Not my words. Someone else's. Not quite sure how they drew that conclusion. Is there any logic to it??
The Blazers started with a #22 pick, how bad can be be . . . unless Webster suddenly goes all star on us.
Even if none of them work out at all it's not like Portland passed up a future all-star to take them.
The only way I can see it is if they liked KP as GM and are including his dismissal as part of the draft. Which wouldn't make a lot of sense to me, but it's the only avenue I can see it not being the raving lunacy of someone who lives in an alternate dimension where people wear shoes on their heads and hamburgers eat people.
It may turn out that way. But, I don't agree considering where we started with poor picks to work with. I suppose if you think Webster was a good player (he was not), and you think that Luke Babitt won't make it in the NBA, you would predict a really terrible draft. I wasn't happy with Webster, so I don't consider his departure much of a loss. I think Luke will be fine in the NBA and be at worst a rotation player, equaling the production of Webster at a lower cost. I think this draft will turn out fine.
Not unless they believe Sebastian Telfair had a better future at PG compared with Chris Paul. Telfair WAS younger, though...
If Luke Babbit is more Luke Jackson, if Eliot Williams overlaps too much with Bayless and can't sniff the court and if Armon Johnson can't beat out Patty Mills for the third point guard spot and gets cut before training camp then yeah, this could be a real stinker.
I think it has a very strong possibility to be a very poor draft. We have a SF for a team stacked with SF's who has played well against substandard teams/players. He's jumping up two levels to the NBA. It cost us Martel- which may or may not be costly. He may very well be another Adam Morrison. Fortunately he'll be buried at the bench or be assigned to the D league. As to Williams, he's an uber athletic, under sized SG that can't shoot very well. Wonderful. But, maybe his athleticism can be channeled well if we ditch Rudy & Bayless. Otherwise, he, too, will gather butt splinters a plenty. As to our second round pick, well, it's a second round pick.
Oh it's you? Nevermind. I think Babbitt is going to be the next Chris Mullin, Johnson is going to be the next Greg Anthony and Williams is going to be the defense playing, 6'4" version of Mo Williams.
Can anyone name the players the Lakers have drafted the past two years? Our success is going to be mainly due to the improvement of players already on our roster or via trade. This draft did not mean much IMO.
While it's true that Adam also came out of a lessor conference, so did Larry Bird, Scottie Pippen, Jerome Kersey, and countless others. What concerned me about Adam's potential coming out wasn't the level of competition he'd faced, but his lack of size and athleticism... I didn't think he'd be able to get his shot or defend anyone. Comparing these two guys respective predrafts... Luke is 1.25" taller, has a 1.25" bigger wingspan, is 20 lbs heavier, and runs and jumps MUCH better then Adam. they can both shoot the lights out, but by NBA SF standards Luke is a solid athlete with good size while Adam is a very poor athlete and undersized. Good size + athleticism + great shooting ability = a pretty good prospect IMO STOMP
