The Official Washington Wizards Thread

[Destino]

I would need a decent starter for Blatche and a pick and hell no on the crappy contact. Scoring bigs, even bad ones, are over paid and rare in the league. Look at the contract haywood got! No way in hell would I trade a starting player off a team with 7 players under contract AND a first round pick for nothing. We have no idea when there will be a free agency an what it will look like. This team has no scoring threat secured for next year at the 2, 3, or 5. We can't dump a scorer without picking up one at least as capable. Kawhi Leonard is a SF that can't shoot (read: off the bench player).

I'd trade Blatche alone for a pick or a player that can start straight up. We got butler for kwame brown. Bigs are valuable.

[BRAVEONAWARPATH]

I would need a decent starter for Blatche and a pick and hell no on the crappy contact. Scoring bigs, even bad ones, are over paid and rare in the league. Look at the contract haywood got! No way in hell would I trade a starting player off a team with 7 players under contract AND a first round pick for nothing. We have no idea when there will be a free agency an what it will look like. This team has no scoring threat secured for next year at the 2, 3, or 5. We can't dump a scorer without picking up one at least as capable. Kawhi Leonard is a SF that can't shoot (read: off the bench player).

I'd trade Blatche alone for a pick or a player that can start straight up. We got butler for kwame brown. Bigs are valuable.

This.

[Destino]

They call Vesely the "European Blake Griffin." That's almost his nickname. Dude can be vicious and he has some flavor to him. I'm still a Bismack guy though.

The fact that he's a SF at 6'11 makes me doubt his toughness seriously. He won't be able to play the 3 in the NBA because he can't guard an NBA 3. Then there is the fact that he's 6'11 240. He's 20 pounds lighter then Blatche. Let that simmer in your mind lol



That look like a winning power forward to you?

[stevemcqueen1]

That is the only problem I have with Bismack, who from my understanding is pretty much the same player Kevin Seraphin is. I must admit, however, that Bismack is much higher regarded when compared to Kevin.

Probably a difference in footspeed, length, and athleticism. Bismack is quick and explosive, he runs the floor as fast as anyone and he's a leaper. His freakish length is also part of what makes him special. As far as I can tell, he's one of the only players with a wingspan nearly a foot bigger than his total height. He's probably going to grow into a 6'11 type forward so he'll be bigger and faster and more explosive than Seraphin.

Seraphin is beefier and meaner. You're right though, we drafted Seraphin to play the role that we'd be drafting Bismack for. Bismack would just be a more talented version of him. Is that worth scrapping Seraphin? Good question. My answer would probably be no if we could get a quality player at a different position/role instead because the net gain across the roster would be bigger. But if Bismack is easily the BPA then Seraphin probably shouldn't stop us from taking the upgrade.

Seraphin's development is actually going to be pretty crucial for us down the road. He was raw as hell this year and utterly unready for the NBA. It seems like he's a long ways away. I remember one game this year where he picked up 5 fouls in 8 minutes... I hope we can figure out something with him to where he doesn't spend a lockout year at home. He needs to be playing as much as he can.

Right now I'd really like to focus on wing players (both 2 and 3) who can contribute right away and aren't liabilities on defense. I really love all the thinks Leonard brings to the table and love the shooting and scoring ability of Thompson.

Both are useful and would have value on our roster. I like Leonard but I'd like to see more from him before I sell myself on him. Basically, I've still got my heart set on finding a Euro big to take over the 4 from Blatche. That's Leonard's main knock for me. He's a good but not really elite 3 prospect when I think the position that'd have the biggest long term impact for us if we got right would be 4. I don't see a single quality American 4 in the early lottery. It'd have to be a Euroleague guy.

Vesely plays the 3 (but has the athleticism and length of an NBA 4) so he might not necessarily be what I'm hoping for. I think we'd struggle finding a place for him unless he either: 1.) got a lot stronger to play the four, or 2.) got a lot quicker and smarter so he can defend the 3. Best case scenario is that he's a high upside project combo forward.

I thought Valanciunas was a good option until I head Chad Ford basically damn him with faint praise. He said he's a 3/4 type who has good length and intangibles but he doesn't really do anything well... He's not a shooter, not a great ball handler, good not great athlete, good not great rebounder, ditto for defense. What does this kid hang his hat on? Simmons brought up Yi Jianlian but Chad Ford squashed that because he said Valanciunas was tough and not at all soft. But the fact that you can compare his skillset to Jianlian's isn't very comforting. Sounds to me like Valanciunas needs to stay in Europe for a while. He's only 18 and his contract is apparently going to be hard as hell to buy out. You don't spend the 6th pick on him, that's for sure. So maybe you draft Valanciunas at 18 or later because of the good upside and just let him play over seas for a few years.

Bismack is Bismack, we've already talked about his pros and cons for us. I don't know a ton about Donatas Montiejunas other than the fact that he seems like another finesse Euro 3 playing the 4 because of his height (and some motor concerns brought up by a couple websites).

That leaves Kanter. If his knees check out, I honestly believe he's our best bet in the class in terms of both fit and talent. He's got some upside since he's so young. He's got good size and he's a decent athlete. He's tough and super smart and polished. He speaks fluent English and learned it in just two years. His dad is a PhD and genetic researcher so you know he's smart. He dominated every level of competition he faced and showed up big during the biggest moments and against the best competition. He's a good shooter with range out to the 3 point line which is surprising for a player like him. He shoots free throws pretty well. He's got a huge motor and is a rebounding machine. He's supposedly a very good passer. He's tall and long enough to defend 4s.

All in all, he's a significant upgrade over Blatche IMO--if health isn't an issue. We'll probably see how big an issue his knees really are by how high he gets drafted. If he goes top 4, then he probably checked out OK. If he slips, it's almost certainly because of his health.

I think we should trade up to get Kanter. When you think about it, Irving and DWill are juuuust flawed enough that Kanter is probably the best player in the class. I could understand taking him first overall if he had actually played for Kentucky this year.

I doubt Cleveland takes Kanter first because they're going to want to try and come away with the best mix of F & PG that they can. They'll either go DWill first and hope Brandon Knight is there at 4 (probably what I would do) or they'll go Irving first and hope Kanter is there at 4. Minnesota won't take Kanter second\unless they want to play him at C but then you have two undersized white guys playing the 4 and 5 and then that just doesn't make sense at all. Their interior defense would be terrible and Kanter doesn't compliment Love--too similar to each other. If Minnesota is serious that Rubio is coming over soon and that he's their PG of the future, then they are probably hoping Cleveland takes Irving first and DWill falls to them at 2. Then again, that makes Michael Beasley pretty expendable and what the hell do you do with Wesley Matthews? He wasn't a very good 2 guard and his ideal position is almost certainly at 3. So none of these top players are very good fits. That's why I don't think it's smart to go for the quick or easy solution at the 3 over other, harder to fill positions even if those prospects don't grade out quite as high as your 3. SF is the deepest position in the league and it's the easiest one to find in almost every draft class. It also develops really quickly.

If I were them I'd hope Cleveland goes DWill first overall. If that happened, I'd just cut my losses on Rubio and Flynn, trade them for whoever I could get and draft Irving and feel good about the fact that I actually have a real solution at PG instead of some imaginary one I'm clinging to for the sake of pride. But that will never happen, so I think Minnesota is probably a candidate for trade so they can move back a bit and take a guy who actually makes sense for them like a true 2 guard (Alec Burks) or a defensive big (Bismack). Minnesota also doesn't have a first round pick for next year. Maybe we could dangle a strongly protected first in the deal to see if they'd bite. I wonder if 6 + NY or Blatche is enough to move up to 2 to get Kanter? NY does make sense for their needs and he's an RFA so we'd be at least getting some value from him in case he won't re-sign.

Utah is the next best candidate for trade if Kanter is still there at 3 IMO. Say Irving goes first and DWill second, then Utah will probably try and settle for Brandon Knight. They know Cleveland isn't taking him at 4 after going Irving first, so they can trade down to 6 and still get either him or Kemba Walker. They've got Millsap, Derrick Favors, and Al Jefferson. I wonder if they'd have any interest whatsoever in NY or Blatche? If so, then I wonder if 6 + NY or Blatche would be enough to get 3? I wonder if 6 + 18 + Blatche or NY would be enough to get both 3 and 12?

One thing that's safe to say is Utah won't take Kanter at 3. Not enough to differentiate him from Jefferson, Millsap, and Favors.

Does Cleveland take Kanter at 4? They love J.J. Hickson and are touting him as the focal point of their rebuild. They'd be drafting him to play center which isn't his best position. I actually think they'd be better off going DWill at 1 and PG at 4. If not, maybe Cleveland is interested in trading down to 6 with us so we could take Kanter at 4. Would we even need to though?

Does Toronto take Kanter at 5? They've got Bargnani and Reggie Evans and Ed Davis and Amir Johnson. They need a 1 and a 3.

So maybe Kanter just falls to us at 6 and we don't have to move around at all.

This is how I think the first 18 picks should play out so all of the teams come out with the best picks for them:

1 - CLE - Derrick Williams
2 - WAS (via trade) - Enes Kanter
3 - UTA - Kyrie Irving
4 - CLE - Brandon Knight
5 - TOR - Kawhi Leonard
6 - MIN - Bismack Biyombo
7 - SAC - Kemba Walker
8 - DET - Alec Burks
9 - CHA - Jan Vesely
10 - MIL - Donatas Montiejunas
11 - GOL - Jonas Valanciunas
12 - UTA - Marshon Brooks
13 - PHO - Marcus Morris
14 - HOU - Tobias Harris
15 - IND - Jimmer Fredette (should be Josh Selby though)
16 - PHI - Markieff Morris / Kenneth Faried
17 - NYK - Josh Selby / Kenneth Faried
18 - WAS - Chris Singleton

respectfully, I'm wondering what it is you like about Bertans? Did you see video of him on youtube that you like, write ups on draft sites, little bit of both? I didn't dig deep at all...I did watch a video of him playing in the eastern euro championships and it appears to show all his offensive possessions (unlike a highlight video that just shows good highlights) I thought Bertans looked awful (but to his defense..that was the only video I watched and I didn't read up on him.) Just wondering what it was that drew your interest to him over Thompson?

My knowledge of Bertans is based off of the Hoops Summit game this year and reading Chad Ford's take on him from the week of practice at the Summit. DX also wrote an article about his practice too. I saw him with my own eyes when I watched the Summit game though and I actually watched it twice and it was the second time he caught my eye. He's got a super quick stroke and it's pretty. Basically Bertans stood out because he and Austin Rivers were the only guys in the game who could shoot. The rest of the game was just both squads frantically running fast breaks and trying to penetrate.

Bertans is very tall. I think he's around 6'10 and he's got full NBA range. He's an offensive specialist, not a complete player. Basically, he can perform the role that Stojakovic currently does for the Mavs and he's long enough to contest jump shots on the perimeter from shorter players. The quick set up and delivery is what especially reminds me of Peja. I think he can develop into a really nice catch and shoot wing.

I'd take him at 34 if he's there. We could keep him in Europe while he develops and then bring him over when our roster isn't so young as a shooting specialist and 8th or 9th man.

Let's say I'd probably prefer Bertans at 34 than Thompson at 18, especially if Chris Singleton is still sitting there at 18. I think my ideal draft right now is getting Kanter, Singleton, and Bertans out of our three draft picks (and somehow managing to get rid of Blatche in the process).

[MonkFan8]

I actually really like the look of Leonard. I'd be more than happy to take him at 6. Reminds me of Wilson Chandler a bit but with a better shooting form.

[stevemcqueen1]

This.

Seconded. Trade Blatche + 18 for a lower pick and a terrible contract? **** that. That's a big lose all around. I'd rather just keep Blatche on the bench than move him for a bad contract. There's your addition by subtraction. And as Destino pointed out, Blatche is going to have decent trade value.

There aren't many scoring 4s with his length and athleticism under contract for pretty cheap and only 24 years old. Look around the league and you won't find many of them. Some team that's either desperate or unfamiliar with him will give up something decent in return. Look at what we got in return for Kirk Hinrich and Hilton Armstrong. We won the Gilbert Arenas trade too. We're on a roll, we don't need to start losing on trades now.

---------- Post added May-19th-2011 at 01:43 AM ----------

This is how I think I would like the rest of our rebuild to play out:

6 - Enes Kanter
18 - Chris Singleton
34 - Davis Bertans / Bojan Bogdonavich

Extend Nick Young for a modest deal if possible, if not, package him as part of the move to get Kanter. Extend Othyus Jeffers? Try and get a one year deal on Mo Williams
If lockout extends throughout the year then our lottery standings have to be based on our 2011 standings right? Does lockout effect D-League?

If lockout doesn't wipe out the season, we probably finish with a late lottery pick or maybe even later. If that happens, package Blatche with Rashard Lewis' expiring contract and that pick to move up to make sure we come away with either Michael Gilchrist, Anthony Davis, or Quincy Miller (or Harrison Barnes if he breaks out as a sophomore) as our starting 3 and the true #2 to Wall.

Let's say we get Miller. This would be our core rotation:

PG - Wall, Crawford, X
SG - Crawford, Young, Bertans
SF - Miller?, Singleton, Booker, Bertans
PF - Kanter, Booker, Seraphin
C - McGee, Kanter, Seraphin

Ten man group, all pretty young: 1 pure point, 1 combo guard and clutch scorer, two wing shooters, one lengthy do it all SF, one perimeter stopper, one defensive forward, one defensive big, one above the rim defender and finisher center, and one post scoring and rebounding big.

The offense runs through Wall it's primary scoring option is Quincy Miller on the perimeter and Kanter in the paint. Kanter plays for defensive rebounds. Javale finishes and plays the ball. Crawford spells Wall and splits time with NY according to the matchups. Bertans comes in for FT shooting and 4th quarter scoring when the defense gets spaced out plus he's offensive injury insurance for the 2s and 3s. Singleton and Booker come off the bench when you need to lock down opposing 2s, 3s, and 4s. Seraphin gives you 6 hard fouls and gives you some grit in the paint.

Everyone has a role and brings something unique and complimentary to the table and the team has no large structural weaknesses when everyone is healthy. There's as much depth as you can realistically hope to muster so an injury at the 1, 2, or 3 won't completely kill you and you can scramble around. Miller (or X 2012 high lottery pick) and Wall would probably be perennial All Stars. In years where we win lots of games, Kanter and Crawford could probably sniff the All Star game too. That's a really good roster IMO.

---------- Post added May-19th-2011 at 01:57 AM ----------

Hmm, all of that said, I still don't feel great about dumping Blatche for only what I got in return in that scenario (moving up in the 2012 class... which we might not have to do anyway).

For one, Quincy Miller (or whoever we picked), would have to be a star to justify that value.

For another thing, making Enes Kanter, Javale, and Seraphin your only bigs is an enormous gamble. You can't justify that level of risk unless you see immediate returns from Kanter and Seraphin would have to make some serious strides by 2012. Kanter is an unknown right now. If he's not at least a 17-10 guy then dumping Blatche for so little is a huge mistake that can only be salvaged by Javale breaking out offensively and defensively. Kanter might have some durability flags too. If he can't stay healthy and we take him and dump Blatche then we've really ****ed up.

Seraphin is an even bigger unknown really. Who knows if he'll even still be worth a roster spot by 2012? Booker is a keeper but he doesn't make up the difference of losing Blatche and not having Kanter or Seraphin work out.

I guess you have to roll the dice one way or the other in order to improve though. Blatche does need to be upgraded and Kanter is probably our best, realistic shot for doing so.

Ideally we can get Kanter without losing Blatche so that he can be used to either find still another front court player or give us insurance in case Kanter fails.

[G.A.C.O.L.B.]

That look like a winning power forward to you?

Does this?



Same mesurables as Dirk.

I'm not hyping Vesely. I think he's an option and right now none of the college kids really impress me in that spot.

---------- Post added May-19th-2011 at 03:05 AM ----------

From DX:

http://www.draftexpress.com/article/...ications-3706/

#6- Washington Wizards

Will Consider: Jan Vesely, Enes Kanter, Bismack Biyombo, Kawhi Leonard

The Wizards have to be disappointed by falling two spots to 6th overall, but still have a comparable group of prospects to choose from at this point. Vesely and Leonard would give them more athleticism and toughness on the wing, while Biyombo and Kanter would be frontcourt upgrades. Surely the team will go through an extended evaluation process before making their final decision, but Vesely is rumored to be the early favorite.

---------- Post added May-19th-2011 at 03:27 AM ----------

Someone sell me on Leonard. I'm just not seeing it.

[Thinking Skins]

Someone sell me on Leonard. I'm just not seeing it.

The big thing about Leonard has been his intensity and defensive presence. He's a SF who can guard the 1, 2, 3, or 4, so that makes him a decent pick right there. His knock has been his shooting inconsistently, which some say was due to his huge hands (seriously, he's like the opposite of Yi and his no rebounding). Then Chad Ford seems to have fallen in love with Leonard in Vegas talking about how he's a gym rat who's been working on his shooting consistently since he got there and (supposedly) his shot has improved so much because he's learned better form - basically to use his fingers more than his whole hand to get shots off (I kinda dismiss this though because its not against competition and everybody has their best games when nobody's watching). But I'm with (I think it was) Gator Bait, that shooting can improve for a player. I don't expect him to become a lights out guy or a 25 ppg guy, but just like we didn't draft Wall to be a shooting PG, and all agreed that he could improve his shot, I feel that same way about Leonard. Some have said he has the highest ceiling in this class (again, I'm basing this mostly on Chad Ford who has a nice piece on him earlier), and that ceiling is largely based on him improving his jumper. Doing that alone walks him from being "a lottery pick" to a top 5 pick. I'm in the camp that says that if the draft class is this weak, and we have an opportunity for a guy who has the potential to be the best guy in the class, but who will come in immediately and provide defensive presence and intensity then I'd be in favor of him.

Basically, from the report by Chad Ford, I was impressed with somebody not named Harrison Barnes for the first time in this draft class. Thats not to say that I think Leonard will be as good as Barnes - not even close. I just remember the intensity that Gilbert Arenas practiced with, and I feel thats an intensity thats not there in guys like Blatche, Young, or really even Wall (and I'm kinda basing this on the report that he eats mostly fast food or something like that). Reading about Leonard reminds me of that good side of Gilbert without the headaches.

Other guys like Biyombo, Vesely, and Valanciunas (who until recently I've been seeing rated higher than Vesely), and possibly even Kanter are guys I just have questions about. I wish I knew their injury history, their attitude, their coachability, are they guys who need the ball in their hands? We've never seen them play against most of the guys in this class other than at the Hoops summit. We don't know if they'll explode on the sidelines for getting benched. We don't know if they have a tendency to rush shots or to just take bad shots. We don't even know if they're leaders. Right now we're being sold mostly on athleticism. And as much as I hate to say it, I don't want to make another Kwame Brown type pick. I was so impressed with Harrison Barnes because I felt like he showed in the second half of last year that he could make clutch shots; that he could bring UNC team back and shoulder the load on his back; he showed he could play defense (although I still think that UNC team was way too focused on offense).

The thing about Leonard is that he basically put that San Diego state team on his back last year and led them to one of the best records in the NCAA. And unlike DW, he's a guy who will have a natural position in the league - at 3. Thats something that I didn't like about a lot of guys in this class (including the Euros). They seem to be tweeners. There are questions about guys ability to guard quick 3s or powerful 4s. One problem with the development of Blatche is that people have been arguing since he came into the league about where he should be. Is he a T. Prince type guy who belongs at the 3? or is he a big man who belongs at the 5? When we drafted him, I thought he was quick enough to play the 3 (I now realize that he doesn't have the ball handling skills though), but Eddie played him at the 3, 4, and 5 consistently. I remember he had a problem similar to Seraphin where he would play like 10 minutes and get 5 fouls at the 5. He seems to have improved that, and (?settled?) at the 4, but is that his best position, especially if he refuses to gain weight? If we draft Vesely or Valanciunas will they be expected to put on weight and play the 4, or will they be our guys at the 3? Same for DW.

[Gator Bait]

Probably a difference in footspeed, length, and athleticism. Bismack is quick and explosive, he runs the floor as fast as anyone and he's a leaper. His freakish length is also part of what makes him special. As far as I can tell, he's one of the only players with a wingspan nearly a foot bigger than his total height. He's probably going to grow into a 6'11 type forward so he'll be bigger and faster and more explosive than Seraphin.

Seraphin is beefier and meaner. You're right though, we drafted Seraphin to play the role that we'd be drafting Bismack for. Bismack would just be a more talented version of him. Is that worth scrapping Seraphin? Good question. My answer would probably be no if we could get a quality player at a different position/role instead because the net gain across the roster would be bigger. But if Bismack is easily the BPA then Seraphin probably shouldn't stop us from taking the upgrade.

Seraphin's development is actually going to be pretty crucial for us down the road. He was raw as hell this year and utterly unready for the NBA. It seems like he's a long ways away. I remember one game this year where he picked up 5 fouls in 8 minutes... I hope we can figure out something with him to where he doesn't spend a lockout year at home. He needs to be playing as much as he can.

I agree 100% with all of this. Seraphin should definitely not dictate what we do in the draft. I'm still high on his posibilities, because as you pointed out...he has a mean streak...and although he isn't as Physically gifted as Bismack, Seraphin too has a pretty good wingspan and is a legit option to play a Ben Wallace/Chuck Hayes type center.

Both are useful and would have value on our roster. I like Leonard but I'd like to see more from him before I sell myself on him. Basically, I've still got my heart set on finding a Euro big to take over the 4 from Blatche. That's Leonard's main knock for me. He's a good but not really elite 3 prospect when I think the position that'd have the biggest long term impact for us if we got right would be 4. I don't see a single quality American 4 in the early lottery. It'd have to be a Euroleague guy.

I flat out don't see a quality 4 in the draft outside of Kanter...and I can't see him falling to #6

I thought Valanciunas was a good option until I head Chad Ford basically damn him with faint praise. He said he's a 3/4 type who has good length and intangibles but he doesn't really do anything well... He's not a shooter, not a great ball handler, good not great athlete, good not great rebounder, ditto for defense. What does this kid hang his hat on? Simmons brought up Yi Jianlian but Chad Ford squashed that because he said Valanciunas was tough and not at all soft. But the fact that you can compare his skillset to Jianlian's isn't very comforting. Sounds to me like Valanciunas needs to stay in Europe for a while. He's only 18 and his contract is apparently going to be hard as hell to buy out. You don't spend the 6th pick on him, that's for sure. So maybe you draft Valanciunas at 18 or later because of the good upside and just let him play over seas for a few years.

I wouldn't touch Valanciunas...I know I mentioned him as an option in a prior post, but after looking at more tape of him...he looks pretty soft and I doubt his offensive game translates to the NBA

That leaves Kanter. If his knees check out, I honestly believe he's our best bet in the class in terms of both fit and talent. He's got some upside since he's so young. He's got good size and

he's a decent athlete. He's tough and super smart and polished. He speaks fluent English and learned it in just two years. His dad is a PhD and genetic researcher so you know he's smart. He dominated every level of competition he faced and showed up big during the biggest moments and against the best competition. He's a good shooter with range out to the 3 point line which is surprising for a player like him. He shoots free throws pretty well. He's got a huge motor and is a rebounding machine. He's supposedly a very good passer. He's tall and long enough to defend 4s.

Kanter is obviously the best fit/option for us outside of Williams...and I still think Kanter has a higher ceiling than Williams in the long run...but he is also a riskier pick.

I think we should trade up to get Kanter. When you think about it, Irving and DWill are juuuust flawed enough that Kanter is probably the best player in the class. I could understand taking him first overall if he had actually played for Kentucky this year.

I'd love to trade up for him if we could manage doing so without trading one of our young core guys. I just can't see having enough ammunition to move up and get him. With the talent cliff in this draft, I can't see anyone trading a top 3 pick for anything we may have to offer. I'd be willing to trade #6, #18, and #34 for a chance to draft Kanter.

I doubt Cleveland takes Kanter first because they're going to want to try and come away with the best mix of F & PG that they can. They'll either go DWill first and hope Brandon Knight is there at 4 (probably what I would do) or they'll go Irving first and hope Kanter is there at 4. Minnesota won't take Kanter second\unless they want to play him at C but then you have two undersized white guys playing the 4 and 5 and then that just doesn't make sense at all. Their interior defense would be terrible and Kanter doesn't compliment Love--too similar to each other. If Minnesota is serious that Rubio is coming over soon and that he's their PG of the future, then they are probably hoping Cleveland takes Irving first and DWill falls to them at 2. Then again, that makes Michael Beasley pretty expendable and what the hell do you do with Wesley Matthews? He wasn't a very good 2 guard and his ideal position is almost certainly at 3. So none of these top players are very good fits. That's why I don't think it's smart to go for the quick or easy solution at the 3 over other, harder to fill positions even if those prospects don't grade out quite as high as your 3. SF is the deepest position in the league and it's the easiest one to find in almost every draft class. It also develops really quickly.

My Jaw will absolutely drop if Cleveland doesn't take Irving. This has turned into a guard oriented league where PGs stock are skyrocketing.....just look at the MVP this year and other highly coveted stars in the league: Dwill and Chris Paul....Russell Westbrook. Cleveland doesn't pass the opportunity to grab Kyre at #1.
If I were them I'd hope Cleveland goes DWill first overall. If that happened, I'd just cut my losses on Rubio and Flynn, trade them for whoever I could get and draft Irving and feel good about the fact that I actually have a real solution at PG instead of some imaginary one I'm clinging to for the sake of pride. But that will never happen, so I think Minnesota is probably a candidate for trade so they can move back a bit and take a guy who actually makes sense for them like a true 2 guard (Alec Burks) or a defensive big (Bismack). Minnesota also doesn't have a first round pick for next year. Maybe we could dangle a strongly protected first in the deal to see if they'd bite. I wonder if 6 + NY or Blatche is enough to move up to 2 to get Kanter? NY does make sense for their needs and he's an RFA so we'd be at least getting some value from him in case he won't re-sign.

Utah is the next best candidate for trade if Kanter is still there at 3 IMO. Say Irving goes first and DWill second, then Utah will probably try and settle for Brandon Knight. They know Cleveland isn't taking him at 4 after going Irving first, so they can trade down to 6 and still get either him or Kemba Walker. They've got Millsap, Derrick Favors, and Al Jefferson. I wonder if they'd have any interest whatsoever in NY or Blatche? If so, then I wonder if 6 + NY or Blatche would be enough to get 3? I wonder if 6 + 18 + Blatche or NY would be enough to get both 3 and 12?

I agree that Utah is a good candidate for trade....they really need a 2 guard of the future...and there is no one to take at #3 overall to fill that need. If they move back to #6 and pick up other assets in return...maybe a future 1st, they could justify reaching for Burks at 6...they could also wait until their second 1st round pick to address SG and take a luxury pick at #6...like Knight or Kemba.

I agree with this scenario above that Cleveland takes Irving and Minnesota (trades the pick in which someone takes Williams) then you have Cleveland up again, which as you point out isn't going to take another PG...they would almost surely take Kanter. Problem is...if they aren't high on both Kemba and Knight...they know that the Raptors would likely select one of the two (probably Night)...so they may not be willing to pass on their guy at 3. It all depends on how highly Utah covets this class of PGs.

One thing that's safe to say is Utah won't take Kanter at 3. Not enough to differentiate him from Jefferson, Millsap, and Favors.

Agree...unless they decide to move one of these players...

Does Cleveland take Kanter at 4? They love J.J. Hickson and are touting him as the focal point of their rebuild. They'd be drafting him to play center which isn't his best position. I actually think they'd be better off going DWill at 1 and PG at 4. If not, maybe Cleveland is interested in trading down to 6 with us so we could take Kanter at 4. Would we even need to though?

They definitely take Kanter....I believe that because of their toughness and defense abilities....both Kanter and Hickson could play 4 or 5.

Does Toronto take Kanter at 5? They've got Bargnani and Reggie Evans and Ed Davis and Amir Johnson. They need a 1 and a 3.

If he is available I think they would definitely take him...BPA and they need someone like Kanter to pair with soft ass Bargnani......although they also need a PG of the future...so I think they will have a PG at the top of their draft board.

So maybe Kanter just falls to us at 6 and we don't have to move around at all.

that would be amazing...great thing about the NBA draft is that someone could actually take Kanter at say pick #3 and then have their other guy (Knight...or whoever else) fall to #6 and then decide to make the swap with us to pick up other assets in the future.

Here is how I see the first 6 picks playing out:

1 Cleveland - Irving
2 Trade - Williams
3 Utah - Knight
4 Cleveland - Kanter
5 Toronto - Kemba
6 Wiz - Leonard or Trade

we have to hope that Utah is high on Kemba and Knight...that way they take BPA (Kanter) and then trade him to us for their guy.

Let's say I'd probably prefer Bertans at 34 than Thompson at 18, especially if Chris Singleton is still sitting there at 18. I think my ideal draft right now is getting Kanter, Singleton, and Bertans out of our three draft picks (and somehow managing to get rid of Blatche in the process).

I would not complain about Singleton at #18...even if Thompson was on the board....but if I was making the pick, I'd take Thompson....I think he has Steph Curry written all over him.

---------- Post added May-19th-2011 at 07:37 AM ----------

6 - Enes Kanter
18 - Chris Singleton
34 - Davis Bertans / Bojan Bogdonavich

I'd pull a saturday night live and jizz in my pants if this played out with us getting Kanter and Singleton in the draft

Extend Nick Young for a modest deal if possible, if not, package him as part of the move to get Kanter. Extend Othyus Jeffers? Try and get a one year deal on Mo Williams
If lockout extends throughout the year then our lottery standings have to be based on our 2011 standings right? Does lockout effect D-League?

I'm not seeing a need for Mo Williams when we have Crawford to play that combo guard role..but I'm tracking with the rest

If lockout doesn't wipe out the season, we probably finish with a late lottery pick or maybe even later. If that happens, package Blatche with Rashard Lewis' expiring contract and that pick to move up to make sure we come away with either Michael Gilchrist, Anthony Davis, or Quincy Miller (or Harrison Barnes if he breaks out as a sophomore) as our starting 3 and the true #2 to Wall.

I'm willing to not have basketball in 2011 if it means we have the 4 spot in lotto combos again next year. With next year's draft class you are pretty much guaranteed an i mediate starter and impact player of the future in the top 5.

Let's say we get Miller. This would be our core rotation:

PG - Wall, Crawford, X
SG - Crawford, Young, Bertans
SF - Miller?, Singleton, Booker, Bertans
PF - Kanter, Booker, Seraphin
C - McGee, Kanter, Seraphin

Ten man group, all pretty young: 1 pure point, 1 combo guard and clutch scorer, two wing shooters, one lengthy do it all SF, one perimeter stopper, one defensive forward, one defensive big, one above the rim defender and finisher center, and one post scoring and rebounding big.

The offense runs through Wall it's primary scoring option is Quincy Miller on the perimeter and Kanter in the paint. Kanter plays for defensive rebounds. Javale finishes and plays the ball. Crawford spells Wall and splits time with NY according to the matchups. Bertans comes in for FT shooting and 4th quarter scoring when the defense gets spaced out plus he's offensive injury insurance for the 2s and 3s. Singleton and Booker come off the bench when you need to lock down opposing 2s, 3s, and 4s. Seraphin gives you 6 hard fouls and gives you some grit in the paint.

this is a very well built team...only changes I would make is bringing in two veteran locker room guys to keep everyone balanced.....Someone towards the end of their career who isn't going to cost much...but would lead by example and could still give us spot minutes when needed.....someone like Derick Fisher or even Mo Williams would be a good option. Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison could be possibilities as well. Marcus Camby...list goes on...there are plenty of them out there.

Everyone has a role and brings something unique and complimentary to the table and the team has no large structural weaknesses when everyone is healthy.

this is the key statement right here...you need everyone to fit into a role and bring something to the table...that is why the Bulls were so good this year and why San Antonio has 4 championships in the last 10 years.

[StillUnknown]

I'm willing to not have basketball in 2011 if it means we have the 4 spot in lotto combos again next year. With next year's draft class you are pretty much guaranteed an i mediate starter and impact player of the future in the top 5.

I agree with this

part of me hopes we don't tie down the SF with this draft because the prospects next year at the 3 are much much stronger

[Rocky21]

God I wish I had not seen this. A skinny Euro named Jan? Aaaaarggggh!

[pjfootballer]

Alot of the European players over the years have been very athletic and most of them have a refined game. Their weakness has always been strength. They get out-muscled in the NBA. That's been the knock on alot of them over the years. Some adapt (Gasol brothers) others don't (Darko, Bargnani).

[G.A.C.O.L.B.]

I really, really don't see what you all love about Leonard. To me he's just a guy. Someone who will play in the league 10 years with 5 different teams. Because he's decent off the bench as a defender/hustle guy. That's it. He has absolutely NO offensive game whatsoever. I don't want to hear anything about Vesely's shot from Leonard advocates. His. Is. Ugly. Really, really not impressed and I really hope we don't go in that direction.

[Destino]

I really, really don't see what you all love about Leonard. To me he's just a guy. Someone who will play in the league 10 years with 5 different teams. Because he's decent off the bench as a defender/hustle guy. That's it. He has absolutely NO offensive game whatsoever. I don't want to hear anything about Vesely's shot from Leonard advocates. His. Is. Ugly. Really, really not impressed and I really hope we don't go in that direction.

They see Gerald Wallace. A very aggressive athletic 3 that is going to take a while to refine his offensive game while in the mean time coming off the bench for his ability to defend a 2 or a 3. It's not a super star but it's something this team could use off the bench. Consider the fact that we currently have no back up 2 or 3 and no lock down defender on the team at all at any position. It's not sexy (and those that think it is are kidding themselves) but it does fill a need.

Bismack Biyombo to start is going to be the same type of player as Leonard minus the ideal size for his position. He's all potential, rebounding, and defense (exactly like Leonard). He'd back up McGee if we drafted him. He's not going to start over McGee or Blatche any time soon.

I think Biyombo has a higher upside if he can develop a 14 foot shot or closer and continue to develop his post game. That will take 4 years at at least however if it ever happens. Bigs take longer to develop and this one is especially raw and very young.

[BRAVEONAWARPATH]

Michael Lee via Twitter.

Enes Kanter was very charismatic & engaging. Surprising part was he claims he learned English in 7 months.

Enes Kanter was asked where he would like to go in draft: "If I had the choice, I like Washington" #wizards met with him on Wed.

Maryland's Jordan Williams said he lost 15 lbs since leaving school. His biggest sacrifice? McGriddles.