I guess I'm under the assumption that we took him to hedge our bets and then somehow signed Deron Williams, making Marshall unnecessary. Deron is still young enough that you wouldn't need a guy like Marshall waiting in the wings. Someone like Steve Nash on the other would be not change our window and you could still draft Marshall as the primary backup. I don't know if his draft stock would be too low. The Blazers could still sit on him if they wished. Deron is a good enough scorer that you could possibly play them both at times.
No that's not really reaching at all. Most mocks have him going in that 8-13 range and every team has their board set up differently. In this case need and value line up pretty well. Reaching is spending a first round pick on Nolan Smith when most draftniks had him as a second rounder (in a piss-poor draft).
I remember that draft I wanted POR to get Westbrook badly. I remember seeing Bayless projected to go to SEA and I couldn't see why they would do that (although I was hoping they would), but even then I didn't think Westbrook would make it out of the top 10...The buzz out of his workouts was too good and he showed some highlight stuff during the NCAAA tourney if I recall... Marshall is nowhere NEAR Westbrook in terms of being considered a reach....He may climb boards if there are teams stupid enough to fall for the "He's the best PG in the draft" and reach for a need....I agree that he may go higher than he should, but it shouldn't be POR that reaches for him...Especially when you know they are going to go after a vet PG, so what is the point here? (no pun intended) Draft talent, regardless of position...Address FA PG and C in Free Agency...
I don't understand why you write off Marshall as if he isn't talented, but like guys like Perry Jones and Wroten more than him. Is it you like raw ability, and ignore the ability of guys to actually use their talent? Is it that a solid basketball IQ can't be considered a talent? Is it because Marshall will never be a 20 PPG scorer that he isdn't talented, even though he could likely be top 5 in assists maybe as a rookie? I don't see why he isn't talented just because he isn't flashy, isn't as athletic, and doesn't have the 20 PPG scorer potential.
No they don't.... Better than Harrison Barnes? Jeremy Lamb? John Henson? JAred Sullinger? Austin Rivers? Perry Jones II? Terrance Jones? I don't think so, take him over those guys and you ARE reaching for a need... Draft Express has him listed at #14, barring some team reaching for him this is about the area where he should go IMO.... Again, POR needs a talent upgrade more than a positional upgrade....
Do you guys know how much better Aldridge, Batum, and the the rest of the roster will play on the floor because of Marshall? I want a guy who can make everyone around him better. I think he can and will do that.
That would be a solid draft, IMO. Sullinger at 11 would be ok with me as well. He and LA would be a nice combo. That is unless the Blazers can add a late first because I think there are a ton of good bigs that will go late in the first.
"positional upgrade?" I think you completely underestimate two things. 1. How important it is to have a competent to good point guard (which automatically raises a players value if they are good at this position) and how little difference there is between the prospects you list. Is Austin Rivers really a better pro prospect? Sullinger, Henson, the Joneses? I'd line Marshall up against any of those players in 3 years and guess that he's as good a chance or better than any of having a home in the league and the chance at a second contract. If Marshall were projected as a late teens guy or early twenties and we reached for him, then by all means I'd agree that the team shouldn't reach, but just because Givony has him ranked at 14 doesn't mean he is absolutely the 14th best prospect in this draft, that's one evaluator's opinion.
Also, from my understanding, Draftexpress ranks them according to the order they think they will be picked (considering feedback they get from team personnel), not according to what they think is their talent. For example in the Chris Paul draft, it was obvious from their scouting reports they thought he was the best player in the draft, but they had him ranked where they thought he would be picked. Not saying this as an endorsement of Marshall; I think we HAVE to get Williams, Dragic, Lowry or Parker. If we couldn't get any of those, then I would consider Miller. I don't have a problem with drafting Marshall if he is the best player available when we draft.
How do you actually know this? Watched a bunch of tape on the guy? Think about it more in tiers. At the very top there appears to be only one guy (Davis) in the perennial all-star, possible super-star class, below him are maybe 3 or 4 guys in the possible all-star, 9 year starter category and then after that ... there's just not as much difference between guys projected 7th - 14th
First, IMO there is better talent in this draft than you think there is....More impact players than you think there is Second, who do you think POR top 3 players are? and how do you think they match up with OKC (Durant\Westbrook\Harden), MIA (Lebron\Wade\Bosh), LA (Kobe\Bynum\Gasol)? Do you really think that adding Marshall is going to suddenly improve LA\Batum\Matthews' play that they become a best of the NBA trio? Seriously? He is that good? This team has a MAJOR talent gap right now...Thier best player (LA) is a marginal #1 (optimistic) more likely a #2, thier next best player (Batum) is probably best as a #4-5 core\glue guy and not a #3 (optimistic) or (REALLY optimistic) a #2 guy...Then they got a guy Matthews who they start but on most good teams would be coming off the bench and ONE player with we don't know what, kind of potential (E-Will) b\c he hasn't shown he can stay healthy enough to see what he can bring night in night out....and after that not much else worthy of note. Sound like an NBA championship roster to you? So you take Marshall at #6 or #11 and he provides what? that #2 or #3 guy? Really? He wasn't even that on his own team... You really think that POR is going to get that #2 or #3 guy in free agency? You think POR should COUNT on that....COUNT ON THAT as part of thier strategy? or COUNT on a re-signed Batum (at a lot of $$$$ $10+ mil likely) as a #2 or #3 guy...COUNT ON THAT? You don't take need in the draft, you go for BPA...history has shown that most teams get thier top players THROUGH the draft not through free agency, I should rephrase that to most teams NOT in LA, NY, CHI or MIA. They have TWO high picks in a VERY strong draft, they would be best served to swing for the fences (for once) with both picks, go for the BPA with the best chance to develop into a #2 or #3 guy...not a guy who if he developes (Marshall) can be a decent level starter....Even if POR hits on only ONE of those guys with both of thier picks then they will be MUCH better off than if they hit on a guy like Kendall Marshall and he became a starting caliber PG... Would you rather have that #2 or #3 guy (or #1) next to LA or that solid PG? I mean come on, that should be a no brainer. Marshall MAY make POR players better, but not SIGNIFICANTLY better to play with the top teams in the NBA, come on now that is just ridiculously optimistic....and yeah they should resign Batum but not count on him to be that #3 guy. If they do thier job at scouting and go BPA and go for players with big upsides then they should be able to get 1 possibly even 2 of those guys with thier picks...If they can trade one of those picks for an established near all star player then yeah make that deal, though I do not see any of those types of sweet deals on the horizon... Lamb, Barnes, Rivers, P.Jones, Sullinger at #7 and if they are all gone at #11 then... Henson, T.Jones, Wroten (maybe T.Mitchell) at #11
I'v grown on Lamb and Rivers but I dont think either one is a better prospect, nor do I think half the guys you listed are. Pure PGs are few and far between, scoring guards get all the attention nowadays so when a pass first PG with a great BBIQ and elite court vision comes along he is considered a middle of the pack prospect. If a PG cant take over a game scoring wise he seems to fall in the draft. In three years I think Marshall will be leading the league in assists. After pick 5 every player up to 15 has extreme upside but also has glaring weaknesses. Look at Barnes, when Marshall went down the guy had trouble creating his own offense and seemed to be unable to even score.
