Verro

Yep, I've been saying this for a couple months, Bargnani will be the top pick whether we're drafting there or not.

Reep

Yeah, you would have to add Miles in to make it fair.



I think the only way Portland gets another high pick is if Zach is included somehow. And even then with Zach's big contract it is very unlikely.

Verro

Williams is projected to go between 7 and 10 in most mock drafts, unless he really works out poorly or measures at 6' 6" I doubt he'd drop that far. With blake and our 30/31 though we might be able to break the late teens, if Sene was still around I'd do it. He'd be a much better center project than Ha.

Minstrel

I've been a Bargnani proponent for the last couple of months. I think the fact that he's nearly as young as prep player and, at the same time, performing at a high level in the second-best league in the world makes him the player with the most upside.

As I said in another thread, the closest comparison I can think of is a better version of Toni Kukoc: a big man who can handle the ball well, pass extremely well, rebound, drive to the hoop and shoot the ball. The reason I feel that he'll be better than Kukoc is that he has the skills and mentality to be a first option type of scorer, as Kukoc never was.

His ceiling, to me, is a 24-25 PPG scorer who can get a triple-double in any given game.

Defense is the one thing I'd worry about with him. He could be solid, or he could be a liability.

Overall, though, I think the flaws in all the other top prospects are much greater and they don't have the same great mix of age and performance. Morrison has the best performance, but is significantly older. Gay is only a bit older but doesn't have much performance history. Aldridge is far too inconsistent and possibly too unmotivated. Thomas has great athleticism, but his size and skills are a question mark at the NBA level.

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Utherhimo

they were just examples you guys need to chill out a bit

nbadraft.net:

14. Utah Shelden Williams 6-9 250 PF/C Duke Sr.
15. NO/OK City Patrick O'Bryant 7-0 250 C Bradley So.
16. Chicago Ronnie Brewer 6-7 217 SG Arkansas Jr.
18. Washington Oleksiy Pecherov 6-10 232 PF Ukr. 1985
19. Sacramento Hilton Armstrong 6-11 235 C UConn Sr.
20. New York Josh Boone 6-10 237 PF UConn Jr.
22. NewJersey Aaron Gray 7-0 270 C Pittsburgh Jr.
23. New Jersey Tiago Splitter 6-11 240 PF Brazil 1985

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Schilly

I just want to add something here....

The Euroleague Scoring title winner averaged 18ppg.

Dan

hm..that could either mean their defense is a LOT better than we think it is, or that their offense is a lot worse than it is.

well, it could obviously mean something else, but it seems that the other options are as likely as anything else.

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meru

Not to pour cold water on anything, but wasn't our own Charles "Spider" Smith the scoring champion last year? Or was that something other than the Euroleague?

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Blazer Ringbearer

Could also mean that they play a much more balanced team oriented game... that's what I would bet on, but I don't follow the league or anything.

riehldeal

by far the most intriguing thing about Andrea is his ball handling....yes dirk and pau can handle it alittle but it is slightly mechanical

andrea's handle is exactly like a guard's......combine that with his shooting and you have a match up nightmare for an opposing big man trying to close out on this guy

Blazer Maven

Exactly. Spider also led the league in steals. Based on those stats, and the "fact" that the Euroleague is the second best league in the world, I thought Smith would do at least 15/4/4 with 1.5 steals a game.

The difference is that Spider was putting up stats at age 30, while ABarg is doing it at 20 and at 6"11" to boot. Let's get him an interpreter and bring him over.

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Boob-No-More

Bargnani Google Video

Granted, it's only a few seconds, but it does show a little of what this guy is capable of doing.

He has a quick first step for someone his size, and like many Euro bigs doesn't seem afraid to take it to the hole with authority. I wonder if he'll do the same against the bigger stronger players in the NBA.

What's the deal with that anyway? Many of the earliest Europeans to play in the NBA were very physical. Dino Radga was a bull and whenever Sarunas Marciulionis drove the lane he looked like a human bowling ball - bouncing off players, knocking people down and still getting the shot off AND drawing the foul. I think Vlade and his flopping changed the image of European players from tough and physical to soft and weak.

In any case, I like Bargnani's combination of size, quickness (for a big) and skills. I'd love to see the Blazers get BOTH Bargnani and Morrison, but I don't think that's realistic. As much as I like Morrison's heart, desire and shooting touch, given the choice, I'd take the bigger, younger player without the health issues.

BNM

Blazer Maven

I have heard that ABarg has virtually no post up game. Based on his video highlights, he seems to play like a SF. He clearly has a good handle and attacks the basket well.
'
Do you see him as more of a 3 or a 4?

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Oldmangrouch