2011 CB Historical Draft - Draft Thread

[Edgar]

I dont hate the LeBron pick
But as with Timmy I can think on others
who I am not allowed to pick that worth more than
LeDiva a in this kind of drafts.

Its not only about personal domination

[mgent]

Here's how I think the list goes based on pure talent

The top 7 are set in stone in my opinion:

1. MJ (although Russell is the best of all time if you put position into consideration)
2. Russell
3. Wilt
4. Kareem
5. Bird
6. Magic
7. Big O

Rest is a little more subjective but I'd go

8.
9. Hakeem
10. Shaq

[Fafnir]

I think the Lebron pick is defensible. He probably wouldn't have been my next pick, but he would have been in the conversation.

Given that he has back to back picks I'm wondering who his running mate will be. I might take a few guys ahead of LeBron, but as a team building excercise his all around excellence would pair nicely with many others.

[GreenFaith1819]

Here's how I think the list goes based on pure talent

The top 7 are set in stone in my opinion:

1. MJ (although Russell is the best of all time if you put position into consideration)
2. Russell
3. Wilt
4. Kareem
5. Bird
6. Magic
7. Big O

Rest is a little more subjective but I'd go

8.
9. Hakeem
10. Shaq

On pure talent? Gotta throw Lebron in that group, too. He is quickly approaching the "I can do anything I want", stage, as far as talent.

All he is missing is a Dream Shake or a Sky Hook.

Add a Title or Two to validate himself. The Green in me is wishing against that, though.

[KCattheStripe]

Hakeem Olajuwon won an NBA championship with a team whose second best player was Otis Thorpe.


Read that again.


Yes. He was that good.

[KCattheStripe]

Seriously, otis Thorpe was the second bet player. That's like Michael winning with Horace Grant as his best teammate.

[Who]

Interesting first round. 

I thought Magic Johnson was tremendous value at #8. Loved the LeBron pick at #12 too. Also, Kareem at #10, excellent, I don't think Kareem gets enough credit on this forum.

There was only player chosen that I thought didn't belong in the first round and that was Kobe Bryant. He was a high pick in this round too at #5. I think that pick is going to make life quite difficult for Atlanta going forward. Need a few home runs in the next couple of rounds to close that gap that has opened up between them and the rest of the teams.

I thought Shaq went a bit too high but that won't be much of an issue because he is a thoroughly dominant player.

There was one player who wasn't selected that I would have liked to have seen in the first round. I think that one guy would have been hugely valuable in this exercise (due to the nature of these teams). I expect he'll be taken sometime in the next round. Looking forward to see who takes him.

[Who]

Hakeem Olajuwon won an NBA championship with a team whose second best player was Otis Thorpe.


Read that again.


Yes. He was that good.

In a year that lacked great teams. Houston wouldn't have won that title otherwise.

[StartOrien]

Hakeem Olajuwon won an NBA championship with a team whose second best player was Otis Thorpe.


Read that again.


Yes. He was that good.

In a year that lacked great teams. Houston wouldn't have won that title otherwise.

I by no means disagree with the Olajuwon pick, but that's a 100% valid point by Who

[Who]

MJ number 1 woo hoo

Yeah, it is woo-hoo to me. I'll take this as a show of support. Congrats to Redz on the early lead.

It was MJ or Bird all the way for me. 

My way of thinking was MJ was the first guy at that stage of my life who convinced me that Bird was not the greatest athlete in the history of the universe (and other universes too).

Larry was a god for me growing up.

Happy to have him playing for the franchise who he torched for his final great performance.

Well said. Larry is without question my favorite player of all-time, and nothing will ever change that, but as you say, MJ was the only guy to ever seriously challenge that concept for me, at least in terms of "best", (although as I've come to appreciate defense in my more recent years, Bill has gone from 3rd to sharing 1st with MJ).

Funny, when I was in college in Boston, I looked a lot like Larry, (when he had his moustache and longer hair), and I had some frightening experiences because of it, (I'll have to find a pic of me then and post). I'll have to share a couple of those stories some time ... like the time my brother and I were deluged with camp kids at a McDonald's drive-thru in Danvers ... it was frightening, cuz even though I was showing these kids my license, they would just not believe I wasn't him.

Remeber this team? The original "Dream Team" ... man, no other team will ever come close!

I know they wanted a college player on there, but it's crazy that Laettner made the team.  Yes, he had a great college career, but he shouldn't have gotten a spot over guys like Isiah.

Or Shaq ... who was the runner up for that college player spot.

[mgent]

Here's how I think the list goes based on pure talent

The top 7 are set in stone in my opinion:

1. MJ (although Russell is the best of all time if you put position into consideration)
2. Russell
3. Wilt
4. Kareem
5. Bird
6. Magic
7. Big O

Rest is a little more subjective but I'd go

8.
9. Hakeem
10. Shaq

On pure talent? Gotta throw Lebron in that group, too. He is quickly approaching the "I can do anything I want", stage, as far as talent.

All he is missing is a Dream Shake or a Sky Hook.

Add a Title or Two to validate himself. The Green in me is wishing against that, though.

Disagree.  I don't know if LeBron will ever reach "I can do anything I want" because he struggles against defenses that can seal off the paint.  He doesn't have the shooting ability to make defenders pay for giving him the tiniest bit of space.  Without that he will never be as unstoppable scoring-wise as MJ or Bird, or even Melo or Durant.

[mgent]

Here's how I think the list goes based on pure talent

The top 7 are set in stone in my opinion:

1. MJ (although Russell is the best of all time if you put position into consideration)
2. Russell
3. Wilt
4. Kareem
5. Bird
6. Magic
7. Big O

Rest is a little more subjective but I'd go

8.
9. Hakeem
10. Shaq

On pure talent? Gotta throw Lebron in that group, too. He is quickly approaching the "I can do anything I want", stage, as far as talent.

All he is missing is a Dream Shake or a Sky Hook.

Add a Title or Two to validate himself. The Green in me is wishing against that, though.

Disagree.  I don't know if LeBron will ever reach "I can do anything I want" because he struggles against defenses that can seal off the paint.  He doesn't have the shooting ability to make defenders pay for giving him the tiniest bit of space.  Without that he will never be as unstoppable scoring-wise as MJ or Bird, or even Melo or Durant.

Furthermore, I'd definitely replace Shaq with Kobe before I'd put LeBron in the top 10.

[Who]

I'm going to be very interested in whether teams pick based upon a player's position early, or whether they instead just take the best player available.

Me, I'd go BPA.  Even though centers and point guards are probably the most desired positions,I think there will be all-time great centers and point guards available in the third round.  If there was a great SG / SF available early, I'd take him, I think.

Of course, it's going to be very hard to make a "bad" pick in this draft, at least through the first few rounds.

Yeah, I think the center position has the best depth. By far.

My expectation is that teams who picked up a perimeter player who is an All-Time great, someone in the argument for best player of All-Time, will benefit as the rounds continue. Players like Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Oscar Robertson and Michael Jordan.

I think those teams have come away with a little advantage to end the first round.

[GreenFaith1819]

Here's how I think the list goes based on pure talent

The top 7 are set in stone in my opinion:

1. MJ (although Russell is the best of all time if you put position into consideration)
2. Russell
3. Wilt
4. Kareem
5. Bird
6. Magic
7. Big O

Rest is a little more subjective but I'd go

8.
9. Hakeem
10. Shaq

On pure talent? Gotta throw Lebron in that group, too. He is quickly approaching the "I can do anything I want", stage, as far as talent.

All he is missing is a Dream Shake or a Sky Hook.

Add a Title or Two to validate himself. The Green in me is wishing against that, though.

Disagree.  I don't know if LeBron will ever reach "I can do anything I want" because he struggles against defenses that can seal off the paint.  He doesn't have the shooting ability to make defenders pay for giving him the tiniest bit of space.  Without that he will never be as unstoppable scoring-wise as MJ or Bird, or even Melo or Durant.

I agree with you on Larry and Magic - because they could post up. Carmelo posts up, too. But Durant? I think I've seen Lebron post up more this year that Durant has.

I also agree with you on the sealing off the paint statement - Lebron has posted up more this season, but he has room for improvement.

But passing wise? Rebounding? Yes - Lebron James is the total package...and deservingly so for his selection at number 12. I would've picked someone different, but I cannot disagree with the logic of the choice, though.

And Defensively he is better than Carmelo and Durant, at least from mine own eyes. Statistically that may be debatable, but until then I have to go with what I see.

My ONLY concern with Lebron over the years has been what's between his ears.....but that comes with maturity.

[KCattheStripe]

Hakeem Olajuwon won an NBA championship with a team whose second best player was Otis Thorpe.


Read that again.


Yes. He was that good.

In a year that lacked great teams. Houston wouldn't have won that title otherwise.

I by no means disagree with the Olajuwon pick, but that's a 100% valid point by Who

Trying not to use names for the sake of the draft board.

The Knicks team they beat won 57 games.

The Jazz team they beat in the conference finals had their famous duo and had won 53 games.

The Phoenix team they beat in the semis won 56 games and was coming off making the NBA finals.

There were a number of 55+ win teams that year. Those two years get a bad rap for being weak because one player was missing.