2013 CB Draft : Draft Thread : VOTING ENDS 8:00PM EST TONIGHT

[sofutomygaha]

I can think of one, but we're not allowed to name names.

INNUENDO!! NOT LISTENING!!

[Kane3387]

Glancing through the rosters so far, here's the list of the most outstanding teams in the East so far...

Cleveland: Great balance throughout the roster. Defense will be solid, and they're doing a great job filling out the roster with competent scorers. Lawson's a super underrated PG, and there's not much to complain about at all.

Detroit: TOTF frontrunner for me. Philly's looking solid but I like the prospect's of Detroit's youngsters way more. They also complement each other a lot better than Philly's.

Milwaukee: This is actually a team that has potential to make a lot of noise despite not carrying any big names. It's got a lot of balance similar to Cleveland, and Okafor still quietly remains one of the better defending and rebounding centers in the league.

Miami: Nash is over the hill but still remains a shrewd playmaker. Hayward and Parsons are two very versatile wing players, while Smith and Bosh form just as dynamic of a frontcourt. Having conceded the limelight to Lebron and Wade, Bosh is also easily forgotten as a legitimate star talent. This can definitely shape up into a very dangerous team.

Washington: I dislike Harris at SF, nor his draft position, but this team nails everything else. Wall/Klay is a killer backcourt, with both guys's skill set complementing each others' perfectly. Amir/Noah forms just as deadly of a frontcourt, and they have to be one of the toughest defensive frontcourts in the league. The amount of energy and passion those two will bring is immeasurable. Especially considering Washington was picking from the last spot in the first round, this is a mighty impressive roster.

I'll do the West tomorrow.

San Antonio: I covered this team earlier so I won't get too redundant, but the versatility from top through bottom on this team is impressive.

Memphis: Ilyasova and Pekovic might just be the most impressive unathletic frontcourt ever assembled. This comes with both its pros and cons, but I'd definitely say the good outweighs the bad. Besides, it's really hard not to make a competitive team with CP3 at the helm. I feel like this team could be even more potent if they went with someone else over Oladipo though.

Houston: 1-3 is godly, and not much more needs to be said of Dragic/Harden/Batum. Gortat is a solid center as well. Al Jefferson at the 4 is going to be an issue but considering the moves Houston has made to get here, I'm confident they'll figure something out. However, even with Big Al at the 4, this team is already looking quite imposing.

Los Angeles: I'm not judging my own team for obvious reasons, but our cross-town rivals are definitely on our radar. There's a lot of glaring weaknesses, but conversely, a lot of glaring strengths. Their frontcourt defense is extremely porous and Derozan is a very poor fit on this team. At the same time, you can never ignore a Rose/Blake combo on the offensive end, and Afflalo and Vooch are solid complementary pieces. This team can easily get to the next level with some solid moves.

Phoenix: West and Duncan win the most consistent but boring frontcourt duo out there. Butler is only 23 years old but doesn't play like one. The backcourt may be a little bit iffy, but Teague has shown promising strides the past two seasons, while Mayo has demonstrated flashes himself under all his inconsistency.

Minnesota: Lebron. That is all.

Nothing on GS?

[Yoki_IsTheName]

What? No love for Denver, the deepest team in the league by far?

Depth is nice in the regular season, but where is the talent that will carry you through the postseason? Besides, Varejao AND Bogut on the same team? I hope you have the Phoenix Suns medical staff... Lowry and Chandler haven't been exactly healthy the past few seasons, either.

This is probably the only place and time in basketball where depth is overrated. Lowry, Landry and Varejao is a core who can compete against any starting team in this league. And the fact that this team is so deep, injuries would not be a big setback because of the starting quality talent coming off the bench.

And i'm channeling my inner Jim Mora here, "Playoffs? I.. Playoffs?" Didn't Bogut had a monster Playoffs, rebounding, defending and all? Carl Landry showed up too. And even only for just a game, Wilson Chandler lit it up (he had a bad showing overall but he's playing ridiculously out of position at PF). That's three guys, one off the bench who showed that they can be Playoff players.

Lillard and Monroe are future All-Stars, who has shown that they can take over games on their own right.

And injuries, Lowry played 68 games and was healthy until the seasons end. Same goes with Chandler. And I hate to name drop but just to prove a point, Dirk hasn't been healthy the past couple of years either. Add to the fact that he's getting there in age too, where injuries tend to linger a bit more. I have more confidence in Lowry and Chandler being healthy than Dirk next year. If we're bringing up injuries, i don't mind shooting back.

Which i respectfully ask, if Dirk misses games, what now of the Lakers? Because Nuggets will be fine if we miss Bogut or Varejao or on some cases, both (Landry and Monroe are very a solid 4-5 combo).

[Yoki_IsTheName]

Glancing through the rosters so far, here's the list of the most outstanding teams in the East so far...

Cleveland: Great balance throughout the roster. Defense will be solid, and they're doing a great job filling out the roster with competent scorers. Lawson's a super underrated PG, and there's not much to complain about at all.

Detroit: TOTF frontrunner for me. Philly's looking solid but I like the prospect's of Detroit's youngsters way more. They also complement each other a lot better than Philly's.

Milwaukee: This is actually a team that has potential to make a lot of noise despite not carrying any big names. It's got a lot of balance similar to Cleveland, and Okafor still quietly remains one of the better defending and rebounding centers in the league.

Miami: Nash is over the hill but still remains a shrewd playmaker. Hayward and Parsons are two very versatile wing players, while Smith and Bosh form just as dynamic of a frontcourt. Having conceded the limelight to Lebron and Wade, Bosh is also easily forgotten as a legitimate star talent. This can definitely shape up into a very dangerous team.

Washington: I dislike Harris at SF, nor his draft position, but this team nails everything else. Wall/Klay is a killer backcourt, with both guys's skill set complementing each others' perfectly. Amir/Noah forms just as deadly of a frontcourt, and they have to be one of the toughest defensive frontcourts in the league. The amount of energy and passion those two will bring is immeasurable. Especially considering Washington was picking from the last spot in the first round, this is a mighty impressive roster.

I'll do the West tomorrow.

San Antonio: I covered this team earlier so I won't get too redundant, but the versatility from top through bottom on this team is impressive.

Memphis: Ilyasova and Pekovic might just be the most impressive unathletic frontcourt ever assembled. This comes with both its pros and cons, but I'd definitely say the good outweighs the bad. Besides, it's really hard not to make a competitive team with CP3 at the helm. I feel like this team could be even more potent if they went with someone else over Oladipo though.

Houston: 1-3 is godly, and not much more needs to be said of Dragic/Harden/Batum. Gortat is a solid center as well. Al Jefferson at the 4 is going to be an issue but considering the moves Houston has made to get here, I'm confident they'll figure something out. However, even with Big Al at the 4, this team is already looking quite imposing.

Los Angeles: I'm not judging my own team for obvious reasons, but our cross-town rivals are definitely on our radar. There's a lot of glaring weaknesses, but conversely, a lot of glaring strengths. Their frontcourt defense is extremely porous and Derozan is a very poor fit on this team. At the same time, you can never ignore a Rose/Blake combo on the offensive end, and Afflalo and Vooch are solid complementary pieces. This team can easily get to the next level with some solid moves.

Phoenix: West and Duncan win the most consistent but boring frontcourt duo out there. Butler is only 23 years old but doesn't play like one. The backcourt may be a little bit iffy, but Teague has shown promising strides the past two seasons, while Mayo has demonstrated flashes himself under all his inconsistency.

Minnesota: Lebron. That is all.

What? No love for Denver, the deepest team in the league by far?

I love your team, but what I really love is the fleeting fantasy of a universe wherein Anderson Varejao and Andrew Bogut are both healthy for a full season =/

But wasn't Bogut starting to be healthy and was very significant in the Playoffs, who BTW held did and awesome job defending the paint.

And IIRC, Andy was playing hurt but did not have a major injury last season, when he's poised to make an All Star appearance. A blood clot doesnt degenerate any basketball skills, nor physical ability Varejao has. And he's the backup.

Give us a better backup Center than Varejao right now?

I can think of one, but we're not allowed to name names.

Challenge Accepted. Tell me if this guy averaged 14 and 14 and was poised to be an all star.

[KGs Knee]

This is probably the only place and time in basketball where depth is overrated.

And i'm channeling my inner Jim Mora here, "Playoffs? I.. Playoffs?"

Yep, you answered your own question, albeit indirectly.

When teams are playing their starters 35-40mpg in the playoffs, depth isn't as important as top end talent.

[rondoallaturca]

=This is probably the only place and time in basketball where depth is overrated. Lowry, Landry and Varejao is a core who can compete against any starting team in this league. And the fact that this team is so deep, injuries would not be a big setback because of the starting quality talent coming off the bench.

And i'm channeling my inner Jim Mora here, "Playoffs? I.. Playoffs?" Didn't Bogut had a monster Playoffs, rebounding, defending and all? Carl Landry showed up too. And even only for just a game, Wilson Chandler lit it up (he had a bad showing overall but he's playing ridiculously out of position at PF). That's three guys, one off the bench who showed that they can be Playoff players.

Lillard and Monroe are future All-Stars, who has shown that they can take over games on their own right.

And injuries, Lowry played 68 games and was healthy until the seasons end. Same goes with Chandler.

Well, you value your players a lot differently than I do, so we'll agree to disagree. However, I must say that it's pointless to preach the talents of your depth (like saying Varejao is averaged 14/14 on the way to an all-star bid) when they won't be seeing anywhere near the opportunity they had to post that level of production.

[Yoki_IsTheName]

This is probably the only place and time in basketball where depth is overrated.

And i'm channeling my inner Jim Mora here, "Playoffs? I.. Playoffs?"

Yep, you answered your own question, albeit indirectly.

When teams are playing their starters 35-40mpg in the playoffs, depth isn't as important as top end talent.

Ha ha. I disagree.

My depth would keep everyone fresh as the series gets more intense and more grueling for the physical body. Or have we forgotten that we need to keep the players fresh too?

The fact that this team won't lose a ton of production playing the second unit is a BIG advantage in the Playoffs compare to guys who's grinding for 40 minutes a game. It also lessens the occurrence of injuries to the starters.

You grind your players all you want, I'd have Bogut on 28-20 minutes and be fresh come game 2 because Varejao can play the rest of his minutes and not lose a ton of production and impact. Same with Lillard and Monroe.

[Yoki_IsTheName]

=This is probably the only place and time in basketball where depth is overrated. Lowry, Landry and Varejao is a core who can compete against any starting team in this league. And the fact that this team is so deep, injuries would not be a big setback because of the starting quality talent coming off the bench.

And i'm channeling my inner Jim Mora here, "Playoffs? I.. Playoffs?" Didn't Bogut had a monster Playoffs, rebounding, defending and all? Carl Landry showed up too. And even only for just a game, Wilson Chandler lit it up (he had a bad showing overall but he's playing ridiculously out of position at PF). That's three guys, one off the bench who showed that they can be Playoff players.

Lillard and Monroe are future All-Stars, who has shown that they can take over games on their own right.

And injuries, Lowry played 68 games and was healthy until the seasons end. Same goes with Chandler.

Well, you value your players a lot differently than I do, so we'll agree to disagree. However, I must say that it's pointless to preach the talents of your depth (like saying Varejao is averaged 14/14 on the way to an all-star bid) when they won't be seeing anywhere near the opportunity they had to post that level of production.

I understand that they wont be producing that much since their minutes are cut up. But they would still be making the same impact in the 2nd unit compare to the other bench mob in this league, and that's a big time advantage. It keeps the starters fresh, and not lose a ton when it comes to production, toughness, defensive impact. And that is not pointless.

[rondoallaturca]

Ha ha. I disagree.

My depth would keep everyone fresh as the series gets more intense and more grueling for the physical body. Or have we forgotten that we need to keep the players fresh too?

The fact that this team won't lose a ton of production playing the second unit is a BIG advantage in the Playoffs compare to guys who's grinding for 40 minutes a game.

You grind your players all you want, I'd have Bogut on 28-20 minutes and be fresh come game 2 because Varejao can play the rest of his minutes and not lose a ton of production and impact. Same with Lillard and Monroe.

Keeping your players fresh is important in the regular season, but if you maintain that sort of mindset into the postseason, you might as well waive the white flag right now.

There's a reason all minute restrictions go out of the window come playoffs. Last postseason, 41 players logged 35+ minutes, and 15 logged 40+. 37-year old Duncan logged 35 per game. Roy Hibbert was unleashed for 36.5 minutes.

When everything is on the line, you NEED your best players absorbing all the minutes they can handle. They need to get focused, be in their comfort zone, and play to their peak potential. That isn't happening if you see-saw everyone's role every game, giving one player some rest one night so they can go out the next and be "fresher" than their competition.

[BleedGreen1989]

Hey youuu guys! (Goonie voice)

Lakers looking for a 6th rounder. Stop boycotting the purple and gold and send us offers. TP's around..

[ronaldo943]

There is still a bit of talent left, but after this round I'd assume most will be gone.

[Yoki_IsTheName]

Ha ha. I disagree.

My depth would keep everyone fresh as the series gets more intense and more grueling for the physical body. Or have we forgotten that we need to keep the players fresh too?

The fact that this team won't lose a ton of production playing the second unit is a BIG advantage in the Playoffs compare to guys who's grinding for 40 minutes a game.

You grind your players all you want, I'd have Bogut on 28-20 minutes and be fresh come game 2 because Varejao can play the rest of his minutes and not lose a ton of production and impact. Same with Lillard and Monroe.

Keeping your players fresh is important in the regular season, but if you maintain that sort of mindset into the postseason, you might as well waive the white flag right now.

There's a reason all minute restrictions go out of the window come playoffs. Last postseason, 41 players logged 35+ minutes, and 15 logged 40+. 37-year old Duncan logged 35 per game. Roy Hibbert was unleashed for 36.5 minutes.

When everything is on the line, you NEED your best players absorbing all the minutes they can handle. They need to get focused, be in their comfort zone, and play to their peak potential. That isn't happening if you see-saw everyone's role every game, giving one player some rest one night so they can go out the next and be "fresher" than their competition.

Duncan logged 35 minutes a game because his would be backup wouldnt even be close to what he's producing. Hibbert logs the minutes because if you put _______ _______ in that lineup for extended minutes, you lose a ton of production.

And with all due respect, but what you dont seem to get is there's not a lot of setbacks, maybe not at all when it comes to impact in the game and production with the depth this team has. Varejao can limit Bogut's minutes to 30 and the team will still have the toughness, rebounding and defense it has with Bogut on the floor. Landry can come in for 15 minutes for Monroe and the team won't have a significant drop off inside scoring pretense and rebounding.

It lessens the chances of injuries and come fourth quarter the players are still fresh and not in foul trouble, allowing them to play more aggressive because, well, they are not tired. COme fourth quarter other teams have their players shooting flat footed shots, cant run, cant close out because they're exhausted, well, not this team. Being fresh is not just about the next game.

[rondoallaturca]

Again, we'll agree to disagree. Good luck on selling your vision to other GMs.

[ronaldo943]

I like depth, but because it can cause matchup nightmares in the playoffs. I mean lets say you have 2 C's and one of them dominates the opposing playoff team's C every time they play so clearly you might want to play that C even if your other C is a bit better.

[BleedGreen1989]

There is still a bit of talent left, but after this round I'd assume most will be gone.

Disagree sir.