I'm done with mock drafts. I've done my fair share of them in the past and it's nearly impossible to actually be able to pick a perfect draft. On draft day, there will be trades. There will be players that make unexpected falls. There will be head-scratching moves that shake up the entire draft landscape. There is no way I can predict that without having Chris Sheridan on speed dial.

I'm no actuary, but I'd have to say the chances of picking a perfect first round would be smaller than picking all 4 Final Four participants.

This, my friends, is not how I think the draft will go but how I think the draft should go. I basically pretended I was the GM of each of the teams and picked the player I thought was the best fit for the organization. Without further adieu, my 2011 not-so-mock draft:

1) Cleveland Cavaliers: Derrick Williams, SF/PF, Arizona

I know, I'm starting out with a bang by not having Irving here, but it's not because I don't think he's going to be a bad player -- he's the best point guard in the draft. It's not how bad Irving is, it's how good Williams is combined with the fact that a top end point guard will still be around by the time the Cavs are back on the clock at pick four. I believe you get more with the Williams-Knight combo than the Irving-Kanter combo.

2) Minnesota Timberwolves: Enes Kanter, PF/C, Kentucky (Turkey)

Irving is tempting, but Minnesota drafted two point guards in the first round last season. Flynn showed some promise and you have to at least give Rubio a shot. With this pick, Minnesota can finally get Darko out of the starting line-up.

3) Utah Jazz: Kyrie Irving, PG, Duke

Again, I think he's a very good player, and Utah is definitely getting good value for their pick. Irving is a no-brainer pick to become the new face of the franchise now that Deron Williams is in New Jersey/Brooklyn

Continue reading this post »

In this week's edition of Sports Illustrated, there was a complete 2011 NBA Mock Draft. In this mock draft, Ian Thomsen had the Thunder picking Jeremy Tyler, giving the following reasoning:

Tyler set himself back by skipping his senior year then playing two seasons overseas. (He lasted 10 games in Israel and played 33 in Japan.) But at 6'11", 262 Pounds, with a 7'5" wingspan, he has size and upside.

Given that line of reasoning, it might sound like he's a viable draft prospect. But in my eyes, and the eyes of some others, he's a player with huge red flags all over him. Why?

You just have to take a look at who he plays for. The Tokyo Apache. If you're a veteran WTLC reader, you'll remember I column I wrote concerning the Apache, focusing on former Thunder player Robert Swift. Since the article, Swift developed solid numbers and averaged around a double-double until the season was canceled due to the Tsunami that hit Japan. But if you remember Robert Swift's time with the Thunder, you'll know that he was never a viable NBA center. When he wasn't spending time being injured, he would average incredibly pedestrian numbers, grabbing some garbage buckets and the occasional block or rebound, but never really being good enough to justify his inclusion on the roster.

That alone should be enough to convince you not to draft Jeremy Tyler. While Swift averaged 14 Points, 10 Rebounds, and 2 Blocks, Tyler was averaging 10 points, 6 Rebounds, 3 Fouls, and 2 Turnovers while playing only 10 less minutes. It's arguable that his point and rebound totals would be closer to Swifts had he gotten more minutes, but he's still not as good of a defender, and he would have probably fouled out before he completed those minutes.

Don't think that Swift has gotten that much better while player for the Apache, either. The BJ League (Japan's League) is not very stacked, and pales in comparison to the Euroleague, various European domestic leagues, China's league, and Australia's league.

If this evidence is not enough, one can remember the debacle he was in last year when playing for Maccabi Tel Aviv. While averaging 2 Points and 2 Rebounds in only 7 minutes of action, he got into various disagreements with the coaches there, eventually quitting the team and heading home to San Diego.

Lastly, the man does not know who Nate McMillan, one of the longest tenured coaches in the NBA and the coach of the team he was working out for, is.

To be quite honest, I'd rather sign Robert Swift. You can't teach height and arm length, but physical capabilities alone don't make an NBA player. I don't hate the guy personally, but in order to be a viable draft pick, you've got to succeed elsewhere, and at least have a basic knowledge of where you want to go.

This is a feature that we'll roll out as often as possible leading up to the draft. Basically, we'll be taking an in depth look at some of the potential draftees for the Thunder, and asking questions of the people who know them best, the college blogs that cover them. Up first is Norris Cole of Cleveland State, and Tom Mieskoski of Cleveland State Hoops. NBADraft.net had the Thunder selecting Cole with the 24th pick, but his stock has recently dropped into the second round. Regardless, he is a potential future Thunder player, so here's the 411 on Norris Cole....

Norris Cole, #30, Cleveland State University

Highlight Reel, via Cleveland State Athletics

(The above reel features the whole team, but a lot of it is Norris Cole.)

Q&A, Tom Mieskoski, Cleveland State Hoops

1. What type of player is Norris Cole? Norris Cole is a winner. He will do anything to help his team win. Last year, he was asked to do pretty much everything for CSU.

He's a pass first, shoot second type of point guard. He's a good facilitator, a good defender, and is a good rebounder for a guard.

2. Based on what you know, do you think he'll be an NBA caliber player? If so, who would you compare him to? Yes, he has a lot of qualities that you would want in a point guard. He's a great leader. He's unselfish. He knows how to score. He knows how to get his teammates involved. And he knows how to get to the line and can make them (85.3 percent last year and was even better in the last 5 minutes of the game at 90.3 percent). He's also one of the better defenders in the draft.

Cole models his game after Rajon Rondo, but I like to compare him to former Cleveland Cavaliers guard Terrell Brandon. Brandon, like Cole, was a smaller guard who could score, but was also unselfish and was a pass first, shoot second type of a point guard.

Below: Is he a good fit for the Thunder? Does his talent translate to the NBA? His favourite Norris Cole Moment?

Continue reading this post »

As I'm sure you know by now, the Thunder were able to address their most pressing need at the trade deadline: centers who can bang down low and grab some rebounds. Before the deadline, it seemed that the team would try yet again to meet those needs in the draft. But now what? Do the Thunder look for depth at small forward? A shooter? Do they trade the pick? Is it possible they could still be in the market for big men? To answer these questions, let's first look at what the team has in the cupboard:

Point Guard

Russell Westbrook (Signed through 2012-13)

Eric Maynor (Signed through 2013-14, team option in 2012-13)

Royal Ivey (Signed through 2011-12)

Nate Robinson? (Signed through 2011-12)

Shooting Guard

Thabo Sefalosha (Signed through 2013-14)

James Harden (Signed through 2013-14, team option in 2012-13)

Daequan Cook (Signed through 2011-12)

Nate Robinson? (Signed through 2011-12)

Small Forward

Kevin Durant (Signed through 2015-16)

Power Forward

Serge Ibaka (Signed through 2013-14, team option in 2012-13)

Nick Collison (Signed through 2014-15)

Center

Kendrick Perkins (Signed through this season)

Nazr Mohammed (Signed through this season)

Cole Aldrich (Signed through 2014-15, team options in 2012-13 and 2013-14)

B.J. Mullens (Signed through 2013-14, team option in 2012-13)

As you can see, the first priority for the Thunder in the offseason will be to secure the center position. I really don't see the Thunder not resigning Kendrick Perkins. He probably wasn't happy to be leaving Boston, but once he gets a few games in Thunder blue under his belt, once he starts to bond with the guys on the roster, I think it'll be an easy resigning.

It's hard to say if Mohammed will be back before he's even played a game, but if I had to bet, I'd say no. The long-term futures of Robinson, Ivey, and Cook are also up in the air. It's not terribly likely they keep any of them after their contracts expire, the team may keep one of them. It's possible that they may be bought out/traded before then. Everyone else on the roster though is most likely going to be here through the 2013-14 season.

So, with that core group of players in mind, I list the team's draft needs as follows:

Continue reading this post »

It's true, the draft is still 4 1/2 months away and the pending status of the collective bargaining agreement may make this the most irrelevant post ever. However, I don't see any harm in posting a little primer for those who are starting to wonder who we may be seeing in Thunder blue next season. Therefore, below I'll be addressing 4 scorching hot, scalding, burning, melting, blazing, habanero-flavored NBA Draft questions:

1) Right now, who look to be the elite players in this year's crop of talent?

In terms of the talent sitting near the top of most big boards, it appears to be a good year for the multi-faceted power forward. Jared Sullinger, a freshman power forward who has played a large role in Ohio State's currently undefeated season, just may be the best of them all. NBADraft.net compares him to Kevin Love, which I can see, but he reminds me more of a slightly more athletic Zach Randolph. He's a hoss, even by NBA standards, at 6'9" 286 lbs, and will only add more muscle in the professional ranks. In addition to his old school post presence, his jump shot is decent enough to keep defenses honest.

My personal favorite in the upcoming draft class has to be Baylor freshman string bean Perry Jones. Jones, standing at 6'11" and a wing-span over 7 feet, is built in the Tracy McGrady, Kevin Durant mold. He projects to be an NBA small forward, but could serve as a power forward if that is the need of the team that drafts him. Of all the potential prospects in the coming draft, his potential eclipses all of them. It isn't often scouts see a scorer like this in such a long body, but when they do, they usually take notice. These kinds of guys don't stay on the board long.

There are a few knocks on Jones, however. His college team, the Baylor Bears, have disappointed this season. He's been averaging slightly over 14 points and 7 rebounds a game. Not bad for college, though not the god-like numbers that make you go, "yeah, this guy should go number one." (He is, however, shooting 57.1% from the field). Some people feel he'd be well served to stay another year in college. This doesn't appear likely, given he'll likely be selected in the top three and his Bears, who were highly ranked in the preseason, have fallen even below the (resurgent) Oklahoma Sooners in the current Big XII standings.

Other likely top picks include Kyle Irving (a shifty freshman point guard and floor general playing for Mike Krzyzewski at Duke), Terrence Jones (an offensively polished Kentucky forward with a great handle), and Derrick Willams (yet another athletic, scoring power forward).

2) Internationally speaking, who are the top incoming prospects?

I'll admit it, I have neither the time nor the means to keep a constant pulse on the international game. However, I can read draft boards and watch Youtube highlights as well as anyone.

Most regard Enes Kanter as the top international player. Though technically he's going to college at Kentucky, Kanter was ruled ineligible by the NCAA for receiving more than $33,000 in impermissible benefits while playing for his club team in Turkey.

Though he isn't the most exciting player in the world, he gets results, big results. He scored a record 34 points at the Nike Hoops Summit. The Hoops Summit, which pits the best young talent of the United States and the rest of the world against each other, featured some top-notch talent, including Jared Sullinger, Kyle Irving, Terrence Jones, and Harrison Barnes from North Carolina. None of them had a better stat line than Kanter. Oh, by the way, the record he broke belonged to some guy named Dirk Nowitzki. I think he may still be in the league.

Other notable international players fall in two stereotypical categories: Big white guys that can shoot and lanky athletic players with loads of "potential" but may have to be stashed away overseas while they develop. The former includes the likes of Lithuanians Jonas Valanciunas and Dontas Motiejunas. The project players include the Czech Jan Vesely and Brazillian Lucas Nogueira.

3) Jimmer Fredette is setting the college hoops world on fire. Is he the next great white hope or the second coming of Adam Morrison? 

In the spectrum of white college players who lead the nation in scoring, I'd say Fredette leans more toward Reddick than he does Morrison.

Adam Morrison could score in an NBA game. He averaged 11.8 PPG and shot a decent 37.6% from 3 his rookie year. Scoring wasn't a problem. His problem was that he couldn't do anything else on a basketball court. Rebound? Not physical or athletic enough. Defend? You must be joking. If you're not going to be an elite scorer, if you're not going to find your niche on defense, in the post, taking charges, and you're anything less than automatic from beyond the arch, what good are you in the NBA?

J.J. Reddick, on the other hand, who was always the much better shooter of the two, has found his niche in the NBA and should be in the league for as long as his shot keeps falling. Likewise, I think Fredette can be at least a similar type of player. Though he'll be routinely outmatched in athleticism, he at least has decent enough speed to not completely embarrass himself on defense. He isn't quite as gifted a shooter as Reddick either, but he's not far off, and his offensive skill set is more versatile than that of Reddick. Fredette seems to me to be a player who compensated for a lack of innate ability by mastering more unorthodox scoring methods, hence the floaters and the absurdly long-range bombs he throws up on occasion. Will he ever be an all-star? I doubt he'll even be a routine starter. But, can he be a leading bench player in the NBA? He definitely has the ability.

4) OK, I need my Thunder fix. Who are some players who could be playing in Oklahoma City next season?

Sam Presti has shown he has a pension for drafting project big men (Serge Ibaka, B.J. Mullens, Cole Aldrich). There's certainly need for a natural post presence on this roster. If Presit wants to keep up the tradition, judging from where the Thunder look to be in the upcoming draft, Lucas Noguiera is his man. The Thunder could use all 84 inches of his 7 foot frame. He's exactly the kind of Joakim Noah/Tyson Chandler-type center the Thunder have been begging for. However, rumor has it that Noguiera has exhibited some maturity issues, which definitely wouldn't fly under the current regime. He also still must grow into that long frame of his, and is not NBA ready.

Kenneth Faried is another pick that intrigues me. He doesn't grab as much attention as he should, as a 6'8" senior forward playing for Morehead State. What he does grab, however, are rebounds. He averages 14.5 rebounds this season and has averaged at least 13 rebounds since his sophomore season. He probably won't be much of a scoring threat in the NBA, but if he were to play on a team with, say, the top scoring duo in the league, that probably wouldn't be much of an issue. Many will say that his rebound numbers may be slightly inflated by the fact that he doesn't play against high caliber competition. That may be the case, but when Charles Barkley was arguing for Kevin Love's status as an all-star a few nights ago, he said, "you can't fake rebounding." I think Chuck may know a thing or two about grabbing boards. However, it always comes back to character. I can't testify either way for Faried, I've never met him. His idol, allegedly, is Dennis Rodman. Let's hope that's an on-court idol only...

Kyle Singler seems to be a player that Oklahoma City fans would appreciate. The 6'9" senior forward from Duke has a versatile offensive game (though he may become more of a shooter in the pro ranks). He also has a competitive engine that doesn't die and really shows that he cares about each possession. With 20 years of experience living in Oklahoma City, I think these are the players the fans value the most. He stayed all four years in college, which is a modern rarity for draft prospects. I think this shows he was dedicated foremost to winning, something he is accustomed to at Duke. The downside is that he seems to fit the small forward / power forward slot the Thunder currently have a logjam at. Offensively, he could play shooting guard, but he'd definitely struggle to defend the 2. In terms of character, he played 4 years for Coach K and is one of his favorite players, which is typically a reliable filter for a quality person.

LaceDarius Dunn, the 6'4" senior shooting guard from Baylor, is typically described as one of the best shooters in college basketball, which he is. The Thunder would welcome a chance to improve upon their three point shooting (though it doesn't appear to be Presti's top concern), and he'll likely still be available whenever the Thunder end up picking. However, there are a few things that may keep the Thunder away from him. 1) The already documented struggles of the much hyped Baylor Bears and 2) a regrettable run in with the law.

It's impossible to predict anything at this point. The Thunder's draft position is unknown. Prospects will rise and fall on the boards. The season may be canceled. But, at this point in time, it looks as if the Thunder will be at least tempted to stray from the path of the straight and narrow.

In possibly the most minor move made on draft day, the Oklahoma City Thunder acquired Ryan Reid, a forward out of Florida State. And what better way to bridge the time between now and the Summer League than a profile on this potential Thunder player?

I once again teamed up with TrueCubbie of Tomahawk Nation for a quick Q&A about Reid.

Ryan Reid, Power Forward, #42, Florida State University

Ryan Reid's Draft Moment

Q&A, TrueCubbie, Tomahawk Nation

1. What type of player is Ryan Reid? His Strengths/Weaknesses?

Ryan Reid was the only Senior on a team filled with young talent. Last year was by far his most productive season, but he only averaged 6.7 points per game in 22 minutes of game play. He also pulled down 3.9 rebounds. Clearly, these numbers do not jump off the page. Some may argue that there has been a steady improvement in his numbers, but is going from 3 points to 7 points a game over a four year period really a significant improvement? Ryan Reid's biggest contribution to the team this year was his defense. In an ACC stacked with huge front court players, Ryan Reid, with some glaring exceptions, did a nice job down in the paint night in and night out. Reid is a big, physical player who is a work horse in the paint, despite what the numbers show. Like most Leonard Hamilton coached players, he gives you full effort on every play. His biggest weakness this year was likely a result of the type of team the Seminoles had on the floor: young. At times, it seemed that Reid would take shots that were unnecessary, feeling that he needed to do something as he was the Senior leader in what was at times a very stagnant offense. Overall, Reid didn't have any significant character issues and will work hard but he is not going to amaze you with his skill set. His best game was this year against Georgia Tech when he scored 17 points, pulled down 5 boards and had three steals.  He also helped shut down the combination of Derrick Favors and Gani Lawal. 

Below: Reactions to reactions about Ryan Reid. Favourite Ryan Reid moment? Does he have a chance in the NBA?

Continue reading this post »

First of all, apologies for not being here on Draft Night. Being in South Africa rocks, but a downside is that you have to stay up late into the night to see NBA events. Regardless, here's a quick recap and take of what happened last night. Expect full profiles of the new players as we head forward.

Trade 1: The Oklahoma City Thunder Trade Pick #31 to the Miami Heat for Pick #18 and Daequan Cook.

Thunder Gain: A Higher Pick, A Potential Rotation Player

Heat Gain: Cap Room for the 2010 Free Agency Dash, a pick at a good value.

Analysis: It's a trade that works out for both sides, if it is a bit in the Thunder's favour. At this point, any team is going to have to pay a hefty price in order to get salary for next year's FA, and this is about as small of a price Miami was going to find. On the Thunder's side of things, it's basically little risk, big reward. They got more cards to play with concerning getting a higher pick, and they picked up Cook, who was a solid rotation player for some solid Heat teams. While being a bit of a defensive liability, he's the type of guy who can step off the bench and hit a few threes, which is exactly what fans have been pining for. Overall, the trade is an A for the Thunder, and a C+ for the Heat.

Community Takes:

 

BTW EP, you and I align completely on the Daniel Orton and Alabi thoughts. Please no…I’m not a big Sanders fan either, mainly because I think he’s too much like Serge. I do have a feeling that the 18th pick will end up being somebody who was supposed to go late lottery and dropped. Udoh perhaps? Yeah I could definitely see that if late-lottery/bad playoff teams went crazy on George, Hayward, Babbit, and Bradley.

The other pick is the seemingly inevitable Orton pick, which means 26 probably has to be a perimeter player of some sort…Crawford? I would KILL if we could get Ryan Richards at 52, or just buy him off whomever drafts him.

-GoHornsGo90

I'd like Sanders and James Anderson

I’ve seen mocks that have Anderson falling all the way to 30. SOme have him as high as 15. I’m not sure what the deal is with him rising and falling.

Ideally, I’d like to see us move up and get Monroe, but I’m not sure if it’ll happen.

-ElectricPencils

Below: More Trades! More Analysis! More Madness!

Continue reading this post »