Official 2013 Draft thread

I don't think I'm as high on Oladipo as most, I think he'll disappoint.

 

What makes you think that?

 

I'm telling you. The college game is awful on big man. That said, I feel like Zeller has regressed.

 

What I like about him is that I actually think he's one of the most sure things in this draft. The ceiling for players like Noel is very high, but Oladipo has skills that you don't have to guess if they'll translate to the next level. In the worst case scenario, he'll be a solid role player.

 

That Syracuse zone is a bitch.

 

Oladipo is the best perimeter defender I've seen in college in a while.

 

That's the tricky part of the draft. You know he'll be a good role player, but a top 10 pick, you don't want that. I know the argument was made agains MM in regards to Meyers Leonard, and what you expect out of a lottery pick, but IMO, you can assume you get....say, Wes Matthews out of Oladipo. So you're protected form busting on the pick, but you just picked an undrafted player in the top 10.

 

I'm just surprised Crean didn't prepare Indiana better. They're playing panicked now, but the team that came out in the second half was more like the Indiana team we've seen all year long. In the first half, they were just like a deer in the headlights. That's on Crean.

 

Yeah that's pretty much how I feel.

 

Thoughts on Glenn Robinson III? Keeping in mind the role he plays on his current team. Think he could develop into a pretty good SG.

 

The draft analysts think he is more of a SF for his career. As far as picking him, I think you could do a lot worse if he is available. Not against it at all.

 

Have Alex Len or Gorgui Dieng been mentioned yet? I know we just drafted Leonard, but it never hurts to stock up on big men, and Dieng in particular is a defensive specialist, something I doubt Leonard will ever be. With Larry Sanders suddenly all the rage, I see Dieng as being in that mold. Meanwhile Len is like Leonard only not American, and therefore has a chance to be good.

 

Funny, that reminds me of what people were saying about Roy at about this time before his draft.

 

I know some scouts have mentioned that he could develop the SG skillset over time, but I think with Batum it doesnt make it very important. I see them as being almost interchangeable position wise. I could see him being a big SG ala Joe Johnson or iguodala like. I think he has some of the most potential good and bad in this class. Didnt show much in college to sway me one wat or another

 

If the draft pick is a C, I think we should be swinging for the fences with Gobert. Think he also makes more sense in that he could (thinking down the line a ways here) play next to Leonard...

 

I still maintain from watching way more of Oladipo than I've wanted to, just by being a Big 10 fan, that he'll be a surefire good-to-great NBA player. The Jordan/Wade comparisons are a little crazy, but I don't think you should let those comparisons make him "overrated" in your mind to the point that he's actually underrated. The reality is that he's one of the best players in this draft, regardless of the lofty expectations. I see a lot of Andre Iguodala in him, and I don't think that's far fetched at all. I can see his basement being Wes Matthews, as some of ya'll have suggested, but his ceiling is a better version of Iggy.

He's not as limited offensively as a lot of the reports have him pegged as, and when you look at his statistics blindly, you have to understand the differences in conferences in the NCAA game, and the overall differences in NCAA statistics versus the pro's. Playing in a slow-tempo league like the Big 10, and being on a team with a lot of offensive options, you have to look at the times he was actually called upon to put the team on his shoulders offensively, and in those situations, he's more than shined.

His defense is becoming overrated because it's his main selling point, but it's also glossed over how impressive it is that we're even talking about a shooting guard in the lottery in terms of his defense. It's one thing to say that a guy is a "good defensive prospect," meaning he's a tall guy that had a lot of helpside blocks, or he's a guard that gambles a lot and gets a lot of steals, but Oladipo plays Tony Allen-esque defense. He's more committed to that end of the floor than any perimeter lottery prospect I've seen this decade.

With all of the comparisons and all of that bullshit aside though, I would just want him on my team. Being between work and law school, I've had a lot of time on my hands to watch college ball, and believe me, I've seen all of these prospects multiple times. Still, there's not a player in this draft (at least in the top 5-10 range), that I'd say, "I would love for a player like that to be on my team," except for Victor Oladipo. He'll make some NBA team very happy, in the same way the MKG was meant to.

[BTW - As to his capabilities on both sides of the ball - 21 pts, 7 rbs, and 6 stls versus Michigan State and 26 pts, 8 rbs, and 3 asts versus Ohio State. Both of those were huge conference wins spurred on not by Zeller or Watford, but by Victor Oladipo, on both sides of the ball. Wes Matthews never did anything close to either of those performances. I watched both those games, and those were such competitive, high-stakes, emotion-filled games that they had an NBA playoff-esque atmosphere. A lot of usually great performers for IU were struggling, and guess who filled their shoes offensively?]

 

I pretty much agree with this 100%

 

Agreed with NOVoodoo as well.

However, I don't see Oladipo lasting until 12. I was really hoping for Burke, but I think he will be long gone by pick 12 as well.

MCW is my pick for the Blazers right now. I think he would be an excellent SG next to Lillard (much better than Maynor when Maynor & Lillard play together).