NBA Draft Thread

[W]

Two more days. This is quite possibly my favorite sports day of the year. I love it much more than the NFL draft. I like the whole economics/business of the NBA, that kind of led me here.

I have a thought on the top 2 however. Here's what I think about Blake Griffin. Blake Griffin = Elton Brand. If he becomes Elton Brand he'll be well worth the first overall pick. But, like Elton Brand, you can't really build a team around him and expect to win a championship. He's not Tim Duncan, he's not Kevin Garnett, and he's not Dirk Nowitzki. These guys play the same position and were the catalyst for a championship win or were the catalyst for a team that should have won the friggin championship. This is what you're looking for when you're holding the #1 pick, a guy that makes his team better and--with a good team around him--can be the best player on a championship team.

Now, Ricky Rubio = either Steve Nash/Pistol Pete OR Luke Ridnour. Now, its safe to say that for a while the Suns were contenders and that was just a few years when Steve Nash had the reigns and they pretty much let him do whatever he wanted. Rubio can be Steve Nash (and even better) for 12 or so years. He can be as good and even better than a 2-time MVP for 12 straight years. He'd make players better, become a real superstar that you can build a team around much like Chris Paul. He could also be a service-able backup for 12 years. Now, if you want to win a championship, who should you go with?

I would take Rubio and go with the 50% championship in 10 years, 50% lottery picks every year for the next five years boat.

What the Hell am I thinking? This is the Clippers, they'll take the more well known guy and milk him until they have to pay him the big bucks, destorying his career in the process.

[Buscemi]

Blake Griffin = Kwame Brown

The Clippers are better off trading the pick rather than paying $15 million to a guy with ridiculously padded statistics and not much skills. Expect him to be a 6 (points) and 5 (rebounds) guy that's gone in five years.

[W]

Nope, he's Elton Brand. I'm sure of it. Blake Griffin proved his worth in college as an underclassman. Kwame was an unproven high school star, which are either the best players in the NBA or out of the league soon. Kwame is still in the NBA if you check.

[Buscemi]

But Kwame seems to bounce in and out. That will be Blake Griffin. Either he's gone in five years or he will be a journeyman.

[BanksIsDaFuture]

Even Elton Brand is not that good. If Griffin ever becomes a 20/10 player, he'll at best be a supporting player. He can't carry shit. Although he may be a good downlow man for Baron Davis (he's still in LA right?)

Ricky Rubio should def be going 1st. But the Clippers are the Raiders/Lions of the NBA.

I'm laughing at Tyler Hansborough's career already.

[transformers2]

I think Blake Griffin is going to be a monster. I think Hashim Tabeet is going to be the Kwame Brown of this draft class. Players that are underated are Johnny Flynn and Ty Lawson i think they will be able to do some damage at the next level.

[W]

Yep, there's good depth later in the draft. I think James Harden can be a special player. Hasheem Thabeet isn't going to be a bust unless you're expecting him to produce offensively. He'll be a Mt. Mutumbo type, which is great value even if he's taken third if that's what you need.

And Elton Brand was not that good? Career 20/10 guys aren't a dime a dozen. There were 3 last year: Duncan, Bosh, and Howard. Only 2 of them shot over 50% last year--like Brand's career numbers. Are they nothing special as well? Brand is a great player that can't carry a team to a championship. The only way that they Sixers are going to even be in the same breath as good teams is if Iggy turns into a superstar making him better than Brand.

[geezer9687]

One thing that has to be mentioned is that this is the worst draft class in LONG time. Griffin is not a first overall pick, but in this class he is. Rubio isn't a second pick, but he is this year. Thabeet? Please. What do you expect out of that guy? If anyone is out of the league in 5 years it's him. And beyond that, we are looking at a bunch of role players at best. this year's class is just not very good. Rubio has the potential to be great, and I believe he'll be the best player in the draft. If you have a top draft pick this year, I would really just try very hard to move it in a trade for something more established. I am hoping Johnny Flynn winds up in a situation that will suit him because the kid is a joy to watch and I really would like to see him succeed.

[transformers2]

agreed W completely Elton Brand is a great player that cant carry a team. With one more weapon Brand could do that.

[Keyser Soze]

Let's forget about the NBA for one day. The US just upset Spain in soccer today 2- 0. Spain was ranked as the #1 team in the world and had won 15 consecutive games giving up only 3 goals in those 15 games. They also had a 36 match unbeaten streak going all the way back to 2005. They hadn't lost to a non European team since 1999, but that is all over now as the US takes it to them even playing a man down for the last 9 minutes.

Sure, we'll probably get it handed to us by Brazil on Sunday, but for one day U S A U S A!!!!!!

[BanksIsDaFuture]

Yep, there's good depth later in the draft. I think James Harden can be a special player. Hasheem Thabeet isn't going to be a bust unless you're expecting him to produce offensively. He'll be a Mt. Mutumbo type, which is great value even if he's taken third if that's what you need.

And Elton Brand was not that good? Career 20/10 guys aren't a dime a dozen. There were 3 last year: Duncan, Bosh, and Howard. Only 2 of them shot over 50% last year--like Brand's career numbers. Are they nothing special as well? Brand is a great player that can't carry a team to a championship. The only way that they Sixers are going to even be in the same breath as good teams is if Iggy turns into a superstar making him better than Brand.

His career numbers are inflated since he hasn't played nearly as many games as players his age. If he stopped getting injured, he'd be a 15/7 player at best. He's nowhere near Duncan, Bosh, or Howard in any respect. Well maybe not Bosh, he's still unproven.

[BanksIsDaFuture]

Unrelated but I recently found out that I'm very loosely related to Johnny Flynn.

[Keyser Soze]

I have less than zero interest in the NBA, but a team could do a lot worse than taking DeJuan Blair out of Pitt. Not only does the guy have the upper body strength to play in the NBA, but he can consistently hit the jumpers in the 15 - 20' range away from the hoop.

[W]

I have less than zero interest in the NBA, but a team could do a lot worse than taking DeJuan Blair out of Pitt. Not only does the guy have the upper body strength to play in the NBA, but he can consistently hit the jumpers in the 15 - 20' range away from the hoop.

I thought the same thing, but he'll still go late lottery or soon after.

[BanksIsDaFuture]

Shaq is in Cleveland, I'm hearing Amare might be moved for a higher draft pick for the Suns. It makes sense since his contract is up next year and it's practically guaranteed that he's leaving.

Cleveland grabbing Shaq stinks of desperation. Didn't they learn from the Suns that Shaq doesn't equal an automatic ring anymore?

[geezer9687]

But they didn't give up much to get him either Banks. Sasha Pavlovich and Ben Wallace (who is probably going to retire) aren't asking a lot for Shaq, and the big man can still play. They did it to have a big man that can actually challenge Dwight Howard on the pick and role.

[W]

A few thoughts:

Basically Shaq is costing the Cavs a second round pick (read: someone that will play in Europe or will be in the NBDL if they have a career playing basketball at all) and a half-million dollars. Pavlovic is gone next year and Ben Wallace is retiring. Not too bad for a guy that played as well as Shaq did last year. It'll let them be able to play two different styles depending on what is working at the time, one big lineup with Shaq which will clog the lane and let LeBron control the offense and one with Z where LeBron has a completely unclogged lane. If it doesn't work, Shaq's gone the next year and Shaq's motivated enough from what I hear because he wants to win a title with the three best wing players of this generation (Kobe, LeBron, Wade). (I didn't read the second page until after I typed this... LOL)

Thabeet will be Dikembe Mutumbo. If you're telling me that you wouldn't want Mutumbo in his prime, you're pretty much nuts. A player doesn't have to score to be a great player in the NBA. Usually they do, but if you're good enough playing defense, you can be a great piece of the puzzle.

If Bosh isn't proven, then who is? Almost 25 ppg, 9-10 rpg, 1 bpg, 1 spg, AND an .800 FT%. 4 time All-Star at the age of 25.

I wasn't saying Elton Brand is great now, just saying that someone will have the career (minus injuries) of Elton Brand makes you a top 10 player in the NBA, but doesn't win you championships. I think Griffin can be a 20-10 player that won't win a championship as the best player on a team.

[transformers2]

thats true Cleveland made a good move getting Shaq and didnt really give up anything to get him.

[Keyser Soze]

Thabeet will be the biggest waste of a 2nd overall pick since Darko Millicic. He got schooled by DeJuan Blair every time Pitt played UConn, and there are guys much tougher than Blair in the NBA. He will most likely be the next Adonal Foyle not Dikembe Matumbo, and would you really want to waste the 2nd overall pick on Adonal Foyle?

[transformers2]

Adonal Foyle lol forget about him. Thabeet is completely overated and i think he is screwed in the NBA. He is rebounder and he will be out rebounded at the next level. He will be a failure at the next level for sure.

[Buscemi]

Adonal Foyle = a good example of a mediocre player who somehow played for a long time. Only in Golden State.

[Keyser Soze]

That's why Thabeet may have a long carrer in Memphis. (Memphis being not much different than Golden State)

[geezer9687]

My buddy once met Adonal Foyle when he was working at the basketball hall of fame. And I agree, Thabeet can dominate defensively in college against players that can't overpower him, in the NBA, he doesn't have that luxury. Tim Duncan, Shaq, Howard, Garnett, any NBA big man worth anything will dominate him. Greg Oden was much more of a lock than this guy and he has failed miserably. I know that he has been injured but you have to admit he was way more hyped up for his potential and he was drafted number one overall. Another reason why this draft class is terrible. Unless Thabeet works incredibly hard to pack on muscle and develop a low post game, he'll never make it.

[geezer9687]

Man I am hoping the Thunder take Rubio at 3, because Rubio, Durant and Westbrook in a back court is a dream combination. Durant could become elite with a passer like Rubio delivering him the ball. They take him and install a D'Antoni-esque run and gun offense, damn that team would be so much fun to watch.

[Keyser Soze]

Man I am hoping the Thunder take Rubio at 3, because Rubio, Durant and Westbrook in a back court is a dream combination. Durant could become elite with a passer like Rubio delivering him the ball. They take him and install a D'Antoni-esque run and gun offense, damn that team would be so much fun to watch.

But in this day an age, can you really afford to only have 4 guys on the floor that shoot? Rubio has absolutely no shot whatsoever, and has basically been playing in a "street ball" league where you can get away with that type of passing.

Have no idea what his defense is like because all anyone talks about is his passing ability. That sounds as one dimensional as Thabeet's shot blocking ability.

Going to have to agree with you that this year's draft class is very sub par. Wonder where many of these guys would go in a good draft class year?

Some lower down teams are going to get steals in Flynn, Curry and a guy like Sam Young.

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