2014 Draft Thread

[Catman 380]

Thing about randle is his measurable are underwhelming and this is a potential draft, since these guys are all so young. Which is why i see him going at 6-8 after exum, and orlando picking him at 4 is a very low chance of happening.

 

I like vonleh and gordon more for future development , but im a randle fan. I already said he could be a Barkley type who outplays his measurements, but drafting on potential has become more of a science. For example anthony davis is going to be a top 5 player in the league possibly next year and he came in fairly raw.

 

Gordons potential as an elite defender is very high already, and i like that for the magic. I think he could be a force on both sides in 3 years.

 

Im just glad there are 4 guys that are potentially elite and we are getting one of them. Truly not worried about exum being a bust. Cant see that happening. The biggest chance for a bust is wiggins, just because people expect so much.

[Soul Bro 1,422]

Is it me or does Saric now sound like a stud? If it weren't for the reported issues about his flakiness I could see him fighting Vonleh for top PF.

[Fultz4thewin 2,464]

No, a 6'11" wingspan is horrible for a PF unless you're ultra skilled like Kevin Love or Blake Griffin aka what Randle isn't. Why are people literally making things up about this guy. Randle was bad the whole season but had a decent tournament run and got his stock inflated. He's small, unathletic, has a busted jumper and zero defensive instincts. He isn't worth a Top 10 pick. He played okay vs. bad defenses and was terrible against good defenses and his flaws will be magnified against the bigger more athletic NBA.

 

Why are you even wasting time defending this guy, the Magic don't need him or have interest in him (thankfully).

 

This is very hyperbolic.

[MagicFanInNevada 51]

Why are you even wasting time defending this guy, the Magic don't need him or have interest in him (thankfully).

 

How can you be so sure boss?

[Murphy13 185]

No, a 6'11" wingspan is horrible for a PF unless you're ultra skilled like Kevin Love or Blake Griffin aka what Randle isn't. Why are people literally making things up about this guy. Randle was bad the whole season but had a decent tournament run and got his stock inflated. He's small, unathletic, has a busted jumper and zero defensive instincts. He isn't worth a Top 10 pick. He played okay vs. bad defenses and was terrible against good defenses and his flaws will be magnified against the bigger more athletic NBA.

 

Why are you even wasting time defending this guy, the Magic don't need him or have interest in him (thankfully).

 

I'm not trying to pick on you with the following, the only made up stuff here is from you though. As in, everything you just said cannot be backed up. From his 7' wingspan (not 6'11", semantics) span to his elite athleticism (Blake literally measured same as him in athletic drills but Randle isn't elite despite being even a bigger body? Really?) to Randle's above average post play evident by double/triple/and quadruple teams (watch almost any highlight video of his), to being the most consistent big (arguably by opinion, not by metrics) to the 'whole bad season' where he led the NCAA in double doubles* on top of ad-nauseum double/triple teams. He 'only plays OK against bad defenses', but his stock 'only increased in the tourney'-where he carried his team past a lot of good defensive teams all the way to the championship game?

 

It just doesn't add up from any angle man. He is incredibly athletic, and as mentioned in the previous post those links I put up discuss how each of your specific points are wrong baseless-if you don't want to take my word for it click on 'em.

 

*http://www.ncaa.com/stats/basketball-men/d1/current/individual/556 -notice not only did he lead the league in DD but also had nearly twice as many as Jabari Parker, and Vonleh/Gordon despite their 'advantages' don't make it in the top 50.

[Bauncey Chillups 288]

I'm just gonna go ahead and let you continue to believe Randle has Blake Griffin-spec athleticism because that's high comedy. When we see him struggle against NBA length I'll be sure to let you know.

[Murphy13 185]

I'm just gonna go ahead and let you continue to believe Randle has Blake Griffin-spec athleticism because that's high comedy. When we see him struggle against NBA length I'll be sure to let you know.

 

Which player is Blake Griffin, which is Julius Randle?

Source: http://www.draftexpress.com/nba-pre-draft-measurements/?page=&year=2009&source=All&sort2=DESC&draft=0&pos=4&sort=1

and: http://www.draftexpress.com/nba-pre-draft-measurements/?page=&year=2014&source=All&sort2=DESC&draft=0&pos=4&sort=1

 

Exhibit A:

ht: 6'9 "

wt: 250

WS: 7'0"

Reach: 8'9.5"

no step:29"

vert: 35.5"

max vert reach: 11'9"

agility11.45 sec

sprint 3.27 sec

 

Exhibit B:

ht: 6'10"

wt: 248

ws: 6'11"

reach: 8'9"

no step: 32"

vert: 35.5"

max vert reach: 11'8"

agility: 10.95 sec

sprint: 3.28 sec

 

You're the only one bringing comedy, I ain't funny. (A is Randle B is Griffin)

[Soul Bro 1,422]

If Randle gets knocked for his wingspan, why doesn't Gordon, who has the same wingspan but is also shorter?

Because nobody was claiming he was one of the surest picks. Also Gordon plays a completely different style of ball... He plays hyper-defensive and above the rim like a pogo stick.

[Nyce_1 311]

Jackson stepped furthest outside the company line. He didn’t pull any punches about his desired role. “I’d like to be a starter. I’m not going to lie,” he said.

Jackson then elaborated: “Everybody thinks point guard is kind of a quirky thing. People that like to run the show. That’s kind of our nature, feeling in control. I definitely enjoy that.”

 

I asked Jackson if he’s content being a sixth man. I was shocked at his answer. “It’s tough. Like I said, I’m really a control freak so I like to be in control. That’s kind of how I am. I think that’s how point guards tend to be, quirky. I like to feel in control, a guy kind of running the show.”

Uh, we might want to remember that this summer.

 

Here’s the thing about Jackson, though. I can respect what he said today. He didn’t pull any of that crap James Harden pulled two years ago about sacrifice. He told it straight. The man wants to be a starter. He wants to run a team. Nothing at all wrong with that. I wonder about his long-term fit with the Thunder because of that and other reasons I have detailed throughout the season. Contrary to what some think after seeing Jackson struggle at times defensively, he is in fact a starting caliber point guard in this league. Tons of teams would love to have him. He’s that skilled. But for as long as he’s with the Thunder, he’ll have to accept a lesser role. It’s going to be interesting to see how this all plays out. Jackson is eligible for an extension to his rookie deal this summer. Between the money he could command, the role he’ll be required to embrace and a fit that is far anything but ideal, it’s far from a guarantee that a deal will be reached this summer.

 

Jackson on whether he’ll continue to start at shooting guard next season: “I don’t know. I get paid to play, not coach. I don’t really have to make that decision. I just was doing what was asked of me. I was thrown in the starting role and did my best to try to scrounge up four wins before they did. Unfortunately it didn’t happen.”

Of course, the biggest issue with Jackson is his defense. While he did struggle at times this season, I think he was unfairly criticized. Not wrongly criticized but unfairly. Because he wasn’t the only one that struggled. Kevin Durant and Westbrook are in years six and seven and still display maddening inconsistency on that end. But few want to pick them apart because of how much they do on offense. But my thing is in order for this team to get to where it wants to go, everybody must be held accountable.

 

Jackson on his issues defensively and how he intends on addressing them: “Poor closeouts. I’ve definitely got to improve on that. I think it’s more mental than anything. When I lock in, I feel like I can pick anybody up for 94 feet. It’s not a problem. It’s just a mental task of doing it and pushing myself beyond the limit, knowing that I can do it on both ends of the floor each and every night, each and every possession. I think that’s somewhere where I’ve got to get better at, just tap into my mental and tell myself I can do it. Maybe the body feels tired, but if the mind’s all right the body will follow. So I’ve got to get better on closeouts, especially when I feel a little fatigued. Too many guys have blown by me so I feel like I was kind of a detriment at times with that when I know the team relies on me to lock in no matter who’s in front of me to get a stop.”

 

Jackson on why locking in defensively for 48 minutes is so difficult for him, Durant and Westbrook: “We probably get lost in thinking about what we have to do offensively for the team at times that we don’t necessarily pay as much detail to defense because we know we can go fill up the stat sheet on the offensive end. So it’s somewhere we just got to get hungrier. Got to get better. All of us just got to be more determined to just get it done. To be the best. Not just one end of the ball. I think we got to come out with the mindset that we’re going to humiliate whoever’s in front of us each and every possession. No mercy. I think that’s what I’m going to work on, just try and abuse whoever’s in front of me night in and night out starting next season.”

 

http://newsok.com/closing-nuggets/article/4869897

 

These are some nuggets from OKC's exit interviews form one of their local writers. If we can grab one of the top 3, how would you feel about making a run for Jackson this summer?

[HeHateMe 697]

Couldn't agree more….But that should be what this forum is for….Reading everyone's different perspective on things….Human beings will never all think alike.

 

And as you can see the different opinion's on who or what Henny should do are very much a wide variety !

 

Exactly 100% correct. That's the annoying thing with a lot of posters on here. If someone says something that goes against anything that is seen as the "general consensus", that person gets blasted. The whole point to this forum and what is fun about it is that no one really knows anything, thus making no one right or wrong. Good Ole' debate is good. The stupid one liners shooting someone's view on what they think the Magic might do, ruins it.

 

I think we can all agree that this draft is a huge step for this organization. Even just assuming we stay pat and pick at 4 and 12, this draft could either set us up to be one of the best young teams in the league, or, if we flop, could set us back 2-3 more years.

 

Glad I am not GM.

[CTMagicUK 1,491]

RE: the Randle/Griffin comparison.

 

Combine numbers, in my opinion, are wholly inaccurate when it comes to in game play. Like, does anybody in their right mind believe that Doug McDermott actually has a better max vertical than Blake Griffin? Because he does according to the combine measurements.

[LaVar 108]

Which player is Blake Griffin, which is Julius Randle?

Source: http://www.draftexpress.com/nba-pre-draft-measurements/?page=&year=2009&source=All&sort2=DESC&draft=0&pos=4&sort=1

and: http://www.draftexpress.com/nba-pre-draft-measurements/?page=&year=2014&source=All&sort2=DESC&draft=0&pos=4&sort=1

 

Exhibit A:

ht: 6'9 "

wt: 250

WS: 7'0"

Reach: 8'9.5"

no step:29"

vert: 35.5"

max vert reach: 11'9"

agility11.45 sec

sprint 3.27 sec

 

Exhibit B:

ht: 6'10"

wt: 248

ws: 6'11"

reach: 8'9"

no step: 32"

vert: 35.5"

max vert reach: 11'8"

agility: 10.95 sec

sprint: 3.28 sec

 

You're the only one bringing comedy, I ain't funny. (A is Randle B is Griffin)

 

those comments were mostly before the combine. before the combine, randle wingspan was 6"10 (based on lebron james/ amare stoudemire camps)

 

now that he measured better during the combines, it is less of an issue.