Official 2012 NBA Draft Thread

[rko2004]

Originally Posted by Ballinsam23

Originally Posted by Animal Thug1539

By 2013-2014 - they'll be competing for a championship.

LOL WUT? Usually agree with your posts but this a straight homer statement. Top 6 seed playoff team in the East sure, but contender? No chance in hell. Unless whoever you draft is ROY and an absolute stud (Anthony Davis) I dont see them being contenders until atleast 2015.

Well with an additional lottery pick next year, a high one at that. Then some key trades and moves through free agency. Its possible. They don't have too much money tied up.
Things have to fall into place nicely but like KG siad "ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE! AAGGHHH!"

 

[pmatic]

I don't think Nash is one to define his career by a championship.

 

[buc em]

Nash is a loyal dude, I really could see him wanting to end his career in Canada helping them to the playoffs. Nash-Derozan-Iguodala-Bargnani-Valancanius would be the perfect team for him too. You put him on the Knicks and it's the D'antoni situation all over again for Melo. Woodson has them playing a different style of ball now and Nash would not be a good fit playing with Melo. Knicks would be better off trying to get somebody like Kyle Lowry.

 

[pmatic]

Four days before the Draft.

@JoshuaBRobbins #Orlando #Magic have fired Asst. GM Dave Twardzik and at least 4 scouts, the@orlandosentinel has learned.

 

[ballinsam23]

Originally Posted by RKO2004

Originally Posted by Ballinsam23

Originally Posted by Animal Thug1539

By 2013-2014 - they'll be competing for a championship.

LOL WUT? Usually agree with your posts but this a straight homer statement. Top 6 seed playoff team in the East sure, but contender? No chance in hell. Unless whoever you draft is ROY and an absolute stud (Anthony Davis) I dont see them being contenders until atleast 2015.

Things have to fall into place nicely but like KG siad "ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE! AAGGHHH!"

Every single thing has to fall into place.

I also think alot of teams are taking that "OKC Method" thing a little too seriously. A lot of luck is involved in drafting, especially when there's one franchise player in maybe every 2 drafts.  Tanking for 3-4 years straight to constantly get top 10 picks and drafting the wrong dudes (bust/overrated/bad fit) happens a lot more often (ex: Bobcats, Twolves, Kings, etc) than everything falling into place like it did for OKC.

 

[Animal Thug]

I can see it getting bad for Orlando for the next few years, unfortunately.

Too many firings, resignations, drama going on down there. Better trade Dwight while they can, take whatever they can for him.

In regards to BallinSam-

By the start of the 2013-14 season, teams like MIA, LA, Spurs, even the Knicks will be entering the downfall phase. Now, you can deny that all you want, but those teams will be too old to even have the same impact as they do now.

In the east - teams like Indiana, Wizards, Nets, Sixers and Cavs - will be battling for the top 5 spots in the next 2 years or so, it will be a new generation, like it or not. And In my book, if you're a top 5 team in your conference, you're competing for a championship - contrary to NT's views.

 

[rko2004]

Originally Posted by Animal Thug1539


I can see it getting bad for Orlando for the next few years, unfortunately.

Too many firings, resignations, drama going on down there. Better trade Dwight while they can, take whatever they can for him.

They should of sent him packing mid season before it got as ugly as it did. If they can get Brook Lopez from the Nets and some extras, I say do it. You aren't going to get equal value but you can still make things better for the future.

Every single thing has to fall into place.

I also think alot of teams are taking that "OKC Method" thing a little too seriously. A lot of luck is involved in drafting, especially when there's one franchise player in maybe every 2 drafts.  Tanking for 3-4 years straight to constantly get top 10 picks and drafting the wrong dudes (bust/overrated/bad fit) happens a lot more often (ex: Bobcats, Twolves, Kings, etc) than everything falling into place like it did for OKC. 

I mean its risky but if it works then 

.

I don't see KD 2.0 anywhere in site though.  

 

[solarius49]

Draft express mocked Draymond Green to the Pacers..they have him listed as a 6'7 PF.....do we REALLY need a PF who is smaller than our starting SG and SF? who on earth wants a 6'7 PF who isnt named Charles Barkley....PASS

 

[Bend_The_Knee]

Originally Posted by Ballinsam23

Originally Posted by Animal Thug1539

By 2013-2014 - they'll be competing for a championship.

LOL WUT? Usually agree with your posts but this a straight homer statement. Top 6 seed playoff team in the East sure, but contender? No chance in hell. Unless whoever you draft is ROY and an absolute stud (Anthony Davis) I dont see them being contenders until atleast 2015.

i could definitely see CLE as contenders by '14. Lebron will (IMO) opt out and head back there.

 

[Animal Thug]

 why do I keep hearing about lebron coming back to CLE? Even Mike Wilbon brought it up, and dude swore he was going back to Cleveland.

Could that be possibly why the Cavs want Beal instead of MKG, to keep a spot open for the 3 position? I don't know man.

 

[bhzmafia14]

People are really underestimating Draymond Green. He's a great rebounder for his size with a long wingspan, thats one thing you know will translate well to the NBA. He's added the 3 point shot to his arsenal. He shot 18-25 from college 3 in his workout with the Grizzlies and 14-25 from NBA range. 6-10 in transition 3's. He can handle the ball, pass, has a high motor and is a leader. He wants to win and he puts winning before anything. People focus too much on height and don't look at wingspan or other attributes that makes a player good. He has a 7-1 wingspan and will do just fine. Of course, he will have limitations and will have a difficult time defending bigger players, but that doesn't mean he's going to fail. 
If he's available at 25, I want us to take him. Mainly because he brings versatility, gives us another ball handler, adds perimeter shooter and fits in with our grit n' grind style of play. I don't think I've heard any team say that Green didn't have a great workout. 

 

[kevin cleveland]

People are really underestimating Draymond Green.

 

[Bend_The_Knee]

Originally Posted by Animal Thug1539

 why do I keep hearing about lebron coming back to CLE? Even Mike Wilbon brought it up, and dude swore he was going back to Cleveland.

Could that be possibly why the Cavs want Beal instead of MKG, to keep a spot open for the 3 position? I don't know man.

Here's why I would put anything on bron going back:

1. Got his 1st ring, wants to win 1 in CLE. At first, ppl in CLE wont want him, bron does an interview about how should have stayed there, cries and stuff.
2. If he hasn't realized by now, he will see how nobody in MIA cares about winning a championship there. He will feel un-appreciated and think of how loved he would be in CLE if he won a title. Dude would have the state name changed there.
3. Irving, (possibly) Beal, Thompson would have a few years under their belt, even possibly tasting playoff ball. You add Lebron to that team + whover they add via draft/free agency/trades.

 

[solarius49]

Originally Posted by bhzmafia14

People are really underestimating Draymond Green. He's a great rebounder for his size with a long wingspan, thats one thing you know will translate well to the NBA. He's added the 3 point shot to his arsenal. He shot 18-25 from college 3 in his workout with the Grizzlies and 14-25 from NBA range. 6-10 in transition 3's. He can handle the ball, pass, has a high motor and is a leader. He wants to win and he puts winning before anything. People focus too much on height and don't look at wingspan or other attributes that makes a player good. He has a 7-1 wingspan and will do just fine. Of course, he will have limitations and will have a difficult time defending bigger players, but that doesn't mean he's going to fail. 
If he's available at 25, I want us to take him. Mainly because he brings versatility, gives us another ball handler, adds perimeter shooter and fits in with our grit n' grind style of play. I don't think I've heard any team say that Green didn't have a great workout. 

I'm not saying he cant play, but I would want him at the 3, and we already have a logjam there with George and Granger.  Thats not even remotely an area of concern for the Pacers.  I will say this, I really liked his interview.  My problem is that I was hoping that they would be making room for George to take over at the 3, not adding players at that position..

 

[shox23]

haven't been keeping up with the draft are a lot trades expected to go down

 

[Clyde Frog]

I dont think Gilbert bites his words and brings Lebron back. He would look sooo stupid. Especially after guaranteeing the Cavs will win a championship before the Heat. Just to then bring back Lebron so Gilbert can get a championship.

 

[the gr8]

Originally Posted by Animal Thug1539

   Again I like Beal but I would be hesitant to select him even before guys like Jeremy Lamb and Austin Rivers let alone Barnes or MKG if I was an NBA GM

Please explain why/provide proof.


Again maybe it's just me But I just don't get why Beal is considered to be on such a different level than Lamb or Rivers.

Everyone goes on about Beal being the "ideal" sg and compared to Ray Allen but I honestly think that Lamb could be the better NBA sg mold. he's got at least an inch on Beal! And with his ridiculously long arms he is much longer, giving him the better NBA body perfect for the 2 guard spot similar to a Ray Allen while also being just as/more athletic of the 2. He also has the potential to be a better defender at the2 due to his length and athleticism, while Beal is kind of a Tweener and he will not be able to match up as well with bigger/stronger NBA 2 guards. Lamb might not be as strong and explosive but it's not like Beal's game is based off of that and when it has come to NBA swingmen strength has not necessarily factored into success throughout history (Durant, Reggie Miller, Ray Allen, etc), sure strength can be used as an advantage but Beal and Lamb are both lotto selections because of their shooting far more than their slashing/attacking abilities. Yet it is so widely believed that Beal is the best shooter in this draft although they had nearly identical 3 point shooting numbers while Lamb had a better fg% and ft%. Lamb also won a national championship where he proved unphased by big situations and was reliable in clutch situations as a freshman. I believe that Lamb can have the same effect in the NBA as a 2nd/3rd option on a good team able to hit big time shots similar to what Ray Allen has done in Boston.

As for Rivers, He as well is taller than Beal and can score in the most ways/the most at will than any of the 3 SGs. He also shot better from downtown this season and scored more per game than Beal although Beal came alive later in the season. Rivers also displays the kind of confidence that you want in a go to scorer and he showed this with his game winner vs UNC this season where he stepped into College Basketball's biggest rivalry as a Freshman and absolutely took over the end of that game to ignite a huge comeback that was capped by a game winning, contested 3 pointer. Beal is a good player but he accomplished nothing like that this season.

I mean I am not present with teams at their workouts and these people are In NBA front offices for reasons so I will trust that Beal is the best prospect of the 3 but than again it wouldn't be the first times teams over evaluate a player. I am not even trying to say that I definitely take Lamb or Rivers over Beal, I just do not get what it is exactly that sets Beal apart as the clear cut best prospect between Lamb, Rivers and himself. At best I can see him being an Eric Gordon type player which is good (although I think Gordon was the better prospect of the 2 at this stage in their development) but a guy like Lamb at his full potential I can see more like the prototypical Ray Allen type SG prospect. And all three of these players are great shooters, but Austin Rivers can score in the greatest variety and catch fire most often of the 3. Rivers and Lamb may be a little on the skinny side, but I'll take lack of weight before a lack of height because you can always add mussel (let's remember these guys are all 19) and also considering the effectiveness of other skinny NBA players.

EDIT:

I also think alot of teams are taking that "OKC Method" thing a little too seriously. A lot of luck is involved in drafting, especially when there's one franchise player in maybe every 2 drafts.  Tanking for 3-4 years straight to constantly get top 10 picks and drafting the wrong dudes (bust/overrated/bad fit) happens a lot more often (ex: Bobcats, Twolves, Kings, etc) than everything falling into place like it did for OKC.
Agreed. In most drafts nobody outside the top 2 or so picks are locks and considered potential franchise players. Even then it doesnt always work out (Greg Oden, Darko Milicic, etc.) ALOT has to go right in order to become the Oklahoma City Thunder and especially in the NBA it is alot easier to become the Charlotte Bobcats who liked i pointed out earlier seemed to have a nice young core around 2006 when they had Raymond Felton, Gerald Wallace, Adam Morrison, Sean May, and Emeka Okafor.

Some drafts dont even have a guy like a Durant for the Thunder who is a potential franchise player and most often if there is one he will be the #1 pick except for the rare drafts where the 1 and 2 can be franchise players (still doesnt always work word to Oden and Beasley) or the ultra rare draft classes that possess a few which will maybe occur once every 10 years (84, 96, 03). In the NBA even if you tank and have the worst record, lets say there's a draft like this where there is only 1 clear cut best player and the rest are sort of clumped between 2-6, you still only have a 25% chance of getting that pick due to the lottery, meaning you are more likely not to get the player. Sure alot of what the Thunder have built has come from good personnel decisions, but alot of it is luck. What if they didnt get a top 2 pick in 2007 to get Durant (They were the fifth worst record in the league so it was alot more likely they ended up with a player like Yi Jianian than Durant)? What if they ended up with Oden? What if the Bulls didnt magically win the lottery with a 0.9% chance and Seattle didnt move down to the #4 pick, and they drafted Beasley or OJ Mayo instead of Westbrook (if they drafted #2 like their record for that season would of had them if there were no lottery they probably end up with Beasley)? Where would they be now? I mean if 2 lotteries went just a little bit different and the Thunder were off by a pick or 2 they could have easily ended up with Mike Conley and Gallinari instead of Westbrook and Durant. Not a bad tandem, but thats not taking you to the Finals. And that is just randomness that could happen to any team trying to use the "OKC Method" and it definitely has we just dont think about it that way. That is alot to count on when building a team that can compete for a championship and given the odds it is much more likely to not work out or work out but not enough that you are championship-caliber than to actually become a championship contender like the Thunder are today.

 

[Bend_The_Knee]

Originally Posted by Jay02

I dont think Gilbert bites his words and brings Lebron back. He would look sooo stupid. Especially after guaranteeing the Cavs will win a championship before the Heat. Just to then bring back Lebron so Gilbert can get a championship.

even though he said that he would be dumb to not bring bron back. Gilbert will take what he said back and say it was a in the moment type comments.

 

[lightweight champion]

Cleveland is Kyrie's team like Chicago is Derrick Rose's team. 'Bron would want Kyrie to court/recruit him to get him to return.

 

[pmatic]

Rockets set sights on moving up in draft

For the last several years, Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey has been trying to package assets together to make a big deal on draft night. The 2012 draft is no different.

Sources say that Houston has discussed deals with several teams in the top 10 about moving up in the draft. And the Rockets might have found two willing partners.

Although sources stressed that no deal is imminent, Sacramento (No. 5) and Toronto (No. 8 ) have let Houston know that their top-10 selections are available. Sources say that the Rockets, in turn, have made both of their first-round picks available (No. 14 and No. 16), but the key to any trade going through could be point guard Kyle Lowry.

The Raptors have been especially fond of Lowry, who has been regarded for months as a borderline untouchable in Houston but more recently has publicly expressed his disastisfaction with Rockets coach Kevin McHale. Whether the Rockets are indeed prepared to part with Lowry, as talks with the Kings, Raptors and other teams continue, figures to be one of the bigger stories of draft week.

What’s clear from the Rockets’ end, sources say, is the player they’re fondest of in the upper reaches of the draft: UConn big man Andre Drummond. Many scouts believe Drummond has the second highest upside of any player in the draft behind consensus No. 1 overall pick Anthony Davis, but the 7-foot, 279-pounder would almost certainly still be available at No. 5.

Drummond, as the second youngest player in the draft at 18, registered an impressive 7-foot-6 wingspan at the NBA Draft Combine earlier this month. Personnel experts regard him as an elite athlete and shot-blocker who moves laterally especially well. But Drummond’s inconsistent play as a freshman, combined with questions about his passion for the game, have caused his draft stock to take a slight hit in recent weeks.

The tipoff that the Kings are likely to deal the No. 5 pick between now and Thursday night, sources say, is the handful of players they’ve brought in that are expected to be drafted in the middle of the first round. Sources say two of those players in particular – North Carolina’s John Henson and St. John’s Moe Harkless – are high on the Kings’ draft board.

Henson has already worked out for the Kings and Harkless is scheduled to work out on Monday. Sacramento has also tried to get several other candidates for the middle of the first round, including UConn’s Jeremy Lamb and Washington’s Terrence Ross, into town for 11th-hour workouts.
Link

 

[mmg]

Originally Posted by Jay02

I dont think Gilbert bites his words and brings Lebron back. He would look sooo stupid. Especially after guaranteeing the Cavs will win a championship before the Heat. Just to then bring back Lebron so Gilbert can get a championship.

youd be a damm fool if you think Gilbert would pass signing lebron

 

[sole searchin]

Originally Posted by PMatic

Rockets set sights on moving up in draft

For the last several years, Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey has been trying to package assets together to make a big deal on draft night. The 2012 draft is no different.

Sources say that Houston has discussed deals with several teams in the top 10 about moving up in the draft. And the Rockets might have found two willing partners.

Although sources stressed that no deal is imminent, Sacramento (No. 5) and Toronto (No. 8 ) have let Houston know that their top-10 selections are available. Sources say that the Rockets, in turn, have made both of their first-round picks available (No. 14 and No. 16), but the key to any trade going through could be point guard Kyle Lowry.

The Raptors have been especially fond of Lowry, who has been regarded for months as a borderline untouchable in Houston but more recently has publicly expressed his disastisfaction with Rockets coach Kevin McHale. Whether the Rockets are indeed prepared to part with Lowry, as talks with the Kings, Raptors and other teams continue, figures to be one of the bigger stories of draft week.

What’s clear from the Rockets’ end, sources say, is the player they’re fondest of in the upper reaches of the draft: UConn big man Andre Drummond. Many scouts believe Drummond has the second highest upside of any player in the draft behind consensus No. 1 overall pick Anthony Davis, but the 7-foot, 279-pounder would almost certainly still be available at No. 5.

Drummond, as the second youngest player in the draft at 18, registered an impressive 7-foot-6 wingspan at the NBA Draft Combine earlier this month. Personnel experts regard him as an elite athlete and shot-blocker who moves laterally especially well. But Drummond’s inconsistent play as a freshman, combined with questions about his passion for the game, have caused his draft stock to take a slight hit in recent weeks.

The tipoff that the Kings are likely to deal the No. 5 pick between now and Thursday night, sources say, is the handful of players they’ve brought in that are expected to be drafted in the middle of the first round. Sources say two of those players in particular – North Carolina’s John Henson and St. John’s Moe Harkless – are high on the Kings’ draft board.

Henson has already worked out for the Kings and Harkless is scheduled to work out on Monday. Sacramento has also tried to get several other candidates for the middle of the first round, including UConn’s Jeremy Lamb and Washington’s Terrence Ross, into town for 11th-hour workouts.

Link

If Houston gets the 5th, and it goes Davis, Robinson, Beal, Barnes and we get to choose, I'm taking MKG. I like Drummond, but I love MKG's game.

 

[lightweight champion]

Man, if the Kings trade #5 for #14 and #16 I'd be happy. Harkless and Henson? Easy takes.

 

[sole searchin]

Originally Posted by Lightweight Champion

Man, if the Kings trade #5 for #14 and #16 I'd be happy. Harkless and Henson? Easy takes.

Rumor right now, Houston's going in for 2 top 8 picks. Have the #14 and #16 to dangle at the Kings along with Kyle Lowry to dangle at the Raptors who want him.
And all for to throw back to Orlando for Dwight.

It's going to be a fun four days.

 

[rko2004]

Originally Posted by Animal Thug1539

 why do I keep hearing about lebron coming back to CLE? Even Mike Wilbon brought it up, and dude swore he was going back to Cleveland.

Could that be possibly why the Cavs want Beal instead of MKG, to keep a spot open for the 3 position? I don't know man.

Every since he said "If the fans would have me back." people have been thinking he'd come back. 
Does Bron really have an opt out clause in his current deal? I thought it was 6 years flat out.

He went on national television and made a spectacle about taking his talents to South Beach. Yes he said he could of done things differently but man, how do you return after all that? By then the Cavs SHOULD be in GREAT shape in terms of championship contention. 

Not to mention that Dan Gil doesn't seem like the type to forget. But who knows. It'd be a way to bring things back full circle but I see Bron finishing his career in MIA.