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My NBA Draft 08 thoughts

  • Thread starter Thread starter Billy2
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Billy2

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Hi, I have not posted much in a while partially because I promised myself not to do it before finishing with school and partially because I have tried to catch up on all the games I have recorded over the season. I usually go through alot of games during the season and this one was no exception (about a month ago I was up woma about 70 games or so and I dare say that margin has increased).

As such I thought Id share my thoughts about the upcoming draft. I will not try to predict the outcome as there are so many factors that comes into place but just try to get my thoughts across on some but not all of the players that are mentioned.

-The Memphis trio. The hype went with Chris Douglas-Roberts and Derrick Rose even more so but the heart that made Memphis tick was definitely Joey Dorsey. He cant shoot worth a damn and his game is too full of emotions most of the time to have him think straight but as a defensive presence I dare say that he is unrivaled in the NCAA over the last five years atleast. Emeka Okafor may have had a higher bpg than Joey during his UCONN years but what Joey brings is an insane physical presence under the boards, some crazy good footwork and a mean streak that was very much in need in this years Memphis.
As for Derrick Rose, I think he is a very good scorer and will probably be a great fantasy player but with his limited height he really needs to develope other aspects of his game (passing, defence, playmaking skills) to be mentioned among the great no 1:s that has gone before him (ok, not Kwame Brown but you know what I mean). I think Chris Douglas-Roberts will have a hard time sticking in the NBA. He has some tools but he is not really great at anything except shooting alot of offbalanced jumpers and at times abuse smaller college guards in the post. His ballhandling is not good enough, his defence is sketchy and it looks as if he sometimes spaces out (completely forgets about help defence, commits stupid reach in fouls and forgets to box out).

Michael Beasley -everyone knew he was shorter than the 6-9 and sometimes 6-10 he was listed as. That has probably been one of my biggest questions over this season; -how can a guy so short get so many good shots of against taller opposition? Well, I suppose his wingspan is part of the equation but what really strikes me about Michael is how incredibly smooth and effortless he makes the game look. He is incredibly versatile (I think he would have no problem playing the small forward position under certain situations) and seems to read the game very well. Wonderful mittens. The biggest knock on Beasley in my book is probably that he doesnt try on defence at times. Part of that is that he probably needed to carry Kansas St on offence but still I would have liked to see him really go after someone, get inside their head and just plain shut someone down. Athletically he very well could but he just didnt.

OJ Mayo is good. In controll. Takes some questionable shots at times (I noticed he has been trying to fluff stats in some games) but he is solid. He is not the best shooter, not the best penetrator, not the best passer and surely not the guard with the quickest feet but overall I think Mayo has the best complete skill packet. His release is good, his range as well, he can get into the lane quite well. He reads the game very well (but somehow always ends up with a few less assists than I anticipated) and even though he doesnt have great feet he positions himself very well on defence, he reads the offensive player the best of all the guards in this draft and seems to never really get stuck on screens although he is not overly quick.

I think Russel Westbrook is one of the most over rated players in this draft. I dont think that there is one thing that he is better at than all the other guards and he will not be a real pointguard. I think he will be a Jarret Jack type of player which is not bad but considerig the hype surrounding him and the projected draft slot he will disappoint.

Kevin Love. Im obviously biased when it comes to players from the northwest but I like Loves game. How it will translate into the NBA i have no clue. None. He looks like he moves at about a mile a day pace yet his physical measurements was pretty good if I remember correctly. Will he have a Nick Collison type of impact on the game?

I dont like Jerryd Bayless. I dont like ´zona players and I certainly dont like players who seems to make aliving of their speed. Yes, speed is very important but I dont like the rest of his game. `zonas whole game has always been focused on the guards abilities and I dont think he has what it takes considering that I dont think he has really been able to put his stamp on any important game. An underachiever in my book.

Eric Gordon is good as long as his jumper is on. He will battle weight issues within five years -book it.

Joe Alexander is very atheltically talented but his understanding of the game is limited. People have been questioning his jumper but I think it looked really good in the games Ive seen. By his athletical abilities he should be a very good defender yet I have never seen him shut someone down. Why is that?

Brook Lopez was very solid on offence. He is a bit timid in my book though. How many timid centers are good centers? A bit too much of a finess player maybe?

Anthony Robertson -a bust. I was high on him in the early season but as it progressed I realized he just aint ready. Years from helping a team in my book.

DJ Augustin. Took over some games. Was a factor. Controlled. Great speed, but how will he be able to defend against taller guards? Brings that thing to the game that you cant quite put your finger on but has some sort of knack for imposing themselves on games. You could see it in Chris Paul as well although he had more...is it the word "presence" Im looking for here? I loved Chris Paul in college.

Robin Lopez a little bit less everything than his brother but plays harder on defence.

Kosta Koufos. Never liked him. Hated this years Ohio State. Ugly player (dont like his game. You should take it hard to the basket when you are allegedly 7 foot) I felt he disappeared against physical players.

Brandon Rush. Loves him. Loves his jumper. Loves his defence. Loves his read of defensive schemes. Loves his passing skills. Too much in love with his jumper at times. Needs to learn to take ti ti the basket more often. NBA ready so it hurts. Will probably be drafted to low when one looks back on this years draft a few years down the line.

Hibbert could be a factor under certain situations. I felt he actually regressed this year. Georgetown was terrible and I blame Hibbert along with no real pointguard and no real shooters...hmmm, was that maybe the reason? Was much less imposing this year against good teams.

I dont like Donte Greens game. Not one aspect of it. Dont ask me why, I just dont like him at all. I dont like Syracuse with their stupid zone and I dont like the hype atleast one Syracuse player seems to get every year. Be gone Syracue!

Omer Asik will be very good one day. Very good.

I liked Kyle Weaver but his game is more suited to European midlevel leagues. What is his position really?

Bill Walker sucks. Fact.

I like Jamont Gordon. He is one of those guys that is a basketball player, not a guard or a small forward or anything else. He can just flat out play. Tough.

DJ White is too short. Had he been taller he would be a great NBA player. I like his game alot. A presence.

Is Devon Hardin 6-10??? I dont think so. Will he be good. Nah -too limited.

MBah a Moute. I like him. Felt he took a step back this year to accomodate Collison and Westbrook. Should be able to stick in the NBA somehow.

Davon Jefferson. No thank you. Not enough of anything.

Richard Hendrix. This guy is fierce! I dont think there is a player alive that would love to play him one on one. Hard as nails. Had this guy been 6-10 he would be a first round pick. Will find a way to stick in the NBA.

DeMarcus Nelson. Did he play this year? Did he impact a single game? Should with his physical attributes but did not. Why? Only one Dukie in the draft and he had a tendancy to disappear and will have a hard time sticking if it wasnt that he is a Duke boy. I could see teams have him at the end of the bench because he trains hard and is a good team mate. I dont like Duke. At all.

Just my thoughts.
 
zwbgr said:
So you basically say that all players are busts.

No. I think Rush for example will be very good. There are plenty of good players in this draft but I think many of them, being young players, are flawed. Had they not had shortcomings they would all be number 1s but they are not. This is obviously just my thoughts. One always needs to understand the situation they were put in, Kansas St without Beasleys offence would never have been in March Madness.

OJ Mayo will be very good as well if he ends up in the right situation, I felt that if Mayo had been given the PG position full time he would probably have looked better.

sinobball said:
Where's Serge Ibaka? He should have been a lottery based on the limit "highlight reels" that I've seen.

I have not seen Ibaka and I refuse to form an opinon on a fluff tape on youtube or the like. Besides, his agent is cirkulating a mail stating that ibaka will stay in europe for the next 2+ years since he has a really good offer and that he therefor cant be a serious candidate for the first round (the exit clause after 2 years is apparently steep).

Also, you seem to think I have ranked the prospect -I have not. I dont really care how the draft plays out as long as Portland gets Rush ;) Oh, and as long as Syracuse continues to implode.
 
Thanks for your thoughts on these players. I liked reading what you think, Billy!
 
mvblair said:
Thanks for your thoughts on these players. I liked reading what you think, Billy!

Thanks.
I dunno if you are a Cavs fan, but if you are, perhaps you would like to know that Cleveland made a promise to Jonas Jerebko before he pulled out of the draft.
 
May I ask what time exactly is the Draft tonight? I read about 9 pm but what is it? Eastern Time? What?

Thanx.
 
KWSN - It'll be at 7:00 Eastern time.
Billy said:
I dunno if you are a Cavs fan, but if you are, perhaps you would like to know that Cleveland made a promise to Jonas Jerebko before he pulled out of the draft.
Yeah, I'm a Cavs fan. :D Do you know what the Cavs said to Jerebko? I've heard of him (Swedish big forward, right?) but I don't know anything about him.
 
mvblair said:
Yeah, I'm a Cavs fan. :D Do you know what the Cavs said to Jerebko? I've heard of him (Swedish big forward, right?) but I don't know anything about him.

They said that they would draft him if he stayed in the draft. And this is just not something I picked up on some random forum -this is a VERY credible source.
Jonas Jerebko is an interesting player as he has a number of very intriguing tools. First off, he came to Plannja during the 06-07 season and measured in at 204 cm. At the end of season they took his measurements again and he had grown 2 cm in 8 months. If he has grown more this season length wise I dont know but one thing is certain, he has put on some muscles. He used to be rail thin but he definitely has more muscles now. His legs have filled out a bit and his shoulders are much more meaty.
I noticed that draftexpress has him down as a 4 with the possibility of playing the 3 but this is obviously coming from someone who has not sen him play over a longer period of time.
Jonas was playing the PG position up until he came to Plannja at the age of 19. During his Plannja season he played mostly at the 3 and sometimes 2 and occasinally the 4. The reason that Plannja played him in so many positions is that they tried to match him up with the best player of the opposing team. Jonas has a really good understanding on how to position himself and has a very nice wingspan (I cant find the data for standing reach and the like at the mo -sorry) and although his footwork needs improvement he has a very nice ability to stay in front of his man.
In one game he got matched up with Kaniel Dickens (who I believe is actually with the cavs at the mo and is a quite talented player) and absolutely destroyed him (2 blocks, one travel and one air ball) in the last five position when Dickens was asked to bring the game home. It was really fun to watch Jerebko go up against an established player and just flat out take it to him.
Apparenty he also played well against Galinari, something that leads me to believe he can really up his game against better players.
Jonas is one of those guys that has a natural feel for the game, his length and mobility makes him an excellent rebounder although he is still not built to compete underneath the basket. Rebounds somehow ends up with him anyway.
On offence he was somewhat reliant on his superior speed, he is very quick and has a very nice handle althoug can be somewhat careless with the ball. His shot mechanics was kinda slow and it looks as if he sometimes (read: often) leans one side when shooting. This seems to have been changed after arriving in Biella, I saw a video from the treviso camp and his shot is much, much better now. Quicker release, doesnt dip the ball and he looks much more at ease with stepping into his shot. Before he had to have his feet set in order to get a good shot of, now it looked effortless.
Jonas is a good kid, highly coachable, driven and goal oriented, a nice thing to see since many kids take their talent for granted and expect to coast along just fine and still reach their goals.
If asked to compare to a NBA player today Id say his game mostly reminds me of Hedo Turkoglus but with better defence and with a touch of Drejer perhaps (before injury!).

Make no mistake, this kid will never ever be best utilized playing the 4 -he is a perimeter player.
 
Billy said:
Kosta Koufos. Never liked him. Hated this years Ohio State. Ugly player (dont like his game. You should take it hard to the basket when you are allegedly 7 foot) I felt he disappeared against physical players.
Well I have one Ohio game this season but I still didn't watch it, but I saw some games of the U18 Eurobasket and I have to say that I like him very much indeed. He runs the floor very well for a player of his height and is a good shooter. It's true he isn't physical, but that could be an advantage, since he can make long shots. But he can still bulk up. One of my favourite young players to be honest.
 
1. Chicago Bulls: Derrick Rose
2. Miami Heat: Michael Beasley
3. Minnesota Timberwolves: O.J. Mayo
4. Seattle Supersonics: Russell Westbrook
5. Memphis Grizzlies: Kevin Love
6. New York Knicks: Danilo Gallinari
7. LA Clippers: Eric Gordon
8. Milwaukee Bucks: Joe Alexander
9. Charlotte Bobcats: D.J. Augustin
10. New Jersey Nets: Brook Lopez

Nice and expected move by D'Antoni.. Gallinari is already a better player then half of those from the Knicks lockerroom..
apparently when Knicks were announcing their pick Gallinari was booed, but stupid newyorkers will be cheering him in few months..
finally some sun in that club, I hope better days are coming for them..
 
Gallinari got a good pick, and his father's friend will be a nice coach with him. Congrats to him. The other Euro players seems in less good position. At least the ones from first round:
Batum was drafted quite far, I can't understand how you can take Ajinca over him. In Portland, a team full of SF or SGs, it's the worst place for him. I would sign anywhere else if I was him.
Ajinca, i still think he is not ready for the big league... So...

Ibaka, well, the same, he needs to prove himself at a higher level, at least one year.
 
So, what do we have here from a European standpoint ...

Round I
6 New York Knicks - Danilo Gallinari
20 Charlotte - Alexis Ajinca
23 Utah - Kosta Koufos
24 Seattle - Serge Ibaka (Congo, I know, but played in Europe)
25 Houston - Nicolas Batum

Round II
1 Minnesota - Nikola Pekovic
6 Minnesota - Omer Asik
14 Utah - Ante Tomic
15 San Antonio - Goran Dragic
23 Utah - Tadija Dragicevic
26 Seattle - Aleksandar Kaun
30 Boston - Semih Erden

Gallinari at six got booed. Might not be a bad fit with D'Antoni though. Ajinca at 20? Damn. For Koufos, disaster strikes.

Note: Memphis traded their big man Kevin Love among others to Minnesota for O.J Mayo, Antoine Walker and Marko Jaric. Hence more playing time for Marc Gasol?
 
Picek said:
Nice and expected move by D'Antoni.. Gallinari is already a better player then half of those from the Knicks lockerroom..
Sad but true.
apparently when Knicks were announcing their pick Gallinari was booed, but stupid newyorkers will be cheering him in few months..
finally some sun in that club, I hope better days are coming for them..
There were some boos and some cheers for Gallinari. Actually, the ESPN commentators, including Marc Jackson, Jay Bilas, and Fran Frischella, seemed pretty supportive. Marc Jackson praised Gallinari's attitude. He's going to be OK. Like everybody, I think he'll play well with D'Antoni. It'll be interesting to see what else the Knicks do over the summer.

Some of my other thoughts:
  • I suppose Chicago is going to try to trade one of their guards now that they have Rose. Rose will do a good job for them.
  • Isiah Thomas had a fantastic draft last night. His best in years.
  • New Jersey got lucky with Brook Lopez at ten. He'll do well with Krstic and Yi.
  • Ajinca really hasn't played well at all. I mean, he's kind of an average player in France, right?
  • Toronto got a nice pick with Roy Hibbert. I like Hibbert a lot. He gives Toronto a nice big man to come in behind O'Neal and Bosh.
 
Right for ajinca, he struggled to get some minutes this season, knowing he was transfered last summer to hyères-toulon by pau-orthez which did not believe that much in his profile (basically coz of his physical frame & herbert never gave him a chance).
He started this season on the bench in HT but in the second half he finally got some decent minutes & managed to achieve a few good games.

I guess he benefited the most from the last hoop summit (+ the one from last year even though batum was much more consistent) & from his latest work-out as he was still ranked in the late 20ies and early 30ies in last month's rankings more or less.

As for batum, it's not such a burden to be in portland as he could be the third rotation (or better if he proves stuff in training). Knowing what has been the last week for him and the last year to a lesser extent, i m pretty sure he's satisfied to be drafted in the 1st round.
Less pressure hopefully for him this year, i really hope he will develop his physical gifts & get a coach to improve his technic as he is already nba ready in other fields.
 
kosta koufus is about as european as my father...he was born and raised in Ohio.


Ajinca only got drafted that high because of his workouts....apparently he was a very impressive individual outside of just his raw basketball ability, but everyone was impressed with his monstrous length.
 
rose gonna very great beasley's gonna be a star oj star also,, but for now,, mayo has the biggest chance to contribute right away rose and beasley, oj will be the starting sg of memphis,, rose, dont know with hinrich there,, hinrich first the mid season it's rose turn, or maybe rose all the way,, dont know about beasley,, heat has two offensive opt, marion and wade,, maybe beasley 3rd opt..
 
Everything is pretty nice, except Knicks Fans. Of course it is hard when your team is the worst in NBA history, but booing new player will not bring you to playoffs. Or maybe they wanted that Knicks choose Patrick Ewing JR? And then loose again and again. IMO it is perfect pick for Knicks, actualy is best pick in Knicks history of all times.

IMO Pekovic was the best player who attended this draft. Maybe not best Potential or Dunker, thats why he was chosen only in 2nd round.

Ajnica is too overrated and this is strange that Koufos was drafted later. Batum - another joke from France like Gelabale. Very good NDBL material. He couldn't play good in worst Euroleague team, and you think he will play good in NBA?

Beasley is another Carmelo Anthony and that means nothing good. Thats why overguarded Chicago chose Rose - another guard.
OJ Mayo looks promising, I expect another Michael Finley.

Overall this draft looks not very good and no super players will raise of them.
 
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