2008 NBA Draft

Michael Hopcroft · 06-04-2008, 04:25 PM

Pro basketball holds its annual draft near the end of this month. I have a few observations, and wonder what other observations people have:

1. Like the Blazers last year, the Bulls have an interesting choice between two hot prospects; Rose seems to have the upper hand because of his Chicago background, bt is that going to matter that much?

2. Kevin Love is going to be mentioned a lot higher than his actual play at UCLA would suggest in terms of pro potential. Does he really have the game to be anything more than a mediocre pro, and where is he likely to end up?

3. Will any of the late lottery teams trade up or down? Should they?

bababui · 06-04-2008, 04:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Michael Hopcroft

2. Kevin Love is going to be mentioned a lot higher than his actual play at UCLA would suggest in terms of pro potential. Does he really have the game to be anything more than a mediocre pro, and where is he likely to end up?

His play was arguably the best in the nation last year. And as a freshman.

mikev · 06-04-2008, 04:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bababui

His play was arguably the best in the nation last year. And as a freshman.

Beasley?

bababui · 06-04-2008, 05:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mikev

Beasley?

I did say arguably. And UCLA was decimated by injury last year. He was steady and brilliant in almost every game.

TonyJ · 06-04-2008, 05:39 PM

Love will probably go in the late lottery, higher than he probably should. He's going to be a good piece of a good team, but hardly the type of player you build around. He's slow and can't jump so he'll struggle to play defense and run the floor. How well he will rebound is a very open question. He will, however, be an asset on offense with his shooting, post moves and passing.

Giants44 · 06-04-2008, 06:32 PM

I do not watch a great deal of NCAA basketball outside of March Madness, so admittedly my opinion is not based upon a great deal of observation.

But when I did watch Love play, the things he did well at the NCAA level didn't look to me like they would translate. He seemed to overpower weaker opponents, I don't see him doing that in the NBA. I did not see the quickness and defense that is needed in the NBA.

I am especially concerned because I have seen some mock drafts of him going to the Warriors who do need a low post presence, but he does not look like that guy to me.

I think if he is a 10-12 minute backup on a team like Utah, that would make the most sense.

andjbock · 06-05-2008, 08:58 AM

Love just needs the right conditioning program and then people will stop thinking about him being a slow white boy and see that he is as fundamentally sound as anyone else in the draft.

Gary Forbes of UMass shooting up on draft lists!

jbergey22 · 06-05-2008, 10:47 AM

Love will be similar to Brad Miller. A pretty solid player and worth a late lottery selection.

Giants44 · 06-05-2008, 12:13 PM

NBA prospect Beasley's disputed height put at 6-8 | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle

I am surprised that this isn't being portrayed as a bigger deal - maybe because it came on opening night of the finals.

I am not sure I would use a top 5 pick on a PF that is only 6-8, especially with the other issues. I would imagine this cements Rose as the #1 and puts the Heat in a very interesting situation.

as far as Love I don't doubt his fundamentals - I just don't see the quickness the NBA requires. But like I said before I didn't see him play near enough to have any kind of legitimate opinion.

jbergey22 · 06-05-2008, 12:23 PM

I always had Beasley penciled in as a SF in the NBA. I guess I wasnt aware teams were looking at him as a possible PF, he always seemed like more of a slasher type player to me rather than a player who spent most of his time in the post. I sure hope the Heat and Bulls pass on him because of this information though, maybe McHale can finally do something right.

marc · 06-05-2008, 04:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bababui

I did say arguably. And UCLA was decimated by injury last year. He was steady and brilliant in almost every game.

Not arguably, Beasley was much better.

Anyways, I think Love will be a decent pro, not a superstar but not a scrub like some people are saying.

I think I read that he came in at 6'10 which I think will help his draft stock as there was some debate about how tall he really is.

marc · 06-05-2008, 04:39 PM

I don't understand why people are surprised by Beasley's height, it was obvious he was only in the 6'8 range just by looking at him out there on the court. Only Kansas State fans thought he was 6'10, they also think Bill Walker is 6'8, lol.

He's more of a combo forward anyways, he's not a true PF so if you're looking for a dominating post presence, he's not your pick. Also worth mentioning is that he has a 7' wingspan and wingspan is more important than height.

I think there are (or at least should be) as many questions about Rose as Beasley so it will be interesting to see what the Bulls do. I would take Beasley, I think he steps in as a 20 PPG guy right away.

mh2365 · 06-05-2008, 07:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jbergey22

Love will be similar to Brad Miller. A pretty solid player and worth a late lottery selection.

I think that is a pretty solid comparison.

With Arenas opting out of his contract ... who has the cap room to sign him?

His Own Bad Self · 06-05-2008, 09:32 PM

I would rather "we" take Beasley, but I think a lot of people are concerned about his history and his carefree, laidback attitude. Rose is acting more like a "true professional".

If we take Rose, Hinrich's as good as gone.

I don't think we can go wrong either way.

KurtBevacqua · 06-06-2008, 03:49 AM

I like Love a lot and think he will make a solid pro. However he is one of those big men coming out early who hasn't truly turned into the kind of player he will become, thus I think he is coming out too early. I could see him go in any direction from a Pau Gasol type to a Brad Miller to even a Patrick Ewing (OK not as good but similar skills). I think it's important for the big men with small men skills to gather more experience before turning pro because the NBA could mess him up. He could wind up with a team that needs a big man with big man skills and train him for that role, thus he'd lose out on his potential. Koufos from OSU has the same problem. It will be mighty tempting for a pro coach to stick a young 7 footer into the rotation as a 4 or a 5 because guys built like that with athleticism are so few and far between.

As for Beasley, just when you thought Durant was the once in a generation player here comes the next big thing a year later. I think Beasley has more of a pro body than Durant. To me Durant is like a tall George Gervin, Beasley is like Kevin Garnett. I'll take Beasley. I understand why Chicago would go with Rose, but I think it's real hard to pass on a guy with Beasley's skills, talents, and body. In fact I'll go out on a limb and say Garnett would not have been as good had he gone to college for a year.

His Own Bad Self · 06-06-2008, 04:08 AM

I agree on the Durant-as-Gervin comp, but I don't see any Garnett comp with Beasley. The guy that first comes to my mind to compare Beasley with is Derrick Coleman.

KurtBevacqua · 06-06-2008, 06:45 AM

Coleman? He was a pure power forward who had decent skills. Beasley is likely a 3 with excellent skills. And Coleman, a very good college player, was never as good in his whole career at 'Cuse as Beasley was last year.

mh2365 · 06-06-2008, 01:55 PM

I was thinking Carmelo Anthony but can rebound

Giants44 · 06-07-2008, 04:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by marc

Also worth mentioning is that he has a 7' wingspan and wingspan is more important than height.

I am not buying that argument anymore. a couple years back when the Warriors drafted Ike Diogu there was a lot of talk that even though he was a 6-8 PF he had a 7-3 wingspan. 4 years into his NBA career he uses most of that wingspan to entertain himself on the bench.

Then they drafted Patrick O'Bryant and his 7-5 wingspan, and he is an even bigger bust.

It reminds me of what Tom Tolbert said last year on the radio when the Warriors drafted Marco Bellini: "looks like he is a pretty good shooter, than again I haven't seen a guy drafted all night miss a shot, they all shoot 100% in highlights."

bababui · 06-07-2008, 09:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by marc

Not arguably, Beasley was much better.

LoL

Beasley never dominated games on both ends of the floor and with his passing like Kevin Love did. People look at a white player and as if through some kind of racist thought process they come to the conclusion that the black guy is always better. While its true that Beasley has better physical skills, Love is much further ahead with his mental/tactical grasp of the game and he is a tireless worker. How did Bill Laimbeer or Dan Issel do in the NBA? Or a pre injury prone Bill Walton? Players should be judged on what they do on the court and how they prepare off the court.

06-04-2008, 05:39 PM	#5
TonyJ Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Gassin' Kurds Posts: 2,019	Love will probably go in the late lottery, higher than he probably should. He's going to be a good piece of a good team, but hardly the type of player you build around. He's slow and can't jump so he'll struggle to play defense and run the floor. How well he will rebound is a very open question. He will, however, be an asset on offense with his shooting, post moves and passing. __________________ My Podcasts: Talk Democratic Dysfunction Name Two Bands with Andy and Andy

06-04-2008, 06:32 PM	#6
Giants44 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: San Francisco Bay Area Posts: 2,408	I do not watch a great deal of NCAA basketball outside of March Madness, so admittedly my opinion is not based upon a great deal of observation. But when I did watch Love play, the things he did well at the NCAA level didn't look to me like they would translate. He seemed to overpower weaker opponents, I don't see him doing that in the NBA. I did not see the quickness and defense that is needed in the NBA. I am especially concerned because I have seen some mock drafts of him going to the Warriors who do need a low post presence, but he does not look like that guy to me. I think if he is a 10-12 minute backup on a team like Utah, that would make the most sense. __________________ "In a text sim - Immersion is everything" -Me "Judge a man not by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character" -Martin Luther King "Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted counts." -Einstein "The man who views the world at 50 the same as he did at 20 has wasted 30 years of his life." -Muhammad Ali "Baseball statistics are like a girl in a bikini. They show a lot, but not everything." -Toby Harrah

06-05-2008, 12:13 PM	#9
Giants44 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: San Francisco Bay Area Posts: 2,408	NBA prospect Beasley's disputed height put at 6-8 \| Chron.com - Houston Chronicle I am surprised that this isn't being portrayed as a bigger deal - maybe because it came on opening night of the finals. I am not sure I would use a top 5 pick on a PF that is only 6-8, especially with the other issues. I would imagine this cements Rose as the #1 and puts the Heat in a very interesting situation. as far as Love I don't doubt his fundamentals - I just don't see the quickness the NBA requires. But like I said before I didn't see him play near enough to have any kind of legitimate opinion. __________________ "In a text sim - Immersion is everything" -Me "Judge a man not by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character" -Martin Luther King "Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted counts." -Einstein "The man who views the world at 50 the same as he did at 20 has wasted 30 years of his life." -Muhammad Ali "Baseball statistics are like a girl in a bikini. They show a lot, but not everything." -Toby Harrah

06-05-2008, 04:39 PM	#12
marc Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jan 2002 Posts: 7,505	I don't understand why people are surprised by Beasley's height, it was obvious he was only in the 6'8 range just by looking at him out there on the court. Only Kansas State fans thought he was 6'10, they also think Bill Walker is 6'8, lol. He's more of a combo forward anyways, he's not a true PF so if you're looking for a dominating post presence, he's not your pick. Also worth mentioning is that he has a 7' wingspan and wingspan is more important than height. I think there are (or at least should be) as many questions about Rose as Beasley so it will be interesting to see what the Bulls do. I would take Beasley, I think he steps in as a 20 PPG guy right away. __________________

06-06-2008, 03:49 AM	#15
KurtBevacqua Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2003 Posts: 2,968	I like Love a lot and think he will make a solid pro. However he is one of those big men coming out early who hasn't truly turned into the kind of player he will become, thus I think he is coming out too early. I could see him go in any direction from a Pau Gasol type to a Brad Miller to even a Patrick Ewing (OK not as good but similar skills). I think it's important for the big men with small men skills to gather more experience before turning pro because the NBA could mess him up. He could wind up with a team that needs a big man with big man skills and train him for that role, thus he'd lose out on his potential. Koufos from OSU has the same problem. It will be mighty tempting for a pro coach to stick a young 7 footer into the rotation as a 4 or a 5 because guys built like that with athleticism are so few and far between. As for Beasley, just when you thought Durant was the once in a generation player here comes the next big thing a year later. I think Beasley has more of a pro body than Durant. To me Durant is like a tall George Gervin, Beasley is like Kevin Garnett. I'll take Beasley. I understand why Chicago would go with Rose, but I think it's real hard to pass on a guy with Beasley's skills, talents, and body. In fact I'll go out on a limb and say Garnett would not have been as good had he gone to college for a year. __________________ "The type and formula of most schemes of philanthropy or humanitarianism is this: A and B put their heads together to decide what C shall be made to do for D. The radical vice of all these schemes, from a sociological point of view, is that C is not allowed a voice in the matter, and his position, character, and interests, as well as the ultimate effects on society through C's interests, are entirely overlooked. I call C the Forgotten Man" - William Graham Sumner

06-04-2008, 04:25 PM	#1
Michael Hopcroft Major Leagues Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Portland, OR USA Posts: 487	2008 NBA Draft Pro basketball holds its annual draft near the end of this month. I have a few observations, and wonder what other observations people have: 1. Like the Blazers last year, the Bulls have an interesting choice between two hot prospects; Rose seems to have the upper hand because of his Chicago background, bt is that going to matter that much? 2. Kevin Love is going to be mentioned a lot higher than his actual play at UCLA would suggest in terms of pro potential. Does he really have the game to be anything more than a mediocre pro, and where is he likely to end up? 3. Will any of the late lottery teams trade up or down? Should they?

06-05-2008, 08:58 AM	#7
andjbock Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Somerville, MA, USA Bats: Right Throws: Left Posts: 3,640	Love just needs the right conditioning program and then people will stop thinking about him being a slow white boy and see that he is as fundamentally sound as anyone else in the draft. Gary Forbes of UMass shooting up on draft lists!

06-05-2008, 10:47 AM	#8
jbergey22 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Minnesota Posts: 3,481	Love will be similar to Brad Miller. A pretty solid player and worth a late lottery selection.

06-05-2008, 12:23 PM	#10
jbergey22 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Minnesota Posts: 3,481	I always had Beasley penciled in as a SF in the NBA. I guess I wasnt aware teams were looking at him as a possible PF, he always seemed like more of a slasher type player to me rather than a player who spent most of his time in the post. I sure hope the Heat and Bulls pass on him because of this information though, maybe McHale can finally do something right.

06-05-2008, 09:32 PM	#14
His Own Bad Self All Star Starter Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Phoenix, AZ Posts: 1,221	I would rather "we" take Beasley, but I think a lot of people are concerned about his history and his carefree, laidback attitude. Rose is acting more like a "true professional". If we take Rose, Hinrich's as good as gone. I don't think we can go wrong either way.

06-06-2008, 04:08 AM	#16
His Own Bad Self All Star Starter Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Phoenix, AZ Posts: 1,221	I agree on the Durant-as-Gervin comp, but I don't see any Garnett comp with Beasley. The guy that first comes to my mind to compare Beasley with is Derrick Coleman.

06-06-2008, 06:45 AM	#17
KurtBevacqua Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2003 Posts: 2,968	Coleman? He was a pure power forward who had decent skills. Beasley is likely a 3 with excellent skills. And Coleman, a very good college player, was never as good in his whole career at 'Cuse as Beasley was last year. __________________ "The type and formula of most schemes of philanthropy or humanitarianism is this: A and B put their heads together to decide what C shall be made to do for D. The radical vice of all these schemes, from a sociological point of view, is that C is not allowed a voice in the matter, and his position, character, and interests, as well as the ultimate effects on society through C's interests, are entirely overlooked. I call C the Forgotten Man" - William Graham Sumner

06-06-2008, 01:55 PM	#18
mh2365 Banned Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: louisville Posts: 14,941 Infractions: 0/2 (101)	I was thinking Carmelo Anthony but can rebound