2012 NBA Draft

[FN Phat]

He's an undersized shooting guard who is an overrated shooter in my opinion. I don't understand why he's projected to go so early. I wouldn't spend a top 10 pick on him. Maybe he'll prove me wrong but I think the kid is a bust.

and you still think that jimmer isn't.

[BGRTHNUMEGO]

I like Beal quite a bit, but it's hard to defend my position. He is undersized and he didn't prove to be a good shooter this past season. 45% FGs and 34% 3pt is not good.

I think I like him because he's a very good athlete, and while short, he's long and plays big (7 rpg) and despite the poor shooting he looks to have a pretty stroke. But again, from a production standpoint, outside of rebounding he did little to warrant a top 5 pick.

Some analysts have said Ray Allen when talking about Beal. Where does that come from? Allen hit 46% of his 3's his final year at UConn, 45% as a soph, and 40% as a freshman.

Like you said, Beal's shot looks solid. And he was just a freshman. But some of the comps he's been getting don't seem to make a lot of sense. DX has it right I think with Eric Gordon being his projection.

[MarkGrace]

and you still think that jimmer isn't.

[MarkGrace]

Some analysts have said Ray Allen when talking about Beal. Where does that come from? Allen hit 46% of his 3's his final year at UConn, 45% as a soph, and 40% as a freshman.

Like you said, Beal's shot looks solid. And he was just a freshman. But some of the comps he's been getting don't seem to make a lot of sense. DX has it right I think with Eric Gordon being his projection.

Ford has said there was a lot of Allen comparison coming into college though you wouldn't know it if you looked at his percentages. He thinks he's still got good potential as a shooter but just didn't get it going yet this year.

Anyway, a lot of people are saying a little Ray a little Eric Gordon. Gordon in his only year in college shot 43.4% from the floor and 33.7% from 3. Beal was 44.5% and 33.9%. Gordon hasn't turned into a spectacular shooter in the NBA by any stretch, but he's a solid shooter and good scorer at the 2. Beal just measured 1.5" taller than Gordon at the predraft camp as well. I'd take him.

[MarkGrace]

Green room invitees.

Sam Amick
The NBA Draft Green Room invites that so often reflect the lottery have been announced: Harrison Barnes (North Carolina), Bradley Beal (Florida), Anthony Davis (Kentucky), Andre Drummond (Connecticut), John Henson (North Carolina), Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (Kentucky), Jeremy Lamb (Connecticut), Meyers Leonard (Illinois), Damian Lillard (Weber State), Austin Rivers (Duke), Terrence Ross (Washington), Thomas Robinson (Kansas), Dion Waiters (Syracuse), Tyler Zeller (North Carolina)

[MarkGrace]

I will admit that I have not payed close attention to Anthony Davis other than to see him in portions of a dozen or so games. I hate Kentucky so much I can't bear to watch them play.

But the player that I see him most akin to is Marcus Camby. Am I missing something that separates him from Camby, who has had a most impressive career, and makes him a transcendent talent? Besides the brow of course.

Here's Ford's breakdown.

1. Is Anthony Davis really all that?
Yes. He's all that.

It is rare when a prospect lives up to the hype. Davis has done that and more. Not only does he pass the smell test physically (ideal height, great athlete, huge wingspan), he also was superproductive as a freshman (highest player efficiency rating of any player in college basketball, highest score ever in John Hollinger's Draft Rater, elite rebounder and shot-blocker on the defensive end). Plus, he has all of the right intangibles (super motor, tough, humble, hardworking, great attitude).

Physical tools? Check. Production? Check. Intangibles? Check.


Oh, and Davis led his NCAA team to a national title.

Winner? Check.

It is very rare when all four of these items align in a meaningful way.

Davis passes the NBA scout test, too. There isn't an NBA scout or GM in the league who doesn't have him No. 1 on his board. I'll take it a step further. Every GM and scout I spoke with told me he'd take Davis No. 1 in the 2011, 2010, 2009 and 2008 drafts. Yes, ahead of Derrick Rose, Blake Griffin, John Wall and Kyrie Irving.

So what are you worried about?

He needs to add weight. Fair enough. He does need to get stronger. So have other top prospects before him.

He reminds me of Marcus Camby. I've heard that one. Camby is probably his floor. Many GMs and scouts believe that players like Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett are his ceiling.

He might not make a major impact in Year 1. Maybe. But many said that about him going into Kentucky, and he put that to rest by midseason.

In short, Davis is one of the best No. 1 picks to come along in a decade. Barring a Greg Oden-like rash of injuries, he's expected to be a multiyear All-Star.

http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/blog/...-key-questions

[MarkGrace]

Jacob isn't going to like this.

Who is the most NBA-ready player for the 2012-13 season? It usually depends more on the team a player lands on than the player himself.

I think it could be the Toronto Raptors' Jonas Valanciunas. Many NBA scouts believe he would have been the No. 2 pick in this year's draft had he not entered the 2011 draft. Valanciunas spent this past year in Lithuania and will be a rookie this season. The Raptors likely will give him lots of playing time early, as they believe he has the makings of a star.

http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/blog/...-key-questions

[MarkGrace]

Who's the 2nd best player in this draft?

Florida Gators wing Bradley Beal has moved into the position of the consensus No. 2 player in the draft. About 70 percent of the GMs and scouts I surveyed now have Beal at No. 2 on their big boards. Beal's NBA body, excellent athletic ability, sweet shooting stroke and winning attitude have scouts convinced that his floor is Eric Gordon and his ceiling may be Ray Allen.

I'm a big Beal fan, but I think that Michael Kidd-Gilchrist could be the second-best player in the draft. He has more holes in his game than several of the top picks in the draft. But he's also the youngest player and hardest worker, and his flaws (shooting and ball-handling) are correctable.

The things Kidd-Gilchrist has now (ultimate motor, toughness, the ability to defend multiple positions, leadership) are harder to duplicate. He just might be a Gerald Wallace clone, or he might be a saner version of Metta World Peace. But if we are talking ceilings, I think his is Scottie Pippen. Pair him with an elite scorer, and I think he'll have a few rings by the time he retires.

http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/blog/...-key-questions

[scottie]

Who's the 2nd best player in this draft?


http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/blog/...-key-questions

Thanks for "ultimate motor" -- I haven't opened the link but for sure it's Jay Bilas who said that, right?

[BGRTHNUMEGO]

Pippen and multiple rings?

MK-G played with 5 other likely draft picks, including the easy pick as best player in the country, and already he's tabbed as a guy who just knows how to win. I do agree that he looks like he can eventually be a very good complimentary player, but it is a huge, huge leap to go from Gerald Wallace to Scottie Pippen.

I like MK-G and would love to have him on my team. But to me he might be the most over-hyped guy in the entire draft right now. Just compare him to Barnes. Barnes measured slightly taller, jumped much better and did better in the sprint and agility test, was a much better shooter, but because he wasn't the 2nd coming of Kobe and because his PG broke his wrist in the tournament, Barnes isn't a winner. How differently are we looking at things if Kendall Marshall doesn't get hurt and UNC wins the title?

[HuskyFreeNorthwest]

Here's Ford's breakdown.


http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/blog/...-key-questions

SMR is going to be pissed that Ford brought up NCAA success, that is a team game, nothing to do with an individual player.

[DrumNFeather]

More intrigue at #2 and #3...

Apparently, Cleveland wants to move up to #2 to take Beal, and Charlotte would then take Robinson at 4. Beal is the Wizards choice (Barnes 2nd, MKG 3rd), so if he is off the board, then they would listen to offers for that #3 pick in order to block Charlotte from getting Thomas Robinson. Oh, the drama!

[BGRTHNUMEGO]

Get in on this action Utah!

Chris Broussard citing rumor of Denver being called a lot from teams trying to get some of their young players. He said GS and Denver have talked about a trade of the 7th pick for Wilson Chandler.

[MarkGrace]

SMR is going to be pissed that Ford brought up NCAA success, that is a team game, nothing to do with an individual player.

1/10 in the championship getting his shot rejected a pile of times by Withey to win the title. What an individual accomplishment!

[smokymountainrain]

SMR is going to be pissed that Ford brought up NCAA success, that is a team game, nothing to do with an individual player.

Right, because I said winning is a bad thing.