QUOTE (bschmaranz @ Apr 12 2008, 01:29 AM)
Am I the only one that would love to see us add Brook Lopez? I was talking to a buddy of mine the other day and he thought I was an absolute nut for thinking that. He kept bringing up the name "Chris Mihm", completely different player in my opinion.
Brook Lopez sucks. He'll be a decent big man in the NBA but nothing special. People are always looking for the next Hakeem, the next Duncan, the next Dwight Howard but they just don't come along that often. The NBA of draft of the 80's probably won't ever happen again. When you think that Hakeem, Ewing, Robinson, Malone, Barkley, & Daugherty. There probably won't be another 5 year stretch where we get that many quality big men that are ready to come into the NBA and produce/dominate from day 1. Dwight Howard was the last can't miss # 1's and can't miss top 3 for that matter.
Top 3 picks should be used on can't miss prospects if there are any or on the most potential. Teams need to quit taking big men too high just because they fear an unproven player will become a great big man on someone elses team or because they don't need to fill a hole even though they know the player won't be great. Top 3 picks or top 5 for that matter shouldn't be wasted.
The 2006 draft was a good example of that. Bargnani was taken b/c people feared he'd be the next Dirk, Aldridge was taken because of his potential and he might pay off, Tyrus was taken 4th b/c of potential and that may or may not pay off. Any of those teams could have taken them more sure player in Brandon Roy (except Portland got lucky or played their cards right and got both players they wanted). Can you imagine how much better the Bulls & Raptors would have been with Roy instead of Bargnani or Tyrus. But the biggest joke of all was Atlanta's stretch at 5 for Sheldon Williams. I know they didn't need another wing player, but Gay would have been better or they could have traded down or traded the pick in a package for a PG.
Andrew Bogut and Marvin Williams were a joke 1, 2 as well. But I guess they didn't see either Williams or Paul being such studs at the NBA level.
So in the past 5 years, Dwight Howard, Bosh, Oden, & Yao Ming highlight the top big men in the top 3. The verdicts still out on Oden but you can say that with the exception of Howard none of the others can even dream of being on the same level at the end of their career as Hakeem, Ewing, Robinson, Malone, or Barkley. Those players were legends. That NBA doesn't exist anymore and I doubt we'll see that many great big men enter the game in a 4 year stretch.
The lesson should have been learned long ago. Take the can't miss player in the top 3. If it's a big man it's a bonus. If not, and you don't want the other can't miss players, trade down b/c someone will always be willing to trade up for the can't miss player.