Official 2011 NBA Draft thread

[Mizzougrad96]

The SI.com mock draft has Jimmer going to the Jazz at No. 12.

Is that too perfect not to happen or is that like people thinking the Jaguars were going to take Tebow at No. 10 in the 2010 NFL draft?

In the spirit of my Michael Beasley will be better than Derrick Rose declaration from a couple years back I'm going to state that Derrick Williams will be a better pro than Mister Mister Kyrie Irving.

 

[qtlaw]

Jimmer to the Jazz after Hayward is a bit much. Now if Jimmer were more athletic defensively, maybe he'd be more reasonable at 10. Then again, after loading up with Jefferson, maybe the Jazz are trying to get less athletic.

I agree that Williams will be the best player out of this draft; the diversity of his game, offense-defense/outside-inside/finess-power, is so good.

 

[NickMordo]

The SI.com mock draft has Jimmer going to the Jazz at No. 12.

Is that too perfect not to happen or is that like people thinking the Jaguars were going to take Tebow at No. 10 in the 2010 NFL draft?

In the spirit of my Michael Beasley will be better than Derrick Rose declaration from a couple years back I'm going to state that Derrick Williams will be a better pro than Mister Mister Kyrie Irving.

The Jazz love taking white dudes.

 

[Mizzougrad96]

The SI.com mock draft has Jimmer going to the Jazz at No. 12.

Is that too perfect not to happen or is that like people thinking the Jaguars were going to take Tebow at No. 10 in the 2010 NFL draft?

In the spirit of my Michael Beasley will be better than Derrick Rose declaration from a couple years back I'm going to state that Derrick Williams will be a better pro than Mister Mister Kyrie Irving.

The Jazz love taking white dudes.

The SI article said they need someone who will fill seats. I don't think he's too much of a risk at No. 12.

 

[amraeder]

The SI.com mock draft has Jimmer going to the Jazz at No. 12.

Is that too perfect not to happen or is that like people thinking the Jaguars were going to take Tebow at No. 10 in the 2010 NFL draft?

In the spirit of my Michael Beasley will be better than Derrick Rose declaration from a couple years back I'm going to state that Derrick Williams will be a better pro than Mister Mister Kyrie Irving.

The Jazz love taking white dudes.

The SI article said they need someone who will fill seats. I don't think he's too much of a risk at No. 12.

I don't think anyone is much of a risk after Derrick Williams. Irving included.

Probably true. I feel like Jimmer's a good deal at 12.

 

[heyabbott]

The SI.com mock draft has Jimmer going to the Jazz at No. 12.

Is that too perfect not to happen or is that like people thinking the Jaguars were going to take Tebow at No. 10 in the 2010 NFL draft?

In the spirit of my Michael Beasley will be better than Derrick Rose declaration from a couple years back I'm going to state that Derrick Williams will be a better pro than Mister Mister Kyrie Irving.

The Jazz love taking white dudes.

Wilbon said on TK's show recently that black players don't want to go to the small markets.

 

[sgreenwell]

Jimmer looks way too much like the new Adam Morrison to me. I know he's just 6'2", but he didn't have a single block his senior year, and averaged only 1.3 steals and 3.4 rebounds per game despite playing gobs and gobs of minutes (35.8). He only shot 39 percent from 3-point range, and strikes me as more of a volume shooter vs. a guy who has the efficiency to survive in the NBA.

Weird draft. Not a ton of guys that scream "future superstar" but plenty who seem to project as good regulars. Kanter is the one Top Five guy who seems like he could be a bust, but he's a center, so that's kind of par for the course anyway.

 

[CarltonBanks]

I think the second round is going to be a lot of fun because there will be a ton of guys taken that are bigger names, guys like Kyle Singler and Demetrios McCamey. Will be interesting.

 

[deviljets7]

Jimmer looks way too much like the new Adam Morrison to me. I know he's just 6'2", but he didn't have a single block his senior year, and averaged only 1.3 steals and 3.4 rebounds per game despite playing gobs and gobs of minutes (35.8). He only shot 39 percent from 3-point range, and strikes me as more of a volume shooter vs. a guy who has the efficiency to survive in the NBA.

Its hard for a perimeter player who is asked to do as much as Jimmer was on offense to have the type of efficiency you're expecting.

You talk about how Jimmer only shot 39% from 3, but in the NBA he will never get even half of the defensive attention that he did in college. Just as an example, Stephen Curry only shot 39% from 3 in his last year at Davidson. Both Curry and JJ Redick have hit 3-pointers at a better rate than they did in college despite the farther distance and more athletic defenders against them.

I don't think Jimmer will be as good as Curry, but with his ability to shoot from 3 and the foul line, I think he will be a productive player and with this being a weak draft, I think he's worthy of being picked in that 11-15 range.

The difference with Adam Morrison as compared to the others is that he didn't have a consistent track record as an outside shooter. Yes he shot 43% from 3 as a junior, but he was at 31% in both his freshman and sophomore years. Not coincidently during his time with Charlotte, Morrison shot around 34% from 3.

 

[Mizzougrad96]

The SI.com mock draft has Jimmer going to the Jazz at No. 12.

Is that too perfect not to happen or is that like people thinking the Jaguars were going to take Tebow at No. 10 in the 2010 NFL draft?

In the spirit of my Michael Beasley will be better than Derrick Rose declaration from a couple years back I'm going to state that Derrick Williams will be a better pro than Mister Mister Kyrie Irving.

The Jazz love taking white dudes.

Wilbon said on TK's show recently that black players don't want to go to the small markets.

To which everyone should have reponded "Well, duh..."

 

[Mizzougrad96]

Jimmer looks way too much like the new Adam Morrison to me. I know he's just 6'2", but he didn't have a single block his senior year, and averaged only 1.3 steals and 3.4 rebounds per game despite playing gobs and gobs of minutes (35.8). He only shot 39 percent from 3-point range, and strikes me as more of a volume shooter vs. a guy who has the efficiency to survive in the NBA.

Its hard for a perimeter player who is asked to do as much as Jimmer was on offense to have the type of efficiency you're expecting.

You talk about how Jimmer only shot 39% from 3, but in the NBA he will never get even half of the defensive attention that he did in college. Just as an example, Stephen Curry only shot 39% from 3 in his last year at Davidson. Both Curry and JJ Redick have hit 3-pointers at a better rate than they did in college despite the farther distance and more athletic defenders against them.

I don't think Jimmer will be as good as Curry, but with his ability to shoot from 3 and the foul line, I think he will be a productive player and with this being a weak draft, I think he's worthy of being picked in that 11-15 range.

The difference with Adam Morrison as compared to the others is that he didn't have a consistent track record as an outside shooter. Yes he shot 43% from 3 as a junior, but he was at 31% in both his freshman and sophomore years. Not coincidently during his time with Charlotte, Morrison shot around 34% from 3.

I think it's safe to say Jimmer will be somewhere in between Morrison and Curry.

 

[Bob Cook]

If the Jazz are really going to take Jimmer as a seat-filler, that's a move doomed to fail -- unless they really believe he's great. It puts the whole franchise in an untenable situation. If Tyrone Corbin plays Jimmer, and he sucks, he's going to lose his players. If Corbin doesn't play Jimmer, then the fans will get restless. It also sends the signal that the team doesn't think it can draw based on its own appeal and ability, which I didn't think was a problem in Utah.

I was at the infamous Pacers Steve Alford-Reggie Miller flareup/draft party in 1987, and Donnie Walsh had balls the size of coconuts to come out and tell the fans Alford wasn't coming. That day, he was booed, but to say he made the right move is an understatement, based on both the result on the floor and in the stands.

By the way, Walsh did hometown charity right in 1994 when he picked Damon Bailey with the second pick of the second round (after the legendary William Njoku), gave him a contract, and left him on IR so he could collect a salary (as it turned out, Bailey's knees were shot).

I must say, as a Pacers fanboi looser, I like the idea of Tristan Thompson coming in, as SI's mock predicts.

 

[Dick Whitman]

Here's what gets fans into seats: Winning.

 

[Mizzougrad96]

Here's what gets fans into seats: Winning.

True, but a beloved local kid doesn't hurt. Especially in that market.

Yeah, if he sucks, no one will care. But if he does well, they'll go ape**** for him.

 

[Mizzougrad96]

If the Jazz are really going to take Jimmer as a seat-filler, that's a move doomed to fail -- unless they really believe he's great. It puts the whole franchise in an untenable situation. If Tyrone Corbin plays Jimmer, and he sucks, he's going to lose his players. If Corbin doesn't play Jimmer, then the fans will get restless. It also sends the signal that the team doesn't think it can draw based on its own appeal and ability, which I didn't think was a problem in Utah.

I was at the infamous Pacers Steve Alford-Reggie Miller flareup/draft party in 1987, and Donnie Walsh had balls the size of coconuts to come out and tell the fans Alford wasn't coming. That day, he was booed, but to say he made the right move is an understatement, based on both the result on the floor and in the stands.

By the way, Walsh did hometown charity right in 1994 when he picked Damon Bailey with the second pick of the second round (after the legendary William Njoku), gave him a contract, and left him on IR so he could collect a salary (as it turned out, Bailey's knees were shot).

I must say, as a Pacers fanboi looser, I like the idea of Tristan Thompson coming in, as SI's mock predicts.

You don't draft the local kid just to do so. But you also don't pass on the local kid for the same reason. I don't think Jimmer is a reach at No. 12. Most of the early mocks have him going between 10 and 15.

It also depends who else is on the board. I doubt they would take Jimmer if Burks or Leonard or Walker fall to No. 12.

 

[Bob Cook]

If the Jazz are really going to take Jimmer as a seat-filler, that's a move doomed to fail -- unless they really believe he's great. It puts the whole franchise in an untenable situation. If Tyrone Corbin plays Jimmer, and he sucks, he's going to lose his players. If Corbin doesn't play Jimmer, then the fans will get restless. It also sends the signal that the team doesn't think it can draw based on its own appeal and ability, which I didn't think was a problem in Utah.

I was at the infamous Pacers Steve Alford-Reggie Miller flareup/draft party in 1987, and Donnie Walsh had balls the size of coconuts to come out and tell the fans Alford wasn't coming. That day, he was booed, but to say he made the right move is an understatement, based on both the result on the floor and in the stands.

By the way, Walsh did hometown charity right in 1994 when he picked Damon Bailey with the second pick of the second round (after the legendary William Njoku), gave him a contract, and left him on IR so he could collect a salary (as it turned out, Bailey's knees were shot).

I must say, as a Pacers fanboi looser, I like the idea of Tristan Thompson coming in, as SI's mock predicts.

You don't draft the local kid just to do so. But you also don't pass on the local kid for the same reason. I don't think Jimmer is a reach at No. 12. Most of the early mocks have him going between 10 and 15.

It also depends who else is on the board. I doubt they would take Jimmer if Burks or Leonard or Walker fall to No. 12.

Yes, there is a legit reason for Utah to pick Jimmer, namely the need to get some scoring. Stephen Curry is a nice example of a too-small scoring guard who made a decent transition to the NBA. I don't doubt Jimmer can get some points. But Utah needs some defense, too.

I was just shocked to see the SI guy note that attendance would be an issue. Utah draws well, and I think its fans would be sophisticated enough at this point to understand if the Jazz passed on him, as long as they didn't pick a slug.

 

[Dick Whitman]

Here's what gets fans into seats: Winning.

True, but a beloved local kid doesn't hurt. Especially in that market.

Yeah, if he sucks, no one will care. But if he does well, they'll go ape**** for him.

There was a CBA team in my market a few years ago, and the pro hoops beat writer was always flipping out because they didn't have enough "local kids" on the team, even though there weren't really any out there good enough. As if fans were going to show up in droves to watch some guy who played at a local high school five years ago.

Seems like the NBA might be the one pro league where people do show up to see a single player. (Exception: A pitcher in baseball.) I guess you could say that Cleveland fans loved LeBron because he was from the area. But they also loved him because he was winning 66 games and the best player in the league. I imagine they would have warmed up to him if he had grown up in, say, Brooklyn in the same way that they warmed up to him as it was.

 

[NickMordo]

The SI.com mock draft has Jimmer going to the Jazz at No. 12.

Is that too perfect not to happen or is that like people thinking the Jaguars were going to take Tebow at No. 10 in the 2010 NFL draft?

In the spirit of my Michael Beasley will be better than Derrick Rose declaration from a couple years back I'm going to state that Derrick Williams will be a better pro than Mister Mister Kyrie Irving.

The Jazz love taking white dudes.

Wilbon said on TK's show recently that black players don't want to go to the small markets.

To which everyone should have reponded "Well, duh..."

And Jimmer is Mormon, right? He would fit in just fine -- in the community, at least.

 

[sgreenwell]

Here's what gets fans into seats: Winning.

Ding ding ding. Every study I've ever seen on sports attendance (like in Baseball Prospectus and one of Hollinger's old books) finds almost no correlation between attendance and certain players, just 1) winning and 2) sustained winning. Crowd ticket sales are savvier than people realize, as they react slowly to fluke starts (see: Cleveland Indians, 2011) and rely a lot on how the team finished the previous year.

 

[Mizzougrad96]

Interesting that Jimmer is now expected to go in the top 10.

I still would take Derrick Williams over Irving, but I think it's a foregone conclusion that Irving is going No. 1.

It will be interesting to see how much improved the T-wolves are next season with Rubio and Williams, but supposedly they're trying to deal the No. 2 pick for a veteran, which might not be a bad move if they can get the right player.