Your pick for biggest steal of the draft

[WhereistheDove?]

Kyle Andersen, gets drafted by who else the Spurs. Great replacement for Boris Diaw.

That's my pick too. There will be some growing pains but I could definitely see him developing a similar game to Diaw with better athletic ability. Perfect place for a player like him to develop.

 

[Calhoun's Court]

Sixers snagging KJ McDaniels in the 2nd round.from Clemson

Also, like Early to the Knicks(but I'm a Knicks fan)

 

[pnete]

Plus for a guard, he's built like a brick sh!thouse. He might be able to develop some guard post up game.

He could develop into a linebacker for the Pats.

 

[pnete]

Simmons was easiest the biggest steal of the draft. He got paid. Now, it that is not stealing....

 

[pnete]

Im going with:


The New York Knicks getting Cleanthony Early Wichita State. I think this kid could be a really really good player for a long time. I see him as a poor mans D.Wade and thats pretty darn good. With Hardaway jr. looking like a very good young player and now Early having an opening now that Melo is gone for a lot of minutes it could be the perfect situation for him to develop.

Develop? At twenty three he is expected to contribute.

 

[sawxfan23]

I think it's correctable. He was OK as a catch and shoot player, but he shot way too many contested jump shots and shot a low percentage on those. Interestingly, that's also something that Young needs to work on: cutting out the contested jumpers.

"Biggest bust of the draft" is an absolutely ridiculous statement because at the very least he will be a defensive stopper. He'll always be a rotational guy. The questions are whether he can develop a jump shot and develop starter-level PG skills. Defensively, he's already better than average.

#6 overall pick for a defensive stopper is not a huge bust? Let's just wait and see after a couple years.

 

[elduderino]

My Knicks did a good job w their 2 picks. Charlotte's picks of PJ Hairston could be a sleeper if he ever matures off the court.

NYC is not the destination to try and mature off the court. Phils got his work cut out for him there.

Whoever signs Patric Young

duck the NBA, that guy should be playing the lead in the next Terminator flick.

The Celts will be trading Rondo and Smart was the best PG available but I like Early too.

Best PG available? WTF! How are the 'Yarders letting you get away with that?

 

[Gurleyman]

Best first round steal - Napier
Best second round steal - Daniels

That was easy

 

[elduderino]

Word is Wilson and Spalding are reaching out to little guys Voit, Baden and Molten in order to determine when and where the history of abuse began. Should similar assaults be found to have occurred, the group plans to unionize and seek class action status for their lawsuit. Story developing...

 

[auror]

Simmons was easiest the biggest steal of the draft. He got paid. Now, it that is not stealing....

You're just jealous. I know I am. Dude has no credentials and gets to be paid to go to games/events and talk about basketball.

 

[nomar]

#6 overall pick for a defensive stopper is not a huge bust? Let's just wait and see after a couple years.

You didn't say huge bust. You said biggest bust in the draft. But, since you changed the subject, no, considering the number of top-10 picks who couldn't stick in the NBA, I don't think that would make him a "huge" bust anyway (see, e.g., Thabeet, Hasheem). And that's his FLOOR.

 

[intlzncster]

You didn't say huge bust. You said biggest bust in the draft. But, since you changed the subject, no, considering the number of top-10 picks who couldn't stick in the NBA, I don't think that would make him a "huge" bust anyway (see, e.g., Thabeet, Hasheem). And that's his FLOOR.

That's the important bit. He's actually a pretty safe pick from that perspective. At worst, he's a Tony Allen type.

 

[johnhuskies95]

That's the important bit. He's actually a pretty safe pick from that perspective. At worst, he's a Tony Allen type.

Tony Allen is a damn good player. Kevin Durant probably gets nightmares thinking about him. I like Smart, but I don't think that's his floor.

 

[intlzncster]

Tony Allen is a damn good player. Kevin Durant probably gets nightmares thinking about him. I like Smart, but I don't think that's his floor.

That's why I said 'type', but you are right. The point I was trying to make is that he'll be able to physically D up anybody, and take it to the hole whenever he needs to. The kid is an NBA ready body right now.

 

[champs99and04]

Tony Allen is a damn good player. Kevin Durant probably gets nightmares thinking about him. I like Smart, but I don't think that's his floor.

This. It seems like every prospect who plays good defense is immediately compared to the best defensive player in the league at that position. It takes more than just athleticism to be as good a defender as Tony Allen, it takes years of repetitions, hours of film study, and almost a certain level of insanity where you think you're better than you are. I'm not saying Smart can't get there, but yeah, it's definitely not his floor.

I think Smart will be good, but I thought Boston reached for him at #6. Point guards who can't shoot are a damn near extinct bread in the NBA, and unless you're a freak athlete like Westbrook, Rose, or Wall (Smart is not), you're going to struggle. Of course, he can improve, and probably will, but it concerns me that he displayed no improvement from freshman to sophomore year. His misses are bad misses - I mean he'll take unguarded shots in his natural shooting motion and miss the rim by three feet. Just too big of a risk to take that type of player in the top ten, IMO, especially with guys like Randle, Vonleh, and Stauskas still on the board. I do like the Young pick at #17, though.

As far as biggest steals in the draft, I was shocked to see Gary Harris fall as far as he did. I guess his measurements at the combine really hurt him, I thought he and Stauskas were a coin flip.

 

[nomar]

Tony Allen has averaged 21 MPG for his career, 23 this past season. He's a fine defender but let's not put him on too high a pedestal.

 

[Huskies4ever]

Tony Allen has averaged 21 MPG for his career, 23 this past season. He's a fine defender but let's not put him on too high a pedestal.

Solid role player. That's it.

 

[champs99and04]

Tony Allen has averaged 21 MPG for his career, 23 this past season. He's a fine defender but let's not put him on too high a pedestal.

IMO Allen is one of the best perimeter defenders in the league. I get your point, though. All I'm saying is that there are a lot worse scenarios for an NBA player than to be Tony Allen.

 

[johnhuskies95]

Tony Allen has averaged 21 MPG for his career, 23 this past season. He's a fine defender but let's not put him on too high a pedestal.

He's a two time first team All-NBA defensive team guy. I don't know how much you've watched him since he left the Celtics, but he's a very valuable player with the Grizzlies.

 

[tzznandrew]

He was the best post-up PG in college basketball last season, per Draft Express. He already has that skill.

A less athletic Dion Waiters, as someone else said? Pffff. Waiters shoots the ball better. That's it. Smart passes, rebounds, drives, finishes and defends better. If Smart doesn't learn how to shoot, he's never going to be a star. But he's an NBA player, right now, based on his defense and physicality.

Smart would have been the #1 pick if he came out after his freshmen year. We all got a chance to pick him apart--and he got a chance to make a fool of himself--so suddenly he sucks. If the C's aren't keeping Rondo, then let's take Smart and move on. I think he's really good at 6.

I also really like Young. Watching him in the title game, he was the only Kentucky player I was impressed with. Kid could play. Randle may end up a better pro (but I guess I'm not entirely sold on that), but at 17, I think that was another steal.

I agree on Anderson and Early as steals in this draft. Hood and Napier also went lower than they probably should have.

 

[intlzncster]

I also really like Young. Watching him in the title game, he was the only Kentucky player I was impressed with. Kid could play. Randle may end up a better pro (but I guess I'm not entirely sold on that), but at 17, I think that was another steal.

And the kid is only 18 years old. He's the age of a high school senior.

 

[johnhuskies95]

Young scared me the most out of any player on Kentucky. I just think he's the kind of guy that gets listing the shuffle in the NBA. He's a poor defender right now, and I don't know if he's efficient enough on offense to make up for it.

I think Celtics should go all out for Love if they can. It's an attractive free agent destination, so if they can get him to sign long term, they should be able to surround him with pretty good talent.

 

[intlzncster]

Young scared me the most out of any player on Kentucky. I just think he's the kind of guy that gets listing the shuffle in the NBA. He's a poor defender right now, and I don't know if he's efficient enough on offense to make up for it.

I think Celtics should go all out for Love if they can. It's an attractive free agent destination, so if they can get him to sign long term, they should be able to surround him with pretty good talent.

As I said above, the kid is only 18 years old. He won't be hitting his prime for a decade!

It all hinges on how much he works.

 

[hoophuskee]

Young and Harris (Mich State). And of course Bazz and Early. I thought Randle as a 7th pick is terrific too.

 

[nomar]

He's a two time first team All-NBA defensive team guy. I don't know how much you've watched him since he left the Celtics, but he's a very valuable player with the Grizzlies.

I have seen him play quite a bit. He was really great for the Celtics, too, but he would always bite on the pump fake. He's improved, for sure.

A lot of people think Marcus Smart is, at this very moment, in the top tier of defensive guards in the NBA. He averaged 2.9 spg and has a 7'9" wingspan. He's a ballhawk with good instincts. He also rebounds and boxes out better than most NBA PGs and many SGs.

Like Allen, he's best offensively when he uses his physicality and athleticism in transition/attack rather than rely on his outside shot. But TA has been around a long time. His shooting form is and has always been ugly. Also, Smart already has better ballhandling and passing skills than TA has, even though he really only started playing PG in college. Maybe Smart will never significantly improve his offensive game. We'll see. But I think it's a smart bet (no pun intended) to think he'll be at least a 33-35% 3-point shooter in the NBA. He needs to be coached up to know when and how to shoot. He's young. The sky is the limit.

 

[johnhuskies95]

I have seen him play quite a bit. He was really great for the Celtics, too, but he would always bite on the pump fake. He's improved, for sure.

A lot of people think Marcus Smart is, at this very moment, in the top tier of defensive guards in the NBA. He averaged 2.9 spg and has a 7'9" wingspan. He's a ballhawk with good instincts. He also rebounds and boxes out better than most NBA PGs and many SGs.

Like Allen, he's best offensively when he uses his physicality and athleticism in transition/attack rather than rely on his outside shot. But TA has been around a long time. His shooting form is and has always been ugly. Also, Smart already has better ballhandling and passing skills than TA has, even though he really only started playing PG in college. Maybe Smart will never significantly improve his offensive game. We'll see. But I think it's a smart bet (no pun intended) to think he'll be at least a 33-35% 3-point shooter in the NBA. He needs to be coached up to know when and how to shoot. He's young. The sky is the limit.

I seem to recall him playing point guard in high school, although Forte may have brought the ball up the court.

In today's NBA, it's imperative that point guards can score, and be really good scorers at that. In order to score you need to be able to shoot well, unless you're a freak athlete like champs99and04 said.

It remains to be seen if Smart can be a good scorer in the NBA, especially if he doesn't have a jumpshot.

 

[David 76]

The last guy in the green room was a huge bargain

 

[nomar]

I seem to recall him playing point guard in high school, although Forte may have brought the ball up the court.

You may be right; I don't know. He's still a work in progress, for sure.

In today's NBA, it's imperative that point guards can score, and be really good scorers at that. In order to score you need to be able to shoot well, unless you're a freak athlete like champs99and04 said.

Or Rajon Rondo. Smart is also a combo guard, though. Tony Allen has stuck as a 6'4" player without PG skills or a jumpshot. I think Smart will be better offensively.

It remains to be seen if Smart can be a good scorer in the NBA, especially if he doesn't have a jumpshot.

Can't disagree with that. I don't think it's blind hope to think his shot will improve.

 

[johnhuskies95]

Rondo is an ok scorer for a star player. His value is in what he brings to his team besides scoring.

I guess my point is that if Rondo and Smart are similar minded players in terms of how they play(average scorers, great in other areas), I'm not sure how well it's going to work out for the Celtics in the long term with both of them in the same backcourt. Although Rondo may very well be on his way out of town. We'll see.