Check my Stats Posted March 24, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 24, 2011 Dude is 6'3 so maybe he can be an undersized 2. I haven't seen Knight for even 1 minute so I can't comment, but it really sounds like he is Avery Bradley 2.0 but a smidgen taller. Depending on his athleticism and wingspan and if he can add some weight, maybe he can play the 2, in which case it seems like his stock would go way up. Irving is my pipe dream, Barnes is my hope (him and Demar would be a perfect wing duo) and other than that I really have no idea and don't really care. Other than Irving and Barnes, it sounds like everyone else has a huge BUT in their scouting reports. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buckets! Posted March 24, 2011 Report Share Posted March 24, 2011 Dude is 6'3 so maybe he can be an undersized 2. I haven't seen Knight for even 1 minute so I can't comment, but it really sounds like he is Avery Bradley 2.0 but a smidgen taller. Depending on his athleticism and wingspan and if he can add some weight, maybe he can play the 2, in which case it seems like his stock would go way up. Irving is my pipe dream, Barnes is my hope (him and Demar would be a perfect wing duo) and other than that I really have no idea and don't really care. Other than Irving and Barnes, it sounds like everyone else has a huge BUT in their scouting reports.Exactly that's why the Raps need to tank! Lets get Irving or Barnes! Screw Calderon he can't play defense! We need Irving, PLAYS DEFENSE! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Check my Stats Posted March 24, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 24, 2011 (edited) The odds of us getting Irving or Barnes, (presumably a top 3 pick) is probably less than 20% right now, so don't get your hopes up. Realistically we are probably going to be looking at Knight, Kanter, Kemba, Sullinger, Perry Jones, Terrence, etc. Also someone on RGM brought up a good point that the Raps are bordering on their worst season ever, so it wouldn't be surprising if management was trying to win more games just so they don't have their worst season ever, which quite frankly is pretty sad. Edited March 24, 2011 by Check my Stats Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Built Ford Tough Posted March 24, 2011 Report Share Posted March 24, 2011 The biggest concern I have about Knight, other than him ever being able to run an offense effectively, is that the Raptors already have a very similar player in Bayless. If Knight isn't able to play the point, he basically turns into better defensive version of Jerryd Bayless with an extra inch or two. That isn't a bad player as Bayless can be effective in the right situation, but I would be a bit concerned about using a potential top 5 pick on a player who has a high chance of being a bit better version of a player you already have. Add Barbosa into the mix (for some reason I think he will be extended after his contract is up, assuming he wants to stay) and that would make 3 players on the team who are, for all intensive purposes, the same player and would play the same role. Should Knight show legitimate point guard potential, my entire opinion on him changes, though. I would have him somewhere between 3 and 5) on my draft board (for the Raptors, at least) right behind Irving and Barnes, and a toss up with Valanciunas and Kanter (depending on how he measures out, though. I only like him if he has legitimate center size). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buckets! Posted March 24, 2011 Report Share Posted March 24, 2011 The biggest concern I have about Knight, other than him ever being able to run an offense effectively, is that the Raptors already have a very similar player in Bayless. If Knight isn't able to play the point, he basically turns into better defensive version of Jerryd Bayless with an extra inch or two. That isn't a bad player as Bayless can be effective in the right situation, but I would be a bit concerned about using a potential top 5 pick on a player who has a high chance of being a bit better version of a player you already have. Add Barbosa into the mix (for some reason I think he will be extended after his contract is up, assuming he wants to stay) and that would make 3 players on the team who are, for all intensive purposes, the same player and would play the same role. Should Knight show legitimate point guard potential, my entire opinion on him changes, though. I would have him somewhere between 3 and 5) on my draft board (for the Raptors, at least) right behind Irving and Barnes, and a toss up with Valanciunas and Kanter (depending on how he measures out, though. I only like him if he has legitimate center size).Enes Kanter and that other euro play defense? If they do let's get him! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Built Ford Tough Posted March 26, 2011 Report Share Posted March 26, 2011 Sounds like Derrick Williams doesn't see himself as a power forward: "I like when people say 3-4 more than a 4-3," Williams said. "A 4-3, most people think you're 6-foot-10, 250 pounds. Being 6-8, 6-9 and 240, it gives me a real advantage, especially if I play the 3. I don't like being labeled a power forward at all." If he can actually play the small forward spot (defensively in particular) I would be fine with drafting him. If he proves to be a full fledged tweener, no thanks. The Raptors have tried going with this whole "versatility" crap with guys like Bargnani, Turkoglu, Marion etc... and the bottom line is that building a team full of tweeners or players with gaping holes for their respective positions (Bayless not being able to run an offense, DeRozan being a poor shooter from deep as well as having little to no playmaking ability, Johnson being a commplete non factor with his jumper, etc...) simply doesn't work. If Williams proves to be a classic tweener, I'll pass on him without hesitation. Even if he turns into a superstar, I will still support passing on him if it is 100% clear that he will be a tweener. I pretty much feel the same way on Perry Jones. I wouldn't be opposed to picking him as a 4 if they trade Bargnani or Johnson or something like that. I'm usually opposed to the whole drafting for need debate, but unless the guy is the clear cut best player in the draft or at the Raptors pick, I wouldn't want to see them get a power forward this year. (Assuming that the Raptors stay at 5th and don't drop to 6th, 7th or 8th or something like that). Tim Chisholm thinks that Walker is a likely target for the Raptors. As of today, the Toronto Raptors look pretty well locked into the fifth-worst record in the NBA with only ten games to go in the 2010-2011 season. While lottery night could either raise or lower that standing, for now it appears safe to assume that the Raptors will be selecting just outside of the top-three on draft night. Why is that relevant a full three months before the draft? Because these next two weeks may be the last chance Raps fans have to watch possibly the most likely candidate to join the team on draft night: Kemba Walker. Now, as recently as three weeks ago I would have said that going after Kemba Walker would have been a tremendous leap for a team that needs a sure-fire home run in this year's draft. While he's always been talented, Walker is an undersized point guard (5-foot-10) that thinks shot before pass and his shot percentages haven't exactly gone through the roof this year. To look at his frame and his numbers, Walker never struck me as a viable target for Toronto, and that thought process carried me though most of the NCAA campaign. So what's changed over the last three weeks? Well first, a realization that the Raptors (for now) are pretty locked into the fifth-worst record and that such a placement would significantly reduce their options on draft night. Obviously they'd love to have a chance to grab Duke's Kyrie Irving, Arizona's Derrick Williams or North Carolina's Harrison Barnes, but the chances of any of them sliding out of the top three were pretty much destroyed when Jared Sullinger declared that he's sticking around at Ohio State for another year. The other thing that's changed is that Walker is showing during March Madness, like he did at the Maui Invitational and the Big East tournament, that he's a born leader and there is no single quality that the Raptors need more right now than leadership. Despite Walker's diminutive frame, he's got the kind of all-out passion when he's on the court that is incredibly infectious, and he's someone that will try to mix it up in other areas when his shot isn't falling. All this year, he's elevated his game when the pressure was elevated, and his team has reaped the rewards of his efforts. He's the kind of player that wants the ball in his hands and he works to make the best choices with it to better his team's fortunes. Make no mistake, he's a scorer first and foremost and that skill would have to be sewn into the Raptors attack, but of the second-tier players available in the upcoming draft, he looks better poised than anyone to unify the Raptors disparate pieces and take the squad to the next level of their rebuilding process. http://www.tsn.ca/blogs/tim_chisholm/?id=359655 More at the link. Also, sounds like Tristan Thompson is going to sign an agent and enter the draft. From NBADraft.net We received word today from sources close to the situation that Texas bigman Tristan Thompson has signed with an agent and is foregoing his college eligibility. Look for the official announcement to come in the next few weeks. NBADraft.net Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buckets! Posted March 28, 2011 Report Share Posted March 28, 2011 That would be a terrible pick. Kemba Walker is way better off the bench. Raptors need starters not bench players. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Check my Stats Posted March 28, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 28, 2011 Give me Knight over Walker easily. Knight is lightyears ahead of Walker at the same age (looking at the stats, but it sounds like this is true either way) and supposedly has a terrific work ethic and I like his size a lot more. I think the game between the two of them is going to be extremely interesting and will sway a lot of teams one way or another. But really, you look at Irving, Kemba and Knight, and I think this is a solid PG crop in a weak draft. I would still love to get Barnes/Irving assuming they both come out obviously, other than those two I don't really care. I would love for us to draft a big so Bargs can gtfo, or a PG so Jose can gtfo (more so his contract, since I don't hate him as much as most), but realistically the only position we don't need is SG and maybe PF, but I hope we don't let Davis/Demar stop us from drafting the BPA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Built Ford Tough Posted March 28, 2011 Report Share Posted March 28, 2011 According to Chad Ford, Irving doesn't have the first overall pick on lockdown like many people thought earlier in the year. He thinks that both Harrison Barnes and Derrick Williams could be picked ahead of him, especially Williams after his play in the tournament. He posted a new Stock Watch article on ESPN Insider and here are a couple of comments on these three: Williams: This weekend we raised him another two spots to the No. 2 position on our Big Board. Based on feedback from NBA scouts and GMs, we now believe Williams is in serious consideration for the No. 1 pick along with Duke's Kyrie Irving and North Carolina's Harrison Barnes. With all three players now out of the tournament, there should be a lively debate based on team needs and workouts about who is No. 1. Irving: It's not every day you see the two top picks in the draft playing head-to-head, but that happened on Thursday when Duke took on Arizona. While Williams stole the headlines, Irving made his own case why he should be the No. 1 pick in the draft. He had 28 points and three assists and kept Duke hanging around for much of the game. Irving was showing most of the quickness and explosion we saw early in the season. He hit a couple of 3s, got to the free throw line and looked mostly back to his normal self. There are legitimate questions about whether his presence disrupted the team's chemistry -- but it's hard to pin the blame on Irving for Duke's loss. He was terrific. Irving's 31.7 PER ranking would put him in the top 5 of all college players. Only two draft prospects -- Williams and Kenneth Faried -- were more efficient this year. He plays a critical position that several lottery teams (see Cleveland, Sacramento and Minnesota) desperately need. If everything clicks in workouts and physicals, he has a very strong case for the No. 1 pick. Barnes: Harrison Barnes and John Henson have (deservedly) gotten some draft love this year. Barnes has been terrific the last 10 games, averaging 22 ppg and making a serious case why he should still be considered for the No. 1 pick. In a five-minute second-half stretch against Kentucky he showed how much he can dominate a game He also mentions that Brandon Knight has dramatically risen his stock since the tournament started and scouts have been impressed with him even in the games were he was struggling (Princeton and OSU) as he was able to put all of that behind him and come up big when his team needed him the most. Jay Bilas has an interview where he talks Williams, Walker and Irving. I haven't listened to it yet, but if anybody is interested in hearing it, it is at the link below. http://www.zagsblog.com/2011/03/25/jay-bilas-talks-derrick-williams-kemba-walker-kyrie-irving/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buckets! Posted March 29, 2011 Report Share Posted March 29, 2011 This draft is going to be the weakest in history. All top players will probably return and your left with bums in top 5. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Built Ford Tough Posted March 30, 2011 Report Share Posted March 30, 2011 Couple of comments from Chad Ford's chat: Marc (Montreal) Chad, your mock draft has the Raptors taking Perry Jones right now (shameless plug). I like him, but he also terrifies me. Do you think he projects as a 3 or a 4? And isn't it most likely he ends up Anthony Randolph v. 2.0? Chad Ford (2:37 PM) He intrigues and terrifies everyone. He's a better prospect than Randolph. Doesn't have some of the same personality issues, is a better shooter, more skilled. But he's going to have to find a position in the pros (he thinks he's a guard, his college coach thought he was a center), and his motor worries me. He's a really nice kid. But does he have the mental makeup to dominate? But on straight up talent + upside, he's an A list prospect. Ty (Atlanta, GA) Will Kyrie Irving leave Duke for the draft Chad? Chad Ford (2:37 PM) All signs point to yes. Freddy (Los Angeles) Out of all the prospective international big man, who has the best shot of going #1 overall or in the top 5 for sure come draft night? Chad Ford (2:51 PM) Valanciunas is the most highly rated. But there are some serious questions about his contract situation. If he can't come play in the NBA for a couple of years, his stock drops. At that point,Enes Kanter or Jan Vesely is the first international player off the board. Both go somewhere in the Top 10, but I doubt either goes in the Top 3. Nikola Mirotic and Bismack Biyombo are sleepers. Anybody know what the details are about Valanviunas' contract? I haven't heard of any contractual problems with him until this from Ford. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dash Posted March 31, 2011 Report Share Posted March 31, 2011 Couple of comments from Chad Ford's chat: Anybody know what the details are about Valanviunas' contract? I haven't heard of any contractual problems with him until this from Ford. I believe his contract goes on for a few more years and could potentially be Rubio 2.0 as far I can tell. Givony (draftexpress) mentions his contract in a post from several months ago. He plans on using the next few months to learn more about his draft stock and the teams that will likely be picking in the lottery—with the help of Valanciunas' new American agents, Leon Rose and Steven Heumann of CAA—and reach an agreement with Lietuvos Rytas about a sliding buyout scale figure to get out of his contract if needed. An invitation to play in the Nike Hoop Summit in Portland in April is also in the works. From DraftExpress.com http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Jonas-Valanciunas-5622/#ixzz1IGPZST6I http://www.draftexpress.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buckets! Posted March 31, 2011 Report Share Posted March 31, 2011 Raps need to get to top 3. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Built Ford Tough Posted April 6, 2011 Report Share Posted April 6, 2011 From Ford's latest Stock Watch article: • We're still waiting to hear the NBA plans for many of the top underclassmen in college basketball. • Duke's Kyrie Irving is expected to declare for the draft soon, according to sources. Arizona's Derrick Williams is also leaning strongly in that direction. Ditto for Perry Jones, Walker, Terrence Jones and Jordan Hamilton. • On the other side, Ohio State's Jared Sullinger has said he's returning to school. North Carolina's Harrison Barnes, as we've been reporting for months, is also seriously considering returning for his sophomore year. North Carolina's John Henson, Knight and Texas' Tristan Thompson also are considering returning to school. Given the weakness in the draft, GMs are seriously wringing their hands right now. Losing Sullinger and Barnes at the top, along with Henson, Knight and Thompson in the lottery, would take an already weak draft and make it even weaker. Sounding a lot like Barnes is actually going to return to UNC as numerous people are starting to report that. Should he go back, it is looking like that the Raptors will be drafting either Perry Jones, Enes Kanter or Terrence Jones (maybe Jonas Valanciunas or Jan Vesely, depending on how workouts go) unless they move up in the lottery, or both Minnesota and Washington are picking ahead of them as I can't see either of them drafting Irving with Rubio supposedly coming over next year and Wall. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AboveLegit Posted April 6, 2011 Report Share Posted April 6, 2011 From Ford's latest Stock Watch article: Sounding a lot like Barnes is actually going to return to UNC as numerous people are starting to report that. Should he go back, it is looking like that the Raptors will be drafting either Perry Jones, Enes Kanter or Terrence Jones (maybe Jonas Valanciunas or Jan Vesely, depending on how workouts go) unless they move up in the lottery, or both Minnesota and Washington are picking ahead of them as I can't see either of them drafting Irving with Rubio supposedly coming over next year and Wall.Does Toronto really want a guy like Jones? I liked the idea of Washington drafting him earlier in the season, but I think his draft stock has plummeted. He plays soft, and often times forces things. He's pretty skilled as a big man, but I think he's going to end up like Chris Bosh, a 4 that falls in love with his midrange jumpshot, rather than taking it in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Built Ford Tough Posted April 6, 2011 Report Share Posted April 6, 2011 Does Toronto really want a guy like Jones? I liked the idea of Washington drafting him earlier in the season, but I think his draft stock has plummeted. He plays soft, and often times forces things. He's pretty skilled as a big man, but I think he's going to end up like Chris Bosh, a 4 that falls in love with his midrange jumpshot, rather than taking it in. He definitely isn't on the top of my list, but if Irving, Williams and Barnes (should he declare) are already gone by the time the Raptors pick, I wouldn't be opposed to them taking a chance on him considering he probably has the most upside of anybody in the draft and, in the off chance that he does reach his full potential, he may end up being a superstar. I'd rather take a chance on some high potential guy like Jones than draft somebody like Kemba Walker or Terrence Jones. Basically, in a weak draft like this, you might as well swing for the fences, whcih is why I wouldn't be opposed to taking a chance on a guy like him or Jonas Valanciunas simply because of their potential. One thing about drafting him is that should they drat him, they absolutely have to play him as a small forward. If they draft him with the intention of playing him at the 4, then I will be upset about it and would rather go with Kanter or Valanciunas over him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BasX Posted April 6, 2011 Report Share Posted April 6, 2011 (edited) I wouldn't be opposed to taking a Brandon Knight, but I would think better players would be on the board when the Raptors picked* *makes more sense than what i had before Edited April 6, 2011 by BasX Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Built Ford Tough Posted April 7, 2011 Report Share Posted April 7, 2011 I wouldn't be opposed to taking a Brandon Knight, but I would think better players would be on the board when the Raptors picked* *makes more sense than what i had before I don't mind Knight, but I think would be pretty upset if the Raptors drafted him. I know he is younger and all, but I don't even think he is that much better of a prospect than Jerryd Bayless is. I'd rather see the Raptors continue to develop Bayless and see what he can do than use a top 5 pick on basically the exact same type of player in Knight. This is why I wish the Raptors played him heavy minutes during the last 20 games of the season so that they can actually get a decent idea on what they have. Starting him for 3 games and giving him extended minutes for another 4 to finish off the season isn't nearly enough. They should've been given Bayless plenty of minutes for a while now to see if it would be worth continuing to try and develop him or if they would be better off drafting a guy like Knight or Kemba Walker. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Check my Stats Posted April 7, 2011 Author Report Share Posted April 7, 2011 Would you guys be opposed to trading our first this year + our first 2 years (unprotected) away if it meant moving up to get Irving? Do you think that'd even be enough to get it done? I would throw out offers of our pick + anything except Demar or Ed for a pick that could land us Irving. But that either mean Cleveland passing on him for Derrick, or them falling down considerably and Washington/Minnesota looking at him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BasX Posted April 7, 2011 Report Share Posted April 7, 2011 I'd rather keep the picks and take BPA, but it is an intriguing situation. I'm just not sold on a guy like Perry Jones yet and I'm iffy on Derrick Williams as of now. It'll take some time as this probably the year more than any other where pre-drafts camp could actually help me make a decision. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BasX Posted April 7, 2011 Report Share Posted April 7, 2011 And what I'll do to BC if Jose is still on this team next year Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Built Ford Tough Posted April 7, 2011 Report Share Posted April 7, 2011 (edited) Would you guys be opposed to trading our first this year + our first 2 years (unprotected) away if it meant moving up to get Irving? Do you think that'd even be enough to get it done? I would throw out offers of our pick + anything except Demar or Ed for a pick that could land us Irving. But that either mean Cleveland passing on him for Derrick, or them falling down considerably and Washington/Minnesota looking at him. Probably not, but a lot of that depends on who else declares for the draft. If somebody like Barnes declares and the Raptors can pick him at 3 or 4, I definitely wouldn't do that trade. Even if Barnes doesn't declare and this draft is as weak as it is looking like, I wouldn't give up an unprotected 1st to move up for Irving, as much as I like him. I'd rather just take a chance on a guy like Jones, Kanter or Valanciunas this season and then maybe grab a guy like Kabongo next season (depends on where they are picking, of course). I wouldn't have any problems with them packaging the pick and somebody like Bayless to move up and draft Irving, but I wouldn't really be all that happy with trading an unprotected first to do it, considering that first is going to be pretty high as well. Throw some protections on it and I probably would do it, though. Best case scenario for the Raptors, other than winning the lottery, would be for either Washington or Minnesota to win the lottery as I don't see either one of them drafting Irving. If the Raptors pick either 2nd or 3rd with both of them ahead of them, I think they have a legit chance of having Irving fall to them, especially if Barnes declares as I could see Williams and Barnes being picked ahead simply because they are much better fits with Wall and Rubio on the roster already. Edited April 7, 2011 by Built Ford Tough Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Built Ford Tough Posted April 10, 2011 Report Share Posted April 10, 2011 Raptors are now all alone in 3rd last after Washington beat the Hawks by 22 tonight. Very nice as this probably at least guarantees the Raptors a share of the third worst record by the end of the season as I can't see them finishing the season 2-1. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buckets! Posted April 12, 2011 Report Share Posted April 12, 2011 Top 3 pick, AWESOME! Let's get Harrison Barnes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Built Ford Tough Posted April 14, 2011 Report Share Posted April 14, 2011 (edited) Raptors locked up the third worst record with their loss to the Heat, which gives them a 15.6% chance to win the lottery. Worst case scenario, they fall to 6th. Hopefully Barnes proves all the "experts" wrong and declares because at least that way the Raptors would likely walk away with one of Irving, Barnes, Williams, Kanter or Valanciunas, assuming that they at least stay in the top 5 which I think is a reasonable assumption. Either way, May 17th can't come any sooner. Edited April 14, 2011 by Built Ford Tough Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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