In particular preference
We only have one 1st round pick this year to my knowledge.
Biggest Needs- PF/C, backup PG
1A. Tyler Hansborough- I know his ceiling isn't ridiculously high but the man is all hustle and plays hard every night. He is basketball savvy (have to know the game somewhat to be #1 all time ACC scorer without being superior athletic wise.) Tell me Chris Paul and James Posey wouldn't take a guy like this under their wings and try to make him better. I'd foresee ZERO attitude problems with this pick. Would be a good pick and pop combo with CP3.
1B. DeJaun Blair- The man was a beast this year in the tourney. Takes care of the ball exceptionally well for the amount of touches he gets. Good size weight wise on him but is fairly short to be playing the PF position. Jumper could use a little polishing but it would be nice to have a force on the offensive and defensive boards and a decent low post presence on O. Does make up for the height disadvantages with his long arms though. If we don't pick Hansborough, I would be quite happy to end up with this gentleman instead. Maybe he still has an inch or two of growth in him. Hear nothing but good things about this man's attitude also.
2. Ty Lawson- Unlikely pick now with the performance he put up in the tourney. Was a decent possibility before March. Great leader. Can score on his own and run a team. Would be an excellent backup PG with Paul and could easily see him earning some backup SG minutes as well aka Daniels this year. Takes care of the ball and doesn't take alot of moronic shots. If he's there it would be difficult to pass him up, I just don't see him getting there so he's at number 2. Would be Jannero Pargo without the 39% shooting. Instant offense off the bench for himself and his teammates.
I'm going to go out on a limb and say that one of these 3 will fall to us at #21. I don't really see any other players that jump out as instant contributers to our team. I would be extremely happy with any of them.
15 remarkable comments post your own
Vernon
05/06/09 04:44 PM
I would say BJ Mullens the C would also be a good pick and theres a chance he may be there at 21. He would be an upgrade on any of our backup bigs AND hes 7'0
#1
BeesGivingEffort
05/06/09 05:14 PM
Mullens tends to disappear at times and that's the type of play that earns you Byron's doghouse. He didn't rebound the ball in college very well at all either for how big he was. 7'0 is pretty huge at that level.
#2
BeesGivingEffort
05/06/09 05:15 PM
Than again, he is a freshman. I dont know I kind of feel like I would rather the proven thing at this point. Someone I know can come in and contribute right away. I think Mullens is a 1-3 year project.
#3
Andrea
05/07/09 01:49 PM
1A- I wouldn't take Hansbrough at 21. 1st round effort/work ethic, 2nd round talent IMO. I don't see anything about his game that would make me say we should take him that high. Either he'll struggle throughout his career or he'll be Eduardo Najera-esque.
1B- Saw this guy play quite a few times since I took a liking to Pittsburgh this season. I'm up in the air on this one. He has a knack for rebounding and moves people around with that wide body but he's only 6'7" (on a good day)
2. Lawson won't fall that far. If he did, I'd take Patrick Mills over him if he was still around.
Here are the guys I think we should consider (if they're around):
Earl Clark
Wayne Ellington
James Johnson
Gani Lawal
Patrick Patterson
Patrick Mills
Sam Young
Terrance Williams
Taj Gibson
Jeff Adrien
Marcus Thornton
Leo Lyons
Chris Johnson
#4
Byrdsman13
05/07/09 02:07 PM
HornetsGoneSoft I like your taste. Hansbrough would fit in great with us I believe. Blair would also. I do believe we need an upgrade at the point guard spot and I was hoping when we got rid of Mike James we would pick up Earl Watson from OKC. AD isn't too bad but productivity and youth with experience is what Watson brings to the table. Their salaries matched up perfect at about 6 million. I was hoping to see that happen but we got AD instead and although he is older he does bring experience and I believe a chanpionship when he was with the Spurs. I really hope we keep Chandler and West and cut the salary cap down by getting rid of the dead weight we are carrying in the way of Bowen, Brown and Peja if need be. Let's keep our core guys together and add to that through the draft abd trade. Someone out there could use a shooter like Peja. Honestly I would hate to see him go kinda but his time is almost over he is only getting older.
#5
Byrdsman13
05/07/09 02:11 PM
Andrea I like that list of potential draftees. If u had Leo Lyons or Wayne Ellington on the board who would u pick first if u were us?
#6
Andrea
05/07/09 02:36 PM
@Byrdsman13: I'd take Ellington for 3 reasons:
1. We need a 2 guard who can create his own shot
2. We need depth at the position partly because Devin Brown can't cut it as backup and Mo Pete may not make it off the pine like this season
3. I'm not sure Leo Lyons is a 1st round guy. I've seen him play this season in the tourney and he was great, but I think he's a guy we should look at in the 2nd round if we have a pick or look at him if he goes undrafted
#7
BeesGivingEffort
05/07/09 04:06 PM
The first 3 won't be there. I like the idea of Thornton actually. The guy's a gamer. I just really don't want to see a "potential" pick that late in the first round. "Potential" picks in the lottery flame out 70% of the time. I'd rather draft somebody that has already proven himself on the college level than try to develop someone, particularly this season with Byron presumably in his last year.
#8
Byrdsman13
05/07/09 05:16 PM
Andrea: I like Ellington also. I'm a UNC fan. Ellington gives us so much in a player. He can shoot on the move and that makes him expandable. I agree with u though Andrea I saw Leo Lyons disappear in some big games and some key moments where he needed to step up. We have too many of those on our team already.
#9
Andrea
05/07/09 06:58 PM
I'd like it if we picked Ellington. He has a solid offensive package. From the guys I listed, I consider Ellington, Mills, Patterson, and Young to be 1st rounders. If I was in the mood to reach for a guy with the pick, Gibson and Adrien are two guys that I'd gamble on. The others are 2nd rounders. Chris Johnson from LSU could potentially be Chris Bosh-esque but I'm iffy on him.
#10
Byrdsman13
05/07/09 09:47 PM
Wow u know your stuff Andrea.
All I have to say is this, if any of our players are traded to the Lakers or Sactown I'm gonna have a problem with BScott setting up his future on our time.
#11
Andrea
05/07/09 10:08 PM
Thanks Byrd
I'm not for trading with title contenders in the conference or division that your team is in unless it's lopsided in our favor like the Gasol for a bag of jock straps trade last season
#12
bigindian15
05/08/09 12:14 AM
I think Ellington would be great. I think Blair would be great. I don't think Hansbrough will be effective in the NBA.
I don't know if Jodie Meeks is coming out, but he'd be great.
I think if we take a backup pg, I'd like Jonny Flynn better. Just think he's a better shooter, slightly more athletic, probably more of a spark off the bench. I think Lawson is more suited to be a starter, not a spark plug off the bench, which is what we would be asking him to do
#13
Mikey
05/08/09 10:10 AM
Nice post Soft...
I don't have many names to throw out there, but another glaring Hornet need is a go-to scorer off the bench. I think Andrea adressed this already with the suggestion of selecting Ellington with our 1st round pick. While Ellington is 6'4, which is a little undersized for an NBA 2-guard, he's got a pretty good wingspan, and is a proven threat from anywhere on the floor. He will have some work to do in getting used to the speed of the NBA game from a defensive standpoint though, but how many times do you get the complete package straight out of the draft.
Biggest need in my opinion is a quality backup big man. That position must be upgraded via draft or free agency/trade at all costs. Usually after three seasons, you see what a player really has to offer at the pro level. Having seen Hilton Armstrong for the last three seasons, I see a guy that can't defend without fouling, is among the bottom of the NBA in rebound rate, is an adequate shotblocker (again when he's not fouling), has potential to develop his jump shot a little more, is a poor free throw shooter, and has one real offensive move in the post (2 if you count turning the ball over). Melvin Ely has the worst rebound rate in the NBA for a player 6'10 or taller. Put it this way, when you give up minutes to a guy who is 34 years old, and has never played significant minutes at center in the NBA (Sean Marks), that says alot.
#14
BeesGivingEffort
05/08/09 10:26 AM
I repeat, we will 98% likely have to trade up to get Ellington. He's a likely teens pick as it stands.
#15