Lets make one assumption... Chris Wilcox is a legit 6'10''. Now hold your fingers approximately 2 inches apart. If Chris Wilcox was that much taller, he would be up there with Ming and Jay Williams (that just sounds weird) as the cream of the draft crop. If he was 7'0'' not 6'10'', we would love him at center. Because he is 6'10'', we automatically think PF. But I think he can play center. Look around the leauge. Shaq will dominate him, but Shaq dominates everyone. He will be similar in size to all the other big men. Duncan, Webber, Rasheed Wallace are all about his size. He is a lot stronger than KG and Nowitzki. He's about the same size as Elton Brand and Antonio McDyess. He also would give us versatility. We could play big with Cato, Wilcox and Griffin. Play a fast lineup with our 3 guards, Griffin and Wilcox. We know he can rebound with his combination of size, agility, and leaping ability. He can run and finish on the break. I think he can be a decent shot blocker. Teamed with Cato, I think our center position would be better than average. I know SF is a need, but I think Wilcox provides too much to pass up. Maybe one of the Euros with the 15. I also like the idea of keeping Oscar Torres as a big guard off the bench. If we lose him, maybe Lenny Cooke at 38? Regardless, I think Wilcox is our man with our first pick.
I think I would rather fill the small forward position right now, but I would not be upset with taking Wilcox with our first pick. Gooden, I wouldn't be so happy with. I don't think Drew is the type of big man the Rockets need. I bet with Wilcox's combination of height, leaping ability, wingspan, and large hands, the tips of his fingers can reach higher in the air than just about anyone currently in the NBA. He will definitely be able to change some shots. There's no doubt in my mind he will be one of the best defenders in the league. I'm thinking he'll be like Ben Wallace, but with potential to develop an offensive game.
I think your 2" comment is a bit simplistic. It's about height as well as bulk, and the ability to add strength. That having been said, I'm very impressed with how much Wilcox has bulked up in the last year or so, and I think that @ 19 years old, given his recent development, I don't think that it's unreasonable to say that in a year or two he might develop the bulk to be a true NBA center.
I tend to agree about Gooden. I think best case scenario for him is he will be a decent contributor in the right system. That system, however, is not Houston's. I do like Wilcox as a better fit for the Rockets. His size and tenacity add something that is currently missing.
Welcome Beckman. I am in favor of getting a good three with the first pick and a "project" center with the 15. I say project, because any center who can start or is fairly certain to start soon will not be available at 15, this year or any other. Pryzilla, Eric Montross and Uwe Blab were all top ten picks, and pretty much all expected to bust. That being said, I have no problem taking any big body in the 6'10 range and just seeing what happens. Too many power forwards, we just play two fours and make it work. Lets face it, we have played Taylor, Thomas and Griffin at that position. At fifteen all you can do is take the best athelete/body and hope it works.
To all of you who think Wilcox is superior to Gooden you OPINION is noted. Come up with some proof. Gooden 6'10" 230# Wilcox 6'10" 220# advantage Gooden Gooden had 44 Double Doubles in his career at Kansas Wilcox had ZERO double figure rebounding games the entire 01-02 season. Gooden has proved his worth. Wilcox is talented but he is still a "potential" guy. The list of players who have had 44 double doubles in three years of college in the history of the NCAA is going to be pretty short. Gooden is the real deal.
Wilcox isn't 19, he was born 2/26/80, which makes him 22. That is important because at 19 he has some growing to do. At 22 he's finished. I am waiting to see how the Rockets evaluate Amare Stoudemire, who is 18 or 19. Stoudemire has the same freakish athleticism with the same frame. However, he has some growing time left and reportedly has the frame to add more muscle.
I agree that Wilcox could eventually play center for us, and be the inside presence we desire since the Olajawon prime. However, it is not definite that he could grow anymore in height and bulk to be able to play the 5. He should esily be able to bulk up 20 pounds or so in 2 years, but still, no guarantees? I would love to have him on our team reagardless, but if he doesn't pan out at the center spot, he would be another pf on this team....something we do NOT need, especially with the drafting of EG last year, Mo-T, and KT. We have to build and grow each year in the draft, especially with as high of picks that we have this year. That being said, if Wilcox can definitely play the Center position, and that's what we draft him for, pick him, but if he's going to be another PF, I say we have to select a SF like Dunleavy, Woods, or Butler, and keep Eddie Griffin as our future star PF, and let him grow and show his full potential at that position. This way we are stacked with talent and potential at 4 out of our 5 starting positions. Then again, if we trade Mo-T, somehow, move KT to the 3 spot, and play Wilcox at PF, we could have 2 potentially young stars at the big-man position. Then, we can select a "tweener" or "developmental" center/pf/bigman/defender with the #15th pick like (it'd be nice if Wilcox drops, but shouldn't happen) Hilario, Ely, Marcus, and HOPEFULLY Stoudemire or Tskitishivili!!!
I'm not sold on Wilcox either. His accomplishments are few and he's not a spring chicken like Tsika or Stoudamire. I just don't see a big man worth taking at the 5-7 spot unless Nene is the real deal. The only options I like at that spot are to pick a SF, trade the pick for Odom or Marion(read not Lewis!) or trade down like HP suggested. I see no need to trade up from that 1st pick.
Seriously though, if Wilcox weighs 220, then I must weight 110. I know it says that on some sites but I've also seen him listed as 240.
He's going to need to weigh in at 260 before he can play center. Will he be as athletic at 260 lbs.? My hunch -- and its only a hunch since I have not seen Amare play -- is that Stoudemire is going to be the steal of the draft and will have a future long after Wilcox has Harold Miner-ed out. (However, the company psychic told me I have double mystic M's in my palms -- a sign of clairvoyance.) Deal with that!
Who weighs more? Wilcox is 240-245, he does not weigh 220. That's what he weighed comming in as a freshman. So really it's advantage Wilcox... Who's physically quicker and has better leaping ability? Advantage Wilcox.... Who won their head to head matchup? Advantage Wilcox.... Who's younger? Wilcox, NBAdraft.net is wrong, they Chris' birthday mixed up with someones. Looking at his Bio on Maryland's website and preseason program I have he was born August 3, 1982 http://umterps.fansonly.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/wilcox_chris00.html Chris had no double-digit rebounding games? How about 10 double digit rebounding games.... I can list them if you'd like.... Delaware State, Princeton, Monmouth, NC State, Clemson, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Duke, and Virginia twice. Gooden had 10 Double Doubles in his Sophmore year.... Wilcox had 8 Double Doubles in his Sophmore year... So that's not so far apart, and Wilcox was a third option compared to Gooden being a primary option his sophmore year. Wilcox is 6 months younger than Kwame Brown and has played on a team that's been to a Final Four and won an NCAA title, while learning under a talented coach in Gary Williams. He's at worst maybe a year older than Amare, probably closer to 6 months or so, if anyone has Stodumire's birthday they could calculate it. I'm not trying to bash Gooden, he's a very talented player but he's much more of a finesse big man than Wilcox and could never play Center in the NBA. Wilcox is younger, stronger and more athletic, and has a much greater ability to play both PF and C. If choosing between the two, I'd go with Wilcox simply because he's more of what the Rockets need.
The only way we take Wilcox (or Gooden, Hilario, or Stoudemire for that matter) is if we believe they could be a center. They don't have to be an ideal center. They don't have to be the best center of all time, but they would have to be at least capable of teaming with EG as a 4-5 combo of the future. If our scouting is capable that any of those guys can fill that void then I'm all for drafting one of them. However, I think that SF is a much safer bet. Its an equally important hole in our team and its an easier position to assess this season. We might be able to draft Wilcox and trade up to get Butler, so that may be a way to go. I just want to be sure that we fill our SF hole, which is the obvious position that can be filled in this draft. C is tough, SF is easier, so there's no reason to screw up on the easy position to assess just taking a stretch on a guy that may or may not be able to play the 5.
Welcome Beckman. Wilcox would be an interesting Rockets pick, and I wouldn’t be disappointed if that is what we do. We must have been one of the softest defensive teams last year (especially inside). Wilcox would help to give our front court some of the size, strength, and tenacity that we have been sorely lacking to cover up for our very poor perimeter defense. Can’t you just see Stevie lobbing ally-oops to Wilcox? Of course, there is always the Maryland connection in Wilcox favor. It seems that the Rockets love players from Maryland. Not to mention that Terrance Morris could give the Rockets the inside scoop on Wilcox work ethic and etc. since they played together last year. Unlike most people, I’m not convinced that the Rockets couldn’t use another PF. While I don't disagree that we need a SF, I do expect Glen Rice and Terrance Morris to both be back next year. However, I have doubts about a successful return to form from Mo Taylor (I hope I’m dead wrong about this). Since Kenny Thomas is our most marketable commodity this offseason, I’m not necessarily counting on him playing the 4 for us next year. That would just leave us with just Eddie Griffin at the 4 (who just isn’t yet big enough to take the pounding inside on an every night basis). IMO, Eddie Griffin and Chris Wilcox would make a very fine pair of forwards for the Rockets future. Who says we have to have a 3 and a 4? Eddie could continue to play primarily outside (at least until he beefs up), and Wilcox could play inside. In a worst case scenario, we could see which one (Griffin or Wilcox) best fits onto our team of the future, and the odd man out would be a very valuable trade commodity after a few years development. Heck, if Kenny Thomas is marketable now, imagine how much more marketable that either Wilcox or Griffin would be later if things didn’t work out. Even if we keep Kenny Thomas, it seems like he and Wilcox would play very well together. Kenny has everything that Wilcox doesn’t offensively, and Wilcox has what Kenny doesn’t in athleticism. In the near term, Eddie Griffin could get significant minutes off the bench backing up both players and continue his gradual development. Glen Rice could be a great offensive weapon off the bench if he could swallow his ego. If he returns, Mo T could play center with his newly acquired bulk (with significant minutes behind Cato) if he had Eddie Griffin or Chris Wilcox to help him on defense. In summary, I see Wilcox as potentially giving us some things we are in short supply of and of giving us alot of flexibility in the front court both short and long term. All that being said, however, I am not at all convinced that Wilcox could play the 5 in the NBA. I must further admit that Wilcox doesn’t seem at all like the kind of player the Rockets like to draft. I’m so used to seeing us draft players with offensive skills, and favoring big men with great lateral movement and the ability to play multiple positions (its scary how much Drew Gooden fits this profile), that its hard for me to see us drafting and keeping Wilcox. Additionally, I think Wilcox value is rising in the draft at this very moment. Hence, if we draft Wilcox, I fully expect us to trade down using him as the prize. We will see!
Stoudamire at 18 years old and 240 lbs may be the closest thing to a NBA 5 of the bunch. Stoudamire will certainly added 10-20 lbs to his frame as he matures, making him sizewise a legit NBA 5. Drafting Soudamire will be a big risk, by whomever drafts him. Drafting Woods, a 2/3, appears to be less risky, given his one year of JuCo ball.
Stoudamire's 19, not 18 and I'm slightly concerned that no site seems to have his actual date of birth. The only reason I'm sure he's 19 is from this article from December 4th 2001 http://www.sptimes.com/News/120401/Sports/Young_man_with_a_BIG_.shtml Even assuming he turned 19 on that day, he's only 4 months younger than Wilcox. And with similar body builds, between the 2 I think the better choice is the one with 2 years of college under his belt.
JB, nice post. Those that bash Gooden or think he would not be a decent player for the Rockets are talking out of their keisters. Saying there might be better players/prospects, well that may be true and is a worthy debate. That said, I think you underestimate the importance of Gooden's better shooting range, offensive polish, and court sense. It is no sure thing Wilcox develops these and is my chief concern with him. For example McDyess may be the most physically explosive 4 in the world, but he still isn't the player TD is or RW is (when RW head is on strait). I could see Gooden and Wilcox development going like this. Swami-- I totally agree with you that we should NOT stay away from drafting a 4 merely because we have some depth and decent players there. Fact is none of those we do have are "good starting quality" 4s in the WC. If the best player on the board when we pick is primarily a 4 we take him and then go from there. If we trade MoT, KT or even EG down the line because they aren't as good or can't adjust to get minutes at other positions because the new guy is better so be it. That is a problem I wouldn't mind having. I also think the tale of the tape will be very important. They both better be 6'9" plus (or have really long arms) with legit weight or my enthusiam will be hampered.
Thx for the compliment Desert, I don't think it's that I understimate Gooden's shooting range and polish over Wilcox. I'll readily agree that Gooden's at least year or 2 ahead of Chris in that department. It's part of the reason I'd love to see Wilcox stay another year at Maryland. If he worked hard another year with Gary Williams I honestly think he could challenge Labron James for a number 1 pick. I've watched Maryland practices and the stuff chris can do is phenomenal, another year to gain polish would make him a nightmare to defend. The other reason I want him to stay is a pure selfish Maryland fan bias. But in a decision between the 2, Gooden and Wilcox, I think we have to go for Wilcox. The Rockets need a back to the basket, low post threat, and between the 2 I think Wilcox will be the better back to the basket player at the start and can develop the rest as necessary. In my opinion Gooden plays Midrange, face to the basket as often as he posts up his man. It'll work well for a lot of teams but I don't think it's exactly what fits the Rockets offense as it is right now. But I may be wrong, so I'd love to hear people talk about why Gooden's a better fit. I'm sure Wilcox is as tall as Terence Morris, having seen them play together they're of similar height, I can't quite remember if he was noticably taller than T-mo, by that I mean more than an inch or so.
Jaybird, do you think Wilcox could eventually play center? The thing is, we really need someone who can adequately guard big men one-on-one and not get shoved around. Can Wilcox be that? If so, I'd have no problems going with Wilcox and Griffin in the frontcourt.
Honestly I think he COULD play Center. He was the strongest guy on the team last year, and the only player who could push Maryland's Strength and Training coach out of the post in low post drills. Growing another inch or so is a possibility but I wouldn't bet on it. Just like I wouldn't bet on any other players "possible growth." He'll be strong enough to play the 5, and his great leaping ability should overcome his height issues. I think he'll win the slam dunk competition this comming year. The bigger question will be would he want to play Center in the NBA. That I honestly don't know, and it's something that needs to be asked if the rockets are going to draft him. IF he doesn't want to play the 5, I wouldn't try to force him to do it and it makes him slightly less attractive a pick. He's not gonna be able to keep Shaq out of the post, but I'd put him up against most anyone else. If he's willing to play the 5, I'd be very happy to pick him up. He's got a lot of potential and over this last year has shown a much greater willingness to work on what he needs to develop.
