Wow, Dorsey is EXACTLY what Portland needs off the bench. Is the world ready for 4 straight years of Nets/Blazers Finals starting in 2010? The Nets getting CDR that late is amazing. I can't believe my Celtics passed on him for Giddons. He'll be a great gun to run with LeBron.
Apparently the Blazers get Darrell Arthur because New Orleans traded that pick to them for cash and nothing else. Really, if you're going to trade players for money, you should not be allowed to run a professional sports team. Up the price of a coke to $4 if you need money, don't screw your team.
uh oh, the Bullets, errr Wizards just traded Bill Walker to the Celtics for 'straight cash, homey.'
Look at it this way, Lee - at least they aren't being traded for 10 basketballs or something - that baseball player has got to be loving the fact that he was traded for 10 bats.
<< <i>Nice rant, but the simple facts are that only about 10% of the draft picks ever turn out to be everyday starters. I think that percentage transfers to foreign players as well. Most draft picks turn out to be busts- that's just the way it is. >>
I'm not even talking about everyday starters. I'm talking about playing a key role-- be it as a starter, 6th, 7th, 8th man-- on a championship team.
With Okur, Ginobili, Tony Parker, and Kukoc, you could say that 7 of the last 12 NBA championship teams have won it with a foreigner playing a prominent role.
<< <i>John- I gotta disagree. Seems like half the first rounders are from Kansas, UCLA and Memphis, and everyone but Rose and Love jumped up there because of the exposure they got in the NCAA tourney. I watched the NCAA pretty closely this year and I can count on one hand the players that I thought "This kid could be good in the NBA": Love, Rose, Bayless and that's about it. I didn't get to see Beasely and OJ Mayo looked talented but lost most of the time in the team game (think Steve Francis). Kansas, UCLA and Memphis had great teams, but that almost never translates to more than one NBA star (think '90 UNLV or '96 Kentucky). Last year's draft had more 1st round talent than any draft I can remember, and this year's has the least.
Durant and Oden were as "can't miss" as two top guys can be. Both Rose and Beasely have major downfalls- Rose is not ready for pro play and Beasely doesn't care that much about basketball. These are two HUGE downfalls that Durant and Oden didn't have. >>
Beasley bettered Durant's numbers while playing the exact same big 12 competition. and I think that Oden being hurt all the time is a major downfall. I'm not exactly sure where everyone gets the 'indifference' idea about Beasley's game- You dont put up 24 and 12 if you dont care about basketball. That all being said, I like all 4 players a lot.
Texas didn't run every single play through Durant like K State did, and watching Texas in the NCAA tourney it was clear that Barnes had no idea how to use him. If Durant was in this year's draft he would've been #1 with no debate whatsoever from anybody in NBA circles. It would've been close to the Shaq pick in terms of surprise. Beasley looks good and so does Rose, but so did Glenn Robinson and Kenny Anderson. These guys are far from locks to be NBA superstars.
<< <i>With Okur, Ginobili, Tony Parker, and Kukoc, you could say that 7 of the last 12 NBA championship teams have won it with a foreigner playing a prominent role. >>
I give you the first three, although I do feel that Kukoc doesn't count somehow, considering how the Bulls played without him... But, OK-- so that's four players. Assuming championship teams roll a steady rotation of eight players, and if we take this back, say, 12 years or so, then we have two (admittedly money) starters with the Spurs, Kukoc, and Okur (who was the seventh guy, but we'll still count him).
That, on the surface, does not seem like an impressive ratio, considering the volume of foreign players that have been drafted in the first round since 1996. I think the bigger problem is that virtually no foreign players are lock down defenders, and that, ultimately, is what gets you the ring. How many elite defensive players have come from overseas? I can think of Mutombo, Kirilenko, and Olajuwan.
To win titles you need to be able to play perimeter defense and rotate from the weak side, as well as bang in the low post. And these are not skills which, historically, have been the forte of foreign players.
How did Douglas-Roberts slip to the Nets in the 2nd Round? This may end up being the steal of the draft. The kid is EXACTLY the player the Nets always wanted Richard Jefferson to be, albeit he'll be playing the 2 with VC probably sliding to the 3 spot. Too bad they didn't get athletic big men. At least Anderson can hit free throws -- although I think he'll end up being another Keith Van Horn type (no inside game).
Given the fact that they'll be clearing up a bunch of cap room for 2010, can they really be serious in thinking that Jaz-Z can convince Lebron to come to the Nets?
a lot of teams double and triple teamed beasley. all beasley had was bill walker, and even he didnt turn things on until the end of the season. durant had a much better supporting cast..as proven this year without durant, as those players went to the elite eight. give beasley a pass oriented point guard with a good shot in augustin, a lethal outside shooter in abrams and solid big men like johnson, jones and that tall white kid (forgot his name) that can shoot from the outside...and beasley would have been perhaps just as good. his team would have been a higher seed (texas was a 4th seed with durant), increasing the probability of going further in the tournament AND giving beasley the nod over hansborough in the nat'l player of the year race. let's keep in mind that kstate made the 2nd round of the tournament with just beasley, walker and a bunch of scrubs. they did it in what was an overall better big 12 (texas, baylor, oklahoma, kansas were all better than a year before). i dont buy that beasley isnt as good as durant. in my eyes, they are near replicas of one another...with beasley a slightly better rebounder and durant having a better outside stroke.
<< <i> How did Douglas-Roberts slip to the Nets in the 2nd Round? This may end up being the steal of the draft. The kid is EXACTLY the player the Nets always wanted Richard Jefferson to be, albeit he'll be playing the 2 with VC probably sliding to the 3 spot. Too bad they didn't get athletic big men. At least Anderson can hit free throws -- although I think he'll end up being another Keith Van Horn type (no inside game). >>
Comments
My Podcast - Now FEATURED on iTunes
Look at it this way, Lee - at least they aren't being traded for 10 basketballs or something - that baseball player has got to be loving the fact that he was traded for 10 bats.
Dodgers collection scans | Brett Butler registry | 1978 Dodgers - straight 9s, homie
<< <i>Nice rant, but the simple facts are that only about 10% of the draft picks ever turn out to be everyday starters. I think that percentage transfers to foreign players as well. Most draft picks turn out to be busts- that's just the way it is. >>
I'm not even talking about everyday starters. I'm talking about playing a key role-- be it as a starter, 6th, 7th, 8th man-- on a championship team.
<< <i>John- I gotta disagree. Seems like half the first rounders are from Kansas, UCLA and Memphis, and everyone but Rose and Love jumped up there because of the exposure they got in the NCAA tourney. I watched the NCAA pretty closely this year and I can count on one hand the players that I thought "This kid could be good in the NBA": Love, Rose, Bayless and that's about it. I didn't get to see Beasely and OJ Mayo looked talented but lost most of the time in the team game (think Steve Francis). Kansas, UCLA and Memphis had great teams, but that almost never translates to more than one NBA star (think '90 UNLV or '96 Kentucky). Last year's draft had more 1st round talent than any draft I can remember, and this year's has the least.
Durant and Oden were as "can't miss" as two top guys can be. Both Rose and Beasely have major downfalls- Rose is not ready for pro play and Beasely doesn't care that much about basketball. These are two HUGE downfalls that Durant and Oden didn't have. >>
Beasley bettered Durant's numbers while playing the exact same big 12 competition. and I think that Oden being hurt all the time is a major downfall. I'm not exactly sure where everyone gets the 'indifference' idea about Beasley's game- You dont put up 24 and 12 if you dont care about basketball. That all being said, I like all 4 players a lot.
John
HOF SIGNED FOOTBALL RCS
John
HOF SIGNED FOOTBALL RCS
<< <i>With Okur, Ginobili, Tony Parker, and Kukoc, you could say that 7 of the last 12 NBA championship teams have won it with a foreigner playing a prominent role. >>
I give you the first three, although I do feel that Kukoc doesn't count somehow, considering how the Bulls played without him... But, OK-- so that's four players. Assuming championship teams roll a steady rotation of eight players, and if we take this back, say, 12 years or so, then we have two (admittedly money) starters with the Spurs, Kukoc, and Okur (who was the seventh guy, but we'll still count him).
That, on the surface, does not seem like an impressive ratio, considering the volume of foreign players that have been drafted in the first round since 1996. I think the bigger problem is that virtually no foreign players are lock down defenders, and that, ultimately, is what gets you the ring. How many elite defensive players have come from overseas? I can think of Mutombo, Kirilenko, and Olajuwan.
To win titles you need to be able to play perimeter defense and rotate from the weak side, as well as bang in the low post. And these are not skills which, historically, have been the forte of foreign players.
Given the fact that they'll be clearing up a bunch of cap room for 2010, can they really be serious in thinking that Jaz-Z can convince Lebron to come to the Nets?
<< <i> How did Douglas-Roberts slip to the Nets in the 2nd Round? This may end up being the steal of the draft. The kid is EXACTLY the player the Nets always wanted Richard Jefferson to be, albeit he'll be playing the 2 with VC probably sliding to the 3 spot. Too bad they didn't get athletic big men. At least Anderson can hit free throws -- although I think he'll end up being another Keith Van Horn type (no inside game). >>
I like what the nets have done.
5/4: Lopez, Williams, Kristic, Boone, Diop
3: Yi, Anderson, CDR, Simmons
2: Carter, CDR, Simmons
1: Harris, Williams
Break down the 3/4/5 positions even more
Inside scorers: Lopez, Kristic
Bruisers (rebounders, shot blockers, set screens): Boone, Williams, Diop
Outside shooters: Yi, Anderson
Smaller, more athletic: CDR, Simmons
That's a versatile, young front court. Add the cap space when Simmons leaves after '10, and you've set yourself up nicely for the lebron sweepstakes.