It's funny: I'd trade both our picks for a solid player. This would almost certainly look stupid in a year or two, because there will be good players taken with those picks or later. BUT this is to forget that we're not now in a position to know who those good players will be. Looking back at past drafts just reveals how much of this is blind luck. Even the best GMs and scouts fuck up on some picks, and even the worst get lucky on others. Now is the time to trade picks (or perhaps the closer we get to the draft) because GMs are falling in love with certain players and wanting to get them at all costs, so picks are overvalued, particularly as they are so uncertain. But then again, that's the kind of thinking that Danny Ainge used when he traded the #6 pick for Sebastian Telfair...
Re: Rider. He drove me crazy. But he was great against Kobe when the latter was a skinny teenager, because he could just sweep him aside. And he was clutch with the free throws because he didn't feel pressure, because his mind was lost on some other dimension - you could tell it in his eyes. But the trade of Rider and... another SG that I forget for Steve Smith was one of the best that Trader Bob made. And that was with Smith having no knees left.
I think that is a pretty solid plan. Gives us a lot of flexibility at the 2/3. Of course it would all hinge on getting TWO free agent PGs. But I guess Flynn is as good as any PG in the draft.
I always wondered if he choked on that weed he smoked out of a pop can out in Clackamas, now I have my answer.
Agreed. To use an NFL comparison, its akin to the Cowboys passing on Tyron Smith because of USC's long streak of producing bad pro offensive lineman. Now they have possibly the best young offensive lineman in the league. The Youtube clips look good to me, and he does sorta have some Wade in his game. I will be interested to see his combine measurements. He seems to have good two footed jumping ability, which could make him a good NBA finisher near the rim. Quite a few short runners in the clips, along with a good looking outside stroke. Looks like he has a full arsenal of NBA shots. He looks better than Lamb or Barnes to me.
Doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result is the definition of insanity. How many players from Syracuse need to under perform before you stop drafting them? It's been since Rony Seikely
Do you think Carmelo is under performing? I think he's right about where everyone thought he'd be. A scorer and not much else. He's still a multi-year All-Star and one of the best scorers in the league.
It's one out of many, and most think teams are better off without him. He doesn't really make anyone else better
But he's not "under performing". The guy has been an ego maniac since before he was drafted. I'm not saying we should draft Waiters because there seems to be a number of other tweener guards that will be available and might be better, but it would be dumb not to look at the guy simply because he went to Cuse. I put him right there with Lamb, Lillard, Rivers, and Terrence Ross. Any one of those guys could end up a star or a bust. This is where these scouts and talent evaluators earn their money.
One guy out of many. Waiters might end up being good, or he might end up like Flynn, Coleman, Owens, and others
I could follow the reasoning if Syracuse only recruited "system" guys, but as far as I can tell, they chase the best talent like everyone else. 24 years....sounds like they're due to finally produce one if we're reasoning in superstitions.
MM...... what school would you say is a can't miss when it comes to players coming out of? I know each college has players that fail, but which school has the best pedigree?
You know, I think UNC is probably closest. Their guys usually play to where they are drafted. It could be that none of them were ever drafted too high though? I am not putting a lot of thought into it, but I can't think of any misses off the top of my head
Wow, great list. I disagree with Faton though. He has performed ok for a mid lottery guy......Just not for us
