2014 Draft Thread

[Catman 380]

Crazy how intense it gets on here all over pure speculation based on who we think we should draft or trade for. I would be scared to see what would happen if the posters on here all got together in 1 room and discussed this topic in person. Yikes.

 

Its like this every year. Just part of the madness.

 

Embrace it.

[Catman 380]

I just don't get why this is considered a "problem". Seriously, he is in the prime of his career, is a phenomenal example of the work ethic needed to succeed/improve, which he has continued to do every year in the league; if they can't get to a point where they are taking those minutes, then maybe they aren't the building block players that we want them to be. Jacque seems to be doing a pretty good job of managing the minutes so that the guys working hard and improving are getting their opportunities. AA is one player, and he played a lot of time out of position at the 3 last year - not just to free up time at the 2 for VOladipo, but because our other SF were not getting the job done. I don't want our young guys to be given their minutes, I want them to have to earn them.

 

I believe you answered your own question in bold.

 

The magic have a ton of holes to fill. An asset like AA can really help with that.

[The Neighborhood Bully 266]

I had already posted a link that supported my claim and you apparently never read it.

I read it, but the author's credentials didn't really impress me.

 

 

BOUT THE AUTHOR

 

 

JACOB RUDE

 

I'm a journalism student at Indiana University with a passion for all sports, namely the NBA and the Los Angeles Lakers.

[the notorious S.A.C. 89]

I just don't get why this is considered a "problem". Seriously, he is in the prime of his career, is a phenomenal example of the work ethic needed to succeed/improve, which he has continued to do every year in the league; if they can't get to a point where they are taking those minutes, then maybe they aren't the building block players that we want them to be. Jacque seems to be doing a pretty good job of managing the minutes so that the guys working hard and improving are getting their opportunities. AA is one player, and he played a lot of time out of position at the 3 last year - not just to free up time at the 2 for VOladipo, but because our other SF were not getting the job done. I don't want our young guys to be given their minutes, I want them to have to earn them.

 

He may be in the prime of his career but he should not be in our long term plans. He had decent numbers on a god awful team the last two years. On a good team he would lose 6 points per game off his average from day one. The timing of this team to grow is now...and be very good in 3 years. It would be much better to get an asset that will be significant in 3 years not to have Affalo as another over the hill player who is the 10th man (see Otis) in his 30s. If we were a 45 win team AA would be a good add to fill a hole but the Magic are growing at this point. Taking minutes from a potential star in two years only delays the process. If AA has value (which he does) to someone move him for someone which better fits our time frame. Using him to move up to 6,7 or 8 to get Gordon or Smart will make this team much better in three years than having the old man around.

[jmmagicfan 303]

I believe you answered your own question in bold.

 

The magic have a ton of holes to fill. An asset like AA can really help with that.

 

And I agree with you that we have a ton of holes, but you don't want to patch one by creating another.

[Nyce_1 311]

But Jabari Parker, Andrew Wiggins, and Joel Embiid won’t be visiting Waltham to run through drills, and be weighed, measured, and medically examined by the Celtics in what’s considered to be a final step in the evaluation process before the draft.

 

 

“They have no use for a team drafting sixth,” said Danny Ainge, the Celtics president of basketball operations.

 

Parker, from Duke, and Wiggins and Embiid, both from Kansas, are the draft’s top three prospects, all but guaranteed to be selected 1-2-3 in some order.

 

As such, league sources say those players are expected to work out only for Cleveland, Milwaukee, and Philadelphia, the teams that are drafting first, second, and third.

 

Australian guard Dante Exum, a strong candidate to be selected fourth overall, appears to have a similar strategy, as he, too, won’t be working out for the Celtics.

 

http://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/2014/05/29/for-celtics-prospects-workout-policies-can-frustrating/qwS7Q9LsbqDnaEgskoKboJ/story.html

[bhnole 153]

Doesn't surprise me that Exum won't work out for the Celtics.

 

If he doesn't go top 4 my guess is his agent will ignore the Celtics and Jazz in hopes he drops to the Lakers.

[Nyce_1 311]

Doesn't surprise me that Exum won't work out for the Celtics.

 

If he doesn't go top 4 my guess is his agent will ignore the Celtics and Jazz in hopes he drops to the Lakers.

agreed. But sucks we may not get an interview with the top 3. I see a possibility that one of them fall to us. Then, what do we do? Draft someone we didn't interview and hope for the best, or go with what we know and get Smart?

[Murphy13 185]

If someone is unwilling to work out with us, it's because they have assurances they won't be available at our spot. Orlando is not Milwaukee or Vancouver. If the top 3 are refusing to work out with the 4th team, it tells you the likely draft order. We better not reach for Smart/Vonleh at 4.

[jmmagicfan 303]

He may be in the prime of his career but he should not be in our long term plans. He had decent numbers on a god awful team the last two years. On a good team he would lose 6 points per game off his average from day one. The timing of this team to grow is now...and be very good in 3 years. It would be much better to get an asset that will be significant in 3 years not to have Affalo as another over the hill player who is the 10th man (see Otis) in his 30s. If we were a 45 win team AA would be a good add to fill a hole but the Magic are growing at this point. Taking minutes from a potential star in two years only delays the process. If AA has value (which he does) to someone move him for someone which better fits our time frame. Using him to move up to 6,7 or 8 to get Gordon or Smart will make this team much better in three years than having the old man around.

 

First of all, AA averaged over 15 ppg his final season in Denver on a reasonably good team, so your comment about losing 6 ppg off his average is just plain wrong, with no basis at all. He has worked hard and improved his ppg every year in the league. His first year here his FG% and 3FG% went down due to the increased defensive pressure on him being our first option. Last year he again increased his ppg while playing one less mpg, and also brought both his FG% and 3FG% back up to near career highs while continuing to be our first option. With his work ethic, you really think he will be over-the-hill in a couple of years? Really?!? What in his background makes you think that? In point of fact, he has shown that his normal behavior is to assess what he did poorly over the season, work hard over the summer to address the deficiency and improve every year.

 

Secondly, at what point do you stop rebuilding/long term planning and start trying to be the consistently excellent team that is the goal? You can't win with all old players, you can't win with all young players, it takes a mix. My contention is that it is time to start developing the mix, instead of just trading to acquire younger players/draft picks. Unless you start winning, your young players will go elsewhere when they reach RFA and/or FA status. With Oladipo, Vucevic, Harris, Harkless, O'Quinn and two rookies this year we are already among the youngest teams in the league, not even counting Moore, Nicholson and Lamb(assuming we don't retain more than one of them). We have the good young core, with Afflalo we have a veteran, near all-star with work ethic to lead/mentor and help them start winning. This team needs to move in a positive direction this year for wins and/or playoffs. Next summer Harris, O'Quinn, and Vucevic are currently scheduled to become RFA. We will have to use a significant part of our cap space to retain them. My contention is that we are now in the "mid-term" planning phase, and looking at veterans in the 27-29 year old range to help us take the next step (ie more wins/some playoff experience for our younger players) is not two or three years in the future, but is now. I see no reason that AA should/could not be one of those veterans to move us in that direction. In fact, I am not sure how you replace him with someone who is now, or will be better next season. There aren't a lot of guys out there who are averaging 15/3/3 and a quality defender available, either as a FA or on the trading block. I don't think we go far if AA is the best player on our team, but I do think the challenge he provides to our younger SG and SF to become better than he is and earn their playing time will make them far better players.

 

I agree that AA is an asset that can/should be used to improve our team, but I think the time for completely sacrificing the present is past. I think his presence and leadership through example should not be traded away for the "shiny new toy". He is the bird in the hand - maybe you can release him to catch the two in the bush, but maybe you wind up missing them and end up with nothing.

[Catman 380]

I read it, but the author's credentials didn't really impress me.

 

 

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That's great. He did the research on the players though, wrote the article and got it published through an SI subsidiary.

 

Lets see your credentials so we can all figure out why you would be more qualified to comment than him.

 

Anyway, I will end this right now. Here is what you wanted : http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2028323-is-aaron-gordon-the-most-versatile-prospect-in-the-2014-nba-draft

 

"Gordon finishes over 70 percent of his shots around the rim, per Hoop-Math, a reflection of his devastating blend of hops and coordination. "

 

Thank you.

[bhnole 153]

AA's trade value is unlikely to get any higher than it will this off season.

 

While I understand people wanting to keep him around as a veteran to lead the young guns it might be time to sell high on a team that will be breaking in another two highly talented rookies.

 

A lot depends on who we draft at #4...if Jabari Parker then we can keep Dipo at PG and start AA alongside Parker and Dipo.

 

Exum, Smart or Wiggins will create problems with finding playing time for what would be our back court of the future. As Catman has pointed out many times AA is a poor fit at SF.