2012 NBA Draft Discussion

[TheBrothers24]

is Henson going to be any different than Brandan Wright, or Ed Davis? what 6'11 skinny athletic shot blocker does North Carolina have coming in next year to replace him?

Neither Brendan Wright or Ed Davis could hit a mid range jumper. Hell neither one of them were shot blockers either. Henson is far more advanced than them coming out.

[Hutton]

Re: 2012 NBA Draft Discussion

Yeah I like Henson, he seems like Anthony Davis light, I think he'd play well with Greg Monroe. If the Pistons miss out on the top guys, I wouldn't be disappointed with Henson.

edit: I need to make a note to self to discuss other teams more, instead of always focusing on Detroit, who no one else cares about

Beyond Davis, Robinson & Drummond (not sold on him) I suppose I'd rather have Henson than PJ3 and Moultree. I see some mock's having the Pistons taking Barnes, which I just hate. At least Henson can provide some defense & shot blocking, and shows potential at being able to knock down the midrange shot.

If we could move BG I think there's a need for a scoring guard, and if Prince were to be moved then we'd need a SF (making the Barnes selection not as bad). But overall I think our roster is a complete & utter mess right now with no direction or plan beyond Monroe & Knight, making speculating about the draft a frustrating exercise for me. One thing for certain, whoever we get in the 5-10 position is going to be a massive improvement over our current players.

[l3ulvl]

Re: 2012 NBA Draft Discussion

Beyond Davis, Robinson & Drummond (not sold on him) I suppose I'd rather have Henson than PJ3 and Moultree. I see some mock's having the Pistons taking Barnes, which I just hate. At least Henson can provide some defense & shot blocking, and shows potential at being able to knock down the midrange shot.

If we could move BG I think there's a need for a scoring guard, and if Prince were to be moved then we'd need a SF (making the Barnes selection not as bad). But overall I think our roster is a complete & utter mess right now with no direction or plan beyond Monroe & Knight, making speculating about the draft a frustrating exercise for me. One thing for certain, whoever we get in the 5-10 position is going to be a massive improvement over our current players.

Dumars seems to think he's under an embargo with the rest of the league. I want to see a move, but certainly not a lateral one. Vet for picks is always ideal, but I don't know if anyone wants our guys. Tayshaun's contract is more reasonable than BG's but is anyone interested? If somehow someway we were in position to need a scoring guard I'd support Beal, but Rivers seems like a younger version of Stuckey.

I'm one of the few guys that wouldn't have an issue with Sullinger if we were to get him. I think his lack of athleticism is overblown and he makes up for it with his footwork, body positioning, and length (7'1 wingspan).

[Hutton]

Re: 2012 NBA Draft Discussion

Dumars seems to think he's under an embargo with the rest of the league. I want to see a move, but certainly not a lateral one. Vet for picks is always ideal, but I don't know if anyone wants our guys. Tayshaun's contract is more reasonable than BG's but is anyone interested? If somehow someway we were in position to need a scoring guard I'd support Beal, but Rivers seems like a younger version of Stuckey.

I would want nothing to do with Rivers, that's for certain. I like Beal's game a lot and I think he'll be a good NBA player fairly quickly, but if the Pistons were in a draft slot to pick him I think there would be players who fit far better. My dream would be Robinson, a low post combo of Monroe & Robinson would be very enjoyable to watch on a nightly basis.

I'm one of the few guys that wouldn't have an issue with Sullinger if we were to get him. I think his lack of athleticism is overblown and he makes up for it with his footwork, body positioning, and length (7'1 wingspan).

I like Sullinger's game too, and I actually think he could fit very well at PF for the Pistons, with Monroe playing the 5. He doesn't look very athletic but the kid plays hard and can score the basketball, both on the block & jumpers. I actually thought his jumper looked pretty darn good at times this season, especially for such a large man.

I think MKG would be great at the 3 for Detroit, assuming we could add a long PF also. I just loved his effort & skills he displayed in the tourny, he plays hard on both ends of the floor, appears to have strong leadership ability & can flat out score the ball at the rim (something I think the Pistons lack currently). But in most likelyhood he'd be gone by the 5th pick, leaving a slew of unappealing SF's to chose from.

Tyler Zeller's game will play decently in the NBA I think, but drafting him would mean Monroe plays the 4 (which could be possible, I don't know). He moves well for a 7 footer, can score in the paint & knockdown the open jumper. He's a guy who's going to be around in the 8-12 range, and I wouldn't be upset with him, as I would be with Barnes or PJ3.

And should be declare, I think McAdoo has real good potential. He needs some refinement but his game looks silky smoothe for a PF, and would translate extremely well to the NBA. Imagine the force he could be on the pick & roll/pop.....

Terrance Jones is another player who I think would fit with the Pistons. He could potentially play the 3 or 4, and his team play/passing looks very good for a bigman. I don't think he'll put up much more than 12ppg/6reb, but he is athletic with good defensive potential & hustle.

I guess my end game would be for the Pistons to have a team that could get out and run a little more, taking advantage of Knights quickness & Stuckey's ability to go to the rim & finish. Monroe moves well & would be our main halfcourt option. But right now our limitations at the 3 & 4 with Prince, Daye, Jerebko, Maxiell etc really limits our ability to push the ball upcourt. Prince has lost his explosiveness, Daye looks like a spot up jump shooter, Jerebko is a hustle player & Maxiell is a nice bulldog type player down low, but none of them provide any sort of explosiveness in the open court that someone like MKG, Robinson, TJones, McAdoo or even PJ3 would provide.

[cubsball899]

Re: 2012 NBA Draft Discussion

wait... Greg Monroe is a 5? you guys really want to add an undersized 4? if i am coach of a team, Monroe is a 4 without hesitation. skilled, midrange jumper, good passer.. about 6'10? to me he's never a center.

Sullinger i think shot 42 percent from the college 3 this year. i was very high on him last year, maybe too hyped... but i fell in love with the way the kid gets position on the block. doing his work before he gets the ball. in all honestly i can see him like a zbo or even kevin love if he continues to develop his jumpshot. i think too many times GMs get in trouble when they ignore a skilled player like sullinger, and draft based on athleticism. (not that that is an original thought)

which brings me to, are Davis and Henson too skinny? i understand they have 'potential' but is Davis gonna play the 3? sure, Henson can block shots at the college level but guys like zbo, gasol, love, griffin... these guys will tear him to pieces...

i do like Drummond though, he seems like he has an NBA frame for a center... what scares me a bit though is how little success Uconn had when he and that shooting guard are supposed to be so good

[l3ulvl]

Re: 2012 NBA Draft Discussion

Monroe is 6'11 250, so size wise he's definitely a candidate for the 4 or 5. I think it's the fact that he's considered a below the rim player that makes most people say his "natural" position is PF. I never really understand what "natural position" means though.

[DukeC]

Re: 2012 NBA Draft Discussion

Monroe is 6'11 250, so size wise he's definitely a candidate for the 4 or 5. I think it's the fact that he's considered a below the rim player that makes most people say his "natural" position is PF. I never really understand what "natural position" means though.

A few NBA examples.

Allen Iverson played PG at certain points in his career. The man was clearly a SG.

Westbrook is playing PG. The man is clearly a SG. Which is what he played in college.

D-Wade played Pg in his rookie season. As we can see, the man is clearly a SG.

Hell, add any scoring guard in this draft and their most likely just a SG in a PG's body.

[RedSceptile]

Re: 2012 NBA Draft Discussion

wait... Greg Monroe is a 5? you guys really want to add an undersized 4? if i am coach of a team, Monroe is a 4 without hesitation. skilled, midrange jumper, good passer.. about 6'10? to me he's never a center.

Sullinger i think shot 42 percent from the college 3 this year. i was very high on him last year, maybe too hyped... but i fell in love with the way the kid gets position on the block. doing his work before he gets the ball. in all honestly i can see him like a zbo or even kevin love if he continues to develop his jumpshot. i think too many times GMs get in trouble when they ignore a skilled player like sullinger, and draft based on athleticism. (not that that is an original thought)

which brings me to, are Davis and Henson too skinny? i understand they have 'potential' but is Davis gonna play the 3? sure, Henson can block shots at the college level but guys like zbo, gasol, love, griffin... these guys will tear him to pieces...

i do like Drummond though, he seems like he has an NBA frame for a center... what scares me a bit though is how little success Uconn had when he and that shooting guard are supposed to be so good

Sullinger: His Sophomore year was decent not exceptional but good nonetheless. Kid has got good strength and feel around the rim, he's pretty much a work-horse in the Kevin Love mold, but it's yet to see if he has a natural instinct for the ball really, too many games I've seen him pretty much get out worked.

Davis: Davis is about 6'10 with incredibly broad shoulders and right now he's around 220-225, and with that frame he can easily put on another 20-30 pounds without sacrificing athleticism. He's got an almost unnatural feel for the ball and lightning quick leap. He times his blocks perfectly and rarely fouls while having that scary length to block shots that seem unblockable. His basketball smarts are incredible, and he's a fierce competitor. The main difference between he and Henson is Davis is 18 and 225 and Henson is pretty much at his weight max pretty much now at 21.

Drummond: It's obvious the transition to college affected him but he's still got potential. There aren't many freshman Centers who are dominant day one anymore. He's just got to get used to the speed and pace of the game. He's still got amazing size and is incredibly raw. He just needs to learn how to utilize that size and strength effectively as he's had some dominant games this year.

Lamb: Lamb is extremely unselfish and he doesn't tend to force the issue. As a result there were stretches in games this year where he didn't demand the ball outright. It's something I know he can work on as he's straight destroyed some dudes this year but it's a work in progress that isn't much to worry about.

[jeebs9]

Re: 2012 NBA Draft Discussion

Who's value is overrated though(besides Barnes which we you have already stated lol)?

Marshall just won the Bob Cousy award for best PG in the country. His weakness is shooting(which he might as well get paid millions while learning) & defense(not exactly Roy Williams calling card). He made the best choice to leave considering where he is ranked among PG's.

Henson averaged a double double and won back to back ACC DPOY awards. He only came back last year to show he could hit the mid range shot and he did just that. An extra year of weight lifting would not do much to his body type anyways.

I don't see any all stars among them but Marshall with his passing will be the best of the bunch.

I know a few really good passers in the college ranks. Man, I could sit here and name a few guys. Omar Cook, Marcus Williams... The list goes on. I have nothing against Marshall. But I just don't think he is that good. I think Henson is good. But if averages a double double (in the NBA) I will be shocked. I think his shot blocking will be the first thing you notice about him. That still doesn't make him a top ten pick. And I've said enough about Barnes. He really has a lot to prove to me....before I shut. Marvin Williams 2.0

[Hutton]

Re: 2012 NBA Draft Discussion

wait... Greg Monroe is a 5? you guys really want to add an undersized 4? if i am coach of a team, Monroe is a 4 without hesitation. skilled, midrange jumper, good passer.. about 6'10? to me he's never a center.

Monroe certainly is a 5, with Maxiell or Jerebko on the floor he has to play the 5. That's not to say he wouldn't be a very good PF if we did draft someone like Drummond or Zeller.

Sullinger i think shot 42 percent from the college 3 this year. i was very high on him last year, maybe too hyped... but i fell in love with the way the kid gets position on the block. doing his work before he gets the ball. in all honestly i can see him like a zbo or even kevin love if he continues to develop his jumpshot. i think too many times GMs get in trouble when they ignore a skilled player like sullinger, and draft based on athleticism. (not that that is an original thought)

which brings me to, are Davis and Henson too skinny? i understand they have 'potential' but is Davis gonna play the 3? sure, Henson can block shots at the college level but guys like zbo, gasol, love, griffin... these guys will tear him to pieces...

i do like Drummond though, he seems like he has an NBA frame for a center... what scares me a bit though is how little success Uconn had when he and that shooting guard are supposed to be so good

Sullinger I envision as a very very good NBA player, but never an allstar level player. He could be a nice 3rd scoring option who plays good tough D & plays his heart out. I like him a lot, and I wouldn't hesitate to take him in the 6-10 range, knowing he has a somewhat limited max upside compared to Davis, Drummond or Robinson (all 3 who are extremely athletic).

Henson would get eaten alive playing the 4, so he has to be a long 3, which probably means improving his handle & being able to knock down some occasional NBA 3's as well as blocking shots & playing good defense.

Lamb is a nice player, I think he's like a less athletic Marshon Brooks, which is a very good thing. He's looks like he has a very long wingspan which means he could turn into a quality perimeter defender, and I like his pull up game. Not sure than he can finish at the rim in the NBA against the bigger & stronger post players.

[jeebs9]

Re: 2012 NBA Draft Discussion

Henson a SF.... That's the worst idea I've heard.

[Yeah...THAT Guy]

Re: 2012 NBA Draft Discussion

I think Lamb and Barnes are two of the most interesting players at the front end of this draft. Both guys have pretty much everything you look for in a scorer except the mentality. I like both of their games though and I think they're two guys that can fit in to pretty much any system that they get drafted into because they can score very well but they're also very good at running an offense, coming off screens, keeping their head up, etc.

And I still say Barnes reminds me a lot of today's Paul Pierce minus Pierce's chip on his shoulder that he plays with.

[jeebs9]

Re: 2012 NBA Draft Discussion

I think Lamb and Barnes are two of the most interesting players at the front end of this draft. Both guys have pretty much everything you look for in a scorer except the mentality. I like both of their games though and I think they're two guys that can fit in to pretty much any system that they get drafted into because they can score very well but they're also very good at running an offense, coming off screens, keeping their head up, etc.

And I still say Barnes reminds me a lot of today's Paul Pierce minus Pierce's chip on his shoulder that he plays with.

I can see the comparsion that your making with Paul Pierce. But Barnes replies too much on his jump. He barely makes it to the freethrow line and he also doesn't finish at the rim like Paul did at Kansas. Barnes just seems very stiff in my opinion.

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I will go on and say. I really like Lamb's game. He could be a better version of RIP Hamilton. I think he is worth a top 15 pick. I might be wrong again. And setting myself for a foot in my month. But that's just the way I feel.

[ProfessaPackMan]

Re: 2012 NBA Draft Discussion

I know a few really good passers in the college ranks. Man, I could sit here and name a few guys. Omar Cook, Marcus Williams... The list goes on. I have nothing against Marshall. But I just don't think he is that good. I think Henson is good. But if averages a double double (in the NBA) I will be shocked. I think his shot blocking will be the first thing you notice about him. That still doesn't make him a top ten pick. And I've said enough about Barnes. He really has a lot to prove to me....before I shut. Marvin Williams 2.0

What is it about Marshall that makes you think he's not that good?

[Yeah...THAT Guy]

Re: 2012 NBA Draft Discussion

I can see the comparsion that your making with Paul Pierce. But Barnes replies too much on his jump. He barely makes it to the freethrow line and he also doesn't finish at the rim like Paul did at Kansas. Barnes just seems very stiff in my opinion.

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I will go on and say. I really like Lamb's game. He could be a better version of RIP Hamilton. I think he is worth a top 15 pick. I might be wrong again. And setting myself for a foot in my month. But that's just the way I feel.

Yeah, I'm saying the way Pierce plays the game TODAY. He was better in college, but today, Pierce is much slower and is kind of like Steve Nash in the way that he doesn't beat you with athleticism at all. He just beats you by being smart with his moves. That's what I kind of see with Barnes. Athletically, he isn't that impressive, but he's shown that he can finish at the rim through contact (didn't get to see him much this season, but down the stretch last season he did it very well), and he does a nice job of not wasting his dribbles. He does a nice job of using headfakes, pump fakes, step backs, etc to get a defender off balance rather than a killer cross over or anything and he uses screens well. I think his game translates to the NBA extremely well because while a lot of the stars in college are stars because they're athletically superior, Barnes was one of the best scorers in the country while being just average or maybe even below average as far as athleticism goes.