The Official Washington Basketball Thread: Wizards, Mystics etc

[Warhead36]

The Celtics built up a ton of young assets, but traded them to get Allen and KG to team with Pierce. We would probably have to try something similar. Most NBA title teams have at least one or two big name players they acquire via FA/trade. The Spurs are really the only exception.

[Going Commando]

I don't see it. If you want a free agent all star you need a good team that can compete. A place a star can go thinking either they are contenders or my addition will make them contenders. I don't see Dwight Howard coming here because we'd basically be the Orlando Magic all over again complete with Rashard Lewis.

Well I don't think our roster compares to Orlando's at all. We're constructed a lot more like the Bulls were two or three years ago.

---------- Post added April-14th-2011 at 03:24 PM ----------

The Celtics built up a ton of young assets, but traded them to get Allen and KG to team with Pierce. We would probably have to try something similar. Most NBA title teams have at least one or two big name players they acquire via FA/trade. The Spurs are really the only exception.

The Thunder built through the draft. Perkins is their only significant asset acquired from trade and he's their fourth or fifth best player.

You can build a sick team through drafting well. The Clippers and Kings are taking that path too and it's starting to work for them.

We made our big time trade by acquiring Crawford for nothing. All we need to do now is crush our next two lottery picks to solve our forward problems, develop our talent talent in the frontcourt, and find the right mix of veterans to steady the ship as our team grows.

We'll be in the playoffs in 2013.

[Warhead36]

I wouldn't really call Crawford a big time trade. While your Thunder comparison is good, they still haven't won anything yet(although they will be title contenders in the West once the Lakers and Spurs old guys call it quits). 2012 might be the year we make the FA/trade splash though, depending on what happens in the next year with our 2011 draft, the lockout, and the new CBA.

[Going Commando]

Also John Wall is already special and the smart money is definitely on him being the best PG in the league by his third season. His stat line for the season is almost unprecedented. Chris Paul's rookie season is the only one that comes close out of most of the great PGs from the past two decades: Nash/Kidd/Rose/Williams/Westbrook/Rondo/Paul/Thomas. He came out of the gate Oscar Robertson/Magic Johnson quick.

He's farther along than everyone but Paul as rookies and he didn't have much to work with for most of the year.

[G.A.C.O.L.B.]

http://www.draftexpress.com/article/Bismack-Biyombos-Long-Journey--3672/

Bismack Biyombo's Long Journey

by: Jonathan Givony - President

April 11, 2011

Bismack Biyombo's story is one of the most improbable you'll find in this year's draft class.

Biyombo is the son of government officials in the Congo and the first of seven children. He was introduced to basketball by his father and his uncle, both of whom played basketball in the Congo's semi-professional first division league.

At age 14, Bismack's friends urged him to start playing basketball competitively.

“In high school, I was playing with friends,” he said. “And one of my friends, we were playing one day, and he was just like, ‘Why don't you really want to play basketball more seriously? Why don't you want to compete?'”

Reluctantly he agreed.

His progress from there was rapid. Within a year, Biyombo was already competing in Congo's first division. Soon scouts from teams in the Middle East began to recruit him.

The only obstacle, at that point, was his father.

“He said no,” Biyombo told me. “I was trying to talk to him every day to convince him. He said, ‘Wait for the right time. You're a young kid. You don't want to push yourself the wrong way.'”

“So I went to my mother to ask her to let me go play professional. Her answer was, ‘NO!'”

Eventually, after a year of persusaion, Biyombo's parents agreed to let him fly to Qatar to try out for a professional team.

Word of the springy Congolese with arms down to his knees and a relentless motor spread quickly from there. .

From Qatar he went to Jordan, then to Lebanon and finally to Yemen. In total, he spent six months jet-setting around the Middle East.

His breakthrough came in a tournament against the Jordanian national team, coached at the time by a Portuguese coach named Mario Palma.

Biyombo impressed Palma on the court with his tremendous physical tools and talent to the point that Palma decided to approach him after the game. He was blown away when he learned that Biyombo was only 16 years old and immediately contacted his friend in Spain, agent Igor Crespo, and urged him to take a look at the young prospect.

“You have to see this kid,” Palma wrote Crespo. “He is from another planet. He is gifted for basketball and for life. I have no doubt that he will be an NBA player at some point if he works with the right people. You have to come to Yemen and meet him.”

Crespo soon arrived in Sana'a, Yemen, and quickly arranged for Biyombo to move to Spain with him (the move came on June 11, 2009). Biyombo slept on a couch in Crespo's apartment in Vitoria and began to work out with Pepe Laso, who later became his personal coach and mentor, and Crespo's associate Richi Gonzales.

Crespo arranged for teams to watch his new client in an attempt to get one of them to sign and develop him. Caja Laboral, Unicaja Malaga, Real Madrid, CAI Zaragoza and Fuenlabrada all came to evaluate him, but in Biyombo's words, “they said that it was really difficult for them to sign me.”

“It was very difficult for them to believe in me,” he said. “No one knew me. It was my first time in Spain.”

Eventually Fuenlabrada decided to bite, signing Biyombo to a five-year contract. They juggled him between their first, second and third teams during his first 18 months in Spain.

Biyombo's big opportunity came in January, when Fuenlabrada received a huge offer from Euroleague squad Caja Laboral to sell their starting center, Esteban Batista -- reportedly for 1.25 million dollars.

Caja Laboral had already gone through two import big men by then (first Pops Mensah-Bonsu, then Marcus Haislip) and was desperate for a center after getting off to a terrible start. Fuenalabrada cashed in in a major way and immediately began looking for a big man to replace Batista.

In the mean time, they decided to bring up the very green Biyombo to practice with them, temporarily, to plug the hole that was created by Batista's departure.

Fuenlabrada was desperately trying to sign Richard Hendrix from Maccabi Tel Aviv, but the Israelis were reluctant to let the former NBA player go.

In the meantime, Biyombo saw playing time against Ricky Rubio's old club, DKV Joventut, and did surprisingly well, earning more time to prove himself.

With each day Biyombo continued to improve.

“Getting more time practicing I would make myself better,” Biyombo explained. “Coach decided to give me more minutes every game, every game, every game.”

Before anyone realized what was happening, the anonymous Biyombo was leading the ACB in blocked shots and field goal percentage while ranking #1 in per-minute rebounds and near the top in per-minute free throw attempts. He moved straight into the top 20 of DraftExpress' top 100 rankings, making one of the biggest jumps in the site's history.

Fuenlabrada's hunt for an American center came to a halt. They realized they had one of the best prospects in Europe on their hands; an incredible force inside the paint who has unlimited potential.

It didn't take very long for Rich Sheubrooks, Nike's Consultant of Global Basketball, who lives in Barcelona, to notice Biyombo's talent.

Sheubrooks quickly extended an invite Biyombo to play at the Nike Hoop Summit, which was to be played in Portland. Crespo had wisely included a clause in Biyombo's contract allowing him to attend the event if he was invited, something no one dreamed possible when Biyombo was signed 18 months prior.

The rest is history.

Biyombo registered the very first triple-double (12 points, 11 rebounds, 10 blocks) in the history of the Hoop Summit, shattering Kevin Garnett's record for blocked shots in the process. Now he's projected as a potential lottery pick by many teams.

Just three months after being added to our own database, Biyombo elected to enter his name in the 2011 draft, as we reported exclusively on April 5.

Biyombo is under contract with Fuenlabrada for another three years, but he has a relatively simple NBA buyout clause (€1 million Euros). What's even more attractive is the fact that the NBA team that drafts him can rest assured knowing that he can continue to play in Europe in the event of a lockout, which won't slow his development.

“The lockout is not worrying me,” Biyombo told us. “If there is a lockout, I can continue to play in Spain. I want to make a mark before I leave Spain. When I decided to enter the draft I spoke to my agent Igor [Crespo], and I said, ‘Igor, before I leave Spain, I want to put my name on the basketball court. So when I leave Spain my name will be remembered the right way.' About the NBA, I still have time to be on the floor, still have time to work, still have time to make myself better.”

Stay tuned later this week for a detailed breakdown on Bismack Biyombo's strengths and weaknesses.

[Going Commando]

I wouldn't really call Crawford a big time trade. While your Thunder comparison is good, they still haven't won anything yet(although they will be title contenders in the West once the Lakers and Spurs old guys call it quits). 2012 might be the year we make the FA/trade splash though, depending on what happens in the next year with our 2011 draft, the lockout, and the new CBA.

It was a hugely important trade for us, hence calling it a big time deal. I think we got a future all-star caliber player out of it. We just happened to develop him ourselves after we got him. It's the same deal with Sacramento and Marcus Thornton except that Crawford is a rookie.

The Thunder went to the conference finals last season so they are definitely already contenders. Ginobli went down so the Thunder are going to beat the Spurs in round two anyway. With Perkins in the program they can cope with the Lakers' frontcourt. Then it becomes a matter of them having the best PG and perimeter player combo in the league. They'll have the best PG in the West once New Orleans gets annihilated. They'll be dangerous this year and I think they'll cruise to the finals again.

The Lakers haven't looked like themselves the past few weeks. I actually think they're going to have a rougher time in the playoffs than people expect, especially since Bynum is shaky right now. The Mavericks routinely get written off even though they're one of the most versatile and veteran teams and have the most consistent and unguardable player in the West. They could beat the Lakers in the second round if both teams make it out. A Thunder-Mavs matchup in the conference finals wouldn't surprise me at all.

I also don't think any of the East teams are good enough right now to beat the top four teams in the West.

[@DCGoldPants]

I don't think its the Thunder's year. I still think in the end that the Lakers are going to get their Three-peat and Phil will retire (for now) on top.

I think in another season or two, the Thunder and Blazers could be the big dogs in the West.

[G.A.C.O.L.B.]

Today is supposed to be decision day for Barnes. But this is the quietest its been since the tourney ended. I don't know what's going.

---------- Post added April-14th-2011 at 03:57 PM ----------

Well now, just got a tweet that ESPN is reporting that Barnes is going to the NBA. Announcement tonight at 7. I told you all!

---------- Post added April-14th-2011 at 04:46 PM ----------

Fox Sports is saying he still hasn't made a decision and there will be no announcement tonight. This dude is worse than Lebron

[BRAVEONAWARPATH]

Per Chad Ford

chadfordinsider Chad Ford

Sources say Wolves, Cavs, Raptors, Jazz and Kings would all take Kyrie Irving 1. Wizards, Pistons & Bucks - Barnes or Derrick Williams

[G.A.C.O.L.B.]

You know, one thing that's really been driven home for me during this Harrison Barnes Watch is that NBA sources don't know ****.

Anyway, I just read something from another "source" that an NBA GM said that Barnes is the infamous Terrence Morris, with a jumpshot, and that he is retarded if he goes back. His stock will never be this high.

[BRAVEONAWARPATH]

You know, one thing that's really been driven home for me during this Harrison Barnes Watch is that NBA sources don't know ****.

Anyway, I just read something from another "source" that an NBA GM said that Barnes is the infamous Terrence Morris, with a jumpshot, and that he is retarded if he goes back. His stock will never be this high.

I think that NBA GM is correct.

Personally, I see Barnes as being a solid complimentary player in the NBA.

Nothing more.

[No Excuses]

If he ends up as a solid player, I'll take it. Anything to help this team acquire players that can produce efficiently at the NBA level.

I still maintain my position that the next big franchise changing piece will come through a trade or a FA signing and not the draft.

BTW, the T-Wolves are ****ing retarded if they are considering Irving with the top pick.

Edited April 14, 2011 by No Excuses

[StillUnknown]

If he ends up as a solid player, I'll take it. Anything to help this team acquire players that can produce efficiently at the NBA level.

I still maintain my position that the next big franchise changing piece will come through a trade or a FA signing and not the draft.

BTW, the T-Wolves are ****ing retarded if they are considering Irving with the top pick.

they are to pg's what the Lions were to wr's

[G.A.C.O.L.B.]

I still think the perfect storm for us would be winning the lottery, having a couple of teams become infatuated with Irving, get a bidding war going, trading down a few spots, picking up Kanter and picking up a few future picks in the process. I really don't like any of these players at #1. And the thing is, when you make an undeserving player the #1 pick--even if it's the result of a bad class--that **** follows them for the rest of their career. "Oh he's never lived up to his pick." It's just bad news all the way around.

Think, if Kwame was taken in the 20's he would have a successful career. Instead he's going down in history as one of the biggest busts ever. And that was a **** class. I guarantee if Kwame hadn't been the 1st pick, his career would have gone a lot more smoothly. But that top pick status--and the whole Jordan connection--****ed with him hard. Too much pressure.

---------- Post added April-14th-2011 at 06:22 PM ----------

Hey mcqueen, what's the deal with Tyler Honeycut? I like what I'm reading about him and think he might be a great SF option with one of our later picks. But I can't get an accurate read on his stock. Nbadraft has him going middle of the 1st and DX has him going at the top of the 2nd.

---------- Post added April-14th-2011 at 06:30 PM ----------

#4 - Kanter

#18 - Bismack

#34 - Honeycutt

That's my dream draft.

http://www.prodraftcentral.com/the-southeast-regions-top-10-nba-prospects/

3. Tyler Honeycutt, 6’8 190 SF, UCLA

One of the most underrated players in the country.

An extremely athletic forward who can play excellent defense on both wing positions, Honeycutt is the epitome of the role player who makes his team better. He can space the floor (shooting 34.5% from the three-point line), grab rebounds (7.4 a game, an impressive number for a perimeter player), push the ball up the floor and find the open man (2.7 assists a game).

Like Smith, his counterpart in the Bruins front-court, he’s nowhere hear his ceiling as a basketball player. With both the burst and ball-handling ability to get into the lane, he could become a much better scorer if he learns to utilize a floater as well use his shooting ability to look for a mid-range jumper.

Best case: Nic Batum.

Worst case: Francisco Garcia.

Needs to improve: Scoring more efficiently in the lane.

http://www.draftexpress.com/article/Top-NBA-Draft-Prospects-in-the-Pac-10-Part-One-1-5---3562/

Top NBA Draft Prospects in the Pac-10, Part One (#1-5)

September 20, 2010

#1 Tyler Honeycutt, 6-8, Sophomore, Small Forward, UCLA

7.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 2.4 turnovers, 1.5 steals, 1.2 blocks, 50% FG, 60% FT, 35% 3P

Jonathan Givony

Starting off his freshman campaign slowly due to a spinal stress fracture followed by a stress reaction in his right tibia, Tyler Honeycutt nevertheless managed to bounce back and string together a very interesting freshman season for an underachieving UCLA squad.

Showing excellent size for a small forward at 6-8, to go along with a nice wingspan and better athleticism than you might expect on first glance, Honeycutt is a very smooth, very versatile wing player with a big upside and an outstanding feel for the game.

Honeycutt does a little bit of everything offensively at the college level, even if he was clearly way too unselfish as a freshman last season. He averaged just 7.7 field goal attempts per-40 last year, sixth most total on the team, looking a little too willing to fit in at times.

While there is no way he should have been passing up shots to the type of talent UCLA sported on its roster last season, this does highlight possibly his greatest strength—his excellent passing ability—as he's a major asset for any team to have in their half-court offense. Honeycutt has excellent court vision and anticipation skills and regularly makes passes that hint at an extremely advanced basketball IQ. He does a great job facilitating his team's ball-movement and looks to have the potential to develop into a point forward type down the road—the type of player a coach can run his team's offense through.

Honeycutt also has a very nice stroke from the perimeter, even if he was at times hesitant to show that last year and was inconsistent with his shooting when he did. He made just 13/46 of his jumpers (10/29 3P, 60% FT) according to the data at our disposal, but should be able to improve on that significantly based on his excellent mechanics and the soft touch he displays.

As a ball-handler is where Honeycutt might need the most work, as he's just an average shot-creator at the moment. His ball-handling skills need plenty of work, particularly in terms of his ability to change directions with the ball and operate in pick and roll and isolation type situations. He was the fifth most turnover prone player in our database last season on a per-possession basis, coughing the ball up on an extremely high 31% of his possessions. His terrific court vision sometimes leads him to try and force the issue threading the needle with some very tough passes, but as he matures and gains experience, he should be able to improve his decision making skills significantly.

Adding strength to his lanky frame should open up plenty of things in Honeycutt's game, as he's clearly yet to reach his full athletic potential. Somewhat of a late bloomer in high school, Honeycutt's frame will be able to put on more weight down the road. He has a great feel for scoring around the basket, but is hampered significantly by his lack of strength at the moment.

Defensively, Honeycutt has outstanding potential with his terrific size, length, smarts and anticipation skills, and he's already one of the more productive players in the NCAA on this end in terms of the amount of rebounds (9.6), steals (2.2) and blocks (1.8) he puts up on a per-40 minute basis. Honeycutt moves his feet well on the perimeter and does a very good job of using his length to contest shots, but he can definitely get taken advantage of at times from a physical standpoint by older and stronger players. He struggles fighting through screens and seems to have mental lapses at times on this end of the floor like all young players do, but based on what we've seen and the fact that he's playing under Ben Howland, he should be just fine in this area down the road.

The fact that Honeycutt is already such a good rebounder despite lacking a significant amount of strength and spending heavy minutes at the small forward (as well as the power forward) position is a great sign. He has an excellent feel for tracking down loose balls and doesn't seem to lack much in the ways of toughness or hustle the way some other skinny players do.

Based on what we saw at the adidas Nations Experience in Chicago in August, Honeycutt could be on his way to a breakout season on the national level, something UCLA sorely needs. With a bigger role in Ben Howland's offense and more aggressiveness than he showed last year, Honeycutt will emerge as a coveted NBA prospect and could be ready to make the jump to the League already next spring. His ability to fit into any type of half-court motion offense will make him very interesting for slower paced teams in particular.

http://www.nbadraft.net/players/tyler-honeycutt

23 - Tyler Honeycutt

NBA Comparison: Josh Childress/Tayshaun Prince

Strengths: Honeycutt is a 6'8 versatile and athletic player who can interchange between the off guard and forward positions ... He has an excellent wingspan, as his long arms and active movement help him hit the boards hard and rebound the basketball despite being 6'8, 200lbs ... He has a capable midrange game off the dribble which will only improve with time due to relaxed, smooth mechanics on his shot ... His post game is deceptive, as he finds ways to slip and slide off his defender and uses a nice feel for the rim to score the ball ... His athleticism allows him to elude defenders in the air when attacking the rim ... Shows impressive vision and can hit the open man in tough situations ... With his length and athleticism, Honeycutt has potential to be an excellent defender, with high defensive awareness averaging 1.5 steals per game in 27 minutes ... Also has the ability to guard multiple positions ... Excellent rebounder for a wing especially on the offensive glass ... Intense, hard worker who shows a strong competitive edge that helps offset his physical limitations in regards to strength ...

Weaknesses: Being able to create with the ball in his hands is not one of his strengths, and he will need to tighten up his ball handling skills and work on ball security... Needs to be a little smarter with his passing, tends to try and thread the needle when the safer more reasonable pass is available ... Skinny frame, and will need to bulk up by the time June comes around if he wants to guard 4's in the post at the next level ... Not much range on his jump shot, and needs to add more consistency all around to his outside game ... Has been given the "soft" label by some so will need to prove himself with consistency and toughness ... Looked a little too hesitant at times on the offensive end, suggesting he lacks confidence in his ability to score...

Overall: After one year under his belt, Honeycutt should be a bit more relaxed in his second year looking to make a bigger name for himself on the national scene... With more minutes and high praise this offseason in regards to his potential, expect Honeycutt to be much more aggressive, and more effective offensively in his second season at UCLA.

Jon Wasserman 9/20/10

http://swishscout.com/?p=2390

1 Tyler Honeycutt, UCLA (Sophmore SF, 6’8”, 185 lb.s)

A versatile, ‘do it all’ player’ who knows how to get involved and leave an impact in a game without scoring. Smart player with great passing and play making ability, but his hallmark is on defense. Biggest knock is his unselfishness, but if he becomes more assertive and a consistent shot maker, Honeycutt could easily play his way into becoming a lottery pick this year.

Projected Draft Stock: Mid-1st Round

Edited April 15, 2011 by G.A.C.O.L.B.

[Going Commando]

BTW, the T-Wolves are ****ing retarded if they are considering Irving with the top pick.

They'll get that PG figured out one of these days.

What about trading out of this year's lottery for Minnesota's unprotected lottery pick next year? They just might be dumb enough to do it. And I feel more confident about them finishing at the bottom of the league next season than anyone else.

---------- Post added April-16th-2011 at 10:30 AM ----------

I think that NBA GM is correct.

Personally, I see Barnes as being a solid complimentary player in the NBA.

Nothing more.

Barnes hoists a lot of low percentage shots when you watch his breakdown on DX.

He didn't look that good slashing IMO and that's why he's not being talked about as an elite scoring wing prospect.

But go back his high school highlights and you see a natural ability to get to the rim that wasn't as clearly on display this past year at UNC.

I think he has a good deal of upside in terms of developing his perimeter skills. He'll be a pretty good catch and shoot type initially and he'll eventually become a better ball handler and improve his finishing ability.

What he does give you right away is lockdown perimeter defense and an ability to guard any other wing you'd face. That'd be extremely valuable to us. And in that regard I think he's a lot safer than Derrick Williams. His passing skills are also good and would be useful early.

He doesn't have DW's finishing ability at all right now. He's also not as efficient a scorer in general. But they're also a critical year apart and Barnes could get there in a season or two.

It'd be tough to decide if we had a shot at both. We need the scoring and we need the defense. Do you bet on Barnes improving his offensive skills enough to make up the difference or do you think DW's offensive gifts are enough to offset his defensive liabilities?

And I'd much rather have Quincy Miller next season than either. I'd probably rather have Michael Gilchrist too.

---------- Post added April-16th-2011 at 10:37 AM ----------

Hey mcqueen, what's the deal with Tyler Honeycut? I like what I'm reading about him and think he might be a great SF option with one of our later picks. But I can't get an accurate read on his stock. Nbadraft has him going middle of the 1st and DX has him going at the top of the 2nd.

You know more than I. I don't think I saw UCLA once this year. I like what I read from your post though. Every team needs at least one high quality perimeter defender if they want a prayer of slowing the elite teams in the post season.

I think I'm going to go digging for highlight videos of Honeycutt so I can get a sense of the athleticism and fundamentals. I like the sound of a Batum/Prince comparison.

---------- Post added April-16th-2011 at 10:44 AM ----------

Also this is unrelated, but I think the Magic and the Pacers could both be more dangerous playoff teams than people expect. The Pacers are tough and just going off of the games I saw where they played us, they can pound inferior teams. They've got pretty decent bigs and I think Danny Granger is a superstar caliber scorer. Darren Collison is a decent enough PG already and Paul George is a good rookie.

They play good fundamental basketball and make their FTs and shoot at high %s from the floor. I don't think this is their year yet given how young they are, but I think they could surprise.

The Magic are tough to count out because of Howard.

[Going Commando]

Did anyone else catch the Nike Hoop Summit today? It featured basically all of the top draft eligible Americans for the 2012 class as well as some internationals eligible for this year's class. The only top guy out there whose absence I noticed was Quincy Miller. Other than that, I got a good look at Austin Rivers, Marquis Teague, Bradley Beal, Michael Gilchrist, Anthony Davis, James McAdoo, Rakim Christmas, Kyle Wiltjer, Lucas Noguiera, and Bismack Biyombo (among others) in a game situation today. It was awesome.

I want to give my impressions on what I saw to anyone who may have missed it. First off, the game is absolutely wild. These kids play at the speed of light and run fast breaks constantly. It's not particularly sound basketball but these kids are out their laying everything on the line to try and leave a good impression. The amount of shooting was like a vintage Wilt Chamberlain game from the 60s era.

Second, without a doubt, the four guys who absolutely stood out the most from the game were Anthony Davis (obviously the best player out there and the guy with the most NBA potential), Michael Gilchrist, Austin Rivers, and Bismack Biyombo.

Austin Rivers looks like a light skinned baby faced version of his dad and he's so fantastically polished you can tell he's the son of an NBA coach. He can score every way and plays with a level of development that's a cut above everyone else his age group. He can also shoot the lights out and is a terrific ball handler. He's going to be good next year and his game translates to the NBA. I think he's a top 6 pick in a strong class--kind of like a better, younger Stephen Curry with elite ball handling and slashing ability. He's awfully skinny though and he didn't show off the kind of passing skills you'd want from a 6'3 guard...

Anthony Davis is a stunning talent. He's soooo long and such a good rebounder with some of the best hands I've ever seen. He's impossible to stop in transition and his background as a PG has given him rare and elite passing skills for a big. He's got a future as either an NBA 3 or 4 depending on how his body fills out. Either way, I think he's a blue chipper with superstar potential. he's going to be a top 3 pick in next year's class and he'll be head and shoulders better than everyone in this year's class. The announcers said he averaged something like 22 RPG as a senior this year. He and Quincy Miller are going to be drawing all kinds of Durant comparisons.

Michael Gilchrist is also spectacular. He literally does everything at an exceptional level. He's 6'7 in shoes so he can play either the 2 or 3 at a high level. His defense is superb and he's going to be a lockdown NBA perimeter defender with elite hands and shotblocking ability. He's phenomenally quick. He was the fastest player on the court for most of the day. His burst and ability to gain separation reminds me of Dwyane Wade. He's tough and creates his own shot against just about anyone. He knocked down a few impressive fades and high difficulty jumpers off the dribble and really stood out because of them. Mainly though he can absolutely explode to the rim and the foreign players just couldn't handle his aggressiveness and quickness. He couldn't shoot freethrows for crap though. He missed a ton of them, otherwise, God knows how many points he'd have scored. In general, the mid to long range shooting was of a very ****ty quality for just about everyone in this game except Rivers and Witjers. Oh and Gilchrist is a terrific rebounder for a perimeter guy. He's got it all and he's going to be a franchise caliber player in the NBA.

Let's see, as for the rest of the Americans, only Teague really stood out. He's a classic Calipari point--blazing fast, nice passing and playmaking skills, great ball handler. James McAdoo looked good and highly competent but didn't really shine. He'll fit in at UNC since he's an unselfish, unflashy, team first player. Christmas made a few nice plays but nothing crazy. Beal looked decent but didn't really pop.

As for the world players, there were some eye openers. First off, Bismack Biyombo was downright dominant. He was the most physically imposing player in the game by far. Absolutely no one could handle him. I watched that game and then later tonight watched the Orlando--Atlanta game where Dwight Howard dropped 46 and 19. I tell you, Bismack looks like a baby Dwight without the offensive repertoire. He's an absolutely ferocious finisher who will throw down dunks that make the court shake. His motor is fantastic and there was one play starting with 7 seconds left in the game that made me giddy to see. USA scored and Bismack inbounded the ball. His teammates passed it up the court quickly without dribbling and someone took a 3 or a long 2 and missed. Sprinting up the court like a deer was Bismack and he caught the putback from a leap that almost started at the free throw line and thunderously dunked it. I want to say he had at least 5 or 6 dunks that game that would have done Dwight proud.

Bismack is a long and extremely active player on both ends. He reels in a lot of rebounds and he seriously altered almost every single shot withing 10 feet of the rim. He almost had a Javale McGee triple double, finishing with something like 12 points, 13 rebounds, and 9 blocks (can't remember the points and rebounds for sure). But he got his hands on a lot more than 9 shots. He could have easily gotten past double digit blocks if a few foul calls had been a little more generous going his way. In the NBA they would have let him get away with some of his contact. Aside from that, I'd guess just from eyeballing his play that he kept the Americans shooting less than 33% in the paint when he was out on the court. Basically nobody could get an uncontested shot off from that range unless they did it on a break.

Consider my mancrush fully engaged on Bismack. Give him a decent jumper and a post game and he's going to be a force. He already almost has an NBA body. He can run like the wind and jump out the gym and has an elite motor. I think he's going to be a terrific player once he actually develops some skills. I wouldn't hesitate to take him in the lottery if he came out in this year's weak class. Getting him with out Atlanta pick would be a coup. I'm not bull****ting, his budding size, athleticism, finishing ability, and ability to contest and alter shots reminds me of Dwight Howard when he was a teenager.

BTW, Lucas Noguiera was fairly impressive too. He was easily the tallest and longest player on the court and he runs extremely fast for a kid his size. He looks skilled out there too but he just wasn't nearly as dominant as Biyombo was. He doesn't seem to have that same ability to impose his will that Biyombo demonstrated during the game.

Wiltjer was impressive for his long range surety and excellent jumper. Kentucky has a hellaciously awesome class that probably surpasses the Wall/Bledsoe/Cousins class in quality and versatility.

Evan Fournier was fairly impressive too for the World team. He was athletic and creative with nice ability to slash and get to the rim. Especially for a Euro. He's also got those excellent passing skills that all of the Euros seemed to have so that's a bonus. He's not super powerful or beefy but he's an interesting perimeter scorer to look at.

But After Biyombo, I thought the World team's best player was definitely the Polish kid Mateusz Ponitka. He stood out as having the flashy ability on par with the Americans in the game. I didn't notice him at all on the defensive end or rebounding but he was an excellent scorer with the ability to catch and shoot or make something happen off the dribble. He's only 17 though and I think he's got a '93 birthday. He won't come out for at least another year or two and he's definitely not on par with the elite American forwards of that age group who will be top lottery picks like Gilchrist, Davis, McAdoo, and Miller. Nevertheless, I think he's one to watch.

So in summary, Davis and Gilchrist are legit studs. Rivers is extremely skilled and gifted. Bismack has my full attention and mancrush and I think he's a terrific prospect who we should take this year if we're picking fourth or later (probably wouldn't take him ahead of Barnes or Dwill). I'd strongly consider taking Bismack ahead of Kanter because of the medical issues attached to Kanter.

This game also really rammed home how much better the 2012 class is going to be compared to the poor 2011 class. We should probably try and find a way to move out of this year's lotto if it meant we could acquire another unprotected lotto pick for the 2012 class.

[BRAVEONAWARPATH]

@stevemcqueen1

I don't think he got much time (if any) yesterday but keep your eye on a kid by the name of Otto Porter.

He'll be attending Georgetown in the fall.

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/recruiting/player/_/id/103783/otto-porter

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/recruiting/basketball/mens/news/story?id=6014589

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/recruiting/basketball/mens/news/story?id=6337547

Edited April 17, 2011 by BRAVEONAWARPATH

[G.A.C.O.L.B.]

First off, thanks for the breakdown SteveM. Great job. Next years draft is going to be sick.

I got a feeling if we want a shot at Bismack we're gonna have to take him with out lottery pick. He is taking the basketbakll world by storm. He's all the talk in draft circles.

The more I read about him, the more I love him. I know everyone is wary of international big--esp from Africa--but I've yet to see any of the big redflags normally associated with failed bigs. He's fluid, not stiff. A banger, not soft. High motor, pedal to the metal, not lost. No communication issues. In other words, he is the hype of the dozens upon dozens of failed bigs and international players brought to reality. He is...the Chosen One.

Edited April 17, 2011 by G.A.C.O.L.B.

[RichmondRedskin88]

Barnes kind of reminds me of Hansborough. They had similar stats freshman year. They both had a game where they were absolutely lights out. They both can battle down low and get to the rim. I think Barnes could be really good player for where ever he landed.

[RonArtest15]

Barnes and TH are two totally different players....not understanding that comparison. IMO, barnes reminds me of luol deng.

[Dukes and Skins]

Barnes and TH are two totally different players....not understanding that comparison. IMO, barnes reminds me of luol deng.

Thats the comparison I've seen thrown around as well with Barnes and I'd have no problems if he was the pick for us

[Going Commando]

First off, thanks for the breakdown SteveM. Great job. Next years draft is going to be sick.

They just showed a replay on comcast and I realized I forgot to mention one of the Euros who looked good. Davis Bertans from Latvia was nailing his shots. He's got a really sweet shot with nice 3 point range. He also has to be about 6'9 so he's got great length for a wing. He'll be interesting to watch moving forward. It's a shame Kanter and Valanciunas didn't play in the game. The international class of 1992 looks very talented.

I got a feeling if we want a shot at Bismack we're gonna have to take him with out lottery pick. He is taking the basketbakll world by storm. He's all the talk in draft circles.

The more I read about him, the more I love him. I know everyone is wary of international big--esp from Africa--but I've yet to see any of the big redflags normally associated with failed bigs. He's fluid, not stiff. A banger, not soft. High motor, pedal to the metal, not lost. No communication issues. In other words, he is the hype of the dozens upon dozens of failed bigs and international players brought to reality. He is...the Chosen One.

I'm actually more intrigued by Bismack than any other player in the class right now. He's such a freak athlete. Great leaper, super quick, agile, powerful, aggressive. I think you've got to at least consider taking him ahead of Kanter if the knees are an issue. He doesn't have Kanter's skill but he's a much better piece of raw clay to work with.

Bismack has no offensive polish to speak of but boy can he dunk. He'll need time to develop both his perimeter and his post game so I'd expect him to come along slowly. He also looks like he's in the 6'9-6'10 range right now so you're hoping he'll grow some more before he's done or else he's going to have to play PF in the NBA. That's fine, he's fast enough to do it. He just needs to learn to shoot and create his own looks before he'll be a good one.

I think he's got first team NBA type defensive potential though and he'll be a good defender early on if he can keep himself under control and out of foul trouble. I really like the idea of pairing him with Javale in the front court. I'd kind of prefer to hold off on getting our 3 of the future until next year's ridiculous class since Barnes and DWill are a bit flawed. Get one of the good Euro/foreign bigs and go about getting another high lottery pick for next year's impressive class. Watching Anthony Davis and Michael Gilchrist play was exciting when you think one of those guys could be our pick next draft. They're franchise quality IMO. Anthony Davis is an ugly kid but goddamn he's good. He's the kind of NBA combo forward you can build a hellacious offense upon. Teague was very impressive too, Kentucky is going to be very tough next season.

BTW, it was fun watching Bismack and Lucas Noguiera on the floor together. The two are amazingly fast. Noguiera lopes down the court so easily and he can beat his wing players to the other end.

[Destino]

Is there any move we can make this season that sets us up as a landing spot for Dwight Howard the following season? That would be the fastest path to contender status.

[BRAVEONAWARPATH]

Is there any move we can make this season that sets us up as a landing spot for Dwight Howard the following season? That would be the fastest path to contender status.

This is a proposal from another site.

theboomking wrote: If you were the Magic, what trade compensation would you be more likely to accept for Howard?

Lakers: Bynum and Filler

Nets: Lopez, Humphries, Morrow

Wizards: JaVale McGee, Nick Young, 2011 1st(Irving, Williams, Barnes, Kanter, 2012 1st

That sounds like a high price for us, but if we could land Howard and draft Singleton with our 1st this year, we could field a lineup of:

1:Wall

2:Crawford

3:Singleton

4:Blatche/Booker

5:Dwight Howard

If they are going to accept anything, I would think the Magic would have to consider the above offer, and it would leave us with a solid roster, that could be great with a few manageable free agent signings. Can you think of who might have the cap room, and could offer better compensation that the package above?

nate33 wrote:

I agree. I'm not buying this talk that Howard will only be traded to the Lakers or the Nets. The Lakers don't have the assets to acquire him. And there's no reason to prefer the Nets over any number of big market cities with decent young talent already in place (like Washington).

The Wizards could offer: 2011 top 5 pick, 2012 pick, McGee and Crawford. That still leaves them with a starting lineup of: Wall, Young, Lewis, Blatche and Howard. Evans, Booker and Seraphin come off the bench and we draft a guard at #18. (Note, I'd trade Crawford instead of Young because Young is a better fit as a jumpshooter, and Crawford has more trade value because of his rookie contract.)

That beats the Nets offer of Lopez plus fringe talent, 2nd rounders and first rounders in the distant future (the Nets don't even have a pick to trade, and they can't trade their pick next year).

Edited April 17, 2011 by BRAVEONAWARPATH

[Destino]

Does he have to be traded? I thought he had an early termination option after next season. There may not be a season at all.