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ecuhus

04-27-2007, 01:51 PM

(I am not the owner of a similarly-named site, so I don't mean any copyright infringment or anything. I just thought some of you might know the concept if you had visited a similarly-named site in 2005.)

I was hoping we could start a mock draft on this messageboard.

It would need to be backed by the powers that be (Jon G.), but the concept is as follows:

1) We choose people on this messageboard to represent all teams in the draft. (Note: Cleveland, Denver, Indiana and Washington have no picks this year)

2) Those team owners make a simple (<1000 words?) outline of their teams' needs. I know DraftExpress already has staff writers that do official Team Needs pages, but this would be your voice. It could also reveal too much of your draft strategy, if you're not careful!

3) We would collect the outlines, and hopefully post them on My DraftExpress.

4) We can set a draft day. We could start on May 28th or so, and have two peoople pick per day. It makes every day a little exciting, leading up to the "real" draft. Or, we could devote like one Saturday to the 1st-round, and the next Saturday to the 2nd round, where everyoen would have maybe 10 minutes to make their selection. It's tough that way, though, as people from all around the world post here and have different schedules.

5) Draft magic ensues.

I was the "owner" of the Bobcats back in 2005 (I still think Bernie should've taken Green and Granger...), and I still remember how much fun it was to watch OUR draft unfold. It's a blast, and alot less time investment than Fantasy Basketball. Let me know if you're interested, and we can get tthis thing going!

P.S. What's in it for me, you say? Oh, well, since I am organizing the draft, I would like to reserve owenership of the Detroit Pistons. There, that's my prize.

bryce

04-27-2007, 02:37 PM

Sounds like a lot of fun. Sign me up.

Cascadia

04-27-2007, 02:44 PM

sirfreshness

04-27-2007, 03:20 PM

-Would it be just a mock draft, or would it allow trades too?

-I don't know if there's enough regulars who actively post enough to pull it off. I'd be interested, though. I'll put my name in for Portland.

Agreed im not sure if there will be enough of us to fill out all the teams, including trades would be interesting. I would be willing to put my name in the pot for a team preferably Charlotte or Phoenix but any team would suffice. Having everyone here on one day might be hard (i just finished a similar thing with a NFL draft, i had my cardinals :D ) and we just did it were once we started you just had to wait for your pick to come up and it took for ever to finish (no time limit really). I like the 2 picks per day that way you know when you team will be on the clock, of course trades would be hard to comeby if people dont long on to check PMs. If a team doesnt make their pick before the time is up we would have to have some rules, like maybe if the person with the Jazz misses their pick the person with the Rockets could ask for input from the board on who should be picked and make the pick, this way things will continue to move. The NFL draft i had we all had our team and we just waited for our pick to come up, if a team took too long (over 24 hours) to make their pick we all just conversed on who the team should get.

Jonathan

04-27-2007, 03:33 PM

do we have enough people here to do all 30 teams?

ecuhus

04-27-2007, 03:42 PM

Well, like I said, there are only 26 teams that pick this year. I imagine we'll have rounds of asking people who they want to represent, if we can't get that many.

As far as trades, I knew someone would ask. I'd be interested in testing it out, but at least 2 people (other than me?) are going to have to approve them independently, to keep things fair IMO.

Bryce: do you have a team preference? What about you, Jonathan?

Sir, you make some very good points. I have you down for Charlotte, and will assign Phoenix to you if no one asks.

shakes the clown

04-27-2007, 03:46 PM

great idea, but only if I get to be my Chicago Bulls :)

wombat6802

04-27-2007, 03:58 PM

I'll take the Bobcats if sirfreshness would take Phoenix...

sirfreshness

04-27-2007, 04:00 PM

I'll take the Bobcats if yall don't care.

Thats fine you can have Charlotte ecuhus can just assign me Phx :)

bryce

04-27-2007, 04:03 PM

I'll take philly.

Why don't we just use all the regulars we can get, then recruit others from team boards.

coachjon

04-27-2007, 04:29 PM

yes this sounds interesting and fun. i will take whoever doesn't matter to me. if you want me to claim a team though lakers have been my favorite since i was a little kid so i guess the lakers, but like i said i would be willing to do it for any team.

ecuhus

04-27-2007, 04:41 PM

Kewl, here's what I have so far:

Username Team Picks
Ecuhus Detroit Pistons #15, #27 and #57
Bryce Philadelphia Sixers #12, #21, #30 and #38
Cascadia Portland Trailblazers #6, #37, #42, #52 and #53
Sirfreshness Phoenix Suns #4, #24, #29 and #59
Shakes the Clown Chicago Bulls #9, #49 and #51
Wombat6802 Charlotte Bobcats #8 and #22
Coachjon Los Angeles Lakers #19, #40 and #48
Jonathan ? ?

I assume everyoen is game for a 2nd round? Let me know, but we can always decide later. HAPPY FRIDAY!

echiang06

04-27-2007, 04:42 PM

kirk14

04-27-2007, 04:46 PM

I'll take the Seattle/Oklahoma City/Las Vegas Sonics.
But I already have a headache just thinking about it. At least there won't be any pressure since they can't get any more F'd up than they already are.

sirfreshness

04-27-2007, 05:00 PM

I can't believe the Cardinals have fans! I'm shocked, I'm astounded, I've fallen to the ground because of the implications rushing to my head. I'm okay with people representin' Phoenix, just make sure you don't take Noah! Don't forget to take into account the fact that Iavaroni won't probably won't be here next year, he's one of the key people in Amare's development.

lol there are very few of us Cardinal fans, its sad when i go to games and the away teams always have more fans than us :( yea i knew about Iveroni probably leaving (damn Colangelo why do you have to leave and take our guys), not good if he leaves he is a huge asset for the suns.

*i might take Noah you never know

nextstar1019

04-27-2007, 05:31 PM

1) We choose people on this messageboard to represent all teams in the draft. (Note: Cleveland, Denver, Indiana and Washington have no picks this year)
the wizards have a pick. right?

wombat6802

04-27-2007, 05:47 PM

So how does this work/when?

shakes the clown

04-27-2007, 05:52 PM

With the 9th pick in the 2007 NBA draft, the Chicago Bulls select......

WILSON CHANDLER from DePaul University :p

coachjon

04-27-2007, 06:35 PM

wombat basically it sounds like things are still up in the air but the gist of it is you get your team at somepoint each person will do a little breakdown of their team like if they were the GM kind of like a public statement to the media but as they said earlier not too telling tippinig your cap and having someone steal you man, so it may involve blowing smoke out there to hide your true love of the draft. then after that i think it was undecided whether we pick a specific day or if we do a couple of picks a day in the weeks leading up to the draft. so it is basically like doing a mock draft but instead of you picking for all teams you are only picking for your team which makes it a real draft lol only not real.

ecuhus

04-28-2007, 12:55 AM

the wizards have a pick. right?

Thanks, 1019. Sorry, everyone, I was working on my Excel Draft worksheet, and looked at while I was doing Washington. So, there are 27 available teams. 1019, do you want the Wiz?

gilles

04-28-2007, 06:24 AM

I want Kings.

nextstar1019

04-28-2007, 01:20 PM

do you want the Wiz?
sure, thanks
when is this whole thing going to happen

Knicks2134

04-29-2007, 10:27 AM

I'll take the Knicks....

Hitster

04-30-2007, 09:26 AM

As Phoenix has gone I'll take Seattle.

ecuhus

04-30-2007, 11:12 AM

Sorry, hitster, Kirk14 alreayd has the Sonics.

Unclaimed teams are: Memphis, Boston, Milwaukee, Atlanta, Minnesota, New Orleans, the Clippers, Orlando, New Jersey, Golden State, Miami, Toronto, Utah, Houston, San Antonio, Phoenix and Dallas.

So recruit your 17 closest friends and tell them to join ASAP!

And 1019, I'm not sure yet, but look for an update soon.

Hitster

04-30-2007, 11:19 AM

I'll take Atlanta then.

fatdan

04-30-2007, 11:40 AM

I'll take the bucks

AWalker17

04-30-2007, 11:51 AM

I want Boston...didn't see this

sirfreshness

04-30-2007, 12:45 PM

mullet is gone

04-30-2007, 12:46 PM

Ill take the grizz........Im actually a fan, its nothing to do with where they pick. Hell, it'll be the least fun team to have. Unless of course I mess the whole thing up by picking Marc at #1 to unite the Gasol brothers....moo wha hahahahahahahaha (follows up evil genius laugh by covering face with black cloak and disappearing in a puff of smoke).

p.s.
no way we're getting no.1 in the draft, ive a good 15 years to come of banging my head against the wall everytime Oden/Durant eat us alive

Cascadia

04-30-2007, 12:51 PM

I can add Houston as a second team if you need me to. Rockets only have the one late 1st rounder, and their lineup is pretty set. Might be hard to find a taker.

Mr. Body

04-30-2007, 01:11 PM

I might like to take the Spurs. Allowing trades wouldn't be good, IMO, as they introduce a crazy and unpredictable element that would have to be vetoable. These things work if people are serious and know a bit about team needs and don't reach for crappy players, take into account roster places, etc. Hopefully that's the case here.

Hitster

04-30-2007, 01:22 PM

The worst you can get Mullet is probably Horford, he's going to be good but he's not Oden or Durant. Looking back at the last 20 or so lotteries on 3 times, the team with the worst record has won the lottery. 5th place team and 3rd placed team has both won 4 times as a matter of interest.

fatdan

05-01-2007, 10:56 AM

could it also be about off-season movement like trades,free agency that type thing

Hitster

05-01-2007, 11:12 AM

I think that once the lottery is done then we draft as per draft board with a provision to trade around afterwards if people want it. Obviously there would need to be moderation from someone and not have half the draft changing teams or say KG being traded for Oden as a totally random pick off the top of my head.

fatdan

05-02-2007, 11:50 AM

So when do you start the reports and who has what team

ecuhus

05-02-2007, 12:35 PM

I already have one done for the Pistons. I am waiting to see if we'll be able to have our breakdowns on DraftExpress (like mock drafts), or if we just post them on this thread.

These and other details soon to come...

mavs128

05-02-2007, 04:39 PM

I'll take the mavericks.

fatdan

05-03-2007, 03:45 PM

I''l take the 76ers,hornets,spurs,bulls,raptors,especially bulls

ecuhus

05-03-2007, 04:03 PM

It looks as though we'll just have to post our team breakdowns on this messageboard. So, I will post my Pistons breakdown now.

Also, since the Nets are my favorite team (Go Kidd!), I have a Nets' one as well. I'll go ahead and name myself owner of the Nets, and if someone wants doesn't have a team and wants them, they can talk to me.

The same applies to Cascadia, who now "owns" Portland and Houston. So, to sum up the list of owners:

Mullet Is Gone Memphis Grizzlies
AWalker17 Boston Celtics
Fatdan Milwaukee Bucks
Sirfreshness Phoenix Suns
Kirk14 Seattle Sonics
Cascadia Portland Trailblazers
Wombat6802 Charlotte Bobcats
Shakes the Clown Chicago Bulls
Gilles Sacramento Kings
Hitster Atlanta Hawks
Bryce Philadelphia Sixers
Ecuhus Detroit Pistons
Nextstar1019 Washington Wizards
Ecuhus New Jersey Nets
Coachjon Los Angeles Lakers
Knicks2134 New York Knicks
Cascadia Houston Rockets
Mr. Body San Antonio Spurs
Mavs128 Dallas Mavericks
Jonathan ?

If I have made a mistake, please let me know. That should leave Minnesota, New Orleans, the Clippers, Golden State, Miami, Utah and Orlando. Let me know if you would like a 2nd team; I think as long as your teams don't have consecutive picks, it should be cool.

Honestly, the more I think about the trade issue, the more I don't like it. Please, someone dissuade me if you can make a strong case, but I think that rule could be abused, and even if not we could end up having something that doesn't look like the "real" draft at all.

Um, I think that's it for now. Let's get the rest of the teams assigned, write those breakdowns, and we should figure out when we want to start the draft. I suppose the majority of people prefer the 12-hour draft window; that gives people the chance to draft at a reasonable hour, no matter where they live. It also livens up each and every day a little bit! As soon as we have all the teams, I'll release a (lottery-pending) schedule, probably starting on Memorial Day or the weekend before.

Take care, and happy drafting!

ecuhus

05-03-2007, 04:05 PM

Fatdan: as the other teams you mentioned are either taken or don't have picks, do you want the Hornets for real?

ecuhus

05-03-2007, 04:06 PM

(You can do it in this format, or whatever suits you.)

DETROIT PISTONS

PG - Chauncey Billups**, Lindsey Hunter, Will Blaylock (+ Alex Acker)
SG - Richard Hamilton, Ronald Murray**, Ronald Dupree
SF - Tayshaun Prince, Carlos Delfino, Amir Johnson*
PF - Rasheed Wallace, Antonio McDyess**, Jason Maxiell
C - Chris Webber*, Dale Davis*, Nazr Mohammed

* = Free Agent
** = Player Option

Draft Picks: #15 (via Orlando), #27 and #57

OVERVIEW

The Detroit Pistons have seen great success under Joe Dumars, both as a player and now as a GM. Since manning the helm in Motor City, Dumars has brought in players that mirror the bad-boy swagger of the Thomas-led Pistons. The true test, though, won’t be building a contender, but maintaining it. Serious roster questions will need to be answered before next year, and ‘07-‘08 may be the year the Pistons look to manage the present with an eye toward the future.

POSITIONAL ANALYSIS

Point Guard: Chauncey B-b-b-Billups, the 30-year-old NBA success story, is a fixture in the Palace of Auburn Hills. His timely daggers that bury opponents have given him the name “Mr. Clutch”. He will opt out of the last year of his contract to pursue free agency this summer, where he will surely receive many lucrative offers. The Pistons are serious about keeping him, though, so any tinkering at this position would be to add depth. Hunter has been offered a front office position with the Pistons, so he will likely retire. They might add an elite playmaker with their 1st pick (Mike Conley, Javaris Crittendon, Acie Law), just in case either Chauncey or combo guard Murray leaves. Billups could also mold the youngster to be the next Pistons starting PG. But with rookie Blaylock fitting in, and Acker ready to return from Greece anytime, there isn’t a necessity here.

Shooting Guard: Richard Hamilton’s tireless effort on the offensive end works perfectly in the Pistons’ system. However, his quick feet and long arms don’t translate to elite defense the way the Pistons would hope. Since Murray and Dupree don’t contribute much D either, a SG defensive stopper would shore up one of Detroit’s few weaknesses. Some great swingmen (Nick Young, Brandon Rush, Arron Afflalo) are available around either of the 1st-round picks for just this purpose. It’s important to note, too, that if they take SG this year, he may be counted on in the future to provide the scoring punch that Tayshaun may never be able to give.

Small Forward: Speaking of Prince, the wiry defender defines the Pistons’ defense with his length and intelligence. Fellow Californian Amir Johnson has been tearing up the NBDL, and may force the slow-footed Delfino out of the rotation next year. A number of talented forwards (Thaddeus Young, Al Thornton, Wilson Chandler) are ripe for the picking in the 1st round. But if they take the same approach as in ’03 with Carmelo Anthony, they may not tinker with a good thing they have going at the SF spot.

Power Forward: Rasheed Wallace, the Pistons’ mood ring, has two more years on his healthy contract. By then, he’ll be 35, and probably won’t be asked to continue as a starter. McDyess may be a thing of the past in a couple of years, as well, either due to free agency or retirement. Jason Maxiell is an efficient energy player off the bench, but I imagine the Pistons want another full-sized PF (Josh McRoberts, Tiago Splitter, Jason Smith) like ‘Sheed, to be their starter in the future.

Center: The signing of Nazr Mohammed will be remembered more for what it did TO the Spurs, than for what it did FOR Detroit. Webber, at 33, may only have a year left on his bum knee, and he’s a free agent anyway (albeit a hometown guy). Dale Davis keeps his body in shape, but is not an option for the rotation. Cheick Samb may top out as a Ryan Hollins clone, and their other option overseas, Andreas Glyniadakis, hasn’t drawn rave reviews either. They will need a fundamental bigman (Spencer Hawes, Marc Gasol, Aaron Gray) soon, but with the paucity of quality C’s in this draft, may hold out a year.

SUMMARY

The draft should be the first place the Pistons seek to revamp an aging lineup, but not the only place. Sellout crowds give a franchise the leeway to be fiscally aggressive, and this year they could bring in role-players like Anderson Varejao, James Posey or Gerald Wallace (continuing the theme). Heck, they might take a run at Grant Hill, but they’ll probably look to younger talent, to learn behind the veterans and to surround Prince and the new breed.

Possible Draft Picks: Nick Young, Josh McRoberts, Brandon Rush, Acie Law, Spencer Hawes, Marc Gasol

Possible Free Agents: Anderson Varejao, James Posey, James White, Gerald Wallace, Melvin Ely, Mickael Pietrus

ecuhus

05-03-2007, 04:09 PM

NEW JERSEY NETS

PG - Jason Kidd, Marcus Williams, Eddie House*
SG - Vince Carter**, Antoine Wright, Hassan Adams
SF - Richard Jefferson, Bostjan Nachbar, Bernard Robinson
PF - Nenad Krstic, Josh Boone, Clifford Robinson
C - Jason Collins, Mikki Moore*, Mile Ilic

* = Free Agent
** = Player Option

OVERVIEW

“Lost”, “Grey’s Anatomy” and even “24” couldn’t come up with more roller-coaster drama than the Nets’ 2006-2007 team. But apart from personal sagas, the New Jersey Nets are struggling to figure out their next move. Kidd is 34, Carter is 30 and Jefferson is nearly 27; this troika doesn’t have much optimum performance left, and some believe it’s time for a shake-up. Injuries to Jefferson and Krstic didn’t helped the ‘06-’07 season, but this perimeter-based team had little margin for error even at full strength. Of course, Nets GM Rod Thorn normally sticks to his guns rather than wheel-and-deal a cornerstone of the franchise. Owner Bruce Ratner may be tempted to trim the budget as the Nets prepare to move to Brooklyn; but for the time, everyone appears safe.

POSITIONAL ANALYSIS

Point Guard: Jason Kidd has guided the Nets to arguably the most successful period in the franchise’s history. Cracked ribs, an aching back and a decade of NBA ball didn’t taken away much from his effectiveness last year. A perennial All-Star, his spot is secure, as long as he is healthy. NJ struck gold by landing Marcus “Laptop” Williams with the 22nd pick in last year’s draft. He may have one bad mark on his record, but he’s shown he is a quality kid and a gifted floor leader around which the Nets’ can grow in the future. Vince Carter also handles PG duties occasionally. While there are some intriguing prospects (Mike Conley, Javaris Crittendon, Acie Law) where the Nets figure to draft, consider this Option 5, as the Nets are more likely to either re-sign Eddie House (FA) or look for another veteran PG in free agency.

Shooting Guard: Vince Carter seems the perfect complement to Kidd in the backcourt. He’s not a model of consistency as a scorer, but he still has dynamic athleticism and affects the game in a number of ways. His protégé, ’05 draftee Antoine Wright, hasn’t provided the offensive spark the Nets had planned (yet). But Vinsanity spends A LOT of time on the court, and the rotation is not as thin as it may seem. After all, House, Hassan Adams and even Williams can fill in for spot SG duty, if needed. The threat still looms, though, that Carter could opt for free agency this summer. With that in mind, an elite shooter (Nick Young, Marco Belinelli, Arron Afflalo) could be an insurance policy to soften the blow of losing VC, and pave the Nets’ path to Brooklyn later this decade.

Small Forward: Jefferson has had a promising, if somewhat injury-prone, career with the Nets so far. His long-range accuracy leaves something to be desired, but his athleticism and rebounding are perfect for the Kidd-led team. Bostjan Nachbar came on strong in Jefferson’s stead during the middle of last season, and could be a great spark off the bench as a sweet-shooting combo forward. If we could acquire some ball-handling and court vision from a SF (Jeff Green, Thaddeus Young, Al Thornton), it may be enough to compensate for a lack of a true elite bigman.

Power Forward: Nenad Krstic could be labeled as a C or PF, but looking at his game, he clearly performs as a face-up PF. He’s not going to beat Jefferson or Carter down the floor for a fast break pass, so a rangy athletic forward (Yi Jianlian, Josh McRoberts, Tiago Splitter) would be a welcome change of pace in one of our bigman slots. Josh Boone does an admirable job defensively and running the floor, but bolstering this position is certainly an area of concern if the Nets want to become a championship contender again.

Center: Jason Collins. “He’s a starter?” Well, unfortunately, yes. His twin brother Jarron is light years ahead of him as a player, and Jarron is often the 5th wheel in Utah’s bigman rotation. THAT should tell you something about Jason. Mikki Moore (FA) has provided a boost of mobility, rebounding and a surprising offensive touch, while “The Green” Mile Ilic is being treated as a long-term project. If an elite center (Spencer Hawes, Hasheem Thabeet) falls into the Nets’ lap, they may take him to reinforce their front line. But just adding another big body is not New Jersey’s greatest need.

SUMMARY
After the Heat’s 2006 championship, Pat Riley referred to the Nets’ Big Three as the toughest perimeter trio his team has ever had to face. Whether they still have it in them is another story. Ratner, Thorn and Stefaneski have the odd job of balancing short-term and long-term goals.

Possible Draft Picks: Jeff Green, Josh McRoberts, Thaddeus Young, Spencer Hawes, Arron Afflalo, Marco Belinelli

Possible Free Agents: Melvin Ely, Jamaal Magloire, Anderson Varejao, Morris Peterson

shakes the clown

05-03-2007, 04:13 PM

I'll take the Knicks....

and I'll take your pick thank you very much :)

GO BULLS!

shakes the clown

05-03-2007, 04:16 PM

nextstar1019

05-03-2007, 04:25 PM

what echus said: "Honestly, the more I think about the trade issue, the more I don't like it. Please, someone dissuade me if you can make a strong case, but I think that rule could be abused, and even if not we could end up having something that doesn't look like the "real" draft at all."

echus:
agreeing with what you said: having trades would not make the our draft look like the actual nba draft as much
to go along with it: if one person wants to make a trade, the chances of everyone agreeing with it are slim

with saying that, i think it will make this whole thing more confusing

Mr. Body

05-03-2007, 05:27 PM

SAN ANTONIO SPURS

PG - Tony Parker, Jacque Vaughn*, Beno Udrih
SG - Manu Ginobili, Michael Finley**, Brent Barry
SF - Bruce Bowen, James White
PF - Tim Duncan, Robert Horry, Matt Bonner*
C - Francisco Elson, Fabricio Oberto**, Jackie Butler, Melvin Ely*

* = Free Agent
** = Player Option

Draft Picks: #28, #33 (via Milwaukee), #58

OVERVIEW

As of this moment, having gotten out of the first round against the Nuggets in five games, it is unclear how far the Spurs will go this year. Will they succumb to Phoenix, somewhere along the way, or crown themselves champions again? Regardless of where they end up, this is still a very strong team, if aging. R.C. Buford has succeeded in putting some battle-tested vets around the Big Three of Duncan, Ginobili, and Parker, but with experience comes creaky bones and last legs, famously reflected in yahoo's box scores for Robert Horry showing him as "DNP -- Old Age." This team badly needs an infusion of youth. Fortunately for them, they are in a more workable position than they have been in years.

POSITIONAL ANALYSIS

Point Guard: Tony Parker, seemly around since forever, will only be turning 25 this year and has developed into an All-Star talent. Blessed with exceptional speed and an uncanny knack for putting shots down under the basket and with teardrops in the paint, he has managed the rare feat for a point guard of shooting well over 50% the last two seasons. He has also proven coachable, having weathered multiple Gregg Popovich spit storms and agreeing to removing the 3-pointer from his arsenal until he corrects his form. Behind Parker is Jacque Vaughn, redoubtable veteran with limited talent but the smarts that will make him a head coach some day, and Beno Udrih. Vaughn will likely be resigned and Udrih, who has NBA level talent but is so far in Pop's doghouse they had to add on rooms, is probably seeing his last days in a Spurs uni. There is an outside chance the Spurs use the Milwaukee pick (#33) on a defensive-minded point guard to develop behind Parker.

Shooting Guard: Manu Ginobili or, as Brent Barry calls him, 'El Contusion.' The mercurial guard from Argentina was probably the Spurs' best player in the '05 championship-winning postseason and is still capable of defiant feats, such as scoring 24 straight points this season in a stretch against the Hawks. One of the all-time steals in the draft, selected with the next-to-last pick, before anybody, even the Spurs, knew how good he could be. He was there, sandwiched right between Tim Young of Stanford and Eddie Lucas of Virginia Tech. Following him in the depth chart are Michael Finley (who currently starts) and Brent Barry. Both are in the last years of their contracts. Barry could finally be moved, after being involved in trade talks for J.R. Smith and then Corey Maggette the last two years. It is unlikely the Spurs will take anyone exclusively a SG in the draft.

Small Forward: When Sean Elliott went down to kidney problems, effectively ending his career after the 1998-99 season, the Spurs were left with their pants down, unable to adequately fill the spot with the likes of Chucky Brown and Ira Newble until they lucked onto Bruce Bowen, whom Pat Riley thought had seen his last days as an effective player. Wrong. Whatever you may think of him, Bowen has been a great Spur and will see his name in the rafters before long. The question remains the future. He has not quite slowed down, but he is not quite a young man. James White, picked up on the sly the first week of the season after being dropped by a roster-crunched Indiana squad, may turn out to be an answer at the position, but lacks the bulk to body the new breed of SFs like Anthony and James, and does no good as a rebounder. This spot is the major concern for the Spurs, after failing to get a "Derrick McKey" type last summer. They will trade for Nocioni, Outlaw, put in offers for Pietrus... anything... or try to find that player in the draft. They need length, a defensive mindset, coachability, and athleticism. As almost every year, they'll try to trade up to nab their guy, although in a deep draft class they may find a nice player there regardless.

Power Forward: Tim Duncan. Ever heard of him? Chances are you haven't heard of him enough. This guy may retire as the most criminally underrated player of his era. He is only 31 now and has another few years ahead of excellence before retiring early or consigning himself elegantly to his late-Kareem years. Behind this great players is an assortment of mediocrities... or, well, it depends on what position he plays. If we mark him as a PF, then behind him we should slot Robert Horry and Matt Bonner. As for Horry, there's not much to say beyond invectives or exultations, depending on what team he just struck down. Popovich signing him away from the Lakers in 2003 was a wholly underrated move for a guy with HOF clutchness and whom we may be seeing for the last time in uniform before riding off into the sunset with his enormous balls stored safely in enormous saddlebags. As for Bonner, an expiring contract garnered in the Rasho Nesterovic trade, he looks like a Spurs player, is a bizarre fellow, and will probably be resigned. Luis Scola could be playing PF for the Spurs as early as next year or as late as never; there are intimations of bad blood between the two sides and word is that his offense-mostly game isn't suited for the Spurs' Duncan-only interior style.

Center: Lately manned by Francisco Elson, a cheap and fleet Dutchman who alternates between grasping the defensive schemes and not grasping them at all, and Fabricio Oberto, a savvy and cagey Argentine who has all the athleticism of your average garden gnome, this is the weakest spot in the line-up. And, curiously, the one most glutted in the roster, with Melvin Ely and Jackie Butler riding the pine. Ely is gone at the end of the year as strictly a cost-saving device, and Butler with an uncertain future, having been a bit too fat and glacial this year after being stolen from the Knicks, but apparently having slimmed down. They used their first rounder in 2005 to pull Ian Mahinmi, who has not developed terribly well overseas, but has the great attitude, athleticism, and length that makes the Spurs fervently hope he pans out. It is likely he is added to the roster to develop in San Antonio next year. There is an outside shot the Spurs use one of the 28 or 35 picks on a big man, but it is unlikely to see anyone there with much more potential than Mahinmi has.

SUMMARY

Along with the Pistons, who have two picks earlier in the draft, the Spurs are a team that stands to gain a lot in this draft, but it depends on their philosophy. They have two guys in James White and Jackie Butler who will need further time to develop, they have Ian Mahinmi needing some time, and they have three draft picks this summer. The 58 pick is likely to be punted over to another team or to draft some international project, but the other two are very important. And Luis Scola is very important: this looks like the year he will be joining the NBA, if not exactly as a Spur. What will Scola pull for them? Joined with the 28 or the 33, how far up can they climb? Would they be after a Thaddeus Young, a Jeff Green? Or will they package Scola with Barry and incentive for Andres Nocioni or the like? Will the Spurs take another run at Alonzo Mourning, who decided last summer to sign with Miami instead? Will they try to package up Udrih and Butler to free up roster spots and playing time for development? Whatever happens, they will in all likelihood target the SF position as their top priority x10 and buckle down for a potential championship run next year, in which they could be even better than they were this year.

Possible Draft Picks: SFs... Alando Tucker, Brandon Rush, Dominic McGuire, Derrick Byars. PGs... like Gabe Pruitt, Rodney Stuckey...

Possible Free Agents: Mickael Pietrus, James Posey, Alonzo Mourning

coachjon

05-03-2007, 06:35 PM

i will also take a second team if needed. also if we allow trading it should just have to be worked out by the two GM's of the teams making the deal like in real life not ok'ed by anyone else.

coachjon

05-03-2007, 09:51 PM

2006-07 ROTATION FOR MAJORITY OF THE YEAR
PG Parker^/Farmar/Vujacic/Williams^
SG Bryant/Evans/McKie^
SF Walton*/Radmanovic
PF Odom/Cook/Turiaf^
C Bynum/Brown/Mihm^
^ guys we won't try and retain
* guys we are going to try and resign

DRAFT PICKS
#19
#40
#48

OVERVIEW
Well this year was a disappointing one for our team where we felt we underachieved and took a step back from last year. Part of it was due to a lack of chemistry amongst our players on the court and another part was due to injuries to Lamar Odom, Luke Walton, Kwame Brown, Chris Mihm, and Vladimir Radmanovic. We have one of two directions we can go this summer. We can rebuild our team through some major trades letting go of probably Lamar Odom and Andrew Bynum who will be our most sought after players or we can stay put and add some key pieces in the draft. We can't do much in free agency because of lack of cap space and to the fact that we aren't an elite team anymore that players will sign with for cheap.

POSITIONAL ANALYSIS
PG We won't look to bring back Smush Parker who clashed with Phil at the end of the season or Shammond Williams due to lack of production over the long haul of the season. He did play more in the playoffs, but that was due more to the fact that Smush got his minutes taken away. So at PG we have left Jordan Farmar who is a true PG that is a good passer and is an underrated athlete. He needs to become a better defender and more consistent shooting the ball. We feel he has progressed nicely and could handle starting at the PG next year if we don't pursue adding any other options. Defiently we will be looking to bring in another PG for next year that can play some minutes right away. The other PG we have on our roster is Sasha Vujacic who can handle the ball and pass it good. He is also a capable defender who understands how to play the game. He has been marked with inconsistency and has been a disappointment throughout his career so far though not really being able to translate his skills to the NBA level. He has been better suited off the ball as a spot up shooter.

SG We won't look to bring back Aaron Mckie. He was a guy that could have helped us in his younger days, but we got ahold of him too late in his career and he had two very unproductive injury filled seasons with us. He will likely retire. This is our strongest position because of Kobe Bryant. He is argueably the best wing player in the NBA right now, but we need to find the right players that can play alongside his dominating style while he is still in his prime if we want to make another run at a championship. He is a very versatile player that can get to the basket, shoot the jumper, defend, rebound, pass the ball, get up and down the floor. He is a good athlete, performs in the clutch, but he is selfish. This past offseason we got a nice backup for Kobe for a late 2nd rounder in Maurice Evans who we were very happy with. He is an athletic player that is very strong and can get to the basket as well as shoot the ball.

SF This is a position that is up in the air for us. We would like to resign starter Luke Walton to a 3 year 10.8 mil deal (paying him 3.6 mil a year) and it sounds like he wants to come back, but we will have to wait out the summer and see. Luke has a high basketball IQ and is a prototypical player for the triangle. He is versatile, is a good passer, has really developed consistent range on his jumper and is the perfect team first type of player we need next to Kobe. Vladimir Radmanovic was a disappointment for the team this year as our big free agent signing but he was riddled with injuries the whole season and we are hoping he can bounce back next year. When healthy he can shoot the 3, is athletic, can get up and down the floor, slash to the basket. For his size he should play a little more inside and rebound the ball better, but we knew this before we got him and wanted his shooting ability. He is another guy when focussed can be a good player, but he hasn't always been focussed throughout his career. Due to the uncertainity at this position we will likely be looking to add a player here maybe a younger one with good longterm potential.

PF Although we like the development of Ronny Turiaf and the hustle he brings we are not sure if we are going to be bringing him back. Lamar Odom if we decide to overhaul this team will most likely be one of the players involved in a deal because he is one of our most sought after players. He is a versatile player that can score, rebound, pass the ball, play multiple positions but he is better when the ball is in his hands alot which is not going to happen when Kobe is on your team. He is also a guy like Radmanovic is good when he is on but that on switch doesn't always seem to be there. As his backup we have Brian Cook who is a good offensive player that can hit the outside shot. On the other hand he is a big defensive liability, which has limited his minutes throughout his career so far. Kwame Brown can also slide over and play this position which is probably his most natural position.

C Losing Chris Mihm for the season was a big blow to us since he was our best center on our roster probably. Due to the injury it is up in the air if we are going to resign him or not it depends on his health and other things. Andrew Bynum like Odom is probably our hottest asset and in any major trade we make if we make any will have to involve him. We have balked on trades before because we like his long term potential, but we have to determine if we think he can hit that potential when Kobe is still in his prime or not. He has great size, good hands, has developed a nice low post game thanks to working with Kareem, but he is still not the finished product. Kwame Brown is the other bigman on our roster. He is athletic and can block some shots and grab some rebounds, but he is a guy who never lived up to his potential and at this point never will. This is another area where we would like to add a player at for some depth.

SUMMARY
Since other teams GM's read this publication I am not going to say who we are going to target this offseason, but expect some changes to be made to our roster next year. We may decide to unload some of our previous untouchables and totally revamp the whole squad or we may just make some minor moves it is yet to be decided. I will say we are looking to add players at three postions which are PG, SF, C.

pr0wler

05-04-2007, 05:43 AM

I would love to take the Golden State Warriors actually, since you mentioned those are one of the remaining teams. The Sonics are my favourite, but the Warriors are my 2nd or 3rd and I feel I can maintain a reasonable objectivity with the team as I am not tooooo caught up in the playoff hype at the moment.

You check my post count and it obviously isn't very high, but on other forums (basketballforum.com) I have over 1,000 so I am a qualified poster. If the Warriors aren't available, I wouldn't mind taking the Hornets as a backup option.

ecuhus

05-04-2007, 12:22 PM

Alright, pr0wler, you've got the Warriors and the Hornets. Make sure to check back often, both to submit your breakdowns, and to read through other teams' entries.

Mr. Body and Coachjon: love your stuff. You two have set the bar.

And about trades: you know, there is a 3rd party in real life; the NBA league office. They can nullify a trade if they or the NBPA has a dispute over it, I think. I offered up the 3rd-party solution to band-aid a potential problem (like me signing on with a new username, "suhuce", claiming the remaining teams and giving all their picks to New Jersey for $2). But I'll bet if we have trades, I'll bet there'll be a loophole no one's mentioned that'd be abused. I'd just hate to ruin the fun of the draft, but this is a democracy; maybe we can "table" the trade discussion for now.

Take care, all.

pr0wler

05-04-2007, 05:34 PM

2006-07 ROTATION FOR MAJORITY OF THE YEAR
PG - Paul/Pargo
SG - Brown/B. Jackson
SF - Mason/R. Butler/Johnson III
PF - West/M. Jackson/Simmons
C - Chandler/M. Jackson/Armstrong

DRAFT PICKS
#13
#43

OVERVIEW
Disappointing year for the rising Hornets, mainly due to injuries. Paul out for 20 games, Peja out for basically he year, West out for over 1/3 of the season...the amount of missed games took it's toll. Overall a fairly solid starting rotation planned out for next year of Paul/Mason(if he re-signs)/Peja/West/Chandler. The problem will be depth, as a lot of the backups are mainly cast off's from other teams.

POSITIONAL ANALYSIS
PG - Paul is leading the helm at the point guard slot, and while Pargo isn't really a true point guard he is probably satisfactory as a backup for Paul. There are more other glaring needs in the rotation to be concerned about a point guard behind Chris. Between Bobby and Jannero, they should be able to fill out that position.

SG - This is the biggest glaring weakness for New Orleans. While Mason could theoretically step in, he is more of a forward and doesn't have the outside shooting ability that you'd like in a guard. If the Hornets can resign him for a reasonable amount, he might be good for a temporary stop gap in the meantime. Devin Brown could be re-signed for cheap as a backup SG, but I feel Jackson will be phased out of the rotation due to his nagging injuries and age.

SF - The Hornets can only hope that Peja is healthy for next year. He is their starting small forward, and they desperately need him back. Rasual Butler can hit the outside shot and is the perennial backup , and he should do nicely in that role. Mason can fill in some minutes here and there, but with their G strength limited...Desmond's role as the small forward will definitely be subsidized.

PF - David West has quietly emerged as a very solid scorer as a PF. While the other parts of his game are somewhat in question, you can't deny his scoring ability. Marc Jackson and Cedric Simmons played helped filll in this role during West's injuries...but will Jackson be back? Is Simmons really ready to step up and play consistent minutes behind David? Those questions will have to be answered in the off-season in free-agency or possibly the NBA draft. Drafting a power forward is definitely not out of the question in my view.

C- With Chandler actually being able to stay healthy, he has proven himself as a very formidable center. He is a great rebounder, decent shot blocker, and scores just enough so that he is at least a step above Ben Wallace on the offensive end. Hilton Armstrong in his sophmore season should be adjusted enough to the NBA game to play a backup role to Tyson.

SUMMARY

I think the most glaring need right now is a SG. Mason isn't really a guard, Brown is not starting caliber, and B. Jackson is getting too old. However, with the potential lack of 2's in this draft, they might look at getting a PF/C to add some depth to the front line.

sirfreshness

05-04-2007, 05:44 PM

Phoenix Suns

PG: Steve Nash, Marcus Banks
SG: Raja Bell, Leandro Barbosa, Jalen Rose*, Eric Paitkowski
SF: James Jones, Boris Diaw
PF: Shawn Marion, Kurt Thomas**, Jumaine Jones*
C: Amare Stoudemire, Pat Burke*, Sean Marks*

*=Free Agents
**=Player Option

Draft Picks:
Receive Atlanta first round pick (Top 3 protected)
Receive Cleveland first round pick (24)
First round pick 29
Second round pick 59

Overview

Suns are currently preparing to play the San Antonio Spurs in the second round of the West playoffs. If the Suns win the series they will have made the West Finals for 3 straight years, but they have yet to make it to the NBA finals. With Dallas out of the playoff picture it seems the winner of the Suns-Spurs will look like the favorites to win the Championship. The Suns will be looking to win their first NBA Championship. They have a solid core of players who are all locked up on fairly lengthy deals. Brian Colangelo has set up the Suns for long term success and barring injury should be contending for the title for a while. Head coach Mike D'Antoni has taken over GM duties since the departure of Colangelo last spring. Last year the team pretty much stood pat, didnt make a move, and believed in the players they already had. With the return of Amare Stoudemire the Suns have found a post presence they lacked last season, but are still shallow with quality big men. With the opportunity of having 3 first round picks (one in the top 5!) the Suns could set themselves up for many years to come.

Positional Analysis

Point Guard:
The two-time MVP Steve Nash has continued to keep his body in excellent condition. He is at the top of his game and is putting himself into the conversation with some of the all-time best point guards. His back problems have not shown up much this season and he doest look like he will be slowing down anytime soon. Last year the Suns knew they needed to get Nash a quality backup. Instead of drafting a young player like Rajon Rondo, or Sergio Rodriquez they opted to sign free agent Marcus Banks. Banks has been an absolute flop with the Suns fast-paced system. Phoenix will probably look to find Nash some help again. Best-case scenario Phx finds a home (not in the desert) for Marcus Banks while adding a young PG to play behind him. Look for them to pursue some smaller named players through trade or even grab a PG in the draft.

Shooting Guard:
More awards for Suns player! Stater Raja Bell was named to his first NBA All-Defensive Team. Bell has gotten a lot of media attention since his now famous clothesline of super star Kobe Bryant in last seasons playoffs. Bell continues to do what he does best-play great on ball defense and knock down 3s. Backup Leandro Barbosa also won himself an award-Sixth Man of the Year. The Brazilian Blurr is fast (yes pun intended) gaining notoriety in NBA circles and with fans. He is a great energizer off the bench for the Suns who can step out on the court and put up 30+ points or hold down the PG spot if Nash needs a breather. He was signed last offseason to a long extension (though 2011-2012) keeping him in a Suns uni for the foreseeable future.

Small Forward:
The Suns can start many different players in the SF spot depending on the match ups they want. Lately the former second rounder out of Miami James Jones has been given the starting role. He has quietly put together a productive season. Since the NBA went back the the old leather ball in January Jones has found his shooting touch. He also provides some good defense, and his rebounding is very valuable to the team. Former starter Boris Diaw has been moved to the bench, not because he has played poorly, but to balance out the lineup and the return of Amare Stoudemire. Diaw off the bench gives the Suns another lethal play maker who can boost the team and gives some the second unit a distributor when Nash is off the floor.

Power Forward:
Again the one Sun who doesnt get recognized with season awards is Shawn Marion aka the Matrix. Marion is somewhat of a tweener between SF/PF which allows the Suns to play him on many different players. He can guard anyone 1-4 and occasionally a 5. He gives the defense, rebounding, and great point production without having plays call just for him. It is well-known that he feels like he does not get the respect he deserves and it would not be the biggest shock in the world if the Suns traded him to cut their payroll. If there is a trade it is not because his skills are decreasing but because he wants to go the Joe Johnson route. Backup Kurt Thomas plays both PF and C. He has a player option that he is more than likely going to use (no way he gets more than 8 million on the market). He provides the team with veteran leadership on and off the court. He has helped develop the defense of Stoudemire and if need his expiring contract could be sent off somewhere if the Suns could get the right player in return. The pine rider Jumaine Jones will be a Free Agent after the season. He doesnt see much floor time and will only be brought back if the Suns need to fill roster space.

Center:
WOW! Who would have thought Amare Stoudemire could have come back from Microfracture surgery so fast and so strong? The man who used to refer to himself as STAT-Standing Tall and Talented- has not just improved his all around game but he has learned what it is to be a good teammate. Last offseason many people were upset with Amare's attitude and desire to get back on the court. He has a new outlook on life and seems to have matured during his injury riddled season. He has shown the explosiveness he had before surgery and looks to be a perennial all-star. Fan favorite Pat Burke will be a free agent after the season. He has some talent but is not going to get serious PT with any team. He could get resigned (for the right price) just because Phoenix seems to like him and the fans love his Darko-esque role. He of course thinks he should get some serious run but it will be interesting to see what happens with him this offseason, if he leaves fan will miss seeing him used as the human victory cigar. Sean Marks has been glued to the bench even more than Pat Burke, in fact most Suns fans would not even recognize him on the street. He is another roster space filler that could easily be back but at the same time could leave and no one would notice.

Summary
The Suns look to add a lot of young talent in this years draft. A lot is hinging on the May 22nd lottery. If they get Atlanta first rounder it will be in the 4-6 range, meaning they can add a big time prospect to an already extremely talented roster. They also have two picks in the 20s which will garner them some more serious talent. A pick in the 20s in this draft could get teams better talent than a early teens pick last year. They have needs at PG and C/PF. Phoenix is capable of moving picks on draft day (which they have done in the past) they could do a lot either move up or moving down. They could package their late picks to move up but how far? They could use Altanta's pick to grab a rotation player and move down the lottery. They also have the 2nd to last pick in the draft which will more than likely be used on a international player who they can keep overseas. Everyone seems to think they are targeting Joakim Noah but in reality could go in many directions.

Possible Draft Picks: early Joakim Noah, Al Horford, Yi Jianlian, Kevin Durant, Brandon Wright. Late Jason Smith, Rudy Fernandez, Jarvis Crittenton, Marco Bellinelli, Thadeous Young, Dominic McGuire, Rodney Stuckey (basically anyone could get picked other than some of the slower Centers)

Free Agents: Probably not going to be a player in Free agency due to all the draft picks, and their high payroll.

nextstar1019

05-04-2007, 06:29 PM

Washington Wizards
Team Overview
2006-2007 Regular Season: 41-41, 7th seed in Eastern Conference, Second in Southwest Division

This year’s line-up
PG Gilbert Arenas/ Antonio Daniels/ Donell Taylor
SG DeShawn Stevenson/ Antonio Daniels/ Jarvis Hayes/ Roger Mason
SF Caron Butler/ Jarvis Hayes/ Andray Blatche/ Mike Hall
PF Antawn Jamison/ Darius Songaila/ Andray Blatche/ Michael Ruffin
C Etan Thomas or Brendan Haywood/ Haywood or Thomas/ Michael Ruffin/ Calvin Booth

Antawn Jaminson has a player option for next season
Blatche, Hayes, Ruffin, Booth, Taylor and Mason are all free agents this off-season

Draft Picks: #16 and #46

Stats

PPG
1. Arenas- 28.4
2. Jamison- 19.8
3. Butler- 19.1
4. Stevenson- 11.2
5. Songaila- 7.6

RPG
1. Jamison- 8.0
2. Butler- 7.4
3. Haywood- 6.2
4. Thomas- 5.8
5. Arenas- 4.6

APG
1. Arenas- 6.0
2. Butler- 3.7
3. Daniels- 3.6
4. Stevenson- 2.7
5. Jamison- 1.9

MPG
1. Arenas- 39.8
2. Butler- 39.3
3. Jamison- 38.0
4. Stevenson- 29.5
5. Haywood- 22.6
6. Daniels- 22.0
7. Hayes- 20.1
8. Thomas- 19.2
9. Songaila- 18.9
10. Blatche- 12.2

Coming from overseas next year:
Oleksiy Percherov- PF, 6’11”, 220lbs, 21 years old, drafted 18th by the Wizards in the 2006 NBA Draft
Vladimir Veremeenko- PF, 6’11”, 235lbs, 22 years old, drafted 48th by the Wizards in the 2006 NBA Draft
Juan Carlos Navarro- PG, 6’3”, 170lbs, 26 years old, drafted 40th by the Wizards in the 2002 NBA Draft

Position Overview:

Guards:
The Wiz have one of the best PGs in the league with Gilbert Arenas who goes for 30+ points almost every game. Antonio Daniels played very well while Arenas was injured. He would not score as much but dished out the ball better and had more assists. This was not a big surprise because Gilbert is a score-first guard and he was the team’s first option. When Daniels was in, he would get assists by getting the ball to the better scorers. At Shooting Guard, Washington upgraded by going out and signing DeShawn Stevenson. DeShawn was the team’s best perimeter defender and gave Wizards more depth with Antonio Daniels coming off of the bench. Donell Taylor and Roger Mason are both young, decent off the bench, Taylor started some when Arenas was injured, and Mason averaged 6pts in the playoffs and can shoot lights out from behind the arc.

Forwards:
Small Forward Caron Butler made his first All-Star Game this year while averaging career highs in almost all of his stats. It seems that his prime will continue for some more years and he will continue to be a force in the NBA. At the Power Forward, Antawn Jamison was an All-Star last year and had good numbers again this year. He was out for part of the year though with a knee injury. While he was out, youngster Andray Blatche filled in nicely. The Wizards have some very nice forwards with the All-Stars and backups Jarvis Hayes, Blatche, and Darius Songaila.

Centers:
This is far and away Washington’s biggest weakness. Etan Thomas started off the season strong while, surprisingly, getting the majority of the minutes at center, but Thomas is only 6’9” and was injured early in the year. As the season went along Thomas and Brendan Haywood, who hate and have fought each other during multiple practices, ended up splitting the majority of the time. Injury-plagued Michael Ruffin also spent some time at center despite only being 6’8”.

Summary:
The Wizards love to shoot the three and everyone one the team can step out and knock down a three except for the four centers. The worst part of the team is their defence. The Wiz will go for 110 points on any given night, but the problem is holding their opponent under that number. If they could get a real center who can defend the paint and be at least somewhat respected offensively, they will easily become contenders in the Eastern Conference. The Wizards were the best team in the East at the All-Star Break but were plagued by injuries from then on they went down hill and were lucky to finish .500 (41-41). As long as the ‘Big Three’ or Arenas, Butler, and Jamison stay healthy the Wizards will always be a playoff team but will have trouble getting over the hump without a center. Look for Washington to draft a center and/ or sign one in the off season.

wombat6802

05-05-2007, 03:21 AM

Charlotte Bobcats
Team Overview
2006-2007 Regular Season: 33-49, Fourth in Southwest Division

-This year’s line-up-
PG Raymond Felton/ Brevin Knight/ Jeff McInnis
SG Adam Morrison/Matt Carroll/Derek Anderson
SF Gerald Wallace/Alan Anderson
PF Walter Herrmann/Sean May/Othella Harrington
C Emeka Okafor/Jake Voskuhl/ Primoz Brezec/Ryan Hollins

Free-Agents of note: Wallace is restricted and Carroll is unrestricted. I’m assuming they bring back Wallace…they better. Carroll would be nice to have seeing as though he’s one of the reasons that they’re in such a favorable place, but we’ll see… They have some other contracts coming off the books next year too, I think, but I’m not really concentrating on the lower end guys as much.

Expendables (Guys that should be replaced or just cut): Derek Anderson, Othella Harrington, Primoz Brezec, and Ryan Hollins.

Trade Bait: Sean May

Draft Picks: #8 and #22

Stats

PPG
1. Wallace- 18.1 (50% FG, 33% 3FG, 69% FT)
2. Okafor- 14.4 (53% FG, 59% FT)
3. Felton- 14.0 (38% FG, 33% 3FG, 80% FT)
4. Carroll- 12.1 (43% FG, 42% 3FG, 90% FT)
5. May- 11.9 (50% FG, 67% 3FG, 77% FT)
5. Morrison- 11.8 (38% FG, 34% 3FG, 71% FT)

RPG
1. Okafor- 11.3 (3.9 ORPG)
2. Wallace- 7.2 (2.0 ORPG)
3. May- 6.7 (2.1 ORPG)
4. Voskuhl- 3.5 (1.2 ORPG)
5. Felton- 3.4 (0.7 ORPG)

APG
1. Felton- 7.0
2. Knight- 6.6
3. McInnis- 3.3
4. Anderson- 2.7
5. Wallace- 2.6

MPG
1. Wallace- 36.7
2. Felton- 36.3
3. Okafor- 34.8
4. Morrison- 29.8
5. Knight- 28.3
6. Carroll- 26.1
7. May- 23.9
8. Anderson- 23.8
9. Herrmann- 19.5
10. McInnis- 18.5

Coming from overseas next year:
Nobody. Potential D-League transactions featuring Ryan Hollins and Alan Anderson…

Position Overview:

Point Guard:
They have one of the best combinations of lead guards in the league if they decide to keep Brevin Knight as Raymond Felton’s backup next season. However, Felton and Knight absolutely have to shoot better from the field. Their combined sub-40% from the field is in no way helping this team even if their near 14 assists a game clearly are… If they do decide to keep Felton, the Bobcats are set at the point guard position and should not have to make any changes. However, McInnis was actually a nice contribution this year. Contrary to all of the character reports I’ve heard about him, he actually seemed to be a good guy on the court and off of it. If he wants back in on his small contract, I’d return him and let him occupy that third guard slot behind Felton and May. If it ain’t broke, Bernie and MJ, don’t fix it…

Shooting Guard:
This is the gaping, bloody hole in the heart of the Bobcats. Not only is their rotation at the 2 a little bit shaky to say the least, but they’re quite thin at the position as well. It is safe to say that the Morrison-Wallace experiment is over and Gerald will now get to keep working on becoming one of the best SFs in the league. Morrison, however, has his work cut out for him. He must work on his shooting, of course, but more importantly for the sake of his own playing time as well as the overall quality of the team, he must work on his defense. If he does not improve defensively, expect him not to get a second contract in Charlotte. Carroll silently turned into one of the better specialists in the league and then even quieter, he turned into one of the best 6th men in the league. He’s about as good as he is going to get and I hope that the Bobcats work to resign him because I could easily see him continuing his sixth man role next season, only with a better team on the second unit with him. Derek Anderson, while expendable, has said that he is interested in coming back. He is a positive veteran influence on a very young team, but he also plays very well for a guy as old as he is… If he continues to accept a pay cut, I say keep him. Unless, however, they finally draft a solid 2, in which case it is probably Anderson that is the first to go.

Small Forward:
Gerald Wallace has, in a span of two years, become one of the most feared Small Forwards in the NBA. He is the future of this franchise and once he continues to refine his offensive game, he is going to propel these guys into the playoffs as well as himself into the All-Star game. If they let him stay at his nature SF spot on offense, I think that the team will be better suited. He can guard whoever he wants to on the defensive end, but please for the love of the lord, let him play in position on offense. Herrmann definitely moonlights at the SF position, but I’ll include him at the PF. Alan Anderson looked very good after spending time in the D-League last season and I think he’s worth the risk. He’s the perfect long and athletic defender to replace Wallace for short periods during the game. His offensive game is also rapidly improving too leading me to believe that he will become exactly what Bernard Robinson failed so badly to become in his short stint as a Bobcat: the defensive-energy guy.

Power Forward:

While Herrmann was given Morrison’s role by the end of the season far too late, do not expect the Bobcats to minimize him any longer. He is an incredibly-talented shooter, but also a better-than-average defender who plays well with Wallace and Felton while still contributing with his heady play and rebounding. Sean May is a question mark. He looked good when he was playing, but can he stay on the court? I hope so because he has a lot of ability and his potential on the perimeter is tantalizing, especially the flashes he showed right before he went down with the injury. If May is healthy and they decide to keep him, then the Bobcats could use him as an integral part of their playoff run. Othella Harrington is one of the worst acquisitions in the history of the league and while bringing nothing to the team, eats up some valuable cap space, no matter how small.

Center:

Unlike most teams, the Bobcats have a pretty significant logjam at center. However, they also have a lot they can do with this logjam to suit their future needs. For one, Okafor really is more effective as a power forward. So I think the first thing they should do is make a run at either the top pick or one of the center prospects at the bottom of the first round. Okafor is an incredible defensive player whose offensive game is just far enough behind that it makes him a bit of a liability on the offensive end. If he can challenge his pre-All-Star break self, he’ll be an absolute monster next season. Him and Wallace together is also a frontcourt nightmare for opposing teams. I really like Jake Voskuhl as a player. He plays with intelligence and really gives all of himself on the boards. He is a more than adequate defender and his offensive game is looking better than ever. If he doesn’t mind getting a significant pay cut in the future, I think that he’s the perfect complimentary piece to this team. He’s the kind of guy you can build a second-unit around. Brezec was too tired to play this season and even if he wasn’t, he’s still the softest center in the history of the NBA. He contributes little and this season showed how expendable he is (That’s a hint, Bernie). Hollins is about as ready to contribute in the NBA as Sene and has about as much going for him on offense too. He’s one heck of a pogo stick, but little else. Does he even weight 200 lbs yet? If guys like Adam Morrison are projects than Hollins is a doctoral dissertation!

Summary:
The Bobcats need to focus on the following starting rotation:

PG: Felton
SG: Herrmann
SF: Wallace
PF: Okafor
C: Draft Pick

It is absolutely essential that they find a way to allow Wallace and Okafor to play in position on offense because no matter how much of a defensive liability guys like Morrison are, it is more of a liability to not get any production out of the franchise players. Well, now that we’ve mentioned Wallace, it is more essential that they re-sign him. Give him a Josh Howard sized contract because the guy works as hard as any guy in the League and the effort has truly begun to show this season. If not for the injuries, he’d easily average around 20 and 9. I’d recommend drafting a shooting guard or a true center to strengthen the starting five. A bench consisting of Walter Herrmann, Matt Carroll (who also needs to be resigned), and Adam Morrison is not half bad at all. Plus, I see them making a major push at some free agents this summer. Guys like Rashard Lewis or Vince Carter could be major upgrades to improving the depth of this team. The Bobcats are a playoff team next year if they can stay healthy. Not only is the Southeastern Division a joke next season, but also the Bobcats have the heart and the talent to make a serious push in the post-season.

Hitster

05-08-2007, 12:16 PM

Atlanta Hawks analysis

After having suffered a 13-69 season in 2004-205 and improving to a 26-56 season last year, this season the Hawks continued a slow progression and came away with a 30-52 season. The Hawks immediate future could actually revolve around the lottery draft as when they did a sign and trade for Joe Johnson from Phoenix in 2005, they gave the Suns a conditional future draft pick which is top 3 protected this year but unprotected next year. So with the Hawks being 4th in the current draft lists if they miss out on a top 3 lottery pick then it goes to Phoenix with the maximum potential benefit. The Hawks have been criticized for giving up a potential plumb pick but have ensured that they did protect themselves in the Oden/Durant sweepstakes. Of course if the Hawks did get 3rd pick they’d have the choice of taking Brandon Wright or maybe trading down the draft mindful that if they struggle next year, their pick will go automatically to Phoenix even as a potential number 1 pick thus handing Phoenix maybe Mayo or Rose.

Draft Options

For this review I’ll assume that Atlanta will choose 4th and will thus only have the 11th pick from Indiana, which they picked up with Al Harrington’s sign and trade. Looking at Atlanta’s line up, the biggest need is obviously for a PG and thus they must pursue Mike Conley Jnr as he is widely regarded as the best PG in this year’s draft. Conley Jnr is tipped to go around the Number 10 mark so Atlanta can surely pull off a trade to get into a position to draft him. They could potentially offer up one of their back-up PG’s maybe Tyron Lue or Salim Stoudamire to move up the draft. Speedy Claxton did a nice job mentoring Chris Paul in his debut year and given his longish contract would be hard to shift so would be retained as starting PG with a view to giving Conley Jnr a year from the bench or handing the roll on mid-season depending how Conley Jnr progresses. If the Hawks are unable to get Conley Jnr then Acie Law who projects out around 14th pick would be well within their range and could be developed along the lines I have described for Conley Jnr. Other players in their draft range may include Spencer Hawes who has a nice finesse game and would enable Wright or Pachulia to be potentially moved on and would provide a nice contrast to Shelden Williams’s strong presence on the paint. Tiago Splitter may slip into the Hawk’s range and would give them an NBA ready defensive role player and again an upgrade om Wright and Pachulia.

Salary Cap Issues

Atlanta are projected to have a salary level of $48 million next season plus whoever they draft thus perhaps giving room to sign a free agent as the salary cap level next season will be over $55 million and the luxury tax level in 2007-2208 will be pushing on towards $70 million so the Hawks could potentially pursue a top free agent. If they draft a young PG taking a run at Chauncy Billups or Mike Bibby would not balance up, if they decided to draft big then one of these could be on the radar. The other top free agents are likely to want to go to contending teams or are SG/SF’s of which Atlanta have a few. They have the chance to resign Josh Smith and Josh Childress this summer, given their age and upside, they will both be in line for nice contracts but with Marvin Williams then being due a contract renewal potentially in 2008 then the Hawks have to look at long term salary implications. Lue, Wright and Johnson will all be free agents in 2008 so there is potentially $9.5 million to play with. I’d guess that Josh Smith’s salary would be around $10 million per season over 4 or 5 years using the likes of Caron Butler, Tayshaun Prince and Josh Howard as a rough guideline given Smith’s improvement this season. Childress who has progressed nicely and will be coming off a higher rookie salary would probably be given a 4 or 5 year deal averaging up to $7 million per season thus giving the Hawks room to resign Marvin long term when needed and extend Salim Stoudamire.

Depth Chart

Don’t resign Esteban Batista or Slava Medvedenko or Royal Ivey

C- Shelden Williams,Zara Pachulia, Antonine Wright
PF – Marvin Williams, Shelden Williams, Solomon Jones
SF – Josh Smith, Marvin Williams, Josh, Childress
SG – Joe Johnson, Josh Childress
PG – Speedie Claxton, Acie Law or Mike Conley Jnr, Salim Stoudamire Tyron Lue, Anthony Johnson,

Or

C –, Tiago Splitter or Spencer Hawes, Shelden Williams Zara Pachulia, Antonine Wright
PF – Marvin Williams, Shelden Williams, Tiago Splitter,Solomon Jones
SF – Josh Smith, Marvin Williams, Josh, Childress
SG – Joe Johnson, Josh Childress
PG – Speedie Claxton, Salim Stoudamire Tyron Lue, Anthony Johnson,

If they did pursue say Billups via free agency then maybe a sign and trade-involving Claxton could be done as Detroit would get something in return and Claxton could mentor for any young PG they draft.

ecuhus

05-09-2007, 11:02 AM

Good analyses so far, everyone.

I have 5 teams left that do not have an owner for this mock draft. Those are the Los Angeles Clippers, the Miami Heat, the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Orlando Magic and the Utah Jazz. If anyone else wants a second team, they are free to grab one of these. Otherwise, I may just fill in the blank and act as owner of all those teams, unfortunately.

i will release the lottery-pending schedule Friday, so as to give time to people who want to claim the last teams. I think it'd be best to do the draft as a "due by (date, time)" schedule. In essence, once the person in front of you drafts, you can pick anytime. SO, we could have 15 picks in one day, and if the #16 pick wants to wait a week to draft, he can do so (since the schedule is two picks per day). Make sense? I just thought it was too restrictive to force people to wait 11 hours and 59 minutes, just because the previous person drafted immediately.

Happy drafting!

Hitster

05-09-2007, 11:34 AM

I'll take Miami as they have a few interesting contract options and I can get a few ideas going with that.

coachjon

05-09-2007, 11:52 AM

let me know i will take any of those teams. since i already have the lakers i guess my first choice of a second team would be the clippers, but like i said i am not picky and will take any of them and if needed will take more than one more. if no one claims a second team instead of you having to take all 5 ecuhus we could split the remaining untaken.

ecuhus

05-09-2007, 12:52 PM

Cool. Hitster has Miami now, too, and Coach, you've got the Clippers. Your breakdown could be "A Tale of Tw..., er, ONE City!"

I'll keep you in mind for the remainder, but hopefully someone will take Minnesota, Utah and Orlando off of our hands.

Mr. Body

05-09-2007, 01:32 PM

I'll take one of them... Minny?

Already have one, don't have to, but would be happy to.

Hitster

05-09-2007, 02:05 PM

Miami Heat Overview

After winning the title in 2006, the current season was always going to be interesting for the Miami Heat, could they retain, would D-Wade dement his place as a true NBA superstar, could Coach Riley ever have a hair out of place! Well from the first night of the season things started to go wrong no sooner had the trophy been lifted as the Heat were thrashed 66-108 by Chicago Bulls on the opening night. Worse was to follow a few days later Shaq injured himself and was ruled out for over half the regular season. Although not the monster player of old and even with a great back up in Alonzo Mourning, the Heat certainly missed the Diesel when he was out and were under .500 when he eventually returned. Also the Heat lost their Coach for several weeks when Pat Riley was out of action getting one of his hips replaced. With Shaq back on board they went on a winning run and hauled themselves into the Eastern play-offs with a 44-38 record earning them a 5th seed position. No-sooner had Shaq returned than D-Wade dislocated his shoulder and there was much debate whether he should get his shoulder operated on and set properly or rehab it and try to play again towards the end of the regular season and into the play-offs. D-Wade did return but the Heat were swept aside 4-0 by the Chicago Bears in the first round of the play-offs.

With an ageing team as well as Coach and several players out of contract, the Miami Heat have a lot of work to do to get back on track for next season. Most important is for D-Wade to rehab his shoulder completely, even if it means missing the start of the next season, he needs to get this right. At 25 years old and just going onto his new contract, D-Wade will be the future of the franchise and a true franchise player who the Heat will rebuild around. But one player isn’t a team just ask KG and D-Wade needs support, luckily he has a 7ft 1inch, 325-350lbs Centre in Shaq as his main partner on the team. But Shaq is now 35 years old and tends to have been increasingly susceptible to injury in recent years. Even though his statistics aren’t what they were Shaq is still a class act and one of the best Centres in the NBA. Again Shaq just isn’t about statistics although one of the greatest players ever, his mere presence on court means that an opposition coach has to counter him often with double teaming to try and negate his inside dominance thus allowing Wade more freedom on court. The Heat were 25-15 when Shaq played this regular season and 19-23 when he didn’t to give a quick example of his effect. When Shaq isn’t playing Wade often found himself double-teamed and thus reduced in effect. Antoine Walker in effect the Heat’s 3rd star on the team had an awful season for a career 18ppg, 8rpg player still only 30 years old and remained on the bench often when both Shaq and D-Wade were out. Often it seemed that with the big two out, that veteran Alonzo Mourning had to lead a weakened Heat team, despite being 37 years old, Lonzo came up big averaging over 10ppg when starting and still proving he was the best blocker in the NBA. Starting PG Jason Williams had another injury-hit season and didn’t really justify his large contract. SF Jason Kapono had an improved season and will justify a new improved contract. PF Udonis Haslem had his best season to date averaging over 10ppg and 8rpg. Swingman James Posey also had a disappointing season spending most of it on the bench keeping Walker company. Veteran PG Gary Peyton will surely call time on his career now at the age of nearly 39 and short-term resignee Eddie Jones would be unlikely to earn a new contract unless he accepted veteran’s minimum

Current Depth Chart

C- O’Neill, Mourning, Doleac, Baron
PF – Haslem, Walker, Simien
SF- Kapono, Walker, Posey
SG- Wade, Wright Kapono
PG- Williams, Peyton, Jones, Quinn

Free Agents are Posey, Doleac (players option), Peyton, Kapono, Jones, and Barron

I would consider resigning James Posey but only to MLE level but only if I could not shift Walker, Kapono I’d offer a 3 year deal worth around $4 million per season, Doleac will take up his player’s option, as he’d unlikely get $3 million per season elsewhere. Barron is worth another 1-year deal given he may have potential and Peyton and Walker are done.

With Wade’s new contract kicking in and a rise for Kapono, the Heat will almost already be on the luxury tax limit so unless Walker is shifted then any signing will have to be MLE’s and veteran’s minimums etc. Given that Walker is two years off a team option and will cost $17 million aprox over the next two years unless he has a big upturn in form will have few takers and make resigning Posey very hard. Jason Williams’s contract expires next summer so the Heat may try and pull a deal to trade him on maybe with Walker for other expiring contracts etc. Boston has been mentioned as maybe wanting Walker back and with them wanting Telfair out and Ratliff having a large expiring deal next year some sort of swap may work. Coach Riley took on Shaq, he considered A.I and maybe he’d take a punt on Telfair, he may not be a starting PG yet but Jones could perhaps be kept on to mentor him and a change of scenery may work. Worryingly also for the Heat, Mourning may retire this summer and not see out his contract until 2008, if he does go then Miami lose their back-up to Shaq so a fit Ratliff may fit in nicely here as he may accept an MLE/veteran’s minimum in 2008 and could do a similar job that Mourning does behind Shaq and help mentor any young big men. I’m sure the Heat will look at other veteran players like say Jerry Stackhouse or Grant Hill, Grant may accept veteran’s minimum but may look elsewhere and Jerry will be hard to prize from Dallas.

With the draft the Heat project to pick around the Josh McRoberts, Brandon Rush, Rodney Stuckley level. McRoberts would give support to Haslem at 4 and could be used to cover minutes at 5 if need. Rush would give depth at 2 and 3 and could fill a gap if Posey cannot be resigned. Stuckley perhaps makes most sense as a combo guard who can help fill in behind Wade and challenge for the PG role. I’d also seriously consider Ante Tomic, I know he is a long-term prospect but for a 20th pick may be worth a punt, Doleac could possibly be traded on as he’d have a 2008 expiring contract and if Shaq and Lonzo cannot teach a young Centre anything then no-one can. Jarvis Crittenton as a specialist PG may also be on the Heat’s radar and a possible trade down could net them him.

Draft first choice Stuckley
Logical choice McRoberts
Brave choice Tomic

metrocard

05-09-2007, 06:17 PM

I'll take any team thats available at this point.

coachjon

05-09-2007, 07:36 PM

2006-07 MAJORITY OF THE SEASON DEPTH CHART
PG Livingston/Cassell/Hart*/Conroy^
SG Mobley/Ewing^
SF Ross*/Maggette/Korolov^
PF Brand/Thomas/Singleton^
C Kaman/Williams/Davis
^ don't try and retain free agent or option to be declined
* try and retain free agent or option to be picked up

PICKS
#14
#45

OVERVIEW
After a very successful season where the Clippers made the playoffs they were a big disappointment this year. Everyone thought that they would take even another step forward with Donald Sterling still spending money which he started doing a few years ago to retain key players and adding the likes of an above average free agent signing in Tim Thomas. The Clippers just seemed to have no consistency or team chemistry this year and the man who held everything together last year while still producing at a pretty high level Sam Cassell looked a little too long in the tooth. Also Chris Kaman came in with his new contract and didn't have the fire that he had the year before.

POSITIONAL ANALYSIS
PG: Will Conroy who was brought in late in the season probably won't be retained. He does have a team option for the league minimum for next year, but just hasn't shown anything in his brief stints in the NBA. I think they could get someone with better potential in the draft. The Clippers will miss Shaun Livingston next year who will likely miss the whole season due to the knee injury he suffered this year. He had finally started showing some promise and was improving especially with his jumpshot, which used to be non-existent. Sam Cassell will be back, but he is on his last legs as we saw him with a major decline in minutes and production in his second year with the Clippers. You should expect a dropoff again next year, but not as far. He still can score, is a smart player, is a good leader, and is clutch, but he does hurt you with his lack of athleticism especially on the defensive end. Jason Hart was a nice pickup and a guy they need to try and retain. He played well given his first real starters minutes in the NBA. He is quick and a good defender. He needs to still work on his playmaking ability which is looking like it is getting better and his jumpshot. If they can bring Hart back they should be fine for the year with Cassell and Hart and maybe Livingston at the end of the year if he can come back if they can't resign Hart they will need to look to bring in a PG this summer that can be a rotation player.

SG: Daniel Ewing was used as a backup SG this past year even though he had played PG in the past. He is a combo guard that can shoot and slash, but I don't think he will be brought back. The only real guy that plays strictly at this position is Cuttino Mobley. He is getting older at 32 years old and his production has been on a slight decline for the past three years. He can score and hit the 3pt shot plus he has good quickness and can defend, but he does have poor shot selection. Ross and Maggette can both play SG as well but both have started at SF over the past year. If Maggette starts at SF next year like he was at the end of the year Ross can move to his more natural position and play backup SG. If this occurs their depth here is fine if he stays at SF then they need to look to add depth here. They would probably be looking for a player that has a lot of potential because they are close to having to replace Mobley and have guys that can slide over if the rookie isn't ready to play right away.

SF Yaroslav Korolov will not be back and has to be considered as one of the biggest draft busts in recent history. He has shown no semblance of an NBA game at all and will be best served going back overseas to play. Quenton Ross started part of the year at this position and is a good roleplayer but he is probably better suited coming off the bench at his more natural position SG. He should have his league minimum 1 year team option exercised. He is a very good defensive player that can get out and run the court. Corey Maggette will likely be the starting SF next year as he did at the end of the season. Supposively the Clippers like how he has turned it around and have taken him off the trading block which he was on for two years. They are even talking about giving him a contract extension. Maggette is a strong athlete that knows how to get to the basket and draw fouls. Other than the scoring that he brings to the team though he doesn't bring alot more to the table especially on the defensive side of the ball where he tends to conserve his energy for when he gets back on offense. If Ross does slide back over to SG Tim Thomas can play at this position. So with the trio of Maggette, Thomas, and Ross SF is a pretty solid position for the Clippers heading into next year.

PF James Singleton likely won't be back after seeing his minutes drop after his first year with the Clippers which he came in and was a nice suprise. Elton Brand is still in his prime and is one of the better PF's in the league. He is a night in night out double double threat with his ability to score and rebound. He has also become a pretty good defender with his ability to alter and block shots while guarding players on the low block. Tim Thomas mostly as Brand's backup this year and also spent some time at the SF spot. Tim Thomas had a typical Tim Thomas year nothing too spectacular and nothing too bad. Many people said he underachieved with the Clippers this year after his big year with Phoenix, but if you look at it his numbers were slightly higher this year. He is a versatile player that can play either forward position with his scoring ability from all areas of the floor. He can hit the 3 with consistency, slash to the basket with his nice athleticism, and score from the low block especially with his knack at getting putbacks off of the offensive board. He has the ability to be much better than the career 11pt a game player he is and was last year, but with the role he has on this team as the main backup at both forward spots playing a little over half the game 11pts a game is good production. Depending on where Thomas plays most of his minutes next year they may need to add some PF depth. He will play some SF I just don't know how much of it, if it is just spot minutes and he is playing most the time at the PF spot the duo of him and Brand with Aaron Williams is good enough.

C Chris Kaman admitted after the season he didn't have the fire that he had last year when he was playing for a contract and vows to have that intensity again next year. With that being said he still did a decent job last year. he is suprisingly athletic and agile for his size, runs the floor good, is good down on the low block being able to score with both hands, has a nice shooting touch especially from the FT line, but he is not a great passer out of the post still, has a low basketball IQ, and went back to becoming a so so rebounder after averaging close to 10 a game in his contract year. Aaron Williams was his primary backup this year (if you can call him that at 10 min a game) even though he is best suited to play PF. He is getting up there in age at 36 and isn't even really capable of being a rotation player anymore. He was athletic, strong, played hard, would do all the dirty work, rebound the ball, play defense, and could hit the midrange jumper, but as I said before he is pretty much done being a useful player in the NBA. Paul Davis didn't really play much as a rookie but on a few occasions he did show some potential to play in the league in the future. He is an inside/outside player that is pretty skilled offensively but he lacks toughness which translates over to him being a poor defender and rebounder. This is an area where the Clippers need to add depth and if it is through the draft they need to add someone who is NBA ready and can step in and be Kaman's backup next year because Williams is too old for that role and Davis won't be ready for that role still.

SUMMARY
The Clippers have nice talent they are just getting older and need to put it together again. They pretty much still have the same team that went to the playoffs last year so it is not like they are that far away. They just need to add depth this offseason. In terms of the draft they will probably be looking at the best player available since they do have many positions that could use some depth. C is probably their most glaring weakness and PG if Jason Hart isn't retained. Depending on where Ross, Maggette, and Thomas play SG and PF could be areas of need also.

mullet is gone

05-10-2007, 04:35 AM

Is there a time limit on getting a profile up. Im up the walls at the moment but I want do a decent job on this (memphis)....

ecuhus

05-10-2007, 08:41 AM

I'll take any team thats available at this point.

Utah and Orlando are available; would you like both?

And Mullet, take your time. I'd like to have them soon, but I've got to respect your work ethic on what is possibly the most anti-climactic breakdown of this draft! The draft schedule will start with you, and your due date/time will be 5/29 @ Noon EST. SO, I was hoping everyone could have their breakdowns done by 5/22.

Hitster

05-10-2007, 08:59 AM

Breakdowns don't have to be that detailed, obviously Memphis's fate rests with the draft lottery balls so has lots of potential players they could land and no doubt Mullet would want to look into these, maybe to save time just concentrate on drafts and team needs, expiring contracts as free agent signings won't kick in until 1st August I think and several of us seem to be suggesting the same few players (i.e I seem to end up considering Varejao, Billups, Magloire, Grant Hill, Stackhouse etc ( already see some of these as Memphis targets etc).

I would like the chance to trade lottery places but cannot see how it can work as it would start involving players and just end up like a fantasy draft pick.Talking of which I'll be intersted to see how high the likes of NBA.Com rate this year's draft pick in next season's fantasy league.

Mr. Body

05-10-2007, 11:26 AM

Do I need to do the T-Wolves? I'm not clear if I got them or not.

ecuhus

05-10-2007, 01:42 PM

Yes, Mr. Body, Minnesota is yours.

sirfreshness

05-10-2007, 02:37 PM

Are all the teams now filled? If not I would take on another team (right now i have Phoenix)

Mr. Body

05-10-2007, 02:49 PM

MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES

2006-07 MAJORITY OF THE SEASON DEPTH CHART
PG James/Jaric/Hudson
SG Davis/Foye/McCants/Wright(*)
SF Hassell/Reed
PF Garnett/Madsen/Smith
C Blount
* free agent

PICKS
#7
#41

(Full disclosure: I am not a T-Wolves fan, but as a Spurs fan have an old affinity and natural respect for the franchise, and especially Garnett. In the spirit of good competition, I want nothing more than for these guys to start playing in the postseason again but, sadly, don't see it anytime soon. Their management, in my opinion, is among the worst in sports, and has squandered years of KG's prime. My true opinion is they should blow the team up and set the guy free and then clean out the front office, but I will write this as if they wish only to retool. Really, Garnett has a player option after this year, so I think he's gone regardless of what happens this upcoming year. They might as well get value for him.)

OVERVIEW
This is a forgotten team with one of the consistently great players of his era practically banished from the limelight due to mediocrity of his team in general. There are so many tepid, lukewarm, untalented, unthrilling players on this roster in comparison to many others, and what talent they do have come with asterisks and notations to beware. From the Cassell for Jaric and pick trade to the swap-out of Brandon Roy for Randy Foye to the signing of Mike James, the GM has been wretched. And, besides, the cap situation affords no flexibility whatsoever, where an MLE offer will shoot them further into the luxury tax. However, they do have the #7 pick in a deep draft. A homerun with that pick might change the franchise's fortunes.

POSITIONAL ANALYSIS
PG: Mike James has been starting, if only because Marko Jaric has been such a disappointment. His numbers slipped off the previous years, such as in a pre-Colangelo Toronto situation where he could chuck like mad, James suffered with his FGA cut in half and his shooting percentage went down. There is a chance he could be unloaded to the Rockets, who have liked him in the past, but it looks like he's here to stay for a while. Same with Jaric. McHale erred grievously when he thought Cassell was on his last legs and then watched the Clippers go deep in the playoffs last year with him helming. Not only did he get Sterling to S&T (I believe) Jaric, for more years than he was worth, he even tossed in a first round pick to get the deal done. Ugh. This is likely not the position that needs the most attention and there don't seem to be many answers in FA.

SG: Ricky Davis starts. A very talented player (17/3.9/4.8) but a headcase who seems to have little effect on whether a team wins. He only has one more year on his contract ($6.8M), so he could be shopped as an expiring/scoring punch, which I would recommend. Randy Foye wound up on the All-Rookie First Team after a pretty solid season, but may have size issues if he doesn't fully develop as a point guard. A look at his stats (10/2.7/2.8, decent %s) shows a guy who will likely make it in this league in some fashion and could be a full-time starter. Behind him is former UNC headcase Rashad McCants, a guy who regressed after a fairly decent first year, although he doesn't do much in the stats besides shoot. To show the difference in draft classes, note he was the #7 pick two seasons ago... Now look at what will be available this year... Bracey Wright, the past IU standout, may have seen his last NBA uniform bearing his name.

SF: Trenton Hassell, that workaday everyman, has seemed to occupy this spot for years now. Known mostly for his defense, he doesn't do a whole lot else. At 6'5" he does a yeoman's work at the position, but would be better as a bench player. They could use some help at this position, one of the two weakest in the roster. Behind Hassell is Justin Reed, a former Boston guy who doesn't do a whole lot. No depth at the spot.

PF: Kevin Garnett, the forgotten man, is still among the best players in the league, although he can no longer carry this roster into the playoffs in a loaded west. His destiny may have been as a complementary player, but it's hard to tell, given the fact that he only had talent around him twice in his career: once with Tom Gugliotta and a very young Stephon Marbury, and more recently with Latrell Sprewell and Sam Cassell, when they overacheived their way into the WCF. Backing him up are Mark Madsen, a player who is destined to hurt other players out of sheer clumsiness and is best served with spot minutes, and Craig Smith, a second round pick last draft who may turn out to be a steal. Undersized at 6'7", he has produced so far - 7.4 ppg/5.1 rpg.

C: Mark Blount, another Celtics cast off. He shoots and can score at a decent percentage, but has lukewarm blood trickling around his veins and rebounds at a reduced rate compared to others at his position, in addition to getting few blocked shots. He is not the big, bluff body you'd need to put next to a player like Garnett. As of the moment, there is no real backup for Blount, and there was much talk about a Mike James/Nazr Mohammed swap-off before the deadline and the change of scenery might of helped both recent signees. Along with the SF, this is the weakest spot in the roster.

SUMMARY
My recommendation: blow it up. Trade Garnett to the Bulls - or wherever - while you still can. Failing that, the T-Wolves can make some tinkering moves to inch closer to the playoffs. Depending on how hot their billfolds are, they may decide to make another MLE offer this summer; they may also make that Mohammed trade, or try something else. In the meantime... the draft. They have the fortune of a good pick in a draft where the #7 will be nearly as good as a top 3 pick in most drafts. I would prioritize C over SF, but they should pick BTA - best talent available. They also do not have time for slow developers. They need impact right away.

Roy Hibbert may be the best choice, if he's available. Him trading off with Garnett, inside outside game, etc., could be quite a load fairly quickly, and clear more space outside for the subpar guard corps. I would also be intrigued by Hibbert's old teammate Jeff Green, a mobile big man who can rebound, defend, and take pressure off KG, although the #7 is likely too dear a cost for him. Corey Brewer would deserve the look, if Hibbert is gone, although he doesn't really solve many problems for the team; at least he'd add a winning attitude. Spencer Hawes, Yi, and others available there are likely to much of projects to grab. A trade down might be a good idea, like to the Sixers for the #12 and #21. A franchise player isn't absolutely necessary, but more talent is. With their own #41 in the second round, I'd recommend going after the spot they don't fill with the #7, but again with an eye to BPA. There is bound to be somebody who falls who is intriguing, whether it's a Dominic McGuire, a Glen Davis, Wilson Chandler, or Kyle Visser. I don't see this team, 32-50 last year, as a playoff candidate in any way, but with a stretch and good picks they could threaten.

ecuhus

05-10-2007, 03:25 PM

Mr. Body, nice stuff ,especially so quickly.

And sirfreshness, the Utah Jazz and Orlando Magic are still available. I'd like to fill them today, so I can release the schedule tomorrow. I'll be waiting for confirmation from both you and "goo attack" metrocard.

Cascadia

05-10-2007, 08:47 PM

Portland Trail Blazers
32-50 3rd Northwest Division

Depth Chart - end of '06/'07 season

PG: Jarrett Jack / Sergio Rodriguez / Dan Dickau
SG: Brandon Roy / Fred Jones / Martell Webster
SF: Ime Udoka / Martell Webster / Travis Outlaw / Darius Miles (knee surgery)
PF: Zach Randolph / LaMarcus Aldridge / Travis Outlaw / Raef LaFrentz
C: Joel Przybilla / Jamaal Magloire / LaMarcus Aldridge / Raef LaFrentz / Luke Schenscher

(I know that's not quite how they were getting used toward the end of the season, but I'm getting there. For simplicity sake, since Przybilla was still starting when he got injured...)

Picks: #6, #36, #42, #52, #53

Full Disclosure: I am a HUGE Blazers fan. You wish to view this as a "total homer's" view of the Blazers draft, I can live with that.

Overview: The key word for the season would be "improvement." The previous season was a miserable last place mess that featured such "great" moments in Blazers history as Ha Seung Jin being forced into the starting line-up. The only way to deal with such misery is to block the season from your memory, and think about the draft night the misery lead to.

And what a draft night. Trades trades and trades. 8 of them total. The short version. They lead to Rookie of the Year Brandon Roy, All Rookie Team C LaMarcus Aldridge. You Tube loving passing artist PG Sergio Rodriquez. A bit of a reach late in the 1st in Joel Freeland for a high energy, high ceiling big British kid who is stashed in Europe. Piles of 2nd round picks. Ohh... and one draft night long, career-destroying tirade from Stephen A. Smith. Hehehe.

The Blazers final record, 32-50, was an 11 game improvement on last year. Nate McMillan's hard work philosophy is taking hold in the locker room. The primary aspect of noticeable improvement was energy on the floor and determination to keep playing hard in games even when the Blazers found themselves behind by significant margins. The Blazers didn't lead a whole lot of games early. There were a lot of games the Blazers found themselves behind early. The kids rarely quit, and they surprisingly usually found themselves back in a games with a lot of teams with more talent in the 4th quarter. Portland displayed a real "not gonna die, other teams are gonna have to come out and kill them" personality.

Portland out-performed what their team stats show they should have accomplished. Blazers were next to last in the league in team scoring. Portland was 17th in opponents scoring. The differential was a tied for 3rd worst -4.3 ppg. The only reason these kids got 32 wins in the West with team numbers like that is Nate McMillan has these kids believing hard work and determination produces results.

POSITIONAL ANALYSIS

PG:
Jarrett Jack - current starter. Solid. He's one of those players who's whole skill set is solid 7s across the board (except for the 9 on FTs). That means overall he's probably already a slightly above average NBA starting PG. The bane of such "solid" starters existence is there is always someone both on the roster and on the floor against them that can do one or two things better than him. For example, Jack's 7 perimeter defense skills lead to every coach in the league digging out every little annoying waterbug they have on the roster, and running penetration plays with that guy all night. A lot of little guys had big nights against Jack this season. Because Nate McMillan was a PG who outstanding at distributing the ball and perimeter defense, that particular weakness is a pet peeve that drives Nate McMillan personally insane. I don't know if McMillan's coaching philosophy can be comfortable with just a solid slightly above average starting PG.

Sergio Rodriguez - rookie distributor phenom. I've never seen a kid at Sergio's age that passes as well as he does. That said, that obviously is the skill Sergio loves to work on the most, because the rest of his skill set is lagging significantly behind his passing. Sergio would be a year away from starting on any NBA team for that reason. Because of Nate McMillan focus on PG performance, I'd say that more like 2 years with the Blazers.

Dan Dickau - Dickau was an injured throw-in on the big Telfair for eventual Roy pick deal. Dickau was solid performer in limited minutes. He's an excellent back-up PG, but he's probably got to many similar strengths and weaknesses to Jack and Sergio to be in Portland long.

SG:
Brandon Roy - Roy ROY. I could really look like a homer and talk all day. Instead, I'll just say Maurice Lucas thinks Brandon plays like Walt Frazier. If you disagree with Maurice Lucas' opinion, you can feel free to go tell Maurice Lucas he shouldn't be making comparisons between rookies and NBA top 50 players. Anyway... I think it's safe to say Brandon's going to be the Blazers starting SG for a quite a while.

Fred Jones - Solid hard working back-up to Roy who is from Portland, was a Duck, and wants to play in Portland.

Martell Webster - more of a SF now, will discuss there

SF:
Ime Udoka - Did everything anyone can hope or pray for from a walk-on that... like...didn't get bit by a radioactive spider or reveals he's a teenage werewolf or something. Walked onto the Blazers roster via Blazer pre-training camp summer pick-up games at the Blazers practice facility. Won the starting job in pre-season after Darius Miles had knee surgery. Started every game until the non-playoff team's veteran shelving period began in April. Ime went to a local Portland H.S., and Portland State U. His father died the day he was supposed to start his first game for the Blazers... who's got the movie rights to this, anyway? That all said, Ime still a 30 year old walk-on with 2 major reconstructive knee procedures, and more minor knee surgery in the off season. Ime has a place on the Blazers roster as long as he want it, but he's not penciled in to be the Blazers starting SF next year. There's a big blank spot at starting SF in the depth chart to be filled in at a later time.

Martell Webster: Webster and Jack are stuck with label of being the guys the Blazers drafted instead of Chris Paul. Most of the kids that came straight out of HS don't start displaying their future abilities until their 3rd year. Martell didn't look real comfortable on the floor this year. My understanding is Martell is earning his playing time by looking great in practice, but he's not showing on the floor in games what he shows in practice. His defense and rebounding looked better this year, though.

Travis Outlaw - will discuss in PF... he's looked far better playing a Ty Thomas like back-up PF than he has playing SF.

Darius Miles. 10-1 odds Darius Miles never plays another NBA game. 80% of Miles contract is being paid by disability insurance. Miles is 40 lbs overweight. He can't be traded because Blazers are the only team than collect on that disability insurance. Blazers are just kinda stuck with Miles on the roster for the year or so it will take to process him into medical retirement.

PF:
Zach Randolph - Was "The Guy" coming into the season. The guy giveth. Zach Randolph posted career high numbers. The Guy taketh away. Fans detonating as Zach Randolph watches a waterbug penetrate to the basket, questions a ref about a call while the other team is fast-breaking the other way, or is in some "stripper-related" controversy.

The Blazers front office bluntly discards the opinion of that group of so-called fans who most vocally insist that Zach Randolph be dumped at any cost for the same reason CBS News just had to turn off the ability for people to post comments on any Barack Obama news stories. Unfortunately, the NBA has been forced through the years to appropriately filter fan feedback for the exact same reason CBS News just had to shut off people ability to comment on Obama news stories. I''m trying to be diplomatic, but yeah, those same kinda people that sent Hank Aaron hate mail and death threats when he was closing in on Babe Ruth are still around. To those kinda guys, Zach committed cardinal sin #1... being a large Black male in the general proximity of scantily clad white women.

Anyway... all that said, Zach Randolph is no longer "The Man" in Portland, mostly because of his weaknesses on defense. Brandon Roy is "The Man" now, with LaMarcus Aldridge closely behind. There aren't two harder working, easier to coach, nicer players to be around in the league. Nobody is considering dumping Zach, but Zach is available for a trade that improves the Blazers now. Aldridge is a natural PF. He'd step right into Zach starting PF slot.

Travis Outlaw - Outlaw played his best basketball this year backing up Zach at PF. Outlaw seems to have found his niche as a kind of mostly jump shooting version of Ty Thomas. Blazers intend to resign Outlaw, and will as long as nobody offers him some outrageous 7 MIL+ a year deal.

Center:
Joel Przybilla - Was the starting center. He's not anymore. Przybilla signed a multi-year deal and was just awful all year. His season was cut short by an injury right at the point he was going to lose his starting job to LaMarcus Aldridge anyway. No intensity in Przybilla's play all season. Don't be surprised to see Przybilla traded in the off-season.

Jamaal Magloire - Took Magloire a LONG time to get adjusted to Portland after being traded here. Almost half the season. Once he did, he did produce exactly what one would expect from Magloire from his previous NBA stops. So which was the real Magloire? All the behind-the-scenes gossip says Magloire really liked it here in Portland. I think Pritchard thinks the 2nd half of the season was real. If Magloire isn't offered any starting certer jobs elsewhere, Magloire might be brought back to Portland to be a back-up here.

LaMarcus Aldridge - He was made NBA All-Rookie team center for a reason. Aldridge can flat out play the center position if Aldridge isn't moved to PF due to a trade. Watch this prediction. Aldridge is a future member of the NBA All-Defensive team. LMA has outstanding one-on-one defense skills. Great foot work. Great use of lateral movement. Stays in front of his man well. I saw Aldridge drive both Garnett and Duncan nuts defending them. Both were settling for mid-range jumpers all night. Everyone knew Aldridge had the ability to score, but LMA's defensive skills were a very pleasant surprise.

Raef LaFrentz: Hard to complain when you are cashing $12 million dollar paychecks to be the 3rd C/3rd PF on the depth chart. Smart enough not to. Raef is better than the guy Portland sent to Boston for him, Theo Ratliff.

Luke Schenscher: Was only picked up at the end of the season when even the mascot Blaze was injured. Played the center position better than Blaze, too, so he filled his role. Maybe Seattle could use Schenscher? Blaze is better than Petro.

Draft Summary: Kevin Pritchard has been hitting every media outlet in town and out of town that will host him for an interview to get out the word that he believes in drafting "Best Player available regardless of position or need." This is all "front office Kremlinology"... reading what's left out and unsaid in press releases and interviews to determine what moves a team may do... but, it just doesn't sound like a GM hits all the media outlets to preach "Best Player Available" when he's planning on using the lottery pick draft someone to fill the gaping hole the Blazers have at SF.

I think Blazers are going to do what most teams do when they get high draft picks. If there's good big guys available, they'll get one.

Again... last week on the Blazers "official" team radio show, Blazers TV PxP announcer Mike Barrett said he'd be "shocked" if the Blazers selected Noah. "Shocked" is pretty strong words from the Blazers-paid official TV voice on the Blazers official team radio show. This is not a guy that spreads rumors. If Barrett's partner, Mike Rice, said it, I wouldn't pay much attention. Mike Barrett rarely feeds the rumor mill, though.

Roy Hibbert fits the Blazers... not because of how he did in the NCAA Tournament, but because of Kevin Pritchard's favorite new word... the "Blazers new culture." Hibbert busted his butt from the first day he walked on the Georgetown campus to get better. 12 months a year he was working to get better athletically and skills wise. That's the sort of thing that's music to Pritchard and McMillan's ears.

I'd bet Hawes didn't fall down the Blazers board the way he fell down some other boards. Did you notice Hawes GPA in the interview? 3.75. Guarantee that got run over with a highlighter twice. By the way... You think it's a complete accident Brandon Roy is not in Portland right now, but back up in Seattle doing his working out at U-W right now? IF the Blazers and the Hawks don't get a top 3 pick and the Blazers were to entertain discussions with the Hawks for the Hawks to come up to 6 and get Conley to... in exchange for... maybe... Josh Childress... if Hawes is expected to be on the board at the Hawks pick (from Pacers)... would anyone be surprised?

Anyway... I expect the Blazers will be wheeling and dealing with the 2nd rounders too. The least likely outcome for the draft night would be for the Blazers to just draft those 4 2nd round picks. What the Blazers do draft, look for all the studs like Byers, Rush, Almond, Young, Tucker, Hill, Terry, etc to be happily snatched up as they fall down the board.

As far as after the draft... the gaping hole at SF is the biggest need. Pritchard and McMillan want a prolific scoring SF. Next need is a back-up veteran PG with some perimeter shut down defender skills who can come up to step on those annoying waterbugs when they start driving the Blazers kid PGs crazy.

---------
I'll get the Houston summary up in a few days.

sirfreshness

05-10-2007, 08:49 PM

ecuhus

05-11-2007, 11:20 AM

As the Suns and Jazz have consecutive picks, sirfreshness, I will assign the Orlando Magic to you.

That means that metrocard has the Utah Jazz, and now our ownership is complete!

Keep cranking out those breakdowns (great job, Cascadia; I too am excited at PT's future, if they can distill all their assets into 1-2 bona fide superstars). I hope to have all of them in by May 22nd, which is also the day of the NBA Draft Lottery. Speaking of, here is the LOTTERY-PENDING draft schedule for our mock draft:

Username Team Pick Due Date/Time
#1 5/29, Noon EST
#2 5/29, Midnight EST
#3 5/30, Noon EST
#4 5/30, Midnight EST
#5 5/31, Noon EST
#6 5/31, Midnight EST
#7 6/1, Noon EST
#8 6/1, Midnight EST
#9 6/2, Noon EST
#10 6/2, Midnight EST
#11 6/3, Noon EST
#12 6/3, Midnight EST
#13 6/4, Noon EST
#14 6/4, Midnight EST
Ecuhus Detroit Pistons #15 6/5, Noon EST
Nextstar1019 Washington Wizards#16 6/5, Midnight EST
Ecuhus New Jersey Nets #17 6/6, Noon EST
Pr0wler Golden State Warriors #18 6/6, Midnight EST
Coachjon Los Angeles Lakers #19 6/7, Noon EST
Hitster Miami Heat #20 6/7, Midnight EST
Bryce Philadelphia Sixers #21 6/8, Noon EST
Wombat6802 Charlotte Bobcats #22 6/8, Midnight EST
Knicks2134 New York Knicks #23 6/9, Noon EST
Sirfreshness Phoenix Suns #24 6/9, Midnight EST
Metrocard Utah Jazz #25 6/10, Noon EST
Cascadia Houston Rockets #26 6/10, Midnight EST
Ecuhus Detroit Pistons #27 6/11, Noon EST
Mr. Body San Antonio Spurs #28 6/11, Midnight EST
Sirfreshness Phoenix Suns #29 6/12, Noon EST
Bryce Philadelphia Sixers #30 6/12, Midnight EST
Kirk14 Seattle Sonics #31 6/13, Noon EST
AWalker17 Boston Celtics #32 6/13, Midnight EST
Mr. Body San Antonio Spurs #33 6/14, Noon EST
Mavs128 Dallas Mavericks #34 6/14, Midnight EST
Kirk14 Seattle Sonics #35 6/15, Noon EST
Pr0wler Golden State Warriors #36 6/15, Midnight EST
Cascadia Portland Trailblazers #37 6/16, Noon EST
Bryce Philadelphia Sixers #38 6/16, Midnight EST
Sirfreshness Orlando Magic #39 6/17, Noon EST
Coachjon Los Angeles Lakers #40 6/17, Midnight EST
Mr. Body Minnesota Tmberwolves#41 6/18, Noon EST
Cascadia Portland Trailblazers #42 6/18, Midnight EST
Pr0wler New Orleans Hornets #43 6/19, Noon EST
Sirfreshness Orlando Magic #44 6/19, Midnight EST
Coachjon Los Angeles Clippers #45 6/20, Noon EST
Pr0wler Golden State Warriors #46 6/20, Midnight EST
Nextstar1019 Washington Wizards #47 6/21, Noon EST
Coachjon Los Angeles Lakers #48 6/21, Midnight EST
Shakes the Clown Chicago Bulls #49 6/22, Noon EST
Mavs128 Dallas Mavericks #50 6/22, Midnight EST
Shakes the Clown Chicago Bulls #51 6/23, Noon EST
Cascadia Portland Trailblazers #52 6/23, Midnight EST
Cascadia Portland Trailblazers #53 6/24, Noon EST
Sirfreshness Orlando Magic #54 6/24, Midnight EST
Metrocard Utah Jazz #55 6/25, Noon EST
Fatdan Milwaukee Bucks #56 6/25, Midnight EST
Ecuhus Detroit Pistons #57 6/26, Noon EST
Mr. Body San Antonio Spurs #58 6/26, Midnight EST
Sirfreshness Phoenix Suns #59 6/27, Noon EST
Mavs128 Dallas Mavericks #60 6/27, Midnight EST

I hope it turns out somewhat legible. Keep in mind, this is a deadline, but you MAY be able to draft MUCH sooner (possibly even weeks sooner!), if the people picking before you decide early and the draft breezes along. SO, keep you eye out for the mock draft often, and have a happy Mother's Day, everyone.

sirfreshness

05-11-2007, 09:02 PM

Orlando Magic

PG: Jameer Nelson, Carlos Arroyo, Travis Diener*
SG: Grant Hill, Keyon Dooling*, Keith Bogans, JJ Redick
SF: Hedo Turkoglu, Trevor Ariza
PF: Tony Battie, Pat Garrity*, Bo Outlaw*, James Augustine
C: Dwight Howard, Darko Milicic*

*=Free Agent

Draft Picks: 39, 44, 54

Overview
Orlando got off to a hot start this season. November ended and the Magic were 12-4 and as nice as November was December was equally bad finishing the year with a 18-14 record. They crawled to the finish line getting into the East playoffs as the 8 seed and getting swept in the first round. Other than the probable departure of some of the rotation players most notably Grant Hill and Darko Milicic they Magic are going to be forced to once again find some talent to surround Dwight Howard. They have a ton of money to spend but will they get the right players? They have been mentioned to be interested in Vince Carter, if he were to be available. This is a young team that needs some veteran leadership.

Positional Analysis

PG: The Magic have a great young PG duo in Jameer Nelson, and Carlos Arroyo. The Magic have both locked up for a good amount of time and hope that they will be able to take the step to the next level. They struggled this year after getting off to a hot start. Inexperience played a big part in this seasons collapse but they should be more prepared to handle their jobs next year.

SG: This is going to be speculated about all summer....will the Magic make a big splash in the Free Agent market for a SG? Last year you could find Grant Hill, Keyon Dooling, Keith Bogans, or 2006 draft pick JJ Redick playing SG for the Magic. It is believed that Grant Hill will retire, Keyon Dooling will be a FA, Bogans has not shown the ability to handle the role, and Redick has been inconsistent all season. The Magic maybe able to retain Dooling for a decent price but they will still need to bring in outside talent if they want to be an elite team in the east.

SF: Hedo Turkoglu was brought in the provide an 3 point presence to keep opposing teams from doubling Howard on the post but he suffered a season filled with injuries. He showed that he can be that scorer that they thought they were getting. They are expecting him to have a healthy year next season. Trevor Ariza (yes the 43rd pick in the 2004 draft) has provided a good spart off the bench. He recorded career high in most stat categories.

PF: When you have players playing 23 minutes a game and only averaging 6 and 5 per game you need to find a solution for it. In case you where wondering those stats belong to Tony Battie. The Magic also played Pat Garrity and Bo Outlaw around 10 minutes per game. The Magic also played Centers Dwight Howard and Darko Milicic together but i will get to that in the Centers section. Needless to say upgrading this position wouldnt be the worst idea

C: The Magic have one of the most promising young Centers in the game, Dwight Howard, roaming the paint and plan on keeping him in their uni for a long time. They have brought in player throught both Free Agency and the draft to surround him but it is still too early for them to determine whether or not they will pan out. Orlando did trade for Darko Milicic and planned on playing them along side of one another. It seemed to be be a good idea and im sure they would love to keep the duo together (both are still just 21!). Darko will be a FA this offseason and has there has been serious interest in his services from other teams, so we will have to wait and see what happens with him. Next year Dwight will be set for FA so the Magic need to determine now what they want to do with the two young players.

Summary
The Magic need to get some experience for their young core. They have a lot of money to work with so it should be a healthy offseason for Orlando. They do not have a first round pick but do have 3 second round picks. They need to make sure and avoid signing a bad contract just because they have the money doesnt mean they have to spend it.

Cascadia

05-12-2007, 02:37 PM

Houston Rockets
Western Conference No. 5 Playoff Seed
52-30, 3rd Southwest

Depth Chart

PG: Rafer Alston / Luther Head / John Lucas
SG: Tracy McGrady / Luther Head / Vassilis Spanoulis
SF: Shane Battier / Kirk Snyder / Bonzi Wells / Steve Novak
PF: Juwan Howard / Chuck Hayes / Steve Novak
C: Yao Ming / Dikembe Mutombo / Jake Tsakalidis

Draft Pick: #26 (that's it)

I'm gonna get some help on this Rockets breakdown. This after-the-season overview is from the AOL NBA Fanhouse Rockets page...

"The Houston Rockets had a very solid season this year, overcoming injuries to finish with the fifth best record in the entire NBA. With Yao and T-Mac both healthy for the playoffs, it wasn't that far fetched to predict this team to advance deep into the playoffs. The only problem was that just like the Warriors were for the Mavericks, the Jazz were a match up nightmare for the Rockets.

Why? Because Utah has mobile and active big men, that had no problem taking advantage of Yao Ming's lack of lateral movement. Because Okur is more of a perimeter player that likes to hang out around the three point line, the Rockets were forced to have Yao guard Boozer instead of Okur. Although, Yao had an obvious height and weight advantage, Boozer was still able to use his quickness to score on him and beat him to offensive boards.

Beyond Yao's lack of mobility, the Rockets were lacking additional scorers necessary to compete with Utah's balanced attack. Other than T-Mac (and maybe Raefer Alston), what Rockets players are capable of creating their own shot? Honestly, there's no one. They traded away their opportunity to add scoring when they sent Rudy Gay to Memphis for Shane Battier. As well, Jeff Van Gundy blew the opportunity to add scoring help by mishandling the Bonzi Wells situation.

The Jazz were deeper, more athletic, and more versatile than the Rockets. In order to improve next year the Rockets are going to have to add an athletic power forward that can compliment Yao well. Juwan Howard and Chuck Hayes are obviously sub par. The Rockets need a mobile power forward that can hit an open jump shot and offensive rebound well. They also need to add at least one player that can create his own shot. The Rockets are a great defensive team. But if you can't score in the playoffs, especially in this era of basketball, you have no chance to win...."

http://www.aolsportsblog.com/2007/05/07/a-look-at-the-losers-the-houston-rockets/

PG: Rockets' PG situation is the best it's been in a long time. Alston has been a very productive starter. Luther Head was an excellent in the minutes he got backing up Alston. Lucas is a solid bench player

SG: Tracy McGrady had another great season. Nobody questions how outstanding McGrady is when he's healthy. They just have to hope he stays healthy. Luther Head stepped in and had some excellent games when McGrady was out of the line-up hurt, avg. 16 pts w/ 3 3s a game as a starter. Head is fine stepping in as an occasional starter at SG as long as it's only occasional, but he's going to be very undersized if McGrady should go down again for a long period of time. Vassillis Spanoulis was unhappy with the limited minutes he was getting, and played like it. He was awful when he did come in.

SF: Shane Battier. Mr Glue Guy. Consumate team player. Very underrated as a defender. Very accurate from 3 when he shoots. Battier needs to get more shots up, though. Rockets need Battier to be a little more selfish. I don't have much use for Snyder. Chuck Hayes, at 6' 6", needs to be getting his minutes as nothing more mission critical than back-up SF.

PF: Rockets situation at PF is a mess. It's been years since Juwan Howard was effective in any role other than bench depth. Chuck Hayes is just too dang short to be allowed to play PF in the NBA. Steve Novak is still in the "human victory cigar" portion of his career. He might get better at some point, but it isn't gonna be soon. The Rockets whole depth chart at PF screams re-boot.

C: Yao. When healthy, he's one of the best at the position. The problem is, he's not healthy enough. That means the Rockets have to have a Plan Bfor when Yao goes down. That was Mutombo, who played great this year when Yao was hurt. But then Mutombo was disappeared when Yao came back, and Mutombo is so angry about getting put at the end of the bench after Yao returned, Mutombo is threatening retirement. Which means... what when Yao goes down next year, Jake Tsakalidis starting at center?

Draft/Off-Season summary

The #26 pick is terrible board position for the Rockets. The Rockets either need to move up, and pick up one of the excellent PF prospects, or swap the #26 for a couple of 2nd rounders to fill multiple holes with some of the solid prospects that will be falling out of the 1st round. Josh McRoberts would be a better fit in Houston beside Yao than a lot of places, and he could fill-in as stop-gap solution at C if Yao went down. Not sure what Houston could offer to move-up other than Spanoulis, though. Trading away future years 1st rounders to move up on draft night is almost always a bad idea.

So if Houston can't trade up, then they need to trade down for two second rounders. The ideal trade would be for the Sonics #31 and #35 picks. Then the Rockets draft Fazekas if he's still there, or Visser if he's not, and then Hill.

If the Rockets are forced to pick at #26, unless there is a hugely unexpected fall down the draft board of one of the more highly rated PFs, then the Rockets are probably going to have to select Fazekas at #26, and I'm just not enough of a fan of Fazekas to be comfortable with that pick.

Rockets are going to be chasing the same batch of usual suspect free agent Cs everyone else is trying to get to have a solid back-up for Yao. It's going to be awful tough for the Rockets to convince one to sign after the treatment Mutombo got after playing so well when Yao was hurt. Rockets... and everyone else... will be talking to the Bullets about Haywood. Rockets have some expiring contracts to offer, but not a lot else. If the Blazers draft a big with their lottery pick, it's possible the Rockets may be able to get Joel Przybilla out of the Blazers for little more than expiring contracts. I doubt the Blazers are going want Spanoulis, though, and... if everything fell through for the Rockets, for the truly desperate, there's always Raef LaFrentz ;-)

Mr. Body

05-12-2007, 04:31 PM

Interesting thoughts on Houston. It's not quite McRoberts or bust, but I do think he'd be a very good pick, should he somehow fall. Dropping down for two second round picks intrigues, but I don't know if any team has two high draft picks. A team may wish to move into the late first round using a second and someone they already have. I agree Fazekas is a stretch with that pick and think they could go for another playmaker/scorer and I disagree that their point guard situation is settled. I could see hometown Rice guy Morris Almond as a pretty good third option on offense or could see them tab a Gabe Pruitt or go for size with Jason Smith, etc.

Cascadia

05-12-2007, 04:53 PM

mavs128

05-12-2007, 07:35 PM

Dallas Mavericks
67-15, 1st Western Conference
Lost 1st round vs. Golden State, 2-4

Chokers. Not just your average, everyday chokers…history-making chokers. Sixty-seven wins, the fifth best regular season record in history, followed by a first round playoff exit. A one seed losing to an eight seed for the first time in the seven game series era, and doing so without even putting up much of a fight. Their star player, the most valuable player in the league, bows out with an eight-point performance in now the most infamous moment of his career. All this after arguably being six minutes away from bringing home the first NBA championship that Dallas has ever seen, and yet failing when it mattered most. It has been said that it is better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all. Whoever said that never watched much NBA basketball…being as close as they were to the title, just to snatch defeat out of the jaws of victory, does more to the psyche and soul of a basketball fan than multiple season of losing could ever do. And if that’s what it does to the fan, I can only imagine what it does to the player. The Mavericks are now forced with a summer of great importance; they must decide if these players that they have brought together have what it takes to lead this franchise to a championship. There will be changes; whether those changes will be just minor tweaks, or destructive atom bombs, remains to be seen.

Current Roster:

PG Jason Terry / Devin Harris / Jose Juan Barea
SG Greg Buckner / Jerry Stackhouse* / Maurice Ager
SF Josh Howard+ / Devean George**
PF Dirk Nowitzki / Austin Croshere* / Pops Mensah-Bonsu
C Erick Dampier / DeSagana Diop*** / Didier Ilunga-Mbenga / Kevin Willis*

*: Free agent
**: Player option
***: Exercised team option
+: BYC

Draft picks: #34, #50, #60

Rotation Players:

Dirk Nowitzki remains the driving force behind this team, even if some of his weaknesses were exposed in the playoff series against Golden State. He does need to get stronger, and he needs to get more comfortable on the block, more comfortable passing out of the double team. Everyone in Mavericks management has come out laughing at Dirk trade proposals…he isn’t going to be traded. He may see his role adjusted slightly next year, but he will continue to be the most important player for this team. As he goes, so go the Mavericks.

Josh Howard emerged this season as an all-star level talent, showing the ability to take games over on the offensive end for stretches. His jump-shot is much improved, to the point where is a legitimate threat now to pull up from behind the 3-point line, or off the dribble from 20 feet; he is still at his best, however, when he’s attacking the basket. He must become a more consistent option towards the end of games…right now he’s a three quarter warrior. Howard’s BYC status makes him extremely difficult to trade this summer…it would take a top, and expensive post player like Jermaine O’Neal or Kevin Garnett to move him.

Jason Terry has become somewhat of am enigmatic figure for the Mavericks. When he’s on, hitting three consistently, attacking the basket, manipulating picks to get open for 18 foot jumpers, then the Mavericks are almost impossible to beat. However he has developed a tendency to coast for very large portions of important games, preferring to defer to Howard, Dirk or Stackhouse. For a guy who just finished the first year of a 6 year, 57 million dollar deal, this is unacceptable. Terry is the most likely of the Mavs to be moved…Devin Harris has started to emerge as the legitimate point guard of the future, and Terry is left without a position. He’s not a true point guard, and he’s simply too small to play the SG position. I expect the mavericks to try to move him for a big swing player like a Corey Maggette.

Erick Dampier is the brunt of many jokes around the league, but he gets treated far too harshly. All the man does is come in, grab a ton of rebounds, set huge picks, and defense the post about as good as anyone in the league. His only weakness, if you can call it that, is his inability to guard mobile big men like Al Harrington and Boris Diaw; but these guys are more small forwards than centers. By all accounts, the mavericks are happy with the production they’re getting from Damp. With three years and thirty million left on his contract, it’s doubtful that he is moved, however if there is a team out there in desperate need of a center, it’s possible he could be changing addresses.

Devin Harris and DeSagana Diop both really stepped up in the playoffs the past two seasons, and give Mavericks management a lot of hope for the future at both the point guard and center positions. Only 24 and 25 years old, respectively, they have their best basketball ahead of them. There’s a decent chance that if the Mavericks hope to add a big-name piece this summer, they might have to give up both of these players. There are a lot of teams out there that could use a young point guard or center that’s ready to come in and start now. Either way these two are key to the Mavericks future plans.

Others:
Greg Buckner and Devean George. These two were signed to be upgrades over Marquis Daniels and Adrian Griffin. The moves never really panned out. Neither were able to knock down the 3-pointer with much consistency, and that was really the only thing required of them on offense. They both played very well defensively, however, against the new-age teams like Phoenix and Golden State the Mavericks couldn’t afford to have players on the floor that were liabilities on the offensive end. George, who is scheduled to make just over 2 million dollars next season, has a player option in his contract and could very well look to move elsewhere, though it’s doubtful that he’ll be looking at a better salary for this year.

Prospects:
Maurice Ager was the first round pick of the Mavericks in the 2006 draft, but saw very little court time during the year. When he did find his way to the court, he showed a lack of basketball IQ, an overall immaturity, and not much of a midrange game. He has the potential as a good 3-point shooter and good athlete, along with decent defensive skills, but he has to mature and really start to show up when he gets opportunities, or his career could be a short one in the NBA.

After the trade of Anthony Johnson, Jose Juan Barea actually saw meaningful playing time in a few games during the season, and he didn’t perform poorly. He showed the ability to make shots from the perimeter if given room, a knack for playmaking with the pass, and the ability to really push the ball down the opponents throats on the fast break. His difficulty in the NBA will also be his height and lack of athleticism or length, but he might just have the play-making ability to overcome that. Don’t be surprised to see the Mavericks let Barea compete with a veteran for the backup PG position if Terry or Harris are traded.

Pops Mensah-Bonsu was deemed by many to be the rookie of the year…in the D-league. Pops dominated at that level, as a tenacious rebounder and intimidating defender inside. His lack of size, however, will always limit him at the next level, and it’s hard to imagine his ceiling as anything more than a backup at this point.

DJ Mbenga(pronounced BENGa), as he likes to be called, might be running out of time in the NBA. He has been a raw prospect for a while now, a 7-footer with unlimited athletic potential especially as a shotblocker, but very little actual basketball skills. He showed enough improvement in 2006 for the Mavericks to give him a small 3 year contract in the offseason, however he failed to gain any more minutes in the rotation through training camp and preseason games, and then was lost to a season-ending injury 20 games into the season. The Mavericks could look to ship him out for a draft pick this offseason, or they could give him one more year of opportunity. Truthfully, the young man needs meaningful playing time if he ever wants to shed his raw status, and the Mavericks just can’t give it to him.

Free Agents:

Jerry Stackhouse is the main area of concern here. Stack has been the leader of the clubhouse along with Terry for the past two years, so they aren’t going to part with him easily. He has had major knee issues to start the past two seasons, however, and he looked very slow and old in comparison to some of the Golden State players in the playoffs, even though he’s only thirty-two. He has come out and said that he wants to return to the team, even if it’s in a reduced role, and I tend to believe that the Mavericks will bring him back for around five million a season, perhaps for three seasons.

Austin Croshere was a pretty big bust for the Mavericks this season. He was expected to come in off the bench for Dirk and extend the defense with his ability to hit the three, and he responded by shooting under 30% from three. He had a strong game five in the playoffs against the Warriors, but it’s doubtful that will be enough to keep him around. Look for the Mavs to add a veteran power forward in the offseason to replace him.

Kevin Willis was nothing more than a fill-in to replace the injured Mbenga. He was signed to be a insurance policy against Duncan, Shaq, or even Amare, but it never came to that. The Mavs won’t look to re-sign him.

Draft needs:

Looking at the current prospects for the Mavs, not a single one stands out to preclude them from drafting at that position. That being said, unless they trade Barea, it’s unlikely to me that they take a PG, if for no other reason than it’s doubtful they can find one as good as him with their 2nd round picks. They could look to add another swingman, to provide depth at that position (especially if Goerge opts out or Stackhouse isn’t retained). They could look to add PF to play behind Dirk is they don’t like the potential options in free agency, or if they don’t play on holding onto Pops. They could also look to a center if they plan on moving or cutting Mbenga this offseason.

Most likely the Mavericks draft a forward with their top 2nd round choice. If Barea, Ager, and Mbenga stick around (which I think is likely at this point), then I don’t see the Mavericks taking a guard or center. A big reason why they lost the past two playoff series is their lack of toughness inside, so I look for them to take a big strong small forward, or a bruising power forward to play behind Dirk. If they keep their last two 2nd round choices, they will most likely look to draft foreign player that they can leave overseas

mullet is gone

05-14-2007, 01:53 PM

Memphis Grizzlies

On the books next season….
Gasol/Johnson
Warrick/Swift/Cardinal
Miller/Gay
Jones/Kinsey*
Stoudamire/Lowry

* team option

Season recap:
A 60 loss season is inexcusable. A team should never go from a playoff spot in the west to the league basement in one fell swoop unless there is some kind of biblical cataclysm. Having said that, at several stages throughout the year Jerry West must have felt like looking up exorcist in the local listings. While its easy to point at Gasol’s broken foot the real issue that dogged the team was that of ownership. The aborted bid of ex-duke players Brian Davis and Christian Laettner handcuffed the GM and undermined the coach. Fratello was an effective replacement for Hubie Brown for most of last season but the front offices desire to speed things up and his inability to get the team to play hard put paid to his hopes of an extension.

Gasol’s willingness to whine in the Spanish press about how hard it is to not burst into tears while being paid millions of dollars has been a season long source of friction. His performances on the court have remained positive however. He consistently found ways to help the team, even when his shot wasn’t falling, showing an ability to find the open man. For now, at least, a situation similar to the Vince Carter in Toronto fiasco seems unlikely. The grizzlies are loathe to lose their best player in the absence of reasonable exchange scenarios but if he remains productive on the court there is good reason to ignore his pouting.

As stability on and off the court was severely lacking, the good ship Memphis was not long in sinking. Although before she went down some positives did manage to grab a lifejacket. Gaping holes in the roster left some serious minutes for the younger players. Rudy Gay and Hakim Warrick both showed flashes and look likely to prove productive squad members in the future. While he only appeared after the season was consigned to failure, Tarrance Kinsey remains an intriguing prospect. He regularly put up impressive numbers in the last ten or so games and if he can maintain his good form is destined to be the defense’s exhibit A in the case of Chad Ford vs the survival of the Portsmouth invitational.

Team Needs:
While Gasol’s rebounding numbers have increased gradually throughout his career the donut style hole in the middle of the frontcourt is a recurring nightmare Jerry West has yet to wake up from. Memphis are regularly outrebounded and lack the all-important interior presence to make opposition 3s think again before driving to the basket. The decline of Damon Stoudamire through age and injury has been a disappointment and point guard has become a pressing concern. Kyle Lowry has potential but remains an unknown due to an unfortunate injury wiping out nearly all of his rookie year. Chucky Atkins has always been a more effective scorer than facilitator and is likely to move on, contenders with capspace would do well to apply. If Memphis are to improve next year they’ll need to take a long look at the 1. They are likely picking too high to address this need in the draft so the likes of Billups should be pursued aggressively.
The loss of a premier perimeter defender in Battier coupled with the release of Eddie Jones robbed the side of some of its potency against halfcourt sets. Opposition turnovers were a big feature of the more successful grizz sides, replicating this in the future may require squad additions or accelerated maturation of the frontcourt’s younger members. Danthay Jones remains an impressive athlete with defensive merit but seems to have peaked and is likely destined to be remembered more for taking out Josh Howard in a duke uniform than anything he’ll do in the pros. The 2 spot is very much up for grabs.

Draft Direction:
Oden is the obvious choice, as talented as Durant is he will never pass for a seven foot centre. He is ideally suited to the teams needs and would complement Gasol perfectly. In five years time they would likely be the best 4/5 combination in the game. Durant would help any team in the league, Memphis fans would be ecstatic to get him. He is an elite level rebounder because of his ability to ignore gravity. His scoring could transform the team and would instantly make efforts to double team Gasol counterproductive. If the worst happens and the grizz fall in the lottery its unclear who can help the team most. Al Horford, a proven winner, is ready to produce in the league right now and should get the call if picking at 3. Its unlikely, however, that Jerry West walks away from a talent like Brandon Wright. The last time he played it safe Amare Stoudamire was passed over for Drew Gooden. If the top 2 spots prove elusive trading down is a real possibility. Centres like Hawes and Hibbert will surely draw interest but neither merit selection in the top 4 of such a talented draft. If the effort to speed up the teams play is repeated again this season it would diminish both players effectiveness somewhat.

wombat6802

05-14-2007, 02:48 PM

Mullet, why no Kinsey in the lack of two debate. I think that Kinsey with Jones backing him up is not as shabby as you make it out to be...

coachjon

05-14-2007, 04:11 PM

i agree kinsey played very nicely as a rookie last year especially at the end of the year. if you got kinsey and jones manning the two with mike miller or gay starting and the other at the three next year i think the two spot is pretty good.

ecuhus

05-14-2007, 05:10 PM

I can see mullet's point, since neither of them are really SGs. But it'll be REALLY interesting when they add Durant in the draft, AND sign Nocioni as a free agent!

mullet is gone

05-15-2007, 05:14 AM

Had a longer post but it was lost for some reason and I cant be bothered typing it out again. In summary:

Yeah he looks good (I thought I made that clear, my bad). Remember the season was over and the team wasnt really focussed when he started putting up numbers. He is unproven at this level, Jones is likely a role player at this level. Hence, 2 spot is wide open. Management should look at it although the centre and point guard spots are more pressing needs.

alpineballer

05-15-2007, 09:06 AM

the trading down scenario of Memphis (in case they don't win pick no.1 or no.2) is quite interesting.
who are possible trading partner?
Bobcats?
(their no.8 and no.22 pick + maybe a future 1st rounder)
Bobcats will for sure love to add Wright, another UNC player. Grizzlies would get either Hibbert, Noah or Haws with the no.8 pick + a PG (Law- if he falls a bit- or Crittenton or Stuckey with the no.22 pick)

Hitster

05-15-2007, 10:37 AM

The worse Memphis can come out is 4th, so it's hard to equate tradedown value when Utah swapped with Portland they got 3rd for 6th and 27th. The 4th pick would probably be a little too less to give up for 8th and 22nd pick - given the lack of gap between players potentially 4 to 10 in the draft. I think Hibbert will be gone by 8th pick unless Seattle win the draft lottery and take Oden also the T-Wolves are likely to be after him to play alongside KG. I could see Chicago maybe interested in a trade deal with Memphis to trade down and putting up maybe Duhon in some deal. Also Portland will always look to do deals and one of their PG's could be put on the block. If Memphis need a Centre and they miss out on Oden and also cannot get a shot at Durant, then Hibbert is the logical target but they would need a 5th pick to get this. If Phoenix get the pick from Atlanta at about 5, then there would be an obvious trade here as Phoenix also own 24th and 29th picks potentially. Say 3rd for 5th and 29th work out quite nicely, Phoenix could use Wright and Hibbert fits nicely at Memphis who also get another late first round pick to maybe take a guy like Byers,Dudley, Tucker etc. Jarvis Crittendon a pass first PG is also listed at 24th potentially a Phoenix pick so if Memphis were interested in him they could make a deal work. Also Seattle have two nice early 2nd round picks which they could push Memphis's way if they wanted to move up the draft. I do like the idea of a Charlotte deal if it could be balanced right but if Memphis are after Hibbert then it would be hard to work. Also with the likes of Portland in the draft guys like Pritchard made things happen last year and if he wants to move up the draft and Memphis move down then he has nice pieces including PG's to offer up as bait. And the 76ers having multiple picks may fancy moving up for one of the top 10 PF/C's so there are lots of potential deals out there.

ecuhus

05-17-2007, 01:48 PM

I thought I should remind everyone about our schedule.

The draft will start on June 29th, with the 1st pick having until Noon EST to submit. I will have to assign you pick for you to move the draft along, if I don't hear from you when it's your time to draft. Remember, keep track of the draft, because although your due date/time will not change, your pick may be ready MUCH, much before then.

Once the "real" lottery draft order is released next Tuesday (the 22nd), I'll release a list of our lottery draft due dates and times. Got it? Alright, thanks everyone. And as always, happy drafting!

P.S. We still need breakdowns for the following teams:

Boston - AWalker17
Milwaukee - Fatdan
Seattle - Kirk14
Chicago - Shakes the Clown
Sacramento - Gilles
Philadelphia - Bryce
Golden State - Pr0wler
New York - Knicks2134

If you submitted it and I just missed it, I will correct this list. but they are due next Tuesday, the same night as the lottery.

Knicks2134

05-19-2007, 08:11 PM

New York Knicks

PG- Stephon Marbury, Nate Robinson, Mardy Collins
SG- Jamal Crawford, Steve Francis
SF- Quentin Richardson, Jared Jeffries, Renaldo Balkman
PF- Channing Frye, David Lee, Malik Rose, Randolph Morris
C- Eddy Curry, Jerome James

Draft Picks: First Round- #23

Overview- The Knicks improved this season considerably after their horrible year in 05-06. They had a shot to get into the playoffs towards the end of the year, but injuries plagued them immensely. This year they lose 4 huge contracts from their salary. (Allan Houston- 20 Million, Jalen Rose- 16.9 Million, Shandon Anderson- 8.5 Million, and Maurice Taylor- 9.7 Million.) The Knicks showed flashes of a playoff team throughout the year, but they showed flashes of being labeled as the worst franchise in the league. If they can remain healthy they have the talent to become a playoff team.

Position Analysis:
PG- Stephon Marbury had a strong year and began to earn his 17 Million. He averaged 16 points, 6 assists, and 3 rebounds. Nate Robinson showed flashes of how he could help this team, but his shoot first mentality is not what the Knicks need. He is a very exciting player, but needs to work on his all around game if he wants to contribute more. The Rookie Mardy Collins was great when he got to play. He is a great defender, and playmaker, and could be exactly the type of player that the Knicks need to succeed in the future.

SG- When Jamal Crawford wasn’t hurt, he played great. He absolutely dominated on the offense end, and has become a go to guy in crunch time. If he can stay healthy next year, he should have a huge impact for the Knicks. Steve Francis is not really what the Knicks need. A shoot first guard that only shoots 40% from the field, but still makes 33 Million over the next two years. He will have to learn to be a role player, which may be hard as he has been labeled “The Franchise” throughout his career.

SF- A big weakness for the Knicks. Neither Q, Jeffries, or Balkman can shoot the ball with any consistency. Q-Rich needs to become more of an all around player instead of just shooting 3’s. Jeffries doesn’t have great skills for a small forward, and is not very strong either. Balkman showed great flashes as a rookie. He brings great energy to the game, and this is what the Knicks may need for success.

PF- While Channing Frye dropped off a bit this season, he still should be a good PF in this league. He needs to play with the energy he did as a rookie. He was labeled as untradable after last year, but his counter part David Lee has become more effective. Lee has developed into one of the best PF in the league, averaging 11 points, and 10 rebounds in limited play. If he can stay healthy next year, he will be a go to guy.

C- Definitely need more depth at this position. Eddy Curry had a great year, and is now our franchise player. He averaged 20 points, and has shown why we traded for him. He could easily be an all star if he continues to stay in shape, and work on rebounding. Jerome James saw limited minutes, and is not worth any of the money that we are giving him. (12 million over the next 2 years.) A center with the 23rd pick seems like the best option at this point.

Summary:
While the Knicks only have one pick, (giving the lottery pick to Chicago) it will be a very important one. The SF and Center position are our biggest weaknesses. Someone to back up Eddy Curry in the future will be crucial to us getting into the playoffs. A SF that can shoot and play make could also be an option with the 23rd pick.

Possible Draft Picks:

Aaron Gray, Thaddeus Young, Alando Tucker, Derrick Byars, Nick Young, Kyle Visser.

kirk14

05-20-2007, 01:07 AM

SEATTLE SUPERSONICS
31-51 5th in NW Division of Western Conference
Draft picks: 5 (lottery dependent) 31, 35

Current Roster/Rotation
PG: Luke Ridnour, Earl Watson, Mike Wilks
SG: Ray Allen, Damien Wilkins
SF: Rashard Lewis, Mickael Gelebale
PF: Chris Wilcox, Nick Collison, Danny Fortson, Andre Brown
C: Robert Swift, Johan Petro, Mohammed Sene

Free Agents: Lewis, Fortson, Brown, Wilks

Another disappointing season for the Sonics. After overachieving 2 seasons ago under Nate McMillan, the Sonics have been in or near the basement the last two seasons. Despite having all-star caliber scorers at the 2 and 3 (Allen and Lewis) the Sonics are at best, mediocre at the point and PF positions and flat out awful at center. In addition they face an uncertain future in Seattle and appear to be on the way out of town after next season.
New owner Clay Bennett has stated that the team will be moved if the team does not get a new arena to play in. Key Arena was remodeled in 1995 (and that project still isn't paid off) but is now obsolete due to a lack of luxury boxes. The city and state have both failed to come up with a funding plan so, as of now, it appears the Sonics are gone unless an 11th hour plan comes about. Currently, Bennett's home of Oklahoma City and possibly Las Vegas have been mentioned as eventual destinations. Bennett fired coach Bob Hill and GM Rick Sund after last season and no replacements have been named yet. Lenny Wilkens has returned to Seattle as the team president, but that is all anyone knows right now.

Positional Analysis:
PG: Ridnour had a disappointing season after getting an extension last summer. His points, assists, and steals all decreased and he lost his starting job to Earl Watson midway through the season, largely because he can't defend. He also missed time with injuries. His name has been mentioned often as trade bait.
Watson can defend but can't shoot to save his life, shooting an atrocious 38% last season. If you could meld the two together, you would have a pretty good player. Watson publicly sparred with Coach Bob Hill in the media about his role. His return is uncertain and will likely depend on whether or not he or Ridnour gets traded.
Mike Wilks mainly rode the bench all year, but started the last 6 games and averaged 14 pts and 7 assts a game. Coach Hill said that he regretted not playing him sooner. The Sonics would love to keep him but are worried that he may get a good offer to be a backup elsewhere.

SG: Ray Allen averaged 26 ppg, but played in only 55 games. His health remains a concern as he is now 32 and is due $52 million over the next three years. He is the face of the franchise, and would only be dealt if the Sonics decide to do a total teardown.
Damien Wilkins averaged 9 ppg and improved his shooting %. But his defense seemed to fade. He had a decent year overall, but could be a great defender if motivated. His athleticism and youth make him a possible inclusion in any trades.

SF: Rashard Lewis had another good year. 22.5 pppg and 6.6 rpg. He will certainly opt out of his contract for free agency. Has said he would like to stay but also wants to play for a winner. The Sonics have the advantage of being able to offer the most money, but there has been speculation of a sign and trade.
Mickael Gelabale played very well in the second half of the season when given more playing time. The front office reportedly had several offers for him but turned them all down. He possesses good defensive prowess and a steady outside shot that has the organization very high on him.

PF: Chris Wilcox averaged 13.3 ppg and 7.7 rpg. This was about what was expected. He still lacks a legit go to move and won't get too many touches with Allen and Lewis around. But he is still only 25 and did play in every game
last season, a good sign for someone whose desire has been often questioned. On the down side, he blocked less than a shot a game, which is terrible for someone of his size and ability. Wilcox must improve if Sonics are going to make strides next year.
Nick Collison averaged 10 pts and 8 rpg and shot 50%. Another solid, consistent year for a guy you would love to bring off the bench but are forced to start at center. He won't win you a title, but he is smart, a hardworker and gets the most out of his abilities. Sadly, he is the teams best low post defender.
Danny Fortson was a cancer who sat on his big fat ass for almost the entire season and collected $6.6 million for it. No way in hell he comes back and is likely to retire.
Andre Brown was signed out of the D-League. He is a hustler and a good rebounder. He's a free agent who probably won't be signed again.

C: Last season began with such promise for Robert Swift. He was entering his third season and had been playing great in summer and preseason ball. He then blew out his ACL and was done. The Sonics are still high on him and any chances for success hinge on his ability to heal and be some sort of presence in the middle.
Johan Petro has gone from promising player to the doghouse in his two seasons. Coach Hill openly questioned his ability to play center, due to his preference to shoot jumpers and not go inside and bang for rebounds. He also averaged a foul every 6 minutes. His soft play will likely have his name being included in a trade.
Mohamed Sene was raw when drafted and still is very raw. He did not show much improvement and has struggled with the mental aspects of the game as well as showing no touch around the basket. He remains full of potential but is years away from being able to contribute.

SUMMARY
The Sonics have too many questionmarks right now. They have some talent on the roster, but too many weak points to ever contend. And they'll be even weaker of Lewis leaves. They are likely to leave Seattle after this coming season, so the question is whether to blow it up now or try to build with what they have. Much will depend on who they name as their new GM. They definitely can improve with their draft picks. They'll get a top tier prospect with their first rounder, and they have the first and fifth picks in the second round, where there will certainly be good players
that slide. Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis could, via trade, bring a lot of young talent their direction if they are traded. However, if they do not acquire talent that can play immediately, they risk slipping to what would certainly be the worst team in the NBA. The possibilities are nearly endless.
They have definite needs at nearly every position, and should be very active in the days ahead. Of course, with no GM on board yet, there is no clue as to what they will do.
Possible Draft Picks: Roy Hibbert, Julian Wright, Al Horford, Jeff Green, Yi Jianlian, Mike Conley.
2nd round: Afflalo, Tucker, Stuckey, Almond, Visser, Bobby Brown, or whoever else drops. aka Best Player Available

pr0wler

05-21-2007, 07:01 PM

I'm too lazy to do a team analysis for Golden State. Their weakness is size, they need either a PF or C, and they will select that position in the draft unless someone incredible is still on the board.

Seems like there are a lot of teams left that haven't been analyzed/accounted for yet...

fatdan

05-21-2007, 07:56 PM

Free Agents: Restricted: Charlie Bell, Ersan Ilyasova, Jared Reiner

Unrestricted: Earl Boykins (P), Ruben Patterson, Brian Skinner (T), Mo Williams

Expring Contracts: David Noel,Lynn Greer,damir markota,charlie villenueva,Andrew bogut,

Cap Issue: estimated 41.7

2006/2007 salary cap: 53.1

Draft Picks: First round from 1-6
Second round: 56

Depth Chart

Centers
1. D. Gadzuric
2. B. Skinner
3. A. Bogut

Small Forwards
1. R. Patterson
2. D. Noel
3. B. Simmons

Shooting Guards
1. C. Bell
2. C. McCray
3. M. Redd

Point Guards
1. M. Williams
2. E. Boykins
3. L. Greer

Power Forwards
1. E. Ilyasova
2. D. Markota
3. C. Villanueva

Nba Draft: The bucks have a luxury because there solid at every position. They could go point guard for a decent back-up or insurance if mo Williams leaves. Power forward because some people don't like the way Charlie V. tends to play away from the basket. Small forward because Simmons is often injured and how good is he going to be coming off of not playing much in 2 seasons. Center if you want bogut to go back to power forward. Which leaves the bucks in a situations to take the highest player on the board regardless position, trade down to get more picks if they don't like where there picking ,or package some veterans to move up if there in love with 1 or 2 players. The best thing for bucks like most teams would be landing in the top 2.If they land oden they can switch bogut to the 4 and have a very Houston like twin towers situation not to mention 2 of the last 3 number one picks. If it's Durant you have a good player to play the 3 or 4 who can hit shoots if redd is double teamed. They would be a sight to see playing together. If they don't select in the top 2 of the draft. They have a lot of option they could say we have enough star caliber player and we should look to fill holes in there team and trade down. With this draft being very deep it could be a good decision. Say if the sixers want to trade up and the bucks are picking third in the draft. Assuming the sixer stay where they are in draft position the bucks could ask for the 12th, and 21th, .That way the bucks could fill needs at the point guard small forward, and power forwards positions. Depending on how much the sixers desire the 3rd pick they could offer different combinations 12th and 30th or 21st and 30th both could be interesting to the bucks. Also the pistions, bobcats, and suns could also pull similar deals. In the second round look at the bucks looking for a depth at all five postionsgoing with the Best value on the board which could be Mustafa Shakur. he's a good candidate for a back-up position something the bucks could still be looking for. Sean willams, Jermareo Davidson, reyshawn terry.Could all be good value here the bucks could also get a international prospect and let him develop overseas for a year or 2

Off-season movement: The bucks need to find out if there keeping Larry Kyrstkowiak.There are a lot of good coaches that are or could be available this summer if they decide to let him go . Rich aldeman would be a good fit, Del harries son is the the gm there and he could hired. Harris coached the Lakers when they had one of the most talented teams I say of the last 10 to 15 years (nick the quick,shaq disel,kb24,eddie jones,elden campell,etc)But they never won any thing and harris was fired and replace by phil jackson where jackson won 3 straight championships with the Lakers. So theres a question on how good he is as a coach and if he can coach a team to chapionship.With all that being said I thing he's a great hire for this team. He’s been seasoning on the Dallas side lines for a while could be looking to getting back to the head seat. Hopefully next year he can lead them to playoffs possible the eastern conference finals. The bucks have to resign mo Williams this summer he gives them very young point guard that helps compete one of the best backcourts in the eastern conference. They should also look into resigning Charlie bell he gives them veteran leadership and a versatile player in the backcourt that could be very important for a championship run.Depening on what happens in the draft the rest of the free agents could be let go. I would resign Ersan Ilyasova and Jared Reiner to resonable contracts, but would look into free agency and the draft to fill all my other need. Depending on what happens in the draft the bucks could be looking to shop Charlie v or booby Simmons to a team willing to chance on one of them. even though the Simmons trade most likely won't happen because he stays on the ir.teams could be interested in charlie v in the draft could be another way to get extra draft pickas he's better than anybody outside of top 5 in this years draft and I see plenty team that would be willing to trade first rounder on him especial teams with multiple picks.

The bucks could be a better version of the Toronto raptors next season depending on what happens this off-season. I wouldn’t be too surprise if they can stay health to see them compete for an eastern conference finals berth. This season is big they got go from being lottery from being just good to being special in one or two seasons. The bucks are always a team that just one or two things from a championship. Even when they where health this season they where like an 8th place team in the east. They got to get the talent, coaches, and leaders necessary so they can go to the next level. To me they can be better than the young pistons team were they have a higher upside and a better backcourt they just have to put it together
.

Mr. Body

05-21-2007, 08:54 PM

coachjon

05-21-2007, 09:45 PM

That's the risk you take when you allow a non regular and unproven poster take control of a team. Hopefully he drafts for them when it is their turn and we don't have to wait forever.

pr0wler

05-22-2007, 12:41 AM

That's the risk you take when you allow a non regular and unproven poster take control of a team. Hopefully he drafts for them when it is their turn and we don't have to wait forever.

I already did an extensive analysis for the Hornets. I watched the Warriors all playoffs so I know them very well. Don't worry about it.

mullet is gone

05-23-2007, 09:43 AM

Let the trade baiting begin.........

blazers gm,
Gasol,no.4 and anyone you want for no.1 and anyone you dont want.... randolph? Miles?crap contracts? Raef Le Frentz is vaue for money you say? Of course we'll take him........

ecuhus

05-23-2007, 11:28 AM

Here is the lottery schedule:

Cascadia Portland Trailblazers #1 5/29, Noon EST
Kirk14 Seattle Sonics #2 5/29, Midnight EST
Sirfreshness Atlanta Hawks #3 5/30, Noon EST
Mullet Is Gone Memphis Grizzlies #4 5/30, Midnight EST
AWalker17 Boston Celtics #5 5/31, Noon EST
Fatdan Milwaukee Bucks #6 5/31, Midnight EST
Mr. Body Minnesota Tmberwolves #7 6/1, Noon EST
Wombat6802 Charlotte Bobcats #8 6/1, Midnight EST
Shakes the Clown Chicago Bulls #9 6/2, Noon EST
Gilles Sacramento Kings #10 6/2, Midnight EST
Hitster Atlanta Hawks #11 6/3, Noon EST
Bryce Philadelphia Sixers #12 6/3, Midnight EST
Pr0wler New Orleans Hornets #13 6/4, Noon EST
Coachjon Los Angeles Clippers #14 6/4, Midnight EST

If I don't post on thsi thread again before the draft starts, have a good Memorial Day Weekend, and Happy Drafting after that!

sirfreshness

05-23-2007, 11:51 AM

Cascadia

05-23-2007, 12:45 PM

With the 1st pick in Own da Draft 2007

the Portland Trail Blazers select...

http://rotundity.net/5point3a.jpg

Greg Oden

(credits to damir at Blazersedge.com for the graphic)

This is not a hard decision for Blazers fans to make. Here's a link to a poll at that BlazersEdge.com showing how Blazers fans are voting right now...

http://www.blazersedge.com/poll_vote/1179896182_WOpTZwgs

79 % voting for Oden. 17% for Durant.

From a link at Blazers TV play-by-play announcer Mike Barrett's blog...

http://mikebarrettsblog.blogspot.com/2007/05/this-changes-everything.html

...you can hear the audio from the Blazers official lottery party/simulcast when the Blazers were announced as winners of the lottery. Within a minute or two of the pick being made, you can hear the fans there chanting Oden's name.

So why will the Blazers front office go along with fans wishes? How about the fact that Kevin Pritchard won a NCAA Title ring playing for Larry Brown at Kansas U learning Brown's defense first philosophy early. How about that Pritchard learned the craft of being an NBA GM in the San Antonio Spurs organization, the front office that brought you David Robinson and Tim Duncan. How about the fact that Coach Nate McMillan has stated multiple times his ideal team model would be the Showtime Lakers, with a dominant center like Kareem controlling the paint.

Oden is the best center prospect since Shaq. Oden is not some big guy who was taught to play basketball because he was big. Oden is a phenomenal athlete that happens to be 7 feet tall. Oden is going to be the dominant center of this generation.

Hitster

05-23-2007, 12:45 PM

I have Atlanta as I am listed as the 11th pick for them, I'm guessing Sirfreshness was listed by mistake as the pick had been likely to go to Phoenix which is one of his teams.

sirfreshness

05-23-2007, 12:55 PM

I have Atlanta as I am listed as the 11th pick for them, I'm guessing Sirfreshness was listed by mistake as the pick had been likely to go to Phoenix which is one of his teams.

Problem solved Hitster has the third pick, I think you are really short on SFs so you might want to look at drafting Juilan Wright and Corey Brewer im sure they will propel your organization to the playoffs next year. I swear im not telling you things that will make your team end up in the top 5 again next year i promise just because my team (Phx) gets your first round pick next year. I would never do that ;)

kirk14

05-23-2007, 01:01 PM

Okay, if Cascadia has picked Oden for the Blazers, you can probably guess who I'm taking. Hmmmmmm.
Oh what the hell, we'll take the Durant kid from Texas.

Mr. Body

05-23-2007, 01:31 PM

Hey... we may need to put a temporary brake on the mock, since it looks like Hibbert might be out. That'll greatly change the top 10.

Hitster

05-23-2007, 01:31 PM

If we have started already then I'm going to take a gamble and take Conley Jnr for Atlanta. I know 3rd pick is high but they need a PG and already have a log jam at 3 and 4. Brandan Wright is good but will he turn out any better than Marvin Williams and 3 would be a bit high to draft Hibbert.

As a Phoenix fan the pick going to Atlanta hasn't worried me too much, we still have a couple of nice first round picks.

shakes the clown

05-23-2007, 01:35 PM

Hey cascadia, thank you for actually putting as much thought into the #1 pick as the real team is doing. I can guarantee that Kevin Pritchard made up his mind to take Oden even before you posted this.

I'm so glad you didn't mock this process by actually entertaining the thought of Durant.

I'll have my Bulls overview posted in the next day or so.

ecuhus

05-23-2007, 01:42 PM

I dont have Atlanta I have Phoenix and Orlando

Thanks for catching that error, Sir. I forgot to update my spreadsheet after Atlanta got to keep their pick.

So, here's the real schedule, lottery and all:

Cascadia Portland Trailblazers #1 5/29, Noon EST
Kirk14 Seattle Sonics #2 5/29, Midnight EST
Hitster Atlanta Hawks #3 5/30, Noon EST
Mullet Is Gone Memphis Grizzlies #4 5/30, Midnight EST
AWalker17 Boston Celtics #5 5/31, Noon EST
Fatdan Milwaukee Bucks #6 5/31, Midnight EST
Mr. Body Minnesota Tmberwolves #7 6/1, Noon EST
Wombat6802 Charlotte Bobcats #8 6/1, Midnight EST
Shakes the Clown Chicago Bulls #9 6/2, Noon EST
Gilles Sacramento Kings #10 6/2, Midnight EST
Hitster Atlanta Hawks #11 6/3, Noon EST
Bryce Philadelphia Sixers #12 6/3, Midnight EST
Pr0wler New Orleans Hornets #13 6/4, Noon EST
Coachjon Los Angeles Clippers #14 6/4, Midnight EST
Ecuhus Detroit Pistons #15 6/5, Noon EST
Nextstar1019 Washington Wizards #16 6/5, Midnight EST
Ecuhus New Jersey Nets #17 6/6, Noon EST
Pr0wler Golden State Warriors #18 6/6, Midnight EST
Coachjon Los Angeles Lakers #19 6/7, Noon EST
Hitster Miami Heat #20 6/7, Midnight EST
Bryce Philadelphia Sixers #21 6/8, Noon EST
Wombat6802 Charlotte Bobcats #22 6/8, Midnight EST
Knicks2134 New York Knicks #23 6/9, Noon EST
Sirfreshness Phoenix Suns #24 6/9, Midnight EST
Metrocard Utah Jazz #25 6/10, Noon EST
Cascadia Houston Rockets #26 6/10, Midnight EST
Ecuhus Detroit Pistons #27 6/11, Noon EST
Mr. Body San Antonio Spurs #28 6/11, Midnight EST
Sirfreshness Phoenix Suns #29 6/12, Noon EST
Bryce Philadelphia Sixers #30 6/12, Midnight EST
Kirk14 Seattle Sonics #31 6/13, Noon EST
AWalker17 Boston Celtics #32 6/13, Midnight EST
Mr. Body San Antonio Spurs #33 6/14, Noon EST
Mavs128 Dallas Mavericks #34 6/14, Midnight EST
Kirk14 Seattle Sonics #35 6/15, Noon EST
Pr0wler Golden State Warriors #36 6/15, Midnight EST
Cascadia Portland Trailblazers #37 6/16, Noon EST
Bryce Philadelphia Sixers #38 6/16, Midnight EST
Sirfreshness Orlando Magic #39 6/17, Noon EST
Coachjon Los Angeles Lakers #40 6/17, Midnight EST
Mr. Body Minnesota Tmberwolves #41 6/18, Noon EST
Cascadia Portland Trailblazers #42 6/18, Midnight EST
Pr0wler New Orleans Hornets #43 6/19, Noon EST
Sirfreshness Orlando Magic #44 6/19, Midnight EST
Coachjon Los Angeles Clippers #45 6/20, Noon EST
Pr0wler Golden State Warriors #46 6/20, Midnight EST
Nextstar1019 Washington Wizards #47 6/21, Noon EST
Coachjon Los Angeles Lakers #48 6/21, Midnight EST
Shakes the Clown Chicago Bulls #49 6/22, Noon EST
Mavs128 Dallas Mavericks #50 6/22, Midnight EST
Shakes the Clown Chicago Bulls #51 6/23, Noon EST
Cascadia Portland Trailblazers #52 6/23, Midnight EST
Cascadia Portland Trailblazers #53 6/24, Noon EST
Sirfreshness Orlando Magic #54 6/24, Midnight EST
Metrocard Utah Jazz #55 6/25, Noon EST
Fatdan Milwaukee Bucks #56 6/25, Midnight EST
Ecuhus Detroit Pistons #57 6/26, Noon EST
Mr. Body San Antonio Spurs #58 6/26, Midnight EST
Sirfreshness Phoenix Suns #59 6/27, Noon EST
Mavs128 Dallas Mavericks #60 6/27, Midnight EST

I know it's hard to read in this format, but I will keep everyone aware of who's picking, if you're watching this thread.

Also, I was thinking, is someone interested in making a website of this draft? We could post picks in a viewable format that is a little nicer and only needs updates, not new posts, to refresh. Also, the site could have a "Grade Card" poll for draft classes, where we could rate ourselves and others! I'm alright with Frontpage, but I haven't done it in a while. If someone could whip one up without much effort, that'd be sweet.

As for the owners who haven't done breakdowns (AWalker17, Boston Celtics; Shakes the Clown, Chicago Bulls; Gilles, Sacramento Kings; Bryce, Philadelphia Sixers; Pr0wler, Golden State Warriors): you're late, but you're not TOO late! Prowler, I apprecaite your candor and we don't mean to use you as a whipping boy; but we want all of the teams to submit some sort of an analysis, if for no other reason than to tell us something we don't know about other people's favorite teams.

Thanks, everyone.

Hitster

05-23-2007, 01:45 PM

I'm assuming that Chicago will swap picks this year, I cannot see the gamble in waiting another year as the Knicks will probably continue their slow improvement. I bet that Isiah was on his knees praying that the balls didn't fall Chicago's way, he's already missed out on Aldridge and potentially another top 10 pick but if he'd have given up Durant or Oden then he'd never have lived it down.

Mr. Body

05-23-2007, 01:59 PM

shakes the clown

05-23-2007, 03:53 PM

If Thomas had given up Durant or Oden, the NY press would have filleted him. Now, with Tyrus Thomas looking similar to Renaldo Balkman and Chicago maybe getting a project like Spencer Hawes this year, the Eddie Curry trade doesn't look quite as lopsided.

Tyrus thomas looking similar to Renaldo Balkman? Now I've heard everything.

Unless you are saying that Renaldo is looking like he has a good shot at being one of the two best players out of that draft, which I highly doubt you are.

tyrus is in a whole different stratosphere from Balkman in terms of ahtletic ability and long term potential. Tyrus has a shot at being a star player, balkman has a shot at one day being a starter on an okay to mediocre team.

Mr. Body

05-23-2007, 04:00 PM

Jesus... the homer. Tyrus Thomas is not one of the 2 best players in the draft. That's stupid.

And Renaldo Balkman was better than him this year.

ecuhus

05-23-2007, 04:21 PM

Renaldo Balkman
New York Knicks
Position: F
Height: 6-8 Weight: 208
College : South Carolina
Player file | Team stats
2006-07 Statistics
PPG 4.9
RPG 4.3
APG .6
SPG .84
BPG .65
FG% .505
FT% .567
3P% .185
MPG 15.6

Tyrus Thomas
Chicago Bulls
Position: F
Height: 6-9 Weight: 215
College : Louisiana State
Player file | Team stats
2006-07 Statistics
PPG 5.2
RPG 3.7
APG .6
SPG .64
BPG 1.06
FG% .475
FT% .606
3P% .000
MPG 13.4

I'd say it's a push. I know that's not what you want to hear, shakes, but seriously, you've GOT to lighten up and look at things objectively. I for one never panned the drafting of Balkman; I knew he'd be good. I just panned the choosing of him so high. Even if they didn't want to trade picks for players/cash/future picks, they could've at least taken Marcus Williams or someone and still gotten Balkman at 30. As a Nets fan, though, I've got to say I'm thrilled they didn't. Thanks, Isaiah!

Thomas is overrated, and Balkman is underrated. If all goes well for their careers, they will top out as similar players, although Thomas has more upside.

wombat6802

05-23-2007, 04:21 PM

After seeing Balkman play a lot this year, I think I'm going to have to back up Mr.Body on his assertion that Balkman is better. We'll see how his body holds up but Balkman is such a better ball-handler/passer/defender, that it makes it difficult to flat out deny him respect where respect is due.

nextstar1019

05-23-2007, 06:30 PM

balkman MIGHT have had a better season this year but i would still rather have tyrus on my team

mullet is gone

05-24-2007, 05:11 AM

Old Man Rock

05-24-2007, 07:59 AM

Hi Cascadia, I am a big Rockets fan who has followed the Rockets religiously for years. If you would like help with their needs I am your man. I can tell you already that the article you posted is not accurate. The Rockets need big time at the point. That might come from Vassilis Spanoulis but he is young and unproven. To say Rafer is not adequate is an understatement. I would still give the edge to PF as their biggest need. But you have to take in consideration that Adelman is their new coach and uptempo is what he is talking about. And also he has already emphasized how well Phoenix and SA have performed and you need players who can attack. They also need an athletic big who can serve part time duty at the 5. At their spot is the best athlete who will probably be available. Of course he has baggage and the key will be can he convince them his problems are behind him. Anyway if you would like me to help just let me know.

Hitster

05-24-2007, 09:01 AM

Thomas will never realistically become one of the best two players in last year's draft. Best case senario would be about 4th best which fits in and justifies his draft level fairly well. My order long term would be Bargnani, Aldridge or Roy then perhaps Thomas

Mr. Body

05-24-2007, 11:22 AM

And all because it was an extremely weak draft.

The whole point of the subthread is that New York did not wildly overpay for Eddie Curry, as was first imagined.

Hitster

05-24-2007, 12:21 PM

Curry is not a top class defensive Centre, he's a very good offensive Centre who works well with a defensive minded guy at 4 alongside him. In reality a team would struggle to win a Championship with someone like Curry at 5 unless he had great teammates around him like say a Tim Duncan at 4 for example. Thus with his heart problem a couple of years ago the Bulls bit off Chicago's hand to accept a trade. The dangerous thing was Chicago put no protection on the picks like Atlanta did with the Joe Johnson trade and in 2005, the new CBA, one year from college rule hadn't yet been announced so that Chicago could have potentially have landed Oden or Durant last year or if only one of them had declared Bargnani. That the Bulls passed on Aldridge doesn't come into the point, ask a guy like Cascadia who he'd fancy on his team out of Curry and Aldridge over the next few years given upside, salary etc and I think he'd say Aldridge. Chicago have got the chance of another nice top 10 pick and can maybe take one of Noah, Jianlian, Conley, Brewer, Wright or Hawes etc or which they can use as hell of a bargaining tool. Okay Curry has had a couple of nice seasons but long term the deal will still favour Chicago but not as much as it may have done as someone said on another post New York were only 1 and 2 win up on Portland or Seattle so it could have easily been G-OD or KD going to Seattle (imagine Oden with a year or so playing alongside Ben Wallace and thus you get a 7ft version of Big Ben who potentially pans out like a Robinson or Mutombo).

shakes the clown

05-24-2007, 04:20 PM

Tyrus Thomas can be a much better player down the road, everyone knew he was a long term project when he was drafted. Balkman will have an ok nba career but I dont see him developing into a more dangerous player than Thomas. Do you think he can develop even more hustle over the years or something?

Does anyone here.......anyone at all want to tell me they wouldnt take thomas over balkman if their team had a chance of picking up either....

thanks Mullet, it amazess me how many people just don't get it. I talk about Tyrus eventually being possibly the seconed best player in the draft and having the highest ceiling in the draft and during his career being a much better player than Balkman and then two braniacs respond by posting stats from their rookie season and saying that Balkman was better THIS year. Who cares about this year? How could someone with a brain even think that was relevant to the discussion?

There is no doubt that Tyrus has a much higher ceiling than Balkman and will far eclipse his career. On top of that, by the end of this season Tyrus was a much better player than Balkman so he has already passed him up.

And I stand by my statement that Tyrus has a chance at being one of the two best players in this draft in the long run. Brandon Roy is a nice player, but by no means will he ever be a star in this league. bagnarri has star potential. Aldridge will never be a star in this league especially now that he has a built in excuse to never go near the paint again (the addition of Oden). Tyrus on the other hand has a chance at being a star in this league and there is no doubt he is the best athelte by far in his draft class.

Cascadia

05-24-2007, 04:34 PM

Mr. Body

05-24-2007, 04:43 PM

Tyrus Thomas isn't that great now and may not be that great for his career. He plays with a lot of energy and has amazing hops, but so far his comfort range may be as a taller Desmond Mason.

I seriously doubt he'll ever be a star in this league and if he turns out to be top five in his draft class, that is more a testament to the 2006 draft class being one of the weakest in NBA history.

Mr. Body

05-24-2007, 04:44 PM

Following Cascadia above, if anybody really wants Minnesota, as in is a big fan, I'd be more than happy to divest myself.

Old Man Rock

05-25-2007, 02:18 PM

Thanks Cascadia I will post my report shortly.

Old Man Rock

05-25-2007, 02:29 PM

HOUSTON ROCKETS
Western Conference No. 5 Playoff Seed
52-30, 3rd Southwest

Depth Chart

PG – Rafer Alston, John Lucas III, Vassilis Spanoulis?
SG – Tracy McGrady, Luther Head, Kirk Snyder, Bobby Sura
SF – Shane Battier, Bonzi Wells**, Steve Novak
PF – Chuck Hayes, Juwan Howard
C – YaoMing, Deke Mutombo*, Jake Tsakalidas

* = Free Agent
** = Player Option
? VSPAN only played 1 game all season at the point but with Jeff Van Gundy gone the consensus is he will get a serious look at the point.

Draft Picks: #26 Only

OVERVIEW

The Houston Rockets had on paper a relatively successful season. The keys to the Rockets regular season success were JVG team defense, Battier effort, Mutombo's fountain of youth, and 50 a night from Tmac and Yao. But true success is measured in the playoffs and with 3 out of the last 4 seasons under Van Gundy resulting in early first round exits the writing was on the wall. Part of the problem with Van Gundy’s teams stemmed from amassing a lot of players with experience, not much length, little athleticism, and the worst quickness in the league. These things are bad news in the playoffs and reached a pinnacle in game 4 when only 4 rockets managed to score. In a team sport the Rockets broke the record for team ineptitude. Had they managed to surpass Utah, they would have most likely fallen to the much more athletic Warriors. Certainly there were mitigating circumstances for their early exit, the inability to stop Boozer and the emergence of Kirilenko after his crying spell… but in the end the buck falls on the coach and Jeff Van Gundy was given the Axe.

So bring in Rick Adelman with a new philosophy and system. The Rockets clearly don’t have all the pieces to win a championship but with Yao and Tmac on the team they are not that far off. Under Van Gundy Yao and Tmac had to work too hard to score as shown in a marked drop in their shooting percentages. Adelman has already talked about attacking the basket more and making Yao and Tmac’s jobs much easier by putting players in the right positions to help them.

They need to amass more raw talent, length, athleticism, and quickness. Some of that they may already have in place with Kirk Snyder and Vassilis Spanoulis both athletic players for their position but that is only a beginning. Bonzi has already proclaimed a desire to come out of hibernation and play for Adelman. There are also rumors that, now that Van Gundy is gone Stevie Francis wants back in Houston. They also may have one of the best 3-point shooters in the league in Steve Novak. Still they need an athletic Power Forward and an Upgrade at the point along with a spark off the bench. A lot to ask for with only 1 late first round pick but they have a new GM, Morey who is Mr. Moneyball guy with a supposed talent for finding guys who are undervalued relative to their contract.

POSITIONAL ANALYSIS

PG: Rockets' PG situation may be the weakest link on the team. Rafers number’s do not tell the whole story because time and time again his shot would disappear in the most crucial situations. The more pressure the more misses. Give him credit for trying but when you go 0 for 3 quarters it’s time to stop jacking up shots and pass. Head is not PG material. He is a 3 point sharp shooting 2 guard in a PG's body. Trying to fit him as a playmaker only worked when Tmac was on the floor running the show. John Lucas III is just not ready for prime time and Vassilis Spanoulis having played only 1 game all season at the point is an unknown. Adelman has already said he wants to attack the basket more and with this group the unknown Vspan is probably best capable for those duties. The Rockets most definitely need an upgrade here and they may find the answer in the oddest of places. Either 1 of 2 former Rockets, Steve Francis or Mike James would be an improvement. Both players are not happy in their situations and both may be available on the cheap.

SG: Tracy McGrady had another great season. Nobody questions how outstanding McGrady is when he's healthy. And it appears he should stay healthy after finally being cured of his back problems by a miracle therapist. Still having to burden him with so many duties on offense may have hurt his shooting percentages. Moving him back to the three could help in that area. Luther Head stepped in and had some excellent games when McGrady was out of the line-up hurt, avg. 16 pts w/ 3 3s a game as a starter. A prolific 3 point shooter who only gets better in the 4th has matchup problems on the defensive end guarding the bigger more atletic 2's. Kirk Snyder showed great athleticism and a knack for driving to the basket early in the season but was then injured and upon returning managed to work his way into Van Gundy's (Very Big) doghouse. Bonzi Wells has indicated a desire to come back and play for Adelman and Adelman has returned the feelings. The Problem is Bonzi is scheduled to make only 2.2 mil this season and with an option to opt-out and an unlikelihood that the Rockets offer him the full MLE he may look elsewhere. If he does come back there is a real possibility Tracy will be moved back to Small Forward.

SF: Shane Battier. Mr Glue Guy. Consumate team player. Very good defender and the type of player that brings it every night. Very accurate from 3 when he shoots. Battier needs to be a little more selfish. Aside from that his most glaring weakness is that when a lot of players step it up in the playoffs he can’t match that because he plays that way all year long. You got to love the guy but he may be best suited as a 6th man on this team. Add that with the possiblility of Tmac moving back to the 3 and it could be his best role. Steve Novak should find some time here when the matchups allow it and Bonzi and Snyder can also play minutes here.

PF: Rockets situation at PF is a mess. Juwan had his best stretch in years midway through the season after Yao went down. But later and into the playoffs he became non existent again and it is safe to say his time has passed. Chuck Hayes is Mr. Energy and would make for a good backup. But not a starter. He is just too dang short to be effective on a full time basis in the NBA. Steve Novak will have to most certainly bulk up some to get any serious minutes at the 4 but makes for a serious matchup problem for any team with his deadly 3. The Rockets must upgrade this position in the offseason. It’s unlikely they will be able to that with the 26th pick so they better look at the free agent (thin) and trade market.

C: Yao. When healthy, he's the premier center in the league. The problem is he has been having a string of bad luck and some toenail problems. I don’t believe this will be a trend in his career but who knows for sure. In which case you must have a Plan B for when Yao goes down. That answer might be the 65 year old Deke Mutombo, who played great this year when Yao was hurt. He has already requested a desire to come back and if they can’t find a better option wouldn’t be a terrible choice. Still his poor hands and inability to make anything outside a dunk make you want to look at other options first. One of those might be Nazr Mohammed. The Pistons don’t need him, he is in the beginning of a 5 year deal so perhaps they would be willing to take a shorter contract like Juwans off our hands. Clearly speculation but there are other players that might be available like Raef Lafrentz, Chris Mihm, etc. Jake Tsakalidas is an okay 3rd option.

Draft/Off-Season summary

The #26 pick is terrible board position for the Rockets. All of the best PG’s and PF’s will be gone. But what did they expect. If the Rockets can move up, players like Tiago Splitter and Josh McRoberts may now become available. Not much chance of that happening. So they will be left with the best available athlete theory. And that might not be so bad. There are some possibilities, Jarvis Cristendon might drop, Thadeus Young as well, Dominic McGuire could be a gem having a lot of the same atleticism as Diaw. Sean Williams could get his act together and become the steal of the draft and just what the Rockets Doctor ordered.

As for the rest of the off-season the number one priority should be to find out what they have on the roster, find out if Novak, VSpan, and Snyder are capable of being contributors. Find out if Bonzi is coming back and if Deke’s worth keeping. After that check into the FA market for some bigs like Mikki Moore or Melvin Ely, Amir Johnson or lesser options like Chris Mihm. Also look for trades to bring in players like Joel Przybilla out of the Blazers, Radmonovic from the Lakers, or Nazr Mohammed from the Detroit for little more than expiring contracts.

Possible Draft Picks: Josh McRoberts, Tiago Splitter, Thadeus Young, Jarvis Cristendon, Dominic McGuire, Sean Williams, Marc Gasol

Possible Free Agents: Mikki Moore, Steve Francis, Chris Webber, Bonzi Wells, Amir Johnson,

wombat6802

05-25-2007, 02:41 PM

After having to suffer through Ely for 2 years in Charlotte, y'all really don't want him... trust me.

ecuhus

05-25-2007, 04:38 PM

Cascadia

05-27-2007, 01:07 PM

So, Cascadia, even though you've already done a report for Houston, you want to convey the Rockets' drafting rights to Old Man Rock?

BTW, OMR, nice stuff. I have to say I agree wit hevery word. I hate it when peopel come down on Chuck. He's an unbelievable bargain, an elite intangibles guy and a stone-cold winner at every level at which he's played. But you're right; they need a franchise PF and/or a young backup C.

Yes. Old Man Rock will take responsibility for the Rockets franchise tasks.

---------

Regarding Chuck Hayes, here I go again relating everything to Portland, but I don't think anyone is trashing him, per se. Hayes situation is similar to Ime Udoka's here in Portland. Hayes came out of nowhere and made some solid contributions just like Ime did. Everyone here in Portland loves Ime to death, but everyone here in Portland is still looking forward to the pick-up of a legit starting NBA SF, and Ime getting moved to the bench to back up the 2 and 3 slots. Houston fans should be looking toward the addition of a legit starting PF. 6' 6" is just too short to be effective at PF, just like Ime's 6' 5" is too short to be starting at SF.

Alston is an average NBA starting PG. No worse, but no better. A guy who is described as "average" is going to have some holes in his game. An upgrade is a need, but not a greater need than that gaping chasm the Rockets have at PF. As far as Head goes, it's his rookie year. Give him time. PGs take time to develop. We all know the Chauncey Billups story.

pr0wler

05-27-2007, 05:21 PM

Golden State Warriors
42-40
#8 Seed in Western Conference

Draft Picks:
#18
#36

Team Overview:

Most successful team in ages, knocking out the highly touted Dallas Mavericks in the playoffs. In spite of all this, there are a lot of questions to be answered as the Warriors didn't play any other true centers besides Biedrins in the playoffs. For that matter, they only had 2 guys above 6'9'' in the lineup and ran a small ball offense the entire time. Although effective if shots are going down, when the 3's aren't dropping the Warriors seemed to be out of ideas as they had no low post game. A couple free agents in the mix, including Pietrus and the all perennial role player Matt Barnes.

Team Analysis:

PG - Davis/Ellis
SG - Richardson/Pietrus/Ellis
SF - Jackson/Barnes/Pietrus
PF - Harrington/Jackson
C - Biedrins/Harrington

Point Guard:

Baron emerged as one of the top point guards in the NBA during the playoffs, but his health is definitely a concern. Ellis makes a great backup guard who can also play the 2 if needed.

Shooting Guard:

Richardson is a solid option as the 2 spot, with Ellis getting some of his backup minutes. Assuming Ellis stays, they also have a 3rd guard to run at this position if need be. Lots of depth and lots of talent in this area for the Warriors.

Small Forward:

Stephen Jackson is a good defensive player who can shoot the ball if needed, and assuming they resign Barnes/Pietrus they have adequate options. Harrington is also mobile enough to play SF as well...again a lot of depth at this spot due to the plethora of 6'6'' to 6'9'' guys on the Warriors.

Power Forward:

Harrington is a decent PF who can step back and his the outside shot. However, outside of him there isn't anyone who's natural position is the 4.

Center:

Biedrins emerged as the center of the future for the Warriors. Although his free show shooting is terrible, he is a very fluid big man with great finishing and rebounding skills. In addition to his length, he is fast enough to be an important piece in the fast moving Warrior offense. Behind him Golden State has Al Harrington masquerading as a center, and slow-moving Patrick O'Bryant - not exactly great second choices.

Draft Analysis:

Big men, big men....and big men. That really is the only thing the Warriors are missing at this point. After they traded away Murphy and Diogu they were left a little thin up front. Assuming they can re-sign Barnes and Pietrus (or at least one of the 2)...they have the spots 1-2-3 covered no problem. Look for the Warriors to draft PF's and centers this time around.

Possible first round picks include Jason Smith, Josh McRoberts, Tiago Splitter, and Marc Gasol...or perhaps a guy like Derrick Byars if he is available and there are no big man that tickle their fancy. Although post players is what they need, if there really no players that interest the Warriors then may as well employ the best player available tactic, especially if they're not sure if they can re-sign Pietrus and Barnes. I also look for the Warriors to move up in the draft. With the number of quality 4/5's in the lottery they might want some of that action. Down around the 15-30 there are some solid guards, but guards is not what Golden State is looking for.

Second round I think the Warriors will get whatever they can get their hands on...perhaps Sean Williams, Nick Fazekas, Aaron Gray...

nextstar1019

05-27-2007, 09:18 PM

good job pr0wler, that is much better than what you did earlier

ecuhus

05-28-2007, 01:21 PM

Surrogate Breakdown: Boston Celtics

Delonte West, Rajon Rondo
Paul Pierce, Tony Allen, Allan Ray
Wally Szczerbiak, Gerald Green
Ryan Gomes, Leon Powe, Brian Scalabrine
Al Jefferson, Kendrick Perkins, Theo Ratliff

Ratings System:
Aah = Above average, for their role
Eeh = Average for their role
Ugh = Below average for their role

Overview
Significant injuries to almost every member of their rotation. Pierce wants to be a contender NOW. Ainge looking for veteran help.

PG: Eeh, Eeh
SG: Aah, Aah, Ugh
SF: Eeh, Aah
PF: Eeh, Ugh, Ugh
C: Aah (should be PF), Ugh, Ugh

Obviously, the Celtics need inside help the most, and there are now 7-footers on the roster. I feel bad for them for losing in the lottery, but Spencer Hawes, Yi Jianlian or another bigman could move them in the right direction.

ecuhus

05-28-2007, 01:31 PM

Surrogate Breakdown: Chicago Bulls (I though for sure shakes would have come through for us)

Kirk Hinrich, Chris Duhon
Ben Gordon, Adrian Griffin
Luol Deng, Andres Nocioni*, Thabo Sefolosha
PJ Brown*, Tyrus Thomas, Viktor Khryapa
Ben Wallace, Mike Sweetney*

* = Unrestricted free agent

Small ball reigns in Chicago. Need size badly.

PG: Aah, Eeh
SG: Aah, Ugh
SF: Aah, Aah*, Aah
PF: Eeh*, Aah
C: Aah, Ugh*

With their 9th pick, they should probably look for size. But Paxson almost heeds Skiles' advice TOO much (unlike many GMs), so I wouldn't be surprised to see the Bulls take Conley here if he was around. Nick Young could be a reach, but would fill some defensive needs in the backcourt (see: Hamilton, Richard).

ecuhus

05-28-2007, 01:41 PM

Surrogate Breakdown: Sacramento Kings

Mike Bibby, Quincy Douby
Kevin Martin, John Salmons
Ron Artest, Francisco Garcia
Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Kenny Thomas
Brad Miller

The Maloofs want to start from scratch. They will build around Martin, but don't be surprised to see most of the rest of the team switching jerseys this summer. Bibby's contract is a bit steep for what he delivers, and Artest is a powder keg. The rest may be paired with one of the aforementioned in a trade for picks, youth, expiring contracts or even cash.

PG: Aah, Eeh
SG: Aah, Eeh
SF: Eeh, Ugh
PF: Eeh, Aah
C: Eeh

Julian Wright is often mentioned as a possible Kings' pick in mock drafts, but I could definitely see Mike Conley or Spencer Hawes. Corey Brewer could also pair well with Martin, and Noah could add exuberance to their gray-bearded frontline.

ecuhus

05-28-2007, 01:50 PM

Surrogate Breakdown: Philadelphia 76ers

Andre Miller, Louis Williams, Kevin Ollie
Andre Iguodala, Willie Green
Rodney Carney, Kyle Korver, Bobby Jones
Steven Hunter, Shavlik Randolph
Samuel Dalembert

The AI2 era spurts to a start. Need an offensive weapon inside. Also need a franchise PG. Coincidentally, traded away Iverson and Webber last year. Relying HEAVILY on this draft to rebuild.

PG: Eeh, Ugh, Ugh
SG: Aah, Ugh
SF: Eeh, Aah, Ugh
PF: Eeh (should be C), Eeh
C: Eeh

Crittendon and Law are options with their 1st pick (#12), but neither of is unselfish enough to distribute to a young team effectively. Combo forwards Jeff Green and Julian Wright could kill two birds (playmaking, interior scoring) with one stone, or could add to the logjam at SF, depending on how they develop. With their other pick, size and team play "should" come to the fore, but they'll probably take more flashy, undisciplined wing prospects.

Mr. Body

05-28-2007, 02:11 PM

With their 9th pick, they should probably look for size. But Paxson almost heeds Skiles' advice TOO much (unlike many GMs), so I wouldn't be surprised to see the Bulls take Conley here if he was around. Nick Young could be a reach, but would fill some defensive needs in the backcourt (see: Hamilton, Richard).

Why in the world would they take Conley, unless to trade him? They definitely need size, but specifically scoring size. It's practically Spencer Hawes or bust for them at #9. Joakim Noah if they miss; otherwise they're stacked everywhere else - don't need Julian Wright or Jeff Green.

ecuhus

05-28-2007, 04:18 PM

Why in the world would they take Conley, unless to trade him?

I already mentioned why they would take Conley. He's a great character guy and a hard worker (like Julian Wright and Jeff green, too), two qualities that Skiles values highly. The problem is (and this is all from what I have heard of the Bulls war room), Skiles is basically Paxson's puppeteer on draft night. A good GM knows when a coach doesn't have a GM's vision to choose team need over personality. Everyone can see they need a scorer inside and a full-sized SG if they are to become contenders, but Chicago fans shouldn't be surprised if neither of their present/future needs are met whatsoever.

So, why should they? Absolutely no reason.

Mr. Body

05-28-2007, 04:20 PM

Chicago isn't headed by Atlanta's FO. It's nonsensical that they take a PG in this draft. I have no idea what you're talking about.

pr0wler

05-28-2007, 05:44 PM

I think the "aah" "eeh" and "ugh" are way overinflated for every team. You have guys like Delonte West as average? Are you for real? He's one of the worst starting point guards in the league - i could off the top of my head name 25 better point guards. Mike Bibby as above average...since when? He's an average point guard at best...

nextstar1019

05-28-2007, 05:47 PM

so when is this whole thing gong to start

coachjon

05-28-2007, 06:03 PM

it already has nextstar here is the post for the actual draft
Make Your Own The Draft Picks Here (no Comments Only Picks)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This will help the own the draft not be so jumbled unless we get a website as was mentioned earlier. Only put your picks here so the next person knows when to go. So far in was
1. Portland- Greg Oden by Cascadia
2. Seatle- Kevin Durant by Kirk
3. Atlanta- Mike Conley by Hitster
4. Memphis- up next by Mullet by 5/30 midnight est

ecuhus

05-28-2007, 09:15 PM

The draft is scheduled to begin at midnight tonight, but the first 3 picks have already been made. Please refer to this page if you have questions or comments, and post only pick on the draft thread:

http://www.draftexpress.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3806

Remember, you can make your pick anytime once you are "on the clock", but your deadline stays the same. Still, it is best for all to decide on picks ASAP, so I'll try to remind people with PMs if their pick is active for more than two days or so. If you have any questions, please let coachjon or myself know.

Hope everyone is having a Happy Memorial Day, and happy drafting!

I think the "aah" "eeh" and "ugh" are way overinflated for every team. You have guys like Delonte West as average? Are you for real? He's one of the worst starting point guards in the league - i could off the top of my head name 25 better point guards. Mike Bibby as above average...since when? He's an average point guard at best...

BTW, what's with the scathing review?

I pulled those SURROGATE breakdowns together in about three minutes this morning. I thought it'd be of service to those who aren't very familiar with some teams; that was the whole purpose of the task. If you really want to burn someone at the stake, try the owners who left their team breakdowns high and dry (sorry for the mixed metaphor, too).

mullet is gone

05-29-2007, 06:17 AM

Conley at 3 ,way too high. Jack and Aldridge for Conley and one of the multitude of decent 3/4s clogging the roster......a trade that makes sense for both sides

Wright versus Horford is the obvious choice.............

With the fourth pick of the 2007 draft the Memphis Grizzlies select Al Horford....

Memphis cant wait on potential that might never realise itself. Horford is a winner, he's strong enough to bang under the boards and he should compliment things nicely............

p.s.
This also creates a senario where danny ainge has to decide between wright (obvious choice) and yi (possibly catastrophic choice).How much fun will that be.

shakes the clown

05-29-2007, 01:26 PM

Cascadia

05-29-2007, 01:27 PM

shakes the clown

05-29-2007, 01:28 PM

mullet is gone

05-29-2007, 01:37 PM

-Quit drooling over LaMarcus Aldridge. You're getting slobber on my shoes, too.

Blazers GM Kevin Pritchard was very clear. Roy and Aldridge are as untradable as the #1 pick.

-I like Horford for Memphis. Memphis needs a more physical player next to Gasol pretty badly.

Why is Aldridge wearing your shoes on his head?

Cascadia

05-29-2007, 01:39 PM

looks like the draft is already ruined with the Atlanta pick. Oh well, so much for realism.

That's the effect of no trades on a mock draft. In the real world, if Atlanta decides Conley is their player, they either move down a couple of picks and get Conley and extra asset, or trade up from 11 and get Conley that way.

Atlanta has to come out of this draft with a PG who can start for them. Law's defense is too weak and Crittenton is a couple of years of hard work away from being a starter. Atlanta is either going to have Conley, or a legit starting PG from another NBA team before the 1st round is half completed.

Cascadia

05-29-2007, 01:55 PM

Why is Aldridge wearing your shoes on his head?

Because Portland is the microbrewery capital of the world and these awesome draft lottery parties still going, dude.

Oh wow... Fred Jones just slam dunked a whole broiled salmon through the old Hung Far Low's Cocktails sign. Gotta run.

ecuhus

05-29-2007, 01:55 PM

Cascadia

05-29-2007, 02:03 PM

In the real world, you would also have picks traded for players, cash, future picks etc.; all are variables for which we cannot account. I didn't want to open Pandora's box with a bunch of under-the-table deals that would dilute the purpose of this draft.

I understand why you didn't want to deal with all of that stuff. I'm only saying it's a choice that was made, and that's result of that choice.

Mr. Body

05-29-2007, 02:11 PM

I see it as highly likely Atlanta takes Conley at #3, either to keep or to trade to Portland or trade down.

sirfreshness

05-29-2007, 02:27 PM

I dont think Conley at 3 is as unrealistic as you guys are making it.

wombat6802

05-29-2007, 02:55 PM

Givony is legitimizing #3+Josh Smith+Complimentary Players=Jack+Aldridge+Compliments

"It seems to be a trade that makes a lot of sense."
-Givony

Cascadia? I personally love the trade. I'm not as high on Aldridge as you are, but I think that Josh Smith is really a good guy to get up there at the 3.

Hitster

05-29-2007, 02:57 PM

I took Conley at 3 for Atlanta to shake things up but with Hibbert gone and their need for a PG as great as their need for a genuine C, I feel the choice is justified. Memphis need a PG, they may have taken Conley at 4, Boston and Milwaukee both have star players who play SG, chosing a PG would have been a logical move for them, as their are no trades I put myself in the Atlanta GM's shoes and took the best player available to suit one of their biggest needs and although I passed on consensus number 3 pick Brandan Wright, I see that Mullet a guy who is a big Memphis fan and knows the teams strengths well has also passed on him as he prefers Horford's game.

Hitster

05-29-2007, 02:59 PM

Josh Smith is potentially a breakout player and is a great rebounder, blocker etc so if he was effectively swapped for Aldridge it would be quite a nice deal for both teams.

wombat6802

05-29-2007, 03:05 PM

Cascadia

05-29-2007, 03:29 PM

However, it seems as though Jarrett Jack was really a character leader on the Blazers. What the Blazers get is a potential head-case in Smith, and a rookie point guard in Mike Conley. It is food for thought. Plus, they don't get rid of Zach Randolph either (unless he is traded to Boston for 5+ratliff) and so the character that the blazers are trying to build is being compromised.

It's a free country. You guys can post all the Aldridge trades you like. It's a complete waste of time and effort, though. Blazers GM Kevin Pritchard has stated in live interviews you can all go and listen to that the #1 pick is effectively untradable, and only kind of offer that would even make him think about it for a while would be a mythical "3 all-stars all in their early to mid 20's for the #1 pick" deal...

...and that Roy and Aldridge are just as unavailable for trade as the #1 pick.

Kevin Pritchard isn't shopping Aldridge on purpose. Kevin Pritchard IS shopping Zach Randolph on purpose. Zach Randolph is available. Aldridge is off the table.

Josh Smith is not a good fit in Portland. The Blazers don't need help defense for Oden and Aldridge. He's not a good team culture fit, either. They need a scorer, preferably someone who is a serious threat from 3. I've said before I think Josh Childress is a much better fit for the Blazers.

wombat6802

05-29-2007, 04:11 PM

So would you compomise the full effectiveness of Oden with the acquisition of Conley for the maintenance of the youthful good morality they've been building in PDX?

Cascadia

05-29-2007, 04:40 PM

So would you compomise the full effectiveness of Oden with the acquisition of Conley for the maintenance of the youthful good morality they've been building in PDX?

You know, from reading the comments of both Oden and Conley, I don't think this trade is their idea. Both seem to be leaning a little toward not playing together.

Now, remember, Mike Conley, Sr. only said HE isn't the source of these rumors. I forget which sports agency Conley, Sr. brought in the help him transition Oden and Conley Jr. to the NBA, but it's one of the big ones. Conley, Sr. didn't say none of the people working for him are responsible for the rumor.

The Conley Jr. rumor may not even be intended to re-unite Oden and Conley, Jr, It may just be about having NBA GMs and the media associating Conley Jr with the #3 pick for the whole month before the draft. It looks like it's working. Conley Jr is moving up everyone's mock drafts because of it.

shakes the clown

05-29-2007, 04:48 PM

CHICAGO BULLS OVERVIEW

Depth Chart
PG: Kirk Hinrich, Chris Duhon, Andre Barrett
SG: Ben Gordon, Thabo Sefalosha, Adrian Griffen
SF: Luol Deng, Andres Nocioni
PF: Tyrus Thomas, Malik Allen
C: Ben Wallace, Michael Sweetney

**PJ Brown is not listed since his contract has expired. Not sure who else has expiring contracts, but none of the major players do so who really cares.

DRAFT PICKS = #9, two late second rounders (not sure of the #s)

SEASON OVERVIEW:

The Bulls had another solid season as they continue to build one of the best young teams in the NBA. The Bulls finished with 49 wins, good for the 3rd best record in the Eastern Conference. The playoffs saw the Bulls win their first playoff series since Michael Jordan was around, sweeping the defending champs Miami Heat in the first round. The Bulls then lost to the Pistons in 6 games.

Throughout the season and playoffs a few problems became evident with the makeup of the team. First of all, the team desperately needs low post scoring. Too much reliance on the jump shot became the calling card for the Bulls. Also, against the Pistons in the playoffs it became obvious that Ben Gordon is too small and too disinterested to guard just about anyone with a pulse. Gordon's lack of defense and the mismatches his height caused were the main reasons the Bulls lost to the Pistons. Too often the other 4 players on the court were forced to run around helping Gordon and therefore leaving their men wide open. Crisp ball movement by the pistons resulted in countless wide open jump shots.

POSITIONAL ANALYSIS

Point Guard: Kirk Hinrich is quite possibly the most underrated and underappreciated point guard in the NBA. Asked to join Team USA and then this year voted to the 2nd team all defensive team, Kirk is obviously respected by the coaches and executives around the league. However, media types and most fans fail to realize what a great player he truly is. Very few players in the entire league are asked to do more on a basketball court than Hinrich. Besides running the offense, Kirk is also asked to be the #3 option on offense as well as to guard the other team's top offensive guard night in night out. Throw in the fact that he constantly has to help on Gordon's man and its easy to see why Kirk has more on his plate than just about anyone in the league. Kirk got off to a slow start shootingwise as did several other Team USA members. Additionally, with nary a low post scorer there are very few assist opportunities for Hinrich in this offense.

As a backup, Duhon is one of the best options in the league. Solid running the team and equally solid defensively Duhon is all you can ask for out of a backup point not named Barbosa.

SHOOTING GUARD: Ben Gordon led the Bulls in scoring this year. The end. really, there isn't much else to say on a positive note. Gordon is strictly a one trick pony and when his shot isn't falling he is a horrible player to have on the court. Doesn't or won't defend. Doesn't or won't move without the ball to get open, instead relying on top of the key handoffs to get the ball. And is easily the worst ball handling guard in the entire NBA, often commiting at least 2 to's a game just by dribbling the ball up the floor without a defender within 20 feet of him. But, when his shot is falling he can score in bunches with anyone. An ideal 6th man, but Gordon refuses to come off the bench and recently asked paxson for a starters gurantee.

Sefalosha had a typical rookie season. barely played at the start, inconsistent throughout, but many flashes of potential greatness. Already an extremely capable defender even as a rook. Awkward line drive shot was more effective than it should be. A backcourt of Sefalosha and Hinrich would be ideal and probably the best defensive backcourt in the league.

SMALL FORWARD: Over the offseason Skiles came to Deng with a simple suggestion. Stop shooting 3s and lets see what it does for your game. Low and behold, the simplest solution is often the best because Deng followed that advice and it has been tghe main reason for his assention into one of tghe top upo and coming SFs in the league.

Nocioni was hurt most of the year so he can't really be judged. he is a restricted free agent and he might cost too much to be retained. Plus, he might not want to come off the bench. If he is happy to remain a bull he could be one of the best bench players in the league and one of those guys that helps teams win titles.

POWER FORWARD: PJ brown is gone and all in all had a nice season for the Bulls. Tyrus Thomas showed amazing flashes of greatness at times, living above the rim on dunks and blocks. An occasional spin move in the post often netted positive results late in the season. The sky is literrally the limit for him as he might very well end up being the best player from his draft class when its all said and done.

CENTER: Ben Wallace didn't come cheap, but there is little doubt that he was tghe MVP of the Bulls first round sweep of Miami. Doing what Tyson Chandler could only dream of, Wallace effectively shut down Shaq in all four games. Wallace's age is a concern, but his on court demeanor and solid defense should be huge benefits for this team for at elast the next two seasons. A low post scorer would take a huge burden off of BEn who looked uncomfortable being asked to run pick and rolls and posting up.

DRAFT/OFFSEASON:

The Bulls are still reaping the benefits from the Eddy Curry trade as they landed a #9 pick this year. There is no doubt that the #1 need of the Bulls is a low post scorer. With several available it is hard to imagine the Bulls spending the #9 pick on anythign but. Some media and fans are suggesting trading the pick, however I don't see a single option out there that would be better than what we could get at #9. By that, I mean that #9 + our current roster is a lot better than trading the pick + several core players to get a top notch post player.

One trade that intrigues is going after Nick Collison. At only $3 mil he wouldnt' cost much and he would be a solid back up player for the bench, a huge upgrade over the Malik Allens and Sweetneys of the world.

Nocioni is a restriced free agent so that will bear watching this offseason.

Expect Deng to get a new contract this summer as well.

POSSIBLE DRAFT PICKS: Spencer hawes, Noah, Corey Brewer (if no big is available and he slips)

alpineballer

05-30-2007, 04:48 AM

One trade that intrigues is going after Nick Collison. At only $3 mil he wouldnt' cost much and he would be a solid back up player for the bench, a huge upgrade over the Malik Allens and Sweetneys of the world.

great positional analysis of the Bulls roster!

some questions:
did you hear rumors that the Bulls are interested in Collison, or is this just your suggestion?
I don't see this. Collison has signed a 4 year extension with the Sonics and will get about 6 million per season from next year on. he's not a bad player, (and, as you said, would be a very solid back-up PF) but he's not the missing piece IMO.
(btw. the contracts of either Allen and Sweetney expire this summer and I can't see them resigned. maybe Allen, if he signs for the veteran minimum)

on Spurs boards there have been lots of talks since last summer, that the Bulls might be interested in Luis Scola (because he is the best post scorer in Europe and also because of the success of Chapu Nocioni in Chicago). as usual, some of this trade ideas are totaly unrealistic pipe drams, but there are some scenarios, that do make sense.
one of thoses is a S&T of Nocioni for Scola's rights +expiring contract (Barry? Finley? Horry)+some more pieces (Butler, White, Udrih, picks).
another scenario has Scola's rights traded to Bulls with some more assets for Bull's no.9 pick this year.
of course there is no guarrantee that Scola can translate his game to the NBA, but having him watched for many years in Euroleague I claim that he is much more talented, than (for example) Nick Collison.

mavs128

05-30-2007, 01:10 PM

You know, from reading the comments of both Oden and Conley, I don't think this trade is their idea. Both seem to be leaning a little toward not playing together.

Now, remember, Mike Conley, Sr. only said HE isn't the source of these rumors. I forget which sports agency Conley, Sr. brought in the help him transition Oden and Conley Jr. to the NBA, but it's one of the big ones. Conley, Sr. didn't say none of the people working for him are responsible for the rumor.

The Conley Jr. rumor may not even be intended to re-unite Oden and Conley, Jr, It may just be about having NBA GMs and the media associating Conley Jr with the #3 pick for the whole month before the draft. It looks like it's working. Conley Jr is moving up everyone's mock drafts because of it.

these rumors are coming from people trying to sell newspapers, nowhere else.

shakes the clown

05-30-2007, 01:56 PM

great positional analysis of the Bulls roster!

some questions:
did you hear rumors that the Bulls are interested in Collison, or is this just your suggestion?
I don't see this. Collison has signed a 4 year extension with the Sonics and will get about 6 million per season from next year on. he's not a bad player, (and, as you said, would be a very solid back-up PF) but he's not the missing piece IMO.
(btw. the contracts of either Allen and Sweetney expire this summer and I can't see them resigned. maybe Allen, if he signs for the veteran minimum)

on Spurs boards there have been lots of talks since last summer, that the Bulls might be interested in Luis Scola (because he is the best post scorer in Europe and also because of the success of Chapu Nocioni in Chicago). as usual, some of this trade ideas are totaly unrealistic pipe drams, but there are some scenarios, that do make sense.
one of thoses is a S&T of Nocioni for Scola's rights +expiring contract (Barry? Finley? Horry)+some more pieces (Butler, White, Udrih, picks).
another scenario has Scola's rights traded to Bulls with some more assets for Bull's no.9 pick this year.
of course there is no guarrantee that Scola can translate his game to the NBA, but having him watched for many years in Euroleague I claim that he is much more talented, than (for example) Nick Collison.

yes, there has been talk in the Chicago papers about Collison. However, just because it is brought up by a sportswriter doesn't mean it has any more credibility than if you or I started it.

That said, I haven't heard a single word about Scola here in Chicago or on any message boards. I don't even know who he is. But, I can guarantee there is no way we would trade the #9 pick for him or Nocioni since the guy hasn't even played in the NBA. If Pax is going to trade for a post player it has to be an established guy.

Mr. Body

05-30-2007, 02:06 PM

There's plenty of talk on realgm's Chicago board about Scola.

'Established' guys in the NBA are Zach Randolph, Pau Gasol, Jermaine O'Neal... and Melvin Ely.

Most of those are tremendously expensive. Then there's this huge drop off.

And Nick Collison is a good hustle player, a Jeff Foster. He's not a post scorer.

wombat6802

05-30-2007, 02:22 PM

His scoring ability is extremely underrated. Jeff Foster would never drop 20 on you. Collison can score, he's got a nice set of post moves, the problem is that he needs a major upgrade from what he's got in Seattle to really showcase that. Ridnour/Watson is a joke and there is not a single low post distributor on that team. If he went to Chicago he'd get Hinrich, Duhon, Deng, and Gordon, all who can share the rock well and putting him alongside Wallace, albeit undersized, would result in a nice balanced frontcourt. in my opinion...

sirfreshness

05-30-2007, 02:42 PM

Mr. Body

05-30-2007, 03:19 PM

Scola would be a great fit on Chicago's team but I do not know if the Bulls have what it could take to get him. The Spurs would have to be interested in Thabo as his length on the wing could allow him to be one of the future wing defenders that they need. You think they would do that straight up Louis for Thabo?

I'm pretty sure they tried to last year. The Spurs were hot on trading into the middle of the draft in '06, with Utah and Chicago being prime candidates, but both teams balked at the 'double expense' (for the trade, for the buyout). The Spurs were hot after one of either Ronnie Brewer or Thabo Sefolosha, it seems.

The Spurs are a tight-lipped org, but I think all this is true. Last summer followed one of the worst seasons imagineable for international rookies - Jasikevicius, Macijauskas, and Oberto all looked like busts, so the trust in a new guy coming in was remarkably low. This season, however, while Oberto has turned it around in the playoffs, you have Walter Hermann, Garbojosa, and others, including point guards, who had campaigns of promise. Oberto and Hermann's resurgence alone raises Scola's price tag, as Argentinian NT guys.

The irony here is that it would take Chicago more than Thabo Sefolosha to get Luis Scola from the Spurs now, when apparently they could have had him straight up last summer.

mavs128

05-30-2007, 04:15 PM

The irony here is that it would take Chicago more than Thabo Sefolosha to get Luis Scola from the Spurs now, when apparently they could have had him straight up last summer.

I disagree.....I think Spurs would take that in a heartbeat.

Mr. Body

05-30-2007, 04:38 PM

I disagree.....I think Spurs would take that in a heartbeat.

Respectfully, no. It's not even clear Sefolosha is better than James White at this point.

Same as you don't throw a starving man a bone, you don't just give away the post presence a near-contender needs. Not for free.

fatdan

05-30-2007, 04:57 PM

has anybody wonder that we should make the picks after the workouts to seperate these guys there like 12 guys bunch together and you need some way of pull out the bad ones from the really bad ones right now it may be to early to make a good guess like the jeans

shakes the clown

05-30-2007, 05:54 PM

mavs128

05-30-2007, 05:59 PM

Respectfully, no. It's not even clear Sefolosha is better than James White at this point.

Same as you don't throw a starving man a bone, you don't just give away the post presence a near-contender needs. Not for free.

I seriously hope that's a joke. White had a hard time making an NBA roster. Sefolosha defended one of the best 2 guards in the league in the playoffs.

And I think you're seriously overrating Scola....his cieling in the NBA is at best an average starting PF, but much more likely a good bench player. He's also what, 7-8 years older than Sefolosha?

Give me Thabo any day of the week.

Mr. Body

05-30-2007, 06:21 PM

shakes the clown

05-30-2007, 06:22 PM

I seriously hope that's a joke. White had a hard time making an NBA roster. Sefolosha defended one of the best 2 guards in the league in the playoffs.

And I think you're seriously overrating Scola....his cieling in the NBA is at best an average starting PF, but much more likely a good bench player. He's also what, 7-8 years older than Sefolosha?

Give me Thabo any day of the week.

according to Mr Body all Bulls players are basically glorified CBA/NBDL players.

Mr. Body

05-30-2007, 06:25 PM

according to Mr Body all Bulls players are basically glorified CBA/NBDL players.

Get real. Reading you and realgm's Chicago board, you'd think Duhon was a young Gary Payton, Tyrus Thomas is going to be a terrific post performer, and Thabo Sefolosha is worth trading up for Oden. Chicago is actually a team I really like, but you guys make me laugh. It's like a pack of 12 year olds with trading cards.

shakes the clown

05-30-2007, 06:36 PM

Get real. Reading you and realgm's Chicago board, you'd think Duhon was a young Gary Payton, Tyrus Thomas is going to be a terrific post performer, and Thabo Sefolosha is worth trading up for Oden. Chicago is actually a team I really like, but you guys make me laugh. It's like a pack of 12 year olds with trading cards.

feel free to point out even ONE comment I've said about a Bulls player that isn't true or doesn't have the realistic potential to become true. I'll be waiting.

And I've never even written the word Duhon since I started posting here.

AWalker17

05-30-2007, 09:47 PM

With the 5th pick in the draft, the Boston Celtics select....

Brandan Wright from the University of North Carolina. Wright is a good finisher, great athlete, and perfect for the new running Celtics with Rajon Rondo at the 1.

mavs128

05-31-2007, 04:22 AM

Scola will be a fine interior scorer. How good he'll be, who knows, but I'm not rating him too highly, especially when you look at what post options are available at the moment.

Sefolosha is a fine player, but he's not any great shakes at the moment and the difference between him and White at the moment is not very vast. Probably there is some separation between the two in years to come, but not enough to fire off a Euroleague MVP for. Forget it.

the difference between "barely makes NBA roster" and "NBA playoff team rotation" IS vast, and Euroleague MVP means nothing. Scola will be a small man in a big man's world in the NBA, and he will have far less time than Thabo to adjust.

alpineballer

05-31-2007, 06:23 AM

and Euroleague MVP means nothing.

depending on what you want or don't want to see.
noone claimed that Scola will be an all-star in the nba, noone even claimed that he will become a decent starter.
but it could happen. (the latter of course more likely)
Scola has been playing on the same level (or on a higher level) like some other seasoned European players, who came during the last 3 seasons and quickly established themself as impact players (call it regular rotation players or starters), even on PO teams.

Nocioni, Garbajosa, Herrmann, Calderon, Oberto.
Anthony Parker could also be added to this list (also a Euroleague MVP).

right, Scola will be a small man in a big man's world in the NBA, but maybe some of the other Argentinian players should have been told this fact. otherwise the 6-7 Nocioni wouldn't be best as a super undersized PF (who doesn't back down when playing against 6-10 PFs, who scale 30 lbs more than him) and the totally unatheltic, 2 inch leaping 6-10 center Oberto wouldn't have played himself into the starting center spot of the 2007 NBA finalist.

coachjon

05-31-2007, 10:19 AM

MR. Body you are on the clock followed by wombat. fatdan's pick is in of jeff green for milwalkee.

Hitster

05-31-2007, 11:14 AM

Scola will never be an NBA all star but he can become a role playing starter or a good 6th or 7th man, this is the level that the likes of Garbojsa and Parker achieved in their first proper NBA seasons and what Nocioni achieved at Chicago and Orberto looks like doing now at the Spurs. GM's know that they will not get an All Star with a player like Scola but they will get a NBA ready player who can contribute good minutes for a reasonable salary say between $3 to $5 million per season.

sirfreshness

05-31-2007, 11:56 AM

Do not forget about the Herrmannator!!! He showed some great play in the last 20 games for the Bobcats.

alpineballer

05-31-2007, 11:58 AM

Do not forget about the Herrmannator!!! He showed some great play in the last 20 games for the Bobcats.

? that's why I mentioned him 3 posts back.

Mr. Body

05-31-2007, 12:06 PM

alpineballer

05-31-2007, 12:20 PM

No one's suggesting Scola will be an All-Star, but I'd hardly be surprised to see him playing like Nocioni (at least on the offensive end) before long. Some period of adjustment.

He has world-class post skills (also: pic-n-roll skills). Whether they translate 100% is not the point. It's that he has them, and some will carry over.

And that there is a huge lack of post options on the market at the moment, and most are max guys with long contracts and will take half your team to get.

I've not said Scola is worth the moon. Just that he's worth more than Sefolosha at this point.

Body, you forgot that many posters think players comming from Europe are put in quarantine, where they lose all their skills and have to start again from zero in the NBA.
some of the arguments sound as if this players are volleyball players they bring over to reskill as basketball players.

Hitster

05-31-2007, 01:07 PM

As I've said before these guys aren't a project like say Tomic would be or even Bargnani to a lesser extent was, they are top International players, okay the NBA is a different and faster game to a lot of Euroball games but providing that these guys have a decent basketball IQ which most of them seem to then they can adjust. Looking at the value of players and Mr Body mentioned they are not guys on $10 million per season plus but are looked at as complimentary starters or top bench players like say how Colangelo has assembled the Raptors roster or how the Spurs have looked to Europe to compliment their big 3.

shakes the clown

05-31-2007, 01:19 PM

MR. Body you are on the clock followed by wombat. fatdan's pick is in of jeff green for milwalkee.

coach, can you relist the draft picks so far everytime you do an update like this. That will make it a lot easier to follow. actually relisting the entire order w/ made picks filled in would really be the best way to do it if that's not too much trouble.

Cascadia

05-31-2007, 01:37 PM

Body, you forgot that many posters think players comming from Europe are put in quarantine, where they lose all their skills and have to start again from zero in the NBA.
some of the arguments sound as if this players are volleyball players they bring over to reskill as basketball players.

It's the Metric system. It's all the Metric system's fault.

European players can't do the Metric to English conversions any better than Americans can. The fear you see in the eyes of a Euro big guy like Primoz Brezec that's supposed to be taking the charge of Dwight Howard coming down the lane is caused by the Euro thinking Howard is listed at 265 kilos. The "I'm about to seriously injure you" message Howard communicates is based on Howard thinking Brezec weighs in at 114 lbs.

See... it's the Metric system that causes Howard's power-dunk AND 1 while Brezec goes flying through the camera section behind the basket 4 rows deep into the crowd.

Mr. Body

05-31-2007, 01:47 PM

coach, can you relist the draft picks so far everytime you do an update like this. That will make it a lot easier to follow. actually relisting the entire order w/ made picks filled in would really be the best way to do it if that's not too much trouble.

Shakes... there's a thread that keeps track without comments in the NBA League Talk forum.

alpineballer

05-31-2007, 01:56 PM

It's the Metric system. It's all the Metric system's fault.

European players can't do the Metric to English conversions any better than Americans can. The fear you see in the eyes of a Euro big guy like Primoz Brezec that's supposed to be taking the charge of Dwight Howard coming down the lane is caused by the Euro thinking Howard is listed at 265 kilos. The "I'm about to seriously injure you" message Howard communicates is based on Howard thinking Brezec weighs in at 114 lbs.

See... it's the Metric system that causes Howard's power-dunk AND 1 while Brezec goes flying through the camera section behind the basket 4 rows deep into the crowd.

probably right. this would also explain why Chapu Nocioni drove on guys twice as big like he was a hockey player.
he thought he had bulked up from 100kg to 220 over night.

sirfreshness

05-31-2007, 03:14 PM

wombat makes the play Charlotte will be scared to do in real life

Mr. Body

05-31-2007, 04:07 PM

Yeah, not sure about that pick. They could trade down if they want.

mullet is gone

05-31-2007, 04:29 PM

fatdan

05-31-2007, 04:39 PM

I think green was the best player available he has the whole package when i watched him before the final four i though he was a really good player and i'm trying to not let one incident change my mind about him .He can be as good as the 2, 3rd, or the the sixth best player in the draft very easily.and can't miss at 6 with his ablity to play 3 postions on a already very talent team

Mr. Body

05-31-2007, 04:43 PM

I like Green a lot and can't fault the pick. I was actually hoping to get him with the Minnesota pick, as he could mesh with Garnett very well (and hopefully keep him). I was surprised Yi was there, but the T-Wolves are balanced between drafting the best talent and trying to keep KG happy. Getting Brewer - a very good player with championship experience - is also a way to say, "we're dedicated to winning now."

Charlotte drafts for need over anything and Nick Young could improve them. At least as msg. board CW goes that's a bit of a reach.

mavs128

05-31-2007, 06:38 PM

I guess I'm still confused as to why someone who has never played in the NBA, and who's cieling is considered a 6th or 7th man type, is worth more than someone 7 years younger than him who is ALREADY a 7th or 8th man type on a playoff team as a rookie?

This isn't even taking Scola's contract situation into consideration. Scola for Thefalosha is a San Antonio pipe dream at this point.

shakes the clown

05-31-2007, 07:01 PM

Green, Brewer, Young, Yi......

Wombat's pick is a bit of a surprise, I reckon thats a bit high for green too. Yi will be a decent player but Hawes made more sense for chicago. How low will Noah go I wonder? For all his faults I think he is top ten player.

yeah, I really struggled with that pick since no one has wanted Hawes for the Bulls more than I have since basically the start of the new year. But, that said, if Yi is as good as advertised and really is capable of being the 3rd best player in this draft I just don't see how Pax will let him slip by him. But, that said, there is no way in real life Yi drops that far just like there is no way in real life Jeff Green and Young go that high. Those two picks really screwed up the rest of the draft, along with the conley pick at #3. In real life I would've been looking at Hawes or Noah and the choice would've been easy. But the choice of Hawes or Yi is a different story.

The Bulls won't draft for need if there is a great player still on the board. That's what seperates Pax from the idiot GMs like the guy in Toronto that took that big fat center out of BYU a couple years ago.

All that said, I stillwent back and forth on it for a while before making the pick. Like I said, no one is higher on Hawes than I am.

Mr. Body

05-31-2007, 07:07 PM

1. Sefolosha did nothing of note in the playoffs.

2. Bargnani never played in the NBA, yet was a #1 pick. Obviously talent translates. And... *gasp*... Sefolosha was a Swiss dude in a European league before he became a Bull. If he's to be that all-fired awesome, don't see why Scola won't be. Clearly, Sefolosha was a young player who had some promise before he was drafted... yet Scola is an MVP and superstar.

3. Scola is starter material, but like Nocioni, can come off the bench if you want. No big deal either way. He dropped 19 points in 21 minutes against U.S.A. in 2004, top scorer for Argentina. For the tournament... 17.6 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 66% shooting.

4. Chicago would do a Sefolosha for Scola trade straight up right now.

5. San Antonio wouldn't. They would ask for more, especially since Thabo did very little this year. This is called 'market forces'. Chicago badly needs a good post presence or else they'll not go any further in the playoffs. San Antonio doesn't need any of their wings.

mavs128

06-01-2007, 02:28 AM

5. San Antonio wouldn't. They would ask for more, especially since Thabo did very little this year. This is called 'market forces'. Chicago badly needs a good post presence or else they'll not go any further in the playoffs. San Antonio doesn't need any of their wings.

You act like it's a garuntee that a 6-7 guy is going to be a post force in the NBA

Spurs aren't going to get a Sefolosha type player (young and talented wing) for Scola. If they could, he would've been traded by now.

And you talk as if foreign players are a sure thing now. Do we really need to name off all the complete bombs that have come from oversees? Not to say that there haven't been successes as well, but it's far from a sure thing. And it's alot farther from a sure thing when it's a 6-7 post player.

alpineballer

06-01-2007, 05:05 AM

You act like it's a garuntee that a 6-7 guy is going to be a post force in the NBA

guessing and discussing how a player will do in another league is one thing.
you can be right or wrong.
but sorry - to use false numbers to back-up the own position is a bit cheap.
you should either do some research before talking about (and judging) a player, or use the right numbers.

Scola is listed 2.07 m / 105 kg (6' 9 1/2'', 230 lbs) and in Europe players are usually listed more accurate than in the NBA (where players sometimes grow 2'').

Scola isn't huge, but he is far from being totally undersized as PF.
(he will likley bulk up some 10 lbs when comming to the NBA.). if players like David Lee, Nick Collison, David West, Garbajosa etc. do well in covering the PF spot, there is no reason to claim that Scola never will, because he is undersized.
(or is it just the fact that a Mavs fan will always try to discredit the players the Spurs drafted? also a cheap move, considering this should be a board where player abilities and possible team moves should be discussed without all this homerismn)

Mr. Body

06-01-2007, 03:29 PM

alps, I don't think Scola will get bigger than he is now - he's 27, after all - but it's true that he marks out at minimum as a 6'9" guy, which they don't jimmy and falsify in Europe. To say he's 6'7" is feeding false information. Nocioni is 6'7", Scola is not.

pr0wler

06-03-2007, 12:33 AM

Okay I'm really confused. Are picks being made here or what? Where is the thread of the history of picks alrdy been done?

coachjon

06-03-2007, 12:36 AM

in the own the draft picks only thread we are up to pick 9. #10 is due in the next half and hour and pick 11 will be made immediately after that the pick was already pmed to me because he is out of town. then you have bryce who has until midnight est tommorrow then you can go.

here is the link to the picks http://draftexpress.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3806&highlight=draft+picks

coachjon

06-03-2007, 12:52 AM

Joakim Noah went #10 to Sac and Spencer Hawes #11 to Atl Bryce is on tap next Philly by midnight est tommorrow, followed by prowler New Orleans by 6/4 noon est and me LA Clippers by 6/4 midnight est

wombat6802

06-03-2007, 03:32 PM

The Bobcats need the best SG in this draft. Nick Young is probably the most complete collegiate prospect at the 2 in a long time. He can really do it all at this point and he also has the physical attributes. Sure it seems a little high, but there comes a point where a franchise needs to just admit that they need something and draft it before anyone else gets near it. I wanted Jeff Green. He's still my Charlotte pick on my mock (for reasons that I've explained elsewhere on these boards), but Nick Young fills an immediate need and for this, I believe that the 8th pick is justified. He might not have the potential, but I can guarantee you that he'll get us into the playoffs faster than Julian "Still Waiting..." Wright.

coachjon

06-04-2007, 10:15 AM

The Clippers take the best player available on the board and pick Al Thornton. Yes, they needed a PG since Livingston will be out for the year and Cassell is aging but Jason Hart played well for them and they could reup him. They also just need overall depth and Thornton can help, at the PF and SF spots, with this splitting time at the two positions with Tim Thomas another combo forward on the roster. This pick just makes their roster alot more versatile allowing Maggette to slide over to SG at times spelling the aging Mobley with the Clippers having Thomas, Thornton, and Maggette all on the court at the same time. It could also make getting rid of Maggette a little easier if they still want to explore trading him or they could see what value they could get with Thornton and turn away and trade him. To me this pick makes the most sense because he slid down the board and it gives you a lot of options.

coachjon

06-04-2007, 04:47 PM

today was a busy day we are now through 17. Acie Law went 15, Jason Smith 16, Josh McRoberts 17.

mavs128

06-04-2007, 05:00 PM

I'm really confused why Washington needs Jason Smith considering they already have Thomas, Haywood, Jamison, Blatche, Songalia, and Pecherov.

Maybe it's just me though.

Cascadia

06-04-2007, 05:08 PM

I'm really confused why Washington needs Jason Smith considering they already have Thomas, Haywood, Jamison, Blatche, Songalia, and Pecherov.

Maybe it's just me though.

Haywood has demanded a trade, and they are going to accommodate him, since he has this habit of getting into fistfights at practice. Thomas is a little undersized at C. Jamison is a nice scorer, but he's mostly a perimeter player who plays terrible post defense. Songalia and Blatche are just bench depth. Pecherov is a thin perimeter prospect.

coachjon

06-05-2007, 12:05 AM

Lakers select Rudy Fernandez at #19. They need SG/combo guard and Fernandez fits that bill. He is athletic, quick, slasher, can shoot out to 3, handle the ball, and he has a high basketball IQ the last two things making him an ideal wing for the triangle. He also has good potential and is ready to contribute right away although he may not be able to come over next year because of buyout issues.

godshamgod

06-05-2007, 12:57 AM

I'm really confused why Washington needs Jason Smith considering they already have Thomas, Haywood, Jamison, Blatche, Songalia, and Pecherov.

Maybe it's just me though.

Nope not just you. Me and a lot of other wizards fans are wondering the same thing. I'm really confused why everybody has the wizards taking him. I'm not sold on Smith as a Center and they are loaded at PF. Jamison is clearly the starter, Songalia played extremely well when he was healthy at the end of the season and he wasn't 100%. Blatche is a fan favorite, is very young, and has shown a lot of potential. Pecherov is coming over this year and from what I saw in summer league play last year he is not as much of a perimeter player as people think. He is also up to 240 and is basically very similar to Jason Smith.

Now we are pretty weak at center but chances are Haywood will be traded for another Center with Etan starting and Calvin Booth on the bench. At #16 I just don't see any low post guy that would make sense to get. The only big guy who would fit in well would be Sean Williams and he's probably a reach at 16. Realistically I think this will be addressed through free agency.

Personally I think the wizards will take a 2 guard or a swingman. If Stevenson leaves then the 2 spot is empty because there is nobody behind him except Roger Mason and Donell Taylor who will most likely not be back. Also after Butler there is no true 3 with Hayes leaving. Because of this I think it's the most logical thing to take someone like Nick Young (if hes there), Thaddeus Young, Derrick Byars, Rudy Fernandez or Morris Almond at 16.

Mr. Body

06-06-2007, 12:45 PM

Bryce is up for Philadelphia. Isn't this guy the one who didn't show up for Philly's earlier pick? Shouldn't we just select for him and move on?

ecuhus

06-06-2007, 01:24 PM

You make a good point, indications are that he won't pick. I have sent a PM to Bryce that he has until noon EST tomorrow to respond that he is indeed going to pick. Otherwise, we'll pick for him.

I think this will be the system going forward, where after 24 hours have passed from the time the pick is ready to be made, either coachjon or I willl PM the drafter to notify them that their pick is "on the clock". They will then have 48 hours to respond, or their pick will be made for them. Is that too long, 3 days altogether? I thought that would be a fair amount to time, so as not to snatch the fun of drafting from someone who only visits 3-4 times a week.

Scoreboard

06-06-2007, 01:58 PM

i just started skimming through all the chatter on this set of posts. hilarious, i love the intensity (fantasy draft-esque). i'm a little upset i didn't get in on the action considering my NJ Nets had to be picked up as a second team because nobody wanted them.

drafted josh mcroberts, eh? yuck. i understand the reasons behind the pick i'm just not that enthusiastic about him. i'd prefer to deal carter for a big man and draft an SG because there are plenty of mid-1st round quality guys (young, fernandez, almond). but i haven't quite worked out the details of a potentional carter deal yet so i'm not gonna argue w/that pick cause the nets will definitely need a big man if they don't resign mikki moore.

sirfreshness

06-06-2007, 02:10 PM

ecuhus

06-06-2007, 02:11 PM

Hey, I knew there was a reason I liked you; you're a fellow Nets fan! :)

Yeah, McRoberts didn't show any of the athleticism that had him ranked at the top of his HS class (alongside Gerald Green), at last week's pre-draft camp. I don't think athleticism will be his calling card in the NBA though; rather, smart execution of offense. I could definitely see him fitting into the mold of Danny Ferry (yes, a fellow Dukie), who was not All-World in athleticism either but did the little things to keep an offense flowing. We could really use that on the Nets.

Scoreboard

06-06-2007, 02:50 PM

Cascadia

06-06-2007, 03:16 PM

ok, so i got a plan for the nets...

trade carter to portland for randolph and jones. carter's and randolph's respective contracts are relatively close in value (randolph's being slightly less), and jones' 1 yr remaining for $3 mill evens it out nicely.

why do it?
portland: allows them to more comfortably fit oden into the rotation while getting a top quality guard who can handle the ball should rodriguez and jack not provide sufficient play at the 1. furthermore, allows the trailblazers to both attempt to win now and build towards the future. if carter and oden can get this team deep in the playoffs then that'd be huge and they can go and resign carter at year's end. if carter doesn't mesh and they want to stay young they can sign & trade or just release him at the end of the year and free up some cap space to pursue other alternatives.

new jersey: fills the need for a bigman and allows you to pursue a 2-guard which are plentiful in the mid-first round (they could trade down if they wanted to go more in a williams or byars direction or try to trade up and use law as a combo guard). it makes them younger as part of their rebuilding process while remaining competitive. most importantly, it forces lawrence frank to start running offensive plays other than "isolation for carter", which the team seems content to run a dozen times a game. (see nets' final possession in the cavs series).

i'm semi-hoping that the nets grab marcus williams (even though i'd prefer young or almond) so that at some point i can watch marcus williams and marcus williams in the nets' backcourt.

Background info... Jones is a hometown guy. Jones contract is only expiring because he agreed not to use his option to extend his contract in order to come home and join the Blazers roster. Lifelong dream of Jones to play for the Blazers. There seems to be kind of an unspoken agreement as a part of that agreement the Blazers don't take advantage of the goodwill Jones offered to the Blazers. The short version is even though Jones doesn't have the right to veto a trade on paper, he will be offered the right to veto any trade. The Blazers also really aren't shopping Jones because of gentlemen's agreement they have.

As far as Carter for Zach and maybe Dickau instead...I just don't see it happening. I kinda doubt Carter would agree to come to Portland. I have a hard time seeing Pritchard bringing Carter in after the way he walked on Toronto. Carter is also too old to help the Blazers when Oden, Roy, and Aldridge start to peak. Carter productivity is going to be minimal (if he hasn't retired) when the kids are reaching their potential.

It's going to take a RJeff offer for the Nets to get Zach out of Portland.

ecuhus

06-06-2007, 08:48 PM

Mr. Body

06-06-2007, 09:00 PM

Cascadia

06-06-2007, 10:39 PM

Can I just say one more time, I HATE the idea of Zach Randolph coming to New Jersey? Nevermind that Kidd may only have 100 or so peak games left in him; this team as a whole does not need a plodding PF to slow the pace on which so many of the young players feed.

Plus, Randolph is essentially a slower and less versatile version of the early 21st Century Antoine Walker; a semi-crafty, ground-bound bigman with subpar athleticism and bad shooting efficiency. AND, his contract is unattractive to other teams, so if things don't work out with this badboy in Jersey, we're stuck with him.

People want to stick their problems on us, because they've been conditioned to thinking of NJ as a patsy team; but no more. New York wrested that job from our hands, and I'd like to keep it that way.

Randolph has holes in his game. They're documented. However... he definitely does not play anything like Antoine Walker. Comparing a guy like Walker who camps on the perimeter on offense and averaged 4.8 3PA/g for his career to Zach 0.7 3A per game last year (0.3 3PA/g career) is ridiculous.

Zach gets the vast majority of his points either mixing it up in the post or from free throws from fouls he picked up against post players attempting to score in the post. Zach is a very good free throw shooter, and he converts the fouls he picks up.

Zach's shooting efficiency is what it is because he constantly is facing defensive double teams everytime he touches the ball. Zach was the only real offensive threat the Blazers had until Roy and Aldridge really stepped up their scoring around the All-Star break. If Zach is on a team where others on the floor are equally capable scorers and defenses can't constantly double team him, his shooting efficiency is going to skyrocket.

Zach is also willing to take the ball in the final 2 minutes of the game and beat a double team to win a game. And Zach does win games down the stretch because Zach both scores and hits his free throws in the final moments when games are on the line.

As far as Zach's contract goes, any suggestion that an NBA player that puts up 20+ points and 10 rebounds on a regular basis is going to be signed to a contract that pays them less than what Zach gets paid is not telling the truth. The only players who produce at the level Zach does for less money are still on their rookie contracts. $12 MIL a year is a very reasonable price for a guy puts up 20+ points and 10 rebs a game.

Cascadia

06-06-2007, 10:48 PM

Randolph's contract is terrible, his stats are pumped up for playing on a bad (if up and coming) team, and he's demonstrated no capabilities of impacting whether a game is won or lost. He's badly overrated due to few post players being available this year.

Wrong. Zach Randolph is badly UNDERATED because he plays for a bad team stuck up in the PAC NW away from the mass media. Name me a 20+ pt/10 reb PF from New York, Boston, or Philly or Chicago that ever got left off an All-Star game roster?

Zach's stats have been depressed by playing in Portland. Zach is double teamed every time he touches the ball. If Zach is on a team others around him are scoring threats, and Zach isn't facing constant defensive double teams, Zach's numbers skyrocket.

wombat6802

06-06-2007, 11:07 PM

I will have to agree with you Cascadia. Put him on any contending team with a quality perimeter threat and he's an All-Star (though he should have been one this year...).

ecuhus

06-06-2007, 11:27 PM

Put David West on some of the teams Portland has trotted out, and you'll see similar results.

Cascadia

06-06-2007, 11:34 PM

Put David West on some of the teams Portland has trotted out, and you'll see similar results.

David West will make $10,650,000 next year for the Hornets, and averaged 5 points and 2 rebs less per game than Zach Randolph did.

wombat6802

06-06-2007, 11:54 PM

I think that West's breakout season was thwarted by his injury. I watched a lot of NO/OK games and I can tell you that by the time he got back, he really looked like a guy deserving of a big salary. Both guys are great up and coming power forwards in the league.

sirfreshness

06-07-2007, 12:13 AM

wombat6802

06-07-2007, 12:34 AM

Why? They have Gerald Wallace... All that does is take away valuable shooting, a potential center, and that draft pick... I know you're a Cats fan, but why oh why???? and Noah?

sirfreshness

06-07-2007, 12:37 AM

Why? They have Gerald Wallace... All that does is take away valuable shooting, a potential center, and that draft pick... I know you're a Cats fan, but why oh why???? and Noah?

See that is exactly what I was saying, thank you

wombat6802

06-07-2007, 12:53 AM

Is your friend a Cats fan? or is he of the Memphis persuasion? I'd certainly hope he'd be the latter

sirfreshness

06-07-2007, 01:08 AM

Is your friend a Cats fan? or is he of the Memphis persuasion? I'd certainly hope he'd be the latter

Well really it is a Mock Offseason league, I have already moved up from 21 to get Young, I took Noah to fill the Center void. This guy offered me Gay for Herrmann+Noah and I rejected and told him I would have to get more out of the deal, he flipped out and talked a whole bunch of crap in our forum about the trade then told everyone the deal I rejected was Gay for Herrmann straight up. Not everyone in the league is very knowledgeable about players who were not big draft picks or are big time stars, they said Herrmann was a horrible player and I am crazy for not taking the Noah/Herrman for Gay offer. But I basically have Wallace tied up, I have brought in Brian Cook (laker) too give me some shooting off the bench, I resigned Carroll. I have Noah and Brezec for centers. I dont see how Gay fits in my needs, I think Herrmann and my future center is more important than a guy that will end up as my backup (behind a legit star in the making of Wallace). I just wanted to make sure I am not crazy.

mullet is gone

06-07-2007, 09:24 AM

Alright I have a question that needs to be asked (sorry this is off topic) but me and my friend were arguing about this and I think he is completely wrong on it. Here is a trade scenario, just tell me which team would not do the trade and why

Charlotte trades Walter Herrmann, Joakim Noah (taken with 8th pick) to Memphis for Rudy Gay

No way memphis does this. Noah is not the kind of defense we need. Hermann looks okay and Noah will be a decent player but we gambled on Battier for Gay.....no way he is given up until we find how good he will be

sirfreshness

06-07-2007, 12:03 PM

Why does everyone down Herrmann's ability just because he didnt get PT until the end of the season? If you adjust his mins to that of Garbajosa he outproduces him and comes close to an Anthony Parker. People have been gushing over Garbs and Parker and how Colangelo got from what seemed to the general public out of no-where, but hesitate when it comes to giving the Herrmann props.

Plus the Memphis team was completely changed it didnt have the same people but I get you point and it makes sense.....or should I say it doesnt make sense for either team?

Hitster

06-07-2007, 01:28 PM

Gay was 8th pick in a weaker draft why give up the say pick plua a player for him, if Memphis was offered this deal in real life they'd gobble it up giving them two top 8 picks in the draft. Okay taking Gay wasn't as smart as it seemed at the time given Battier's positive role at Houston.

coachjon

06-07-2007, 05:58 PM

sirfreshness by the way you are on the clock for your pick

sirfreshness

06-07-2007, 06:13 PM

sirfreshness by the way you are on the clock for your pick

Thanks for the reminder I will pick in a couple mins

Scoreboard

06-07-2007, 06:15 PM

sirfreshness

06-07-2007, 06:17 PM

sirfreshness is drafting for the suns right (my fav team not from the tri-state area)? take rudy fernandez he's an absolute perfect fit!

....unless he's been taken? then just dump it for cash! it worked out really well last year! [insert sarcasm here]

can someone post a list of who's been taken? it's impossible to track this pseudo-fantasy draft across 16 pages worth of posts. thanks.

I would have loved to take Frenandez but he was taken I took Belinelli to stash for another season overseas and keep the payroll down (somewhat). The list of picks is in the NBA talk forum in the thread "make your own picks"

coachjon

06-07-2007, 07:16 PM

Scoreboard here is the link to make it easy if you already haven't found it

http://draftexpress.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3806&page=3

Scoreboard

06-08-2007, 10:19 AM

thanks for the link.

whoa, that's really interesting. green and young got jumped on early, while yi and hawes fell (which may better reflect the latter's two skills in relation to the rest of the draft).

the most intriguing pick i think is detroit. it makes sense if they wanna show billups the door and if law falls that far, i just never considered it. (i think i've got to finally trounce my hopes of law falling to #17)

i don't like picking belinelli but at the 26 what else can you do? unless they trade up they're just gonna dump the picks anyway and not have to give out the mandatory 3-year deal for 1st round picks.

i think utah's pick is a no brainer but i'll keep my mouth shut until after he picks.

ShutUpAndListenToMe

06-08-2007, 01:05 PM

Hey Wombat Why Did You Take Two Sg's?

We have Carrol And i hate to say, even though im a fan of his, Morrison that can play sg, i agree I like the young pick, but I tihnk the team could use some Pg Depth, along with some Big Man Depth. Gabe Pruit Was still on the board, and Visser or Gasol Were also on the board. Just A THought. I like the idea of taking Hawes with the 1st pick, than taking stuckey, benelli with the 2nd pick in the 1st round.

wombat6802

06-08-2007, 04:27 PM

Stuckey is the most underrated combo guard in the draft and assuming he falls to 22, he provides that depth. Pruitt? Give me a break. The kid is riding an amazing season, but he really hasn't improved all that much. Stuckey has the handle to create for himself as well as the vision and passing ability to create for others. With Stuckey, the Bobcats can start offering Brevin up for trades (alot of which were proposed last year). Brevin isn't getting any younger and his value is decreasing by the day. The Stuckey pick allows them to run that three guard lineup, but only makes it stronger as it adds a legitimate scoring guard (not the sub 40% shooters in Knight/Felton) to the equation:

G Stuckey
G Felton
G Carroll/Young/Morrison
F Wallace
C Okafor

They ran this a TON last season and with Stuckey it is more effective, stronger, and younger.

Why pick Hawes? He's not a great defender and I doubt he ever will be. We can go centerless again if there isn't a good defensive center on the board. Next year we can go after Hibbert and maybe Thabeet, both of whom fit the defensive center mold better than Hawes. Can Visser, Gray, Gasol, or Hawes really produce more in their first season, including the ability to make offense in the midrange and on the perimeter, than Voskuhl? If anything Hawes crowds Okafor and doesn't even help him defensively on the blocks...

The key is that the Bobcats need depth. Guys like the Andersons, Othella Harrington, etc etc etc need to be replaced on the roster. Just having average players doesn't cut it. The Bobcats need scoring guards that can actually score efficiently. Nick Young can play either the 2 or the 3, Stuckey can play 1 or 2. These guys know how to score, made their living scoring, and have the ability to facillitate the offense if need be. I'd say that these are the perfect picks to make in the offseason... We can get some interior depth via free agency. Remember all that cash we have stockpiled?

Make sense? I put a good deal of thought into this pick...

ecuhus

06-08-2007, 05:34 PM

... and I agree with it. Stuckey was the best value, and if the Bobcats want to continue toying with small-ball in the future, these two players give them lots of versatility. Plus, everyone knows that Okafor can handle the C and is more productive there, they have enough other big men to cover the PF spot. SO that leaves the guard spots as the most exposed. Excellent drafting so far, wombat.

ShutUpAndListenToMe

06-09-2007, 01:46 PM

Ok, i hear ya now, that makes sense, theirs guess, i just dont know alot about stuckey. And I Agree Depth with the bobcats is gonna make this team from a lottery team to a playoff team. We have the starters, just needsome more depth.

Cascadia

06-10-2007, 11:15 AM

...

ecuhus, you might want to prepare a pick for Utah.... metrocard is MIA, and Utah's pick is due at noon.

ecuhus

06-10-2007, 02:27 PM

Yeah, to be perfectly honest, I was watching Celebreality on VH1 and completely forgot about substitute picking for Metrocard.

Old Man Rock (via Cascadia) is up next, and then myself.

wombat6802

06-11-2007, 12:56 AM

(so is there any chance since bryce seems to always be MIA that Philly can pick up Kyle Visser? just an idea...)

coachjon

06-11-2007, 02:06 AM

right now the committee for not in time picks are me and ecuhus. we have lengthy pm's back and forth for a day or two once the guy we suspect may not pick in time comes up. if you would like to join us wombat you come on everyday feel free and let us know. i know i will be gone wednesday 13th-suunday 17th in vegas for some fun and basketball stuff so i was telling ecuhus he should recruit someone else for at least that time or else he will have to make not in time picks alone and i do think there should be a committee with more than one voice making the picks.

once mr body and sirfreshness have picked we will get into discussion about bryce's pick since he is 99% not going to make it. then we will know exactly who is off the board.

wombat6802

06-11-2007, 02:11 AM

yeah if you need a replacement, I'll step in for as long as needed, thanks dude.

coachjon

06-11-2007, 02:29 AM

cool talk to ecuhus and let him know also if you would like us to expand our committee to 3 i wouldn't mind you also being on it full time like i said you have been a regular poster for a longtime and you come on daily. so far we have discussed quite a few picks but have only had to make Gilles pick at 10 of Noah, Bryce's pick at 12 of JWright, Bryce's pick of Crittenton at 21, metrocards pick of Affalo at 25.

Mr. Body

06-11-2007, 02:17 PM

Spurs select Gabe Pruitt.

It may be a reach - DX has him much later, other mocks don't - but the Spurs like his athleticism, size, and committment to defense, and believe his shooting percentages can get higher with better shot selection and mechanics, and will select Gabe Pruitt with the #28 pick. They badly need a good prospect to back up Parker, since Udrih's Spurs days are through, and Pruitt has a good shot at being a better pro point than at least Crittendon.