. They've lost ground 7 times, and haven't once moved up from expected position! That's pretty remarkable bad luck. If it's considered a four-man draft and the Wolves come in with the third worst record, you can rest assured they'll draw the 5th pick. Compounds the awful management. Whomever they take at 4 will be the wrong choice.

[greybeard]

I wonder if LeBron has enough pull to convince the Nets to trade up and get Wall as a contingency for signing with them. Maybe the offer the #3 pick and Brook Lopez to the Wizards for the #1. Then the Nets would have LeBron and Wall, and the Wizards would have a pretty good core with Arenas, Lopez, and someone like Cousins.

Works for me. As I said, I don't think that the Wizards have the personnel to support and make really good use of Wall. I think that they need precisely the type of strength inside that you are talking about.

The only way if I am Ted that I take Wall is if I am going out and signing one of the bigs on the free agent market, which would be Mr. Bosh. While Bosh does not play big, big, he and Wall would mesh together in a running game and in two-man play. I don't see another player on the free agent market that would make Wall a logical pick were I Ted. Of course, I'm not, so we'll have to see. Please get rid of Ernie!

[David]

Also interesting to see the 76ers get the 2nd pick in the draft. I have followed Elton's pro career - he and the 76ers played below their talent last year. The 76ers have some good players including Jrue Holliday (pt guard of the future), Andre Iguodala, Elton, and Thaddeus Young (former Ga Tech player). I think they should pick Evan Turner and move Iggy to small forward. Thus, starting lineup would be Jrue, Turner, Iggy, Elton and Sam Dalembert. They are not winning a championship next season but they could make the playoffs and they have a nice backcourt to build on for the future.

I saw Doug Gottleib this morning on sportscenter suggest the sixers should draft Wesley Johnson. I disagree - the 76ers do not need another athletic forward. I guess an argument could also be made to draft Derrick Favors on potential with the idea Dalembert isn't that good and he is in the last yr of his contract. Paul Hewitt's coaching and Ga Tech's guard play last year makes it particularly hard to figure out what Favors might bring at the next level.

One other Duke connection w/ the 76ers is that all signs point towards Doug Collins getting hired as their new head coach.

[Big Pappa]

Also interesting to see the 76ers get the 2nd pick in the draft. I have followed Elton's pro career - he and the 76ers played below their talent last year. The 76ers have some good players including Jrue Holliday (pt guard of the future), Andre Iguodala, Elton, and Thaddeus Young (former Ga Tech player). I think they should pick Evan Turner and move Iggy to small forward. Thus, starting lineup would be Jrue, Turner, Iggy, Elton and Sam Dalembert. They are not winning a championship next season but they could make the playoffs and they have a nice backcourt to build on for the future.

I saw Doug Gottleib this morning on sportscenter suggest the sixers should draft Wesley Johnson. I disagree - the 76ers do not need another athletic forward. I guess an argument could also be made to draft Derrick Favors on potential with the idea Dalembert isn't that good and he is in the last yr of his contract. Paul Hewitt's coaching and Ga Tech's guard play last year makes it particularly hard to figure out what Favors might bring at the next level.

One other Duke connection w/ the 76ers is that all signs point towards Doug Collins getting hired as their new head coach.

I think they will most likely take Turner but I would rather see them take Favors. IMO Turner is going to be a bust at the number 2 pick. Not saying he won't be a solid contributor sometime in the future, but I think Favors has the chance to be a multiple-year all-star. I would honestly rather see them take Cousins to play alongside Elton instead on Turner. Favors or Cousins is the pick here IMO.

[ElSid]

I think they will most likely take Turner but I would rather see them take Favors. IMO Turner is going to be a bust at the number 2 pick. Not saying he won't be a solid contributor sometime in the future, but I think Favors has the chance to be a multiple-year all-star. I would honestly rather see them take Cousins to play alongside Elton instead on Turner. Favors or Cousins is the pick here IMO.

Disagree. Favors will probably not be ready for the NBA for 2-3 years. Evan Turner is ready right now. The guy is very good and I'm not sure why you think he'll be a bust. At 6'7", he's got great size. He's a proven high quality performer. He has a will to win. What about Evan Turner says bust to you? Meanwhile, Favors is really hard to judge because he played at GT with no real supporting cast. Cousins is a head case.

[Big Pappa]

Disagree. Favors will probably not be ready for the NBA for 2-3 years. Evan Turner is ready right now. The guy is very good and I'm not sure why you think he'll be a bust. At 6'7", he's got great size. He's a proven high quality performer. He has a will to win. What about Evan Turner says bust to you? Meanwhile, Favors is really hard to judge because he played at GT with no real supporting cast. Cousins is a head case.

First of all, I don't buy that he is 6'7". That point aside, there are many problems with Turner. The biggest one is what position he will play in the league. He can't play PG because he is not quick enough and not a good enough ball handler. He is big enough to play SF, even if he is 6'7" he is not strong enough to play that position in the league. That basically leaves SG. He simply does not shoot the ball well enough to play SG in the NBA. The most telling stat is that he had the second highest TO per game rate in all of college basketball. He is loose with the ball. There is no doubt he can make big plays and big shots (against people in college) but I simply think if taken as the number 2 spot he will be a bust. As I stated before, I think he can be a contributor but not an all-star or all-pro guy.

What makes you think Favors isn't ready? His body is ready and I think he will be a big contributor almost right away, maybe after a year but certainly not 2-3. Cousins liked to pout at UK but he isn't a head case. He didn't have a strong coach that was capable of dealing with him when he got in foul trouble or upset with refs. Cousins will be a big time player a few years down the road. But, IMO, it's better to draft a guy that can be a star in 2 years than a guy who will be a career role player, especially with the number 2 pick.

[ElSid]

First of all, I don't buy that he is 6'7". That point aside, there are many problems with Turner. The biggest one is what position he will play in the league. He can't play PG because he is not quick enough and not a good enough ball handler. He is big enough to play SF, even if he is 6'7" he is not strong enough to play that position in the league. That basically leaves SG. He simply does not shoot the ball well enough to play SG in the NBA. The most telling stat is that he had the second highest TO per game rate in all of college basketball. He is loose with the ball. There is no doubt he can make big plays and big shots (against people in college) but I simply think if taken as the number 2 spot he will be a bust. As I stated before, I think he can be a contributor but not an all-star or all-pro guy.

What makes you think Favors isn't ready? His body is ready and I think he will be a big contributor almost right away, maybe after a year but certainly not 2-3. Cousins liked to pout at UK but he isn't a head case. He didn't have a strong coach that was capable of dealing with him when he got in foul trouble or upset with refs. Cousins will be a big time player a few years down the road. But, IMO, it's better to draft a guy that can be a star in 2 years than a guy who will be a career role player, especially with the number 2 pick.

Yes, maybe he should be Evan Turner-over. I forgot about his penchant for TOs.

[TheBrianZoubekExperience]

I expect the Sixers to take Turner but Favors should definitely be in the mix. Are there any official measurements on favors or Turner? I agree Turner might be a little smaller than advertised but I worry about Favors being a little shorter too. Really hard to tell just watching these guys live and on TV but I do want to see the official measurements.

I do think Favors has the higher upside and is more likely to be an all star down the road. Turner duplicates Iggy/Thaddues Young a bit but is probably more ready to play now. I don't think either puts the Sixers over the top as a legit contender in the next few years so I'd be in favor of trading Iggy (depending on what they can get) now and trying to build with a young core of Jrue, Lou, Thad, the number 2 pick, Speights.

Not sure how they feel about Cousins but if they like him and Favors it opens of an interesting trade.

If the Sixers really do like Cousins more or are pretty close to indifferent than it might make sense for the Sixers and Minny to swap picks. Minny has two other first round picks in addition to the number 4 pick so they could offer a package to move up and take Turner or Favors.

[jipops]

I think they will most likely take Turner but I would rather see them take Favors. IMO Turner is going to be a bust at the number 2 pick. Not saying he won't be a solid contributor sometime in the future, but I think Favors has the chance to be a multiple-year all-star. I would honestly rather see them take Cousins to play alongside Elton instead on Turner. Favors or Cousins is the pick here IMO.

I'd agree here. Take the chance on Cousins' character issues and make him the 2nd pick. He's a legitimate center with bulk and skill on offense - kind of a rare combination in centers these days. Turner is a little iffy, reminds me a bit of Ed O'Bannon. On the other hand, the 6'ers could desperately use another wing scorer that can actually hit a perimeter shot which is where Turner does fit the bill. Still, a Cousins pick could possibly allow the 6'ers to offer Dalembert as trade bait for another guard.

[Big Pappa]

I'd agree here. Take the chance on Cousins' character issues and make him the 2nd pick. He's a legitimate center with bulk and skill on offense - kind of a rare combination in centers these days. Turner is a little iffy, reminds me a bit of Ed O'Bannon. On the other hand, the 6'ers could desperately use another wing scorer that can actually hit a perimeter shot which is where Turner does fit the bill. Still, a Cousins pick could possibly allow the 6'ers to offer Dalembert as trade bait for another guard.

I agree with everything you said except for the bolded part. They do need an outside shooter but Turner really doesn't fill that role. In three years at Ohio State he only made 54 three pointers (and that's from the college line). Just to put that in perspective, there were 30 guys in NCAA DI basketball that hit over 90 last year alone, including Scheyer who hit 94.

[theAlaskanBear]

IMHO, the Sixers should take a big man and not look back! They have only one pick in this draft, as the Bucks get their second round.

Elton is winding down his NBA career unfortunately, with these injuries. And an extra body will give them some more flexibility down low. the Sixers will in all likelihood resign Dalembert, but a smart GM would grab Favors, try to force a low contract extension for Samuel, and if he declines, then trade him (contract expires in 11).

[greybeard]

I think that Cousins has the best feet I have seen in a power forward. He moves them quickly, drop stepping either way with incredible quickness. His body is complete balance throughout. I like him an awful lot, above Favors, as an inside scorer.

[sagegrouse]

The Wizards intentionally "blew up" their team during the past season. After Arenas was sidelined, they got rid of former all-stars Antawn Jamison and Caron Butler plus center Brendan Heywood.

Now, having the #1 pick and lots of salary cap room, they need to rebuild the roster. The new owner, Ted Leonsis, has just announced that Ernie Grunfeld will remain as team president/GM and that Flip Sanders will return as coach.

Here's a start on a strategy, IMHO and, believe me, the H is fully aspirate:

Draft John Wall and pair him with Gilbert Arenas. Wall is the closest thing to a sure thing in the draft and a potential all-star within three years. You don't know what you are going to get from Gilbert, but he has been brilliant in the past and is basically untradeable unless you eat most of his salary. You hope he has grown up but don't have any illusions. I think they should keep Gilbert.

There is a real shortage of talent in the front court. They need to bring in one top player for the front court to make a real improvement over the team playing in 2010. And I seriously doubt they are a contender for a player like Chris Bosh.

The other problem to address is that the three highest scorers on the team are "head cases." That would be Arenas, Andray Blatche, and Josh Howard. So, in addition to adding talent in the front court, you have to worry about the locker room.

Brendan Haywood, free agent, may choose to return and could be part of the solution. Brendan has gotten better every year, but is still below average as a starting center.

Anyway, the Grouse opines that the Wiz should draft Wall, keep Arenas, and try to add one other top player.

sagegrouse

[UrinalCake]

Anyway, the Grouse opines that the Wiz should draft Wall, keep Arenas, and try to add one other top player.

How about drafting Zoubek in the second round 8-)

[Rudy]

And I seriously doubt they are a contender for a player like Chris Bosh.

The other problem to address is that the three highest scorers on the team are "head cases." That would be Arenas, Andray Blatche, and Josh Howard. So, in addition to adding talent in the front court, you have to worry about the locker room.

Brendan Haywood, free agent, may choose to return and could be part of the solution. Brendan has gotten better every year, but is still below average as a starting center.


Why not Bosh? Pollin, who probably didn't have a lot of respect from players as an owner (as a person, yes, but the Jordan fiasco didn't sit well with players), has passed and Leonsis has a good record of rebuilding the Caps.

Re head cases: Arenas will behave and be humble for a season, at least. Whether he can ever corral his ball-hogging is another question. I doubt Howard will be much of a problem, but who knows how well he'll recover from his injury and whether he can revive his steadily declining scoring output. I will be very surprised if Blatche ever plays in a Wizards uniform again, particularly if Saunders stays, as he should. Blatche played with open contempt for Flip in the last 20 or so games. We're glad he boosted his personal scoring stats (who cares about TO's and rebounds and defense, eh?) so some sucker will take him off our hands and give us something.

Haywood would be a welcome return. He rebounds fine and plays decent defense. If there are some scorers on the team his lack of offensive output wouldn't be noticed.

[allenmurray]

Anyway, the Grouse opines that the Wiz should draft Wall, keep Arenas,
sagegrouse

You'd have a real run and gun offense.

[greybeard]

You'd have a real run and gun offense.

Now, this took me a bit, age I suppose, but is really quite funny. Just tell Gilbert how many you need, right.

[superdave]

Arenas would have to be swapped for another bad contract. That's they only way he is remotely movable. But this league is full of bad contracts (Brand, Dalembert, Igoudala just to name 3 on the 76ers). So there's possibilities.

Wall is absolutely going to be in DC next year though.

People seem very high on Favors. He reminds me of Bosh and could be a 20 and 12 guy within 2-3 years. Hope he does not fall far.

I'm a little surprised Ed Davis is slipping below Aminu and Monroe though. Both those guys are skilled offensively but not great (see Lamar Odom). But Davis will eventually give you 10 boards and 3 blocks a game whil getting stick backs and dunks on the offensive end. I think he's going to be good and he has the frame to go 260 lbs.

Does Evan Turner remind anyone of Scottie Pippen or Brandon Roy?

[jipops]

I agree with everything you said except for the bolded part. They do need an outside shooter but Turner really doesn't fill that role. In three years at Ohio State he only made 54 three pointers (and that's from the college line). Just to put that in perspective, there were 30 guys in NCAA DI basketball that hit over 90 last year alone, including Scheyer who hit 94.

In that case, might as well go with Cousins. They won't solve their perimeter issues in this draft.

[Newton_14]

Arenas would have to be swapped for another bad contract. That's they only way he is remotely movable. But this league is full of bad contracts (Brand, Dalembert, Igoudala just to name 3 on the 76ers). So there's possibilities.

Wall is absolutely going to be in DC next year though.

People seem very high on Favors. He reminds me of Bosh and could be a 20 and 12 guy within 2-3 years. Hope he does not fall far.

I'm a little surprised Ed Davis is slipping below Aminu and Monroe though. Both those guys are skilled offensively but not great (see Lamar Odom). But Davis will eventually give you 10 boards and 3 blocks a game whil getting stick backs and dunks on the offensive end. I think he's going to be good and he has the frame to go 260 lbs.

Does Evan Turner remind anyone of Scottie Pippen or Brandon Roy?

On my board:p, Wall is #1 and Cousins is #2. But I no longer watch the NBA religiously like the old days so what do I know? But I do watch it enough to know that whoever ends up with Ed Davis is going to be really disappointed.

I predict Davis will be the biggest bust since Brandon Wright. He is too small, and lacks any kind of offensive game beyond a dunk or close range layup. Did he hit a shot outside of 5 feet in college? Heck, did he even take a shot outside of 5 feet? I just don't see it.

Some of you NBA guru's could enlighten me if I am off base here, but I just don't see Davis having a lot of success in the NBA unless he just simply has not shown us his real skill set yet. His attitude isn't the greatest either. One of my close friends is a huge Unc fan and he swears Davis was the cancer in the locker room this year. It's possible I guess. His words, not mine.

Thoughts?

[jipops]

On my board:p, Wall is #1 and Cousins is #2. But I no longer watch the NBA religiously like the old days so what do I know? But I do watch it enough to know that whoever ends up with Ed Davis is going to be really disappointed.

I predict Davis will be the biggest bust since Brandon Wright. He is too small, and lacks any kind of offensive game beyond a dunk or close range layup. Did he hit a shot outside of 5 feet in college? Heck, did he even take a shot outside of 5 feet? I just don't see it.

Some of you NBA guru's could enlighten me if I am off base here, but I just don't see Davis having a lot of success in the NBA unless he just simply has not shown us his real skill set yet. His attitude isn't the greatest either. One of my close friends is a huge Unc fan and he swears Davis was the cancer in the locker room this year. It's possible I guess. His words, not mine.

Thoughts?

I actually think Davis has a pretty good offensive game. It needs refinement of course but he's shown a drop step and a jump hook plus he's got very good feet and excellent lift. The biggest question mark is his frame. Will he put on weight or will he struggle as a finesse post player? This has been part of Wright's problem. But I believe he'll be more successful than Wright primarily because he has good defensive instincts and blocks shots.

Between Brandan Wright, Marvin Williams, and Ed Davis - I think Ed looks the most promising.

[DreAllDay]

Obviously Wall is the real deal and a lock for number 1, huge upside, he's the next Dwayne Wade imo. I'm not terribly high on Evan Turner, his game seems maxed out and I don't think he can stroke it or handle the rock well enough.

Favors is an intriguing prospect, he has the body and athleticism to be a freak show in the NBA, the dude has all the tools but he needs to be more aggressive at the next level. Watching him against Duke this year, Favors wasn't as dominant as he could have been.

I'm really high on Xavier Henry, he's young, has a silky stroke, good size for a SG, and plays with a calm swagger. I think he's gunna be a terrific player in the future. I like Cousins a lot too, granted he's got attitude but I kinda like that he plays pissed off (). Cousins needs to trim up a bit, he kind of reminds me of Bynum.

[ElSid]

Regardless of how all these players perform over an extended period of time, I'm pretty confident it will at least go #1 Wall, #2 Turner.

Turner is good. I really doubt he's maxed out. League guys value both tourney success and player of the year type awards, which Turner almost swept. The guy is good at basketball. He can get better. Especially at shooting.

I think he brings some maturity, stability, competitive fire. This also matters. Here's a long article about some of that:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/frank_hughes/05/18/draft.camp/

A lot of Myers-Briggs looking stuff. Not every team uses this and who knows if it's actually effective. Trying to get a true read on the player. All indications are that Turner is rock solid as a person and has been an overachiever.

It's a good profile. I'd say 90% probability he goes 2nd. I think he'll be a decent, relatively risk free player. Known entity. The others immediately after him, not as much. More upside, maybe. But upside is like "PVGO" back in the internet bubble. Who really knows what it means.

[TheBrianZoubekExperience]

http://www.draftexpress.com/nba-pre-draft-measurements/

Posting before really going through them. Favors measured out better than I expected. Scheyer measures pretty well but not great wingspan. Will Edit as I go through but wanted to post the link.

[sagegrouse]

http://www.draftexpress.com/nba-pre-draft-measurements/

Posting before really going through them. Favors measured out better than I expected. Scheyer measures pretty well but not great wingspan. Will Edit as I go through but wanted to post the link.

For having the lowest ratio of wingspan to height. Jon measured out as 6-4.75 in height with a wingspan of 6-3.25. The only other player with a shorter wingspan than height was Ryan Wittman, but his difference was less.

JJ was 6-4 with a wingspan of 6-3.25.

sagegrouse

[David]

According to this post, the sixers may be shopping #2 pick:

http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/post/_/id/16106/sixers-shopping-no-2-pick

The price: take Elton Brand off their hands...Elton is due $51 million over the next 3 seasons.

I would prefer to see the sixers hold on to the pick and Elton...

[moonpie23]

i still think cousins is the best in the draft...


here's andy katz article about it:

• More than any other player, Kentucky's DeMarcus Cousins has had to answer questions about his attitude and whether he's coachable. The stigma attached to him is something he continually has to fight as he goes through the interview process. But all the NBA personnel I spoke with said he is unquestionably the most impressive big man in the draft.

[Indoor66]

i still think cousins is the best in the draft...


here's andy katz article about it:

• More than any other player, Kentucky's DeMarcus Cousins has had to answer questions about his attitude and whether he's coachable. The stigma attached to him is something he continually has to fight as he goes through the interview process. But all the NBA personnel I spoke with said he is unquestionably the most impressive big man in the draft.

I would agree about Cousins' abilities, the issue lies with the first sentence: is he a head case and if so, is it curable? No one wants the headache and potential locker room cancer.

[yancem]

According to this post, the sixers may be shopping #2 pick:

http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/post/_/id/16106/sixers-shopping-no-2-pick

The price: take Elton Brand off their hands...Elton is due $51 million over the next 3 seasons.

I would prefer to see the sixers hold on to the pick and Elton...

I don't know, it might be nice to see Brand get a fresh start. The coaching change in Phillie could make a difference but in the few games I watched Brand's struggle seemed to be as much about style of play as his ability. I know that he probably won't ever get back to the level of play he had prior to the injury but I think he is still capable of be a good PF.

[BD80]

According to this post, the sixers may be shopping #2 pick:

http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/post/_/id/16106/sixers-shopping-no-2-pick

The price: take Elton Brand off their hands...Elton is due $51 million over the next 3 seasons.

I would prefer to see the sixers hold on to the pick and Elton...

So a team could pony up and get Cousins, and Elton to mentor him. Sounds like something some team not worried about the luxury tax should do.

I wish it would be the Pistons, they have the seventh pick and some good, veteran tradable assets with reasonable salaries (Prince, Hamilton). Maybe they could dump Villanueva into the deal. Problem is, the Pistons are up for sale, and big contracts might lower the sale price.

[moonpie23]

I would agree about Cousins' abilities, the issue lies with the first sentence: is he a head case and if so, is it curable? No one wants the headache and potential locker room cancer.

i totally agree, and i was all about predicting that he would melt down and cause UK great pain at some point.......i think he somehow reasoned within himself that it wasn't his fault he had to play a year of college ball..

admittedly, he was pretty awesome down the end stretch and kept the ego intact...

[Indoor66]

i totally agree, and i was all about predicting that he would melt down and cause UK great pain at some point.......i think he somehow reasoned within himself that it wasn't his fault he had to play a year of college ball..

admittedly, he was pretty awesome down the end stretch and kept the ego intact...

I agree with what you say. That said, the next level has an entirely different set of challenges and, inevitable for a rookie, failures. How will he respond there. Everybody will be at least as good as he is - by native talent or experience. That will be the real test for his head.

[TheBrianZoubekExperience]

I don't think the Sixers can get rid of Brand in a deal. I think its certainly possible the move the pick. Its been mentioned before but Minny wants Turner and has the picks to move up. I think the Sixers should at least try to get Minny's 4, 16 and 23rd pick. I think there a gap after the top four picks (not a Wes Johnson fan) and the Sixers would be smart to pick up two additional picks and land either Cousins or Favors. Then the Sixers could try to move up from 16 using the 23rd pick and/or their early second round pick. Could use that pick to nab someone like Xavier Henry or Avery Bradley. I'd prefer a Favors/Cousins and Henry Bradley to Evan Turner. I suppose they could also try to move back into the lottery if they had those picks and just take BPA even if its another PF since Dalembert and Brand are not the future and Speights/Jason Smith aren't sure starters (though I do really like Speights). I'm not sure Minny would give that much up and would probably try to just give up the 16th pick and their 4th pick but I think if they're willing to give up both the 16th and 23rd its a deal the Sixers should make and still land one of the top 4 guys plus another strong piece.

[Greg_Newton]

http://www.draftexpress.com/nba-pre-draft-measurements/

Posting before really going through them. Favors measured out better than I expected. Scheyer measures pretty well but not great wingspan. Will Edit as I go through but wanted to post the link.

Hayward's measurements weren't great - under 6'7, and only a 6'8 wingspan. I thought he'd be a lot longer.

Wall has almost a 6'10 wingspan.:eek: Bledsoe's is almost 6'8!

There a lot of legitimate center prospects in this draft. Some quite impressive standing reaches. I wish Zoubek had gone just so we'd know exactly what his measurements are. These things are always interesting to me.

[greybeard]

Does Evan Turner remind anyone of Scottie Pippen or Brandon Roy?

John Thompson thinks so and would take him over Wall, or at least said so with qualification. The qualification, it ain't his money and he don't get to know everything that the team does and what goes into the decision other than straight up who one thinks is the best player.

So, you're in pretty good company. I have to say, I was all over Roy when he came out; couldn't believe that Atlanta missed on taking him (my boy Belkin still had a fighting chance in owning the team then and I was plugged into what they were doing by following things on the ajc.com.

Have not seen Turner play all that much but I do not think that he is Brandon Roy or Pippen. Roy to me is more natural and quick yet temperate in his decision-making and execution; he's like Scheyer in that regard, playing to his own tempo while seeing and feeling all other tempos. I don't see that in Turner. Pippen was a freakin genuis at the game; one of the smartest players ever, in my opinion, especially when placed in an extraordinary basketball body.

I really think that the guy would make a terrific coach. Terrific. I think that he was smarter about the game than MJ, which was the only reason that they were able to share the court so well together. To compare Turner with Pippen, nope!