NBA Draft Thread

[EagerBeaver]

Hardly a surprise, but the Raptors blew it by picking Andrea Bargnani #1. Does the name Darko Milicic sound familiar? That's who the Raptors got. You would think that they would have learned after watching what happened with the Pistons' legendary bust.

I think there are 3-4 possible busts among the top 6 picks in this draft, and Bargnani is definitely one of them.

Teams picking 7-14 will get better bang for their buck, if sleepers like Brandon Roy and Randy Foye can be had in that range.

 

[Left Coast]

Don't underestimate Brandon Roy

Teams picking 7-14 will get better bang for their buck, if sleepers like Brandon Roy and Randy Foye can be had in that range.

Because of the three-hour time difference, East Coast hoops fans don't often get the chance to see players like Brandon Roy. As an ardent PAC 10 hoops fan who has witnessed Roy wreaking havoc upon my UCLA Bruins and Cal Bears countless times over the past four years, "sleeper" is hardly an apt description of Brandon Roy. The 2005–06 PAC 10 Player of the Year, he's a lock-down defender who can score. IMHO, he'll have a long and successful NBA career. Most pre-draft touts had him as the best shooting guard in the draft. EB, I agree that the Raptors blew it, but then again, they have a storied history of doing exactly that. With precious few exceptions, big men take a long time to develop. If and when Bargnani develops into a first-line player, the Raptors and Chris Bosh (a superstar in the making) likely will have parted company. Sound familiar, Raptors fans?

 

[HonestAbe]

I guess Tyus Thomas is going to be a major project for someone. I didn't see who got him. It remains to be seen if he can score as well as defend, the NBA is a big step up for a teenager on either side of the ball and I don't remember him having great offensive skills in college to begin with.

Morrison to Charlotte? Wanna bet he will be Jordans pet project? I see him averaging 20 a game as a rookie, this team will be built around his offensive ability and he will become a great passer very quickly whe he draws doubles.
He will have cold spells but I think he is going to be an impact player in his first year.

Never heard of the #1 pick foreigner but being from Europe he probably has great fundamentals, a good attitude, and doesn't play garbage/street ball so he is probably better than most of the kids in this draft. Lets not forget our pros routinely lose to foreign teams now in international competition so lets not take the guy too lightly lest we end up cursing him as he makes our best look foolish.

Reddick falls to 11? Guess the OUI and the back injury were a little too much risk for a lottery team to take him. I think he will be the next Steve Kerr.

 

[EagerBeaver]

I am of the opinion that the top of this draft is very weak. There is a strong suspicion that guys like Bargnani, Aldridge and Gay will flop in the NBA. Tyus Thomas is an amazing athlete and plays above the rim, but he does not have an NBA ready offensive game.

UConn had a record tying 4 players picked in the 1st round, and 5 UConn guys were drafted overall including Denham Brown who went in the 2nd round. I saw all 5 guys play for the past few years and the only one I am certain will be a real good pro is Hilton Armstrong who was picked #12 by New Orleans. He will be able to play center in the NBA. Armstrong has the body and athleticism and is still improving.

Marcus Williams could have been grabbed by the Knicks at #20, but fell all the way to #22 due to 14% body fat which Jay Bilas quipped was "good for hibernation, but not NBA basketball." Williams did have conditioning issues while at UConn, which were exacerbated by the fact that he was UConn's only ballhandler the last 2 years and had to play heavy minutes because UConn had no depth at point guard.

It is amazing to me that some of the teams in the top 5 did not trade their picks for proven talent, especially the Raptors. I mean, you have a roster stocked with soft, perimeter-oriented frontcourt players, so what do you do? Draft a 6'10" guy who can shoot 20 foot jumpers, but can't rebound or defend one lick? Come on! You have to have someone to do the dirty work underneath. Think Ben Wallace of the Pistons and Udonis Haslem of the Heat. That's why those teams are where they are, and why the Raptors are where they are.

Another big surprise was Rondo going at #21 and Farmar at #26. Farmar is a much better player and will be a good pro. Rondo cannot shoot and needs to get much stronger to be effective in the NBA.

The best picks were Roy and Foye at #6 and #7, and Armstrong at #12. The rest of the draft is very suspect in my mind.

 

[spin]

The Answer is going to be a Celtic???

I am by no means a basketball expert, I would say I am a very casual fan at best but I do enjoy the game from time to time.

I happen to be a big Allen Iverson fan though and while talking to a friend of mine last night (a visiting American self confessed basketball junkie) while being forced to watch the NBA Draft with him (no offense guys I don't even watch the NHL draft) he told me that the rumours all over the US East Coast have AI going to the Celtics.

Any of you guys hear the same thing???

 

[Joe.t]

Spin- I hear the same thing, the Sixers feel that they have gone as far as AI will take them and want to go in another direction, i think a move to Boston will definatley make them a contender, Celtic fans must be drooling at the thought of Iverson and Pierce on the same team.

 

[Doc Holliday]

Great pick by the Raptors!

I for one was overjoyed when my Raptors drafted Bargnani. He's being compared to a young Dirk Nowitski and this kid can shoot'em from outside the perimeter. He's not a physical type who plays inside the post....he's a big talented kid who can score from anywhere. He's 20 and has been outstanding in a league played by men and not boys. He played in an exhibition game against these same Raptors 2 years ago (when Vince was still there) and he played great, scoring in double figures in just under 25 minutes.

The Raptors nearly picked LeMarcus Aldridge over Bargnani since they were both very similar players and Aldridge happens to be a good friend of Chris Bosh. However, they felt Bargnani had more upside and felt it was a no-brainer by drafting him. I agree. The Raptors have been desperate for a quality big-man for years and they feel they've finally found him. "Hoffa" Arujo was over-rated a couple of years ago when they drafted him, and it was one of many reasons why Rob Babcock was eventually fired as the team's GM, in favor of boy-genius Bryan Colangelo. The other players available in the draft would have had a hard time finding a spot on the present Raptors roster. "In Bryan We Trust."

 

[Doc Holliday]

I totally agree with what you've written. Colangelo is a huge 'bait' for attracting american players to Toronto, which happens to be an absolutely magnificient city to live in, in my opinion.

Toronto also has a huge Italian community, which is partly why they went with the Italian kid over Aldridge. Was skin color also a factor? Who knows...but teams need to have players which its fan base will want to identify with. It's a no-brainer why the Celtics had so many 'white' players on their championship teams of the 70's-80's.....teams its fan base could easily identify with. This isn't being racist, it's just common sense and good business.

I was also very disappointed to see the 'Red Rocket' leaving Toronto. He definitely was a fan favorite. Maybe Colangelo didn't realize just how much. I was also disappointed that the Raps didn't draft local product Denham Brown with their second pick. He went to Seattle a few picks later. By the way, i just heard that fan favorite Gary Roberts might be on his way back to Toronto......he's asked to be traded back there for family reasons.

 

[EagerBeaver]

The best picks were Roy and Foye at #6 and #7, and Armstrong at #12. The rest of the draft is very suspect in my mind.

This is what I said right after the draft. Look who has been the most impressive ins ummer league play:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/writers/marty_burns/07/14/vegas.wrap/index.html