2011 NBA Draft

[Jacob]

Yeah, I didn't type that out correctly. Didn't mean to imply that his being very good in college was a forgone conclusion. But based on what Kentucky players and particularly Calipari said about him before he was ruled ineligible makes me think he would have been just as productive. They did see him in practice against the solid talent that Kentucky roster carries and right on the heels of Cousins being there in that system and practicing against a lot of the same players.

If you are sure that Kanter would have been as productive as Cousins, then you have to pick him with the #2 pick, certainly the #3. He doesn't have the head issues that Cousins had and Cousins would have been the #1 or 2 pick last year without those issues and would be #1 this year.

So, are you saying you want the Jazz to pick Kanter at 3? That's where I'm leaning right now, maybe even Biyombo. And Jimmer at 12.

[smokymountainrain]

If you are sure that Kanter would have been as productive as Cousins, then you have to pick him with the #2 pick, certainly the #3. He doesn't have the head issues that Cousins had and Cousins would have been the #1 or 2 pick last year without those issues and would be #1 this year.

So, are you saying you want the Jazz to pick Kanter at 3? That's where I'm leaning right now, maybe even Biyombo. And Jimmer at 12.

At the top, I would be okay with Biyombo, Kanter or Knight. I don't have any of those three clearly above the others. Biyombo excites me the most because of his potential as a game changer on defense, but he's still a huge risk. One of them will be there at six. I think the Jazz should see what they can get out of Washington to trade places and move back. Nick Young? Next year's 1st? McGee?

[SoCalCoug]

If you are sure that Kanter would have been as productive as Cousins, then you have to pick him with the #2 pick, certainly the #3. He doesn't have the head issues that Cousins had and Cousins would have been the #1 or 2 pick last year without those issues and would be #1 this year.

So, are you saying you want the Jazz to pick Kanter at 3? That's where I'm leaning right now, maybe even Biyombo. And Jimmer at 12.

I think the Jazz should take Enes Kanter at 3, unless Derrick Williams doesn't get taken at 2. As a non-Jazz fan, I hope they take Brandon Knight.

[BGRTHNUMEGO]

If you are sure that Kanter would have been as productive as Cousins, then you have to pick him with the #2 pick, certainly the #3. He doesn't have the head issues that Cousins had and Cousins would have been the #1 or 2 pick last year without those issues and would be #1 this year.

So, are you saying you want the Jazz to pick Kanter at 3? That's where I'm leaning right now, maybe even Biyombo. And Jimmer at 12.

I think Kanter either goes 2 or 3. I'm not sure it will be the Jazz picking him at 3 but I really doubt he drops below that point. I think Fran Vazquez keeps teams from going after Valanciunus over Kanter.

Assuming Irving goes #1, I can't see a scenario where Kanter isn't the pick for Cleveland at #4. So if he's not picked at 2 than teams like Toronto and Washington that reportedly really like him would have to trade up to 3 to take him over Cleveland.

[Jacob]

I think Kanter either goes 2 or 3. I'm not sure it will be the Jazz picking him at 3 but I really doubt he drops below that point. I think Fran Vazquez keeps teams from going after Valanciunus over Kanter.

Assuming Irving goes #1, I can't see a scenario where Kanter isn't the pick for Cleveland at #4. So if he's not picked at 2 than teams like Toronto and Washington that reportedly really like him would have to trade up to 3 to take him over Cleveland.

Valanciunas isn't Vasquez. He wants to come over and his team wants him to come over. They think his contract will be worked out before the draft, so teams will know exactly what they they are getting.

[BGRTHNUMEGO]

Valanciunas isn't Vasquez. He wants to come over and his team wants him to come over. They think his contract will be worked out before the draft, so teams will know exactly what they they are getting.

That's good to know. I think he is a guy that could displace Kanter in the top 3 then.

Any idea what the contract situation is on Montejunas? I'm assuming Vesely's buyout is manageable and that he'll be able to come over when he's drafted given his flirtation with the draft last year.

[CardiacCoug]

I don't think these numbers are completely meaningless. I think a person can safely assume Jimmer isn't as slow as his white skin and thick body make him look. That he can hold his own in terms of speed and quickness.

That said, when you combine his low 33" vert number with his relatively short arms, his max vert reach number of 10.9" was the 2nd lowest in the draft. Jimmer can't jump. Once again, no surprise there.

So under perfect circumstances, Jimmer can get the top of his hand 9 inches above the rim -- sounds like a guy who can barely dunk, which is what we all knew from watching the games. But a better vertical jump than even Kawhi Leonard is OK (yes I know PGs always jump better than big guys), and at least it wasn't an embarrassing number.

You look at those lane agility drill numbers and you realize that when people think Jimmer is slow, it's purely a stereotype. And I think it's crazy for people to think that Jimmer can't or won't play defense while he is a role player coming off the bench and playing 10 minutes a game his first year or two in the game. He's going to play hard on both ends and he will be more than adequate on the defensive end of the court.

[MarkGrace]

You look at those lane agility drill numbers and you realize that when people think Jimmer is slow, it's purely a stereotype.

Or that the athletic testing isn't reflective of on-court athleticism and quickness. Jimmer besting Chris Paul in these drills will be my next year addition to the long list of preposterous combine results (right above Redick and Igoudala having a 1" difference in vertical and below Durant being the slowest guy in the draft). But I think I'm banging that drum a bit too much this year.

[MarkGrace]

I'm getting worried that DWill2.0 is really starting to look like a PF.

[BGRTHNUMEGO]

Chris Brousard reports that Cleveland, Detroit, and Minnesota are discussing the following deal:

Detroit trades 8th pick and Rip Hamilton to Cleveland, who uses part of the LeBron trade exception to take on Hamilton's salary

Cleveland trades 4th and 8th picks to Minnesota for #2

Cleveland drafts Kyrie Irving and Derrick Williams at 1 and 2

[Surfah]

Chris Brousard reports that Cleveland, Detroit, and Minnesota are discussing the following deal:

Detroit trades 8th pick and Rip Hamilton to Cleveland, who uses part of the LeBron trade exception to take on Hamilton's salary

Cleveland trades 4th and 8th picks to Minnesota for #2

Cleveland drafts Kyrie Irving and Derrick Williams at 1 and 2

Damn. That would be awesome. That's a nice front court with Hickson and Williams with Kyrie running point. That could be fun.

[BGRTHNUMEGO]

Damn. That would be awesome. That's a nice front court with Hickson and Williams with Kyrie running point. That could be fun.

The rumor continues that Rip would just be bought out and he'd likely head to Chicago after that. I wonder what the buyout price would be. He's owed 2 years, $25 M. But that would just be Gilbert paying a ton of cash to move from 4 to 2.

Detroit probably won't be over the luxury tax threshold so it isn't saving them tax dollars but it is as if they're getting a $25 M check to trade the 8th pick. Not too shabby. Makes it easier for them to pay Stuckey if they want to keep him around.

[MarkGrace]

Ford with a new blog entry about Chicago.

•The fallout from the NBA combine in Chicago is still being felt. After two days of drills and intensive interviews, NBA teams finally got a hold of the athletic testing numbers on Thursday.

In theory, the numbers have very little value. This sort of testing is really used to confirm what we already know. When the testing points in the opposite direction of conventional wisdom, teams tend to favor a player's body of work over a number from a 45-minute testing session.

Take two players as a case study:

Wisconsin's Jon Leuer tested very well in Chicago. He had a 36.5-inch maximum vertical. He had a very good 10.82 second lane agility drill. He bench pressed 185 pounds 14 times. Those are great numbers for a 6-foot-11 player.

San Diego State's Kawhi Leonard tested poorly in Chicago. He had a 32-inch maximum vertical. He had a subpar 11.45 second lane agility drill. He bench pressed 185 pounds three times. Those aren't great numbers for a 6-7 swingman with a reputation as a great athlete.

Both numbers surprised scouts, in part, because their careers show a very different tale. While Leonard was never regarded as the most explosive athlete in the draft, it's hard, if you watched him at San Diego State, to come to the conclusion that he's a below-average athlete. Leonard plays an athletic game on both ends of the floor. He's not Shawn Marion, but he's not less athletic than Kevin Love. No way.

Kevin Durant also struggled in this setting and much was made about it before the draft. If you watched his highlight reel dunk against the Mavs this week, it's pretty hard to make the argument he's a poor athlete.

One theory about Leonard's poor testing is that he did not warm up prior to doing the test. Because Leonard skipped drills, he sat in a freezing gym (and it was freezing) for an hour and then went straight to the tests. I saw this happen and we commented on it when we were broadcasting the combine. Everyone else had gotten 45 minutes of drill work in to loosen up. It makes a difference.

Leuer, on the other hand, is a better athlete than we give him credit for. You can't fake those numbers. But when you watch him play, he doesn't really utilize that athleticism in his game the way other big athletes (JaJuan Johnson, for example) do. So while Leuer may be a good athlete, if it doesn't translate to his game, what's the point? A few years ago we all got excited about Luke Jackson's off-the-charts combine testing. How did that turn out?

[ame="http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/blog?name=nba_draft&id=6599127"]NBA Draft: Jon Leuer's impressive combine numbers - ESPN[/ame]

[Jacob]

TheHoopsReport Ryan Feldman
Word out of Indiana Pacers NBA Draft workout today is that Jimmer Fredette absolutely killed it.

Source at Pacers workout told me Jimmer dominated Nolan Smith and hit some really tough shots on him.

Source at Pacers workout said Tobias Harris got the best of Marcus Morris, and Jeremy Tyler and Vernon Macklin played fairly even.

Jimmer...Jimmer...Jimmer!

[BGRTHNUMEGO]

Jimmer...Jimmer...Jimmer!

I was kind of surprised to see Jimmer go into a workout with a guy that is a fringe first round prospect. But he and his agency have apparently chosen the path that they'll do anything the teams want to prove himself. A lot of lottery prospects won't go up against anyone that isn't going to be drafted right by them or will be lucky to go in the 2nd round.