[HaleParticipant]

Last year I made something like this when the site started seriously throwing around the idea of Austin Rivers being able to play PG in the NBA. Like The Shield, I’m here to correct the injustice I have noticed this year…which is the notion that Nerlens Noel should be the #1 overall pick.

I understand that the most of the top prospects laid eggs in the tournament, which has left a poor last impression on both the members of this site and scouts alike. But it’s ridiculous that this has somehow elevated Noel’s stock. The dude tore his ACL! This is the first of many reasons I’m going to list why Noel should not go #1 overall. This injury is going to force him to miss at least half of next season. Now that would be okay if he was such an elite prospect that it would be worth it but he isn’t.

I’ve said it numerous times on this site that he’s a guy who relies on his athleticism for pretty everything he does on the court. He’s got no post moves, he needs to put on weight/gain strength and he might be the most overrated defender in the history of this forum. He’s an excellent shot-blocker…because he jumps at everything. He falls for every pump fake constantly putting him in poor position to make a play or it forces him to pick up a foul. He’s going to get torched at the next level unless he can add a good deal of patience to his game. The greatest strength he has is his athleticism, which is the very least going to be hindered for a while due to the ACL injury and in a worst case scenario he never regains the complete athleticism he once had. That’s not a risk you take with the #1 overall pick.

Everyone talks about his incredible upside, but I just don’t see it. He is flawed in too many areas for him to truly ever be a great NBA player. Lastly, there is the notion that he was peaking before he got injured. This is false.

Entire year: 31.9 mpg 10.5 ppg 9.5 rpg 1.6 apg 2.1 spg 4.4 bpg 1.9 topg 59% FG 52.9% FT

Last 6 games: 34.1 mpg 9.6 ppg 10 rpg 1.1 apg 0.9 spg 5.3 bpg 2.1 topg 60% FG 46.3% FT

If you take his season averages and plug them into the minutes he played overall his last 6 game everything is either extremely similar or went down except his blocks.

Only two cases can somewhat be made for him going #1. The first is you are the Bobcats and would take just about anyone to upgrade down low. Second is that he had a big impact on his team and that they got much worse once he left. Even with that argument they still somehow pulled off arguably their 2 biggest wins of the year without him, and they weren’t exactly lighting the world on fire with him either. That’s the end of this rant.

[ProudGrandpaParticipant]

But the hair, Y2G, the HAIR!

[druneave3Participant]

Who would you take at #1 then, McLemore? and…. If you are so adamant that Noel isn’t the #1 pick, how many players would you select before Noel?

True he is a great athlete but – “he’s a guy who relies on his athleticism for pretty everything he does on the court” is not true. He also has incredible length and great instincts that could potentially allow him to be one of the best rim protectors(and defenders in general) in the league. That is reason for #1 pick alone, especially with this draft. ACL should be fine, he’s young and many players have recovered from that. If you are 34 year old ball dominant SG from LA and you get the same injury, different story. His defensive potential is too much to pass up. I agree he isn’t worthy of being a true #1 pick but you should probably be saying that about every name in this draft. It’s relative.

[HaleParticipant]

I wouldn’t touch McLemore #1, I think he is even less worthy then Noel. I forgot the length, you definitely have a point there…but he is absolutely not a great defender. When he actually has to guard someone instead of feasting on the weak-side he’s nothing special at all. He has the potential to be great on that end, but you see someone with roughly the same potential every year because his instincts tend to be the byproduct of him trying to block everything that goes near the rim regardless of whether it’s smart to or not. The reason for this post is because for some reason a guy who won’t even play half the year is almost a lock to go #1. If he was just in the mix to go #1 I wouldn’t care, but the fact that it’s almost a sure thing now is ridiculous.

[Mad MaxParticipant]

Noel is actually very good at blocking his own man’s shot. I remember a game this year Jimmy Dykes said he was better at blocking his man than Davis was in college (Davis still the superior shot-blocker, and player) He also plays the passing lanes very well, and gets steals too. I’ll admit he’s half retard when it comes to doing anything with the ball on offense outside of dunks and put-backs.

[nick5354Participant]

If you don’t think Noel or LcLemore going #1 who do you suggest then? Smart is returning. Burke if Orlando land the pick? Porter surely isn;t a number 1 pick? Someone has to go #1?

[nick5354Participant]

If you don’t think Noel or LcLemore going #1 who do you suggest then? Smart is returning. Burke if Orlando land the pick? Porter surely isn;t a number 1 pick? Someone has to go #1?

[HaleParticipant]

I’d take Porter, Bazz (who keeps falling for literally no reason), Burke and Oladipo before McLemore. If the Bobcats pick first then I would be behind them selecting Noel, otherwise he’s much closer to 3-5.

Porter has no risk. He’s good to be a good two way player a minimum. Shabazz is going to be the best player out of this draft when it’s all said and done. If he improves his right hand at all it won’t even be close. Burke is going to be a solid starter for sure and probably more. Oladipo will at the very least be a great defender, and a decent offensive weapon. I don’t like taking players with high bust potential. Noel has loads of it, and McLemore disappears far too much for my liking and doesn’t seem to have the mentality of a Shabazz (take over) or Oladipo (incredible work ethic).

[llperez]

I 100% agree y2g. Don’t see him as #1 at all. With that said, I could tear into any of the potential top 5 picks so I think we have to wait and see with the combine and workouts, of course Noel won’t be involved in those with his injury so maybe he just hopes everyone else continues to struggle.

[doubledribblerParticipant]

I would hate for my team to be drafting in the lottery this year. In my opinion, it feels like there are just a bunch of role players. Nothing wrong with that, but this is one of those years where you don’t expect any of the rookies to do anything to amaze you. I think quite a few of the guys will stick in the league, but I don’t like the prospect for all stars.

I think the question you should be asking, why should any of these other guys go first? No one makes a great case and tournament play didn’t inspire any more confidence in most of these guys. So why not go for the big with good defensive potential? Especially when next years draft will have all kinds of scoring wings and some really nice pg prospects. You knew things were going to be bad when when Zeller came into the year as the number 1 player by a lot of sites.

[Mad MaxParticipant]

I INVENTED THE PIANO KEY NECKTIE!!!!!!

[McDunkin]

Y2G has dropped knowledge on you…YOU’RE WELCOME!

[fcb206Participant]

This is just a weak ass crop of talent in general. To me its like, do you roll the dice on a guy (Noel) whose got the potential to be a top flight defensive force and maybe develop a decent post game, in which case hes a really valuable player, or burn a number one pick on one of a bunch of guys who at best are a second or third option. The moral of the story is no team should want to win this lottery. I think we will look back in five years and the best player from this draft will be some dude taken in the mid lotto.

[BenchWarmerParticipant]

Y2G who do you think is deserving of the first pick this year? Not Mclemore or Noel. You have a young kid (19) who will return from this injury. Who as he just showed averaged almost averaged a double double to go with 4.5 blocks and 2 steals. You don’t think heis worthy in this draft. I don’t know many I don’t agree with you on this one

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