2027 Draft Round Table (TLDR Edition ;) )
May 13, 2015 15:08:55 GMT -6
London, Tel Aviv, and 1 more like this
Post by San Francisco on May 13, 2015 15:08:55 GMT -6
2027 Draft Round Table
Welcome to the 2027 Draft Round Table. We have a bunch of participants this year. All answers are listed in alphabetical order by team nickname. Please vote in the poll for the GM who you think got the best answers.
Vote for the GM who you thought had the best answers.
First Place: 100 PP Bonus
Second Place: 75 PP Bonus
Third Place: 50 PP Bonus
All Participants Get 75 PP
First Place: 100 PP Bonus
Second Place: 75 PP Bonus
Third Place: 50 PP Bonus
All Participants Get 75 PP
1. Who are the top 5 players in this draft in your opinion and why? Who is your favorite player in this draft not in your top 5?
Bullets: Top five players in this draft for me are...
1. Dwyane Wade
2. Pau Gasol
3. Tony Parker
4. Manu Ginobili
5. Shawn Marion / Elton Brand
I feel that these are the top six players in the draft then there is a slight drop off in talent so couldn't leave one of those guys off. I think these guys all have the potential to be #1 / #2 type guys on a winning team down the line and all bring something different. Think Dwyane Wade is the top guy with his all round ability at the moment with the potential on top of his athleticism, only real fault I can see in his game is his three point shooting which is one of the easier things to camp. Then Pau Gasol has all the tools to become a great 7'0 footer in the league and starts off with some pretty impressive ratings so will contribute on day 1. Tony Parker looks like one of the better point guard prospects we have seen for a while and after Real moved Isiah last year they look to have another star point guard on their books. I'd put Manu at #4, his scoring potential could lead him to be the best scorer in the class down the road and add his size at 6'6 gives him the ability to play SF as well as SG. Couldn't separate Shawn Marion and Elton Brand at the 5th spot but both players have the ability to be special, Marion on the defensive end and Elton Brand on the offensive end.
As for my favorite player not in my top 5, there is a few players I like for different reasons, Ron Artest, Tayshaun Prince, Andre Miller to name a few but if there was one guy I would of wanted to of drafted it would be Andrei Kirilenko. He is a little raw at the moment so there is always an element of risk when drafting an 18 year old but with the right development and maybe a camp here and there think he has potential to be a top two way player but especially an elite defensive player.
Coach D: My order for the Top 5 players reads: Pau Gasol, Dwayne Wade, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, and Steve Francis. First of all, every player lacks something you’d like to see from a Top 5 player. However, Pau scares me the least as 4 or 5 who can play both sides of the ball efficiently. Dwayne Wade for all his athleticism is a mere rough TC from being another washed up athlete lacking skills. He scares me way too much to be 1st overall without the shooting from the 2 spot. Tony Parker gives you what you want from a PG while having elite quickness and still solid other athletic potential and defense. Manu lacks athleticism but gives you a vast array of scoring at the 2 or 3 and enough defense to support it. Francis is sort of a default 5th because he has the athleticism and skill combination to be the best of anyone remaining barring two TC jumps. Plenty of guys out there could make an argument but all lack more than these five.
My favorite non top 5 player has to be Tyson Chandler. Guys like him with athleticism and defense aren’t always easy to find. He could easily become a 10+ million dollar guy for 6-7 years after his rookie deal.
CSKA: Top 5 in my eyes were Wade(he's dwyane wade), Parker(high potentials all around, i wanted to trade down for him), Pau(good attributes for a big, I still wouldn't love him at 3), Marion(defense! fantastic support guy, could already start on a lot of teams), Francis(athlete, prd aside he isn't a huge drop off from wade). Honorable mention to Artest. My favourite player is definitely mighty mouse Damon Stoudamire since I'm a raps fan and he was our first semi-relevant player.
Kings: Wade, Gasol, Ginobili, Parker & Marion. My favorite player would be Francis because he reminds me so much of one of my favorite ABCA players and former Kings-men, Earl Manigault. I think he has a very high ceiling but a low floor too, however, I think he will be a good player on athleticism alone.
KK Paritzan:
1. Pau Gasol
2. Tony Parker
3. Gilbert Arenas
4. Steve Francis
5. Manu Ginobili
No, leaving Wade off this list was not an oversight. Wade is #6 on my list. While his athleticism is tempting, the lack of 3 point shot from a shooting guard is tough for me to swallow. The 4 guards I selected in front of him are more dynamic complete players at their positions.
Gasol is a 10/10 talent for me an a no-brainer at #1. The fact that he can pass puts him over the top for me and immediately becomes a top asset in the league.
Parker, with incredible handles and passing, and an ability to score from anywhere on the floor, makes him a lethal PG. My picks 2 though 5 could have really gone in any order, but Parker takes #2.
Arenas almost beat out Parker for #2 if only his defence were a bit better. On the offensive side, he could be a more lethal PG than Parker.
Francis, like Arenas, is less desirable for his question marks on the defensive end. On the offensive end, he too can score from anywhere while having the ability to make an incredible dish to a teammate.
Ginobili's defence, combined with is scoring abilities makes him a top 5 player in the draft for me. No holes to his game whatsoever. If his athleticism was a bit better, he could have been #2.
Favourite player outside of top 5: I have to say, I think Eddy Curry has the potential to be a very effective player in the league. At 7 feet 300lbs and the ability to score inside at will, I think he was incredibly underrated by GMs. I was hoping to grab him at #29 but he was taken just a couple picks earlier.
Knicks: Dwyane Wade: This is as obvious as obvious can be but Wade has to be in everyone’s top 5. Now I know some will point at his poor 3 point shooting because it’s hard to be a successful guard in this league without that but as long as he doesn't take too many of them and he exploits his insane athleticism he’ll be a monster.
Pau Gasol: He has an all around game that a lot of GMs would kill for in a big man. Well at least when it comes to his potential. He’ll rebound, pass, put up a high number of shot, score efficiently, and block a few shots. Now was he the best fit for a team that has been making a playoff push? Probably not but that has nothing to do with this question.
Shawn Marion: Marion falling to the #7 pick was probably the biggest shock for me in this draft. That’s not to say that I expect Marion to become some mega-star but I had him ranked between 3-5 on my big board. I’ve seen him compared to Bob Love (Click Here for Prime Bob Love) during the entire draft process but I think he has the potential of Love on defense but due to his athletic ability should be a stronger offensive weapon if he pans out. That’ll be the key for Marion because he may come out of the gate slower than some of his rookie counterparts but if he pans out
Tony Parker: Above I spoke about the all around game of Pau Gasol as a big man and Tony Parker is similar when it comes to PGs. When you look at PGs you want them to be able to get to the basket, shoot, defend, pass, rebound a bit and be at least a little athletic. If Tony Parker pans out to his potential then he is going to hit on all those points. Parker should be in the running for ROTY as he comes out one of the more ready rookies. But the selling point for him isn't how ready he is now but the numbers he will be expected to put up in his prime. We saw a player like Otis Birdsong put up 22 PPG | 9 APG | 4+ RPG | 2+ SPG in his prime at PG and I think you are looking for similar if not slightly better numbers from a prime Tony Parker. Will he get there? We don’t know but he’ll be fun if he does.
Manu Gibobili: I had to think a bit on the 5th guy for this list. I’m a fan of Elton Brand, Steve Francis, Gilbert Arenas and my non-top 5 favorite who we’ll get to later. But in the end I decided to go with the #5 pick, Manu Ginobili. Manu has the potential to have the best offensive game of any player in this draftand that is an impressive thing to say. He has the size to play the SF position, the scoring to play SG, and the passing to get spot minutes at PG. The one hole in his game is probably his less than ideal quickness for the SG position but if we’ve seen guys like Terry Furlow come in and average 19 PPG | 6.2 RPG | 4.8 APG at the wing positions I think Manu will be fine. He’s another that may take some time out of the gate especially because of the quickness but i’d set him at SF to start off and as he improves give him more time at the SG spot. Definitely can see him as a future all-star if all goes as planned.
*Non-Top 5 Favorite*
Ron Artest: My non-top 5 favorite is easily Ron-Ron who went to Maccabi in the mid-lotto. This guy has insane potential on the defensive end and is probably a lot closer to the Bob Love comparison than Shawn Marion was. He also could develop into a solid double digit scorer at the forward position and with that and his potential defense he could really be someone we look back on favorably from this draft class.
Lakers: 1. Dwyane Wade- Wade comes in looking better than the SGs of the past couple years. His potential looks like he can be the second best SG in the league behind MJ. He is not a great 3pt shooter and that can hinder him from reaching the elite of the elite of the league, but can easily become a 2 way threat and member of multiple all league teams.
2. Tony Parker- This is where I take my first swerve, but I am going off potential and my scout, and Parker looks like he can be one of the best point guards in the league if he fills out his potential. Its extremely risky because he's very young, but I really do not see a weakness in his game if he lives up to his potential. He can be an all around offensive threat and good on the defensive end as well.
3. Shawn Marion- The guy who fell to 7th comes in at number three for me. He looks to be the exact type of defender you want in this league right now. He could be the guy that solves the small ball PFs of the league. He is besides Wade, the only purple guy to my scout. Him and Tim Duncan are going to be an annoying front line going forwards. He is so well rounded and will contribute on offense.
4. Pau Gasol- I really almost dropped him to 5, but I think this is where Pau ultimately deserves to be. I just don't see as much potential with him as some others must have. He doesn't look like an elite scorer to me, he looks good, and he's a good passer, but not the top level offensive or defensive player I would want top 2. He'll be a very good player in the league, but I don't see elite.
5. Manu Ginobili- The sneaky lefty from Argentina is way too good of an offensive talent to fall out of the top 5. Yeah he is not the best defensive prospect, and he's not a freak of nature athlete, but the guy gets buckets. Im very interested to see how he actually turns out, the most intriguing prospect in the draft to me.
Favorite not in top 5: Ron Artest- I can honestly type out a bunch of stuff, but its the same stuff I said about Marion just to a lesser extent. He's like 90% what I said in Marion with a chance to be a decent three point shooter.
Rockets: Clearly Wade and Pau are at the top, and I feel very highly about Marion’s balance and Parker/Manu’s european-ness. Outside of the top five, I really like Andre Miller - he looks like a non-nonsense point guard who might not blow people’s minds, but will anchor a solid championship-contending team someday.
Towers: My scout had Wade, Pau, Marion, Manu & Parker, and I would have to agree with that. I think they are each very talented prospects but they each have some faults. Wade isn't a great shooter, Pau lacks a bit of strength, Marion doesn't shoot well (and maybe is a bit weak), Manu is a bit slow, and Tony Parker is a good PG but is he on the level of some of the recent 1st PGs taken (GP, Isiah, etc)? That being said, there is rarely a perfect prospect. Anyone can be picked apart. Each of these players should be very good pieces for the teams who drafted them. No faults there.
My favorite player out of the Top 5 would have to be Tayshaun Price but if we remove obvious London bias (trade for Bias?) I was a fan of a few other players but maybe one who jumps out if Ron Artest. He plays a style I like which is also why I gravitated toward Marion and Prince - they all play D thus can all play in the league. Write that down. Ron may never be an all-star but he will provide some very valuable minutes to Tel Aviv especially playing next to Dirk. That pairing works great on paper
Warriors: My top 5 are in order Wade, Gasol, Parker, Brand and Ginobili. I am conflicted by Wade, his lack of a 3pt shot could slow him down, although athletically he is prototypical in what you would want at SG. Gasol seems like the surest thing among the bigs in this draft, well balanced and should be a difference maker right away. Parker I really like, yes his perimeter shooting will need to improve, but the base is there for that to happen. I would have really considered him at 1 if I was a team that needed a PG. Brand to me is just a rock solid big. He isn’t flashy but I think you are looking at a good long career as a fringe all-star level player. Manu has the look of an elite offensive player, he will need to improve his defense and is a little lower than we would like from a player athletically at his position so that is why he dropped to 5th in our ratings.
Two Guys Come to Mind for us. Andre Miller we love strong guards and he is ready to step right in and run a team like a 10 year vet. Yes he needs a bit of development in terms of defense and shooting, but PG’s who rebound, run the show and test well for us athletically we love. Ron Artest. He is not a sure thing, he is a potential bust with his personality, but he is an athletic, strong player with some offensive skill who has the potential to be an elite defender. Can you imagine us with a 2nd unit feature him and Rodman play the 2-4 spots. We would be suffocating defensively. Excuse me I need to go make some phone calls!
Zalgris: 1. Pau Gasol, he has size, speed and the ability to be a great scorer from the C or PF spot.
2. Dwyane Wade one word ATHLETE! I am not looking forward to playing him for the next ten years.
3. Tony Parker he is super quick, can pass and has potenial to be a scorer and good defender. If it works out he could be one of the next wave of PG in the league.
4. Manu Ginobii his potential to be the best scorer in the league puts him into my top five and I like him maybe better that Wade…I always like the underdog!
5. Steve Francis I always liked Steve Franchise even when he hurt his team because of his bad shot selection and hero ball. He has all the tools, he just needs to put it together.
Michael Redd and not just because he went to THE OHIO STATE, he was a great shooting guard whose career was cut short by knee injuries. 2003-2009 he was an elite offensive guard in the NBA.
Zamelek: for me it's Wade, for obvious reasons. Pau, its rare you find a 7 footer thats that quick and as as skilled at his age. Parker, hes young, fast, skilled and French! Manu, his ability to score is off the charts and he's very crafty. Matrix, the kid out of unlv can do everything well, its a matter of if he can do anything great.
2. What 3 players do you think are overhyped in this draft and why?
Bullets: Steve Francis, Baron Davis, Ricky Davis. These are three guys who come to mind, don't get me wrong I like certain aspects of Steve Francis and Baron Davis game (more so Francis) but think both were drafted a little early if I'm honest. Now there is no denying Steve Francis athletic ability nor his potential in certain areas and if he reaches that potential then he could be a top player in this league, but we have seen that point guard is a position that does see their fair share of busts and at #4 I think there were better players available, for example an Ewing/Brand front court would of been nice. Baron Davis was a stretch for me at #10, I know Spurs may of needed a point guard but I would of gone with the best player available, outside his athletic ability I just don't see it, think his range was more late teens, early 20's. There was talk of Ricky Davis being a lotto pick, enough said on that one.Coach D: Dwayne Wade is the most overhyped. No real skill set to fall back on outside of getting to the rim. He’ll struggle to be efficient unless he is developed on the perimeter better. 2nd most overhyped is Shawn Marion, while he appears to be very solid defensively with some skill offensively, his athleticism and strength aren’t what we’d expect. Lastly, it has to be Ron Artest. He’s a ways from being able to help and doesn’t have the potential or skill set to be a difference maker. Normally this type of guy would be in the late teens to early 20s. Shows weakness of draft.
CSKA: Pau Gasol's strength scares me and he isn't an elite shot blocker, he wasn't in my mind for very long. Manny has that beast offensive potential, but his D and athleticism would keep him further down the list for me. Wade is overhyped now because he's going to CSKA, where basketball plays you.
Kings: Tyson Chandler, Joe Johnson & Andre Miller. I think all 3 are limited with low ceilings relative to where they were actually projected and being drafted. I really dislike Chandler as he has zero offensive game and his rebounding leaves a lot to be desired.
KK Partizan: 1. Dwayne Wade: I question how effective a player Wade will be in this league. With no 3 point shot, and not guaranteed to be the best ball hander or passer on the court, I question how one-dimensional he may become. 2. Tayshaun Prince: Wouldn't have touched this guy in the first round. What am I going to do with a guy who can't do much other then play defence? As part of a stacked team, he could be a really good 7th man. But if he's anywhere near your starting lineup, you're in trouble 3. Shawn Marion: I would have no problem having Shawn Marion on my roster. But I do believe he was overhyped by a lot of people in this draft. I question how productive he will be for a 7th overall pick.
Knicks: *I’d like to note that the guys that I am selecting here could still likely do very well but I just personally wouldn't have selected them at the spot they were selected*
Baron Davis: This guy is going to be an amazing athlete but I don't think he was the right pick at #10 for the Spurs. His offensive skill looks average at best outside of his athleticism and his handling and passing seem more suited for a SG than a PG. He will be a good rebounder and post defender for a PG but again he’s only average on the perimeter when it comes to defense. He could blow up and with a TC jump he could be a really nice PG but I think there were better options for the Spurs here like Tyson Chandler and if he wanted a PG I think trading back a few spots and grabbing Andre Miller may have fit what he needed more.
Richard Jefferson: Again another really fine athlete but I do not like RJ at 19 with some of the options that were still on the table. With his defense he is almost guaranteed to be a bench guy without a jump especially because his offense isn’t amazing. Now getting an athletic bench piece at 19 usually wouldn't be bad but I personally would've taken any of the next 5-6 picks ahead of him and I think Olympia missed out on getting someone who’ll have a bigger impact with their team’s current situation.
Avery Johnson: I’m not going to lie I am using this pick as a cop out because I really don't have a third guy. I didn’t like the Joe Johnson pick but I think everyone harped on that enough if i’m being completely honest, and I didn’t love the Jason Richardson or Carlos Boozer picks but I don't hate them either. I know its weird to point at the #32 pick and say Avery Johnson is overrated to have been taken here but I saw Avery Johnson as a mid to late 2nd rounder. Someone that if they had a good TC they get to hang out on someones bench but he now has 2 guaranteed contract years. So while it’s a bit of a stretch, I have to put him on here just for the fact that he was picked about 15-20 picks higher than I thought he would be.
Lakers: 1. Pau Gasol- Clearly by looking above you can see I do not agree with where Pau was being ranked redraft. This is all relative for each guys value so I still think Pau's good just not where he was ranked. He's a very good prospect, but not a great one.
2. Tyson Chandler- I get it, he is tall and a good athlete, but I just do not see it with him. Doesn't look too talented and I really do not think he'll end up getting to Tree levels. I think he is more likely to fall off than turn into a playable player.
3. Steve Francis- Honestly, there weren’t many choices for third to me as I think other guys have been valued pretty accurately so far, so Francis almost slides in as a default as he went higher than I expected. He is more of a super sub or SG, not able to play PG in my mind. I would love him off the bench, but went a little high to me, here as a technicality though.
Rockets: Francis doesn’t fit my idea of a PG, so I’d have expected him to drop a lot farther (he’ll be fine, I’m sure) and Arenas looks like a potential disaster TC death (no idea why I feel this way, but I wouldn’t be surprised.) And, funny enough, while I really like Marion I wouldn’t have been surprised to see him fall to #6 and was happy to see him at #7 - the talk that he’s the third best seems a bit overhyped to me.
Towers: Steve Francis, Joe Johnson, and Elton Brand - all three guys were late risers and I think maybe went a little early. I understand it with Brand, he was the best PF on the board. Francis too could be an interesting player. The Bulls saw an athlete they liked and took him to pair with Ewing. Joe Johnson has talent but I am not sure he is in the best place to succeed with Carter and McGrady seemingly intrenched as starters for the Raptors. I could be totally wrong on all three guys - who knows how guys will play once they get into the league. No one is so much of an expert that they can say every guy will or won't work out. I only had each one of these guys a few spots lower than they were selected. No one was a major reach.
Warriors: Jason Richardson: Terrible hands, doesn’t rebound, cannot defend in the post which limits him to SG and not an amazing athlete. Plus show me one thing he excels at? This guy screams bust to me, I think he could turn into a very inefficient 15 ppg scorer, the type of guy that is the 2nd fiddle on a 25 win team. Carlos Boozer. I think he is a nice third post but without some serious work on his Post Defense he is never going to be a starter on a .500 or better team. I hear talk of him going in the late lottery and I think that is more a reflection of the lack of post players in this draft than his talent level.Baron Davis All the athletic talent in the world but not sure he can ever put it all together. It isn’t that he is a bad prospect but he could easily end up as a backup without some development and he will go in the top 12 of this draft based on his name and athletic ability. Him and Steve Francis have the ability to be either great or set the teams that draft them back several years.
Zalgris: Carlos Boozer—Boozer seems like he should be a tough post guy that can rebound and score but in reality he is allergic to rebounding and has cement boots on instead of Nikes.
Andrei Kirilenko—He is a guy that will more than likely have to be a sixth man in the league. His offensive will be so offensive that it will be hard to keep him on the court.
Ron Artest—He just has bust written all over him. The league has a huge need for star Small Forwards but Artest is more likely to be selling garbage pail kids cards in China in a couple of years then being a starter.
Zamalek: I thought Steve Francis is, however highly I may or may not have had him ranked. I feel for where he was taken Gilbert Arenas is over rated. Tyson Chandler also raises a lot of red flags for me. Bonus: Barron Davis I was not taken with... The short answer, PG's in this draft not named Parker.
3. What do you look for when evaluating players to fit your team? Is it solely skill or if not how important of a role do athletics play for you. Are there any specific sets of attributes you look for at certain positions?
Bullets: It general depends on the makeup of my team at that moment, what system we are running and where the draft pick is. Generally I tend to draft the best overall player available then go from there and trade pieces at a later date if need be. On it’s own athleticism don't play a major role but if you are looking at two players who are pretty similar but one is the better athlete then they would probably get the nod. It probably plays a bigger part at the back end of the first round and early second, if there is a raw player with potential but is a decent athlete then they are always good players to take a punt on.Personally I do tend to look for certain attributes on different positions for instance 3PT shooting, passing, stealing for Point Guards, all round scoring ability and decent passing for Shooting Guards, all round game for Small Forwards, little bit of inside scoring, rebounding and defense at Power Forward and shot blocking, post defense, rebounding at Center.
Coach D: For my team it’s always about being able to guard your position and not be a liability on either end. Incomplete players outside of defensive centers really worry me. I don’t want a guy who can’t hand athletically either. Ideally my 1 through 3 can shoot it and my 4 has the athleticism to take advantage of others. I want my center to be a rim protector and any shooting from either big is something I look for. I am not a believer in BPA (best player available) when you are trying to win right away. A guy who fits the system is worth much more to me.
CSKA: "Frankly I think there's been way too much emphasis over the years on putting the ball actually through the hoop." -Coach Smiley. I want a team full of defensive athletes, the rest will take care of itself hopefully. This draft was full of defensive athletes and (right now) I lucked into the best one.
Kings: I always believe in BPA, especially when drafting towards the top of the draft. If I’m anywhere from 20+, I will typically target a player that has potential in a particular skill that will at least be able to carve out a niche in my rotation and be a contributor down the line. If any other skill set develops into playable, all the merrier.
KK Partizan: Definitely a balance. Skill can never make up for a lack of athleticism, but I have no interest in drafting an athlete with no skills. In terms of attributes I look for at a position, I can't stand draft a PG without exceptional handles/passing or a SG without a 3 point shot (see my Dwayne Wade assessment above).
Knicks: I really like this question. When it comes to evaluating a fit for my team there isn’t necessarily a specific fit I have for the different positions. For PGs I like them to at least be a potential scoring threat and that could mean that they are (or were) elite athletes like Otis Birdsong or just scary shooters like Zoran Slavnic. They also have to be at least a B in HND potential (so they come to somewhere between a low B- or a A-), a B in PAS, and a B in PRD. When it comes to SF its sort of the same but with less focus on the passing, and more on whether they can provide constant offense there. My SGs through the years have always been a threat for 20 PPG and strong defense. For SFs I don't really have a specific build I look to for those because if you look at my past SFs Jack Twyman, Terry Furlow, Adrian Dantley, John Havlicek, Tom Meschery those are all different types of players. I’d prefer for you to be an elite defender there which is something I guess those all have in common but there offense is all different. So I guess if i’m drafting you to start at SF I want you to be able to play defense. For bigs I kind of look at PFs and Cs the same, if I am drafting you to be a starter I want you to be able to block shots first and foremost. If you cant do that then I probably don't see you as a future starter for me. Offense is always a plus but the bigs I build around are usually defensive oriented like Imhoff, Parish, Schayes, Gilmore, etc. Guys that’ll defend the paint and grab rebounds. As far as do athletics play an important role for me, they definitely do BUT probably not as much as most GMs. I am a 100% believer that with the right ratings you don't need to be an amazing athlete. So it’s important to me but 3PS, STL, INS, PRD for guards and INS, DRB, ORB, PSD, BLK for bigs play as big if not a bigger role for me.
Lakers: Well first of all I go best player available over needs. It is not solely skill or athletics. I won't disqualify a guy for not being athletic, but at least with high picks, I like athleticism. I like players with a chance to be elite at least on one side of the ball even if the other side isn't great, but I do like versatility. Guys who can do different stuff are always cool. But its not a one size fits all method, you always gotta adjust for where you're team is at. I don't draft the same when I have Hakeem and when I had Bailey Howell.
Rockets: I look for defense first. I think scoring can come through good schemes and bench help, but defense is hard to manufacture. I like seeing athletic players who may outperform their skill set, as well. I tend to steer away from super-young players - the boom/bust risk might we worth it to some, but I have a hard time building a team around the assumption of skill so I’ll take people who look a little more firmed up before I take someone like McGrady/Sabonis in year’s past or Chandler this year.
Towers: It's a mix for me. I look at skills and athletics - height too. I like my guys to play defense. You can probably get away with 4 really-good-to-great and one guy who is a liability but if you aren't playing defense you probably aren't winning on the road too often. Obviously you need to score too so building exclusively around defense is a mistake too. There needs to be a balance and you should be in the Top 12 in both to really be in the mix. I do have specific athletic standards for my players at most every position.
Warriors: In our bigs we look for really good athletes with the ability to defend, block shots and rebound. Having a guy like Sampson who is a scoring machine is really nice as well. If a big isn’t a great athlete we look for the defense, rebounding and a unique skill. In the case of Mychael Thompson we love his ability to pass the ball. For our perimeter players we love quickness and strength athletically and look for guys who can handle the ball, rebound and shoot. Those are sometimes easier to wish for than find, but if you look at the current roster will see we are very athletic on the perimeter and have quite a bit of shooting and rebounding.
Defense is always important but I think you can find certain types of players that will play defense better than their ratings, that will help your team a lot in other areas. Magic would be an example of that.
Zalgris: I am always looking for the piece that will fit into the starting lineup, but I have been a rebuilding team with a lot of holes. When I look at the guys I am looking for Defensive first then if it is a guard I look to the athletic ratings. I tend to look at the key skills per position., so if it is a post guy, I look at Inside scoring, rebounding, post Def. At the point guard position, I want a guy that defends the perimeter has good handles and hopefully can shot the three.
Zamalek: It's as simple as do they fit on my team and BAP. I have a type of big i like and a kind of wing player I like, although I picked Manu and was happy he fell to my pick, I am worried about his athletic ability....
4. Do college stats play any role in how you draft?
Bullets: No, don't think I have really ever noticed them to be honest with you so yea, do they even mean anything?Coach D: Short Answer. Absolutely not. These guys are changed too much within the game post college that it is not something I’ve ever looked at outside of comedic relief. I feel bad if people are relying on this with the amount of changes JScott makes once draft class is revealed. Would make for an interesting story line though and maybe there could be some correlation to how a player develops?
CSKA: Nope. I haven't seen any decent correlation. Aren't the players attitubtes all remade before the draft?
Kings: LOL. No.
KK Partizan: No. I thought those were based on the original players the game created and aren't reflective of the players the Commissioner edited them to be.
Knicks: Absolutely not. Their college stats are from when they had completely different ratings so i’m not sure why anyone would look at them. I'd love if those rating did provide some insight on who the player could be but with our current system its just random values as far as i'm concerned.
Lakers: I have seen the college stats, but I have never paid attention to them. I have wondered, if maybe the guys with better stats have a better chance to be good, but admittedly don't have the motivation to pay attention to that correlation over a long period of time.
Rockets: No. I’ve never even looked at college stats. John adjusts ratings post-export from the college game, so they’re worthless, really.
Towers: Not at all. I barely knew they offered them. I'm not sure they change at all after I update a player so they are probably junk stats
Warriors: Not at all, they are fun to look at but play no role in our decision making process. We rely on what our scout and basketball reference tells us.
Zalgris: When we begin to rate players in the draft, we never consider the guys college stats. We have no way to figure out what the rest of the team looked like, what the system was (aka pace, zone, etc) so we avoid looking at the college stats. After we have our big board set and our pick is on the clock then we might look at FG%, FT% and 3P% but that is about it.
Zamalek: not at all, it may give me a more advanced look at the shooting numbers a guy I like may give me but other than that. i rarely even look at them
5. What would you have traded for the first pick in the draft this year (that the other team realistically might accept)?
Bullets: I would of taken Dwyane Wade because he is the best player in the draft. I'm glad that the CSKA franchise finally has a star player to build around, it's time that franchise had some luck. I wouldn't of traded for the first pick given my roster at the moment it would of taken Dominique Wilkins at least to get it done, but we are trying to win now and with Mitch Richmond who we really like and hoping to re-sign then he wouldn't of been a huge need but for a rebuilding team he is a great player to build around.Coach D: Well, for me… I would have dealt every player I have but I don’t have any so, that doesn’t work. Realistically, I would not have dealt into the top of the draft. Price is way too steep. Unless someone was willing to take an expiring young player who is borderline falling from a nice young player. In other words, would not have dealt very much if I had a team. Maybe if I had a few lower picks and a future 1st I wasn’t keen on despite others valuing it but that’s the absolute most.
CSKA: I traded my soul for it. The best value offer I received was Ewing, but that's really a net negative since it would ruin my pick for next year. I'm guessing I probably couldn't have made a mutually beneficial deal with this pick, I really wanted Wade or Parker.
Kings: I would have given any player on my team besides LJ for Wade. Problem is if I added too much then I am depleted of assets and would be unable to compete, so it would have had to have been a player + pick type ordeal, which would not have worked. Also, my players are in their prime and the people drafting up there are rebuilding, so we are not a good fit. I also would have chosen Wade, hands down.
KK Partizan: I would trade Charles Barkley in a deal that involved Pau Gasol, if I had a few years to go before having a competitive team. I am that high on Gasol. That being said, I would not consider a Barkley trade for any of the other players in this draft.
Knicks: Well the “that the other team realistically might accept” part takes me out of the running. I’ve got Zoran Slavnic who is a top 5 player in the league but unlike in the real NBA, GMs are more comfortable taking the risk of a guy full of potential than a guy who is proven to equal wins. At the same time I don't like trading or rookies since i’ve been burned there so I probably wouldn't attempt to trade much for it. Not the most entertaining answer but just not my philosophy when building my team. But if I happened onto the #1 pick somehow i’d have taken Wade. I know you usually should go with the big man but he has amazing athleticism and I think solid big men were available through the first and our league tends to have a lot of strong bigs but potentially otherworldly SGs are not as readily available here.
Lakers: Umm well I only have a few things on my roster. So its either Hornacek, Worthy, Giannakis and 2 1st rounders for it or I have to come up with a more realistic trade so here it is.
Lakers Trade:
Hakeem Olajuwon
Lakers Get:
Wade
Tim Duncan
Gary Payton
CSKA Trades:
Wade
2028 1st
2030 1st
CSKA Gets:
Hakeem
Bayi Trades:
Duncan
Bayi Gets:
2028 1st
Mexico City Trades:
Gary Payton
Mexico City Gets:
2030 1st
I do it because I get 3 young studs I would need to trade hakeem. CSKA gets Hakeem. I didn't really care that much about Corey or Roarks feelings in this situation, I just wanted their players.
Rockets: I might have traded a package of next year’s potential lottery picks and taken Gasol just to have a solid twin-towers front court with Duncan, but honestly I was happy not having the 1st in this draft. I’m not convinced Wade and Gasol will be otherworldly superstars like Hakeem or Duncan or other #1 picks.
Towers: I'd have traded Hakeem for the 1st pick because he's not on my team and I'd get the pick for free. #FULakers!
Would have been tough to come up with an offer from my team for #1 knowing Wade was probably going first overall. Already having Jordan he doesn't have a place on my team and if I wanted Gasol I would have traded for 2 (and then traded it for Ewing
) and taken him there. Not sure I have a great offer for the Bulls/Beermen but Walton, Elie, KA would have been on the table, probably Pippen too if he I had him on my team. Would any combo of that have been enough? Perhaps, depending on hard cap issues, but I am not sure this was the draft to move up in. This would have been a great draft to pick up some players in the late first who can still be potential starters down the road. I think a guy like Brad Miller to NYK is another steal for the Knicks.Warriors: We would not have traded up for any player in this draft. We really like a few of the top guys, especially Parker, but there was nobody in this draft that we would have pulled apart our team for.
Zalgris: After playing the draft game for three plus seasons we would not have attempted to trade for the first pick for a couple reasons. One we have our young guys that we will be going forward with and two we were not blown away by any of the guys in this years draft. But to play devils advocate we would have attempted to trade Steve Nash, Hersey Hawkins and pick 11 for the rights to draft Pau Gasol. That would have forced us to then trade Kevin Garnett for a PG and future first, so something to that effect
Zamalek: my team absolutely sucks so there's really no reasonable way I could have gotten the pick..
