# Your Top 5 Draft Questions



## cpawfan (Jun 20, 2004)

With the college basketball regular season completed, what are your top 5 questions heading into the 2012 NBA Draft?

Mine:
1) Can Jared Sullinger make a Kevin Love-type change to his body to become a top tier PF or will he always be a short center?

2) Will Perry Jones be anything other than a talented enigma? 

3) Will Anthony Davis and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist be instant impact players because of their defensive abilities or will NBA players be able to take advantage of them because of experience and strength? 

4) Would anyone be happy if their team spent a lottery pick on Meyers Leonard?

5) Can Damian Lillard run an NBA team or is he an off the bench, change of pace scoring point guard?


----------



## Nimreitz (May 13, 2003)

Oh my god, I would be so pissed if my team spent a lottery pick on Leonard.


----------



## ChrisWoj (May 17, 2005)

Glad you said "Can he" with regards to Sullinger. That is the question - on the bright side no one will question his work ethic. The work he put in this past off season was a great showing, he's got a future in the NBA. I don't think he'll be a franchise player but he could sneak in an all star game if he's in the right (winning) system.


----------



## Pacers Fan (Aug 25, 2002)

1. No, I doubt it. Sullinger seems like he'll be the perpetual underachiever. Maybe an all-star nod or two, nothing more.
2. I really doubt it, and I love Baylor. 
3. Yes to both, although teams will take advantage of their inexperience like any other young players.
4. No one.
5. Haven't watched Weber State this year.


----------



## E.H. Munro (Jun 22, 2004)

cpawfan said:


> With the college basketball regular season completed, what are your top 5 questions heading into the 2012 NBA Draft?
> 
> Mine:
> 1) Can Jared Sullinger make a Kevin Love-type change to his body to become a top tier PF or will he always be a short center?
> ...


I'm going yes on three and five, and I wouldn't be happy if my team were drafting in the lottery and selected anyone other than those three. 

Mine are 

1) Just how good is Harrison Barnes? Some days I think he'll be a great finisher a la Rudy Gay and then others I look at him and wonder if he'll ever be anything more than a decent starter.

2) How tall is Thomas Robinson and how far does he fall if he really turns out to be 6'7"?

3) Does John Henson ever become anything more than an energy guy? He's another of those rail thin guys that I can't see taking the pounding of being an NBA starter. Do you really spend a lottery pick on someone like that?

4) Will Kendall Marshall ever be a capable NBA starter? The more I see of him the more I like of his temperament, but his athleticism really worries me. That and his shooting. He doesn't look like he'll be able to be a capable enough finisher to really threaten NBA defenses. Everyone gushes about "PURE PASS FIRST POINT GUARDS!" but what they generally mean is "OK, so he's not that good, but look at the passing!" He really needs to work on that jumper of his.

5) Is it college basketball that's boring Andre Drummond or is he Derrick Coleman's bastard son?


----------



## zagsfan20 (Dec 24, 2004)

Nimreitz said:


> Oh my god, I would be so pissed if my team spent a lottery pick on Leonard.


Leonard reminds me a lot of Kaman. Both in game and demeanor.


----------



## 29380 (Feb 23, 2009)

E.H. Munro said:


> I'm going yes on three and five, and I wouldn't be happy if my team were drafting in the lottery and selected anyone other than those three.
> 
> Mine are
> 
> ...


1) I think he'll probably be a Luol Deng type good defender spot-up shooter but will struggle to create for himself and others.

2) He measured in at 6'10" with a 7'1" wingspan during the summer at Amar'e's basketball camp.

3) Henson will probably be a nice rotation big but nothing more.

5) He is to raw to really dominate the college game another year in college probably would be useful but I doubt he stays with Uconn being banned from the tournament next year.


----------



## Diable (Apr 26, 2005)

There are a lot of point guards in the NBA praying that Kendall Marshall can cut it in the NBA. His defense is terrible against college players, NBA points will feast against him. He has really good point guard skills, but I doubt that it's going to be enough to overcome his poor shooting, poor athleticism and terrible D. He'll likely be a real star in Lithuania.


----------



## zagsfan20 (Dec 24, 2004)

Who will surprise us and decide to stay another year? James McAdoo? Austin Rivers?


----------



## Diable (Apr 26, 2005)

Rivers is at best a late first round pick this year. In fact I'd be surprised if he went in the first round. He just isn't good enough and he does not have a role in the pros. I don't really care about him staying or going as a Duke fan, but if he were smart he'd stick around and try to become a lottery pick next year. 

McAdoo I have not thought much about, but it seems like he'd be picked somewhere around 20th at best. So it makes a lot more sense for him to come back, get a lot more PT and try to become a much higher pick.


----------



## 29380 (Feb 23, 2009)

I really doubt McAdoo declares, I can see Sullinger and Beal staying another year.


----------



## E.H. Munro (Jun 22, 2004)

Knicks4life said:


> 1) I think he'll probably be a Luol Deng type good defender spot-up shooter but will struggle to create for himself and others.


I actually think this might be a good comp for him, but then I wonder if "Poor man's Deng" is worth a top 5 pick.



Knicks4life said:


> 2) He measured in at 6'10" with a 7'1" wingspan during the summer at Amar'e's basketball camp.


Let me just say that I'm leery of the tape measure they use at Amar'e's camp. Because the 6'10" doesn't pass the eyeball test for me (unless Doc Martens makes a basketball shoe, then by all means).



Knicks4life said:


> 3) Henson will probably be a nice rotation big but nothing more.


I agree with this, as well. But then I wonder why I would spend a lottery pick on someone like Henson if I could trade down, dump salary, and take a flyer on Arnett Moultrie instead.


----------



## 29380 (Feb 23, 2009)

E.H. Munro said:


> I actually think this might be a good comp for him, but then I wonder if "Poor man's Deng" is worth a top 5 pick.


It's not which is why you see him dropping out of the top 5 in a couple of mocks.



E.H. Munro said:


> Let me just say that I'm leery of the tape measure they use at Amar'e's camp. Because the 6'10" doesn't pass the eyeball test for me (unless Doc Martens makes a basketball shoe, then by all means).


Same, Sullinger also measured in at 6'10" at that camp I can see Robinson in shoes being between 6'8.5"-6'9" at Chicago.



E.H. Munro said:


> I agree with this, as well. But then I wonder why I would spend a lottery pick on someone like Henson if I could trade down, dump salary, and take a flyer on Arnett Moultrie instead.


Because he has nice measurements and "potential".


----------



## E.H. Munro (Jun 22, 2004)

Knicks4life said:


> Same, Sullinger also measured in at 6'10" at that camp I can see Robinson in shoes being between 6'8.5"-6'9" at Chicago.


Right. And my question becomes what if he measures in at 6'8" in shoes come Chicago? How far does he fall? 



Knicks4life said:


> Because he has nice measurements and "potential".


Right, but so does Moultrie, hence my question. If I were in the back half of the lottery I'd be looking to use that pick to rid myself of salary.


----------



## rynobot (Oct 10, 2002)

For me the only question I have right now is which PG is going to increase their stock in the tournament and then in in the draft camps. Who is going to end up being a ttop 10 pick in the draft because it is very unlikely that PG doesn't goes in the top 10, and even if one isn't a top 10 talent someone will reach and take one in the top 10.


----------



## 29380 (Feb 23, 2009)

E.H. Munro said:


> Right. And my question becomes what if he measures in at 6'8" in shoes come Chicago? How far does he fall?


He will still go in the lottery probably just not top 3 I can see him even if he is 6'8" in shoes going somewhere between 5-10, but you never know he might still go in the top 3 because he does not really have the tweener tag.


----------



## Nimreitz (May 13, 2003)

zagsfan20 said:


> Leonard reminds me a lot of Kaman. Both in game and demeanor.


Kaman spent 4 years at CMU though, and still wasn't exactly a hit his first few years. Leonard is terrifying. Domestic white centers just have too poor of a track record for me to be excited about that pick.



Knicks4life said:


> I really doubt McAdoo declares, I can see Sullinger and Beal staying another year.


I forgot McAdoo was even playing this year. No way he declares.



Knicks4life said:


> He will still go in the lottery probably just not top 3 I can see him even if he is 6'8" in shoes going somewhere between 5-10, but you never know he might still go in the top 3 because he does not really have the tweener tag.


Shorter PFs have been succeeding more in the NBA recently, at least it seems that way to me. Plus his wingspan and athleticism should make up for 1 or 2 inches less than you'd want. Sullinger on the other hand...


----------



## zagsfan20 (Dec 24, 2004)

Leonard isn't a stiff though like say an Aaron Gray or Chris Mihm. He has a soft touch and a good skillset. I think he could be good.


----------



## Nimreitz (May 13, 2003)

They say that about all of them. I could probably bump some ridiculous Gray threads in this forum.


----------



## E.H. Munro (Jun 22, 2004)

Nimreitz said:


> I forgot McAdoo was even playing this year. No way he declares.


I don't know, if I'm picking outside the top 6/7 I'm calling him up daily making him any promise he wants to declare. In my opinion he's going to be a much much better player at the next level than the guy he's backing up.


----------



## Diable (Apr 26, 2005)

McAdoo almost certainly knows he isn't a lottery pick this year. If he wanted to be one he'd have gone somewhere with a lot more available minutes. The only thing we know about him right now is that he has some potential, you know like Marvin Williams did...only not as much. No one who actually has a job in an NBA front office is going to risk it on that big of a gamble. 

Hell the only thing we know that he can do is dunk and rebound. He'd be silly to declare this year when he has a pretty good chance at going very high next year. Of course we could see enough of him to figure out that he really can not do more than dunk and rebound.


----------



## 29380 (Feb 23, 2009)

Yeah if McAdoo wanted to come out this year there is no way he would of went to UNC the only reason McAdoo would come out is because of grades and I doubt that happens.


----------



## E.H. Munro (Jun 22, 2004)

Diable said:


> McAdoo almost certainly knows he isn't a lottery pick this year. If he wanted to be one he'd have gone somewhere with a lot more available minutes. The only thing we know about him right now is that he has some potential, you know like Marvin Williams did...only not as much. No one who actually has a job in an NBA front office is going to risk it on that big of a gamble.
> 
> Hell the only thing we know that he can do is dunk and rebound. He'd be silly to declare this year when he has a pretty good chance at going very high next year. Of course we could see enough of him to figure out that he really can not do more than dunk and rebound.


Well, you know that he can already do what John Henson does, while being three years younger and better built. And teams are seriously considering Henson in the lottery. If I'm picking 9th, I'm taking McAdoo over Henson eight days a week and twice on Sunday.


----------



## zagsfan20 (Dec 24, 2004)

Nimreitz said:


> They say that about all of them. I could probably bump some ridiculous Gray threads in this forum.


I'm sure they said that about Kaman too...


----------



## 29380 (Feb 23, 2009)

McAdoo might get a lot of burn during the tournament because of Henson's injury if he is very productive during that stretch maybe he puts some thoughts into coming out.


----------



## Nimreitz (May 13, 2003)

zagsfan20 said:


> I'm sure they said that about Kaman too...


Robert Swift for sure.


----------



## E.H. Munro (Jun 22, 2004)

I wonder how much of a beating Drummond's draft stock takes over that performance?


----------



## 29380 (Feb 23, 2009)

Chad Ford has him 6 on his top 100 one spot higher than McAdoo.


----------



## Bogg (May 4, 2009)

Dummond has all the tools, he just doesn't seem to care. At all. I wouldn't take him unless I had a solid coach and/or some veterans who could handle him. The guy could be a much better built DeAndre Jordan/JaVale McGee, or he may just be the next Patrick O'Bryant.


----------



## Nimreitz (May 13, 2003)

Kinda seems a little like Andrew Bynum his first couple years with the Lakers. I also don't think it's completely irrelevant that he's a year younger than his class, both in terms of potential (obviously), and why his season hasn't gone as well as some expected.


----------



## Bogg (May 4, 2009)

It'd be different if he was trying hard and screwed up all the time, or had zero polish on his game, but he just sort of drifts at times and expects to get by on pure talent. He's not going to be a Hasheem-sized bust, but the Amare comparisons are overly generous. The ghost of Derrick Coleman is just enough to scare me.


----------

