NOLA.'s 2004 Draft Breakdown
Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2015 6:43 pm
Let's skip the formalities. The Draft Lotto should begin in a few hours, and we've already had a big trade go down between the Wolves and 76ers.
Lightning Round.
GO!
And A Star Was Born, And He Hailed From.... Atlanta?
Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy phenom Dwight Howard is ready for the NBA, and he made that clear when he decided to forgo his collegiate career and jump straight into the fire. Dwight led his school to the state championship, where he averaged 25ppg-18rpb-8bpg-3apg.
Mother of god....
Dwight has the rare combination of size and athleticism that will propel him into the top echelons of the league. In terms of skills for big men, Dwight Howard has no weaknesses. He will be a disruptive force as the anchor on defense and is a one-man cleaning crew in regards to rebounding. Where he will find weakness in his game is free throw shooting and possibly turnover prone.
Every team wants a Dwight Howard, but only one team will win the rights to the unanimous number one pick of the draft.
Who do you think gets the coveted #1?
Nation Laughs At Detroit Rebound; Is Detroit Laughing At Us Now?
Hey guys, remember when that new GM took over a decaying Detroit team? Remember when he traded James Posey for the Suns 2004 pick? Hahahaha remember how we laughed at him and called him a newb?!?
Remember when Detroit had 2 of the top 3 best odds of landing the #1 pick?
Who's laughing now?
The Pistons may not have any talent on their roster outside of Giricek, but right now the Pistons possess two very good picks no matter the outcome of the lotto. The worst they can come out with is the 4th and 6th pick in a class with the likes of Dwight, Iguodala, Deng, Jefferson, Nelson, etc. Even if the Pistons don't cash-in, they are still looking better. Only problem is the Pistons do not own their 2005 pick, so they better make this draft count.
Consolation Prize After Dwight?
All the chatter is about Dwight, and rightfully so. However, only one team gets the Dwight. What about the rest of us? What about the rest of the draft class? Who is the next best? While the scouting reports from the Combine, 5-on-5's and individual workouts have not been released, we do have several good guesses on who the 2nd best prospect is.
Early indication is that Conneticut's defensive stalwart Emeka Okafor, who led his team to the NCAA Championship and winning the Most Outstanding Player in the tournament. Big, strong defensive centers are going at a premium in this league, and we believe Okafor has plenty of momentum leading into the draft. There are injury concerns, most noticeably his back, which can be problematic.
Another name to look out for is Arizona Wildcat's Andre Iguodala, another explosive athlete that made a name for himself after starring as his team's utilitarianism role when he led his team in steals, rebounding and assists as a sophomore. The SG is making strong impressions on team scouts, and his performance at the Combine will prove critical for his draft stock.
There are concerns about his offense, or lack of, and creating scoring opportunities as a key option. Igudodala is viewed by some as a "glue guy" and some don't feel comfortable spending a top 3 pick on a guy that won't make a noticeable difference on the scoreboard. A comparison is escaping me currently, but the first player I thought of as a ceiling for Iguodala is a Doug Christy type of game. Strong on defense and on the boards. Christie had more promise in his offensive game that never translated into actual production, however.
Luol Deng, another outstanding Duke prospect coming into the league, is another player I'm hearing as a possible 2nd pick in the draft. Everyone knows what to expect when you draft a Duke player: smart, talented, and room to develop. Deng is no exception that rule of thought. As a SF, he has the size at 6'8 to matchup with the best of them. He doesn't excel in a single area, but he is good in many. No big glaring weakness, except he may or may not be a key option type of player. Sort of like Iguodala.
A New Season Starts With A New GM Trade; Old Face In A New Place
Now that's how you kick off a new offseason! A big trade between an East and West teams that helps both teams.
The deal consisted of:
From the Timberwolves perspective, they've found their complimentary star in Rip Hamilton to pair with Chris Bosh. After Bosh's surprise performance during his rookie campaign, Scola was the obvious odd man out. There's a lot to love about Rip, and a lot of that love is for his production on offense. He shot 47% from the field and very nearly 40% from deep, and finished the season with a back-to-back 20+ ppg season average. Earl Watson and Chris Bosh will get better, and the Wolves keep their own pick for this draft. This was a good case of selling off undeveloped assets for a proven stud.
That's it everyone. I hope you enjoyed the writeup, and I may do another one of these for free agency.
Thanks.
Lightning Round.
GO!
And A Star Was Born, And He Hailed From.... Atlanta?
Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy phenom Dwight Howard is ready for the NBA, and he made that clear when he decided to forgo his collegiate career and jump straight into the fire. Dwight led his school to the state championship, where he averaged 25ppg-18rpb-8bpg-3apg.
Mother of god....
Dwight has the rare combination of size and athleticism that will propel him into the top echelons of the league. In terms of skills for big men, Dwight Howard has no weaknesses. He will be a disruptive force as the anchor on defense and is a one-man cleaning crew in regards to rebounding. Where he will find weakness in his game is free throw shooting and possibly turnover prone.
Every team wants a Dwight Howard, but only one team will win the rights to the unanimous number one pick of the draft.
Who do you think gets the coveted #1?
Nation Laughs At Detroit Rebound; Is Detroit Laughing At Us Now?
Hey guys, remember when that new GM took over a decaying Detroit team? Remember when he traded James Posey for the Suns 2004 pick? Hahahaha remember how we laughed at him and called him a newb?!?
Remember when Detroit had 2 of the top 3 best odds of landing the #1 pick?
Who's laughing now?
The Pistons may not have any talent on their roster outside of Giricek, but right now the Pistons possess two very good picks no matter the outcome of the lotto. The worst they can come out with is the 4th and 6th pick in a class with the likes of Dwight, Iguodala, Deng, Jefferson, Nelson, etc. Even if the Pistons don't cash-in, they are still looking better. Only problem is the Pistons do not own their 2005 pick, so they better make this draft count.
Consolation Prize After Dwight?
All the chatter is about Dwight, and rightfully so. However, only one team gets the Dwight. What about the rest of us? What about the rest of the draft class? Who is the next best? While the scouting reports from the Combine, 5-on-5's and individual workouts have not been released, we do have several good guesses on who the 2nd best prospect is.
Early indication is that Conneticut's defensive stalwart Emeka Okafor, who led his team to the NCAA Championship and winning the Most Outstanding Player in the tournament. Big, strong defensive centers are going at a premium in this league, and we believe Okafor has plenty of momentum leading into the draft. There are injury concerns, most noticeably his back, which can be problematic.
Another name to look out for is Arizona Wildcat's Andre Iguodala, another explosive athlete that made a name for himself after starring as his team's utilitarianism role when he led his team in steals, rebounding and assists as a sophomore. The SG is making strong impressions on team scouts, and his performance at the Combine will prove critical for his draft stock.
There are concerns about his offense, or lack of, and creating scoring opportunities as a key option. Igudodala is viewed by some as a "glue guy" and some don't feel comfortable spending a top 3 pick on a guy that won't make a noticeable difference on the scoreboard. A comparison is escaping me currently, but the first player I thought of as a ceiling for Iguodala is a Doug Christy type of game. Strong on defense and on the boards. Christie had more promise in his offensive game that never translated into actual production, however.
Luol Deng, another outstanding Duke prospect coming into the league, is another player I'm hearing as a possible 2nd pick in the draft. Everyone knows what to expect when you draft a Duke player: smart, talented, and room to develop. Deng is no exception that rule of thought. As a SF, he has the size at 6'8 to matchup with the best of them. He doesn't excel in a single area, but he is good in many. No big glaring weakness, except he may or may not be a key option type of player. Sort of like Iguodala.
A New Season Starts With A New GM Trade; Old Face In A New Place
Now that's how you kick off a new offseason! A big trade between an East and West teams that helps both teams.
The deal consisted of:
First, it's nice to see the 76ers under management of someone who will build it into a contender after over a decade of obsolescence. On the 76ers side of things, they finally were able to balance out their roster by trading away SG Rip Hamilton, and keeping star PG Baron Davis. In return, they welcome a developing 3&D SF Tayshaun Prince and still-raw Luis Scola. They also were able to grab the 17th pick in a fairly deep draft class for role players. All eyes are on Scola, a player entering his 3rd season at 24 years old who is still seasons away from being a capable starter. He has been blessed by the TC Gods, but none of that means much if he's only in his prime for a couple of seasons.Wolves trade
Tayshaun Prince
Luis Scola
#17 (pending lottery, should be 2004 Hornets pick)
Sixers trade
Rip Hamilton
From the Timberwolves perspective, they've found their complimentary star in Rip Hamilton to pair with Chris Bosh. After Bosh's surprise performance during his rookie campaign, Scola was the obvious odd man out. There's a lot to love about Rip, and a lot of that love is for his production on offense. He shot 47% from the field and very nearly 40% from deep, and finished the season with a back-to-back 20+ ppg season average. Earl Watson and Chris Bosh will get better, and the Wolves keep their own pick for this draft. This was a good case of selling off undeveloped assets for a proven stud.
That's it everyone. I hope you enjoyed the writeup, and I may do another one of these for free agency.
Thanks.
