Seriously? It's absolutely amazing he's even being considered in the top 10 rookies right now. We drafted him 44th. He is ranked 6 right now. How do you have anything negative to say about that?
Chase will be a better ROLE player than virtually anyone on that list. Elite role players (Ron Artest, Brent Barry, Dennis Rodman, Mario Elie) are worth a great deal. Chase will shoot the ball at a high percentage, not make many mistakes and play smart defense. He may never average 20 points a game, but it doesn't mean he won't be a very good player. He is a steal at #44, and I suspect he would be a top 15 pick if the draft were held today.
A thought occurred to me today when I was thinking about how great Morey's drafting has been with Brooks, Landry and Budinger. We heard over the summer that DM was targetting a top ten pick to get one of the many guards in the draft. Everyone just assumed it was Rubio, but I wonder if he was actually trying to get Evans or Jennings, both of which seems to stand above the rest. Hopefully his scouting picked up how good they were going to be so quickly
What's impressive, to me, is Budinger's defense. It's not all-world or is he a defensive stopper by any means but he's not the defensive sieve the same way Von Wafer and Steve Novak were.
Considering how hard Morey was trying to get into the lottery last season, he probably had a very good idea how good they all were. Especially since he commented on how many good PGs were in the draft. Morey tends to be quite on target when it comes to projecting draft picks.
Very promising in my opinion. Rubio and Thabeet looked to be the headliners in a weak draft, but perhaps it was not as weak as people were led to beleive.
Again, note that CBud was the only player not updated today. November 11, 2009 Nov. 11: Even though he had a very poor shooting night in Dallas (1-for-7) on Tuesday, the Rockets must be thrilled that he had nine rebounds. Lots of young players lose sight of the big picture when their shot isn't dropping, so it's good to see Budinger find other ways to contribute. November 04, 2009 Budinger continues to be somewhat of a revelation in this draft. He is playing with such confidence, which, when combined with world class athleticism and some serious skill, is a dangerous mix for opponents. More importantly, it's part of a winning recipe, as his 17 points and five rebounds in a 113-96 win over Utah Monday proved. For Houston to make the playoffs this season, they had to count on some "overachieving." In this case, it's not overachieving as much as achievement from an unexpected source. I know the Rockets brass loved what they saw from Budinger, a second-round pick, this summer, and nothing has changed. October 29, 2009 Some players make better pros than they do college athletes. That description fits Budinger thus far. He's better equipped to fill a role than be a do-it-all kind of guy, which makes Houston a good home for him. Although Budinger had trouble stringing together good shooting nights from deep this preseason -- he finished just 9 of 33 from 3 in eight games -- he was excellent in summer league and still had some terrific moments in the preseason as a shooter (and one game as a rebounder). In the Rockets' first game of the regular season, he struggled initially but came to life during their fourth-quarter run. He finished with 6 points on 7 shots after an 0-for-3 start. July 22, 2009 The comparisons to Adam Morrison (all offense, no defense) are missing one huge factor: Budinger is a purer shooter than Ammo was coming out of college. Budinger shot incredibly well all week in Vegas and made the best argument possible that he belongs on the Rockets' roster. July 17, 2009 He was the hottest shooter in Vegas, from inside and outside the arc. If he learns to rebound and make plays on defense, he has a chance to be the steal of the draft.
Best player in the draft may be Blake Griffin. What happens when M. Redd comes back. Jennings numbers may take a little hit, just like Ariza's and Brook's numbers when Mcgrady comes in to the lineup.
i totally agree. so many times we see rookies who cannot stay in the game because they lack confidence. the more confidence he builds early in his career the better.
