2007 NBA Draft/Offseason Thread

[Arles]

They're saying Boston gets #35 as well as Ray Allen.

[DeToxRox]

Originally Posted by Atocep

Bad teams that take low upside picks turn into the Hawks.

Willims, Smith, Childress?

How many years of college did they play?

[Groundhog]

Somebody trade the CAvs a 1st round plz. thx.

[Groundhog]

It's only recently that the Hawks have tried to turn it around and bring in guys who can contribute straight away, like Law, Shelden, Horford.

[Chief Rum]

Originally Posted by Logan

A Yi-Yao five-step handshake would be gold.

I think if the Rockets deal for Yi, Yi and Yao should get their own local, syndicated radio talk show where they talk about the biggest celebrity stories in Hollywood.

[Groundhog]

woo-hoo, finally I get another correct selection on my mock.

[Groundhog]

Clips to take Stuckey or Crittenton.

[DeToxRox]

Originally Posted by Groundhog

It's only recently that the Hawks have tried to turn it around and bring in guys who can contribute straight away, like Law, Shelden, Horford.

Exactly. They went for high potential athletes before and it got them nowhere.

[Chief Rum]

Originally Posted by DeToxRox

Willims, Smith, Childress?

How many years of college did they play?

Childress stayed all four.

[DeToxRox]

Dola, Brandon Roy fell because his upside wasn't too high, and look what happened. He came in and was an instant contributor. I'll take the guy I know will produce over a guy who could produce if I need to win.

[ThunderingHERD]

Thornton's numbers aren't nearly as impressive as they should for his age and for the fact that he played on a mediocre team.

[Chief Rum]

Originally Posted by Groundhog

Clips to take Stuckey or Crittenton.

I think Crittenden. There are much better players available, IMO, but the Clips are hurting with the Alien Fossil and Shaun Gimpstington as their incumbent points.

[Logan]

Originally Posted by Chief Rum

I think if the Rockets deal for Yi, Yi and Yao should get their own local, syndicated radio talk show where they talk about the biggest celebrity stories in Hollywood.

Recipe for disaster. Yao just hitched, he's out of the game. It would be another A-Rod/Jeter relationship.

[Chief Rum]

Originally Posted by DeToxRox

Exactly. They went for high potential athletes before and it got them nowhere.

Like the Suns and Stoudemire?

[DeToxRox]

Originally Posted by Chief Rum

Childress stayed all four.

Dola. I thought he played 2 years, but it was 3, not four, we both missed it.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Groundhog

It's only recently that the Hawks have tried to turn it around and bring in guys who can contribute straight away, like Law, Shelden, Horford.

What is Law going to contribute, backup minutes to the career backups in front of him at the point?

Meanwhile, Horford is the latest in undersized forwards on a team chock full of them. Oh, wait, I'm sorry. I guess he's technically an undersized center, silly me, hopefully you'll understand how I could get mixed up.

Shooting BK would probably be a crime, but only desecration of a corpse or something, the worthless sumbitch is already braindead.

edit to add: Mark it down now. Crittendon is either permanently stashed on IR or in the CBA within 3 seasons tops. "Tremendous upside" is often code for "nowhere near NBA ready". Hell, he wasn't even ACC ready a lot of nights.

[Groundhog]

Yeah, Clips HAVE to take someone who can dribble a basketball. I think Stuckey is the better prospect, but Crittenton is more of a PG than Stuckey is. I'd probably take Stuckey though.

[DeToxRox]

Originally Posted by Chief Rum

Like the Suns and Stoudemire?

or the Blazers and Darius Miles, the Wizards and Kwame Brown, the Bulls and Curry and Chandler?

[Groundhog]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

What is Law going to contribute, backup minutes to the career backups in front of him at the point?

Meanwhile, Horford is the latest in undersized forwards on a team chock full of them. Oh, wait, I'm sorry. I guess he's technically an undersized center, silly me, hopefully you'll understand how I could get mixed up.

Shooting BK would probably be a crime, but only desecration of a corpse or something, the worthless sumbitch is already braindead.

I'm not saying it's the right decision with the players they took, I'm just saying that it's the method they are following recently due to taking numerous "ceiling" guys and struggling to pick up wins.

[Atocep]

Originally Posted by DeToxRox

Exactly. They went for high potential athletes before and it got them nowhere.

You mean like Smith and Marvin Williams? Both of those picks look pretty good so far.

Shelden Williams and Childress were safe picks. Neither one is making much of an impact considering where they were drafted.

[DeToxRox]

Knew it. I'm assuming for the worst now, which means the Pistons take Nick Young.

[Chief Rum]

Originally Posted by Logan

Recipe for disaster. Yao just hitched, he's out of the game. It would be another A-Rod/Jeter relationship.

You kidding? No one in the U.S. would understand them. Whole Web sites would pop up just trying to determine what they're really saying? Did Yao just give away the meaning of life? Is Yi railing to overthrow the government?

[ThunderingHERD]

Originally Posted by DeToxRox

Dola, Brandon Roy fell because his upside wasn't too high, and look what happened. He came in and was an instant contributor. I'll take the guy I know will produce over a guy who could produce if I need to win.

Brandon Roy was the 6th pick, and 2 of the guys ahead of him certainly weren't upside guys (Morrison, Shelden Williams). Of the other three, I would definately take Thomas over Roy, and the juries still out on Bargani and Aldridge. I do like Roy though, and was terribly pissed when the Bobcats didn't take him.

[Groundhog]

Originally Posted by Atocep

You mean like Smith and Marvin Williams? Both of those picks look pretty good so far.

Shelden Williams and Childress were safe picks. Neither one is making much of an impact considering where they were drafted.

Individually they are doing well. It's the Hawks as a team that, despite having all these talented pieces, aren't doing anything. They realise that they have all these scoring talents, and are trying to shore it up with some experienced winners now.

Whether it works or not of course...

[Groundhog]

Um, wow. Strange pick from the Clips. Guess they didn't like any of the guards.

[Chief Rum]

Originally Posted by DeToxRox

or the Blazers and Darius Miles, the Wizards and Kwame Brown, the Bulls and Curry and Chandler?

Come on, we could play this game all night. Parker? Ginobli? Barbosa?

Fact is, it cuts both ways. There are safe, solid picks that kill you with no upside, and others that actually develop even better. There are high potential guys who blow up huge, or just simply blow up.

IMO, the team that balances the two right usually turns out the best.

[Logan]

Originally Posted by Chief Rum

You kidding? No one in the U.S. would understand them. Whole Web sites would pop up just trying to determine what they're really saying? Did Yao just give away the meaning of life? Is Yi railing to overthrow the government?

Mrs. Yao would not let her man take part in Yi's discussions about doing blow off Mischa Barton.

[DeToxRox]

Originally Posted by Chief Rum

Come on, we could play this game all night. Parker? Ginobli? Barbosa?

Fact is, it cuts both ways. There are safe, solid picks that kill you with no upside, and others that actually develop even better. There are high potential guys who blow up huge, or just simply blow up.

IMO, the team that balances the two right usually turns out the best.

Big difference is these are lottery picks, not late round picks by teams who can afford to let them develop.

[JeeberD]

Has this been reported here yet? Nothing earth shattering, but definitely worth mentioning...

The New York Knicks just traded Channing Frye and Steve Francis to the Portland Trail Blazers for Zach Randolph, Dan Dickau and Fred Jones.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/blog/nba...?urn=nba,37854

[Chief Rum]

Originally Posted by Groundhog

Um, wow. Strange pick from the Clips. Guess they didn't like any of the guards.

Groundhog, color me pleasantly surprised. I am shocked they didn't go for a need and draft Crittenden. And very happy they didn't. Thornton is a much better player than the guards left here, IMO. He gives us a solid player behind Brand who should be able to play a little three in place of Magette (if he's still around) in the Clips' slow down style offense.

We'll find a way to make it work at PG.

[Groundhog]

Wow, a good trade by NY??!?

[Young Drachma]

Looking at the way basketball GMs make deals, it almost makes you wish they did it like basketball to not allow trades. Because clearly the rich get richer in this draft and it seems to be that way all of the time.

[miami_fan]

Originally Posted by miami_fan

Zach Randolph to the Knicks?

Channing Frye and Stevie Franchise to the Blazers?

Originally Posted by JeeberD

Has this been reported here yet? Nothing earth shattering, but definitely worth mentioning...

The New York Knicks just traded Channing Frye and Steve Francis to the Portland Trail Blazers for Zach Randolph, Dan Dickau and Fred Jones.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/blog/nba...?urn=nba,37854

Well I got part of it right.

[Groundhog]

Very nice pickup by Detroit. I think Stuckey will be a good 6th-7th man eventually.

[Atocep]

Originally Posted by Chief Rum

IMO, the team that balances the two right usually turns out the best.

Exacly, the Sixers are in a situation where they need talent down the road. They aren't going to be competing in the Eastern Conference in the next two years so I'd rather have a guy that has All-Star potential than Jason Smith or Thorton.

Thorton is going to be 24 when the season starts. He should have been better as the only option on a mediocre FSU team.

All Jason Smith can do is rebound. Perfect to put next to Dalembert.

[Neuqua]

That's a monster front court combination between Curry and Randolph.

[miami_fan]

This is the last year of Francis's contract right?

[Chief Rum]

Originally Posted by DeToxRox

Big difference is these are lottery picks, not late round picks by teams who can afford to let them develop.

It's not about draft position, but value. If you always take the safe pick, you have no chance of exceeding your ability, and little opportunity to improve over time. If you always take the risky pick, you're playing a high stakes game like roulette.

I'm not arguing for taking the risky pick every time. I'm saying there is a middle ground. And, IMO, you're argument trends way too much to the safe side, which gives us teams like Memphis, Atlanta, Milwaukee, Minnesota, etc.

[Atocep]

Originally Posted by Neuqua

That's a monster front court combination between Curry and Randolph.

I can't believe they got someone to take Steve Francis off their hands.

How long until he starts pushing for a trade for Cutino?

[Chief Rum]

Are Stuckey and Young insurance policies against the possible departures of All Star guards?

[Logan]

Originally Posted by Groundhog

Wow, a good trade by NY??!?

It's nice when you need to trade for a malcontent rebounder because your 7 foot, 285 lb center who you mortgaged your future for can't rebound or play defense.

[ThunderingHERD]

Originally Posted by Neuqua

That's a monster front court combination between Curry and Randolph.

We've really lowered the bar for the adjective "monster" haven't we? Two good scorers with no defensive presence. Still a good move to get rid of Francis, though.

[Atocep]

Originally Posted by Logan

It's nice when you need to trade for a malcontent rebounder because your 7 foot, 285 lb center who you mortgaged your future for can't rebound or play defense.

They could always play Jerome James more....

[Groundhog]

Excellent pickup for Washington.

[miami_fan]

Originally Posted by Chief Rum

Are Stuckey and Young insurance policies against the possible departures of All Star guards?

I saw very little of Young. I know he is a very good offensive player. How does he do at the defensive end? That is a BIG problem for the Wiz.

[Chief Rum]

Originally Posted by Atocep

Thorton is going to be 24 when the season starts. He should have been better as the only option on a mediocre FSU team.

Yeah, Thornton would have been a bad fit in Philly. I like his skill set with the Clips, though. They don't need another long developing kid. Cassell is older than dirt. Brand can opt out of his contract next year. Maggette is constantly mentioned in trade rumors. We need players who can help us win now, and Thornton should be a decent bench player for us in the immediate future, and an insurance policy (albeit a poor one) if Brand leaves.

[Logan]

Originally Posted by miami_fan

This is the last year of Francis's contract right?

Two more years, but he can opt-out after next season (which he won't unless he puts in a monster year that would get him a bigger deal).

[Atocep]

Originally Posted by Chief Rum

Yeah, Thornton would have been a bad fit in Philly. I like his skill set with the Clips, though. They don't need another long developing kid. Cassell is older than dirt. Brand can opt out of his contract next year. Maggette is constantly mentioned in trade rumors. We need players who can help us win now, and Thornton should be a decent bench player for us in the immediate future, and an insurance policy (albeit a poor one) if Brand leaves.

I agree that he's a good fit with the Clips. He can step in and contribute immediately. They don't need an all-star on the front line, they just needed another productive player.

[JeeberD]

The Rox supposedly were interested in Williams...more fodder for the Ike scenario.

[Groundhog]

Ewww. Terrible pick by the Nets.