2013 NBA Draft

Ford chat starting at 1pm

http://espn.go.com/sportsnation/chat/_/id/48342

Everyone bombard him with questions about the Cavs, haha

JMcCurry08 said:

Cavs Draft Board
1) Alex Len
2) Ben McLemore
3) Victor Oladipo
4) Ben McLemore
5) Nerlens Noel

Click to expand...

You really like McLemore, don't you?

csb669 said:

There is always a chance, sure. My thing is this is a guy who survives on athleticism alone. He has no basketball skills whatsoever, so hoping that he develops some is exactly that, hope. There is nothing to base it on currently. You state that he is further along offensively than he is given credit for but every report I've seen and all the video seems to indicate that he is Desagana Diop-raw. From my perspective the guy has bust written all over him. Here's to hoping he proves me wrong, because if the Cavs keep the pick that seems to be where they're headed. (Hoping Len at #1 is just a smokescreen)

Click to expand...

I think you're pretty far off base on how reliant he is on his athleticism. He has phenomenal defensive instincts and fundamentals, he's not just one of those pogo sticks swatting the ball into the 5th row.

Offensively, he's an above average passer and ball handler along with being adept at finishing with either hand. He was also extremely effective in the pick and roll at Kentucky despite playing with some horrendous distributors.

No, I don't count them as basketball skills, I count them under height and athleticism. You can drag a guy out of the Congo who has never seen a basketball and put him on the court and he can block shots. While timing is certainly a factor, it;s not really a learned skill.

csb669 said:

No, I don't count them as basketball skills, I count them under height and athleticism. You can drag a guy out of the Congo who has never seen a basketball and put him on the court and he can block shots. While timing is certainly a factor, it;s not really a learned skill.

Click to expand...

Why don't you sit this next one out, stop talking for a while.

csb669 said:

No, I don't count them as basketball skills, I count them under height and athleticism. You can drag a guy out of the Congo who has never seen a basketball and put him on the court and he can block shots. While timing is certainly a factor, it;s not really a learned skill.

Click to expand...

You are an idiot.

csb669 said:

There is always a chance, sure. My thing is this is a guy who survives on athleticism alone. He has no basketball skills whatsoever

Click to expand...

Stopped reading right here.

csb669 said:

No, I don't count them as basketball skills, I count them under height and athleticism. You can drag a guy out of the Congo who has never seen a basketball and put him on the court and he can block shots. While timing is certainly a factor, it;s not really a learned skill.

Click to expand...

Sure it is. There's a reason not every athletic seven-footer is an elite shot blocker. Blocking shots and grabbing steals the way Noel does requires instincts that most big men will never possess. When you watch Noel, you can tell the kid just has that innate feel for the game, which is why I like him so much as a prospect. He's not some kid who is just lost out there. He's got great hands and great instincts, and when you couple that with his elite athleticism, it makes him a great prospect.

To say the kid doesn't have any skills is absolutely ridiculous. He may not have a lot of elite skills on the offensive end (aside from his finishing ability), but he absolutely has almost every elite skill on the defensive end.

csb669 said:

No, I don't count them as basketball skills, I count them under height and athleticism. You can drag a guy out of the Congo who has never seen a basketball and put him on the court and he can block shots. While timing is certainly a factor, it;s not really a learned skill.

Click to expand...

Really?

Ford's latest TrueHoops blog entry had an interesting Mike Brown-Anthony Bennett connection that I hadn't heard of before. I'd post it but I'm on my phone.

MirORich said:

Ford's latest TrueHoops blog entry had an interesting Mike Brown-Anthony Bennett connection that I hadn't heard of before. I'd post it but I'm on my phone.

Click to expand...

On it!

http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/post/_/id/60362/who-will-cavs-pick-no-1-theories-abound

Argument: The Cavs will take Nerlens Noel with the No. 1 pick

I went into depth on Monday about why I have kept Noel as the No. 1 pick in my mock draft, but I'm also hearing this:

The theory: Cavs GM Chris Grant scouted Noel heavily all year and, for most of the season, Noel was atop their Big Board. Grant also recommended Noel's surgeon, Dr. James Andrews, to Kentucky head coach John Calipari and has been keeping a very close eye on the rehab.

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Argument: The Cavs will take Alex Len with the No. 1 pick

Len is the hottest name on the Internet right now thanks to several unsourced reports claiming the Cavs are taking him. Would the Cavs really pull the trigger on Len after just a so-so sophomore season? Here's where the speculation is coming from:

The theory: In early June, the Cavs hired Vitaly Potapenko as a development coach for big men. Potapenko is from the Ukraine. Len is from the Ukraine. People are connecting dots. The reports are also claiming that both Potapenko and former Cavs big man Zydrunas Ilgauskas are pushing hard for Len. Ilgauskas is from Lithuania, not the Ukraine, but you get the picture.

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Argument: The Cavs will take Anthony Bennett with the No. 1 pick

While Bennett isn't getting the buzz at No. 1 that Noel and Len are, the Cavs are considering him despite the fact Bennett doesn't appear to be a great fit in Cleveland. He, too, has a tie to the Cavs, however:

The theory: Head coach Mike Brown is pushing for Bennett. Brown's son, Elijah, was recruited by UNLV last year (but ultimately signed with Butler) and Brown made visits with his son to watch the Running Rebels play. Brown fell in love with Bennett and wants to coach him. He has support in the Cavs' front office, because Bennett might be the most offensively talented player of the top six in the draft and would add scoring punch to the Cavs' offensively challenged frontcourt.

---

Argument: The Cavs will take Otto Porter with the No. 1 pick

Porter was the guy we had the Cavs taking in our mock drafts before Cleveland landed the No. 1 pick. Is there still a chance he goes No. 1?

The theory: The Cavs have a gaping hole at small forward. Porter is the perfect fit for a team that already has two ball-dominant guards. Porter fits the culture in Cleveland, rates highly on virtually every analytical test and the Cavs still have lingering regret for passing on Harrison Barnes in last year's draft. They see Porter as a perfect fit.

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Argument: The Cavs will take Ben McLemore with the No. 1 pick

McLemore was widely regarded as the second- or third-best prospect in the draft for most of the season. His stock has only slipped recently because of some poor workouts and some off-the-court issues involving his representatives.

The theory: The Cavs either believe that Dion Waiters' game is better suited to a sixth-man role or are trying to trade him (I've heard both). They want better shooting in the backcourt, and with an established star already on the team (Irving) they feel the pressure will be off McLemore. McLemore has as much upside as or more upside than anyone in the draft and the Cavs aren't worried about his off-the-court issues.

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Argument: The Cavs will take Victor Oladipo with the No. 1 pick

Actually, of all the six players the Cavs are seriously looking at, very few in the league believe they'd take Oladipo at No. 1. There isn't a running theory out there about him going first. So ... here's mine:

The theory: He's my favorite player in the draft and the favorite player of many GMs (see our Secret NBA Draft Big Board for proof). The Cavs have been using the other five players as smoke screens to ferret out trades. But if they can't get a trade, they'll shock the world and take Oladipo. One can dream, can't they?

---

Argument: The Cavs will trade the No. 1 pick

There is plenty of evidence that they are trying. And there is plenty of evidence that they really don't have a viable deal so far.

The theory: The reason different names are being floated to the media ("It's going to be Len!" ... "It's going to be Porter!") is because the Cavs are trying to gauge trade interest for the various players at the top of the draft. That's why we are all so confused!

Click to expand...

Suffice it to say I think this is exactly what Grant was going for. :chuckles:

csb669 said:

No, I don't count them as basketball skills, I count them under height and athleticism. You can drag a guy out of the Congo who has never seen a basketball and put him on the court and he can block shots. While timing is certainly a factor, it;s not really a learned skill.

Click to expand...

Just stating the facts:

Definition of SKILL
1obsolete : cause, reason
2a : the ability to use one's knowledge effectively and readily in execution or performance b : dexterity or coordination especially in the execution of learned physical tasks
3: a learned power of doing something competently : a developed aptitude or ability <language skills>


A skill requires learning and knowledge. If you can do it based on sheer instinct and reaction alone, it isn't really a skill.

csb669 said:

No, I don't count them as basketball skills, I count them under height and athleticism. You can drag a guy out of the Congo who has never seen a basketball and put him on the court and he can block shots. While timing is certainly a factor, it;s not really a learned skill.

Click to expand...

demonmt said:

Really?

Click to expand...

He's right, I saw it in a movie once.

http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop

Chad Ford


Argument: The Cavs will take Nerlens Noel with the No. 1 pick

I went into depth on Monday about why I have kept Noel as the No. 1 pick in my mock draft, but I'm also hearing this:

The theory: Cavs GM Chris Grant scouted Noel heavily all year and, for most of the season, Noel was atop their Big Board. Grant also recommended Noel's surgeon, Dr. James Andrews, to Kentucky head coach John Calipari and has been keeping a very close eye on the rehab.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------




Argument: The Cavs will take Alex Len with the No. 1 pick

Len is the hottest name on the Internet right now thanks to several unsourced reports claiming the Cavs are taking him. Would the Cavs really pull the trigger on Len after just a so-so sophomore season? Here's where the speculation is coming from:

The theory: In early June, the Cavs hired Vitaly Potapenko as a development coach for big men. Potapenko is from the Ukraine. Len is from the Ukraine. People are connecting dots. The reports are also claiming that both Potapenko and former Cavs big man Zydrunas Ilgauskas are pushing hard for Len. Ilgauskas is from Lithuania, not the Ukraine, but you get the picture.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------




Argument: The Cavs will take Anthony Bennett with the No. 1 pick

While Bennett isn't getting the buzz at No. 1 that Noel and Len are, the Cavs are considering him despite the fact Bennett doesn't appear to be a great fit in Cleveland. He, too, has a tie to the Cavs, however:

The theory: Head coach Mike Brown is pushing for Bennett. Brown's son, Elijah, was recruited by UNLV last year (but ultimately signed with Butler) and Brown made visits with his son to watch the Running Rebels play. Brown fell in love with Bennett and wants to coach him. He has support in the Cavs' front office, because Bennett might be the most offensively talented player of the top six in the draft and would add scoring punch to the Cavs' offensively challenged frontcourt.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------




Argument: The Cavs will take Otto Porter with the No. 1 pick

Porter was the guy we had the Cavs taking in our mock drafts before Cleveland landed the No. 1 pick. Is there still a chance he goes No. 1?

The theory: The Cavs have a gaping hole at small forward. Porter is the perfect fit for a team that already has two ball-dominant guards. Porter fits the culture in Cleveland, rates highly on virtually every analytical test and the Cavs still have lingering regret for passing on Harrison Barnes in last year's draft. They see Porter as a perfect fit.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------




Argument: The Cavs will take Ben McLemore with the No. 1 pick

McLemore was widely regarded as the second- or third-best prospect in the draft for most of the season. His stock has only slipped recently because of some poor workouts and some off-the-court issues involving his representatives.

The theory: The Cavs either believe that Dion Waiters' game is better suited to a sixth-man role or are trying to trade him (I've heard both). They want better shooting in the backcourt, and with an established star already on the team (Irving) they feel the pressure will be off McLemore. McLemore has as much upside as or more upside than anyone in the draft and the Cavs aren't worried about his off-the-court issues.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------




Argument: The Cavs will take Victor Oladipo with the No. 1 pick

Actually, of all the six players the Cavs are seriously looking at, very few in the league believe they'd take Oladipo at No. 1. There isn't a running theory out there about him going first. So ... here's mine:

The theory: He's my favorite player in the draft and the favorite player of many GMs (see our Secret NBA Draft Big Board for proof). The Cavs have been using the other five players as smoke screens to ferret out trades. But if they can't get a trade, they'll shock the world and take Oladipo. One can dream, can't they?



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Argument: The Cavs will trade the No. 1 pick

There is plenty of evidence that they are trying. And there is plenty of evidence that they really don't have a viable deal so far.

The theory: The reason different names are being floated to the media ("It's going to be Len!" ... "It's going to be Porter!") is because the Cavs are trying to gauge trade interest for the various players at the top of the draft. That's why we are all so confused