He averaged 3.7 blocks per game in the freaking Big 12 (real competion) and holds the big shotblocking record, the kid has a 7'5 wingspan. So your saying you wouldn't draft him based alone off of his standing reach? I have "actually" seen this kid play and he would fit very nicely with the rockets at playing both the 4/5.
What would happen if at #14 the best player on the board is a pure power forward, what do you do then?
Udoh is an anatomical mystery to me... how does he basically have height and wingspan comparable to guys like Aldrich but with a standing reach that is 5-7 inches shorter than those guys? Does he just have an extremely broad chest or an extremely long neck and big head (and thus extremely low shoulders)? Is Udoh unable to raise his arms straight up for some reason? Weird.
im rooting for xavier henry. i think he would be a great fit for this team. that is unless the rockets move up some in the draft. then i have no idea.
I would Trade down, Alabi and Sanders will probably still be available... both are very intriguing prospects.... No, I wouldn't draft him b/c our only front line position available is back up Center, and he would be undersized for that position... and I don't want another undersized player! --RB
If the hypothetical BPA PF at #14 is rated 85 and the next closest guy is rated 75, then I'd take the PF. If the pure PF is rated 85 and a PF/C is rated 83, then I take the PF/C. But seriously, you think that's Udoh or any other PF in this draft is that much better than anyone else potentially at 14? It's one thing if you say a SG/SF fits the BPA description, but big men by default are always overvalued. If a PF is far and away the BPA at #14, then Morey's computers are even better than I can imagine(and I'm possibly the biggest Morey fan on this board).
His undersized to play the center position, specially against the big teams like Celtics, Lakers and Magic... --RB
FWIW... A few weeks ago, my daughter was playing in the Kyle Singler Tournament, which is for boys and girls in the middle grades. Singler was there and gave a little speech to the participants and then opened it up for questions. Someone asked him who is the toughest guy he's ever had to guard. I was mentally running through the list of ACC players when he makes the following statement: "I've thought about that a lot and I have to say it's Epke Udoh of Baylor."
I think it's worth something but not as much as you think because Udoh is 23 playing in a league where the best are mostly 20 and under. He is good now but he has little upside and if you check the history there is an extremely relevant stat that shows a very high failure rate of lottery picks over 22. That is a telling sign that can not be ignored.
He just turned 23 in May. Landry was almost a year older when we selected him. I think he could look good playing next to Yao or even Scola. He will be a better defensive player than Hill immediately. He can stick the 12-15 ft jumper also. I doubt he slips to 14 anyways.
Can anyone with ESPN insider post this new mock? http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/blog...spn.go.com/nba/blog?name=nba_draft&id=5297196
Sanders should be gone in the 13-18 range. And I watched around 30 ACC games this year including around five with FSU playing. Add that to the past two years and I can tell you that Alabi was easily taken out of any game he ever played in. Just looking at him you can tell there's a lot of potential but only if he all of a sudden develops a tenacity on the court and a drive to exert his will. As far as I know they haven't invented brain transplants yet, and for that reason no NBA player has ever gone from "stiff" to "beast", so to speak. In Alabi you've got a less-skilled less athletic version of Hasheem Thabeet, and even the real Hasheem Thabeet is struggling to succeed in the league. Dejuan Blair was 7 inches shorter but anyone who watched the Big East close when they played would have told you Blair had more of a future in the NBA Thabeet. Mind over matter. Pass on Alabi.
Shelden Williams has a 7'4.25" wingspan and was a big time shot blocker in college. In his last 2 seasons at Duke, he had 3.7 bpg and 3.8 bpg. He had only an 8'8" standing reach though. He never averaged more than half a block a game. http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/shelden-williams-18/stats/
chadfordinsider Cousins and Favors went head-to-head in Philly today. Once again, Cousins looked great. But you expect that. Cousins more polished rt now. chadfordinsider The question with Favors will be ... what's he gonna look like in 3 years? Okafor looked better than D. Howard in Year One too ...
I know Chad Ford has a lot of inside info, but you have to wonder if it's due to his own stupidity. In that teams will talk to him because he's too stupid to do anything other than be their mouthpiece for rumors and stuff. Let's see, a college senior is more polished than a high schooler but less talented. And the high schooler ended up being the better player. I guess I can extrapolate this to two college freshmen, where the more polished player is also similar in talent than the not-so-polished one.
I like Cousins too, but if his stock is around 5-7 as projected I'm not so sure Morey would overpay to trade up there for an unknown prospect. It's just so anti-moneyball. I can see him flipping some small assets to trade up a few spots though. (something like the Head & 8th for 6th proposal)
Here you go: A different kind of mock draft June, 17, 2010 JUN 17 11:56 AM ET 1 By Chad Ford, Fran Fraschilla, David Thorpe, Ryen Russillo, Jordan Brenner and Mike Hume We've been running this blog since November. Since that time, we've dissected scores of prospects, produced dozens of lists and provided countless looks at what NBA teams are thinking. But with a week to go before the draft, it's time for our team to put our collective money where our collective mouth is. It's time for a group mock draft. So the four writers (Chad Ford, Fran Fraschilla, Ryen Russillo and David Thorpe) and the two editors (Jordan Brenner and Mike Hume) divided up the teams and took on the first round of the draft as if they were GMs. The only guideline was to pick based on what each drafter would do, rather than what the actual team would probably do. Here's how it turned out. 1. Washington Wizards (Ford): John Wall, PG, Kentucky The Explanation: Duh. The Peanut Gallery: Fraschilla's "nice pick" is received by Ford with humor, who responds, "Thanks, I want the GM of the Year award now." Hume urges everyone onward: "Oedipus, who was blind and is dead could see that one coming. Let's move on." 2. Philadelphia 76ers (Fraschilla): Evan Turner, SG/SF, Ohio State The Explanation: Philly takes the versatile Turner. His high school coach told me in December that he's the best winner he's ever coached. The guy coached Isiah Thomas! The Peanut Gallery: Hume astutely pointed out that "Michigan would agree with that statement." Thorpe addressed the high school coach by saying, "Sounds like a great future GM." 3. New Jersey Nets (Russillo): Derrick Favors, PF, Georgia Tech The Explanation: Favors will be the second-best player in this draft. NJ is thrilled to add him next to Brook Lopez. The Peanut Gallery: Ford took the serious route, saying, "I agree with Ryen, but when they sign Carlos Boozer or Amare Stoudemire this summer, his minutes will be sparse." [+] Enlarge Don McPeak/US Presswire Boom or bust, opinions were split on Cousins. 4. Minnesota Timberwolves (Thorpe): DeMarcus Cousins, PF/C, Kentucky The Explanation: He has the best upside, and he'll get lots of minutes to melt off the fat once we move Big Al Jefferson. The Peanut Gallery: After taking Cousins, Thorpe takes rapid fire. Fraschilla: "What, no point guards for the Wolves?" Brenner: "Didn't you already raise more red flags on Cousins than you'd find at a Nebraska game?" Ford: "Just what the Wolves need -- a third gravity-bound big man who can't play D and likes to take 30 shots a game." Ouch. 5. Sacramento Kings (Brenner): Wesley Johnson, SF, Syracuse The Explanation: I know he struggles off the dribble, but he will be a nice complement to Tyreke Evans at both ends and can knock down the corner 3-pointer at the NBA level. The Peanut Gallery: Oddly, it sounds like this. Is that good or bad? You be the judge. 6. Golden State Warriors (Hume): Greg Monroe, PF/C, Georgetown The Explanation: Stephen Curry started a nice trend of adding guys to the Warriors with their heads on straight. We'll continue it by taking Monroe. He helps upgrade the second-worst defensive efficiency team in the NBA, and as a great-passing big man, he should flourish with Curry and Monta Ellis. Of course, if Cousins had fallen here, I would have tried to swap with Detroit. The Peanut Gallery: Most of the ribbing occurred before the pick was even made. "Quit stalling, Mike," Ford said. "Whatever you do, the guy is screwed." To which Thorpe replied, "Why? Is this the Clippers' pick?" 7. Detroit Pistons (Ford): Ed Davis, PF, North Carolina The Explanation: The Pistons have no size, and while Davis is far from a polished prospect, he'll crash the glass and block some shots. The Peanut Gallery: Brenner said, "Brandan Wright called from the bench. He's happy to have his twin in the league now." 8. Los Angeles Clippers (Fraschilla): Ekpe Udoh, PF, Baylor The Explanation: I am a huge Ekpe Udoh fan here. Plays with high IQ on both ends, no mistakes, big body, no issues off the court. Safe selection. The Peanut Gallery: Ford takes the cake, reminding Fraschilla, "You can say the same thing about most 25-year-olds who still haven't graduated from college." 9. Utah Jazz (Russillo): Luke Babbitt, SF, Nevada The Explanation: I may have tried to get Udoh based on need if/when they lose Carlos Boozer. But since I started this Babbitt thing, he is the selection. The Peanut Gallery: Thorpe likes the pick, as does Fraschilla, saying, "Love him ... fits right into the Jazz system ... bigger Matt Harpring." 10. Indiana Pacers (Thorpe): Al-Farouq Aminu, SF/PF, Wake Forest The Explanation: Bedlam in Indy. We're taking a frontcourt player who can dunk. Aminu is a top-five upside guy. The Peanut Gallery: There's general surprise that Aminu lasted this long. Brenner said, "I can't say anything bad about that pick, except that I had him pegged for the Hornets." Fraschilla points out that "Butler fans would be disappointed, but it's the right choice to stay away from Hayward here." It may be tough for Indiana to swallow, but Hayward isn't a fit with the Pacers. 11. New Orleans Hornets (Brenner): Gordon Hayward, SF/SG, Butler The Explanation: He's the one guy here I know will make my rotation, and I'm thinking playoffs next season, especially with CP3 with one foot out the door. Plus there's a potential hole at the 3 that Hayward could fill with a little more strength and a steadier shot. The Peanut Gallery: Thorpe is a big fan, commenting that "if he can shoot the 3, he's going to be a terrific 2-guard." 12. Memphis Grizzlies (Ford): Paul George, SF, Fresno State The Explanation: If Rudy Gay's gone, at least they get his clone. The Peanut Gallery: Is Fraschilla truly being complimentary or showing off a dry wit? "Nice pick," he said, "Great potential ... team did go 15-18." 13. Toronto Raptors (Hume): Avery Bradley, PG/SG, Texas The Explanation: Now that the "build-around Bosh" experiment has exploded, Toronto has needs everywhere. With PG Jose Calderon on the block and, methinks, a long rebuild ahead, I'll take Bradley. His ceiling might not be as dazzling as John Wall's Sistine Chapel model, but his leak-free D will get him minutes early and help Toronto's league-worst defensive efficiency. The Explanation: "Right ... In about three years," Thorpe said. "But I like the pick." So does Brenner, who adds that "he can't be coached any worse than he was at Texas." Rough year for Rick Barnes, folks. 14. Houston Rockets (Fraschilla): James Anderson, SG, Oklahoma State The Explanation: He has developed into very versatile scorer, will play well off Aaron Brooks' penetration and fits the inside-out game if Yao Ming is healthy. The Peanut Gallery: The other guys were quick to jump on this one. "And we have our first reach of the draft," Thorpe announced. Brenner glanced at the depth chart before asking, "Where will Mr. Anderson play with Kevin Martin, Shane Battier and Trevor Ariza around?" Fraschilla, though, isn't backing down. "I saw him 15 times in three years," he said. "Texas put every guy on their roster on him, including Bradley." 15. Milwaukee Bucks (Russillo): Xavier Henry, SF/SG, Kansas The Explanation: I was afraid he would go to Memphis at No. 12. He could be the answer to Michael Redd if he isn't healthy and the Bucks lose John Salmons. The Peanut Gallery: Ford comes at him ruthlessly, saying, "Didn't Cole Aldrich post better lane agility numbers in Chicago?" Fraschilla hits the slow note as well, while Hume knocks Russillo for even thinking Redd might be healthy. Backed into a corner, Russillo can merely muster, "But they need a wing scorer!" 16. Minnesota Timberwolves (Thorpe): Cole Aldrich, C, Kansas The Explanation: We had the worst frontcourt rotation in the NBA last year. Now we don't. And the triangle will force both of our guys to lock in every night. We're collecting assets that can be moved later. The Peanut Gallery: "Hometown boy!" Fraschilla shouts (virtually). Brenner mentions that he thinks Aldrich might actually be underrated as an athlete. 17. Chicago Bulls (Brenner): Damion James, SF/PF, Texas The Explanation: We need a post scorer, but there's none around. We need a shooter, but there also aren't any (that you guys won't laugh at me for taking this high). So I'll continue with my theory that taking a guy you know will make your rotation is always a good thing and grab James, who will play a solid role in this league for a long time. The Peanut Gallery: This one turns into a writer vs. editor debate. "Big mistake," Ford said. "Take Jordan Crawford. He's Ben Gordon Part 2." Counters Brenner, "I think Crawford has Gordon's shot selection and Jordan's (as in mine) touch. No thanks." [Ed. Note: The editor always gets the last word. Sorry, Chad!] 18. Miami Heat (Thorpe): Patrick Patterson, PF, Kentucky The Explanation: I'm flipping a coin between our biggest need, a center (Solomon Alabi) and the best player left (Patterson). It's Patterson, who's a Udonis Haslem clone in the making. This gives us leverage on Haslem's new deal as well. At 18, I just want to avoid a Kirk Snyder ... or Cedric Simmons, Joe Alexander, Hilton Armstrong, etc. The Peanut Gallery: Brenner raises yet another depth chart question, asking, "Won't Patrick just be backing up Amare, Boozer or Bosh?" 19. Boston Celtics (Ford): Eric Bledsoe, PG, Kentucky The Explanation: They don't need him, but he's the best talent left in the draft. And Rondo doesn't need to keep playing 48 minutes a night. The Peanut Gallery: Russillo immediately states, "They could use a backup PG. I love the pick." Adds Fraschilla, "Same huge hands as Rajon Rondo and same type of athlete. Needs to learn the position like Rondo."
