Chad Ford released his mock draft today and has the Warriors drafting DeMarcus Cousins Would you happy with this pick? Here's a profile on him. Positives: •Great size, NBA body •Huge wingspan •Very skilled for a big man •Can dominate inside and out •Soft hands, great footwork •Great perimeter shot •Legit 3-point range •Solid handle for a big man •Good athlete when in shape Negatives: •Questionable motor •Lacks great conditioning •Not an explosive leaper •Can be an indifferent defender Summary: Apr 7 Update: Cousins was the most productive big man, per minute, in college basketball this season. He was a double-double machine for Kentucky. He already has an NBA body and can do his damage both down low and from the perimeter. Concerns about his so-so athletic ability and a history of temper issues on the court were the only things holding him back from being the No. 1 pick. Still look for him to go somewhere in the 3 to 5 range. Feb 8 Update: Cousins just put up his sixth straight double-double on Saturday. His consistency on the floor is quickly overshadowing concerns about him off the floor. More and more GMs are telling me that they'd likely overlook some of the concerns about his work ethic and temper on draft night. There just aren't many NBA-ready big men who can score and rebound like Cousins can. The fact that many NBA guys believe Cousins can be a full-time center in the NBA is also helping his cause. With other big man prospects such as Derrick Favors and Ed Davis failing to live up to the high expectations they had coming into the season, Cousins is now looking like he's passing them on the board. It's no longer inconceivable that he could end up as the No. 2 pick. The only player (from a production standpoint) who has an argument to go ahead of him is Ohio State's Evan Turner. However, Cousins plays a more coveted position. We currently have him at No. 3 on our Big Board. Jan 26 Update: For most of the season the refrain on Cousins has been the same: He's a lottery talent whom few teams would actually draft in the lottery. Cousins came to Kentucky with a high school rep of being both lazy and ill-tempered. He's been compared to other NBA pariahs like Derrick Coleman and Zach Randolph -- a compliment on the court and a slap to the face off it. But lately NBA teams are changing their tune. Just a few weeks ago Cousins was on our "Stock Down" list and we lowered him into the 20s. Three weeks later? Cousins is in the top 10 for the first time this season. Yes, there are still questions about Cousins' taking off plays on the defensive end of the court, and the game against Louisville showed off his short fuse. But his overall talent level? Oh boy. Cousins is getting just around 20 minutes per game. But his per-minute numbers are off the charts, and his standard stats aren't exactly shabby: He's averaging 15.4 ppg, 9.5 rpg, 1.8 bpg and shooting 55 percent from the field. "There isn't a better low-post scorer in college basketball right now," one GM said. "Pure talent he's a top-four pick. Factor in all of the question marks about him as a kid, I still think he goes lottery. Can you name 14 players you'd rather have even with the baggage?" That sentiment is growing rapidly. Some of the same GMs who had him ranked in the 20s at the start of the season all told me he's in the top 10 now. What's changed? Nothing really other than the fact that a number of top prospects have been underwhelming while Cousins gets it done virtually every night. "Even if the guy is going half-assed," another GM said, "he's still got more upside than most of the players in the draft." Jan 5 Update On talent, you could make the argument that Cousins should be a top-five pick in this draft. He has been absolutely dominant in the paint. His per-minute numbers are just off the charts. Scouts have compared his offensive game to everyone from Derrick Coleman to Zach Randolph. The problem for Cousins is that that those same scouts worry that Cousins has similar weaknesses as those players. Cousins can lose focus, get lazy on both ends of the floor and has shown some problems with his temper. In short, he appears to lack the maturity to be a high pick. A GM willing to gamble still might choose to roll the dice on him in the lottery, but more and more scouts are wondering aloud whether he's worth the trouble. Cousins began the season ranked No. 16 on our Big Board. He has since slid to No. 26. Dec 15 Update: Cousins has actually been putting up pretty impressive numbers at Kentucky for a freshman. But none of the scouts I've spoken to lately is in love with how he's doing it. Clearly he's very skilled, but he often lacks the energy or toughness that NBA teams want in their big men. He has the ability to dominate all the time, but will do it only in spurts. I continue to hear phrases like "He's a poor man's Derrick Coleman." Ouch. Nov 11 Update, by Fran Fraschilla: If you walked into Kentucky's practice facility, watched Cousins for the first time and were told he's the odds-on favorite to be the No. 1 pick in June's draft, you would believe it. In watching Cousins practice earlier in the fall, I saw enormous potential. He is a monster prospect with an NBA body, skills and agility to match. He is a rare player at his size who can effectively handle, pass the ball and has a shooting range to about 17 feet. If you were building a power forward's body to play in the league, you couldn't go wrong with his. The criticism of Cousins, however, pertains to his perceived lackadaisical attitude, and NBA teams will be watching for maturity in this area. I remember how unresponsive to coaching he was when he attended the LeBron James Skill Academy the summer before his senior year of high school. I remember it clearly because I was coaching him. Fortunately for the young Wildcat, it's an issue he can dispel this season when playing for John Calipari, who has a magical touch when it comes to getting the most out of talented players. If that happens, Cousins could well end up going in the first seven or eight selections in June. If not, some team will take a flier on him later in the round and hope to get good value from a player whose talent belies a lower selection. Nov 10 Update: Like John Wall, Derrick Favors and John Henson, Cousins has elite NBA abilities. In fact, of that group, no one has quite the complete package of skills Cousins offers. He's the biggest player of the bunch and probably the most skilled offensively. Cousins can score from anywhere on the floor. He can post up, shoot the 3 or play the midrange game. He also possesses a terrific handle for a big man. When Cousins is focused and in shape, there's little he can't do. But therein lies the problem. Cousins has a rep for being a difficult player to motivate. He struggles to play with consistent enthusiasm, and it can be frustrating to watch a player of his talent coast. The good news for Cousins is that his coach, John Calipari, won't stand for his jogging up and down the floor. And with Patrick Patterson and Daniel Orton both on the front line, Calipari holds another ace up his sleeve: legitimate competition for a starting spot. Cousins always has been the most talented guy in the gym. Now, given the roster at Kentucky, he's actually going to have to earn playing time. If he does, Cousins can move somewhere into the top five on our Big Board. If he coasts, he's still talented enough to squeak into the lottery. Apr 21 Update: Cousins has a terrific NBA body and a skill set to die for. If he always played hard and stayed in shape, he'd be the top prospect in the country. But years of watching him sleepwalk through his high school years have given him a bad rep. If John Calipari gets him playing hard at Kentucky, he'll rise. But it's going to be a challenge.
Depends. When did he have the Warriors picking? I wouldn't take Cousins over Wall or Turner (without trading down), but after that I would absolutely take him. Here's what I would do (as of right now) with the Warriors at each pick: 1. Turner, but trade down a slot if someone wants Wall more, see if you can get something extra. 2. Wall, if Turner is off the board. Would be a valuable trade chip later on. 3. Cousins (also applies if we pick anywhere lower and he's still on the board). I've got concerns about him, but he's probably still better in a traditional role than any of the big men we have, he has size and skills. 4-5. Trade the pick (Favors is somewhat tempting, but I'm not a huge fan and he duplicates some of what we already have in Randolph) 6-8. Wes Johnson, if he's still on the board, the reason being the trade value at these positions probably wouldn't be that high and as a true SF he could be a perfect replacement for Maggette, who is getting more tradable as his contract matures.
I would be ecstatic if we landed Cousins. We're set if we get a top 4 pick. Wall, Turner, Favors, and Cousins are the clear cut top 4. If we stay at 4 just take whichever one is left. If we get 5 then its tough. Theres a drop off in talent. I wouldn't be opposed to trading the pick.
We're slotted for the 4th pick right now but thats a position where theres a fair chance that a team below us could leapfrog us. There's also a fair chance that we could move up but with this club I take that as a virtual lock not to happen. Its just not that Warrior way lol.
Yeah with the Warriors luck you get the 5th pick in the draft and Nellie sets his sights on Gordon Hayward.
I'd be happy for this pick, but only as an asset, not as a player. Cousins is a great player, but his personality really only would mesh with someone he really respected. Unfortunately, we lack the veteran presence or true star power (or right Coach) for someone who can really lead and work Cousins in without having some problems.
Jeez, this is tough. Cousins looks awesome from a talent perspective, but if you look at the trouble Miami was having with Michael Beasley, it makes me not want him as much as Favors who plays hard defensively and has the athletic upside. If we roll with a 6'10 245 lb center, I don't mind that. What's an inch or 5 pounds from being the prototype center body , when you got the wingspan and hustle? On the other hand, let's say Cousins gets more mature after the one-and-done season is over. He could be a weapon that's hard to stop once he gets in the paint. The question is will his defense or passing be good enough to make him the focal point on team strategy? We cannot ride this guy to victory if he's got too many holes in his game and he doesn't make the team better or change the game in a positive way. He might get beat on defense so many times, turn the ball over because he doesn't get rid of the ball sooner...he might be Troy Murphy-like in that he gets good numbers, but is totally useless when it comes to protecting the rim or making sure our other big stays out of foul trouble. We need bigs that play defense or this won't work IMO. We'll have Eddy Curry or worse.
Cousins isn't one of those players that you can plugin anywhere and he'll succeed. He's self-absorbed which makes it touchy. Plus, I don't see him running the floor in a fre flowing offense and succeeding. I think he needs to be in a pick and roll offense where he touches the ball every trip down the floor with a smart point guard and a well coached team. Utah is probably the perfect fit for him. That being said, unless the front office decides to can Nellie, and bring in a guy that coaches that pick/roll pick/pop offense, he's not the right guy in any slot for the Warriors. If you were to take away the attitude, then the front office to take him and wait a year or so to get the right coach, because I think he and curry could be a scary tandem.
Holy shit Zhone. I completely forgot about mailing you the fantasy basketball prize money. I'll do that tomorrow for you. Can you PM me your info again? Warriors get robbed again. Maybe they can trade up or trade down? Chad Ford has the Warriors selecting Cole Aldrich at #6 ... YUCK Analysis: The Warriors need help in the middle. Aldrich, while not flashy, can provide rebounding, shot-blocking and a decent face-up game. The Warriors should have other options like Al-Farouq Aminu and Ed Davis, but I think Aldrich is the leading candidate right now.
I figure 5 and 6 should be Al-Aminu and Wes Johnson. They both may even be available depending on the Kings plans for Donte Green. They could go for Aldrich (albeit they'd be reaching for him) if they don't think that Hawes will pan out. I like Johnson-think he could fit in well. I'm typically skeptical about D from guys from Syracuse but he looks like he could become the wing defender that we need. He isn't super aggressive but that may work out well. He can take what Curry sets up for him and won't take shots away from Monta. But the best part about taking him is that he will push Maggette back into a 6 man role where I think he fits best. I don't like Al-Aminu, don't know why but I just wasn't impressed with his game. I absolutely don't want Davis. I think Aldrich will have a long, decent career but I don't see him as an improvement over Beans or even Turiaf. Basically, if Johnson isn't there, I vote for trading the pick.
Damn. So we have to assume Wall, Turner, Favors and cousins are for sure gone before we pick. Right now it seems like people think Aminu is in the top 5 but I get the (bad) feeling that Wes Johnson will be in the top 5. For our pick I'm looking mostly at Wes Johnson, Greg Monroe, and Ekpe Udoh right now. Wouldn't rule out Aldrich, Aminu, or Montiejunas though. Wes Johnson could have the best chance to be a star of the three. Can't see him creating tremendously well for himself in the NBA but he seems like the perfect SF to put alongside Curry in a Nellie system. Dude is a lethal scorer and tremendous athlete, great jumpshot, good finisher, very strong rebounder and also racks up blocks and steals. I would liken him more to Danny Granger than Shawn Marion. Hes not the big we've been yearning for but IMO if the W's think hes got star potential then you have to take him at 6. Monroe vs. Udoh is an interesting one. In the little I've seen of Udoh he seems to have the better traditional big man game with a good back to the basket game, good rebounding, very strong shot blocking. Hes short though and I'm not sure what to make of him athletically. Monroe is a decent scorer down low facing up or with his back to the basket but has no right hand. Very good passer and good size. Very mobile but not much of a leaper and little explosiveness. Plays below the rim but hes smoothe. Could be like a David West type player. Again though we've got to factor in who would be the better fit with Curry. Monroe in our system as a high post passer could be a beautiful thing. But if Udoh measures out well and as a good athlete would we rather have a guy who's got the explosive finishing ability to become a monster on the pick and roll? Also for what its worth Udoh is going to be 23 tomorrow. Monroe is 19, going on 20 in June. I'm actually fine with Randolph and Wright at PF at this point. I've still got faith in them. Seems like there is a dearth of PFs where we're picking. Especially if Johnson is off the board our only options are Aminu, Monroe, Udoh, Montiejunas, Aldrich. Its hard to be firm with a decision but if Johnson is there I would go for him. Right now it'd have to be 1. Wes Johnson, 2. Greg Monroe, 3. Udoh. Can't wait for school to be out so I can watch some games with Aldrich, Aminu, Montienjunas.
Haha, no worries Shape, I pm'd you. Chad Ford is a really poor evaluator, he's really good at getting rumors and stuff, though. I'm not sure what to do with the pick. It's too early in rebuilding to try to trade the pick for a veteran and moving up is too costly to consider as well. Moving down in combination with shedding salary or just keeping the pick are probably the best options at this point. At #6, Johnson would be great if he's still around. If he gets drafted earlier, then I'd probably have to go with Aminu. The only other player I'm intrigued by at this point is Udoh, but it still seems like a heavy reach. I like some of the lower-ranked players as role players, but they're not worth reaching for.
