The Official Washington Basketball Thread: Wizards, Mystics etc

[Gator Bait]

I actually don't think 2 guards who can score are as common as wrong direction said and the fact that NY was the 6th best in the league proves it. Tell it to the Bulls who have to start Keith Bogans.

The Bulls could definitely improve their team in the future by getting a bit more scoring production out of their 2 guard...but Bogans plays a pretty vital role on that team. He is a lock down defender and fits the Bulls' defensive model well. They get by on scoring because Rose is more of a score first (Gilbert Arenas) type PG and they have wing scoring from Deng and scoring down low from both Boozer and Noah. It is scary how good this team could actually be....

But there are a lot of good scoring 3s and there are a lot on the way in the 2012 class.

Who? I'm not being a smart ass...I'd really like to know! I don't see any 2/3 in this draft being a 20+ PPG scorer in the NBA.

Maybe you won't find a guy that shoots as efficiently as Gay but you can find a lot of guys that shoot well enough who won't be nearly as expensive.

That is a fair point. We will still need someone to step up to be a #1 scoring option though. As you can probably tell by my posts...I am pro Nick Young, but I don't know if I want to rely on him being our #1 scoring option of the future....I'd feel more secure w/ him being the #2 or #3 option.

I'd rather gamble on one of those guys than gamble on Gay because his contract is going to be a millstone. If we're committing that kind of money to one player, I'd rather it be a homegrown guy.

I'm sure we'll be committing that kind of money to Wall in the near future...but Wall (Batman) needs his Robbin.

DC is a better market than Memphis though. What about a sign and trade? We're not going to draw UFAs this summer or probably even next summer, maybe we can offer the best spot for a sign and trade?

I think they are about the same in terms of a basketball market. We've never been a very attractive spot to NBA free agents...and I doubt memphis would be willing to sign and trade him unless they got quite a bit back. I think there is about a 90% chance they resign him.....he is one of the most important pieces to their team (if not the most important) Randolph is able to be as effective as he has been partly to the fact that he plays next to Gasol.

You're right, DeMarcus Cousins is a headcase. Too risky to make a move for. There is no guarantee that he'll ever be better than Javale already is because of his off court crap. He makes Blatche look mature.

can you imagine a locker room with Blatche and Cousins???? I can only imagine the headlines.

[Skin'emAlive]

Based on what you've said...I'm calling bull****! I don't believe you watched almost all the games this year based on the comments you've made.

I think you need to take the rose colored glasses off my friend. Just because you were at the game doesnt mean you saw something different than i did. I hated Blatche 4 years ago, and nothing has changed since then. He still has no drive to get better. At least Javale, as intellectually inept as he is, is putting in the effort to get better. Also... centers dont grow on trees. We can find a serviceable PF any day. The only thing i can say about blatche in a positive light is that he has learned how to pass. But that was at the end of the season, and until he actually plays well for the other 7/8ths of the season when most of the teams are not mailing it in, he is still on my **** list. I watched many of the games on my computer because i had worked out of state. So naturally i commented on the games at the same time.

I had really hoped that Nick Young would thrive at some point. But he is fools gold. NY is no different than Javale, Blatche, or any of our other "potential" players. He was raw when he was drafted, and although he learned how to score, he still has NO basketball IQ. He doesnt pass, and he doesnt rebound. He doesnt set picks without fouling someone. His defense is ok, but no one ever scores on him because they are too busy scoring on everyone else. Some days everyone will love NY... like say when he plays in California. But then there are other days that he gets the ball and jacks up shots immediately before we can even get down the court. When his shot is off... we lose almost every single time. Because then he is completely useless. What good is a player if he cant shoot, pass, or rebound? He is a 6th man and nothing more. But im sure he wants a good contract. So i say we move on.

You dont need to look at the stats for how we played this year. If you watched them, you would already know. This team did not get competitve until after the crawford trade, which was late in the year. I mean how many times did we get to see the team not even show up in the 3rd or 4th quarter? It was like they thought the game had ended. Look... im happy how the season ended. We have a young and promising team that is very fast and hungry. But that was not the case for most of the year.

[Gator Bait]

PS: I'd rather have Gasol.

Definitely rather have Gasol. I think having Gasol would actually make Andray a good player. You remember the reputation Zack Randolph had before coming to Memphis? He was pretty much a better rebounding Andray Blatche.

Wall (18pts 10 assists)

Young (20 pts, 40% 3pt)

Lewis (12 pts, 6 rebounds, 40% 3pt)

Blatche (20pts, 8 rebounds)

Gasol (15pts, 12 rebounds)

Crawford (15 points, 6 assists)

this is what adding a player like Gasol does for your team. Not to mention the impact his post defense has on the rest of your team. Pretty much hides the deficiencies of Blatche. Rashard is going to bet burned all day by the SFs...but hopefully Booker or a draft pick/free agent could slide into that starting spot later in the season.

---------- Post added May-16th-2011 at 12:49 PM ----------

Just because you were at the game doesnt mean you saw something different than i did.

not saying that....now maybe If I sat courtside...it would be another story. The only reason I pointed out that I was at the games is because you called me out for not posting in the game threads.

I hated Blatche 4 years ago' date=' and nothing has changed since then. He still has no drive to get better.[/quote']

agreed....although I must admit, I didn't lose hope on Blatche till this year....he is definitely a bum by nature and a waste of talent.

At least Javale, as intellectually inept as he is, is putting in the effort to get better

Javale is actually has a high basketball IQ....I've heard him talk chalk on several occasions...his problem is he can't seem to put the mental and physical aspects together at the same time (which is a huge problem)

Also... centers dont grow on trees. We can find a serviceable PF any day.

These days Centers and PFs can both be classified in the same category, Big men....and neither grow on trees. It is very hard to find a quality Big man with both an offensive and defensive game.

The only thing i can say about blatche in a positive light is that he has learned how to pass

Blatche has always been an above average passer...unfortunately he doesn't chose to showcase it often.

I had really hoped that Nick Young would thrive at some point. But he is fools gold. NY is no different than Javale, Blatche, or any of our other "potential" players. He was raw when he was drafted, and although he learned how to score, he still has NO basketball IQ.

Nick is different in the sense that he actually took it to a new level this year. Blatche didn't, and Javale attempted to...but I'm not quite sure if he has taken a step up yet or not...his rebounding was considerably better the last 1/4 of the year...I need to see more before I'm convinced he woke up and the rebounding light came on. I will agree with you that Nick seems to have a low BB IQ...he just seems to be in la la land half the time...truly odd individual.

like say when he plays in California.

****...if he played in LA every night he'd probably be a top 10 player in the NBA...If I was the Clippers...I'd definitely be reaching out to NY this year

You dont need to look at the stats for how we played this year. If you watched them, you would already know.

I did watch them...and I'm convinced you didn't.

This team did not get competitve until after the crawford trade,

We definitely got better after the Crawford trade...but we started to do well after the Arenas trade as well...Crawford wasn't on the team when we went to the wire w/ Miami...and I don't think he was on the team when we beat Boston either.

. I mean how many times did we get to see the team not even show up in the 3rd or 4th quarter?

from what I remember....we usually came back and got into the game again in the 3rd quarter and then quite playing in the 4th quarter. Our 1st quarter and 4th quarter were almost always bad...we typically played best in the 2nd and 3rd quarters.

[Rocky21]

Well the draft lottery selection is tonight. It's on at 8:30PM on ESPN (for those too lazy to look it up.)

We have about a 10% chance at the # 1 pick and can finish no lower than 7th. :fingersx:

[No Excuses]

It's quite unlikely that we finish 7th. That would require THREE non top 3 teams to move up ahead of us, something that I don't think has ever happened.

I don't see us picking fourth either. I expect one team behind us to move into the the top 3.

I think we either pick 5th or we move up into the top 3.

These are our lotto odds for this season:

Odds of #1 pick: 11.9%

Odds of #2 pick: 12.6%

Odds of #3 pick: 13.3%

Odds of #4 pick: 9.9%

Odds of #5 pick: 35.1%

Odds of #6 pick: 16.0%

Odds of #7 pick: 1.2%

Edited May 17, 2011 by No Excuses

[Going Commando]

Well, it seems like picking 5th is most likely. Damn, hard to believe that since most of the year we had a good shot at picking top 3. The basketball gods will punish Minnesota for tanking. We should be rewarded for playing hard down the stretch.

Anyway, who are we hoping is there at 5?

Let's be realistic and assume the top 3 picks are Irving, Williams, and Kanter. Everything after that is up in the air.

Who does everyone want to see us take if we pick fifth and those first three guys are off the table?

[BRAVEONAWARPATH]

He still might have a chance to go No. 1 overall if the Washington Wizards get the No. 1 pick. While we currently have them taking Derrick Williams No. 1 in our Mock Draft Lottery, a well-placed source said Kanter would be in the conversation.

http://www.bulletsforever.com/

[Going Commando]

[/b]

http://www.bulletsforever.com/

That's what I'm hearing.

It seems like Kanter is a legit talent who asbolutely crushed the best American bigs at the Nike Hoops summit in 2010. He put on more of a show at that one than Bismack put on at the 2011 one: 35 points, 13 rebounds, 8 offensive rebounds... in 22 minutes. Most of that was against Jared Sullinger too.

Seems like Kanter has legit top 3 talent and the only reason he hasn't been considered a lock was because he didn't play this year. Even still, I think he might have been selected ahead of Barnes and Sullinger and P. Jones had they decided to come out because he's the best big in the class.

Check this article out by Chad Ford: http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/blog?name=nba_draft&id=6555985

CHICAGO -- After spending time in Los Angeles, Tampa and Las Vegas, it's time to move to Chicago to the ATTACK Athletics gym where Tim Grover and Mike Procopio are prepping players for the 2011 NBA draft.

Grover is a legend in the field. He was hired by Michael Jordan in the late '80s when Jordan, who was taking a beating driving into the lane, wanted to get bigger, stronger and faster. He's trained Hall of Famers like Jordan, Scottie Pippen and Hakeem Olajuwon and currently trains Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade and a host of other NBA players. Procopio used to work for the Celtics and has the rep as one of the best big men coaches in the business.

I was in his gym on Thursday and Friday and got to look at a few of the more interesting players in the draft. Here's a look at who I saw:

Who is Enes Kanter?

That's the question that NBA GMs are asking right now. Here's what we know: Kanter is a talented Turkish big man who made the Turkish professional team Fenerbahce Ulker at the age of 16. He played limited minutes there, but did get into four Euroleague games -- the top league in Europe.

After the season, Kanter moved onto the radar of NBA scouts playing for Turkey at the 2009 FIBA Under-18 Championships. He averaged 18.6 points and 16.4 rebounds in the tournament, led Turkey to a bronze medal and walked away with MVP honors.

After Kanter won the MVP for Turkey, his team offered him a five-year, multimillion euro contract. Kanter, however, dreamed of playing in the NCAA and NBA and left Turkey that summer. The move was not popular in Turkey, nor was it popular in the U.S. Turkish newspapers criticized the move and U.S. schools didn't want anything to do with him. He initially enrolled at Findlay Prep in Nevada, but left the school after other teams in the league protested. He eventually landed at Stoneridge Prep in Simi Valley, Calif., and in November of 2009 he committed to play at Washington. In early 2010, however, Kanter re-opened the recruiting process and eventually signed with Kentucky.

In April, Kanter went from an intriguing prospect to a potential lottery pick with his dominant performance at the Nike Hoop Summit.

Kanter, then just 17, shook off a poor week of practices (he later revealed he had a sore back that kept him from jumping and almost prevented him from playing) to dominate in the game. Kanter had 34 points (a Hoop Summit record), 13 boards and did it all in 22 minutes. He did a lot of his damage against McDonald's MVP Jared Sullinger.

I wrote back then that "Kanter was a beast in the paint, muscling his way in for position and regularly clawing his way through a pair of Team USA's high-profile bigs for a whopping eight offensive boards. … Not only was he a bear around the basket, but he also showed off his ability to put the ball on the floor and hit the outside J. On Saturday night, Kanter looked like a future lottery pick."

However, it would be the last competitive game Kanter would play. He was ruled permanently ineligible to play in the NCAA because of benefits he received while playing for Fenerbahce as a 16-year-old.

While awaiting his appeal, Kanter practiced with the Kentucky team, but after Kentucky's appeal was turned down Kanter was no longer allowed to even practice with the team. He was left working out in a gym, one-on-one with a Kentucky assistant coach.

For the past few weeks, Kanter has taken his game to Chicago to prep for the 2011 NBA draft. Would a team really take him in the top five based on a great 2009 European Championship run, a year of high school games and an historic night at the Nike Hoop Summit even though he hasn't played a competitive game in more than a year?

I've been pretty confident he's going to be a top-five pick all year. I still am.

While legitimate questions remain about the loss of two critical years of game development, Kanter possesses virtually all of the qualities NBA teams are looking for in bigs, especially for a kid who is one of the youngest players in this year's draft.

He's big (he measured a shade below 6-foot-11 in shoes with a 7-1 wingspan at the Hoop Summit), has an NBA body and uses his strength around the basket. He has a relentless motor on the boards and has excellent footwork for an 18-year-old big man. He's also gotten in terrific shape in Chicago and appears much more explosive than we thought last year. At the Hoop Summit, Kanter was nursing a back injury and could barely get off the floor. In workouts here at ATTACK, Kanter showed he had no problem playing over the rim. While he's no Blake Griffin, he's not a stiff, either.

Kanter also showed the ability to step out and hit everything from 18-foot jumpers to NBA 3s. While I don't think his primary role will be to stretch the defense in the NBA, he has the ability.

He's also a very articulate, passionate kid off the court. When he came to America in the fall of 2009, he didn't speak a word of English. Two years later, he was able to conduct an interview in perfect English. His father, a respected doctor and professor in Turkey, stressed education and Kanter seems to have listened.

"He always said school first, basketball second," Kanter said. "I'm glad he did. I learned this year that there was more to life than just basketball. I love learning. But basketball is still my first love."

While I initially believed that Kanter's year off would hurt his draft stock, I'm no longer concerned after talking with a number of NBA execs. Virtually every team I spoke with has him as a top-five prospect on their board. A few told me they believe that had he played at Kentucky this year, he may have been the favorite to go No. 1 overall.

He still might have a chance to go No. 1 overall if the Washington Wizards get the No. 1 pick. While we currently have them taking Derrick Williams No. 1 in our Mock Draft Lottery, a well-placed source said Kanter would be in the conversation. The Detroit Pistons and the Golden State Warriors also have needs that could place Kanter in the mix. But after Kyrie Irving and Williams are off the table, I'm not sure there's a player with more upside in this draft.

• If Kanter is the best big man in the draft, Florida State's Chris Singleton is widely regarded as the draft's best perimeter defender. Singleton has a terrific combination of size, length, athleticism and toughness. He can guard three positions on the floor and was a dominant defender in the ACC this year.

AP Photo/ Mike Groll

Chris Singleton might be the best defensive player in the draft. But can he score enough to be an impact NBA player?

The question for Singleton has always been: Can he score enough to make him a lottery pick? Singleton averaged just 13 ppg as a junior and shot just 43 percent from the field. Florida State's inept, grind-it-out offense can be blamed for some of his woes. The past two summers Singleton looked much better at the summer camps than he did for the Seminoles. But some of it is on Singleton. While he's improved in virtually every aspect of his game offensively, he still needs to be more consistent.

Singleton looked good at ATTACK. Defensively, he was pretty dominant in the 3-on-3 action I saw. His lateral movement and explosiveness really make him a nightmare defensively.

He was shooting the ball well and showed NBA range on his jumper. This year he dramatically improved his 3-point shooting numbers from 30 percent to 37 percent, but still can be maddeningly inconsistent. While he shot it very well in workouts here, consistency continues to be an issue.

"I think, down the road, he has a chance to be a player that shoots in the 38 to 40 percent range from 3," Procopio said. "But it may take a year or two for him to get there. But he has all the tools, he's very coachable and he's a very hard worker."

A number of NBA teams believe he could be a bigger version of Ron Artest at the next level. A few others made comparisons to the Hawks' Josh Smith. However, Singleton doesn't have any of the attitude issues that those players have.

I expect him to keep marching up the boards during draft workouts. We currently have him at No. 13 on our Big Board and I could ultimately see him going somewhere in the mid-to-late lottery.

• Every year I stumble across a player who causes me to radically re-evaluate where I have him ranked. This year that player is Providence guard Marshon Brooks.

Within minutes of walking into the gym, it was clear that Brooks was playing at a completely different level than I'm used to seeing from college prospects. As I moved over to Grover, I began to grill him.

"Who does he remind you of?" Grover said with a grin. I was afraid to answer. Grover smiled and said, "There's a little bit of Kobe in him, isn't there?" He had read my mind.

When you consider that Grover trains Kobe, that's high, high praise.

Brooks was dominant this year in the Big East. He averaged 24.6 ppg while shooting an impressive 48 percent from the field. He had one of the best player efficiency ratings in the draft. He dropped 52 points on Notre Dame, 43 points on Georgetown and 33 points on Alabama. Every time he did it with scary efficiency. In the 52-point outburst against Notre Dame he was 20-for-28 from the field. He also proved to be a terrific rebounder, recording seven double-doubles this season.

Factor in that Brooks has solid size for his position (6-5), an amazing wingspan (7-2) and above-average athletic ability, and you wonder why Brooks hasn't been in the lottery conversation all year.

In February I spoke to a number of NBA GMs about him. While most acknowledged his talent, they had him as a first-round bubble guy at best. A few thought he'd go undrafted. Scouts said Brooks' numbers were inflated. They said his team was bad and he was a volume shooter despite his high shooting percentage and efficiency rating. A few called him selfish. Others questioned his attitude.

I don't see it. Not only was he dominant in the Big East this year, he was also great in workouts. He was able to get to the rack against everyone, including Singleton (which is a feat in and of itself). Grover has been working on tweaking his shot mechanics and he's shooting the ball much better. But it's Brooks' ability to put the ball on the floor and get buckets that's notable -- even a little Kobe-esque. His lateral quickness, step-backs and aggressiveness were as impressive as anything I've seen this year.

Off the court, Brooks came off as very focused and intense. He's very serious and confident in a way that could be read as ****y. But he has the respect of everyone in the gym and Grover said he's a very hard worker.

There are red flags. He's already 22 years old. He didn't really blossom until this year. His team won just four Big East games this year. But in a draft that's devoid of quality 2-guards, I think Brooks would more than hold his own in any workout with Alec Burks and Klay Thompson. We moved him up more than 30 spots on our Big Board to No. 22. With great workouts? I don't think lottery is out of the question. The kid can play.

• Purdue's JaJuan Johnson has been a bit of an enigma for me the past two years. He's always been long and is very athletic. He's got the size and leaping ability of an NBA player, but lacked the strength to play in the post at the next level. He's coming off a great senior season and over the past two years he developed a very solid perimeter game and even started shooting 3s this year.

That may ultimately be a critical transition for him. While Johnson continues to add muscle, he's a bit slight for the 4 position. However, as he continued to show in Chicago this week, he gets great elevation on his jump shot and was showing the ability to get his shot off against anyone. He could be a Hakim Warrick type player at the next level.

• I also got a long look at Michigan State's Durrell Summers and Illinois' Jereme Richmond there. Summers showed off his explosive athletic ability and shot the ball well in workouts. Richmond is also a terrific athlete, but as you saw this year at Illinois, he's still refining his offensive skills. He's been working with Grover on his jumper and creating off the dribble. Both guys are NBA athletes, but they'll have to prove they can score at the next level.

Got some good stuff in there about three players that have had some support in our discussions: Kanter, Singleton, and Brooks.

Personally I love all three of those prospects and would be thrilled if we could get them with our three draft picks. Each make sense for us and beef up our core. Draft them and add maybe one more star scorer (maybe a wing?) and I think you've got a dominant team on your hands with proper roster construction to leave you basically no weaknesses.

---------- Post added May-17th-2011 at 10:57 AM ----------

We have GOT to get a top 3 pick this year! Kanter, Williams, or Irving all help this team out a ton offensively and Kanter brings post integrity on the defensive boards.

So let's say we do get one of those guys and they create a legit #1 scoring option for us on offense with NY, Blatche, and Crawford being options 2, 3, and 4 and John Wall being an elite #5 option. That means that at any given point in time we probably have at least 3 quality scoring options on the floor, comfortably 4 (if Williams or Kanter is the pick), maybe as many as 5 (if it's Kanter and you play him at center, NY at the 3, and Blatche at the 4). Point being, we'll have lots of quality offensive players.

That being the case, do we trade up to get Chris Singleton if he looks like he's going to go around 13 or 14? We can probably package Atlanta's pick with our second rounder and see if that would work to get the deal done.

Singleton's lack of offense wouldn't be an issue if you can trot Wall, Crawford/Young, and Kanter/Blatche onto the floor at all times. Just have him work on a midrange jumper and maybe improve his free throw shooting as his only offensive tools and he'll be alright. What you get in return is an elite perimeter stopper that can defend LeBron, Durant, Wade, Kobe, etc. That's definitely worth a lottery pick IMO. He gives you so much defensive versatility and we'd have the ability to play crushing defense like the Bulls. Have him guard your 3's, NY guard your 2's, and Wall guard the point and that's the potential to have the best perimeter defense in the league. Or if you draft Irving, have him guard the point, Wall guard 2s, and Singleton guard the 3 and that's still a good lineup too. If you draft DWill have Singleton guard the 2 and DWill guard the 3 if the opposing 4 is a big guy. Plus you also have Booker in the mix. If Javale improves his help defense then he's got elite defensive potential for a 5. Crawford is long and he can definitely defend 2s.

We'd have a team full of great defenders so we could smother opponents with our first and second units. We'd have the horses to keep our defenders fresh too even in a hard fought playoff series.

If Singleton was there around 12 or 13 I'd definitely consider trading up for him.

[Rocky21]

It's quite unlikely that we finish 7th. That would require THREE non top 3 teams to move up ahead of us, something that I don't think has ever happened.

I don't see us picking fourth either. I expect one team behind us to move into the the top 3.

I think we either pick 5th or we move up into the top 3.

These are our lotto odds for this season:

Hey bro, where'd you get those odds from?

[Going Commando]

It's quite unlikely that we finish 7th. That would require THREE non top 3 teams to move up ahead of us, something that I don't think has ever happened.

I don't see us picking fourth either. I expect one team behind us to move into the the top 3.

I think we either pick 5th or we move up into the top 3.

These are our lotto odds for this season:

So basically, if we're slightly unlucky we'll pick 5th. If we're pretty unlucky we'll 6th (two teams sneaking ahead of us). If we're historically unlucky we'll pick 7th.

If we're historically lucky we'll pick first. If we're pretty lucky we'll pick second or third.

We'll have to be a little lucky to even pick fourth since a non top 3 team always seems to sneak into the top 3 picks (meaning we'll most likely have to leap frog a team in front of us to stay at 4th).

I really hope we pick in the top 3.

[StillUnknown]

we gotta end up with a top 3 pick

or hope a team falls so much in love with a euro big that they take a big chance on one

http://dc.sbnation.com/washington-wizards/2011/5/17/2175594/nba-draft-2011-washington-wizards-derrick-williams

The Washington Wizards will know exactly what pick they will get in the 2011 NBA Draft after Tuesday night's NBA Draft lottery, but already, the debate has begun over which player tops their draft board. Duke's Kyrie Irving is likely not that guy because of the presence of John Wall, so who is it?

On Monday, ESPN's Chad Ford speculated that it might actually be Kentucky recruit Enes Kanter. However, Sports Illustrated's Sam Amick reports that it's actually Arizona's Derrick Williams.

And as for the notion of the Wiz possibly taking Kanter No. 1 if they got the pick, I'm told they have Williams atop their board.

Also, Amick reports that if the Wizards took Kanter, it would mean one of their big men would be traded, likely Andray Blatche or JaVale McGee.

If they took Kanter, they would likely have also involved a major trade of a frontcourt member.

This is all a guessing game at this point, because there is so much time left until the actual draft, but it's interesting nonetheless.

Edited May 17, 2011 by StillUnknown

[pjfootballer]

Trade Blatche and take Kanter.

[RonArtest15]

I'm in the camp that believes that Kyrie Irving wouldn't be a good fit here in DC, but I'm gonna throw out a hypothetical to see your opinions....

Let's say we end up with the #3 and somehow, Kyrie Irving is sitting there because both Williams and Kanter were taken #1/#2. Knowing that there's most likely a strong market for Irving, do we draft him with the hopes of flipping him ALONG w. Blatche for another player and a later pick (or future 1st) in the first? If so, I wonder what teams would be willing partners and what player(s) could be involved?

[Destino]

I would be fine drafting Kanter. It will be interesting to see if pro-trainers can increase his athleticism though. From what I've seen of him he's shockingly slow at times and doesn't have much in terms of leaping ability. I remember watching him in the Hoops summit and wonder why so many layups from a guy that big standing right next to the basket.

The thing is though that despite his lack of quicks... he's always been extremely effective. That is far more important from bigs than what they look like IMO. Bigs often have strange looking games (Tim Duncan comes to mind) but if they are effective it doesn't matter.

[RonArtest15]

I would be fine drafting Kanter. It will be interesting to see if pro-trainers can increase his athleticism though. From what I've seen of him he's shockingly slow at times and doesn't have much in terms of leaping ability. I remember watching him in the Hoops summit and wonder why so many layups from a guy that big standing right next to the basket.

The thing is though that despite his lack of quicks... he's always been extremely effective. That is far more important from bigs than what they look like IMO. Bigs often have strange looking games (Tim Duncan comes to mind) but if they are effective it doesn't matter.

With some aspects of his game, he kind of reminds me of a variant Kevin Love. And remember, Kevin Love isn't especially quick and doesn't have the most eye-opening vert as well. There are some really good bigs in the NBA who don't have amazing quickness or athleticism. Kanter does have nice footwork, and that's only going to improve. I really like his upside seeing that he can do damage both in the paint and on the perimeter. Like you said...being effective is more important than what they look like.

[lovetoaster]

With some aspects of his game, he kind of reminds me of a variant Kevin Love. And remember, Kevin Love isn't especially quick and doesn't have the most eye-opening vert as well. There are some really good bigs in the NBA who don't have amazing quickness or athleticism. Kanter does have nice footwork, and that's only going to improve. I really like his upside seeing that he can do damage both in the paint and on the perimeter. Like you said...being effective is more important than what they look like.

Love is actually pretty agile, although you are right, he has virtually no vertical. I do think Love is quite a bit quicker than Kanter though. When I look at Kanter I see a little bit of a guy that has been talked about a lot here in the last few days...Marc Gasol. A little shorter, but a similar body. Neither guy is going to shock you with athleticism, but you look at the box score at the end of the night and wonder, "how the hell did he have 23 points and 14 boards?"

[RonArtest15]

Love is actually pretty agile, although you are right, he has virtually no vertical. I do think Love is quite a bit quicker than Kanter though. When I look at Kanter I see a little bit of a guy that has been talked about a lot here in the last few days...Marc Gasol. A little shorter, but a similar body. Neither guy is going to shock you with athleticism, but you look at the box score at the end of the night and wonder, "how the hell did he have 23 points and 14 boards?"

Also, Kevin Love's footwork is out of this world....what makes him so good is his IQ, positioning, and footwork.

I hope we end up with a top 3 pick....I just want either Williams or Kanter.

[lovetoaster]

Also, Kevin Love's footwork is out of this world....what makes him so good is his IQ, positioning, and footwork.

I hope we end up with a top 3 pick....I just want either Williams or Kanter.

Agreed on everything here. I am hoping for top-3 because after that, everything gets a little cloudy. We would likely end up with Biyambo or Kawhi Leonard, which is fine, but between 4-6 just seems so high for those guys.

Edited May 17, 2011 by lovetoaster

[Going Commando]

Trade Blatche and take Kanter.

Hear hear.

[No Excuses]

Ok 3 hours before the lottery, everyone get your predictions in:

I'm predicting 5th.

[Burgold]

Given that the Wiz can't pick below 7th. I figure they'll pick tenth. Okay, 6th

[lovetoaster]

Ok 3 hours before the lottery, everyone get your predictions in:

I'm predicting 5th.

I am saying third.

[B.Lloyd]

Third pick

[Going Commando]

I would be fine drafting Kanter. It will be interesting to see if pro-trainers can increase his athleticism though. From what I've seen of him he's shockingly slow at times and doesn't have much in terms of leaping ability. I remember watching him in the Hoops summit and wonder why so many layups from a guy that big standing right next to the basket.

Playing with a back injury during the Summit. Couldn't practice well all week or jump. Status was doubtful for game and ended up only played 22 minutes of the game. Deceptively athletic when healthy.

Check out the article by Chad Ford I posted a few posts back.

[Dukes and Skins]

Ok 3 hours before the lottery, everyone get your predictions in:

I'm predicting 5th.

1st.... there I said it