2015 NBA Draft Takeaways

The 2015 NBA draft is history, so it is now time to for the unqualified, unpaid GMs to tell the HIGHLY compensated GMs how incompetent they all are.  This year there was consensus around the top pick, so GM/Coach Flip Saunders gets a pass until next year.  While others are phrasing Kupchak and Baby Buss, they get no such treatment from me.  The draft got interesting with the Lakers’ pick, number 2 overall, and that decision impacted all the picks until Pat Riley got lucky at number 10.  There are always one or two players who fall out of the lottery who become starters if not All-Stars.  This year I think there is a sleeper in the late first round and early second. Read on to discover those and other interesting stories on the 2015 NBA Draft. 

Timberwolves - Towns is a solid pick that fits a need, so they had to make that pick.  Not only does Towns have as much upside as anyone in the draft, but he checks the box in every area of need for the Wolves.

Lakers - I don't like it.  The Lakers (and many other NBA teams) let Warriors “trick” them into drafting for the new NBA, but Steph Curry is the best shooter in the history of the NBA and Thompson will end up in the top 10. That backcourt won't happen again. You can't play like the Warriors without a player like Steph Curry. 

76ers - I hated the pick initially, but the more I thought about it the more it grew on me.  Don’t get me wrong, I would have still taken Mudiay.  In fact, I would have taken Mudiay over Russell.  As risky as drafting Okafor seems on the surface with the redundancy in the frontcourt, it is actually Hinkie’s first safe pick.  Of all the players in this year’s draft, Okafor is the one known commodity.  The questions we heard were around his love for the game and conditioning, not his skills.  Keep in mind that while Okafor “lacked conditioning” as a freshman at Duke, he was College Basketball’s best offensive weapon on the low block since Tim Duncan two decades earlier.  The 76ers drafted the starting Center for the Eastern Conference All-Star team, and we are not talking about waiting for Okafor to reach his full potential in five years.  The only way Okafor isn’t an All-Star in 2016 is if they select players based on front and back court vs individual positions.  Once Okafor puts on the 76ers uniform, he’s the best Center in the Eastern Conference.  

Okafor’s defense needs work, but who is he concerned about guarding…Roy Hibbert?  His weak pick and roll defense isn’t as big an issue in the East because the Conferences’ Centers are not an offensive threat. Additionally, Okafor is teamed with the human obstacle course.  An obstacle course presents different challenges for a competitor to win.  That is Norlens Noel on defense for the 76ers.  He can guard every position aside from MAYBE point guard.  Noel’s hands are as quick as his feet, as he was the only player to be ranked in the top ten in both block and steals per game in 2015.  I expect Noel to contend for defensive player of the year as early as 2016.  If Okafor leads the 76ers to more team wins, Noel may have a real shot to win the DPOY Award.  

The downside of the Okafor pick is related to the foot of a player who hasn’t stepped on the court in over a year.  Joel Embiid, Center, was the highest ranked player leading up to the 2014 NBA Draft, yes even higher than Roy Wiggins.  Right now, the 76ers don’t know if he will have to sit out another year.  A known lower back injury and an unknown foot injury give the 76ers the opportunity to draft Embiid with the third pick.  It was expected the Embiid would lead the 76ers into the 2015-2016 season.  A recent medical report has put a cloud over when Embiid will actually see live action.  If Embiid can make it back early in the 2015 season, then the 76ers may potentially have a chemistry issue.  Two of the 76ers top three players would play the same position.  You could argue that all three players play the same position. If there is a chemistry issue, then that means Embiid is healthy and playing well.  That would be the type of problem the 76ers would finally like to have.  

Knicks - They should just fire Jackson now.  The argument that Zinger shoots and dribbles better than anyone 7' tall is stupid and irrelevant.  Even if Zinger gains 20lbs he still can't play PF or Center.  So the fact that he dribbles and shots better than 7 footers is pointless in the NBA.  His skill and athleticism is great for a center but terrible for a SF and that is what he will have to play in the NBA. Otherwise, he is just an extra tall Channing Frye or Spencer Hawes. That's terrible get for the 4th pick in the draft. 

Magic - I would have taken Winslow, but I could live with the pick of (let’s just call him) Mario H. I am not against all Euros, just Euro bigs who look like lollipop sticks. 

Nuggets - I think Mudiay will be a star. Trade Lawson now and give Mudiay the rock.  I am not concerned that his jump shot needs work.  All athletic guards coming into the league are inconsistent jump shooters. I think his upside is Russell Westbrook or Derrick Rose and I think his floor is Eric Bledsoe.  Even if he doesn’t work at PG, his size and skill would allow him to be an effective SG.  Currently SG is likely the only position weaker than Center in the league.  In two years, Mudiay would likely be a top 5 SG already. 

Charlotte - If it is true that the Celtics offered four first round picks and two second picks to move up from 16 to 9 and Rich Cho and Michael Jordan didn't make that trade then I am submitting my resume to the Hornets because Cho won’t be there long.  Next year when all these predictions are shown to be true, MJ will let Cho go and bring me on.  I promise you Charlotte fans, I will not let a trade like that ever get passed up again.  Especially for a role players like Frank “the tank”.

Heat - I loved the Winslow pick just like everyone else.  I think Winslow will be a top 5 player in this draft and the Heat sat by and watched him fall into their lap at the 10^th pick. 

Celtics - Like Celtics 2nd pick. I think RJ Hunter will be a major contributor. I really do think he's the next Reggie Miller and teams will regret letting him slip to 28. Celtics need perimeter shooting bad and he does that well. He will struggle with defense so until Celtics get a rim protect, his minutes may be limited. 

Rockets - In the second round, I think Harrell can be Dennis Rodman. The NBA likes potential but you know what you have with him and he can be a beast on the glass and defense if he got the right team. Unfortunately, Houston isn't the right team. They don't play defense and he doesn't fit their 3 point attack and they already have Howard to drive the lane on pick and roles. Get Harrell to a team with a good pick and role PG and defensive coach and he will add value…not Barkley but can be part of the 8 man

Talk2Me

The Gap Man

76ers Draft 2015

Everyone knows that you need a Batman & Robin duet to win a NBA Championship. What most don’t realize is that you need six other Super-Friends to complete the team. Not even Superman can win it alone, though LeBron pushed that theory to its limit in the 2015 Finals. Simply put, to win a NBA championship you need an eight man core.

 With the salary cap about to skyrocket, you may ask why not more than eight. Teams with greater depth are valued during the marathon regular season, but rotations shortens during the playoffs. You fill the back half of your 12-15 man roster with best talent you can afford, but the championship is won with your core eight. I am writing this article (if this can even be called that) because my wife has allowed me to purchase season tickets to the 76ers for the third year. The Sixers unusual rebuilding strategy has given them (I guess should say “us”) the opportunity to build the eight from the ground up. I can’t say that I agree with all of Sam Hinkie moves, specifically drafting two players in the lottery when neither would play for the team in the year they were drafted. I admit paying for season tickets to watch nine undrafted players on a nightly basis influences my feelings. That said, the past is the past and this is where we are now. Hinkie is obviously looking to build a championship team and not just a playoff team in the weak Eastern Conference. Best case scenario, the Sixers have four players who have the potential to be part of core eight. Of those four, Norlens Noel is the only sure bet. If Embiid can get and stay healthy, he will be the best Center in the Eastern Conference by the end of his rookie contract. Aside from Youtube clips, I don’t have much info on Saric. But Hinkie drafted a player in the lottery that he knew wouldn’t play for 76ers for three years, so I have to assume he has the skills to be a real player. Who is the fourth player you ask. At 6-9 with a nice 3-point shot, Robert Covington could be part of the core eight with his 3D potential. The rest of the 76ers players are just holding spots until Hinkie can build the “right” team.

All this leads me to the 2015 NBA draft, which is to be held on Thursday June 25th. The Sixers have the third pick and making the right decision could go a long way with Hinkie’s goal of building a championship team. Noel and Embiid are the Sixers best players and Saric could come over as soon as the 2016-2017 season. That means the Sixers best three players will all play in the front court. So please tell me Hinkie isn’t seriously considering drafting Kristaps Porzingis. Tell me this is a smoke screen to get the Magic to trade up and offer next year’s first round pick. Even is Porzingis has more potential than Noel, he duplicates the skillset of Saric. If the 76ers draft Porzingis, their top four players will all play either PF or Center. In a pinch, maybe you can play Saric at SF but I don’t think you want a full diet of him playing against Lebron or Durant or Melo.

Towns will be the top pick so either Russell or Mudiay or both will be available to the Sixers at the third pick. Because Golden State won the Championship shooting 3’s, Mudiay has been falling as we get closer to the draft. Aside from Towns, Mudiay is the player whose game most closely matches the way the NBA is played today. He is an athletic PG who has the ability to score. All I hear is that his jump shot isn’t consistent, but how many athletic wings have a consistent jump shot as they enter the NBA.

Mudiay’s shot isn’t broken like Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, so he should improve his shooting as he grows in the NBA. I think there is limited bust potential with Mudiay. If he doesn’t correct the turnovers which have been a problem, then he is long and athletic enough to move over to SG. I don’t know if anyone has noticed, but SG is a really weak position in the league today. Russell is the hot name now, but I would draft Mudiay if I were Hinkie. I seem to be on an island with this opinion, but Russell’s lack of athleticism scares me. He is a good jump shooter, but he isn’t Curry or Thompson or even Bradley Beal.

Everyone sees Russell’s NBA comp as James Harden and not just because of the left hand. To me that is his only comp. Aside from Harden, there aren’t many successful NBA players in the mold of Russell. In today’s NBA, I can give you several NBA comps for Mudiay. His ceiling is Westbrook and I recognize that no one is as physically gifted as Westbrook. I can give you Derrick Rose before the injuries. If we take a step down we have Eric Bledsoe. If PG doesn’t work, then his ceiling at SG is Wade. Wade is an all-time great so how about Victor Oladipo? You get my point? Russell could be the next great player, but he could be the bust at the third pick. If Mudiay doesn’t turn into Westbrook or Rose, at worse he is Bledsoe or Oladipo. With the third pick in the draft, the 76ers need that back court players to continue to build their eight. With Mudiay, they are virtually guaranteed the next puzzle piece. On the selfish said, Mudiay will make the games more exciting and after three years the Sixers owe me at least that much!

Talk2Me

The Gap Man