Running 2008 NBA Draft Thread

[KevinmH9]

It looks like Derrick Rose is going to go #1 to the Chicago Bulls. Better get the paramedics ready as Rose has gone on record to say that Chicago is his absolute "dream team" and he'll likely pass out if his name is selected first.

Discuss.

 

[a_rosenthal]

I don't think Rose will necessarily be a bad pick here. I think he'll turn out fine and nobody can second-guess Chicago for drafting him.

But Beasley is going to wind up the better player. He might be a bit of a head-case, but I think those reports are probably a bit overblown. Even if they're not, worst case scenario is that he winds up like Carmelo Anthony. Absolutely phenomenal player who does things the right way for 360 days a year. The other 5? Don't ask. I think you can win with a guy like that. Getting a player who can score 25 points a night isn't something you pass up, not for a PG who didn't perform all that well in college.

 

[Oz]

I was stunned to see Mario Chalmers -- at least according to Chad Ford's mock draft on ESPN.com -- projected to go No. 12 to the Kings, ahead of former teammates Brandon Rush (No. 15 to the Suns) and Darrell Arther (No. 18 to the Wizards).

It wasn't too long ago that Chalmers was seen as a fringe first-round pick. Everywhere else, Chalmers is pegged for the bottom third of the draft.

 

[KevinmH9]

Either Rose or Beasley will be great additions to any team. Rose has that great height, vertical leap and speed to make him absolutely lethal in the fast-break and unstoppable in the paint. He needs to work on the mechanics of his shot, but if he can get that down. Rose will become a NBA All-Star in no time at all. His only has 14.9 PPG, but that'll improve drastically with time with a professional team and from a person with his talent.

 

[Mizzougrad96]

Beasley will be the better player.

 

[a_rosenthal]

I was stunned to see Mario Chalmers -- at least according to Chad Ford's mock draft on ESPN.com -- projected to go No. 12 to the Kings, ahead of former teammates Brandon Rush (No. 15 to the Suns) and Darrell Arther (No. 18 to the Wizards).

It wasn't too long ago that Chalmers was seen as a fringe first-round pick. Everywhere else, Chalmers is pegged for the bottom third of the draft.

I thought that, too. I watched several KU games this year and he never really stuck out, good or bad. But look at his numbers. He's an extremely gifted shooter, he's got decent size for a PG and he played well in the tournament. I don't think this draft is all that deep, so I can understand why he launched into the lottery. Five years from now, is DJ Augustin going to be a better pro player than Chalmers? How about Eric Gordon? I think Chalmers is fairly safe in that he'll probably be a decent role player.

 

[a_rosenthal]

Either Rose or Beasley will be great additions to any team. Rose has that great height, vertical leap and speed to make him absolutely lethal in the fast-break and unstoppable in the paint. He needs to work on the mechanics of his shot, but if he can get that down. Rose will become a NBA All-Star in no time at all. His only has 14.9 PPG, but that'll improve drastically with time with a professional team and from a person with his talent.

How will his scoring 'drastically' improve? He was playing in the Conference USA. You're telling me he's going to do better going against the Celtics, Cavs and Pistons next year playing for the Bulls? The game is going to get tougher, especially for the first three years, by a significant margin for Rose.

 

[bostonbred]

Either Rose or Beasley will be great additions to any team. Rose has that great height, vertical leap and speed to make him absolutely lethal in the fast-break and unstoppable in the paint. He needs to work on the mechanics of his shot, but if he can get that down. Rose will become a NBA All-Star in no time at all. His only has 14.9 PPG, but that'll improve drastically with time with a professional team and from a person with his talent.

How will his scoring 'drastically' improve? He was playing in the Conference USA. You're telling me he's going to do better going against the Celtics, Cavs and Pistons next year playing for the Bulls? The game is going to get tougher, especially for the first three years, by a significant margin for Rose.

He said drastically improve 'with time.' Which I agree with.

Beasley will be the better player from the get-go. I'd bet on him winning ROY. But Rose will eventually become a great player as well.

 

[a_rosenthal]

Either Rose or Beasley will be great additions to any team. Rose has that great height, vertical leap and speed to make him absolutely lethal in the fast-break and unstoppable in the paint. He needs to work on the mechanics of his shot, but if he can get that down. Rose will become a NBA All-Star in no time at all. His only has 14.9 PPG, but that'll improve drastically with time with a professional team and from a person with his talent.

How will his scoring 'drastically' improve? He was playing in the Conference USA. You're telling me he's going to do better going against the Celtics, Cavs and Pistons next year playing for the Bulls? The game is going to get tougher, especially for the first three years, by a significant margin for Rose.

He said drastically improve 'with time.' Which I agree with.

Beasley will be the better player from the get-go. I'd bet on him winning ROY. But Rose will eventually become a great player as well.

He said NBA All-Star in no time. Don't see how it happens, even in the East. Calderon, Arenas, Bibby and Billups are all ahead of him on the PG spectrum right now and for the foreseeable future.

I think Rose is going to be a fine player. But the idea that he's a sure-fire star is probably a bit overblown. He wasn't the best player on Memphis most nights, and they played a pretty weak schedule. I think that's more important than teams are making it out to be.

 

[bostonbred]

Either Rose or Beasley will be great additions to any team. Rose has that great height, vertical leap and speed to make him absolutely lethal in the fast-break and unstoppable in the paint. He needs to work on the mechanics of his shot, but if he can get that down. Rose will become a NBA All-Star in no time at all. His only has 14.9 PPG, but that'll improve drastically with time with a professional team and from a person with his talent.

How will his scoring 'drastically' improve? He was playing in the Conference USA. You're telling me he's going to do better going against the Celtics, Cavs and Pistons next year playing for the Bulls? The game is going to get tougher, especially for the first three years, by a significant margin for Rose.

He said drastically improve 'with time.' Which I agree with.

Beasley will be the better player from the get-go. I'd bet on him winning ROY. But Rose will eventually become a great player as well.

He said NBA All-Star in no time. Don't see how it happens, even in the East. Calderon, Arenas, Bibby and Billups are all ahead of him on the PG spectrum right now and for the foreseeable future.

I think Rose is going to be a fine player. But the idea that he's a sure-fire star is probably a bit overblown. He wasn't the best player on Memphis most nights, and they played a pretty weak schedule. I think that's more important than teams are making it out to be.

He may take a year or two considering his age, but I see Rose as a potential franchise PG. He's that good. Leadership, scoring, maturity, talent, floor vision...he's the whole package.

 

[dargan]

I don't think Rose will necessarily be a bad pick here. I think he'll turn out fine and nobody can second-guess Chicago for drafting him.

But Beasley is going to wind up the better player. He might be a bit of a head-case, but I think those reports are probably a bit overblown. Even if they're not, worst case scenario is that he winds up like Carmelo Anthony. Absolutely phenomenal player who does things the right way for 360 days a year. The other 5? Don't ask. I think you can win with a guy like that. Getting a player who can score 25 points a night isn't something you pass up, not for a PG who didn't perform all that well in college.

Well done.

 

[Oz]

Getting a player who can score 25 points a night isn't something you pass up, not for a PG who didn't perform all that well in college.

While I would generally agree -- I think Beasley > Durant -- I don't see how Rose played poorly in college. In six tournament games, he averaged 20.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, 6.0 assists and shot 51.8 percent from the field. Another thing I liked about Rose is that he learned how to be a good teammate surrounded by talent. He could score, but he didn't mind deferring to others, too.

All in all, I thought Rose did enough to merit the hype at Memphis.

 

[bostonbred]

Getting a player who can score 25 points a night isn't something you pass up, not for a PG who didn't perform all that well in college.

While I would generally agree -- I think Beasley > Durant -- I don't see how Rose played poorly in college. In six tournament games, he averaged 20.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, 6.0 assists and shot 51.8 percent from the field. Another thing I liked about Rose is that he learned how to be good teammate surrounded by talent. He could score, but he didn't mind deferring to others, too.

All in all, I thought Rose did enough to merit the hype at Memphis.

I agree. And I don't think one can understate how well Rose did late in the season. In his last eight games he scored 25, 4 (in limited time on 6 shots vs. Tulsa), 17, 17, 27, 21, 25, 18 in leading his team to the national championship game. He has to improve on his shooting/shot selection a bit, but he can definitely score. He can pass and handle extremely well, is an above-average rebounder for a PG, and doesn't turn over the ball too much or make stupid plays for a 19-year old kid. Also an excellent leader and teammate, crazy quick and athletic, crossover is ankle-breaking. Strong defender, well built for his age.

If he continues to improve, he'll be in the elite young PG group with Chris Paul and Deron Williams within three seasons, maybe sooner.

Beasley has more question marks. Does he even have a true position in the NBA? Will he be exposed on defense like he was at times in college? Will his maturity and attitude be an issue? I still love his offensive skills...from what I've seen, he can rebound really well as well and I wouldn't be shocked to see him get 15-10 per game in his rookie season. He's NBA-ready who should be an annual All-Star. But give me a probable franchise PG leader type anyday.

 

[a_rosenthal]

Getting a player who can score 25 points a night isn't something you pass up, not for a PG who didn't perform all that well in college.

While I would generally agree -- I think Beasley > Durant -- I don't see how Rose played poorly in college. In six tournament games, he averaged 20.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, 6.0 assists and shot 51.8 percent from the field. Another thing I liked about Rose is that he learned how to be good teammate surrounded by talent. He could score, but he didn't mind deferring to others, too.

All in all, I thought Rose did enough to merit the hype at Memphis.

I agree. And I don't think one can understate how well Rose did late in the season. In his last eight games he scored 25, 4 (in limited time on 6 shots vs. Tulsa), 17, 17, 27, 21, 25, 18 in leading his team to the national championship game. He has to improve on his shooting/shot selection a bit, but he can definitely score. He can pass and handle extremely well, is an above-average rebounder for a PG, and doesn't turn over the ball too much or make stupid plays for a 19-year old kid. Also an excellent leader and teammate, crazy quick and athletic, crossover is ankle-breaking. Strong defender, well built for his age.

If he continues to improve, he'll be in the elite young PG group with Chris Paul and Deron Williams within three seasons, maybe sooner.

Beasley has more question marks. Does he even have a true position in the NBA? Will he be exposed on defense like he was at times in college? Will his maturity and attitude be an issue? I still love his offensive skills...from what I've seen, he can rebound really well as well and I wouldn't be shocked to see him get 15-10 per game in his rookie season. He's NBA-ready who should be an annual All-Star. But give me a probable franchise PG leader type anyday.

He played in the Conference USA. If Beasley played in CUSA, he would have averaged 35 points a game.

He certainly did well in the tournament. A lot of those points were due to free throws though. He shot better from the FT line than he did the rest of the season. I suppose he could be one of those players who 'steps it up when it counts', but I'm more inclined to think that he's one of those players who 'got extremely lucky at the free-throw line when he normally shoots 70 percent'.

Chicago won't be grilled for taking Rose, even when Beasley turns out to be the superior player (by a vast margin). Rose was the safe, local, logical choice. If I'm Riley, though, I'd be doing backflips if he hears DR's name called first. Beasley, Wade, Marion? Not sure what type of offense will be installed, but they should be a team to be reckoned with next year.

 

[JackReacher]

Beasley will be the better player.

Why?

 

[GB-Hack]

Beasley will be the better player.

Why?

John Hollinger says so.

 

[Dickens Cider]

Beasley will be the better player.

Why?

John Hollinger says so.

He also said Dwyane Wade had the best NBA Finals performance in history.

 

[a_rosenthal]

Beasley will be the better player.

Why?

Because not only does Beasley score more, rebound more, but he's a better shooter.

Rose reminds me of Andre Miller, in his Cavalier days. Very good player. Will help you most nights, won't hurt you very often. But he isn't going to be the PG on a title team.

 

[a_rosenthal]

Beasley will be the better player.

Why?

John Hollinger says so.

He also said Dwyane Wade had the best NBA Finals performance in history.

Wade and his officials did have the best Finals performance.

 

[JackReacher]

Beasley will be the better player.

Why?

Because not only does Beasley score more, rebound more, but he's a better shooter.

Rose reminds me of Andre Miller, in his Cavalier days. Very good player. Will help you most nights, won't hurt you very often. But he isn't going to be the PG on a title team.

Ah, an explanation. Thank you.

Chances of the Heat taking Mayo....10 percent? 50 percent? What say you?