[wizmanParticipant]

 Would someone be cool enough to post this article?   Thanks!

 http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/blog?name=nba_draft&id=6402171&action=login&appRedirect=http%3a%2f%2finsider.espn.go.com%2fnba%2fblog%3fname%3dnba_draft%26id%3d6402171

[TeamShowtimeLakersParticipant]

By David Thorpe

Kevork Djansezian/Getty ImagesDerrick Williams’ versatility in the frontcourt makes him a good fit for the Toronto Raptors.

 

 

We’ve discussed on this blog before that the NBA draft is more about tomorrow than today. We’ve also addressed the idea of drafting need or value. This year, with so few potential stars in the draft, it becomes more likely that need will come before value since the differences in value between many players will be seen as very small. With that in mind, let’s project what players each of the five worst teams should draft, with the balance scale more weighted on team needs.

 

 

Minnesota Timberwolves
Even with all the high draft picks and some free-agent acquisitions, the Wolves have holes at every position except whatever spot Kevin Love plays. Though they still own the rights to Ricky Rubio and sit on a very disappointing — but talented — Jonny Flynn, the Wolves clearly will have to consider taking Kyrie Irving, of course. But pairing up your best player with a complementary one makes sense, and if the Wolves decide to go that route, they’ll have to consider Bismack Biyombo.

If you think he’s too raw a talent to go No. 1, you’re wrong. Think of it like this: He averages 6 and 5 with more than two blocks a game while playing in Spain’s top division, which is the second-best basketball league in the world after the NBA. And he does that while playing less than half the game. It’s a league far more rugged than college. How would Irving fare over there in 17 minutes?

 

 

Biyombo pairs up perfectly with Love, as his above-the-rim game and high intensity matches up with Love’s solid positional defense and calm demeanor. BB would give the Wolves a constant threat in the paint to dunk anything he touched while allowing Love to float outside for his great jumper. And they would form one of the top rebounding tandems in the league. His energy alone would help Love and every other player on the team. Flynn, Wes Johnson and Love all want lots of touches and shots, and BB could excel just playing off their misses. The two players he’s always compared to are Ben Wallace and Kevin Garnett.

 

 

Cleveland Cavaliers
This one is a no-brainer. The Cavs need help everywhere and their top few players can play multiple spots, so they can simply pick the best guy available. Irving gives them their can’t-miss point guard with significant upside. He reminds me of Jrue Holiday (who never should have fallen out of the top eight). Holiday is at least a solid long-term starter who might end up being an All-Star. The Cavs were the second-worst offensive and defensive team, and Irving is a guy who can get them into a good offense every time down the court and spearhead their defense. To win in the East, the Cavs have to defend Derrick Rose, Rajon Rondo, John Wall, Brandon Jennings, Holiday, Deron Williams, D.J. Augustin and Darren Collison — all explosive players who can dominate games with their talent, quickness or both. Irving gives them the best chance at doing that of any player in this draft.

 

 

Toronto Raptors
The Raptors are one of the teams that have to be just sick that Harrison Barnes is not in this draft. They would have had to give him strong consideration at any spot they are selecting, including the No. 1 spot. Toronto was a bad offensive team last, but it was the worst defensive team in the NBA. There was no candidate better suited to help the Raptors than Barnes, especially considering the huge hole they have at small forward .

 

 

The absence of a perfect fit means they’ll have to take Derrick Williams. Even though they have two mainstays at the big spots in Andrea Bargnani and Ed Davis, who had an excellent rookie season, Williams would give them a strong scoring presence who is willing to compete on defense. He’s powerfully built, something the Raps need in a player, and can certainly play small forward some, allowing Toronto to go big without giving up much. He’s not a great rebounder as a 4 but would be better there than playing the 3. The big Euros are in the running here, but Toronto needs some explosiveness too, something Williams brings to the table, and his toughness might be more in need than anything else. If Williams, Davis and Amir Johnson are three of your top four bigs, your team has a bright future.

 

 

Washington Wizards
If Toronto is sick about Barnes, the Wizards are in intensive care. They have a franchise talent in Wall and must take care to surround him with skilled shooters with athleticism and great character. Barnes would have been heaven sent because players with those three traits are rare indeed.

 

 

JaVale McGee had a breakthrough season and is the league’s best shot-blocker, so drafting anyone who could take away his minutes would be a problem. But in Enes Kanter, the Wiz can get someone who can play alongside McGee and be a backup center, while giving them more scoring punch inside. McGee is not a great first option inside, and Kanter has a chance to be just that. His feel and poise inside are impressive. Because Kanter hasn’t played in a real game in a year, it may take him a while to recover, but he’s been working every day on his game. And compared to the other top Euros the Wiz can consider drafting, Kanter is already comfortable playing in and being in this country, an advantage when we think of how many other young players the Wizards have, plus they have three of the top 35 picks in this draft. Think of Kanter/McGee as a clone to the Boozer/Noah tandem in Chicago, with Wall playing the Derrick Rose role.

 

 

Sacramento Kings
The Kings are yet another team that would love to get Barnes, and Williams would be an even a better fit. Considering the Kings’ two best players are DeMarcus Cousins and Tyreke Evans, and their third-best guy is restricted free agent Marcus Thornton, it’s likely they will be looking for 3-point shooting help and someone who can play with Evans as a combo guard.

 

 

The Kings were a bottom-five team in offensive efficiency, 3-point shooting and free throw shooting. Kemba Walker would fit the bill if he was a better shooter, but Brandon Knight ends up working out great for them as he projects to be a terrific 3-point shooter and made 80 percent of his free throws as a freshman at Kentucky. Knight has no problems being the primary ball handler, setting up Evans or running ball screens with Cousins. And his spot shooting shows that he can play off Evans just as easily. The Kings struggled closing out games this season, something Knight will be able to help them with, and his high basketball IQ and emotional maturity will help the team in an area that is problematic for them. His size and length can help him guard a lot of 2s, and if the Kings can retain Thornton, a threesome of Knight, Thornton and Evans will play together and cause lots of problems for opposing defenses.

[MkadozaParticipant]

 http://www.nbadraft.net/forum/bismack-biyombo-might-be-16-or-17-years-old#comment-338383

Looks like some feel his size, explosiveness, and defense warrant the number one pick anyway.

[MkadozaParticipant]

 And a Knight- Evans backcourt could mature into something special…. don’t look now, but through smart drafting and shedding cap, the Knigs could contend in the near future…

[ghrghrParticipant]

 Draft for Need – The Hasheem Thabeet, Rafael Araujo, Sam Bowie, (insert other "draft for need" busts here) Story.

[mj23mj23besteverParticipant]

id love too c b knight paired up with evans and fellow uk alum big dmc and would it be off the wall if cleve land takes both uk players in knight and jones? if they fall out of the top 3 i mean

[mikeyvthedonParticipant]

NEEDS to be disregarded.

Seriously, it was awful, and we have been marveling over its awfulness for days. If you draft for need as opposed to drafting the best player available to help your team improve, you are usually going to make a huge mistake. Drafting Biyombo would mean ultimately that Kahn loses his job, which may not be such a bad thing for Timberwolves fans. His other picks are not as terrible as that first one, though their is still a lot of flaw in his "logic". Otherwise, I think it was just a desperate attempt by ESPN to get pageviews.

[Memphis MadnessParticipant]

Huh?

Umm, the Raptors can use a small forward with some toughness and a good rebounder for a 3 man who is also willing to play defense, but the Timberwolves cannot?  I think Kevin Love and Derrick Williams makes a PERFECT forward combo.  They can both shoot from long range and rebound the heck out of the basketball and also score inside.  Kevin Love is not much of a defender, athlete, or shot-blocker.  Derrick Williams is great at those things.  Williams might not be a prolific passer, but Kevin Love is.  Those two guys can both give you 18 to 20 points a night.  Their scoring will allow Darko to concentrate on hard-nosed defense, blocking/altering shots, and picking up some rebounds. 

Derrick Williams also makes Michael Beasley expendable.  They can probably get a couple of solid role players and a decent draft pick for him.  Maybe a back-up big man and a mid to late first round draft pick in next year’s LOADED draft.  That would be pretty good.  Also, that would allow Anthony Randolph more chances to develop.  He has a ton of talent, he just needs some time.  He would be a great backup, and at 6’10 he could play both forward spots.

Another thing, with Williams being strong, long, and athletic it will allow the T-Wolves to play and up-tempo game of small ball. Put D-WILL at the 4, Love at the 5 and Randolph at the 3.

With Derrick Williams, not only does Kevin Love find a complementary big man who can take some of the scoring and rebounding load off him, Ricky Rubio finds a perfect running mate.  Williams can finish inside and on the break.  He can play above the rim and also hit the three.

They would have their forward combo of the future, a sixth man guy in Antony Randolph, along with Darko who can be their enforcer.  Rubio/Ridnour/Flynn gives the team a few different looks at point guard.  Then they have Wesley Johnson and Wayne Ellington at shooting guard. 

They can then use their pick at 20 to find a shooter.  Maybe David Lighty.  Jon Diebler will still be there.  Ravern Johnson maybe.  But, it is a heck of a lot easier to find a rotation guard who can hit the three than it is to find a legit 2nd option who can also block shots. 

I like Bismack Biyombo but he is a power forward who plays the same spot as the team’s best player.  Or he plays an undersized five who does the same things (rebound, block some shots) that their starting center does.  With Darko, Biyombo, and Love you have three rebounders and two shot blockers, but you also only have one scorer. 

If the T-Wolves really need a athletic, shot-blocking project they can probably get Hasheem Thabeet just by trading their 20th pick.  He can block some shots and he also alters a lot of shots.  He fouls a ton but he is a legit 7’1.  He’s also a solid athlete who can throw down some dunks.  Before he got traded to the Rockets, the Grizzlies used some zone defense when Hasheem was in the game.  He was very effective in a zone defense.  He would be an IDEAL 10-15 minutes a night backup center.  

Then at #2 David Thorpe has the Cavs taking Kyrie Irving which I get, but he compares him to Jrue Holiday.  Jrue Holiday is a good player, but I think the Cavs want more out of the second pick than a second tier point guard.  If the Cavs think that Irving will be a franchise, top-tier point guard then they need to pick him.  The Cavs need to take the best guy available.  If Kanter impresses, then he would be a top choice here.  Good centers are hard to find.  Then the Cavs could take a guard at 8.  I think that the Cavs fans want Kyrie Irving.  Taking Kanter this high would be hard for the Cavs fans to take. 

If the Cavs take Irving, then Toronto should take Kanter. A legit center would allow Bargs to concentrate on the 4 spot.  Ed Davis would be a very good back up power forward.  Joey Dorsey can rebound and block shots.  He would be a good fourth big man, who can play some center.  If the Cavs take Kanter, then Irving makes A LOT of sense here.  The Raptors have some good wing players and some good mobile bigs.  Irving could be the guy who brings them together.  I think Irving makes the most sense here.  This might be the best fit for him in the draft.  I think that the Cavs take Irving since they are "supposed to."  The Raptors then take Kanter who can play the 5 and would allow Bargs to play the 4.  Or, they could go really big and put Ed Davis at the four, and Bargs at the 3.

If Kanter is still on the table and if he can start at power forward then he would be a good fit on the Wizards.  If not, then he doesn’t make much sense.  Javale and Blatche are a promising big man combo.  And they have a good back court, so I think they need a small forward.  Or a defensive power forward.  Jan Vesely might work here as an AK-47 type player.  If Alec Burks is as good as many people think then he might be a good option here.  He sounds like a Brandon Roy type.  That would give them a GREAT three guard rotation of Wall, Burks, and Jordan Crawford.  Then they can pass on resigning Nick Young to build some front-court depth.  Burks can probably play some small forward too.  Then they would have a good three guard rotation, two good big men in Blatche and McGhee and Mo Evans as the glue guy starter.  That’s a great young core with Evans as a utility man.

Washington also has the 18th and 34th pick.  So those two spots can be used to fill weaknesses or pick up some guys with upside.  If Kanter projects out as a center then I don’t think you take a guy who plays McGhee’s position.  Blatche has talent, and if he can mature then they have a really good player on their hands.  I like Vesely and Burks more for the Wizards.  At 18 there are some good forwards, especially if Terrence Jones and Kenneth Faried fall.  If they take Vesely, then Jordan Hamilton at 18 makes sense.  I think they need to get a guard and a forward with their two first round picks, then take the best guy available at 34 since they will more than likely be getting a bench player at that pick, and they need to build up their bench.  At the end of the day I have the Wizards taking Alec Burks here.  Good guard for their three guard rotation. Also can play some small forward.  Later in the draft I have the Wiz taking Kenneth Faried at 18 (back up rebounder, adds toughness) and Chandler Parsons (can do a lot of different things on offense, would be a good sixth man backing up utility forward Mo Evans at the three).  Parsons would give them another creator/facilitator on offense with Wall, Crawford, and Alec Burks.  Parsons is also a three point threat. 

I would understand the thinking if the Kings take Brandon Knight here.  I originally had him going to the Kings in my first mock draft.  Now I have them taking Kemba Walker.  I think Kemba is the better player overall.  Kemba and Tyreke would be unstoppable in the open floor.  Both guys could get to the line at will given the lack of hand-checking.  If they want a solid point guard who can hit the three then they should just start Beno Udrih.  He’s a good player, who is DAMN GOOD when he is on.  The question here is are they going to play Tyreke at point, or will they play him off the ball?  If they have him at the point then Brandon Knight will only be a  spot-up shooter.  I am wondering if they would be better off getting a 3 point shooter at the small forward spot.  If they want a more traditional point guard who can hit the 3 then they should go with Knight.  But I think that Kemba Walker has more upside.  It is more of a risk, but Kemba and Tyreke have the potential to be an UNSTOPPABLE back court.  Marcus Thornton is a good player, as is Beno Udrih.  If they pick Kemba then they have an interchangable back court.  The thing is, if the Kings need a shooter in the back court who can also handle the ball then Jimmer Fredette makes the most sense.  He is the best shooter in the draft, has DEEP range, and is one of the best scorers along with Kemba Walker.  He also looks fairly strong.  He had a decent amount of assists last year so he can probably play some point guard.  If the Kings start Evans and Thornton at guard then Jimmer would make the IDEAL 6th man and could come in off the bench for either of those guys.  Or they could go small and play all three of them.  I think that Jimmer would help sell more tickets.  A Tyreke-Cousins-Jimmer big three would be great offensively with terrific range and shot-making ability.  Jimmer seems like a good character guy and might be a good go-between for Tyreke and Cousins.  If I were the Kings I would take a strong look at all three of those guys and take the best one.  A Tyreke/Thornton starting back court would mean that instant offense off the bench and a guy who can spread the floor would be their top priority.  In that case, Jimmer Fredette would make some sense here.  The best pure upside pick here for the Kings, assuming he is still on the table, would be Bismack Biyombo.  He could be the perfect complement to Cousins up front.  Both are freakishly talented and Bismack could concentrate on defense with Cousins picking up the offensive load.  Sam Dalembert would be a great back up big man here, who could fill in for either starting big man.  With Bismack the Kings would have their two big men of the future, Tyreke is the go-to-guy every team needs with Thornton and Beno forming a good three guard rotation.  For a core, I like two great big men, a back court scorer and go to guy (preferably an all-star), then two more guards who complement the main guard.  The Kings would have that.  Dalembert would be a good back up center, then they could figure out the small forward position (Garcia was fairly effective as a starter, Caspi is pretty good, and Donte Greene can score).  At 35 they can go after a back up point guard.  Maybe Ben Hansbrough who is a poor man’s Jimmer Fredette, but probably more of a natural point guard.  David Lighty or Jon Diebler could be good fits.  Good role players who can hit outside shots.  If the Kings need a knock-down 3 point shooter who won’t dominate the ball then Diebler would be a great fit.  With Diebler, Tyreke could play with any of the other three guards (Diebler, Thornton, Udrih) to form a high scoring, big back court.  They could also go small, playing any three of those guards together.  

A wildcard here is Donatas Motiejunas.  If he is more like Bargs and not much of a rebounder and defender I am not sure he is a top five guy.  He might be a better fit on the Bucks at 10 who need shooting and a guy who can put points on the board.  Could be a good offense-defense combo with Andrew Bogut.

The Utah Jazz are loaded at power forward, and with Kanter most likely off the table there really aren’t any centers.  If Burks is there he would be a good pick.  Especially if they keep Devin Harris for the long-term.  Brandon Knight would be a good point guard for their offense.  Probably the best fit here.  Knight is a good character guy and a good three point shooter. 

At 7, Detroit needs to take the best guy available.  I like Kemba here if he is still on the board.  I think they can make it work.  Greg Monroe is a solid building block who can do some of everything up front.  Kemba Walker can do some of everything in the back court.  He reminds me a little of Isiah Thomas.  I know they have a lot of combo guards but that is why they invented trades.  Greg Monroe at Center with Charlie V at forward, Prince at the three, and Rip Hamilton  at the 2, with Stuckey and Ben Gordon as the combo guards, T-Mac as a possible small forward in the rotation, Jonas Jerebko will be back (a high energy guy who can mix it up), and Jason Maxiell is a load and a good enforcer.  This is not a bad team.  I think Kemba Walker can get that team running and gunning.  If they start to click then watch out.  They have a ton of guys that can score, a versatile big man in Greg Monroe, Prince might finally wake back up and could work very well with Jerebko and Maxiell as the team’s glue guys and defensive aces.  If the chemistry can mesh, and if Kemba is as good as I think he is then the Detroit Pistons will be the sleeper team in the East.  I could see them making the playoffs. 

At 8 the Cavs need to take the best guy that fits their needs.  Burks or Vesely could be the pick if they are still here.  If they are both gone, then Motie makes some sense sense.  He, along with Vesely, has the most upside of the guys still on the board.  I think that this pick is between Motie and Vesely.  The Cavs are young and can afford to wait on a guy.  If the Cavs think that Motie is the next Dirk then they go with him.  The problem here is that JJ Hickson is one of their best players and he also plays the power forward position.  Luke Harangody and Andersen Varejao also play at the 4.  If they want to play a versatile game with solid all-around defense then Vesely makes the most sense.  He is a shot blocking threat who can turn into an AK-47 type player.  A front line of Vesely, Hickson, and Varajao/Ryan Hollins would be very long and athletic.  They could get out on the break with Kyrie Irving.  With Vesely on board, the Cavs look to build around a very good point guard (Jan Vesely), solid rebounding (Andy and Hickson), and athletic role players (Vesely, Eyenga).  Baron Davis would take some pressure off of Kyrie Irving and would provide a veteran influence.  Antawn Jamison would be the team’s designated scorer and go-to guy on the blocks.  Look for the Cavs to find a legit long-term second option in next year’s draft.  Possibly Harrison Barnes.

Marcus Morris is a solid pick for the Bobcats at 9.

Motie going to the Bucks at 10.  He might be there Dirk Nowitzki.  The Bucks need offense.  They also need a power forward.  He can provide scoring with Bogut providing defenes.

At 11, the Golden State Warriors hope that Kawhi Leonard is the Gerald Wallace/Latrell Sprewell type of player that they badly need.  They have a high scoring back court, a very good power forward in David Lee plus Epke Udoh, Biedrens, and Amundson up front.  Leonard would be a good small forward for them, with Dorrell Wright providing outside shooting off the bench.  

Even though I have the Jazz taking Brandon Knight, I have them taking Jimmer Fredette at the 12th pick.  Jimmer would give them another outside shooter to go along with Brandon Knight and Gordon Hayward.  CJ Miles is also another guard in the rotation.  Even though they have plenty of big men, the Jazz might also take a look at Jonas Valanciunas to play center.  But they already have a deep front court with Al Jefferson (a natural power forward who plays some center), Paul Milsap at the power forward spot, another power forward in Derrick Favors, AK-47 who can play both forward spots, and a true center in Fesenko (who I like).  Jimmer has a lot of upside and has good value at the 12th pick.  Brandon Knight and Jimmer Fredette give the Jazz the luxury of having two point guards (who can also play some 2) who can really, really shoot.

Here is the link to my draft board:  http://www.nbadraft.net/nba_mock_drafts/45828/edit

 

 

 

 

[OhCanada-Participant]

Memphis I didnt read that but I gave you plus one for effort.

Thorpe just passed Ford, and Bayless for being the largest idiot within the ESPN circle. Seriously he has some crazy concepts. The worst thing about it is people from every forum around the internet aside from this one thanks to great basketball minds collaborating…they all read the ESPN article saying Biyambo could go 1st overall and believe it. Im getting Raptors Fans on forums begging to pick Biyambo no matter what.

He’s not a great rebounder as a 4 but would be better there than playing the 3. The big Euros are in the running here, but Toronto needs some explosiveness too, something Williams brings to the table

Other then Klieza who is injured indefinitely, Evans who is a FA, Bargnani who is likely to be traded, Alabi who is D-League, and Calderon every Raptor is explosive SMH.

Funniest thing about this article is that Minnesota needs anything but a PF so they automatically become BPA, Cleveland needs a wing more then anything and he has them selecting Irving BPA, Toronto needs a true Center and he has them selecting Williams BPA, Washington needs anything and he has them selecting Kanter who is arguably the BPA, and as for Sacramento he has them taking the consensus pick in Knight.

So Biyambo-1st, Irving-2nd, Williams-3rd, Kanter-4th, Knight-5th. Funny thing about that is Irving is consensus-1st, Williams-2nd, Kanter-3rd, Vesely/Burks/Motiejunas/Valanciunas are 4th, and Knght is consensus-5th. Only thing he really changed is putting Biyambo at 1st.

This article is obviously just a shameful Bismack Biyambo thread and has nothing to do with team need. What an idiot.

[Memphis MadnessParticipant]

Biyombo would make more sense with a good sized scoring big man.  I think he would be a better fit on the Kings at number 5.  The Kings could also go with Brandon Knight, but I am not sure if they think that Evans/Thornton is their back court for the long-term.  If so, I am not sure that Knight makes a lot of sense, especially with the promise of Bismack.  I am a pretty big fan of Beno Udrih, especially when he gets hot.  They already have 3 guards.  With Bismack you kind of roll the dice and hope that Biyombo and Cousins play up to their potential.  If they do they will really be unbeatable.  To add an outside threat and 3 point marksman, I have the Kings taking Jon Diebler at 35.

Derrick Williams would look great on the T-Wolves.  He would basically be a no-brainer at number one.

At 2, I think Kyrie Irving is the pick, but if he upside is only Jrue Holiday then I think he is a bad pick.  I like Kemba Walker better than Irving overall, but I think the Cavs play it safe and take Irving.  That then makes it hard for their number 8 pick because their is not much left.  Fredette is the best guy on the table but they already have a point guard.  Motie is still there but they already have a power forward, so I have them taking Jan Vesely at 8.  Should be a good all-around player who can block some shots.  

I have the Jazz loading up on point guards with deep range, picking up Brandon Knight at 6 and Jimmer Fredette at 12.  Ironically, the Jazz, who pick at 6 and 12, get better players than the Cavs do at 2 and 8.

I have Kanter going 3 to the Raptors.  He will let Bargs play the 3.  Or they go big with Bargs at the 3, Ed Davis at the 4, and Kanter in the middle.

At 4, the Wizards can go a lot of different ways, but I have them taking Alec Burks which would give them a great three guard rotation with John Wall and Jordan Crawford.  The pick would also allow them to not resign Nick Young and go after some front court help.  Faried at 18 would give the Wizards the toughness and rebounding they need off the bench.  Chandler Parsons at 34 gives them a versatile swing man who would be a great guy to have off the bench.  The Wizards would then start John Wall and Alec Burks in the backcourt, Maurice Evans at small forward (glue guy, a veteran, doesn’t need shots), and Blatche and McGhee up front.  Off the bench they have Jordan Crawford (can score and handle the ball) to play either guard spot, Chandler Parsons who will play the 3 and could be a more athletic Mike Miller (and a great 7th or 8th man), and Faried a hard-nosed, rebounding machine who can do the dirty work and fill in for their big men.  That’s a great 8 man rotation for the future. Josh Howard and Rashard Lewis are overpaid vets who should come off the bench.  Rashard Lewis would be an IDEAL ninth man who could shoot from the outside and play either forward spot.  They would then need to add a veteran shooter and an experienced banger.

Detroit takes Kemba at 7.  Might be the best player in the draft, pound for pound.  I can see him having a better career than either Irving or Knight. 

I think that the T-Wolves are a big winner here if they can come away with Derrick Williams.  He and Love would form a great frontcourt duo and give Rubio a guy to pass to.  And, they can get rid of Mike Beasley and develop Anthony Randolph.  I have the T-Wolves picking up some scoring and toughness with Shelvin Mack.  He would add instant offense off the bench. 

The Jazz have a great draft and pick two of the top guards, getting Knight and Fredette. 

The Wizards get a versatile guard to pair with John Wall in the back court.  Both guys should make the game easier for the Blatche/McGhee tandem.  I think they are the underrated winner.

I think that the loser of the draft, relatively, is the Cleveland Cavaliers.  Not sure that Irving is a top-tier point guard.  If he is then they win.  If not, they might have been better off with Brandon Knight or Kemba Walker.  At 8 they get Jan Vesely who is a good player but he lacks a true position.  If Irving turns into a top ten NBA point guard then this is a good pick up for them.  They can then add another great piece next year.  I don’t know though if he is going to be better in a run-and-gun system or in a more traditional, half court system. I like Vesely’s upside but he doesn’t sound like a go-to guy.  He could give the Cavs a very long front line though if he plays small forward.  The Cavs have two second round picks and might be able to pick up some servicable players.  The best they can hope for is for Kyrie Irving to turn into the next Chris Paul and for Jan Vesely to turn into a high-energy guy (a cross between AK-47, Chris Anderson, and Josh Smith).  If so, they have another solid piece for their future.  Probably not a second option though, and more like your fourth or fifth guy.  If they get lucky and get a real player in the second round then that would be very nice.  Perhaps Veron Macklin, who I have them taking, or maybe OSU guy Jon Diebler.  They could take Jeremy Tyler there since they can afford to wait on a guy a couple of years.  If the Cavs could pick up both Jeremy Tyler and Jon Diebler in the second round (along with Irving and Vesley in the first), then they will have had a very solid draft.

I think the top 3 rookies next year, in terms of production, will be Derrick Williams, Kyrie Irving, and Kemba Walker.  Kanter, Knight, and Burks should have good years too.  Kawhi Leonard and Jan Vesely might not put up the stats but they could also perform well.  Jimmer Fredette is my sleeper sixth man of the year candidate.  Motie should be a 2nd team all rookie player.  I think he gets the shots and the minutes on the Bucks.  Motie is my sleeper pick for rookie of the year.  If Bismack comes over then he could be on the first or second all-rookie team.  Probably between him, Motie, and Jimmer.  Bismack is my sleeper pick for the NBA Defensive Second Team.  Kyle Singler and Chris Singleton should be pretty good.  I have Jamie Skeen going to OKC.  He might be another sleeper pick for 6th man of the year.  He could give the Thunder 8-10 points off the bench with around 4 rebounds a game with a lot of 3’s.  He’s a perfect fit for the Thunder and he is a good replacement for Jeff Green. 

I probably have Travis Leslie way too low on this draft board, but he might be a steal in the late first round, early second round.  He sounds like Tony Allen.

I don’t have that many second round sleepers.  It will depend on a player’s fit with the team and the amount of minutes.  Ben Hansbrough at 42 to the Pacers and Jacob Pullen at 51 to the Blazers might be the most NBA-ready players in the second round and could provide solid minutes for both teams.  

 

 

[sheltwon3Participant]

Memphis, I read most of your posts.  Holiday is not a bad player. He has shown poise in his second year while in the playoffs.  He is also pretty young and can get better.  He is a decent playmaker.  I like the comparison as far as upside but I doubt their games are that similiar.  I would like for Cleveland to pick up Derrick Williams and take Kemba Walker because I see them both as being starters.  They are both NBA ready.  Burks could fit here too because Cavs need every position but  the 4 spot because i believe in Hickson and there is no one in this draft that i feel is that much better than him.

Knight is a pretty good fit for Sacramento but I could also see them taking Biyombo if they are positive that Dalembert jumps ship.  Sacramento will need another year after this one to make the playoffs and they could possibly get Barnes next season.  Also you have a lot of small forward free agents like Chandler, Prince, Jeff Green, etc.  If Prince leaves Detroit, he will be looking to play close to home.

Toronto can go with either Kanter, Williams, Burks.  They could also take Walker if they fall down to 6 or 7.  They need to trade Bargini possibly for Milwaukee’s draft pick this year and next.  Bargini would work perfectly with Bogut and Jennings.  Skiles would be able to cover his lack of defense and could play him at the 3 sometimes because I have seen a lot of Bucks games where play Moute Moute or whatever his name is and that dude is not a good scorer and it hurt their team.  Toronto will take some time to be good so they should gamble of two top 10 picks.  They can take the guy they need and grab another Euro player that has promise.

Also there are parts where you have a team drafting like 3 young players.  If your team is young taking 2 young players and trying to sign so vets is the way to go unless you have all 3 picks in the top 20 in a good draft.

Also Wizards have Trevor Booker and some other power forward so taking a 4 or 1 is not a great option.  They can take a 3 both remember Lewis is still under contract for 2 more years and when healthy he is a starter. Kanter is only a good fit if they think Blatche will not be part of the future. Also Booker is undersized and that other guy need time to develop because he is pretty raw.  Wizards are in a position of drafting a player that will bump head with whomever they already have.  Burks and Kanter are the players I am looking at for them to draft but they may move down or draft Biyombo because of his upside.  Burks would have to compete with Jordan Crawford and Kanter would have to compete Blatche or McGee. Anybody at point will have to compete with Wall.  Josh Howard could be resigned but I doubt it but still you have Lewis and his contract for whomever will compete at the 3.  Wizards need to restructure their team because they have a lot of young talent no real direction except Wall could do a Rose and lead them to Eastern Finals in 3 years.  They need to draft a player with their first pick and trade their other picks for either depth or future draft picks.  This would help them down the road once they see what direction they are going.

[KayjayParticipant]

To be honest, I never thought about any other fit for the Kings other than Knight, or Williams. But picking up Jimmer is an excellent idea for them as well. I’m not too high on his game, but I know he’s an excellent shooter. Reke is a ball dominant shooting guard however, so I’d still see him and Knight getting along sharing the ball just fine. Jimmer is the best shooter you can find in this draft, but you can’t pass up Knights nice frame for a guard. Neither of them are excellent play makers, but they are solid ones. So sharing the ball would come easy. If Reke gets his jump shot looking better, I think the Kings will atleast start turning heads. Specially with their other talent in Demarcus cousins.

As for drafting Bismark, never seen him play so I can’t say anything.

[Author]

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