Was Irving and Thompson the right duo?

[Real Deal]

Obviously, the Cavaliers were dead set on Thompson, as long as Williams was selected at #2 or #3. I don't think they showed any interest, at all, in Kanter.

 

So, would you say that these two were the correct picks? Or, would it have been smart for the Cavaliers to take Derrick Williams at #1, then drop down and take someone like Brandon Knight?

 

Some will say that's easy to answer, but I don't know. Irving is the point guard everyone wanted, but you'd almost think the Williams/Knight duo would be more effective. Thompson is a high risk pick in the top five.

 

What would you have done?

[*Swish*]

Yeah I totally agree with you.. I expect Thompson to have an average career but Williams and Knight duo would of been better.. on the other hand, it seems like Irving is going to be the better point guard compared to Knight

[Dr. Feelgood]

Easily in my opinion, you take someone who said he WANTED to go to Cleveland as he thinks he would have been a great replacement for LeBron (Williams) and then you go for Knight.

 

Williams and Knight should have been their picks.

[Newman]

I do not believe Williams is as special as Irving, although the former would have been a much safer pick.

 

I don't like the Thompson pick at all, as to me he is just a large body who plays 12-14 minutes. I would have taken Valanciunas as like Irving, the kid has potential to be something really special.

[Built Ford Tough]

Picking Irving was the right decision in my mind, but anybody who really paid attention to my posts around draft time would know that I am not nearly as high on Williams as other people. Many thought it was a 1A/1B type of situation, but I never really thought there was ever an argument for Williams to go over Irving. 7

 

I also think that there was too much of a drop off between Irving and Knight to warrant picking Williams 1st.

 

However, I do agree that Thompson wasn't the best selection. I don't think it is nearly as bad as Newman is making it out to be as Thompson is going to be better than some stiff that plays 12 minutes a game, but I do think that both Kanter or Valanciunas would've been better picks. Both of them have more upside than Thompson (although both of higher bust chances imo) and since the Cavs lack talent basically everywhere, I think they should've took a chance on a higher upside big than playing it safe with Thompson.

 

I would've went Irving/Valanciunas. Thompson makes sense if they were already set and were looking for a very good role player, but considering their situation, I don't necessarily like the pick (although I don't hate it).

[?QuestionMark?]

I agree with BFT.

 

Cleveland was going to suck anyway, might as well wait a year for Valanciunas as I think he's light years ahead Thompson. I think Thompson will have a decent career but won't have the impact Valanciunas or even Biyombo will have.

 

I'm still not sold with Williams. The same reason I didn't like Michael Beasley as the 1st pick is the same reason I'd pass on Williams. To me Beasley was going to be stuck between positions and I don't think Williams projects well as a PF.

[Real Deal]

I'm still not sold with Williams. The same reason I didn't like Michael Beasley as the 1st pick is the same reason I'd pass on Williams. To me Beasley was going to be stuck between positions and I don't think Williams projects well as a PF.

The difference is, Williams will be able to adjust and play the three, if needed. I was hard on Beasley even when he was in college (partially because he was playing for a rival school, but also because I figured his attitude and style would cripple him in the pros), but I can't see Williams in the same light because, quite frankly, he will work.

 

I distinctly remember people saying this stuff about Grant Hill, and how he was going to be stuck between the two positions. He ended up playing three positions throughout his career, and had it not been for the injuries, I'm pretty sure Hill would've been a top 50 player of all time.

 

I really wish LeBron had gone to Ohio State, because there's a chance he would've heard the same thing as well. He was the same size as Williams, at one point.

 

I'm sure I could come up with more, even current players. Luol Deng comes to mind...and while he's not an extraordinary player, he's one of the best defenders in the game.

[?QuestionMark?]

The difference is, Williams will be able to adjust and play the three, if needed. I was hard on Beasley even when he was in college (partially because he was playing for a rival school, but also because I figured his attitude and style would cripple him in the pros), but I can't see Williams in the same light because, quite frankly, he will work.

 

I distinctly remember people saying this stuff about Grant Hill, and how he was going to be stuck between the two positions. He ended up playing three positions throughout his career, and had it not been for the injuries, I'm pretty sure Hill would've been a top 50 player of all time.

 

I really wish LeBron had gone to Ohio State, because there's a chance he would've heard the same thing as well. He was the same size as Williams, at one point.

 

I'm sure I could come up with more, even current players. Luol Deng comes to mind...and while he's not an extraordinary player, he's one of the best defenders in the game.

 

 

I'm not saying he won't be a solid SF, I just don't think he'll be special. Not that I think Irving is the second coming of Chris Paul or anything, but if given the choice of Andre Miller and Richard Jefferson, I'd go with the PG.

 

I don't think LeBron would have been scrutinized for that. His guard skills were impressive (minus his shooting), but I'm not sold his perimeter skills are good enough to have made it worth taking him 1st.

 

Granted, I could be wrong. That Loul Deng just reminds me I thought he'd be a bust.

[Real Deal]

I actually thought Luol would have a lot of trouble in the league, also, haha.

[Check my Stats]

This will be the draft people look back and say: "Imagine the Cavaliers took Valanciunas instead of Tristan". Thompson seems like he is the size of the SF and even though he has the athleticism and the reach to almost make up for it, I just don't picture him being more than a role player. He is going to have to grow hugely offensively for me to consider this a half decent pick (and be better/comparable to Kanter/Val).

 

We will have to wait and see, but right now I hate this pick for Cleveland (loved it for Toronto). I hope he proves me wrong and winds up being a beast as he is Canadian, but I just don't see the tools there for him to be more than a sparkplug type of player; not necessarily a useless player, just not the sort of player you use a top 5 pick on IMO.

 

Bottom line, do you take the big with Tyrus type of skills or the big with Noah type of skills?

Edited October 19, 2011 by Check my Stats

[Built Ford Tough]

The thing that gets me is supposedly the Cavs weren't interested in Val because of having to wait a year or two for him to come over (originally he was expected to stay in Lithuania for another 2-3 years, but Colangelo got it down to just 1).

 

However, Gilbert is one of the major owners pushing for the lockout and is completely fine with missing the entire season, from what I gather.

 

So if Gilbert is fine with missing the entire season, why were the Cavs supposedly not interested in him because he wouldn't come over right away? It makes absolutely no sense to me, unless they actually thought that Thompson was the better prospect, which I find very hard to believe.

[Real Deal]

The thing that gets me is supposedly the Cavs weren't interested in Val because of having to wait a year or two for him to come over (originally he was expected to stay in Lithuania for another 2-3 years, but Colangelo got it down to just 1).

 

However, Gilbert is one of the major owners pushing for the lockout and is completely fine with missing the entire season, from what I gather.

 

So if Gilbert is fine with missing the entire season, why were the Cavs supposedly not interested in him because he wouldn't come over right away? It makes absolutely no sense to me, unless they actually thought that Thompson was the better prospect, which I find very hard to believe.

I never believed that for a second, though (that they didn't want to wait). Cleveland wasn't going to contend this season, and they weren't going to make the playoffs (barring a complete annihilation of the league by Irving).

 

I think Gilbert made a huge push for that second overall pick from Minny, and when the Wolves decided to keep it, Cleveland took the guy that impressed them the most in workouts. Thompson wasn't that bad, but that could be a mistake in the end, because we've seen many players have good workouts, then eventually become scrubs.