2013 NBA DRAFT DIARY: Part III

Hasan R

(Part II of Hasan's diary can be read here).

Pick 11, Philadelphia 76ers: Jrue Holiday is gone and they replace him with Michael Carter-Williams. Advanced metrics place Carter-Williams as a top guard in this draft and he provides Philly with size and a pure PG to throw lobs up for Noel. Throw in the 2014 first-round pick they also got (1-5 protected) and the 76ers came away with a killer haul and have set themselves up for a fantastic future rebuild.

Pick 12, Oklahoma City Thunder: Still reeling from losing James Harden, they need to find a sixth man who can play meaningful minutes behind Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant. Frankly, this team is pretty stacked and are smart at drafting so I trust their pick. Steven Adams is the announced pick and I’m ok with this. Adams is an athlete with tons of potential. Strong athlete combined with great size makes him a terrific defender, but needs to improve on the offensive side of the ball. Thankfully, offense is something OKC doesn’t suffer and provided that Adams can help them crash the boards and protect the rim would make him a good pick.

Pick 13, Dallas Mavericks: A TRADE! Mavs trade this pick to the Celtics for the no. 16 pick and two future second-round picks. The Boston Celtics in turn draft Kelly Olynyk, a stretch 4 who can catch the ball on the high post and drive to the basket. Definitely part of the rebuilding process for Boston, but by no means an impact pick.

Pick 14, Utah Jazz: Man, watching the draft is fun and exciting, but draining. There is so much dead airspace and ESPN scrambles to put it all together. But I wouldn’t have it any other way! Anyway, the Timberwolves select Shabazz Muhammad. Prolific scorer on the wings and a good shooters, Shabazz proves to be a good pick, especially this far down. Best part of his interview is the fact that he is being asked about the Wolves whilst wearing a Utah Jazz hat. Definitely a highlight in the draft.

Pick 15, Milwaukee Bucks: The Bucks select Giannis Adetokunbo. Whoa, try saying that three times fast. This dude can handle the ball, can shoot the 3 and has a crazy wingspan. Scouts peg him as not being NBA ready and we won’t really know if he can make the transition from Greece to the NBA. He will either be a home run or a bust, and we should know in a couple of years. 

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COURTSIDE VIEW: 2013 NBA DRAFT--Cavs/Knicks Edition

Johnny J

This will be my last NBA story for the 2012-13 campaign. I will continue my writing on stories and my opinions about different NFL topics. You can look forward to more of my opinions and jabs on the NFL. Ask about me at Fourth & Forever (coming soon!).

The 2013 NBA Draft is just days away and if you are excited like I am, you are wondering who your favorite team is going to draft. I will be be dissecting a couple of the high projected prospects and if they're a good fit for the Cleveland Cavaliers. In other words, if you were a General Manager of an NBA team, do you draft for need or do you just grab the best available player, regardless if they fill that void in your line-up? Lottery picks can sometimes be hard to predict. Just because a player was awesome in college, doesn't mean he has what it takes to succeed in the pros. For a team like the New York Knicks (late 1st round pick), they might be better off taking the "best available" player.

The Cleveland Cavaliers have two picks in the first round, including the number one pick overall. They also have the 19th pick as well. They won the NBA Lottery for the second time in three years. In 2011, the Cavaliers gambled on a young point guard named Kyrie Irving, who only played eight games at Duke due to an injury. He came back in the NCAA Tournament and scored 28 points in a Sweet Sixteen loss to Arizona. Two years later, at age 21, he is now an All-Star. So where do the Cavaliers go on building a team around Irving? There's been talk that the Cavs may trade the first pick, but I doubt that will happen. They've also been flirting with the Dallas Mavericks about acquiring forward veteran Shawn Marion to move up six spots to #13th (from 19th) and they would be taking $9.3 million off the books for the Mavs in return. The Mavs are hoping to have as much money as possible, for when July 1st rolls around, they hope of landing Chris Paul and Dwight Howard (Can't have one without the other, apparently--Ed). 

In my opinion, the Cavs only need to fill a few spots, such as both starting forward positions and a shooting guard. They are good at center with Anderson Varejao and North Carolina product Tyler Zeller. I know a lot of mock drafts have the Cavs taking a center since Varejao only has one year left on his contract, but I don't know about taking one early.  They have a center now in Zeller.  I like him; he deserves a chance to start.  He put up great numbers at UNC. Let him be the man in the middle. With the number one pick, the Cavs should draft for need, so I would pass on a center and take shooting guard Victor Oladipo out of Indiana. He would be a great complement to Irving. This guy has a great all-around game and upside. He can shoot, drive, and finish. Plus he has great athletic ability. A young backcourt that will make the Cavs more dangerous sounds tempting to me. Then at pick #19 or (#13 if they make that trade I was talking about earlier), I think the Cavs should draft center Gorgui Dieng from Louisville. He can play the four as well as center as he is equipped with a short-range jumper. He is a rim protector. Imagine him and Varejao on the floor at the same time. That just gets my mouth watery for what they can do with two second round picks. I would prefer to see them trade one of the two second round picks and grab Paul Pierce. They made a pitch to the Celtics for Pierce already. I think that would be a great pick-up. Talk about making the playoffs!  He is someone who can give the Cavs leadership presence. Make a package built around Paul Pierce for a second round pick. Plus he only has one year left. It's worth a try.

The New York Knicks on the other hand, needs to draft for best available player. A lot of the good players who can fill their need at point guard and center will be gone at pick #24. With that said, I like the Knicks to draft center Kelly Olynyk. A center that can score. A Knicks' fans dream. Simply because Tyson Chandler and Marcus Camby can't score on their own. Bleacher Report has him going at #23 to the Indiana Pacers, but if he falls, the Knicks should grab him. Bleacher has the Knicks grabbing another shooter. Another shooter!!! They don't need another shooter, unless Olynyk is gone. He is the only center I would bite on.  He is a need and best available player rolled into a nice gift bag for New York. Olynyk can back-up Chandler and help spread the floor and clear the paint because of his shooting ability. He would be a great addition to New York who got killed on the boards against the Pacers in the playoffs. Draft for need here!

If Olynk is gone at 24. Then you grab the best available player. Such as Allen Crabbe, a shooter out of California. I still like this pick, but all the shooters the Knicks have can't be on the floor at the same time. That did no good in the playoffs. Because, realistically, people have bad games (J.R. Smith) and slumps can occur. I'm expecting all of the Knicks free-agent shooters to re-sign. Guys like J.R. Smith, Chris Copeland, and Pablo Prigioni. If they don't, then you have to replace them.  The only way the Knicks will move pass top-notch teams in the Eastern Conference is if they have a low-post scorer. You can't trust Amar'e Stoudemire's grandfather knees. He hits the floor hard, he goes out and stays out for a long period of time. Also he has a restriction on his minutes. He can't play more than 30 minutes a game. Next they will be saying he can't play all 82 games in the season. Olynyk is the answer!

The Cavs and the Knicks are headed in different directions. The Cavs are getting young talent and the Knicks are just getting older. If the Cavs make the right moves to build a team around Irving, they will be an elite team in a couple of years. Yes, an elite team, I didn't stutter and you're hearing it first from me. The Cavaliers will be an Eastern Conference contender. The Knicks are built to win now. Now as in, "re-sign your shooters" and draft the guy who led the Gonzaga Bulldogs to a 33-2 record. Drafting for best available player is the only option and he is projected right around that magic number of 24.

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POINT/COUNTERPOINT: Philadelphia 76ers

Felipe M

Had a good, but very long conversation about the future of the NBA with fellow basketball fan, and diehard New York Knicks' fan, Hasan R.  The following is our thoughts on the state of the Philadelphia 76ers

Felipe: I've always like the 76ers, but they're always missing something, I'm just not sure what exactly that is.  But they have up-and-comers JrueHoliday and Evan Turner.  They also have some good talent with guys like Thaddeus Young and Spencer Hawes and Lavoy Allen to a lesser extent.  Not sure what Jason Richardson can still bring for next season.  However, they’re getting a new coach and already have a President/GM in Sam Hinkie (formerly of the Houston Rockets). So I think Philly’s arrow is pointing up.

Hasan: Totally counted out the 76ers, but you reminded me a lot of what makes them a threat going forward.  This year was the first in a rebuilding phase anyway with Andre Iguodala gone and if Andrew Bynum actually plays for the 76ers, they have a lethal team.  Not exactly NBA championship caliber, but one that is setting itself up with a good core that should hit its stride in late 2014/early 2015.  If they can draft a wing player in the mold of Iguodala, this could be a lethal team. 

Felipe: Technically, the 76ers have been rebuilding for a few years now.  Yes, they have made the playoffs, but haven’t had a winning season since 2004-05.  And I really don’t see Bynum ever suiting up for Philly and they would have to be absolutely desperate to want him this bad.  I have to question his heart and his degenerative knees.  And the 76ers didn’t do much when they had Iguodala with the team so I doubt getting another player in that mold will help much.  I would actually suggest getting a big man (maybe a guy like Cody Zeller as his stock seems to be dropping) would prove to be helpful, but then again, it depends what kind of coach they will hire.

Hasan: They have most definitely been rebuilding for a few years and sadly this last season was a lost one.  I understand your concern with Bynum, but my above idea for Philly was that they DO manage to re-sign Bynum, and that he suits up and then you've got the 76ers vying for a dynamic wing to pair up with Evan Turner. Then hopefully get some veteran presence and they may even be able to compete for a low playoff seed this upcoming season.  

That being said, let's think about what happens if they fail to retain Bynum.  Not only does that Bynum trade look absolutely horrific in retrospect (not like the trade didn't look bad enough when it was made), but it also means that it's time to tear it all down. If Bynum is gone the most likely draft pick for them would be Cody Zeller or even Kelly Olynyk.  That also makes their second round picks extremely valuable because the best way to rebuild is through the draft.

Sadly, it is a bit tough to really judge this team without a basketball coach because we still aren't too sure about the style of play they will employ. Holding out against hope that they manage to re-sign Bynum and go ahead with my earlier idea, if only for the sheer fun it would be to watch Bynum and Holiday play together. 

Felipe: At least we agree on the 76ers needing a new coach in order for us to gauge which direction they will go in terms of personnel.  I definitely have to disagree with you on Andrew Bynum.  His best days are behind him and I just don’t see him wanting to stay in Philly and Philly would do itself a favor by looking elsewhere to start another rebuilding project.  Luckily for them, their new GM is a statistical analytics guy and hopefully, that will make him see that re-signing Bynum will prove to be a mistake.

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ZIG-ZAGGING: Gonzaga's March to the #1 Spot

ZAGS SURVIVE! No. 2 Gonzaga withstands upset bid from BYU, 70-65. Bulldogs are seeking first No. 1 ranking in school history.
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) March 1, 2013

--Johnny J

The Gonzaga Bulldogs have flown under the radar all year. They are currently ranked number two in the nation and are setting their sights on being the new number one come next week. With the Indiana Hoosiers falling to Minnesota earlier this week, the Bulldogs have all, but locked up the top spot for next week. It will be the first time ever Gonzaga would be ranked number one. For a team that has flown under the radar all year, now is the time to get hot and bark the loudest (pun intended).

The Bulldogs are currently 29-2 and 16-0 in the West Coast Conference. They've clinched their Conference on Thursday by escaping with a 70-65 win at BYU. "There was a lot of clawing, scratching, pushing, shoving and that's what the score (shows)," junior Kelly Olynyk said. "That's what you live for and what we want to play like."

They have one of the highest, regarded basketball programs ever since they made their "Cinderella" run  in 1999, making it all the way to the Elite Eight. In the 16 years they've been in the WCC, they have earned the Conference title ten times. Their victory at Portland made them undefeated in Conference play; their first time since going undefeated in the conference since the 2008-09 season.

"Our guys really [wanted] to finish up the conference really strong and go undefeated," Gonzaga coach Mark Few said.

This year, the Bulldogs have a much bigger picture in mind: the goal of winning an NCAA title. The Zags are doing it the best way possible--quietly.  They have notched up almost 30 wins on the season and they've done it with nobody talking about them. I guarantee  nobody wants to see them in the tournament; they have won 10 games in a row and have lost only twice this year: to 13th ranked Illinois in December and 13th ranked Butler in January--they lost by one point.

The Zags are winning games by sharing the wealth. They're ranked 30th in the country in assists, averaging 15.3 a game and are hitting a remarkable 51 percent of their shots as a team. Talk about scoring at will; they're ranked ninth in the country at 78.6 points per game.  That says a lot for a team that hasn't been discussed as a threat. Did I mention they hit 39.6 percent from the trey. That's another word for the three- point line.

The Zags are led by 7-foot, junior Kelly Olynyk, nicknamed, "Long Hair, Don't Care" for his Herculean, long hair look. He is the leading scorer on the team with about 18 points a game to go along with 7 rebounds.  In 2011, he had played for the Canadian National Team, but yet he only averaged 4.8 points for Gonzaga because of then NBA prospect, Robert Sacre who was taking all the glory for Gonzaga. So in order not to transfer, he sat out a year. Now that Sacre is in the NBA as a Lakers' reserve, Olynyk is the man in the middle at Gonzaga.

I guess its safe to say, Olynyk and the Bulldogs are going to be a problem for a lot of teams come tournament time. Anytime you can win on the road in a tough atmosphere shows that the team can stay focus on the task at hand: just winning. I know this team will be hard to stop anywhere they go. I was watching the BYU game and they just kept their composure. Every time BYU got close, the place would begin to rock. Talk about a tough road game, it was a real hostile environment. Gonzaga is a dangerous team.

Let's welcome the new number one: the Gonzaga Bulldogs!

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