NBA Playoffs 2012 - Prelude to Punches

[Maithanet]

So sounds like Washington and Cleveland are once again jostling for the same player pre-draft in another sport and once again it all centers on the #2 pick. This time it's Bradley Beal.

And as the Bobcats want to trade out of the #2 spot, the rumor goes that they could trade down to #4 with Cleveland who would leapfrog Washington at #3 to get Beal. Honestly I don't have a clue if Beal is or will be better than Robinson or Kidd-Gilcrhist...never saw him play. But just the fact Cleveland wants him so bad makes me hope the Wizards get him.

The weird thing is that while Beal is a good fit for both Cleveland and Washington, he isn't necessarily a great value at #2. There seems to be a lot of debate about whether Robinson/Kidd-Gilchrist/Drummond will make the best pro, whereas Beal is clearly the best guard prospect in the draft.

[Jaime L]

The weird thing is that while Beal is a good fit for both Cleveland and Washington, he isn't necessarily a great value at #2. There seems to be a lot of debate about whether Robinson/Kidd-Gilchrist/Drummond will make the best pro, whereas Beal is clearly the best guard prospect in the draft.

Yeah, but there is no great value at #2 this year. There's no Kevin Durant or Darko Milicic coming out this year. Just blind guesses after Anthony Davis.

What's annoying is Grunfeld painting himself into this corner with the Okafor trade. Instead of getting the best player available he's restricted himself to the best SG available. Why is this man still employed??

[Rhom]

I know that Irving is more of a true point by today's standards, but I don't know that Beal is what's needed. The other concern I have is the fact that I honestly don't know where all the Beal love is coming from. I saw Kentucky handle Florida three times last year and I tell you truthfully that I didn't even remember the name Bradley Beal when he announced for the draft. :dunno:

He's reportedly got all the skills needed to succeed, but even in a guard friendly offense like the one Donovan runs he didn't "shine."

Therein lies the problem with the number two pick though. Thomas Robinson was a workhorse who went after it on every play, but I don't see him as a star in this league. I do believe he can be a solid role player for years to come. Hardly worthy of consideration at number 2.

I love MKG, but even while watching him play I never understood why he was getting so much love at the top of the draft. He'll be a great teammate and a consummate motor guy on both ends of the floor, but for many reasons I don't feel he'll be the face of a franchise. (Which is why I would like him in Cleveland or Washington where they have Irving and Wall respectively.)

Drummond had the talent to push Anthony Davis for player of the year, but he wilted at UConn this year. He could be a steal for a team in the 5-10 range.

Charlotte wants to trade back from two, but I'm not sure I want to trade UP to two if I'm one of the other teams.

ETA: Looking over scores, maybe I should have remembered him at least; but he was hardly transcendent.

Game 1: 5-15 (1-7 three) for 14 points

Game 2: 1-10 (1-5 three) for 5 points

Game 3: 8-15 (4-7 three) for 20 points

[Jaime L]

I know that Irving is more of a true point by today's standards, but I don't know that Beal is what's needed. The other concern I have is the fact that I honestly don't know where all the Beal love is coming from. I saw Kentucky handle Florida three times last year and I tell you truthfully that I didn't even remember the name Bradley Beal when he announced for the draft. :dunno:

See that's concerning to me. Feel like an elite college player should stand out if you've seen him play. I've remembered and thought higly of Caron Butler and Tayshaun Prince for years in how they singlehandedly almost lifted their teams to victory over an eventual National Champion Maryland team. It's easy to remember the guys that scare you and if Beal wasn't one of 'em to a UK fan, that's not good. Then again maybe UK was so overwhelming last year it didn't really matter who they faced.

But then if MKG and Robinson also don't project as NBA all-stars, teams picking in the top 5 are fucked. Sure Drummond tantalizes with ideal size and elite athletic ability but if guys don't show effort prior to be drafted in the NBA, I feel like it's super rare for them to gain that motivation and drive after becoming an NBAer. I'm trying to think of any with a questionable work ethic who ended up working out.

[Rhom]

Well, the one thing about what I just said is that it needs to be tempered with a heavy dose of "potential." That's what the NBA drafts on. If it was about players who are truly ready to contribute right away, then Thomas Robinson would be number 2 and someone like Darius Miller would be a lottery pick.

[Sir Thursday]

Go go gadget Morey! Loving all these trades, I'm hoping that he keeps on working his way up the ladder until he's got the picks he needs for something big. It's showing positive intent about the way the franchise is going to move forward, because he's in a position now where he is pretty much forced to make a trade of some kind to package the assets he's got left. Rockets will most certainly not be keeping all 3 of their draft picks. It'd be great if we could get that #5 off Sacramento...

ST

[Exa Inova]

I'd say Glen Rice who averaged 15 points/game and was their third best player on that first Kobe/Shaq title team is equivalent to what Ray Allen did for the Celtics in their '08 championship. Both are all-stars but not all time greats who eventually won a title in a supporting role.

I agree with this. He was the third best player on that Lakers team and if he won a title there it would've been well-earned.

You were correct. G- Money contributed. Im still not out on Payton on the Heat. Does that lay up mean he did more than a supporting role?

Chalmers has Wade/LeBron to cover up for him, who knows if Nash would benefit from that. Mike Miller can't defend a one legged turkey. He can't run, and barely jogs up the court at his "full sprint". He gets hid on poor offensive players exactly as Nash does. Tell me how for example it would be so much worse for Miami's D for Nash to be guarding Thabo? Thabo can't post up and can't take anyone off the dribble.

Thabo would be crashing the offensive boards like crazy. And because Nash is a guard he has 'no natural' instinct to box out since most opposing guards sprint back the second a shot goes up to stop a potential fast break. Notable exceptions include Rondo who is known to hit the o-boards.

Like I wrote before, Miller is a decent rebounder and at 6'8 and can guard 4s on occassion. There was a reason he got the minutes he got over James Jones.

Can you elaborate on who you're talking about? Are you talking about the current Portland team?

Not specificly this year but they've been wing have the las couple of years (Fernandez, Batum, Wallace, Roy, Matthews, Crawford, Outlaw). They could go 3 deep on virtually every wing position but lacked an inside presense. The number of wing players also let to 'some' playing time grumblings.

And correct me if Im wrong, but I believe they lost almost all their play off series because their opponent pounded the ball inside and got easy buckets and foul shots.

[Greywolf2375]

Since we are at the draft...the latest "worst #1 picks ever" listing.

I love #4 - "the entire 2000 draft class".

http://www.thepostgame.com/blog/list/201206/worst-no-1-nba-draft-picks-ever#1

[Jaime L]

Sounds like 80-90% of execs consider Bradley Beal the 2nd best player coming out this year and the Hornets are claiming they have 5 offers from teams wanting to trade up to #2.

Wizards are now debating Beal/MKG/Barnes.

Since we are at the draft...the latest "worst #1 picks ever" listing.

I love #4 - "the entire 2000 draft class".

http://www.thepostga...ft-picks-ever#1

The 2000 draft was such a steaming pile of crap. I'd argue only two guys out of the 58 taken achieved the exalted level of "above average": Kenyon Martin and Michael Redd.

[Maithanet]

It's weird, becuase last year it seemed like all the big name players (save Irving) opted to play one more year of college to avoid potentially sitting around for the entire lockout season. And yet now, one year later, this draft seems devoid of potential stars beyond Anthony Davis. Everybody else is either a good defender(MKG), an energy guy (Robinson) or a project (Beal).

[Rhom]

It's weird, becuase last year it seemed like all the big name players (save Irving) opted to play one more year of college to avoid potentially sitting around for the entire lockout season. And yet now, one year later, this draft seems devoid of potential stars beyond Anthony Davis. Everybody else is either a good defender(MKG), an energy guy (Robinson) or a project (Beal).

The guys that came back largely were either exposed as unable to create their own shot (Harrison Barnes), revealed to have an injury (Jared Sullinger), or didn't live up to expectations while part of a team of all stars (Terrence Jones).

[Maithanet]

The guys that came back largely were either exposed as unable to create their own shot (Harrison Barnes), revealed to have an injury (Jared Sullinger), or didn't live up to expectations while part of a team of all stars (Terrence Jones).

Yup. It's just surprising that it worked out that way. Last year, it was predicted that this draft class would be like 1.5 normal classes. At this point, it's nothing special, and without Davis it would be downright mediocre.

[Jaime L]

Yup. It's just surprising that it worked out that way. Last year, it was predicted that this draft class would be like 1.5 normal classes. At this point, it's nothing special, and without Davis it would be downright mediocre.

You're right - you would expect it to be a richer draft for that reason. Last time we had something altering the natural distribution of talent coming out when the one-and-done rule was instituted in 2007 - the draft gave us Oden and Durant, two guys who absolutely could've made the leap from High School to the NBA.

Question I got with Anthony Davis is are people sure he's going to develop a very good offensive game? I mean couldn't he just end up the next Joakim Noah - still very good, but not Kevin Garnett.

[Rhom]

Question I got with Anthony Davis is are people sure he's going to develop a very good offensive game? I mean couldn't he just end up the next Joakim Noah - still very good, but not Kevin Garnett.

I think his offensive game is better than most give him credit for already. He was the best player on the team last year, but took the fourth most shots because that wasn't the need for him. He hit enough threes in practice that Cal gave him the go ahead later in the season to shoot it in game. Not that he hit very many in game... but I'd be comfortable with saying that his range goes out to 20 feet or so.

The story has been all over the place, but he was 6'3" as a high school sophomore. As a high school junior he had one D1 collegiate offer (Cleveland State IIRC). By the time he started his senior year he was 6'10" and the number one ranked player in his class. He never played a lot of high level AAU ball, so most of his pre college experience was on a high school team that somehow only won eight or nine games. After one year in college he is now labeled "transcendent."

His development has been exponential. He also is a hard worker off the court. He and MKG started an early morning workout group that eventually included virtually the entire team. He has just scratched the surface of learning to play a big man's game and I believe that his body will continue to fill out. He'll never be a Dwight Howard body type, but I do believe that a KG body is very reasonable. I really have no qualms saying that I fully believe his offensive game will develop to an NBA level. Even if it doesn't, his defensive game is already better than Noah.

[Jaime L]

Good argument. I'm convinced.

[Commodore]

Davis is very skilled offensively, he just wasn't asked to do it at Kentucky. He will be on the same level as KG/Duncan

my top 3 would be Davis, MKG, Drummond

[Rhom]

I love the Sullinger pick for the Celtics... Think the Fab Melo pick is a bit high for him, but 7 footers don't grow on trees. It could prove to be a steal.

Was really surprised with MKG at two, but I don't think Charlotte will regret it.

Waiting on Teague, Lamb, and Miller now. If I can stay awake to see Liggens and Harrelson drafted last year, I can stay through the early second this year!!!

[Rhom]

I think PJ3 will be a big pick up for someone.

I'm somewhat surprised that Teague didn't go to Indy, really surprised at the Plumlee pick.

[Rhom]

Oh damn... PJ3 to OKC!!! If his knee isn't as bad as some seem to think, that could be huge! He was projected top 5 last year.

[Rhom]

Triple post incoming... Had my 6 guys get picked. I like Lamb and Millers chances to make the Bucks/Hornets rosters.

Now I can go to bed!