NBA Draft Rumors

[EmpireWF]

See, I know the Cavs aren't going to do this, but I want them to take Derrick Williams 1st overall and then Brandon Knight/Kemba Walker with the 4th pick [perhaps even trade down a few spots, gain another pick or something]. I don't like foreign players. There is too much question about them. I want players I have seen play and I know are beasts like D-Will and Knight/Kemba, etc.

Too bad theyre going to take Irving and Kanter.

Not sure about that. Chad Ford's ESPN blog has this:

As I wrote in my mock draft, news that Jonas Valanciunas won't play in the NBA next season makes it unlikely the Cavs will select him at No. 4. However, it doesn't mean the Cavs still won't draft him. I'm hearing the Cavs are exploring moving down a few spots in the draft to take him. The goal is to secure another first-round pick to compensate them for not getting Valanciunas to play this season. One potential scenario has the Wizards giving up Nos. 6 and 18 for the No. 4 pick. The caveat? Enes Kanter has to be there at No. 4 for the Wizards. If he's not, there's no deal.

The Cavs, for their part, would take Valanciunas at No. 6 and add a third asset at No. 18. Jordan Hamilton and Marshon Brooks are among the possibilities with the latter pick.

If the Cavs don't select Valanciunas, it appears he still won't fall out of the lottery. I have him at No. 14 in my latest mock. But I'm hearing this afternoon that the Bucks might select him at No. 10 if he's on the board, and the Warriors are even more likely to take him at No. 11.

 

[A Tasty Burgerr]

Iriving easily is the most prolific guard this year stats-wise, he has no personality issues and seems to have the intangibles to be a leader. He doesn't seem to have a superstar ceiling but not really anyone in this class does.

For the record not bullshit stats either, genuine production.

The projected #1 pick in this year's draft, Kyrie Irving's statistical prowess is just as impressive as his scouting report.

Despite playing in just 12 games this season due to injury, Irving leads all guards in the draft in a variety of categories, most notably overall efficiency, where he scored a scorching 1.199 points per possession on a middle-of-the-pack 14.2 possessions per game. Irving is likewise ranked #1 in both overall halfcourt and overall transition efficiency, making excellent use of his possessions from all areas of the court.

Breaking down his prowess in the halfcourt, Irving does himself a ton of favors with his style of play, having a game geared towards free throws and three-pointers. Irving drew a free-throw on 19.7% of his halfcourt possessions this season, well ahead of the second-ranked Ben Hansbrough at 16.2%. His adjusted field-goal percentage of 60.9% also ranked first, helped heavily by his 46.2% three-point shooting on 3.5 three-point attempts per game (of 9.5 field goal attempts overall).

Like many point guards, Irving saw the bulk of his halfcourt possessions in the form of isolations (25.6% of the time) and pick-and-rolls (20.5% of the time). His 0.95 PPP on isolations ranked in the top half of the class, while his obscene 1.438 PPP on pick-and-rolls was so far ahead of everyone else, none of whom posted a PPP higher than 1.0.

Irving didn't see much time playing off the ball (13.5% of possessions spotting up and 1.9% of possessions off screens), but he posted above average efficiency in both areas, and clearly has the spot-up shooting ability and range to be a serious off-ball threat.

Irving's jump shot numbers on the whole are incredibly impressive, as once again he leads all guards with a 1.226 points per shot, with him shooting a near equal amount of pull-up and spot-up jumpers. Continuing with the trend, Irving also lives up to his billing as a phenomenal finisher at the basket, with him once again leading the pack with a 1.5 points per shot around the basket in the halfcourt.

One last interesting note for Irving is that 25% of his possessions came in transition, the highest of any player in the class. He drew a free-throw on a ridiculous 34.6% of those transition possessions, well above the next ranked player, Brad Wanamaker at 25.0%.

All things said, Irving appears to be the cream of the crop in virtually every statistical category, with halfcourt turnover percentage (15.4% of possessions) being the only major category he ranks in the middle, as opposed to the top, of the class. Not only does Irving excel in so many individual categories, but his distribution of possessions is also inclined towards shots that are normally of the highest efficiency (free-throws and three-pointers), giving him the potential to be an extremely dangerous and proficient NBA player.

Irving's small sample size obviously tempers the enthusiasm some for his extremely high numbers, and adjusting to a less ball-dominant role may be necessary in the pros, but it's clear Irving has a highly developed skill set that is already refined to playing winning basketball, and his versatility and comfort in the pick-and-roll could make his style fit even better in the NBA than it did in the NCAA.

From DraftExpress.com http://www.draftexpress.com/article/Situational-Statistics-the-2011-Guard-Crop-3759/#ixzz1Px5nLXcA
http://www.draftexpress.com

 

[godspeed]

Iriving easily is the most prolific guard this year stats-wise

I don't know if it's easily, and prolific?? He would have to be very above and beyond in every stat category. Knight has a pretty similair stat line, and Kemba, Burks, Jimmer, Klay all have pretty solid stat lines and can fill the stats category's as well.

I think they are looking at the bigger picture, not soley on the stat line with Irving.

 

[godspeed]

For the record not bullshit stats either, genuine production.

He also has a very solid, talented well coached team around him. Just saying. I think he is good solid player, but can't see him that above and beyond other players in the draft.

 

[A Tasty Burgerr]

He also has a very solid, talented well coached team around him. Just saying. I think he is good solid player, but can't see him that above and beyond other players in the draft.

His shooting percentages in all types of situations and ability to get to the foul line are way ahead of anyone else. I think the only other point guard prospect I see being close to him in the NBA is Kemba.

 

[godspeed]

His shooting percentages in all types of situations and ability to get to the foul line are way ahead of anyone else. I think the only other point guard prospect I see being close to him in the NBA is Kemba.

The foul line thing is a little skewed don't you think because of the small sample size. He only played 11 games, and one of those games he had 16 free throws. 4 of the 11 games he didn't shoot more than 4 free throws.

 

[LiquidLarry2GhostWF]

But Irving and Williams are considered the two best players.

Oh yeah, because the NBA, of all leagues, knows what they are doing in the draft...WOAT league for drafting...they reach more than a baby at a pacifier.

I got Kanter at the top. You would rarely see me rate a PG as the #1 player in the draft...why? Especially one with such a low ceiling as Irving...he just won't ever be better than middle of the pack as a PG. He doesn't have the physical talents or skill of a D-Will or Chris Paul or Rajon Rondo or a Derrick Rose. He's more of a guy that has a Mike Conley like ceiling. I mean, that isn't #1 overall good in any draft...I take a big regardless...you need to be awful like Mike Olowokandi to not be serviceable. I mean Kwame f'n Brown is a serviceable big man that will regularly get "big contract" just to be a reserve big man in a league devoid of big men.

If I'm the Cavs...and I'm getting Kanter @ #4, I'd take Williams #1, take Kanter #4 and go get a "serviceable" point guard, maybe a veteran to fill the need.

 

[Mogriffjr]

Go Irving.

As a Duke fan who saw him play, he has the total offensive package. Can shoot from 3, can drive (he's more quick than fast), and will shoot 85-90% from the FT line. Not to mention he loves to attack the rim and has excellent vision. I just think it's stupid that some people think he's not a franchise changing type PG because he can't dunk like Rose and really that's all he CAN'T do. He'll come in already a better shooter than Rose, and Kyrie plays good defense. Meh...

 

[NAHSTE]

Go Irving.

As a Duke fan who saw him play, he has the total offensive package. Can shoot from 3, can drive (he's more quick than fast), and will shoot 85-90% from the FT line. Not to mention he loves to attack the rim and has excellent vision. I just think it's stupid that some people think he's not a franchise changing type PG because he can't dunk like Rose and really that's all he CAN'T do. He'll come in already a better shooter than Rose, and Kyrie plays good defense. Meh...

And even with all that ... He'd still be looking at a best case scenario of 8th team All NBA.

Meanwhile if Kanter fulfills his potential (which I don't get how this is unheard of, he was good enough to sign with Kentucky as a recruit) he's a top 5 big man in a league devoid of them.

I get that Irving is a sure thing but would you rather a 70% chance of getting a 2nd-tier PG or a 40% chance of getting an elite big?

 

[LiquidLarry2GhostWF]

Go Irving.

As a Duke fan who saw him play, he has the total offensive package. Can shoot from 3, can drive (he's more quick than fast), and will shoot 85-90% from the FT line. Not to mention he loves to attack the rim and has excellent vision. I just think it's stupid that some people think he's not a franchise changing type PG because he can't dunk like Rose and really that's all he CAN'T do. He'll come in already a better shooter than Rose, and Kyrie plays good defense. Meh...

You don't win with the PG position...you just don't. If you try and build a winning franchise, you start up front and go from there when their isn't a wing available.

Bigs and wings...everything else comes in a distant third.

 

[A Tasty Burgerr]

Where have you guys seen this dominating potential of Kanter? He has good hands but it's not like he has shown off a polished post game or anything, and he is not particularly athletic. Just curious.

 

[EmpireWF]

On report says the Spurs are trying to push Tony Parker to teams in an effort to acquire a lottery pick.

 

[NAHSTE]

Where have you guys seen this dominating potential of Kanter? He has good hands but it's not like he has shown off a polished post game or anything, and he is not particularly athletic. Just curious.

It's not about that, it's about position scarcity. If both reach their full potential, only one has a chance to be an All-Star. A top 5 (or even top 15) big is more valuable than a top 15 but not quite top 10 PG...

 

[Mogriffjr]

Kanter has too much bust potential to me. He has had a year off in essence not playing so that's a risk. Plus I think cleveland doesn't want to build around a relative unknown.

And who's to say Kyrie can't become the best PG in the NBA?

 

[NAHSTE]

Kanter has too much bust potential to me. He has had a year off in essence not playing so that's a risk. Plus I think cleveland doesn't want to build around a relative unknown.

And who's to say Kyrie can't become the best PG in the NBA?

The 4-5 or so PGs in the league who are all under 28 who are better than him.

I still have to LOL that people are penalizing Kanter for being an "unknown" when he signed with one of the biggest college programs in the country.

Does 11 games of experience in a watered down college season really make Irving that much more of a sure thing than Kanter? Calipari signed this kid for a reason less than a year ago. (You know the same coach who signed Demarcus Cousins and John Wall and Derrick Rose and Marcus Camby and ...)

I'm not saying Kanter is a sure thing but everyone is pretending like he's this mysterious figure who nobody has ever seen before when in actuality he played a year of high school ball here and was on his way to an NBA factory for college before being derailed.

 

[EmpireWF]

Whether he'll be the best PG out of this class is still up for debate. I could easily see Brandon Knight emerge in 5 years as a beast, or even Kemba.

But why pass one of the top two talents in the draft, even if center is a more scarce spot?

 

[BrntO4Life]

Cleveland should definitely aim for Williams at #1 and Kanter at #4. How Irving is even in consideration for them shows how piss-poor their management is.

 

[Juggernaut]

One potential scenario has the Wizards giving up Nos. 6 and 18 for the No. 4 pick. The caveat? Enes Kanter has to be there at No. 4 for the Wizards. If he's not, there's no deal.

John Wall is praying at night for this deal to happen.

 

[Mogriffjr]

The 4-5 or so PGs in the league who are all under 28 who are better than him.

I still have to LOL that people are penalizing Kanter for being an "unknown" when he signed with one of the biggest college programs in the country.

Does 11 games of experience in a watered down college season really make Irving that much more of a sure thing than Kanter? Calipari signed this kid for a reason less than a year ago. (You know the same coach who signed Demarcus Cousins and John Wall and Derrick Rose and Marcus Camby and ...)

I'm not saying Kanter is a sure thing but everyone is pretending like he's this mysterious figure who nobody has ever seen before when in actuality he played a year of high school ball here and was on his way to an NBA factory for college before being derailed.

Oh ok the 4-5...listen he's already gonna come into the league and be one of the better PG's, just because of his package as a player. IMO he's already one of the complete PG's...it's funny...is it because he can't fly out the gym like a John Wall/Derrick Rose? Is that the only reason he's being penalized? Because I find that absurd.

Trying to build around an UNKNOWN big is very dangerous. Besides Howard, what big man has propelled his team towards the upper echelon of teams? Can't count Dirk, he plays on the wing/perimeter and I'm pretty sure Kanter doesn't play like Dirk.

Meanwhile you get Kyrie, who I feel is the best PG in this class bar none...build around him. Teams lately have more success with this idealogy than building around a big man. Bulls/Hornets/Jazz have had more recent success than the likes of the Bucks.

The Cavs are devoid of serious talent. And they will need a point to eventually get where they need to go. IMO you either go with Irving or Williams. If you go Irving with 4 you can grab a big. Or if you go Williams, you grab a PG with #4.

 

[ralaw]

I agree with ATB and Mo on this....Irving is very good prospect...don't be fooled by him missing some time in college or playing at an elite program. Irving will be a very good PG in the NBA. He's the entire package....he has vision, speed, athleticism, can shoot, can pass, etc. He's a very good prospect...and certainly better than any other PG prospect in the draft.

Kanter is a good player, but in a league devoid of good bigmen..... if a 6'11, 270 big-man is slotted behind two PG's and a combo forward that should tell you something.

More than likely Kanter is going to be there at #4, so why not take the best PG prospect 1st and then still get the best PF/C prospect? Strategy wise it makes the most sense to take Irving and then Kanter.