Flash's Mock Draft

[Poe]

duhh, but we all know Motiejunas wont drop to 14.

The majority opinion isn't necessarily the correct one, and neither is Flash's. That's why it's an opinion, not fact. Everyone is entitled to their own.

 

Not saying that I don't agree that Motiejunas will most likely be a higher pick (probably top 5), but it's not impossible that he could fall lower. There's always a chance that NBA teams could see the same flaws that Flash does, and picking him that high becomes a risk.

[YugoRocketsFan]

The majority opinion isn't necessarily the correct one, and neither is Flash's. That's why it's an opinion, not fact. Everyone is entitled to their own.

 

Not saying that I don't agree that Motiejunas will most likely be a higher pick (probably top 5), but it's not impossible that he could fall lower. There's always a chance that NBA teams could see the same flaws that Flash does, and picking him that high becomes a risk.

 

lol Flash cant see any flaws when he hasnt seen him even play. Its like saying that I saw flaws in someone when I havent seen the person play.

[La Bomba]

If Bledsoe is available, I would like the Grizzlies to draft him. We need some depth at point guard and Bledsoe could even be the starter. Motiejunas is a nice pick because he gives us some depth at power forward and a shooter, which is one of our needs.

 

And Gay isn't likely out this offseason. It's actually looking like he will likely stay.

[Flash]

lol Flash cant see any flaws when he hasnt seen him even play. Its like saying that I saw flaws in someone when I havent seen the person play.

 

I'm going off of scouting reports that I've read. When talking about a player you've never seen play that's usually what you go off.

[YugoRocketsFan]

I'm going off of scouting reports that I've read. When talking about a player you've never seen play that's usually what you go off.

 

Scouting reports on European players havent always been 100% accurate.

[Dash]

Motiejunas dropping into the late lottery is reasonable. I can see a lot of teams that could sour over his ability to play defense and there are rumors (at least I remember reading something like that in the past) that he might not even come over this season like Rubio.

[AtTheDriveIn]

Good effort on the mock draft. Hope you come out with some more after this.

 

Having said that, I do have a few things to say. First, you seem to be just looking at which prospect fits which teams the most and I think your rationale sometimes is a bit off. The most glaring is probably the first pick. “Perfect scenario for the Nets,” you said about Wall going to the Nets. The Nets already have Devin Harris, a guy who when he was healthy last year averaged 21 and 7. Therefore, this pick becomes less than a ‘perfect scenario’ considering that they already have a great point guard already. The Nets perfect situation would be falling to #2, or even #3 and taking someone who does actually fit their roster, i.e. Evan Turner or DeMarcus Cousins (a wing or a strong body in the paint) rather than going with John Wall and having to compromise either his role, or Devin Harris’ role on the Nets.

 

Ed Davis to Philadelphia probably isn’t that great a situation, either. The Sixers already have Mareese Speights and Jason Smith, although the latter probably won’t develop into a strong rotation player for them. What the Sixers need is immediate production considering their record is and their lack of players who can produce consistently. If anything, they’re going to look more toward Patrick Patterson or even Cole Aldrich, both who could contribute something meaningful immediately rather than looking at another big-man project who may or may not work out.

 

I think you jumped the gun on James Anderson by about seven or eight picks, and considering that you have him going to the Hornets, who already have a James Anderson clone going by the name of Marcus Thornton in their long-term plans, this pick to me just seems puzzling at best. If they needed more scoring, and were willing to take a reach on a player, Gordon Hayward from Butler (who by the way you don’t have going in the first round.. confusing) or even Quincy Pondexter (28th? Underrated) would have been a better gamble than taking a player who the Hornets have a replica of already.

 

I’m not sure you’re aware of this, but you have a little bit of bias toward American players. And I don’t know if this was intentional but you put Montiejunas is a spot where he can under no circumstances actually be a good player. The absolute last thing that the Grizzlies need is another big man considering they already have Gasol, Randolph, Thabeet, Haddidi, Hunter and Arthur. If anything, the Bucks, Pacers or even the Rockets will definitely take a chance on him before Motiejunas reaches #14. Come to think of it, I’ve seen Montiejunas no lower than twelfth on every singly mock thus far and you have him two spots lower than almost everyone else on the internet. A little bit suspect, but whatever.

 

Apart from that and a few other minor things, good job. Repped.

[AtTheDriveIn]

Pretty sure he's over in Europe.

 

He's with Minnesota. Missed today's game with a concussion but played versus Miami a few days back.

[Flash]

Good effort on the mock draft. Hope you come out with some more after this.

 

Having said that, I do have a few things to say. First, you seem to be just looking at which prospect fits which teams the most and I think your rationale sometimes is a bit off. The most glaring is probably the first pick. “Perfect scenario for the Nets,” you said about Wall going to the Nets. The Nets already have Devin Harris, a guy who when he was healthy last year averaged 21 and 7. Therefore, this pick becomes less than a ‘perfect scenario’ considering that they already have a great point guard already. The Nets perfect situation would be falling to #2, or even #3 and taking someone who does actually fit their roster, i.e. Evan Turner or DeMarcus Cousins (a wing or a strong body in the paint) rather than going with John Wall and having to compromise either his role, or Devin Harris’ role on the Nets.

 

Ed Davis to Philadelphia probably isn’t that great a situation, either. The Sixers already have Mareese Speights and Jason Smith, although the latter probably won’t develop into a strong rotation player for them. What the Sixers need is immediate production considering their record is and their lack of players who can produce consistently. If anything, they’re going to look more toward Patrick Patterson or even Cole Aldrich, both who could contribute something meaningful immediately rather than looking at another big-man project who may or may not work out.

 

I think you jumped the gun on James Anderson by about seven or eight picks, and considering that you have him going to the Hornets, who already have a James Anderson clone going by the name of Marcus Thornton in their long-term plans, this pick to me just seems puzzling at best. If they needed more scoring, and were willing to take a reach on a player, Gordon Hayward from Butler (who by the way you don’t have going in the first round.. confusing) or even Quincy Pondexter (28th? Underrated) would have been a better gamble than taking a player who the Hornets have a replica of already.

 

I’m not sure you’re aware of this, but you have a little bit of bias toward American players. And I don’t know if this was intentional but you put Montiejunas is a spot where he can under no circumstances actually be a good player. The absolute last thing that the Grizzlies need is another big man considering they already have Gasol, Randolph, Thabeet, Haddidi, Hunter and Arthur. If anything, the Bucks, Pacers or even the Rockets will definitely take a chance on him before Motiejunas reaches #14. Come to think of it, I’ve seen Montiejunas no lower than twelfth on every singly mock thus far and you have him two spots lower than almost everyone else on the internet. A little bit suspect, but whatever.

 

Apart from that and a few other minor things, good job. Repped.

The Nets drafting Wall opens up the possibility for them to trade Harris and get something in return. Harris is a good player but Wall is a no brainer at 1 IMO.

 

The Philly pick was a best player available IMO because I don't think they'd reach for Xavier Henry at 7. Like I said, they'd be better off trading with a team who has multiple first rounders like Miami or Minnesota.

 

James Anderson is the most underrated swingman in the draft IMO. He's 6'6 as opposed to Thornton being 6'3. Not sure how he'd be an Anderson clone. Anderson can create his own shot off the dribble as well. He's a more versatile player than Thornton IMO. Anderson can make an impact right away in the starting lineup wheras I don't think Thornton will ever crack the starting lineup.

 

As for Motiejunas, I think Memphis is a good situation. He's not gonna be a starter right away wherever he goes so coming off the bench for a year won't be a bad thing for him. I forgot they had Randolph and this is only the first mock. I plan on making more once the lottery and pre-draft camps are over. I do think he slips though because of the questions about his defense and like Dash said, whether or not he's even going to come over or not.

[AtTheDriveIn]

The Nets drafting Wall opens up the possibility for them to trade Harris and get something in return. Harris is a good player but Wall is a no brainer at 1 IMO.

 

The prospect fo trading Harris to a yet unknown team in exchange for an yet unknown player who might be worth more or less than Harris is is not at all a perfect situation for the Nets. A 'perfect situation' is getting a player who's a safe bet immediately, something which you attributed to Evan Turner's short description. There's nothing safe about drafting a point guard when your best player is already a point guard. The value of both, moreso Harris, dwindles quite heavily because the Nets would be forced to compromised in a trade for either player to ensure the happiness (through playing time and importance to the team) of the other.

 

I don't see this as an ideal situation at all. It creates all sort of problems for the Nets. If they want to explore trade options for Harris, how well would two new impact players fit with the Nets 'original' lineup? If they do trade Harris, what will they recieve back given Harris' less than inspiring season he's having thus far? If they decide to draft Wall and then end up not trading Harris at all, who becomes the go-to point guard and who becomes the guy who's going to be complaining to the media about the confusion of his role after nearly every game? On the other hand, you don't have any of these problems with Turner given his position and the Nets need for an effective wing player or even with Cousins or Favors given that both players are markedly better than anything the Nets have on their frontline at the moment (bar Lopez).

 

There's just too many questions left to be answered in the drafting of Wall at #1. That's why I said that the Nets could afford to even drop to the second spot in the draft and be in a better situation for their organization. They may not get the most effective player in the end, but the gap in the myth of 'potential star power' between Turner and Wall isn't so big that they would not be at all happy with Turner. I'll even contend that if the Nets do end up with the #1 pick and take Turner, they still wouldn't be disappointed if Turner ended up being the second best player in draft; that's just how good I think Turner can become.

 

James Anderson is the most underrated swingman in the draft IMO. He's 6'6 as opposed to Thornton being 6'3. Not sure how he'd be an Anderson clone. Anderson can create his own shot off the dribble as well. He's a more versatile player than Thornton IMO. Anderson can make an impact right away in the starting lineup wheras I don't think Thornton will ever crack the starting lineup.

 

James Anderson and Marcus Thornton actually have very similar bodies. Anderson being 6'6, 210 and Thorton being 6'4, 205. The 2 inch difference is nothing to me given Thornton's physicality on the perimeter. Regardless, a 2 inch difference is nothing anyway. Both players have been shooters their whole careers, but both are underrated when it comes to their penetration game. Neither are going to be 5 rebound or 5 assist per game players, but that doesn't take away from the effort and hustle that both show. Both will have come into the NBA at 21/22 years old. The similarities in their games are endless. And I'm not the only one that has this opinion. Lots of sports writers have said that the comparisons between Anderson and Thornton are uncanny.

 

Your obvious preference toward Anderson doesn't make Thornton any less of a player. You say that you don't think Thornton will ever crack a lineup, or that Anderson could have more impact right away. Let me ask you something; have you seen Thornton recently (i.e. since late January. I'm even giving you a three-month window)? I know, you'll say you have, but I wont believe you. Let me just give you a refresher on some of Thornton's numbers since February:

 

February: 10 games | 2 starts | 29.1 MPG | 18.8 PPG | 3.8 RPG | 1.8 APG | 46% FG | 43% 3PT

March: 16 games | 5 starts | 32.3 MPG | 19.9 PPG | 3.8 RPG | 2.2 APG | 48% FG | 41% 3PT

 

This season, he's scored more than twenty points 18 times, including two 30 point performances; both against good defensive teams (Cavaliers and Spurs). In February and March, he's only failed to score 10 points once, an eight point performance against Portland. In two games so far in April, he's averging a little over 18 points per game as well. Even before this boost in minutes through Jan, Feb, Mar and Apr, he's averaged just over 12 points a game for the Hornets, primarily off the bench. Although his Defensive Rating is shocking, Thornton's Offensive Rating is incredibly strong at the point. So, if Anderson is much more versatile than Thornton, what's the projection numbers for next season? Are we expecting 20/5/3? You grossly overrate Anderson if you think that he's going to easily surprass what Thornton is doing in terms of production for the Hornets so far. Please actually be learned in what you're talking about next time.

[Flash]

The prospect fo trading Harris to a yet unknown team in exchange for an yet unknown player who might be worth more or less than Harris is is not at all a perfect situation for the Nets. A 'perfect situation' is getting a player who's a safe bet immediately, something which you attributed to Evan Turner's short description. There's nothing safe about drafting a point guard when your best player is already a point guard. The value of both, moreso Harris, dwindles quite heavily because the Nets would be forced to compromised in a trade for either player to ensure the happiness (through playing time and importance to the team) of the other.

 

I don't see this as an ideal situation at all. It creates all sort of problems for the Nets. If they want to explore trade options for Harris, how well would two new impact players fit with the Nets 'original' lineup? If they do trade Harris, what will they recieve back given Harris' less than inspiring season he's having thus far? If they decide to draft Wall and then end up not trading Harris at all, who becomes the go-to point guard and who becomes the guy who's going to be complaining to the media about the confusion of his role after nearly every game? On the other hand, you don't have any of these problems with Turner given his position and the Nets need for an effective wing player or even with Cousins or Favors given that both players are markedly better than anything the Nets have on their frontline at the moment (bar Lopez).

 

There's just too many questions left to be answered in the drafting of Wall at #1. That's why I said that the Nets could afford to even drop to the second spot in the draft and be in a better situation for their organization. They may not get the most effective player in the end, but the gap in the myth of 'potential star power' between Turner and Wall isn't so big that they would not be at all happy with Turner. I'll even contend that if the Nets do end up with the #1 pick and take Turner, they still wouldn't be disappointed if Turner ended up being the second best player in draft; that's just how good I think Turner can become.

 

 

 

James Anderson and Marcus Thornton actually have very similar bodies. Anderson being 6'6, 210 and Thorton being 6'4, 205. The 2 inch difference is nothing to me given Thornton's physicality on the perimeter. Regardless, a 2 inch difference is nothing anyway. Both players have been shooters their whole careers, but both are underrated when it comes to their penetration game. Neither are going to be 5 rebound or 5 assist per game players, but that doesn't take away from the effort and hustle that both show. Both will have come into the NBA at 21/22 years old. The similarities in their games are endless. And I'm not the only one that has this opinion. Lots of sports writers have said that the comparisons between Anderson and Thornton are uncanny.

 

Your obvious preference toward Anderson doesn't make Thornton any less of a player. You say that you don't think Thornton will ever crack a lineup, or that Anderson could have more impact right away. Let me ask you something; have you seen Thornton recently (i.e. since late January. I'm even giving you a three-month window)? I know, you'll say you have, but I wont believe you. Let me just give you a refresher on some of Thornton's numbers since February:

 

February: 10 games | 2 starts | 29.1 MPG | 18.8 PPG | 3.8 RPG | 1.8 APG | 46% FG | 43% 3PT

March: 16 games | 5 starts | 32.3 MPG | 19.9 PPG | 3.8 RPG | 2.2 APG | 48% FG | 41% 3PT

 

This season, he's scored more than twenty points 18 times, including two 30 point performances; both against good defensive teams (Cavaliers and Spurs). In February and March, he's only failed to score 10 points once, an eight point performance against Portland. In two games so far in April, he's averging a little over 18 points per game as well. Even before this boost in minutes through Jan, Feb, Mar and Apr, he's averaged just over 12 points a game for the Hornets, primarily off the bench. Although his Defensive Rating is shocking, Thornton's Offensive Rating is incredibly strong at the point. So, if Anderson is much more versatile than Thornton, what's the projection numbers for next season? Are we expecting 20/5/3? You grossly overrate Anderson if you think that he's going to easily surprass what Thornton is doing in terms of production for the Hornets so far. Please actually be learned in what you're talking about next time.

 

My mentality is that you go with the best player at 1 and that is John Wall. There's no reason not to take him. I know Harris put up very good numbers but Wall has a chance to be one of the best PG's in the league. There's no reason they can't trade Harris and get some value back for him.

 

I'm very confident in Anderon's ability which is why I have him so high. He was one of the most underrated players in all of CBB this year. IMO he's got a chance to be better than Thornton and produce just as much, if not more than him. IMO Anderson is a better shot creator than Thornton but we'll just agree to disagree. However, whether or not he has a similar game to Thornton, he still gives NO another scorer at one of the guard spots and they need that if you ask me.