2013 NBA draft

We've got two picks, college basketball is in full swing, it's not too early to talk draft is it?

Here's something I just saw from Chad Ford...

Quote :

Two weeks have passed since we released our first Big Board of the season.

The top of the draft remains, as a whole, a bit underwhelming. While a number of prospects project to be impact players at the next level, no one here looks like a potential franchise player at the moment. What this draft does have, however, is depth. You might not want to have a top-three pick, but the Nos. 8 to 20 range in this draft has promise.

http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/draft2013/story/_/id/8894753/2013-nba-draft-ben-mclemore-rising-list-top-30-nba-prospects

If the Draft was held today the Jazz would have picks 18 and 24. I actually don't think that will change much. In all likelyhood the Jazz will finish 7th or 8th in the west making our pick low teens and the Warriors will finnish as one of the top 10 teams in the league making their pick in the low to mid 20's.

So who do you like?

I'm a bit partial to PG's right now, and there are several good ones that should be available in the mid first round.

Trey Burke is probably my #1 choice at PG in that range. I'm actually not sure why the draft boards don't have him higher, I think he could be starter on this team from day 1.

Never too early to talk draft!

I'd rather they traded those picks for a youngish, established PG, but if that can't happen then I pray they look to a PG. Of coarse, if Al &/or Sap are gone via trade or as FA's then the Jazz may need to look at a "big" as well.

Burke appears to have some skill (fast, deep range, solid ball handling), but based soley off the link you provided, he is a ball dominator & not a facilitator. He also is barely 6' with his shoes on, which is of some concern. The report also says he isn't a very good defender. Seems like a lot of holes are in his game, but then again, as a later pick in a thin draft, I suppose all the players will be flawed.... which brings be back full-cirlce to my original comment, "I'd rather they trade those picks".

(P.S. Make sure you keep cop & pasting these insider articles for us Mr Mags!)

zero24gravity wrote:

Never too early to talk draft!

I'd rather they traded those picks for a youngish, established PG, but if that can't happen then I pray they look to a PG. Of coarse, if Al &/or Sap are gone via trade or as FA's then the Jazz may need to look at a "big" as well.

Burke appears to have some skill (fast, deep range, solid ball handling), but based soley off the link you provided, he is a ball dominator & not a facilitator. He also is barely 6' with his shoes on, which is of some concern. The report also says he isn't a very good defender. Seems like a lot of holes are in his game, but then again, as a later pick in a thin draft, I suppose all the players will be flawed.... which brings be back full-cirlce to my original comment, "I'd rather they trade those picks".

(P.S. Make sure you keep cop & pasting these insider articles for us Mr Mags!)

The article was from before the season started, since then he has made a HUGE leap in terms of production on the court and PG ability. I do believe he has one of the best assist/TO ratio's in Div-I basketball this year (2nd I think behind Larry Drew who is a pure passing PG) and is 8th overall in assists per game.

http://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/players/trey-burke-1.html

I'm not sure if I'd rather trade the picks, or package them and see if I could move up to get the guy I wanted. Of course if one of the large crop of talented young PG's comes available you jump on that with both hands, but I don't see a lot of them, if any, on the market right now.

TheMagnus wrote:

The article was from before the season started, since then he has made a HUGE leap in terms of production on the court and PG ability. I do believe he has one of the best assist/TO ratio's in Div-I basketball this year (2nd I think behind Larry Drew who is a pure passing PG) and is 8th overall in assists per game.

http://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/players/trey-burke-1.html

I'm not sure if I'd rather trade the picks, or package them and see if I could move up to get the guy I wanted. Of course if one of the large crop of talented young PG's comes available you jump on that with both hands, but I don't see a lot of them, if any, on the market right now.

Those numbers do look much improved this year.

Ok, I'm all over this Draft research now. So let's talk strictly PG's for a second, since that is curently the weakest position for the Jazz.

There really doesn't seem to be a top prospect at the position yet. The few guys that are considered the best players, are more like combo gaurds than pure points; Marcus Smart, CJ McCollum & Michael Carter-Williams come to mind. Trey Burke, Myck Kabongo, & Isaiah Canaan (who NBAdraft.net have the Jazz taking at #24) are probably next in line along with combo-guards Lorenzo Brown & BJ Young. Erick Green could pull into the end of the first round conversation as well.

At this point in time (a lot can change), it seems that the group of Burke, Kabongo & Canaan will be around when the Jazz make thier two picks.

Michael Carter-Williams is intriguing. He's a 6'6" PG, and despite his height, is still quick enough to play PG. He is very thin (185 lbs). I read in more than one place that he is comparative to Shaun Livingston, before his injuries killed his career. He has some off the court baggage, but is a top 10 talent. He may be the guy worth trading up for if the Jazz really want to try & go for broke & grab a PG in this draft. His outside shooting needs some work, but his court vision is unquestioned as are his decision making skills. "He makes players around him better." Defense is a work in progress, but has the tools to be a good defender. I also saw him callled a "taller rajon Rondo".

Burke was talked about in Magnus' post. I saw a comparison to Bravis Best, which doesn't excite me, but there seems to be no quesiton about his speed & determination. He seems to be a player on the rise, a leader, a good shooter, and despite his small frame, a serious competitor.

Canaan could be a Jameer Nelson-type if he can figure out how to run a team. Built solid (6'1" 200lbs), but not explosive. Shooting almost 50% from behind the arc, but only averages a little over 3 APG. Comes from a small school. Is very good at running the pick-and-roll. I also saw a comparison to Vinnie Johnson. From what I've read, he seems more like a good instant offense back-up, than a starting point who can run an offense.

Kabongo (I want him just because of his cool name) is a playmaker & a passer. He's flashy (sometimes too flashy). Not a very good shooter though. Fast & a good floor leader. Is not very strong, but can finish after contact. His defense & decision making need work. I'm thinking "Rubio" when I read about him and saw comparisons to Mike Conley & Erick Barkley.

At this very early juncture, I think that trading for Carter-Williams would be justified, if possible. Second option, IMO, would probably be Kabongo. I think that his natural PG skills can't be taught, but his weakness' (shooting & strength) can be improved.

Trade the picks for a seasoned player.

PMartin wrote:

Trade the picks for a seasoned player.

Hey, is that your first non-GTS post? Welcome to the conversation.

I agree with you... assuming there is a player worth trading for available.

lol..I posted more on Trib talk

TheMagnus wrote:

When it comes to a PG solution I'm really leaning towards making a splash in this years draft. There are several guys that are looking really good.

I watched this Marcus Smart kid play a couple days ago and that guy is freaking impressive. He's still a little raw but holy crap does he have some ability. Built like a linebacker, great handle, aggressive, and super competitive, reminded me a bit of Eric Bledsoe only bigger. He's probably a top 5 pick though, so getting him seems unlikely.

More likely are a few guys that I think are really solid and are projected in the mid first round, Michael Carter-Williams and Trey Burke are the two I have my eye on. Carter-Williams is the highest rated because of his size and athletic ability, but Burke is by far the best basketball player. Burke is a bit "undersized" but the kid can flat out play. ESPN and Draft Express both have him at #16, which is right where the Jazz could be picking.

Some more on Burke...

Chad Ford wrote:

Feb 27 Update: Burke continues to be the most efficient point guard in the country and a very legit candidate for player of the year. He was insanely efficient against Illinois on Sunday, shooting eight for 11 from the field and handing out eight assists to just one turnover. If he were a few inches taller or just a little more explosive of an athlete, he'd be a lock for the top five.

Jan 28 Update: Burke is making a strong case to be the national player of the year. His college stats are stellar: 17.8 points and 7.2 assists per game while shooting 50 percent from the field and 38 percent from 3-point range. Additionally, 30 percent of Burke's possessions end in an assist, compared to just 7 percent of his possessions ending in a turnover. That's remarkable. He's got the perfect balance between scoring and helping others, and he plays almost mistake-free basketball. If he were a little taller (he's 6-foot) or more of an explosive athlete, he'd be ranked even higher. However, Burke is slowly creeping up to the lottery range in this year's draft and current sits at No. 16 in our Top 100.

Dec 14 Update: Burke was a surprise story last season. Recruiting services weren't in love with him, and he wasn't expected to have the impact he had on the Wolverines as a freshman. Burke strongly flirted with declaring for the draft last year but eventually returned to Michigan once he realized he'd be a second-round pick. This year? He has improved his numbers across the board, is the heart and soul of the No. 3 team in the country and is being mentioned as perhaps the best point guard in college basketball. His lack of elite size will keep him from being a lottery pick, but he is firmly planted in the first round.

Dec 10 Update: Burke has almost doubled his assist-to-turnover ratio this season (to nearly 3-1) while improving his shooting percentages across the board. Burke is more of a late-first-round NBA prospect because of his lack of ideal size (6-0, 190), but as far as college point guards, he's as important to his team as any point guard in the country.

I am seeing more & more about Burke climbing draft boards. I watched a little bit of the Michigan vs. Mich St game the other day & though he looked pretty good during my limited veiwing.

I don't know a ton about Smart, but Carter-Williams is still the #1 guy on my draft board. Myck Kabongo also intrigues me.

zero24gravity wrote:

I am seeing more & more about Burke climbing draft boards. I watched a little bit of the Michigan vs. Mich St game the other day & though he looked pretty good during my limited veiwing.

I don't know a ton about Smart, but Carter-Williams is still the #1 guy on my draft board. Myck Kabongo also intrigues me.

The thing about Smart is that he's just a physical specimine, he's only 18 and he looks like a man amongst boys out there.

Kabongo is interesting, but he has slipped out of the first round of most mock drafts now, and hasn't been super impressive in his few games so far.

Carter-Williams is interesting, but he has really been struggling lately, and his struggles started when he started facing tougher competition. At the same time Burke has been producing consistently against top tier competition all year. He's also older than Burke and Kabongo.

I'll admit that I don't entirely trust the mocks, and I think NBA scouts often overvalue potential over performance, expecially with players that are deemed "undersized", as Burke seems to be.

TheMagnus wrote:

zero24gravity wrote:

I am seeing more & more about Burke climbing draft boards. I watched a little bit of the Michigan vs. Mich St game the other day & though he looked pretty good during my limited veiwing.

I don't know a ton about Smart, but Carter-Williams is still the #1 guy on my draft board. Myck Kabongo also intrigues me.

The thing about Smart is that he's just a physical specimine, he's only 18 and he looks like a man amongst boys out there.

Kabongo is interesting, but he has slipped out of the first round of most mock drafts now, and hasn't been super impressive in his few games so far.

Carter-Williams is interesting, but he has really been struggling lately, and his struggles started when he started facing tougher competition. At the same time Burke has been producing consistently against top tier competition all year. He's also older than Burke and Kabongo.

I'll admit that I don't entirely trust the mocks, and I think NBA scouts often overvalue potential over performance, expecially with players that are deemed "undersized", as Burke seems to be.

I'm warming to Burke as time goes on. He does really have the skills & intangables as far as I can tell. Also, I'll take a smaller player with skill over a bigger, but less skilled player almost every day of the week. Of coarse, having both of those things is even better!