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Long read, hope you sit down and look it over, though. Well, eventually, my confidence in this team collapsed. I've been spitting the same thing about D'Antoni and Nash since September or October (mostly Nash, until D'Antoni arrived, and then I was in full panic mode). When this happens, you can always expect a write-up from me, right? Took me a bit, but I figured it would be great to go in and see just how each of these coaches have done. I realize the first two played just five games each, but if that bothers you, ignore that and just take a glance at D'Antoni's numbers. ------------------------------------ The team is 12-12 without Nash this season. Our original starting five (Kobe, Howard, Nash, Gasol, Artest) is 0-5 together. Mike Brown Era (1-4, Nash for two games, both L's) Lakers: 47.0% FG, 34.8% 3PT (18.4 3PTA/G), 66.3% FT, 44.6 RPG, 19.6 APG, 8.0 SPG, 5.0 BPG, 18.2 TO, 21.4 PF, 97.2 PPG Opponent: 44.7% FG, 35.6% 3PT, 22.8 FTA/G, 35.4 RPG, 21.0 APG, 9.6 SPG, 5.2 BPG, 12.4 TO, 24.2 PF, 98.8 PPG Bernie Bickerstaff Era (4-1, no Nash) Lakers: 45.6% FG, 34.2% 3PT (22.8 3PTA/G), 72.1% FT, 49.0 RPG, 23.0 APG, 7.4 SPG, 6.8 BPG, 14.8 TO, 14.2 PF, 103.8 PPG Opponent: 42.2% FG, 33.3% 3PT, 15.6 FTA/G, 40.8 RPG, 22.2 APG, 8.8 SPG, 4.4 BPG, 13.4 TO, 22.6 PF, 92.2 PPG Mike D'Antoni Era (12-20, Nash for 16 games, 11 L's) Lakers: 45.0% FG, 35.7% 3PT (26.2 3PTA/G), 69.8% FT, 44.3 RPG, 21.8 APG, 7.1 SPG, 5.6 BPG, 14.5 TO, 19.3 PF, 102.9 PPG Opponent: 45.8% FG, 35.9% 3PT, 21.4 FTA/G, 44.0 RPG, 24.2 APG, 8.1 SPG, 5.2 BPG, 12.9 TO, 23.1 PF, 103.4 PPG I've highlighted the concerning numbers in red...all being the lowest among the three coaches. It's clear we are a worse defensive team with D'Antoni...by quite a bit. We allow teams to play at a faster pace, and PART of that is us launching more threes every night, and taking shots early in the clock. Our Pace Factor (number of possessions in 48 minutes) is second in the NBA, at a staggering 94.7. For a team that has four of five original starters in their thirties (Kobe, Nash, Gasol, Artest are all out of their ultimate primes), that's a super-fast pace. But what do you expect with a D'Antoni/Nash-led offense? Well, unfortunately, when we run...the opposing team runs. That's how it goes. D'Antoni was quoted saying that the Memphis Grizzlies outran us tonight. Do you want to know what the Grizzlies' Pace Factor is? It's 28th in the league. ------------------------------------ Steve Nash is a major defensive liability. Because he can't defend his man, Kobe Bryant is having to spend more energy defending PG's. That means less help defense by the best help defender on our team, other than Dwight Howard. And with less help defense comes more defensive exposing, all directed at Pau Gasol and Antawn Jamison...who are awful defenders. Pau Gasol can't post up with Dwight? Yes he can. Run a double-post motion offense. It doesn't work? Gasol doesn't need to be two feet from the rim...he can take short jumpers off the block, or make passes out of the low post, all while Dwight maintains his position. Ah, and that gives us two offensive rebounders near the rim. We don't have shooters? We would have a lethal shooter, if Nash (who is a 50/40/90 shooter and arguably the greatest shooter we've ever seen at the PG position) would take just a few more shots a night, playing off of two superstars (Kobe and Howard). He could settle for a 5-8 assist night, correct? I'm appalled to find out that this offensive genius can't adjust accordingly. So with two threats from outside (Nash and Artest), how does that help our pick and roll? Significantly, especially if Nash establishes himself as a shooting threat. Why? Well, why would any player, in their right mind, leave him open to follow Howard to the rim? Why would any player leave Howard for a split second? Confusion is best generated by two scoring threats in that particular P&R situation. If Nash doesn't solidify himself as a threat, it's an easier decision for the opponent. Where can Kobe play once one of our bigs take a seat? In the post. Can't do that in a D'Antoni offense, though, because he's not a ball-handler UNLESS he's in ISO on the perimeter. Meanwhile, what is Nash doing when Kobe engages? Nothing. He doesn't cut to and through to the corner, he doesn't use a screen, he doesn't curl...so we basically play one half of the court, and weak side play ceases to exist (Kobe's perspective). We go without multiple shooting threats, we lose spacing. We lose spacing, our two superstars are much, much easier to defend. Howard becomes easier to front in the post with multiple players...not so hard to slide 5-10 feet over and cover him with backside help. Kobe has a man on him AND one within two steps of a charge. In pick and roll, the opposing team can come out and push Nash 30 feet from the rim, simply because Dwight Howard is not a shooting threat, Nash doesn't establish himself as one, and Gasol is too slow to roll to the rim, as well as him being passive and choosing not to score. The result? Ron Artest becomes our secondary scoring option...and to no one's surprise (maybe), he's shooting threes, not in the post. Kobe is strictly in ISO most of the game, once the ball comes to him. Dwight is being fronted, and because he has lost a bit of jumping ability, and because the spacing is horrible, he can't get the ball over the top. Once that ball reaches its peak elevation, and headed towards Dwight's fingertips, the opposing defenders are taught to lead him close to the baseline OR pack around him in the paint, then go "hands out" to cause the strip and prevent him from bringing the ball over his head. We are scoring buckets on the offensive end, and our Offensive Rating is in the top 10. That doesn't mean we're a good offensive team, it means we're relying on Kobe far too much. Bryant should not have to play 40 minutes, score 30 points, and throw 5-6 assists for us to be within reach in some of these games. Our offense is not good if Ron Artest is our second scoring option, and he is shooting more shots per game (11.1) than Dwight (10.3) and Nash (8.3), and as many as Gasol (11.3). Yes, no joke...this is happening. Why so bad on defense? Long misses cause fast breaks we can't defend. Turnovers do the same thing. We complain about fouls, and don't get back in time. We have absolutely no defensive strategy for guard penetration (leading guards to the paint or baseline, into Dwight) or for pick and roll situations (over/under, knowing when to switch, etc). We have two weak links in our starting five (Nash, Gasol...basically, Pau is a starter, since he plays big minutes) and multiple from our bench (Jamison and Meeks notably horrible). We are old, but we TRY to play like we're young. In 2008 and 2010, the Boston Celtics were old...and played that way. Strategically. In 2011, the Dallas Mavericks did the same thing, and won it all. The following year (just last year), the Miami Heat were old compared to a fresh, young Oklahoma City Thunder team...and, yet, they realized that LeBron's post game, spreading the floor with three-point shooters, and not allowing the Thunder to ignite breaks, was going to put a ring on their fingers. If we're playing without an identity, we are playing without effort. Rotations are broken. How many minutes will Jodie Meeks log next game? Will Jamison play the three or four? Will Darius Morris or Chris Duhon be our backup point guard? The 2010-11 Miami Heat ran through this, head first, for 17 games...and then they decided to change their offense. Once they adjusted, they went 21-1 over their next 22 games. What would 21-1 do for us at this point? Do the math...38-26...64 games, 6th in the Western Conference. Unfortunately, the Lakers don't give us any indication that they are going to change, and it could be this way for the next three seasons. If we lose Dwight this year, we go into the 2013-14 season with roughly $59 million dedicated to JUST Kobe, Gasol and Nash. That's the salary cap, ladies and gents. No free agents for us. If our plan is to let Gasol expire after next season (which will be an unforgettable one, for all the wrong reasons), we will have a Kobe/Nash squad...and that's if Kobe decides to extend (and with how these next 1 1/2 seasons could go, he'd consider retirement). Nash will be months away from 41 years old in the fall of 2014. Think about that. We have made multiple mistakes over the years, from giving away large contracts to a couple of coaches (who clearly didn't fit here) and trading away draft picks (and making bad picks), to keeping Pau Gasol until his knees rust away and playing four entirely different offenses from May 2012 to January 2013. Instead of building a solid team around our two superstars, we have asked our two superstars to adjust to a 39-year old point guard that is playing like he's 39 years old (imagine that). Do the Knicks center their offense around Jason Kidd, or Sheed in the post? Boston is under .500 because three of their best are 35-36 years old, and the offense runs through them (especially Pierce and Garnett). If it wasn't for Rondo, and the fact that they are familiar with each other, they would be a disaster. The Spurs have stacked young players around their two oldest (Duncan and Manu), and Duncan is having an incredible season, regardless. Dark times are ahead of us, if we don't play our cards right. As of now, our record in April isn't the biggest concern. Someone, whether it's Jerry or Jim, Mitch, or Jeanie reading from a hand-written note from one of them, needs to speak up and admit there have been crucial mistakes made to rebound from our preseason blunder, and with that recognition should come major changes as soon as possible. If not, we're heading in the same direction Boston is...but without a Rajon Rondo...and with the Clippers having the potential to rip away all of our free agent prospects, rebuilding may not be a pretty sight.

Like my early editions last year, I only have explainations for the lottery picks. The non-lottery picks are more of a BPA situation but I do account for team need for the first 5 or so non picks. After that is mostly BPA but a tiny bit of need factoring in as well. As the college season goes on and I see more of the non-marquee prospects, I'll do a more detailed job with the later picks but as of right now most of my prospect watching has been the lottery and mid first round guys. Because of the nature of this draft, a lot of these mock picks are made with need in mind since there is such a cluster at the top of the board with very few real standouts. With need factoring in so much, I realize there are a few players likely sliding well below where they will actually go (Syracuse's Michael Carter-Williams springs to mind as well as Michigan's Trey Burke). I'll likely do my next one after the NCAA Tournament, another when the NBA's season is over and then another one after the lottery. I may or may not get around to doing one prior to the draft itself, I'm not sure yet. The standings are accurate as of Friday night's games when I started writing this. Without further ado, here is my first mock for the 2013 draft: 1. Charlotte Bobcats – SG Ben McLemore, Kansas, Freshman After redshirting last year due to academic issues, McLemore has burst onto the national scene this year taking over for Thomas Robinson as the Jayhawks' go to guy offensively. McLemore possess a silky smooth jump shot that already features NBA range, a nice ability to utilizes off-ball screens and various cuts to create space to get his fantastic jumper off. Not just a shooter, McLemore has proven to be an elite athlete which enables him to get to the rim and finish over larger opponents. He uses this athleticism on the defensive end to surprise with weakside shot blocks and jumping passing lanes. McLemore will need to develop more ball skills as at this point he is limited to one or two dribbles and either finishing in the paint or taking a pull up jumper. Developing a reliable go to move and counter move will make him that much more dangerous as an offensive option. With his elite jumper he doesn't need to have a great handle as defenders will instinctively play him tight so just tightening up his ball skills will make him a huge threat offensively. Pairing McLemore with Kemba Walker and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist on the perimeter gives the Bobcats a great mix of athleticism, shot creation, shooting and penetration. With Walker's ability to get into the heart of the defense, adding a shooter of McLemore's calibre gives him a reliable kick out option. McLemore's ball skills also enable the Bobcats to use Walker off the ball and relieve some of the creation responsibilities. On defense, McLemore and Kidd-Gilchrist will be able to cover a lot of ground with their length and athleticism, while also not sacrificing on-ball defense as both project to be plus individual defenders. 2. Washington Wizards – SG/SF Shabazz Muhammad, UCLA, Freshman Muhammad is one of the best scorers in the entire country. He has shown a touch on his jumper that many people didn't know existed by converting just under 44% of his 3 point shots. After missing time early in the season due to an NCAA investigation into his eligibility, Muhammad's college career got off to a shaky start. After finally being ruled eligible, Muhammad started the year out of shape and his play suffered because of it. However, after dropping the excess weight and getting into game shape, Muhammad has shown the scoring ability that made him arguably the most coveted high school recruit last year. Over his last 12 contests, Muhammad is averaging 19.3 points per game and shooting nearly 48% from the field. Muhammad is also a solid rebounder and has the athleticism and length to develop into an above average defender as well. There are concerns about his position as well. His game is more suited to the small forward spot as he doesn't have the handle of a shooting guard. The problem is he is only 6'6 and doesn't have a remarkable wingspan so he may be undersized playing at the small forward. The biggest weakness for Muhammad undoubtedly is creating offense for his teammates. On the season he has amassed a paltry 16 assists for an average of 0.9 a game. His assist to shot ratio is horrific, averaging 1 assist for every 15 shots he takes. This is the area where Muhammad needs the most work. However, despite that, Muhammad wouldn't be expected to do much shot creating on this Wizards team. With John Wall being one of the best playmaking point guard in the NBA and rookie shooting guard Bradley Beal being a reliable 2nd ball handler, Muhammad can focus in on scoring the ball. Having a talented shot creator in Wall and a great floor spacer in Beal will give Muhammad plenty of room to get off his slashing and off ball game to create some easy opportunities for a team that really labours to get easy baskets. 3. Cleveland Cavaliers – C Alex Len, Maryland, Maryland, Sophomore Len rocketed up the draft boards early in the season after an impressive display against future lottery pick Nerlens Noel in Maryland's first game of the season. Despite losing the game, Len showcased a much more developed skill set from his inconsistent freshman season and he has continued to display his improved skill set throughout the course of the season.. He has nice touch around the rim and if he can continue to add some go to moves in the post he could become a nice offensive option, especially when you consider his physical tools. Len is 7'1 and is already an impressive 255 pounds despite having much more room to fill out. Add to his impressive size his fluidity and athleticism, and you are looking at a very intriguing long term prospect both offensively and defensively. Len is still perhaps the least NBA ready of all the top prospects/ He still battles bouts of inconsistency. Rather than try and impose his will on the game as the biggest and most skilled player on the floor most of the time, he tends to fade into the background. Part of this is due to Maryland's guards inability to consistently get him the ball in the post, but most of it is due to his mentality and motor. Cleveland would look to pair Len's interior presence with budding superstar point guard Kyrie Irving's perimeter game. Cleveland has a lot of work to do but adding a potential franchise cornerstone at center to go along with the franchise point guard that Irving has proven to be makes them a team with a tremendous future. The two of them could develop into a formidable pick and roll duo and inside out threat. Add second year man Tristan Thompson, who is in the midst of a breakout season, and you have three very nice building blocks for the future that compliment each other very well. 4. New Orleans Hornets – C/PF Cody Zeller, Indiana, Sophomore After a fantastic freshman season in which Zeller led the Indiana Hoosiers back into the national spotlight, Zeller decided to forgo the NBA draft and return to Bloomington to make a run at a National Championship. Zeller entered the season as the favourite for both National Player of the Year and for the first overall draft pick. However, he hasn't exactly had the season many expected and as a result has seen his stock drop a bit. There is still plenty of time for him to regain that mantle, though. Zeller's game is still very much the same as it was last season when he was a projected lottery pick and that is both a good thing and a bad thing. It is good because his ability to run the floor, catch passes and finish around the basket is still second to none in college basketball. He is one of the most efficient big men in the game and these skills are very transferable to the next level. On the other hand, it is a bit worrisome because he hasn't taken his game to the next level like many people expected him to. He has become a better rebounder this year, which was one of the bigger question marks surrounding him last year. For the Hornets, pairing Zeller alongside last year's first overall pick Anthony Davis gives the Hornets a nice mix of quickness, athleticism and touch around the basket. There are valid concerns about larger bigs feasting on these duo, but with the NBA going towards a faster, quicker league opposed to the physicality of yesteryear, it shouldn't be too much of a problem, especially when you factor in the length of Davis and how much ground he can cover defensively. 5. Orlando Magic – PF Nerlens Noel, Kentucky, Freshman Noel is widely considered to be a top 3 prospect in this draft, but because of poor fit with the teams ahead of Orlando, the Magic find themselves with Noel falling right into their laps. Noel, while not as dominant defensively as his predecessor Anthony Davis, is a force in his own right. He has some of the quickest hands in all of college basketball and uses them to disrupt both bigs when catching entry passes as well as guard driving into the lane. When he isn't stripping opposing players of the ball, there is a good chance he is blocking their shots. Unlike a lot of young big men, Noel doesn't go for the highlight by swatting the ball into the fifth row. Instead, he does his best to try and deflect it towards a teammate to spark a transition opportunity. On offense Noel isn't as productive. He has shown potential as a high post passer. When he has the ball at either elbow he does a nice job of finding cutters or making a bounce pass post entry but in order to be able to make optimal use of this skill, Noel needs to develop a reliable 15 foot jumper or a dribble drive face up game. If he doesn't do either of those things defenses will just sag off him and take away all passing lanes, effectively negating this promising skill. Outside of the high post passing, Noel is mainly a garbage man on offense, finishing broken plays, lobs or offensive rebounds. He has a lot of work to do on this end of the floor. For Orlando, Noel would be able to come in and give them that defensive anchor they are missing since Dwight Howard's departure. The Magic have had a top 10 defense for 5 of the past 6 years prior to this season with Howard on the roster. In their first post-Howard era year, they've seen their defensive rating plummet to 24th in the league. Noel isn't going to replace Howard on his own, but his length, quickness, hands, shot blocking ability and defensive IQ is certainly a step in the right direction. 6. Phoenix Suns – PF Anthony Bennett, UNLV, Freshman Bennett has arguably been the most productive freshman in the country so far and has quickly emerged as the leader of the Running Rebels, despite the presence of junior forward Mike Moser. Bennett has a versatile offensive game that features the ability to step outside and knock down perimeter jumpers, size his man up and take him from the triple threat position, work a two man game with a guard or post up in the paint. When it comes to scoring the ball in a variety of ways, Bennett may be the cream of the crop in this draft. In addition to his scoring ability, he is an explosive athlete, has exceptional length and has a relentless motor. All three of these attributes enable to be a force on the offensive glass and as a finisher in the paint, where he converts 76% of his attempts, which is top 10 in all of college basketball. From a talent standpoint, Bennett is one of the biggest catches in the draft. There are two red flags about him that may cause him to fall. The first of which is his seemingly disinterest in playing on the defensive side of the ball. He will come up with a block or two simply due to his immense physical attributes, but when it comes to actually defending he is non-existent. He doesn't fight for position and is just lazy on that side of the ball. The other is concerns about his position. He is undersized for the power forward spot and doesn't project to be able to play the small forward spot either. With many tweener forward struggling to make an impact in the NBA, this may scare teams off of Bennett. Despite these concerns, Phoenix is in such an unenviable position of having lack of talent at nearly every position, look for them to take a chance on a player who has the upside that Bennett does. Simply put, they need an infusion of talent on their roster and Bennett is one of the most talented players in the entire draft. 7. Sacramento Kings – SF Otto Porter, Georgetown, Sophomore After being a relatively unknown recruit, Porter had a nice freshman season in a complimentary role for the Hoyas last year. With Henry Sims graduating, Porter has become the man for Georgetown and has adjusted well to the increased role and responsibility offensively while not sacrificing on the defensive end, where he made his biggest impact as a freshman. He increased his scoring average from 10 as a freshman to 15 this year while maintaining solid efficiency by converting 50% of his field goals. He is one of the best players in the country at finding open space. In particular, he does an excellent job of flashing to the high post for either an open jumper or to create a passing lane to feed the low post. Regardless of his improvements offensively, his calling card as a player and prospect is his defensive ability. He has nice size at 6'8 and an impressive 7'1 wingspan that enables him to do a fantastic of of helping on penetration, yet still recover in time to contest kick out jumpers. He plays passing lanes really well and does a nice job coming from the weakside to block shots, deflect passes or draw charges. The biggest question mark with Porter is his ability to shoot from NBA 3 point range. He shot just 20% and made a total of 12 threes his entire freshman season. He has greatly improved on that this year, converting a higher percentage (44%) on a greater volume (20 made threes already). His jumper is unorthodox and will need re-tooling so even with his improved shooting, there are still valid concerns if it will translate to the next level. Another critique is he is rather limited off the bounce. Most of his dribble drives result in pull ups from mid range and he is rather predictable as he tends to always try straight-line right handed drives. For a team with as many alpha male personalities and ball dominant offensive players as the Kings, Porter will slide in nicely as a complimentary role player who does his best work on the defensive end and off the ball. His ability to find open space to get his game off will compliment the ball dominant offensive players nicely, especially with his ability to play off of big men. If he is unable to translate his improved distance shooting this year, it may make the spacing rather difficult for the Kings, but that is really the only concern. Otherwise, it is a fantastic fit for both Porter and the Kings. 8. Oklahoma City Thunder (From Toronto) – C Isiah Austin, Baylor, Freshman Austin has a unique blend of size and skill. Standing over 7 feet tall with long arms and solid athleticism, he also has good ball skills and range out to 18 feet. He moves very well beating most big men down the floor and is usually quicker off his feet as well. Despite his rail thin frame, he does a good job finishing around the basket because of his agility and soft touch enabling him to out manuever bigger and stronger players. Defensively he uses his length and quickness to really bother opposing players and also has a solid understanding of positional and help defense. The major thing that Austin needs to work on is his body. He needs to add a good 30 pounds just to get to a passable weight at the NBA level. He is easily pushed around, really struggles to establish position both offensively and defensively. He manages to do a good job on the glass at the collegiate level due to being longer and more athletic than most of the opposition, but in the NBA he'll need to do a better job of boxing out and using his body as opposed to just leaping for the ball. The Thunder are in a unique position where they are a legitimate title contender, but because of the James Harden trade, also possess a lottery pick from the Toronto Raptors. With their status as an elite team already established, they can look to go one of two ways with this pick. Either find a role player to fill a niche, or swing for the fences with a high upside project player. Austin fits the latter of those scenarios, but the potential he has is going to be too much for a gambler like Thunder GM Sam Presti to pass up. 9. Detroit Pistons – SG Archie Goodwin, Kentucky, Freshman Goodwin is perhaps the most explosive player off the bounce in the draft. There are very few college players who are able to contain Goodwin when he puts his head down and attacks the paint. He has an elite first step, has a tight handle and elevates quickly making it difficult to block his shot. He has nice size to compliment his explosive athleticism. His constant attacking puts the defense on their heels and, while not being a gifted playmaker, does create opportunities for his teammates. He also uses his great physical attributes on the defensive end by being a huge pest whenever his man is dribbling the ball. He plays really aggressive pressure defense and also does a nice job jumping passing lanes for steals. Goodwin is still very raw and has a lot of work to do. He needs to improve his jumper as it is not reliable at this point in his development. His decision making leaves a lot to be desired as he will have plenty of moments where he forces a drive into traffic or a pass that has no chance to be completed. His aggressiveness is a great trait, but he needs to learn to temper it as he can't play full tilt all the time. Learning when to pick his spots will greatly increase his effectiveness and efficiency as a player. Adding Goodwin's penetration to a lineup that has some solid perimeter shooters in Brandon Knight, Tayshaun Prince and Kyle Singler, among others, will give the Pistons an added dimension to their offensive game that can become fairly predictable at times. The Pistons are either feeding Greg Monroe in the post or taking perimeter jumpers. Goodwin will give them a much needed third dimension on offense. 10. Minnesota Timberwolves – SG CJ McCollum, Senior, Lehigh McCollum quietly put together a great first three seasons at Lehigh being one of the best non power conference players in the country, but he didn't really gain national prominence until he orchestrated the remarkable upset of second seeded Duke last season. McCollum has always been able to score the ball, but the stigma of playing for a small school against weaker competition hampered his draft stock, but that remarkable game against Duke eliminated many of those concerns. McCollum was off to a fantastic start to his senior year this year averaging a very impressive 24 points per game and shooting over 50% from three. His final year came to an abrupt halt when he broke his foot, but that hasn't done much to diminish his stock as a crafty, shot creating, scoring combo guard. Like most combo guards and seniors, McCollum has the usual concerns. He is stuck between the two guard spots, his upside as a senior is limited, he doesn't defend well and so on and so forth. There are some valid concerns about his athleticism translating to the next level. He doesn't have great explosion or leaping ability, but he does tend to make up for that with a nice array of dribble moves and counters to create separation. Despite his scoring prowess, McCollum does need to improve his shot creation for his teammates to avoid becoming a one dimensional offensive player. For the next few years at least, Minnesota is pretty set at the point guard with Ricky Rubio, small forward with Andrei Kirilenko, power forward with Kevin Love and center with Nikola Pekovic. The one missing ingredient, and one that has been there for a while now, is at the shooting guard spot. McCollum may not be a perfect fit as he is a bit of a combo guard due to his size, but he will give them the scoring and shooting ability to compliment their two franchise cornerstones; Rubio and Love. 11. Philadelphia 76ers – PF/C Rudy Gobert, France, 20 Years Old Huge. In a word, that accurately describes this young man from France. Gobert is 7'1 and possess a mammoth 7'9 wingspan. Gobert uses this freakish size to be a huge presence on the defensive end blocking and altering shots. Gobert plays just 20 minutes a game, but manages to average two blocks a contest and alter numerous others during the course of the game. In addition to his shot blocking, Gobert makes excellent use of his gigantic arms to pull down nearly 10 boards on a per 40 minute basis , regardless of the fact that he is usually giving up a lot of strength against the opposition. As if size alone wasn't impressive enough, Gobert combines that with an excellent leaping ability and a very quick second jump to make him even more of an intimidating interior presence. The biggest area that Gobert needs to work on is adding muscle to his huge frame. Despite being so large, Gobert weighs just 220 pounds and does get pushed around by stronger bigs inside. He will use his length to keep them at a distance, but if they are able to get inside on him, it usually results in them overpowering him en route to a basket or trip to the line. In addition to his lack of strength, Gobert needs to develop some role offensively. At this point in his development, he is basically a lob finisher and offensive rebounder. Even adding a simple jump hook with both hands will make him a much more effective player simply due to the fact that nobody will be able to really bother him due to his physical traits. The Sixers are in a rather difficult situation if they end up in this area of the draft as ideally they would look to find Jrue Holiday a running mate in the backcourt to take over for the aging Jason Richardson, but there really aren't any shooting guards who make a lot of sense at this point in the draft. Gobert gives them a high upside insurance policy in case they lose Andrew Bynum in free agency or if his extensive injury history prevents him from being able to consistently get on the court. The problem is that if Bynum does manage to play, him and Gobert don't really fit next to each other very well. At the end of the day, with no real logical choice here, Philadelphia swings for the fences with a high upside big. 12. Phoenix Suns (From LA Lakers) – SF/PF Alex Poythress, Kentucky, Freshman 14 years ago the Phoenix Suns drafted a super athletic tweener forward out of UNLV by the name of Shawn Marion. Marion would go on to be a cornerstone of the Suns' franchise for nearly a decade because of his hustle, motor and stat-stuffing ability. Poythress is cut from the same cloth as Marion. He is also a high athletic forward with a great motor who can crash the glass, run the lanes in transition, finish around the rim and has the athleticism and length to become a great defender at both forward positions. Much like Marion coming out of college, Poythress has a lot of the same weaknesses. He isn't very comfortable creating his own shot. His shooting is a concern, although he is much better as a stand still shooter than off the bounce. There are some concerns about where he fits in offensively as he doesn't really have the ball skills of a small forward or the interior play of a power forward. This can be corrected so long as he continues to improve his jump shot. As he gains more experience playing on the wing – he was a power forward for most his high school career – these weaknesses should naturally improve to the point where he can reliably play the small forward, much like Marion did in the early stages of his career. The Suns used their early lottery pick to draft Bennett and by picking up Poythress they commit to a high athletic, versatile forward rotation that enables them to get out and run like they want to, but also enables them to have more options in the half court as well. 13. Dallas Mavericks – PG Marcus Smart, Oklahoma State, Freshman Smart has a powerful frame standing at 6'4 that he uses to its full potential. He isn't the most explosive or quickest athlete, but where Smart excels is getting into the body of his defender and utilizing his strength to create separation to get his game off. He plays with a ferocious intensity that endears himself to fans – and makes him public enemy number one with opposing fans – and combines that with a motor that is going non-stop. He brings a nice versatility to the floor as he rebounds very well from the backcourt, does a nice job finding his teammates and will also surprise opponents with blocks and steals. Where Smart needs work is on his shot selection. His shooting percentages are low, but that is more due to the shots he decides to take than a fundamental flaw in his shooting ability. He gets nice lift on his jumper and releases the ball with solid arc and rotation, but because he has a tendency to take difficult pull up jumpers, his percentages suffer. He will also need to tighten up his handle as he can be careless with the dribble and can get his pocket picked easier than you'd like from a lead guard as a result. Developing a floater will help nullify his lack of explosiveness that can hamper his finishing ability around the rim. Smart and Syracuse's Michael Carter-Williams will likely jockey for the honour of being the first point guard selected in the draft, although Michigan's Trey Burke is knocking on the door. For a team searching for help at the lead guard, all three are valid options for the Mavericks here, but Dallas' owner Mark Cuban will be drawn to the leadership and competitive fire that Texas native Smart possess, which will ultimately give Smart the edge. 14. Charlotte Bobcats (From Portland) – PF Mason Plumlee, Duke, Senior With the departure of Austin Rivers and older brother Miles, Plumlee was expected to be the Blue Devils' featured player this year, and he has risen to the occasion by developing into one of the most productive players in college basketball and one of the leading candidates for National Player of the Year. Always a good athlete, an underdeveloped skillset has always held Plumlee back as a prospect but he has taken strides to improve that this year. He is more comfortable facing his man up and taking him off the dribble, using an excellent first step to get around his man and then elevating quickly to finish at the rim. He sets strong picks and does a nice job creating space when rolling to the paint. He is also a fantastic rebounder pulling down 11 boards a game. Where Plumlee needs to improve most is his jumper. If he wants to be a face up threat in the NBA, he needs to develop a reliable 15 foot jumper or else defenses will just play him for the drive all the time. He has improved his post play, but still needs to continue to refine his post moves and work on his touch on his jump hooks. Just continuing to work on his overall skillset is needed for Plumlee as, despite the improvements he has made, he still relies a lot on his raw strength and athleticism to create on offense and defend on the other end. Charlotte will look to come away from this draft with a backcourt partner for Walker and to improve on their abysmal frontcourt. Taking McLemore with the first pick solidifies their perimeter of the future. While not the sexy pick of a promising freshman, Plumlee will give the Bobcats a high energy, reliable big to give them some sorely needed production in the paint on both ends of the floor. 15. Boston Celtics – C Willie Cauley-Stein, Kentucky, Freshman 16. Atlanta Hawks (From Houston) – PF Tony Mitchell, North Texas, Sophomore 17. Utah Jazz – PG Michael Carter-Williams, Syracuse, Sophomore 18. Milwaukee Bucks – PG Trey Burke, Michigan, Sophomore 19. Atlanta Hawks - SG Victor Oladipo, Indiana, Junior 20. Brooklyn Nets – PF James Michael McAdoo, North Carolina, Sophomore 21. Indiana Pacers – SF/PF Dario Saric, Croatia, 18 Years Old 22. Denver Nuggets - SG Jamaal Franklin, San Diego State, Junior 23. Chicago Bulls – PF/C – Kelly Olynyk, Gonzaga, Junior 24. Utah Jazz (From Golden State) – SG Tim Hardaway Jr., Junior 25. New York Knicks – C Jeff Withey, Kansas, Senior 26. Minnesota Timberwolves (from Memphis) – SF LeBryan Nash, Oklahoma State, Sophomore 27. Cleveland Cavaliers (From Miami) – SF Glenn Robinson III, Michigan, Freshman 28. Los Angeles Clippers – C Gorgui Dieng, Louisville, Junior 29. San Antonio Spurs – PG Lorenzo Brown, NC State, Junior 30. Oklahoma City Thunder SF/PF CJ Leslie, NC State, Junior

http://i.imgur.com/8fTDhl3.jpg Picked up a few things from the thrift store and put em together

http://boston.3432.voxcdn.com/files/2013/01/rides.jpg

You can't really use locker room leadership as an argument for making the allstar game.

I don't have any complaints about Kobe and Dwight being there. But Curry should be there over Parker for sure IMO.