Comments on: Our Official NBA Draft Predictions

By: J

Wed, 27 Jun 2007 02:44:53 +0000

As for Williams to Washington. Can anyone name me one quality scorer that comes of the bench for Washington…..there is none. Yes we have great scorering but our GM should know you can’t win with 3 guys scoring 90% of your points and each playing upwards of 40+ minutes a game. And since Ernie Grunsfield (wizards GM) likes Haywood he may be back in Washington. Add that in with the addition of last years 6′10 first round pick and the potential to re-sign Audray Blantche (who is 6′11) don’t expect another PF. Expect someone who can come off the bench and provide a spark playing some minutes a the 2 and 3.

By: dave

dave — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 18:16:54 +0000

Sean Williams is the greatest shot blocker of all time.

By: spidergirl24

spidergirl24 — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 18:11:23 +0000

SM-you make good points but if the talent in the NBA is so much better, then why did the recent USA team perform so poorly in international play? Also, if the talent poor is so great across the board, then why do you see teams getting into the playoffs with losing records or just above .500? Just asking. Also, looking at the imbalance in skilled players between the eastern and western conferences. If these teams are so great, then why would these so-called analyst screech with such concern when Portland won the #1 lottery pick but the Celtics were further down the top 10 lottery list. I wasn’t saying the better players were in the European league; I pointed out that there is talent these NBA teams should consider. They’re fundamentally more sound and disciplined than many of their US counterparts. Many European players in the NBA shoot with greater proficiency. People look at NBA players as dunkers who can’t hit free throws or mid range shots. Why not check out the mid-major schools that these ESPN drones ignore in their discussions? I was pointing out that there isn’t enough real analysis in the NBA conversation. No one breaks down film to point out problems. It’s primary playground and jock talk.

By: SM

SM — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 16:28:18 +0000

Spider, thats why they work for ESPN and not a team directly or an independent scouting service who charge teams. But you comparisions to mlb and nfl are off. There are much less nba players so the talent gets bottled to the top. You can win a championship with 8 good players. Under the radar talent is good, but Anthony Parker (who was a 1st round pick from a small school) did not make it in the nba at first (decent for the raptors this year). He went on to become MVP of Euroleague. The talent in the NBA is much better because the universe is small.

By: Ted Valentine

Ted Valentine — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 15:39:56 +0000

I can’t believe Thad Young and J Crit are first rounders. They were good but not great last year in college.

By: spidergirl24

spidergirl24 — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 15:15:23 +0000

Isn’t the NBA draft a bit of a joke or perhaps I should say ESPN’s so-called draft experts? Unlike its NFL staff and draft, which provides some great insight into an array of strategies and choices that NFL teams might make, ESPN staff dismisses most of the NBA draft choices as being irrelevant except the top five, which is incredible. I heard Stephen A Smith actually say during the afternoon SportsCenter that he knew little about Yi Jianlian because he had never seen him play and videos just didn’t do it for him. What a stupid thing to say because experts rely on video to evaluate athletic talent. You never would hear that from the NFL team. Everyone has seen why a competent point guard is key to a team’s success. Miami won its championship mainly on Duane Wade’s stellar play and veterans who contributed in key moments because of Shaq who was a nonfactor. It’s wild to hear this pathetically blind focus on Greg Oden who certainly couldn’t perform well with Mike Conley, Jr. Why not explore the talent in the European leagues or under the radar talent from smaller schools who don’t get the media coverage of Division A colleges? If NBA teams have to rely solely on the selection of one type of player, it doesn’t say much about the league. It really makes you appreciate how competitive MLB and the NFL is as a professional league. Sadly, it exposes how deficient ESPN’s NBA analysts truly are.

By: BAM

BAM — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 13:43:49 +0000

The steal of the draft will be whoever gets Sean Williams of Boston College. Everyone’s aware of his defensive skills, but the kid’s offensive game is vastly improved.

By: SM

SM — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 02:54:31 +0000

To clarify. Jamison will not opt out, but if he is gone after one year unless they extend him (and they need to extend gilbert) they should look to get something in return. Swap him for Marion. Washington could use a big man, but they could use one who can score in the post.

By: The Beautiful Game

The Beautiful Game — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 01:50:04 +0000

I think Atlanta is better served with Horford and Law IV, than Conley and Hawes…

I watched Hawes here at UW, he’s got lots to prove still and doesn’t have a good work ethic

By: Jon

Jon — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 01:42:51 +0000

Nice looking mock. Only thing I would add is Atlanta picking Conley makes way too much sense. Keep in mind we are talking the Hawks here, so they will make the most illogical pick.