Official 2013 NBA Draft Thread - That was great.

[Strickland33]

Yea, guys like Adetekunbo and Jaiteh also have the upside to be good NBA players. In Adetekunbos case, possibly great.

Dennis Schroeder is another guy who I think will be rock solid in the league. Dude was a monster at Hoop Summit and has the tools to be a rotation guard.

Karasev and Saric are wildcards, for sure, but their upsides are both pretty high. The question, as it often tends to be with younger Euros, is how hard are they willing to work to prepare themselves physically and mentally for the NBA.

I'm not remotely sold on Gobert. Bobcats fans all remember Alexis Ajinca, and that Gobert is already 20 and weighs only 235 pounds on that frame is a big red flag in my book. I actually think Lucas Nogueria will be the better pro, though he is years away from playing meaningful NBA minutes. He improved in ACB-play this year and, like Gobert (though Gobert is on a different level), has a tantalizing physical profile. (I'll happily eat crow on this one, though. I'd love for Gobert to make an instant impact - I just don't think it'll happen.)

ETA: I also think I like Jaiteh more than Gobert, but I haven't seen nearly enough of him to have an informed opinion on the matter seeing as he's second division. Biyombo, for instance, was a machine during Hoops Summit, and has really struggled to acclimate himself to the NBA game. I can't imagine he'd play that much if he were not the Bobcats' top-10 pick.

 

[dstanleywfu]

the bobcats need to acquire the 1-5 picks next year and have a championship run in 3-5 years

 

[WFUWaldo]

I'm actually glad to see a number of players with 1st round grades returning to school. Not a ton, but some.

Returning

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Marcus Smart Oklahoma St Fr 19 6'4" USA PG 3* Returning No LINK

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Isaiah Austin Baylor Fr 19.4 7'1" USA C 15* Returning No LINK

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Alex Poythress Kentucky Fr 19.5 6'8" USA PF 16* Returning No LINK

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Mitch McGary Michigan Fr 20.8 6'10" USA C 17* Returning No LINK

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James McAdoo UNC So 20.2 6'9" USA PF 18* Returning No LINK

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Glenn Robinson Michigan Fr 19.2 6'6" USA SF 19* Returning No LINK

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Willie Cauley Kentucky Fr 19.6 7'0" USA C 21* Returning No LINK

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Gary Harris Michigan St Fr 18.5 6'4" USA SG 22* Returning No LINK

 

[jaybone]

Weird draft. The lottery looks so underwhelming but there really are some intriguing international guys in the middle of the draft.

this

 

[Strickland33]

Early Entry List released today:

Steven Adams, Pitt
C.J. Aiken, St. Joseph's
Vander Blue, Marquette
Lorenzo Brown, N.C. State
Reggie Bullock, North Carolina
Trey Burke, Michigan
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Georgia
Michael Carter-Williams, Syracuse
Adrien Coleman, Bethune-Cookman
Allen Crabbe, Cal
Deweyne Dedmon, USC
Gorgui Dieng, Louisville
Jamaal Franklin, San Diego State
Tim Hardaway Jr., Michigan
Grant Jerrett, Arizona
Christian Kabongo, New Mexico State
Myck Kabongo, Texas
Shane Larkin, Miami
Ricky Ledo, Providence
Alex Len, Maryland
C.J. Leslie, N.C. State
Nurideen Lindsey, Rider
Amath M'Baye, Oklahoma
Ray McCallum, Detroit
Ben McLemore, Kansas
Tony Mitchell, North Texas
Shabazz Muhammad, UCLA
Nerlens Noel, Kentucky
Victor Oladipo, Indiana
Kelly Olynyk, Gonzaga
Norvel Pelle, Los Angeles College Prep
Otto Porter Jr., Georgetown
Marshawn Powell, Arkansas
Phil Pressey, Missouri
Andre Robertson, Colorado
Joshua Simmons, Spartanburg Methodist (JC)
Trevis Simpson, UNC-Greensboro
Tony Snell, New Mexico
Tahj Tate, Delaware State
John Taylor, Fresno Pacific
Adonis Thompson, Memphis
Deshaun Thomas, Ohio State
B.J. Young, Arkansas
Cody Zeller, Indiana

Ricky Ledo might surprise people by going late first or early second. He has a ton of talent, but couldn't get eligible this year at Providence. Another sleeper is Vander Blue. He finally looked like the player Marquette thought they recruited out of high school.

BJ Young should probably send Patrick Beverly a percentage of his first guaranteed contract because there's no way that teams pass up the chance to draft a bigger version of the combo-guard that most good playoff teams seem to have...

The only guys on this list who looks like they might have made a mistake seem to be Grant Jerrett, Andre Roberson, Tony Snell, and Adonis Thomas.

Jerrett was solid in high school, but flat-out bad as a freshman. More than most projects (even considering Daniel Orton), I'm really not sure what he can do at an NBA level to the extent that he can earn rotation minutes. He's also 20.

We'll see if teams think Roberson has enough Kenny Faried potential to warrant a spot in the first round.

Thomas is a guy with an NBA-caliber physical profile, but without any of the game. Being a 6'7, 240-athlete as a true wing might be enough to get him drafted, though.

Snell could have easily improved his prospects if he had chosen to stick around UNM for another year. He had such a subpar showing in the NCAA Tournament, he's probably an afterthought, if that.

 

[Strickland33]

Some news from the combine via Chad Ford:

Chad Ford ‏@chadfordinsider 1h

Hearing first 2 promises of 2013 Draft: Dennis Schroeder & Giannis Antetokounmpo both given 1st round guarantees sources say.

Chad Ford ‏@chadfordinsider 3h

Best two players I've seen at the Combine today have been Steven Adams and Rudy Gobert. Both helping themselves a lot here

 

[TexasDeac10]

I am such an Adetekumbo fan (even though no one--not even me--seems to know how to spell his name).

 

[Strickland33]

I am such an Adetekumbo fan (even though no one--not even me--seems to know how to spell his name).

He's going to make the Spurs really happy.

My instincts tell me that Steven Adams is going to work his way into the lottery.

Chad Ford ‏@chadfordinsider 20m

First day of NBA Combine in the books. Steven Adams & Rudy Gobert garnered most buzz. Reggie Bullock & Allen Crabbe really shot it well

Jay Williams ‏@RealJayWilliams 3h

Steven Adams from Pitt has off the chart potential. Raw skill set and athleticism is scary. #NBACombine

 

[RJKarl]

The Greek kid won't make it to the Spurs.

 

[jaybone]

Who is the Danny green, Carlos boozer, David lee, Gilbert arenas of this draft?

 

[RJKarl]

Gilbert Arenas? Which guy has gun issues and welches on card game debts?

 

[jaybone]

They were all 2nd round picks

 

[2&2 Slider To Leyritz]

Gilbert Arenas? Which guy has gun issues and welches on card game debts?

CJ Leslie, come on down.

 

[BobStackFan4Life]

Anyone wanna share who they think in this draft is a can't miss, future star? Noel?

 

[Deacfreak07]

Anyone wanna share who they think in this draft is a can't miss, future star? Noel?

Lots of duds in this year's class. Anyone want to set an o/u on number of future all-stars?

 

[RJKarl]

They were all 2nd round picks

really? ya think?

Richard Howell
Jamaal Franklin
Tim Hardaway, Jr.

 

[Strickland33]

Who is the Danny green, Carlos boozer, David lee, Gilbert arenas of this draft?

Danny Green, the defensive spot-up shooting type: Reggie Bullock, Glen Rice Jr, Solomon Hill, or Mike Snaer.

Gilbert Arenas, the ultra-productive combo-guard: BJ Young, Myck Kabongo, or Vander Blue (though he's probably the least likely to be a productive offensive player of the three).

David Lee and Carlos Boozer-types: easily, Jackie Carmichael.

Other sleepers that I like who will probably go in the second, if they're drafted, are guys like Deshaun Thomas, Ricky Ledo, Erik Murphy, and Ray McCallum.

ETA: Forgot about Ray McCallum. He's a diamond in the rough, for sure.

 

[RJKarl]

It looks like Bullock will be taken in the 1st Round.

How well a 2nd Round pick does is very much decided by which team picks him. A lot of teams use them as throw aways. Thus it's more of a crapshoot.

 

[Strickland33]

A good combine day one recap from Jeff Goodman

Lots of really interesting stuff in there, but here are some highlights:

-- I was excited to get an up-close look at Rudy Gobert, the supposed cream of a fairly deep international crop. He's exceptionally long, looking every bit of 7-foot-1, and can be a presence on the defensive end. However, he possesses virtually no offensive skills at this stage, and will be tossed around in the NBA. He's a "potential guy" who would be better-served staying in Europe for another couple years, but the word is he wants to come to the US this coming season. The problem is he wouldn't be able to handle the physical aspect and is a major liability on the offensive end.

-- The other international player who is in attendance is Schroeder, a German point guard who has terrific speed and improved his draft stock significantly a few weeks ago at the Nike Hoop Summit. However, Schroeder didn't wind up participating on Thursday, and the speculation began that he has received a guarantee by a team in the top 20.

-- Nerlens Noel and Ryan Kelly both told me they measured in at 6-foot-11 3/4 with shoes. C.J. McCollum said he was 6-3 1/4 with shoes, Victor Oladipo was 6-foot-4 1/4 with shoes, Ben McLemore was 6-foot-3 barefoot and Erik Murphy said he was 6-foot-9 1/2 with shoes.

 

[Strickland33]

Lots of duds in this year's class. Anyone want to set an o/u on number of future all-stars?

Maybe 3. That said, I think there's more NBA-caliber rotation players top-to-bottom in this draft than in others. Lots of value, especially as you move deeper into the first and second rounds. More and more teams are using second round picks strategically these days, which has really paid off.

And to RJ - I think Bullock will be a low first round pick (25-30). I included him because jaybone brought up David Lee, projected as a consensus second round pick who went 30th.