Next year's potential draft class is very very sick. I am no proponent of tanking for a high draft pick, but since many great college players have stayed in college, next year's draft could potentially rival James/Wade/Bosh draft. Here are potential franchise changing players in no particular order. 1. Anthony Davis - Freshman at Kentucky - Freak talent that can be a legit PF in this league. 2. Harrison Barnes - Sophmore at UNC - Enough covered on him 3. James McAdoo - Freshman UNC - Great shotblocker and dunker, but needs improvement on shot to be great 4. Perry Jones - Soph at Baylor - Enough Covered on him 5. Jared Sullinger - Soph at OSU - Covered him 6. Austin Rivers - Freshman at Duke - Great shooter, well known 7. Myck Kabongo - Freshman at Texas - Super fast PG with better shot and athletisism than Kyrie Irving 8. Michael Gilchrist - Freshman at Kentucky - Other Notables: 1. Terrence Jones 2. Tyler Zeller 3. John Henson 4. Brad Beal Thoughts on trading a few assets and this years draft for next years?
#14 next year is the equivalent of the #5 this year. Sullinger may have been the #1 or #2 pick this year, and currently he's projected as #6 next year. It's going to be an insanely deep draft class. If Terrence Williams doesn't pan out, that could go down as Morey's worst trade. Sadly, we're stocked up in this year's garbage draft.
Actually if Terrence Williams does pan out and gets us into the playoffs, it could be Morey's worst trade, since the pick is lottery protected.
Do you realize that if you were a GM drafting before the one-and-done rule, you might have taken Gerald Green with the #1 overall pick? Because that's what Anthony Davis is at this point. The one-and-done rule is great for the NBA because now all these busts-in-waiting have to go through an extra layer of screening, aka freshman year in the NCAA. Of the freshmen you mentioned I can guarantee you one half will not be either a.) staying in the draft next year, or b.) projected to go in the lottery next year due to growing pains in college.
As another example, if the high school players had been allowed to jump to the NBA, Josh Selby would have probably been a top 5 pick. How would that have worked out? I just think it's too premature to declare any class "weak" or "strong". Besides Lebron no one had any idea beforehand that that draft class would be so good. Same with the Bogut year. You think Marvin Williams would still have been selected ahead of Chris Paul, Raymond Felton, and Deron Williams? People keep saying that this year is weak. But if Kyrie Irving pans out, Derrick Williams becomes the next T-Mac rather than the next Beasley, and one of those Euro big men finally follows through on all those Dirk Nowitzki comparisons, then it's not outrageous to say that this year will be stronger than last, in which only Greg Monroe, Ed Davis, Paul George, and Patrick Patterson outperformed expectations. Granted, the book's still out on super-high ceiling guys like Wall, Favors, and Cousins. But you get my point. I'm not ready to call this year a "down" year just yet, nor am I ready to anoint next year's class before they play a single college game.
You got a very good point. A weak draft class is a term written by historians. They look back in history then say that's a very weak class. I trust history but not prophecy. You never know who's the next star.
I'm all for taking advantage of this years draft. Get all we can get without the use of our 2012 picks. If we can this year, trade 3 players and draft 5.
Yeah. For all we know, Enes Kanter can turn out to be the next D. Howard. Khawi Leonard could be the next Iggy. Irving might just be the next C. Paul, Williams may be the next Lebron(lite) and Marshon Brooks could be the next Kobe(lite) as some are comparing him to. It's just too early to already consider this as a weak draft. These kids haven't even played one NBA game.
I would be ecstatic if any of these kids put on a Rockets jersey. Gilchrist & Rivers are bound to be superstars.
Looking forward to seeing Jones and Miller playing together. I can't wait for Baylor ball this upcoming season :grin:
Myck Kabongo looks like a STUD. I thought that he looked fast as lightning, and quick with feet/moves at the McDonalds All-American game.
I don't know about Marshon Brooks being Kobe LOL, but probably mroe of a Jamal Crawford at best. Alec Burks on the other hand... maybe.
Man i will be SO pissed! if somehow we make the playoffs next season, i would love for the rox to just experiment all of next season with different line ups with thabeet, Ppat, twill and hill if he is still here and pretty much just develop and try to raise their stocks as much as possible. I think that next year is the year we need to TANK ala the spurs.
I understand what you are getting at, but there is no quicker way to create an environment player's don't want to be in. I don't care how nice of a guys you think Scola, Martin, Hayes, and Lowry are, but they aren't going to put up with Dragic and Thabeet running the pick and pop all day.
This would be the perfect opportunity to take advantage of this years draft because everyone is drooling over next years draft which imo is not that much better than this years. 2012 will have maybe 5 more breakout players than 2011. The most notable difference will be it's depth. Most of us have agreed that not many of the players on our team, like Bud(who has proven that he can start), Hill, Scola, Yao, Thabeet, Dragic(who also can start on any team), Lee, Williams and yes even Martinrolleyes, are untradeable. While everyone else is focusing on 2012, we should make as many trades and accumulate as many picks as possible for this draft. Just my opinion.
With time in the league, Brooks could very well be Kobe-lite. At 21 years old, he will only get better. He is already shooting at a high percentage. He also has good efficiency. He does need to work more on defense though. Remember, even Kobe was pick at #13.