Chad Ford's Mock Draft 4.0
I think the link might be Insider only. He has Blair dropping to the Bulls at 16. He has the Bulls selecting Toney Douglas at 26. Other notables are Hansbrough to the Nets at 11 (formerly he had them taking Blair); Gerald Henderson to the Bobcats at 12; Earl Clark to Detroit at 15; BJ Mullens to the Wolves at 18; James Johnson at 21 to the Hornets; Terrence Williams to Dallas at 22; and Chase Budinger to the Hijacked Sonics at 25.
5 months ago
arjoseph
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I'm liking Blair less ...
… not because of the knee issues, but mostly because he was kind of fat in college. He’s gotten into great shape for the NBA “combine” and workouts, but I’ve seen football players get into great shape for the combine, drop a lot of weight, and then put it all back on again once they start their pro careers.
That said, I do like his game, but I fear he’ll turn into the “Big O” (Miller, not Robertson!)
by kozzer on Jun 10, 2009 1:32 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
How does a 6'6" PF help
Back - 2 - the - Dynasty
by wrhc59 on Jun 10, 2009 6:44 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
He's also approx. 280 lbs and has go-go-gadget arms.
Would you have passed on Charles Barkley back in the day because he was only 6’6" (and that’s generous, as I think MJ was a bit taller than him)?
by arjoseph on Jun 11, 2009 10:21 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I am a huge Blair fan
I think he could be better than Kevin Love, who was also fat in college and some statisticians believe was actually the best rookie this season.
by MrPants on Jun 10, 2009 8:41 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Tyler Hansbrough at 11?
My God, what a terrible draft.
Why resort to name calling?
-Dionysus2.0
because I wish to insult you personally
-your friendly BullsBlogger
by Big D on Jun 10, 2009 1:55 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
That's crazy
in other mock drafts, Tyler’s not even in the first round. Then you see this. Shows how little difference there is between the players outside the top 5 or so…
by kozzer on Jun 11, 2009 7:17 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Or how nutso Chad Ford is...
I mean c’mon the guy’s the next Brain Cardinal…
by Aisander D on Jun 11, 2009 10:17 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Ford's just reporting what he hears from GMs and scouts.
He’s not saying he would take Hansbrough at 11. He’s saying an NBA team might take Hansbrough at 11.
by arjoseph on Jun 11, 2009 10:22 AM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
Hansborough won't last past 16...
the Bulls will make sure of that. After his measurements came in better than expected at the combine, GMs are supposedly interested in him again.
by smash! on Jun 11, 2009 7:49 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I'm still surprised Jennings falls all the way to 14
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by your friendly BullsBlogger on Jun 10, 2009 2:00 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
i saw his clips
beyond dunks, what the big deal about him?
Derrick Rose once pissed in a soda can …we now call that Red Bull.
by Belize on Jun 10, 2009 2:01 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
He really is a gifted point guard
He just doesn’t fit well in the international style of play.
His street style will make an impact in the NBA
… or the and 1 league
by Option27 on Jun 10, 2009 6:23 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I'm just curious, have you seen him play?
It’s been reported that GMs are having a hard time scouting him bc they simply haven’t seen anything but high school tapes, the McDonalds All-American Game, and limited overseas footage (bc they never played him), so I’m just wondering if you’ve seen him or are just going on reports? The only thing I’ve really seen him do is his little video diary from Italy. I like the kid, but have no idea if he’s going to be good. And then he up and left Europe a few days before a ton of NBA scouts were on their way overseas to see him play in Eurocamp; He’s not making it easy on scouts.
by smash! on Jun 11, 2009 7:58 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
ya
all i saw was a sweet bounce pass that my homeboy’s Labrador can do
I was watching the 1995 Playoffs VS the Magic's and remembered how much I hated Horace Grant. Horace Grant - i hope you burn in bball hell
by Belize on Jun 12, 2009 2:32 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
surprises me too
although the one position that does seem to be fairly loaded in this draft is PG— rubio, flynn, lawson, combo guards like evans an holiday. plus, never forget the out of sight out of mind factor with jennings, although i’d probably take him over any pg but rubio and maybe flynn.
by Calogero on Jun 10, 2009 3:15 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I expect he goes higher.
I think right now nobody has information on him. He recently skipped the Eurocamp, so lots of execs and scouts are probably more wary now than they will be in a couple of weeks with more information and more time to digest.
by arjoseph on Jun 10, 2009 3:47 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
i was gonna post
that i’d doubt highly the suns would pass on blair (or earl clark), but i could maybe see ’em taking jennings there…
"As a basketball player gordon is a useless as tits on a a whore" - BigWay (Dec 2, 2008). BigWank, I'll miss you more than all the others. This song is for you, my brother!
by marionette on Jun 10, 2009 4:00 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
The Bulls should really package these picks...
To trade for an established player…this draft reeks of mediocrity.
" I've looked at these numbers and decided the #1 problem
is that Ben Gordon is selfish..." -your friendly bulls blogger
by Dionysus2.0 on Jun 10, 2009 2:10 PM CDT reply actions 1 recs
I forgot my Insider account.
or maybe im just not cool enough.
by SoulEater7 on Jun 10, 2009 2:18 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
you have to be cool to remember things?
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by your friendly BullsBlogger on Jun 10, 2009 2:25 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I like those picks
It gives us the Defense and scoring.
by PricanStar on Jun 10, 2009 3:12 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
anyone with insider
want to block quote what he says about the bulls’ 2 picks?
by Calogero on Jun 10, 2009 3:13 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
sure.
16 – Blair
Analysis: There’s been talk that the Bulls may take a look at Hansbrough. He definitely is a John Paxson-type of player. However, we now have him off the board. The Bulls will have a tough choice here between Blair, James Johnson and B.J. Mullens. Johnson is a talent who could give the Bulls an offensive lift at the 4. Mullens has the most long-term upside at a position where the Bulls need help. But Blair, even with his long-term knee issues, looks like the right fit in Chicago. He’s physical, a beast on the boards and gives the Bulls some much-needed toughness on the frontline.
26 – Toney Douglas
Analysis: Douglas is an insurance policy should Ben Gordon bolt this summer. He’s not as talented a shooter, but he’s good enough to play both backcourt positions in Chicago and his defense will earn him minutes right from the get-go.
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by your friendly BullsBlogger on Jun 10, 2009 3:31 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Oh sweet, the Bulls are drafting a Michael Sweetney p2
that wasnt nearly as good in college as the p1.
by NittanyCub on Jun 10, 2009 3:31 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Michael Sweetney p1 WAS good
he just got too fat, even by Michael Sweetney standards. As long as Blair takes his career seriously that’s a huge difference in the two.
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by your friendly BullsBlogger on Jun 10, 2009 3:32 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
you sound like
every Knick fan that congratulated me on getting sweetney
::::pukes:::
Derrick Rose once pissed in a soda can …we now call that Red Bull.
by Belize on Jun 10, 2009 4:32 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
add to the fact that they all said
“all he needs to do is lose a couple pounds..really!”
:::pukes again:::
Derrick Rose once pissed in a soda can …we now call that Red Bull.
by Belize on Jun 10, 2009 4:34 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
DeJuan Blair wasn't as good in college as Michael Sweetney, really?
They are about the same in scoring, assists, steals on a per minute pace adjusted basis, but Sweetney has a slight lead in blocks, whereas Blair absolutely dominated the glass with 18 (!) boards per pace adjusted 40 minutes compared to just 12 for Sweets.
It’s close, but I’m giving the edge to Blair and if he doesn’t get fat, Sweetney was a pretty good player. Also of note, Blair benched the 185 pound bar 18 times to Sweetney’s 3 and was significantly faster in the agility drill (1.4 seconds faster).
"Tact is the art of making a point without making an enemy." --Newton
by fundamentallysound on Jun 10, 2009 3:48 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I should have done a stat check before posting
I just remember Sweetney being really good in college, and the hype surrounding him when entering the draft, compared to Blair.
by NittanyCub on Jun 10, 2009 3:55 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
didn't he have
a rep as a player with a post game that blair doesn’t?
"As a basketball player gordon is a useless as tits on a a whore" - BigWay (Dec 2, 2008). BigWank, I'll miss you more than all the others. This song is for you, my brother!
by marionette on Jun 10, 2009 3:58 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
he had two good playoff games when Skiles used him in the post...
…and then poof… he disappeared.
Thankfully.
by jmogs on Jun 10, 2009 10:29 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Blair doesn't have a post game?
His post game put Thabeet to shame in their end of season matchup. Blair’s skilled.
by YaoPau on Jun 11, 2009 1:16 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
curious as to what the percentage be
of “stellar”, blair-like college rebounders that make it successfully in the league. seems it would be high-ish, that the simple rebounding stat would be a top indicator.
"As a basketball player gordon is a useless as tits on a a whore" - BigWay (Dec 2, 2008). BigWank, I'll miss you more than all the others. This song is for you, my brother!
by marionette on Jun 10, 2009 3:56 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Blair is a lot closer to getting fat than Sweetney was
To wit, Blair weighs 15lbs more than Sweetney did at his draft time.
The more I look at Blair, the less I like him. He’s not in the “don’t touch under any circumstances” column, I guess… at some point low enough, I think I’d have to get interested… but mostly I just don’t like what I see.
Too much weight and not enough length.
Too much weight on bad knees.
Mediocre athlete.
by Sports2 on Jun 10, 2009 10:43 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
He weighs 15 lbs. more, but Blair had 2% less body fat.
So I don’t know that Blair is any closer to getting fat than Sweetney, probably less so. Blair also carries his weight differently than Sweetney. But, I also wouldn’t trade up for him.
by Scotter on Jun 10, 2009 11:53 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I don't think big frame = get fat
I think it’s don’t exercise = get fat. Sweetney was always pudgy, and the 3 bench reps he did at the combine was evidence that the guy just never gave a shit. Every time I’ve seen Blair he’s been in shape.
by YaoPau on Jun 11, 2009 1:19 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I agree about Blair
this strikes me as a pick that in 2 years people will rip Gar Paxdorf for.
by kozzer on Jun 11, 2009 7:20 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Ummm no.
He’s got 2% less body fat (he’s at 12% while Sweets was at 14%) and he did 18 bench press reps at the combine whereas Sweets only did 3. He’s also significantly more agile than Sweets (11.5 seconds to Sweets’s 12.9).
Every indication is that he’s more athletic and less likely to become fat than Sweetney. He’s heavier because he’s more muscular.
"Tact is the art of making a point without making an enemy." --Newton
by fundamentallysound on Jun 11, 2009 8:10 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
He's also significantly slower up and down the court than Sweetney, and that's important too
His combine results (sprint) and to my eyes his first year or two (and at Georgetown), Sweetney could get up and down the court reasonably well.
Blair is pretty outside the margin in both his weight and his sprint time.
You can nitpick and call it muscle rather than fat, and obviously that’s true, but the truth of the matter is, there’s too much of it. He’s SLOW.
And generally guys put on some weight as they get older. Just as an experiment, take that DX measurement database and sort it by weight. Pick out successful players more than a meal over 260lbs. They’re damn few and far between.
by Sports2 on Jun 11, 2009 9:49 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Blair's sprint time was faster than Joakim Noah's and the same as Jared Dudley's from 2007 - he's hardly SLOW
as you make him out to be. Noah gets up and down the court just fine and he’s significantly lighter than Blair, so if you’re calling Blair slow because of his weight what’s Noah’s excuse?
"Tact is the art of making a point without making an enemy." --Newton
by fundamentallysound on Jun 11, 2009 12:20 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Blair also ran the same sprint time as Kevin Durant, FWIW.
"Tact is the art of making a point without making an enemy." --Newton
by fundamentallysound on Jun 11, 2009 12:21 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Well, at some point you gotta apply the Kevin Durant test too
I’d freaking love it if they made everyone run the drills about 30 times each, but apparently they only have folks do it once.
So we’re left with having to consider a strong possibility that a single instance was just a fluke. You gotta, at some point, look at the numbers and ask if they’re sensible representations. It’s a lot more likely that a guy has a fluke slow time than a fluke quick time.
To me, Blair’s number looks pretty accurate. If you had Blair run sprints 30 times, I think his average would end up somewhere around where it was.
If you run Noah 30 times, or Kevin Durant, my guess is their average would improve.
by Sports2 on Jun 11, 2009 12:40 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
well, that's just an opinion which isn't supported at all by the actual measurements.
also, Blair’s sprint time was comparable to Craig Smith (3.45 to 3.40, respectively) and they are similar players. I just don’t think Blair is the unathletic guy you think he is. You don’t average 18 rebounds per pace adjusted 40 minutes at 6’6" without having some pretty good athleticism.
"Tact is the art of making a point without making an enemy." --Newton
by fundamentallysound on Jun 11, 2009 1:19 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
No way
It’s not an opinion to say the “actual measurements” are an extremely limited sample.
Nor are my observations of Noah, Durant, etc. in their college careers “opinions”. They’re measured observations using eyes rather than a watch.
They are, perhaps lower quality observations, but I’ll take a season’s worth of watching Kevin Durant streak around NCAA courts as evidence that he is, in fact, quite a lot fucking faster than Dejuan Blair.
If you can type with a straight face that you believe otherwise, and solely on the basis of a single measured observation of the guy running 70 feet, then I’ll simply conclude you’re a brave but bad liar :)
by Sports2 on Jun 11, 2009 7:22 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I've no doubt that Durant is faster running around the court - that's what the agility measurements are for
cause he can stop and go faster than Blair. But straight up and down the court? I’d say that it’s within the realm of possibility that Blair could match him in a straight race down the court. If you don’t want to believe it just because it doesn’t match up with your anecdotal observations, that’s fine. You are the same guy who above said that Blair was more likely to become fat than Sweetney despite his lower body fat % and his 15 extra fucking reps on the bench press over what Sweetney did.
"Tact is the art of making a point without making an enemy." --Newton
by fundamentallysound on Jun 11, 2009 7:55 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
And I'd say you're hedging because you can't say it with a straight face.
“it’s within the realm of possibility”. LOL at that.
For the second time, you’re playing with the technical difference between fat and muscle.
For the second time, I’m using fat in the common sense that he’s too damn big, and because of it, he’s too damn slow. Fine… it’s all muscle. He’s muscle-bound. Whatever. I’d rather him have less muscle and weigh 260. He’d still be the strongest guy in the room, but he’d be faster.
The 2% body fat difference you keep touting is really not worth talking about. If Sweetney had 12% body fat, he’d have weighed in at 257 instead of 262. If Blair were at 14.1%, he’d be 283. Would you be freaking out if he weighed 283 instead of 277?
What is relevant is that there are just some amounts of weight that make it hard for damn near anyone to get around with. And for a basketball player, unless you’re Shaq, that seems to kick in around 270-280lbs.
For Sweetney to get totally immobilized, he gained about 40lbs from where he came into the league at.
Even if one thinks Blair is in better shape in the sense of being more muscular, he has to put on a lot less weight to get to that range. The sort of 10-15lb gain that most players seem to accrue over their first few years will put him at a realistic playing weight of 285-295lbs. On a guy who’s 6’5".
Hell, I’m not even saying I absolutely wouldn’t take the guy, but if you can’t see why he and his bad knees don’t have much margin for error coming into the league, I think you’re ignoring a pretty obvious issue.
by Sports2 on Jun 11, 2009 10:49 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
OH, I think the knee issue is a legitimate concern for sure. I'm just not really as worried about the weight.
He seems to know it’s an issue and has taken steps to address it.
"Tact is the art of making a point without making an enemy." --Newton
by fundamentallysound on Jun 11, 2009 11:09 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Yes, a crash diet program to drop 40lbs in a month!
Well, apparently my purely anecdotal and unsubstantiated thought that he was a lot bigger in college has some more substantiated evidence to support it.
Apparently he weighed 315lbs a month ago.
HICAGO — Look out for DeJuan Blair. If anyone made an impact on the first day of the NBA’s combine here, it was Blair. That’s because, when he stepped on the scale this morning for his official weigh-in, he registered at 275, an astounding 40 pounds less than the 315 he was at just four weeks ago, when he began working out at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. In fact, Blair said that when he worked out for Phoenix just three days ago, he was 289.
Fourteen pounds in three days? "I called my mom after the weigh-in," Blair said. "She said, ‘Did you cut your leg off?’"
This draft is thin on power forwards once you get past surefire No. 1 pick Blake Griffin and Jordan Hill, who is likely to go in the top seven. The two knocks on Blair — who averaged 15.7 points and 12.3 rebounds this year at Pittsburgh — are his height and his weight. But, thanks to some intense badgering from his nutritionist and a high-protein, low-carb diet, weight no longer seems to be a problem.
"I haven’t been this slim since the 10th grade," Blair said. "I blew up, but now I am back down. I like where I am. Trust me, I am not going to blow up again."
Of course, that might be true that he’ll keep it off, but he was basically cloistered into “The Biggest Loser” for basketball players for a month.
Losing weight, especially losing weight very quickly and then keeping it off is excruciatingly hard to do.
by Sports2 on Jun 12, 2009 12:52 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Yeah, I didn't know about that story until now. Yikes. I still like him, but I have a lot more
question marks after reading that.
"Tact is the art of making a point without making an enemy." --Newton
by fundamentallysound on Jun 12, 2009 2:11 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I will say, one thing that encourages me about Blair...
…and his weight, is that he plays at a very high pace and energy level. He’s always moving. I can’t imagine that once he gets his strength and endurance back*, he’ll feel a lot better out on the court, and he’ll want to stay down.
*if he lost that at all. I would think he at least lost a little, which might have affected his measurements negatively. I’m not positing that at all, but it’s possible.
I do think it has to be one or the other: either you think he crashed and got weak and thus was slower & weaker and there’s reason to think he can get slightly quicker, slightly strong just by refueling his body, or that he was in tip-top shape during the combine, in which there was no real “crash diet” and he really only has to learn to burn and eat the same amount of calories every day. In other words, there shouldn’t be a “rebound” if he eats well and wasn’t weakened during his weight loss.
And I don’t have an opinion on which one it is. This is more speculative, but I think: either he was in tip-top shape at the combine and healthy and if he has a nutritionist, I wouldn’t worry about him gaining too much weight. Or he was weak from a crash diet, was a little slow, will rebound up to 285, 290 but stay roughly the same “speed” and we have to hope he’ll lose 15 pounds in a healthy manner over the next few months. I’d rather have it be this one, actually.
People should remember that while they have the right to their opinion, they are not entitled to be taken seriously. --Bruce Bartlett
by tyger1147 on Jun 12, 2009 10:04 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
At 12% body fat...
…there’s certainly still room that he can stay at his current weight while putting on that typical 10-15 pounds muscle. Not saying it’s likely, just possible. With weight loss guys, I agree, there’s apprehension. I would certainly want to see him again at that draft and see if he looks like he put weight back on… And it’d be super swell if I could get him on a scale before then again, too.
People should remember that while they have the right to their opinion, they are not entitled to be taken seriously. --Bruce Bartlett
by tyger1147 on Jun 12, 2009 10:07 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I don't mean to belabor the point, but I plumb forgot
Blair’s 11.5 smoked Durant’s agility drill time of 12.3!
by Sports2 on Jun 12, 2009 5:09 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Blair? Really?
the dude is the size of a big 2 or small 3 but his weight is more than some 7fters. This is a recipe for just bad. It wont help him at all and the weight is gonna kill his feet, ankles, and knees. Its a recipe for an Oliver Miller bust!!! Lets take a wing player to play the 2 that has some height (kinda like sefolosha, the guy we let go). I vote T. Williams and with the 26 pick we take a big body with a little athleticism that can be a combo 4-5.
I think this draft is gonna surprise a lot of people in 5-10 years. I could it producing a number of starter/ important role playing bench guys. I think the usual number of busts is gonna come out of the star/potential players in this draft. My boldest prediction….. I bet the kid Rubio aint even in the league in 5-6 years maybe less. He is avg size and not exceptionally quick for a Euro-player. In the nba those things get magnified even more. I just see him gettin battered and bruised back to the Euro-trash leagues.
Locks not to be busts
Griffin, Thabeet, Harden, Curry, Henderson, Hansborough, Williams, Lawson, Young, Collison
In the glut of pgs one or two are gonna hit the rest will fade, the potentials of guys like derozan, evans, holliday, hill, daye, clark, mullens the odds are between 1-3 will be good or better the rest will be horrid. But in years to come people will be like damn how did a team pass on that guy or this one, but we forget how hard it is to figure how potential will turn out.
Even in my picks I bet at least a couple are busts in 3 years, but in MY OPINION, these are the players I would bet on (this does not include supposed 2nd round talent)
by Chisportfan on Jun 10, 2009 6:15 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
im not sure MJ is capable of drafting a blue devil
I remember Michael dribbling at the top of the key. Everybody knew to just get the hell out of his way. - Steve Kerr
by Yibs on Jun 10, 2009 7:14 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
I'm not sure MJ is capable of drafting anyone who's actually going to be good
That Steve Nash is exactly the same as Kirk Hinrich, but worse.
by NBA Observer on Apr 8, 2009 12:23 PM CDT
by Ozzie Montana on Jun 10, 2009 8:06 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Dejaun Blair
I’d rather have gerald henderson at 16 and taj gibson at 26.
by JJAM17 on Jun 10, 2009 8:41 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Henderson won't be there at 16
"Tact is the art of making a point without making an enemy." --Newton
by fundamentallysound on Jun 10, 2009 8:53 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Too bad...
he’d be a perfect fit with the Bulls.
by Aisander D on Jun 10, 2009 8:59 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Agreed.
"Tact is the art of making a point without making an enemy." --Newton
by fundamentallysound on Jun 10, 2009 9:43 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Dejuan Blair is this draft's Carlos Boozer.
I think people are making the same mistake w/ Blair that scouts made with Boozer. On the court, Blair was one of the top 6 or 7 guys in college basketball last year. He is a heck of a rebounder, with great skills around the basket. People look at the measurements and they see short, fat and slow. But outside of Blake Griffin, there was no college player more singularly dominant in the post than Blair. I think part of Pitt’s problems were that they didn’t get the guy the ball enough. He is going to be significantly stronger and more physical than most guys he faces on day 1. I woudn’t be surprised if he was an all first team rookie selection next season. If the Bulls get a chance to draft Blair at 16, with the holes they have on the front line, they have to take him.
by Basketball Smurf on Jun 11, 2009 7:46 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
By the numbers, Boozer got hosed
I’m not really sure why, but physically he actually rated out as a pretty decent prospect. Compared to Blair, he’s 2 inches taller, 20lbs lighter and has an extra 2 inches of standing reach.
Athletically, he completed the sprint and agility portions of the drill significantly faster. Boozer’s agility score, in fact, would be a really top notch score for a guard, much less a 258lb PF.
by Sports2 on Jun 11, 2009 10:59 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
By the way, I'd argue Ty Lawson is this draft's Carlos Boozer
by Sports2 on Jun 11, 2009 11:04 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Ty Lawson is going to be bidness in the pros. He does everything that you need to do well as a PG in today's NBA.
Push the pace? Check. Shoot threes at a high clip? Check. Finish strong in the paint? Check. Distribute the ball? Check. He’s got it all.
"Tact is the art of making a point without making an enemy." --Newton
by fundamentallysound on Jun 11, 2009 11:12 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
i agree that Lawson will be good, that is a nice "Boozer" comparison
and I don’t believe Blair will be as good as Boozer. But to me, the similarity is that people are ignoring on court production in favor of speculative measures. I obviously don’t know how bad his knee is, but I heard the same things about Brandon Roy (another guy I really liked in college). Then again, his knees could be more like dude from UNC who plays for the Bobcats – I can’t think of his name.
When I look at college guys, I’m very much interested in how they play against the best competition. Despite being short, Blair stood head and shoulder above his peers. In my own observation, he was the 3rd most effective big man in college ball behind Griffin and Hill. He is a dynamite rebounder. He is genuinely tough, something I think the Bulls lack.
I don’t like the Sweetney comparisons, because it wasn’t skill or size that doomed Sweetney but a lack of work ethic. His attitude and effort are so far ahead of what Sweetney’s were I don’t think its a valid comparison. Some guys are going to do the work to get on the court, some aren’t. I think Blair is a guy who will do the work. Sweetney was effective when he was willing to get weight down and work. Check out his rookie per. But Sweetney kept putting on weight.
For the 16tth pick, I don’t think there is a guy who stands out as much better than Blair, and since Blair is such a potentially good fit (I think if he can stay on the court he would be very effective with Noah) I think you take him if he is there. Especially if the decision is between Hansborough, Johnson, Mullens, Clark and Blair. Of those 5 guys, Blair was the best throughout the season. I never saw any of those guys make what I consider NBA plays (other than Clark). Blair, though small, I thought did several things on an NBA level. That is why I would pick him.
by Basketball Smurf on Jun 12, 2009 12:22 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Sean May.... the other PF with weight issues besides Blair and Sweetney
If Blair’s knees hold up I think he’s going to be a solid pro. He certainly would not the first 6’5" PF to be a good player in this league.
Jason Maxiell anyone?
by Aisander D on Jun 12, 2009 8:55 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I guess I'm still not locked in to taking a big guy, and I'm not sure who's there for us.
I’d probably say screw it and take Lawson simply based on talent. He’s the ONLY guy I see at any position likely available at our pick who I think is a game changing player. I realize I’m going way out on a ledge here, given that we’ve got Derrick Rose. Maybe that’s just me being a contrarian, but the biggest argument I see against it is simply that people (myself included) are unwilling to take a hard look at Derrick because he’s so clearly the team’s future, we say “we have to go with him no matter what”. Maybe, maybe not.
I guess at this point my preferences are something like
1. Trade pick in package for Bosh
2. Hansbrough
3. Lawson
4. Henderson if he’s available and we’re dead set on not bringing back Gordon. Likely won’t be available.
5. Trade down and pick up guys we could sign for a fraction of the cost for three years. If we came out of this draft selecting Heytfelt, Pendergraph, and Jermaine Taylor all at the top of the second round and signed for three years cheap, I’d be happier than if we signed Blair. The three of them will cost the same amount and I bet two of them have better careers.
6. Blair/Terrence Williams … I haven’t decided yet. like Williams in the abstract, but jeez, he doesn’t look like a great fit here. Blair’s various issues scare me quite a bit.
by Sports2 on Jun 12, 2009 9:01 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I always liked Blair too
so reading BaBers comments usually only helps solidify my opinion. Like 2 years ago with Noah, except this year everyone started out high on Blair, but dropping him. This happen to a degree with Rose last year too! The more people thought about it, the more sense Beasley made (to about 30% or so). So, once again, let’s not over think this.
So Blair lost a quick 40 lbs? I don’t remember when Sean May or Michael Sweetney did this… EVER! And this is a negative for Blair, how exactly? Consider it another indicator of his determination, perhaps his greatest attribute. Or is that thinking too positively?
"As a basketball player gordon is a useless as tits on a a whore" - BigWay (Dec 2, 2008). BigWank, I'll miss you more than all the others. This song is for you, my brother!
by marionette on Jun 12, 2009 3:39 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
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