Harlem Mocks The First Half Of Round One
May 8, 2015 11:22:47 GMT -6
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Post by Portland on May 8, 2015 11:22:47 GMT -6
Until someone far more qualified posts one (i.e. one of the other 31 gms) I thought I'd do a mock.
Pick 1, Moscow CSKA: This team has the luxury of drafting for any position – no need to worry who’s going to be displaced by incoming talent because whoever gets chosen here instantly becomes The Franchise. The smart money would be on Moscow to snap up DWade with the pick and be done with it. But this gm has built past glory around elite post players and Pau Gasol would give him that. The gap between the Pau and the second-best center in this draft is substantial which in my mind makes Gasol even more valuable. I think the gm is weighing Wade/Gasol very hard right now. And I think he goes with… Dwayne Wade.
Pick 2, Chicago Bulls: With DWade off the board this pick becomes a no-brainer. The Bulls need a good young big man to usher Moses out of the promised land, and Paul Gasol will be him. A front court of Gasol, Worthy, and Grant will be fairly formidable right away, alongside Benji and whoever the team takes with the #4 pick. If Chicago keeps this pick (and I think they do) it’s Gasol.
Pick 3, REAL Madrid: Now things get interesting. REAL has a lot of young talented players coming on but none seems likely to be an all-league performer so it’s important this selection lands an impact player. I’d like to see this pick used on a versatile wing capable of slashing to the basket, a lunch pail guy not afraid to get his hands dirty in counterpoint to the effete stylings of Ray Ray and Peja. That logic would lead to Manu or Shawn Marion. But… ABCA pundits have been pointing out that KJ is not turning into the next-level point guard some predicted for him, and sitting there on the board is Mr. Longoria. I think it comes down to Manu or Parker, and I’m going to give the nod to Tony Parker here.
Pick 4, Chicago Bulls: With Gasol in hand I think the Bulls would have gone for Parker here, but now they are going to need to look at legitimate scorer, and there are a lot of them on the board. GInobili and Marion are capable of filling up the bucket while also playing exceptional defense. I don’t see how you can pass up a SF who can be an elite defender all over the court and still get you points, so I’m going with Shawn Marion to the Bulls at #4.
Pick 5, Cairo Zamalek: It’s a new day in Cairo with the Dave Bings and Terry Dischingers of the team having now been mercifully euthanized. The Zamalek will be wanting to make a safe choice with this pick and when it comes to low-risk, high-reward options I don’t think there’s a better one than Manu Ginobili. Tayshaun Prince would be a slightly better fit but I think Cairo is wise to think BPA here. They select Manu.
Pick 6, Philadelphia 76ers: Philly has been acquiring young talent via the “throw it on the wall and see what sticks” approach, which is not necessarily a slam. It’s not unlike the real Sixers (or Sam’s Club): Buy in bulk now and figure out where to put it later. With this pick and two others in the top 35, I expect this team to add nicely to its stable of young athletes. Here I think they add some needed muscle in Elton Brand.
Pick 7, Bayi Rockets: I have very little feel for what might happen to this pick, which will dictate who defends the Alamo with Tim Duncan next season. An agile all-purpose wing who can play D like Tayshaun or Artest would make a lot of sense here, but instead I’m going out on a limb to say the Rockets will go for a legit playmaker to control the offense. Maybe a little early for this guy, but I say Bayi takes Steve Francis.
Picks 8 & 9, Tel Aviv Maccabi: They’re singing the dreidel song in Tel Aviv, celebrating interesting times ahead with the team just about to surround Dirk with three or four really good young players. The first two come now. Unfortunately the Maccabi are stocked at forward and that’s where the talent on the board leads here, creating a pleasant dilemma for the gm. A serviceable center would do wonders for this squad – maybe the smallish Okafor fits in the pivot for Maccabi - but they can also probably find one at #18. The team needs a PG badly and if Francis is still around he goes now, but with him sipping mai tais in Bayi there’s no sense reaching for a lesser talent here. I think one of these picks should be dealt for a young PG but I believe both become BPA selections. My guess is Tayshaun Prince and Emeka Okafor head to Israel.
Pick 10, San Antonio Spurs: It makes so much sense for the Spurs to go SG here that there’s no reason to discuss ifs, ands, or buts. Jason Richardson fits the bill nicely. He’s not a guaranteed ABCA superstar in the making but he’s going to be very, very good at a minimum, and he’s going to fit next to Fat Lever like a glove. The pick is Richardson.
Pick 11, Lithuania BC Zalgiris: The gm has been looking to trade this pick along with #13, but if they stay with their youth movement there’s no need to do that. They require a classic small forward, preferably who can penetrate the lane and score. Rashard Lewis might work and has a better all around game, but I think Andrei Kirilenko best fits the need and will play hella defense in addition. Kirilenko goes here to BC Zalgiris.
Pick 12, Harlem Globetrotters: This pick may be dealt, given the gm’s general disdain for young players. But if Artest is there when our pick comes I may do a draft and trade, since Whirled Peas carries a lot of buzz around the ABCA and damn can he play. Carlos Boozer would be a good pickup for us also, and I’m pretty intrigued by the thought of having a no-conscience shooter like Boozer down low. But he’s a young Dukie and that’s a double whammy in Harlem. I think its Artest here.
Pick 13, Lithuania BC Zalgiris: This could be a dangerous pick for BC because some of the best players left are risky in one way or another. On the assumption that Hersey Hawkins might not have won the team’s SG role outright Rashard Lewis or Ricky Davis would be a good choice, but not necessarily a sexy one. I think this pick is dealt, but if not… BC picks Lewis here.
Pick 14, Boston Celtics: Boston is a team on the rise so who they take here is fairly critical: it may be the highest draft selection they make for years. The team has some aging guards on the roster in Tal Brody and Walt Hazzard and I’m not a Vinny Del Negro believer by any means, so I think Boston gets Marbs a new running buddy with this selection. They take real life Celtic Ricky Davis with this pick.
Pick 15, Buenos Aires Boca Juniors BC: Like Harlem the old Boca gm probably didn’t dream he would be making a mid-round first pick in 2027. The roster is decimated right now and I don’t know if the new gm has the stomach for a long rebuild. So... big selection here. A nice safe choice would be Carlos Boozer, a risk would be Joe Johnson, and I say it’s Boozer to BA.
Pick 16, San Antonio Spurs: The Spurs again, and the Spurs might want a big to push Sidney Green into more of a reserve role. A really big big. I can’t disagree with the game itself here; Tyson Chandler is an excellent choice and so the Spurs steal him away from the Maccabi who I expect have been watching anxiously to see if the high schooler might fall to them.
Pick 1, Moscow CSKA: This team has the luxury of drafting for any position – no need to worry who’s going to be displaced by incoming talent because whoever gets chosen here instantly becomes The Franchise. The smart money would be on Moscow to snap up DWade with the pick and be done with it. But this gm has built past glory around elite post players and Pau Gasol would give him that. The gap between the Pau and the second-best center in this draft is substantial which in my mind makes Gasol even more valuable. I think the gm is weighing Wade/Gasol very hard right now. And I think he goes with… Dwayne Wade.
Pick 2, Chicago Bulls: With DWade off the board this pick becomes a no-brainer. The Bulls need a good young big man to usher Moses out of the promised land, and Paul Gasol will be him. A front court of Gasol, Worthy, and Grant will be fairly formidable right away, alongside Benji and whoever the team takes with the #4 pick. If Chicago keeps this pick (and I think they do) it’s Gasol.
Pick 3, REAL Madrid: Now things get interesting. REAL has a lot of young talented players coming on but none seems likely to be an all-league performer so it’s important this selection lands an impact player. I’d like to see this pick used on a versatile wing capable of slashing to the basket, a lunch pail guy not afraid to get his hands dirty in counterpoint to the effete stylings of Ray Ray and Peja. That logic would lead to Manu or Shawn Marion. But… ABCA pundits have been pointing out that KJ is not turning into the next-level point guard some predicted for him, and sitting there on the board is Mr. Longoria. I think it comes down to Manu or Parker, and I’m going to give the nod to Tony Parker here.
Pick 4, Chicago Bulls: With Gasol in hand I think the Bulls would have gone for Parker here, but now they are going to need to look at legitimate scorer, and there are a lot of them on the board. GInobili and Marion are capable of filling up the bucket while also playing exceptional defense. I don’t see how you can pass up a SF who can be an elite defender all over the court and still get you points, so I’m going with Shawn Marion to the Bulls at #4.
Pick 5, Cairo Zamalek: It’s a new day in Cairo with the Dave Bings and Terry Dischingers of the team having now been mercifully euthanized. The Zamalek will be wanting to make a safe choice with this pick and when it comes to low-risk, high-reward options I don’t think there’s a better one than Manu Ginobili. Tayshaun Prince would be a slightly better fit but I think Cairo is wise to think BPA here. They select Manu.
Pick 6, Philadelphia 76ers: Philly has been acquiring young talent via the “throw it on the wall and see what sticks” approach, which is not necessarily a slam. It’s not unlike the real Sixers (or Sam’s Club): Buy in bulk now and figure out where to put it later. With this pick and two others in the top 35, I expect this team to add nicely to its stable of young athletes. Here I think they add some needed muscle in Elton Brand.
Pick 7, Bayi Rockets: I have very little feel for what might happen to this pick, which will dictate who defends the Alamo with Tim Duncan next season. An agile all-purpose wing who can play D like Tayshaun or Artest would make a lot of sense here, but instead I’m going out on a limb to say the Rockets will go for a legit playmaker to control the offense. Maybe a little early for this guy, but I say Bayi takes Steve Francis.
Picks 8 & 9, Tel Aviv Maccabi: They’re singing the dreidel song in Tel Aviv, celebrating interesting times ahead with the team just about to surround Dirk with three or four really good young players. The first two come now. Unfortunately the Maccabi are stocked at forward and that’s where the talent on the board leads here, creating a pleasant dilemma for the gm. A serviceable center would do wonders for this squad – maybe the smallish Okafor fits in the pivot for Maccabi - but they can also probably find one at #18. The team needs a PG badly and if Francis is still around he goes now, but with him sipping mai tais in Bayi there’s no sense reaching for a lesser talent here. I think one of these picks should be dealt for a young PG but I believe both become BPA selections. My guess is Tayshaun Prince and Emeka Okafor head to Israel.
Pick 10, San Antonio Spurs: It makes so much sense for the Spurs to go SG here that there’s no reason to discuss ifs, ands, or buts. Jason Richardson fits the bill nicely. He’s not a guaranteed ABCA superstar in the making but he’s going to be very, very good at a minimum, and he’s going to fit next to Fat Lever like a glove. The pick is Richardson.
Pick 11, Lithuania BC Zalgiris: The gm has been looking to trade this pick along with #13, but if they stay with their youth movement there’s no need to do that. They require a classic small forward, preferably who can penetrate the lane and score. Rashard Lewis might work and has a better all around game, but I think Andrei Kirilenko best fits the need and will play hella defense in addition. Kirilenko goes here to BC Zalgiris.
Pick 12, Harlem Globetrotters: This pick may be dealt, given the gm’s general disdain for young players. But if Artest is there when our pick comes I may do a draft and trade, since Whirled Peas carries a lot of buzz around the ABCA and damn can he play. Carlos Boozer would be a good pickup for us also, and I’m pretty intrigued by the thought of having a no-conscience shooter like Boozer down low. But he’s a young Dukie and that’s a double whammy in Harlem. I think its Artest here.
Pick 13, Lithuania BC Zalgiris: This could be a dangerous pick for BC because some of the best players left are risky in one way or another. On the assumption that Hersey Hawkins might not have won the team’s SG role outright Rashard Lewis or Ricky Davis would be a good choice, but not necessarily a sexy one. I think this pick is dealt, but if not… BC picks Lewis here.
Pick 14, Boston Celtics: Boston is a team on the rise so who they take here is fairly critical: it may be the highest draft selection they make for years. The team has some aging guards on the roster in Tal Brody and Walt Hazzard and I’m not a Vinny Del Negro believer by any means, so I think Boston gets Marbs a new running buddy with this selection. They take real life Celtic Ricky Davis with this pick.
Pick 15, Buenos Aires Boca Juniors BC: Like Harlem the old Boca gm probably didn’t dream he would be making a mid-round first pick in 2027. The roster is decimated right now and I don’t know if the new gm has the stomach for a long rebuild. So... big selection here. A nice safe choice would be Carlos Boozer, a risk would be Joe Johnson, and I say it’s Boozer to BA.
Pick 16, San Antonio Spurs: The Spurs again, and the Spurs might want a big to push Sidney Green into more of a reserve role. A really big big. I can’t disagree with the game itself here; Tyson Chandler is an excellent choice and so the Spurs steal him away from the Maccabi who I expect have been watching anxiously to see if the high schooler might fall to them.
