Official 2013 NBA Draft Thread

Hill is quite good. He may not be a traditional PG, but he does a decent job getting others the ball, shooting the ball and defending.

While a backup PG is a need, if I were Indy, I would probably go with a PF at #23 considering West and Hansbrough are entering free agency this summer.

Edit:

Actually there might not be a a decent PF available at #23 (Mitchell?), so a PG may be the way to go. :lol:
 
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JJs07 said:
They need a PG who can (eventually) give them more than what Hill/Augustin can. Indy has an amazing nucleus and adding a dynamic PG could be the move that puts them over the top.

Let me ask you guys...do you think any of Jackson/Larkin/Green will be better in the long run than George Hill? I'm not including Augustin, because he's awful. If Indy keeps their pick at #23, they have to hit a home run (if they pick a PG).
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I like Larkin more than Hill, great handle, good vision, good in the pick and roll, not very turnover prone. He's also a better athlete than Hill ever was or will be.

Jackson has many of the same attributes but he's older and shorter
 
I was thinking if that Afflalo for bledsoe deal happens, then they draft Vic and tank the season, the Magic could trot out:

PG: Bledsoe
SG: Oladipo
SF: Wiggins
PF: Harris

Most athletic 1-3 ever :smh:
 
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Harkless is a solid defender, gets alotta steals..i like him in the rotation to balance out Harris' offense
 
JohnnyRedStorm said:
Love how no one giving my dude Harkless love. Kid can play.
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vucevic, too. dude is solid. quietly put up a solid season.

if they make that bledsoe trade, they could put putting out a solid/young starting 5 (assuming they draft oladipo/ben)

bledsoe
oladipo/ben
harris
harkless
vucevic

theyre going to end up with another top draft pick in next years draft, too. in a few years the magic are gonna be okay.
 
JohnnyRedStorm said:
Love how no one giving my dude Harkless love. Kid can play.
Click to expand...

I actually love Harkless to forgot about him but if they could get Wiggins he will be easily expendable. Harkless will be the goods though if he can't improve his shot and become a reliable three point shooter.
 
Croatia's Saric leads international crop of NBA draft prospects

Where have all the great international players gone? Last year, the first foreign-born player didn't come off the board until No. 20, when Denver selected Frenchman Evan Fournier. This year, no international entrants project to be top-10 picks and only two -- Croatia's Dario Saric and Germany's Dennis Schroeder -- are legitimate lottery candidates.

Despite the lack of star power, as many as six international players could go in the first round. Here is a look at the field:

Dario Saric, SF, Croatia (No. 13 in SI.com's latest Mock Draft): While draft boards across the league will fluctuate wildly over the next few weeks, many agree on this: Saric is the most talented international import. An Eastern Conference executive described Saric as "skilled beyond his years"; a Western Conference talent evaluator said Saric is "the best passing big man in the draft"; and several personnel men cited his diverse offensive repertoire as proof that the 19-year-old Saric will be able to play right away.

Perhaps more important, Saric has the drive to get better. "He's a workaholic," a scout said. "He lives in the gym. With his basketball IQ, you're talking about a kid with All-Star potential."

Dennis Schroeder, PG, Germany (No. 14): An often-cited comparison is flattering: Boston's Rajon Rondo. "He's got those long arms and dynamic skills," a West executive said of the 6-2, 165-pound Schroeder, a quick 19-year-old. Schroeder burst onto NBA radars with a stellar performance at the 2013 Nike Hoops Summit, and he's impressed teams with his playmaking instincts. Schroeder excels in the pick-and-roll and confidently directs an offense.

"He's so poised," an international scout said. "The way he weaves in and out of the paint, the way he creates, he is a high-level talent."

Executives who have researched Schroeder have expressed concern about his attitude and maturity, but one West official said "it's nothing that would make me pass him up."

Rudy Gobert, C, France (No. 21): Gobert's stock "is dropping like a stone," according to an East executive. His freakish dimensions aside -- he is 7-2 with combine records of a 7-9 wingspan and 9-7 standing reach -- the 20-year-old Gobert lacks basic offensive skills. He doesn't posses a jump shot, which eliminates him in pick-and-pop action. He isn't particularly strong or athletic and has not shown scouts that he has the tools to develop into an effective scorer in the post.

One executive compared Gobert to Alexis Ajinca, a fellow Frenchman who went 20th to Charlotte in 2008. Ajinca played 71 games over three seasons, never averaging more than 10 minutes. Several team executives said they would take a flyer on Gobert in the 25-30 range.

"If you take him too high and he fails, you are going to look like an idiot," an East scout said.

Sergey Karasev, SF, Russia (No. 23): The 6-7 Karasev is a shooter, with one NBA executive likening the 19-year-old to Kyle Korver. He's a prototypical small forward who was one of the top scorers last season in the PBL, Russia's top professional league. He's not explosive, but a West executive said he "is more athletic than you think." Another West executive said Karasev will thrive in a system that runs him off screens. He's average defensively, but the second executive believes that his intelligence and length will make him serviceable on that end.

Giannis Adetokunbo, SF, Greece: Adetokunbo fancies himself a point guard, but you won't find an NBA executive who believes he can play the position. The 18-year-old is long, athletic and runs the floor well. But he played against what one East scout called "Division III-type guys" last season, when he struggled to create off the dribble at times.

"I wouldn't touch him," a West executive said. "I don't even know how good he is going to be once he reaches his potential."

A team in position to stash Adetokunbo overseas for a few years to let him fill out and develop is probably the best fit.

Lucas Nogueira, C, Brazil: One West executive identified the 20-year-old as a sleeper. The 6-11 Nogueira dazzled NBA talent evaluators at the Under-18 World Championships in 2011, with a West general manager referring to him as the "best player on the floor." He played for Estudiantes Madrid in the well-regarded Spanish ACB League in 2012-13. Scouts praise Nogueira's intelligence and ability to fit into any system, while listing his shot blocking and rebounding as his top skills. The West executive said that if Nogueira had played in college last season and gotten more exposure, he would be a lottery pick.
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Link
 
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Ford:
How Zeller compares to Bosh, Aldridge

Over the past two weeks, we've taken you to Chicago, New York and Santa Barbara on our annual NBA draft workout tour.

On Wednesday and Thursday I was in Santa Monica for workouts with some of the best bigs in the draft -- Indiana's Cody Zeller, Gonzaga's Kelly Olynyk, Louisville's Gorgui Dieng and Kansas' Jeff Withey.

Here's a look at what I saw.

Cody Zeller, Indiana Hoosiers

Zeller began the season in the mix for the No. 1 pick in the draft. After an incredibly efficient freshman season, teams had high expectations for him as a sophomore. Zeller actually improved in points per game (from 15.6 to 16.5) and rebounds per game (6.6 to 8.1) and he was eighth in the NCAA in PER, but his improvements weren't big enough for scouts who began to pick apart his game.
As skilled as Zeller was in the post and as fast as he was in the open court, he struggled with long, physical bigs on the front line. He got his shot blocked way too much for a future NBA center and teams began to worry that his terrific college game wouldn't translate at the next level.

After a crushing final game versus Syracuse (Zeller had 10 points on 3-for-11 shooting), his stock slid out of the top 10 and scouts began to openly pine for him to go back to school and develop a face-the-basket game.

Zeller, however, decided to enter the draft and he has spent the past month in Santa Monica doing what scouts have asked -- he's honing his jump shot and ballhandling skills to make the leap from center to forward.

Zeller, for his part, claims that he has always had these skills. As a high school player, he regularly played on the perimeter and took 3s. He said he made three 3-pointers during one game his senior season. However, at Indiana, head coach Tom Crean wanted Zeller in the post and that's where he stayed. As a freshman he took just 27 percent of his shots outside the basket area. As a sophomore he upped it slightly to 34 percent.

What makes him think he can do it differently now?

Zeller told us at the NBA draft combine we'd be surprised by his shooting and he backed up that claim Thursday. I tracked his NBA 3-point shots and he shot 72 percent for the workout. That's terrific, especially for a 7-footer. His midrange jumper was even better. Zeller showed the ability to shoot off the bounce and with his feet set. He was especially effective in the corners, where he shot 80 percent from the field for the day.

Combine that small sample with other known qualities of Zeller -- he's the fastest big man in the draft (both laterally and in sprints), has the highest standing vertical (35.5 inches) of any player 6-foot-9 or taller in our database, great hands and a high basketball IQ -- and the question is: Did Zeller go from being overrated to underrated?

Some scouts think so. Several scouts compare him to a young Chris Bosh. A few others to LaMarcus Aldridge. They are both interesting comparisons -- rail-thin college centers who made the transition to power forward in the pros.

Zeller actually has some advantages on Bosh and Aldridge. He's taller than both. His standing and max verticals (35.5 and 37.5 inches) are both considerably higher (Bosh 30 and 33 -- Aldridge 26.5 and 34). He was much faster in his lane agility (10.82 seconds) and sprint testing (3.15 seconds) at the combine (Bosh 11.8 and 3.3 seconds -- Aldridge 12.02 and 3.43 seconds). In short, he's taller and a quicker, a more explosive athlete than either player.

Where Bosh and Aldridge beat Zeller is on wingspan (Bosh 7-foot-3.5, Aldridge 7-4.75, Zeller 6-10.75) and standing reach (Bosh 9-1, Aldridge 9-2, Zeller 8-10). But those numbers aren't nearly as important if Zeller is playing the 4. He is big enough for that position.

As far as style of play goes, both Bosh and Aldridge were allowed to play on the perimeter more in college. In fact, Bosh took 47 3-pointers during his one season at Georgia Tech.

But all three players are fluid athletes who are more comfortable on the perimeter. We didn't see that much from Zeller in college, but from what I saw at the workout, it was more than just a gimmick. He looked truly comfortable on the perimeter -- more so than he ever looked in the post in college. And he certainly has the foot speed to guard quick 4s.

If Bosh and Aldridge are legit comparisons, we have Zeller too low on our Big Board. Where he goes in the mock is another matter. He'd be a good fit in Charlotte, but sources say the Bobcats aren't one of the teams that high on him. The Kings are another possibility. But his real sweet spot looks like the Sixers at 11, the Thunder at 12 and the Mavs at 13. All three teams are great fits. I'm not sure he should last that long, but in a draft with so much parity, I expect teams to be drafting primarily for need.

Kelly Olynyk, Gonzaga Bulldogs

Olynyk is in the same boat as Zeller and had one of the more interesting workouts I saw. While Dieng and Withey were on one side of the court working with big men Brian Scalabrine and Will Perdue, Olynyk was working out with a group of guards including Marquette's Vander Blue.

That's telling. Much like Zeller, Olynyk is being marketed to teams not as a center (the position he played at Gonzaga) but as a 3 or a 4. He certainly has the offensive skill set for it. Olynyk excels at putting the ball on the floor and shooting the basketball. He did not look out of place among the guards who were there and actually shot it better than Blue. On Wednesday he showed off terrific range on his jumper, nailing NBA 3-pointer after NBA 3-pointer.

If Olynyk can shoot like that in workouts, he might convince a lot of GMs to take him as a stretch 4. Whether he can convince anyone to take him as a 3 is another question entirely.

While very few people have questions about what he can do offensively, it's his defense that will ultimately determine where he goes. He seems to lack the lateral foot speed to guard perimeter players, but has neither the length, strength nor explosive leaping ability to guard in the paint. If he did, we'd be talking about him as a potential top-five pick in the draft. As it stands, it looks as if his range is between 10 and 20.

Gorgui Dieng, Louisville Cardinals

Dieng was participating in his first workout in over month. He injured his ankle in Santa Monica playing one-on-one in late April and was actually in a walking boot at the NBA draft combine a couple of weeks ago.

It was good seeing him out running and cutting. He was anxious to get as much work in as possible. He seems like a willing worker who is just a sponge. Despite the fact that he's already 23 years old, in basketball years Dieng is really 18 or 19. He has played basketball just five years and is still learning the game.

With that said. Dieng looked impressive on a number of drills and is probably one of the more NBA-ready big men in the draft. He still needs more consistent shot mechanics, but his footwork looked good and he actually thrived (surprisingly) in a drill that mimicked Dirk Nowitzki's deadly one-legged fadeaway.

The best thing going for Dieng is his 7-foot-3.5 inch wingspan and a 9-3.5 standing reach (good for second in the draft). He can block shots, is an excellent passer out of the high post and a willing worker. His stock has slipped a bit the past month, but he's still considered a mid-first-round pick.

Jeff Withey, Kansas Jayhawks

Withey isn't really going to stand out in a workout setting. While he's greatly improved as an offensive player, his real value to NBA teams is on the defensive end. He was, for the second season in a row, one of the best shot-blockers in college basketball, and the team that takes him will be drafting him for that reason.

With no shot-blocking drills to witness, I saw Withey get in a long post session with Perdue and Scalabrine. He has come a long way and is making even more strides here. He's got a solid touch on the basketball and moves well. He plays a little stiff and they are working on trying to improve his stance.

Withey is a hard worker and has a great attitude, but he's one guy who doesn't really need great workouts. He just needs to keep doing what he did in college.
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From yesterday


Nerlen's Noel just finished SIX HOURS of rehab. Now off to do some stationary shooting. Work ethic off the charts. #Cavs
5:04 PM - 30 May 2013
 
Larkin's shot selection must improve at the next level. He has NBA range but doesn't have to prove it with every deep jumper. Utilize the dribble penetration more.
 
George Hill is just fine at point guard for the pacers. no way in hell, is anyone in the draft a upgrade over him.
 
What's wrong with George Hill's ball handling? The struggle he has handling the ball as a point guard is crazy.
 
denni5themenace said:
vucevic, too. dude is solid. quietly put up a solid season.

if they make that bledsoe trade, they could put putting out a solid/young starting 5 (assuming they draft oladipo/ben)

bledsoe
oladipo/ben
harris
harkless
vucevic

theyre going to end up with another top draft pick in next years draft, too. in a few years the magic are gonna be okay.
Click to expand...
That's not a good team.

Every year people put together these hypothetical lineups full of young guys with "potential". But how many times have we actually seen any of those teams actually become something?

People do it now with Utah. Sure they have a pretty good crop of young guys but which of them are the "Kevin Durant" that will make that "OKC Model" actually become something one day?

Unless Wiggins that other top draft pick...I see nothing that should make anyone afraid of that lineup.
 
Hayward, Favors, and Kanter are all getting significantly better.

All Utah needs is a legitimate starting PG.

They're already a fringe playoff team as is.
 
ChampCruThik said:
Hayward, Favors, and Kanter are all getting significantly better.

All Utah needs is a legitimate starting PG.

They're already a fringe playoff team as is.
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My point is...

Which of those guys is the alpha male? Where is THAT GUY that we've CLEARLY seen from every championship team in the past 10 years (except for Detroit) that you need to be a contender?

They get a legitimate PG...sure they'll be a playoff team but that's all they'll be. I like Favors/Kanter/Burks/Hayward but unless that point guard is a superstar or something...they're nothing more than 4-6 year in and year out. They aren't scaring anybody.

If you don't have a big time star...you're not going to win anything in the NBA more often than not.
 
VICTOR PAGE said:
denni5themenace said:
vucevic, too. dude is solid. quietly put up a solid season.


if they make that bledsoe trade, they could put putting out a solid/young starting 5 (assuming they draft oladipo/ben)


bledsoe

oladipo/ben

harris

harkless

vucevic


theyre going to end up with another top draft pick in next years draft, too. in a few years the magic are gonna be okay.
Click to expand...

That's not a good team.

Every year people put together these hypothetical lineups full of young guys with "potential". But how many times have we actually seen any of those teams actually become something?

People do it now with Utah. Sure they have a pretty good crop of young guys but which of them are the "Kevin Durant" that will make that "OKC Model" actually become something one day?

Unless Wiggins that other top draft pick...I see nothing that should make anyone afraid of that lineup.
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thats a "good" team in the sense of challeging for a 7th/8th seed ...nobody would be scared of that lineup till u add a franchise player in there
 
VICTOR PAGE said:
denni5themenace said:
vucevic, too. dude is solid. quietly put up a solid season.


if they make that bledsoe trade, they could put putting out a solid/young starting 5 (assuming they draft oladipo/ben)


bledsoe

oladipo/ben

harris

harkless

vucevic


theyre going to end up with another top draft pick in next years draft, too. in a few years the magic are gonna be okay.
Click to expand...

That's not a good team.

Every year people put together these hypothetical lineups full of young guys with "potential". But how many times have we actually seen any of those teams actually become something?

People do it now with Utah. Sure they have a pretty good crop of young guys but which of them are the "Kevin Durant" that will make that "OKC Model" actually become something one day?

Unless Wiggins that other top draft pick...I see nothing that should make anyone afraid of that lineup.
Click to expand...

why can't it be? look at the teams now. chicago (without rose), indiana and memphis are perfect examples. if you play a certain way, you can be successful without star power.

will they win a championship? history says no, but theres no reason to say they wont be competitive.
 
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denni5themenace said:
why can't it be? look at the teams now. chicago (without rose), indiana and memphis are perfect examples. if you play a certain way, you can be successful without star power.

will they win a championship? history says no, but theres no reason to say they wont be competitive.
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That's the point isn't it?

I never said they wouldn't be competitive.

Chicago without Rose...is going home every year after the first or second round. With Rose they can at atleast contend for a championship. Indiana...has a so called budding superstar in PG but until he reaches that...they're going to lose to the team with the superstar everytime...which they are about to. And before anyone mentions it...no Carmelo is not a superstar. Memphis "scares" people every year and then ends up losing to the team with the type of alpha players im referring to.
 
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