2012 NBA Draft

[Nick]

The measurements of the prospects from the combine have been released.

Some notable measurements:
- Thomas Robinson and Jared Sullinger aren't undersized PF's like some people thought.
- Anthony Davis and John Henson are loooong.
- Andre Drummond must have been wearing moon boots or something because he measured in at 6'11.75 with shoes on, and 6'9.75 without... that means his shoes were 2 inches high. How convenient. If he gets listed as 7'0" then that will be wrong, since he's 6'11". He also a massive wingspan along with an solid build and ridiculous athleticism..... if he can actually learn how to play the game he could be dominant... huge bust potential too though.
- Turns out Terrence Jones has legitimate PF size... be interesting to see whether he becomes a SF or PF in the NBA.
- Jeremy Lamb is 6'5" but has a monstrous 6'11" wingspan...... shame he isn't very competitive, cos that's ridiculous.
- Andrew Nicholson had very good measurements... with good height, big hands, and a long wingspan, to go with his athleticism. Be interesting to see where he gets drafted.
- Jae Crowder conveniently grew an inch since the last measurement event, but lost 3 inches of standing reach. Go figure. A 6'6" PF who lacks athletcism raises serious questions, but the dude is super competitive so he should carve out a decent career.

[[Q]]

has that been the knock on Sullinger this year? that he's supposedly an undersized PF destined to play the SF in the NBA? he was a consensus #1 pick last year right? now he's a borderline top 10 player, i don't get it

[shadowgrin]

What, no high motor guys?

[benji]

has that been the knock on Sullinger this year? that he's supposedly an undersized PF destined to play the SF in the NBA? he was a consensus #1 pick last year right? now he's a borderline top 10 player, i don't get it

Isn't he 280-290lbs?

[Nick]

has that been the knock on Sullinger this year? that he's supposedly an undersized PF destined to play the SF in the NBA? he was a consensus #1 pick last year right? now he's a borderline top 10 player, i don't get it

He wasn't consensus #1 pick last year, but he was up there in top 3 with Harrison Barnes and Andre Drummond. There were concerns about whether he was legitimately 6'9" or not.

I think scouts were more excited about Sullinger last year because he was so good for his age. This year, even though he's still good, his production didn't improve much compared to last year. That, and people have questions about his injury history with his knees. And also some people think he is too unathletic.

Personally, i think he's a top 5 talent. He's no more or less athletic than someone like Kevin Love. He'll be fine. We're probably looking at a Carlos Boozer type of player. And we all know where Boozer got drafted.

Isn't he 280-290lbs?

He's 268 lbs now, according to the combine results.

[rise]

- Andre Drummond must have been wearing moon boots or something because he measured in at 6'11.75 with shoes on, and 6'9.75 without... that means his shoes were 2 inches high. How convenient. If he gets listed as 7'0" then that will be wrong, since he's 6'11". He also a massive wingspan along with an solid build and ridiculous athleticism..... if he can actually learn how to play the game he could be dominant... huge bust potential too though.

Honestly, that's a risk that I'm probably willing to take. You don't pass up a guy with that size and athleticism. If he works hard on his game, I think he'll be what Greg Oden was supposed to be. He's enormous, insanely athletic, and is not as raw as a lot of people says he is.

I think scouts were more excited about Sullinger last year because he was so good for his age. This year, even though he's still good, his production didn't improve much compared to last year. That, and people have questions about his injury history with his knees. And also some people think he is too unathletic.

I'd stay clear of Sullinger. Looks like Sean May 2.0 to me.

[benji]

Honestly, that's a risk that I'm probably willing to take. You don't pass up a guy with that size and athleticism. If he works hard on his game, I think he'll be what Greg Oden was supposed to be. He's enormous, insanely athletic, and is not as raw as a lot of people says he is.

I'm not saying the guys not going to be any good, but being what Oden was supposed to be?

I think we're forgetting what Oden would have been if healthy.

I'd stay clear of Sullinger. Looks like Sean May 2.0 to me.

You think he's going to need his knee reconstructed?

[rise]

Honestly, that's a risk that I'm probably willing to take. You don't pass up a guy with that size and athleticism. If he works hard on his game, I think he'll be what Greg Oden was supposed to be. He's enormous, insanely athletic, and is not as raw as a lot of people says he is.

I'm not saying the guys not going to be any good, but being what Oden was supposed to be?

I think we're forgetting what Oden would have been if healthy.

That's why I want him so bad. He has potential to be the next dominant NBA center. Neither Oden or Drummond were/are going to be Shaq, or any of the all-time greats, but Oden could have easily been the next Dwight Howard. Drummond may have to work a lot more to get there, but he has the potential to be the next Dwight if he really dedicates himself. Unfortunately, the dedication might prove to be a little bit of an issue.

I'd stay clear of Sullinger. Looks like Sean May 2.0 to me.

You think he's going to need his knee reconstructed?

Let's face it. Sean May was crap even before he got hurt. Also Sullinger has knee problems of his own, doesn't he?

[Nick]

Let's face it. Sean May was crap even before he got hurt. Also Sullinger has knee problems of his own, doesn't he?

No he wasn't. He was a college star whose game was starting to translate well in the NBA. In his 2nd year in the NBA he averaged 12ppg, 7rpg and 2 apg in only 24 minutes in the NBA. His PER was 19.2. Granted, it was only in 35 games so the sample size isn't huge, but he was definitely showing promising signs before he blew out his knee and got fat.

[benji]

His first two seasons are 1200 minutes, 17.6/10 per 36, 17.9 PER. He's far worse after his year off.

[air gordon]

http://www.nba.com/playerfile/tyrus_thomas/career_stats.htmlActually, he's 6'10. He just sucks at basketball.

end of discussion

He wasn't consensus #1 pick last year, but he was up there in top 3 with Harrison Barnes and Andre Drummond. There were concerns about whether he was legitimately 6'9" or not...Personally I think he's a top 5 talent...We're probably looking at a Carlos Boozer type of player. And we all know where Boozer got drafted.

Isn't he 280-290lbs?

He's 268 lbs now, according to the combine results.

lol must be weak draft class if you consider him a top 5 talent. the guy has been red flagged medically because of his back and isn't even invited to the green room. i love the strawman boozer 2nd round pick argument. There are a hell lot more lottery busts like Marcus Fizer, Robert Traylor, Michael Sweetney, Glen Davis, Ike Diogu, Sean May then there are boozer's. and boozer is a fucking pussy! it's great to have goals

[benji]

There are a hell lot more lottery busts like ... Glen Davis

nah

[Nick]

lol must be weak draft class if you consider him a top 5 talent. the guy has been red flagged medically because of his back and isn't even invited to the green room.

He got red-flagged after i made that post. But you're right, it's not a top-heavy draft class (bar anthony davis). To me it seems very deep class, but no sure-fire stars apart from davis.

Pick 15 could be just as valuable as pick 5 from what i can tell.

[Houndy]

This draft is gonna have a ton of steals imo

[rise]

Quincy Miller is going to be a steal. His stock plummeted after his injury, and he's going to be a major steal when he gets healthy. I hope to pick him up at #31. It's a legitimate possibility that he falls that far.

[Sauru]

i just want a night full of trades. as many as possible

[Nick]

^ Lucky Kevin Pritchard just got hired then.

[benji]

Jonathan Givony ‏@DraftExpress
I'm told that as many as nine 1st round prospects have medical red-flags that could impact their standing. Could be a rough night for some.

[Nick]

Who are they?

[The X]

He won't say. Not professional to say since the red flags aren't consistent across the team's medical staffs. He said he'll reveal tomorrow if the players slide.

I'm not worried about red flags. If I need a PF who can play straight away then I would not hesitate to take Sullinger late lottery, no doubt. I don't like skinny big men who'll struggle to get on the court so I'd prefer a guy like Sullinger over Henson. Sullinger is a bonafide lottery pick, just like Blair was a couple of years ago. Red flags cause guys like Dejuan Blair, Danny Granger, Darrell Arthur etc to drop but if they can play they can play. Obviously it's a deep draft for PF's, so seems like he could have a Jameer Nelson-like drop and last beyond the teens. He'll be right though, he might land in a more quality team and find his place quicker.

Anyways, very interesting to see how the dominoes will fall once Charlotte picks or trades 2nd pick. Seems like Bobcats want (& they do need) Thomas Robinson. I think if they want Robinson, he'll likely be there waiting for them at #4 so trade to Cleveland for #4 & #24.

Since I've had an off year or two with babies taking up my time, I haven't had a lot of time to watch a lot of college games sadly. Since most guys are one-and-dones, that puts me out of the loop. What do you guys think of following guys?

- Thomas Robinson: Headed for a David West-like career (which is a good thing)
- Michael Kidd-Gilchrist: Andre Iguodala-like but potentially better?
- Bradley Beal: Shades of Eric Gordon? Although EG dominated as frosh for Hoosiers, Beal did not do same for Florida (although with guard chuckers like Ewing, who can be surprised?)
- Dion Waiters: Does he project as a lot better pro than college player since his stock is skyrocketing?
- Jeremy Lamb: What's up with him? I recall a lot of hype after freshman year & USA campaign, but like everybody last season for UConn, he was underwhelming. Like a lot of UConn wings, generally better as a pro than collegiate player. I see him performing better than his final draft position.
- Austin Rivers: What I've seen, I don't like. Seems like a ball hog.
- Andre Drummond: I can see him falling a little (still going in lottery though). Lots of physical ability, but who wants to be patient. He needs to land in right situation to succeed. Hopefully he slides a little & a quality organisation picks him up & develops him. Atm, I wouldn't have balls to pick him, but I guess that's why I'm just an armchair GM & not a real one.
- Darius Miller: From what I've seen of him, I really like him. If I was a team picking early 2nd I would jump all over him as he'll help your team.

Anyways, agree with others. Not a great draft, but looks to be a good one. Only one star player at top (Davis), but potentially a number of players who have an impact.

Benji, who do you want Detroit to take at 9? I see almost everybody has them taking Henson. I cringe at the thought due to my aversion of skinny big men. I guess guys like Brandan Wright have scared me off.

Who else does everybody like for their respective teams at their respective draft slots?

i just want a night full of trades. as many as possible

100% agree.

And to what Nick said, I'm glad KP is back in league as GM. The last semi-interesting draft was the last day of his Portland regime.

[Sideshow Bob]

- Michael Kidd-Gilchrist: Andre Iguodala-like but potentially better?

Mike Gilchrist IMO will have the best career out of this draft. His work ethic only sets him apart from the rest.

- Bradley Beal: Shades of Eric Gordon? Although EG dominated as frosh for Hoosiers, Beal did not do same for Florida (although with guard chuckers like Ewing, who can be surprised?)

Brad Beal is the most NBA in this class. IMO is better than Gordon.

- Dion Waiters: Does he project as a lot better pro than college player since his stock is skyrocketing?

I feel Waiters will be a huge let down.

- Austin Rivers: What I've seen, I don't like. Seems like a ball hog.

I feel you he is a ball hog! But he can score probably better than any guard in the class hands down.

- Darius Miller: From what I've seen of him, I really like him. If I was a team picking early 2nd I would jump all over him as he'll help your team.

Couldn't agree more!

But out of all of that i like Damian Lilard from Weber State alot. He's already got that chip on his shoulder from being from a small school so i feel he's going to surprise alot of people.

[[Q]]

jesus Houston is on a trading spree trying to swing a trade for Dwight

[The X]

Thanks ASAP. I didn't see a whole lot of MKG but when I did, he was a bit underwhelming & had really quiet games.

Can't wait for KP to get trading.

[kevin02]

My 1st round mock draft not taking into account all of the trades that will probably happen.

1 Anthony Davis - Hornets
2 Thomas Robison - Bobcats
3 Bradley Beal - Wizards
4 Michael Kidd-Gilchrist - Cavaliers
5 Harrison Barnes - Kings
6 Damian Lillard - Trailblazers
7 Andre Drummond - Warriors
8 Dion Waiters - Raptors
9 John Henson - Pistons
10 Austin Rivers - Hornets
11 Meyers Leonard - Trailblazers
12 Tyler Zeller - Rockets
13 Jeremy Lamb - Suns
14 Terrence Ross - Bucks
15 Arnett Moultrie - 76ers
16 Terrence Jones - Rockets
17 Perry Jones - Mavericks
18 Moe Harkless - Rockets
19 Andrew Nicholson - Magic
20 Kendall Marshall - Nuggets
21 Royce White - Celtics
22 Jared Sullinger - Celtics
23 Jeff Taylor - Hawks
24 Will Barton - Cavaliers
25 Marquis Teague - Grizzlies
26 Quincy Miller - Pacers
27 Fab Melo - Heat
28 Draymond Green - Thunder
29 John Jenkins - Bulls
30 Tony Wroten Jr. - Warriors

[benji]

Apparently Jared Sullinger has bulging dicks.