All Things NBA

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by SniperSB23

I'm not declaring these guys stars, what I'm saying is what everyone thought going in, that they would both be effective pros. Many of the guys taken above them will not be. We already know how good those two are from college though and NBA teams would much rather take guys with "upside potential" that have never displayed it like BJ Mullens than guys that are a known quantity like Blair.

I think you are generalizing too much. While I think Blair can be a NBA player, he is probably limited to being a role player. Same with Lawson. He is a great change of pace guy with young legs playing with a team that fits his style. Put him on a different situation where he is forced to play 32 min a game for a bad team and he probably shoots 38% from the field and has 5 turnovers a game. If a guy has a ceiling and you know it you cant take him too early and overpay him. I understand the counter is that you may wind up paying an unkown but a lot of these guys do make it. There are a hell of a lot of really good NBA players that played for less than primetime programs yet were drafted high ( not literally). Not to mention that a lot of GM's draft to need because they dont have a lot of time to get good.

Though there are some horrific organizations in the NBA that never seem to make the right move.

[SniperSB23]

Originally Posted by Cannon Shell

I think you are generalizing too much. While I think Blair can be a NBA player, he is probably limited to being a role player. Same with Lawson. He is a great change of pace guy with young legs playing with a team that fits his style. Put him on a different situation where he is forced to play 32 min a game for a bad team and he probably shoots 38% from the field and has 5 turnovers a game. If a guy has a ceiling and you know it you cant take him too early and overpay him. I understand the counter is that you may wind up paying an unkown but a lot of these guys do make it. There are a hell of a lot of really good NBA players that played for less than primetime programs yet were drafted high ( not literally). Not to mention that a lot of GM's draft to need because they dont have a lot of time to get good.

Though there are some horrific organizations in the NBA that never seem to make the right move.

First it was the high schoolers and now it is the college guys. The NBA just doesn't get it. They got burned by so many "we draft Jermaine O'Neal out of high school, pay him for four years, and have him leave as a free agent and become a good player" moments that they had to force everyone into the NBA to not be able to draft high schoolers to protect them from their own idiocy. Yet amazingly, now they are doing the exact same thing with unproven college players. I'm not positive if you are just an NBA guy or if you watch a lot of college basketball but as a college basketball fan it isn't hard to find the guys that will translate to the pros and which won't. Anyone that watched college basketball games last year shouldn't be surprised that DeJuan Blair, Ty Lawson, and Steph Curry all had far better first games than Hasheem Thabeet, James Harden, and Tyreke Evans who were all taken before them. And Thabeet/Harden/Evans are the guys that will probably make it! It is the idiocy of the picks by the bad teams from 8 to 37 that makes you really question what these GMs are doing.

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by SniperSB23

First it was the high schoolers and now it is the college guys. The NBA just doesn't get it. They got burned by so many "we draft Jermaine O'Neal out of high school, pay him for four years, and have him leave as a free agent and become a good player" moments that they had to force everyone into the NBA to not be able to draft high schoolers to protect them from their own idiocy. Yet amazingly, now they are doing the exact same thing with unproven college players. I'm not positive if you are just an NBA guy or if you watch a lot of college basketball but as a college basketball fan it isn't hard to find the guys that will translate to the pros and which won't. Anyone that watched college basketball games last year shouldn't be surprised that DeJuan Blair, Ty Lawson, and Steph Curry all had far better first games than Hasheem Thabeet, James Harden, and Tyreke Evans who were all taken before them. And Thabeet/Harden/Evans are the guys that will probably make it! It is the idiocy of the picks by the bad teams from 8 to 37 that makes you really question what these GMs are doing.

Scott dont you think that making judgements on players after one game is a bit premature?

Maybe those guys were more NBA ready because they played more but it is far too soon to declare any of them successes or busts.

[SniperSB23]

Originally Posted by Cannon Shell

Scott dont you think that making judgements on players after one game is a bit premature?

Maybe those guys were more NBA ready because they played more but it is far too soon to declare any of them successes or busts.

Of course, you can't declare anything after one game. Like I said the 2nd to 4th picks will probably make it. I just can't believe the level of idiocy in the NBA that lets guys drop so far cause they have only shown they could be good NBA players instead of having shown nothing which could mean they could potentially be great or terrible. It is like if on every pick I offered you $12 or a random amount from $0 to $15 and everytime you went for the random amount. That seems to be the acceptable route for NBA GMs. I just find it very funny that Curry, Blair, and Lawson all had great first games despite being picked 6th, 17th, and 37th even though any college basketball fan could tell you those three were pretty much locks to be good pros but might not be great ones.

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by SniperSB23

Of course, you can't declare anything after one game. Like I said the 2nd to 4th picks will probably make it. I just can't believe the level of idiocy in the NBA that lets guys drop so far cause they have only shown they could be good NBA players instead of having shown nothing which could mean they could potentially be great or terrible. It is like if on every pick I offered you $12 or a random amount from $0 to $15 and everytime you went for the random amount. That seems to be the acceptable route for NBA GMs. I just find it very funny that Curry, Blair, and Lawson all had great first games despite being picked 6th, 17th, and 37th even though any college basketball fan could tell you those three were pretty much locks to be good pros but might not be great ones.

I just dont follow the logic that the 6th and 17th picks are so overlooked. if you go back through the last few years drafts, there are a lot of high pick misses but there are also very few later pick succeses.

And I think the guys you mentioned are more like $6 or 7 dollars on the scale.

Who should have taken Curry or Lawson tht passed? Dont forget Blair has a questionable knee.

[SniperSB23]

Originally Posted by Cannon Shell

I just dont follow the logic that the 6th and 17th picks are so overlooked. if you go back through the last few years drafts, there are a lot of high pick misses but there are also very few later pick succeses.

And I think the guys you mentioned are more like $6 or 7 dollars on the scale.

Who should have taken Curry or Lawson tht passed? Dont forget Blair has a questionable knee.

Curry probably went exactly where he should have. Time will tell and his height may become a problem but Lawson looked the 2nd most NBA ready of anyone last year behind Griffin to me. I can't say he should have been #2 but I think he shouldn't have been much lower than #7.

As to Blair, he could be in a wheelchair and still grab more rebounds a game than BJ Mullens. San Antonio or Denver will win the NBA this year strictly because of the extra bench minutes that Blair/Lawson can give Duncan/Billups to keep them fresh for the playoffs. BJ Mullens will never match the double doubles by Blair through one game in his NBA career.

[dalakhani]

So now NBA GMS are supposed to structure their respective drafts based on how players will do...in their first game?????? This is a new level of silly.

So do we now ignore team need? Do we ignore potential? Do we ignore injury issues?

Do I think Lawson should have lasted to 17? No but at the same time, its not always about being "nba ready".

How about Danny Granger? Im sure he was at the top of your draft board in 2005 when he was drafted over more "nba ready" players like Hakim warrick and salim stoudamire.

NBA scouting is not perfect and just like every sport mistakes are made. How was JJ redick a lottery pick for instance? At the same time, lets wait three years before we start to declare the winners and losers in any draft.