*** Official 2014 NBA Draft and Free Agency Thread ***

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Miramonti

Miramonti

Lifer
Aug 26, 2000
28,653
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A few random thoughts to start the thread...

• Jabari Parker is going to be great and will go #1. I see him as being close to a Carmelo but better and all around more competitive.

• Wiggins, not so much. He's incredibly athletic but is overrated imo. I think he of those 'potential' guys who's stock would go down if he stayed in school, particularly as some are currently projecting him as a #1.

• Embiid...he'd be #2 if not for his broken foot (and recent back injury.) Another Oden? He'll be a really exciting and successful player if he can have a relatively healthy career.
 
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postmortemIA

postmortemIA

Diamond Member
Jul 11, 2006
7,721
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91
Embiid is the new Duncan. Unfortunate timing with the injury.vI think that Cavs will fail to get the right guy again.
 
HendrixFan

HendrixFan

Diamond Member
Oct 18, 2001
4,646
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postmortemIA said:
Embiid is the new Duncan. Unfortunate timing with the injury.vI think that Cavs will fail to get the right guy again.
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The Cavs are looking to trade down to get Embiid which would be the best way to go about it. That said, Embiid is Duncan in the same way Melo is Lebron. They play a similar position but that is about it. Their game couldn't be more different. Duncan is all fundamental and polish.

Embiid has been playing basketball for what, two years now? He is all physical specimen and potential. Embiid is the new Ibaka or Olajuwan. He moves like a smaller player but in that huge body. If he learns basketball up to 65% of the level of a Duncan he will be the best big in the game.

The difficulty of knowing where teams will go with picks is that most GMs are staggeringly moronic. The Cavs should trade down and take Embiid but already turned down the #4 and #12 AND Afflalo to do so. Jabari Parker tanked his Cleveland workout so he wouldn't end up in that clusterf*ck, which is for the best. His game is all offense and ball dominant. Which is the same as Irving. And Waiters. And Thompson. And Bennett. The last thing the Cavs need is Parker. Wiggins is a better fit, someone who doesn't need or want the ball but is a GREAT defender. But he is also the clear #3 guy and not worth the top pick.
 
Miramonti

Miramonti

Lifer
Aug 26, 2000
28,653
100
106
Heat target Shabazz Napier to lure Lebron

No possible way will he drop to #26, lol. Napier had a lot of Iverson in him during Uconn's championship run and he's going to be highly sought after from 10-20. At this stage of Wade's career and mystifying lackluster performances in the finals, I don't they they could even trade him for a high pick to get napier.
 
Miramonti

Miramonti

Lifer
Aug 26, 2000
28,653
100
106
Mavs close to acquiring Tyson Chandler and Raymond "Chedder Cheese Fries" Felton from the Knicks.

Sources told ESPN.com that the Mavericks, who immediately made reacquiring Chandler one of their priorities after their first-round playoffs exit to San Antonio, soon will complete a trade with the Knicks that they will clinch by agreeing to take back the contract of New York's out-of-favor guard Raymond Felton, as well.

The trade is expected to cost Dallas two starters -- point guard Jose Calderon and center Samuel Dalembert -- along with prized young point guard Shane Larkin, reserve guard Wayne Ellington and future second-round draft compensation.
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Miramonti

Miramonti

Lifer
Aug 26, 2000
28,653
100
106
Atomic Playboy said:
That's too bad. I like the Mavs, but any team with Raymond Felton on it is the worst team in the league by default. Ray Felton can drown in a port-a-potty.
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I have to believe he won't be on the Mavs' bench for the team by the time the ball goes up in the air to start the season. That would be very unfortunate.
 
DesiPower

DesiPower

Lifer
Nov 22, 2008
15,299
740
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jjsole said:
I have to believe he won't be on the Mavs' bench for the team by the time the ball goes up in the air to start the season. That would be very unfortunate.
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I agree, he is probably part of a package deal, Mavs will get rid of him at the first chance.
 
D

darkewaffle

Diamond Member
Oct 7, 2005
8,152
1
81
Knicks send Chandler, Felton to Dallas for Calderon, Larkin, Dalembert, Ellington and No. 34 and 51, sources told ESPN. Deal is done.
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San Antonio's Tim Duncan has decided to opt into the final year of his contract at $10.3M, league sources tell Yahoo Sports.
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Asik to Pelicans for NO's 2015 1st round pick as well supposedly but can't be "officialized" yet.
 
M

manly

Lifer
Jan 25, 2000
13,178
3,957
136
jjsole said:
A few random thoughts to start the thread...

• Jabari Parker is going to be great and will go #1. I see him as being close to a Carmelo but better and all around more competitive.

• Wiggins, not so much. He's incredibly athletic but is overrated imo. I think he of those 'potential' guys who's stock would go down if he stayed in school, particularly as some are currently projecting him as a #1.
Click to expand...
has any Dukie ever been a 5-time NBA All-Star? I just checked and Grant Hill was a 7-time AS, so probably the best NBA player to ever come out of Duke. Point is, Duke players have never been franchise-level talents IMO. Part of it is that they're known to be high-character guys that tend to lack the prototypical NBA athleticism (i.e. Shane Battier or Christian Laettner). Hill fits that stereotype to a tee.

Andrew Wiggins looks incredibly slight and it could take him 3 years or longer to fill out his frame, but I'd roll the dice that he can. Just figure he's got more upside potential than Parker.
 
Atomic Playboy

Atomic Playboy

Lifer
Feb 6, 2007
16,432
1
81
manly said:
has any Dukie ever been a 5-time NBA All-Star? I just checked and Grant Hill was a 7-time AS, so probably the best NBA player to ever come out of Duke. Point is, Duke players have never been franchise-level talents IMO. Part of it is that they're known to be high-character guys that tend to lack the prototypical NBA athleticism (i.e. Shane Battier or Christian Laettner). Hill fits that stereotype to a tee.

Andrew Wiggins looks incredibly slight and it could take him 3 years or longer to fill out his frame, but I'd roll the dice that he can. Just figure he's got more upside potential than Parker.
Click to expand...

Kyrie Irving is on pace to be a 5-time All-Star easily, and will likely surpass Grant Hill for greatest talent ever to come out of Duke (Hill did have a loooooong career though).
 
M

manly

Lifer
Jan 25, 2000
13,178
3,957
136
Atomic Playboy said:
Kyrie Irving is on pace to be a 5-time All-Star easily, and will likely surpass Grant Hill for greatest talent ever to come out of Duke (Hill did have a loooooong career though).
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I thought about Irving, but it's way too early to say how he'll turn out. His first few seasons track closely to guys like Stephon Marbury and Steve Francis, who turned out to be prima donna busts. Although Irving may indeed continue to be a perennial All-Star participant, I don't think he's worth a max extension.

Irving is also not the prototypical Dukie, as he has above-average athleticism for a Blue Devil and he was good enough not to have a long college career. Maybe he and Jabari Parker can re-write history on the pro careers of Duke basketball players, who knows.
 
Miramonti

Miramonti

Lifer
Aug 26, 2000
28,653
100
106
manly said:
has any Dukie ever been a 5-time NBA All-Star? I just checked and Grant Hill was a 7-time AS, so probably the best NBA player to ever come out of Duke. Point is, Duke players have never been franchise-level talents IMO. Part of it is that they're known to be high-character guys that tend to lack the prototypical NBA athleticism (i.e. Shane Battier or Christian Laettner). Hill fits that stereotype to a tee.

Andrew Wiggins looks incredibly slight and it could take him 3 years or longer to fill out his frame, but I'd roll the dice that he can. Just figure he's got more upside potential than Parker.
Click to expand...

Parker doesn't fit the over rated and under-achieving Duke mold. He has all the skills and athleticism to be a great player, and can play possessed. His aggressiveness and ability to attack is very...north carolina-ish. ;) I'm a real big fan of his game.

manly said:
Drew Bynum 2.0 or Greg Oden 2.0? :p
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Nothing indicates he has knee issues, so that rules out both these guys. Myself I would worry more about his back. However I think you've got to take the risk and choose between him and Parker. His strength, athleticism, and footwork, with the ability to finish not just dunks is fantastic. He's still raw, but he's got to go top 3. For that matter, I'd even take Randle over Wiggins, putting Wiggins at 4...just not a huge fan of his.
 
HendrixFan

HendrixFan

Diamond Member
Oct 18, 2001
4,646
0
71
manly said:
Drew Bynum 2.0 or Greg Oden 2.0? :p
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Both of those guys were bulky and labored up and down the court. They were quick but not fast or light. Embiid is fast and light, he moves like a guard. I have better faith in his ability to bounce back from injury than those two guys. Since the 76ers are picking 3 and 10, and have Noel on ice, I don't mind the risk of taking Embiid at all.
 
HendrixFan

HendrixFan

Diamond Member
Oct 18, 2001
4,646
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71
jjsole said:
Aaron Gordon over Randle, lol
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I hate the Lakers, but I have a feeling Randle dropping to 7th and ending up on the Lakers will be one of those things people talk about for 15 years, like Kobe going 13th or Kawhi Leonard going 15th. Guys with that kind of ceiling usually don't drop that far, and teams are lucky to get them.
 
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