meru

Everyone seems to assume we'll be targeting a guard in the draft. This is probably because there's a glut of much-hyped guards thought to be coming out, along with the fact that, with Brandon Roy, we are better able to play a 'tweener (which most of them are) than most teams.

HOWEVER:
1. Chances are strong we'll be getting Rudy Fernandez next year.
2. We've given Blake a multi-year contract.
3. We haven't ditched Jarrett Jack yet, and the Team Hierarchy might like him for reasons that we don't understand (good lockerroom guy, "coach on the floor", et. al.)
4. Don't forget Sergio (who might have added value as a Jack Haley to Rudy's Dennis Rodman)
5. Don't forget Petteri Koponen.
6. Hey, Von Wafer's great in summer league.
7. I read somewhere that there's some stat that all good NBA shooting guard scored above 8 on in their final year of college, while Mayo and Eric Gordon have scored below 7 on it (and the best NBA guard who did that is Larry Hughes). (I know that sounds lame, but I did!)
8. Our SFs either suck or are very unreliable or are injury prone. (And two of them aren't really SFs anyway.)
9. Kevin Pritchard has a secret plan that will lock up Chris Paul the minute the big contracts drop off our books. He told me.

Sooo... maybe we should be targeting a SF. What are the good ones? The only one I've seen talk about is the Italian, Danilo Gallinari. Any others?

meru

(To answer my own question) how about Nicolas Batum?

(If I could work out how to embed YouTube clips, I'd embed this one.)

What IS that accent? I know it's Scottish, but it sounds like someone learned their English IN Scotland.

andalusian

Nicholas Batum is highly coveted, from all the draft sites. I did not see him myself to know much more. I have heard good things about Omri Caspi as well - but I did not see him myself, nor do I know if he is in the draft this year.

Fork

Batum sounds good.

Two others I've been watching this season: Tyler Smith from Tennessee and Nick Calathes.

I think Smith is a future all star. I can't believe he's not getting more attention.

Calathes is an interesting prospect. He's averaging 6 assists per game. He can play the 1, 2 or 3, but I think he projects best at the 3 and I've seen him dominate at that position as a point forward type player.

http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Tyler-Smith-1180/

http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Nick-Calathes-1237/

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MrJayremmie

I like Smith, definitely reminds me of a Josh Howard.

But i honestly see us goin' for a PG, because that is a much mroe important position. Blake is solid, but Sergio and Jack aren't. They are very inconsisten and turnover prone. Sergio and Jack can't shoot, and SErgio's defense leaves something to be desired.

Unless we plan on trading for PGs like Ellis, Harris, Barbosa, Conley or even Ford or Calderon, i see us adressing it through the draft. If we do trade, and move our pick down to lets say like #20 in the trade, i would love to pick up someone like Smith. Or if we can sign a FA like Ellis, and then we can work aroun gettin' a good SF through the draft. That woul be awesome. Also, if we just stay put an dselect Westbrook at around #12, if he is still there, then we have 2nd rounders, future picks, and lots of players to trade and adress a SF like iguodala, Marion, Josh Smith and so on...

we will see, should be an awesome off season.

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Jerryd Bayless

chairman

I only think we would target a SF or PG if they are better than what we currently have. Persoanlly I think KP will just take the best player available regardless of position. (Even a center) and why not? It only helps him in making a trade down the line. (or gives depth in case of an injury. I wouldn't totally discount a player like Brook Lopez falling down to us. Roy Hibbert or Kevin Love?

yuyuza1

Batum has sort of fizzled in Europe. He's putting up very mediocre stats. Donte Green from Syracuse looks good, but his shot selection is questionable. He might be a good choice if he comes out this year.

http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Donte-Greene-1066/

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Free Sergio!

MrJayremmie

^Beasly, Green and Smith are my fave SFs in the draft, but i don't think this draft isvery good unless you are lookin' for a combo guard, or have the #1 pick for Beasly.

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Jerryd Bayless

TLo

We'll take the best player available at our pick regardless of position.

meru

I like the sound of Tyler Smith. Anyone seen him play much?

ProZach

Could you please elaborate, or are you just being funny? I find the above scenario so incredibly far-fetched, I'm more likely to be killed by lighting in the next week. Paul owns the city of New Orleans. Plus we can't afford to give Paul, Roy, Aldridge, and Oden all big contracts at the same time. There's no way.



Webster will be everything we need in a small forward starting next year. He told me.

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uhh...

ebott

I concur

__________________
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Kevin Pritchard is your only God.

meru

The player we SHOULD have drafted instead of Outlaw...

That's exactly why it would be odd to draft a PG. The team is supposed to be an NBA power starting next season, and, Tony Parker aside, you don't do that with a (YOUNG) rookie at PG. Blake will be more useful next year than he is now because he'll be more open for threes, and conversely, we'll need scoring from our PG less.

Hmm. Ellis isn't a PG, and Barbosa isn't really either. Besides which, neither will be available. Calderon is going nowhere (we've already tried) for less than we wouldn't want to give up (that does make sense, honest). Ford is likely available, but he's injury-prone and short (and I have bad feelings at getting short PGs off the Raptors). Harris is only available if the Nets are exploding the team, and maybe not even then. I think we can make a run with Blake as our starter.

It's WAY too early to predict draft position. I bet if you looked back to this time two years ago, Roy would have been low first round too. We don't even know who's declaring yet. And if a player's good, take him higher. Everybody from about pick 5 down should have done that with Josh Howard.

We can't.

Westbrook sounds interesting just because he's supposed to be a good defender, and we certainly need good athletic perimeter defenders.