dkap

I don't think that's a particularly reasonable way to look at it, however. The idea behind drafting a HS'er very high is that they're good enough to be compared to more experienced players. He should be producing at least close to the people he was drafted around by 2nd year, in my opinion; by 3rd year at the absolute latest. We're not talking a mid-1st rounder here. #6 picks aren't supposed to be long-term projects.

Dan

Boob-No-More

So, in addition to passing on Chris Paul (or Deron Williams, or Raymond Felton) we also passed on Ellis, Green and Bynum. Not only were all these guys drafted after Webster (Ellis = 40th pick, Green = 17th pick, Bynum = 10th pick), they all got significantly fewer minutes than Webster their rookie years (Webster = 1064, Ellis = 889, Green = 377, Bynum - 340). If aything, Webster (based on his high draft position and greater rookie minutes) should be out producing them by a signficant margin - not the other way around. Yet, they are all out producing him in their second seasons. And not just in scoring. Player efficiency ratings:

Ellis - EFF = 14.24
Bynum - EFF = 12.55
Green - EFF = 6.79
Webster - EFF = 6.40

So, while it may be too eearly to call Martell Webster a bust, his perfoemance to date certainly isn't worthy of his high draft pick and is lagging behind other high schoolers taken later in the same draft. At this point, I'd label him a disappointment. If his performance doesn't improve dramatically by this time next season, he'll be well on his way to bustdom.

BNM

Masbee

PER as of 1-22-07:

Paul - 22.75
Williams - 18.29
Felton - 13.76

Ellis - 14.79
Bynum - 17.63
Green - 12.71
Webster - 10.99

http://www.knickerblogger.net/stats/2007/index.htm#East

Felton and Green aren't running away from Webster in PER, so who cares. Paul, Williams and Bynum make me want to cry. Ellis is the big bargin as a 2nd round pick.

I wanted to draft Paul. Boo Hoo for me. At the time we were talking about trading away the #3 pick, I thought and hoped we were going to get two first rounders so we get Bynum too. I didn't expect LA to use the #10 on him though.

At the time, I was not happy with only getting the #27 and next years last pick as payment for moving down 3 slots. I softened on that after we ended up with Jack. Being happy about Jack made me forget the earlier mistake.

Now that I think about it in hindsight, Nash's blunder in getting so little for the #3, is what is is. A **** up. Being happy that we got Jack with a bunch more finagaling doesn't make up for it. That's like thanking a mugger for leaving the credit cards in your wallet after they lift all your cash.

Freshtown

I don't even want to think about how raw our backcourt would be with paul and roy together

Samuel

Jack is pretty green himself.