Truthfully, I don't think we are going to get a major impact player at number 8, I would be more in favor of trading for a young veteran player like Maggette etc. However, I think Redick is the most ready to play, RIGHT NOW, and that appeals to me. Crisco, props back to you, both of us are just spouting our opinions, one of us may be right.....I am certainly not afraid of being right (Wanted Yao) or wrong (wanted Langhi)......just got to step up and take your swings. DD
This article better be disinformation or count me disgusted. Sickened, in fact. For those that are rationalizing the lack of athleticism by saying Nash is MVP, we are talking about the greatest distributor in the game in Nash, something Redick is clearly not. Apples and oranges. What other NBA-quality skill does Redick have besides shooting? None? Then, yes, he is one-dimensional. I wouldn't even pick him at #15 if we did the NO tradedown, but at least at #15 I wouldn't want to puke my guts out.
i for one am under no illusions/delusions about his game but the point i wanted to interject is that there is no complete solution here. there is no tmac, no lebron, no garnett (hooray for high school!) that will cure all ills. its a matter of the best of whats available to us, and at #8 its pretty slim pickins. nash is a premier passer with enough of a jumper to keep defenses honest. so hes one-dimensional bordering on two (btw, its one helluva dimension). im not nearly so bold as to say reddick is more than a one-trick pony, but the trick he does have is very nifty (consistent shooting) and one of many we were lacking this year. if we want long athletic players on the cheap, why not try signing dermarr johnson from denver? his negatives are the same negatives as pretty much anyone in the draft or FA...then again, maybe its the classic "wrong environment" situation. i dont know...we're officially at our "so its come to this" moment: i share your disgust simply because in most draft years a #8 slot is pretty plum...this year its like holding front row seats to a public flogging.
I still have to believe there will be a couple really good players after #7, it's just a matter of choosing wisely. I want all-around players with good (doesn't have to be great) athleticism, even if their jump shooting is a bit of a work in progress. The reason for this is that we can always use defense and extra rebounding while their jumper improves, a la Clyde Drexler, T-Mac, Josh Howard, etc. The question you have to ask yourself is what is an extra 5% on 3-point shooting worth to you. Assuming Redick isn't torched enough to get pulled after 10 minutes, are you willing to have opponents torch him on the other end on a nightly basis and get Yao into consistent early foul trouble?
trust me, it doesnt take much to question picking reddick at #8. easy arguments can be made either way. if you pick him, it says double down on yao at your own peril. it also screams PLEASE dont post him up or drive past him. but then again, drafting an "athletic" player (or signing, in our case) is fraught with its own set of perils ("hello stromile, my old friend"...hum that to simon and garfunkle...might change the way you look at stro). so again, to me it boils down to picking your poison. if you go the athletic route, the best you can do is your homework and pray that it works out you find the next josh howard. otherwise you get darius miles. its a miracle that GMs dont go into heart failure on a more consistent basis.
That's a tall order for a rookie, much less one without the advantage of size over his opponent. The NBA defenses are much more smothering. I'd be surprised if Redick breaks 40% in his first couple years, if ever. So why not try to draft a 32-35% guy that has more size and all-around skills instead, and then at least there is an opportunity for him to grow into a "3rd star" a la Josh Howard.
But to take the Darius Miles risk is not necessarily more dangerous and has a much greater reward. Now Miles is a complete loser all right, but there are alot of shooting specialist busts too. The Rockets history is littered with their dead carcasses; Boki, Langhi, Turkcan, Drew being some recent examples. The Stro point you make is why I would be nervous about Carney, but there are other players we can draft that look to be very solid.
i agree with you kind sir...again, its really a matter of which way you want to swing it. while limited, reddick has the easily distinguished NBA-ready talent: shooting. and im very confident about his ability to contribute right away. not necessarily a starter, but i could see him coming off the bench as a rookie, no doubt. hes JB re-incarnated. and i realize weve whistled down the "draft a shooter" path before w/disastrous results, but the problem w/going athletic is that the payoff is probably not for another couple of years. and i think its pretty safe to assume our window for the tmac-yao combo juuuuust fits within there. thats the backdrop to all of this and why it might be risky to take on an athletic project player. we'll see how it goes. like you, i think there is some middle-ground player that can be had at that spot...it might not be a fashionable pick, but i think itll be solid
to me, if its consistent performance mardy collins stands out to me. has the height for those who like 'em big (ahem) at 6'6", is solid as a point but can play the 2 (could possibly play the 3?), and has good size for defense as well as coming out of a good defensive system. mind you, hes no human highlight reel but he has a solid foundation. just my two cents.
that may be true but thats worst-case scenario. and there nothing glaring out there that suggests he will be that. its just if you dont want to make a massive gamble (reddick/carney/brewer) he seems to be pretty solid and fills a few more holes than most. he likes to set others up with experience as an actual PG (and has the size and reach to do so) yet is a great defender, particularly on the perimeter. FT% is crap, but if you accept that it should improve w/time and work (which im sure hes doing) then his upside on our team is much better than most.
Redick kind of reminds me of Rex Chapman who was picked 8th by Charlotte in 1988. Chapman had a nice career.
