Is the next Nicolas Batum and hopefuly, our future other-backup-forward next to Dante. Currently #13 on NBADraft.net - http://www.nbadraft.net/players/jan-vesely - he's the player I want from next year's draft. 5 years from now: Armon Johnson/Rudy Fernandez Brandon Roy/Wesley Mathewss Nicolas Batum/Jan Vesely Lamarcus Aldridge/Dante Cunningham Greg Oden/Jeff Pendergraph
Five years from now? Rudy = back in Europe Jeff Pendergraph = playing in Europe Armon Johnson = third stringer somewhere (maybe)
Here's a post, since before the last draft, also about Vesely (the poster is called "shapecity") - So, while this looks to be a shallow year, next year's NBA draft could possibly see three outstanding young international players, all over 6-foot-10, taken in the top five picks. If Lithuania's 19-year-old big man, Donatas Motiejunas, pulls out of this draft and gets another year of seasoning under his belt, he'll join the Czech Republic's 6-11 Jan Vesely and Turkey's Kentucky-bound beast Enes Kanter on stage shaking David Stern's hand early in the evening a year from now. And, remember that we will likely see Spanish phenom Ricky Rubio playing in the NBA a year from now at age 21 as well. http://sportstwo.com/threads/160281-Top-International-Draft-Prospects?highlight=Vesely
Armon Johnson is a third-stringer now but IF he learns to make the right decision after splitting the defense, he's our PGOTF.
I just don't know. I've heard that before. I like Armon's game, and I think he has potential, but the odds are against him.
I noticed that he can go hard to the basket but if he can't finish, the passing doesn't come naturaly enough for him. Other than that, his quickness, passion, defense and intelligence make him an exciting prospect.
Not that I think this years "pgotf", why are the odds against him? He's not short, he's a good defensive minded PG, and he has decent PG skills. the only thing he's lacking is a shot. And despite Andre Miller never getting one in his career, it is an easy fix if he puts his mind to it.
Why do you think "the odds are against him"? He seems to have natural PG instincts. While I see him as an average PG at best, I think his decision making ability will improve under Nate.
All I can think is, what a waste of a lottery pick to take him and put him 10th on the depth chart and maybe give him 5 minutes per game ... not to mention the fact that the last thing this team probably needs is yet another young wing player when it's already crowded as hell with Babbit, Nic, Matthews, Williams, Rudy and this one guy named Brandon Roy. Ugh.
Jan Vesely is different from most European big men, he plays like a North American. You guys will be too high up in the draft to get him. He'll crack the top 10 by year's end.
Just because we've seen so many point guards come through here over the years, and tabbing him as the PGoTF is a little premature. I mean... rattle them off.... Telfair, Sergio, Bayless.... that's just in the last five years. All were tabbed as the PGoTF. I like his game, but like I said, I think the odds are against him. Just my two cents.
I'm against drafting taller Euro wing players with a high-value pick. It seems like there is a new crop of these guys every year, yet none of them live up to the hype once they hit the NBA. Bargnani is the prototype for this new breed of Euro, and while he is a decent player, he certainly isn't an All-Star, let alone a franchise player.
You know what, you naysayers. If by, say, January (it will happen a lot sooner) you will all be convinced Armon Johnson is a STUD and our PGOTF and a vital piece to our championship run/s and an important contributor even this year, you should admit you were wrong and probably should've agreed with me, also - on Jan Vesely.
You know what #2: Jan Vesely's Partizan Belgrade play Maccabi Tel-Aviv on thursday (I think around 11 AM or noon Portland-time), I will watch the game cause all Maccabi Tel-Aviv euroleague games are televised where I live and you, if you can, try to catch it via the internet.
It's got nothing to do with Vesely having a promising future, it's the fact that there are too many players ahead of him for now and into the near future that he'd probably never realize that promising future if he were somehow drafted and plopped on the bench ... nevermind the fact that he's probably going to be a top ten draft pick, which hopefully puts him out of our range.
