A. Bogut declared for the NBA draft and hired an agent so he is in and is the consensus #1,which I agree with. Ike Diogu declared but no agent and so he has the option to pull ot. If the W's got a shot at Bogut,it would be a no brainer. Personally I see Diogu as the next best pick,though most mocks have him anywhere from # 8 to # 20. I feel certain there will be several teams who have taken a real hard look at what he can,and consistantly has done,which would make him a top 10,maybe even a top 5. However,if sure he'd be available later the W's might be able to trade down. Diogu averaged 22 per,about 10 bbd,real nice shotblock stats for 6-8,set Pac 10 records for FT attempts,expanded his skill package to include 3 pt range. He plays with 100% effort,solid D,good passer,quic enough for SF,tough enough for PF. What's not to like?
Bogut should declare. I have no idea why there are skeptics on Bogut. He's 7ft, 19 and has a variety of solid post moves. It's not like he's 26, this kid has tons of potential. I've never seen Diogu but my #2 choice behind Bogut would be Taft. If he was used more in Pitt he would go in the top 4. Nbadraft.net has Deron Williams at the #4 spot. Talk about the tourney hyping up a player's stock.
Ya I don't think we'll land a pick high enough for Bogut, but I will be satisfied with Diogu or Warrick. Then pick up Hodge with the 2nd round pick. He can play PG, SG, SF. PG BDiddy/Fisher/Hodge SG JRich/Pietrus SF Dunleavy/Diogu (or Warrick)/White PF Murphy/Cabarkapa C Foyle/Biedrins I don't think we'll pursue FA's this year, but will go with draft picks and the decision of White's option.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting REREM:</div><div class="quote_post">A. Bogut declared for the NBA draft and hired an agent so he is in and is the consensus #1,which I agree with. Ike Diogu declared but no agent and so he has the option to pull ot. If the W's got a shot at Bogut,it would be a no brainer. Personally I see Diogu as the next best pick,though most mocks have him anywhere from # 8 to # 20. I feel certain there will be several teams who have taken a real hard look at what he can,and consistantly has done,which would make him a top 10,maybe even a top 5. However,if sure he'd be available later the W's might be able to trade down. Diogu averaged 22 per,about 10 bbd,real nice shotblock stats for 6-8,set Pac 10 records for FT attempts,expanded his skill package to include 3 pt range. He plays with 100% effort,solid D,good passer,quic enough for SF,tough enough for PF. What's not to like?</div> I like Diogu too, I just think after all the scouting and pre-draft workouts there's no way he's goin 8-20. I've seen him live at Stanford games and he has a good chance to succeed. I do hope the Warriors look at him closely but you never know, depending on who declares he might get taken earlier or the Warriors will get jakked on their pick.
Bogut won't slip past the Jazz, though, and we're right behind them if Bogut does fall that far. So let's hope our lottery ping pong balls helps us out.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting custodianrules2:</div><div class="quote_post">Bogut won't slip past the Jazz, though, and we're right behind them if Bogut does fall that far. So let's hope our lottery ping pong balls helps us out.</div> Yeah. If we can get Bogut..... :dancepart We will dominate
While the W's don't figure to have max pingpongs,several teams have snuck into the first slot,or second,third from further back. I saw Diogu against Arizona. A couple of bad foul calls took him off the floor but he came back red hot,took ASU into OT,against an Ariz team with a lot of quality players. I knew he was tough inside but he nailed some 3's too and was big time on D. Taft,at 6-10 is able to be a big guy in college but in the NBA is a fairly small C,not mentally quick or a real banger,and not a guy who zooms about like a small f. IF he got dedicated,over time,he'd split time with Adonal,Andy and Murph in the C role. Diogu would be ready now to play big minutes and could ace someone out of a starters job soon. Only if the W's dealt Fisher before the draft would they use a high slot on a point G,and perhaps not even then. I think a point G in round 2 is very possible.
By the way--I also really like Hodge. U.Conn may have had 4 future lottery picks on the floor but Hodge refused to lose. Hodge doesn't have a rep for 3pt range-but that could be a plus,as he does'nt look to fling a 3,prefers to attack.
Man, I'll be pumped about the draft when we can figure out what number we're getting in the first round and the possibility of trading down. Because that's probably what will make sense if we get a mid first rounder and then use it on Ike Diogu, who can play a little bit like a poor man's Zach Randolph with the range of Malik Rose. He's 6'8, not a gifted athlete, but he's got incredible skills for a guy that plays some center on his team. But it might be hard to finish around the rim like Troy Murphy often struggles with, unless he's wheeling and dealing and using those moves to put it off glass. Diogu shows he's more fundamentally solid than the other big men after Bogut. He can score from anywhere in college, can post up, can use either hand, and can put the ball on the floor. On defense he can rebound and block shots on the weakside. Laterally will he be able to make defensive stops at small forward or will most teams employ him at power forward at 6'8 in the NBA? You look at guys like Elton Brand and what makes him so effective on D is he can jump and move well for his wide 260 pound frame. He looks like a gem if he is basically Zach Randolph (with shotblocking and defense) or a player with Elton Brand's inside scoring/defense and Troy Murphy's outside shooting and rebounding. That's one player that sounds like he has a lot of talent and fundamentals with heart that can make up for being an undersized big man.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting REREM:</div><div class="quote_post">By the way--I also really like Hodge. U.Conn may have had 4 future lottery picks on the floor but Hodge refused to lose. Hodge doesn't have a rep for 3pt range-but that could be a plus,as he does'nt look to fling a 3,prefers to attack.</div> Hodge looks good on his team, but I think we got a better point forward than him in Dunleavy and later on Pietrus. (The reason I say that is because Pietrus is the only guy quick enough to create his own shot with defenders standing right in front of him. When he improves that decision making and floor awareness he's going to find the guys that stand around and like to catch and shoot. Pietrus is going to have to save Fisher's long term career as a Warrior by creating the shots for him because Fisher goes into launch mode off the dribble when he's the team's only point guard. That's really not the right way to play since we're likely to miss a lot if we can't break down defenses, move the ball and give people clean looks.)
Hodge gets interesting if he is a rd 2 bargain. Intense and versatile,he may never be a starter but will be a plus whether at G or F. He's even been used as a PG at times. Danny Granger has similar versatility,actually,even more as he is 6-8 and both a high % 3 shooter,and a guy who got about 9 1/2 rbds per, but Granger won't last beyond pick 15,and has the game to go higher. Hodge should be a late #1,but was geting "mocked" as mid-round 2. Pietrus had a damn good week,his explosiveness to the rim is impressive. He's taken some hard spills too,lets hope some cheap shot undercut doesn't put him out of action. Right now I'm thinking Diogu can be our top choice and then there are assorted possibilities,trades,free agents,which could add a lower 1 ,a 2,something.
