OT: 2012 NBA Draft

[Palatine]

This is a pretty good group, Davis and Lillard have turned out great. Some real misses especially Charlotte. Drummond went 9th.


1. New Orleans Hornets. Anthony Davis, Kentucky.

2. Charlotte Bobcats. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Kentucky.

3. Washington Wizards. Bradley Beal, Florida

4. Cleveland Cavaliers. Dion Waiters, Syracuse

5. Sacramento Kings. Thomas Robinson, Kansas

6. Trail Blazers. Damian Lillard, Weber State

7. Golden State Warriors. Harrison Barnes, North Carolina.

8. Toronto Raptors. Terrence Ross, Washington.

 

[ihatepants]

Waiters, Robinson and Ross are the only bad picks that I see. MKG had a good year last year and I wouldn't consider him a bust. He's one of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA and he made tons of strides in his offensive game last year after getting his shot fixed. I think he was the only player in the NBA to average over 10ppg with such a low USG rate last year (~18%).

 

[Palatine]

Waiters, Robinson and Ross are the only bad picks that I see. MKG had a good year last year and I wouldn't consider him a bust. He's one of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA and he made tons of strides in his offensive game last year after getting his shot fixed. I think he was the only player in the NBA to average over 10ppg with such a low USG rate last year (~18%).

It was a nice group, but to have MKG when you could have had Drummond.....

 

[Kitaman]

It was a nice group, but to have MKG when you could have had Drummond.....

Imagine if Cleveland had him.

 

[superjohn]

The New Orleans GM should be the only one who isn't on suicide watch.

 

[BUConn10]

MKG is a bust, you can't tell me otherwise. A wing/SF in today's league who simply cannot shoot (and has form like that) has no value, no matter how good his D is. 3&D guys are a dime a dozen in the NBA, and he doesn't even have the "3" part going for him. Just a baffling pick in my opinion.

 

[Kitaman]

The New Orleans GM should be the only one who isn't on suicide watch.

I think Beal will turn out just fine as he matures. Him and Wall will be a nice tandem for years to come, if they stay together.

 

[superjohn]

I think Beal will turn out just fine as he matures. Him and Wall will be a nice tandem for years to come, if they stay together.

Beal is already established as a really good player and one of the best shooting guards in the league but if there was a do over Drummond is the #2 pick on everyones board and some might even entertain the idea of taking him over Davis.

 

[Kitaman]

Beal is already established as a really good player and one of the best shooting guards in the league but if there was a do over Drummond is the #2 pick on everyones board and some might even entertain the idea of taking him over Davis.

Two best Centers should be fun to watch at least for a decade, like Olajuwon and Ewing.

 

[johnhuskies95]

The Thomas Robinson pick was ridiculous at the time and continues to look worse and worse.

 

[RichZ]

Two best Centers should be fun to watch at least for a decade, like Olajuwon and Ewing.

..

Or Russell and Chamberlain.

 

[tzznandrew]

The Thomas Robinson pick was ridiculous at the time and continues to look worse and worse.

Many feared Drummond's motor. I don't think that was something to worry about, but that's me.

But Thomas Robinson was guy who averaged 18 and 12 at Kansas, and lead his team to the title game. He's short for a power forward, but he certainly made sense to go high. Lilliard and Drummond make it look bad now, but I can see why you could talk yourself into picking Robinson ahead of both.

 

[johnhuskies95]

Many feared Drummond's motor. I don't think that was something to worry about, but that's me.

But Thomas Robinson was guy who averaged 18 and 12 at Kansas, and lead his team to the title game. He's short for a power forward, but he certainly made sense to go high. Lilliard and Drummond make it look bad now, but I can see why you could talk yourself into picking Robinson ahead of both.

The thing is there's plenty of empirical evidence to suggest that guys with that playing style and that physical profile struggle in the NBA, regardless of college stats. He's pretty similar to Tyler Hansbrough there, and Hansbrough was even more productive in college.

The emphasis on threes in the NBA has really taken off in the last three years, but I feel like by 2012 an NBA team should've realized that the value and upside of an undersized power forward who can't shoot and isn't that skilled is pretty limited. And does anyone have any doubt about that Drummond would've put up superior numbers than Robinson if stayed through his junior year?

 

[ihatepants]

Drummond was also hurt by the fact that his own teammate (Lamb) called him lazy while he was at UConn in a pre-draft interview. Plus the fact that UConn bigs had previously performed poorly in the NBA because they never developed their games in college and are still extremely raw when they hit the NBA, which is likely Calhoun and the coaching staff's fault for not preparing them enough to succeed at the next level.

tl;dr He was seen as extremely raw and lazy and those are red flags that caused him to drop. I don't see anything wrong with drafting a guy like MKG because of that. In hindsight, it looks like everyone was wrong, but there was a real possibility that Drummond could have been the next UConn big that never lived up to his potential.

 

[Shine21]

It's scary to think Davis and Drummond almost ended up on the same team. Just missed it by one pick.

I always felt the Bobcats were making a BIG mistake passing on Drummond. I always felt he had the most upsides out or the entire class.

 

[Gurleyman]

Drummond was also hurt by the fact that his own teammate (Lamb) called him lazy while he was at UConn in a pre-draft interview. Plus the fact that UConn bigs had previously performed poorly in the NBA because they never developed their games in college and are still extremely raw when they hit the NBA, which is likely Calhoun and the coaching staff's fault for not preparing them enough to succeed at the next level. tl;dr He was seen as extremely raw and lazy and those are red flags that caused him to drop. I don't see anything wrong with drafting a guy like MKG because of that. In hindsight, it looks like everyone was wrong, but there was a real possibility that Drummond could have been the next UConn big that never lived up to his potential.

Thabeet, Boone and Armstrong were NBA busts - but to say they didn't develop in college is just loony tunes. Or Okafor, who probably didn't live up to being a #2 pick. All those guys went from total non-entities on offense as freshmen into guys with some skill who were draftable.

The thing is that unlike all those guys, Drummond was the #1 high school recruit in his class (before jumping ahead a class at the last minute and probably being #2 behind Davis), and he only spent one year in college. If you are in the NBA and are basing your selection of Drummond on what Thabeet (a fringe top 100 recruit who spent three years in college) did, you probably need a career change.

But there were people who thought JJ Redick was a cautionary tale for drafting Curry too.

 

[Kmoney]

I don't watch a lot of NBA until the playoffs, but it would be interesting if we could do a redo of the 2012 draft. I am thinking it would go like this:
1. Davis
2. Drummond
3. Lillard
4. Barnes
5. Beal
6. Flip a coin

 

[RichZ]

...UConn bigs had previously performed poorly in the NBA because they never developed their games in college and are still extremely raw when they hit the NBA, which is likely Calhoun and the coaching staff's fault for not preparing them enough to succeed at the next level.

Cliffy had a pretty damned good NBA career -- after being drafted way too late, as it happens.

Jake surprised everyone -- including us -- with the amount of success he enjoyed in the NBA.

Except for the season he put on extra weight (at the urging of his coaches) that took away all his spring, Okafor played well enough until his back started to really give him problems. He was the opposite of your argument. His skills were very developed entering the league. He was great in college, but there was no additional upside available, and the best he was ever going to be in the league was good to very good -- not great, not 'franchise player'. All big men can't all stars at the NBA level.

Charlie V? He has been as expected, and has grown into more than that as a stretch four.

What your argument comes down to is Thabeet, Boone and Hilton. Boone and Hilton were both marginal NBA talent going in, and any GM that didn't recognize that has himself to blame. 'Beet is a mystery. I think everyone expected him to become much more of a force than he did. I can see Brimah being judged by Thabeet's problems -- both skinny and both with the same happy-go-lucky personality. But Drummond? I think his physical tools were way too obvious for 8 teams to decide not to take a shot on him.

 

[Tenspro2002]

Drummond was also hurt by the fact that his own teammate (Lamb) called him lazy while he was at UConn in a pre-draft interview. Plus the fact that UConn bigs had previously performed poorly in the NBA because they never developed their games in college and are still extremely raw when they hit the NBA, which is likely Calhoun and the coaching staff's fault for not preparing them enough to succeed at the next level.

tl;dr He was seen as extremely raw and lazy and those are red flags that caused him to drop. I don't see anything wrong with drafting a guy like MKG because of that. In hindsight, it looks like everyone was wrong, but there was a real possibility that Drummond could have been the next UConn big that never lived up to his potential.

I don't really disagree with your post, but what's the point in having a "tl;dr" that's only 25% shorter than the original paragraph?

 

[ihatepants]

I don't really disagree with your post, but what's the point in having a "tl;dr" that's only 25% shorter than the original paragraph?

I had a much longer post that I edited out specifics in playcalling that hurt Drummond's stock and forgot to edit out the tl;dr. Basically it talked about how Calhoun mostly called isos for his guards and wings that year, with barely any pick and rolls. And of those pick and rolls, Lamb, Napier and Boatright were always looking for their own shot first and never really looking to pass to the rolling Drummond.

 

[TheChamps990411]

"Beet is a mystery. I think everyone expected him to become much more of a force than he did"

But Drummond? I think his physical tools were way too obvious for 8 teams to decide not to take a shot on him.

I think im the only person who thought Beet would be a bust. I remember watching the draft and laughing when he went #2. I thought at best he`d be a guy who could be a poor mans mutumbo. Maybe an 8/8/3 a night type of guy. I expected him to be a bench guy who could come in and block a few shots and be a defensive presence but he couldnt even manage to do that. Not surprised by how his career has turned out.

A far as AD i thought every team that passed on him 2-8 were making a big big mistake and it has turned out that way. AD was athletic,7 feet and 270lbs!!! Sure he was a little immature and lazy but you dont find guys like him very often. His career is not a surprise at all and he`s only scratched the surface of what he can do. Well i dont know about the rebounding but other aspects of his game especially on the offensive end are still developing.

 

[Huskyforlife]

If I had told you going into this years draft that there was a player with:

1. 6'10 260 size
2. 7'6 wingspan
3. the type of athleticism we may have never seen in a person this size(besides Shaq)

You'd probably ask; "Ok how about his numbers, how was his impact on the court?"

1. 10 points with dunks being his only source of offense. his per 40 being 14
2. 7.6 rebounds with his per 40 being 10.6
3. 2.7 blocks, 3.8 per 40
4. 1 steal

Then i'd remind you he is an 18 year old, with his head coach being in and out as he deals with health problems. He broke his nose and continued to play(Toughness). Finally he put up these numbers in the best College basketball conference ever.

Everyone but the Pistons FFFFFF up

 

[MilliniumPrince]

Waiters, Robinson and Ross are the only bad picks that I see. MKG had a good year last year and I wouldn't consider him a bust. He's one of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA and he made tons of strides in his offensive game last year after getting his shot fixed. I think he was the only player in the NBA to average over 10ppg with such a low USG rate last year (~18%).

I agree, MKG is not a bust. He is their best perimeter defender. But Pal has a point, I wouldn't have taken him over AD. The old adage still holds true: You can't teach size. Looks like several GMs forgot that on draft night.

 

[BUConn10]

I don't watch a lot of NBA until the playoffs, but it would be interesting if we could do a redo of the 2012 draft. I am thinking it would go like this:
1. Davis
2. Drummond
3. Lillard
4. Barnes
5. Beal
6. Flip a coin

Swap Beal and Barnes and you got yourself a complete list.

 

[BUConn10]

I think im the only person who thought Beet would be a bust. I remember watching the draft and laughing when he went #2. I thought at best he`d be a guy who could be a poor mans mutumbo. Maybe an 8/8/3 a night type of guy. I expected him to be a bench guy who could come in and block a few shots and be a defensive presence but he couldnt even manage to do that. Not surprised by how his career has turned out.

A far as AD i thought every team that passed on him 2-8 were making a big big mistake and it has turned out that way. AD was athletic,7 feet and 270lbs!!! Sure he was a little immature and lazy but you dont find guys like him very often. His career is not a surprise at all and he`s only scratched the surface of what he can do. Well i dont know about the rebounding but other aspects of his game especially on the offensive end are still developing.

Can I get tonight's powerball numbers before you go?