Who has been the fade into obscurity guy in the past few drafts?

I remember in 2011 when there were quite a few people comparing Nolan Smith and Kyrie Irving saying Irving was not the much better prospect and Smith would be the better player.

I remember in 2011 when there were quite a few people comparing Nolan Smith and Kyrie Irving saying Irving was not the much better prospect and Smith would be the better player.

 I think theres a problem with your list.. You listed a few players that were never really relevant to begin with.

I think you have to consider Hype and Coverage of that player and how he is no longer known or heard of.

Like Fab Melo, Arnett Moultrie and Cunningham. I remember these guysm but they were never considered over-hyped prospects or cant-mis players. In fact I guessed Fab Melo would be a bust. Vesely (as i know all to well, hometown is DC) is in Denver. He might get better or he might not. Beside his draft night kiss with his gf, what other hype was there of him in the media.

I think Players that could fit our profile are guys like Darko, Sebastian Telfair, Yi Jianlin( I remember Yao saying "he’s better than me", was obviously just trying to promote his buddy), Kwame Brown, Gilbert Arenas, Jimmer Fredette.. guys like that, who were hyped and recieved a lot of attention.

btw, what does "HM" mean?

 I think theres a problem with your list.. You listed a few players that were never really relevant to begin with.

I think you have to consider Hype and Coverage of that player and how he is no longer known or heard of.

Like Fab Melo, Arnett Moultrie and Cunningham. I remember these guysm but they were never considered over-hyped prospects or cant-mis players. In fact I guessed Fab Melo would be a bust. Vesely (as i know all to well, hometown is DC) is in Denver. He might get better or he might not. Beside his draft night kiss with his gf, what other hype was there of him in the media.

I think Players that could fit our profile are guys like Darko, Sebastian Telfair, Yi Jianlin( I remember Yao saying "he’s better than me", was obviously just trying to promote his buddy), Kwame Brown, Gilbert Arenas, Jimmer Fredette.. guys like that, who were hyped and recieved a lot of attention.

btw, what does "HM" mean?

A few debatable picks but I’m going to only explain the debatable ones for the 2012 draft. 

Meyers Leonard was a guy who we all knew was a project big going into that draft. Some thought he would be a bust (not me) but we all agreed he was a project big, and would have to be brought up slowly. When the Blazers selected him in 2012 I questioned the pick at the time, because they didn’t have a big man next to Aldridge yet. I knew that they selected him to be that guy, but I also knew that he would be a project and thus develop slowly. Then when he did indeed prove to be that kind of big and ultimately too slow for the Blazers to use in the starting lineup they went out and got Robin Lopez in free agency to put next to Aldridge and he was a great pickup. I understand why you picked him because he didn’t really play that much for the Blazers this year (and years past) because the Blazers brought over Joel Freeland who was a draft and stash pick in a previous draft. (I think 2008 but I can’t remember) But I still have faith in him. Big men take awhile to develop and he’s still young. I don’t think he’s a starting big man in the future, but I do think he could be a nice first big off the bench for a contending team in the end. To me that player is a very valuable piece to a contending team, so no he was not a fade into obscurity guy of the 2012 draft. 

Jared Cunningham: Same argument except for not a project player. Just a nice bench role player. Most bench role players are very valuable to contending teams. Even if they aren’t that teams 6th man. Heck they might even be the teams 4th or 5th guy off the bench but they still think he’s a valuable piece off the team. Remember Shandon Anderson, Howard Eisley or Jacque Vaugh of the late 90’s-early 2000’s Jazz team that contended for the Championship with the Bulls? All of them were very key parts to that Jazz team, yet they weren’t brought off the bench for quite awhile. (probably 2nd or 3rd guy) Okay maybe not Eisley but still proves my point. I also think the jury is out on Cunningham just as it is with Leonard. No, he won’t be a guy anybody thinks of as main contributors to a team, but somewhere down the line we will look back and say that Cunningham turned out to be good player, and was good pickup by that team. Whoever it was, I think it was Dallas but I’m not sure.

The same reason for Arnett Moultrie as was Meyers Leonard, but different context. Jury’s still out on him, but I think he will be a guy that could a be a key bench role player for some contending team. 

Agreed about Fab Melo, and I knew that he would be a bust too. 

A few debatable picks but I’m going to only explain the debatable ones for the 2012 draft. 

Meyers Leonard was a guy who we all knew was a project big going into that draft. Some thought he would be a bust (not me) but we all agreed he was a project big, and would have to be brought up slowly. When the Blazers selected him in 2012 I questioned the pick at the time, because they didn’t have a big man next to Aldridge yet. I knew that they selected him to be that guy, but I also knew that he would be a project and thus develop slowly. Then when he did indeed prove to be that kind of big and ultimately too slow for the Blazers to use in the starting lineup they went out and got Robin Lopez in free agency to put next to Aldridge and he was a great pickup. I understand why you picked him because he didn’t really play that much for the Blazers this year (and years past) because the Blazers brought over Joel Freeland who was a draft and stash pick in a previous draft. (I think 2008 but I can’t remember) But I still have faith in him. Big men take awhile to develop and he’s still young. I don’t think he’s a starting big man in the future, but I do think he could be a nice first big off the bench for a contending team in the end. To me that player is a very valuable piece to a contending team, so no he was not a fade into obscurity guy of the 2012 draft. 

Jared Cunningham: Same argument except for not a project player. Just a nice bench role player. Most bench role players are very valuable to contending teams. Even if they aren’t that teams 6th man. Heck they might even be the teams 4th or 5th guy off the bench but they still think he’s a valuable piece off the team. Remember Shandon Anderson, Howard Eisley or Jacque Vaugh of the late 90’s-early 2000’s Jazz team that contended for the Championship with the Bulls? All of them were very key parts to that Jazz team, yet they weren’t brought off the bench for quite awhile. (probably 2nd or 3rd guy) Okay maybe not Eisley but still proves my point. I also think the jury is out on Cunningham just as it is with Leonard. No, he won’t be a guy anybody thinks of as main contributors to a team, but somewhere down the line we will look back and say that Cunningham turned out to be good player, and was good pickup by that team. Whoever it was, I think it was Dallas but I’m not sure.

The same reason for Arnett Moultrie as was Meyers Leonard, but different context. Jury’s still out on him, but I think he will be a guy that could a be a key bench role player for some contending team. 

Agreed about Fab Melo, and I knew that he would be a bust too. 

 where is Josh Selby? 

 where is Josh Selby? 

 Can I get a Chris Douglas Roberts up in here.

 Can I get a Chris Douglas Roberts up in here.

Jimmer is getting there.

Jimmer is getting there.

 Uggghhh, my boy Terrence Williams…so much potential and unique skill set.  Yet, such a lazy head case…

 Uggghhh, my boy Terrence Williams…so much potential and unique skill set.  Yet, such a lazy head case…

Kevin Seraphin (17) 2010, Jan Vesely (6) 2011,  Chris Singleton (18) 2011, Tomas Satoransky (32) 2012, Otto Porter (3) 2013.

 Ernie Grunfeld still has a job because?

Kevin Seraphin (17) 2010, Jan Vesely (6) 2011,  Chris Singleton (18) 2011, Tomas Satoransky (32) 2012, Otto Porter (3) 2013.

 Ernie Grunfeld still has a job because?

Daequan Cook- 3pt champion his 2nd year in the league, went to OKC, then Bulls, havent heard much from him since he was in Miami.

Marshonn Brooks- was getting a lot of hype on him, one scout compared him to Kobe lol

Darious Morris

Just trying to name ones that havent been mentioned yet. They werent as hyped as a Kwame, Darko, or Telfair. But still feel like they faded.

Daequan Cook- 3pt champion his 2nd year in the league, went to OKC, then Bulls, havent heard much from him since he was in Miami.

Marshonn Brooks- was getting a lot of hype on him, one scout compared him to Kobe lol

Darious Morris

Just trying to name ones that havent been mentioned yet. They werent as hyped as a Kwame, Darko, or Telfair. But still feel like they faded.

 Jonny Flynn

 Jonny Flynn

 2012 and past…

in 2012 which is still a little too short of time for player picked as projects, there are still some names that pop up as unlikely to meet the ceiling projected:austin rivers,and myers leonard. a couple of players were taken later than they should have been; t-jones and ezeli.

in 2011 derrick williams,jan vesely,b biyombo,morris twins,chris singleton all taken too high with players like kawhi leonard, vucevic,shumpurt,faried,tobias harris and even jimmy butler on the bd.

in 2010 cole aldrich,ed davis,xavier henry,e udoh all too high with jordan crawford,eric bledsoe,larry sanders and lance stephenson on the bd.

in 2009 there were a ton of busts; thabeet,flynn,williams,clark and others who shouldnt have gone as high as they did like evans and hansborough. esp with players like jrue holiday,ty lawson,teague,taj gibson,wayne ellington,collison,beverley,danny green, patty mills etc etc.

of note in 2013 its way too early to know who if any players in the entire draft will have a career beyond their rookie contracts but its looking like hardaway and dieng should have been taken higher.

2014 draft projection for the heck of it: I think some players have been overpicked where they went specificaly in the first;gordon,stauskis,nurkic and the obvious caboclo,huestis etc and some were passed on; pj hairston,cleanthony early,gary harris,spencer dinwiddie, and jarnell stokes,who should all produce lottery level numbers and have solid careers.

 2012 and past…

in 2012 which is still a little too short of time for player picked as projects, there are still some names that pop up as unlikely to meet the ceiling projected:austin rivers,and myers leonard. a couple of players were taken later than they should have been; t-jones and ezeli.

in 2011 derrick williams,jan vesely,b biyombo,morris twins,chris singleton all taken too high with players like kawhi leonard, vucevic,shumpurt,faried,tobias harris and even jimmy butler on the bd.

in 2010 cole aldrich,ed davis,xavier henry,e udoh all too high with jordan crawford,eric bledsoe,larry sanders and lance stephenson on the bd.

in 2009 there were a ton of busts; thabeet,flynn,williams,clark and others who shouldnt have gone as high as they did like evans and hansborough. esp with players like jrue holiday,ty lawson,teague,taj gibson,wayne ellington,collison,beverley,danny green, patty mills etc etc.

of note in 2013 its way too early to know who if any players in the entire draft will have a career beyond their rookie contracts but its looking like hardaway and dieng should have been taken higher.

2014 draft projection for the heck of it: I think some players have been overpicked where they went specificaly in the first;gordon,stauskis,nurkic and the obvious caboclo,huestis etc and some were passed on; pj hairston,cleanthony early,gary harris,spencer dinwiddie, and jarnell stokes,who should all produce lottery level numbers and have solid careers.

PJ3? There was a thread about him about every day for about a year straight.

PJ3? There was a thread about him about every day for about a year straight.

Stevenson – Jordan = Cased CLOSED!

Brooks – Bryant = Hanging on by a thread.

Stevenson – Jordan = Cased CLOSED!

Brooks – Bryant = Hanging on by a thread.

2006 – 4th overall Tyrus Thomas.

The guy had a tonne of potential. He has shown flashes in the NBA (including blocking 9 shots in one game) I think injuries and his attitude/work ethic has let him down but I haven’t heard his name mentioned for a while…..

2006 – 4th overall Tyrus Thomas.

The guy had a tonne of potential. He has shown flashes in the NBA (including blocking 9 shots in one game) I think injuries and his attitude/work ethic has let him down but I haven’t heard his name mentioned for a while…..