Don't look now... Raptors have 3rd worst record in the league...

Chandler Parsons is more likely to be the next Scottie Pippen than your worst case scenario. Most likely though, the Raptors play better and settle into the 7-10 rangeas their talent dictate. And the Thunder will pick up a good solid player We wouldn't have needed given how many young guys we have.

 

Raptors will definitely get better.

They lost one game due to ref incompetence, which the the league recognized.

They have lost a ton of other games that were extremely close, they even took Spurs to double overtime.

I'd say once they get settled, probably mid way through the season, they will go on a 3-4 game winning streak that will bring them higher up the standings.

 

I want to see the Raptors improve because:

1. I like Kyle Lowry and can already tell that he is getting discouraged in Toronto by all the losing -AND-

2. A fourth pick in Presti's hands has the potential to turn OKC into a conference juggernaut for years. Who needs that nonsense? Just...let this be an 11th overall for them or something. It's nice that the Thunder are good and fun to watch, but nobody needs them that good, particularly as the Rockets grow their own roster and try to make some noise of their own in the playoffs.

 

I don't really understand all the fascination with Presti. He's solid, but I dunno if you can really say his record of drafts have been great/worthy of such high esteem.

Good picks
2007: 2nd Kevin Durant (no brainer pick, therefore not included)
2008: 4th Russell WB, 24th Ibaka
2009: 3rd Harden, 20th Eric Maynor
2012: 28th Perry Jones

Wasted picks:
Cole Aldrich (11th), Reggie Jackson, Eric Bledsoe, Quincy Poindexter, +a billion other 2nd rounders.

So IMHO while Presti has been solid drafting players, a lot of his good drafts were guys on the high end of the lottery, although to be fair WB/Harden and esp. Ibaka were totally great picks and not as obvious as KD. Of course teams like Minny had higher picks than them and still crapped out with guys like Wesley Johnson and Derrick Wiiliams.

OTH, you look at all of his crap picks in the 2nd round and I dunno if you can call him a great drafter, he was picking no names in the 2nd round while Morey was getting C-bud, Landry and Parsons in the bottom of the pile.

If purely talking about drafting I'd put Spurs and Rox over Presti, if talking about trades then it's Mitch Kupchak no question. I guess if you want both then maybe you can make a case for him, but in my mind SPurs/Lakers are still the best FOs in the league.

 

I've never seen somebody bring up Presti's impressive track record with drafting picks while treating it so dismissively as well.

"All he did was draft arguably the NBA's best player, arguably the NBA's best point guard, the league's best shot blocker, a combo guard player so good the Rockets are able to build a whole team around him, yes I just don't understand what the fuss is about because these second rounders haven't worked out for him."

Presti is considered one of the league's better GMs with good reason, buddy. What you're scoffing at is one of the better drafting records in the league. This is what people are fearful of, is that he will use his Drafting Superpowers to find another Harden or another Ibaka and OKC will be basically unbeatable for the next decade. It is definitely within the ambit of things that COULD happen, especially if the Raptors don't get their act together this season.

 

They could have won the championship this year. What if durant decides to leave when his contract is up.

 

They broke up a team that only lost the finals by a few points. Hard to win any trade in that case.

It's like...if the Texans make the superbowl but lose it...then proceed to trade Arian Foster for a draft pick because they think Ben Tate can fill that spot just fine.

Maybe so...but you still broke up a championship contender to do that.

IMO you hold onto a championship team for as long as possible.

 

You forgot the Texans also received Rashard Mendenhall, a rookie RB, a 5th and 6th round draft pick.

 

Im actually a big fan of two seniors in Macullum and Whithey... If the Rockets end up around 12-14 pick those two might be in play...

 

Yet even still...would any of them be better than Foster?

That's the question the Thunder will have to face for likely years now. They had three guys top 5 at their position...just like the Heat...and broke that up. Even if they only had one more year with Harden, it's a good chance that is one more year going for a title. I'd take that.

 

2013 NBA draft is only top heavy with Shabazz,Zeller,and Noel all three will be pretty good NBA players and possible ALL Stars but after that is a scap shoot and very thin draft...If it wasn't for the first three names this draft would be consider the worst ever...But the 2014 NBA draft looks to be loaded up top with players that have superstar pontential with Wiggins,Parker,Randle,VonLeh,and Young with incredible depth through out the first rd and a solid 2nd rd...

 

It's much easier to draft superstars if you're drafting in the top 5, no? I'm not being dismissive of Presti but if he's so good at drafting why couldn't he draft a decent 2nd rounder besides Ibaka? Which is easier to draft, someone like Harden who's been in the limelight for one year and played extremely well in college? Or someone like Parsons who a lot of people were actually doubting if he was good enough to play in the NBA?

For example your statement "All he did was draft the world's best player" makes it seems like Presti was the shizzle but realistically speaking who was gonna pass up KD at number 2? LOL I could be the OKC GM, and I'd even pick KD at number 2, and Harden was already the consensus 3rd pick by draft time. Which leave WB and Ibaka as Presti's great picks. Presti is a good GM, but he also started his job with a clear capspace and Durant in his back pocket.

More importantly number 4 it's not like you hold the draft in your hands, most drafts have only 2 guys with superstar potential and there might not be a star for the picking at number 4. For example if everyone redid the 2009 draft you'd have Griffin, Harden, Lawson at 3, which would leave you with Rubio or Evans at number 4. Not exactly what I would call earth shattering lol. And that's the best case scenario, what if they get 5th-14th?

 

It's hard to predict guys in high school. I mean coming out of high school Rivers looked like he was gonna be MJ 2.0. So personally I wouldn't judge players in highschool.

 

Err.. no... a bad example on my part, because Mendenhall is terrible, but considering the limitations on the team going forward if Harden even accepted their final offer, it was a pretty good haul for a team that wanted to remain flexible and have sustained success (and not end up with LA's luxury tax).

Does it hurt their 2012 chance? Absolutely. But, I'd be willing to argue that 2013+, this gives a greater opportunity to be better as a team*. Admittedly, a greater opportunity to be worse, especially if someone goes down to injury.

The whole X won. No, Y won! Is somewhat silly, since both teams had very different goals. (Last part isn't directed towards you.)



*Brooks never did figure out how to integrate the 3 players.

 

Some you act like this is the same when Lebron left Cleveland. They would have never been able to use Harden to full potencial. Thunder has been the best team in the NBA thus far(largest margin of victory in the league, 3rd best team on offense, 6th best on defense). They are better now than they were last year(this year ORtg: 109.9; last year: 107.1 this year: 100.0 DRtg:99.3).

Why are they better? Improvement of Durant, Westbrook and especially Ibaka. Martin has been an efficient role player. There is more ball movement on offense(last year last in assists ratio, this year 5th). I don't think there would be so much ball movement, if Harden was still there. They have better shot at beating Miami this year since Miami took a step back.

 

And what are the odds of the number 4 pick being in the same league as Harden? Who cares about the Toronto pick? The Rockets got what they wanted and needed. A budding superstar. Does anything else matter?

 

The odds of a top 5 pick working out are better than not, but let's not act like they're a slam dunk. Or that top picks won't end up so bad that they somehow mess up a slam dunk on the court.




This one's a classic:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ueqGQIf9XLk

 

Why is Eric Beldsoe a wasted pick?

Presti didn't draft Aldrich, he drafted Poindexter and traded him and Brackins for Aldrich. So he traded 2 picks in the 20s for the #11 pick, and all 3 players were busts.

Consider that Landry Fields is probably the best guy taken after Brackins, and you really can't knock Presti at all for drafting Brackins and Poindexter.

So really, what you are saying is that Presti has a bunch of great draft picks, and zero failures.

 

Repped for truth.