Minnesota tries once again to rebuild.
Minnesota tries once again to rebuild.
"One problem with people who have no vices is that they're pretty sure to have some annoying virtues."
BillDoran (06-25-2015)
I think this will be a fun draft to follow. Lots of intriguing pieces available and a handful of teams either looking to make a big splash or wholly unpredictable.
Porzingis looks tailor-made for Hinkie, but he can't possibly pass on one of Towns, Okafor or Russell, right? Phil Jackson is looking increasingly senile. No idea what he might do. The Kings are an unholy mess. No doubt they'll make some kind of noise tomorrow. I think Danny Ainge is one of the more shrewd GMs in the league. Interested to see what he cooks up tomorrow.
I'm certainly no draft guru, but two players I think will outplay their draft spots are Bobby Portis and Dakari Johnson. I'd be delighted if my Blazers landed either. I have a hard time believing either won't be, at worst, rotational bigs on good teams. I particularly like Portis. Good size (though short arms), great motor, good-looking jumper. I think that'll play in the league.
Revering4Blue's mock draft (thanks for posting it in the other thread...I'm going to post it here as a reference for the draft order and to give us a map of players, teams and positions, if you don't mind)...
Taking into account the transactions that have taken place recently and not taking into account draft day trades, which occur every year, here is my final one round mock draft for 2015.
T-Wolves -- Karl Anthony-Towns
Lakers -- Jahlil Okafor
76ers -- D'Angelo Russell
Knicks -- Justice Winslow
Magic -- Kristaps Porzingis
Kings -- Emmanuel Mudiay
Nuggets -- Mario Hezonia
Pistons -- Stanley Johnson
Hornets -- Myles Turner
Heat -- Devin Booker
Pacers -- Willie Cauley-Stein
Jazz -- Trey Lyles
Suns -- Frank Kaminsky
Thunder -- Cameron Payne
Hawks -- Sam Dekker
Celtics -- Kelly Oubre
Bucks -- R.J Hunter
Rockets -- Tyus Jones
Wizards -- Bobby Portis
Raptors -- Rondae Hollis-Jefferson
Mavericks -- Jerian Grant
Bulls -- Delon Wright
Trailblazers -- Justin Anderson
Cavaliers -- Rashad Vaughn
Grizzlies -- Jarell Martin
Spurs -- Kevon Looney
Lakers -- Terry Rozier
Celtics -- Christian Wood
Nets -- Montrezl Harrell
Warriors -- Chris McCullough
"One problem with people who have no vices is that they're pretty sure to have some annoying virtues."
If the Blazers stay in the 1st Round, I'd like to see them get Hollis-Jefferson.
"One problem with people who have no vices is that they're pretty sure to have some annoying virtues."
NBATV is currently doing a mock draft. There at about #17 right now.
"One problem with people who have no vices is that they're pretty sure to have some annoying virtues."
Stotts loves scoring, and scoring from behind the arc. But, he also respects that you can't win without Defense (just wish he'd hire an Assistant Coach who taught it). While Matthews seemed to be the mental glue that the team needs, Batum was the on-the-court glue that made them flow. Batum moved the ball Offensively and passed the ball better than anyone of the Starting Unit. His Defense digressed last season (though it was still good) after being stellar for the last four seasons.Originally Posted by BillDoran
Whoever the Blazers take in the draft, that player isn't going to play more than 800 minutes his first season and won't be part of the 9-man rotation. He'll be 10th through 12th as a contributor. A defensive player could make a quicker impact (Hollis-Jefferson), but a scorer could develop into a better eventual Starter (Portis). Stotts inherited Matthews and Batum, the Blazers two best Defenders. One is already gone and the other is likely to be gone (he stated that he wants a multi-year deal at $15M per, which he isn't getting from anywhere, but he still proclaimed it yesterday, while he's coming off a ruptured Achilles.) I think they need to draft a natural Defender. He can teach them to shoot. Lillard is a terrible Defender. Matthews and Batum hid his faults, but they were exposed repeatedly in the playoffs by 3rd-string Point Guards.
Losing Batum, the Blazers need to replace both his Defense and his Passing. That is going to have to come through Free Agency, and not the draft. Chemistry is extremely important to Olshey. If a player doesn't fit in chemistry-wise, Olshey won't acquire him. A lot of players are eliminated because of this.
Last edited by Kingspoint; 06-25-2015 at 01:39 AM.
"One problem with people who have no vices is that they're pretty sure to have some annoying virtues."
I like Hollis-Jefferson a lot as well, but his shot is so broken I wonder if he'll amount to much. His game doesn't seem to jibe with what Stotts has in mind.
Hard to foresee what the Blazers will look like next season. I'm pessimistic LA returns, and I'd like to see Wes stick around, but there's no telling there either. It could amount to a complete re-tooling of the roster. I do have a good deal of faith in Olshey though. Whether he'll ever get them over the hump, I don't know, but I do think he knows how to build a competitive squad.
They picked Notre Dame's Jerian Grant to Portland.
"One problem with people who have no vices is that they're pretty sure to have some annoying virtues."
Looks like a pretty good mock to me. I'd like to see Okafor somehow end up on the Knicks. I think he'd be a great fit in the triangle.
Who y'all got long-term, Towns or Okafor?
Anybody want to take a stab on an overachiever or two?
I like that pick. Not sure how he fits into the roster as currently constructed, but I think Grant's a rotation player in the NBA.
They don't have enough players who can pass the ball very well, especially with Batum gone, so it wouldn't be a bad pick. It's just hard to get excited about anyone in the draft as the Blazers went into "win-now" mode when they traded for Afflalo, and then the season blew up when Matthews went down. Olshey didn't go into win-now only to back out of win-now a few months later. It's still win-now for Portland, and Olshey is going to do everything possible to keep Aldridge.
"One problem with people who have no vices is that they're pretty sure to have some annoying virtues."
I know practically nothing about the players coming into this draft. All of my attention is on Free Agency this season. Dozens of trades are going down tomorrow (announced, but not official for a while per the bizarro NBA world of draft-day trades).
If I had to guess on an over-achiever, I'll usually go with a 4-year player from a smaller school. They are simply years ahead in the maturity and experience areas.
"One problem with people who have no vices is that they're pretty sure to have some annoying virtues."
Threw together a mock draft...
http://basketball.realgm.com/nba/dra...r/view/130704/
My biggest surprise is Kaminsky to the Knicks at 4, and Porzingis falling all the way to the Suns at 13, who I believe I had him going to last year before he withdrew.
Arise and walk, come through. A world beyond that door is calling out for you. Arise and walk, come through. It's calling out for you.
Marc Stein of ESPN has zero credibility, as he reported this first, but this Columbian reporter, Eric Gunderson, is credible, so it looks like LA is gone.
From Rotoworld w/ Rotoworld comments via The Columbian.
LaMarcus Aldridge has informed the Trail Blazers that he will not return to the team as a free agent, according to a Western Conference executive with knowledge of the Aldridge pursuit.
An earlier report stated that there's a "99.9 percent chance" that Aldridge's time in Portland has reached it's end, and it's looking more and more likely that Aldridge will be sporting a new jersey next season. If Aldridge does indeed leave, the current roster would suggest that Noah Vonleh would become a starter for the Blazers, although free agency could change that. Dallas, San Antonio, and the Los Angeles Lakers have been linked to Aldridge thus far, with Dallas reportedly one of his top choices.
Source: columbian.com
"One problem with people who have no vices is that they're pretty sure to have some annoying virtues."
He can play either guard position and Blake is a free agent following '15-'16.
Whatever you do, do your best to not allow the struggles of life to interfere with the pleasures of living.
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