2007 NBA Draft/Offseason Thread

[Groundhog]

Kind of obvious, but a little interesting none-the-less:

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/spor...=1&oref=slogin

AP Analysis of NBA Drafts Reveals Trends
NEW YORK (AP) -- The best value in the first round of this week's NBA draft might come from a wing player picked in the top five who left college early. The worst value might be a senior big man selected late in the lottery.

That's what an analysis by The Associated Press of past NBA drafts suggests. An evaluation of the 10 first rounds from 1995-2004 revealed several trends:

-- Low-post players were the most popular selections but were much less likely than their counterparts at other positions to develop into All-Stars.

-- Players who stayed in college four years were less likely to become All-Stars than younger players picked in the same range of the draft.

-- Half of top-five picks became All-Star caliber players. That dropped to about one-quarter of draftees taken in spots six through 10. But the odds of getting a future All-Star were about the same -- 10 percent -- whether a team selected around No. 11 or No. 21.

-- The franchise that seemed to get the least bang for its buck was the Los Angeles Clippers, with eight top-10 picks in that span but no All-Stars to show for it.

-- There's huge variation from year to year in how many impact players are produced. The 1996 draft featured nine players who have made multiple All-Star appearances. The 2000, 2001 and 2002 drafts combined produced just seven who were chosen for even one All-Star team.

The abundance of -- and lack of production from -- big men drafted wasn't a surprise to some NBA front office personnel. But changes in the NBA's playing style may shift that trend.

The dearth of quality post players in the league leaves teams willing to take a chance on a big man.

''If you're going to make a mistake, you make a mistake big,'' the Utah Jazz's director of player personnel, Walt Perrin, said of the prevailing philosophy.

Low-post players accounted for 117 of the 286 selections from 1995-04 who played in the NBA. Only 17 of them (15 percent) went on to make an All-Star team (or, for players drafted in 2003 and '04, came close to that level early in their careers).

Eighty-nine of those big men (76 percent) had at best a limited impact in the league.

In contrast, 21 percent of other draftees went on to become All-Star caliber players, with 57 percent making no more than a limited impact.

Further complicating matters is that bigger guys tend to develop slower, so teams often have a harder time predicting how effective they will be.

Just because a post player never becomes a star, though, doesn't mean he was a wasted pick.

''The way the NBA is today, most people are getting their scoring out of other positions,'' said Donnie Nelson, the Dallas Mavericks' president of basketball operations and general manager.

''They may not be a great scorer,'' Perrin said, ''but they can still have legitimate NBA skills in rebounding and blocking shots.''

Are teams as desperate for big men these days, anyway, with the increased reliance on small ball? With power forwards becoming more skilled and perimeter-oriented, Nelson said, there's less demand for traditional post players.

That was reflected in the last two drafts, when just 16 of the 57 draftees who played in the league were big men.

The prevalence of players turning pro early has left few college seniors whom NBA executives deem worthy of high picks. But even the few who were taken in the top 10 have less of an impact than their younger counterparts.

Of the 19 seniors drafted that high, only three became All-Star caliber players (16 percent). That compares with 41 percent (31 of 75) of Americans picked in the top 10 who didn't attend college or didn't complete their eligibility.

The results do suggest that the rule keeping high school players out of the draft will increase the chances of elite prospects developing into stars. The production of players who turned pro out of high school was very all-or-nothing: for every LeBron James, there was a Kwame Brown.

Five of the 12 high schoolers taken in the top 10 became All-Star caliber players, but another five made limited contributions at best. Of the top-10 picks who spent some time in college but did not complete their eligibility, only 29 percent (18 of 63) had no more than a limited impact.

In addition to the Clippers, the Atlanta Hawks, Golden State Warriors, New York Knicks, Portland Trail Blazers and Seattle SuperSonics also got little out of their picks. The Blazers and Sonics can rectify that this season, drafting 1-2 with Greg Oden and Kevin Durant available.

Other teams seem to excel at taking players who thrive for other franchises. The Boston Celtics selected Chauncey Billups and Joe Johnson. The Phoenix Suns helped themselves with Amare Stoudemire and Shawn Marion, but Michael Finley and Steve Nash developed into All-Stars with the Mavericks (although, of course, Nash returned to the Suns and became a two-time MVP).

The part in red is perhaps the most interesting, though again pretty obvious. After the top 10 or so drafts get just about impossible to call as teams start picking for need, meaning that a #21 can be as good as an #11.

It's always seemed to me as well that teams picking in the lower lottery tend to gamble on projects rather than taking "sure things", leading to there still being guys around in the mid-teens/early 20s that can wind up being very good players.

[Arles]

Originally Posted by Groundhog

This sounds to me like a trade where everybody loses, except maybe Minnesota.

Atlanta wind up with Amare but not draft picks, no C, and no PG.

Phoenix get Garnett, who is better than Amare but far older, and not better by THAT much.

Minnesota get 3 lottery picks in a strong draft, but Ricky Davis becomes their top player, meaning they'll be lucky to win 20 games over the next few seasons. Puts them in a great position to try and rebuild however.

It was just reported here locally (directly from Kerr) that the Suns were never even contacted on this deal. It sounds like a brain-child deal from Minny and Atlanta and both teams assumed Phoenix would be OK with an Amare-KG swap. Kerr was not going to do the deal and told Amare he would not be traded.

ESPN got played like a fiddle on this one. To run with a rumor as "almost done" when one team wasn't even contacted sounds silly. But, what do you expect when Jim Gray and Chad Ford are the authors...

[Groundhog]

Originally Posted by Arles

It was just reported here locally (directly from Kerr) that the Suns were never even contacted on this deal. It sounds like a brain-child deal from Minny and Atlanta and both teams assumed Phoenix would be OK with an Amare-KG swap. Kerr was not going to do the deal and told Amare he would not be traded.

ESPN got played like a fiddle on this one. To run with a rumor as "almost done" when one team wasn't even contacted sounds silly. But, what do you expect when Jim Gray and Chad Ford are the authors...

Good to hear, because the trade was puzzling to me, even from Atlanta's side.

I personally think the Suns should just sit on what they have and look to add some pieces in the draft and maybe grab a guy like Grant Hill in FA. They aren't far off IMO, and there's no need to tweak things too much.

[Atocep]

Originally Posted by Arles

It was just reported here locally (directly from Kerr) that the Suns were never even contacted on this deal. It sounds like a brain-child deal from Minny and Atlanta and both teams assumed Phoenix would be OK with an Amare-KG swap. Kerr was not going to do the deal and told Amare he would not be traded.

ESPN got played like a fiddle on this one. To run with a rumor as "almost done" when one team wasn't even contacted sounds silly. But, what do you expect when Jim Gray and Chad Ford are the authors...

They've actually been saying Phoenix purposely put themselves in a situation where they can could claim deniability. Minnesota was in a situation where they could shop Garnett and include Marion (preferably) or Amare in a deal. Then if they got something concrete then they'd officially make the offer to Phoenix.

All indications in the media right now are that this was the case. Contacts for the Suns said the Kerr never contacted Minnesota about the deal, but at the same time they're saying that Atlanta nixed the deal when Steve Belkin (the guy that made a huge deal over the Joe Johnson deal) vetoed it.

It seems to be becoming popular in both the NBA and MLB to use lower ranking team officials to initiate trade offers so GMs can claim ignorance. I've heard of it used by Minnesota earlier this offseason and by a couple MLB teams this past offseason.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Karlifornia

Now the talk is the #11 to Seattle for Luke Ridnour.

Which would prove once & for all that Billy Knight is indeed the worst GM in the NBA, and one of the worst in league history.

[Groundhog]

Originally Posted by Atocep

All indications in the media right now are that this was the case. Contacts for the Suns said the Kerr never contacted Minnesota about the deal, but at the same time they're saying that Atlanta nixed the deal when Steve Belkin (the guy that made a huge deal over the Joe Johnson deal) vetoed it.

I thought Belkin was out already?

IMO he should be the one in charge there, as he seems to have a lot more sense than the rest of that crew.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Groundhog

... as he seems to have a lot more sense than the rest of that crew.

It doesn't take much.

[Atocep]

Originally Posted by Groundhog

I thought Belkin was out already?

IMO he should be the one in charge there, as he seems to have a lot more sense than the rest of that crew.

A judge ordered last year (maybe early this year) that he could buy out the other owners and take control of the team. The other owners are currently appealing, but Belkin can still veto any moves the team makes that puts them over the luxury tax.

[MrBug708]

I still say trade Kobe, start all over. Bynum, Odom, and whoever we get in a trade isn't a bad starting place for 2 years down the line. F Jerry Buss and his small wallet

[stevew]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

Which would prove once & for all that Billy Knight is indeed the worst GM in the NBA, and one of the worst in league history.

Eh, I don't really see anyone at 11 who will necessarily be better than Ridnour. The Hawks really need a PG, they'd at least be getting a guy who's in the middle tier of point guards. It's surely better than drafting another swingman, right?

[stevew]

For those keeping a Mock at home, Oden goes #1

[stevew]

The "stevew" top 10 mock draft.

1. Oden-Blazers
2. Durant-Sonics
3. Horford-Hawks
4. Green-Memphis(traded to Minnesota)
5. Chinaman-Celtics
6. Brewer-Bucks
7. Conley-TWolves(traded to Memphis)
8. Wright-Bobcats
9. Stuckey-Bulls
10. Noah-Kings

Eh, I worked on this for like two seconds, but I figure there will be at least one trade in the top 10. I think the Wolves send something like Ricky Davis to Memphis for Brian Cardinal, to facilitate the pick swap. I don't think Green gets past the Bucks, but I think he would be a good fit for Minnesota. Memphis has a number of different picks they can make, dropping from 4 to 7 and dumping a bad contract for Davis's expiring deal is a decent move. They like Brewer or Conley, so they make the trade.

Stuckey's my "suprise" pick for the top 10. I think the Bulls reach a bit, but grab a guy who can flat out put the ball in the hoop. At some point this offseason they'll trade Duhon, picking Stuckey up might also facilitate them moving Ben Gordon in some sort of larger package for a premiere big man.

The Chinese guy is a lock to the Celtics at #5.

[Neon_Chaos]

His name is Yi Jian Lian.

[mckerney]

Originally Posted by stevew

The "stevew" top 10 mock draft.

1. Oden-Blazers
2. Durant-Sonics
3. Horford-Hawks
4. Green-Memphis(traded to Minnesota)
5. Chinaman-Celtics
6. Brewer-Bucks
7. Conley-TWolves(traded to Memphis)
8. Wright-Bobcats
9. Stuckey-Bulls

I will be upset if the wolves pass on a chance to get Conley. Two years in a row of drafting the best player they can get and dealing him will be a very bad thing, but typical of McHale.

[Sublime 2]

Some Seattle radio reported the Sonics had offered Ray Allen to the Celtics for Theo Ratliff and #5 pick. I think this would, at the very least, make Pierce quit complaining about having a 'co-star' (even if I think Big Al is waiting in the wings). Is Ray Allen the best we're going to get out of two of our biggest assets? Countdown to the draft is on...

[st.cronin]

Originally Posted by Sublime 2

Some Seattle radio reported the Sonics had offered Ray Allen to the Celtics for Theo Ratliff and #5 pick. I think this would, at the very least, make Pierce quit complaining about having a 'co-star' (even if I think Big Al is waiting in the wings). Is Ray Allen the best we're going to get out of two of our biggest assets? Countdown to the draft is on...

Seriously, I'd rather have Yi.

[Sublime 2]

Originally Posted by st.cronin

Seriously, I'd rather have Yi.

I'd rather have Brewer or Green, and then use Ratliff's contract later on. But I can def. see Ainge taking Yi.

[Anthony]

why can't they just use Ratliff? not like the East is full of quality shotblocking Centers. expiring contract or not, i think he could contribute to a mediocre team that thinks it's one player away from the playoffs.

[rkmsuf]

uh yeah. it's almost like Ratliff played at all last year or plans on setting foot on the floor much this year.

guys back is a giant pretzel

[miami_fan]

Originally Posted by Hell Atlantic

why can't they just use Ratliff? not like the East is full of quality shotblocking Centers. expiring contract or not, i think he could contribute to a mediocre team that thinks it's one player away from the playoffs.

If he was the Theo of two years ago, then yes you use him. Theo has injury prone for the last couple of years.

[Anthony]

gotcha. didn't know he turned into a useless guy.

[rkmsuf]

Originally Posted by Hell Atlantic

gotcha. didn't know he turned into a useless guy.

the genius of it is that he's just able to not retire

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by stevew

Eh, I don't really see anyone at 11 who will necessarily be better than Ridnour.

No reason on earth they should be looking to fill the PG slot at 11.

There is simply no player in the draft available at #3 who has more value to this particular team than Conley ... which means the only likely way they'll draft him would be if they accidentally sent the wrong card to the podium.

Will St.Louis please take this team back? Or maybe Kansas City would like to pull off a two-fer today? Hell, Nashville is probably going to have a building with some vacancies on the schedule.

Hmm ... that last bit might make an interesting fall/winter challenge. Which team wins more games - the Hawks or the deconstructed Predators?

[rkmsuf]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

No reason on earth they should be looking to fill the PG slot at 11.

There is simply no player in the draft available at #3 who has more value to this particular team than Conley ... which means the only likely way they'll draft him would be if they accidentally sent the wrong card to the podium.

Will St.Louis please take this team back? Or maybe Kansas City would like to pull off a two-fer today? Hell, Nashville is probably going to have a building with some vacancies on the schedule.

Hmm ... that last bit might make an interesting fall/winter challenge. Which team wins more games - the Hawks or the deconstructed Predators?

If they can get Herm Edwards to coach I'm going big money on the Predators.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by rkmsuf

If they can get Herm Edwards to coach I'm going big money on the Predators.

I'd take the Preds on that bet if they were coached by First Lady hopeful Elizabeth Edwards, former game show host Geoff Edwards, or former Olympic ski jumper Eddie "The Eagle" Edwards.

[MikeVic]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

or former Olympic ski jumper Eddie "The Eagle" Edwards.

Hey pal, there's only one Eddie "The Eagle" and his name is Ed Belfour!!

[mckerney]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

No reason on earth they should be looking to fill the PG slot at 11.

There is simply no player in the draft available at #3 who has more value to this particular team than Conley ... which means the only likely way they'll draft him would be if they accidentally sent the wrong card to the podium.

Will St.Louis please take this team back? Or maybe Kansas City would like to pull off a two-fer today? Hell, Nashville is probably going to have a building with some vacancies on the schedule.

Hmm ... that last bit might make an interesting fall/winter challenge. Which team wins more games - the Hawks or the deconstructed Predators?

Looks like they could be taking Yi. Gotta love it when the decision to draft someone at #3 is made because the owner wants the ability to market the team in China. Great way to build a winner.

[Atocep]

I don't think Conley would be a good choice at #3. The Hawks are in the position they're in because they need more talent, not just a point guard. Yes, PG is their biggest need, but drafting to need that high in the draft got them Sheldon Williams last year. Let someone else reach for him in a PG weak draft.

Conley is a mid 1st round pick thats living off of OSU's great season. He's not Chris Paul, he's not Deron Williams, and he's not even Rondo. Horford has all star talent thats NBA ready and they can get him at #3 because there's two once-a-decade players ahead of him.

Typical Atlanta would be to take the less talented player at #3 because he's a "need".

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Atocep

I don't think Conley would be a good choice at #3.

I guess that's where we disagree. I'd take Conley today, heads up, over Paul or Williams, and certainly Rondo. Matter of fact, I'll say he ends up with as many All-Star selections lifetime than any player in this draft except the top 2.

Atlanta has already seen what going the veteran PG route gets them - Claxton & Lue, a pair of overpaid career backups. They've already screwed up royally by not taking previous PG's available to them, and with the Keystone Cops front office they've got it's a lock they'll do the same again.

Instead, we'll waste a draft pick on an overhyped & unproven Chinese big who seems much more likely to me to finish his career closer to Koncak numbers than to Yao numbers. And then compliment that fuck up with wasting a selection on either another swing or PG's whose contracts will expire before they're able to contribute anything more than reserve minutes.

[Atocep]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

I guess that's where we disagree. I'd take Conley today, heads up, over Paul or Williams, and certainly Rondo. Matter of fact, I'll say he ends up with as many All-Star selections lifetime than any player in this draft except the top 2.

Atlanta has already seen what going the veteran PG route gets them - Claxton & Lue, a pair of overpaid career backups. They've already screwed up royally by not taking previous PG's available to them, and with the Keystone Cops front office they've got it's a lock they'll do the same again.

Instead, we'll waste a draft pick on an overhyped & unproven Chinese big who seems much more likely to me to finish his career closer to Koncak numbers than to Yao numbers. And then compliment that fuck up with wasting a selection on either another swing or PG's whose contracts will expire before they're able to contribute anything more than reserve minutes.

Definitely where we disagree. I see Conley's upside as similar to where Devin Harris is now, which isn't bad, but its not top 3 or even top 10 good.

I just think this is a horrible year to draft a point guard. IMO Law will be a backup combo guard for a few years and then be out of the leagu. I think Crittendon has the most upside, but still not all-star caliber and he also has the biggest chance to completely bust. Pruit is probably better than Law, but not much better.

If I'm running the Hawks and I'm dead set on getting a PG I'd probably be trying to send the #11 pick somewhere to get a more established one (similar to the rumored Ridnour deal).

[Eaglesfan27]

I'm with Jon on this one at least in regards to potential. I wouldn't take Conley over Chris Paul right this second, but from the games I've seen I think he has the potential to be as good or better than Paul.

[miami_fan]

Zach Randolph to the Knicks?

Channing Frye and Stevie Franchise to the Blazers?

[ThunderingHERD]

I don't know if this has been brought up already, but everybody should check out John Hollinger's recent article rating the college prospects with a new formula he's devised. Half of me loved it, half of me was pissed because he has identified the major things that I've looked at for years when assessing a college player (e.g. STEALS, rebounds, age).

[miami_fan]

Originally Posted by ThunderingHERD

I don't know if this has been brought up already, but everybody should check out John Hollinger's recent article rating the college prospects with a new formula he's devised. Half of me loved it, half of me was pissed because he has identified the major things that I've looked at for years when assessing a college player (e.g. STEALS, rebounds, age).

I can't bring myself to get ESPN's Insider but I have seen him on ESPNews and I like his take on things.

[ThunderingHERD]

Originally Posted by miami_fan

I can't bring myself to get ESPN's Insider but I have seen him on ESPNews and I like his take on things.

Damn, I see it's Insider only now... it wasn't the other day when it was first posted. I had a year's subscription but I think it ran out month ago.

[Groundhog]

From draftexpress.com:

-Mike Conley Jr. has been assured that he'll be drafted 4th. Arrangements have been made for his family to join him in Memphis for the press conference.

-Ike Diogu for the #26 pick is for real from what we are hearing. Or at least NBA people say it has legs. Houston already acquired a late 2nd round pick, but they are apparently trying to find a player who is willing to be stashed overseas because of roster spot concerns--either American or International.

-Atlanta is still seriously looking at the offer for Monta Ellis in exchange for the #11 pick.

-Wilson Chandler is going in the first round. He's in New York City.

[Atocep]

Originally Posted by Groundhog

-Ike Diogu for the #26 pick is for real from what we are hearing. Or at least NBA people say it has legs. Houston already acquired a late 2nd round pick, but they are apparently trying to find a player who is willing to be stashed overseas because of roster spot concerns--either American or International.

Diogu for the #26 pick is a steal. On a per 48 minute basis he was one of the more productive players in the NBA last year and was nearly as good as a rookie. This is a guy screaming for more minutes.

Originally Posted by Groundhog

-Atlanta is still seriously looking at the offer for Monta Ellis in exchange for the #11 pick.

I don't get this one. He's not a PG. He's a combo guard and wasn't as productive as his numbers show. He's not going to be as good on a team that doesn't push the ball every posession and if they ask him to play the point they'll regret it.

[ThunderingHERD]

BTW, looking at those stats is what I based my near certainty that Morrison would be a bust and crucified the Bobcats for taking him over Roy. It's also why I vehemently defended Rondo while everyone else here was bashing him (who, by the way, will be great. AVGed 13.0 PTS/5.8 REB/5.5 AST/2.5 STL/1.9 TO while shooting 55.3% starting at PG for the final 10 games of the season).

[st.cronin]

Originally Posted by Atocep

Definitely where we disagree. I see Conley's upside as similar to where Devin Harris is now, which isn't bad, but its not top 3 or even top 10 good.

wha

Conley was much more impressive in college than Devin Harris.

[Groundhog]

Originally Posted by ThunderingHERD

BTW, looking at those stats is what I based my near certainty that Morrison would be a bust and crucified the Bobcats for taking him over Roy. It's also why I vehemently defended Rondo while everyone else here was bashing him (who, by the way, will be great. AVGed 13.0 PTS/5.8 REB/5.5 AST/2.5 STL/1.9 TO while shooting 55.3% starting at PG for the final 10 games of the season).

The issue with Rondo was that he couldn't shoot worth a damn, and as someone else said in another thread, he played so bad in college he was accused of trying to throw games... He certainly played better than I and probably everyone else expected, no doubt.

[Groundhog]

Originally Posted by Atocep

Diogu for the #26 pick is a steal. On a per 48 minute basis he was one of the more productive players in the NBA last year and was nearly as good as a rookie. This is a guy screaming for more minutes.

Ike has problems with consistency, and Warriors fans weren't too sad to see him go. No idea what Indiana fans think of him though.

I don't get this one. He's not a PG. He's a combo guard and wasn't as productive as his numbers show. He's not going to be as good on a team that doesn't push the ball every posession and if they ask him to play the point they'll regret it.

Well, he's better than what they'll get at #11. He may not be a PG, but the Hawks have Joe Johnson as well, so he wont need to play the PG in the typical sense.

I think it's a good trade for the Hawks based on what Ellis showed pre-playoffs last season. If I'm the Warriors I don't make that trade unless there is someone at #11 that they are super excited about.

[Atocep]

Originally Posted by st.cronin

wha

Conley was much more impressive in college than Devin Harris.

I think too many people have been driking the Conley Kool-aid. He's undersized, can't shoot, and will struggle to defend NBA guards. If Conley doesn't develop a jump shot he's a marginal starter, at best.

Stats aside (and he wasn't much more impressive), Conley looks like another Devin Harris to me at this point.

[ThunderingHERD]

The Minnesota Timberwolves' attempts to trade Kevin Garnett continued Thursday afternoon.

The Wolves have contacted the Charlotte Bobcats to try to help facilitate a deal for Garnett, one day after a potential three-way deal with the Phoenix Suns and the Atlanta Hawks hit a roadblock.

According to sources, the Wolves are asking the Bobcats to give up the No. 8 pick along with an undisclosed player. In the proposed deal, Garnett would go to Phoenix, and the Suns would send Amare Stoudemire to Charlotte. The Bobcats would also be required to take Suns guard Marcus Banks.

*drools*
...never happen, to good to be true...

[ThunderingHERD]

Originally Posted by Atocep

Stats aside (and he wasn't much more impressive), Conley looks like another Devin Harris to me at this point.

Try Tony Parker. I think Conley (or maybe Wright) is easily the 3rd best player in a deep draft.

[Atocep]

Originally Posted by Groundhog

Ike has problems with consistency, and Warriors fans weren't too sad to see him go. No idea what Indiana fans think of him though.

Hard to be consistent when you don't get consistent minutes.

I think Nellie ball pushed him out more than anything. I think he'll thrive playing next to Yao in Houston. He needs minutes.

Originally Posted by Groundhog

Well, he's better than what they'll get at #11. He may not be a PG, but the Hawks have Joe Johnson as well, so he wont need to play the PG in the typical sense.

I think it's a good trade for the Hawks based on what Ellis showed pre-playoffs last season. If I'm the Warriors I don't make that trade unless there is someone at #11 that they are super excited about.

On a per-posession basis he wasn't really anything more than average. I'd rather take a shot at a guy like Nick Young or Rodney Stuckey if they just plan on playing Joe Johnson at point and Ellis at the 2. If they think he can play the point (I don't), then I think the deal makes more sense.

[miami_fan]

Originally Posted by ThunderingHERD

Try Tony Parker. I think Conley (or maybe Wright) is easily the 3rd best player in a deep draft.

That is who I was thinking of as well.

[Groundhog]

Parker has 2-3 inches on Conley.

I think Conley is a good prospect and easily the best PG prospect in the draft, but I don't think he's even top 8 material. Not in a draft like this.

[Atocep]

Originally Posted by ThunderingHERD

Try Tony Parker. I think Conley (or maybe Wright) is easily the 3rd best player in a deep draft.

Name another player like Tony Parker. Parker is the rare small PG that can defend and gets by without 3-point range. Parker has developed one of the best mid-range games of any PG in the NBA, which Conley doesn't have yet.

Right now Conley can't score unless he's right next to the basket. To his credit, he realises it and doesn't try and do things he can't, but he has to have some sort of a jump shot or he won't make it.

Conley also won't get anywhere near the level of coaching Parker got in San Antonio.

[k0ruptr]

According to DraftExpress, Mike Conley has been assured he will be drafted 4th by memphis, and arangements have been made for his family to join him in Memphis for the press conference.

Also, apparently its the #5 pick, delonte west, and ratliff for Ray Allen.

seems a whole lot to give up for Allen.

[Groundhog]

I hope Atlanta takes him at 3, just to screw his folks around.