Who's it going to be, Towns or Okafor at #1?

[RonSpringsdaman20]

The Sixers best bet is probably to trade down because they could use a dynamic guard.
The draft could (but probably won't) get interesting.

Trade down for who? they are fine right where they're at...

 

[RonSpringsdaman20]

Love has consistently said that he is going to stay in Cleveland. However, everybody in Basketball, everybody close to Love has also consistently said that Love is out of Cleveland next year. I don't know who is telling the truth and who is not but at this point, I don't think anybody can say one way or the other what will happen there.

Business could change things... but recently Love has been loud in saying "Cleveland".... and he didn't do that early in the year... I think winning heals a lot of wounds.. and he sees the possibilities... but again.. this is business.

 

[RonSpringsdaman20]

as long if not longer than the Sixers.

Sixers are going to be good soon.... terrell is a haaaaateeeerrr.

As for the Lakers... when the salary cap boost come, I wouldn't be surprised to see the Lakers start making moves... one more year... than they will be back in the playoffs.

 

[jterrell]

Trade down for who? they are fine right where they're at...

I'd love to see them get Rubio which is rumored for the Knicks.

They have athletes for days so can defend but they need an offensive catalyst.

I love Mudiay for them as well but Rubio would fast forward their learning curve on the offensive end.
then they could focus on adding a couple veteran shooters.

 

[RonSpringsdaman20]

I'd love to see them get Rubio which is rumored for the Knicks.

They have athletes for days so can defend but they need an offensive catalyst.

I love Mudiay for them as well but Rubio would fast forward their learning curve on the offensive end.
then they could focus on adding a couple veteran shooters.

The sixers need spacing. They have enough guys that can't shoot. They just traded a pg that can't shoot. Give me a PG that can make people pay for going under screens.
I still say Russell or Hezonja. I'm not opposed to Mudiay, but he has to improve his shooting.

(if they do draft hezonja.. that would probably be a trade down scenario, but i only see that if russell goes two, and somebody wants okafur.....)

 

[jterrell]

Sixers are going to be good soon.... terrell is a haaaaateeeerrr.

As for the Lakers... when the salary cap boost come, I wouldn't be surprised to see the Lakers start making moves... one more year... than they will be back in the playoffs.

Those things could happen but not in the current pattern of behavior for both teams.

The Sixers gotta win 20 games in a season before they can talk about doing anything.
They've been historically awful by design. They finished last year going 0-10.
They have some nice, young pieces but they really don't need another 19 or 20 year old prospect.
At some point they gotta flip the switch and try to win.
And add actual adult players.
Youth building should pay off one day but as the Thunder found out even if you hit big time in the draft you gotta eventually fit everyone under the cap.
And it takes a lot of guys 4-6 years in the NBA to reach a high level.

The Lakers have the dual anchors of being a Kobe-led(overpaid and injured) team and having it's only building block piece coming off major injury.
They likely have a total roster make over before they ever get to the playoffs. The rising cap may or may not help at all. On one hand they will have plenty of money to spend. On the other so will teams who actually win games. Money likely helps the East more than the West because all things being equal why would a player choose to go West. The Lakers are not a destination right now. It just is what it is. They can come back but they need a stronger direction from the top down and someone to build around. If that someone is a draftee they'll be waiting a while.

 

[RonSpringsdaman20]

Those things could happen but not in the current pattern of behavior for both teams.

The Sixers gotta win 20 games in a season before they can talk about doing anything.
They've been historically awful by design. They finished last year going 0-10.
They have some nice, young pieces but they really don't need another 19 or 20 year old prospect.
At some point they gotta flip the switch and try to win.
And add actual adult players.
Youth building should pay off one day but as the Thunder found out even if you hit big time in the draft you gotta eventually fit everyone under the cap.
And it takes a lot of guys 4-6 years in the NBA to reach a high level.

The Lakers have the dual anchors of being a Kobe-led(overpaid and injured) team and having it's only building block piece coming off major injury.
They likely have a total roster make over before they ever get to the playoffs. The rising cap may or may not help at all. On one hand they will have plenty of money to spend. On the other so will teams who actually win games. Money likely helps the East more than the West because all things being equal why would a player choose to go West. The Lakers are not a destination right now. It just is what it is. They can come back but they need a stronger direction from the top down and someone to build around. If that someone is a draftee they'll be waiting a while.

I don't think the Lakers will have problems drawing folks to LA after the next cba. I also think Kobe will be gone by than... and B. Scott will be with him.
That's why I don't think this year will be that different... this year is just one to grow on for them... The following year is the year.

 

[jterrell]

The sixers need spacing. They have enough guys that can't shoot. They just traded a pg that can't shoot. Give me a PG that can make people pay for going under screens.
I still say Russell or Hezonja. I'm not opposed to Mudiay, but he has to improve his shooting.

(if they do draft hezonja.. that would probably be a trade down scenario, but i only see that if russell goes two, and somebody wants okafur.....)

You are thinking backwards.

You can add a shooter or two in free agency easily enough. What you can't add is offensive play-making.
The Sixers need a lot more than floor spacing to make that offense work. And chief amongst those is someone who can get easy shots for people.

Noel and Embiid aren't gonna just create offense but they'd score a game with Chris Paul.

Mudiay fits because they could play a tight/pressure defense and use youth and athleticism as the base. Basically play AAU ball.
It wouldn't win right now regularly but good grief it'd be fun to watch.
The Euro might be the best overall fit in time but again they are a house on fire needing water now.
Someone needs to put the ball in the basket efficiently for them. And any shooter they add right now would be covered because there are so few real threats on the floor. So someone has to drive, draw and dish.

The Sixers need Magic Johnson not Kyle Korver... but yes they could really use both.

They have a lot of young trade assets and a lot more coming via a ton of collected draft picks.
At some point they are gonna be cutting recent round 1 guys or losing them in free agency or both.
The Sixers really could stand to pick out an available guy they really like and go deal for him.
Take team tank and turn it into something solid and real.

 

[jterrell]

I don't think the Lakers will have problems drawing folks to LA after the next cba. I also think Kobe will be gone by than... and B. Scott will be with him.
That's why I don't think this year will be that different... this year is just one to grow on for them... The following year is the year.

The assumption the Lakers can draw folks to LA is very dated thinking.
They haven't been able to now for a couple years and until the team looks more appealing it isn't a destination.
LA is a heinously expensive place to live and the Lakers are the worst team in California if a guy does just have to be there.
The Clippers and GSW are elite. The Lakers are dreck.

No, they likely won't have an easy time in 2 years.
They'd need a couple guys willing to walk in there and rebuild.
Established stars very seldom have done that.

 

[RonSpringsdaman20]

You are thinking backwards.

The Sixers need Magic Johnson not Kyle Korver...

I think Russell is the best of both worlds.. hence my affection, and my reasoning... he's the most creative ball handler, the best passer, and a good shooter and scorer...(in the draft)
give me that guy over a guy who plays at one pace and just wants to get to the hoop, or over a guy who can't shoot at all....

he's the best of both worlds in my opinion...

edit: funny, his weakness is d, but he's 6'5", will add weight and strength, and the sixers back line will be great defensively.

 

[RonSpringsdaman20]

The assumption the Lakers can draw folks to LA is very dated thinking.
They haven't been able to now for a couple years and until the team looks more appealing it isn't a destination.
LA is a heinously expensive place to live and the Lakers are the worst team in California if a guy does just have to be there.
The Clippers and GSW are elite. The Lakers are dreck.

No, they likely won't have an easy time in 2 years.
They'd need a couple guys willing to walk in there and rebuild.
Established stars very seldom have done that.

I think the Lakers are still an easy sell when kobe is gone... yes they need a few pieces to start (thats why this draft is big), but LA has a history of winning, more important a recent history of winning...

 

[jterrell]

I think Russell is the best of both worlds.. hence my affection, and my reasoning... he's the most creative ball handler, the best passer, and a good shooter and scorer...(in the draft)
give me that guy over a guy who plays at one pace and just wants to get to the hoop, or over a guy who can't shoot at all....

he's the best of both worlds in my opinion...

edit: funny, his weakness is d, but he's 6'5", will add weight and strength, and the sixers back line will be great defensively.

Russell just hasn't been all that proven as a point guard.
I'd grant he is the closest thing to Curry in this draft but man you gotta assume a lot of development to get him to that spot.

He is tremendous with the ball but he is that 4-6 year development life cycle and again that seems a long way off for a team that needs to win.

 

[RonSpringsdaman20]

Russell just hasn't been all that proven as a point guard.
I'd grant he is the closest thing to Curry in this draft but man you gotta assume a lot of development to get him to that spot.

He is tremendous with the ball but he is that 4-6 year development life cycle and again that seems a long way off for a team that needs to win.

I don't know if I agree with the "development cycle" you apply. His jump from hs to frosh was pretty substantial. When your IQ is that high, your jumps are usually faster... he sees things on the floor long before others... So he can help organize a young team... and if he would have had better athletes around him at OSU... just imagine...

This number scares me about mudiay.... 57%. from the free throw line..... not good for a pg...

 

[jterrell]

I think the Lakers are still an easy sell when kobe is gone... yes they need a few pieces to start (thats why this draft is big), but LA has a history of winning, more important a recent history of winning...

The Lakers haven't won 50 games in 4 years.
Worse they've been under 30 the previous two and look to be again.

That isn't recent past by NBA (player) standards.

The only guy who could go there and win is LeBron. Because it is a start from scratch deal. You need a coach, a star player, 2 or 3 near all-star complementary guys and a couple role players. They are literally trying to GET TO ground zero. They can't do that til Kobe falls off the books.
The plus is that it is in LA with shopping, culture, beaches, Hollywood and the Lakers history.
The negatives are taxes, drought conditions, overpriced everything and no team to play with nor coach to play for.

Dwight chose to leave and the Lakers haven't really been in the covversation for any key guy since.
They EASILY lost Pau and Carmelo roll his eyes and really can't even get guys in for looks.

Dallas has been int he conversation for almost every top free agent and still basically landed none.LAL just isn't even close at this point.

I agree the draft is the first step but unless they draft a Tim Duncan type kid who an produce right away they just don't have anything to appeal to a proven vet star.
The actual fan base has fallen off big-time so you know the fairly neutral player base is swayed.

I talked about all this coming when they went crazy after D12 left. They made insane moves including trading all those firsts for Nash and maxing out Kobe.

 

[RonSpringsdaman20]

The Lakers haven't won 50 games in 4 years.
Worse they've been under 30 the previous two and look to be again.

That isn't recent past by NBA (player) standards.

The only guy who could go there and win is LeBron. Because it is a start from scratch deal. You need a coach, a star player, 2 or 3 near all-star complementary guys and a couple role players. They are literally trying to GET TO ground zero. They can't do that til Kobe falls off the books.
The plus is that it is in LA with shopping, culture, beaches, Hollywood and the Lakers history.
The negatives are taxes, drought conditions, overpriced everything and no team to play with nor coach to play for.

Dwight chose to leave and the Lakers haven't really been in the covversation for any key guy since.
They EASILY lost Pau and Carmelo roll his eyes and really can't even get guys in for looks.

Dallas has been int he conversation for almost every top free agent and still basically landed none.LAL just isn't even close at this point.

I agree the draft is the first step but unless they draft a Tim Duncan type kid who an produce right away they just don't have anything to appeal to a proven vet star.
The actual fan base has fallen off big-time so you know the fairly neutral player base is swayed.

I talked about all this coming when they went crazy after D12 left. They made insane moves including trading all those firsts for Nash and maxing out Kobe.

If I were a Lakers fan, I would be happy that Dewie 12 didn't resign.....
I guess we will have to see... I think the lakers will be okay, but it will take a few years.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

Business could change things... but recently Love has been loud in saying "Cleveland".... and he didn't do that early in the year... I think winning heals a lot of wounds.. and he sees the possibilities... but again.. this is business.

I agree, he has said consistently that he will be returning but, the issue IMO is what James thinks of Love and how big a role James wants him to have. It's pretty widely reported that Love is not part of that "inner circle" and as a result, he's pretty much destined to be a guy who sets picks and rebounds. That's really not Love and I can't see him happy in that for any length of time. This is not to say that Love will not return to Cleveland but for that to happen, I think he has to see himself as a bigger part of the offense or he's gone.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

I think the Lakers will be able to bring players to L.A. I think Kobe needs to be gone for that to happen but I do think they can bring players. They have tried to keep their cap number low these past two years, tried to keep flexibility. At this point, they have it but Kobe is a guy that nobody seems to want to play with. Lots of speculation on why that is but whatever the truth is, it's clear that nobody wants to play with him. He's gone after this season so I think a lot will change in LA next year.

 

[jterrell]

I don't know if I agree with the "development cycle" you apply. His jump from hs to frosh was pretty substantial. When your IQ is that high, your jumps are usually faster... he sees things on the floor long before others... So he can help organize a young team... and if he would have had better athletes around him at OSU... just imagine...

This number scares me about mudiay.... 57%. from the free throw line..... not good for a pg...

Yup, his shooting is his major concern.

But what he does have is big-time experience for his age.
He played a national schedule with Grace Prep (Isaiah Austin) and played the point as a freshman in high school.
He later led Deion Sander's Prime Prep to national prominence and then he had a year as a pro over in China.

He is a good bit bigger and stronger than Russell(at 193 Russell had one of the highest bodyfat % of guards in pre-draft stuff--Russell isn't close to fat but he probably had to bulk up to get to 193) which helps as that is often the main issue for young guys. Mudiay at a dense 205 looks like an NBA guard in build.
He sat out mostly spending all year in China working on skill/physical development.
But he was called upon in the playoffs and performed very well.
Character-wise he left a war to come to the US and is reportedly tremendously humble and coachable with nothing resembling a hobby that isn't basketball.

Russell is also a stud and a winner. He's been a bit more conventional tho. HS star to 1 year of college with a bit of Momma's boy(no shot is a bad shot) to him.
He shot only 3 of 19 in the game that Ohio State lost to Arizona which ended their season. He did that with only 2 FT attempts so he was settling big time for outside shots versus NBA level athleticism. He weighed in at 180 at OSU so he is definitely on the thin side tho bulking up to 193 by pre-draft shows he is working on it.

I'd love both guys but to me Mudiay is a sure-fire star long term.
He can be that with an average shot and if he ever gets above average there he'll be a legit all-NBA caliber guy.
He is just a better athlete than Russell... tho Curry has shown us all athleticism isn't everything.
But in this case it is Mudiay spending all his time with a basketball like Curry.

 

[jterrell]

I think the Lakers will be able to bring players to L.A. I think Kobe needs to be gone for that to happen but I do think they can bring players. They have tried to keep their cap number low these past two years, tried to keep flexibility. At this point, they have it but Kobe is a guy that nobody seems to want to play with. Lots of speculation on why that is but whatever the truth is, it's clear that nobody wants to play with him. He's gone after this season so I think a lot will change in LA next year.

Lakers' fans are scapegoating Kobe but the reality is no one wants to play on that roster for that team.
Outside D12 who said, hey, whats the timeline for Kobe and the plan post Kobe, I am not sure Kobe is much of an issue.
The issue now is there is no talent to work with.

Lakers fans believe they'll add pieces the same way they thought they were gonna land LeBron and Carmelo.
It is called delusion.

They can overpay some third tier star like Dallas did with Parsons but they aren't getting any of the trans-formative guys and they don't have anything in place.
Clarkson, Randle and Love is a lottery team. Love sees that and that's why he'll be in Cleveland. Durant isn't looking at LA.

Deandre Jordan and LaMarcus Aldridge are looking at Texas teams.

LAL has very little appeal right now and that won't change with just Kobe leaving.

 

[jterrell]

If I were a Lakers fan, I would be happy that Dewie 12 didn't resign.....
I guess we will have to see... I think the lakers will be okay, but it will take a few years.

Ummm. maybe.
But only if the Lakers had planned for that and not traded for him in the first place or traded him off themselves.

When he left it signaled a rebuilding but they refused and played out the string burning resources.
Seriously, as of this second the Lakers are the the bottom five franchises for resources or talent.
It's a lot like the Post Campo Cowboys. And it requires a major upheaval.

You don't just flip a switch and turn that around.
D12 was a nasty shot because he basically gave up money and the glamour of the Lakers to go to Houston who hadn't won big since the Dream left.