I have now updated my top ten draft picks I want the Sixers to target before the 08 NBA draft.
1. PF Michael Beasley- he's the prize of the draft. He IS the future of the NBA power forward. The size, attitude and rebounding tenacity of Kenyon Martin when he entered the NBA + the dribbling and shooting of Lebron James = BEST POWER FORWARD PROSPECT I HAVE EVER SEEN. He can simply do it all. His ceiling is through the roof and a can't miss talent. Beasley would instantly change the entire offense of the Sixers the second he plays. He may not have it on defense, but his ability on offense more than makes up for his laziness on d.
2. PG Derrick Rose- the 'other' can't miss prospect of the nba draft. His athleticism and first step quickness is beyond anything the nba has ever seen. While he may not have the best mid range game, he does have solid and fluid mechanics to be a reliable jump shooter. Passing, intangibles, transition, finsishing, and leadership qualities are all there and top notch. Bottomline, his skill level is the best I've ever seen in a point guard prospect, which is even more incredible due to the fact that he is a pass first point guard.
3. SG Eric Gordon- the Michael Jordan comparisons of Eric Gordon before he played a single college game don't seem that far off now do they? A freshman shooting guard averaging almost 30 per game? That is unheard of. After watching several of Gordon's game so far, I can tell you right now that his ability to score the ball are right up there with the best of them. He may not have height, but his ridiculous and consistent ability from range and freakish ability to attack the rim and finish in traffic are top notch. I'm almost completely confident that Eric Gordon will lead the NBA sometime in points per game. IMO he is a Dwayne Wade clone with better range. Oh and by the way, he is a MUCH better passer than first stated.
4. PF Blake Griffin- another freshman power forward that won't get much media due to the storm that is following Michael Beasley. Blake Griffin, a bruising power forward, is quietly averaging 15 and 9 for the Sooners early on. I've only seen him once, but other than Beasley, he is extremely athletic for a power forward. This is more of a need pick. While the Sixers desperately need a point guard and OJ Mayo could be their guy, I believe that the need to seriously upgrade their front court is more important.
5. PG/SG OJ Mayo- surprise! Another freshman! OJ Mayo is a hit or miss prospect IMO. While he is and will be extremely streaky in the NBA, no one can argue his ceiling or scoring ability. He is a lights out, premiere scorer who may have just as potential as Derrick Rose. He is the total package, it just isn't as developed as much as Derrick Rose right now. Other than Beasley and Rose, in terms of pure talent, Mayo is just a slim notch below them. Any team that has the opportunity to get this guy will have a future all star on their team for many many years. While many stray away from the hated 'combo' guard, you just can't get away from his talent. I've always been one to put the 'true' point guard on a pedestal, but I would take OJ Mayo in a heart beat if we had the chance. He has every shot to be as good or even better than his competition, Derrick Rose in the NBA.
6. C Kosta Koufas-As many of you know I am not a fan of Samuel Dalembert. There is nothing in Sammy D's game that shouts out as him being a championship worthy center in this league. The Sixers need a fresh, new look with their front court, and moving Sammy might be the key. I've seen more than I need of Koufas' game to know that he is a premiere talent, plus it would be nice to start getting into the foreign market with the American/Greek big man. He is an Ilgauskas clone with an even better jump shot and more range. Unlike many white centers, his wing span is immense and he is an aggressive scorer in the paint with excellent moves already. He is extremely polished and has more of a face to the basket type game. His defense isn't where you would want it to be right now, but he is an offensive center and there aren't many of those in the NBA these days.
7. C Roy Hibbert- see number six about Dalembert. Hibbert may not have the highest ceiling in the world for an NBA center, but his size, dependability, offensive polish and presence are significant enough to make him a top 5 pick in the NBA draft. Hibbert and Koufas will battle it out as the first center taken off the board, and it will be a close one. IMO it will done by teams' need instead of talent because they are both very, very good prospects. Where Koufas may give you 18 and 9 someday down the line, I think Hibbert will give you 10/10 for a very long time. That's much more than you can ask in terms of the quality of centers in today's NBA.
8. SG Nicolas Batum- he was my number one guy in last year's draft before he opted out at the last second. He's a 6'8 off guard with the largest wingspan I've seen in a long time. While he's extremely talented in passing, defending, leading and athleticism are all top notch, he is a bit inconsistent shooting the ball. With all that said, his ceiling is just as high as Eric Gordons' potential. Why? If Batum can ever put it all together he will be literally unstoppable. He, like Michael Beasley of the power forwards, is the future of the NBA 2 guard. Big guard, top notch athleticism, daunting wingspan and defense, extremely good passer, significant team player, etc. He reminds me of a lesser shooting but even better defending and rebounding Richard Hamilton. I love this kid. I fully expect Batum's stock to continue to rise all the way to the minute before the draft. He is THAT good.
9. PF Kevin Love- dependable, consistent, mature, physical, tenacious,... these are all words you hear frequently with Kevin Love. The hype of this kid before he entered college was immense, but he backed up all that talk with his early play so far this season. He's got the most sound, fundamental game I've seen since Tim Duncan, unfortunitely his athleticism is very poor for him to be a top pick. Regardless, some team will find him as a lock for the lottery. Love unfortunitely reminds me of Kris Humphries. Humphries was a top recruit for Minnesota, had an incredible freshman season and went to the draft. What has he done? Not much. I like his skill set and talent right now, but I'm afraid what you see is what you get with Kevin Love, which isn't that bad in the end.
10. PF Serge Ibaka- As some of you probably know I am a HUGE fan of this kid. Why? First, unlike many of the top prospects from Africa Ibaka already possesses very good skills and hands around the rim. He may not be experienced, and he has never faced top notch level like in college basketball, but you better watch out for this kid. He has just been approved to play overseas in Europe. Everyone better watch out because if he does well I see this kid skyrocketing up the charts. He has top five pick potential. This is the guy to look out for. Make sure you keep an eye on him because I know you'll fall in love with him.
There is my top ten list that will surely change a ton as the season progresses. Some notes: DeAndre Jordon is not on the list. I am not sold on him unlike many experts. While he may possess a top notch frame and high ceiling, I'm not sold on his athleticism and offensive game. He has to prove to me he is not just another big time recruit, because that is what I think he is. I don't have Chase Budinger up there because, well frankly, he is not anywhere near as good as the players I feel I have selected for my top ten. He may have good size and athleticism, but IMO he is not a difference maker or impact player. Donte Green did not make it because of the Sixers' needs. He is a top talent and surely among the top 10, maybe top 5, of teams who need a SF. Darrell Arthur did not make the list because I firmly believe Kansas will be his downfall. With so many talented freshman, especially freshmen bigmen, I believe his stock will only keep falling. Why? College basketball is now officially a numbers game. The numbers the freshman are putting up are staggering. Kansas is too deep and too talented. Arthur will have to become more insertive on offense or have an incredible tournament to be mentioned in my top 5. Regardless, he is a top talent.
Thoughts?
Friday, November 30, 2007
My First Eagles' Mock Draft of the Year!
1st pick (somewhere 10-14): Martellus Bennett TE Texas A&M
With Schobel in a contract year and LJ on his way out, the Eagles desperately need a playmaking TE on the roster. The lack of offense, imo, has really come down to the absence of a solid tight end, especially in the middle of the field. Bennett is an underclassmen who will skyrocket up the draft board after the NFL combine (think Vernon Davis). 6'7 size, excellent hands and very good atheleticism. Bottomline, this offense needs a playmaker, and someone future QB Kevin Kolb and grow with. Bennett is also a very solid blocker as well. He is the complete package and the best tight end in the draft. I got a feeling about Bennett. I think he has Antonio Gates potential. Why? He's another great basketball player turned football player and I think he's in the same exact mold, and maybe even more athletic.
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/player/profile?playerId=177364
Other considerations for the first pick: DE Miami Calais Campbell, OT USC Sam Baker
2nd Pick: WR Desean Jackson CAL
The deficiencies of the offense have been displayed constantly this season. I think Reid will continue to go away from what he has drafted on, and go with Kelly. First, I believe Kelly will be the WR that may slip this season. Many teams will see him as another Sidney Rice due to inconsistency and youth. Desean Jackson has immense quickness and speed to be an elite NFL wide receiver. Second, I think the Eagles need towards the route of obtaining a very solid punt/kick off returner, and this is the guy. Some scouts even say Jackson has more punt/kick off return ability than Devin Hester. I think the Eagles need to continue on trimming the fat off this roster, especially on offense. Guys like Hank Baskett, Greg Lewis, Reno Mahe, etc should not be on this roster. Jackson replaces Lewis and Mahe instantly is gives the offense another down the field threat playmaker they desperately need.
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/player/profile?playerId=174193
Other considerations: OLB USC Keith Rivers, DE Florida Derrick Harvey, CB Zona Antoine Cason, S Arizona State Josh Barrett
3rd Pick: S Michigan Jamar Adams
I have suspition that Brian Dawkins may be one and done after this season due to his age and health concerns. With AJ or Kolb starting next season, the Eagles have the opportunity to focus on rebuilding, which means they don't have to bring in any high priced veterens until 09 or even 2010. I highly doubt the Eagles bring in any high priced safeties, due to the solid showings JR Reed and Quintin Mikell have shown this season as starters. The Eagles desparately need another talented player in the defensive backfield and Adams may be the guy. Standing at 6'2 and weighing 214 pounds, Adams has a good frame and good speed along with excellent size to fill in at the backfield.
There it is. My first three picks. The Eagles really need playmakers on offense, and guys to fill around a developing Kevin Kolb. They do that by adding Bennett and Jackson. They help out the defensive secondary by adding a big, strong safety Jamar Adams who has close ties with Jason Avant.
Thoughts?
With Schobel in a contract year and LJ on his way out, the Eagles desperately need a playmaking TE on the roster. The lack of offense, imo, has really come down to the absence of a solid tight end, especially in the middle of the field. Bennett is an underclassmen who will skyrocket up the draft board after the NFL combine (think Vernon Davis). 6'7 size, excellent hands and very good atheleticism. Bottomline, this offense needs a playmaker, and someone future QB Kevin Kolb and grow with. Bennett is also a very solid blocker as well. He is the complete package and the best tight end in the draft. I got a feeling about Bennett. I think he has Antonio Gates potential. Why? He's another great basketball player turned football player and I think he's in the same exact mold, and maybe even more athletic.
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/player/profile?playerId=177364
Other considerations for the first pick: DE Miami Calais Campbell, OT USC Sam Baker
2nd Pick: WR Desean Jackson CAL
The deficiencies of the offense have been displayed constantly this season. I think Reid will continue to go away from what he has drafted on, and go with Kelly. First, I believe Kelly will be the WR that may slip this season. Many teams will see him as another Sidney Rice due to inconsistency and youth. Desean Jackson has immense quickness and speed to be an elite NFL wide receiver. Second, I think the Eagles need towards the route of obtaining a very solid punt/kick off returner, and this is the guy. Some scouts even say Jackson has more punt/kick off return ability than Devin Hester. I think the Eagles need to continue on trimming the fat off this roster, especially on offense. Guys like Hank Baskett, Greg Lewis, Reno Mahe, etc should not be on this roster. Jackson replaces Lewis and Mahe instantly is gives the offense another down the field threat playmaker they desperately need.
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/player/profile?playerId=174193
Other considerations: OLB USC Keith Rivers, DE Florida Derrick Harvey, CB Zona Antoine Cason, S Arizona State Josh Barrett
3rd Pick: S Michigan Jamar Adams
I have suspition that Brian Dawkins may be one and done after this season due to his age and health concerns. With AJ or Kolb starting next season, the Eagles have the opportunity to focus on rebuilding, which means they don't have to bring in any high priced veterens until 09 or even 2010. I highly doubt the Eagles bring in any high priced safeties, due to the solid showings JR Reed and Quintin Mikell have shown this season as starters. The Eagles desparately need another talented player in the defensive backfield and Adams may be the guy. Standing at 6'2 and weighing 214 pounds, Adams has a good frame and good speed along with excellent size to fill in at the backfield.
There it is. My first three picks. The Eagles really need playmakers on offense, and guys to fill around a developing Kevin Kolb. They do that by adding Bennett and Jackson. They help out the defensive secondary by adding a big, strong safety Jamar Adams who has close ties with Jason Avant.
Thoughts?
Thursday, November 22, 2007
10 Things that Bother Me About the 76ers
1. How about starting Lou at PG and having Miller come off the bench like Jason Terry? Terry has shown he can be extremely effective coming off the bench. Mo needs to tell Miller about the goals of this season, which is to develop the young guys. I know people feel that you would be hurting his trade value, but why can't Miller come off the bench and play 5-7 less minutes than he was? Miller is going to be traded soon anyway, goodbye Andre.
2. How about you give major minutes to Jason Smith? Start him and THEN put in Reggie Evans on a need by need basis. Isn't it obvious that this offense and defense run MUCH smoother with Jason Smith in the lineup? Evans cannot start anymore. He's a big reason why this team gets down so early in the game. Sure he's an excellent rebounder, and I love the guy because he gives it all every night, but he doesn't offer anything more than offensive and defensive rebounds.
3. If Thad starts to 'get' it on the court, he makes Korver and Carney extremely dispensable. Carney has been a complete disapointment, and Korver has only one tool that is better than Thad right now, the three point shot. But Thad is a very good shooter and does have range out to three. Thad is a very fluid scorer. He is something special. Scoring appears natural to him, which I like. His dribbling needs work, no big deal. The foursome of Smith, Lou, Iggy and Thad playing on the same court together is something we should be hopefully seeing a lot in the near future. They are the future of the 76ers, bottomline, and I like what I'm seeing from them early on.
4. Scoring. I think, in the future, the Sixers are going to be one heck of a offensive team. Williams has shown he can put the ball in the hoop without effort. Iggy is a reliable scorer, 20 per game. Thaddeus is showing signs of what he may become, which is a pure, natural scorer in the mold of Paul Pierce and Antawn Jamison. Don't forget about Jason Smith who has impressed me more than anybody so far this season. He is fearless, has excellent hands around the rim and he attacks the rim hard. He hasn't even learned any moves in the paint. What happens when he does that? His first step and athleticism and excellent mid range game are all the incredible tools he could use as he develops his game.
5. Why the heck must Reggie Evans try to score the ball every time he gets in the paint? He tries to make any kind of move and walks every time. Has anyone told Reggie that this is...um...u know... EMBARASSING! I find it hilarious. In fact, lets make a drinking game out of it. Every time Evans walks with the ball you have to bong a beer, in hopes to forget about the play you just saw. Aw $hit, I'm drunk already lol. jk.
6. Carney, what happened to Carney? He has been given every chance to make a name for himself but he has such difficulty getting into any kind of rhythm or momentum with the flow of the offense. It's a shame. I think it's the half court offense that is slowing him down. I'm a Carney guy, I like him and I think he is more talented than the majority of the Sixers' roster. I just hope we're able to draft Derrick Rose or Michael Beasley so we'd become more of a uptempo offense. Hopefully that uptempo offense could jump start, or should i say, resurrect Carney's career.
7. Calvin Booth. Calvin Booth. Calvin Booth. Why is he on this team? Are you flipping telling me we couldn't find a young kid with more talent than Calvin Booth? Don't even get me started on Amundsen. I really hope the Sixers obtain multiple draft picks this year so we can begin to round out our roster. Having these scrubs on our team is embarrasing.
8. On kind of the same topic, (this doesn't necessarily bother me), but how good must it feel to be Herbert Hill? The Sixers are in such a mess right now offensively and defensively that Mo and the FO may just give Herbert Hill the chance for major minutes. Hill will take the place of Calvin Booth and LA on the roster and use those minutes to help with offensive and defensive rebounding. I firmly believe you have to earn how many minutes you get to play, but Hill is going to be thrown into the fire extremely quick.
9. Jersies. I don't want to see the black jersies anymore. Those red jersies are without a doubt the best jersey in the nba. I absolutely love the retro, red Phila jersies. When Rose or Beasley come to the Sixers, I'm going to be the first one in line getting the Phila jersey with one of their names on the back. Get rid of the black jersies, they're worthless and only get us more fouls lol. On road games rotate between red and blue Phila jersies, and I'll compromise saying that they can keep the white Sixers jersies they use for home games.
10. Billy King has to talk to Mo Cheeks about goals and aspirations about the 07-08 season. Willie Green averaging over 28 minutes per game is an absolute joke. Reggie Evans should not be averaging 28 minutes per game, pathetic. Louis Williams should not be averaging 20 minutes per game, pathetic. Even worse, Andre Miller should not be averaging over 30 minutes per game, pathetic. Smith and Williams have been the Sixers' most consistent players and Smith only gets 18 minutes per game. Mo NEEDS to switch Evans' minutes for Smith's minutes soon. This season is about developing the youth, not giving them glimpses of daylight and stashing them on the bench. Play the young guys! What do we have to lose?
2. How about you give major minutes to Jason Smith? Start him and THEN put in Reggie Evans on a need by need basis. Isn't it obvious that this offense and defense run MUCH smoother with Jason Smith in the lineup? Evans cannot start anymore. He's a big reason why this team gets down so early in the game. Sure he's an excellent rebounder, and I love the guy because he gives it all every night, but he doesn't offer anything more than offensive and defensive rebounds.
3. If Thad starts to 'get' it on the court, he makes Korver and Carney extremely dispensable. Carney has been a complete disapointment, and Korver has only one tool that is better than Thad right now, the three point shot. But Thad is a very good shooter and does have range out to three. Thad is a very fluid scorer. He is something special. Scoring appears natural to him, which I like. His dribbling needs work, no big deal. The foursome of Smith, Lou, Iggy and Thad playing on the same court together is something we should be hopefully seeing a lot in the near future. They are the future of the 76ers, bottomline, and I like what I'm seeing from them early on.
4. Scoring. I think, in the future, the Sixers are going to be one heck of a offensive team. Williams has shown he can put the ball in the hoop without effort. Iggy is a reliable scorer, 20 per game. Thaddeus is showing signs of what he may become, which is a pure, natural scorer in the mold of Paul Pierce and Antawn Jamison. Don't forget about Jason Smith who has impressed me more than anybody so far this season. He is fearless, has excellent hands around the rim and he attacks the rim hard. He hasn't even learned any moves in the paint. What happens when he does that? His first step and athleticism and excellent mid range game are all the incredible tools he could use as he develops his game.
5. Why the heck must Reggie Evans try to score the ball every time he gets in the paint? He tries to make any kind of move and walks every time. Has anyone told Reggie that this is...um...u know... EMBARASSING! I find it hilarious. In fact, lets make a drinking game out of it. Every time Evans walks with the ball you have to bong a beer, in hopes to forget about the play you just saw. Aw $hit, I'm drunk already lol. jk.
6. Carney, what happened to Carney? He has been given every chance to make a name for himself but he has such difficulty getting into any kind of rhythm or momentum with the flow of the offense. It's a shame. I think it's the half court offense that is slowing him down. I'm a Carney guy, I like him and I think he is more talented than the majority of the Sixers' roster. I just hope we're able to draft Derrick Rose or Michael Beasley so we'd become more of a uptempo offense. Hopefully that uptempo offense could jump start, or should i say, resurrect Carney's career.
7. Calvin Booth. Calvin Booth. Calvin Booth. Why is he on this team? Are you flipping telling me we couldn't find a young kid with more talent than Calvin Booth? Don't even get me started on Amundsen. I really hope the Sixers obtain multiple draft picks this year so we can begin to round out our roster. Having these scrubs on our team is embarrasing.
8. On kind of the same topic, (this doesn't necessarily bother me), but how good must it feel to be Herbert Hill? The Sixers are in such a mess right now offensively and defensively that Mo and the FO may just give Herbert Hill the chance for major minutes. Hill will take the place of Calvin Booth and LA on the roster and use those minutes to help with offensive and defensive rebounding. I firmly believe you have to earn how many minutes you get to play, but Hill is going to be thrown into the fire extremely quick.
9. Jersies. I don't want to see the black jersies anymore. Those red jersies are without a doubt the best jersey in the nba. I absolutely love the retro, red Phila jersies. When Rose or Beasley come to the Sixers, I'm going to be the first one in line getting the Phila jersey with one of their names on the back. Get rid of the black jersies, they're worthless and only get us more fouls lol. On road games rotate between red and blue Phila jersies, and I'll compromise saying that they can keep the white Sixers jersies they use for home games.
10. Billy King has to talk to Mo Cheeks about goals and aspirations about the 07-08 season. Willie Green averaging over 28 minutes per game is an absolute joke. Reggie Evans should not be averaging 28 minutes per game, pathetic. Louis Williams should not be averaging 20 minutes per game, pathetic. Even worse, Andre Miller should not be averaging over 30 minutes per game, pathetic. Smith and Williams have been the Sixers' most consistent players and Smith only gets 18 minutes per game. Mo NEEDS to switch Evans' minutes for Smith's minutes soon. This season is about developing the youth, not giving them glimpses of daylight and stashing them on the bench. Play the young guys! What do we have to lose?
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Draft Needs For The Top Lottery Teams
Draft needs for top lottery teams. Feel free to add as much as you can.
Seattle Supersonics: Seattle needs a shooting guard, without a doubt. They have no one on the team besides Durant that can score, and Durant is far from a starting shooting guard. They have a ton of versatile 1st round pick power forwards/centers that are young and developing, which tells me that they won't be wasting another pick on their front court (Saer Sene, Robert Swift, Johan Petro, Nick Collison). Also due to the signing of Chris Wilcox, it doesn't make sense for them to go after Michael Beasley, a PF/SF who is exactly what Durant and Jeff Green resemble. My likely picks for Seattle would be Eric Gordon, Chase Budinger, Nicolas Batum, or a scoring combo guard in OJ Mayo. In all likelihood, I can see Seattle trading down this year in the draft. They have their pieces in Durant and Green, they desparately need veterens in there. Thoughts?
Minnesota Timberwolves: The Twolves have a very deep, young squad. They picked Randy Foye, their point guard of the future. They picked Corey Brewer, their small guard of the future. They already have their franchise power forward in Al Jefferson. And they also already have a potential starter in Gerald Green at small forward. This leaves one position left for the Twolves and it's obvious. Roy Hibbert. They have no depth at the center position whatsoever. I think it's a no brainer. The combo of Hibbert and Jefferson is SCARY. Why? Both are physical players and they both have back to the basket games. When is the last time a team has had two HUGE front court players with excellent back to the basket games? Duncan and Robinson? Thoughts?
Indiana Pacers: This is the wild card in the draft imo. The ONLY position I feel that they wouldn't go would be shooting guard. They appear to be very high on Danny Granger as a part of their future, which scratches out Gordon. Jermaine O'Neal is a free agent, but they also have a solid young piece in Ike Diogu who they may want to give a shot at starting next season. Besides that, they could go for a point guard, either Derrick Rose or OJ Mayo. They could go small forward, either Donte Green or Nicolas Batum. Or they could go center, which could be Hibbert or DeAndre Jordon. They could go anywhere. I feel the Pacers desparately need to rebuild their front court. I think they will pull for Hibbert if they have the chance, or draft Rose or Mayo they have one of the top 3 picks. Thoughts?
I feel the Bulls, Wizards, Warriors, and Heat (once Wade comes back) will turn it on very soon and won't be in the high lottery like the Sixers. Memphis and Atlanta appear to be very improved. Portland, with the continuing progression of Brandon Roye and Lamarcus Aldridge, are a threat for the 8th seed in the west. Charlotte looks much improved so far with the addition of Jason Richardson and the health of Okafor.
That leaves the Sixers, Pacers, Sonics and Twolves left to battle it out for the top pick.
On a very positive note, the Sonics, Twolves, Hawks, Griz and Blazers DO NOT need a power forward like the Sixers do. They've thrown way too much money in the position to draft a power forward due to Wilcox, Gasol, Horford, Aldridge and Jefferson. This is huge because it will allow the Sixers to draft either Michael Beasley or Kevin Love. I like it.
Thoughts?
Seattle Supersonics: Seattle needs a shooting guard, without a doubt. They have no one on the team besides Durant that can score, and Durant is far from a starting shooting guard. They have a ton of versatile 1st round pick power forwards/centers that are young and developing, which tells me that they won't be wasting another pick on their front court (Saer Sene, Robert Swift, Johan Petro, Nick Collison). Also due to the signing of Chris Wilcox, it doesn't make sense for them to go after Michael Beasley, a PF/SF who is exactly what Durant and Jeff Green resemble. My likely picks for Seattle would be Eric Gordon, Chase Budinger, Nicolas Batum, or a scoring combo guard in OJ Mayo. In all likelihood, I can see Seattle trading down this year in the draft. They have their pieces in Durant and Green, they desparately need veterens in there. Thoughts?
Minnesota Timberwolves: The Twolves have a very deep, young squad. They picked Randy Foye, their point guard of the future. They picked Corey Brewer, their small guard of the future. They already have their franchise power forward in Al Jefferson. And they also already have a potential starter in Gerald Green at small forward. This leaves one position left for the Twolves and it's obvious. Roy Hibbert. They have no depth at the center position whatsoever. I think it's a no brainer. The combo of Hibbert and Jefferson is SCARY. Why? Both are physical players and they both have back to the basket games. When is the last time a team has had two HUGE front court players with excellent back to the basket games? Duncan and Robinson? Thoughts?
Indiana Pacers: This is the wild card in the draft imo. The ONLY position I feel that they wouldn't go would be shooting guard. They appear to be very high on Danny Granger as a part of their future, which scratches out Gordon. Jermaine O'Neal is a free agent, but they also have a solid young piece in Ike Diogu who they may want to give a shot at starting next season. Besides that, they could go for a point guard, either Derrick Rose or OJ Mayo. They could go small forward, either Donte Green or Nicolas Batum. Or they could go center, which could be Hibbert or DeAndre Jordon. They could go anywhere. I feel the Pacers desparately need to rebuild their front court. I think they will pull for Hibbert if they have the chance, or draft Rose or Mayo they have one of the top 3 picks. Thoughts?
I feel the Bulls, Wizards, Warriors, and Heat (once Wade comes back) will turn it on very soon and won't be in the high lottery like the Sixers. Memphis and Atlanta appear to be very improved. Portland, with the continuing progression of Brandon Roye and Lamarcus Aldridge, are a threat for the 8th seed in the west. Charlotte looks much improved so far with the addition of Jason Richardson and the health of Okafor.
That leaves the Sixers, Pacers, Sonics and Twolves left to battle it out for the top pick.
On a very positive note, the Sonics, Twolves, Hawks, Griz and Blazers DO NOT need a power forward like the Sixers do. They've thrown way too much money in the position to draft a power forward due to Wilcox, Gasol, Horford, Aldridge and Jefferson. This is huge because it will allow the Sixers to draft either Michael Beasley or Kevin Love. I like it.
Thoughts?
Monday, November 5, 2007
Top Draft Picks to Targetted by the Eagles
Here are the top picks in the draft that should interest the Eagles where they pick.
OT Jake Long, Michigan
DE Chris Long, Virginia
OT Sam Baker, USC
OT Gosder Cherilus, Boston College
S Kenny Phillips, Miami
DE Quintin Groves, Auburn
WR Limus Sweed, Texas
WR Malcolm Kelly, Oklahoma
WR Desean Jackson, California
TE Martellus Bennett, Texas A&M
TE John Carlson, Notre Dame
CB Reggie Smith. Oklahoma
CB Antoine Cason, Arizona
CB Malcolm Jenkins, Ohio State
CB Mike Jenkins, South Florida
LB James Laurinitis, Ohio State
LB Rey Malaugua, USC
LB Keith Rivers, USC
Those are picks that the Eagles would seem to target the most in the first round. This years' draft is jammed full of quarterbacks and very good offensive tackles. That should move someone that we want right to our spot. The only good safety worth taking Kenny Philips out of Miami, but he'll be a top 10 pick so we NEED to tank the rest of the games to get him. He is the best player in the draft imo. WRs Limus Sweed and Malcolm Kelly are the real deal, just a notch below the talent of Calvin Johnson. I absolutely love Malcolm Kelly. He's the tall, fast WR that this team needs to pair with a young, up and coming Kevin Kolb. TE Martellius Bennett is an excellent TE prospect with great size and hands. He'll be a top 20 pick imo after the Combine. LBs Rivers, Laurinitus and Maluagua are super linebackers. I don't put Conner up here because I think they're a notch above him. CBs Malcolm Jenkins and Reggie Smith are the real deal.
Thoughts?
OT Jake Long, Michigan
DE Chris Long, Virginia
OT Sam Baker, USC
OT Gosder Cherilus, Boston College
S Kenny Phillips, Miami
DE Quintin Groves, Auburn
WR Limus Sweed, Texas
WR Malcolm Kelly, Oklahoma
WR Desean Jackson, California
TE Martellus Bennett, Texas A&M
TE John Carlson, Notre Dame
CB Reggie Smith. Oklahoma
CB Antoine Cason, Arizona
CB Malcolm Jenkins, Ohio State
CB Mike Jenkins, South Florida
LB James Laurinitis, Ohio State
LB Rey Malaugua, USC
LB Keith Rivers, USC
Those are picks that the Eagles would seem to target the most in the first round. This years' draft is jammed full of quarterbacks and very good offensive tackles. That should move someone that we want right to our spot. The only good safety worth taking Kenny Philips out of Miami, but he'll be a top 10 pick so we NEED to tank the rest of the games to get him. He is the best player in the draft imo. WRs Limus Sweed and Malcolm Kelly are the real deal, just a notch below the talent of Calvin Johnson. I absolutely love Malcolm Kelly. He's the tall, fast WR that this team needs to pair with a young, up and coming Kevin Kolb. TE Martellius Bennett is an excellent TE prospect with great size and hands. He'll be a top 20 pick imo after the Combine. LBs Rivers, Laurinitus and Maluagua are super linebackers. I don't put Conner up here because I think they're a notch above him. CBs Malcolm Jenkins and Reggie Smith are the real deal.
Thoughts?
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Thoughts from the Sixers Season Opener
Andre Iguodala: while he struggled in the first half he maintained and displayed his dominance in the second half. once he got into the flow of the offense he was truly unstoppable. i don't understand why they didn't post up iggy in the paint in the first half. iggy is going to put up unbelievable numbers this season, should be fun to watch. he will be an all star this season, guranteed. you can't ask for anything more than what he brought tonight. this is his max imo, and what we will see all season long. A minus
Willie Green: way too many minutes for this guy. i understand he needs time to get his jump shot going, but this is ridiculous. we all know when he's on he's very good, but when he's off he's a ticking time bomb. he looked good in the first half but completely dissapeared in the second half. settled for way too many long range shots. willie needs to be relentless at attacking the rim and stop taking low percentage field goals. if don't stop willie, your minutes will diminish. C
Andre Miller: i don't like the 17 shot attempts that he had, but given this teams' struggles i understand completely. i just feel so bad for this dude. he does not deserve to be on this team. what a difference maker. he just understands the game so well, both in the half court and transition game. he's a joy to watch. he settled for way too many long mid range jump shots, even though he knows it is out of his range. you can't really ask for more than what he brought tonight, especially in the points category. 32 minutes last night, right on what he should play every night. B plus
Reggie Evans: i was very impressed with this guy last night until the fourth quarter. his rebounding was so stellar that i completely forgot about how bad he is on the offensive end, until the fourth quarter. late in the game when the sixers need two huge free throws he missed both, which really cost them, so his lack of offense did come back to haunt them in the end. but you just gotta love the guy. if he can bring this type of energy every game then i will change my opinion on this dude very quickly. reggie evans played 21 minutes last night, good minutes mo. This was a great night by Evans and I don't expect much more than this. A.
Samuel Dalembert: really struggled on offense last night. could not find his jump shot or get into the rhythm of the game at all. on defense, he was excellent. on defense he was as impactful as we all imagined him to be. you can tell sammy d is not at full strength, maybe not even near it, but you have to give him credit for sticking out there and giving it all he had. 25 minutes last night was right around where i expected him to play. C plus.
Kyle Korver: the player of the game imo. he was lights out all game long. also showed excellent ability in the passing game with 4 assists. we will need this kind of performance all season long to stay in a lot of games. we can't expect more than this from korver every night. excellent excellent game from the gunner. i can't imagine i'm going to say this but 32 minutes out of korver is pretty good considering how important he is to the offense. he also displayed excellent defense running rotations against that crazy toronto offense, especially against bosh. i'd like his minutes around 23-27 range but there is just no way mo can take him out of games when he's on fire. A plus.
Rodney Carney: showed some talent in the first half. he actually made me a believer that he improved his game in the first half, evident by a nice mid range stroke, getting some rebounds and joining the team in transition. in the second half, however, he got right back to what he was last season. carney just absolutely dissapears at times in games that it hurts the team. 16 minutes per game is right about where i would keep this kid. he must show he can become a larger part of the offense or mo will be forced to keep willie green playing as much as possible. shame. Unfortunitely getting 7 points per game out of Carney this year might be the best we see. B minus
Louis Williams: excellent first showing last night. had a huge transition bucket late in the game that got it close. this kid needs to play period. we cannot afford not to play him. 15 minutes last night is an insult to this kids offensive talents. i'm hoping he sees more and more playing time throughout the season. B.
Jason Smith: what a night, talk about impact. this kid enters his first game in the nba and gets 4 points, 4 boards, a block, a steal and an assist all in 15 minutes. talk about fearless. last night he displayed excellent hands around the rim AND good range in the perimeter. this kid is a stud. there is no doubt that his playing time will go up and up. smith has all the tool set in the world to be successful in the nba. his potential is through the roof, but right now, he is an excellent role player with incredible and rare nba knowledge for such a young kid. B plus.
Overall: This is exactly the type of game we will see all season long. The Sixers have a TON of character and heart that will keep them in most games this year, but in the end it will always be mental mistakes and lack of experience that kill their runs in the fourth quarter. They just don't have the talent to take a team and knock them out. The Sixers had an excellent chance to take that game over in the fourth but came up short on mental blocks that hurt them in the 2nd and 3rd quarters. What's even worse? This was probably the best game we will see out of the young Sixers, defensively and offensively. I don't expect much more out of Evans, Iguodala, Korver, Carney, Williams, and Andre Miller. Willie Green could play better but lets be real, he's no difference maker. Last nights loss was completely indicative of the type of season this will be. It will test our limits, our passion and most importantly our patience. Do you have enough to battle the storm?
Willie Green: way too many minutes for this guy. i understand he needs time to get his jump shot going, but this is ridiculous. we all know when he's on he's very good, but when he's off he's a ticking time bomb. he looked good in the first half but completely dissapeared in the second half. settled for way too many long range shots. willie needs to be relentless at attacking the rim and stop taking low percentage field goals. if don't stop willie, your minutes will diminish. C
Andre Miller: i don't like the 17 shot attempts that he had, but given this teams' struggles i understand completely. i just feel so bad for this dude. he does not deserve to be on this team. what a difference maker. he just understands the game so well, both in the half court and transition game. he's a joy to watch. he settled for way too many long mid range jump shots, even though he knows it is out of his range. you can't really ask for more than what he brought tonight, especially in the points category. 32 minutes last night, right on what he should play every night. B plus
Reggie Evans: i was very impressed with this guy last night until the fourth quarter. his rebounding was so stellar that i completely forgot about how bad he is on the offensive end, until the fourth quarter. late in the game when the sixers need two huge free throws he missed both, which really cost them, so his lack of offense did come back to haunt them in the end. but you just gotta love the guy. if he can bring this type of energy every game then i will change my opinion on this dude very quickly. reggie evans played 21 minutes last night, good minutes mo. This was a great night by Evans and I don't expect much more than this. A.
Samuel Dalembert: really struggled on offense last night. could not find his jump shot or get into the rhythm of the game at all. on defense, he was excellent. on defense he was as impactful as we all imagined him to be. you can tell sammy d is not at full strength, maybe not even near it, but you have to give him credit for sticking out there and giving it all he had. 25 minutes last night was right around where i expected him to play. C plus.
Kyle Korver: the player of the game imo. he was lights out all game long. also showed excellent ability in the passing game with 4 assists. we will need this kind of performance all season long to stay in a lot of games. we can't expect more than this from korver every night. excellent excellent game from the gunner. i can't imagine i'm going to say this but 32 minutes out of korver is pretty good considering how important he is to the offense. he also displayed excellent defense running rotations against that crazy toronto offense, especially against bosh. i'd like his minutes around 23-27 range but there is just no way mo can take him out of games when he's on fire. A plus.
Rodney Carney: showed some talent in the first half. he actually made me a believer that he improved his game in the first half, evident by a nice mid range stroke, getting some rebounds and joining the team in transition. in the second half, however, he got right back to what he was last season. carney just absolutely dissapears at times in games that it hurts the team. 16 minutes per game is right about where i would keep this kid. he must show he can become a larger part of the offense or mo will be forced to keep willie green playing as much as possible. shame. Unfortunitely getting 7 points per game out of Carney this year might be the best we see. B minus
Louis Williams: excellent first showing last night. had a huge transition bucket late in the game that got it close. this kid needs to play period. we cannot afford not to play him. 15 minutes last night is an insult to this kids offensive talents. i'm hoping he sees more and more playing time throughout the season. B.
Jason Smith: what a night, talk about impact. this kid enters his first game in the nba and gets 4 points, 4 boards, a block, a steal and an assist all in 15 minutes. talk about fearless. last night he displayed excellent hands around the rim AND good range in the perimeter. this kid is a stud. there is no doubt that his playing time will go up and up. smith has all the tool set in the world to be successful in the nba. his potential is through the roof, but right now, he is an excellent role player with incredible and rare nba knowledge for such a young kid. B plus.
Overall: This is exactly the type of game we will see all season long. The Sixers have a TON of character and heart that will keep them in most games this year, but in the end it will always be mental mistakes and lack of experience that kill their runs in the fourth quarter. They just don't have the talent to take a team and knock them out. The Sixers had an excellent chance to take that game over in the fourth but came up short on mental blocks that hurt them in the 2nd and 3rd quarters. What's even worse? This was probably the best game we will see out of the young Sixers, defensively and offensively. I don't expect much more out of Evans, Iguodala, Korver, Carney, Williams, and Andre Miller. Willie Green could play better but lets be real, he's no difference maker. Last nights loss was completely indicative of the type of season this will be. It will test our limits, our passion and most importantly our patience. Do you have enough to battle the storm?
Friday, October 26, 2007
5 Biggest Question Marks for the Sixers
1. Iggy has never had to carry a team a full season. Lets see how he does getting double and triple teamed all night every night. It could be a long season for Iggy. He should take his money now. The question remains: was last years Iggy the best we will see? He strained his back after carrying the team for half a season, which limit my expectations. All in all, Iggy is not a number one scorer, rather a great second scorer. He desparately needs someone to hit a spark on offense, someone like Rodney Carney, Louis Williams or Samuel Dalembert. This could easily be the downfall of the 2007/08 Sixers' season. Iggy can not do it alone, who is the guy that steps up? Right now I have no clue and that qeustion has 4 days to be answered.
2. Reggie Evans has never played more than 20 minutes a game in his career, and they'll ask him for much more than that. Can he handle it? Will his offensive woes hurt the team? I don't buy into his 20 point performance in preseason. The team already lacks on offense, giving Evans more than 20 minutes per game will seriously hurt this team and could cost them some games. He will no doubt improve rebounding on the defensive and offensive end, but in the end how much will he impact the games? I don't see him as an impact kind of guy, rather an energy guy who gets garbage points. We had that before with Lynch and Tyrone Hill, but at least they had a slim amount of offensive game. Evans would be great on a team like Washington where they have great shooters and can afford for him to be a role player. Unfortunitely we do not have that luxery right now.
3. Jason Smith, Herb Hill and Thaddeus Young have never played in the NBA. They should tire out sometime mid season. The NBA season is twice as long as the college season, so we'll see how it goes. Smith is going to be counted on for minutes at the 4 and 5 position, so he's a likely candidate for fatigue. I know they won't play major minutes, but expecting one or two of these guys to get any regular and consistent minutes is a bit of a stretch. Smith should get around 20 minutes per game, and with his fearless attitude and reckless style, how long will he last? He hasn't gone up against any of the premiere big men yet, so I'm taking a wait and see approach to how he handles the intangibles of the NBA. Herb Hill should see around 5-10 minutes per game based on his rebounding alone. Frankly, I do not see much difference between Hill and Evans. In fact, I like Hill's offensive game over Evans and Evans with the slim advantage over Hill on defense.
4. Samuel Dalembert has a lingering injury which could carry throughout the entire season. Getting Sammy back doesn't excite me either. He's not that big of an upgrade over Calvin Booth. He's a big that found his niche on offense last season shooting from the perimeter. This is exactly what we don't need right now. With troubles on offense, I see this team settling for a ton of low percentage, mid range jump shots. Sammy cannot stay around the perimeter period. Although most of the time he's lost on both sides of the ball and gets into foul trouble way too early, he has a excellent ability to throw it down close to the net. That is his job. Plus, with more time spending with Andre Miller, the chemistry 'should' be improved. Will his injury slow him down? Speed is his greatest attribute, especially when defending on the weak side. He needs to show the same consistency he showed last season for this team to have any kind of success.
5. Will Mo Cheeks play Louis Williams? The kid has to play, whether it's at PG or SG. He is the best scorer on this team and on a team with one player who can put the ball in the hoop. How will Willie Green's minutes impact the time LouWill gets on the court? Will Mo favor the vet Willie over Williams? LouWill is on path for a break out year and keeping him on the bench would be a huge mistake. Louis Williams should be the number 3 player off the bench this season, right after Korver and Jason Smith. I expect 20 minutes per game for Williams and even more than that on good nights. He is the top candidate for breakout player of the year IMO and should see a good amount of nights in the starting lineup based on the matchups.
2. Reggie Evans has never played more than 20 minutes a game in his career, and they'll ask him for much more than that. Can he handle it? Will his offensive woes hurt the team? I don't buy into his 20 point performance in preseason. The team already lacks on offense, giving Evans more than 20 minutes per game will seriously hurt this team and could cost them some games. He will no doubt improve rebounding on the defensive and offensive end, but in the end how much will he impact the games? I don't see him as an impact kind of guy, rather an energy guy who gets garbage points. We had that before with Lynch and Tyrone Hill, but at least they had a slim amount of offensive game. Evans would be great on a team like Washington where they have great shooters and can afford for him to be a role player. Unfortunitely we do not have that luxery right now.
3. Jason Smith, Herb Hill and Thaddeus Young have never played in the NBA. They should tire out sometime mid season. The NBA season is twice as long as the college season, so we'll see how it goes. Smith is going to be counted on for minutes at the 4 and 5 position, so he's a likely candidate for fatigue. I know they won't play major minutes, but expecting one or two of these guys to get any regular and consistent minutes is a bit of a stretch. Smith should get around 20 minutes per game, and with his fearless attitude and reckless style, how long will he last? He hasn't gone up against any of the premiere big men yet, so I'm taking a wait and see approach to how he handles the intangibles of the NBA. Herb Hill should see around 5-10 minutes per game based on his rebounding alone. Frankly, I do not see much difference between Hill and Evans. In fact, I like Hill's offensive game over Evans and Evans with the slim advantage over Hill on defense.
4. Samuel Dalembert has a lingering injury which could carry throughout the entire season. Getting Sammy back doesn't excite me either. He's not that big of an upgrade over Calvin Booth. He's a big that found his niche on offense last season shooting from the perimeter. This is exactly what we don't need right now. With troubles on offense, I see this team settling for a ton of low percentage, mid range jump shots. Sammy cannot stay around the perimeter period. Although most of the time he's lost on both sides of the ball and gets into foul trouble way too early, he has a excellent ability to throw it down close to the net. That is his job. Plus, with more time spending with Andre Miller, the chemistry 'should' be improved. Will his injury slow him down? Speed is his greatest attribute, especially when defending on the weak side. He needs to show the same consistency he showed last season for this team to have any kind of success.
5. Will Mo Cheeks play Louis Williams? The kid has to play, whether it's at PG or SG. He is the best scorer on this team and on a team with one player who can put the ball in the hoop. How will Willie Green's minutes impact the time LouWill gets on the court? Will Mo favor the vet Willie over Williams? LouWill is on path for a break out year and keeping him on the bench would be a huge mistake. Louis Williams should be the number 3 player off the bench this season, right after Korver and Jason Smith. I expect 20 minutes per game for Williams and even more than that on good nights. He is the top candidate for breakout player of the year IMO and should see a good amount of nights in the starting lineup based on the matchups.
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