Draftexpress has just moved Andre Drummond above Thomas Robinson on their Best Available board to #2.
Kwame has great hands and was considered super athletic coming into the league. That said, Drummond and Kwame, despite their similarities (both positive and negative) are very different people, and I do hope the Rockets gamble and trade up to draft Drummond if they can not make the deal for Dwight happen.
I'm a huge Robinson fan...but I think I would too. His quickness and shooting touch with that size are just awesome.
As of this morning, I am resigned to the fact that we are most likely going to trade up and draft this kid. And that's about how I feel....resigned. I'm going to hold out hope that we are drafting him for Orlando. And that even if we don't get Dwight today that perhaps we are going to send this kid to summer league and pull a Donte Greene with him, toss the ball up to him as he stands in the paint against inferior physical specimans and throws it down. And then hopefully the Dwight trade will materialize. Or....if it doesn't....then my hope is that we can trade Drummond for an unprotected first round draft pick to Charlotte. Just because a guy is big and athletic does not make him a superstar. Drummond struggled offensively in college to do anything besides run the floor and throw down the alleyoop. I just don't see it. I'm sure, barring injury, he'll hang around 10 years or more in the league. Because he's got a big body and is athletic. And there is a dearth of those kinds of guys. But, let me say this nicely, poor to mediocre big bodied athletic players usually wind up on non-contending rosters. And then they wind up on the bench possibly for a contender, coming off the bench as a role player for a team needing a few minutes of paint defense or somebody to foul the Shaq free throw shooter on the other team. And I'm sure Drummond will look great on the practice floor and in summer league. Sadly, that's not the NBA. That's not an 82-game grind. It's not the intensity of going against other players that are fighting for rings. And that's my next point about Drummond. He didn't dominate in college. The intensity wasn't there. One of his teammates, with his words, stated the truth about his future, "......if he's willing to work....". And his skills..........."he needs to develop", "He needs to be developed", "He's young, it's gonna take a couple years", "He's a project". Once again, I just dont' see it. 9 times out of 10, when you hear these kinds of statements about a kid, it means they are going to bust. And my point is, when a guy comes out of high school and then completes his first year of college, and he can only hit less than 30% on his free throw shots...there's only so much development ahead for him. By the time a kid gets to year 1 in college, his shooting stroke, etc. is established. You may be able to break him down, change him, improve him substantially, but the base is already there. The coordination between brain and fingers, it's already set. My best guess is the kid averages 50% or less from the free throw line for his career. An extreme liability. Can he overcome that and still be dominant even shooting 50% free throws? Shaq's career is a testament to that. Do I see Shaq here? Sorry, no I don't. For as large a human being as Drummond is, Shaq was in a different stratosphere with his size and strength. Drummond is going to be going up against the Gasols, Noahs, Horfords, etc. night after night. While he has the size to play the 5, his size does not dominate in the NBA setting. It doesn't. So, I hope if we draft this kid and keep him that I am so wrong. I would be very happy to be wrong. But until it is determined that we are going to keep him, I'm going to hope that he is traded to Orlando or to Charlotte for a future unprotected lottery pick. I am holding out hope that Morey is playing some other team into giving him great value for trading up. I am hoping Morey flips him. Because if Drummond stays here, I'm pretty sure we're all going to be disappointed 4 years from now.
http://collegebasketball.rivals.com...&tid=155955012&mid=155955012&sid=1146&style=2 " actually like sullinger for the NBA a lot more than most. his back problems are a concern but if that pans out i dont know why he couldn't be a 15/10 type player. similar to a luis scola or maybe david west. so if he's picked late lottery then i think it would be a solid pick. andre drummond obviously has bust written all over him, so he would be my first answer. " "Drummond for me, especially if he gets drafted top 6 or 7 which I think he will. Perry Jones III would be a close second. Congrats to those two players becuase now they will probably be superstars!" "Drummond. Although, he has the potential to be very good." Not one person said Drummond is a good pick at 6 or 7.
Did you just link and quote a bunch of people from a random different board? What's next, quoting the talking heads on the espn or realgm boards? Who cares what these guys think. If they want to have a real discussion they should come over to the best fan forum in the business, clutchfans - then maybe I'll take their opinions a little more seriously!
You should. They watch more college ball then you probably have in your life. You guys bash me for talking bad about Teague, but I watched every game he played last year. Did you? Or did you just watch highlight films made to make him look good? Same thing with Drummond. The highlight film is cool and all, but I doubt you watched him play more than 2 or 3 games, if at all.
We are in a tough spot where we have great depth and quality complementary player but we're lacking that superstar to put us over the top. There's only a handful of true superstars in the league and they are obviously very hard to acquire. The thing about Drummond is that he has a chance to be a superstar. That isn't true for very many guys. He certainly could go the other way but at least he give you a chance. Because of that I think you have to take a shot and take him if you can get high enough. Really, what's the alternative? Draft a guy with a lower ceiling who is more of a sure thing? That's just more/better depth but we still have the same issue....no superstar. It's so difficult to acquire a superstar that I don't think that you can pass on any opportunity no matter how small. If you can trade for Dwight Howard, then you do it but realistically having Drummond probably helps facilitate that deal. This is one of the rare times that we have an opportunity to get a guy that could turn out to be that superstar so I think that we have to go for it. We certainly don't know the true nature of the Rocket's strategy. Even if we could swing a deal for DH12, it's highly unlikely that it would happen today. So, whoever we draft could possibly be to help facilitate a trade for Howard. If not, then I'd go all in. Assuming you could swing a deal to acquire #5 or #6 for Lowry, #12 and filler (while hanging on to #16 and #18) then my dream scenario is Drummond at #5, Perry Jones at #16 and Royce White at #18. That's a front line with a whole lot of size, skills and versatility. That's 3 guys that could turn out to be special. If you hit on one of them then you've accomplished your goal. Hit on two and you're a contender. Hit on all 3 ...well? Of course, there's also the possibility that none pan out but at least you took a shot.
I would be excited and scared to get Drummond. It sounds like Drummond could be a real force in the middle on the defensive end, that's something I would like to see. He's big, fast, and strong. That's something the Rockets haven't had for a while.
Let's face it, if he were a high motor guy with polished skills then he goes #1 and we don't have a shot at him.
I know more about basketball than you know about anything. So there.... I am the greatest and my opinion is the most valid EVERRRRR!!! I just think linking to another forum with a bunch of guys who may or may not have valid or invalid opinions on something isn't really that helpful. That's what THIS forum is for.
I'm right there with you. I appreciate that Morey is stuck to whatever other teams are willing to do, and I'm happy if he trades up to try and land a big fish like Drummond, or tries to make the move for Howard. What would drive me nuts is if we draft Tyler Zeller at 12, and then Jared Sullinger and Draymond Green. I think all 3 of those guys will be NBA rotation players, but we're really in a position where we need to take a risk on a chance at great as opposed to pretty okay.
I'm starting to warm up on the Drummond idea. Initially I thought he would be a good pick after #10 and an ok pick in 7-10. Right now I regard him to be a good pick in 7-10, and an ok pick in 5-6.
I understand your concerns, but the problem with THIS forum is that maybe 5% actually watch college basketball. Like I said, I could tell you everything you want to know about any UK player, because I watched every one of their games. I think PPat will be an excellent player if you guys give him time, cause I saw what he could do in college. But the problem with THIS forum is they watch highlight videos and then assume so and so will be an all-star. I watch 2-3 college basketball games a night, every night, sometimes more on weekends. Ive watched a lot of college ball, and some of those guys have been watching college ball for 30+ years so you should respect their opinion when it comes to Drummond. I like his physical stats as well, but if you actually watched him play a game you would understand why a lot of them say he will be a bust.
I'm just saying there's no need for a higher than thou attitude. If you don't like this forum... leave. I understand many on here look at just highlight videos. Many others are highly informed. Bima's is as good a capologist as you'd find. Clutch is as versed on the Rockets and basketball as you'd find. And there are plenty solid amateur scouts on here. I watched plenty of college basketball, including Drummond, UK, Duke, UNC, Texas, yada, yada, yada, blah, blah, blah... Also I don't think you help your cause by noting PPat will be an excellent player, especially by virtue of having watched him a lot in college. I've watched him a lot in the NBA. At best he has an opportunity to become a 20-30 PF in the league. Starter, but one of the lesser starters, imo. at worst, he is what he was last year, which is not very good.
I watched his game against Arkansas, where he blew nuts. 1 point and 1 rebound in 17 minutes. I watched his second game against Cuse, where he dominated Fab Melo. I watched his game against Cuse in the Big East tourney, where he repeated his dominance and made Fab look like a middle schooler. Then I watched his game against ISU (the winner was to play UK) and he 2 points and 3 rebounds and was disinterested the entire game. He was lazy and complained, and ended up fouling out. Im not arguing the potential isnt there, because it is. He COULD put up Howard numbers in 4 years. He could also have his attitude take over, and ride the pine for the back half of his career.
I did watch him play, and you draft him no matter what. He is that physically and athletically gifted. 7 foot in shoes, 275 pounds and as quick as Lilliard. And he has not turned 19 yet. No one as gifted as Drummond has come into the NBA draft as a center since Howard.
All I did was post opinions of guys who watch college basketball. Since the majority here don't, I thought it would be helpful to see what people who watch college ball think about him. I dont know why you are getting upset because I posted a link of a bunch of die hard CBB fans talking about the player most likely to be a bust.
