2013 NBA Draft Do-Over: Giannis goes #1?

[PhoSita]

KO's absence in this re-draft only goes to show that he is starting to be exposed as the inefficient, poor defense, lack of upside player that he is.

LarBrd33 :: Rajon Rondo
nickagneta :: Kelly Olynyk

[indeedproceed]

KO's absence in this re-draft only goes to show that he is starting to be exposed as the inefficient, poor defense, lack of upside player that he is.

LarBrd33 :: Rajon Rondo
nickagneta :: Kelly Olynyk

I'm not as down on Olynyk as nick is, but I don't have any problem with him being down on the guy right now.

Olynyk has been terrible. His big talent, shooting, has not manifested. His defense, predictably, has been terrible, and any projections of Olynyk as a 4/5 instead of a 5 seem vastly optimistic now. He obviously lacks the athleticism to be a 4 now, and that doesn't just mysteriously appear.

Olynyk could still turn out to be a valuable asset, he has the talent to be a shooter, and as Mehmet Okur proved before him, if he can hustle his way to 9 boards in 36 minutes and hit a set shot reliably , he has a future. Just right now, it doesn't look nearly as bright or probable as we'd hoped it would this far into his rookie term.

[manl_lui]

MCW is definitely the #1 pick if there is a do over

[Tr1boy]

my top 10 do over

1.  Noel (even with surgery)
2.  Giannis
3.  Steven Adams
4.  Ben Mclemore
5.  Victor Oladipo
6.  MCW
7.  Hardaway Jr.
8.  Plumlee
9.  Olynyk
10. Burke

[mqtcelticsfan]

5. Tim Hardaway Jr.

The 2013 NBA Draft class, ladies and gentlemen.

[colincb]

I've become more of a fan of Giannis than I was at the draft, but this is a useless exercise now I think. Noel hasn't played a minute, and Len has barely played, those two along with Giannis are probably the highest upside guys in the draft. And none of those guys are close to where they have the potential to be. The best big of the draft has probably been Steven Adams. Oladipo has played major minutes out of position. Hardaway has been a legit surprise.

Even at the end of the season , because of the long-term nature of the highest upside guys, we probably still won't really know who the 'best' player in the draft is.

Weird class. I still don't think it's as abysmally bad as it's made out to be, but it's not doing it's rep any favors.

This, except for the last paragraph. It is abysmally bad as of this point in time.

[Atzar]

You know, I came in here ready to blast this guy for trying to collect page views by being controversial.  Then I stopped to think about it, and... it really isn't all that controversial. 

Who is honestly playing better than Giannis right now?  MCW obviously.  Burke, kinda.  Tim Hardaway Jr here lately.  Oladipo.  But with the possible exception of Dipo, Giannis's potential just blows all of those players away (and I suspect that MCW is a bit of a system guy in Philly - he's good, but he's also in a very favorable situation). 

Then you have other 'potential' guys.  Noel.  Mason Plumlee, Steven Adams.  Ben McLemore.  KCP.  Alex Len.  If you include Giannis in that group, I think the only one with greater potential is Noel, who is recovering from a knee injury. 

So, sitting here with my eight-months-ago hindsight goggles on, I can't in full honesty say that taking him first is completely indefensible knowing what we know now.  I wouldn't do it - I'd take Oladipo and Noel ahead of him at the very least, and others depending on team need - but I can at least see the thought process that leads you to Antetokounmpo.  So if you're sitting on the #1 pick, you're scared by Noel's injury, you don't need Oladipo... maybe then you trade the pick consider Giannis.

[Tr1boy]

You know, I came in here ready to blast this guy for trying to collect page views by being controversial.  Then I stopped to think about it, and... it really isn't all that controversial. 

Who is honestly playing better than Giannis right now?  MCW obviously.  Burke, kinda.  Tim Hardaway Jr here lately.  Oladipo.  But with the possible exception of Dipo, Giannis's potential just blows all of those players away (and I suspect that MCW is a bit of a system guy in Philly - he's good, but he's also in a very favorable situation). 

Then you have other 'potential' guys.  Noel.  Mason Plumlee, Steven Adams.  Ben McLemore.  KCP.  Alex Len.  If you include Giannis in that group, I think the only one with greater potential is Noel, who is recovering from a knee injury. 

So, sitting here with my eight-months-ago hindsight goggles on, I can't in full honesty say that taking him first is completely indefensible knowing what we know now.  I wouldn't do it - I'd take Oladipo and Noel ahead of him at the very least, and others depending on team need - but I can at least see the thought process that leads you to Antetokounmpo.  So if you're sitting on the #1 pick, you're scared by Noel's injury, you don't need Oladipo... maybe then you trade the pick consider Giannis.

The kid is playing alot of minutes and his scoring totals is not all that impressive. He had a nice month in December, stringing in some good games but recently is shooting 2-7, 3-7. 

I like his defense and help defense capabilities. But in terms of offense he is not head over heals better than the rest. Give Olynyk 25-30 min consistently and i bet he can manage to score 8-10 a game, 2-3 assist, 5 rebounds

[get_banners]

wow...what a terrible draft thus far. shades of 2000.

[Atzar]

You know, I came in here ready to blast this guy for trying to collect page views by being controversial.  Then I stopped to think about it, and... it really isn't all that controversial. 

Who is honestly playing better than Giannis right now?  MCW obviously.  Burke, kinda.  Tim Hardaway Jr here lately.  Oladipo.  But with the possible exception of Dipo, Giannis's potential just blows all of those players away (and I suspect that MCW is a bit of a system guy in Philly - he's good, but he's also in a very favorable situation). 

Then you have other 'potential' guys.  Noel.  Mason Plumlee, Steven Adams.  Ben McLemore.  KCP.  Alex Len.  If you include Giannis in that group, I think the only one with greater potential is Noel, who is recovering from a knee injury. 

So, sitting here with my eight-months-ago hindsight goggles on, I can't in full honesty say that taking him first is completely indefensible knowing what we know now.  I wouldn't do it - I'd take Oladipo and Noel ahead of him at the very least, and others depending on team need - but I can at least see the thought process that leads you to Antetokounmpo.  So if you're sitting on the #1 pick, you're scared by Noel's injury, you don't need Oladipo... maybe then you trade the pick consider Giannis.

The kid is playing alot of minutes and his scoring totals is not all that impressive. He had a nice month in December, stringing in some good games but recently is shooting 2-7, 3-7. 

I like his defense and help defense capabilities. But in terms of offense he is not head over heals better than the rest. Give Olynyk 25-30 min consistently and i bet he can manage to score 8-10 a game, 2-3 assist, 5 rebounds

Antetokounmpo's current scoring totals are pretty much irrelevant.  He was widely considered to be a guy who would need two or three years of seasoning at the very least before he could start helping an NBA team.  The fact that he's holding his own right out of the gate is very impressive and very unexpected. 

His combination of size, mobility, and guard skills makes him a very intriguing offensive prospect.  He needs work as a shooter, but most 19-year-olds do and the fact that he already hits free throws at an acceptable rate is a promising sign. 

[Tr1boy]

KO's absence in this re-draft only goes to show that he is starting to be exposed as the inefficient, poor defense, lack of upside player that he is.

LarBrd33 :: Rajon Rondo
nickagneta :: Kelly Olynyk

I'm not as down on Olynyk as nick is, but I don't have any problem with him being down on the guy right now.

Olynyk has been terrible. His big talent, shooting, has not manifested. His defense, predictably, has been terrible, and any projections of Olynyk as a 4/5 instead of a 5 seem vastly optimistic now. He obviously lacks the athleticism to be a 4 now, and that doesn't just mysteriously appear.

Olynyk could still turn out to be a valuable asset, he has the talent to be a shooter, and as Mehmet Okur proved before him, if he can hustle his way to 9 boards in 36 minutes and hit a set shot reliably , he has a future. Just right now, it doesn't look nearly as bright or probable as we'd hoped it would this far into his rookie term.

This was never his top talent.  He scored majority of points in college within 5-10 ft of the basket.

Now he is expected to resort to jump shooting as his main weapon. Its not easy to suddenly ask this of him.  And its especially difficult that BS is asking him to take 3 point shots vs taking the 15-18 which he has a better chance to score

The only option i see Olynyk to succeed in the nba is to put on some big time strength over the summer so he can carve out some space. If Hansborough who is 6'9, 6'11 wingspan can carve out space , hold his own under the basket , rebound and get and ones, Olynyk can do it also.

Best case is, he gets to operate down low again, get to the foul line a few times then his jump shots start falling in from there

[ederson]

The kid is playing alot of minutes and his scoring totals is not all that impressive. He had a nice month in December, stringing in some good games but recently is shooting 2-7, 3-7. 

I like his defense and help defense capabilities. But in terms of offense he is not head over heals better than the rest. Give Olynyk 25-30 min consistently and i bet he can manage to score 8-10 a game, 2-3 assist, 5 rebounds

Keep in mind that he is 19 years and he played for a very low level team. It`s like he was playing only pick up games in playdrounds. Everyone agrees that he is extremely raw.   

L. Drew said in an interview that he didn`t expect to play him at all this season.

[PhoSita]

KO's absence in this re-draft only goes to show that he is starting to be exposed as the inefficient, poor defense, lack of upside player that he is.

LarBrd33 :: Rajon Rondo
nickagneta :: Kelly Olynyk

I'm not as down on Olynyk as nick is, but I don't have any problem with him being down on the guy right now.

Olynyk has been terrible. His big talent, shooting, has not manifested. His defense, predictably, has been terrible, and any projections of Olynyk as a 4/5 instead of a 5 seem vastly optimistic now. He obviously lacks the athleticism to be a 4 now, and that doesn't just mysteriously appear.

Olynyk could still turn out to be a valuable asset, he has the talent to be a shooter, and as Mehmet Okur proved before him, if he can hustle his way to 9 boards in 36 minutes and hit a set shot reliably , he has a future. Just right now, it doesn't look nearly as bright or probable as we'd hoped it would this far into his rookie term.

All of that's fine.

I just think there's a difference between being "down" on a guy and taking every single opportunity to say the worst thing you can about the player to the point where it seems like you're either angry that he's even on the team, or you're trying to provoke people who don't hate him so much into reacting strongly.

KO doesn't look like he's ever going to be a star, but I maintain, as I always have, that he has the tools to be a useful role player.  I still regularly see him making smart plays and doing good things out there, even as he's struggling. 

He's a rookie with a skillset that seems tailor-made for team basketball (rather than individual scoring) on a terrible team that doesn't even come close to playing a winning, team-first brand of basketball.  Why is it surprising that he's struggling?


I can't help thinking that people would be far more tolerant of Kelly if he had ripped muscles and a 40 inch vertical, even if he had no idea how to play basketball and was a net negative every time out on the floor.

As others have said . . . potential is overrated.

[pearljammer10]

KO's absence in this re-draft only goes to show that he is starting to be exposed as the inefficient, poor defense, lack of upside player that he is.

Yeah players like Noel, Len, Bennett, McCollum and Porter have yet to play or play big minutes and still other players like AAdams, KCP and McLemore chosen before him have yet to play well or have great numbers but they all have something Olynyk doesn't have, potential to get a lot better.

Potential is so over-rated.  Potential without Brains and character will amount to a waste of talent.

One thing we know about KO is that he is willing to put the work.  I have no doubt KO will get better.  Would like to see him get consistently over 30mins/gm.   Also, I would him to get a haircut.

Love the hair. Best part of his game. And I won't be so quick to bash a mid first round pick in a bad draft who's what, 20 years old? Kid can pass and shoot and I've liked what I've seen from KO this far.

Does he have all star potential? Well I wouldn't go that far. But he can be a legit offensive NBA big in a couple years.

[PhoSita]

And I won't be so quick to bash a mid first round pick in a bad draft who's what, 20 years old?

Main knock against the kid -- among the fair ones, anyhow -- is his age, I'm afraid.

He's already 22.

That means that there's not a lot of room for growth physically.   People tend to write off the potential for him to adapt mentally to the game, too, however.