Mock Drafts and Player Analysis

dboss, That wouldn't be fair to the other team(s) unless we throw in Brown, too. On a serious note, I hope we don't open the bank for Hayward, Butler, George, etc. as a quick fix. It's true that Danny went for KG and Ray to partner with Pierce in '08, but I think he's looking for a longer run this time. At this stage, I say keep the pick, keep the team under the cap, try to convince players to be team-oriented, even on salary, and jettison anyone who isn't. As for who the pick should be, that's well beyond me but hope we go for the best player regardless of the current lineup. Hawk

hawksnestbeach wrote:dboss, That wouldn't be fair to the other team(s) unless we throw in Brown, too. On a serious note, I hope we don't open the bank for Hayward, Butler, George, etc. as a quick fix. It's true that Danny went for KG and Ray to partner with Pierce in '08, but I think he's looking for a longer run this time. At this stage, I say keep the pick, keep the team under the cap, try to convince players to be team-oriented, even on salary, and jettison anyone who isn't. As for who the pick should be, that's well beyond me but hope we go for the best player regardless of the current lineup. Hawk

Hawk,

Paul George is 27 years old. Jimmy Butler will be 28 in September. Gordon Hayward turned 27 less than 2 months ago. They are all in their prime with ar least a full 4-5 years (i.e. one full contract's worth) of top, veteran play in front of them.

If we don't trade for them it won't, and shouldn't, be because of their age. In fact, surrounding Horford and IT with veterans instead of rookies will make them, and us, better.


bob


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One advanced stat suggests Okafor was the 3rd worst player in the NBA last year, or 466th best, just ahead of Wade Balwin and Mario Hezonia

http://www.espn.com/nba/statistics/rpm/_/page/12/sort/RPM

Bob, good point: if KG and Ray were younger yet still available, it would have lasted longer. But I was trying to compare the strategy of growing a young team into a contender, primarily through the draft - the approach I like -
versus going for broke with a vets. Hawk

hawksnestbeach wrote:Bob, good point: if KG and Ray were younger yet still available, it would have lasted longer. But I was trying to compare the strategy of growing a young team into a contender, primarily through the draft -  the approach I like -
versus going for broke with a vets. Hawk

Hawk,

Sometimes it works out, like GSW.  They drafted Curry and Thompson and Barnes.  But they also signed Iggy as a free agent and traded for Bogut.  When they got Durant Ring Wraiths like Zaza and David West and McGee followed him there, like the way Ring Wraiths Deron and Frye went to Cleveland and Ring Wraiths Shane Battier and Ray Allen went to Miami.  Nothing succeeds like success.

On the other hand the Atlanta Hawks tried to do that and it didn't work.  Josh Smith, Horford, Childress were considered the core of a team being built through the draft, adding on players like Joe Johnson and Zaza or with players like Bibby.  Didn't work.  Not because they weren't good.  Childress left for Phoenix, Smith left for Detroit and it just disassembled itself.  

Smaller market teams like Minny and Milwaukee are always trying to build cheap through the draft.  When have they ever won a championship?  Cleveland won a championship with 2 of its key players coming via the draft, but both of them were #1 picks and it took a two more #1 picks (Bennett and Wiggins) to get Love.  Washington has a #1, a #3 and a #3 and they couldn't get past us.  Those players are young but Gortat isn't.  Their salary next year will be $89M and that covers Wall, Beal, Mahinmi, Gortat, Morris, Jason Smith and qualifying offers on Porter ($7.7M, he'll get offered more) and Bogdanovich ($4.46M, he'll get offered more) and Trey Burke ($4.59M, they can let him go even though that's fairly cheap).  So, that's 8 players and the money they save by letting Burke go they'll have to spend to keep Porter and even more to keep Bogie.  Where is their "build through the draft" team going?  One injury and they're done because they have no bench and can't afford a good one neither.

It's good to be able to compete for a long time, but you first have to be able to prove you can compete.  You have to prove you belong in that select group.


bob


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