<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">The Oklahoman - With the Hornets holding the 12th and 15th pick in this June's Draft, the club is looking into trading up into the top-six. GM Jeff Bower believes that the talent in the Draft drops off quickly after the sixth pick. "We're going to explore a lot of things," said Bower. "Maybe we have already."</div> I think it'll be rather easy for them to move up. The 12 and 15 for the 4, 5, or 6 is all possible. Who could they be targeting to build around Paul? Rudy Gay? http://www.realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives...d_at_moving_up/
If the Hornets could somehow move up to the number five spot, and draft perhaps Randy Foye. They would have one of the most exciting young backcourts in the league. Two great young guards, and possibly two straight rookie of the years. I can’t see them trading up to get Shelden Williams, because he is expected to be a late lottery pick so there is no need to trade up to get him. If one of the three top big men in the draft (Aldridge, Bargnani, or Thomas) fell to them it would be another great draft for the Hornets. I don’t know if the Hornets should take Gay if anything they would be better served drafting Roy. Rudy’s NBA stock is based way to much on potential. The Hornets took a risk on a potential player before (Smith) we all know how that worked out. They might be a little less willing to take that risk again. Roy is a safe pick who has good size, and would complement Paul well.
Phoenix is great at vetting out talent. Why not work a deal with the picks for Shawn Marion? Phoenix needs help in the backcourt and with Amare back and the emergence of Diaw they could bring in some new frontline talent to go with Dijon Thompson, James Jones and the Russian Center whose name is too long to type for D'Antoni to mold. Still, 2006-07 should be a year for the Hornets to win 10 more games and make the playoffs and continue to improve defensively. With Paul, West and Marion running the pick and roll, the Hornets could be one of the top 10 teams in the entire NBA.
Morrison is very talented but diabetes is an unpredictable factor in his career. I went to Wake Forest and they had a very talented wingback named Kenny Duckett who was drafted by Seattle and nicknamed ET (for extraordinarily talented) who had diabetes and only lasted a couple of seasons. I'm sure treatment has advanced considerably since then, but with the tremendous strain of year-round training and then an 80 game season...I think Morrison will go in the middle of the first round and then will be traded to one of the top teams who are in a position to gamble a little bit.
If I'm the Hornets GM, I'm gunning for (in this order: Andrea Bargnani, LaMarcus Aldridge, Brandon Roy, Rudy Gay. I think any of those players, alongside Chris Paul, will be a lethal combo in the future.
Tdoug brought up an interesting point about Shawn Marion. If I can get Marion for the two draft picks say JR Smith, and some fillers I take that deal. Marion is a established superstar in the league, and a double double machine. Having him along side Paul, Mason, and West gives you a solid player at each starting spot. PJ Brown would be my only concern then he is still a good player, but at his age is prown to injury. They could address that need through free agency though. Marion, Paul, and West would immediately become one of the leagues top trios.
Like Fresh said, something like JR/both picks for 6th and cap filler would be benificial, the Hornets could get someone really useful and good that could help they're team a lot, depending on how they use the pick. IMO, Shelden Williams would be nice or Rudy Gay.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Buckets:</div><div class="quote_post">Like Fresh said, something like JR/both picks for 6th and cap filler would be benificial, the Hornets could get someone really useful and good that could help they're team a lot, depending on how they use the pick. IMO, Shelden Williams would be nice or Rudy Gay.</div> Why would Shelden Williams be nice? He played center at Duke, but he's almost certainly going to be a forward on the next level because of his lack of height (recently measured in at 6-7 and change), so he'd just create a logjam with fellow undersized forward David West. If the Hornets want to go big, they should be gunning for a player like Patrick O'Bryant, LaMarcus Aldridge, or even Cedric Simmons; just someone with center potential who could replace Brown. Unfortunately, their biggest need is a defensive-minded wing, or perimeter defense in general, and this draft is pretty weak as far as defense goes.
Plus, the Hornets wouldn't need to trade into the Top 6 if they wanted Shelden Williams. In my opinion, he will likely go somewhere in the 10-17 range.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Swish15:</div><div class="quote_post">Plus, the Hornets wouldn't need to trade into the Top 6 if they wanted Shelden Williams. In my opinion, he will likely go somewhere in the 10-17 range.</div> Here is a quote from a Philadelphia newspaper <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post"> The wild cards in the top half of the draft are international forward Andrea Bargnani and Duke forward Shelden Williams. Sources said that Williams has pulled out of scheduled workouts with teams in the second half of the top 10 - including Minnesota, which picks sixth - indicating that a team in the top five has made a commitment to Williams that it will take him.</div>
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Best Kept Secret:</div><div class="quote_post">Here is a quote from a Philadelphia newspaper</div> Wow that is crazy, thanks for the quote BKS. I'm suprised Williams is getting so much attention. I wonder if it just a smoke screen by the teams. In most mock drafts I have seen, it has Williams going in the late first round so this is shocking to me.
I never knew about Shelden measuring that short, but dang Im surprised but he still held his own against bigger players so I still stick by my statement.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Buckets:</div><div class="quote_post">I never knew about Shelden measuring that short, but dang Im surprised but he still held his own against bigger players so I still stick by my statement.</div> We all knew that Williams was undersized. That's why he's considered to be a player potentially available in the late lottery and not a top five lock. Yes, he held his own against NCAA competition, but it wasn't necessarily bigger competition. In fact, he was often going up against centers who were 6'8", 6'7", 6'6", or even 6'5". Rarely do you see a big man in college ball who is 6'11" or taller and has any actual talent. The only skilled players with that kind of size who Williams has played recently are Paul Davis, Roy Hibbert, Cedric Simmons, Marco Killingsworth, and LaMarcus Aldridge. The only one who Williams played half-way decently against was Aldridge, but the other four definitely got the better of him in their match-ups, to say the least. By pointing out these examples, I'm not trying to say that he'll be completely useless on the next level, because I think he'll be a hell of a power forward, but I just think center's way out of the question at this point because of the way his height will limit him.
In order to get Marion we could also do a sign and trade with Claxton. He's a player we hate and can't really afford to lose, but Phoenix needs a point guard which doesn't seem to be Barbosa's best position. Claxton plus a first rounder and possibly J. R. for Marion.
