The Official 2008 NBA Draft Thread |
The Official 2008 NBA Draft Thread |
May 29 2008, 10:58 PM
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#151
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Superstar Group: Administrator Posts: 3,736 Joined: 12-March 06 From: Chicago, IL Member No.: 12 |
Blake Griffin is another player I'm not that sold on. Everyone has hyped him up but I think he has a lot to improve upon before he should ever be on the top 5 rated prospects list. I guess he's on there b/c of his athleticism and b/c all the studs besides him came out this year. I'm going to say that we need to watch out for Brandon Jennings, Demar DeRozan, and Devin Ebanks next year. I think all 3 freshman are going to have big years. BJ Mullens. |
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May 30 2008, 09:57 AM
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#152
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All-Star Group: Administrator Posts: 2,704 Joined: 14-March 06 Member No.: 43 |
Griffin definitely needs to polish up his post game, but he's still more impressive than most big men. He's athletic, he's strong, he has pretty good length and he was very productive even for a team short on other legit options. He was also playing at less than 100% at the end of the year due to a knee injury and I think something else as well. I'm not saying I think he's going to be a superstar, but unless his injuries keep up and/or he comes in a bit shorter than he's listed he'll be a pretty productive player. Pretty much everything I've read said he would have been the consensus #3 pick had he come out this year, so at least in the eyes of scouts it's not all draft class related (though they've obviously missed on guys before).
I do think that several players have higher ceilings though, like the previously mentioned Mullens, DeRozan and Jennings, possibly a few more guys as well, though this isn't widely considered a strong freshmen class. I've only seen those guys play once or twice though (in All-star settings at that) so I don't have a strong opinion on them yet, I'll wait until I see them in college against better competition. |
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Jun 3 2008, 04:13 PM
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#153
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I'm fresh. Group: Administrator Posts: 1,300 Joined: 4-May 06 From: Lombard, IL Member No.: 131 |
Let's chew on that comparison. On paper Rose measures up better than Paul in almost every aspect... ridiculous. |
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Jun 3 2008, 05:53 PM
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#154
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Leading Scorer Group: Members Posts: 1,285 Joined: 5-July 06 Member No.: 193 |
Pre-draft Workout Results
Not sure if anyone posted the pre-draft workout link but it was pretty interesting to see. I sent Stevo the comparison of Rose's #'s to Paul. They were pretty similar. Rose had an amazingly low body fat % and was freakin quick in the 3/4 court sprint. He also had some great hops. As for other shockers, Beasley was 6'7" with shoes off but he did have great reach and he showed some good power on the bench press. For some reason his vertical #'s look low. Maybe he wasn't trying that hard. The players #'s that impress me the most are Eric Gordon. I wouldn't have known that he was such a stud athlete before looking at those #'s. He was stronger and faster than virtually all the guards. Brooke Lopez like I expected was weak. 7 bench presses an unimpressive vertical and the slowest 3/4 court time of the players on the list. On the flip side, Joe Alexander has a super rediculous workout. Good leaping ability (38.5 running), great strength 24 bench presses, and super fast speed (faster than the PG's). Unless something is wrong with the stats, this guy is a super freak athlete. |
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Jun 3 2008, 07:34 PM
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#155
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Superstar Group: Members Posts: 3,150 Joined: 20-March 06 Member No.: 73 |
OJ Mayo also must have had a stunning workout. 42 inch vertical? Unreal, I would have thought Rose's would have been a bit higher but its obviously pretty hard to judge.
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Jun 3 2008, 07:56 PM
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#156
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Leading Scorer Group: Members Posts: 1,285 Joined: 5-July 06 Member No.: 193 |
OJ Mayo also must have had a stunning workout. 42 inch vertical? Unreal, I would have thought Rose's would have been a bit higher but its obviously pretty hard to judge. I did forget to discuss that. That's unlike me b/c I've been hyping up Mayo for a couple of weeks now. I still want to get him on the Bulls to have a Mayo/Rose backcourt for the future. As for Rose he had pretty much the 4th best no step vertical leap of any player and the best of any player that is actually worth drafting. |
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Jun 3 2008, 08:43 PM
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#157
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All-Star Group: Administrator Posts: 2,704 Joined: 14-March 06 Member No.: 43 |
That vertical is interesting for Mayo, he's never quite looked THAT good in game in terms of leaping. I figured Gordon would test out that well, but he's also shorter than advertised. Love tested out pretty well too as a leaper, though that fat number is actually higher than Spencer Hawes. He'll still probably move up a bit because of it. Beasley does look somewhat average-ish, not totally surprising given he's more of a power player than a speed player. His vertical leap numbers are about where LaMarcus Aldridge was coming out, and the lane agility was actually very good for a non-guard, though the footspeed isn't stellar.
I wouldn't base any franchise-altering decisions off these things though, a lot of guys can look good in a non-game situation with no one guarding them. The top overall athlete in the class (they usually have composite rankings) rarely makes any kind of impact, and Kevin Durant looked AWFUL in this same event last year. As long as a guy doesn't come in amazingly short or tests like an absolute stiff I wouldn't worry much. |
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Jun 3 2008, 09:22 PM
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#158
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Starter Group: Forum Moderator Posts: 994 Joined: 23-March 06 From: Atlanta Member No.: 84 |
I wouldn't base any franchise-altering decisions off these things though, a lot of guys can look good in a non-game situation with no one guarding them. The top overall athlete in the class (they usually have composite rankings) rarely makes any kind of impact, and Kevin Durant looked AWFUL in this same event last year. As long as a guy doesn't come in amazingly short or tests like an absolute stiff I wouldn't worry much. I think that's the important thing to remember when regarding these pre-draft measurables. They are nice as a point of reference, but that's about it. B/c as Zoom said, unless the guy has some really glaring problems in his workouts, then it doesn't matter too much. |
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Jun 3 2008, 10:43 PM
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#159
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Leading Scorer Group: Members Posts: 1,285 Joined: 5-July 06 Member No.: 193 |
That vertical is interesting for Mayo, he's never quite looked THAT good in game in terms of leaping. I figured Gordon would test out that well, but he's also shorter than advertised. Love tested out pretty well too as a leaper, though that fat number is actually higher than Spencer Hawes. He'll still probably move up a bit because of it. Beasley does look somewhat average-ish, not totally surprising given he's more of a power player than a speed player. His vertical leap numbers are about where LaMarcus Aldridge was coming out, and the lane agility was actually very good for a non-guard, though the footspeed isn't stellar. I wouldn't base any franchise-altering decisions off these things though, a lot of guys can look good in a non-game situation with no one guarding them. The top overall athlete in the class (they usually have composite rankings) rarely makes any kind of impact, and Kevin Durant looked AWFUL in this same event last year. As long as a guy doesn't come in amazingly short or tests like an absolute stiff I wouldn't worry much. Just from watching Beasley high school highlight clips you would think he would have a better vertical than that. I personally think he was being lazy and not giving it his all. He doesn't care. He's a lock for 1 or 2 and he might very well rather be the 2 than the 1 so that he can be in Miami. I don't like guys that don't take things serious and from everything I've read about Beasley he's that type of guy. |
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Jun 4 2008, 09:50 AM
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#160
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All-Star Group: Administrator Posts: 2,704 Joined: 14-March 06 Member No.: 43 |
Just from watching Beasley high school highlight clips you would think he would have a better vertical than that. I personally think he was being lazy and not giving it his all. He doesn't care. He's a lock for 1 or 2 and he might very well rather be the 2 than the 1 so that he can be in Miami. I don't like guys that don't take things serious and from everything I've read about Beasley he's that type of guy. I find it funny that when Beasley comes in and gives an okay but not mind-blowing workout he's a slacker that doesn't care but when Durant turned in an AWFUL one last year that was quite a bit worse than Beasley's it doesn't matter and he's going to be a superstar (not saying he isn't a very talented player by the way). That doesn't seem to mesh outside of your pre-conceived notions. So he's a bit goofy off the court, he's still been an absolute monster on it, and that's all that really matters in the long run unless he has run-ins off the court with the police/teammates, something that hasn't been an issue with him. I don't really see how you can be upset with either of these guys, they're both immensely talented, I'd be pretty exstatic with either of them and they'll both be very good assets. After looking at past combine results, it's not like 35 inches is THAT bad a total anyways. Some of the max vertical totals from the studs from recent years: Carmelo Anthony- 33.5 Chris Bosh- 33 Dwayne Wade- 35 Dwight Howard- 35.5 Andre Iguodala- 34.5 LaMarcus Aldridge- 34 Kevin Durant- 33.5 Al Horford- 35.5 Obviously I'm leaving out some of the super-freaks (Bynum, Smith, Gay, Roy (didn't remember that he cracked 40)), but it's not like he was totally awful and it isn't the be all and end all. |
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Jun 16 2008, 04:31 PM
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#161
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Leading Scorer Group: Members Posts: 1,169 Joined: 5-April 06 Member No.: 99 |
QUOTE North Carolina sophomores Ty Lawson and Wayne Ellington and junior Danny Green withdrew from the NBA draft Monday. Head coach Roy Williams confirmed that the trio would return to school. The deadline to withdraw was 5 p.m. ET. Ellington and Green were unable to secure a first-round draft pick guarantee. Their return, coupled with player of the year Tyler Hansbrough's return, makes UNC the prohibitive favorite to win the 2009 national title. Ellington, Green and Lawson all participated in the Orlando pre-draft camp last month. Also withdrawing from the draft to return for a senior season was Texas' A.J. Abrams, the guard announced. Abrams, the all-time leader in 3-pointers made for the Longhorns with 284, helped lead Texas to the Elite Eight, a Big 12 regular-season title and a 31-7 record last season. "When I sat down with my family and looked at my options, I knew I wanted to come back, finish what I have started," Abrams said in a statement. Memphis junior Robert Dozier also withdrew from the draft and will return for his final season of eligibility. "I appreciate the opportunity to go through the process," Dozier said in a statement. "I loved the workouts, and I truly appreciate the honesty of all parties involved, especially the NBA personnel. "I'm coming back with the mind-set that next year's team can be even better than what we were a year ago, knowing a lot of that will fall on my shoulders," he said. Memphis made it to the national championship game last season but lost to Kansas 75-68 in overtime. "I want Robert to come back with two things in mind -- to help the team win a national championship and become the player of the year in college basketball," Memphis head coach John Calipari said in a statement. Others withdrawing were UAB junior guard Robert Vaden, Gonzaga junior guard Jeremy Pargo and Alabama redshirt senior guard Ronald Steele. mario chalmers and bill walker are staying in the draft. |
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Jun 19 2008, 11:42 AM
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#162
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Bench Group: Members Posts: 391 Joined: 16-March 06 From: Utah Member No.: 64 |
Anyone else think the Knicks will try to trade up to the 3? I know a lot of their fans want Mayo.
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Jun 19 2008, 12:08 PM
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#163
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All-Star Group: Administrator Posts: 2,704 Joined: 14-March 06 Member No.: 43 |
Anyone else think the Knicks will try to trade up to the 3? I know a lot of their fans want Mayo. They don't have a whole lot of tradeable assets, pretty much everyone on their roster makes too much money (even David Lee is talking about a max extension ) and has various issues in their game. Unless they're really in love with Robinson or Lee (which I kinda doubt) or can get a few future picks and still get a guy they like that's not likely. |
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Jun 19 2008, 04:58 PM
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#164
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Bench Group: Members Posts: 391 Joined: 16-March 06 From: Utah Member No.: 64 |
What about Minnesota trading down in general. They're really not in need of another guard. I'm sure they could get something good for probably OJ Mayo.
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Jun 19 2008, 06:47 PM
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#165
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All-Star Group: Administrator Posts: 2,704 Joined: 14-March 06 Member No.: 43 |
What about Minnesota trading down in general. They're really not in need of another guard. I'm sure they could get something good for probably OJ Mayo. I wouldn't say they don't need another guard, there's a reason they were so bad this year. About the only spot they're really set it is PF or C with Al Jefferson, outside of that they need upgrades. |
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