I really think Portland might have had the best draft. McCollum was a great pick at #10, Withey is a great fit, especially in the second round, and ya'lls second round Euro-stash is one of the more promising, rising Euroleaguers. I'd say my Grizz had a great draft, but we only wound up with two picks, a great steal at #41 with Franklin and a mediocre Euro-stash at #60 with Timma. That's a good draft, but too minor to be considered the best. So who had a better draft than the Blazers? I was a fan of Minnesota's picks. I think Muhammad and Dieng are great fits, and I also think Utah made out pretty damn well with Burke and Gobert. I know you guys can be the biggest critics of your Blazers, but all-in-all, it seems like the Blazers drafted better than most of the league tonight.
I think Sac lucked out with McLemore. I think he could be a real star. Also, I think New Orleans made out like bandits. I'm skeptical of Noel's health long term, and I think Holiday is one of the best young point guards in the league. The Pels just solidified their backcourt. If Gordon can stay healthy, he and Holiday will be lethal.
Before I respond to the topic, I've got to give you props... "The Pels"... I was just in New Orleans for about two weeks and hung out a lot with my friends that are sports journalists for the Times Picayune and for TrueHoops Pelicans blog, yet I never heard anyone throw out "The Pels." It was always "the Hornets, er... Pelicans." That's catchy though... You're right though... with that trade considered, I guess the Pelicans are the big draft winners. ESPN had pretty shitty coverage of the entire draft, in that they all seemed completely aloof to what was actually going on. When they reported the trade, I thought it was so lop-sided in the Pelicans' favor, that I thought they were leaving out details. I figured Eric Gordon would be moved or something, but the fact that all they essentially had to do to get an All-Star PG was give up a #6 pick in a weak draft has to make them the hands-down winners. I like Sactown's draft as well. McLemore is enough of a get, but McCallum, albeit drafted where he was projected to be drafted, was still a steal in the second round. I'm really not sure (no offense to Portland fans), how McCollum was considered such a better prospect than McCallum.
Yeah I like what the Pelicans did, the draft is such a crap shoot getting a known guy like Jrue is brilliant. The Sixers are following the Bobcats rebuilding plan, I'm not impressed because I don't think they'll have the patience to stick it out and the years of being a celler dweller is damaging to a franchise. But yes I'm super excited about our draft, I'd agree we might have had the best draft as of today. Summer league should be exciting.
Phoenix fans are furious they didn't do that deal. Either that or draft McLemore. They hated the Len pick.
Of teams you haven't mentioned I really like what Atlanta did. I'm a huge fan of Schroeder and Bebe was a good pickup and they also acquired Muscala. However trading Shane Larkin may haunt them like the Wolves trading Ty Lawson. Minny did a lot right, it seems to me. I don't like Muhammad, but I said a while back that he makes sense for the Wolves because he can't create and Rubio can't score, so they complete each other. But they got Dieng, so now we have to punish them by getting them to overpay Pekovic. Maybe we can threaten them with signing Pekovic to a huge ugly offer sheet unless they give us Dieng? That's allowed, right? I like what Philly did. It was bold. Jrue's great, but that franchise was wallowing in self-pity and needed a big jolt and Noel and MCW are certainly that, AND they got one of those diamond-encrusted 2014 picks (even if top 5 protected). It's kind of a shame Anthony Davis and Noel didn't stay on the same team, though. They keep missing each other. Oh, and Philly got board faves Nate Wolters and Arsalan Kazemi. They'll be my second fave Summer League team, for sure. Much as it pains me to say it, OKC did VERY well. I love Roberson and I'd talked myself into Adams. And now I bet Jerrett turns out AMAZING.
Them getting Len scares me that they're going to trade us Gortat. If it's for McCollum I shall burn down the world.
For everyone concerned about his low numbers, he was playing for BARCELONA, one of the top 4 franchises in Europe, which has a stacked, veteran frontcourt. For pick 45 it's about as good as you can get. Incidentally, I think the Griz getting Franklin was amazing. We passed on him, but I can forgive us because we have too many players like him (including his twin, Will Barton) otherwise I would be furious.
The Jerrett pick was my only real problem with Portland's draft. With as deep as this year's crop was, I would really have liked them to get one more "ready to play" guy, like Muscala or Siva. In fact, if they had used both 40 & 45 on guys they actually wanted, we could have conceivably gone into the FA period with just one roster spot hole--starting center.
Neil mentioned they only wanted to bring two players from the draft onto the main roster. They stretched that to 3 because they didn't think Whitey would be there at 39.
I thought about it last night, and though I don't really like duplicating Lillard, I think CJ was definitely the BPA and I think it was the best way to go. We've hammered the team in the past for not doing the BPA, so it's hard to complain now when they did exactly that.
In time I think you'll become more enamored with the pick, possibly as soon as the middle of summer league (which starts in 2 weeks).
I guess my concern is that long term we're either going to have to play them side by side or we'll have to make a trade. I hate drafting someone that will eventually need to be traded. All young players want to start, whether they say so or not, and I don't foresee McCollum being any different. So the question that we will have to answer over the next year or so is whether they can start together. If they can, great. If they can't, I have a hard time seeing McCollum accept a permanent role on the bench, but I guess that's probably pretty far down the line. I guess it's way too early to be worried about something like that.
it all depends man, some people embrace that 6th man role, he seems like he is one of those types of people imo ginobli has done it for a decade+, nary a peep
McCollum will play 30 mins a game. He shouldn't be too upset cause I'd imagine he would play at the end of games for us.
If we are talking draft picks; it's gotta be the blazers. With what they had available; I think they got the best player. I really think Cleveland made out. It may not look at it now; but it could show huge promise! They needed that interior scorer that plays with his back to the basket. Sac definitely got a damn good player too. But I think jersey had the best draft day acquisitions. They are in major contention now with Garnett and pierce. They are stacked in all 5 positions. It's a three year window; but I wouldn't be surprised if they don't win at least one title.
