2011 NBA Draft Discussion Thread

[Marino]

Re: 2011 NBA Draft Discussion Thread

Concerning the Clippers, well as was said when the trade first happened, really it was pretty good for both teams.

Cleveland got a lottery pick and former All-Star PG

LA got the chance to have the flexibility to re-sign Gordon and Jordan and also got a former All-Star PG who fits in better with that team than Davis did

Here's what LA's GM was thinking at the time

"The drill is, as always, is 'Is the player you're getting back more valuable than the potential you could get in the draft?'" said Clippers general manager Neil Olshey. "Our analysis at this point in February is that it was more valuable to get a 28-year-old All-Star point guard that we have for the next few years, cap flexibility to make sure we take care of business and re-sign DeAndre Jordan and have flexibility to take care of Eric Gordon as well, as opposed to speculating on another kid that's 19 years old with one year of college experience.

"And I'm not that high on the draft to begin with this year."

But the lottery pick from the Clippers was exactly what the Cavs were after. A Cavs source told ESPN.com that the trade was made primarily for the draft pick.

"We know we're going to have to build this team through the lottery," the source said. "We hope Baron works out, but our primary focus was the pick. We really wanted two top-10 picks to infuse the team with young talent."

Yeah I agree, but it was good for both, I just don't understand the people complaining that Cleveland won the draft lottery because of Gilbert's son.

What do you think though, knowing now that it would have been the number 1 pick, would the Clippers still do that trade?

[Marino]

Re: 2011 NBA Draft Discussion Thread

Good news about the T-Wolves shopping that pick. Like I said earlier, I really want to see the Cavs try to cop that pick too so they can get Irving and Williams. I doubt it happens, but it's nice to think about.

Also about the draft rigging, why would Orlando get the #1 pick in '04 or '92? What was the story there?

It's not rigged, too much on the line for it to be rigged, I just wish that if it were, the NBA would repay its debt back to Jordan.

[BlueNGold]

Re: 2011 NBA Draft Discussion Thread

It's not rigged, too much on the line for it to be rigged, I just wish that if it were, the NBA would repay its debt back to Jordan.

They're still waiting for Jordan to pay off his gambling debts before they re-pay him.

[ex carrabba fan]

Re: 2011 NBA Draft Discussion Thread

Yeah I agree, but it was good for both, I just don't understand the people complaining that Cleveland won the draft lottery because of Gilbert's son.

What do you think though, knowing now that it would have been the number 1 pick, would the Clippers still do that trade?

That is a darn good question.

That's a tough one. All I can say is, without them knowing it would be #1, I still can't get mad at them for being willing to part with their lotto pick to give themselves a chance to keep their young players. If they had kept Baron Davis, it was gonna be really expensive and difficult to be able to retain players.

Personally if I knew I had to choose strictly between Gordon or the #1 pick? I would choose Gordon.

[goh]

Re: 2011 NBA Draft Discussion Thread

The Raptors got jacked too by Bosh so if it was rigged they wouldn't have moved down. (Assuming if it was rigged the NBA would actually care about Canada but they probably don't so that's not a fully valid argument. )

The Clippers traded that pick so they can try to buy Dwight Howard. What were they going to get with the #8 pick they thought it would be? Another Yaroslav Korolev?? If they knew they could've got Irving or Williams they would've kept it but there was nothing for them at 8. I doubt there was anything for them after 2 actually.

[BlueNGold]

Re: 2011 NBA Draft Discussion Thread

That is a darn good question.

That's a tough one. All I can say is, without them knowing it would be #1, I still can't get mad at them for being willing to part with their lotto pick to give themselves a chance to keep their young players. If they had kept Baron Davis, it was gonna be really expensive and difficult to be able to retain players.

Personally if I knew I had to choose strictly between Gordon or the #1 pick? I would choose Gordon.

They should have at least put some kind of protection on it though (TWSS). Like Top 3-protected or something. Of course the question is whether or not the Cavs still bite on that if the pick is protected.

I mean I do agree that at the time of the deal it was the right move to make to get rid of Baron and his contract. That whole situation wasn't working too well, especially when you have Sterling's bitch *** heckling him all the time. But to not put any protection on that pick was crazy and I said that when the deal went down.

[ex carrabba fan]

Re: 2011 NBA Draft Discussion Thread

I would have protected it too, but maybe Cleveland wasn't budging on the protection.

Bottom line: that would happen to the Clippers

[Kashanova]

Re: 2011 NBA Draft Discussion Thread

It's not rigged, too much on the line for it to be rigged, I just wish that if it were, the NBA would repay its debt back to Jordan.

if it were rigged, lebron would of been a knick in 2003

[BurnsideAdmiral]

Re: 2011 NBA Draft Discussion Thread

Yeah that's great for the NBA. Give 2 mid-America small market teams the top 2 picks. Are you people that dumb? If it was rigged, why would Stern give the Cavs the first pick and Minnesota the second? Why wouldn't he give them to teams that have a chance of actually being good next year. He's trying to build super teams anyways, just let these awful teams be awful. SMDH on this one. IF the lottery was fixed Stern did an awful job. He gave Cleveland, who is now apparently "America's team" of basketball, who's been using the "sob" story excuse for a year, 2 top 5 picks in arguably the WORST draft EVER!!!! How is that helping them? Everyone is already questioning if there is even 1 franchise changing player in the draft. Now if it was really rigged they'll get the first pick in next year's draft and somehow end up with another top 3 pick. The draft is not rigged, get over it. You Minnesota fans sound like the Heat right now.

Back to the actual draft (the real thing that matters here).

The more I watch on Vesely the more I want him at 4. He runs the floor so well for 6'11"! Seriously I don't think this kid's ever taken a layup in his life. They're all thunderous dunks in transition. Now if he develops any kind of inside game to go along with his pretty good 3 point shooting I think the Cavs def. have to get him at 4. I don't actually like the idea of Irving and Knight in the backcourt. On paper it sounds great but I don't think either one is really big enough to be a great 2 guard in the league.

Here's some more film on Vesely though. Bare with the black and white and poor video quality. No one in Czech owns a Cannon or a Nikon.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0KxIxIsL2rE

Kid can run the floor and so can Irving. That will be nasty to stop.

[KG]

Re: 2011 NBA Draft Discussion Thread

It's not THAT bad of a draft, nah.

It's pretty bad IMO. Kyrie is going to be good but even a kid like Derrick Williams is a little overhyped because of his run in the torney. He's a tweener, not tall enough to play the 4 but doesn't have enough lateral quicks or the handle to play the 4. I'm not saying he can't develop it but that's a huge weakness for a top 3 pick.

Brandon Knight a top 5 pick? He's got good size, a solid bball IQ (a really smart kid too), good mid-range jumper but he's not a team changer.

Tristan Thompson as a top 10 pick? Yikes. He struggled in college to hit a shot from outside the paint. I'm pretty sure he can't even brush his teeth with his right hand.

[ex carrabba fan]

Re: 2011 NBA Draft Discussion Thread

It's pretty bad IMO. Kyrie is going to be good but even a kid like Derrick Williams is a little overhyped because of his run in the torney. He's a tweener, not tall enough to play the 4 but doesn't have enough lateral quicks or the handle to play the 4. I'm not saying he can't develop it but that's a huge weakness for a top 3 pick.

Brandon Knight a top 5 pick? He's got good size, a solid bball IQ (a really smart kid too), good mid-range jumper but he's not a team changer.

Tristan Thompson as a top 10 pick? Yikes. He struggled in college to hit a shot from outside the paint. I'm pretty sure he can't even brush his teeth with his right hand.

I think it isn't a good draft for stars, but I think it could be filled with solid contributers and starters.

So on that point, I think it's actually not that bad of a draft. I wouldn't be surprised if most of the first round didn't flame out of the league and actually stuck as starters or key bench players

[KG]

Re: 2011 NBA Draft Discussion Thread

I think it isn't a good draft for stars, but I think it could be filled with solid contributers and starters.

So on that point, I think it's actually not that bad of a draft. I wouldn't be surprised if most of the first round didn't flame out of the league and actually stuck as starters or key bench players

Drafts are remembered for stars and busts though EC.

[PrettyT11]

Re: 2011 NBA Draft Discussion Thread

The draft lottery is not fixed by any means. If it was fixed then all of those years(late 90's through 2000's) when the Celtics or Knicks were bad they would have won it at least once. The only time either one of those teams got a top 3 pick was the Celtics in 97 and they actually dropped to number 3(more on that year in a second).

If you look at the guys who was labeled as can't miss number one lock type of guys and look at where they have gone it would change this whole draft is fixed thing right quick. The Celtics had almost a 40 percent chance(had two picks and second worst record in the league) of landing Tim Duncan yet the Spurs won the lottery. If it was fixed then there is no way he ends up in San Antonio instead of Boston or Philly. Or the year of Robinson,Kidd, and Hill. Boston,Philly,and LA were all in the lottery yet Milwaukee, Detroit, and Dallas end up with the top 3 picks. You can even go as recent at 07 when both Oden and Durant was labeled as can't miss future of the league type players and they ended up in Portland and Seattle. There is no way they end up there if it was fixed. At the time of that lottery there was a lot of talk about how horrible it was for the league for those two guys to end up in the pacific NW. There are many other examples but those stand out big time against the whole the lottery is fixed thing.

[ex carrabba fan]

Re: 2011 NBA Draft Discussion Thread

Drafts are remembered for stars and busts though EC.

I don't know, I don't like looking at the draft that black and white.

But you're right, in general drafts are measured by the franchise players. I don't see any franchise players here, but like I said, I see a lot of potential key contributors unlike some other drafts where you see names and you're like "wow they're not even in the league".

[ProfessaPackMan]

Re: 2011 NBA Draft Discussion Thread

Only problem with that is there is nobody beside John Wall worth trading on the Wizards..

If it was me, I'd trade both my 1st round picks and/or probably next year's(assuming there is one)or any player on the team not named Wall.

If you want this team to start competing then you're gonna have to get Wall another sidekick to play along with and no, bums like Javale McGee and Andray Baltch don't count and Jordan Crawford needs to prove he's not like Mr. Baltch and play well in every month and not just April.