Danny was right

[PaulAllen]

About the talent is this draft. I know this is premature but as far as instant impact players there are none this year. Wiggins and Parker are average at best . Payton is playing the best. Exum, Vonleah and Gordon cant get off the bench and Randle is already done.

Smart does look like a good pick given the circumstances but most of us were fooled how much talent was coming out of the draft. I guess it will be a few years before we can really determine.

[manl_lui]

so far yea, I still expect Jabari to improve as the season goes on. I also expect Marcus to be a 30 mpg player by the end of the season and will give Jabari a run for his money

Noel is looking good so far, not great, but pretty solid defensively

[D.o.s.]

... it's been three games.

[Donoghus]

... it's been three games.

Still need to talk about something.

[Bosstown]

... it's been three games.

Still need to talk about something.

talk is talk.... and we're talking about kids under 21 who just started playing pro ball. Give them some time.

I never expected these guys to be LBJ right off the bat.

[D.o.s.]

... it's been three games.

Still need to talk about something.

I don't think you can write of the potential of a draft class, even in part, because one of the top picks broke his leg (even if he is a Laker).

Thoughts?

[Donoghus]

... it's been three games.

Still need to talk about something.

talk is talk.... and we're talking about kids under 21 who just started playing pro ball. Give them some time.

I never expected these guys to be LBJ right off the bat.

Sure, its way too early but if people want to offer observations of what they've seen so far, why the heck not?

[slamtheking]

... it's been three games.

Still need to talk about something.

talk is talk.... and we're talking about kids under 21 who just started playing pro ball. Give them some time.

I never expected these guys to be LBJ right off the bat.

no, but the handful of people screaming for the team to absolutely tank last year (and this one) thought those players would be LBJ. 

The draft is how to add cheap talent that will hopefully develop into solid/great players depending on where you pick them.  thing is, almost all of them need 2-3 years (or more) of seasoning to reach that level and by then they are no longer cheap if they reach the level you hope for.

[sofutomygaha]

Unconvinced. Even great players usually have bumpy first years.

Health permitting, I think that in about 2017 the 76ers are going to be absolutely devastating. We haven't seen a super-athletic, super-sized front court duo like Embiid and Noel could become in the NBA for a long time.

[manl_lui]

... it's been three games.

Still need to talk about something.

talk is talk.... and we're talking about kids under 21 who just started playing pro ball. Give them some time.

I never expected these guys to be LBJ right off the bat.

no, but the handful of people screaming for the team to absolutely tank last year (and this one) thought those players would be LBJ. 

The draft is how to add cheap talent that will hopefully develop into solid/great players depending on where you pick them.  thing is, almost all of them need 2-3 years (or more) of seasoning to reach that level and by then they are no longer cheap if they reach the level you hope for.

good point - I think everyone was expecting Wiggins and Parker to come out and be like Kobe or LeBron straight up, or Embiid to be Hakeem

these kids have so much pressure thrown on them it's crazy. In a way, aren't you glad Smart isn't getting as much hype but is contributing quietly

and [dang], that behind the back pass by Marcus yesterday deserves to be on NBA top 10 play!

[Eddie20]

They're all 19 or 20. Anthony Davis didn't exactly set the league on fire his rookie season. He didn't win rookie of the year and 2 years later he's largely talked about being the 3rd best player in the world.

[slamtheking]

... it's been three games.

Still need to talk about something.

talk is talk.... and we're talking about kids under 21 who just started playing pro ball. Give them some time.

I never expected these guys to be LBJ right off the bat.

no, but the handful of people screaming for the team to absolutely tank last year (and this one) thought those players would be LBJ. 

The draft is how to add cheap talent that will hopefully develop into solid/great players depending on where you pick them.  thing is, almost all of them need 2-3 years (or more) of seasoning to reach that level and by then they are no longer cheap if they reach the level you hope for.

good point - I think everyone was expecting Wiggins and Parker to come out and be like Kobe or LeBron straight up, or Embiid to be Hakeem

these kids have so much pressure thrown on them it's crazy. In a way, aren't you glad Smart isn't getting as much hype but is contributing quietly

and [dang], that behind the back pass by Marcus yesterday deserves to be on NBA top 10 play!

I'm liking the "Smart" pick more and more with each passing game.   the kid impacts a game with his D even more than AB did when he first saw court time.   I'm hoping he can improve his shot like AB did.  I don't see him ever in Rondo's league as a PG or ballhandler but I'm very happy we have this kid.  I think back to the draft with a number of individuals bemoaning the fact we didn't take Randle, Vonleh or Stauskas.  Not seeing how anyone can really be disappointed in this pick at this point.

even Young looks like a very solid prospect taken late in the draft.  someone taken after him may indeed turn out better but I haven't seen anything in his game to be disappointed in yet or that would make me think this kid will be a bust.

[D.o.s.]

Does anyone think that the Timberwolves will finish with a worse record than the '03-'04 Cleveland Cavaliers?

[manl_lui]

They're all 19 or 20. Anthony Davis didn't exactly set the league on fire his rookie season. He didn't win rookie of the year and 2 years later he's largely talked about being the 3rd best player in the world.

I'll take it if Smart can replicate that, even if not top 3, if he is top 20 in a year or two, I'll be excited and happy.

... it's been three games.

Still need to talk about something.

talk is talk.... and we're talking about kids under 21 who just started playing pro ball. Give them some time.

I never expected these guys to be LBJ right off the bat.

no, but the handful of people screaming for the team to absolutely tank last year (and this one) thought those players would be LBJ. 

The draft is how to add cheap talent that will hopefully develop into solid/great players depending on where you pick them.  thing is, almost all of them need 2-3 years (or more) of seasoning to reach that level and by then they are no longer cheap if they reach the level you hope for.

good point - I think everyone was expecting Wiggins and Parker to come out and be like Kobe or LeBron straight up, or Embiid to be Hakeem

these kids have so much pressure thrown on them it's crazy. In a way, aren't you glad Smart isn't getting as much hype but is contributing quietly

and [dang], that behind the back pass by Marcus yesterday deserves to be on NBA top 10 play!

I'm liking the "Smart" pick more and more with each passing game.   the kid impacts a game with his D even more than AB did when he first saw court time.   I'm hoping he can improve his shot like AB did.  I don't see him ever in Rondo's league as a PG or ballhandler but I'm very happy we have this kid.  I think back to the draft with a number of individuals bemoaning the fact we didn't take Randle, Vonleh or Stauskas.  Not seeing how anyone can really be disappointed in this pick at this point.

even Young looks like a very solid prospect taken late in the draft.  someone taken after him may indeed turn out better but I haven't seen anything in his game to be disappointed in yet or that would make me think this kid will be a bust.

Yea, at this point, Smart looks like he would've been a top 3 pick if this draft had a do-over. I like Young, but he only played garbage minutes so far. Wonder what he can do in regular minutes. Instead of Wallace yesterday, what if Young played instead?

[Moranis]

Just for reference

Kobe Bryant's first career game was November 3, 1996.  He played a whopping 6 minutes, didn't score a point (he was 0-1), had 1 rebound, 1 block, 1 turnover, and 1 foul.  He followed that up on November 5th with a whopping 3 minutes of game action again going 0-1, but was 1-2 from the line scoring his first point.  He added 1 turnover, but had no other stats.  Played 7 minutes on November 6th, had 3 turnovers, but was 2 of 3 from the field (including 1 of 2 from three) for a whopping 5 points. 

In other words, in Kobe's first 3 games he played 16 minutes, was 2 of 3 from two, 1 of 2 from three, 1 of 2 from the line for 6 points, adding in 1 rebound, 1 block, with 5 turnovers and 1 foul.  He didn't have an assist or a steal. 

Not exactly the stellar start to a career that one would expect from a player that will retire as one of the greatest SG's the game has ever seen.