NBA Draft question

Making the third pick, you have a 50-50 shot at getting a total bust? That's a HUGE indictment of the system right there. There aren't more than two players in the pool whom you can say are going to be at least solid pros? Sure, every so often there are the Len Biases and Chris Washburns of the world, but surely there have to be more than two sure-fire players available. If not, lets cancel the whole thing and wait a year and allow the talent pool to replinish itself.

 

Raises an even bigger long-term question: can a white player be a star in the NBA anymore? Larry Bird, Rick Barry, John Havlicek, Bill Walton, John Stockton, etc.

Or has the league become such of a street-ball playground type that a white player's game just doesn't fit anymore?

The only two right now that I would put in the aforementioned class are Steve Nash and Dirk Novitzki, both of whom have won MVPs.

 

Mark,

Sean May "Lasted" three years in the league because his contract as a first round pick is guaranteed. It's extremely rare for the first round pick to be cut before his deal is up because he counts against your cap in any event and nobody likes to admit that a guy he picked was a bust before absolutely necessary. But make no mistake, Sean May was a huge bust.

 

That always amazed me about the NBA draft. Every other sport, you always hear about late-round guys who not only make it but become all-star caliber players and even hall of famers. Usually, there's at least one from every draft.
The NBA? If you're not picking in the top five you're getting a schlub. There's 300-plus Division I college basketball teams in this country, all of the international leagues and lower-tier colleges, and there's not 40 or 50 guys a year who are capable of making an NBA roster? How is that possible?

 

My point exactly! Apparently you don't have to be a very good player to be a first-round pick and get a multi-million dollar contract.

I'm old enough to remember when guys like A.C. Green could be drafted at the bottom of the first round and become solid players who lasted quite a few years. And now --- even given the watered-down talent level that exists today --- you can't find a decent player at the no. 10 spot? Something's terribly wrong.

 

Oh Bullshit. Nothing's changed in that respect at all. The exact same 1985 draft that saw A.C. Green taken at the end of the first round also saw Benoit Benjamin taken with the 3rd pick, Jon Koncak taken with the fith pick, Joe Kleine with the 6th pick, and other future superstars like Uwe Blab, Kenny Green, Alfredrick Hughes, Keith Lee and Blair Rasmussen taken with first round picks far ahead of Green. And that was a good draft compared to others from that era, take a look at the next year (86) to see a true horror show.

And there are still just as many or more guys drafted just as low or lower than Green that do awfully damn well. Hell, just take a look at our recent champions. Three of the four best players on the Spurs mini-dynasty of this decade were a guy who was the next to last player taken in the entire draft (Ginobli), a guy who was the very last player taken in the first round (Parker), and a guy who wasn't drafted at all (Bowen). This year's champion Lakers started a guy (Ariza) who was a late 2d round pick. And you could on and on with similar examples. There are high pick busts and low pick surprises in nearly every draft, nothing's changed in that respect.

And, frankly, I don't think you have any idea what your point is in this thread. When it started, it appeared to be bewilderment that Hansbrough wasn't a higher rated prospect. But, after that got shot down, it now seems to have shifted into an attack on modern era basketball versus the good ole days. I'm curious to see what it'll evolve into next.

 

The best comparison in this thread--if you're looking for Hansbrough to possibly succeed rather than just writing him off--is Jamison.

Almost identical body size, neither is an incredible athlete, both overcame unorthodox games with huge motors while at UNC. Neither was a true PF, although they scored mostly in the paint with all kinds of wacky looking shots.

That's not to say Hansbrough will be as successful as Jamison. Heck, I'm surprised Jamison is as successful as Jamison. But that's his best hope.

 

If I had the first pick of the second round, I take Tyler. Do I use a lottery pick on him or a top-15 pick? No way.

I am not convinced that he will be a bust as a pro. He is so darn awkward and has such a way to seemingly shoot with his wrists but somehow get the ball through the net that I cannot convince myself 100 percent that he will not be a good pro.

Who else plays like Hansbrough? If he was not getting swatted when teams were playing zone against him in college, why would he be swatted so much more often in the pros?

Honestly, I give him a 10 percent chance to be a 20-10 guy in the NBA. With his motor though, if he played 30 minutes, I would be amazed if he did not get 10 rebounds a game. Sure, he might only score six points, but he would contribute.

My question is can he guard anyone?

 

Thank you. Mark, your nostalgic view of the past is greatly clouded. Come back when you have a legitimate point to make. I won't be holding my breath.

 

I think you are much more likely to find a great player in the second round today than you were in the past, but there have always been bums in the first 10 picks.

 

Honestly, race never crossed my mind when I posted the Redick, Morrison thing.

 

Why is the NBA Draft always so shallow when it comes to talent? Rarely do stars come out of the second round. I guess it has a lot to do with the talent pool, lack of rounds and so on and so forth?