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Hey everyone, NBA.Com put up of the top prospects in the upcoming draft. You can check them out by clicking here.
I know a lot of people have said they dont have an idea on some players so hopefully this should help out. The list will continue to grow, I’m guessing more players will show up once they hire an agent (remember players can declare for the draft go through the process and then back out if they haven’t signed an agent).
May 23rd, 2008 at 8:59 AM
Hey Dave, who do YOU want to see the Wiz pickup in the draft or would you prefer to see a package trade?
May 23rd, 2008 at 9:04 AM
peej, dave is going to be away for a little while. However, im guessing we will hear from him closer to the draft.
May 23rd, 2008 at 9:10 AM
Okay SportsWiz, then you’re on the clock! Who/what do you want to see the Wiz do come draft day or in the FA market?
May 23rd, 2008 at 9:38 AM
As I stated earlier I think you’ll see Twan and Gil back in a wiz uniform.
18’s so tough because you just don’t know who will be their and what possible trades are on the table. I’ll assume we keep the pick (because trying to make up a trade is pointless in that you have to figure out equal contract, other team needs, trade clauses…)
I don’t think we will take a project, so a guy like Javel McGee would probaly be out or a Kosta Koufos. I’d like to go with a 1 or a 5 or a big 4.
I’m going to list off fa couple of players I like in order (these guys wont all fall but possibly could). I also want to say these are subject to change, im hoping to get a better look at some guys during the workout process.
1. Russell Westbrook - Just a huge fan of his game/style/athleticism. One of the most impressive players to me in the tournament, however, he probably wont slip past 15.
2. D.J. Augustin - Another player who probably wont make it to the Wizards pick at 18. He’s a little undersized, but can shoot, score, and had some great games against good teams this year.
3. Mario Chalmers - Another guy who I loved in the tourney. Shot the ball well, runs a good offense, one of his best games of the year came against Texas and D.J. Augustin when he dropped in 30 points and had 6 assists.
Centers
1. Roy Hibbert - Big, long center who knows the princeton offense. Would’ve been a top 10 pick last year had he come out. Didn’t have the breakout year people were looking for but College basketball is a guards game not a big man’s game, I think he’ll do better against bigger players.
2. Robin Lopez - Very raw offensively, but a good defender and hustle player that is athletic enough to block shots. Hopefully can become a better offensive player, reminds me of Anderson Varejao.
3. Jason Thompson - I wish I could tell you more about this guy but I havent seen him play. I have heard good things about him but I haven’t seen it with my own eyes so its tough. Against bigger schools he had good games. 24 points and 15 boards against NC State, 24 and 7 vs. Kansas State and Beasley (held beasley to 13 and 10) and shot 9-14 from the field. Rider was in that game late. A guy to keep your eye on.
May 23rd, 2008 at 10:06 AM
i dont mind hibbert too….i’ll look at it this way… as mentioned he would have been in the lottery had he came out last year…so if he falls to 18,i would say he is a decent risk to take…But….
my biggest knock on him is that he is a poor rebounder for his size….
and it’s imperative that our center rebounds well…especially since jamison spends a large portion of his time in the perimeter…we are really gonna lose out on the offensive rebounds…
May 23rd, 2008 at 10:33 AM
Thanks for the details SportsWiz!
Here’s my final question. It just occurred to me that no one is talking about Veermenko? What’s his status/chance of playing for us next year, and if he did what would that do to our salary cap situation, and more importantly, who does that bump further down the bench?
May 23rd, 2008 at 10:46 AM
highly unlikely you see Veeremenko around next year. This was a discussion about two weeks ago. Big contract buyout clause with his old team.
The team is hopeful he’ll be able to come over and play in summer league, but that’s not fully known.
May 24th, 2008 at 5:14 AM
EL 0 DAVE !!! we will see what Veeremenko has in the summer but hey i think we are not too far off of being contenders
We need a offseason Shakeup not Breakup lol
I think we should resign Arenas & Jamison , trade and draft some defensive roll players… i got three trades that i think could help the Wizards & draft picks
1)Wizards trade Etan Thomas, DeShawn Stevenson maybe 09 2nd pick to the Bulls for Larry Hughes (Larry can create his own shot plus he play good defense and next to Gilbert again maybe he can return to his old form)
2)Wizards trade Darius Songaila, Roger Mason (s&t) to the Knicks for Jared Jeffries (Jared is 6′11 sg/sf/pf a very versitle defensive player that we miss, plus i remember the good defense he played on Labron James in the 06 playoffs)
3)Wizards trade Antonio Daniels, Oleksiy Pecherov, Memphis 1st to Memphis for Kyle Lowry, Brian Cardinal (22 old Lowry is a strong fast traditional pg, he really hustles on defense and has alot of passion for the game, he can provide a ben gordan type of spark off the bench)
DRAFT Roy Hibbirt (7′2 280, 4 years of college, he is nba ready smart big man) he is a solid backup C, very safe pick or if Marreese Speights, Joe Alexander, Darrell Arthur or Donte Greene are there then then that would be a better pick lol
With the 2nd pick someone like James Gist, Othello Hunter or Joey Dorsey might be there too (those PF’s are strong athleticly gifted guys, they can pound and slam the ball in the post, come up with hard rebounds, basicly out hustle most other players in the post, lots of energy) hopefully one can provide a Jason Maxiell type of game for us
WIZARD 08/09 season roster
1ST TEAM - 2ND TEAM - 3RD TEAM
PG- Gilbert Arenas - Kyle Lowry - FA
SG- Larry Hughes - Nick Young - FA combo guard
SF- Caron Butler - Jared Jeffries - Dominic McGuire
PF- Antawn Jamison - Andray Blatche - Brian Cardinal
C - Brendan Haywood - Roy Hibbirt (18th pick) 2nd round PF or VV
wow
We would have 4 guys that could drop 20 points a night, i think we would be the highest scoring team in the nba …. and still have a good group of defensive guys to put in the mix … also a very deep bench that could provide alot of high energy ..clap..clap..clap.. it would be a good shake up for the team, that would not mess up the chemestry Hughes and Jeffries know the system very well, they where at there best when they were here so i think they would welcome the trade and playin next to gil who would not welcome that lol
Hughes, Cardinal & Lowry have 2 years left
Jeffries has 3 years left
Etan & Daniels have 2 years left
Songaila, Deshawn & Pecherov have 3 years
we would have shorter contracts and would save like 5 million in 2010 offseason
i thnk we would pass the cap in 09 but im hoping we get a GO on that,
im just really hoping we can shake things up, while still keeping our core guys intact
WE ARE THE CHAMPTIONS MY FRIEND (is the song i want to sing next offseason) LOL
Well let me know what u guys think
ohhYeah DAves dA mAN
May 24th, 2008 at 5:17 AM
thanks 4 everything yall
May 24th, 2008 at 6:26 AM
More on Jason Thompson here. He looks like a slightly undersized center for the NBA and very likely a career backup (which is ok too - if you draft a guy that has a long nba career, you’ve done well).
SportsWiz — great list. Westbrook and Augustin figure to be gone. Robin Lopez is a mystery man to me. Hibbert is a safe pick. But… when we get closer to draft day, I wonder whether a 7′2″ guy like him will really fall to 18.
May 24th, 2008 at 6:30 AM
European guys drafted in the 2d round make so much more money over there than they will in the NBA that you often don’t get them. Plenty of exceptions of course, but that is the rule. We probably will never see Veeremenko over here.
It’d be interesting to track 2d round picks over the last 10 years, and see if there is a trend to success at one or another position. I.e. are there more guards playing in the league that were picked in rd. 2, or…?
May 24th, 2008 at 6:57 AM
SportsWiz — a couple of guys who will almost certainly be available to us are Chris Douglas-Roberts and J.J. Hickson. Do you know how the staff views these guys?
I’m especially interested in Douglas-Roberts, who was a *big-time* college player. He shoots a high % (including from - college - 3pt range), gets to the line a lot, and doesn’t foul much. He is about the same size as Nick Young, but he seems to have a much higher basketball IQ.
May 24th, 2008 at 7:24 AM
Tom,
On CDR…..he is a strap down defender…and he is sort of like Jamison..with the unortadoxed shot..he may look skinny with no muscle..but he is really strong…but as of right now i am still not decided if CDR or Roy Hibbert..because if we pass on Roy..Cleveland will pick him up b/c they know how valuable a big rebounding center will be to them now that the “Z” is getting old…
May 24th, 2008 at 7:28 AM
and,
CDR is a FIRST-Team All-American..so you now he is darn good…
May 24th, 2008 at 11:57 AM
Good stuff…. You do hear people call CDR a “good college player, but…”
I agree that if Hibbert is there, he is likely our top choice.
May 24th, 2008 at 12:24 PM
I know that this is primarily about the draft, but if possible, can I get info on the “Caron Day” coming up; I wanted to go, am I able to know where it’ll be taking place…I wanna join in on all the festivities and appreciate Caron because I’m a HUGE fan.
C’mon SportzWiz or even Caron (if you read this), can I be hooked-up with some info because I am in the area…??…
May 24th, 2008 at 1:11 PM
One of the “knocks” on Hibbert is his rebounding - but let’s remember that Georgetown plays a modified form of the Princeton Offense…. with fewer possessions per game - and therefore fewer opportunities for rebounds. In a faster paced game, with more possessions, it’s possible that Roy could have 2-3 more rebounds per game in his stat line. There’s certainly nothing wrong with his footwork, fundamentals (boxing out), or desire.
The thing that I like about Roy Hibbert is his experience, and his work ethic. The last thing the Wizards need is another young “project” sitting on the bench… Last year, McGuire and Pecherov hardly ever got into the game…. Blatche had an up and down year. And Nick Young played inconsistent minutes. That’s all understandable, given how young those guys are, and how little experience they had in a big time College atmosphere.
Hibbert’s best games came against the premier College post players, like Oden and Hansbrough - and in big games against Big East opponents, he played his best basketball.
The fact that he’s a hard worker is also important. We’ve yet to see the realization of Blatche’s potential - and that can only be attributed to poor work habits.. Perhaps if the Wizards draft Hibbert - he and Pecherov (also an extremely hard worker) can push Blatche for playing time…
Right now, most Mock drafts have Hibbert falling into the mid 20’s in the 1st round…. but I predict that once he starts working out for teams, and after the Orlando pre-draft camp, he’ll move up the board… I just hope he doesn’t move past #18….
May 24th, 2008 at 6:19 PM
There was a lot of buzz last year when Hibbert was initially thought to be leaving college early for the NBA. Most were projecting him to go as a mid to high lottery pick. It surprised a lot of folks when he decided to stay for his final year of college. If he were to fall to us at #18 we would be a very lucky team. What Rook says scares me as well. When he starts playing in the predraft camps I’m afraid his “value” is going to go back up.
I think with a healthy ankle from the first day of camp on we are going to see a different Pesh. I think that ankle severely restricted his game this season. He is no rookie with all of his european experience. Blatche will either dedicate himself to conditioning and improving, or, we will see the same old Andray. It’s a shame with all of the raw talent he has. Maybe this is the year he acts like a good college player coming out? In other words acts his age
Dominic and Nick are on the clock. The good thing is they are young and have a lot of clock time left. Not to mention great potential.
May 24th, 2008 at 6:25 PM
Are players allowed, this year, to individually work out for teams? I thought I heard or read somewhere that wasn’t happening this year. It was only going to be the pre draft camps.
May 24th, 2008 at 7:50 PM
Players are allowed to work out for individual teams only AFTER this year’s NBA pre-draft camp in Orlando.
Draftexpress says the camp is scheduled for May 27th through June 3rd, this year.
The top players are invited to the camp to show NBA scouts what they can do.
May 25th, 2008 at 1:12 AM
Rats. I was hoping the “other” teams would only be able to see Hibbert in the pre draft camps! If other teams have the chance to bring him in for individual player try outs we don’t have a chance in hades of getting him at #18.
May 25th, 2008 at 1:19 AM
Wiz-Skins.. your CDR might be looking better? I still hope Hibbert is there for us.
May 25th, 2008 at 8:53 AM
Personally I love CDR, the guy definitely has the weirdest mid range offense i’ve ever seen, but it works! (sound like aj?)
Im not as sold on his defense as of yet, I like Brandon Rush’s defense a lot more with his length and athleticism. But I don’t love Brandon Rush’s offense.
However, the reason i didnt do a breakdown on CDR is he’s a shooting guard, and i just dont think the wiz would take a shooting guard with the way Nick Young performed (again Tom you might not like him I know the front office does). I tried to hitup just point guards and center’s and threw in Thompson because he’s a big 4 and maybe could translate into a 5
May 25th, 2008 at 9:31 AM
Wow, thanks for disregarding my question - I just thought I’d ask because this is a place to ask questions, but I’ll just try to find out on my own…
Sorry to interrupt “draft-talk”
May 25th, 2008 at 9:46 AM
Bridge, I’m sorry I just saw your question. I have no information on Caron Day right now. I will see what I can find out after memorial day.
May 25th, 2008 at 10:25 AM
I too am worried about Hibbert climbing in the next month. But, if he climbs, someone has to fall.
It would be nice to get a potential starter in the first round, at whatever position — starters have *value*. I don’t think Rush will ever start in the NBA.
Sportswiz — I understand that management likes Nick. After all, management *picked* Nick, and management invested time in him. I’m sure you’ve been watching the Detroit-Boston series; do you *really* think that Nick Young, picked right after Stuckey, would have been able to contribute in the way Stuckey is contributing? If so, you’ve also drunk the Koolaid.
May 25th, 2008 at 10:35 AM
Re: Hibbert’s rebounding — this stats page shows center prospects in order of their rebounding per 40 minutes. As you will see, Hibbert is near the bottom. It may be as a result of the Georgetown system, or rebounding may simply not be his game, but these are real numbers.
If, instead, you look at his Win Score per 40 minutes, he is 4th — beneath Love, who is not available to us, Speights who is a “project,” and Jason Thompson who played against inferior competition.
May 25th, 2008 at 10:47 AM
Great DraftExpress article about O.J. Mayo. Desire and work ethic complemented w/ incredible athleticism and high skill level.
Maybe the Timberwolves would like Nick and our pick for the 3d pick in the draft?
May 25th, 2008 at 1:21 PM
tmandel, sometimes Stats don’t tell the whole story.
I’ve watched Hibbert this year… and have a lot of the Georgetown games recorded on my DVR. He’s a good rebounder, despite what the “stats” say.
On the defensive end, he holds his position well. His footwork is good, and he uses his size to box out. He doesn’t get many “hustle” rebounds, simply because he’s not that quick; so he has trouble with long rebounds.
On the Offensive side, he’s not as sound technically - preferring instead to just use his size and reach to go over guys… That might get him in trouble in the NBA, as they call many more over-the-back fouls. But he also gets a lot of tip ins…
It’s my opinion that Hibbert is at least as good a rebounder as both Haywood and Thomas…. if not better - and that his size and technique reminds me of Ilgauskas - who is not a bad rebounder himself.
May 25th, 2008 at 2:05 PM
If the Wizards take a PG, I’d like to see them take someone that can defend:
Russell Westbrook - he won’t be around when the Wizards pick, but if he is, they should snap him up. Can definately bring the ball up the court, but in the Princeton, his Offensive weaknesses (unable to create his own shot or shots for others) will be hidden. In addition, he’s a very very good defender - something the Wizards desperately need on the perimeter.
Mario Chalmers - This guy may be available at #18. He also can bring the ball up the court, even against pressure. A deadly shooter when left open (think 3-pointers, after penetration from Young, or a kick-out from Blatche)… And he’s a good defender… playing bigger than his 6′1″ because of his extremely long arms.
May 25th, 2008 at 7:51 PM
Chalmers is one of the reasons I have said that i want to trade our 2 picks for 2 high picks in round 2 (to minn. or portland.); he is projected to be available at that point and would leave us another high 2d round pick (rather than 48).
But, I think there is agreement that if Hibbert is available, he is a good value pick at 18.
I agree totally that we need a defensive point guard, however we get him.
May 25th, 2008 at 7:54 PM
Rook - if a good rebounder is someone who gets large *numbers* of rebounds, than the *numbers* tell the story. They *are* the story. If a “good” rebounder means something other than how many rebounds the guy gets… but why would it be?
That said, there’s more to the position than rebounding. Ilgauskas is not a volume rebounder, but he is a good center. Ditto Haywood; yet, the Wizards are a good rebounding team.
May 25th, 2008 at 9:59 PM
tmandel - Not sure I understand your question.. because sometimes the *numbers* DON’T tell the story.
The point that I was trying to make is that because of the limited number of rebound opportunities in the Georgetown system, it is difficult to use “numbers” or stats to guage how effective Hibbert will be in the NBA as a rebounder; Or even to weigh how he stacks up against other College centers.
Instead, looking at a his “numbers” I looked at his positioning, technique and desire in the actual games. From what I saw, he has the tools, skills and effort to be a good rebounder in the NBA because he showed those traits at Georgetown - for 4 years.
May 25th, 2008 at 10:14 PM
What do you guys thing we take…Roy Hibbert with the 18th Pcik and wait for he point gaurd until next year when Grievis Vazques is sure to come out..the guys averages 17 pts 6.9 asst. and 1.3 stl. a game..but one bad think to his game is his turenovers…4+ a game..that is because he is so unselfish with the ball tat sometimes he trys to force balls to his teammates..if we can pick him up next..we can hope he falls to us..also we can hope he trims down those TO’s..and let Antonio menor him….
May 25th, 2008 at 10:19 PM
Rook — got it, and what you say makes sense. I can’t see passing on Hibbert if he is there when we pick.
May 26th, 2008 at 7:49 AM
wiz-skins07 - So much will depend on who is left on the board when the Wizards pick.
I’d agree that the Wiz should pick a PG or Center, since those are the two positions that were depleted last year due to injuries. But you really cannot say that if Danilo Gallinari or Kevin Love falls to #18 that the Wizards should pass.
If Westbrook is still there, for instance (and he’s being projected to go in the middle of the 1st round) - I think they should take him… He’s a lock-down defender.
If the draft goes as predicted (and it rarely ever does), and if it comes down to a choice between Roy Hibbert, Chris Douglas-Roberts , JaVale McGee , Robin Lopez , Darrell Arthur , etc… (Mid-late 1st round guys)… then they should take Hibbert.
May 26th, 2008 at 8:20 AM
Stuckey has played great, but we’ll see how Nick improves this summer heading into next year. Nick had flashes in the regular season, some games where he just made you go wow this guy is going to be a 20 point scorer someday. Now he needs to work on consistency and his defense.
Also as I said CDR’s a 2, Stuckey’s a 1. I just don’t think you draft shooting guards in round 1 in back-to-back years especially if you like the first guy you got.
Part of the problem when it comes to talking trades and wanting to make moves is you have to find a willing partner. Also, if a second-rounder blows up and does really well it’s harder to keep them a la Gilbert Arenas and Carlos Boozer. Which is obvoiusly a good thing if a guy does that well, it’s just harder to keep them.
May 26th, 2008 at 9:13 AM
Rook - all those guys you mentioned are great guys…i would definitly go for one of them if they are still ready..i just wonder if Kevin Love is as good as Horford was last year..if he is he maynot fall to us..but if those guys do fall which is highly unlikely..b/c they are all prejected as lottery picks…bgut you never know..some people stock falls in the pre-camp..and some of them rise-up..lets hope we get a good contributer..
May 26th, 2008 at 1:08 PM
No way I would trade Stevenson and Thomas for Hughes. Hughes spends too much time hurt and his salary is too high.
No way I would trade Songaila and Mason for Jeffries. Jeffries is a one dimensional player. You give up too much with him in the game.
The pick from Memphis is a first only in the unlikely event they get much better, so that it falls to a late first round pick. Otherwise, we it’s a 2nd rounder 4 years from now.
I don’t think we want Veeremenko now anyway. We already have four PF’s (Jamison, Songaila, Blatche, Pecherov). Let him get a couple more years of experience unless someone wants to trade for him. From his stats, he’s not burning up Europe anyway.
We really are a good rebounding team? I’d REALLY like to see some stats comparing us to the other teams in this and other respects.
My position preferences for the draft:
1. PG
2. C
3. SF
But if someone drops way below where they should be, take him. EG can always pull off a trade later, I suppose.
But we’re all just killing time until July 1, when negotiations can begin. Who the hell knows?
May 26th, 2008 at 3:23 PM
I recommend going to this page and listen to the song “Hoop Dreams’ in honor of CB3
May 26th, 2008 at 3:25 PM
oh my bad here’s the page …
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=99053711
This guys claims to be one of Caron’s Homies..Here’s his About Me:
“THIS TRACK IS DEDICATED TO MY HOMEBOY CARON BUTLER. I WAS THERE TO WITNESS THE RISE OF GREATNESS. I USE TO TELL MY MY HOMIE “NBA” EVERYDAY AND NOW IT’S OFFICIAL. THIS SONG TAKES YOU DEEP INSIDE THIS WORLD CALLED RACINE COUNTY AND INVITES YOU TO WALK IN THE SHOES OF A LEGEND IN MY HOOD. WITH THAT I BRING TO YOU HEAT FOR THE STREETS WITH THE 1 STREET ANTHEM FOR ‘08″…
i gotta admit it is a cool song..and the beat is rockin…
May 26th, 2008 at 3:26 PM
May 26th, 2008 at 6:12 PM
Thanks for your info wiz-skins…Hey, maybe we should request him as a friend or something
. I would’ve posted this on your page, but I just decided to post here…Well, maybe I will also post this on your profile just to annoy you a bit lol. Oh, and I feel sooo special - Phemy finally accepted my friend request! lol…(don’t get mad at me Phemy 
)…
May 26th, 2008 at 7:33 PM
SportsWiz - no doubt that Nick can be a 20 point scorer. But, how many shots will he need to take each game to get those points? So far, he is a better 3 point shooter than 2 point (in effective FG% I mean).
Sure he needs to work on defense. As to consistency, first you have to be really good at something, then you can work on consistency. What he needs to work on, and it’s a *long list*, is 1) minimizing turnovers, 2) doing some rebounding, 3) not fouling so much, 4) putting up some assist numbers.
It would also be nice if he understood the offense, and didn’t dribble so much every time he touched the ball. It’d also be nice if he developed a catch-and-shoot game; I don’t think I saw him curl off a screen, receive a pass, and shoot *once* last season (not to say he never ever did it). If he does those things, he may become an effective backup in the league some day. I’ll be surprised if he is ever an effective starter.
May 26th, 2008 at 7:36 PM
We’ve been talking about what position we should choose in the draft.
I remember hearing bobby knight on tv a few months ago: he said, “just give me better players, any kind of players, I don’t care whether they’re inside or outside or what they are. Give me better players and I’ll win more games.”
Makes sense to me — what about you?
May 26th, 2008 at 7:42 PM
One good thing about the trades hotfire suggests above is that they would put us back in the lottery, so we’d get a high draft pick. That’s good, right?
May 26th, 2008 at 7:47 PM
More seriously, I think neal is right that Jeffries is too limited; he really couldn’t even command minutes with the Knicks. That might change w/ D’Antoni running things, of course.
Larry Hughes will *never* be a Wizard again. Full stop.
May 26th, 2008 at 8:32 PM
Yea Tom, he (as in Jared Jeffries) can become a more limted version of Shawn Marion…now…..
You cant expect a rookie to come in and pick up the Princeton Offense in a year..even Caron said it took him like 2 years and he wasnt even a rookie…
May 26th, 2008 at 10:36 PM
I can’t believe somebody actually wants Hughes and Jeffries back?
May 26th, 2008 at 11:08 PM
Haha, how about we get Kwame and Jarvis back while we’re at it? Then we can win 25 games a year like the old days. Hotfire must be logging in from an asylum.
May 27th, 2008 at 12:23 AM
Hey j813, with myself and GR, I’m guaranteeing about 5-7 games a year lol. Sorry GR - you were the first name to come to mind; but then again, you probably got some skills…
May 27th, 2008 at 12:33 AM
Hiya Bridgey. Missed ya Girl!
Don’t mind the draft stuff. It’s always like this this time of year. People get bored and start talking that “numbers” stuff….. lol. Don’t worry lilB… your hero will Be Back. and his cohort as well.
Ernie will be in the hall of fame more sooner than later. Watch what he does in the draft. I’m sure everyone will be pleased.. given the cards fall right…. even Tom might crack a small, and undeceriable, smile?
May 27th, 2008 at 12:40 AM
Ok Ok… Tom cracking a smile IS asking a bit much, but, I think Ernie is the guy to do it.
May 27th, 2008 at 12:43 AM
LOL…Missed ya too GR -
May 27th, 2008 at 12:43 AM
Love ya Tom….. . with Nick we will see? I hope he surprises us both like (Oh I didn’t want to play the Roger Card rofl)…. Roger did last year?
Ducking in Advance
May 27th, 2008 at 12:48 AM
Watch Bridgey Girl… this 08-09 season is gonna be the best one yet.
May 27th, 2008 at 8:21 AM
Tom we’ll agree to disagree on Nick Young :). Again I like Stuckey, you won’t hear me downplay his play in the postseason.
I understand what Bob Knight is saying, but I think it’s a little different at college where positions overlap, you see more three guard offenses in college than in the pros or three forwards and no centers. In college you get what you can get.
And while I have said that I think they will take a point guard or center, Ernie has stated they will take the best player available.
May 27th, 2008 at 9:49 AM
yea lets get popeye jones back n micheal ruffin as the 4 n 5 position n get offensive rebounds all day
May 27th, 2008 at 9:56 AM
Lets get Wes Unseld back — why fool around?
I smile *all the time,* GR!! And I *love* the Wizards — although I started my NBA obsession as a Warriors fan, living in SF in the ’70s, which means I cheered when Golden State beat the Bullets 4-0 in the 1974 playoffs.
May 27th, 2008 at 10:03 AM
SportsWiz — I don’t think it’s a matter of ‘agreeing to disagree’ about Nick; I wish him the best. I think he is a great kid, I loved the Vlogs, and I hope he turns out to be a star. If it’s a matter of learning the Princeton offense, sure let him take another year to learn it!
Thinking about Nick and Roger — ask yourself how many minutes they’d have gotten, either of them (and especially the rookie), if Gilbert hadn’t been hurt! Getting significant minutes really helped Roger show that he can be an NBA player. He’s going to owe millions of dollars to Gil’s knee!!
May 27th, 2008 at 10:07 AM
SW — yes, ideally you’d like an all-star at every position!!
But, it’s always best to assemble the very best players you can. On the other hand, there is *no question* but having a dominant big man is the ticket to a championship. There are exceptions (and Kobe may add one this year), but most of the time a dominant 4 or 5 wears the ring.
May 27th, 2008 at 10:17 AM
Here’s the roster and other info for the Orlando pre-draft camp, which starts this evening.
Now we need some photos of Ernie and the gang taking notes, looking thoughtful, etc. — not to mention footage of their secret cellphone videos, etc.
The DraftExpress mock draft now has us getting Nicolas Batum and Joey Dorsey. Batum was rated in the top ten earlier this year. Dorsey has size and can rebound; some people question his Basketball IQ and his work ethic. Actually, the same questions are asked about Batum. He’s a big-time talent, however, everyone agrees about that.
May 27th, 2008 at 10:48 AM
Tom, this is the comment I was agreeing to disagree on
“If he does those things, he may become an effective backup in the league some day. I’ll be surprised if he is ever an effective starter.”
I disagree with that statement. But that’s ok, I think we’ve both made our opinions known on him.
And to go with your statement about Roger and Nick and Gil that’s another reason why I wouldn’t draft a #2. I think there arent enough minutes to go around as is right now at the two spot (thats whether we sign Roger or not) and therefore another young #2 like CDR isn’t necessary
As for the center position, most of the best big men were top 3 picks (Shaq, Duncan, Olajuwon, Robinson, Ewing) so its hard to get one of those top big men without a high draft pick. Kobe also has Pau Gasol this year which is helpful.
Obviously you beat me to the punch with the two links :). I am about to start a new topic with those two links and we can talk about anything we like that we are hearing from the pre-draft camp even though it starts tomorrow.
May 27th, 2008 at 1:22 PM
Awesome — I look forward to the new item. I think you are right about drafting a 2 in the first round. It’d have to be some kind of strange thing where someone fell to us. I could see drafting a 3, however. Maybe not the first option, but if a better player fell to us…
I like thinking about minutes the way you did: aside from no minutes for a 2, there probably aren’t any minutes for a 4 either. Gil and Antonio will eat up almost all the minutes for a 1, but there’s good reason to draft a young point guard anyway.
I’m certainly hoping that Dominic is the rotation guy behind Caron next year, but we do need insurance there (a veteran would be *great*). And, even with the strong hope that Etan comes back strong, it makes sense to draft someone like Hibbert (if the staff likes him).
May 27th, 2008 at 1:30 PM
I would agree about needing the extra point guard and another big. The one thing I think is a big 4, a 6′10 250lb type four that plays with their back to the basket, that could be a possibility.
As I said I dont see us drafting a 2, and I don’t see us drafting a project big man, a Kosta Koufos or Javale McGee type.
I think the Wiz could take a 3 if they really really like the guy, but we will see. Thats the fun part of the draft its a crap shoot.
May 27th, 2008 at 2:46 PM
I don’t know that there *are* any 6′10″ 250lb guys who can play the 4 effectively that will be available to us at 18 (let alone in round 2), but it’s definitely a nice idea!
Maybe Devon Hardin or Jason Thompson — but those guys are thought of as Centers. GMs often want to take a college Center and make him into an NBA 4; most of the time that doesn’t work — the most obvious case being Etan Thomas, who simply couldn’t play the 4.
May 27th, 2008 at 3:06 PM
Im interested in Jason Thompson mostly because I don’t know anything about him. But he has the size and athleticism you look for.
May 27th, 2008 at 9:18 PM
Tom… you know I’ve gotta kid you once in a while just to keep you honest
You are right. I’m hoping the rookies this year don’t get extra minutes for the same reason. It would be nice to have a healthy team all year this coming season except for the normal bumps and bruises.
If we resign Roger we can put the 1 on the wish list and get a big man. Roger did a competent job at the 1, I thought. He started off a little weak, but, was pretty ok from mid season on.
May 28th, 2008 at 10:00 AM
it’s all good gr!!!