Where did this guy come from? I've seen a couple of Kansas games this season, and this dude is everywhere. 16 points, 9 rebounds, 50% from the field, and he's shooting 87% from the charity stripe. Is this guy lottery material? Heck, do the Rockets even HAVE a first round pick this year?
If I'm not mistaken, he's a junior who's had injury plagued seasons his first two years. He's always shown flashes of brilliance and was a great high school scorer. A great athletic talent, I think he's just now developing some fundamentals and techniques, like the 87% will show (that is amazing, btw). Him and Aaron Miles are supposed to keep KU afloat in the post Collison/Hinrich years... I wouldn't go so far as to say lottery...yet. I think he'll probably be picked somewhere around where Keith Bogans was...at worst, Jason Kapono. The injuries are a real deterrance for a lot of teams, though, and I don't think Rox have a first rounder...
This guy would DEFINITELY be in the lottery if not for his injuries. He will be a first rounder this year for sure. When he was a jr last year, he avg about 16 and 8 I think. My friend used to live in kansas and raved about him. I've watched a couple games of him, and this guy has much much better potential than collison. He'll probably be drafted somewhere late in the lottery. I hope we have a chance to get him.
Oh yeah, the rockets have their own first round pick this year. The first round pick traded to Utah would be the one next year. We should have around the 17-20's pick, so we still have hope of getting him unless he tears it up.
Are you sure? This press release says differently. http://www.nba.com/jazz/news/amaechi_093003.html Salt Lake City – Utah Jazz Sr. Vice President of Basketball Operations, Kevin O’Connor announced today that the Utah Jazz traded center John Amaechi and a second round draft pick (received from Sacramento in the Keon Clark trade) to the Houston Rockets for small forward Glen Rice and Houston’s first round draft pick in 2004. The pick is protected to within lottery range. Additionally, Houston gives the Jazz a conditional first round pick in 2004, acquired by the Rockets from Chicago in 2000. If Chicago retains the pick then the Jazz will receive two second round picks from Chicago, one in 2005 and 2006. Utah also receives additional consideration from Houston. We still have our second-round pick, right? Guess that means we have two second-rounders this year.
Honestly don't see Simien dropping down into the second round...but, if the past has shown us anything, it's that good talent does drop down to later rounds. As recently as 2002 (Yao's draft), Boozer went in the second, and he's averaging a double double, i do believe. Maybe we'll get lucky too
I'm too lazy to check on the 1st round status, but I always thought it was the one next year. Anyways, no way Simien falls to the 2nd round unless he injures himself again or something like that. I can't belive CD is so stupid. We could have gotten much more for rice + 1st rounder than amachie w/ cap space. Last 5 years we haven't found one good player in the draft.
To be fair, I'm sure they've FOUND good players in the draft...they just haven't necessarily drafted them... Besides, there was one 7'6" dude who we got in last year's draft...#1 or something...
Isn't he 7'5??? Haha. Yes he is very good. I don't think the Rockets' choice on Yao was difficult at all. They had no choice but to draft him. They were losing loads of money, so Les needed somebody that would bring fans and up the value of the Rockets. Of course that's why we HAD to draft Yao. Over the past 10 years, the rockets "found" about 2 or 3 good players. Mobley was one of the best finds. Harrington wasn't bad. I'd give props for Kenny and Dickerson. So that's 4 players we've "found" over the past 10 years. I can't count Francis or Yao because they were 1st and 2nd picks in which they are supposed to succeed.
