2015 NBA Draft Thread

[AZ_]

Damn you. You beat me to it. I was going to make a post about Brimah a week ago but didn't want to put forth the effort considering there is about no chance the Cavs can get him. He's likely going way higher than late first round, more than likely in the teens if he comes out this year, and probably lottery next year.

@Walter White and as far as finding a player like DeAndre Jordan...you can kiss that goodbye. Cavs gifted away their draft picks so they don't even have the chance to gamble on players with upside like that.

I think you mean gifted away their picks for a true center whose seemingly been a huge defensive asset in a year where they're chasing a title.

Your trolling it getting brutal.

 

[TwoPistols]

I think you mean gifted away their picks for a true center whose seemingly been a huge defensive asset in a year where they're chasing a title.

Your trolling it getting brutal.

Never trolling...I've stated my stance on Mozgov before. Value on the Cavs = A+. Trade in itself, C. No team in the league was giving up two first rounders for a guy averaging 8 and 8. And I'm not necessarily talking about straight Mozgov anyhow. It's been documented that Griffin has conceded way too much in his negotiations. Less draft picks = less chances to gamble.

 

[Hydroponic3385]

Never trolling...I've stated my stance on Mozgov before. Value on the Cavs = A+. Trade in itself, C. No team in the league was giving up two first rounders for a guy averaging 8 and 8. And I'm not necessarily talking about straight Mozgov anyhow. It's been documented that Griffin has conceded way too much in his negotiations. Less draft picks = less chances to gamble.

There's also probably no way the Cavs get such a perfect fit (e.g., Mozgov) for just one 1st rounder in early January. So sure we could gamble and waste another 4-6 weeks of our season away to get a better deal. But I'm quite content that we made the move when we did. Hell - we're on an 11 game winning streak and look like an entirely different team right now.

Plus we had one of those two 1st rounders (the OKC pick) for like 2 whole days. We essentially gave up Dion and one 1st for our 3 new guys. I can't be upset with Griffin about "conceding" when looking at the big picture of those 2 trades combined.

 

[Mr. Orange]

You know what? We can bitch and moan all we want about overpaying for trades, but remember the goal. The goal is to win a title. Not to win every trade. We have a team that can win it right now, this year, 2015. Griff did that. It's on the players now. The next two years is on the players. The window is wide open.

 

[kovanovich]

Damn you. You beat me to it. I was going to make a post about Brimah a week ago but didn't want to put forth the effort considering there is about no chance the Cavs can get him. He's likely going way higher than late first round, more than likely in the teens if he comes out this year, and probably lottery next year.

@Walter White and as far as finding a player like DeAndre Jordan...you can kiss that goodbye. Cavs gifted away their draft picks so they don't even have the chance to gamble on players with upside like that.

If your concern is the Cavs won't be able to draft anyone in coming years, that's not quite fair. I suspect they will have the chance, if they make it a priority, to pick up a player or two even in the second round, despite the fact they essentially have only one second round pick until 2020. They will likely be able to buy a pick targeting a player they are interested in, keeping in mind that each team can only use some $3.3M+ per year to facilitate trades, so they may find better uses for that money than buying second round picks. DeAndre Jordan was a second round pick back in 2008.

In fact, the Cavs picked up an extra second round pick just this past year from Charlotte (#45 overall--Dwight Powell) in the Haywood-Gee trade. Many teams will find themselves with multiple second round picks in a given year, since they get traded so freely, and I'm sure that a fair number will end up being sold or dealt in small trades during the draft.

So there's always hope, I guess, that the Cavs will still be able to find the next Hassan Whiteside or DeAndre Jordan. I'm not going to bet on it though.

 

[MD13]

View: https://twitter.com/GoodmanESPN/status/564284132252188675


Hopefully he drops in the draft a bit because of this.

 

[ajz20]

Just for fun, this guy gets a lot of hate. But from what I see, he isn't that bad for his height. Usually players that big suck, but I see potential. That big and still able to run the floor like that is amazing. If he hit the weights and added some nasty to his game and got mean inside, this dude could be a BEAST. He is ranked 94 out of the top 100 recruits for next year. But I wonder if he will end up in the NBA and where he would fall.

He actually looks decent. Add 25 lbs, some footwork and I def think he could get to the NBA someday.

 

[bigfoot5415]

Ive been on the Andrew Wiggins Safari since late 2012. We can debate whether or not that was successful, but now I give you the Dakari Safari

His college stats are eerily similar to DeAndre Jordan's. Most mocks have him early 2nd, which we can land with our 1st. With Mozgov, we would have the luxury of a strictly developmental rookie year. Resign MozGod, and let this kid work and learn for 2 years. Then unleash the beast.

I would venture to say that we will have 2 if not 3 guys on this team retiring next year. Harris can fill one of those roles. We then flip Haywood and his exception to fill 2 to 3 more holes.

There is no reason that this kid should not be our number 1 target.

NBA Comparison: Roy Hibbert
There is only one word to describe this kid. Huge. His mother is 6’5”, Grandfather 6’8” and his father is 6’10’. We may be looking at the next great big man to come down the line. Every indication is that he will grow past 7ft. and continue to mature physically. Johnson is not a big lumbering kid, he is talented as well. He has a great set of hands and quick feet for a kid his size. He plays with all out effort and shows a desire to be great. He has shown the ability to be a very good passer out of double teams. As with most young big kids his offensive game is still evolving. The one thing that he lacks is elite athleticism which hinders his shotblocking ability, but that should improve as he grows into his body. I never thought we would see another Shaquille O’Neal, but if anybody can come close it will be this kid.

1. Dakari Johnson is quietly in the middle of a productive stretch for Kentucky.

He's not the first guy people are going to highlight when they talk about the undefeated Wildcats, but the 7-foot sophomore is starting to play terrific basketball. Johnson is averaging 9.0 points and 6.0 rebounds in his last five games while playing only 19.2 minutes per contest. The amazing thing about Kentucky is it boasts players like Johnson and Marcus Lee who are reserves off the bench, but if they played at other programs would have a legitimate chance to have their numbers retired -- they're that good. Willie Cauley-Stein and Karl Anthony-Towns are going to be the first two frontcourt players that people think of on the Wildcats' roster, but Johnson is subtly doing damage from the shadows. This will be a valuable asset for Calipari to have off the bench in March.

 

[Just Checkin]

Kentucky's littered with talent and pretty much any of their bigs intrigue me. I've been keenk on Dakari and while he hasn't been great (which has lead to Towns having more minutes recently) lately, he's definitely someone to consider in the late first round.

With his UK Pro day numbers, the DeAndre comparison is okay but what separates Jordan is his wingspan. But Dakari has surprisingly better vert numbers.

But as a backup big, definitely one to look at.

 

[ajz20]

Dakari looks like nice value late in the first. Still has a long way to go, but he looks the part of a future NBA center. Backup at worst, but I see future above average starter if the kid puts in the time.

 

[Willard513]

Dakari looks like nice value late in the first. Still has a long way to go, but he looks the part of a future NBA center. Backup at worst, but I see future above average starter if the kid puts in the time.

Man if he can just get a little bit more athletic and grow into his body a bit more, he could be an absolute bull in the post.

 

[Willard513]

The sad thing is that I know how bad we need a backup big and a young one at that, but gettin our hands on one of those harrison twins as a backup pg would be just swell also.

 

[MirORich]

This is absolutely the draft TO take a risk in. A developmental risk with an athletic SF or an underdeveloped big. You want to come out of this draft with a high upside player, not a one dimensional player undersized for his position or completely maxed out on talent.

Our roster is pretty set for next year. We'll have a few means to add immediate help in the offseason.(taxpayer MLE, vet min., Haywood's deal if we don't trade it now) Use the draft pick for someone who is not ready now but has the legit attributes to turn into a Jimmy Butler or a Gobert/Jordan in 3 years.

 

[Captain S]

View: https://twitter.com/GoodmanESPN/status/564284132252188675


Hopefully he drops in the draft a bit because of this.

it might be lucky break for the cavs that he got a tough break for the cavs

 

[cavsfever]

I don't think we want a 'developmental big'. We don't want to develop our way right through Lebron's retirement. This team's window is now. Grab a junior or senior who has solid size and one skill set that will give you something now, and plug him in as a backup. We gave up on developmental/future when we made the Wiggins trade, it's CHAMPIONSHIP TIME folks!