Built Ford Tough

Guys like Woj, Stein, Hollinger and Bucher are all talking on Twitter that the two of them will be signing with the same team and are basically a package deal. Does this make Brooklyn the clear cut favourites considering Kidd would be able to get more money signing with them?

Quick signs a 10 year, $58M extension with the Kings (will kick in next year). Schnieder signs a 3 year, $12M extension with the Canucks, which should be the beginning of a Luongo to Florida trade. Rask signs a 1 year, $3.5M deal with the Bruins. Crosby signs a 12 year, $104.4M extension with the Pens. Yes, that is an $8.7M cap hit. Price is expected to sign an extension with the Habs soon. Speculation is a shorter term than Quick, but a higher annual cap hit (McKenzie guessed around 6 years with a $6.25M cap hit). The salary cap is expected to be around $70M this upcoming season, which is up from the $64M it was this past season.

I'm too lazy to look up a link at this point, but for anybody who has watches SportsCentre they will have heard it (hell, the Canadian version even talked about it, haha). It is the same knee he had surgery on back in 08.

With how the past few days have played out, I think Colangelo already knows that Nash will sign with Toronto and that is why he has made the moves he has. - Bringning over Valanciunas who's best attribute is his ability to play the PnR, which Nash thrives in. - Drafted Quincy Acy, an athletic rebounder who can step in and contribute immediately, allowing the possibility of shopping Davis or Amir. - Drafted Terrence Ross, an athletic floor spacer who can run the break and will be the 3 point gunner to keep defenses honest. - Did not make a move for Kyle Lowry who has been linked to the Raptors for almost half a year now. - Did not add any salary to ensure that he can offer Nash anything he wants. Maybe this is me just reaching to make sense of what was, in my opinion, a disappointing draft, but I think many of these moves (and non-moves) were made with Nash already penciled in the lineup.

Screw moving up for anybody. Just take Quincy Miller instead of Acy. I like Acy as a hustle big, but they already have Bargnani, Johnson, Davis, Gray and Valanciunas. Why take him? Roll the dice and hope Miller becomes what people thought he would coming out of high school. There is no excuse to pass up on his potential at that point in the draft, especially since the Raptors have such a gaping hole at SF as is. I don't hate Ross, but at 8th? No thanks. Take a chance on Drummond. If him and Valanciunas both reach their potential, you are looking at potentially the best frontcourt duo in the league. With so little dominant big men, having two on the same team would make Toronto an absolutely lethal team as long as they surround them with the right mix of talent (shooting, good PnR point, etc...). That would enable them to bring Bargnani off the bench as a super sub scoring option or even play him at the 3 when playing zone. If the two of them end up not being able to co-exist, flip one for a position of need. I'm sure you would find more than a few willing suitors for either Drummond or Val. Even if you want to go with a swing, take a chance on Lamb. He is a better shooter, longer and is more capable of creating his own offense than Ross is. Honestly though, the thing that pisses me off more than anything is that the Raptors missed out on Harrison Barnes, a guy who I've been wanting on this team for the past 2 years, because of a [expletive]ing coin flip. Ugh.

TheNotoriousBang 1. NOH - Anthony Davis - 3 points 2. CHA - Michael Kidd-Gilchrist - 3 points 3. WAS - Harrison Barnes - 0 points 4. CLE - Thomas Robinson - 2 points 5. SAC - Andre Drummond - 0 points 6. POR - Damian Lillard - 3 points 7. GSW - John Henson - 0 points 8. TOR - Doron Lamb - 0 points 9. DET - Jared Sullinger - 0 points 10. NO - Austin Rivers - 3 points 11. POR - Meyers Leonard - 3 points 12. HOU - Terrence Jones - 0 points 13. PHX - Jeremy Lamb - 2 points 14. MIL - Terrence Ross - 0 points 15. PHI - Tyler Zeller - 1 point 16. HOU - Perry Jones III - 0 points 17. DAL - Kendall Marshall - 0 points 18. HOU - Tyshawn Taylor - 0 points 19. ORL - Arnett Moultrie - 0 points 20. DEN - Bradley Beal - 0 points 21. BOS - Deion Waiters - 0 points 22. BOS - Quincy Miller - 0 points 23. ATL - Andrew Nicholson - 0 points 24. CLE - Fab Melo - 1 point 25. MEM - Marquis Teague - 0 points 26. IND - Draymond Green - 0 points 27. MIA - Jeff Taylor - 0 points 28. OKC - Festus Ezeli - 1 point 29. CHI - Drew Gordon - 0 points 30. GSW - Bradford Burgess - 0 points Final Score: 22 points TheHutch 1. Anthony Davis - 3 points 2. Thomas Robinson - 0 points 3. Bradley Beal - 3 points 4. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist - 1 point 5. Harrison Barnes - 1 point 6. Damian Lillard - 3 points 7. Andre Drummond - 1 point 8. Dion Waiters - 0 points 9. John Henson - 0 points 10. Austin Rivers - 3 points 11. Tyler Zeller - 0 points 12. Jeremy Lamb - 3 points 13. Terrence Ross - - points 14. Meyers Leonard - 0 points 15. Terrence Jones - 0 points 16. Arnett Moultrie - 0 points 17. Moe Harkless - 0 points 18. Kendall Marshall - 0 points 19. Royce White - 0 points 20. Perry Jones - 0 points 21. Jared Sullinger - 3 points 22. Evan Fournier - 1 point 23. Will Barton - 0 points 24. Andrew Nicholson - 0 points 25. Marquis Teague - 0 points 26. Draymond Green - 0 points 27. Fab Melo - 0 points 28. Jeff Taylor - 0 points 29. Festus Ezeli - 2 points 30. Quincy Miller - 0 points Final Score: 22 points JYD 1. New Orleans Hornets: Anthony Davis - 3 points 2. Charlotte Bobcats: Bradley Beal - 2 points 3. Washington Wizards: Thomas Robinson - 1 point 4. Cleveland Cavaliers: Harrison Barnes - 0 points 5. Sacramento Kings: Michael Kidd-Gilchrist - 0 points 6. Portland Trailblazers: Damian Lilliard - 3 points 7. Golden State Warriors: Dion Waiters - 0 points 8. Toronto Raptors Andre Drummond - 2 points 9. Detroit Pistons: John Henson - 0 points 10. New Orleans Hornets: Kendall Marshall - 0 points 11. Portland Trailblazers: Tyler Zeller - 0 points 12. Houston Rockets: Meyers Leonard - 2 points 13. Phoenix Suns: Austin Rivers - 0 points 14. Milwaukee Bucks: Jeremy Lamb - 1 point 15. Philadelphia 76ers: Perry Jones - 0 points 16. Houston Rockets: Terrence Ross - 0 points 17. Dallas Mavericks: Marquis Teague - 0 points 18. Minnesota Timberwolves: Moe Harkless - 0 points 19. Orlando Magic: Jared Sullinger - 1 point 20. Denver Nuggets: Arnett Moultrie - 0 points 21. Boston Celtics: Andrew Nicholson - 1 point 22. Boston Celtics: Doron Lamb - 0 points 23. Atlanta Hawks: Terrence Jones - 0 points 24. Cleveland Cavaliers: Royce White - 0 points 25. Memphis Grizzlies: Fab Melo - 0 points 26. Indiana Pacers: Jeffry Taylor - 0 points 27. Miami Heat: Evan Forunier - 0 points 28. Oklahoma City: Will Barton - 0 points 29. Chicago Bulls: Tyshawn Taylor - 0 points 30: Golden State: Draymond Green - 0 points Final Score: 16 points AboveLegit 1. New Orleans- Anthony Davis - 3 points 2. Charlotte- Thomas Robinson - 0 points 3. Washington- Bradley Beal - 3 points 4. Cleveland- MKG - 1 point 5. Sacramento- Harrison Barnes - 1 point 6. Portland- Dion Waiters - 1 point 7. Golden State- Andre Drummond - 1 point 8. Toronto- Damian Lillard - 1 point 9. Detroit- John Henson - 0 points 10. New Orleans- Austin Rivers - 3 points 11. Portland- Meyers Leonard - 3 points 12. Houston- Terrance Ross - 0 points 13. Phoenix- Kendall Marshall - 3 points 14. Milwaukee- Perry Jones - 0 points 15. Philadelphia - Terrance Jones - 0 points 16. Houston- Tyler Zeller - 2 points 17. Dallas- Terrance Jones - 2 points 18. Houston- Royce White - 1 point 19. Orlando- Jeremy Lamb - 0 points 20. Denver- Moe Harkless - 0 points 21. Boston- Jared Sullinger - 3 points 22. Boston- Jeffrey Taylor - 0 points 23. Atlanta- Fab Melo - 2 points 24. Cleveland- Doron Lamb - 0 points 25. Memphis- Arnett Moultrie - 1 point 26. Indiana- Marquis Teague - 0 points 27. Miami- Draymond Green - 0 points 28. Oklahoma City- Festus Ezeli - 1 point 29. Chicago- Tyshawn Taylor - 0 points 30. Golden State-Khris Middleton - 0 points Final Score: 32 points Simba 1. New Orleans Hornets: Anthony Davis - 3 points 2. Charlotte Bobcats: Thomas Robinson - 0 points 3. Washington Wizards: Bradley Beal - 3 points 4. Cleveland Cavaliers: Michael Kidd Gilchrist - 1 point 5. Sacramento Kings: Harrison Barnes - 1 point 6. Portland Trailblazers: Damian Lilliard - 3 points 7. Golden State Warriors: Dion Waiters - 0 points 8. Toronto Raptors: Jeremy Lamb - 0 points 9. Detroit Pistons: Andre Drummond - 3 points 10. New Orleans Hornets: Kendall Marshall - 0 points 11. Portland Trailblazers: John Henson - 0 points 12. Milwaukee Bucks: Jared Sullinger - 0 points 13. Phoenix Suns: Austin Rivers - 0 points 14. Houston Rockets: Tyler Zeller - 0 points 15. Philadelphia 76ers: Perry Jones III - 0 points 16. Houston Rockets: Terrence Ross - 0 points 17. Dallas Mavericks: Terrence Jones - 2 points 18. Minnesota Timberwolves: Moe Harkless - 0 points 19. Orlando Magic: Meyers Leonard - 0 points 20. Denver Nuggets: Arnett Moultrie - 0 points 21. Boston Celtics: Fab Melo - 2 points 22. Boston Celtics: Quincy Miller - 0 points 23. Atlanta Hawks: Royce White - 0 points 24. Cleveland Cavaliers: Evan Fournier - 0 points 25. Memphis Grizzlies: Marquis Teague - 0 points 26. Indiana Pacers: Andrew Nicholson - 0 points 27. Miami Heat: John Jenkins - 0 points 28. Oklahoma City: Festus Ezeli - 1 point 29. Chicago Bulls: Tyshawn Taylor - 0 points 30: Golden State: Doron Lamb - 0 points Final Score: 19 points Real Deal 1) NEW ORLEANS HORNETS: Anthony Davis, C, Kentucky - 3 points 2) CHARLOTTE BOBCATS: Bradley Beal, G, Florida - 2 points 3) WASHINGTON WIZARDS: Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, F, Kentucky - 2 points 4) CLEVELAND CAVALIERS: Thomas Robinson, F, Kansas - 2 points 5) SACRAMENTO KINGS: Andre Drummond, C, UConn - 0 points 6) PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS: Damian Lillard, G, Weber State - 3 points 7) GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS: Dion Waiters, G, Syracuse - 0 points 8) TORONTO RAPTORS: Austin Rivers, G, Duke - 1 point 9) DETROIT PISTONS: Harrison Barnes, F, North Carolina - 1 point 10) NEW ORLEANS HORNETS: Tyler Zeller, C, North Carolina - 0 points 11) PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS: Meyers Leonard, C, Illinois - 3 points 12) HOUSTON ROCKETS: Jeremy Lamb, G, UConn - 3 points 13) PHOENIX SUNS: Terrence Ross, G, Washington - 0 points 14) MILWAUKEE BUCKS: Terrence Jones, F, Kentucky - 0 points 15) PHILADELPHIA 76ERS: John Henson, F, North Carolina - 2 points 16) HOUSTON ROCKETS: Kendall Marshall, G, North Carolina - 0 points 17) DALLAS MAVERICKS: Moe Harkless, F, St. John's - 1 point 18) HOUSTON ROCKETS: Perry Jones III, F, Baylor - 0 points 19) ORLANDO MAGIC: Jared Sullinger, F, Ohio State - 1 point 20) DENVER NUGGETS: Marquis Teague, G, Kentucky - 0 points 21) BOSTON CELTICS: Royce White, F, Iowa State - 0 points 22) BOSTON CELTICS: Andrew Nicholson, F, St. Bonaventure - 0 points 23) ATLANTA HAWKS: Quincy Miller, F, Baylor - 0 points 24) CLEVELAND CAVALIERS: Draymond Green, F, Michigan State - 0 points 25) MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES: Tony Wroten, G, Washington - 3 points 26) INDIANA PACERS: Jeff Taylor, F, Vanderbilt - 0 points 27) MIAMI HEAT: Festus Ezeli, C, Vanderbilt - 0 points 28) OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER: Evan Fournier, G, France - 0 points 29) CHICAGO BULLS: Will Barton, G, Memphis - 0 points 30) GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS: Doron Lamb, G, Kentucky - 0 points Final Score: 27 points Make it Naaaashty 1. Anthony Davis - 3 points 2. Thomas Robinson - 0 points 3. Bradley Beal - 3 points 4. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist - 1 point 5. Andre Drummond - 0 points 6. Harrison Barnes - 2 points 7. Damian Lilard - 2 points 8. Dion Waiters - 0 points 9. John Henson - 0 points 10. Austin Rivers - 3 points 11. Terrence Jones - 0 points 12. Meyers Leonard - 2 points 13. Terrence Ross - 0 points 14. Perry Jones - 0 points 15. Tyler Zeller - 1 point 16. Jeremy Lamb - 0 points 17. Kendall Marshall - 0 points 18. Quincy Miller - 0 points 19. Jared Sullinger - 1 point 20. Marquis Teague - 0 points 21. Royce White - 0 points 22. Arnett Moultrie - 0 points 23. Moe Harkless - 0 points 24. Fab Melo - 1 point 25. Andrew Nicholson - 0 points 26. Will Barton - 0 points 27. Evan Fournier - 0 points 28. Draymond Green - 0 points 29. Tony Wroten Jr. - 0 points 30. Doron Lamb - 0 points Final Score: 19 points Throw Away to Worthy 1. NOH - Anthony Davis - 3 points 2. CHA - Thomas Robinson - 0 points 3. WAS - Bradley Beal - 3 points 4. CLE - Harrison Barnes - 0 points 5. SAC – Michael Kidd-Gilchrist 0 points 6. POR – Andre Drummond - 0 points 7. GST – Jeremy Lamb - 0 points 8. TOR – Dion Walters - 0 points 9. DET – Damian Lillard - 0 points 10. NOH – Kendall Marshall - 0 points 11. POR – Austin Rivers - 2 points 12. MIL – Tyler Zeller - 0 points 13. PHO – Terrence Ross - 0 points 14. HOU – John Henson - 3 points 15. PHI – Arnet Moultrie - 0 points 16. HOU – Jared Sullinger - 0 points 17. DAL – Marquis Teague - 0 points 18. MIN – Moe Harkless - 0 points 19. ORL – Terrence Jones - 2 points 20. DEN – Andrew Nicholson - 2 points 21. BOS – Perry Jones - 0 points 22. BOS – Will Barton - 0 points 23. ATL – Royce White - 0 points 24. CLE – Quincy Miller - 0 points 25. MEM – Doron Lamb - 0 points 26. IND – John Jenkins - 0 points 27. MIA – Fab Melo - 0 points 28. OKC – Jeffery Taylor - 0 points 29. CHI – Tony Wroten - 0 points 30. GST – Draymond Green - 0 points Final Score: 15 points CaptainGreenGanja 1. NO - Anthony Davis - 3 points 2. CHA - Thomas Robinson - 0 points 3. WAS - Bradley Beal - 3 points 4. CLE - Michael Kidd-Gilchrist - 1 point 5. SAC - Harrison Barnes - 0 points 6. POR - Damian Lillard - 3 points 7. GSW - Andre Drummond - 1 point 8. TOR - Dion Waiters - 0 points 9. DET - John Henson - 0 points 10. NO - Kendall Marshall - 0 points 11. POR - Meyers Leonard - 3 points 12. HOU - Perry Jones III - 0 points 13. PHX - Jeremy Lamb - 2 points 14. MIL - Austin Rivers - 0 points 15. PHI - Arnett Moultrie - 0 points 16. HOU - Tyler Zeller - 2 points 17. DAL - Marquis Teague - 0 points 18. HOU - Terrence Ross - 0 points 19. ORL - Moe Harkless - 0 points 20. DEN - Terrence Jones - 1 point 21. BOS - Royce White - 0 points 22. BOS - Jared Sullinger - 2 points 23. ATL - Tony Wroten Jr. - 1 point 24. CLE - Fab Melo - 1 point 25. MEM - Quincy Miller - 0 points 26. IND - Doron Lamb - 0 points 27. MIA - Festus Ezeli - 0 points 28. OKC - Andrew Nicholson - 0 points 29. CHI - John Jenkins - 0 points 30. GSW - Jeff Taylor - 0 points Final Score: 23 points Guru 1) Anthony Davis, PF - 3 points 2) Harrison Barnes, SF - 0 points 3) Thomas Robinson, PF - 1 point 4) Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, SF - 1 point 5) Andre Drummond, C - 0 points 6) Bradley Beal, SG - 0 points 7) Damian Lillard, PG - 2 points 8) Jeremy Lamb, SG - 0 points 9) John Henson, PF - 0 points 10) Dion Waiters, SG - 0 points 11) Meyers Leonard, C - 3 points 12) Tyler Zeller, C - 0 points 13) Kendall Marshall, PG - 3 points 14) Austin Rivers, SG - 0 points 15) Perry Jones III, SF - 0 points 16) Jared Sullinger, PF - 0 points 17) Terrence Jones, PF - 2 points 18) Terrence Ross, SG - 0 points 19) Arnett Moultrie, PF - 0 points 20) Quincy Miller, SF - 0 points 21) Moe Harkless, SF - 0 points 22) Fab Melo, C - 3 points 23) Royce White, PF - 0 points 24) Andrew Nicholson, PF - 0 points 25) Marquis Teague, PG - 0 points 26) Tony Wroten Jr., PG - 2 points 27) Festus Ezeli, C - 0 points 28) Evan Fournier, SG - 0 points 29) Will Barton, SG - 0 points 30) Draymond Green, SF - 0 points Final Score: 20 points trutrojan8 1. Anthony Davis - 2 points 2. Thomis Robinson - 0 points 3. Michael Kidd-Gilchrest - 2 points 4. Brandon Beal - 2 points 5. Harrison Barnes - 0 points 6. Damien Lillard - 3 points 7. Andre Drummond - 1 point 8. Dion Waiters - 0 points 9. Meyers Leonard - 1 point 10. Austin Rivers - 3 points 11. Tyler Zeller - 0 points 12. Moe Harkless - 0 points 13. Jeremy Lamb - 2 points 14. John Henson - 3 points 15. Terrence Jones - 0 points 16. Perry Jones III - 0 points 17. Terrence Ross - 0 points 18. Royce White - 1 point 19. Jared Sullinger - 1 point 20. Kendall Marshall - 0 points 21. Andrew Nicholson - 1 point 22. Fab Melo - 3 points 23. Tony Wroten Jr - 1 point 24. Quincy Miller - 0 points 25. Marquis Teague - 0 points 26. Arnette Moultrie - 2 points 27. Festus Ezeli - 0 points 28. Jeffery Taylor - 0 points 29. Will Barton - 0 points 30. Scott Machado - 0 points Final Score: 26 points htownborn NOH-Anthony Davis - 3 points CHA-Michael Kidd-Gilchrist - 3 points WAS-Bradley Beal - 3 points CLE-Harrison Barnes - 0 points SAC-Thomas Robinson - 3 points POR-Andre Drummond - 0 points GS-Dion Waiters - 0 points TOR-Damian Lillard - 1 point DET-John Henson - 0 points NOH-Tyler Zeller - 0 points POR-Jeremy Lamb - 2 points MIL-Meyers Leonard - 2 points PHX-Austin Rivers - 0 points HOU-Perry Jones - 0 points PHI-Jared Sullinger - 0 points HOU-Kendall Marshall - 0 points DAL-Terrence Jones - 2 points HOU-Terrence Ross - 0 points ORL-Arnett Moultrie - 0 points DEN-Moe Harkless - 0 points BOS-Andrew Nicholson - 1 point BOS-Royce White - 0 points ATL-Quincy Miller - 0 points CLE-Doron Lamb - 0 points MEM-Tony Wroton - 3 points IND-Marquis Teague - 0 points MIA-Fab Melo - 0 points OKC-Draymond Green - 0 points CHI-Will Barton - 0 points GS-Festus Ezeli - 3 points Final Score: 26 points fish7718 1. New Orleans Hornets - Anthony Davis - 3 points 2. Charlotte Bobcats - Michael Kidd-Gilchrist - 3 points 3. Washington Wizards - Bradley Beal - 3 points 4. Cleveland Cavaliers - Andre Drummond - 0 points 5. Sacramento Kings - Thomas Robinson - 3 points 6. Portland Trail Blazers - Harrison Barnes - 2 points 7. Golden State Warriors - Dion Waiters - 0 points 8. Toronto Raptors - Damian Lillard - 1 point 9. Detroit Pistons - Tyler Zeller - 0 points 10. New Orleans Hornets (from Wolves) - Austin Rivers - 3 points 11. Portland Trail Blazers - John Henson - 0 points 12. Houston Rockets - Perry Jones III - 0 points 13. Phoenix Suns - Jeremy Lamb - 2 points 14. Milwaukee Bucks - Meyer Leonard - 0 points 15. Philadelphia 76ers - Terrence Ross - 0 points 16. Houston Rockets (from Knicks) - Terrence Jones - 1 point 17. Dallas Mavericks - Kendall Marshall - 0 points 18. Houston Rockets (From Timberwolves) - Moe Harkless - 0 points 19. Orlando Magic - Andrew Nicholson - 3 points 20. Denver Nuggets - Will Barton - 0 points 21. Boston Celtics - Royce White - 0 points 22. Boston Celtics (from Clippers) - Jared Sullinger - 2 points 23. Atlanta Hawks - Even Fournier - 0 points 24. Cleveland Cavaliers (from Lakers) - Arnet Moultre - 0 points 25. Memphis Grizzlies - Draymond Green - 0 points 26. Indiana Pacers - Jeff Taylor - 0 points 27. Miami Heat - Fab Melo - 0 points 28. Oklahoma City Thunder - Tony Wrotten - 0 points 29. Chicago Bulls - Marquis Teague - 3 points 30. Golden State Warriors (from Spurs) - Festus Ezell - 3 points Final Score: 32 points Dash 1. New Orleans Hornets - Anthony Davis - 3 points 2. Charlotte Bobcats - Thomas Robinson - 0 points 3. Washington Wizards - Bradley Beal - 3 points 4. Cleveland Cavaliers - Michael Kidd-Gilchrist - 1 point 5. Sacramento Kings - Harrison Barnes - 0 points 6. Portland Trailblazers - Damian Lillard - 3 points 7. Golden State Warriors - Andre Drummond - 1 point 8. Toronto Raptors - Dion Waiters - 0 points 9. Detroit Pistons - John Henson - 0 points 10. New Orleans Hornets - Austin Rivers - 3 points 11. Portland Trailblazers - Jeremy Lamb - 2 points 12. Houston Rockets - Tyler Zeller - 0 points 13. Phoenix Suns - Terrence Ross - 0 points 14. Milwaukee Bucks - Meyers Leonard - 0 points 15. Philadelphia 76ers - Terrence Jones - 0 points 16. Houston Rockets - Perry Jones - 0 points 17. Dallas Mavericks - Kendall Marshall - 0 points 18. Houston Rockets - Royce White - 1 point 19. Orlando Magic - Draymond Green - 0 points 20. Denver Nuggets - Jared Sullinger - 2 points 21. Boston Celtics - Moe Harkless - 0 points 22. Boston Celtics - Arnett Moultrie - 0 points 23. Atlanta Hawks - Tony Wroten - 1 point 24. Cleveland Cavaliers - Andrew Nicholson - 0 points 25. Memphis Grizzlies - Evan Fournier - 0 points 26. Indiana Pacers - Marquis Teague - 0 points 27. Miami Heat - Fab Melo - 0 points 28. Oklahoma City Thunder - Will Barton - 0 points 29. Chicago Bulls - Jeff Taylor - 0 points 30. Golden State Warriors - Quincy Miller - 0 points Final Score: 20 points Check my Stats 1. New Orleans Hornets: Anthony Davis - 3 points 2. Charlotte Bobcats: Thomas Robinson - 0 points 3. Washington Wizards: Bradley Beal - 3 points 4. Cleveland Cavaliers: Michael Kidd Gilchrist - 1 point 5. Sacramento Kings: Andre Drummond - 0 points 6. Portland Trailblazers: Damian Lilliard - 3 points 7. Golden State Warriors: Harrison Barnes - 3 points 8. Toronto Raptors: Dion Waiters (hopefully not) - 0 points 9. Detroit Pistons: John Henson - 0 points 10. New Orleans Hornets: Kendall Marshall - 0 points 11. Portland Trailblazers: Jeremy Lamb - 2 points 12. Milwaukee Bucks: Dion Waiters - 0 points 13. Phoenix Suns: Austin Rivers - 0 points 14. Houston Rockets: Meyers Leonard - 0 points 15. Philadelphia 76ers: Perry Jones - 0 points 16. Houston Rockets: Terrence Ross - 0 points 17. Dallas Mavericks: Jared Sullinger - 0 points 18. Minnesota Timberwolves: Terrence Jones - 3 points 19. Orlando Magic: Tyler Zeller - 0 points 20. Denver Nuggets: Arnett Moultrie - 0 points 21. Boston Celtics: Fab Melo - 2 points 22. Boston Celtics: Moe Harkless - 0 points 23. Atlanta Hawks: Quincy Miller - 0 points 24. Cleveland Cavaliers: Evan Fournier - 0 points 25. Memphis Grizzlies: Marquis Teague - 0 points 26. Indiana Pacers: Andrew Nicholson - 0 points 27. Miami Heat: John Jenkins - 0 points 28. Oklahoma City: Royce White - 0 points 29. Chicago Bulls: Tyshawn Taylor - 0 points 30: Golden State: Doron Lamb - 0 points Final Score: 20 points DemarDerozanDunk 1. New Orleans: Anthony Davis - 3 points 2. Charlotte: Thomas Robinson - 0 points 3. Washington: Bradley Beal - 3 points 4. Cleveland: Harrison Barnes - 0 points 5. Sacramento: Michael Kidd-Gilchrist - 0 points 6. Portland: Damian Lillard - 3 points 7. Golden State: Andre Drummond - 1 point 8. Toronto: Jeremy Lamb - 0 points 9. Detroit: Dion Waiters - 0 points 10. New Orleans: Kendall Marshall - 0 points 11. Portland: Tyler Zeller - 0 points 12. Houston: Jared Sullinger - 0 points 13. Phoenix: Austin Rivers - 0 points 14. Milwaukee: Meyers Leonard - 0 points 15. Philadelphia: Terrence Ross - 0 points 16. Houston: Perry Jones - 0 points 17. Dallas: Terrence Jones - 2 points 18. Houston: Moe Harkless - 0 points 19. Orlando: Tony Wroten - 0 points 20. Denver: John Henson - 0 points 21. Boston: Fab Melo - 2 points 22. Boston: Quincy Miller - 0 points 23. Atlanta: Jeffery Taylor - 0 points 24. Cleveland: Doron Lamb - 0 points 25. Memphis: Arnett Moultrie - 0 points 26. Indiana: Royce White - 0 points 27. Miami: Andrew Nicholson - 0 points 28. Oklahoma City: Festus Ezeli - 1 point 29. Chicago: John Jenkins - 0 points 30. Golden State: Draymond Green - 0 points Final Score: 15 points Built Ford Tough 1. NOH - Anthony Davis - 3 points 2. CHA - Thomas Robinson - 0 points 3. WAS - Bradley Beal - 3 points 4. CLE - Michael Kidd-Gilchrist - 1 point 5. SAC - Andre Drummond - 0 points 6. POR - Damian Lillard - 3 points 7. GSW - Harrison Barnes - 3 points 8. TOR - Dion Waiters - 0 points 9. DET - John Henson - 0 points 10. NO - Austin Rivers - 3 points 11. POR - Meyers Leonard - 3 points 12. HOU - Tyler Zeller - 0 points 13. PHX - Jeremy Lamb - 2 points 14. MIL - Terrence Ross - 0 points 15. PHI - Terrence Jones - 0 points 16. HOU - Perry Jones III - 0 points 17. DAL - Kendall Marshall - 0 points 18. HOU - Moe Harkless - 0 points 19. ORL - Arnett Moultrie - 0 points 20. DEN - Jared Sullinger - 2 points 21. BOS - Royce White - 0 points 22. BOS - Fab Melo - 3 points 23. ATL - Andrew Nicholson - 0 points 24. CLE - Evan Fournier - 0 points 25. MEM - Marquis Teague - 0 points 26. IND - Draymond Green - 0 points 27. MIA - Jeff Taylor - 0 points 28. OKC - Festus Ezeli - 1 point 29. CHI - Doron Lamb - 0 points 30. GSW - Tony Wroten - 0 points Final Score: 27 points Results: Top 3 1. AboveLegit - 34 points 2. fish7718 - 32 points 3. BFT - 27 points* Won tiebreaker of correct picks over Real Deal (7-5) The Rest 4. Real Deal - 27 points 5. htownborn/trutrojan8 - 26 points 7. CaptainGreenGanja - 23 points 8. TheHutch/TheNotoriousBang - 22 points 10. Guru/Dash/CmS - 20 points 13. Simba/Make it Naaaashty - 19 points 15. JYD - 16 points 16. DDD/Throw it Away to Worthy - 15 points If there are any addition errors, forgive me as I am a bit tired. Thanks for everybody who participated in making this the biggest DH Mock Draft Challenge yet (in terms of mocks entered) and also congratulations go out to AboveLegit for winning this years addition.

What a complete waste of a season. Seriously, I put up with watching Jamaal Magloire, Rasual Butler, Alan Anderson, Ben Uzoh, Aaron Gray and Gary Forbes for Terrence [expletive]ing Ross? Oh yeah, and then they pass on Quincy Miller for Quincy Acy? [expletive] Colangelo. Kill me.

*RESULTS IN POST 10* One last reminder, if you guys want to change your mock or haven't sent me one yet, please send it to Real Deal, not me, as I won't be making any changes to this thread once I post this. With that said, here are the mocks I've received: Throw Away to Worthy 1. NOH - Anthony Davis 2. CHA - Thomas Robinson 3. WAS - Bradley Beal 4. CLE - Harrison Barnes 5. SAC – Michael Kidd-Gilchrist 6. POR – Andre Drummond 7. GST – Jeremy Lamb 8. TOR – Dion Walters 9. DET – Damian Lillard 10. NOH – Kendall Marshall 11. POR – Austin Rivers 12. MIL – Tyler Zeller 13. PHO – Terrence Ross 14. HOU – John Henson 15. PHI – Arnet Moultrie 16. HOU – Jared Sullinger 17. DAL – Marquis Teague 18. MIN – Moe Harkless 19. ORL – Terrence Jones 20. DEN – Andrew Nicholson 21. BOS – Perry Jones 22. BOS – Will Barton 23. ATL – Royce White 24. CLE – Quincy Miller 25. MEM – Doron Lamb 26. IND – John Jenkins 27. MIA – Fab Melo 28. OKC – Jeffery Taylor 29. CHI – Tony Wroten 30. GST – Draymond Green CaptainGreenGanja 1. NO - Anthony Davis 2. CHA - Thomas Robinson 3. WAS - Bradley Beal 4. CLE - Michael Kidd-Gilchrist 5. SAC - Harrison Barnes 6. POR - Damian Lillard 7. GSW - Andre Drummond 8. TOR - Dion Waiters 9. DET - John Henson 10. NO - Kendall Marshall 11. POR - Meyers Leonard 12. HOU - Perry Jones III 13. PHX - Jeremy Lamb 14. MIL - Austin Rivers 15. PHI - Arnett Moultrie 16. HOU - Tyler Zeller 17. DAL - Marquis Teague 18. HOU - Terrence Ross 19. ORL - Moe Harkless 20. DEN - Terrence Jones 21. BOS - Royce White 22. BOS - Jared Sullinger 23. ATL - Tony Wroten Jr. 24. CLE - Fab Melo 25. MEM - Quincy Miller 26. IND - Doron Lamb 27. MIA - Festus Ezeli 28. OKC - Andrew Nicholson 29. CHI - John Jenkins 30. GSW - Jeff Taylor Guru 1) Anthony Davis, PF 2) Harrison Barnes, SF 3) Thomas Robinson, PF 4) Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, SF 5) Andre Drummond, C 6) Bradley Beal, SG 7) Damian Lillard, PG 8) Jeremy Lamb, SG 9) John Henson, PF 10) Dion Waiters, SG 11) Meyers Leonard, C 12) Tyler Zeller, C 13) Kendall Marshall, PG 14) Austin Rivers, SG 15) Perry Jones III, SF 16) Jared Sullinger, PF 17) Terrence Jones, PF 18) Terrence Ross, SG 19) Arnett Moultrie, PF 20) Quincy Miller, SF 21) Moe Harkless, SF 22) Fab Melo, C 23) Royce White, PF 24) Andrew Nicholson, PF 25) Marquis Teague, PG 26) Tony Wroten Jr., PG 27) Festus Ezeli, C 28) Evan Fournier, SG 29) Will Barton, SG 30) Draymond Green, SF trutrojan8 1. Anthony Davis 2. Thomis Robinson 3. Michael Kidd-Gilchrest 4. Brandon Beal 5. Harrison Barnes 6. Damien Lillard 7. Andre Drummond 8. Dion Waiters 9. Meyers Leonard 10. Austin Rivers 11. Tyler Zeller 12. Moe Harkless 13. Jeremy Lamb 14. John Henson 15. Terrence Jones 16. Perry Jones III 17. Terrence Ross 18. Royce White 19. Jared Sullinger 20. Kendall Marshall 21. Andrew Nicholson 22. Fab Melo 23. Tony Wroten Jr 24. Quincy Miller 25. Marquis Teague 26. Arnette Moultrie 27. Festus Ezeli 28. Jeffery Taylor 29. Will Barton 30. Scott Machado htownborn NOH-Anthony Davis CHA-Michael Kidd-Gilchrist WAS-Bradley Beal CLE-Harrison Barnes SAC-Thomas Robinson POR-Andre Drummond GS-Dion Waiters TOR-Damian Lillard DET-John Henson NOH-Tyler Zeller POR-Jeremy Lamb MIL-Meyers Leonard PHX-Austin Rivers HOU-Perry Jones PHI-Jared Sullinger HOU-Kendall Marshall DAL-Terrence Jones HOU-Terrence Ross ORL-Arnett Moultrie DEN-Moe Harkless BOS-Andrew Nicholson BOS-Royce White ATL-Quincy Miller CLE-Doron Lamb MEM-Tony Wroton IND-Marquis Teague MIA-Fab Melo OKC-Draymond Green CHI-Will Barton GS-Festus Ezeli fish7718 1. New Orleans Hornets - Anthony Davis 2. Charlotte Bobcats - Michael Kidd-Gilchrist 3. Washington Wizards - Bradley Beal 4. Cleveland Cavaliers - Andre Drummond 5. Sacramento Kings - Thomas Robinson 6. Portland Trail Blazers - Harrison Barnes 7. Golden State Warriors - Dion Waiters 8. Toronto Raptors - Damian Lillard 9. Detroit Pistons - Tyler Zeller 10. New Orleans Hornets (from Wolves) - Austin Rivers 11. Portland Trail Blazers - John Henson 12. Houston Rockets - Perry Jones III 13. Phoenix Suns - Jeremy Lamb 14. Milwaukee Bucks - Meyer Leonard 15. Philadelphia 76ers - Terrence Ross 16. Houston Rockets (from Knicks) - Terrence Jones 17. Dallas Mavericks - Kendall Marshall 18. Houston Rockets (From Timberwolves) - Moe Harkless 19. Orlando Magic - Andrew Nicholson 20. Denver Nuggets - Will Barton 21. Boston Celtics - Royce White 22. Boston Celtics (from Clippers) - Jared Sullinger 23. Atlanta Hawks - Even Fournier 24. Cleveland Cavaliers (from Lakers) - Arnet Moultre 25. Memphis Grizzlies - Draymond Green 26. Indiana Pacers - Jeff Taylor 27. Miami Heat - Fab Melo 28. Oklahoma City Thunder - Tony Wrotten 29. Chicago Bulls - Marquis Teague 30. Golden State Warriors (from Spurs) - Festus Ezell Dash 1. New Orleans Hornets - Anthony Davis 2. Charlotte Bobcats - Thomas Robinson 3. Washington Wizards - Bradley Beal 4. Cleveland Cavaliers - Michael Kidd-Gilchrist 5. Sacramento Kings - Harrison Barnes 6. Portland Trailblazers - Damian Lillard 7. Golden State Warriors - Andre Drummond 8. Toronto Raptors - Dion Waiters 9. Detroit Pistons - John Henson 10. New Orleans Hornets - Austin Rivers 11. Portland Trailblazers - Jeremy Lamb 12. Houston Rockets - Tyler Zeller 13. Phoenix Suns - Terrence Ross 14. Milwaukee Bucks - Meyers Leonard 15. Philadelphia 76ers - Terrence Jones 16. Houston Rockets - Perry Jones 17. Dallas Mavericks - Kendall Marshall 18. Houston Rockets - Royce White 19. Orlando Magic - Draymond Green 20. Denver Nuggets - Jared Sullinger 21. Boston Celtics - Moe Harkless 22. Boston Celtics - Arnett Moultrie 23. Atlanta Hawks - Tony Wroten 24. Cleveland Cavaliers - Andrew Nicholson 25. Memphis Grizzlies - Evan Fournier 26. Indiana Pacers - Marquis Teague 27. Miami Heat - Fab Melo 28. Oklahoma City Thunder - Will Barton 29. Chicago Bulls - Jeff Taylor 30. Golden State Warriors - Quincy Miller Check my Stats 1. New Orleans Hornets: Anthony Davis 2. Charlotte Bobcats: Thomas Robinson 3. Washington Wizards: Bradley Beal 4. Cleveland Cavaliers: Michael Kidd Gilchrist 5. Sacramento Kings: Andre Drummond 6. Portland Trailblazers: Damian Lilliard 7. Golden State Warriors: Harrison Barnes 8. Toronto Raptors: Dion Waiters (hopefully not) 9. Detroit Pistons: John Henson 10. New Orleans Hornets: Kendall Marshall 11. Portland Trailblazers: Jeremy Lamb 12. Milwaukee Bucks: Dion Waiters 13. Phoenix Suns: Austin Rivers 14. Houston Rockets: Meyers Leonard 15. Philadelphia 76ers: Perry Jones 16. Houston Rockets: Terrence Ross 17. Dallas Mavericks: Jared Sullinger 18. Minnesota Timberwolves: Terrence Jones 19. Orlando Magic: Tyler Zeller 20. Denver Nuggets: Arnett Moultrie 21. Boston Celtics: Fab Melo 22. Boston Celtics: Moe Harkless 23. Atlanta Hawks: Quincy Miller 24. Cleveland Cavaliers: Evan Fournier 25. Memphis Grizzlies: Marquis Teague 26. Indiana Pacers: Andrew Nicholson 27. Miami Heat: John Jenkins 28. Oklahoma City: Royce White 29. Chicago Bulls: Tyshawn Taylor 30: Golden State: Doron Lamb DemarDerozanDunk 1. New Orleans: Anthony Davis 2. Charlotte: Thomas Robinson 3. Washington: Bradley Beal 4. Cleveland: Harrison Barnes 5. Sacramento: Michael Kidd-Gilchrist 6. Portland: Damian Lillard 7. Golden State: Andre Drummond 8. Toronto: Jeremy Lamb 9. Detroit: Dion Waiters 10. New Orleans: Kendall Marshall 11. Portland: Tyler Zeller 12. Houston: Jared Sullinger 13. Phoenix: Austin Rivers 14. Milwaukee: Meyers Leonard 15. Philadelphia: Terrence Ross 16. Houston: Perry Jones 17. Dallas: Terrence Jones 18. Houston: Moe Harkless 19. Orlando: Tony Wroten 20. Denver: John Henson 21. Boston: Fab Melo 22. Boston: Quincy Miller 23. Atlanta: Jeffery Taylor 24. Cleveland: Doron Lamb 25. Memphis: Arnett Moultrie 26. Indiana: Royce White 27. Miami: Andrew Nicholson 28. Oklahoma City: Festus Ezeli 29. Chicago: John Jenkins 30. Golden State: Draymond Green Built Ford Tough 1. NOH - Anthony Davis 2. CHA - Thomas Robinson 3. WAS - Bradley Beal 4. CLE - Michael Kidd-Gilchrist 5. SAC - Andre Drummond 6. POR - Damian Lillard 7. GSW - Harrison Barnes 8. TOR - Dion Waiters 9. DET - John Henson 10. NO - Austin Rivers 11. POR - Meyers Leonard 12. HOU - Tyler Zeller 13. PHX - Jeremy Lamb 14. MIL - Terrence Ross 15. PHI - Terrence Jones 16. HOU - Perry Jones III 17. DAL - Kendall Marshall 18. HOU - Moe Harkless 19. ORL - Arnett Moultrie 20. DEN - Jared Sullinger 21. BOS - Royce White 22. BOS - Fab Melo 23. ATL - Andrew Nicholson 24. CLE - Evan Fournier 25. MEM - Marquis Teague 26. IND - Draymond Green 27. MIA - Jeff Taylor 28. OKC - Festus Ezeli 29. CHI - Doron Lamb 30. GSW - Tony Wroten

Let me first say that I think this is all a bunch of BS and people blowing smoke up everybodies asses. Every year we see these kind of smokescreens where a whole bunch of stuff comes out of nowhere and everybody is trying to trade up for everyone. This year is obviously now different. However, with that said, I honestly wouldn't be shocked if the Cavs were actually considering Waiters with the 4th pick. It sounds crazy, but the Cavs are notorious stat junkies and are very big on statistical analysis. They picked Thompson last year because he scored very high on their statistical analysis (and, apperantly he dominated Kanter during a workout prior to the draft) and if you go out and look at all of these stat junkies and their draft rankings, Waiters is in the top 5 of almost all of them. Considering how much of a premium the Cavs organization puts on these metrics, I could see them being high on waiters. At the end of the day, I don't think they pick him, but I wouldn't put it past them either.

Is there a team with less of a direction than the Flames? They trade Phaneuf because of his contract after signing Bouwmeester to a huge deal not long before. They trade Regher to open more ice for Girodano and to get younger. Now today they trade for Wideman's rights and sign him to a 5 year, $5.25M per deal. Seriously, does anybody, Flames management included, even know what they are doing right now? That team is even copying the exact blueprint for mediocrity that the Leafs laid out after the lockout.

The speculation I've heard/read is that the Raptors are reluctant to trade for Lowry (despite liking him) because they believe Toronto's brass believe there is a very good chance that they will land Nash. I think if Nash wasn't a free agent and Colangelo felt he didn't have a very good chance of landing him, Lowry would 100% be a Raptor come draft night.

I've received mocks from the following posters: Make it Naaaaasthy DDD CmS Throw Away to Worthy CaptainGreenGanja Guru trutrojan htownborn fish Hutch However, I'll make a change of plans from what I posted the other night. I'll post the thread tomorrow before I go to work (instead of tonight before I go to bed) and if you haven't gotten your mock to me by then (or want to make a change) send a revised version to Real Deal (assuming he is willing) and he can edit the revised/new mocks into the OP of the thread I'll make tomorrow. This way people will have a chance to make any adjustments in case of trades and what not.

Only team I see trading their top 5 pick would be Sacramento, but the thing is, if MKG is there at 5, they'd be doing backflips. Other than Davis, I don't really think there is anybody in this draft that they would rather have than MKG. I can't see them dealing their pick for Gasol if he is around (or, in general really). Who knows, though, the Lakers always seem to be able to pull of trades that I never thought would be possible.

Dumars has really ruined any positive rep he had after building the early 00's Pistons. That team is a complete mess. They go out and sign Gordon and Villanueva to ridiculous contracts and now two (three?) years later he has to attach a lightly protected first round pick (lottery next year, top 8 year after, top 6 and then unprotected I believe) to dump Gordon and Charlie V is an amesty waiting to happen. Like the trade for Charlotte. Gordon won't do anything to screw up their draft status next year or even the year after and with the Pistons being a mess, that pick could easily end up being top 8.

http://www.pjstar.com/bradleyhoops/x1660540229/Ex-BU-star-Anthony-Parker-retires-from-NBA Hate to see him go, but it is pretty clear that he doesn't have anything left in the tank. He was never a star (well, during his NBA career at least) but I loved what he did for the Raptors during his time with them and couldn't ask for a better mentor for Kyrie Irving. My favourites are dropping like flies as of late. Peja last year, Ford midway through this past season and now Parker.

I wouldn't be surprised if he did. Originally, I thought there was no way he fell past Sacramento. I know Drummond and Cousins aren't exactly the perfect compliment to each other, but they would be absolutely lethal if they were to each reach their potential. Cousins can step outside and play the high post a bit, so it wouldn't be a complete disaster down low. By some miracle he fell to Portland at 6 I would've been shocked if they didn't draft him, but now I think they are going Lillard all the way. I don't think they risk the chance of Toronto or New Orleans drafting him before their 11th pick. If the Rockets don't trade up, I wouldn't be too surprised if he fell to the Pistons at 9. Golden State may pick him, but I think they want a guy who can contribute immediately and while I wouldn't be surprised if Colangelo picked him, if I had to guess he would pass on him for a wing since he has Valanciunas coming over (and we all know Bargnani will be a Raptor for as long as Colangelo is around). So yeah, I wouldn't be too surprised to see Drummond take a bit of a nose dive from where he was before.

This will be just the 2nd time since 1997 that I'll have missed the draft. The other was 08. Really sucks considering the draft is probably my favourtie time of the year. Oh well. Their starting 5 would be my guess. The only questionable one would be Lamb, but with how important floor spacing is, I would be fairly surprised if he fell past all of those teams in the late 1st.

I guess that makes more sense as it would allow people to make any adjustments in case anything happens in the morning leading up to the draft. Really, whatever you guys want to do. If you all think it would be better to send them to Brandon to allow that little bit of extra time Thursday morning, that it fine by me.

England choked? They were lucky to be in the game in the first place. How does a team choke when they were absolutely dominated the entire game and lucky it wasn't 6-0? Because they had a lead in the penalty kicks? Hearing that England choked is perhaps the dumbest thing I've read on this board. No, they did not choke, they just lost to a much better team. Simple as that.

What exactly is so funny about Brand being picked 1st overall? As a sophomore at Duke, he averaged 18/10/2.3 (blocks) on 62% shooting. He led Duke to the Final Four, was First Team All-American and Player of the Year. Prior to blowing out his achillies, he averaged 20/10/3/2 on 51% shooting with a 22.7 PER. He made 2 All-Star games (would've been more had he not had to compete against the likes of KG, Duncan, Dirk, Amare, etc... in the West). He won Rookie of the Year, All-Rookie team, 2nd Team All-NBA. Call me crazy, but I'd take that from a first overall pick. Sure, he is an overpaid role player now, but who knows what he would've done if it weren't for him blowing his achillies out when he was only 28 years old. I don't think it is unreasonable to think he could've continued to be a 20/10 player for another 4 years or make a few more all-star teams. Even in hindsight and knowing how these guys careers would turn out 13 years later, how many players in the 1999 draft should've been taken ahead of Brand? Manu Ginobili is really all I can think of. Maybe Shawn Marion and Ron Artest? I'd still take him ahead of Steve Francis, Baron Davis, Lamar Odom, Andre Miller, Rip Hamilton and Jason Terry. There is nothing laughable about Brand being the first overall pick in 1999 and if the draft was done over with a crystal ball, he still goes top 3 even with the achillies injury. They didn't. Ford makes it seem like he was a fringe top 10 pick until the Raptors won the lottery. That is false. I think Ford was basically the only guy who didn't have him as a top 7 pick all year, and Ford isn't exactly the most reliable when it comes to European or International players. Would he have gone first overall to any team other than Toronto? No, I doubt it. However, there was basically a consensous group of around 4 players that got attention as a potential first overall pick prior to Toronto winning the lottery. LaMarcus Aldridge, Tyrus Thomas, Rudy Gay and Adam Morrison (Roy's knees were a huge red flag and everybody knew it). Bargnani was considered one of the best prospects of that draft for much of the year and the 2006 draft had no consensus top pick because it was watered down due to the first year of the 1-and-done rule. The 2007 draft was supposed to be all about Oden and Durant but that got pushed back to 2007. Bargnani was basically always considered a top prospect of that draft.

First off, thanks for the compliment. I'm glad you decided to weigh in on this since, obviously, you have a greater understanding of the Wizards and what they hope to do than I do. I loved the Nene trade for the Wizards. You can't just throw a bunch of inexperienced, sometimes immature, young players together and hope that they will just magically get it. You need to have solid vets who can show them the ropes and help them understand what it takes to win in this league, how to behave both on and off the court, the type of work you need to put in during practice, watching game film, preperation, etc... So on paper, it makes sense to bring in veterans. What doesn't make sense to to completely handcuff all your roster flexibility by doing so. I liked the Nene trade, would've liked if they just traded for Ariza or signed a similar vet in free agency. I just think the Nene trade and then tying up everything on Ariza and Okafor is overkill. You absolutely need vets, but the problem is how the Wizards have gone about this. You need to have the right balance of veteran players, talented players and flexibility to improve your roster. The Wizards got the veteran players down, but they neglected the other two and that is a recipe for a treadmill team. But the thing is, what if something comes along midway through next season when a team performs below expectations and wants to blow it up? Wouldn't you rather have the option of trading for, say, Rudy Gay, Josh Smith or Danny Granger (just names off the top of my head) than being stuck with Trevor Ariza and Emeka Okafor? What if bottom 10 team wants to dump a contract and is willing to add an unprotected pick with it? Isn't having that card to play better than being capped out and having no wiggle room to improve the roster? I agree with you about overpaying for average free agent talent. I don't think that is the right course to take either. I also don't believe trading for overpriced, average talent is the way to go and that is basically what Ariza and Okafor are. They aren't bad, but they aren't anything to get excited about, from a basketball standpoint at least, either. That is why I am worried if this team could even be considered a .500 team. Floor spacing is absolutely critical to winning games in the NBA. We saw it in the playoffs this year when the Heat finally decided to go small and surround James and Wade with knockdown shooters instead of forcing the issue with the Joel Anthony's of the world. Even if they draft Beal, who's to say he will be that floor spacer you need anyways? I know everybody loves his jumper and think he will be a great shooter (myself included) we also have to consider that maybe he is just the type of player who has textbook form on his jumper but can't convert? After all, he did struggle with his jumper for a large part of the year at Florida. I don't think it will be a problem and I do think he will be a knockdown shooter, but it is a concern when you are basically throwing all of your eggs in the basket of a rookie. This is all assuming Beal is even available to be drafted. I don't think Charlotte will pick him, but what if Cleveland trades up and picks him at 2? Washington showed their hand very early and everybody knows Beal is there guy now. That gives a team like Cleveland or Portland the incentive to trade up to 2 if they want Beal, which I think would be the case for Cleveland (not as much for Portland). That would throw a wrench in the Wizards plans as well. That is fair, but it is also worth noting that expirings don't have nearly the same amount of value as they did before. Of course, with a harsher cap system in place, they may regain some of that value they had a few years ago. Keep in mind that Shard's contract was easy to move because of the circumstances. New Orleans was just sold, has a shiny new toy, needed money to ensure being able to keep Gordon around and only around half of his contract was guaranteed. Those all played a significant factor in why it was so easy to move his deal. That makes sense. However, does it make sense to basically commit to a core that has the upside of a .500 team and then two years later finding yourself right back to where you were today, which is John Wall and basically nothing (well, and their draft pick this year)? Sure, Wall will have improved over those two years and it will help his development, but you will also have less time to convince him that it is in his best interest staying with the Wizards. He will be into his 2nd contract then and you will only have so much time to get a team around him that he would be comfortable signing with.

The problem with Schenn is the same problem that plauges every Leaf prospect. He gets drafted, gets hyped to hell immediately afterwards as the "saviour" of the franchise and what not. Once things hit a bit of a rough patch, the impatient Leaf fanbase immediately turn on him and make him into a whipping boy. Just in the past few years, it has happened to Jiri Tlusty, Alex Steen, Matt Stajan and Luke Schenn. It is also happening to Nazem Kadri. Basically, the vast majority of Leaf fans are impatient idiots. The fact of the matter is that Luke Schenn is a 22 year old defenseman. I repeat, 22. Of course there are going to be growing pains and mistakes. All young defenseman make them. Was he bad this past year? Yeah, for a lot of the season, he was. Was he as bad as many Leaf fans made him out to be? Not by a longshot. Schenn will never be an offensive defenseman. He won't be quarterbacking a powerplay or unleashing rockets labelled top shelf. That isn't his game. He is a ultra physical (has led the league in hits by a defenseman for, what, 3 years in a row?), stay at home defenseman who, when on his game, has an excellent breakout pass. He bulked up too much this past summer and it hurt his mobility, which in turn made him more susceptible to turnovers when pressured. He needs to shed a few more pounds so that he can get back some of that mobility. The bottom line is that Schenn's strengths are exactly what you need if you want to compete for the Stanley Cup. He wears his heart on his sleeve, stands up for his teammates no matter what, is physically dominant and come playoff time, you need these blue collar players if you want to win. Luke Schenn is never going to be Drew Doughty, but for every Drew Doughty, you need a Rob Scuderi or a Willie Mitchell to partner with him and take care of the dirty work. Schenn is that guy and Philly fans are going to absolutely love him. I know I did and, despite JvR's upside, I absolutely hated to see Schenn traded.

Sheed!!!!!!!!!!!!! Seriously, the guy only played when he wanted to, but there is no denying how talented he was. I know he didn't exactly set the world on fire when Detroit beat LA (averaged 13 points a night during the playoffs that year) but his ability to score on the low block when they needed a basket was huge for that team.