Noah Vonleh, 9th overall to the Charlotte Hornets, Boom or Bust?

Matt: What a steal!  Great pick for the new-look Hornets
Depending on who we bring back in free agency, this was not really our biggest need.  You cannot pass up a steal though!

Grade: B+

Straight from Chad Ford himself, "He can shoot, run the floor and play in the post, but questions about his motor and toughness and conditioning caused him to slide a bit."  If the questions surrounding this guy are motor, toughness, and conditioning, Charlotte will be a great fit for this guy.  I may disagree a little on the pick with another writer for this blog, but you can read his argument for yourself.  Here is the justification on this pick.

Someone looks happy to be a Hornet

Take a look at these two stat lines from two players during their time spend in college.  Seem pretty similar, right? Stats are Per. 40 minutes.

FG	FGA	FG%	2P	2PA	2P%	3P	3PA	3P%	FT	FTA	FT%	TRB	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	PF	PTS

A)

5.7

10.9

.523

4.9

9.2

.530

0.8

1.7

.485

4.8

6.8

.716

13.6

0.9

1.3

2.1

3.2

4.1

17.0

B)

7.0

12.5

.560

6.1

10.6

.575

0.9

1.9

.478

5.3

7.3

.730

11.6

1.6

1.3

2.8

3.0

3.0

20.2

Well, stat line A is Noah Vonleh.  Stat line B is Chris Bosh.  For a guy who was rated as high as Vonleh, getting him at 9 is a steal.  I have always heard you cannot coach size, so you have to take it when it comes.  Vonleh is 6'10", weights 247 lbs, has a 7'5" wingspan, and a 37" vertical, one of the best for a big man.  Those things you cannot coach.  Worried about his motor?  The leadership in that locker room will motivate him.  Worried about his toughness?  Line him up every day in practice against Jefferson see what happens.  Think conditioning is an issue?  IT IS JUNE!!! Coach Clifford will have him whipped into shape.  The coaching staff with Ewing and Clifford will, without a doubt, maximize this kids "potential" (a term my colleague below talks about a lot).  

What the Hornets need is a stretch 4 man who can allow Jefferson to work alone in the middle and knock down a jumper when he gets doubled.  Vonleh can be that guy.  My man shot near 50% from deep in college, he will be fine.  The Hornets needed front court depth and skill and this pick gives them that. 

Look at a player like Derrick Favors.  Here is a 1-year college guy who some believe is a bust.  Last season in Utah he averaged 13.3 points and 8.7 rebounds a game.  Pair those numbers with Jefferson and you have a dominate, not good, inside game.  Vonleh, in my opinion, has a better handle on the ball and a much better stroke on his shot.  Is he as fast, no.  When you are his size though, I don't really give a damn how fast you are.  

Will Vonleh be a perennial All-Star like several of his fellow draftees are expected to be?  Probably not.  Will be be a great compliment to a team like the Hornets?  You bet your ass he will!  I would have been fine taking Vonleh over any PF other than Gordan.  Coming in with the value at #9, Hornets nation can rejoice in this pick!  

Also had the biggest hands of almost any player to ever get measured at the combine, Jay Bilas lost his mind

Joel: I really, really hate this pick.
Good rebounder, not particularly skilled in any other area, being packaged as having skills he did not show on the court.

Grade: D

Vonleh is a beast. Vonleh is a grown ass man, strong as an ox. In fact I once saw him lift a truck off the ground using nothing but his bare hands. I’m pretty sure he dunked the truck, windmill style. Jordan takes off from the free throw line? Vonleh takes off from the three point line. Sometimes basketballs explode through the sheer force of his biceps when he grabs a rebound. He's big. Like so Big. Great wall of China Big, grand canyon Big. It's like a small mountain is standing under the basket. 

I may have embellished that, but not too far off from other draft-speak leading up the NBA draft that has nothing to do with basketball. 

Pretty sure Vonleh was the green one last season at Indiana. BTW has any youtube video ever more proved the internet is a very strange place? Dub death metal over your childhood memories, go on, fill that void.

All postives about Vonleh, of course, are gleaned from workouts where he’s alone in the gym, not anything you saw him do on a basketball court. Here’s the thing: if you don’t start talking about a player as one of the best in the country until after the season, then he should not be in that conversation once you see him work out. Yes the dude looks like a young Shaq, and size is his obvious selling point in the NBA, but with all that size he should have been dominating in college. He didn’t. 11 ppg on a not particularly talented team is none too impressive.

Which one of these passes the eyeball test as a basketball player? Vonleh. Problem is this goatish looking guy from Notre Dame dominated him all night. 

Get ready for a HIP HOP STYLE MIX TAPE. Sorry, with our mock draft I watched way too many of these.

Above is Vonleh’s highlight tape, and I use the term loosely. Putback dunks, slow release 3 pointers (he made all of 16 this season, suddenly he’s billed as Chris Bosh), Hansbrough-esque post moves (below the rim, off balance push shots. Ask Hansbrough how well those work in the NBA), below the rim defense. If you see anything else in that video, or if my perspective is off please tell me. Looks like he does have some nice handle, but thing that's like the least important skill for a big man (ever seen Tim Duncan's crossover?)

What I’ll never understand about the NBA draft is the ever over-rated, ever-escalating “POTENTIAL.” This means a guy who MIGHT possess skills one day is rated higher than a guy who already has those skills. Best case scenario for Vonleh in three years? He might be Adrien Payne right now. For example: current Hornet MKG, a former number 2 overall pick, MIGHT still be a great player IF he develops an offensive game. Isn’t that kind of a major hole in someone’s game? You know, not being able to score? Oh by the way MKG was a much better college scorer than Vonleh. What I hear when you say potential is a guy who needs to improve in a major way before he can contribute. Voleh seems like a guy who needs to improve his game in almost every area to be a contributor in the NBA.

One more nugget on POTENTIAL. How many of these “high potential” big guys turn into something other than a big body? Name three. I’ll wait.

Pictured: NBA ready size. Don't worry, they will DEVELOP into scorers

Which leads us to my biggest problem with Vonleh, he in no way helps the Hornets this season. What’s the Hornets biggest weakness? Scoring.  After that? Scoring, scoring, and scoring. You get the picture. Vonleh is YET ANOTHER offensively deficient player we are hoping to develop into something of a serviceable forward. If you’re counting at home that list now includes Bismack Biymobo, MKG, Cody Zeller, and Vonleh. We still have the problem we’ve always had: when Al or Kemba goes to the bench, who scores?

Vonleh is a good rebounder, but most of his rebounds come from jumping over guys. As any coach will tell you rebounding is about positioning, not athleticism, so it remains to be seen how effective he will be at this at the next level. And don't be fooled, this is a big kid, but not necessarily a leaper. Really rebounding is likely going to be his only impact this year. And I expect more from the 9^th pick.

I believe this pick should have been Doug McDermott out of Creighton. McDermott was born to score the basketball and would have been fantastic coming off the bench to be the primary option of our second team. Even it wasn’t McDermott, the Hornets passed on an awful lot of talent to take Vonleh. In no particular order: Payne, McDermott, TJ Warren, Gary Harris, Elfrid Payton and Tyler Ennis all look like better fits for the Hornets and better pros to me.

I would love to be wrong, but this guy’s got Kwame Brown written all over him, and we may be looking at another Bizmack situation in three years. What was he supposed to be good at again? 

From Kwame Brown's 2001 scouting report: Versatile player has the ability to shoot the ball inside and out ... Super athletic runs the floor, jumps out the gym, and has very good quickness ... Good rebounder due in part to his quick leaping ability and long wingspan can handle the basketball very well like a guard, and can even lead the fast break. He also has a good-looking stroke from 15-to-17 feet.



Andy: At least we don't draft like Philadelphia

Vonleh can as least get on the floor this year and contribute something.

Grade: C

I fall somewhere in the middle of my esteamed colleagues on Charlotte's first pick.  The general consensus on Vonleh is that he is something of a project.  For a team like Charlotte, that I feel is just a couple of pieces away from being a solid playoff contender, I'm not sure a project is what they needed at this point.  Charlotte doesn't have the best history of developing unpolished bigs (see: Biyambo, Bismack).  I think Vonleh is a little better than the Biz and I'm not sure he's a great comparison here, but he is a recent example of a Hornets/Bobcats project.  However, I do see the potential in Vonleh and if he can develop, I think Charlotte will be incredibly happy with this pick.

Hard to believe this guy's 18, imagine what he'll look like after a couple years in an NBA weight room

I'm down on this pick becasue of what was available around him.  I think the afformentioned Dougy McBuckets would have been a really nice player for Charlotte or even a player like James Young, who went quite a bit later.  Charlotte got a perimeter scorer later on in PJ Hairston, but I feel like they could have gotten a more complete wing at this stage of the draft.  Vonleh does not bring a skillset to the table at this stage that greatly helps the Hornets right now.  About all we know about him right now is that he will be ready to step in right away as a rebounder.  Charlotte was a middle of the road rebounding team this past year. So, I don't think Steve Clifford is necessarily ecstatic to upgrade in that department this early in the draft.

Of course, not really sure Clifford has 'ecstatic' in his emotional repertoire anyway. I am smiling. 

I'm high on this pick because of the potential.  Generally, I hate picks made simply on potential, but this is one guy where I can actually see flashes of what the future might hold.  Vonleh only shot 33 three pointers last year, but he did knock them down at a respectable 48% clip.  He needs to be able to release the ball quicker and create his own shot, but I don't think you are building a shooter from the ground up here.  He can't simply rely on garbage buckets to account for a majority of scoring at this level.  I think ideally he becomes a nice shooter with his face to the basket, a guy that can score off the offensive glass, and someone who uses his athleticism to get out on the break.  I keep hearing positive comparisons to LaMarcus Aldridge.  He has a ways to go to reach that level, but Charlotte would be thrilled if he did.

While he is clearly not a finished product at this point, he should be able to rebound, defend and chip in a couple buckets a night for the Hornets.  Obviously, I'd like someone who was a better fit for the team and could help this team win in the playoffs RIGHT NOW.  However, Charlotte could have done worse with this pick.  Just be thankful we don't draft like the 76ers or, even worse, Toronto (Bruno Caboclo? Yikes!).

 

Recap, highlights and tears for a US - Portugal 2-2 tie

Can a tie be devastating? Absolutely. The final score was 2-2, but that really doesn't explain how this went down. The US led this game until the 95th minute. You could have held your breath for another 15 seconds and the game was over. Bigger still, if the US hangs on, they were set to advance to the next round of the tournament, and getting out of the "group of death" was always the goal.

It's still a small consolation at this point, but with the tie the US is still in a decent to move forward in the group. What's more positive moving forward about tonight is how good the US looked for most of the night. Aside from two pretty flukey goals, the US was sharp and patient in possession and created lots of good chances going forward.

Here are your highlights, and recap below.

Scoring started in the 5th minute, when US centerback Geoff Cameron made a terrible clearance that landed right at the feet of a Portugese attacking player right in front of Timmy Howard. Howard had no chance and the scoring was on. The US did not seem rattled by the goal though, and created chance after chance in the first half, mainly through right back Fabian Johnson getting forward and into dangerous positions. Jermaine Jones equalized off a corner kick, with one of the goals of the tournament so far (more after the jump) and Clint Dempsey eventually found his way on the end of a Graham Zusi cross. To put the US ahead. Of course it was not to be for the Americans as 5 minutes of stoppage time were added to the end of play, and wouldn't you know it Portugal scored at 94:30. Heartbreaking tie for the USMNT.

I've got to say Michael Bradley had a better bounce back game, but you could easily make him the goat of this match. He was on the end of a cross at the five yard line early in the second half with the goalie out of net that he put straight into the one defender covering the goal. Touch that a corner and it should have been a goal. Bradley also made a crucial error in the final minute of play that led to Ronaldo's break down the right side. With the ball at his feet, he tried to turn upfield. Normally this type of play is his forte, but you've got to be aware of how much time is on the clock. In this case only 30 seconds were left before the final whistle and Braldey should have put this ball six rows up into the stands. Just AWAY. ANYWHERE but a turnover. As it was though Bradley lost possession which led to a pass to Ronaldo on the right hand side. Ronaldo whipped in a perfect cross-really his only contribution to this game-and it was headed home by the lone attacking player in the box.

Again Timmy Howard had no chance

Best Player: Jermaine Jones, M USA. What you're going to see on Sportscenter for the next week is Jones's goal, so I'll talk about that first. Jones collected a rebound off a corner kick, and from about 20 yards out curled a shot into the far corner. My USA sentiments aside, this was one of the best goals of the tournament so far. The level of skill - and luck - to curl through all those defenders is really pretty amazing. If I was taking odds on that shot I would give 50% chance of sailing over the crossbar, 30% chance of getting blocked on the way through. Really an impressive display of skill.

What you don't know about Jones if you didn't watch this game is just how HARD he worked the entire game. From whistle to whistle, Jones is sprinting from box to box. Mostly, Jones is in the game to wreck your shit. He was a nightmare on defense, and active on offense hitting several good balls forward. He was also primarily tasked with shutting down Ronaldo. Not an easy task, but you know why you didn't see Ronaldo touch the ball all night (until of course the ill fated last cross)? Most likely it was because Jones was standing at his elbow and screaming German swear words into his ear and taking his cookies every time the ball got close.

Jones is usually in here for stuff like this

And this. 

What it means: Standings in Group G are currently: Germany 4, USA 4, Portugal 1, Ghana 1. The top two teams advance from the group, and the US can advance with:

A win against Germany: US would win the group and advance
A tie to Germany: at 5 point a piece, Germany and the US would advance.

If Ghana or Portugal win by a slim margin: this one is a bit more complicated, but right now we have 4 points with a +1 goal differential. Ghana has a -1 differential, and Portugal has a -4 differential. Ghana would need to win by 1, and have the US lose by 1 to qualify. Portugal has a much higher mountain to climb, they would need to win by 3 and have the US lose by 2.

All that to say this: If the US beat Germany, we're in, if we tie Germany, we're in. If we lose, we need to lose close-by one no more than 1 goal. Also, Portugal can do us a big favor by beating Ghana by 2 or fewer. So as hard as it may be after this loss,

GO PORTUGAL!

(GO USA)

Hottest soccer fans from around the world

Here I sit, trying to think of a meaningful way to provide some coverage for the first two sets of games during the 2014 world cup. I have some other ideas coming up, but we'll start with this.

Last year we brought you the hottest women in sports, based on completely unscientific Google searching and the way I was feeling at the time. This post was a tremendous success, and I blame you for that, internet. I once believed the newspaper to be a mirror of the community that reads it. So to is the internet, and so without further ado here are some of the hottest soccer fans from around the country.

Like in the original hottest women in sports there, we had a caveat that you had to look good in uniform. Here, our caveat will be that you actually have to be cheering for you team. No pinups. No professional photo.

Did we get every country? Probably not. We are all united in one thing. Futbol, of course. You're welcome.

Starting, of course with USA, because we are very patriotic. 

I just appreciate that she bought the new uniforms. And where she keeps her phone.

England and France also are well represented

 

 

  

 

 

NBA Mock Draft 2014

The following is an exchange between the contributors of this blog.  Each person made alternating picks for the first round of the NBA draft.  Here are the results...

JOEL: Pick 1, Clevland Cavaliers

Andrew Wiggins, SF, Kansas.

I think the noise around Wiggins teammate Joel Embiid is a smokescreen. Wiggins has the highest potential in this draft, even if he didn't quite live up too the hype at Kansas. Length, athleticism and skill (not to mention health) make this pick easy for the Cavs.

Athletes that long and skilled just don't come around very often

ANDY: Pick 2, Milwaukee Bucks

i'm gonna take jabari parker here. he's the most nba ready guy in the draft and lets face it, most of the bucks roster isn't nba ready. i could really go anywhere with this pick as far as needs on the roster but i'm taking jabari and i'm feeling good if i'm the bucks.

How many guys on the planet can make this kind of play? Lebron, Westbrook, Drurant, and the list runs pretty short after that.

MATT: Pick 3, Philadelphia 76ers

So at 3, the 76ers trade the rights of the pick to Boston for Jeff Green, the 6th pick, and Brooklyn's future first. Boston pulls the trigger on Embiid in hopes he stays healthy (as they already have a big man with a bad back on the roster in Sullinger) and they free up enough space to bring in Melo and maybe another big name to play with Rondo and Bradley. Maybe Love.

JOEL: Pick 4: Orlando Magic.

Dante Exum, PG, Somewhere in Austrailia?

This may not be a familiar name to college basketball fans in the US, but this kid is the real deal. 6'6 super athletic point guard with excellent court vision. Paired with last year's top pick Victor Oladipo, Orlando now has the most athletic backcourt in the league. Shooting is a concern, but the matchup problems make it worth while.

Pictured: Exum. Probably. No one has ever actually seen him to confirm or deny the rumors

ANDY: Pick 5: Utah Jazz

Julius Randle, PF, Kentucky

I like Utah's young guys like Hayward and Burke. Randle is another NBA ready guy that should contribute right way. He'll have no trouble scoring, I'm just a little concerned with his defense.

Small adendum: I was intrigued by Noah Vonleh here, but I felt like Randle is more of a known commodity.

Pictured: A Grown Man.

MATT: Pick 6, Philadelphia 76ers (from Boston)

Philly happily takes Noah Vonleh here. After filling a need at 3 with Green, they need post scoring. Noel will never have the offensive game Noah V has now and can develop into. With another pick coming at 10, this is a good pick for the 76ers.

JOEL: Pick 7: LA Lakers

Marcus Smart, PG/SG Oklahoma St.

Lets face it, the Lakers have needs at every position. Paying $60 million for 6 games of Kobe Bryant THAT THE DIDN'T NEED TO PAY HIM doesn't help too much either. Steve Nash is done, and if you don't believe that ESPN put out a documentary that was like "watch how done Steve Nash is." This saddended me. Anyway all that to say this. Marcus Smart is a beast and a great building block for a team. Probably would have gone No. 1 overall last year, still just as talented except for the guys in front of him are a little better.

We've got lots of dunk highlights coming up for you, so here's Smart D ing up some Wiggins. Smart may be in the NBA's top five defenders and the shooting guard position as soon as he steps on the court.

ANDY: Pick 8: Sacramento Kings

Aaron Gordon, PF, Arizona

A little bit of a project. He's got great athleticism. He'll be a beast of a rebounder and shot blocker. If he can improve his shooting touch, he could be a real force. In the meantime, the Kings get his aforementioned skill set and a guy that can really rock the rim when he does score.

Gordon's the kind of guy who can go up for an alley oop, adjust his position and have a sandwich before dunking

MATT: Pick 9, Charlotte Hornets

Tough call, as the tier 2 of guys is all gone. After missing on Morrison, I think McBuckets is out of the question, so the pick is Stauskas. A wing with a sweet stroke who can hit jumpers. Something the cats/hornets have never had.

No defenders sure, but that's still 46 in a row, if you're counting at home

JOEL: Pick 10 76ers

Doug McDermott, SF/PF, Creighton

So if you're keeping track at home, Philly's lineup looks like: PG: MCW PF Jeff Green, C: Nerlens Noel. This a defensively stout unit that is going to have trouble scoring. Add in Doug McDermott, who is without question the most polished scorer in this draft. Certainly some of Dougie Fresh's game will be lost at the NBA level (namely, the ability to get to the rim) but that jump shot and mid range game is worth 15 ppg easy forI ja career. With that many athletes already on the roster Mcdermott can play the 3 or come off the bench at the 4.

I just kind of like the idea that even one of the whitest players ever has a hip hop style Mix tape. He's clearly got some NBA level moves.

ANDY: Pick 11: Denver Nuggets

Gary Harris, SG, Michigan State

Denver is a great scoring team. I really think they need someone down low who can block some shots and am a little dissapointed with Kenneth Faried in that regard. I think Harris provides them with good perimiter defense and a decent ability to score as well. I doubt Denver wants Randy Foye to be the long term solution at SG so I like Harris at this pick.

MATT: Pick 12, Orlando Magic

Dario Saric, PF, Europe

Orlando, with an attempt to trade back, has to stick in and take Dario Saric. Now with Exum, Olidipo, and Afflalo on the roster, they need size in a bad way. Saric has a good game, good size, and can score. He goes higher than this if he were in the US now, but 12 is a good pick for someone who may wait and come over in another year.

JOEL: Pick 13, T Wolves

Zach LaVine, SG, UCLA

At this point in the draft you run out of guys you are for sure are going to help you. Might as well roll the dice on one of the higest upside players in the draft. LaVine will compare to Russell Westbrook for his position, athletcism, and alma mater. He's got all the tools, but did a lot of disappearing in his only season at UCLA. Will he be Westbrook? Gerald Green? Who knows, but he's one of the last guys in this draft you can ask that type of question about.

I usually don't care for workout videos of a guy alone in the gym, but that's exactly what's going to get LaVine drafted. Crazy hops.

ANDY: Pick 14: Phoenix Suns

TJ Warren, SF, NC State

Warren was an elite scorer his last year in college. I don't think he will be quite as prolific in the pros, but I do think he should be able to become a dependable threat on the offensive end. He needs to improve his shooting range and defense, but I think he fits in well at the 3 for Phoenix. I also think James Young could be a good fit here if they wanted to go with a smaller 3 that can shoot from deep. Either way, they will get a scorer.

MATT: Pick 15, Atlanta Hawks

The Hawks go with James Young at 15. He can score, gives them good size at 6'9" at the 3, and is a HUGE upgrade from Carroll. Cannot ask for much more than a guy who could compete for the starting roll at this point.

JOEL: Pick 16: Chicago Bulls (via Hornets , thanks Tyrus Thomas )

Rodney Hood, SF, Duke

The bulls struggled to fill the SF spot this year after giving Loual (SP?) Deng away in free agency. Ironically enough the replace the spot with another rangy duke product at the same position. Rodney hood can shoot and slash, if he gets in the gym (and forgets the woeful flopping lessons coach K no doubt taught him) he might actually be able to defend.

Maybe not Hood, but he comes from a long line of storied floppers

ANDY: Pick 17: Boston Celtics

Cleanthony Early PF/SF, Wichita State

Early really made a name for himself during the Shocker's magical year. Could be a reach here, but I think he can play as a small 4 or a big 3 and be a reliable scorer that can stretch the defense out a little. Rebounds fairly well, but may be a little slow on the defensive end. Plus, if the Celtics don't make a move on Melo this gets them a scorer at the 3, and even if they do get him, they can slide him down low.

Did you guys catch this during the tournament? Nasty.

MATT: Pick 18, Phoenix Suns

Suns go with Adiren Payne. A big man who can knock down jumpers is big in that offense. Myles Plumlee can bang inside, Payne can knock down jumpers. Both look like they are 40 but are very skilled

JOEL: Pick 19: Chicago Bulls

Elfrid Payton, PG Lousiana Lafayette

PG from a mid major school, but he's got a lot of tools that may translate to the NBA level. Namely, he's got a wicked, iverson-esque crossover. Could be Derrick Rose insurance if the oft injured star can't come back from his multiple injuries.

In the words of Chris Berman. WOop! WOOP!

ANDY: Pick 20: Toronto Raptors

Tyler Ennis, PG, Syracuse

Kyle Lowry will be a free agent and it's possible that if Toronto can't bring him back they will need a replacement. Ennis was downright special during Syracuse's early season dominance. I don't think he will immediately be able to replace the scoring that Lowry provides, but I expect Ennis to be a solid NBA point guard. I think Toronto would be happy to get a player this good at 20.

MATT: Pick 21, Oklahoma City

Okc at 21 goes KJ McDaniels. You get a super athletic guy who can play in a system that fits him great. Learn from the best in Durant's and Westbrook. Solid pick for okc

This is also pretty much what it looks like when blog contributors Matt, Joel and Andy play pickup ball

JOEL: Pick 22, Memphis Grizzles

Jusuf Nurkic C, Somewhere in Eastern Europe

In Soviet Russia, Basketball dunks YOU. Memphis already has nice depth up front with Marc Gasol (and maybe brother Pau joining in free agency? Like the Spanish Wayans brothers of basketball) but at this point you have to go BPA. Nurkic is enormous, and that's all we know. but 7'0, 280 is not a small human being. STRONG LIKE BEAR

He should probably be drafted for this picture alone. Got to love Europeans. Does anybody else picture this guy talking like Borat?

ANDY: Pick 23: Utah Jazz

PJ Hairston, SG, North Carolina

PJ Hairston demonstrated a great scoring ability in college and during the time he spent in the D-League. Will probably need to become a better ball handler and develop an ability to score in the lane, but should parlay his shooting ability into a lucrative career.

This picture no doubt fills Matt with sadness.

MATT: Pick 24: Charlotte Hornets

CJ Wilcox, SG, Washington

With Hairston just out of reach here, the Hornets are still in need of some shooting help. WIlcox had a good workout for the team and has deep range on his jumper. At 6'5", he gives them an athletic, high IQ player at the 2 spot who, most important for this system, will play well above average D. Give him 2 more inches and he goes in the top 15

JOEL: Pick 25, Houston Rockets

Kyle Anderson Pick 25

Really a goofy kind of player. A 6'8 point guard with zero athleticsim. somebody will be intrigued though. Could be interesting?

Note: this video is not in slow motion. I'm not sure there's any difference between running and walking for Kyle Anderson. Still, manages to drop 22 points, 11 rebounds, and 7 assists in this game.

ANDY: Pick 26: Miami Heat

Shabazz Napier, PG, Connecticut

Mario Chalmers will be a free agent after the Heat are done getting stomped by the Spurs. At any rate, I think the Heat could upgrade at the position. Napier is a good shooter and for lack of a better term, he's just a gamer

Gamer Indeed.

MATT: Pick 27: Phoenix Suns

Glen Robinson III, SF, Michigan

After 2 picks already in this draft, they can be a little aggressive here and take a risk. Robinson played a lot of the 4 spot in college but does not have the size to do that in the NBA. Shooting is a little off at times, but he is smart, super athletic, and can score inside and out when he is feeling it. Could be a starter at some point in his career

JOEL: Pick 28: Clippers

JAMES MICHAEL F ING MCADOO

this is a joke

Everybody knows Mcadoo is destined for great things, maybe as a volleyball player?

Pick 28: Clippers

Thanasis Antetokounmpo- His brother got drafted last year to be an athletic guy no one has ever heard of, and he's much in the same mold. Besides, look at how many letters he has in his name and he's Greek. Got to be worth something

Pictured: also included in this draft pick, John Stamos promos all year.

ANDY: Pick 29: Oklahoma City

Jerami Grant, PF, Syracuse

Excellent athlete who can run the floor. Needs to be a better shooter and more consistent on the glass. Not ready to be a regular contributor right now but is a guy with potential.

MATT: Pick 30, San Antonio Spurs

Vasilije Micic, Serbia

He is a young, 6'4" PG who is one of the more creative passers in the draft. He is also super competitive and loves to win. The Spurs will do what they always do here, draft and stash. Keep this kid overseas like they have with so many players in the past and bring him in behind Parker for a couple seasons.

What? Of course we knew were Serbia was before Googling.