Official 2014-2015 Strapped-In Season Thread

[Murphy13 185]

Funny thing is I heard Gordons named dropped around March last year, but it was with the usual suspects of Wiggins and Smart. So I started getting excited thinking the Magic may get him if they didn't get a top pick. It made sense and I posted why I thought it would be awesome. But logic kept telling me Rob wouldn't make such a ballsy move.

 

IMO so far, he looks like a top 5 pick in that draft and was a better choice than Exum and Smart at 4, and I think he will be better than Randall as well. Time will tell, but Im really glad we got him. Rob has drafted really well so far IMO. Payton is clearly great pick. He showed signs of starting to get some shot confidence tonight too.

 

I love Payton, but it took a lot to get him. That's not a reflection on Rob one way or the other, he got strong-armed by Sam F'in Hinkie.

 

I think Smart is ahead of Gordon on redraft right now, and I wasn't really a huge fan of his at the time. Exum clearly was overrated, as was Vonleh. Otherwise I feel the top 3 are still the top 3-even Embiid. We know where I stand on Randle, solid 4th on my humble list despite the injury...followed by Payton, Smart, LaVine, then Gordon at number 8. KJ McDaniels is really close to Gordon, but he's number 9 out of deference to my team.

 

A lot of strife is sent the Sixers way, but they pulled both McDaniels and Jerami Grant out of this draft. It makes you think they have the inside track on Embiid as well. They seem to draft well. A nod to the Sixers. They are a small Lakers win streak away from having potentially the first and sixth picks again in the upcoming draft.

[Fultz4thewin 2,464]

I love Payton, but it took a lot to get him. That's not a reflection on Rob one way or the other, he got strong-armed by Sam F'in Hinkie.

 

I think Smart is ahead of Gordon on redraft right now, and I wasn't really a huge fan of his at the time. Exum clearly was overrated, as was Vonleh. Otherwise I feel the top 3 are still the top 3-even Embiid. We know where I stand on Randle, solid 4th on my humble list despite the injury...followed by Smart, LaVine, then Gordon at number 7. KJ McDaniels is really close to Gordon, but he's number 8 out of deference to my team.

 

A lot of strife is sent the Sixers way, but they pulled both McDaniels and Jerami Grant out of this draft. It makes you think they have the inside track on Embiid as well. They seem to draft well. A nod to the Sixers. They are a small Lakers win streak away from having potentially the first and sixth picks again in the upcoming draft.

 

Lavine has been pedestrian.

 

Someone on Twitter started calling embiid Schrodinger's Embiid because he's equal parts Olajuwon and Oden until he actually plays a game.

[Murphy13 185]

Lavine has been pedestrian.

 

Someone on Twitter started calling embiid Schrodinger's Embiid because he's equal parts Olajuwon and Oden until he actually plays a game.

 

Lavine has been no worse than Gordon though. More consistent, better sample size. I am glad to have Gordon on our team

 

I like that comparison re Embiid. That's a very tantalizing combo of players. I like the cautious approach by the Sixers-driven by their tanking. Embiid could be on the floor right now, Oden couldn't. You didn't see Oden shooting three's (and making them) before games like Embiid does during shoot around either. Plus, Oden had red flags from high school and college. Embiid hurt his toward the end of the season and played like a beast otherwise.

[CTMagicUK 1,491]

Lavine has been no worse than Gordon though. More consistent, better sample size. I am glad to have Gordon on our team

 

I like that comparison re Embiid. That's a very tantalizing combo of players. I like the cautious approach by the Sixers-driven by their tanking. Embiid could be on the floor right now, Oden couldn't. You didn't see Oden shooting three's (and making them) before games like Embiid does during shoot around either. Plus, Oden had red flags from high school and college. Embiid hurt his toward the end of the season and played like a beast otherwise.

 

Embiid has red flags too. He's incredibly immature, there were rumors that he weighs 300 lbs recently and I wouldn't be surprised considering:

 

In just days, he would smash onto the floor at Oklahoma State, and Kansas’ training staff would detect a stress fracture in his spine. But on this day, Embiid simply slipped into the media room for a sugar fix.

 

He opened a refrigerator stocked with soft drinks and pulled out a pink lemonade. Of all the American ideals to fall in love with, Embiid fell hardest for pink lemonade — the bottled kind. In the moments after games, he would head to the refrigerator at the back of the media room and shovel bottles into his arms, like a child with a night full of Halloween loot. He drank it by the gallon, and the KU coaches and staffers always scolded him about his sugar intake.

 

It wasn’t just the lemonade. He was always gorging on cookies, inhaling brownies or crushing the stash of candy his father brought from Cameroon.

 

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/sports/college/big-12/university-of-kansas/article595329.html#storylink=cpy

[Murphy13 185]

How seriously he takes his health WRT his career is very important. If he's into pink lemonade and cookies now its not a big deal, but its not ideal and I would categorize it as a yellow flag. Dwight was a fan of honey buns his first couple years in the league FWIW.

[CTMagicUK 1,491]

How seriously he takes his health WRT his career is very important. If he's into pink lemonade and cookies now its not a big deal, but its not ideal and I would categorize it as a yellow flag. Dwight was a fan of honey buns his first couple years in the league FWIW.

 

Yea but I'm pretty sure there were never rumors like this about Dwight his first couple of years:

 

According to Keith Pompey of Philly.com, this rehab isn't going that well in terms of Embiid's weight. Embiid weighed about 245 pounds as a draft prospect and is reportedly pushing 300 pounds at the moment after some conditioning issues. He's supposedly had a blowup with assistant strength and conditioning coach James Davis and missed some conditioning drills in his road to recovery.

 

Embiid has a weight issue. Although the Sixers wouldn't disclose his weight, a source said he's close to 300 pounds after being 250 pounds at Kansas last season.

 

His work ethic is being questioned by some inside the organization.

 

The Sixers are trying to address the added weight. Embiid, however, hasn't always been a willing workout participant, according to sources. He's even blown off conditioning drills, one source added.

 

An altercation with Davis during the West Coast trip, coupled with Brown's wanting him to be in "more of a structured, stable environment," pushed the Sixers to send him home, the sources said.

 

- http://www.cbssports.com/nba/eye-on-basketball/24974306/report-joel-embiid-weighs-around-300-pounds-skipping-conditioning

[Fultz4thewin 2,464]

Lavine has been no worse than Gordon though. More consistent, better sample size. I am glad to have Gordon on our team

 

I like that comparison re Embiid. That's a very tantalizing combo of players. I like the cautious approach by the Sixers-driven by their tanking. Embiid could be on the floor right now, Oden couldn't. You didn't see Oden shooting three's (and making them) before games like Embiid does during shoot around either. Plus, Oden had red flags from high school and college. Embiid hurt his toward the end of the season and played like a beast otherwise.

 

I dunno. I think it's harder to judge Gordon right now due to the injury. Lavine has played in double the games.

 

I'm not high on lavine at all

[Murphy13 185]

Philly phans seem to think he is the second best shooter on the team. That may be a stretch considering he's not doing it in real time, but: http://www.nba.com/sixers/news/150303-embiid

 

He looks good to me, if he is 300 pounds its a good 300 pounds, though he looks like 270 at most to me. He has all the post moves, and a really nice jumper.

[Catman 380]

I love Payton, but it took a lot to get him. That's not a reflection on Rob one way or the other, he got strong-armed by Sam F'in Hinkie.

 

I think Smart is ahead of Gordon on redraft right now, and I wasn't really a huge fan of his at the time. Exum clearly was overrated, as was Vonleh. Otherwise I feel the top 3 are still the top 3-even Embiid. We know where I stand on Randle, solid 4th on my humble list despite the injury...followed by Payton, Smart, LaVine, then Gordon at number 8. KJ McDaniels is really close to Gordon, but he's number 9 out of deference to my team.

 

A lot of strife is sent the Sixers way, but they pulled both McDaniels and Jerami Grant out of this draft. It makes you think they have the inside track on Embiid as well. They seem to draft well. A nod to the Sixers. They are a small Lakers win streak away from having potentially the first and sixth picks again in the upcoming draft.

 

I really struggle to see that he lost that deal yet. The pick given away was not as high value as some people think, and we need to see if Saric A.)comes to the NBA and B.) can deliver on his potential.

 

Elfrid has already displayed he is an NBA starter, a terror on defense and a quick learner who simply needs to develop a shot. The shot motion he has is a bit unorthodox, but it is not broken and can be developed into a rather accurate shot for him. Elf is also pretty much renowned around the NBA as the 2nd or 3rd best rookie in this draft. Meanwhile, Philly traded away their PG, drafted a big who looks like a complete bust and malcontent and now has to anchor their defense around Noel who is undersized for his position.

 

I truly do not think they have the inside track on Embiid, and I think that pick may crush their rebuild. They already have him up for trade and are asking for massive value that they will never get in return.

 

IMO, Rob is far ahead of what Hinkle is doing, and Hinkle most likely will kick himself in a year for trading Payton in the first place.

 

Smart is ahead of Gordon only because of PT. There is really nothing Smart would have brought to our team that Payton and Victor already don't have. Smart can't shoot, is not as good at running an offense as Payton, and can't guard all 5 positions on the floor like Gordon. I would take Gordon over Smart 10/10 times, but you may not see the payoff for another year. Gordon is the youngest player in the draft so you just have to enjoy watching his growth this season and then compare his frame each year as he gets an NBA body. He is going to be a very imposing presence for us.

[Soul Bro 1,422]

It's far too early to judge the picks of AG and Easy. I still love the upside and energy of both of them.

 

And for the record, I don't think Hark should ever see the court again for the Magic. Be it AG getting those minutes or some young guy off the street, we need to move on.

[Catman 380]

It's far too early to judge the picks of AG and Easy. I still love the upside and energy of both of them.

 

And for the record, I don't think Hark should ever see the court again for the Magic. Be it AG getting those minutes or some young guy off the street, we need to move on.

 

How long do we wait to judge the picks -3 years? By then no one will care about judging them and it will be about the other new guys.

[TheNameIsOrlando 310]

How long do we wait to judge the picks -3 years? By then no one will care about judging them and it will be about the other new guys.

 

That's not true...up until his complete demise this year we still judged Hark. We gave him time and still cared as we also evaluated the other new guys(Payton/Gordon).