[Ghost01Participant]

Am I high or does this website really have Derrick Williams no.1 pick right now?

Now, Im not trying to hate, he is a good player at the collegiate level and has some nba potential. But I honestly see NO WAY he goes number 1.

[ZEOParticipant]

Somebody on this site is smoking some of that Dr.Dre Kush lol

[llperez]

wow, im surprisessed but thats awesome. He is getting 20 points in 28 minutes on 67% shooting and over 70% from 3. He is beasting. He thouroughly outplayed the morris twins at kansas even though his team lost. But im not sure about number 1 overall. Just goes to show how nobody has really stepped up and established themselves as the number 1 pick this year.

[JoeWolf1]

 I bet by the end of the year he’ll be back in the 6-10 range, Hassan Whiteside was #2 on here for at least 1 week if not two.

[llperez]

i watched his last game vs arizona state, he had 31 points on 12 shot attempts. They just couldnt do anything with him at all.

[llperez]

I was just looking to see what his lowest scoring game this year was and it was 12 points vs oregon, but then i saw he only took 3 shots. Not bad.

[JoeWolf1]

 The dude can flat out get to the line, he’s really smart in the post as far as drawing fouls and has a versitile outside game as well.  He may end up being one of the better players out of this class, but I think his height at 6’7” and lack of ability to put the ball on the floor at high level will scare some GM’s away from reaching too high for him.

[Raef LaFrentzParticipant]

Totally agree, Joey Wolf..

 

It’s wayy to early to even care about who they "project" as #1 right now, and I’d be willing to bet Williams falls back into the mid to late lottery later on in the season.  Like someone else said, he’s around 6’7 and can’t really dribble or create for himself out on the perimeter. I just don’t see the B-Easy comparisons AT ALL. Solid player though.

[llperez]

if hes playing at the pf spot, he is awesome off the dribble and creates for himself all day. Now if he switches to sf, then that will be another story.

[TRC1991Participant]

wow…definitiely dont see the upside with Williams that a usual #1 draft pick projection comes with….

 

i think he is similar to Jamal Mashburn, could be a 16 and 7 type small forward for a few years

[llperez]

the problem is not going to be at the offensive end. The guy is buckets on offense. Normally when people bring up a pf’s lack of hieght, its becasue they are primarily post players who like to go down and bang and in the NBA that lack of height will hurt getting your shot off. However, being strictly a post player has never been what DWill is about. He gets to the ft line becasue he is quick and attacks off the dribble. He does most his damage facinf up guys and taking them off the dribble. And when he does get into the lane, he is very aggressive and has great hands and is crafty. The question with him will be at the defensive end becasue i promise you derrick will get points. But he needs to show he can gaurd a position in the nba. I defenitely see him more likely to do that as a sf.

[JoeWolf1]

 @llperez

Do you really see him playing power forward exclusively in the NBA? I don’t, I see him more as a combo forward, a guy who you match up against certain guys at both positions.  He isn’t big enough to bang against guys like Blake Griffin and Carlos Boozer ( and an average rebounder at the college level), and isn’t fast enough on the perimeter to guard a lot of small forwards.  He’s very polished offensively, but I question his defensive ablity against bigger forwards.

He’s a hard worker and a guy who’s probably gonna prove some people wrong, but I don’t think anyone is going to reach into the top 5 to get him. 

EDIT: yeah you kinda said the same things, I just took a while to type it cuz im cooking, lol

[nateoak10Participant]

 Like would NJ want Kawhi? They got our pick if its not top 7

I think if Kyrie comes out he goes 1st, hes the only person worth it in this draft or even close to it. 

[nateoak10Participant]

 Seriously the only top 3 worthy guy is hurt, and a mid to late lotto guy is at the 1 slot right now. this is a good draft to trade out of 

[B EazyParticipant]

 Wow….definitely not a number 1 pick. —See game this season vs. BYU….played pretty awful against a BYU front line that gets a lot of crap for being soft. Seems he should have stepped up in this game if he really is deserving…

[mikeyvthedonParticipant]

He is putting up ridiculous numbers, and he does have upside, but it is difficult to see him as the number 1 pick. Honestly, I would have a very hard time taking Williams ahead of Sullinger, who I could see as a potential number 1 before Williams. Crazy that Derrick has gotten to this point, I was surprised he was considered top 5, but number 1 is pretty crazy. The guy is killing it, and he means a lot to his team, but can he bang with the bigs in the NBA or will he be a 3? Personally, he seems to be a PF, but I do not know if I like him more than some of the other PF prospects. Perry Jones to me is looking like a possible PF, and I think Sullinger is much more of a sure thing than Williams. So, we will see how long this lasts, but than again, this site has had some interesting high or number 1 picks before. Kosta Perovic? Nemanja Aleksandrov? Chris Taft? Love this site, but this is interesting. Could it be that Williams does turn out to be the star from this seemingly unknown draft class? Possibly, but it is difficult to see him being better than some other prospects. Kyrie Irving to me is as close to can’t miss as you get in 2011. 

[MrAllison88Participant]

I think it depends on who has the number 1 pick.

[Adi Joseph]

I’ll leave it to Aran to defend his mock draft, but no one in the country is more productive than Williams. His efficiency numbers are through the roof, and he’s clearly 6-foot-9. The other thing is, every prospect in this class has at least one glaring flaw. Sure, it’d be great if Williams was a slightly better rebounder. And his upside might not compare to some of the freshman. But let’s break it down, freshman by freshman:

— Jared Sullinger seems a bit out of shape and he lacks upside. If upside is your issue with Williams, can you really say you believe Sullinger has more?

— Perry Jones undeniably has the best upside of any big man in this class, but his production has been rather disappointing despite playing a lot of minutes.

— Kyrie Irving has the whole injury issue. If and when the full extent of the injury is revealed, we’ll have a better grasp of how high he can go. In addition, he’s a point guard, which at the moment, may be the NBA’s strongest position.

— Harrison Barnes has been remarkably underwhelming.

— Terrence Jones comes across as a bit of a headcase and is very inconsistent.

— Josh Selby and Brandon Knight appear to be gunners more than point guards, and both are prone to cold-shooting nights.

— C.J. Leslie does not appear to have a position. Tobias Harris is in a similar boat. Both are power forwards with small forward size.

Williams is very, very talented. He’s also significantly safer than most of those freshmen.

The bottom line is, this isn’t a good draft class. It’s not 2000 all over again, but there isn’t as much top-tier talent as there was in 2006, even, which was the year the NBA first enforced the age limit.

Aran’s talked with many scouts and other NBA personnel. He is often ahead of the curve, particularly when it comes to higher picks.

This is the man who spent two years telling you that Derrick Rose would be taken first in 2008, even as others suggested O.J. Mayo or Michael Beasley or Eric Gordon or Hasheem Thabeet would be drafted in that spot. That’s happened many other years, as well. The minute Blake Griffin said he was returning for his sophomore season, he was listed as the top pick in our 2009 mock.

Is it possible someone else emerges or Williams falls back to Earth? Absolutely. But right now, more and more NBA teams are using statistics in their evaluation of college players than ever before. And Williams is heads-and-shoulders above everyone else in terms of efficiency. He’s an offensive machine, capable of stepping out and hitting 3-pointers while drawing more fouls than anyone in the country. His 19.7 points per game come in just 28.5 minutes per game. He’s making 65.8 percent of his field goal attempts, 77 percent from the line and 70.8 percent of the 24 threes he’s attempted.

More importantly, no one else has looked like a top pick, have they? Irving seemed to be emerging before his injury, but as I said, it’s tough to get a read on how much his play will be affected when he may have to miss the rest of this season. I’m sure Greg Oden will make folks think twice about the implications of a supposedly minor injury in his freshman year of college.

With all of that said, I’d love to hear who all of you would take first? I think this is a tremendously interesting year for the NBA draft, and I’m really looking forward to seeing how the rest of this college season unfolds.

[Mr. 19134Participant]

 I agree I don’t think Williams would be a bad first pick.  He would be almost the offensive version of Kenyon Martin being picked first, even tho Martin’s team was stacked so they won more games.  

But Williams is a year younger then the rest of the class making him in fact the age of a freshman so that is another huge factor come draft time.  Another factor will be that he is going to measure out at 6’9 in shoes with a 7 foot plus wingspan.  He clearly is more athletic then giving credit for.  He looks like he is going to post up very nice combine numbers for a forward.

But most importantly Williams can shoot the lights out of the sky.  He is going to torch the Nets in workouts.

Personally I would take either Sullinger or Kanter over Williams tho.  Valuncias is also very high on my board.  And Tobias Harris should be higher because he is another young kid who is just flat out producing.  Whoever get’s the first pick is really going to determine the draft order.  

My personal dark horse to move into the top 5 range is Alec Burks.  Another young sophomore who is really starting to put Colorado on his shoulders.  If his team continues to win and he continues to produce and hit big shots like he did against Mizzou then you are looking at a huge prospect.

[Adi Joseph]

Martin was coming off a major injury, and turned 23 the same year he was drafted.

Williams hasn’t had any major injuries and will turn 20 right not long before the 2011 draft.

But yes, there are some similarities in other regards. I do believe Williams is a better draft prospect than Martin, though Martin’s class was historically bad.

[llperez]

found these highlights on youtube. They are all from this seasons non conference shcedule.

[lalailaParticipant]

yeah i saw that video too..he is definitely 10/10 in athleticism..with that AMAZING % from three but still good in the post with his 6’9 240(idk why ppl thinks he is so so undersized he is similar to West, Patterson,Smith..Marion ealier) hw could develop into very huge mismatch problem…

 

he is not #1 in my boards not even top5 but i have NO bad words on him..he plays only 28mpg if he would play 35 his stats would be like 25 9 1 1 1! and mostly only HE made Arizona top25 ranked team in the nation..

 

 

[lalailaParticipant]

and hey c’mon Adi Joseph….i respect Aran but don’t tell us worng history..

i remember when they were and HS the 2008 mock was 1.Mayo 2.Rose 3.Beasley..and in 07/08season Beasley were #1 and Mayo were out of top3 so Rose had been #2 almost all two years…

and BJ Mullens was #1 not Blake on the earliest 2009 mock 

[RicoParticipant]

Does anyone else think they he could maybe play SF in the NBA?

[JoeWolf1]

 I’m not one of those guys who thinks everyone grows after their freshman year in college, I bet he’s 6’8” in shoes, which is what he is listed as on most sites.  Maybe the combine will prove me wrong, but he was undersized last year when few knew who he was, but now that he’s tearing it up he’s a legit 6’9”…I have my doubts.

[YurpleHazEParticipant]

I dont know why but he sort of reminds me of a aggressive Jeff Green

[JoeWolf1]

I took me a while to find it, and I know this was over a year ago, but he was only listed at 6’7” back then….

http://www.nbadraft.net/node/14829

[BothTeamsPlayedHardParticipant]

"I’m not one of those guys who thinks everyone grows after their freshman year in college, I bet he’s 6’8” in shoes, which is what he is listed as on most sites. Maybe the combine will prove me wrong, but he was undersized last year when few knew who he was, but now that he’s tearing it up he’s a legit 6’9”…I have my doubts."

http://inside.nikebasketball.com/news/wp-content/themes/inside_bb/images/elite-youth/pdfs/rosters-amare.pdf

He was measured at 6’9" with a 7’0" wingspan and 231 lbs last summer at the Amare Stoudemire skills academy.

 

 

[JoeWolf1]

 Cool, thanks for the info, I just know how coaches get with height, especially when a player is highly touted or having a good season.  Even back when I was playing and our team produced 0 D1 players we were all listed at least 1 inch or 2 taller than our actual heights. I’m always a little skeptical when a player is all of a sudden a couple inches taller.

[RUDEBOY_Participant]

i wasnt expecting to see williams at number 1..that kind of surprise me..

i doubt he goes number 1…i think teams will look at 1 of the freshmen and say they have more upside…but he seems more nba ready than any of the freshmen..i see him in the top 5 though..

 

[BothTeamsPlayedHardParticipant]

I don’t get how you would have that sentiment given that you are among the people riding the Terrence Jones bandwagon. If a person believes Jones has "#1 potential" then how can Derrick Williams not?

[BKKnicksfanParticipant]

Where did everyone get he was 6-7?

[Ghost01Participant]

"Seriously the only top 3 worthy guy is hurt, and a mid to late lotto guy is at the 1 slot right now. this is a good draft to trade out of "

My favorite comment from the above. Outside Irving, i dont think there is a single sure fire player in this draft. Look at last years class, that most of us thought was mediocre. Even John Wall, who is by far the best player from the draft hasnt been a super-rookie. And outside him, a fluky 2nd round pick that will probably be in europe in 3 years, and a couple of role players playing 20 minutes a night, there have been NO IMPACT ROOKIES. And this draft looks even weaker. From 6-10, i would absolutely pick Derrick Williams, just because he has the make up of being a solid role player. To me, he has no star potential, and i cant see anybody actually going for him at #1. I dont Like Perry Jones, who seems more hype than anything. I dont like Terrence Jones or Jared Sullinger, whose bodies dont equal NBA success in most cases. But i dont think you can just look around confused and throw Williams number 1. His effiecency at the college level is astounding, but this means nothing to being an nba player. Jon Scheyer spent a month or 2 last year with like an 8-1 A-T ratio. Where did he get picked? The bottomline is, this draft is going to suck, even with Kyrie, who i think could still go number 1 (ala Sam Bradford in football) and i think the only steal will be whoever gets Barnes in the 5-9 range. He might (key word, MIGHT) end up being a star, but has showed nothing of that sort yet.

[BothTeamsPlayedHardParticipant]

John Wall has been an impact rookie, but there has to be an understanding that injuries happen. Since he has returned to health, the Wizards are 5-5. It is a garbage Wizards team, and Wall is dealing for 11 assists per to guys like Nick Young and Andray Blatche. Heck, he is trying to resuccitate Rashard Lewis. The Pistons are playing better, and a big part of the reason they look better is Greg Monroe. The injury to Ben Wallace opened up the starting job, and he is doing better in a role he wasn’t really drafted to be than anyone could have thought. He is filling a role as a screener and offensive rebounder more than the skilled creator he was at Georgetown. Also, he is a much better defensive player than people realize. He’ll step out on the pick and roll and make a play. He has quick hands to pick off interior passes. Now that he has been playing and had a significant positive impact, the team is going to make sure to keep playing him.

People also need to realize that competitive teams don’t want to play rookies. Portland had a lottery pick, they don’t want to play their rookie. Utah doesn’t want to play Gordon Hayward. OKC doesn’t want to play Cole Aldrich. Those teams didn’t have roster turnover and they were good with who they had. None of this is new. There are plenty of legit players who are likely to be in this draft, but don’t confuse impact with a lottery ticket like when LeBron, Duncan, Shaq, etc are coming out. There might not be a lottery ticket in the bunch, but that doesn’t mean that guys like Williams, Sullinger, Irving, et al can come out and play.

[Mr. 19134Participant]

 @BothTeamsPlayedHard thanks for posting that i was looking for that when I mentioned in my post that Williams WILL MEASURE at 6’9 with a 7 foot plus wingspan because I saw he was already measured at that height before college but I was thinking it was at the Nike Hoop Summit, I kno ESPN has him measured at 6’9 with a 7’1 wingspan on their player profile for him.

People are saying that he is 6’7 because besides him not being a great rebounders for a forward there is really no other fault people can find in his game at this stage in his development.  Remember Jeff Green was listed at 6’7 on most sites, then as a JR he got bumped up to 6’8, and then it turned out that he was really 6’9.  

@Joe Wolfe players DO GROW SOMETIMES IN COLLEGE.  Turner entered college as a 6’5 combo guard and turned into a 6’7 forward.  Gordan Hayward was came into college listed as a 6”6 shooting guard before growing into a 6’8 small forward.  Mike Dunleavey the same story he was like 6’4 as a Sr. in High School now he’s a legit 6’9.  There is one thing in common that everyone who adds a few inches to their height in college has in common:  Their wingspans don’t get large.  Turner only has a 6’9 wingspan which would be great if he was 6’4 but not so much no that he’s 6’7.  And Hayward the same thing his wingspan is now about the same as his height 6’9 which is rare.

Back to Derrick Williams…Once again he is the age of a high school freshman and is way ahead of the curve right now.  The age is important because it tells you that he still has potential, and that his skills come natural to him.  Can you name another 19 year old forward who has his combination of athleticism and shooting prowess?  Not to mention his efficiency is even higher then Cousins was last year.

BTPH him and Terrence Jones I do feel could be similar prospects.  Nobody right now can tell you who has a higher ceiling because there is just no way to measure it right now.  Derrick Williams has exploded the same way Blake Griffin did in his sophomore yes. Yes I did use their name in the same sentence in terms of college productions translating to draft status.  Blake was not the consensus number one pick until he came out his sophomore year and proved he could be a go to scorer to go along with his rebounding ability, and his dunkapalooza way of playing.  Some players just develop better then others despite not being as highly touted coming out of high school.  This is clearly the case for Williams.

Imagine if Williams would of been a freshman this year like his age would suggest instead of a sophomore then their would be no doubt about his top 5 prospect credentials.

[Mr. 19134Participant]

 @UrbanOverEverything….you are completely wrong sir….hold up…lemme reiterate that….YOU ARE COMPLETELY WRONG SIR!…

John Wall has had an instant impact. Before he got hurt he was averaging close to 20 n 10 and 3 steals even now he is like 4th in the league in assists averaging 9 plus.  Name the last 20 year rookie to average over 9 assists and 2 steals in a season?

Cousins has also had a few monster games.  In the Kings last 5 wins Cousins has averaged 21 points and 12 rebounds, what more could you ask for.  By the end of the year Cousins will be arguably the best Center in the West who is his competition? Bynum? Kamen?..

Evan Turner has got the shaft end of things only because he has been terribly inconsistent shooting.  But when he is on he’s on.  And even when he misses shots, he shoots with great form and always puts great touch on his shots.  Also what don’t shot up in the box score is the fact that Turner is already becoming a lock down defender.  As of late Turner has been a huge reason as to why the Sixers are a half game out of the 7th seed in the East after a horrific 3-13 start.  Turner put the game away against the Bobcats by scoring the Sixers last 4 points in overtime and also locking Captain Jax down on D so he could not get a good look for the final shot to win the game.  And if anybody saw Turner’s defensive performance on Kobe New Year’s Eve knows that he is ready to go toe to toe with any 2 guard in the league physically.  If he were on a team that wasn’t winning and didn’t have veterans like Brand, Iggy, Nocioni, Lou Williams, and even Thad Young who shoot virtually everytime they touch the ball he would no doubt be averaging closer to 15 points per game.  The Sixers are have an equal distribution in scoring and right now they don’t need Turner to score more, what he does that enables the team to win is play great defense, rebound, and facilitate.  

Greg Monroe has been averaging 12 and 11 rebounds and close to 3 steals last week.

Aminu has also shown signs of being a force on both sides of the ball.  Aminu is an energized playmaker who can knock down 3’s and dunk on offense and attacks the boards and loose balls on defense.

Wes Johnson is competing with Beasley and Love who are playing out of their minds right now but as far as the role that is expected of him he is doing that role fine.

Favors started off the season averaging a double double before the Lil General took all his minutes away for unknown reasons.  Favors is still young and can become an Okafor like force in this league.  What Favors needs to do is continue to work on his jump shot, but most importantly contest more shots.  He already is a guaranteed bucked inside 5 feet of the net and is a rebounding machine.  

Bledsoe made an impact when he got his chance to start and play minutes.

All in all the rookies in this class for the most part have not been looked upon to be franchise saviors and have not been given the work load to be able too because most of the teams in the lottery already have other young players who they want to continue to develop first.

And I guarantee that the Rookie Team beats the Sophomore Team….Wall, Turner, Fields, Griffin, and Cousins, with Aminu and Favors is way more dangerous team then the sophomore team that will probably have to start a combo guard at power forward.

[Mr. 19134Participant]

 @UrbanOverEverything….you are completely wrong sir….hold up…lemme reiterate that….YOU ARE COMPLETELY WRONG SIR!…

John Wall has had an instant impact. Before he got hurt he was averaging close to 20 n 10 and 3 steals even now he is like 4th in the league in assists averaging 9 plus.  Name the last 20 year rookie to average over 9 assists and 2 steals in a season?

Cousins has also had a few monster games.  In the Kings last 5 wins Cousins has averaged 21 points and 12 rebounds, what more could you ask for.  By the end of the year Cousins will be arguably the best Center in the West who is his competition? Bynum? Kamen?..

Evan Turner has got the shaft end of things only because he has been terribly inconsistent shooting.  But when he is on he’s on.  And even when he misses shots, he shoots with great form and always puts great touch on his shots.  Also what don’t shot up in the box score is the fact that Turner is already becoming a lock down defender.  As of late Turner has been a huge reason as to why the Sixers are a half game out of the 7th seed in the East after a horrific 3-13 start.  Turner put the game away against the Bobcats by scoring the Sixers last 4 points in overtime and also locking Captain Jax down on D so he could not get a good look for the final shot to win the game.  And if anybody saw Turner’s defensive performance on Kobe New Year’s Eve knows that he is ready to go toe to toe with any 2 guard in the league physically.  If he were on a team that wasn’t winning and didn’t have veterans like Brand, Iggy, Nocioni, Lou Williams, and even Thad Young who shoot virtually everytime they touch the ball he would no doubt be averaging closer to 15 points per game.  The Sixers are have an equal distribution in scoring and right now they don’t need Turner to score more, what he does that enables the team to win is play great defense, rebound, and facilitate.  

Greg Monroe has been averaging 12 and 11 rebounds and close to 3 steals last week.

Aminu has also shown signs of being a force on both sides of the ball.  Aminu is an energized playmaker who can knock down 3’s and dunk on offense and attacks the boards and loose balls on defense.

Wes Johnson is competing with Beasley and Love who are playing out of their minds right now but as far as the role that is expected of him he is doing that role fine.

Favors started off the season averaging a double double before the Lil General took all his minutes away for unknown reasons.  Favors is still young and can become an Okafor like force in this league.  What Favors needs to do is continue to work on his jump shot, but most importantly contest more shots.  He already is a guaranteed bucked inside 5 feet of the net and is a rebounding machine.  

Bledsoe made an impact when he got his chance to start and play minutes.

All in all the rookies in this class for the most part have not been looked upon to be franchise saviors and have not been given the work load to be able too because most of the teams in the lottery already have other young players who they want to continue to develop first.

And I guarantee that the Rookie Team beats the Sophomore Team….Wall, Turner, Fields, Griffin, and Cousins, with Aminu and Favors is way more dangerous team then the sophomore team that will probably have to start a combo guard at power forward.

[JoeWolf1]

@Mr 19134, I realize some players grow, but I need documentation to believe it. I thanked BTPH when he provided it, college height listing fluctuates so much is it that un reasonable to question it until provided with a reliable, recent listing?

[xbadgerhustlerParticipant]

don’t know who said he was just hype… but i don’t agree at all. I definitely don’t think he’s a great player right now, but the guy is a FREAK of NATURE. Whenever you see someone 6’10-6’11 handle and get up the floor like he can, he’s a very legit NBA prospect. Whether or not he pans out is another question.

[butidonthavemoney]

The only player I feel is top-pick worthy in this draft is Kyrie Irving.

There are a lot of interesting prospects near the top (Jones, Jones, Barnes, Williams, Sullinger) but none of them are worthy of the first overall pick in my humble opinion.

[iguapops420Participant]

 In this draft, it just seems like it’s gonna come down to who the team with the number 1 like the most. Derrick Williams I sincerely doubt goes #1, he doesn’t have the potential to dominate a game the way a #1 can. Irving I doubt comes out. As of now, I have Sullinger going to Cleveland. Hometown boy who can develop into a 20-10 type like Brand. Is a bit out of shape still, but that can be worked ononce you enter the L. Just ask Dexter Pittman. It’s gonna be just assumptions until we see who’s coming out, and who’s picking where.

[mikeyvthedonParticipant]

That was a great write up man, love it when someone comes with straight up facts, which you definitely did. I have been a long, long time visitor to this site and I know how difficult it is to make predictions on these prospects. As of now, I think Williams is definitely making a case to be one of the top picks in this upcoming draft, and do agree that to this point, at least as far as production is concerned, no prospect has been better. His PPS is phenomenal, I do not remember anyone having one like him. The thing I look at as far as him being a PF though is not even necessarily lack of size, his height and wingspan are average for a PF. My thing is the lack of bulk, and how this will affect him on the glass and defensively. His athleticism will make him a tough guard, and could mean these weaknesses might not be glaring, but it definitely plays in my mind. But, if you look at it beyond just slotting him into a position, as Williams as a straight up basketball player who might be diverse enough to play either forward spot, than he really could make a case for being #1.

I think Kyrie Irving is more than likely the #1 pick if he chooses to enter, or at least would be my choice. The guy seems to be a can’t miss leader, and while his injury brings you flash backs of Greg Oden, I do not know if this will lead to people panicing. After all, Greg had a wrist injury in college and than things started popping up afterwards about his knees. Irving’s injury makes me hesitant, but I do believe that he is handling it well and I do not know if it would be enough to pass up picking him. With Sullinger, I just feel he will translate very well to the NBA, the guy is a tank and that usually works well. He reminds me so much of Elton Brand, he may not be exactly like a young EB, but you could see him being that productive. Plus, I think he loves basketball and will really work to get into great shape, he also kind of reminds me of a mental game similar to Kevin Love. In this class, it makes him a definite possibility for the #1.

In some ways, this draft reminds me more of 1999 than 2006. That was another draft where it was very difficult to predict the #1 pick. The Bulls chose Brand, but also indicated interest in Steve Francis and even the eventual #4 pick Lamar Odom. Right now, the Brand would be Sullinger, the Francis would be Kyrie Irving and the Odom would be Perry Jones III. The 3rd pick, Baron Davis, would be Derrick Williams at this point. Remember, I am comparing the scenario rather than the players, the only player comparison I think fits well would be Brand to Sullinger. It really depends on who has the pick, but I am thinking Sullinger might be a good choice for teams looking for a PF. Perry Jones to me is someone you have to wonder about as far as putting everything together. His size and athleticism are impressive, but I truly do not see him being a McGrady or Durant. Seems slightly reserved, though his height and length make him potentially difficult to pass up.

The top 5 prospects in my mind for this upcoming draft would be Irving, Sullinger, Kanter, Perry Jones and Derrick Williams. The fringe guys for me are Terrence Jones and as much as people may hate this, Harrison Barnes who I still think has a bright future. Kanter is someone who I think would be making a big case for himself being the #1 pick if he were playing college basketball. It is tough for me to say that Sullinger is a better prospect than him honestly, but when I saw them both playing in the Hoop Summit, even with Kanter’s huge performance, I came away slightly more impressed with the strength and ability of Sullinger. Still, Aran has definitely been ahead of the curve at times, particularily about Derrick Rose. This site has definitely given me an insight into the draft over the years, with every Kosta Perovic and Maciej Lampe they have had just as many dead on picks and even more great analysis. When a bold choice such as Williams at this juncture, it is honestly great as it causes debate and gets us to focus on what this site is really about, the NBA Draft.

[Meditated StatesParticipant]

Has an NBA game. He will be a problem at PF and at times he will play some SF. People say he is lost on D and thats not true. He is playing in a zone D he is not familiar with in his freshmen year. When he switches out to guard 2’s one on one he locks them up wich is more NBA suited for switching not zoning. He will take bigger guys away from the hoop and because of the further 3 point line he will have more space to operate. He will get 1 on 1 with slower PF’s. Perry has a good jump shot and great handle for a man his size. He will play with more talented PG’s who will be able to find him for dump downs and on the fast brake. Perry goes number 1 if I am picking and I think no matter what the rest of these guys do this year I would stick with that. Weak draft= take the athletic freak with good all around skills.

[BothTeamsPlayedHardParticipant]

“Weak draft= take the athletic freak with good all around skills.”

By that logic, in 2006 the top pick should have been Tyrus Thomas not Bargnani, Aldridge, or Roy. In 2001, you get Kwame Brown and Tyson Chandler going ahead of Pau Gasol as well as Diop and Eddie Griffin going ahead of Joe Johnson and Richard Jefferson. Perceived upside always has to be weighed against likelihood of getting there. If Perry Jones ends up more like a higher character version of Shawne Williams, everyone gets fired.

[HitsterParticipant]

I quite like the David West comparision that this site has for Derrick Williams, the Michael Beasley one I can see to a certain extent on him being a pure scorer but I prefer the West one. With West it depends on whether you are talking about the guy who was drafted or what he became when CP3 came on board.

Blake Griffin shot up the draft boards as a sophomore but I don’t see Williams being that sort of athletic beast or having Blake’s upside. I could see him going high if a team wanted somebody more NBA ready than the freshmen but I could not see say Cleveland taking him very high or maybe the Nets for example. WAshington may have a look at him if they tire of Blatche’s antics and Sacramento may take a look if they cannot get a PG perhaps.

[BothTeamsPlayedHardParticipant]

Blake Griffin was probably a lottery pick after his freshman year, and probably would have been tantalizing for the Sonics as they were packing their bags for Oklahoma City. It wasn’t like he needed to return to build up his stock, he just wanted to have another year.

West is more of a below the rim 4 with a stronger lower body, and Williams has more a jumper who seems to have a stronger upper body than lower.

[Ghost01Participant]

Tell me, how many games has John Wall ever won in the NBA? 6? 7? what impact is that….sure his stats are nice, but he turns it over and loses all the time. And as far as all those other guys…who cares if Demarcus cousins has acouple monster games, he has been totally average.

I do see BTPH’s point about certain guys not getting minutes. And thats fine, some of them will round into solid role players. None of them will be stars….stars are good enough to play right away. And outside Kyrie Irving, i dont think anyone in this draft has that potential.

 

And ill take up your bet on that rookie game. I GUARANTEE the sophs win. And if by some miracle the rooks win, it will be because Griffin just explodes for like 45, and he isnt even from this class.

[BothTeamsPlayedHardParticipant]

The Wizards are 9-19 with Wall and 3-9 without him, and he has not really been fully healthy since the start of the year. It is undeniable that he makes the team better, he sets up his teammates well and makes their job easier, and still has nothing but room to grow with his shot and operation in the halfcourt. If he can get his body right and get his first run through the league, he’ll be at the level of Rajon Rondo really soon, possibly as early as next year.

[Ghost01Participant]

I agree. I never said i wasnt a believer in Wall. Just that this rookie class has been very disapointing, and its not like Wall is taking his team anywhere as a rook. He is going to be a very good player in this league, and the point of my original post was not to be down on him, because he is the one bright spot, it was to be down on the rest of the draft.

[Author]

Posts