# Thomas Robinson Says He Should Be #1



## RollWithEm (Jul 16, 2002)

http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/blog/_/name/nba_draft/id/8036913/nba-wrapping-nba-draft-combine



> Kansas' Thomas Robinson boldly asserted that he should be the No. 1 pick on Thursday. Former Arizona Wildcat Derrick Williams said the same thing last year. It's not going to happen, but he did have a good weekend. Much like the situation with Williams last year, NBA scouts have been wondering for months whether Robinson was big enough to play the 4 in the NBA. Robinson's measurements strongly helped his cause as an NBA 4 man. He measured nearly 6-foot-9 with an impressive 7-3 1/4 wingspan and 8-10 standing reach. Those wingspan and standing reach measurements (the two measurements NBA teams really care about) put him on par with both Blake Griffin and Kevin Love, two NBA all-star power forwards. Ditto for his 35 1/2-inch vertical.
> 
> The question is will he be drafted at No. 2? We've had Michael Kidd-Gilchrist as the No. 2 pick for the past few weeks. Sources say the Bobcats still haven't decided and are seriously considering trading the No. 2 pick to get multiple picks back. However, Robinson is very seriously in the mix, and I'm told right now that Michael Jordan isn't sold on Kidd-Gilchrist.


On the Damian Lillard front, things look rosy:


> Weber State's Damian Lillard was the real star of the draft combine. He was the best player to agree to do the drills and it paid off for him. Many of the NBA executives in attendance had never seen him play in person before and the rest had only seen him only a handful of times. Lillard shot the lights out, had a couple of terrific dunks in the drills and 3-on-3 play, played hard and was very good in interviews with teams.
> 
> His measurements also turned out to be eerily similar to Derrick Rose. Rose measured 6-1 1/2 in socks and 6-2 1/2 in shoes in Chicago in 2008. Lillard was 6-1 3/4 in socks and 6-2 3/4 in shoes. Rose had a 6-8 wingspan, while Lillard had a 6-7 3/4 wingspan. Rose weighed 196 pounds, while Lillard weighed 188. Both players measured with a 40-inch max vertical. Given Lillard's rep as a scoring point guard, he's got to like the similarities.
> 
> I believe Lillard's range starts with the Blazers at No. 6. I doubt he slips past the Phoenix Suns at 13. He's got workouts in Toronto on Monday, as well as Sacramento and Phoenix this week.


And then there's Quincy Miller's unfortunate situation:


> Baylor's Quincy Miller also really struggled in this setting. As hard as it is to believe, I think he could slide into the second round.


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## Diable (Apr 26, 2005)

I'm not a big fan of Miller, but I would take a chance on him a long time before he slid to the second round. The Hornets should listen to Robinson too.


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## girllovesthegame (Nov 3, 2005)

> Robinson has boldly stated that he is the best player in this draft and that his competitive nature wouldn’t allow him to say that Kentucky forward Anthony Davis should go before him with the No. 1 pick. He has clarified those comments by saying that he didn’t mean to disrespect Davis in any way.
> 
> “I don’t want to be the top pick. I want to be the best pick,” Robinson said. “Where you get picked at, doesn’t matter. It’s a matter who shows up come November. I’m going to go where I go and do what I do.”


http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs...afted-already/2012/06/12/gJQAajxSYV_blog.html


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## Dre (Jun 20, 2003)

He's wrong, but he has a chip on his shoulder and doesn't really like Davis. They have a little baby rivalry


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## 29380 (Feb 23, 2009)

RollWithEm said:


> And then there's Quincy Miller's unfortunate situation:
> 
> 
> > Baylor's Quincy Miller also really struggled in this setting. As hard as it is to believe, I think he could slide into the second round.


:yesyesyes:


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## TucsonClip (Sep 2, 2002)

Not a Robinson fan, but he should be a solid contributor during his NBA career.

As far as Lillard, if he ends up in the right system I think he is going to shine. Dude can really stroke it and has a great work ethic. Also, that athleticism should help him ease into his new role on an NBA roster.

Finally, Miller has a ton of potential, but if he is going to shy away from contact like he says, he isnt going to get off the bench. He has to play PF on the next level and its actually in his best interests, because should he put things together he will be a match up nightmare for PFs.


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## l0st1 (Jul 2, 2010)

I would love to see Lillard fall to the Suns at 13.


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## RollWithEm (Jul 16, 2002)

I think a lot of teams are targeting Lillard after his showing at the combine.


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## Luke (Dec 7, 2008)

So what is the ceiling for Robinson? I didn't feel like it warranted it's own thread, but I am curious to see what the consensus is. I don't follow much college ball outside of March Madness so I've only seen a few of his games. What are his strengths? Weaknesses? Will he be able to play at a high level in the pros?


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## HKF (Dec 10, 2002)

The Morris twins.


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## Pacers Fan (Aug 25, 2002)

I really like Robinson. He turned out to not be very undersized, which was his biggest concern. He's still not a great defender, but he's an active rebounder with a decent post up and face up game. I think he could turn out to be David West or a poor man's Blake Griffin with a jumper. I'd say he could average 16/11, maybe making a few all-star games as a 2nd/3rd tier PF. Or he could just not get it when he gets to the NBA. He's one of the best prospects right now in the draft, and has a very low basement, similar to MKG. At worst, he'll be a rebounder off your bench or a fringe starter.


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## Dre (Jun 20, 2003)

I like Ehmunro's Paul Millsap comparison


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## RollWithEm (Jul 16, 2002)

Dre said:


> I like Ehmunro's Paul Millsap comparison


It's not bad, but Millsap plays a more calculated, measured floor game while TRob plays a more aggressive, slashing style. As far as physicality and skillset, though, it's a spot-on comparison.


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## Tom (Jul 15, 2002)

I like him a lot, but if it doesn't matter where you get picked....Shut up.


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## Pacers Fan (Aug 25, 2002)

RollWithEm said:


> It's not bad, but Millsap plays a more calculated, measured floor game while TRob plays a more aggressive, slashing style. As far as physicality and skillset, though, it's a spot-on comparison.


The only difference is that Millsap's rebounding didn't translate to the pro level, and he floats around the perimeter a bit too much. And you're right. Robinson is more aggressive and I at least hope he'll continue to work inside.


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## Tom (Jul 15, 2002)

Kansas isn't exactly a pro mecca so I'm sure that doesn't help.


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## Nimreitz (May 13, 2003)

He's a faceup 4 who isn't the best shooter just yet. It's gonna take awhile to develop him and incorporate him into a serious NBA game plan IMO. He can get there, but he isn't a starter immediately, which is worrying.


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## Dre (Jun 20, 2003)

A face-up 4 huh


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## Nimreitz (May 13, 2003)

You think his strength is a post up game?


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## Pacers Fan (Aug 25, 2002)

Nimreitz said:


> He's a faceup 4 who isn't the best shooter just yet. It's gonna take awhile to develop him and incorporate him into a serious NBA game plan IMO. He can get there, but he isn't a starter immediately, which is worrying.


You don't think he's a starter on, say, the Bobcats? He might not start in Sacramento or Washington, but he could start in Cleveland and Charlotte. As of right now, I see no reason why he couldn't play a starting Udonis Haslem role as a rookie: just hit open mid-range jumpers. On defense he might be a bit of a liability, but he'll be solid on the boards in his rookie season.


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