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The Rules of Pacers Digest

Hello everyone,

Whether your are a long standing forum member or whether you have just registered today, it's a good idea to read and review the rules below so that you have a very good idea of what to expect when you come to Pacers Digest.

A quick note to new members: Your posts will not immediately show up when you make them. An administrator has to approve at least your first post before the forum software will later upgrade your account to the status of a fully-registered member. This usually happens within a couple of hours or so after your post(s) is/are approved, so you may need to be a little patient at first.

Why do we do this? So that it's more difficult for spammers (be they human or robot) to post, and so users who are banned cannot immediately re-register and start dousing people with verbal flames.

Below are the rules of Pacers Digest. After you have read them, you will have a very good sense of where we are coming from, what we expect, what we don't want to see, and how we react to things.

Rule #1

Pacers Digest is intended to be a place to discuss basketball without having to deal with the kinds of behaviors or attitudes that distract people from sticking with the discussion of the topics at hand. These unwanted distractions can come in many forms, and admittedly it can sometimes be tricky to pin down each and every kind that can rear its ugly head, but we feel that the following examples and explanations cover at least a good portion of that ground and should at least give people a pretty good idea of the kinds of things we actively discourage:

"Anyone who __________ is a liar / a fool / an idiot / a blind homer / has their head buried in the sand / a blind hater / doesn't know basketball / doesn't watch the games"

"People with intelligence will agree with me when I say that __________"

"Only stupid people think / believe / do ___________"

"I can't wait to hear something from PosterX when he/she sees that **insert a given incident or current event that will have probably upset or disappointed PosterX here**"

"He/she is just delusional"

"This thread is stupid / worthless / embarrassing"

"I'm going to take a moment to point and / laugh at PosterX / GroupOfPeopleY who thought / believed *insert though/belief here*"

"Remember when PosterX said OldCommentY that no longer looks good? "

In general, if a comment goes from purely on topic to something 'ad hominem' (personal jabs, personal shots, attacks, flames, however you want to call it, towards a person, or a group of people, or a given city/state/country of people), those are most likely going to be found intolerable.

We also dissuade passive aggressive behavior. This can be various things, but common examples include statements that are basically meant to imply someone is either stupid or otherwise incapable of holding a rational conversation. This can include (but is not limited to) laughing at someone's conclusions rather than offering an honest rebuttal, asking people what game they were watching, or another common problem is Poster X will say "that player isn't that bad" and then Poster Y will say something akin to "LOL you think that player is good". We're not going to tolerate those kinds of comments out of respect for the community at large and for the sake of trying to just have an honest conversation.

Now, does the above cover absolutely every single kind of distraction that is unwanted? Probably not, but you should by now have a good idea of the general types of things we will be discouraging. The above examples are meant to give you a good feel for / idea of what we're looking for. If something new or different than the above happens to come along and results in the same problem (that being, any other attitude or behavior that ultimately distracts from actually just discussing the topic at hand, or that is otherwise disrespectful to other posters), we can and we will take action to curb this as well, so please don't take this to mean that if you managed to technically avoid saying something exactly like one of the above examples that you are then somehow off the hook.

That all having been said, our goal is to do so in a generally kind and respectful way, and that doesn't mean the moment we see something we don't like that somebody is going to be suspended or banned, either. It just means that at the very least we will probably say something about it, quite possibly snipping out the distracting parts of the post in question while leaving alone the parts that are actually just discussing the topics, and in the event of a repeating or excessive problem, then we will start issuing infractions to try to further discourage further repeat problems, and if it just never seems to improve, then finally suspensions or bans will come into play. We would prefer it never went that far, and most of the time for most of our posters, it won't ever have to.

A slip up every once and a while is pretty normal, but, again, when it becomes repetitive or excessive, something will be done. Something occasional is probably going to be let go (within reason), but when it starts to become habitual or otherwise a pattern, odds are very good that we will step in.

There's always a small minority that like to push people's buttons and/or test their own boundaries with regards to the administrators, and in the case of someone acting like that, please be aware that this is not a court of law, but a private website run by people who are simply trying to do the right thing as they see it. If we feel that you are a special case that needs to be dealt with in an exceptional way because your behavior isn't explicitly mirroring one of our above examples of what we generally discourage, we can and we will take atypical action to prevent this from continuing if you are not cooperative with us.

Also please be aware that you will not be given a pass simply by claiming that you were 'only joking,' because quite honestly, when someone really is just joking, for one thing most people tend to pick up on the joke, including the person or group that is the target of the joke, and for another thing, in the event where an honest joke gets taken seriously and it upsets or angers someone, the person who is truly 'only joking' will quite commonly go out of his / her way to apologize and will try to mend fences. People who are dishonest about their statements being 'jokes' do not do so, and in turn that becomes a clear sign of what is really going on. It's nothing new.

In any case, quite frankly, the overall quality and health of the entire forum's community is more important than any one troublesome user will ever be, regardless of exactly how a problem is exhibiting itself, and if it comes down to us having to make a choice between you versus the greater health and happiness of the entire community, the community of this forum will win every time.

Lastly, there are also some posters, who are generally great contributors and do not otherwise cause any problems, who sometimes feel it's their place to provoke or to otherwise 'mess with' that small minority of people described in the last paragraph, and while we possibly might understand why you might feel you WANT to do something like that, the truth is we can't actually tolerate that kind of behavior from you any more than we can tolerate the behavior from them. So if we feel that you are trying to provoke those other posters into doing or saying something that will get themselves into trouble, then we will start to view you as a problem as well, because of the same reason as before: The overall health of the forum comes first, and trying to stir the pot with someone like that doesn't help, it just makes it worse. Some will simply disagree with this philosophy, but if so, then so be it because ultimately we have to do what we think is best so long as it's up to us.

If you see a problem that we haven't addressed, the best and most appropriate course for a forum member to take here is to look over to the left of the post in question. See underneath that poster's name, avatar, and other info, down where there's a little triangle with an exclamation point (!) in it? Click that. That allows you to report the post to the admins so we can definitely notice it and give it a look to see what we feel we should do about it. Beyond that, obviously it's human nature sometimes to want to speak up to the poster in question who has bothered you, but we would ask that you try to refrain from doing so because quite often what happens is two or more posters all start going back and forth about the original offending post, and suddenly the entire thread is off topic or otherwise derailed. So while the urge to police it yourself is understandable, it's best to just report it to us and let us handle it. Thank you!

All of the above is going to be subject to a case by case basis, but generally and broadly speaking, this should give everyone a pretty good idea of how things will typically / most often be handled.

Rule #2

If the actions of an administrator inspire you to make a comment, criticism, or express a concern about it, there is a wrong place and a couple of right places to do so.

The wrong place is to do so in the original thread in which the administrator took action. For example, if a post gets an infraction, or a post gets deleted, or a comment within a larger post gets clipped out, in a thread discussing Paul George, the wrong thing to do is to distract from the discussion of Paul George by adding your off topic thoughts on what the administrator did.

The right places to do so are:

A) Start a thread about the specific incident you want to talk about on the Feedback board. This way you are able to express yourself in an area that doesn't throw another thread off topic, and this way others can add their two cents as well if they wish, and additionally if there's something that needs to be said by the administrators, that is where they will respond to it.

B) Send a private message to the administrators, and they can respond to you that way.

If this is done the wrong way, those comments will be deleted, and if it's a repeating problem then it may also receive an infraction as well.

Rule #3

If a poster is bothering you, and an administrator has not or will not deal with that poster to the extent that you would prefer, you have a powerful tool at your disposal, one that has recently been upgraded and is now better than ever: The ability to ignore a user.

When you ignore a user, you will unfortunately still see some hints of their existence (nothing we can do about that), however, it does the following key things:

A) Any post they make will be completely invisible as you scroll through a thread.

B) The new addition to this feature: If someone QUOTES a user you are ignoring, you do not have to read who it was, or what that poster said, unless you go out of your way to click on a link to find out who it is and what they said.

To utilize this feature, from any page on Pacers Digest, scroll to the top of the page, look to the top right where it says 'Settings' and click that. From the settings page, look to the left side of the page where it says 'My Settings', and look down from there until you see 'Edit Ignore List' and click that. From here, it will say 'Add a Member to Your List...' Beneath that, click in the text box to the right of 'User Name', type in or copy & paste the username of the poster you are ignoring, and once their name is in the box, look over to the far right and click the 'Okay' button. All done!

Rule #4

Regarding infractions, currently they carry a value of one point each, and that point will expire in 31 days. If at any point a poster is carrying three points at the same time, that poster will be suspended until the oldest of the three points expires.

Rule #5

When you share or paste content or articles from another website, you must include the URL/link back to where you found it, who wrote it, and what website it's from. Said content will be removed if this doesn't happen.

An example:

If I copy and paste an article from the Indianapolis Star website, I would post something like this:

http://www.linktothearticlegoeshere.com/article
Title of the Article
Author's Name
Indianapolis Star

Rule #6

We cannot tolerate illegal videos on Pacers Digest. This means do not share any links to them, do not mention any websites that host them or link to them, do not describe how to find them in any way, and do not ask about them. Posts doing anything of the sort will be removed, the offenders will be contacted privately, and if the problem becomes habitual, you will be suspended, and if it still persists, you will probably be banned.

The legal means of watching or listening to NBA games are NBA League Pass Broadband (for US, or for International; both cost money) and NBA Audio League Pass (which is free). Look for them on NBA.com.

Rule #7

Provocative statements in a signature, or as an avatar, or as the 'tagline' beneath a poster's username (where it says 'Member' or 'Administrator' by default, if it is not altered) are an unwanted distraction that will more than likely be removed on sight. There can be shades of gray to this, but in general this could be something political or religious that is likely going to provoke or upset people, or otherwise something that is mean-spirited at the expense of a poster, a group of people, or a population.

It may or may not go without saying, but this goes for threads and posts as well, particularly when it's not made on the off-topic board (Market Square).

We do make exceptions if we feel the content is both innocuous and unlikely to cause social problems on the forum (such as wishing someone a Merry Christmas or a Happy Easter), and we also also make exceptions if such topics come up with regards to a sports figure (such as the Lance Stephenson situation bringing up discussions of domestic abuse and the law, or when Jason Collins came out as gay and how that lead to some discussion about gay rights).

However, once the discussion seems to be more/mostly about the political issues instead of the sports figure or his specific situation, the thread is usually closed.

Rule #8

We prefer self-restraint and/or modesty when making jokes or off topic comments in a sports discussion thread. They can be fun, but sometimes they derail or distract from a topic, and we don't want to see that happen. If we feel it is a problem, we will either delete or move those posts from the thread.

Rule #9

Generally speaking, we try to be a "PG-13" rated board, and we don't want to see sexual content or similarly suggestive content. Vulgarity is a more muddled issue, though again we prefer things to lean more towards "PG-13" than "R". If we feel things have gone too far, we will step in.

Rule #10

We like small signatures, not big signatures. The bigger the signature, the more likely it is an annoying or distracting signature.

Rule #11

Do not advertise anything without talking about it with the administrators first. This includes advertising with your signature, with your avatar, through private messaging, and/or by making a thread or post.
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The PD NBA Best Pick Left in the Draft 3

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  • The PD NBA Best Pick Left in the Draft 3

    Derrick Rose was selected as the best pick in the NBA draft with 32 of the 47 votes.
    Michael Beasley was selected at the second best pick in the NBA draft with 24 of 33 votes.


    I want this to be a series of companion threads to Jose Slaughter's "The PD NBA Draft" threads.

    That series will be about predicting what will happen on draft night. Picking based on what you think that the team in question will do.

    What THIS series of threads is going to be for, is to simply generate a PD-consensus ranking of the best picks. The objective is to look at who is on the board, and say to yourself "If I'm trying to take the best talent, not just for today, but for the long-term, what is the best pick to make?"

    My apologies/thanks to Jose Slaughter in advance. I'm only able to do this because of his work creating the lists of players out there and his work providing the details on some of those players, which I will be using for this series as well.

    Jose will be going every three days, and I will match him. That means this first pick will be cut short by a day, but after that we'll be lined up.

    Who is the best player on the board as of the 1st pick in the 2008 draft?

    What is the overall best pick to make if you are looking for the best player REGARDLESS of whether they already are, or soon will be.

    ----------


    Point Guards

    1. Jerryd Bayless
    http://www.collegehoopsnet.com/new/s...t_profile41877
    College: Arizona
    Class: Freshman 
    Position: PG
    Height: 6’3”
    Weight: 193lbs
     
    Accolades: Gatorade Player of the Year – Arizona – high school (06 & 07), First Team All-Arizona – high school (04, 05, 06, 07), McDonald’s All-American – high school (07), First Team Parade All-American – high school (07), USA U-18 Team (06).

    Scouting Report: A lightning quick scoring point guard.

    Strengths: Blow-by quickness – leaves defenders in the dust. Great slasher – gets to the hoop and finishes. Great at drawing fouls and a superb free throw shooter. Solid, quick defender. An explosive scorer – had three straight 30-plus point games in Pac-10 competition this year. Three-point range on his jumper. Versatile – can play both guard spots. Can elevate and hit his jumper over defenders. Can be unstoppable off the dribble – very good at getting by and/or eluding defenders. Decent assist man. Shoots for a high percentage for a guard.

    Weaknesses: Inexperienced – only one year of college. Is not really a true point guard – more of a combo guard. More of a scorer than a passer. Turns the ball over too much. Will need time to learn to run an NBA offense and learn the pro point guard game. A little undersized for the NBA, especially if he plays some shooting guard.
     
    Projected 2008 Draft Range: Between number three and number six overall.
     
    Consensus: Bayless’ draft stock has exploded as the season has gone on and he continues to pile the points on the board. His offensive skills are NBA ready, but in order to really excel he will have to become more of a point guard or risk becoming a dreaded “tweener”.

    2. D.J. Augustin
    http://www.collegehoopsnet.com/new/d...-profile-42326
    College: Texas
    Class: Sophomore
    Position: PG
    Height: 6’0”
    Weight: 180lbs
     
    Accolades: Wooden Award All-American (08), First Team All-American – USBWA (08), All-Big 12 First Team (08), Bob Cousy Award Winner (08), First Team All-American - AP (08), NCAA Tournament South Regional Team (08), Big 12 All-Tournament Team (08), First Team All-American – CHN (08), Honorable Mention All-American – AP (07), Freshman All-American (07), All-Big 12 Second Team (07), Big 12 All-Rookie Team (07), First Team All-Freshman Team – CHN (07), McDonald’s All-American – high school (06), Fourth-Team All-American – Parade – high school (06).

    Scouting Report: A diminutive floor general with lots of game.

    Strengths: Lightning quick. Can get into the lane with ease. Good leaper. Uncanny knack for splitting double-teams. Good ability to use the rim as a shield and hit tough lay-ups to avoid defenders. Excellent playmaker and passer. Takes great care of the ball – twice as many assists as turnovers. Solid physique. Prolific scorer – nineteen 20-plus point games his sophomore year. Good three-point shooter – hit about two a game this year. Solid free throw shooter. Used to playing heavy minutes.

    Weaknesses: Height – will be vastly undersized for the NBA - may actually be 5’11”. Bigger, stronger NBA guards will give him problems on both ends of the floor (like against Memphis in the Elite Eight). Can be a streaky scorer – went 3 for 25 from the field combined in back-to-back games. Doesn’t shoot for an extremely high percentage.

    Projected 2008 Draft Range: Lottery to late first round pick.

    Consensus: If D.J. Augustin is to excel in the NBA he will have to be a trendsetter - there are currently no sub-six foot stars in the League. There is no doubt he has the speed, skill-set and intelligence to play at the next level, but to become a star he will have to be find a way to slay the NBA’s Goliaths.

    3. Russell Westbrook
    http://www.collegehoopsnet.com/new/r...-profile-42324
    College: UCLA
    Class: Sophomore
    Position: PG/SG
    Height: 6’3”
    Weight: 189lbs
     
    Accolades: Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year (08), Pac-10 All-Defensive Team (08), Third Team All-Pac-10 (08).

    Scouting Report: An NBA-level athlete able to play both backcourt positions.

    Strengths: Versatile – can ably play both point and shooting guard positions. Tremendous athlete. Can jump out of the gym. Great defender – had 63 steals his sophomore year. Very good assist man who takes good care of the ball. Has three-point range on his jumper. Capable scorer. Long wingspan. Big hands. Got to practice against some very good guards his two years at UCLA. Great work ethic. Game seems to vastly improve with each year – late bloomer.

    Weaknesses: Very inexperienced – didn’t play many minutes his freshman year. Will need more experience playing the point guard spot. Needs to become a more consistent outside shooter. Still quite inconsistent and streaky. Is he a dreaded “tweener” (no real position)?

    Projected 2008 Draft Range: Lottery pick.

    Consensus: Westbrook is an NBA highlight reel type of athlete that excels at both ends of the floor. His ability to play both guard positions makes him even more valuable, however, due to his size he will have to become more of a pure point guard. With his skills and athletic ability the sky is the limit.



    Shooting Guards
    1. O.J. Mayo
    http://www.collegehoopsnet.com/new/s...t_profile41837
    College: USC
    Class: Freshman 
    Position: PG/SG
    Height: 6’5”
    Weight: 200lbs
     
    Accolades:
    West Virginia Player of the Year – high school (07), EA Sports National High School Boys Basketball Player of the Year (07), McDonald’s All-American (07), First Team Parade All-American (07), First Team Parade All-American (06), Second Team Parade All-American (05), First Team USA Today All-USA Team (07, 06, 05), Mr. Basketball – Ohio – high school (06 & 05).
     
    Scouting Report:
    Much-hyped combo guard with a solid all-around game.
     
    Strengths:
    Prolific scorer – averaging over 20 ppg as a freshman in the Pac-10 is quite a feat. Great body control. Good ball handler and a great passer. Capable of playing either guard positions. Strong physique. Good range on jumper. Solid free throw shooter. Solid defender. Can hit difficult shots with defense on him. Used to pressure/attention – has been in the spotlight since before high school.

    Weaknesses:
    Takes a lot of shots – needs the ball. Takes questionable shots. Turnover prone – more turnovers than assists. On court & off court incidents in high school raised concerns about his attitude/character. Older than other freshmen – will be turning 21-years-old at start of next NBA season. Still inexperienced, only playing one year of college ball.  
     
    Projected 2008 Draft Range:
    Top 10 pick.
     
    Consensus:
    With the exception of LeBron James, few players can live up to the hype heaped on them at an early age. O.J. Mayo is one of those players. Projected as a NBA superstar since the seventh grade, Mayo has fallen out of favor as of late. Still, he is a spectacular basketball player and should have no trouble becoming an impact NBA player. Whether he will become the superstar he was projected to be is up in the air still.

    2. Eric Gordon
    http://www.collegehoopsnet.com/new/s...t_profile41836
    College: Indiana
    Class: Freshman
    Position: SG
    Height: 6’4”
    Weight: 215lbs
     
    Accolades:
    Mr. Basketball – Indiana – high school (07), Indiana Gatorade Player of the Year – high school (07), McDonald’s All-American (07).  

    Scouting Report:
    An explosive, athletic shooting guard.
     
    Strengths:
    An explosive scorer – topped 30 points in three of his first four NCAA games. Capable passer with decent court vision. Very quick and athletic. Relentlessly attacks the hoop. Great leaper. Very sweet looking shot. Shoots for a very high percentage from the floor, the foul line and behind the three-point arc. Strong build – NBA strength. Poised - used to playing in front of hostile crowds.

    Weaknesses:
    Undersized for an NBA two-guard – some sites have him listed at only 6’3”. Very young and inexperienced – will only be 19-years-old when the NBA season tips off. Turnover prone – notches more turnovers than assists. Needs to work on point guard skills for the NBA.
     
    Projected 2008 Draft Range:
    Top five pick.
     
    Consensus:
    Gordon’s athleticism, explosiveness, strength and skills should allow him to score a bunch at the NBA level. The key for him to really excel is to develop his point guard skills (or grow a couple of inches).

    3. Chris Douglas-Roberts
    http://www.collegehoopsnet.com/new/c...-profile-42322
    College: Memphis
    Class: Junior
    Position: SG
    Height: 6’7”
    Weight: 200lbs
     
    Accolades: First Team All-American – CHN (08), First Team All-American – AP (08), Wooden Award All-American Team (08), Conference USA Player of the Year (08), All-Conference USA First Team (08), First Team All-American – USBWA (08), Conference USA All-Tournament Team (08), NCAA Final Four All-Tournament Team (08), Honorable Mention All-American – AP (07), NCAA Tournament All-South Region Team (07), Conference USA Tournament MVP (07), Conference USA All-Tournament Team (07), All-Conference USA First Team (07), Conference USA All-Freshman Team (06).

    Scouting Report: A very unorthodox, yet deadly, wing player.

    Strengths: Great slasher. Very good floater shot he is confident shooting from deep. Long arms (6’9” wingspan). Experience playing in big games. Decent ball handler. Good rebounder. Good height/length for an NBA two guard. Used to being the go-to guy on one of the country’s best teams. Decent defender – long arms helps get steals. Accurate three-point shooter. Shot for a fantastic average for a guard – over 53% FG all three years in college. Crafty player – knows how to get the job down.

    Weaknesses: Very thin – needs to bulk up a bit for the NBA. Not an off-the-charts athlete. Didn’t play in one of the top conferences. Can he guard the NBA’s top wing players? Needs to improve his assists to turnovers to play guard in the NBA. Good three-point shooter but didn’t hit very many – just over one a game. Missed clutch free throws in the NCAA championship game.

    Projected 2008 Draft Range: Late lottery to late first round pick.

    Consensus: CDR couldn’t have had a much better junior season with the Tigers (besides that loss to Kansas). It is hard to pin down how effective he will be in the NBA with his unique style, but with his good length and tricky game he should make a nice living in the NBA.



    Small Forwards
    1. Danilo Gallinari
    http://www.collegehoopsnet.com/new/d...-profile-42315
    Team: AJ Milano
    Birth Year: 1988
    Position: SF
    Height: 6’9”
    Weight: 209lbs

    Accolades: Italian League All-Star (07), Italian U-16 National Team, Italian U-18 National Team, Italian National Team.

    Scouting Report: A strong, highly skilled Italian prospect.

    Strengths: Young but experienced – played pro since 2004. Plays in the top league outside of the NBA, the Euroleague. Despite being only 19-years-old, he is the best player on his team. Very good offensive player. Great shooting stroke. Long arms. Very good off the dribble – can go left or right and finishes strong. Great leaper. Can hit the tough shot. Shooting range extends to three-point territory. Good size and strength for a small forward. Solid defender – moves feet, blocks shots, grabs steals. Great free throw shooter and knows how to get himself to the line.

    Weaknesses: Needs to improve his three-point accuracy, and get used to the deeper NBA line. Quick and strong for Europe, but is he athletic and strong enough to guard NBA small or power forwards? Still isn’t totally consistent – had a zero point Euroleague outing. Will take time to adjust to the NBA game. Still young – won’t turn 20-years-old until August.

    Projected 2008 Draft Range: Lottery pick.

    Consensus: Gallinari is a very impressive NBA prospect and should be a solid NBA pro. Whether he has as much “upside” as a prospect like Nicolas Batum is debatable, but Gallinari is definitely more NBA-ready than Batum and has the potential to be an above average NBA player.

    2. Donte Greene
    http://www.collegehoopsnet.com/new/d...-profile-42345
    College: Syracuse
    Class: Freshman
    Position: SF/PF
    Height: 6’11”
    Weight: 226 lbs

    Accolades: Honorable Mention All-Freshman – CHN (08), Second Team All-Big East (08), Big East All-Rookie Team (08), USA Under-19 National Team (07), McDonald’s All-American – high school (07), First Team All-American – Parade – high school (07), Second Team All-USA Today – high school (07), USA Under-18 National Team (06).

    Scouting Report: An athletic forward with great size for the wing spot.

    Strengths: Great size for the small forward position. Great shooting touch. Can hit shots over defenders. Shooting range goes out beyond the three-point arc – hit almost three three-pointers a game his freshman season. Versatile scorer – three-pointers, fast-breaks, one-on-one moves. Can get out and run the floor. Very good rebounder. Good vertical. Can be an explosive scorer – fourteen 20 plus point games his freshman year.

    Weaknesses: Doesn’t have an above-average wingspan. Can he guard NBA small forwards or power forwards? Played mostly zone defense at Syracuse. Needs to work on his ball-handling. Inexperienced – only one year of college. Needs to cut down on turnovers – had more turnovers than assists this year. Shoots way too many three-pointers – almost eight a game. Needs to get stronger and bigger. His three-point accuracy (less than 35%) needs to improve. Inconsistent.

    Projected 2008 Draft Range: Late lottery to late first round pick.

    Consensus: There aren’t too many guys with Donte’ Greene’s size, athleticism and shooting range so NBA teams will be intrigued by him. But his draft stock is all over the board and he could use at least another year in college to get his body ready for the pros and to improve his consistency.

    3. Nicolas Batum
    http://www.collegehoopsnet.com/new/s...t_profile40741
    Team: Le Mans
    Birth Year: 1988
    Position: SF
    Height: 6’8”
    Weight: 210lbs

    Accolades: French Junior National Team, LNB All-Star – France pro league (07).

    Scouting Report: A long, athletic wingman with huge upside.

    Strengths: Huge wingspan – over 7 feet. Great height/length for a small forward. Used to going up against top-notch competition – currently plays in the world’s second best pro league, the Euroleague. Held his own against the States’ top high school players in last year’s Nike Hoop Summit – 23 points. Shoots for a high percentage. Shooting range goes out beyond the three-point line. Very athletic – can get out and run and has good leaping ability. Length comes in handy on the defensive end – deflects passes and blocks shots. Very good playmaker for a wing player.

    Weaknesses: Inconsistent – doesn’t always assert himself. Needs to add strength and weight for the NBA game. Very young – won’t turn 20-years-old until December. Needs to improve his three-point accuracy. Needs to work on his shooting mechanics – needs to follow through more. More potential than finished product right now.

    Projected 2008 Draft Range: Lottery pick.

    Consensus: Batum’s combination of length and athleticism has NBA scouts drooling. Whoever drafts him will have to be patient, but as his game and body matures Batum could be an excellent NBA pro. However, similar to fellow Frechman Boris Diaw, Batum can get you a triple-double one night and then bring nothing to the stat sheet the next – his consistency and aggression level have been questioned.


    Power Forwards

    1. Kevin Love
    http://www.collegehoopsnet.com/new/k...-profile-42323
    College: UCLA
    Class: Freshman
    Position: PF/C
    Height: 6’10”
    Weight: 260lbs
     
    Accolades: Wooden All-American (08), First Team All-American – AP (08), First Team All-American – USBWA (08), First Team All-American – CHN (08), First Team All-Freshman – CHN (08), Pac-10 Player of the Year (08), First Team All-Pac-10 (08), Pac-10 Freshman of the Year (08), Pac-10 All-Freshman Team (08), Honorable Mention Pac-10 All-Defensive Team (08), Male High School Player of the Year – Naismith, Wooden, USA Today, McDonald’s, Parade, National High School Coaches Association (07), McDonald’s All-American – high school (07), First Team Parade All-American – high school (07), Gatorade National Male Athlete of the Year – high school (07), First Team Parade All-American – high school (06).

    Scouting Report: A man among boys in the post his freshman collegiate season.

    Strengths: Extremely strong and solid – gets position down low and is impossible to move. Very smart player. Supremely talented passer – excels leading fast breaks with long inbounds passes. Very strong passer also – can chest pass the full length of the court. Good low post scorer. Wide body. Has range on his jumper out beyond the collegiate three-point line. Good genes – his dad was an NBA player. Has proven to be a winner at the collegiate level. Solid free throw shooter.

    Weaknesses: Not an NBA athlete – not much of a leaper, not super quick getting up and down the floor. Lacks explosiveness. Very inexperienced with only one year of college under his belt. Will be short for the post in the NBA – may only be 6’9”. Lacks foot speed to guard the athletes in the NBA. Doesn’t have the “upside” you’d hope to get with a lottery pick. Needs to get his body into better shape for the NBA.

    Projected 2008 Draft Range: Lottery Pick

    Consensus: While it must be very difficult to pass up a chance to be a NBA lottery pick, Kevin Love may regret giving up his last three years of college eligibility. Love had the chance to go down as one of the best players to ever suit up for UCLA, but instead he will enter the NBA where his lack of height, athleticism and explosiveness will limit him. While he probably won’t be a star in the pros, his smarts, strength and passing ability will allow him to carve out a career in the NBA.

    2. Anthony Randolph
    http://www.collegehoopsnet.com/new/a...-profile-42327
    College: LSU
    Class: Freshman
    Position: SF/PF
    Height: 6’10”
    Weight: 205lbs
     
    Accolades: Honorable Mention All-Freshman Team – CHN (08), All-SEC Honorable Mention – AP (08), SEC All-Freshman Team (08), Fourth Team Parade All-American – high school (07).

    Scouting Report: A long, lean highly skilled forward

    Strengths: Wingspan – uses long limbs to his benefit on offense and defense. Great at blocking and altering shots. Very quick/athletic for his height. Competitive spirit. Quick face up post moves. Good leaping ability. Good shooting touch for a player his size. Fast feet on defense. Good ballhandler for an almost 7-footer. Capable of playing out on the wing or in the post. Lots of potential. Good rebounder – had nine double-digit rebounding games his freshman year. Good at slashing and getting to the hoop. Gets to the free throw line a decent amount of times.

    Weaknesses: Very thin – will get abused in the post in the NBA. Very inexperienced. Turnover prone – averaged three turnovers a game. Can he guard NBA post players? Will need to improve his three-point touch if he is to play the wing in the NBA. Played mostly power forward in college.

    Projected 2008 Draft Range: Top 10 to Lottery Pick

    Consensus: Anthony Randolph is the ultimate “potential” pick – he’s not ready for the NBA yet, but his package of skills and length make him real attractive to potential suitors. He could end up being a star, but on the flip side, his game and body needs enough work that he also could turn out to be a bust.

    3. Darrell Arthur
    http://www.collegehoopsnet.com/new/d...-profile-42311
    College: Kansas
    Class: Sophomore
    Position: PF
    Height: 6’9”
    Weight: 225lbs
    ?
    Accolades: All-Big 12 Honorable Mention (07), Big 12 All-Rookie Team (07), USA U-19 Team (07), McDonald’s All-American – high school (06), Third Team Parade All-American (06), co-Mr. Basketball – Texas – high school (06), 4A Player of the Year – Texas – high school (05 & 06), 4A State Title Tournament MVP – Texas – high school (05 & 06).

    Scouting Report: An ideal NBA prospect – big, strong, athletic, and skilled.

    Strengths: Very athletic for his size – can run the floor, good jumping ability. Good range on his jumper. Solid back to the basket moves. Gets good position in post and attacks. Good passer. Good shot blocker. Has the ability to take his man off the dribble. Long wingspan.

    Weaknesses: Will need to add some weight/strength to play the post in the NBA. Still inexperienced and young. Due to Kansas’ depth he never played major minutes in college – averaged less than 20 mpg his freshman year, less than 24 mpg his sophomore season. Also never put up big stats due to the Jayhawks’ depth. Foul prone.

    Projected 2008 Draft Range: Lottery pick to mid-first round pick.

    Consensus: Watching Arthur play he just looks the part of an NBA prospect. With decent size, wingspan and offensive skills, Arthur is made for the pro game. He might not be ready right away, but within a few seasons he should be a NBA starter.

    4. Marreese Speights
    http://www.collegehoopsnet.com/new/m...-profile-42365
    College: Florida

    Class: Sophomore

    Position: PF/C

    Height: 6’10”

    Weight: 245lbs

     

    Accolades: N/A

    Scouting Report: A long, athletic big man who came on after being a relative unknown to start his college career.

    Strengths: Long wingspan. Shoots for a very high percentage from the field – over 60% each year. Practiced against three future NBA big men his freshman year (Horford, Noah, Richard). Nice shooting touch for a big man. Athletic for a big man. Good hands. Has good NBA size. Good shot-blocker. Very good rebounder. Got more consistent as his sophomore season progressed.

    Weaknesses: Very inexperienced – didn’t play much his freshman year. Age – will be 21-years-old in August, making him older than other sophomores. Has had conditioning issues in the past. Has to improve his low post game. Needs to get tougher. Needs work on the defensive end.

    Projected 2008 Draft Range: Late first round to early second round pick.

    Consensus: No doubt Marreese Speights has a future in the NBA due to his size and skills. However, considering he doesn’t appear to be a first round lock this year he should go back to Gainesville for his junior season.


    Centers
    1. Brook Lopez
    http://www.collegehoopsnet.com/new/s...t_profile41876
    College: Stanford
    Class: Sophomore 
    Position: PF
    Height: 7’0”
    Weight: 260lbs
     
    Accolades: Honorable Mention All-Pac-10 (07), All-Pac-10 Freshman Team (07), McDonald’s All-American – high school (06), Third Team Parade All-American (06).
     
    Scouting Report:
    An athletic big man with tons of potential.
     
    Strengths: Long, lean and athletic – has a NBA frame that looks like it is capable of filling out even more. Can run the floor well for a big man. Plays tough – not afraid to go to the floor and mix it up. Nice jump hook shot that he uses often. Soft touch down low. Catches the ball and attacks immediately in the post – not hesitant. Good shot blocker. Good free throw shooter, especially for a big man. Very good at drawing fouls and getting to the line. Capable of explosive scoring outbursts.

    Weaknesses: Still inexperienced – missed first five games last season and first nine games this year. Needs to develop more moves in the post – uses the jump hook too often. Shoots for a much lower field goal percentage (under 50%) than other top big man prospects. Is foul prone. Would like to see more boards from a player with his size and skills.
     
    Projected 2008 Draft Range:
    Top five pick.
     
    Consensus: The best big man prospect in the draft not named Beasley, Lopez should make whatever NBA drafts him very happy. He should be a solid pro with the potential to be even better than that.

    2. Kosta Koufos
    http://www.collegehoopsnet.com/new/k...-profile-42331
    College: Ohio State
    Class: Freshman
    Position: PF/C
    Height: 7’0”
    Weight: 265lbs
    ?
    Accolades: NIT Championship MVP (08), Third Team All-Big Ten (08), Big Ten All-Freshman Team (08), McDonald’s All-American – high school (07), Greek Under-18 National Team (07), Under-18 European Championship MVP (07), Third Team All-American – Parade – high school (07).

    Scouting Report: A highly skilled big man with high-level international experience.

    Strengths: Big, strong frame. Along with 7-foot height he has a long wingspan. Hard worker – a gym rat. Good hands. Able to put the ball on the floor to score. Uses the glass wisely on jump shots. Tough rebounder. Possesses three-point range on his jumper. Great face up shooter. Soft touch down low. Great shot blocker. Was the best player at a high-level international tournament last summer. Seems to play better in big games.

    Weaknesses: Not super fast or athletic. Tends to face-up to the hoop more than post up. Can drift out to beyond the arc too often. Still inexperienced – big guys tend to need more time to develop. Does he have the foot speed to guard mobile NBA big men?

    Projected 2008 Draft Range: Mid first round pick.

    Consensus: Players with Kosta Koufos’ size and skill package don’t come along too often, so his decision to enter the draft shouldn’t come as a surprise. While he would probably benefit from at least another year in college, Koufos should be an early pick this year and could pan out to be an above-average pro.

    3. DeAndre Jordan
    http://www.collegehoopsnet.com/new/d...-profile-42316
    College: Texas A&M
    Class: Freshman?
    Position: C
    Height: 7’0”
    Weight: 240lbs
    ?
    Accolades: Third Team Parade All-American – high school (07), USA U-19 Team (07), Two-time All-State – Texas – high school.

    Scouting Report: A big man with big “upside”

    Strengths: Long wingspan – blocks and alters shots with it. Soft hands in the post – catches difficult passes and converts. Good springs – can get off the floor. Can run the floor well for a big body. Good at getting post position. Solid rebounder. Shoots for a very high percentage from the field.

    Weaknesses: Still more prospect than NBA player right now – will need time to develop. Very inexperienced – only played one season of college ball and didn’t play huge minutes (about 20/game). Productivity declined as his freshman season went on. Still a little clumsy. Needs to add some more muscle to his frame. Horrible free throw shooter – barely above 40%. Offensive game is still a work in progress – averages less than 10 points per game.

    Projected 2008 Draft Range: Top 10 pick.

    Consensus: Whichever NBA team drafts Jordan will have to be patient with him. As the Lakers can attest with Andrew Bynum, the wait could be well worth it as Jordan has all the makings of a quality NBA big.

    4. JaVale McGee
    http://www.collegehoopsnet.com/new/j...-profile-42335
    College: Nevada
    Class: Sophomore
    Position: PF/C
    Height: 7’0”
    Weight: 237lbs
    Accolades: Second Team All-WAC (08), WAC All-Defensive Team (08).

    Scouting Report: A long, athletic 7-footer.

    Strengths: Extremely long wingspan – reportedly measuring at 7’6”. Very athletic for his size. Can run the floor. Attacks the rim and dunks often. Good hands. Makes quick moves once he gets the ball. Terrific shot-blocker. Has a good hook shot in the post. Has range on his jumper – can hit the college three-pointer. Able to put the ball on the floor and get by defenders.

    Weaknesses: Very inexperienced – only played significant minutes his sophomore year. Didn’t play in a BCS conference, so didn’t go up against top talent every game. Poor free throw shooter. Needs to get physically stronger for the NBA. Will have to learn to post up stronger for the NBA. NBA players will be able to overpower him and back him down when he is on defense. Extremely turnover prone – had four times as many turnovers than assists this past season.

    Projected 2008 Draft Range: Late lottery to mid first round pick.

    Consensus: JaVale McGee is the ultimate “high-risk, high-reward” pick. His length and athleticism are very enticing, but with his game and body still a work in progress there is no guarantee he’ll ever turn out to be a solid NBA pro.
    33
    Jerryd Bayless
    18.18%
    6
    D.J. Augustin
    0.00%
    0
    Russell Westbrook
    3.03%
    1
    O.J. Mayo
    60.61%
    20
    Eric Gordon
    6.06%
    2
    Chris Douglas-Roberts
    3.03%
    1
    Daniel Gallinari
    0.00%
    0
    Donte Greene
    0.00%
    0
    Nicolas Batum
    0.00%
    0
    Kevin Love
    0.00%
    0
    Anthony Randolph
    0.00%
    0
    Darrell Arthur
    0.00%
    0
    Marreese Speights
    0.00%
    0
    Brook Lopez
    9.09%
    3
    Kosta Koufos
    0.00%
    0
    DeAndre Jordan
    0.00%
    0
    JaVale McGee
    0.00%
    0

    The poll is expired.


  • #2
    Re: The PD NBA Best Pick Left in the Draft 3

    Hicks

    I kinda jumped the gun on my 3rd pick thread. I'll delay the 4th pick thread until Wednesday night so we can get back on the same schedule.

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: The PD NBA Best Pick Left in the Draft 3

      I really don't get all the Mayo love.

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: The PD NBA Best Pick Left in the Draft 3

        Originally posted by Shade View Post
        I really don't get all the Mayo love.
        I voted for Mayo, but, largely, I'd rather pick 11th than 3rd in this draft. I think this is a two-man draft, then a whole bunch of guys who could either turn out to be solid pros or completely crap out.

        Of that second bunch, I guess Mayo seems to have the most potential, or that's just what popped into my head when I Rohrshacked it.

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: The PD NBA Best Pick Left in the Draft 3

          Bayless.


          Comment


          • #6
            Re: The PD NBA Best Pick Left in the Draft 3

            beasley

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: The PD NBA Best Pick Left in the Draft 3

              Mayo's the best player, but I sure wouldn't want him.
              Come to the Dark Side -- There's cookies!

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: The PD NBA Best Pick Left in the Draft 3

                http://www.draftexpress.com/article/...-Chicago-2892/

                Comment

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