Yeah, he's definitely no Hayes on the defensive end. However, he would give us a nice change of pace. The guy has plenty of room to grow. He just turned 20 in March. The guy was born in 1987.
After doing some research on McRoberts, he looks like a pretty good pick to me. We're not looking for a perrenial all-star player here. The guy looks like a very versatile combo-forward who brings a high IQ, a nice shot, hustle and really differentiates from what Hayes gives us. The guy is not going to be asked to guard other top 4's in the league, he would be a nice guy off the bench bringing a different aspect to the 4. He also looks to be a good fit for Adelman's offense. Yes, ideally we would all love a borderline all-star playing the 4, but either way, he seems to be a guy that could give the team some nice, versatile depth. Here are some other highlights of his overall game: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtE1I_zV94w I'd go Thadeuss Young, McRoberts or Sean Williams
If he's not going to be asked to guard the other top 4's in the league who is....What would be the point of drafting him as a PF if he's not expected to guard the other teams 4? I don't follow. I'm not asking for a All-Star caliber player at the 4, not at all, I'm simply looking for a better Defensive/Rebounding/Toughness skill set then I believe McRoberts offers. Frankly I don't think he will be available at 26, and I just don't believe he's worthy of trading up for. Also Thadeuss Young won't fall much past 15 his upside his much too high. So unless they are trading up we won't sniff him. Also, I don't think Sean Williams will be available either, from reading some of the NY Papers and press and listening to Isiah they really like Sean Williams alot, so I'd be suprised if he falls any further than NY at 23.
Responding as a Duke student, this is the post I agree with most. I've watched the guy in person throughout the last year and this is a pretty good assessment of his game, high IQ (except for an inbounds pass he threw straight to the opposing team in crunch time), great offense and ball handling, average athletecism, can run up and down, and alot of passion in his game (which sometimes boils over into hot-headedness) - but he won't be expected to be a leader on the Rockets. The C-Webb unclutchness comparison is also fairly accurate, as described in the inbounds example above. HOWEVER, if there's a crunch time play and Adelman designs it for McRoberts ahead of Tracy McGrady AND Yao Ming, then I think we have bigger issues. He always guarded the best big man on opposing teams here in Durham, but didn't always shut them down. He definitely will not be able to guard the top 4's in the league, but: - how many teams have such good players at the 4 AND the 5, or the 3 and the 4, so that help defense schemes or different assignments can't be devised? - since when does an Adelman team rely on defense? McRoberts, in my opinion, is a great fit for Adelman's style because his offensive skills can make up for his defensive inadequacies. It may be easier to teach McRoberts to jump up and swat a ball every once in a while than it will be to teach Sean Williams to dribble behind his back twice in a row ... not that we want McRoberts doing that in a game anyway ... but the point remains. Ideally, he'd be the backup for the starting PF (whomever that turns otu to be) at this point.
Let's try to crack the Da Vinci code here.. If #1 is true, perhaps a team that doesn't have a 1st round pick would be interested in the #26. Indiana doesn't have a first round pick... With both Dunleavy and Murphy, Bird probably realizes his mistake, and wants some cap relief. Enter Bob Sura's contract... Then we have Morey talking about a potential PF he thinks has 'All Star' potential. Enter Ike Diogu, who's 'potential' is off the charts.... All signs point to Ike!
a starting PF? Randolph is on the block...but I don't see it working. Would take Rafer, Sura, Head, Snyder.. plus the pick. Yeah, I doubt it. Portland doesn't want Rafer's contract with all the PG's they already have. Sura + Rafer for Shelden Williams?
Can you explain to me why the Atlanta Hawks as bad an organization as they have been would trade their 5th overall pick from last years draft for Rafer Alston? They are not that desperate. Let's be realistic in terms of trade talk.
Has anyone, anywhere heard or seen (on draft web sites, or from people who follow college and NBA basketball closely) someone who thinks McRoberts is going to be a quality NBA contributor? I haven't.
McRoberts looks like he can play. He can put the ball on the floor decently for some one his size. I like how when he is going after rebounds he is looking to finish afterwards. He does not look like he is solely relying on his height to play, he has some solid fundementals. Anyone have his draft work out stats?
troy murphy? the pacers get into the draft, and pickup a guard or two in the process. indiana's roster is very top heavy, and i'm sure they'd like to move some of thier bigs for a couple of guards, making them an obvious trading partner.
I agree he could be a solid piece. I also understand where people are coming from about him being soft, but a good thing is he won't have to be the man on this team. If you think he is afraid of contact he isn't, it is more about his mental makeup as one poster mentioned. Not wanting to take the last shot, not shooting everytime down the court even though his team is wanting him to, not being able to dominate are all question marks for this kid. All he has to do is play off of two great players which if you add his talent could be very effective. He may not be able to guard the likes of Duncan, etc. but who can really. I think he will hold his own against PF's eventually but it will take him awhile. Having a guy like Battier near would only help matters and maybe Battier can teach him a few things. I am a little worried about how much he "improved" in his sophomore season which was very little. He didn't seem as athletic as he was his freshmen year and in high school. It seems like he gained bad weight rather than good weight. It would be interesting to pick up someone with his talent on our team though. Dude can play like a guard at times. I recommend watching the video.
That is pretty accurate. Murphy played on the wing a lot in college and when he came to the NBA he got stronger(maybe too strong) but he used to be pretty athletic and a solid all around offensive game. McRoberts is a little tougher in the paint on offense looking to throw down any chance he gets. He is more used to the paint than the outside but he does play out there. McRoberts is a superior passer and would look nice in the high post.
How can you trade up if the guy you want later (26) isn't there? I think trade up trades most likely will happen if a guy is still on the board that you really want and another team is willing to trade down. Otherwise you are just speculating whether a guy will be there later at 26.
